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The 2010 Orioles: Is the worst over?

May 07, 2010, 12:03pm

Orioles

There should be no doubt that the American League East remains the best division in baseball. It's not an excuse, but playing so many division games early has been a factor in the Orioles poor start. Not only have they played more games within the division than any other AL East team, they have played the most road games of any division squad. AL East games played so far: 21 - Orioles 16 - Boston & Tampa Bay 12 - New York 9 - Toronto Most road games played by AL East squads: 17 -...

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Mother's Day with the O's

May 07, 2010, 2:51pm

Orioles

In the past, when the O's were at home at Camden Yards on Mother's Day, there's typically been some sort of giveaway as you enter the ballpark. From picture frames to pink hats, moms are somehow acknowledged at the ballpark for their work, love and dedication throughout the year. This year, the O's will be in Minnesota on mom's special day, and the Twins earrings they're giving out at Target Field won't do an Orioles fan much good. But, you can still appreciate the pink bats and sweat...

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Millwood sizes up the O's clubhouse

May 07, 2010, 5:13am

Orioles

Has there ever been a pitcher that deserved a win on his record more than Kevin Millwood? The Orioles had a game recently where they beat Boston 12-9 with Brad Bergesen as the starter. Meanwhile they have scored 3,2,2,1, 5 and 3 in the games started by Millwood. That's 16 runs in six games. Yet he has allowed 2 ER or less in four of his six starts and gave up 3 ER and 4 ER in the other two. He always seems to keep his team in the game. At the same time, he is showing the younger pitchers...

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Some post-game thoughts after Bergesen and Wigginton lead the O's past Minnesota

May 06, 2010, 7:38pm

Orioles

Some post-game thoughts after Bergesen and Wigginton lead the O's past Minnesota

Well, you won't win many games when you score just two runs, but the Orioles did it tonight at Minnesota. The O's had been 0-12 this year when scoring two runs or less. By far the best news of the night was seeing Brad Bergesen look like the Bergesen of 2009. He did get behind more hitters tonight than he did then, but he still got them out. The sinker was diving down in the zone late and he hardly threw anything besides that pitch. It goes to show that Bergy can have Major League...

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Pitching leads the O's past Minnesota

May 06, 2010, 6:32pm

Orioles

The Orioles had another night with little offense. This time the O's pitching had enough to win. Brad Bergesen pitched shutout ball over 6 2/3 and Alfredo Simon got the save in the ninth as the Orioles beat Minnesota 2-0 Thursday night in game one of a four-game series. Bergesen improved to 2-2, 7.36 as four O's pitchers combined on a six-hitter. It's the O's first shutout of the year and first since beating Texas 7-0 on 9-6-09. Will Ohman struck out Jim Thome with the bases loaded in...

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Ryan Berry is on a roll at Delmarva

May 06, 2010, 9:57am

Orioles

Right-hander Ryan Berry, the O's ninth-round pick out of Rice last June, is on some pitching roll right now for the Delmarva Shorebirds. Berry pitched seven scoreless last night vs. Savannah, giving up just three hits with ten strikeouts. Over his last three starts, Berry has pitched 21 innings, allowing just 12 hits and one run, with four walks to 25 strikeouts. He is 0-1, 2.23 in six starts on the season. The 21-year-old Berry gave up four runs in the first inning of his third start of...

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Wiggy homer notes

May 06, 2010, 5:01pm

Orioles

Ty Wigginton's two-run homer in the second inning tonight at Minnesota gave the Orioles a 2-0 lead. He becomes the first Oriole this year with 10 homers. He is now one homer shy of his 2009 total. Wiggy homers: (through four innings tonight) 2010: 10 in 85 at bats (1 every 8.5 AB's) 2009: 11 in 410 at bats (1 every 37.3 AB's) He has hit nine homers in 57 at bats vs. right-handed pitching and one in 28 at bats vs. lefties. Wiggy, 2010 homers by month: April: 6 May: 4 He has now...

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Upcoming appearances

May 06, 2010, 9:28am

Orioles

If you're still not sure what to do with your Thursday night, head to the Hightopps Backstage Grille on York Road in Timonium tonight to meet former Oriole Al Bumbry. Bumbry will be at Hightopps from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. as the O's take on the Minnesota Twins at the new Target Field in Minneapolis. So if you're still looking for something to do tonight, head out to Hightopps to meet Al Bumbry and catch the Orioles game on MASN 2 and MASN 2 HD with a restaurant full of your fellow O's...

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Keys blanked as win streak ends in Frederick (quotes added)

May 05, 2010, 5:13pm

Orioles

Keys blanked as win streak ends in Frederick (quotes added)

Well, I had a good time, but didn't bring the Keys any luck tonight. The final was Winston-Salem 3, Frederick 0. Three Dash pitchers held the Keys to eight hits. This was the third time this year the Keys had a four-game win streak, but could not make it five in a row. They are still looking for their first five-game win streak since August of 2006. The Keys had scored 28 runs during the win streak. Xavier Avery, L.J. Hoes and Joe Mahoney each went 2 for 4. Avery is 8 for 18 over his...

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Zagone out, Keys trail in the 8th

May 05, 2010, 4:48pm

Orioles

Rick Zagone is out of the game here in Frederick as Winston-Salem leads the Keys 3-0 after seven innings. Sean Gleason is on to start the eighth. Zagone tonight: 7IP, 9H, 3R-ER, 0B, 6K......82 pitches, 57 for strikes. It seems the Keys, who are second in the league in runs, have not scored much for him this year and he could fall to 0-3 tonight. Winston-Salem starter Justin Edwards pitched six scoreless innings and Dash SS Brandon Short had a single in the 4th to extend his hitting streak...

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Scoreless first three at Frederick (now updated)

May 05, 2010, 3:38pm

Orioles

Scoreless first three at Frederick (now updated)

In a briskly played first three innings tonight at Harry Grove Stadium, Frederick and Winston-Salem are 0-0. Keys lefty Rick Zagone has pitched shutout ball on just one hit through the first three frames. After giving up a hit to the second hitter of the opening frame, he got a double-play ball. Zagone, who began the night 0-2, 3.65, has retired the last seven batters and has thrown just 30 pitches through three. He is pitching vs. a Winston Salem team that leads the league with a batting...

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Some pre-game notes and thoughts from Frederick

May 05, 2010, 2:43pm

Orioles

Some pre-game notes and thoughts from Frederick

Well, for one night I get to cover a first-place team. I have had a chance to talk with several Keys players today in addition to a long conversation with Keys manager Orlando Gomez and roving hitting coach Denny Walling who is here today. Over the next few days I'll throw some quotes your way. But it sure seems like this Frederick team is playing to some rave reviews here. They are winning and seem to have a solid chemistry and work ethic. I had yet another long interview with Billy...

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Heading to Frederick later today (Keys lineup now added)

May 05, 2010, 7:36am

Orioles

Heading to Frederick later today (Keys lineup now added)

Tonight, I'll be checking in on the Frederick Keys, the club with the best record in the O's minor leagues right now. The Keys are 15-10 with four wins in a row and tonight look for a 3-0 start to their four-game series with a Winston-Salem team which has the second best record in the Carolina League at 17-8. I'll head to Harry Grove Stadium to get some pre game interviews and file a couple of in-game blogs tonight as well, so check back here later today and this evening and look for some...

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Where in the Yard? (Updated w/Answer)

May 03, 2010, 4:37am

Orioles

After naming Jeremy from Cumberland the 'Where in the Yard?' winner for April, we're back with a clean slate for May. In case you're joining us for the first time, simply take a look at the image below and let us know what the item is and where it's located in or around Oriole Park at Camden Yards. And whether you've been here since the beginning or you're here for the first time, we have some new rules for the latest round. Don't forget that the first fan to answer correctly will get...

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O's bats again come up empty in the Bronx

May 04, 2010, 6:49pm

Orioles

O's bats again come up empty in the Bronx

Maybe the only thing more frustrating than watching the Orioles lose to the Yankees is how they do it. Get runners on second and second third for the top of the order. Three straight strikeouts on pitches out of the zone vs. Burnett. Yankee liner to center and Adam Jones makes a foolish dive and it costs them a run. Matusz almost gets out of a major jam, but issues a bases-loaded walk. Gary Thorne and Ben McDonald talk with Dave Trembley about the O's 4-1 loss The Orioles have scored...

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The mystery of run support

May 04, 2010, 5:16pm

Orioles

There is no way to explain it, but it is a fact of every team's starting rotation every season. There will be a pitcher who gets tremendous support from his team's hitters, and there will be a pitcher who gets very little. And that support or lack of support obviously goes a long way in a starting pitcher's win-loss record. Through the first 26 games of the Orioles season, a pattern has developed. The Orioles have only three wins from their starters, the fewest in the majors. Why?...

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Today's lineups

May 05, 2010, 7:27am

Orioles

Orioles: CF Adam Jones 2B Ty Wigginton RF Nick Markakis 3B Miguel Tejada 1B Garrett Atkins DH Matt Wieters LF Nolan Reimold C Craig Tatum SS Julio Lugo RHP David Hernandez Yankees: SS Derek Jeter DH Nick Johnson 1B Mark Teixeira 3B Alex Rodriguez 2B Robinson Cano RF Nick Swisher CF Brett Gardner C Francisco Cervelli LF Randy Winn LHP Andy Pettitte

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A scare for Zach Britton in today's game at Harrisburg

May 04, 2010, 12:13pm

Orioles

A scare for Zach Britton in today's game at Harrisburg

One of the O's top pitching prospects, lefty Zach Britton, got quite a scare today pitching for Bowie at Harrisburg in a game that began at 10:35 this morning. Britton took a two-hit shutout to the bottom of the fifth when the first batter hit a liner back toward the mound. "It hit me right in the (left) shoulder and dropped right in front of me. I was able to pick up the ball and throw him out at first," Britton said. "Right now it's tight, but no pain or anything, just a little...

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Baseball loses a legend

May 04, 2010, 5:01pm

Orioles

Baseball lost a great one today with the news coming out tonight that Ernie Harwell died today. He was 92. He lived a full life and will always be known as one of the greatest to ever work behind a microphone. I met him just once and over the winter wrote about that. RIP Ernie, you were a wonderful human, so good for this game and will never, ever be forgotten. Below is that story. I don't remember too many facts from that day. I know it was March, perhaps in 2003 and I was at the...

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Get a run, waste a chance

May 04, 2010, 4:03pm

Orioles

Well, the Orioles took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third tonight at New York, only because A.J Burnett helped them. After he helped them, he dominated them. Garrett Atkins led off the third with a ground single to left, off A-Rod's glove. Rhyne Hughes then walked on a 3-1 pitch. Cesar Izturis dropped a bunt up the third base line and Burnett threw wildly past first as Atkins scored and runners moved to second and third. Adam Jones then struck out on a breaking ball that ended up almost...