Orioles are moving lefty reliever Cole McCurry to Triple-A

Orioles are moving lefty reliever Cole McCurry to Triple-A
Lefty relief pitcher Cole McCurry is joining the Triple-A Norfolk Tides after pitching with great stats this year for Double-A Bowie. The 25-year-old McCurry was a 43rd-round draft pick in 2007. This season for the Baysox, he went 4-0 with an ERA of 0.80. Over 33 2/3 he allowed just 18 hits and three earned runs. He walked 14, fanned 44 and had an opponent batting average against of just .155. McCurry actually was even better versus left-handed hitters. They are just 2-for-35 (.057) against...

One losing streak will end tonight

One losing streak will end tonight
One team will end a losing streak tonight at Rogers Centre. The Orioles have lost 14 straight in that park and are just 1-19 in their last 20 games in Canada. They have lost 23 of 25 there. The Orioles' last win in Toronto was August 7, 2009 by a 7-5 score. Jason Berken got the start and win while Jim Johnson got a save. Nolan Reimold and Nick Markakis had two RBIs each. Meanwhile, Toronto has lost four games in a row being outscored 38-8 in that time. Toronto has lost five in a row at...

Bridwell will be Aberdeen's opening night starter

Bridwell will be Aberdeen's opening night starter
When the short-season Single-A Aberdeen IronBirds begin a new season on Friday night at home against Hudson Valley, 19-year-old right-hander

Orioles stats and facts

Orioles stats and facts
Let's check in with a few Orioles stats and notes after a disappointing end to the weekend. It began with the Orioles blanking Tampa Bay 7-0 Friday, but they lost a late lead and the game Saturday night and fell behind early in losing Sunday. * Vlad Guerrero had back-to-back games on May 15 and 16 with two doubles each. But in the 22 games since then, Guerrero has just three total extra-base hits. His homer yesterday was his sixth of the year and first since May 22 versus Washington....

Reynolds on his injury and his defense

Reynolds on his injury and his defense
The Orioles don't ever want to lose any player to injury, but now that Mark Reynolds is hitting homers, they'd really like to keep his bat in the lineup. Reynolds is confident he can play Tuesday after leaving today's game in the eighth with a left forearm contusion. He took a shot off the bat of Sean Rodriguez off that arm in the fifth inning and had it taped after the game. Reynolds said X-rays on his arm were negative. "I think the day (off tomorrow) will do some good," he said....

Matusz: "I'm 100 percent healthy"

Matusz:  "I'm 100 percent healthy"
Brian Matusz may have had a rough day today and a short outing, but it had nothing at all to do with being hurt or any injury. "I'm 100 percent healthy," Matusz said. It was the shortest non-injury start of Matsuz's career, and he gave up four runs and four walks over just 1 1/3 innings today in a 9-6 loss to Tampa. "From the get-go I didn't get a good feel warming up in the bullpen," Matusz said. "Just one of those days where you have to battle without your good stuff. They were...

Rays get to Matusz early, take series finale 9-6

Rays get to Matusz early, take series finale 9-6
The Orioles won two of their first three series this year against Tampa Bay, and when they beat the Rays 7-0 on Friday, three out of four was looking quite realistic. But the Orioles could not close out the game last night and Brian Matusz exited early today as the Rays won 9-6 to win the series. Matusz faced 13 hitters and 10 reached base on five hits, four walks and an error. He gave up four runs in just 1 1/3, throwing 52 pitches. He falls to 1-1 this season with an ERA of 5.11 after three...

Rays ran wild early today vs. Matusz, O's

Rays ran wild early today vs. Matusz, O's
Maybe it was a combination too good for Tampa Bay to pass up. A pitcher who can be slow to the plate with runners on base and a catcher that, well, is not Matt Wieters. Tampa Bay took advantage of that to steal four bases in the top of the first inning today against Brian Matusz. It looked like they had a fifth in the top of the second but Johnny Damon was called out. While today's short start of just 1 1/3 innings could raise concerns about Matusz and topics like fastball velocity could...

No June swoon for Reynolds

No June swoon for Reynolds
The term June swoon does not apply to Mark Reynolds. After starting June hitless in five at-bats in the month's first two games, he is 8-for-24 with five homers and 11 RBIs. His June OPS is 1.244 after he picked up his first two-homer game as an Oriole last night. It was his 10th career two-homer game. After picking up five hits, three of them homers, over the last three games, Reynolds is now batting .205. This is his highest average since he was at .212 on April 19. The month has also...

Britton is on board with the plan to move his next start back

Britton is on board with the plan to move his next start back
Orioles lefty Zach Britton said it was not unexpected news. He was told today by manager Buck Showalter that his next start will likely be Friday in Washington and not Tuesday in Toronto. Britton has already pitched 82 innings and the club knew at some point Britton would pitch too many innings this year if he continued to go every fifth day. He pitched 153 innings last year between the minors and majors. "Obviously I don't want to skip starts, but I know they are doing it for a good...

Despite not playing every day, Adams is enjoying his first big league chance

Despite not playing every day, Adams is enjoying his first big league chance
For Ryan Adams, the last few weeks have been a bit of a mixed bag. He's been through the excitement of getting his first call to the major leagues. But also, for the first time in his life, he has not played much. "It's just kind of part of it when you get called up," Adams said in the Orioles' clubhouse. "(Robert) Andino's been playing really well and it's most about the experience and learning for me right now anyway. I've been here trying to work hard and enjoy every moment and...

A rare off night for Bundy at Frederick

A rare off night for Bundy at Frederick
On the night the Orioles selected his brother Dylan in the first-round of the draft, Bobby Bundy picked up his sixth win for the Single-A Frederick Keys with another strong outing last Monday. But after walking just 13 batters in 62 2/3 innings in his first 11 starts, Bundy struggled with his control last night and took the loss as Lynchburg beat Frederick 3-2 in front of 6,752 at Harry Grove Stadium. "I was really trying to keep the ball down. I had a couple of calls that could have gone...

Townsend and Mummey provide updates on their hamstring injuries in Frederick

Townsend and Mummey provide updates on their hamstring injuries in Frederick
FREDERICK, Md. - The Keys have the best record in the Carolina League, but for now they are playing without two of their best players. Within about five minutes of each other Wednesday night, the Keys' Tyler Townsend and Trent Mummey suffered hamstring injuries at Potomac that sent both to the disabled list. It's still too early to know exactly when either will return to the Keys' lineup. "It is one of those things we are being cautious with right now," Townsend told me a few minutes...

Givens could be headed to Aberdeen to play SS

Givens could be headed to Aberdeen to play SS
When the Short Season Single-A Aberdeen IronBirds begin a new season of New York-Penn League play next Friday, there is a good chance that Mychal Givens will be their starting shortstop. The 21-year-old Givens, the Orioles' second-round pick in 2009, would move to Aberdeen from Single-A Delmarva for two main reasons. One, it would give him a chance to play short. He's been playing at second base for Delmarva this year with Manny Machado first and later Jonathan Schoop playing at short for...

Markakis' night and the pursuit of .500

Markakis' night and the pursuit of .500
In the minutes after last night's game, in his postgame press conference, manager Buck Showalter was not ready to proclaim that Nick Markakis is out of his batting slump. Showalter knows that one game - even one as strong as a six-RBI game for Markakis - doesn't mean he has turned around his season. But it sure had to be a great sight for Orioles fans to see their right fielder have a night like that. Markakis hit his third career grand slam in the second and added a two-run double in the...

Joe Jordan talks about the Dylan Bundy negotiations (first pitch at 8:10)

Joe Jordan talks about the Dylan Bundy negotiations (first pitch at 8:10)
Update: Tonight's Orioles-Rays game has been delayed due to rain. No word on official start time. Orioles scouting director Joe Jordan said today he has not begun contract negotiations yet with top pick, pitcher Dylan Bundy. But he will have dinner with the Bundy family next week and the process should begin soon. Jordan has heard and seen the reports about Bundy seeking $30 million. He knows that won't happen and that in the end the player won't get anywhere close to that. "He is a very...

Matusz through two starts: No concern over the fastball

Matusz through two starts: No concern over the fastball
After two starts since returning from the disabled list, Brian Matusz is 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA. Matusz gave up one run in 5 2/3 at Seattle and two runs over 5 1/3 Monday against Oakland. Matusz said he is certainly not yet in midseason form, but is generally pleased with his progress to this point. Reporters have noted his fastball velocity seems a bit down from where it was last year, but Matusz said he is not concerned about that. "A lot of people are talking about the fastball velocity,...

Dan Klein feels his shoulder soreness will not become a major issue (audio added)

Dan Klein feels his shoulder soreness will not become a major issue (audio added)
Right-hander Dan Klein, one of the Orioles' top pitching prospects, feels his current right shoulder soreness will not turn into a more serious problem. Klein is on the disabled list at Double-A Bowie and will have a precautionary MRI Monday in Baltimore so doctors can get a better look at his shoulder. Klein took a red-shirt season in 2009 while at UCLA and had an arthroscopic procedure on that shoulder, but he said the current soreness is not related to that at all. "No, it's not a...

Taking an in-depth look at the Orioles' draft with Jim Callis

Taking an in-depth look at the Orioles' draft with Jim Callis
If you read the entry I wrote last night with Baseball America's Jim Callis, you know he is pretty high on the Orioles draft. He called it a "very good draft" for the Orioles and said it had the "makings of a terrific draft." He took some time with me to go over some of the Orioles' picks made after they tabbed Dylan Bundy with the fourth overall selection. Here are his comments on some of the picks. 2nd-round pick, third baseman Jason Esposito from Vanderbilt: "Jason Esposito in the...

Keys win, but Mummey and Townsend come up injured

Keys win, but Mummey and Townsend come up injured
Even though they won their eighth game in a row on Wednesday night, the Frederick Keys were not in a mood to celebrate much after their game at Potomac. Two of their key players, first baseman Tyler Townsend and outfielder Trent Mummey both left the game with hamstring injuries within minutes of each other in the fifth inning of a 6-4 win. Mummey's hamstring appears to be the more serious of the two at this point. Mummey, playing center field, was running into the gap in right center...