Ohman Traded; The Market...

The Orioles made another trade before Saturday's deadline, this time trading reliever Wil Ohman to the Florida Marlins for starting pitcher, Rick VandenHurk.

From the Baltimore Sun: VandenHurk, 25, has pitched in two games for the Marlins this season, allowing three hits and one earned run in 1 1/3 innings. He has pitched for Florida since 2007, compiling an 8-9 record and a 5.96 ERA.

The Orioles plan to move VandenHurk into the starting rotation at Triple-A Norfolk. VandenHurk worked with Orioles pitching coach Rick Kranitz during the 2007 MLB season with the Marlins.

Josh Bell has been recalled from the Tides, and Troy Patton could be brought up to Baltimore to take Ohman's spot Sunday. Patton would give the club another left-hander in the bullpen.

Ohman appeared in 51 games for the Orioles this season, allowing 30 hits and 11 earned runs in 30 innings. He struck out 29 batters and had an ERA of 3.30.

I figure it's safe to assume that VandenHurk will be another young arm in the Baltimore system and at this rate, they might need all they can get. He's got some major league experience, and more importantly, the pitcher is someone who the Orioles will have control of for a good while.

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The Royals Series So Far; Showalter, Samuel and Trade Deadlines...

All has started off so-so for the Orioles on their trip to Kansas City as they have split the series to kick off the four-game set. Really, the weekend matchup is a match from bottom-feeders for the most part who seem to be stuck in perennial rebuilding.

However, the young pitching was once again inconsistent on Thursday and Friday as Brian Matusz and Jake Arrieta, respectively, struggled again. I mused in a previous entry that when pitchers for Baltimore get in trouble, they just do not know what to do.

At this point in the season, you just have to keep the young guys going out there and hope they get it. The game is all about consistency, and once the pitchers figure it out, they’ll be successful.

Well, you have to give Mike Gonzalez some respect for pitching well over the past week after being recalled from the minors. Right now, he’s showing that he’s a much better pitcher than what we saw in the first week of the season. Presuming he’s healthy, let’s hope he can find the same success that he had in the National League and have it translate to the Orioles.

As we head into the final months of the season, we all know now that Buck Showalter will officially take the helm as manager of the Baltimore Orioles on Monday, and debut on the field Tuesday. It sucks to see Juan Samuel demoted, or even possibly leave the organization, but this move had to be done.

Showalter has the experience, success and credibility to hopefully get the Orioles to turn around. I don’t know if the addition of Showalter affects Andy MacPhail’s status, but it is an indication that the plan needs to tweaked and why not bring in someone who has had some experience in team building (case study: the Arizona Diamondbacks).

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A Big Day

Well the Orioles were busy today. They announced that Buck Showalter will be taking over managerial duties on Tuesday. The former manager and ESPN analyst signed a deal that will keep him in Baltimore until 2014. Showalter has a history of turning around struggling organizations and no organization is struggling more than the Baltimore Orioles.

Showlater brings instant credibility with him to the dug out and everyone in baseball feels this is the best possible move for the Orioles.

Speaking of moves, Miguel Tejada was a last second scratch from tonight's lineup because he was traded to the San Diego Padres for right-handed prospect Wynn Pelzer. Pelzer is rated the fifth highest prospect in the Padres organization. He is a fire-baller with a solid slider but sometimes has control issues. He projects out to be a ML closer.

Honestly, I am a little bummed that the Orioles didn't get a position prospect back for Miggy, but you can never have enough pitching.

Josh Bell will be at third for the remainder, and that is good I am very excited to see Bell up here and playing on a regular basis if he is to be the future of the hot corner in Baltimore then now is the time to see what he can do.

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About Last Night; Showalter Reported To Be O's New Manager?

The Orioles' march towards infamy continued last night as they squandered a brilliant start by Jeremy Guthrie and in the end were shutout by the Blue Jays, 5-0.

For the umpteenth time this year, the Baltimore offense couldn't get going and Jays' rookie Brad Mills contained them. They only mustered three hits on the night and a huge error by Corey Patterson led to Toronto's first run of the ball game in the first inning. The Jays were held at bay until the eighth where they plated four runs off the Oriole bullpen (Koji Uehara and Will Ohman).

Wednesday's game pretty much underscores why the Orioles have been so terrible all year and easily headed for 100 losses. There seems to be no plan of attack at the plate, and they are not making the pitchers work at all in their at-bats. Whether it's a lack of fundamentals, talent, or preparedness by the hitting coach -- the results have not been good at all for the Orioles.

Finally, there may finally a decision on the managerial front with the Baltimore Orioles.

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The Week So Far.. O's Stumble in Series Versus Jays

Yesterday, the Orioles got trounced again by the Blue Jays, 8-2, as Kevin Millwood once again got lit up in another start on the mound. The veteran only lasted 5 1/3 innings and gave up six runs – five earned – on ten hits. The Jays broke open the game with a three-run first inning and didn’t let up from there.

Who knows what trade value – if any – Millwood has at the moment.

The Orioles once again were buried by a poor pitching effort in the opening portion of the game. For a team that’s struggling mightily to score runs, they were done after that. Amazingly, the Orioles have not beaten the Blue Jays in 11 chances this season.

Jose Bautista continued his breakout year by slugging his 29th and 30th homers off Baltimore pitching (Millwood and Simon).

If there was one positive to come out of last night’s game, it may be the work of Mike Gonzalez. He went 1 2/3 innings and didn’t give up a run. It’s good to see Gonzalez work his way back in less pressurized situations, and get his mechanics plus confidence back in order.

The Orioles are now an astonishing 31-69; meanwhile, the Blue Jays – a team a lot in the media, online or wherever finished to PICK LAST in the AL East – are 52-49.

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About Yesterday's Game, O's Lose to Twins: Pitching and Tatum

Yet again on Sunday, another young Baltimore pitcher got roughed up, and in the end, the Minnesota Twins soundly defeated the Orioles, 10-4.

Minnesota would take three of four from Baltimore during the weekend series. Jake Arrieta got beaten up a bit as he gave up five runs, seven hits, four walks in four innings for the loss. The Twins, courtesy of the long ball, not only victimized, Arrieta, but the Oriole bullpen. They would score four times in the fourth off a Jason Kubel grand slam, add more throughout the game by solo homers from Delmon Young – who has really turned it on this season, Jim Thome and Jason Repko.

Once again, the Orioles made a pitcher look like Cy Young again as Kevin Slowey – who was struggling before Sunday’s game – got the win. The Orioles had the lead briefly off a Nick Markakis RBI-single in the opening inning, but the Twins brought it on as the game went forth.Baltimore rallied in the ninth and scored three times, but by then, the game was over.

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Photos: Twins vs. Orioles, Friday

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Roberts Back, About Last Night, Gonzalez and Ejections

Over the past week, Brian Roberts has been itching to play -- now he's back and off the sixty day disabled list. In a corresponding move, the team has designated Scott Moore for assignment. The 2010 season is pretty much a bust, but it will be finally good to see a healthy Brian Roberts back in the fold.

There's no way to know how Roberts will hold up throughout the rest of the season, but I'd imagine the team will give him more days off and be cautious with the way they treat him. It would not surprise me either if he ended back up on the DL with the same injury.

Moving on...

It was interesting to see Mike Gonzalez back on the mound Thursday in his first game action since Opening Day in Baltimore. It's pretty obvious that the reliever was pitching hurt and had some issues going on with him. Now, his outing against the Twins was nothing pretty - 2/3 of an inning, a walk and a hit - but he got out of trouble in the seventh inning and wasn't booed of the mound.

Hopefully, he can build upon his night.

And Millwood ... what a struggle to seem on the mound these days. I don't know what to think. Part of me knows that he's a professional and tries to get out there to win; however, do I get the feeling might he be might beat down by the losing, despite being classy about the situation he's in?

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Photos: Orioles Win Wild One Against Rays in 13; Michelle Obama Throws Out First Pitch

On Tuesday night, the Orioles – in perhaps their craziest game played in a long time – outlasted the Tampa Bay Rays, 11-10, in 13 innings. The victory for Baltimore was the 30^th of the season and perhaps the most thrilling of the season.

Baltimore’s game on Tuesday night was filled with errors, poor pitching and just a glut of mistakes; however, the offense exploded early on, plus got the big hits at the right time. The game at times looked as if it was going to get out of hand, but the Orioles were lucky not to have been taken further advantage of by the Rays.

You’ve got to give the Rays credit – they hung in there, and they showed on Tuesday night why they are contenders in the American League.

Koji Uehara got the win in relief, and Julio Lugo’s walk-off single to right off reliever Lance Cormier that plated Cesar Izturis made the difference.

The Orioles looked like they were headed to their 64^th loss of the season, but they came back in the ninth off a Miguel Tejada two-run single and tied the game at nine. After falling behind – again – they would again tie the game at ten in the 12^th off a Scott Moore sacrifice fly.

Baltimore got back-to-back-to-back from homers from Luke Scott, Ty Wigginton and Adam Jones in the second inning, plus, Scott added another homer to put them up 4-1.

However, despite the Orioles sudden surge of offense via the long ball, the Rays kept chipping at the lead and overtook them in the 6^th with a four-run inning off starter Jake Arrieta and reliever Jason Berken.

Tampa would score twice more in the 7^th; Orioles came in within one, 8-7, thanks to a Miguel Tejada two-run single and Luke Scott RBI-single. The Rays would jump ahead 9-7 in the 8^th off a Reid Brignac homer before Tejada’s heroics in the ninth.

A scary moment happened in the first inning as Carl Crawford was hit in the groin area by a pickoff throw by Jake Arrieta. Crawford was tagged out, but fell writhing in pain and he was down for a long time – as much as five minutes or so. I figured he was not wearing a cup considering the obvious, and it’s good to hear there was no damage.

Then again, Crawford says, he won’t be wearing one after this incident either.

Also, First Lady Michelle Obama was in Baltimore to take part in a partnership between the White House and Major League Baseball called “Let’s Move” to battle childhood obesity along with promoting healthy living. She was at the park all day working with the kids, held a press conference, and also worked on some promotion of the event.

Obama was part of the first pitch ceremony, but she didn’t throw a baseball – that part was left to two teenagers who were part of it.

However, the fans in the park – there could not have been more than ten thousand or so at the time – greeted her warmly (I didn’t hear much if any booing) and after the first pitch, she went to both dugouts (Orioles and Rays) and shook the hands of the players, plus staff.

Very classy.

Finally, Mike Gonzalez – who we all know and love – has been recalled to the Major League team, while Josh Bell was sent back to Norfolk along with picher Chris Tillman.

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Photos: Orioles Win Wild One Against Rays in 13; Michelle Obama Throws Out First Pitch

On Tuesday night, the Orioles – in perhaps their craziest game played in a long time – outlasted the Tampa Bay Rays, 11-10, in 13 innings. The victory for Baltimore was the 30th of the season and perhaps the most thrilling of the season.

Baltimore’s game on Tuesday night was filled with errors, poor pitching and just a glut of mistakes; however, the offense exploded early on, plus got the big hits at the right time. The game at times looked as if it was going to get out of hand, but the Orioles were lucky not to have been taken further advantage of by the Rays.

You’ve got to give the Rays credit – they hung in there, and they showed on Tuesday night why they are contenders in the American League.

Koji Uehara got the win in relief, and Julio Lugo’s walk-off single to right off reliever Lance Cormier that plated Cesar Izturis made the difference.

The Orioles looked like they were headed to their 64th loss of the season, but they came back in the ninth off a Miguel Tejada two-run single and tied the game at nine. After falling behind – again – they would again tie the game at ten in the 12th off a Scott Moore sacrifice fly.

Baltimore got back-to-back-to-back from homers from Luke Scott, Ty Wigginton and Adam Jones in the second inning, plus, Scott added another homer to put them up 4-1.

However, despite the Orioles sudden surge of offense via the long ball, the Rays kept chipping at the lead and overtook them in the 6th with a four-run inning off starter Jake Arrieta and reliever Jason Berken.

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Tillman Implodes, O's Lose 4th in a Row; Pitching and Michelle Obama Comes to Baltimore...

The second half for the Orioles so far has not been one to really be happy about. In fact, honestly, the past four games have been nothing short of frustrating to watch as a fan either at Camden Yards or on TV via MASN.

Right now, they look nothing short of awful – again .

After a four game sweep of the Rangers right before the All-Star break, they got swept by the Blue Jays this weekend, and with the Rays – a contender – in town, the Orioles needed something good to come their way. Sadly, It didn’t happen Monday.

Chris Tillman, who looked like he may turned the corner after his amazing start in Texas, just plain flat-lined in his second start on the mound after being called up from Norfolk.

In the end, the Orioles got their butts handed to them, 8-1 by the Rays, as Tillman who looked good through the first two innings, gave up eight runs in the third and pretty much buried his team.

Watching the games this weekend, I think the young pitching is just challenged right now and needs to find their own way of working through tough major league lineups.

It’s pretty obvious that Tillman, Matusz and Bergesen have skill on the mound and have had their ups and down so far as professionals at the big league level. In my opiniong, success comes from having a plan on the mound, being consistent, hitting your spots and using our pitches to keep the hitters off balance.

At this point, as much as people want to send them back down – you can’t.

The only way these guys are going to learn to pitch at the major league level is to perhaps experience face some failure and bounce back up again. From what I have seen, both Arrieta and Tillman excelled at Norfolk in ’10, and Matusz has been in the majors since last year.

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Swept by Jays, still no new manager

The Orioles were swept by the Jays, again, as the second half of this brutal season shambles forward. The Orioles had opportunities the first two games of the series but were once again stymied by poor situational hitting. Adam Jones was unable to get the two-out hit Friday and Cesar Izturis failed both Friday and Saturday to come up with the tying/ go-ahead runs. Today however Brian Matusz got shelled as the Orioles lost 10-1. The Birds are 0-9 against the Jays this year, reverse that record and the Orioles would be in fourth place. Amazing how this game works isn't it?

The few rays of sunshine in the overcast Summer is the fact that Brian Roberts is progressing well through his rehab assignment and all reports are saying that the hiring of Buck Showalter is going to happen, just not imminent. Which leads us to the next question: What is the holdup?

Honestly, I don't know and no one outside of Andy MacPhail's office knows either. There is a world's worth of speculation out there everything from Andy MacPhail not wanting to give up any real control of the team to Showalter to hammering out the transition of multiple coaches and positions to the old chestnut of Peter Angelos not wanting to spend the money to get him in here. Could any of this be true, maybe anything is possible with this organization. One thing is clear Andy MacPhail is on one timetable - his own and fans can do little else than wait and complain.

MacPhail has a reputation of being - deliberate, and that is putting mildly. MacPhail is deliberate to the point of frustration with many fans but he is concerned about "getting it right" whatever that "it" may be. how hard is it to name a new manager? Well I am willing to bet that it is a lot harder than many of us wish to believe it is. That being said I would feel a lot more comfortable about the situation if I felt that something was getting done. All reports are contending that Showalter is the guy but nothing is in stone yet and for a fanbase that has already had to sit through this nightmare of a season, well the natives are restless.

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About Last Night: The Manager Search & Ripken

The Baltimore Orioles lost their 60th game of the season as they kicked off the second half by being handled by the Blue Jays, 4-2.

Baltimore did get some offense going; however, pitcher Ricky Romero took care of the Orioles, despite a number of Blue Jay errors. The Orioles looked pretty much the same team in the first game of the second half, than they did in the first – lack of production in scoring opportunities and just poor execution.

Brad Bergesen started on the mound for Baltimore and wasn’t fooling anyone. He six innings and allowed four runs. Right now, it looks like he’s not got command of anything, and the hitters know what’s coming.

In other news, 'Flat and Breezy', George Sherrill was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Do you all see an Oriole reunion happening? Maybe? Who knows. He did have the best years of his career in the Oriole and Black, plus under the tutelage of Rick Kranitz.

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2010 All Star Game Red Carpet and Contest Photos...

07-12-10: All Star Red Carpet Parade




07-13-10: All Star Game Photos

Here are some photos from the 2010 All-Star Game Red Carpet Parade along with some images from the contest itself.

Having the All-Star Game in Southern California was fun, and the weather was fairly nice with the exception of the temperatures climbing into the 90's at the end of the trip. Then again, the humidity is fairly low in that part of the country, so it was not nearly as bad as the East Coast possibly would have been.

As you all know, David Ortiz won the Home Run Derby and the National League won the game, 3-1 as Brian McCann drove the deciding runs with a three-run double.

Much of the attention yesterday after the game centered around the non-use of Alex Rodriguez (which was really surprising).

Othee than that, in the pre-game introductions, pretty much every Red Sox, Yankee and Dodger player got booed pretty badly. It's amazing how on the West Coast, they really, really detest the Yankees and Red Sox - just as much as we do on the East Coast.

I will say that the ushers and the staff at the All-Star weekend were nothing short of pleasant and fairly laid back; however, the security situation was overbeating especially when it came to camera usage and bringing in items to the stadium.

Angel Stadium's security was by far the strictest I'd even witnessed in Major League Baseball. Sometimes too much security along with crazy regulations is not a very good thing.

Finally, the Home Run Derby - usually my favorite part of the weekend - didn't fill up the ballpark at all. According to reports in the local papers out there, there were upwards of 5,000 empty seats and being there in person, you could clearly see it. Perhaps Major League Baseball really might want to look at the pricing structure when it comes to their 'Midsummer Classic'.

Steinbrenner's impact

Yankees owner George Steinbrenner passed away early this morning. I think it is safe to say that Steinbrenner is a name that many an Orioles fan has cursed throughout the years. To Baltimore fans he embodied everything that was wrong the game. Steinbrenner bought championships and the Yankees were less a team than a collection of travelling all-stars. They were more Harlem Globetrotters than "Murderers' Row" now. But those callous statements wane today in the wake of "The Boss'" death.

Steinbrenner had been battling various health concerns for years and now in his passing the indelible mark he left on the game is clear, we are currently Steinbrenner's league and we will remain in his league for the foreseeable future.

Steinbrenner ushered baseball into the world of mega-contracts and uber-inflated salaries. Much like the United States during the late nineties George opened his wallet, invested wisely and let the dollars flow. The last team to out-spend the New York Yankees was the 1998 Baltimore Orioles. After coming up short the previous year in the playoffs the Orioles opened their wallets and spent a MLB high $70.4 million. The next year Steinbrenner's Yankees went out and added Roger Clemens and upped their payroll to $88 million; Steinbrenner would not look back. $92 million the next year; $112 the next; $125 in 2002 etc. until we come to today's $206 million pricetag.

During his reign the Yankees won seven World Series. He pioneered the idea of the Regional Sports network, something that virtually every team now needs to remain competitive in the marketplace. Steinbrenner never apologized for the way he spent the money, culminating in the billion dollar palace that the Yankees now call home. The most expensive ballpark in the country to still have obstructed views. But what Steinbrenner did more than any other owner is truly usher in the era of a stratified league. Baseball has always had its small, middle and large market teams and the larger market teams have always spent more money than the smaller ones. New York has always spent more money than Kansas City but with Steinbrenner's Yankees we truly see how each of the teams have to play the game differently.

Orioles GM Andy MacPhail summed it up perfectly at the start of this season during an impromptu meeting with the Oriole blogging hive mind in the MASN box. When speaking on a possible Adam Jones contract extension he responded how each level has to play the game differently. To Andy teams like the Rays have to sign players very very early. Now, Evan Longoria could have broken his leg and missed the entire year and never been the same afterwards, he could have been Rocco Baldelli, but the Rays don't have the luxury to sit around and wait to see what they have. They have to take risks and sign players very early. The Yankees can wait as long as they want, because if they have to they can outbid anyone and will outbid anyone for a player they deem as worth it. The Orioles fall somewhere in-between.

Teams that do not reside in the larger markets of the country (New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Philadelphia, to a lesser extent) have to play very smart ball. They have to be sure their minor league systems continue to churn out ML-ready talent and be very conscientious about whom they give the big dollars.

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George Steinbrenner Passes Away at 80...

This morning, New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner passed away in Tampa, Florida after suffering an apparent heart attack.

Really, no matter what you think of him as a person or as an owner, he sure did change the culture and economics of baseball - much less sports - perhaps for the better, or worse.

No matter what, the man spent what he could on his team and showed an insatiable desire to win - even if it came at a detriment.

In turn, Steinbrenner's teams rewarded him with seven World Series titles. Even as an Oriole fan who could never find himself rooting for the Yankees, I have to respect what he did.

He used the system in place to win and win big.

A lot (especially in the last two decades).

Amazing.

Rest in peace.

Photos: All Star Game Workout and Home Run Derby...

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The Weekend That Was; The Left Coast...

Finally good to see the Orioles have something good to happen. On Sunday, they completed an improbable four game sweep against the Rangers by beating them, 4-1. This was their first series on the road this year...

Jake Arrieta was strong on Sunday, going 6 1/3 innings and only giving up a first inning run. Alfredo Simon got the save, and Corey Patterson once again came through with a huge hit – a two-run double – that plated two and broke a 1-1 tie in the second inning.

Good to see Arrieta bounce back after a tough patch there.

What was even more impressive this weekend was the pitching of Chris Tillman on Saturday against Cliff Lee. Most expected Lee to steamroll over the Orioles and show why he was the most coveted pitcher on the market; however, he got lit up to the tune of six runs – all earned.

Baltimore used three homers to send Lee to the Rangers to a loss. Then again, for the Orioles, the story was Chris Tillman – not Lee.

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Orioles Win Late in Texas Thanks to Patterson and Fox

Staying up sometimes after a long day is worth it, and last night proved it. After seeing Stephen Strasburg in Washington on Friday, I made it home in time for the O’s game to start – thanks to a two-hour-plus rain delay in Arlington, Texas.

Friday night/Saturday morning’s game looked like another Oriole loss in the top of the ninth inning against the AL West leading Rangers; however, with two outs in the ninth with the bases loaded and against of the best young relievers in the game – Neftali Perez – Corey Patterson was at the plate.

I honestly assumed the game was over as the Orioles were down 6-2, but for one night, something amazing happened. Patterson took a Perez pitch with two strikes and launched it into the upper deck for a grand slam and tie the game at six.

At near two or so in the morning, I reacted with glee as if the Orioles won a playoff game or something.

Jake Fox decided in the game in the 10th inning with a homer off Dustin Nippert and when all was said and done, the Orioles earned a dramatic 7-6 victory.

The win came at 2:30 in the morning here on Saturday, and Baltimore is now 27-59 on the season. It’s been a long season already for us fans, but it was good to see what happened last night. The Orioles are 3-3 in the past week, and while it may not be anything all that special, it’s been better than they have been playing in the past few weeks.

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Cliff Lee to Rangers, Probably Faces Orioles on Saturday; A New Addition From the Dominican

As you all probably know Cliff Lee didn't wind up going to the New York Yankees, but instead he ended up with the Texas Rangers in quite the deal done.

Good to see Lee not end up in pinstripes.

Now, the bad news -- um, the Orioles face him on Saturday night according to various media reports.

How wonderful. Not really, facing Lee this year is quite a tall order.

In other news, the Orioles signed a 16-year old Dominican prospect Hector Veloz. Great - the bad news: he tested positive for steroids earlier on this season.

Major League Baseball required 40 of the top Dominican prospects to undergo mandatory drug testing and Veloz got caught.

Moving Forward

Felix Pie is back and picking up right where he left off. In his first three games back Pie is batting .308 with an OPS of 1.049, a homer and three RBI. he has been playing a solid left field and, most importantly, is not showing any lingering effects of his back injury. A healthy and productive Felix Pie is one of the few things that Orioles fans have to look forward to this Summer.

I was never the biggest believer in Pie when he first got here. He fumbled and flailed his way through his first six weeks as an Oriole and was consequently benched by then manager Dave Trembley. Pie's benching allowed for the promotion of Nolan Reimold who quickly took Pie's starting spot in left field and went on to have a Rookie-of-the-Year caliber season. So Felix was on the bench how he reacted to it made me a believer. Did he sulk? Did he whine? No, he was always there on the bench with a smile rooting on his teammates he was always a great teammate. Behind the scenes Pie was working his butt off with hitting-coach Terry Crowley and when injuries gave him an oppoortunity to get back in the lineup he took it and he took off. Pie earned his spot in the lineup through determination and hard work and it feels good to see him seemingly hit the ground running.

Pie is the future of this team a future that needs to step up in the second half.

Yes, believe it or not O's fans we have another HALF OF A SEASON left to go. I know that this year has already seemed like the longest in recent memory but there is a lot of ball left to play.

Looking at another player trying to get back: Nolan Reimold.

Reimold has to be easily one of the largest disappointments of a brutal Spring. Reimold was almost the ROTY last year but nagging injuries and off-the-field issues have seemed to derail the young man's career for the time being. Nolan has spent most of this season in AAA trying to rediscover his game, while being converted to first base.

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An Ugly Monday, O's Lose 12-9; Milwood and Pie's Return

It was ugly on Monday in Detroit, as the Oriole pitching corps just tanked and Kevin Millwood struggled to get out of the first as they lost to the Tigers, 12-9. The loss for Baltimore was their 57th of the season in 82 games.

In one of the craziest losses I’ve seen in quite a while, the offense wasn’t a problem – it was the pitching. After Matusz’s inspired start against the Red Sox on Sunday, the Orioles faced a tough task with the Tigers and they could not repeat the magic on Monday.

Millwood, by far had his worst start as an Oriole pitcher as he only pitched an inning, allowed five runs and threw 45 pitches. It was painful to watch on MASN, and after looking a lot better than he has the past few weeks, it was beyond ugly to see. He didn’t have much in terms of life on his pitches and labored out there.

Falling behind 5-1 at the start of the second inning, the Orioles pouched on Detroit starting pitcher Andrew Oliver – who probably was just as bad as Millwood. Oliver, who was handed a gift in the second inning, pissed it all away as the Orioles plated in five runs, and sent him to the dugout (much like Millwood.

It should go without saying – the Orioles are a little concerned with Millwood. Who knows how this outing will affect any future dealings on the trade market. And now… the team might put him on the DL.

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Wigginton and the managerial search

Ty Wigginton has been selected by AL Manager Joe Girardi as the Orioles All Star representative. Wigginton leads the Orioles in homeruns and has been a pleasant surprise in an overall horrendous season. However, please forgiven me Ty, I am underwhelmed. I find it very hard to get excited about a player who has been chosen to represent the Orioles who is likely to be playing in another uniform August 1, not when Nick Markakis is on the squad and healthy.

Nick Markakis leads the American League in doubles; his on-base percentage is hovering in the low stratosphere; he is playing great defense and he is easily the most recognizable Oriole. I know that last part is not saying much, but it is the truth. Markakis is the young future of the team and Girardi knows that. Now maybe Girardi needed another infielder but somehow it feels as though Girardi asked: "who leads in homers?" and made his selection.

Again, I love Wiggy and I am happy for him. Chief Wiggumton should do us well at the game. But I can't help but feel like Markakis is getting overlooked yet again.

Buster Olney handicapped the Orioles managerial search, he gave Buck Showalter the heavy odds to be named. Former Cleveland Indians manager Eric Wedge has had his name floated heavily in recent days much to the dismay of some. Some feel that Wedge would be another Hargrove/ Trembley type manager; soft-spoken and demure not up to the antaean task of the AL East. Showalter on the other hand is boisterous, active and has a "damn-the-torpedoes" air about him that makes weary O's fans perk-up at attention.

Buck or Eric?

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An Ugly Monday, O's Lose 12-9; Milwood and Pie's Return

It was ugly on Monday in Detroit, as the Oriole pitching corps just tanked and Kevin Millwood struggled to get out of the first as they lost to the Tigers, 12-9. The loss for Baltimore was their 57^th of the season in 82 games.

In one of the craziest losses I’ve seen in quite a while, the offense wasn’t a problem – it was the pitching. After Matusz’s inspired start against the Red Sox on Sunday, the Orioles faced a tough task with the Tigers and they could not repeat the magic on Monday.

Millwood, by far had his worst start as an Oriole pitcher as he only pitched an inning, allowed five runs and threw 45 pitches. It was painful to watch on MASN, and after looking a lot better than he has the past few weeks, it was beyond ugly to see. He didn’t have much in terms of life on his pitches and labored out there.

Falling behind 5-1 at the start of the second inning, the Orioles pouched on Detroit starting pitcher Andrew Oliver – who probably was just as bad as Millwood. Oliver, who was handed a gift in the second inning, pissed it all away as the Orioles plated in five runs, and sent him to the dugout (much like Millwood.

It should go without saying – the Orioles are a little concerned with Millwood. Who knows how this outing will affect any future dealings on the trade market. And now… the team might put him on the DL.

Baltimore had a 6-5 lead … um, for about a few minutes.

Then, the Tigers struck again and plated three more runs in the second inning off reliever Mark Hendrickson – who was saddled with the loss.

With the score 8-5 at the start of third inning, the Orioles would add one more run off a Jake Fox homer, but would never get the lead back.

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Orioles Avoid Sweep in Boston; Wigginton an All-Star

The Orioles had a very good day on Sunday as they avoided a sweep at the hands of the Red Sox, by earning a 6-1 victory.

Lefty Brian Matusz – who had pitched relatively well over the last month – broke a horrendous winless spell with a brilliant outing.

The youngster worked seven innings, allowed two hits and no runs in his outing. He kept the Red Sox at bay and the offense finally came together to support Matusz. Six O’s starters had hits in the game – Nick Markakis and Cesar Izturis each had three – and five players each drove in a run.

Josh Bell – who was recently promoted – from Norfolk struck out three times.

John Lackey, who started the game for Boston, went 7 1/3 innings, gave up four runs (three earned). He took the loss.

In other news, the Orioles found out who their 2010 All-Star Game selection was (they were only going to get one) and it came as a bit of surprise – Ty Wigginton was named to the team.

The popular consensus amongst many was that Nick Markakis would be included on the All-Star game squad due to his numbers (sans the homers) and his consistency throughout the season; however, he may have been snubbed due to the amount of deserving outfielders in the league.

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Orioles Lose to Jon Lester and the Sox (again); Juan Samuel Goes Batty

On Saturday night, the Orioles lost for the 56th time in 80 chances as Jon Lester and the Boston Red Sox dominated them, 9-3.

Lester, the tall southpaw for Boston, upped his record 12-0 against the Orioles lifetime as he went seven innings and allowed only one run. He won fairly easy as his offense hammered Baltimore starter Jeremy Guthrie who lost his tenth game of the season, along with an ineffective bullpen.

Guthrie was not sharp at all and he lasted a tad over four innings, plus gave up six runs in his night on the mound. The Red Sox didn’t have all their marquee players at the plate due to injury, but the old reliables - Kevin Youkilis, David Ortiz and J.D. Drew – all did the damage.

The Orioles, well, played like they have all season on Saturday and was just a microcosm of a bigger picture. Errors (two on the night), poor play, and no plan against Jon Lester did them in.

The Red Sox plated four runs in the bottom of the first inning and it was ‘checkmate’ for the Orioles from there. Baltimore had a chance in the first to jump on Lester, but with one out and the bases loaded, Adam Jones came to the plate and grounded into a bases loaded double play.

The Orioles did add get two runs in the top of the ninth as Jake Fox homered, although it required the use of instant replay by the umpires for the call.

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Orioles Open Up Series With Red Sox With a Loss; Gonzalez and Stuffage...

The Orioles played a fairly solid game on Friday up in Boston, but lost for the 55th time in 79 chances this season. They were defeated 3-2 as Red Sox rookie Daniel Nava's bloop single in the eighth inning to right field off reliever Wil Ohman did the Orioles in, and J.D. Drew hit two solo homers (including one that was very questionable).

Brad Bergesen gave up three runs in 7 2/3 innings in one of his better showings of 2010, but he could not get much support from his offense that was kept at bay by knuckballer Tim Wakefield along with the Boston bullpen. Nick Markakis hit his 4th homer of the year in the fourth inning, and Corey Patterson had an RBI-single in the fifth.

Jonathan Papelbon got the save.

Other than that, it looks like Felix Pie and Mike Gonzalez are closer to returning to the major leagues; however, both men had their struggles on Friday night. I'm not too worried about Pie, but does anyone wonder if Gonzalez will become a viable part of the Oriole roster and live up to the contract he signed in the offseason?

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About Last Night; Josh Bell Debuts, Stuffage

The Orioles closed out their final homestand before the All-Star break with a loss to the Oakland Athletics, 8-1.

Baltimore didn’t do much in the loss as Jake Arrieta got hammered again on the mound, the bullpen could not stop the bleeding (Frank Mata and Matt Albers), the defense was shaky (two errors and Corey Patterson fell trying catch a flyball) and the offense could not touch Oakland pitcher Trevor Cahill.

The Orioles are now 24-54 on the season.

Last night’s game was notable because fans got to see their first look at prospect Josh Bell in his first appearance on the major league level. For most, his announcement was a surprise and left many wondering why he was brought up from Norfolk; however, the Orioles needed an extra player due to the Luke Scott injury and Felix Pie was deemed not ready to play for big league club yet.

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Photos from Sunday: Nationals vs. Orioles

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Last night's win and the Scott situation

Last night's game was quite an event. The Orioles staged another come-from-behind victory this time relying on the long-ball. Adam Jones, Luke Scott, Ty Wigginton and Corey Patterson combined for five homers tying the season-high for the team. The bullpen put together another stellar performance bailing out Kevin Millwood who was solid but was sabotaged by some shoddy defense early in the game.

Corey Patterson loafed after as single that dropped in front of him and misplayed the soft line-drive into a run-scoring triple. Miguel Tejada in continuing his matador-esque style of play at third misplayed two balls. Only one was counted as an error, but both should have been. Millwod's final line reads six runs with fiver earned, but in reality only three or four should were deserved to be earned.

After five innings the Orioles were down 6-4 and the game was shaping up to be a typical Orioles/ A's affair. By typical I mean the A's making great defensive plays; a reclamation project pitcher making the Orioles look stupid; a ton of infield hits and key errors making the the difference but last night was different.

Aforementioned reclamation project Ben Sheets pitched well enough, getting through the sixth inning giving up four runs, three earned, and striking out four but the A's bullpen would unravel. Three A's pitchers would combine for two innings giving up five runs on three homeruns. The Orioles bullpen, on the other hand, was once again fantastic. Hendrickson, Albers, Hernandez and Simon combined for four innings of one-hit ball.

The win was huge but the big story is Luke Scott. After Luke launched his 12th homerun he pulled up lame as he rounded second base. Scott barely made it around the bases and into the dugout as he tried not put weight on his leg. The official word is a strained hamstring and Scott was placed on the disabled list this morning. In a surprise move the Orioles recalled young thridbaseman Josh Bell. All had assumed that Felix Pie would make the jump back into the lineup but, according to the Sun's Orioles Insider, the team did not want the injury to dictate Pie's rehab. They want Felix to take more time in the field and get re-acclimated to in-game situations before getting back to the bigs. No argument here.

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