Game Wrap and Morning Links: May 30, 2011

Oakland 6, Baltimore 4
Box Score / Play-By-Play / AP Recap

Zach Britton was due some regression, after a wonderful start to the season that has also included a fair amount of fortune considering the high number of baserunners he has stranded and relatively low number of bats he has missd. Yesterday, Britton caught too much of the plate way too often, and the balls ended up missing the gloves -- the result, a line of 5.2 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO and a three-run big fly off the bat of Josh Willingham to give Oakland the lead for good in the 5th.

J.J. Hardy doubled in the 2nd inning, breaking a 19-inning stretch during which no Oriole collected an extra-base hit. We touched on the O's offense in our last game wrap, so this time around we can leave it simply as, "I hope things get better...in a hurry."

One post-game note, the Orioles optioned Chris Tillman to AAA Norfolk, explaining the June schedule limits to utility of a #5 starter and the preference is for Tillman to continue getting regular work. I think it would have been useful to just shift Tillman to the pen and work him in regularly between the scattering of #5 starts over the next four weeks, but it's probably not an issue worth digging in on, one side or the other.

Stat of the game

2.0

The team WHIP for the O's arms yesterday afternoon. WHIP has a fair number of flaws when it comes to evaluating a performance, but I think we can all get behind the idea that it is tough to win if you average allowing two baserunners per inning.

Orioles Game ball

J.J. Hardy (2-4, 2B (6))

MiLB game balls

Norfolk (Box) - John Hester, C (2-5, 2 2B (4))
Bowie (Box - Game 1) - Seven Lerud, C (1-2, BB)
Bowie (Box - Game 2) - Tim Bascom, C (5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO)
Frederick (Box) - Steven Bumbry, CF (2-4, 2B (8), BB)
Delmarva (Box) - Justin Dalles, C (1-3, 2B (4))

Three Morning Links

MASN's Roch Kubatko notes in his review of the demotion of Bergesen/Tillman that the open days in June allow Buck Showalter and Andy MacPhail to practice what they preach: "If you're not doing the job, we'll find someone else who will." My own side note -- if the O's powers-that-be think that Chris Jakubauskas, Jason Berken and Alfredo Simon are potential solutions, well...

A collection of some national media chat questions touching on all things Orioles, courtesy of Dempsey's Army.

Kevin Cowherd puts voice to something I've been thinking since early April -- fans/writers need to apologize for the Wieters-bashing.

Up Next

Jake Arrieta (116 ERA-, 109 FIP-, 3.91 xFIP), you're up. O's try to snap slide against Doug Fister (86 ERA-, 88 FIP-, 3.91 xFIP) and the M's.

Game Wrap and Morning Links: May 29, 2011

Oakland 4, Baltimore 2
Box Score / Play-By-Play / AP Recap

Brad Bergesen gave a back-of-the-rotation performance last night -- solid but unspectacular -- and the Orioles offense once again failed to manifest any meaningful offense. This was the 24th time in 50 games that the Orioles scored 3 or fewer runs, and they currently sit 10th in the AL in OPS+ (96, with 100 as league average), 11th in total runs scored (205, with 218 as league average), and 11th in slugging (.380, with .392 as league average). In a season where the Orioles need to figure out what they have in the future core staff (Matusz/Britton/Arrieta/Tillman/Bergsen) the offense needs to do a better job of providing support to these young arms.

Stat of the game

0

Once again the number of extra base hits Baltimore was able to muster. For those keeping score, that is now 18 straight innings without an extra bagger.

Orioles Game ball

Jim Johnson (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO); last 5 app. (7 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 SO)

MiLB game balls

Norfolk (Box) - Mitch Atkins, RHP (6.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 SO) Next stop, Baltimore!
Bowie (Box) - Ronnie Welty, RF (3-4, HR (8))
Frederick (Box) - Steven Bumbry, CF (2-4, 2B (7), BB)
Delmarva (Box) - Jonathan Schoop, SS/3B (2-4, HR (7))

Three Morning Links

Brad Bergesen has been optioned to AAA Norfolk, writes MASN's Roch Kubatko. He will be replaced by Pedrio Viola, who should in turn be replaced by Brian Matusz later this week.

Jeff Zrebiec of The Sun tells us Brian Matusz could make his first MLB start of the year on Wednesday, in the series finale against the Seattle Mariners.

Daniel Moroz at CamdenCrazies.com thinks perhaps Chris Tillman should be the rotation member on the outside looking in.

Up Next

Baltimore hopes Zach Britton (60 ERA-, 95 FIP-, 3.76 xFIP) can help them avoid a sweep at the hands of Guillermo Moscoso (0 ERA-, 90 FIP-, 5.30 xFIP) and the Athletics.

Game Wrap and Morning Links: May 28, 2011

Oakland 6, Baltimore 2
Box Score / Play-By-Play / AP Recap

Baltimore had their winning* streak snapped in Oakland, as the A's pushed across three runs in the 6th to go ahead for good. Chris Tillman once again kept Baltimore in the game, but averaged just under 25 pitches per inning before being lifted in the fifth with one out. This season has been a mixed bag for Tillman, who has seen an overhaul in his mechanics that has lead to more consistency in his secondaries, but a drop-off in his fastball velocity. A polling of the die hard fans populating the message boards would likewise turn-up mixed feelings, with a number encouraged by his progress and plenty of others turned-off by the upper-80 velocity readings.

The takeaway for the fanbase has to be that prospect development is seldom linear -- particularly for a pitcher who pushed his way to the Majors just a couple months past his 21st birthday. Tillman is doing what every promising young arm needs to do: adjusting. The game that allowed him to carve-up A/AA/AAA hitters as a teen did not translate perfectly to the Major League level, and the young arm is making the tweaks he needs to make to tackle this next challenge. This season his curve is less recognizable out of the hand, and his change is finding more consistence in its fade and late tumble. It is a testament to the Orioles front office that they are finally giving Tillman the extended time he needs to tackle Major League hitters and work through his adjustments. The sooner Orioles fans understand and accept this process, the sooner they will, as a group, be able to better enjoy Tillman's starts (which have been some of my favorite to watch throughout the year).

Stat of the game

0

The number of extra base hits Baltimore was able to muster against five innings of less-than-stellar Gio Gonzalez and four innings of Oakland bullpen.

Orioles Game ball

Matt Wieters (2-4, triple-slash on the season now sits .272/.339/.404)

MiLB game balls

Norfolk (Box) - Brian Matusz, LHP (5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO) Next stop, Baltimore!
Bowie (Box) - Xavier Avery, CF (2-3); Last 10, 16-36, .444/.512/.667, 2 2B, 1 3B, 5 BB/3 SO
Frederick (Box Game 1) - Steven Bumbry, CF (2-3, 2B (9), HR (3), 2 BB)
Frederick (Box Game 2) - Clayton Schrader, RHP (2 IP, 1 BB, 2 SO); through 36 IP, 56 SO
Delmarva (Box) - DJ Fergusen, RHP (3 IP, 1 H, 3 SO, W (1))

Three Morning Links

Jim Callis at Baseball America has Baltimore selecting Dylan Bundy (rhp, Owasso HS, Owasso, Okla.) in his lastest mock draft (list only here; list with comments -- subscription required -- here).

Is Brian Matusz ready for his 2011 MLB debut? Jeff Zrebiec of The Sun weighs in.

Britt Ghiroli of MLB.com gets Matt Wieters's thoughts on the Posey injury and potential rule changes regarding home plate collisions, and touches on a potential Matusz return.

Up Next

Brad Bergesen (143 ERA-, 98 FIP-, 4.48 xFIP) will attempt to even the series against Josh Outman (35 ERA-, 96 FIP-, 5.57 xFIP).

* - the original article accidentally wrote that the losing streak was broken instead of the winning streak

Game Wrap and Morning Links: May 27, 2011

Baltimore 6, Kansas City 5
Box Score / Play-By-Play / AP Recap

The Orioles swept the Royals and now find themselves at 24-24.  They have now escaped last place in the AL East, giving that honor to the 24-26 Toronto Blue Jays.  They are now three games off of first in a very tight division.  One thing that sets this team apart from the rest is run differential.  The Yankees (+51), Red Sox (+31), Rays (+21), and Jays (+5) all have positive run differentials.  The Orioles sit at -31 runs.  This is not a good sign for the future success of the team.  However, there are things to be delighted about today.  For one, Nolan Reimold finding himself for a game.

Stat of the game


1.324

Reimold's game wOBA.

Orioles Game ball

Nolan Reimold (4-4, 2B (1), 2 HR (3), BB)

MiLB game balls

Norfolk (Box) - Chris Jakubausus, SP (7 IP, 6H, 1 RA, 1 HR, 6 K, 1 BB)
Bowie (Box) - Steve Johnson, SP (6 IP, 5 H, 1 RA, 1 HR, 7 K)
Frederick (NA) - No gam
Delmarva (Box) - Jonathan Schoop, SS (1-3, HR (6), BB)

Three Morning Links

A government committee in Frederick recommended the Frederick Keys' proposal to stay at Harry Grove Stadium.  The city had been leveraging for a more expensive lease.  Another interesting item is that as I suggested a few months back, Kinston (who loses the Indians Hi A affiliate this year) has been eager to see the outcome of this process.  They would look to court the Orioles if anything fell through.

Austin Urban, a 27th round pick for the Orioles last year, is in the Junior College World Series.  It is widely expected that he will be drafted much higher this year.

Dixon Anderson is looking on Saturday to start for 23rd ranked Cal.  He was the Orioles' 6th round selection last year.  This is what we wrote about him last year.

Up Next

Baltimore starts its West Coast swing against the As.  Chris Tillman (126 ERA-, 86 FIP-, 4.61 xFIP) will try to keep the fire going against Gio Gonzalez (55 ERA-, 84 FIP-, 3.33 xFIP).  Tillman's flyball tendencies should be not as devastating at the Oakland Coliseum as it severely dampens home runs.

Game Wrap and Morning Links: May 26, 2011

Baltimore 9, Kansas City 2
Box Score / Play-By-Play / AP Recap

The Royals had a nightmare in the fourth inning.  The Orioles were able to score eight runs in the fourth inning off four singles, three walks, two doubles, a wild pitch, and an error.  It is quite the accomplishment to be able to string together all of those events to score a lot of runs.  The Orioles now stand at 23-24, a half game from .500 and in last place in the AL East.  If they were in the AL West, they record would put them a game behind first place.  It certainly has been a strange year with the run environment and the tightness of the divisions.

Stat of the game


3

The number of runners the Orioles left on base.

Orioles Game ball

Adam Jones (2-4, 2B (10))

MiLB game balls

Norfolk (NA) - No Games Scheduled
Bowie (Box) - LJ Hoes, RF (2-4, 2B (2))
Frederick (Box) - Bobby Stevens (3-5, 2B (5))
Delmarva (Box) - Tim Berry (5 IP, 2 H, 1 RA, 6 K, 5 BB)

Three Morning Links

Yesterday, the Orioles had their pictures taken for the new animal rescue calendar.  Buck has four basset hounds.  Yes, I give you only the most pertinent news stories.

LJ Hoes gives an interview about his promotion to Bowie and him transitioning over to the outfield.  At the moment, it sounds like a need for his transitioning, but it might be that they have given up on making him a second baseman.  That would make it more difficult for him to be a regular.

After being let go by the Orioles as a batting practice pitcher due to needing an additional southpaw, Tom Vaeth taught himself to throw from both sides. He is now gainfully employed as a coach in Winnipeg.

Up Next

Baltimore will go for the sweep today before heading out for a West Coast swing.  Jeremy Guthrie (88 ERA-, 108 FIP-, 4.01 xFIP) takes the mound against reclamation project Jeff Francis (108 ERA-, 94 FIP-, 3.59 xFIP).

Game Wrap and Morning Links: May 25, 2011

Baltimore 5, Kansas City 3
Box Score / Play-By-Play / AP Recap

Color me surprised.  Joakim Soria is one of the best closers in the game.  The Royals, for all their faults, were 14-1 in games in which they led after eight innings.  None of that matter when Adam Jones dropped a 0-2 pitch 409 feet and into the stands.  That shocking moment cap a night that was largely an underwhelming performance.  The Orioles' best pitcher had one of his worst games of the year and somehow he still eeked out a quality start from it.  The hitters were unable to do much damage to an erratic Danny Duffy.  It was not exactly the amazing matchup between heralded pitching prospects that I was expecting.  It was a comforting return for Alfredo Simon, who managed to pitch effectively and notch his first win.  Regardless, it ended quite well and that is all we can ask for.

Stat of the game

1-21

The Orioles record this season in games where they trail after eight innings.

Orioles Game ball

Adam Jones (2-5, 2B (9), HR (6))

MiLB game balls

Norfolk (Box) - Josh Bell, 3B (3-5, HR (7))
Bowie (Box) - LJ Hoes, RF (3-4)
Frederick (Box) - Miguel Abreu, CF (2-4, 2B (4))
Delmarva (NA) - No Games Scheduled

Three Morning Links

The team does not expect Brian Roberts to be able to play for at least three weeks.  He has been suffering concussion-like symptoms and has seen specialists.  He gave himself a concussion last year when he hit himself with a bat, but it is also likely he has suffered minor ones in collisions at second base.

MASN's Steve Melewski reports that Kipp Schutz has been promoted from Delmarva to Frederick.  He has batted near .400 for the Shorebirds.  He was part of the lackluster 2009 draft class that is slowly beginning to shimmer.

The Orioles old spring training facilities will likely be turned into a water park now.

Up Next

Jake Arrieta (121 ERA-, 110 FIP-, 3.95 xFIP) will try to keep things rolling as he faces off against the Royals Luke Hochevar (111 ERA-, 135 FIP-, 4.04 xFIP).

Season Summary and Morning Links: May 24, 2011

No game last night.


Orioles Offensive Player of the Year (to date)

Matt Wieters, C
273/342/410; .334 wOBA; 1.3 fWAR

Wieters has come into his own this season with stunning play behind the plate and one of the better batting lines for a catch in either league.  Due to the massive hype following him prior to his rookie season, it will be difficult for him to emerge from his own shadow.  It is laughable that he was mentioned as a bust by some prior to this season.

Runner Up

Adam Jones, CF
289/337/440; .344 w OBA; 1.2 fWAR

Jones began the season in a prolonged slump, but he has exploded in the past month.  He still looks like a left fielder, but his play has looked more solid in center field this season.  It would not be surprising to see Jones pass by Matt Wieters when we reassess this at the All Star break.

Orioles Pitcher of the Year (to date)

Zach Britton, LHP
2.14 ERA; 3.74 xFIP; 55.6 GB%; 5.0 k/9, 2.9 bb/9; 1.0 fWAR

Britton was not supposed to be pitching in Baltimore until well into May or June, but a freak injury to Brian matusz changed that.  Britton has made the most of his opportunity and is challenging for consideration for MLB Rookie of the Year.

Runner Up

Chris Tillman, RHP
4.95 ERA; 4.61 xFIP; 37.7 GB%; 6.2 k/9, 3.5 bb/9; 0.9 fWAR

The numbers surprised me on this one.  I think it is largely of product of luck with only 2.9% of his fly balls leaving the yard.  Typically, that percentage should be around 10%, so that number should regress and Tillman's performances should regress as well.


MiLB game balls

Norfolk (Box) - Josh Bell, 3B (1-4, HR (6))
Bowie (Box) - Xavier Avery, CF (2-3, 2B (9), BB)
Frederick (Box) - Bobby Stevens, 2B (2-4, 2B (2), HR (4))
Delmarva (Box) - Jonathan Schoop, 3B (2-4, 2B (10))

Three Morning Links

Jim Pyburn passed away.  He was one of the first bonus babies signed by the Orioles.  He spent three seasons with the Orioles, but did not succeed.  He wound up being a solid assistant at UGA.

Mike Flacco was named SALLY player of the week.

Daniel Moroz of Camden Crazies tries to figure out what we can expect from the Orioles' most recent call ups.

Up Next

Kansas City comes to town and treats Baltimore to a battle of rookie pitchers.  The Orioles are putting up Zach Britton (55 ERA-, 91 FIP-, 3.74 xFIP) to face off against Danny Duffy(4 IP, 5.69 xFIP).  Be sure to watch this one.

Game Wrap and Morning Links: May 23, 2011

Baltimore 2, Washington 1
Box Score / Play-By-Play / AP Recap

The Oriolescame through with a big win yesterday and managed to win the series.  The victory was highlighted with a timely home run by Vladimir Guerrero and Matt Wieters' shining defensive play.  Chris Tillman had another maddening start where he was able to keep the Nationals to one run over 97 pitches, but was only able to complete 5.  The bullpen followed with four scoreless innings.  It would have been all for naught if Vladimir Guerrero did not deposit his fifth home run of the season on a 0-2 count.  Guerrero has recently been on a tear that has made him one of the more potent pieces of the Orioles lineup, but that has rarely meant him hitting home runs (currently on pace to hit 19 home runs).  It was also impressive to see two strikeout and caught stealings in the same game.  Partiularly with the game ending with one of them.  I have always been impressed by Wieters defensive skill as I had projected him as an offensive catcher with a tolerable defensive skill set, but over the past two years he has really shined on defense.  He currently is one of the best catchers in the game.  It may not feel that way due to the wild expectations placed upon him, but it really is true.

Stat of the game

2-6

Wieters to JJ Hardy.  Need I write more.

Orioles Game ball

Matt Wieters (0-3, Caught two stealing)

MiLB game balls

Norfolk (Box) - Rick VandenHurk, RHP (8 IP, 4 H, 2 RA, 5 K, BB)
Bowie (Box) - Caleb Joseph, DH (1-2, 2B (4), 2 BB)
Frederick (Box) - Tyler Townsend, 1B (2-4, 2B (14), HR (8))
Delmarva (Box) - Mike Flacco, 1B (4-5, 2B (12), 3B (2))

Three Morning Links

MASN's Roch Kubatko interviews Buck about yesterday's win.  He talks about Matt Wieters, Vladimir Guerrero, and Chris Tillman.

Rich Dubroff of the Carroll County Times reports that Brian Matusz is likely to make one more rehab start before rejoining the Orioles.

The Baltimore Sun's Kevin Cowherd gives out more information on Brian Roberts troubling condition.

Up Next

De nada.

Game Wrap and Morning Links: May 22, 2011

Baltimore 8, Washington 3
Box Score / Play-By-Play / AP Recap

Jeremy Guthrie led the Orioles to victory yesterday.  As usual, Guthrie did not generate many  swing and misses (5), but racked up foul balls (28).  Although no one has completely nailed it down, he typically outperforms his xFIP due to hitters never completely squaring up on his pitches.  In comparison, Nationals' starter John Lannan had twelve foul balls.  Anyway, with a spent bullpen, Guthrie managed to go seven innings deep while giving up two unearned runs.  Two runs or less is something Guthrie has done in four previous starts this year and has had a 1-2 record in those games.  The offense helped even up that record with Nolan Reimold's two run homerun breaking the seal and the rest of the runs were delivered with strings of singles and doubles.  Adam Jones, Nick Markakis, Vladimir Guerrero, Matt Wieters, and Brandon Snyder all registered multi-hit efforts.

Stat of the game

5-11

The Orioles managed to hit well with runners in scoring position.  If a team is not going to take many walks (one) or hit home runs (one), it has to bring them in with timely hitting.  The Orioles did that yesterday.

Orioles Game ball

Jeremy Guthrie (7 IP, 2 RA, 5 H, 4 K, 1 BB)

MiLB game balls

Norfolk (Box) - Josh Bell, 3B (3-4)
Bowie (Box) - Brian Matusz, LHP (6 IP, 3 H, 0 RA, 1 K, 1 BB)
Frederick (Box) - Bobby Bundy, RHP (8 IP, 3 H, 1 RA, 8 K, 0 BB)
Delmarva (Box) - Brendan Webb, RF (2-4, 1 HR (1))

Three Morning Links

MASN's Amber Theoharris reports that the Orioles attempted to sign Adam Jones to a long term contract last winter.  However, Jones thinks his true value has yet to be visualized and wished to wait longer to establish that and sign a better contract.

MAXPreps had a feature a little while ago on Cal Ripken Jr.'s son Ryan Ripken and his baseball accomplishments.  Doesn't the face on that picture look photoshopped?  Oh, shared heredity.

The Baltimore Sun's Jeff Zrebeic catches up with Brian Roberts and his troubling issues with concussion-like symptoms.  He will unlikely be ready to play on Tuesday when he is eligible to come off the DL.

Up Next

Chris Tillman (4.56 xFIP, 74 ERA+) has given up only 1 run in his last two efforts, but they have both been merely above average efforts.  He needs to go longer than five or six innings and to do that he needs better command of his pitches and those pitches need to miss the bats.  In this rubber match, he will be facing off against Jordan Zimmermann (3.74 xFIP, 92 ERA+).

Game Wrap and Morning Links: May 21, 2011

Don't forget today's 136th running of the Preakness

Baltimore 5, Washington 17
Box Score / Play-By-Play / AP Recap

The Orioles opened up their interleague play last night and Ryan Adams made his debut at second base.  He collected his first Major League hit, a single, and turned his first Major League double play.  The Orioles' offense also performed well by knocking out the Nationals' starter Jason Marquis after four innings.  Hmmmm . . . what else?  The rest of the game is somewhat forgettable.  Oh right . . . the Orioles pitching was outright crushed last night.  The Orioles and Nationals had the same ineffective starting pitchers, but the Nationals' pen shut the Orioles out.  The Orioles' pen gave up eleven runs, largely coming from five home runs, over 5.1 innings.  This has been a rough week on the Orioles' pen even though they had some time off.  I'm not sure why position players were not throwing from the mound some time this week.  There is little sense in wasting your pen in a lopsided game.

Stat of the game

209

The average team throws  around 145 pitches per game.  The Orioles threw 209, which means the Orioles threw enough extra pitches to cover about five extra innings.  This bullpen has been ineffective and overworked.

Orioles Game ball

Ryan Adams (1-4, first MLB hit)

MiLB game balls

Norfolk (Box) - Rhyne Hughes, 1B (3-5, 2B (8), HR (5))
Bowie (Box) - Xavier Avery, CF (2-2, 2 2B(7), 2 BB)
Frederick (Box) - Bobby Stevens, 2B-RF (1-3, HR (3), BB)
Delmarva (Box) - Kipp Schutz, LF (3-4, 3 2B (13), BB)

Three Morning Links

Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan wrote a piece noting how 2011 draft prospect and Bobby Bundy's little brother, Dylan Bundy, is asking teams not to draft him if they will interfere with his long tossing program.  Six hours later, Passan tweets that Bundy's adviser says not true.

Ex-Oriole Phil Bradley is helping Mizzou women's softball as an assistant coach.

MASN's Roch Kubatko writes that Jason Berken's next outing will be for the Norfolk Tides and troubled pitcher Alfredo Simon will be summoned for Saturday's game.

Up Next

Jeremy Guthrie (4.05 xFIP, 102 ERA+) finally gets back on the mound after a few days of rest from his impromptu relief performance.  He will face off against John Lannan (4.53 xFIP, 84 ERA+) and will try to even the series.

Game Wrap and Morning Links: May 20, 2011

Baltimore 2, New York (A) 13
Box Score / Play-By-Play / AP Recap

The Orioles ran out their "B" team against Yankee's ace C.C. Sabathia, with expected results. The O's were held scoreless until the bottom of the 9th, as the Yankees cruised to 13-2 win and 2 game sweep of the Birds. Brad Bergesen did not spot any of his pitches, and the Bombers made him pay -- plating 8 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks in just 3.1 IP. Sabathia struck Nick Markakis in the back with a fastball, "evening the score" after two accidental HBP from Baltimore (Chris Dickerson on Wednesday and Robbie Cano last night). The O's and Yanks next meet in the Bronx for a three game set, July 29-31.

Stat of the game

0-6

Baltimore's record against New York so far in 2011. Enough said.

Orioles Game ball

Adam Jones (2-4, 2B (7))

MiLB game balls

Norfolk (Box) - Nolan Reimold, DH (2-4, RBI (22))
Bowie (Box) - Nick Bierbrodt, LHP (in relief, 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO)
Frederick (Box) - Buck Britton, 3B (3-4, 2 2B (9))
Delmarva (Box) - Riley Hornback, C (1-3, 2B (1), BB)

Three Morning Links

Avi Zaleon and Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com examine the rotation shuffle after the Yankees series.

Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun tells us Ryan Adams and Nolan Reimold will replace Troy Patton and Chris Jakubauskas on the 25-man.

MASN's Roch Kubatko is a little saucy after the beanballs hurled by Yankee starters and carries over the snark to his look at the upcoming series with the Nats -- good stuff.

Up Next

Jake Arrieta (3.71 xFIP, 98 ERA+) will bring his big fastball and power breaker to the hill against Jason Marquis (3.53 xFIP, 107 ERA+) and the Natinals.

Game Wrap and (Afternoon) Links: May 19, 2011

Baltimore 1, New York (A) 4
Box Score / Play-By-Play / AP Recap

Zach Britton wasn't particularly sharp, but he held the Yankees to one unearned run through seven innings. Unfortunately, Bartolo Colon was quite sharp, spotting his 2-seamer to both sides of the plate and keeping it down in the zone throughout eight innings, holding Baltimore scoreless. The O's finally broke through in the ninth, against future Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera no less, sending the game to extra innings. Using the entire pen, Showalter was forced to insert Jeremy Guthrie in the 15th after Mike Gonzalez was surprisngly ejected for hitting Chris Dickerson in the head with an errant pitch. Perhaps he was tossed because the HBP happened to followd a Robbie Cano go-ahead double, but it seems clear from replays and context that Gonzalez simply missed badly with the Dickerson offering. It was another anemic night for the Baltimore offense, who standed 15 runners and went just 3-15 with runners in scoring position. Because Guthrie was used last night, Brad Bergesen will start opposite CC Sabathia tonight, with Matt Wieters scheduled to get the day off.

Stat(s) of the game

20.1

The number of consecutive innings rookie sensation Zach Britton has thrown without allowing an earned run. His .227 BABIP is freakishly low, even for an elite groundball pitcher, and may not be sustainable. But even with moderate correction he is throwing like a mid-rotation starter. If he can continue to have balls find the gloves of his teammates, he will remain in the Rookie of the Year running.

Orioles Game ball

Zach Britton (7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO)

MiLB game balls

Norfolk (Box) - Nolan Reimold, LF (2-4 HR (6))
Bowie (Box) - Greg Miclat, 2B (1-2, 2B (7), BB)
Frederick (Box) - Buck Britton, DH (2-5, HR (3))
Delmarva (Box) - Scott Copeland, RHP (8 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO)

Three Morning Links

MASN's Roch Kubatko reviews and comments upon Buck's post game press conference, including discussion of the Gonzalez ejection.

Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun says Caesar Izturis could be out up to 8 weeks following surgery on his right elbow.

Daniel Moroz of Camden Crazies thinks Zach Britton could be tabbed Baltimore's lone All-Star rep in July.

Up Next

Brad Bergesen (4.22 xFIP, 91 ERA+) pairs with battery mate Jake Fox to try for the split against C.C. Sabathia (3.47 xFIP, 115 ERA+).

Game Wrap and Morning Links: May 18, 2011

Baltimore, Boston (ppd rain)
Box Score / Play-By-Play / AP Recap

The O's/Sox had the second and final game of their short series at Fenway postponed due to inclement weather. It has been announced that Zach Britton, scheduled to start last night in Boston, will get the nod tonight against the Yanks, with Jeremy Guthrie taking the mound on Thursday.

Stat(s) of the game

2

The number of Orioles expected to be placed on the disabled list prior to tonight's game. Derrek Lee and Caesar Izturis appear to be troubled by an oblique and nerve in the hand, respectively. Troy Patton (lhp, AAA Norfolk) and Brandon Snyder (1b, AAA Norfolk) are expected to replace them on the 25-man roster.

Orioles Game ball

Brandon Snyder (Call-up for the former top 10 organizational prospect)

MiLB game balls

Norfolk (Box) - Ryan Adams, 2B (3-5, 2B (10), RBI (8))
Bowie (Box) - Alfredo Simon, LHP (6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 SO, W (1))
Frederick (Box) - Rick Zagone, LHP (6 IP, 3 H 0 R, 4 BB, 2 SO, W (2))
Delmarva (Box) - Clayton Schrader, LHP (2 IP, O H, O R, 0 BB, 4 SO)

Three Morning Links

MASN's Roch Kubatko recaps Alfredo Simon's third start at AA Bowie.

Matt Vensil at the Baltimore Sun writes the legal troubles for the Dominican lefty are far from over, and Baltimore will have to make some related roster moves in the near future.

Orioles Hangout's Chris Stoner had some draft questions for MLB.com's prospect/draft writer Jonathan Mayo.

Up Next

Zach Britton (3.83 xFIP, 164 ERA+) pushes back a day and laces them up against the Yanks. He'll be opposed by Bartolo Colon (3.05 xFIP, 108 ERA+) and the second most productive offense in the American League (5.02 runs per game).

Game Wrap and Morning Links: May 17, 2011

Baltimore 7, Boston 8
Box Score / Play-By-Play / AP Recap

Chris Tillman was not crisp, but he got the job done through five innings and exited with a 6-0 lead. That lead evaporated at the hands of the Orioles pen, with six different arms throwing and only Koji Uehara and Clay Rapada neglecting to allow a run. Closer Kevin Gregg managed to record one out in the ninth before issuing back-to-back walks to Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia and giving up a walk-off double to the red hot Adrian Gonzalez. It was an ugly loss on a night where Baltimore seemed all but assured of a third straight victory over a divisional rival and a .500 record through 40 games. Instead, the Birds drop to 19-21 and fall to 4.5 games out of 1st and 1.5 games out of 2nd, 3rd and 4th.

Stat(s) of the game

$22 million; $32 million

That's the amount of guaranteed money and potential money (including escalators and vesting options) that Andy MacPhail and the Baltimore front office has invested in closers Mike Gonzalez and Kevin Gregg. Through about 1.5 of their cumulative contracted four years (entering tonight's game), the two have been worth a total of .8 wins according to baseball-reference.com, or approximately $3.6 million. Now, let's all remember that Baltimore also gave up a second round pick for the privilege of inking MGon. It's a good thing the organization isn't throwing money away in Latin America -- it's clearly much more wisely invested domestically.

Orioles Game ball

Vlad Guerrero (3-5, 2 2B (9))

MiLB game balls

Norfolk (Box) - Brendan Harris, SS (2-4, 2B (8), 3B (1), 2 RBI (13))
Bowie (No Game) - N/A
Frederick (Box) - Buck Britton, SS/2B (2-4, 2 RBI (24))
Delmarva (Box) - Tyler Kelly, 3B (2-4, 2B (3))

Three Morning Links - Draft Edition

MASN's Roch Kubatko reports that Chris Tillman left last night's start with some tightness in his back.

Yesterday our links led to a story profiling potential draft target Owasso (Okla.) HS right-handed pitcher Dylan Bundy. Today, Jim Callis of Baseball America tells us that Bundy's supposed asking price is astronomical.

Orioles Hangout's Adam Vencill contributes to the Baltimore Sun staff report on Brian Matusz's return to A-Adv. Frederick for his first rehab start.

Up Next

Baltimore's young lefty RoY candidate Zach Britton (3.83 xFIP, 164 ERA+) takes the hill with a chance to salvage a two-game split. The Red Sox counter with the ageless Tim Wakefield (5.12 xFIP, 77 ERA+) who will make his 443rd career start and his 36th against the O's.

Game Wrap and Morning Links: May 16, 2011

Baltimore 9, Tampa 3
Box Score / Play-By-Play / AP Recap

Jake Arrieta came out and dealt again, leading the Orioles to a 9-3 win over the division-leading Rays and earning a 2-1 series win on the road. The second year starter went six strong allowing two runs on four hits and three walks, while strikign out seven. Pegged as a back-end starter by a number of national "prospectors", Arrieta is doing his best to show he still has a shot to be a legit #3 off the strength of his fastball, breaking balls and improving control. J.J. Hardy delivered the knockout blow in the sixth inning, taking a Cesar Ramos offering and depositing it into the left field stands. Matt Wieters had a day, throwing out the only would-be base stealer (ho hum) while going 3-4 at the plate with a walk. Nick Markakis, Vlad Guerrero and Brian Roberts also chipped in with multi-hit games.

Stat(s) of the game

9-3; .325/.386/.550

That is the Orioles record with J.J. Hardy in the line-up, and Hardy's triple-slash over his first 45 PA. Obviously it's way too early to draw any conclusions, but suffice it to say things look a little brighter than they did in 2010 when the shortstops in Baltimore combined for a triple-slash of .236/.277/.272.

Orioles Game ball

Jake Arrieta (6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 7 SO, W (5))

MiLB game balls

Norfolk (Box) - Brendan Harris, SS (1-4, 2 RBI (11), GW RBI)
Bowie (Box) - Caleb Joseph, DH (1-3, BB)
Frederick (Box) - Bobby Bundy, RHP (6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, W (4))
Delmarva (Box) - Mychal Givens (2-5, 2 2B (4))

Three Morning Links - Draft Edition

Roch Kubatko talks Brian Matusz's rehab start in Frederick tonight and the effect his return might have on the Baltimore rotation.

Bill Haisten of Tulsa World takes a look at Dylan Bundy (rhp, Owasso HS, Owasso, Okla.), potential 1st Rd draft target in June and brother of O's standout prospect Bobby Bundy (rhp, A-Adv. Frederick).

Early AL RoY candidates Zach Britton (lhp, Baltimore) and Michael Pineda (rhp, Seattle) are "emerging stars", writes MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince.

Up Next

Chris Tillman (4.48 xFIP, 65 ERA+) will attempt to maintain the momentum in the series opener against Daisuke Matsuzaka (5.12 xFIP, 89 ERA+) and the Boston Red Sox. Start time 7:10 Eastern at Fenway Park.

Game Wrap and Morning Links: May 15, 2011

Baltimore 6, Tampa 0
Box Score / Play-By-Play / AP Recap

Baltimore climbed back in the win column off the strength of Brad Bergesen's best start of the year. Bergie went the distance, using just 105 pitches and facing just five over the minimum while shutting-out the divisional leaders. His two-seamer was at its best, and the Rays hitters struggled all day to square-up the pitch. Offensively, the O's got all they needed in the first when Vlad Guerrero doubled home Derek Lee with two outs. Adding some cushion in the mid-innings were Jake Fox and Mark Reynolds, who found the left and right field stands, respectively, prompting me to immediately switch to the weather channel to confirm my suspicions. In all seriousness, it was an enjoyable game and the Birds put together nine solid innings of baseball.

Stat of the game

23.1%

That's Adam Jones's linedrive percentage through the first two weeks of May. He was 2-4 in Saturday's action, including a walk and his sixth double of the year, raising his triple-slash line to .285/.331/.453 on the year.

Orioles Game ball

Bradley Bergesen (9 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, W (1))

MiLB game balls

Norfolk (Box) - Ryan Adams, 2b (1-3, 2B (9), 2 BB)
Bowie (Box) - Ronnie Welty, RF (2-4, HR (7))
Frederick (Box) - Tyler Kolodny, DH (1-4, 2B (9))
Delmarva (Box) - Jonathan Schoop (2-4, 3B (3), HR (5))

Three Morning Links - Draft Edition

DiamondScape Scouting thinks Baltimore should take Dylan Bundy (Owasso HS, Owasso, Okla.) in the first round of next month's draft.

Baseball America projects Jed Bradley (rhp, Georgia Tech) to be Baltimore's pick at 1:4.

Keith Law weighs-in, claiming Trevor Bauer (rhp, UCLA) lands with the Birds (ESPN Insider content).

Up Next

Jake Arrieta (3.81 xFIP, 96 ERA+) takes the hill for Baltimore in the rubber match against Tampa and Andy Sonnanstine (5.06 xFIP, 132 ERA+).

Game Wrap and Morning Links: May 12, 2011

Baltimore 4, Seattle 2
Box Score / Play-By-Play / AP Recap

Last night had carried a sense of dread as the game began.  The Orioles were facing on the best starting pitchers in baseball in Felix Hernandez and the Mariners had been hot of late.  The realistic hope was that the Orioles would be able to last out Felix and get lucky of a errant pitch home run or two.  Instead, we were treated to a shaky outing by Felix where his pitches fell out of the zone a bit too much and his command was uncharacteristically off.  The Orioles waited him out and wound up getting good pitches to hit and those batted balls falling in.  On the Orioles' side, there was concern of former Mariner farmhand Chris Tillman throwing too many pitches and getting knocked out early.  Tuesday had been a rough night on the Orioles' pen and they needed to be saved as much as possible.  Tillman answered that with a good effort by going six inning while putting up a poor, but not horrific 112 pitches.  The other major note of the game was former Mariner Adam Jones being en fuego.  He saw only eight pitches last night, but he hit them for a hard triple and three solid singles.  He certainly has streaks like this when it seems like he can cover the whole plate on any kind of pitch.  If he can keep that up, we can think of him more as a superstar instead of being an average centerfielder, which also has a lot of worth.

Stat of the game

  6 innings

After a draining night on the pen yesterday, Chris Tillman was needed to go as deep as possible.  Tillman brought out 112 pitches over 6 innings.  This was not exceptional, but was needed.

Orioles Game ball

Adam Jones (4-4, 3B(1))

MiLB game balls

Norfolk (Box) - Blake Davis, PH (1-1, HR (2))
Bowie (Box) - Pedro Florimon Jr., SS (2-4, HR (3))
Frederick (Box) - Tyler Townsend, 1B (1-3, HR (7), BB)
Delmarva (Box) - Kipp Schutz (3-4).

Three Morning Links

Contracts have now been approved allowing for further renovation of the Orioles' Ed Smith Sports Complex.

Camden Crazies' Daniel Moroz reports from a conversation with an Orioles front office employee that the O's are not fully involved in international markets because the numbers do not work out.  The rest of baseball scratches its head.

Roch Kubatko reports that Brian Matusz threw 40 pitches in extended spring training as part of his rehab assignment..

Up Next

Zach Britton (3.97 xFIP, 136 ERA+) will try to lay in the sweep against the Seattle Mariners and Jason Vargas (3.96 xFIP, 80 ERA+).

Game Wrap and Morning Links: May 11, 2011

Baltimore 7, Seattle 6

Box Score / Play-By-Play / AP Recap

Last night was a long and wild night.  Kevin Gregg blew a save on a night when the Orioles offense was more productive than usual.  The bullpen was forced to go deep into a game without a 13th man, which forced Jeremy Accardo into 43 pitches over two innings and seemingly giving up the winning run in the 13th.  Felix Pie and Matt Wieters then came through with runners on base (did we ever doubt Wieters in that position) to plate two men and the Orioles break their losing streak.  Although it was tough on our relief corp and Chris "I might be able to give you six innings" Tillman is starting today, it was good to notch one in the win column.  It was also good to see JJ Hardy out-Andino Robert Andino with a 4-5 performance highlighted with a home run.  It is nice to have him back.  Hopefully, he will do more of the same against King Felix tonight.

Stat of the game

  8-21

The Orioles were 8 for 21 with runners in scoring position.  This is a change from the previous week.

Orioles Game ball

JJ Hardy (4-5, HR(1), BB)

MiLB game balls

Norfolk (Box) - Brandon Snyder, 1B (2-3, 2B (9), BB)
Bowie (Box) - Robert Widlansky, 1B (2-4, HR (3))
Frederick (Box) - Brian Ward, C (2-4, HR (3))
Delmarva (Box) - Mike Flacco (1-2, 2 BB).

Three Morning Links

Matt Wieters looks good in Matt Klaassen's catcher defense ratings for 2011 over at Beyond the Box Score.

Orioles legendary coach Earl Weaver is selling some of his memorabilia because he would hate to misappropriate items in his will.

Troubled pitcher Alfredo Simon will be making two more starts before going back to the Dominican Republic due to his legal problems.

Up Next

The O's hope to make it two in a row with a tired pen and Chris Tillman (4.36 xFIP, 56 ERA+) on the mound against stalwart King Felix Hernandez (2.90 xFIP, 123 ERA+).  Looks like one of the teams pens tonight will be getting some rest. 7:35 pm Eastern start.

Just the Links . . . and Today's Game: May 10, 2011

MILB Game Balls

Norfolk - Ryan Adams (2-4, 2B (6), 3B (2))
Bowie - Jose Diaz (1 IP, 3 K, 1 BB)
Frederick - No Game
Delmarva - Michael Ohlman (2-4, 2B (4))

Three Morning Links

Baltimore Sun reports JJ Hardy did not play Monday for Norfolk and is expected to be activated Tuesday.  Clay Rapada seems like she will be designated for assignment.

Carroll County Times reports that Justin Duchscherer will throw a couple simulated innings in the next few days.

Luke Scott has torn his labrum and will need to get surgery after the season is over.


Today's Game

Seattle is in town tonight with the game starting at 705 PM EST.  Jake Arrieta (3.80 xFIP, 92 ERA+) will face off against rookie sensation Michael Pineda (3.33 xFIP, 144 ERA+).  The Orioles will try to end their slide with a series against the last place team in the AL West.

Game Wrap and Morning Links: May 9, 2011

Baltimore 3, Tampa Bay 5

Box Score / Play-By-Play / AP Recap

Tampa Bay completed it's sweep of Baltimore yesterday on Mother's Day.  Brad Bergesen was knocked out of the game before the end of the fifth inning.  All five runs were scored after him.  The pen was able to shutout the Rays for the rest of the game, but the Orioles were only able to muster three runs.  Although it is disconcerting that the Orioles keep losing, but it will soon exhaust the bullpen with the starters not being able to go deep into the games.  Thankfully tomorrow the team has a day off and should help out the bullpen.  Matt Wieters continued his guru hitting with runners in scoring position by tacking on two more hits and is now 10 for 15 with runners in scoring position.  He seems to be the only Orioles hitter who is capable of hitting well with men on base.

Stat of the game

  5 Orioles walked and none scored

The Orioles have a problem with earning walks.  This series they earned a great number of walks while not being able to plate many of them.

Orioles Game ball

Matt Wieters (2-4, 2B (6))

MiLB game balls

Norfolk (Box) - Michel Hernandez, C (1-2, 2 BB)
Bowie (Box) - Kyle Hudson, LF (1-2, 2B (2), BB)
Frederick (Box) - Oliver Drake, SP (6 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 6 K)
Delmarva (Box) - Michael Ohlman, C (4-4, HR (2), 2B (3)).

Three Morning Links

Former Orioles Groundskeeper Paul Zwaska is now keeping fields tidy for a Little League in Wisconsin.

Steve Melewski talks to several Orioles, including Luke Scott, about the offensive slump the team is going through.

Jeff Zrebeic lists off some depressing numbers about the Orioles, including noting that the Orioles are 2-16 in games in which they score three or fewer runs.

Up Next

The O's get a day to think about things.