Pitching leads the way in the 25-15 run under Showalter

Pitching leads the way in the 25-15 run under Showalter
So the Orioles have now won four series in a row for the first time since August 3-15, 2004. Overall, they have won eight of their last ten and 12 of the last 17 games. They are 6-1 in their last seven games vs. the AL East. There are so many positive individual and team stats right now, it is even hard for a reporter like yours truly who enjoys keeping up with stats and trends. But, hey, I'll work at it. Then there is this note. The Orioles have now played 40 games under Buck Showalter...

Arrieta on silencing the Jays and his innings total

Arrieta on silencing the Jays and his innings total
Buck Showalter says players don't get stronger this time of year, some just hold up better than others. Jake Arrieta seems to be one of those players. Even though he is now 22 innings over his 2009 total, Arrieta is thriving and tonight pitched six shutout innings in the O's 11-3 romp over Toronto. He is now 6-6, 4.66 in 18 starts and is 2-0, 2.60 over his past three starts. This was his first start as a Major Leaguer where he did not allow a run. Jake Arrieta discusses his outing with...

Arrieta with six scoreless as O's romp 11-3 over the Jays

Arrieta with six scoreless as O's romp 11-3 over the Jays
The Orioles used a big inning and a big pitching performance to post another win over Toronto on Tuesday night. Jake Arrieta pitched six scoreless innings and the O's added to a 3-0 lead with a six-run 7th in an 11-3 romp over the Jays. The Orioles have now won four series in a row for the first time since August 3-15, 2004. Buck Showalter meets with the media after the O's 11-3 win over the Blue Jays An enthusiastic crowd of 16,589 saw it on Buck Showalter T-shirt Tuesday. The Orioles...

Showalter's O's looking for strong finish

Showalter's O's looking for strong finish
There's no question the Orioles are a different team since Buck Showalter took over as manager on August 3. Showalter has pointed out that he has had the benefits of a healthy roster with key players like Brian Roberts contributing to the success. And while that is accurate, Showalter's contributions to the improved consistency and winning are critical. With a three-year contract, the players know that Showalter is in charge and he will have a big say in the roster changes that will...

Fox adjusting to a part-time role

Fox adjusting to a part-time role
Jake Fox is the O's super utility player, but has been rarely used since being acquired from the Oakland Athletics. Jim asked Jake about staying sharp in his part-time role and how he's adjusted to his role. Jake thinks his versatility is beneficial to the Orioles. For more of Jake's thoughts, watch the video below.

Bell's struggles

Bell's struggles
Josh Bell continues to strike out too much. He has fanned twice tonight vs. Shawn Hill. He has swung at six pitches and missed them all. He has now fanned 49 times and walked just twice in 141 Major League at bats. Yes, that is an alarming rate of strikeouts. This is not to bash Bell because his defense has improved and over the last few weeks he made a few plays to help this team win. And I can still remember sitting in this exact press box seat when he mashed two homers off Cliff...

Minor League honors coming on Friday

Minor League honors coming on Friday
The Orioles will announce their minor league player and pitcher of the year award winners this Friday and the players will be introduced to the crowd that night when the O's host the Yankees. Barring an upset, it appears that Joe Mahoney is the top candidate for the Brooks Robinson player award and Zach Britton for the Jim Palmer pitcher honor. The 23-year-old Mahoney, a sixth-round pick in 2007, hit .307-18-78 this year with 30 doubles between Frederick and Bowie. After his promotion to...

The day after for Matusz

The day after for Matusz
Brian Matusz said today he hasn't yet met with Rick Kranitz and/or Buck Showalter to discuss whether he will make his next start. He and the O's expect that he will after Matusz suffered a left triceps contusion last night vs. Toronto and pitched just one inning vs. the Jays. "It feels good, still a little bit swollen and bruised up a little bit. We are going to continue to do treatment with ice, stim and go from there. Keep a pressure pad on it to get the swelling down. I am not going...

VandenHurk finally gets his chance

VandenHurk finally gets his chance
Luke Scott was the last hero for the Orioles in their 11-inning win over Toronto Monday night, but Rick VandenHurk was likely the most important. When Brian Matusz left his start after one inning with a left triceps contusion, VandenHurk entered the contest on short notice. It was his fourth O's appearance, but he had pitched just one inning over the previous 17 days. He took the mound to start the second inning and quickly looked in mid-season form for a guy trying to knock rust off. He...

Matusz: "It was the right decision."

Matusz:  "It was the right decision."
Brian Matusz took the mound tonight and could have become the first O's pitcher to win five consecutive starts since Erik Bedard did it in July of 2007. But Yunel Escobar's line drive changed those plans. When Escobar, the second batter of the game, hit one back at the mound, Matusz took the liner on his left arm and suffered a left triceps contusion. He faced three more batters but was pulled after one scoreless inning. "Squared me up in the tricep. I felt fine. Honestly, at first, it...

Luke Scott with a walk-off RBI single as O's top Toronto

Luke Scott with a walk-off RBI single as O's top Toronto
The O's needed extra innings, but they have finally beaten Toronto. Luke Scott's RBI single to center with one out in the 11th gave the Orioles a 4-3 win as they improve to 1-12 vs. the Blue Jays. Nick Markakis led off the 11th with a single to left off Brian Tallet, his third hit of the night and went to second on a groundout. He scored on Scott's game-winning hit. With the win, the Orioles improved to 12-3 in extra innings and avoided losing 13 in a row to Toronto for the first time...

Jays vs. O's: MLB's longest current win streak

Jays vs. O's:  MLB's longest current win streak
Well, the Orioles did sweep three from Toronto in Baltimore to end last season. But this year, as most are well aware, the O's are 0-12 vs. the Blue Jays as they begin this series here tonight at Camden Yards. That is the current longest win streak in the bigs by one team over another. MLB's longest current win streaks: *Toronto with 12 straight vs. the Orioles. *San Diego with 9 straight vs. Pittsburgh. *Oakland with 9 straight vs. Pittsburgh. *Florida with 8 straight vs. Toronto. The...

No injury for Hernandez

No injury for Hernandez
Well, it turns out that when David Hernandez was seen grabbing at his right elbow after being taken out of the game in Detroit Sunday, he was just doing that. He was not reaching for his elbow because it was sore or hurt in any way. "Everything is fine. My wife told me she saw me do that and she asked too." Hernandez is finally back with the Orioles after going on the DL August 5th with a sprained left ankle. He pitched twice in Detroit, but said he doesn't feel completely back to form...

Snyder excited to make his first home start

Snyder excited to make his first home start
Brandon Snyder was with the Orioles for 10 games before he made his first Major League start. Now he will make two in a row as he's batting ninth and starting at first base vs. Toronto tonight at Camden Yards. "I was almost expecting to come in and kind of be sitting today. But I am extremely excited about getting a chance to get in there again. Yesterday was a good first step into trying to relax and just play the game. "After the third or fourth inning, I started to really fit in...

Buck's to do list

Buck's to do list
I sense that on the wall in his office near the O's clubhouse, Buck Showalter has these items on his to do list. -Win more than we lose - Check -Motivate players - Check -Get solid starting pitching - Check -Convince Matt Wieters he's good - Check -Use Koji in the ninth, but don't call him closer - Check -Take in some minor league games - Check -Find some nuggets - Working on it, partial check -Remind the players to stop giving the other team too much credit - Check -Have my own T-shirt...

And the award goes to...

And the award goes to...
...well, that would depend on the night. Before tonight's game, the O's will present RHP Jeremy Guthrie with the Roberto Clemente Award during a special on-field ceremony prior to first pitch. For details on Guthrie's nomination, check out this Orioles Buzz post: More on Guthrie's nomination Tomorrow night - which also happens to be Buck Showalter T-Shirt Tuesday - the O's will present left-hander Brian Matusz with his Gillette Rookie of the Month Award for the month of August during...

Orioles lineup

Orioles lineup
Brian Roberts 2B Robert Andino SS Nick Markakis RF Ty Wigginton 3B Jake Fox DH Adam Jones CF Matt Wieters C Nolan Reimold LF Brandon Snyder 1B Brian Matusz LHP
Tags:

Riding the Koji train

Riding the Koji train
Buck Showalter certainly has his ticket punched. He has used Koji in six of the last seven games and 10 of the past 16. Uehara has saved nine of the last 12 Orioles wins. He is two outs away from being 10 for 10 in save chances. Perhaps more surprising than his success, is how he does it. By pumping seemingly nothing other than 88 mile per hour fastballs that look pretty straight on a TV monitor. What is Koji's secret? His 88 MPH fastball seems to produce hitter's swings as if they are...

No sweep: Tigers score 5 in the 8th to beat the Birds

No sweep:  Tigers score 5 in the 8th to beat the Birds
Just like on Wednesday at New York, the Orioles came within a few outs of sweeping a series, but could not get it today at Comerica Park. Miguel Cabrera's three-run double off David Hernandez in the last of the 8th gave Detroit the lead as the Tigers beat the Birds 6-2 this afternoon as the Orioles wasted a very strong start by Chris Tillman. Detroit came up in the inning down 2-1, but Will Rhymes singled and Ryan Raburn doubled to left vs. Mike Gonzalez putting runners on second and...

Pitchers duel in Detroit

Pitchers duel in Detroit
Maybe I am watching this game through Orange and Black glasses, but I thought Chris Tillman was squeezed on some pitches early in this game today by home plate ump Derryl Cousins while Justin Verlander was not. Verlander blanked the O's through four, but they just scored two in the 5th to take a 2-1 lead. Jake Fox scored Felix Pie with a triple to right center and later scored on a wild pitch. It was the first career triple for Fox, who now has a double, triple and homer in this...