Brian Matusz offered a simple explanation for the two home runs he surrendered in the third inning that turned a 4-0 lead into a 4-4 tie. "I left the ball up, and when your team scores four runs in the second for you, you want to go out and throw up zeros - just go out and go 1-2-3, keep the momentum our way, and I just lost concentration and left the ball up," he said. "A lineup like that, they will take advantage of it. It's a good hitting team." It would be understandable if the...

So how much does tonight's loss hurt, after the Orioles bolted to a 4-0 lead in the second inning? "They all hurt," interim manager Juan Samuel told reporters. "We are trying to win as many games as we can. They all hurt. After scoring those four runs, we thought, 'OK, we could add,' but we've been in that situation before many times. They all hurt." Each and every one. Juan Samuel talks with the media following the O's 7-5 loss to the Marlins Matt Wieters wasn't bunting on his...

Sometimes managers make moves that can get second guessed. Actually, that seems to happen with any move a manager makes that didn't work. I am second guessing Juan Samuel's decision tonight to bring in Alfredo Simon to pitch in the top of the ninth. It was not a save situation. In fact, Florida led 6-5 as it came to bat in the ninth. The Marlins would add a run and four hits off Simon, a big insurance run and go on to win the game, 7-5. This move had little to do with the O's loss,...

Miguel Tejada stepped to the plate in the eighth inning tonight with two outs, the bases loaded and the Orioles down by a run. Tejada fell behind 0-2 and flied to left. That's what you'd call "anti-climatic." Corey Patterson delivered his third RBI with an infield hit, bringing Tejada to the plate with the Marlins clinging to a 6-5 lead. Tejada has one RBI since May 27, and it came on June 13. This was his moment. Too bad it didn't live up to the hype. Instant update: Naturally, the...

Brian Matusz entered the top of the seventh having retired 11 batters in a row. But now, Florida has pushed across a tie-breaking run to gain a 5-4 lead after they trailed 4-0 in the second inning. Matusz walked Mike Stanton on a 3-1 pitch to start the inning. After he advanced to second on a ground out, Ronny Paulino's double just inside the right-field line scored Stanton for a 5-4 lead, the Marlins first lead of the night. The next hitter,Chris Coughlan has just doubled off the...

You'll forgive Brian Matusz if he doesn't recognize it. In his last five starts, Matusz had received a total of six runs while he remained in the game. In his last 10 starts, he received 12. Tonight, the Orioles hung four runs on the board in the bottom of the second, beginning with back-to-back homers from Luke Scott and Adam Jones. Scott jumped on a breaking ball, Jones a fastball. It was the first time the Orioles had gone back-to-back since Matt Wieters and Nolan Reimold turned the...

The Orioles fourth-round draft pick, Auburn outfielder Trent Mummey, joined the Aberdeen IronBirds today in Staten Island, New York. Mummey, the 118th overall selection in the draft and highest O's pick to agree to terms so far, will be officially activated as soon as his contract is approved by Major League Baseball, which could happen any day. The 21-year-old lefty hitter batted .366-17-54 in 36 games for Auburn this season and was first-team all SEC. He is likely to stay as a center...

Buck Showalter became the latest candidate to interview for the Orioles' managerial position, meeting for about three hours earlier today with president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail and majority owner Peter Angelos. MacPhail admits that it's an awkward process to keep updating reporters on the proceedings while Juan Samuel is currently serving as interim manager. He didn't provide many details on today's meeting beyond saying that it was "enjoyable" and that he finds these...

The Marlins will trot out their own interim manager tonight when Edwin Rodriguez, fresh from Triple-A New Orleans, takes over the ballclub. Does Juan Samuel have any advice for Rodriguez? "Maybe I need some myself, instead of giving some of those guys advice," he said, grinning. "I'm trying to do what I can here with my club to get them going, and I'm sure he's going to do the same." Fredi Gonzalez's firing hit close to home for Samuel, since he took charge of the Orioles following...

No one is saying or even hinting that Jake Fox could even begin to be the answer to all that ails the Orioles offense. But it would be nice to see him get a few starts along the way. Did they trade for the guy just as a utility/bench player? It's only two games since he has been here, but Fox is not in today's starting lineup either. I know the guy got designated for assignment and is batting just .214-2-12 in 98 at bats, but does he need to become the latest player to find the O's bench...