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Mahoney hopes for a Sunday return to the Bowie lineup

April 15, 2011, 9:38am

Orioles

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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Next Britton challenge: Stop a losing streak

April 14, 2011, 11:19pm

Orioles

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

April 14, 2011, 8:27pm

Orioles

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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Early impressions as O's grab the lead at NY (Update)

April 14, 2011, 3:50pm

Orioles

Early impressions as O's grab the lead at NY (Update)

A few early observations as the Orioles lead the Yankees 2-0 in the 4th tonight. Jake Arrieta needed just 33 pitches to get the first nine outs. *Nick Markakis picked a good time for his second home run. His two-run shot gives the O's a 2-0 lead at New York as they look to break a 3-game losing streak. Markakis' blast to right snapped a 2-for-23 drought for the O's right fielder. He turned on a Phil Hughes fastball. Hughes had jammed several hitters early on with his fastball, but that one...

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An early look at the O's minors

April 14, 2011, 10:14am

Orioles

Yes, it is a very small sample size, but to date only one O's minor league team is playing .500 ball. Thanks in part to Norfolk's 1-6 start, the four clubs' overall record is 8-16. Norfolk is 1-6 Bowie is 2-4 Frederick is 2-2 Delmarva is 3-4 Only Single-A Delmarva, led by Manny Machado and Kipp Schutz, has hit much. The Shorebirds' team average of .260 is fifth best in the South Atlantic League. Schutz, who already has a six-RBI game, is 11-for-22 with four doubles, a homer, eight RBIs...

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Steve Johnson moves to Triple-A, Mahoney to DL

April 14, 2011, 10:47am

Orioles

Steve Johnson moves to Triple-A, Mahoney to DL

It could turn out to be just for a start or two, but Baltimore native Steve Johnson today has moved from Double-A Bowie to Triple-A Norfolk. Also today, Bowie has placed first baseman Joe Mahoney on the minor league seven-day DL, retroactive to April 12. Mahoney has missed the last few games with a quad injury. The O's were hoping he would avoid the DL. Mahoney is 1-for-7 in two games on the year. Johnson has made one start and pitched four scoreless innings for Bowie at Harrisburg last...

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Another check of the RISP stat

April 14, 2011, 8:15am

Orioles

It is not hard to figure out how the Orioles have lost three straight games by a combined score of 23-5. Not when you see their starting pitching ERA in those three games is 12.27 and they have hit just 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position in those games. As pointed out in my previous post, the O's need a starter not named Zach Britton or Jeremy Guthrie to step up soon and tonight with Jake Arrieta on the mound in New York would be a good place to start. Britton and Guthrie have pitched...

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Is this three-game losing skid a bump in the road or a sign of bigger trouble?

April 13, 2011, 10:39pm

Orioles

Is this three-game losing skid a bump in the road or a sign of bigger trouble?

Let's see, the Orioles have lost one of their best starting pitchers to injury, their starting shortstop to injury and now they've lost three games in a row. A record of 6-4 after 10 games sounds pretty good - and is pretty good. The Birds still own a share of first place after losing Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium. But during a three-game slide in which they've gotten two very poor starting pitching efforts, maybe the O's are currently facing the first mini-crisis of the season. With...

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Tillman's time was short tonight

April 13, 2011, 4:26pm

Orioles

Whether it was a lack of velocity or a lack of quality pitches, this was basically a disastrous outing for Chris Tillman tonight at New York. He got ahead of the first batter he faced, Brett Gardner at 0-2, but then threw a fastball right down the middle that went for a base hit. The Yankees kept hitting after that. Over just 1 2/3 innings, Tillman gave up nine hits and six runs, all earned. He walked one and fanned two, throwing 57 pitches, 33 for strikes. It seems hard to believe two starts...

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Checking in with some stats and notes before the NY series opener

April 13, 2011, 8:40am

Orioles

Checking in with some stats and notes before the NY series opener

Some stats, facts and notes to ponder as the Orioles and Yankees hope to begin their rain-delayed series tonight in The Bronx. *The Orioles are 40-26 since Buck Showalter took over as manager. They are six games better than the Yankees during that stretch. *Mark Reynolds is 5-for-9 on the year (.556) when batting with runners in scoring position. His career average is .266 when batting with RISP. *Of the Orioles' 35 runs scored on the year, they have scored 11 in the first three innings and...

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Denny Hocking with some candid comments on Rowell and Mahoney

April 12, 2011, 5:57pm

Orioles

One of the pleasures of this job as it relates to the minor leagues has been the chance to get to know and interview some interesting people. That includes coaches and players. I have met many in the minors that would classify as a great interview. I can now add Bowie Baysox coach

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Talking with Tillman and the subject is his velocity

April 12, 2011, 10:16am

Orioles

Talking with Tillman and the subject is his velocity

When Chris Tillman takes the mound in New York tonight, there may be some fans checking the radar gun readings almost as much as they check the ball and strike count. There has been a lot of discussion among the fans that Tillman's velocity may be down and they are wondering if that impacts his pitching and not in a good way. Some fans cited a lack of his normal velocity as a reason why Tillman gave up four runs in his start against Detroit, but he seemed to be throwing with similar velocity...

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Buck made the call and Britton will miss NYY series

April 12, 2011, 5:31am

Orioles

Buck made the call and Britton will miss NYY series

Orioles rookie pitcher Zach Britton faced the Yankees in spring training, but his first outing against them that counts will have to wait. Manager Buck Showalter had two choices for a starting pitcher for the Thursday game in the Bronx because both Jake Arrieta and Britton pitched in the Saturday doubleheader and would be on normal rest for Thursday. But Showalter said Arrieta will start that game and Britton will pitch the series opener on Friday at Cleveland. It's probably a little...

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Joe Mahoney out with quad injury

April 11, 2011, 4:25pm

Orioles

The Orioles' 2010 minor league Player of the Year, Joe Mahoney, is not in the lineup for Double-A Bowie tonight due to a quad injury. He missed Sunday's game and is not playing this evening as Bowie is at Richmond. Mahoney went 1-for-7 with a double and two walks in the first two Baysox games of the season at Harrisburg. The injury is considered day-to-day. Right now, there are no plans to put him on the DL and O's officials hope he can return in a day or two. Mahoney was added to the...

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Triple-A Tides look to avoid 0-5 start tonight

April 11, 2011, 12:15pm

Orioles

Triple-A Tides look to avoid 0-5 start tonight

Like their parent club, the Triple-A Norfolk Tides have not gotten their offense going much this year. But unlike the Orioles, Norfolk is winless and is last in the league in batting. The Tides scored just five runs in going 0-4 in their season-opening series at Charlotte. The Tides' team batting mark of .165 is last in the International League. Norfolk plays at Gwinnett tonight looking to avoid its first 0-5 start since 1993. Ryan Adams has begun the season at 1-for-12 while Brandon Snyder...

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A look at CF depth in the O's minors

April 11, 2011, 9:48am

Orioles

The Orioles, like any organization, would like to create a situation where they have solid depth throughout their minor leagues with prospects at both the lower and higher levels. While some fans right now would question the Orioles' minor league depth and may well be right about that, at certain positions the Orioles are becoming well stocked. Center field is one of those positions. When the 2011 season began last week the O's had a center fielder that will be batting leadoff at each of...

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Markakis: "The first week we did pretty damn good."

April 10, 2011, 7:54pm

Orioles

Markakis: "The first week we did pretty damn good."

One year after dealing with a miserable 2-16 start, these are better times for the Orioles. Even after losing the last two games against Texas, the club is off to a 6-3 start and in first place in their division. "I say it's good," O's outfielder Nick Markakis said of the club's start. "We've got a winning record and we just played a really good ballclub. It's not like we got blown out, we played close games with the exception of one. I think, overall in the first week we did pretty...

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Guthrie talks about his outing vs. Texas

April 10, 2011, 1:07pm

Orioles

Guthrie talks about his outing vs. Texas

Pitching just a couple of days after getting out of the hospital, O's right-hander Jeremy Guthrie threw well versus Texas Sunday, even if he didn't feel 100 percent or have some of his usual velocity. "Legs felt good, but it's a strange feeling. I don't breathe very well and I get tired," said Guthrie, who had a form of pneumonia. "It's like you running a few sprints and being tired. Normally I can run a bunch of sprints before I get tired, now one of them makes me tired. It takes a...

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Guthrie returns, but Rangers beat O's to take series finale

April 10, 2011, 12:19pm

Orioles

Guthrie returns, but Rangers beat O's to take series finale

Jeremy Guthrie returned to the mound for the first time since the O's season opener today. He pitched well, but it did not lead to a win. Texas takes two of three from the Orioles, winning 3-0 today behind Derek Holland in front of 21,452 at Camden Yards. The Orioles, who begin a series Tuesday in New York, fall to 6-3 while the Rangers are 8-1. The Orioles scored five runs over the first three innings Saturday in the first game of a doubleheader. But since that point, they have scored just...

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Will Britton face the Yankees?

April 10, 2011, 11:35am

Orioles

The never-ending saga of the changing Orioles rotation will play out next in New York as the O's begin a series at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night. All the starters for that series are officially listed right now as TBA. Manager Buck Showalter said today that Chris Tillman will pitch either Tuesday or Wednesday. It could be that Brad Bergesen's time in the minors will be very short and he returns to pitch the other game. Bergesen was just sent out yesterday, but could return before 10 days...