Post-game Notes: O's fall in ten vs. Jays

Post-game Notes:  O's fall in ten vs. Jays
The Orioles fall to 4-4 in extra-inning games and are now 11-15 in one-run games and have lost six one-run decisions in a row. Tillman time - Chris Tillman pitched 6 2/3 innings, the longest outing of his three starts to date. The only runs he allowed came on an Alex Rios two-run homer in the second. He gave up four hits, those two runs, with three walks and four strikeouts. He threw 110 pitches, 66 for strikes. He lowered his ERA to 5.19. Through three starts, Tillman is still without...

Guthrie's post-game comments

Guthrie's post-game comments
Jeremy Guthrie stood in front of his locker and answered questions at length tonight about his poor outing vs. Oakland and his tough season. On tonight's outing: "It was a tough game, they strung together some two out hits. You tip your cap to Gio Gonzalez, he proved tonight unless I shut them out, we didn't have much of a chance anyway. I did not pitch well throughout." On getting two strikes, then giving up hits: "I've always been the same type of pitcher, I go after people. ...

Sunday baseball: O's at Jays

Sunday baseball:  O's at Jays
Game Preview Orioles (46-64) at Toronto (52-57) The Orioles inconsistent offense was in down mode on Saturday in a 3-2, 10-inning loss vs. Toronto. The O's left 10 men on base and went 3 for 14 with runners in scoring position. The Orioles scored 13 runs in the first two games of their series at Detroit, then plated just five runs in the series final two games. They scored seven in Friday's win at Toronto and just two in yesterday's loss. Today they'll play the third and deciding game...

Props to Guthrie

Props to Guthrie
Jeremy Guthrie certainly gave the Orioles a solid start tonight. After giving up 17 ER in 20 2/3 in spring games, he pitched quite well at the Trop. His pitches looked to have good movement and he seemed to mix some good changeups in as well. For now, he may have silenced a nervous fan base. He was good from the start, allowing just one hit and throwing only 37 pitches in the first three innings. He gave up three runs over the 4th and 5th frames. Too bad for him, Evan Longoria's drive...

Today's pitchers: Matusz vs. Halladay

Today's pitchers:  Matusz vs.  Halladay
LHP Brian Matusz (1-0, 1.80) today makes his second Major League start of this season. He got the win Tuesday at Detroit. In five innings, he gave up six hits and one run with three walks and five strikeouts. Matusz threw 99 pitches. In 19 starts this year between Frederick and Bowie, the 22-year-old Matusz went 11-2, 1.91 and fanned 121 in 113 innings. He began the year at Frederick, going 4-2, 2.16 in 11 starts. Matusz made his first Double-A start on June 17th and pitched even better...

The home run problem

The home run problem
Giving up the longball continues to be a problem for the O's pitching staff. The Orioles entered play today with 138 homers allowed, the most by any staff in the American League. Brian Matusz gave up three homers today in his 2 2/3 innings outing. O's pitchers have now allowed at least one long ball in 12 of the last 13 games, giving up 23 in that stretch. Chris Tillman and Matusz have combined to allow eight homers in 25 innings so far. Meanwhile, the Orioles have hit 108 homers on the...

Jays use longball to win series finale

Jays use longball to win series finale
Brian Matusz could not follow up his winning Major League debut at Detroit with another strong outing. Matusz got rocked for three homers today as his outing lasted just 2 2/3 innings as Toronto beat the Birds, 7-3, to win the series, two games to one. Kevin Millar hit a solo homer in the second while Vernon Wells and Marco Scutaro hit two-run shots in the third off the 22-year-old left hander. Matusz allowed five runs and seven hits in 2 2/3 innings to fall to 1-1 on the year. Brian Matusz...

Post-game Notes: Jays take series finale

Post-game Notes:  Jays take series finale
Roy Halladay today became a career 20-game winner vs. the Orioles. In eight innings he gave up nine hits and three runs (two earned) with one walk and four strikeouts. He threw 107 pitches, 79 strikes. He is 12-5, 2.73 on the year. Halladay improved to 2-0, 3.13 in three starts on the year vs. the O's and 20-4, 2.89 in 31 games, 27 career starts vs. Baltimore covering 193 innings. Halladay won for just the second time in his last nine starts and Toronto is now 12-10 in his 22 starts in...

Another take on Steve Johnson

Another take on Steve Johnson
He never seemed to be atop anyone's top prospects list. He never blew up anyone's radar gun. But Steve Johnson just kept getting outs, impressing his coaches and just kept moving up the Minor League ladder. Just a few weeks ago, the Dodgers promoted him to Double-A Chatanooga and just days after that, Johnson got traded to the Orioles with Josh Bell for George Sherrill. Now the kid from St. Paul's School, the Baltimore native whose dad played for the Orioles and now broadcasts for the...

The homestand begins: A's at O's

The homestand begins:  A's at O's
Game Preview Oakland (49-62) at Orioles (46-65) Home after a seven-game road trip where they went only 2 and 5, the Orioles look for more victories as they begin a seven-game homestand tonight vs. Oakland. The Orioles are 28-26 at home this year. After they play three with Oakland, the stand continues with a four-game series vs. the Los Angeles Angels. Here are the pitching matchups for the Oakland series: Mon, 7:05p - Jeremy Guthrie (7-11, 5.28) v. Gio Gonzalez (3-2, 6.31) Tues, 7:05p -...

Matusz talks about his rough start in Toronto

Matusz talks about his rough start in Toronto
Brian Matusz says a combination of less than stellar command, nerves and spending too much time focusing on the hitter rather than his own game, all led to his short outing on Sunday at Toronto. Matusz gave up seven hits and five runs, three homers, in just 2 2/3 innings vs. the Blue Jays. "I've learned a lot, a lot about myself. I know what my strengths are," the 22-year-old lefty said. "Yesterday, I didn't pitch to my strengths. We went over the scouting report before the game and...

Tonight's pitchers: Guthrie vs. Gonzalez

Tonight's pitchers:  Guthrie vs. Gonzalez
RHP Jeremy Guthrie (7-11, 5.28) tonight will make his 23rd start of the year, his 12th at home and the 5th of his career vs. Oakland. Guthrie is coming off a decent outing, but still took the loss on Wednesday night at Detroit. In 7 1/3 innings he gave up six hits and three runs, throwing 109 pitches. In four second-half starts, Guthrie is 1-3, 5.02. The right-hander leads the AL in home runs allowed with 27. He has given up at least one homer in 17 of 22 starts and has allowed ten homers...

If Guthrie knew why.......

If Guthrie knew why.......
He gave up so many runs in the first two innings of his starts this year, he'd fix the problem. Because it has been a season-long issue for him. Coming into tonight, where he allowed two runs in the second to Oakland, Guthrie had given up 36 runs in the first two innings of his starts and 46 in all other innings. That's 43.9 percent of his runs allowed in those two innings. Last year, he gave up 109 runs all year and 27 came in the first two innings. That's 24.7 percent. That still...

Rain delay anyone?

Rain delay anyone?
It was raining hits on Jeremy Guthrie earlier. Soon, it should just be raining. The wind is whipping up big time at the Yard and the radar says the rain is cloisng in. Good times all around.

Taking rain delay questions (the game has resumed at 9:58pm)

Taking rain delay questions (the game has resumed at 9:58pm)
Okay, the rain delay is now here. During this delay, please send in some O's questions and I'll try to answer them. Any O's topic, Major or Minors. Sends those questions on this blog. I'll answer a few more here during the game, but we are back to baseball. Thanks for all the questions!

A's take series opener, 9-1 over Orioles

A's take series opener, 9-1 over Orioles
It seems Jeremy Guthrie is not the pitcher to shut down the Oakland A's. The A's hit him hard for the second time this year in a 9-1 win over the Orioles on Monday night that started a seven-game homestand. Guthrie allowed a season-high 11 hits and five runs and is now 7-12, 5.43. In two starts vs. Oakland, he is 0-2, 18.57 and has allowed 11ER and 18 hits in 5 1/3 innings. The O's avoided their 8th shutout when Luke Scott led off the ninth with a solo homer, his 19th of the year and...

Post-game Notes: A's over O's

Post-game Notes:  A's over O's
Jeremy Guthrie took his 12th loss tonight, that matches his total from all of last year. Guthrie gave up a season-high 11 hits along with five runs in 4 2/3 innings. He threw 107 pitches and is now 7-12, 5.43. He has made two starts vs. the A's this year and is 0-2, 18.57. He did not survive the first inning in a June 5th loss at Oakland. A's hitters have 18 hits in 34 at bats over those two starts vs. Guthrie this year for an average of .529. He has allowed four runs or more in 12 of...

Tuesday night baseball: O's host A's

Tuesday night baseball:  O's host A's
Game Preview Oakland (50-62) at Orioles (46-66) Orioles fans have somewhat gotten used to the fact the O's struggle against teams in the tough American League East. But the O's have also struggled this year vs. the AL West and they have not won vs. the Oakland A's in over two years. The Birds are 8-18 on the season (2-8 at home) vs. AL West clubs. The Orioles are 0-4 this year vs. Oakland and have lost nine in a row vs. Oakland since last beating the A's on July 22, 2007. The A's have...

Trembley on the lack of offense

Trembley on the lack of offense
If you look at the players that make up the Orioles lineup and think that group should be scoring more runs, you are not alone. Manager Dave Trembley was asked about that today and agrees that the team's offense has underachieved. "Agreed. We've gone through a stretch here where we are 6 and 18 and probably 13 or more of those have been decided by two runs or less. We've really been searching for the big hit, the one hit to break the game open. "I can understand that it's part of...

Will some of the young pitchers need to be shut down?

Will some of the young pitchers need to be shut down?
It would seem to make sense that some of the Orioles young starting pitchers might have to be shut down before the season ends due to pitching a lot of innings. But Dave Trembley today seemed to indicate that will not happen, as the club watches the youngsters carefully, while at the same time going to a six-man rotation in September. "I think we've got that pretty much written out," Trembley said. "There are three off days in September that will help. The off day on Thursday pushes...