Silver lining time again

Silver lining time again
Luke Scott had no homers and one RBI before today. Now he has one homer and two RBIs. Could this be the start of a hot streak? Indians starter Josh Tomlin might have fanned the flames, instead of the slugger, in the fifth inning. Scott has a hit in four straight games and six of his last seven. Scott is a former Indians farmhand, in case you forgot. The Astros acquired him in a 2004 trade. Did you know that Scott spent his first professional season on the disabled list after undergoing...
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Fox trots around the bases (updated 3 times)

Fox trots around the bases (updated 3 times)
Jake Fox provided the first run today and some comic relief. Fox homered in the third inning to reduce the Indians' lead to 2-1 over the Orioles. Fox stumbled as he rounded first base and had to go back to make sure he touched the bag and avoid an embarrassing appeal and out. Players were laughing in the dugout as he came down the steps. You'll recall that Fox had 10 home runs in spring training, 11 if you count the interleague game. He was 0-for-7 before today's game. Fox is making his...
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Are Lee and Guerrero usually slow starters?

Are Lee and Guerrero usually slow starters?
I was wondering today if Derrek Lee and Vlad Guerrero have been slow starters in their careers. They have not hit much so far and maybe they are just not good hitters in early-season games. Well, both do have some good stats hitting in April. Lee has a career .270 average and .852 OPS in the month with 51 homers. But maybe the good news is that his April OPS ranks just fifth highest among the six months of the season. So he gets better after April according to his track record. The same is...
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Offense has been all wet

Offense has been all wet
The sun came out in Cleveland and then it disappeared again. Another bad storm moved through the area, but they're projecting a 3:05 p.m. start at Progressive Field. How are the bats supposed to heat up in these conditions? The Orioles rank 24th in the majors with a .226 average. They've scored 46 runs, more than only four teams. Manager Buck Showalter told reporters earlier today that he doesn't have any immediate plans to juggle the lineup. He believes in track records and figures that...
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Heath Bintliff: Orioles offense offers more of the same

Heath Bintliff: Orioles offense offers more of the same
Hello, MASNsports.com readers. My name is Heath Bintliff and I have been writing Dempsey's Army, a Baltimore Orioles blog, since 2006. Although I grew up in Maryland, I now live in Atlanta and have been away from Maryland for 11 years. As you might imagine, there are not a lot of O's fans down here in Georgia, so I needed an outlet for my Orioles thoughts and the blog was born. Dempsey's Army offers statistical analysis, historical perspective, commentary, prospect watching and various...
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Orioles lineup vs. Indians (and more Guthrie)

Orioles lineup vs. Indians (and more Guthrie)
Jeremy Guthrie will take the mound today as the Orioles attempt to halt a five-game losing streak. Guthrie has got to play stopper today, and he seems the most qualified on the staff. He's allowed one run and seven hits in 14 innings, and he should have better stamina today. Here's the Orioles' lineup, which includes Jake Fox behind the plate: Brian Roberts 2B Nick Markakis RF Derrek Lee 1B Vladimir Guerrero DH Luke Scott LF Adam Jones CF Mark Reynolds 3B Jake Fox C Robert Andino...
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The O's offense: Mostly dormant through 12 games

The O's offense: Mostly dormant through 12 games
Last year, when the Orioles had a pretty mediocre offense, they averaged just 3.8 runs per game. So far this year, with an offense that is expected to be greatly improved, they are averaging 3.8 runs per game. The Orioles just are not hitting much right now and I'm sure some fans are getting restless to see some runs at this point. It's too early to get real concerned, but the team batting average is just .226. During the five-game losing streak, the O's have scored just 12 runs with a...
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In defeat, we learned a lot about Britton

In defeat, we learned a lot about Britton
It wasn't all going to be all roses and gumdrops for Zach Britton in his major league career. After two dominating efforts in his first two major league starts - Britton had allowed just one run in 13 2/3 innings prior to last night, earning two wins in the process - the left-hander finally proved he is, in fact, human. It's sad to read, I know. But it's true. Britton was touched by the Indians for five runs in six innings of work. He allowed eight hits and gave up the first home run of...
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Britton takes first loss as O's skid reaches five

Britton takes first loss as O's skid reaches five
After starting the year at 6-1, the Orioles have now lost five in a row to fall back to 6-6. Zach Britton took his first major league loss as Cleveland scored four in the third inning to beat the lefty and the Orioles 8-2 in the start of a three-game series. Britton gave up five runs and eight hits over six innings in falling 2-1 with an ERA of 2.75. Asdrubal Cabrera had a pair of two-run singles as the Tribe improved to 9-4. Justin Masterson improved to 3-0 with an ERA of 1.33, allowing just...
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Now you can worry

Now you can worry
Oh sure, now Koji Uehara pitches. Uehara took care of the eighth inning tonight, long after the Indians took care of the Orioles. We're talking five straight losses and a .500 record. And it doesn't sting any less to me when it's a blowout. There isn't as much to second-guess, but it's still painful. Zach Britton is human. Pass the word. He allowed five runs and eight hits in six innings. There were bound to be nights like this one. It just would have been more convenient if it...
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Tribe gets four-spot off Britton in the third

Tribe gets four-spot off Britton in the third
After giving up just one run over his first 15 2/3 major league innings, Zach Britton allowed four in the last of the third at Cleveland tonight as the Tribe took the lead on the Orioles. Britton looked sharp at the start tonight, retiring the first six batters with three strikeouts. But Cleveland, which is 8-4 and tied for first in the AL Central, broke through with a four-run, six-hit inning. It included Lou Marson's RBI single, Asdrubal Cabrera's two-run single and a Travis Hafner sac...
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Orioles and Indians lineups

Orioles and Indians lineups
The Orioles will send out the following lineup tonight in Cleveland as they try to end a four-game skid at a ballpark where they've posted a 20-47 record: Brian Roberts 2B Nick Markakis RF Derrek Lee 1B Vladimir Guerrero DH Luke Scott LF Adam Jones CF Mark Reynolds 3B Matt Wieters C Cesar Izturis SS Zach Britton LHP For the Indians: Michael Brantley CF Asdrubal Cabrera SS Shin-Soo Choo RF Shelley Duncan LF Travis Hafner DH Orlando Cabrera 2B Matt LaPorta 1B Lou Marson C Adam Everett...
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Jones "truly blessed" to don Jackie Robinson's No. 42

Jones "truly blessed" to don Jackie Robinson's No. 42
Think Orioles center fielder Adam Jones doesn't take the responsibility of donning Jackie Robinson's legendary No. 42 once each season? Think again. Tonight is Major League Baseball's annual celebration of the brave and talented player who broke the game's color barrier in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Tonight, everyone in baseball will be wearing No. 42 (even Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, who's allowed to continue wearing that jersey number because he was doing so before Commissioner...
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Mahoney hopes for a Sunday return to the Bowie lineup

Mahoney hopes for a Sunday return to the Bowie lineup
It was the second game of the season for the Double-A Bowie Baysox. That's when first baseman Joe Mahoney, the Orioles' 2010 minor league Player of the Year, came up injured running the bases. The quad injury has forced Mahoney to the seven-day disabled list and he has missed the last five Baysox games. "It happened in Harrisburg, when I got my first hit, a double, rounding first. It's early, it's cold and they just want to make sure that I get it back to 100 percent so I am not dealing...
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Letting Pie slide

Letting Pie slide
As long as we're second-guessing and debating and looking back with one hand covering our eyes, I'll chime in regarding Felix Pie's "slide" into home plate in the eighth inning. Here's a little reminder. Joba Chamberlain bounced a pitch with Pie on third base and the Orioles clinging to a one-run lead. The ball went to the backstop and took a big bounce toward catcher Russell Martin, whose throw to the plate arrived ahead of Pie. Chamberlain applied the tag, and you know the rest. At...
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Matthew Taylor: Brooks Robinson's memorable final homer embodied Orioles magic

Matthew Taylor: Brooks Robinson's memorable final homer embodied Orioles magic
I figure it's appropriate to end my first week of guest blogging for MASNsports.com in the traditional manner I end each week on my blog. It's a nod to Orioles history that I call "Flashback Fridays." This week's Flashback Friday relates to the Orioles' next opponent, the Cleveland Indians, and Orioles legend Brooks Robinson, who has been released from Greater Baltimore Medical Center after recovering from an infection. Facing the Indians around this time of year, on April 19, 1977,...
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Closing argument

Closing argument
So is the honeymoon period over for manager Buck Showalter? I've never seen him second-guessed to this extent since he was named manager Aug. 2. It was bound to happen. Earl Weaver would have been questioned and criticized during the blog and Twitter era. That's all part of the game. I don't think anyone is jumping off the Showalter bandwagon, but he made two decisions last night that clearly irked readers of this blog. (And I'm trying to remember the last time I used the word...
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Next Britton challenge: Stop a losing streak

Next Britton challenge: Stop a losing streak
For his first act, Zach Britton beat the defending American League East champions on the road in his major league debut. For his second act, he beat the Texas Rangers, who were 6-0 at the time and had scored 42 runs in those six contests. Britton calmly pitched 7 2/3 scoreless against that tough Texas lineup at Camden Yards in an impressive home debut. For his third act, Britton will try to stop an Orioles' losing streak. Another challenge for the kid. Somehow I suspect he will hold up just...
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Trying to sort it all out

Trying to sort it all out
I guess back on opening day, we would have been pleased with an Orioles' 6-5 start. But it doesn't seem as promising when it follows a 6-1 start and your team just suffered a blown lead at Yankee Stadium. Last night on my postgame radio show, "Baltimore Baseball Tonight" on 105.7 the Fan in Baltimore, it was pretty much a two-hour vent session. By the end, the fans got some things off their chests, but the O's had still blown the game in New York. It was disappointing because Jake...
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The losing streak reaches four

The losing streak reaches four
Some losses are tougher to swallow than others. This one should stick in the Orioles' throats. They led, 5-0, and their starter hadn't allowed a hit through four innings. They hit for power, they advanced runners, they had quality pitching and at-bats, which should have been a recipe for success. The back end of the bullpen is supposed to be a strength, but Jason Berken gave up a run in the seventh, Jim Johnson put two runners on base in the eighth before escaping the jam, and Kevin Gregg...
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