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Britton is here

April 02, 2011, 12:20pm

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Zach Britton showed up at Tropicana Field today and sat in the left field seats. Just a rookie pitcher and his thoughts. Britton got the surprise call yesterday that he was joining the Orioles in St. Petersburg and making his major league debut tomorrow afternoon against the Rays. He'll take it all in before taking the mound. "It's exciting," he said. "I was walking around because the last time I came here, it was the game before Wade Boggs got his 3,000th hit. I...

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Orioles place LHP Brian Matusz on disabled list

April 03, 2011, 8:32am

Orioles

The Orioles today announced that they have placed LHP Brian Matusz on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to March 30, with a strained left intercostal muscle. The Orioles have recalled LHP Zach Britton from Triple-A Norfolk and he is scheduled to make his major league debut this afternoon against the Tampa Bay Rays. Britton, 23, won the Jim Palmer Prize as the Orioles' Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2010. He will wear uniform number 53.

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An exciting win and 2-0 start for the Orioles

April 02, 2011, 6:44pm

Orioles

From 2 and 16 to 2 and 0. Pitching, defense and a three-run homer. Somewhere Earl Weaver must have enjoyed tonight's 3-1 win over Tampa. For someone like me that enjoys pitching and defense more than a high-scoring game, these have been two very fun games to watch. Yes, like many of you I will bet, I thought Ben Zobrist had hit a game-winning, three-run homer. But it didn't happen and Nick Markakis, maybe the best fielder in the game today without a gold glove, made a superb, game-saving...

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Final thoughts on Orioles' 3-1 victory

April 02, 2011, 7:07pm

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles were lucky to escape Tropicana Field with one win in last year's opening series. They'll go for the sweep tomorrow afternoon. Oh, how times have changed. "This has always been a tough place for us and I think for a lot of people in the last three or four years," said second baseman Brian Roberts. "You start to have flashbacks to other years. You just know how difficult it is to win here. The atmosphere, the way their team sets up, they always play...

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Talking about Markakis' defensive gem

April 02, 2011, 6:42pm

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Chris Tillman threw six hitless innings, Brian Roberts broke a scoreless tie with a three-run homer, and everybody wants to talk about Nick Markakis. I'm fine with it. Markakis made one of the most outstanding, clutch catches you'll ever see, taking away a game-tying extra-base hit from Ben Zobrist with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to preserve a 3-1 victory over the Rays. Markakis leaped for the ball, caught it at the top of the fence and crashed into the...

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The value of Uehara

April 02, 2011, 5:48pm

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Rays made things interesting in the eighth. And by "interesting," I mean heart-pounding. Michael Gonzalez returned to his little dome of horrors and walked the first two batters he faced, including Ben Zobrist on four pitches. He fell behind, 2-0, to Johnny Damon before retiring him on a foul pop. Gonzalez was done. In his place came Koji Uehara, who didn't walk a batter in his last 32 appearances of 2010. Uehara got a called third strike on pinch-hitter Sam...

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Scott left game with groin injury

April 02, 2011, 6:28pm

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Luke Scott is listed as day-to-day after straining his right groin muscle during tonight's game. Felix Pie pinch-ran for Scott in the seventh inning after the veteran reached on a fielder's choice. It proved to be a key substitution, as Pie threw out B.J. Upton at the plate to end the bottom of the seventh and keep the game scoreless. Pie had replaced Scott in left field. We weren't aware of the injury until after the Orioles' 3-1 win. It just looked like sound...

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Pregame notes and quotes (updated)

April 02, 2011, 2:30pm

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - I had a little time to kill before the Orioles took the field for batting practice, so I asked J.J. Hardy about last night's rundown that ended with him plowing into the Rays' B.J. Upton. Third base umpire Scott Barry called Upton out, which brought manager Joe Maddon from the dugout for a prolonged argument. Hardy assumed that he was guilty of obstruction, which would have stoked an eighth-inning rally. Hardy spun around and almost spiked his glove after making...

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A no-no no more (updated)

April 02, 2011, 5:13pm

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Well, it was fun while it lasted. B.J. Upton singled to center field off Orioles reliever Jeremy Accardo with two outs in the seventh inning to break up the collective no-hit bid. I could have sworn I ordered the combination no-hit platter tonight. It was a clean single, and it came after Brian Roberts made a nice backhanded stop and off-balance throw to retire Dan Johnson. Upton stole second despite a pitch-out, with catcher Matt Wieters bobbling the ball and making...

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Tillman makes it interesting (updated)

April 02, 2011, 4:31pm

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Rays have two baserunners through five innings against Chris Tillman, both coming on walks. That's it. TIllman has thrown 80 pitches, so getting him through the ninth will be quite a challenge. But hey, he wasn't even supposed to start tonight. Kelly Shoppach swung through a 92 mph fastball to end the fifth, the 10th consecutive batter retired by Tillman. Tillman had to fight to make the club out of spring training, and it mostly happened because Justin...

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Orioles-Rays lineup, Simon and Matusz updates

April 02, 2011, 11:50am

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Here are the lineups for tonight's game at Tropicana Field: For the Orioles: Brian Roberts 2B Nick Markakis RF Derrek Lee 1B Vladimir Guerrero DH Luke Scott LF Adam Jones CF Mark Reynolds 3B Matt Wieters C J.J. Hardy SS Chris Tillman RHP For the Rays: Zobrist 2B Damon LF Longoria 3B Ramirez DH Johnson 1B Upton CF Joyce RF Shoppach C Brignac SS Shields RHP Also, an Orioles official confirmed that pitcher Alfredo Simon has obtained his visa and will enter the U.S....

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Tillman in the first (updated)

April 02, 2011, 3:40pm

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Chris Tillman blanked the Rays in the first inning, but they made him work for it. Tillman went to a three-ball count to the first three hitters, though he retired Ben Zobrist on a foul pop up and struck out Johnny Damon on a 91 mph fastball. Evan Longoria walked after taking two curveballs out of the strike zone with a 1-1 count and a 92 mph fastball that also missed. Manny Ramirez fell behind, 0-2, looked at a 94 mph fastball that missed outside and lined to right to...

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Looking back on perfect season

April 02, 2011, 6:19am

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - One game, one win. That's perfection in my book. Of course, a franchise with 13 straight losing seasons can't function without a little adversity. The entire front office might break out in a rash if all the news is good. The revelation about Brian Matusz's back and the MRI result put a real damper on last night's festivities. Jeremy Guthrie should have been the center of attention. He was brilliant. "I've seen him pretty good, last August and September, but...

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Matusz scratched tomorrow with sore back

April 01, 2011, 1:22pm

Orioles

Matusz scratched tomorrow with sore back

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Left-hander Brian Matusz won't make tomorrow night's start against the Rays because of soreness on the left side of his back. Matusz is scheduled to undergo an MRI at 5:30 p.m.. The disabled list is a possibility, though manager Buck Showalter didn't want to venture into that territory without getting the results. Chris Tillman is one candidate to replace Matusz tomorrow night. Brad Bergesen and Jake Arrieta aren't available. The Orioles also could choose to bring...

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Matusz's update and lineup

March 29, 2011, 5:02am

Orioles

SARASOTA, Fla. - Brian Matusz won't throw today after being hit on the left biceps during yesterday's simulated game. He's wearing an ice pack on his arm to reduce the inflammation, but he told reporters this morning that there's only a small bruise. No pain that should keep him from pitching Saturday. Matusz is hoping to throw tomorrow, as long as the inflammation stays down. "I feel pretty good about it today," he said. "It's not too swollen. It's a little bit black and blue....

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Opening night lineup (and note)

March 31, 2011, 12:24pm

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles' lineup for tomorrow night's regular-season opener against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field should look pretty familiar to you, with one exception. Adam Jones moves up ahead of Luke Scott against left-hander David Price. Brian Roberts 2B Nick Markakis RF Derrek Lee 1B Vladimir Guerrero DH Adam Jones CF Luke Scott LF Mark Reynolds 3B Matt Wieters C J.J. Hardy SS Jeremy Guthrie RHP NOTE: Forgot to mention it earlier. Manager Buck Showalter says former...

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From St. Pete, Jones tweets get well wishes to Brooks

April 01, 2011, 7:11am

Orioles

From St. Pete, Jones tweets get well wishes to Brooks

Adam Jones has a lot on his mind today down in St. Petersburg, Fla., where the Orioles are getting ready to open their 2011 season against the Tampa Bay Rays. But the Orioles center fielder has enough of a sense of Baltimore baseball history to have tweeted get well wishes to hospitalized Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson, who is recovering from a high fever and infection at Greater Baltimore Medical Center. "Stay strong my man. ... the O's family is with you and your family," Jones wrote on...

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Win home opener tickets at Friday Hightopps baseball chat

March 29, 2011, 7:11am

Orioles

Win home opener tickets at Friday Hightopps baseball chat

Want to go to the Orioles' home opener April 4? Don't have tickets, you say? Well, MASNsports.com will give you the opportunity to win a pair of opening day tickets Friday night at Hightopps Backstage Grille in Timonium. Steve Melewski and yours truly will be hosting another in our series of baseball chats that evening, from 6-7 p.m. At 7 p.m., we'll tune Hightopps' many televisions to the O's game in St. Petersburg, Fla., against the Rays on MASN. What better way to celebrate the start...

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Brooks Robinson hospitalized, releases statement

March 31, 2011, 1:55pm

Orioles

Brooks Robinson hospitalized, releases statement

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson was hospitalized earlier today, which always brings a wave of concern - and maybe panic - over all of us, but he released a statement saying he's doing fine and it's not related to his cancer surgery. Here's the statement: "Thank you for your outpouring of concern. I was originally scheduled for a routine outpatient procedure at Greater Baltimore Medical Center on Thursday, March 31, 2011. The evening before surgery, I developed a fever...

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Pre-workout Showalter - Part II

March 31, 2011, 11:31am

Orioles

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - We can still hear thunder rumbling outside the dome. I'm just relieved the roof hasn't collapsed. Speaking of thunderous echos, the Orioles are taking batting practice while I file this blog entry. Nick Markakis is knocking the paint off a few of the seats in right field. Luke Scott just bounced a ball off the back of the restaurant roof directly below the scoreboard in center field. Manager Buck Showalter said he won't rest any of his regulars during this...