Matusz on his outing against the Reds and his fastball velocity

Matusz on his outing against the Reds and his fastball velocity
After his latest tough outing, Orioles left-hander Brian Matusz was talking again about his velocity, which has still not returned to its 2010 output. "The velocity obviously isn't there. Being my fifth start, I feel I've made a lot of progress, but just have got to continue working and get a lot better," Matusz said after giving up six runs, nine hits and three homers in 4 2/3 in Saturday's 10-5 loss to the Reds. Brian Matusz talks about his struggles in the Birds' loss to the...

Reds win homer-filled contest, 10-5, at Camden Yards

Reds win homer-filled contest, 10-5, at Camden Yards
It was not a home run derby contest tonight at Camden Yards although it looked like it at times. On a night when left-hander Brian Matusz struggled again, Cincinnati beat the Orioles 10-5 in a game that featured nine homers. All but one run scored in the game came via a homer as Cincinnati hit five and the Orioles hit a season-high four in front of 38,976 at Camden Yards. Matusz gave up three homers among nine hits and six runs in just 4 2/3 innings as he falls to 1-3 with an ERA of 6.85 in...

MacPhail talks contract and Showalter talks Roberts with season-ticket holders

MacPhail talks contract and Showalter talks Roberts with season-ticket holders
At the "State of the Orioles" address this afternoon with season ticket holders here at Camden Yards, O's president of baseball operations Andy MacPhal was asked by a fan about his contract. He is in the last year of his deal and the fan wanted to know if he will be staying with the Orioles. "I have always taken the position, unlike one my good friends in the game Jim Riggleman, let's just see how we do," MacPhail said. "Let's get to the end of the year and see how we do and take it...

MacPhail addresses international spending with season-ticket holders

MacPhail addresses international spending with season-ticket holders
Orioles president Andy MacPhail and manager Buck Showalter just spent about 30 minutes taking fans questions here at Camden Yards as part of the latest "State of the Orioles" address with season ticket holders. MacPhail was asked by a fan why the club seems to be outbid by some other clubs in the international market. "We did spend more last year then we did the year before and we'll probably spend more this year than last year. We are actually making progress in that market based on what...

D-Lee delivers the walk-off for the Orioles

D-Lee delivers the walk-off for the Orioles
After that recent stretch where he went 11-for-18, it was clear Derrek Lee's bat was coming to life. Tonight he provided another example with that clutch, walk-off homer to left, leading off the last of the 12th as the Orioles beat the Reds 5-4. Lee entered tonight batting just .128 on the year, going 6-for-47, when batting with runners in scoring position. He is a career .279 hitter with RISP. That homer did not come with RISP, of course, but it was pretty clutch. It kept the Orioles from...

Matthew Taylor: Seeking the silver linings in a difficult stretch

Matthew Taylor: Seeking the silver linings in a difficult stretch
Things have been pretty bleak of late for the Orioles and their fans, but it can't possibly be all bad news for the Birds, can it? Let's look at some of the facts and locate the elusive silver lining for the orange and black. The Orioles allowed six home runs in a 10-3 loss in Boston on Thursday. The good news is they didn't give up six runs in the ninth inning at Fenway. The Texas Rangers scored a combined 30 runs in a three-game set with the Orioles earlier this week. The good news is...

From bad to embarrassing (O's lose 10-4)

From bad to embarrassing (O's lose 10-4)
The bullpen isn't doing any better than the rotation tonight. The Red Sox have hit six home runs, the last four off Orioles relievers. Jacoby Ellsbury took Jason Berken deep in the sixth inning. Pedro Viola replaced him in the seventh and gave up consecutive bombs to David Ortiz, Josh Reddick and Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Red Sox 10, Orioles 3. I guess this is rock bottom. Viola walked the next batter and was gone. He didn't record an out. It was the first time that the Orioles...

Shocking developments in first inning (updated twice)

Shocking developments in first inning (updated twice)
I'm not sure what rates higher on the Shock Scale. You can decide. The Orioles got a hit with a runner in scoring position. Adam Jones singled to score J.J. Hardy, who led off the game with a single off the Green Monster and advanced to second on Nick Markakis' single. Red Sox pitcher Andrew Miller deflected the ball, but couldn't stop it from rolling into right field. The Orioles were 4-for-37 with runners in scoring position before tonight. Matt Wieters walked with two outs and stole...
Tags:

Not expecting a repeat of last season for the Orioles

Not expecting a repeat of last season for the Orioles
Can lightning strike twice for the Orioles? Last year they went to Texas for the last series before the All-Star break and swept that four-game series. Tonight they begin a four-game series in Boston that leads into the break. I'm pretty sure most fans are not expecting four O's wins over the next four days, but last year's team did lose six of seven before that Texas sweep. This club has now lost eight of nine and is 6-17 over the past 23 games. In that stretch the team ERA is 5.78, the...

Jones falls short in The Final Vote for All-Star Game

Jones falls short in The Final Vote for All-Star Game
If Adam Jones is going to go to the All-Star Game in Phoenix, it will have to be as an injury replacement. The Orioles center fielder finished fourth of our five participants in The Final Vote, a competition which yielded White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko as the final member of the American League All-Star team. Konerko was followed in the fan voting, which concluded at 4 p.m. Eastern time, by Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez, Royals left fielder Alex Gordon, Jones and Rays second...

Is there a silver lining at Fenway Park?

Is there a silver lining at Fenway Park?
I would never suggest that the Orioles are catching a team at a good time. Not the way they're playing. But they won't have to face Boston starters Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz, and they won't have to pitch to Carl Crawford. Crawford is expected to be activated from the disabled list on July 18, when the Red Sox visit Camden Yards. All good things must come to an end. Adrian Gonzalez, the American League's Player of the Month for June, missed last night's game with a stiff neck, but...

Lineup includes Reimold, Guerrero batting fourth

Lineup includes Reimold, Guerrero batting fourth
The Orioles will lean heavily to the right tonight against Red Sox left-hander Andrew Miller. For the Orioles: J.J. Hardy SS Nick Markakis RF Adam Jones CF Vladimir Guerrero DH Matt Wieters C Derrek Lee 1B Mark Reynolds 3B Nolan Reimold LF Robert Andino 2B Jake Arrieta RHP

For Blake Davis, it's time to get back on the horse

For Blake Davis, it's time to get back on the horse
He made a key error that allowed two runs to score Wednesday in the Orioles' 5-4 loss to the Pirates, but when Blake Davis showed up at Camden Yards today, he saw his name was in the starting lineup and he's back at second base. "Yeah, it's nice," Davis said, two days after his major league debut. "It shows a little bit of confidence in me and I was kind of excited when I saw my name. I'll just get back out there and get ready to play." Davis said many of his O's teammates were...

Showalter on Davis and Arrieta

Showalter on Davis and Arrieta
Orioles manager Buck Showalter has Blake Davis back in the starting lineup tonight, at second base and batting ninth. He was asked if he was starting Davis to get him right back on the field after his error Wednesday scored two runs in the 5-4 loss to Pittsburgh. "That's not the only reason. But yeah, it was (a reason to start him)," Showalter said. "I thought the young man has done a lot to get the opportunity. Thought he had some good at bats in Pittsburgh too. He had a big at bat that...

Minor league notes

Minor league notes
With the Orioles not playing tonight, let's take a look at some notes around the O's minors. The Bowie Baysox have been playing pretty well lately. The Baysox, led by manager Gary Kendall, have won 12 of their last 18 games to improve to 36-34 on the season. Catcher Caleb Joseph takes a 10-game batting streak into play tonight. He is batting .317 (13-for-41) during the streak with two homers and seven RBIs. He can tie Xavier Avery for longest hitting streak this year for Bowie at 11...

Road trip ends with a thud: Costly error leads to loss at Pittsburgh

Road trip ends with a thud: Costly error leads to loss at Pittsburgh
For the Orioles today, the ball found a player making his major league debut at a key point in the game and the result was not good. Blake Davis, starting at second base, had a grounder go through his legs for an error in the last of the fifth, allowing two runs to score on the play. What should have been the third out instead cost the Orioles two runs as Pittsburgh moved ahead 5-4 on the play and won by that score. It should be pointed out that Davis played mostly right field and some...

Doubles talk (updated)

Doubles talk (updated)
Seeing Nick Markakis hit two doubles in today's game at Pittsburgh had to be a nice sight for Orioles fans. Markakis, formerly a doubles machine, had just seven doubles all year and this is his first game of the year with more than one double. Markakis, who had 43 or more doubles the last four years, was on a pace this year to produce just 16 doubles coming into today's game. Last season, he was tied for fourth in the American League with 45 doubles and he became just the third player in...

Delmarva does a great job hosting South Atlantic League All-Star Game as Machado heads for Frederick

Delmarva does a great job hosting South Atlantic League All-Star Game as Machado heads for Frederick
SALISBURY, Md. - The only thing that went wrong with last night's South Atlantic League All-Star game was the home team lost. The South beat the North 6-3 in front of a sellout crowd of 7,410 at Perdue Stadium. The North squad had won four straight from 2006-2009 and last year's game ended in a tie, so this was the first win by the South since 2005. But despite the fact that the team with five Delmarva Shorebirds on it came up short, everything else was pretty much a huge hit last night in...

Frederick bound: Machado gets official word after All-Star Game

Frederick bound: Machado gets official word after All-Star Game
SALISBURY, Md. - The news that was very expected became official after tonight's South Atlantic League All-Star Game. The Orioles are sending top prospect Manny Machado from low Single-A Delmarva to high Single-A Frederick. Machado played his last game representing the Shorebirds tonight and went 2-for-4 with a run scored as his North team lost 6-3 to the South in front of a sellout crowd. Before tonight's game Machado said he had not been told anything about his next move, but shortly...

South leads 6-2 at Delmarva (updated)

South leads 6-2 at Delmarva (updated)
SALISBURY, Md. - After four and a half innings of the South Atlantic League All-Star game, the South team leads the North 6-2 at Perdue Stadium. The South plated five runs in the third, getting two-run homers from Adam Duvall and Cory Vaughn. Single-A Delmarva's Manny Machado is 1-for-2 with a single and a run scored in the first and he struck out in the top of the third. His Shorebirds teammate, Ty Kelly, starting at second base, is 0-for-1 after a third-inning ground out. Delmarva lefty...