orioles

O's fans migrate to Matt Wieters Q&A

May 17, 2010, 11:00am

Orioles

The lines of O's fans waiting in the spitting rain to meet Matt Wieters stretched around the building. One ESPN Zone employee even told me that anticipating the enormous crowd, she arrived at 6:45 a.m. - only to find that one Orioles fan beat her there. It was by far the most crowded ESPN Zone Orioles Q&A in the last few years, and extra tables accommodated the packed house to within arm's reach of young Oriole. You wouldn't have guessed it to look at Wieters, however. The same ease we...

Comments

Tags:

kate wheeler matt wieters orioles orioles buzz

Some notes and a look ahead to the KC series

May 16, 2010, 7:51pm

Orioles

Some notes and a look ahead to the KC series

The Orioles (12-26) will host the Kansas City Royals (14-24) the next two nights to wrap up a three-team, eight-game homestand. The Orioles took two of three from Seattle, then lost two of three to Cleveland to go 3-3 on the homestand. The O's are 10-10 since the 2-16 start. The pitching recently: *O's starters have an ERA of 2.62 over the last five games. *The O's bullpen has an ERA of 15.00 the last two games. The Orioles, who went 7-0 vs. the Royals in 2007, went 4-4 vs. KC last year....

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski frontstory_orioles3

Clubhouse quotes after Sunday's loss to Cleveland

May 16, 2010, 12:40pm

Orioles

Clubhouse quotes after Sunday's loss to Cleveland

Some clubhouse quotes after the Orioles 5-1 loss to Cleveland dropped them to 3-3 on this homestand and 12-26 on the season. The O's scored just three runs in the final two games of the series. Ty Wigginton, was the catch in the first inning by Sizemore that robbed you of extra bases a key play in the game?: "I don't look at any one play in the game that's going to make a difference. It was a nice catch and good for him." Wigginton on Jake Westbrook: "Westbrook had tremendous...

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski frontstory_orioles1

Punchless O's drop series finale to Tribe

May 16, 2010, 11:55am

Orioles

Punchless O's drop series finale to Tribe

The day can change and so can the opponent. The story remains the same. The O's offense continues to be one of the worst in the game. Today, Cleveland beat the punchless O's 5-1, as Jake Westbrook, now 2-2, pitched a complete-game, nine-hitter. Down to their last out, the O's avoided their fourth shutout when Luke Scott homered to left. The O's have scored one run or less 12 times. They are 2-22 when scoring fewer than four runs and now are 1-18 when outhit by their opponent. ...

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski frontfeatured_orioles

The frustration level mounts

May 16, 2010, 10:58am

Orioles

So the O's are losing 3-0 and have hit into double plays in the last two innings. How is your day going? It can be maddening as the team kills rallies with double-play grounders. Garrett Atkins hit into a twin killing in the 4th and Adam Jones in the 5th. Atkins has driven in just one run over his last 18 games. That's 18 games. He has knocked in one run since April 17. He is batting 6 for 24 on the year with runners in scoring position, although it feels worse than that. Jones is 5...

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski

No second guessing from Wieters (plus AAA news)

May 16, 2010, 7:55am

Orioles

No second guessing from Wieters (plus AAA news)

Some may be second guessing why Alfredo Simon threw a split-finger pitch on an 0-2 count to Austin Kearns in the ninth inning last night. Kearns hit the pitch for a three-run homer and 4-2 Cleveland lead. Catcher Matt Wieters, who called for the pitch, won't second guess that decision. "No, once it's over, it's over, you can't take it back. Second guess, you can't do it in this game." Wieters felt the splitter has been a solid pitch for Simon. The count was 0-2 and he called for a...

Comments

Tags:

orioles frontstory_orioles1 steve melewski

Alberto is back

May 16, 2010, 9:48am

Orioles

Alberto Castillo is back in the O's bullpen. With Mark Hendrickson starting today, we now know why Castillo was summoned when Rhyne Hughes was optioned. Hendrickson starting today meant one less lefty for the pen and the 34-year-old southpaw from Cuba is back. He began the year at Norfolk, was recalled by Baltimore April 20 and went back to Triple-A just 11 days ago. He hopes this will be a longer stay in the Majors, but knows there are no promises. "They never say that. I don't know...

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski

A few more notes and quotes from Saturday's loss

May 15, 2010, 9:35pm

Orioles

A few more notes and quotes from Saturday's loss

Lost a bit in the O's bullpen meltdown Saturday night was that Brian Matusz did not give up a run over seven innings vs. Cleveland. Matusz was coming off his worst start of the year, when he gave up six runs last Sunday vs. Minnesota. But he was not necessarily motivated by that effort on Saturday, he said. But he pitched shutout ball and it was the first time in 16 career Major League starts that he did not allow a single run. "I forgot about the last start. I don't think about that. ...

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski

Simon talks about the ninth inning

May 15, 2010, 6:47pm

Orioles

After the game, Dave Trembley said he did not want to say publicly if he agreed with Alfredo Simon throwing a split-finger pitch on that 0-2 count to Austin Kearns in the ninth inning. The pitch found the middle of the plate and was not low in the zone as you intend with the splitter and Kearns three-run homer gave Cleveland a 4-2 lead. Alfredo Simon talks with the media about his blown save in the O's 8-2 loss "It was a split ball that didn't do too much. It was up and they got a good...

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski

My take on "the pitch"

May 15, 2010, 6:57pm

Orioles

I don't second guess Alfredo Simon, a pitcher who has recently thrown some nasty split-finger pitches, for going with that pitch on that 0-2 offering to Austin Kearns in the ninth Saturday. To me it was much more about pitch location rather than pitch selection there, although Dave Trembley would not offer an opinion on pitch selection there after the game. But you need to bury that splitter on 0-2 and Simon had been doing that for the most part while going 5 for 5 in save chances. This...

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski

O's pen melts down in ninth of 8-2 loss

May 15, 2010, 5:52pm

Orioles

Talk about a ninth-inning meltdown. After getting out of jam after jam for eight innings, the O's pitching staff, living on the edge, toppled over the edge in the top of the ninth. Alfredo Simon, who had been five for five in save chances, came on to try and preserve a 2-0 win for Brian Matusz. With one out, he gave up a single, walk and RBI single to Shin-Soo Choo to cut the O's lead to 2-1. Then he made a huge mistake, serving up a fat 0-2 pitch that Austin Kearns hit out to left for a...

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski frontfeatured_orioles

Guthrie and Millwood are showing the way

May 15, 2010, 4:41am

Orioles

Guthrie and Millwood are showing the way

Jeremy Guthrie and Kevin Millwood are coming up big for the Orioles this year. They are providing veteran leadership for the younger pitchers, but just as important, they are eating up innings and carrying the bulk of the load to lessen that load for Matusz, Bergesen and Hernandez. In his last three starts, Millwood has pitched 8, 7 and 6 2/3 innings. Over his last three, Guthrie has thrown 7, 6 2/3 and 8 innings. They are giving the team quality outings as well and have kept their team in...

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski

Hughes talks about heading back to Triple-A

May 15, 2010, 6:35pm

Orioles

Hughes talks about heading back to Triple-A

In the quiet of the Orioles clubhouse, Rhyne Hughes was gracious enough to talk about the news he got after the game, that he has been optioned back to Triple-A. "I'm just going back down to Norfolk, I'll meet those guys I guess on Tuesday. "He told me to go down there and find my swing again. Hopefully I'll just go down there and do what I was doing before and get things going again. Just be ready when they are ready for me to come back, that's all." Hughes was batting .213-0-4 in...

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski

Matusz and O's lead at the halfway mark (w-updates)

May 15, 2010, 4:23pm

Orioles

Matusz and O's lead at the halfway mark (w-updates)

Ty Wigginton's 11th homer of the year, which came on a 414-foot shot to left in the second inning, has the O's up on Cleveland 1-0 through four and a half innings. Brian Matusz, touched for six runs in just 3 2/3 Sunday at Minnesota, has not been scored on through five tonight. Matusz has pitched out of the stretch in each frame and Cleveland has left seven on base through five. Matusz has thrown 79 pitches and stranded two runners each in the third and fourth. The O's tonight are...

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski

Ohman remains "O-man" in ERA

May 15, 2010, 1:40pm

Orioles

The O's bullpen has been pitching much better lately with an ERA of 1.65 over the last 12 games. Several pitchers are throwing well out of the pen right now. A list that includes first-year Oriole Will Ohman. Turns out he is more than a funny guy. He is also turning out to be more than a left-handed specialist. In fact this year, lefties bat .231 vs. Ohman and right-handers hit .200 vs. him. "The one difficulty with carrying that label (of lefty specialist) is the splits are so glaring...

Comments

Tags:

Will Ohman orioles stevemelewski

A Matusz matter

May 15, 2010, 12:55pm

Orioles

As good as Brian Matusz has been for most of this year, there is one trend when he pitches that needs some improving on his part. With each succeeding plate appearance during the game, opponent batters hit Matusz better according to stats posted at baseball-reference.com That can and does happen to many pitchers, but it is something worth noting about Matusz and Dave Trembley has taken note of it, too. "I think his curveball could get better. He relies on his changeup a lot. If he...

Comments

Tags:

Brian Matusz orioles stevemelewski

Did You Know...

May 15, 2010, 9:28am

Orioles

*That even though the Orioles offense has produced 19 runs over the last three games, several players are currently in or have recently been in RBI droughts. Atkins - Just 1 RBI his last 17 games Markakis: Has 0 RBI his last 6 games and 3 in 12 games Scott: Had just 2 RBI in a recent 10-game stretch, but now has 7 RBI the last three games. Tejada - Recently went 10 games without an RBI, but now has 5 over the last three games. Wieters: Just 1 RBI his last 10 games *The O's bullpen is on...

Comments

Tags:

orioles stevemelewski

Clubhouse quotes after the O's 8-1 win over Cleveland

May 14, 2010, 7:47pm

Orioles

Clubhouse quotes after the O's 8-1 win over Cleveland

On a night the O's were 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position in the first five innings, they went 3 for 5 while scoring four in the 6th to beat the Tribe 8-1. They are 3-1 on this homestand and 10-8 over the last 18 games. Here are quotes from four Birds after the game. Jeremy Guthrie on his outing tonight: "Felt good out there. Really was able to keep the fastball down for the most part and get some ground balls, which was good. We made some good plays on defense and the hitters...

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski

Guthrie and O's romp over the Tribe

May 14, 2010, 6:57pm

Orioles

For the Orioles, it was their most lopsided win of the year. They beat Cleveland 8-1 behind Jeremy Guthrie. Guthrie beat the organization that drafted him in the first round in 2002 and is now 2-0 in two career starts vs. Cleveland. After giving up a first-inning run, he retired 16 batters in a row and on the night gave up just two hits and one run over eight innings. He threw 113 pitches and is now 2-4, 4.13 on the season. He has recorded six quality starts among his eight...

Comments

Tags:

orioles steve melewski frontfeatured_orioles

Corey's catch (with updates)

May 14, 2010, 4:58pm

Orioles

Corey Patterson is winning the fans over quickly at Camden Yards. He just made a leaping catch at the wall to end the top of the third and rob Shin-Soo Choo of his fifth homer. This after he led off the bottom of the first with a ground single to center. He just led off the last of the third with another single and is now 5 for 11 as an Oriole. So he cut down a run at the plate to end yesterday's game and kept a run off the board today in the third. O's trail 1-0 in the last of the...