Orioles back in the win column; Roberts to start rehab, Matusz Shines and Tolleson homers...

The Baltimore Orioles got back into the win column as they defeated the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night, 4-1.

Well, the game was impressive as I attended in person and got to see a win. It was a glorious night to catch a ballgame, and the rain was nowhere to be found.

The big news of today out of Birdland was that Brian Roberts – yes, the second baseman – will start a rehab assignment in Bowie starting on Wednesday according to Britt Ghiroli from the Orioles.com website.

I’ll have more in the morning, and I’m spilt on his potential comeback and how it will affect the team. I’m happy for him and glad to see him back playing competitive baseball.

He has been looking good out on the field – at least from what I’ve seen on tape – and perhaps the worst with the concussion issues are over.

He has worked hard to come back, and we should be commending him. Obviously, Roberts has been through a lot. Who knows how long it will take for him to get to the majors and what Roberts’ role will be. Perhaps for a change, he will be on a contender this year and serve as a spark plug for the Birds.

Moving on…

Brian Matusz – who has been through times of trouble until the last month – won again as he perhaps pitched his best game of the year, going 6 1/3 innings and giving up only one run.

Matusz threw well on the night, and he looked like the pitcher we saw at the end of the 2010. He was dealing to the powerful Red Sox lineup, and his only real mistake came in the fourth inning as Kevin Youkilis took him deep with a solo home run.

Other than that, he looked like an ace on the mound. His night was devoid of any real critical issues, and Matusz left to a wonderful ovation by the Camden Yards faithful. He has won four out of his last five starts, and his record is now 4-4.

Felix Doubront for the Red Sox took the loss. He pitched well, but gave up two runs in six innings.

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Press Release: Orioles to host Military Appreciation Day Sunday; Will wear camo script jerseys to be auctioned

Orioles to host Military Appreciation Day Sunday; Will wear camo script jerseys to be auctioned

The Orioles will host a special Military Appreciation day on Sunday, May 27 for their game against the Kansas City Royals. All Orioles uniformed personnel will wear special jerseys with the Orioles script in camouflage and numbers and names in dark green. The game-worn jerseys will be autographed, authenticated and auctioned off at www.orioles.com/military to benefit the Fort Meade Alliance's Foundation.  The Fort Meade Alliance is an independent community organization designed to promote the well being of the region.  The alliance's foundation is undertaking a fundraising effort to support resiliency programs for military, civilians, and their families at Ft. Meade. The online auction will begin on Sunday, May 27 at noon and will conclude Sunday, June 3 at 11:59 p.m.

The Orioles will also welcome the US Army Drill Team from the 3rd US Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) stationed at Ft. Myer, VA to perform prior to Sunday's 1:35 p.m. game. The team has earned international acclaim for their routines with bayonet-tipped 1903 Springfield rifles.

In addition to the Drill Team, pre-game ceremonies include a ceremonial first pitch by Col. Edward Rothstein, the Ft. Meade Garrison Commander, Staff Sgt. Randy Wight with the US Army Field Band will sing the National Anthem, and the Color Guard will be the Armed Forces Color Guard from the Military District of Washington. During the National Anthem, nine service members will each take the field with a player.

As part of Military Appreciation Day the Orioles have donated over 1,000 tickets to service members and their families from Ft. Meade. The Orioles will also continue the Military Sunday Suite program presented by Geico in which service members will enjoy a complimentary catered suite, meet with MATT WIETERS prior to the game and receive an Under Armour Wieters t-shirt.

Finally, on Sunday, the first 10,000 fans 15 and over will receive an Orioles camouflage script t-shirt. Fans are encouraged to buy tickets in advance and arrive early to the ballpark.

AT THE BALLPARK

SAVES FOR SHOCK TRAUMA
UMMS will team up again this year with Kelly and Associates Insurance Group and KTBS Payroll to donate $1,000 to the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center for each Orioles save during the 2012 season. Last year, over $32,000 was donated to the center. Since 1996 Kelly and Associates Insurance Group and KTBS Payroll have donated over $650,000 to the Shock Trauma Center through the Saves for Shock Trauma program. On Sunday, May 27, the Orioles will recognize these efforts with a pre-game ceremony that includes Karen Doyle, Vice President of Nursing and Operations for the University of Maryland, Senator Frank Kelly and Eyasu Kelly who represent KTBS Payroll & Kelly and Associates Insurance Group and a member of the Orioles bullpen.

FIELD TRIP DAY
On Wednesday, May 23, OriolesREACH, in partnership with MASN and WJZ-TV, will host the fifth annual Field Trip Day before the Orioles play the Boston Red Sox at 12:35 p.m.  More than 6,400 students from local schools will be at Camden Yards to learn about the weather from WJZ TV'S First Warning Weather Team of Bob Turk, Bernadette Woods and Tim Williams. Orioles Head Groundskeeper Nicole Sherry and Chris Strong from the National Weather Service will speak to the students as well.

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O's are winning, but where are the fans?

I wrote this last week for MASNSports.com...

***

The Orioles are fast approaching the quarter-pole of the 2012 season, and I'm sure many fans are asking themselves these questions:

Are the Orioles for real? Can they keep this up? Or are they pulling the wool over our eyes, and will the team that we've seen for the last 14 years make an appearance?

Right now, I'd say they are for real. I am still having a hard time believing it.

The Orioles are winning games that would not have won in the past, plus they are getting excellent starting pitching, timely clutch hitting and the bullpen has been phenomenal.

They sit at 24-14 as of this morning and tied for first place with the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East.

However, it does not seem that fans have turned out Camden Yards in large numbers at all.

Why?

I went to the Yankees-Orioles game Tuesday night with a co-worker, a buddy and some of his friends. My co-worker is a Yankees fan and it made for some interesting conversation during the evening. Although the forecast for that day was for rain to appear off and on in the area with thunderstorms, at game time, the weather was nothing short of wonderful. There were blue skies with some clouds in the air, and the temperature was in the high-70s. Alas, it seemed as if only half the ballpark was filled.

It was surprising for my co-worker to see and he was completely dumfounded. Granted, it was only his second game ever at Camden Yards and he is a transplant from northern New Jersey.

He said, "The Orioles are off to a hot start and they are beating up on everyone. Your park is beautiful, you all have great pitching, you're winning. It's a lovely night, but where the hell is everybody?"

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Orioles can't complete sweep against Nationals; Chen struggles, Strasburg and Nats offense have their way with Orioles...

Well, the Orioles had to lose sometime, and it happened on Sunday as they lost to the Washington Nationals, 9-3, on Sunday afternoon. The Nationals salvaged a game in the regional rivalry and avoided a sweep in front of a bipartisan crowd of under 42,000 at Nationals Park.

It was yet another beautiful day, but not so for the Orioles.

The Orioles saw their nine-game road win streak come to end. They saw their five game win streak also cease. Sadly, Baltimore pitching could not save the day, nor could Jones, Markakis, Hardy and company spur the offense. Their record is now 27-15, and they still hold a two-game lead in the American League East.

If there were any positives on Sunday for Baltimore, Xavier Avery and Chris Davis had two hits.

Overall, the Battle of the Beltway series has given a boon to Orioles fans, as they are still enjoying the team’s remarkable run.

It is good to see both the Orioles and Nationals contending at the top of their divisions and will hopefully bring a buzz to the region as summer heats up. The two teams will meet up again at Camden Yards in June.

Despite building an early 3-0 lead, the Orioles could not hold it, as pitcher Stephen Strasburg and the Nationals offense ended their five-game win streak. Wei-Yin Chen lost his first game as an Oriole -- and in the majors -- as he got hit hard on Sunday. In the end, he gave up six runs in only 4 1/3 innings of work. Chen clearly struggled with his pin-point locations that we as fans have grown accustomed to seeing. The Nationals made him pay for it – dearly.

The Orioles got three quick runs off Strasburg early, scoring once in the first inning off a Nick Markakis single. They added two more in the second inning as Robert Andino plated in a run with a groundout, and Xavier Avery had an RBI-single. Baltimore was aided by a whopping Bryce Harper error in left-center field; however, the offense for the Birds would die after that as Strasburg got into a groove and did not relent.

Chen was rolling until the third inning, as he gave up three runs as Bryce Harper had a two-run triple and Ian Desmond plated Harper with a groundout. Nick Markakis nearly had a highlight reel moment as he nearly caught Harper’s drive to right; however, as he dove on the warning track, the ball popped out of his glove and Harper was off to the races.

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Orioles win 5th in a row; Adam Jones and Nick Markakis power Orioles to second win in the Battle of the Beltways

For the second straight game, the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Washington Nationals in another close game, this time, 6-5.

They are now 27-14, and lead the American League East still by two games. There was another huge crowd for the game in Washington - well over 42,000 - and one has to think if both teams can stay the their respective divisional races, this area could be a hot bed of baseball. The Orioles have taken the first two games in the first go-round of 2012's 'Battle of the Beltways'.

The duo of Adam Jones and Nick Markakis each hit two-run homers - in the third, and fifth respectively - to help the Orioles win their fourth straight in a row, and ninth on the road. Robertt Andino has a two run-double in the second inning; however, the Baltimore offense didn't do much after the fifth inning.

Jones is on another level now and I don't know what to say or think. You saw flashes of brilliance during his first four years, but now he's putting it all together. He is a huge part of this team, obviously, and it looks like that he can carry the team on his shoulders if needed. Josh Hamilton seems to have gotten all the attention this month, but the national media should perhaps focus their glare on Jones now. Plus, it is good to see Nick Markakis coming around and getting his power stroke back.

They sent Washington starter Ross Detwiler to the showers early, as he gave up six runs in five innings. His reaction to Markakis' homer - if you can find it on tape - is priceless. He would take the loss.

The Orioles’ Jason Hammel  allowed four runs on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings to earn the win.

Hammel stymied Washington until the fifth inning as Steve Lombardozzi’s RBI-single gave them their first run on the game. They would score three more in the sixth inning to come within two of Baltimore’s lead, 6-4, as Rick Ankiel plated in a run with an RBI-single, and then Carlos Maldonado drove in another run with a groundout. Roger Bernadina followed up with a single to plate Maldonado.

The Nationals added some more intrigue towards the end of the game. Ryan Zimmerman’s solo two-out home run - his second of 2012 - in the bottom of ninth off Baltimore closer Jim Johnson sent the ballpark into frenzy. That brought Washington within one run of tying the contest, 6-5; however, Adam LaRoche was retired on strikes and the game ended.

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Photos: Battle of the Beltway - Baltimore Orioles vs. Washington Nationals - May 18th, 2012

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Nick Markakis' Homer and impressive pitching in 11th power the Orioles to 4th straight victory

The Baltimore Orioles continue to amaze, and they emerged victorious against the Washington Nationals, 2-1, in eleven innings on Friday night.

With the game tied at one, Nick Markakis’ solo homer in the 11^th inning off reliever Ryan Mattheus made the difference for the Birds.

They are now 26-14 and lead the American League East by two full games. Kevin Gregg earned win by pitching a scoreless 10^th inning, and Pedro Strop earned the save, his third of the season.

The Orioles could found themselves losing to the Nationals in the final innings; however, impressive double plays in 10 and 11^th, helped greatly – especially Chris Davis starting an impressive 3-6-3 double in the deciding frame.

If fans expected a pitching duel, they got one on Friday night as Washington’s Jake Arrieta and Baltimore’s Jake Arrieta put on a show.

Baltimore scored their first run of the game off Washington starter Edwin Jackson off an Adam Jones RBI-infield single – which went off the mound and Jackson’s foot – that plated Xavier Avery.

However, after that, Jackson dominated the Orioles. He went eight innings and allowed only a run.

For Baltimore, Jake Arrieta was straight up dealing as well, going seven innings and too only allowing a run. He struck out nine, and looked flat-out like an ace.

His only mistake came in the sixth inning as he gave up a home run to Ian Desmond. It was the sixth of the season.

He looked much better on Friday night than in his previous outing. Arrieta kept his team in the game, and the bullpen – Darren O’Day, Troy Patton, Gregg and Strop – handled the rest like they pretty much have the entire season.

The Orioles once again played an extra-inning game, and came back. They have won four in a row, and eight straight road games. I don’t know how much longer the winning can be sustained, but the Orioles – much like in the days of Earl Weaver – are relying on pitching, defense, and the homer (ok, not the three-run).

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The Battle of the Beltways

Well, it’s “Battle of the Beltways” weekend again as the Baltimore Orioles take on the Washington Nationals in the nation’s capital; however, this time both teams are good – at the same time.
 
In June, the Nationals will travel up to Oriole Park at Camden Yards to square off against the Birds.
 
It seems that most people who I know are Orioles fans are indifferent to the Nationals; meanwhile, quite a few Nationals fans that I know still follow the Orioles somewhat.

Well, I like going to Nationals games – as I love the National League style of ball – have friends who root for the team, and simply like baseball.

Really, most Nationals fans that dislike the Orioles do so mainly because of ownership – mainly Peter Angelos – trying to keep the team of Washington D.C.

It’s not like anyone in D.C. hates the Baltimore Orioles because they are the Baltimore Orioles.

The ‘O’ chant rankles a lot of fans in the D.C. area, but it is what it is. Even I think it is disrespectful to a certain point to during the national anthem.

Anyhow, both teams have very compelling story lines taking place so far.

The Nationals are contenders in the National League after being a second division team since their arrival in the region. Furthermore, they are floating near the top of the National League, and have some excellent starting pitching, plus two big draws in Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper.

On the other hand, the Orioles – after being doormats for the last fourteen years – are atop the American League East and are 11 games over .500.

Finally, if you're getting ready for summer and looking for clearance boat seats for either your journey on the water; affordable medicine balls for the next killer workout with your trainer, or hoping for your kind to become the next best lacrosse rebounder, check out Sports & Outdoors from Become.com! 

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Press Release: Orioles announce 2012 Military Appreciation Program

From the good folks at the Baltimore Orioles...

***

The Orioles are fortunate to be surrounded by dedicated military personnel throughout the region, and the organization is grateful for all of those who risk their lives each day for our country. In that spirit, as we approach Memorial Day, the club is proud to announce a variety of ticket programs that offer support for military members and their families.
ORIOLES MILITARY APPRECIATION PROGRAM

• TICKET DISCOUNTS AT EVERY GAME The Orioles extend a $3 discount off of all tickets for all military (active, retired and reserve) and their families, available at the Oriole Park Box Office. Even more significant discounts for military members can be arranged by contacting their ITT/Leisure Travel office.

• MILITARY SUNDAYS
For every non-prime Sunday home game, members of the military (active, retired and reserve) can purchase Buy One, Get One Free tickets in select seating sections through their ITT/Leisure Travel office.

• SUNDAY SUITE PROGRAM presented by Geico
Every Sunday home game, the Orioles, in partnership with Geico, will donate a catered private suite to wounded soldiers and other active military groups and their families. Guests will also be treated to a special player meet and greet before the game, recognition after the playing of "God Bless America" and will receive Orioles player t-shirts courtesy of Under Armour. Participating players include JAKE ARRIETA, ZACH BRITTON, TOMMY HUNTER, JIM JOHNSON, NICK MARKAKIS, BRIAN MATUSZ, MARK REYNOLDS and MATT WIETERS. A number of guests from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and Fort Belvoir Community Hospital have already attended several games this season.

• ACTIVE DUTY SPECIAL OFFER
All Active Duty Personnel are encouraged to show their active duty ID badge to receive a complimentary Orioles cap at the Fan Assistance Center in the Warehouse at any home game.

• WELCOME HOME SCOREBOARD MESSAGES
The Orioles are proud to offer free "Welcome Home" messages on Oriole Park's MASNvision scoreboard for all active military personal returning home from duty. To find out more information, or to reserve a message for an upcoming game, call 888-848-BIRD.

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Orioles Sweep Royals; Jones and Hardy Help Out Again, Matusz Wins

We are almost at the quarter-pole of the 2012 season, and the Orioles – yes – are still rolling.

This afternoon, the Orioles won their third game in a row, and swept the Royals, defeating them, 5-3, in amazing fashion.

They are now an astounding 25-14 so far this season and they have the best record in baseball. Once again, the Orioles found themselves in a hole; however, they dug themselves out of it.

I’m not sure how they are doing it, but they are playing all 27 outs and doing things the right way. The Orioles have been rebuilding for a long time, and it has taken a lot of patience on the part of us fans to see the rewards.

Baltimore fell behind 3-0 to Kansas City in the early part of the game, but they started to turn it on in the fourth inning. Adam Jones hit his 13th homer in that frame – a two-run shot; however, the Orioles killed it in the seventh inning as Chris Davis, who has been struggling big time, singled to center and advanced Wilson Betemit to second.

Kansas City’s Jarrod Dyson inexplicably misplayed Davis’ single – which was roped to him – and allowed the ball to get to the warning track. Betemit scored, and a few minutes later, J.J. Hardy came through with a two-run single to plate Davis and Xavier Avery.

Dyson’s play might have the Orioles the momentum they needed. Like all strong teams do, they took advantage and did not look back.

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Jones Powers The Orioles to Victory; They Do the Amazing Again...

Well, it’s safe to assume that we are seeing the best of Adam Jones these days. At this point, do the Orioles consider extending him now?

Will it get to the point where fans are asking to “pay the man?”

I think Jones has now taken his game to another level. Last night showed it.

Anyhow, last night, Adam Jones’ solo shot in the 15th inning broke a 3-3 tie and sent the Baltimore to victory Thursday morning. He had struggled for much of night, and didn’t have a hit until that point. He now has 12 homers on the season, and the decision to make him the cleanup and focal point of the offense is paying off big time for Baltimore.

Once again, the Orioles – when they looked down and out – clawed back into a game late and won. Ok, so it took a while. Honestly, I went to bed long before the game finished and woke up early this morning surprised at the result. Pleasantly so.

Now, it’s gotten to the point where we assume the Orioles can storm back and win instead of fold.

They came back after struggling most of the night against Royals starter Felipe Paulino, who just dominated the Orioles for seven innings; however, they started chipping their way back into the game as Nick Markakis plated in a run in the eighth, and the Orioles got two more runs in the ninth off a Wilson Betemit homer – his eighth – and J.J. Hardy’s RBI-single.

Kevin Gregg – who pitched two innings of relief – got his first win of the season and Jim Johnson earned his 13th save of the season.
If anything, the bullpen also served as heroes of the game too. Troy Patton gave up a crucial run in the eighth inning when the Orioles still trailed; however, the rest of the corps – Darren O’Day, Dana Eveland, Gregg and Johnson – kept the Royals off the board.

Tommy Hunter, who started on the mound for Baltimore, had one of his best outings of the season, but didn’t factor in the decision. He went seven innings, and didn’t give up anything until the fifth inning as Humberto Quintero plated in two runs.

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Are we seeing the real Nick Markakis?

I wrote this for MASNSports.com last week.

 ***

As we are seven weeks into the 2012 season, the Orioles are flying high with a 19-11 record, and are a half-game out of first in the American League East.

Baltimore's fast start has given players like Matt Wieters, Adam Jones and Chris Davis some national attention. However, one name that I don't see mentioned a lot happens to be right-fielder Nick Markakis. It's almost like he has become an afterthought at this point.

Now, Markakis did win a Gold Glove last season, and has always been the steady type when it comes to fielding. However, his work at the plate has left a lot of questions over the past few seasons.

As of this morning, he is batting .246 with a .326 on-base percentage, .733 OPS, with four home runs and 13 RBIs. These numbers are decent for the average ballplayer a month into the season; however, it seems that we all as fans seem to want more of Markakis.

Overall, Markakis is a .294 lifetime hitter with a .364 OBP, .815 OPS, with 108 homers and 508 RBIs.
Obviously, he has done fairly well throughout his career. Alas, what Markakis did in prior years in comparison to the last couple has left many wondering if the slugger will ever live up to the promise he showed as a young player.

Is he - gasp - perhaps regressing and not going forward?

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Chen, Hardy and Jones help Orioles defeat Yankees; Earn series split

In the offseason, I questioned a lot of Dan Duquette’s moves – especially Wei-Yin Chen. Honestly, it was to be determined what Chen brought to the table with the Orioles and fans were intrigued what he could do in the majors, most notably against the beasts of the American League East.

So far, Chen is passing the test. In fact, he may be singularly well the best pickup that Duquette has had throughout the young season so far. Although he does not throw all that hard – from the high 80’s to very low 90’s – Chen locates so well and paints the ‘black’ so effectively on either side of the plate.

That being said, the Taiwanese southpaw earned his fourth win of the season and helped give the Baltimore Orioles the split over the Yankees in their brief two-game series. They defeated the Bronx Bombers, 5-2, in a masterful effort by Chen who allowed two runs on four hits in seven innings of work. Jim Johnson got the save, his 12th.

The Orioles were significantly helped out by the double play – especially in the eighth and ninth innings, where the Yankees looked to possibly break things open.

The Orioles are 23-14 and share the American League East lead with the Rays. The offense broke through against southpaw C.C. Sabathia, who was off on the night, and left many pitches in zone. Sabathia’s offerings were hit hard and times; therefore, he was tagged for four runs in six innings of work.

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Orioles unable to complete sweep of the Rays

The Baltimore Orioles were hoping for a three-game sweep over the Rays; however, that would not happen on a wild Mother’s Day game at Camden Yards. They lost 9-8 to Tampa Bay and nearly came back twice but could not produce any magic.

The sweep of the Rays would not happen, but the Orioles fought back – again.

Baltimore rebounded from a shaky Jake Arrieta start and was almost buried with the score at 7-1 at the start of the sixth inning. He only lasted 3 2/3 innings and looked terrible on the afternoon.

However, the offense came alive and they came within a run of the lead, 7-6, after the seventh inning as Nick Markakis had two doubles in that period, and Matt Wieters hit a two-run homer.

They would nearly cough up the game in top of the eighth inning as reliever Troy Patton gave up homers to Elliott Johnson and Ben Zobrist to give Tampa a 9-6 advantage; however, the Orioles would get a run back after Nick Johnson homered for the second time this season.

The Orioles, who were down 9-7, to start the bottom of the ninth got a run back as Adam Jones scored on a Sean Rodriguez throwing error; however, they could not complete the comeback as Matt Wieters grounded out to end the contest.

Baltimore is 22-13 right now and lead the American League East by a game. I’m still surprised by the way the Orioles are playing, and came away impressed how they played all twenty-seven outs.

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Xavier Avery Promoted

Yet another day, another move for the Orioles. This time, they promote an outfielder, Xavier Avery, one of their better prospects to the majors. Not sure how long he will up in Baltimore, but should be starting today.

If Avery plays well, he might be up in the majors for a while.

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The Orioles and the reality stretch

The Orioles have won eight of their last 12 games.

At the end of April Orioles fans were looking at this 15-game stretch and thought: "this is it, this is when it all comes crashing down." For many people just sneaking out five or six games would have been enough. The prospect of actually coming out ahead during this series, winning at least eight seemed alien and wrong.

We are Orioles fans, after April we were willing to think more positively but the thought of this team being legitimately good, well that was just silly. The The thought that the Baltimore Orioles would be on the tail end of this stretch of games more than 10 games over .500, in first place after playing the Yankees, Red Sox, Rangers and Rays with only one day off and a string of nagging injuries; that was little more than the fevered dream of a madman.

And here we are. The Orioles have won eight games, they are guaranteed to finish this reality stretch with a better record then when they started. They have a very good shot of still being in first place at the end of the stretch. If the Orioles win today, then they will be guaranteed to finish this stretch at least 10 games over .500.
The Orioles have taken all comers, and despite getting roughed up a bit by the Texas Josh Hamiltons, they have met every challenge that they have faced.

Today the Orioles look to sweep the Tampa Bay Rays in Baltimore and open up a three-game lead in the AL East. The Yankees will come into town on Monday night as they look to get their scatter-shot season back on track.

The Orioles are playing great ball right now and it is beginning to translate in the stands. Last night the Orioles drew over 30 thousand to the yard and they were into the game. The energy was palpable. It was not a playoff level intensity but everyone in that stadium knew what was going on. A fanbase that has been burned so many times before, with memories of 2005 still seared into their minds, wants to believe in this team so badly. As I sat in traffic going home from the game, the crowd that was still leaving was walking past my car high-fiving me and the three other drivers behind - Orioles fans are a very happy bunch right now.

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Orioles win second in a row, defeat Rays 5-3; Jones and Hall lead the way, Matusz solid on the mound

The Baltimore Orioles continue to roll as they are one-fifth through the season, and it is one great thing to see.

They won their second straight game and downed the Rays, 5-3, at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in front of an announced 32,862 fans on a wonderful night for a ballgame. It’s good to see the fans come back to the park, as the Orioles got a huge walkup crowd for Saturday’s contest.

Baltimore is now 22-10 and lead the American League East by two games.

Well, the Rays made five errors, and the Orioles did what good teams do – took advantage of the situation.
Adam Jones drove in two runs, and Bill Hall – in his first game as an Oriole and in the majors this season – hit a home run which gave his team some breathing room in the eighth inning.

Brian Matsuz, who struggled in his last start, delivered on the mound, going 5 2/3 innings and gave up three runs – two earned. His control was much better, as were the pitches as well. He struck out five, walked one, and gave up seven hits.

His numbers could have looked better; however, Steve Tolleson’s error in the sixth inning allowed two Rays to score moments later as Luke Scott hit an up-the-middle single. Matusz is now 2-4 on the season.

The Oriole bullpen kept the Rays at bay at Luis Ayala pitched 1 1/3 innings, Pedro Strop was solid in the eighth, and Jim Johnson pitched a scoreless ninth for his eleventh save.

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Another Day, Another Move; Reynolds to DL, Hall Promoted, Bergesen DFA'ed

Ah, it's another day; therefore, the Orioles made yet another move with their roster. Today, we learned that Mark Reynolds was placed on the disabled list as he pulled a muscle in his rib cage.

It seems like the Orioles are nothing short of a walking M.A.S.H. unit right now.

BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles have placed third baseman Mark Reynolds on the team's rapidly expanding 15-day disabled list.
Reynolds has a pulled muscle in his rib cage. He is batting .191 with two homers and nine RBIs.
The injury occurred during batting practice Friday, manager Buck Showalter said.
Reynolds said Saturday, "It's not too bad, but it's one of those things where if I push it it'll get worse."
Reynolds is the third player placed on the DL by the Orioles in a three-day span. Outfielder Endy Chavez (left oblique) was shelved on Thursday and reliever Matt Lindstrom (middle finger) was added to the list Friday.

In his place, the Orioles have called up longtime veteran Bill Hall. I'm sure he will pay wherever is needed. Hall can play the infield and outfield. However, in order to make room for Hall on the 40-man roster, pitcher Brad Bergesen was DFA'ed.

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True Believer

That’s it. I can’t deny it anymore.

The Orioles are real; to deny it at this point is to deny math, logic and reality.

The Birds did get beaten up by the Rangers a bit, but who hasn’t. The Orioles still have the second-best record in the American League, lead the league in homers, are getting solid starting pitching and shut down bullpen work.

This is not a fluke. Repeat, this is not a fluke.

I am completely comfortable making this declaration, I am not worried about jinxing anything or anyone. The Orioles are just good.

Fact: The Orioles have won 13 of their last 14 games. That includes series wins against New York, Oakland, Chicago and Toronto. It includes a series sweep in Boston, despite Boston’s woes the Orioles made a real statement that weekend.

Fact: The Orioles went on the road through New York and Boston and won five of six. In addition, the one game they lost the Birds lost by a score of 2-1.

Fact: This is not a function of a weak schedule. The Orioles have the second-highest RPI in baseball behind only the Texas Rangers. Not good enough? The Orioles have played the third toughest schedule in the American League, behind the Mariners and White Sox.

The current Orioles renaissance is not due to a weak schedule, even if the Red Sox have collapsed early-on.
Opinion: The Orioles aren’t doing anything that seems drastically unsustainable.

The Orioles are simply playing very solid baseball. The bullpen is starting to give up a couple runs, but they are still playing very well. The Orioles have hit a hiccup with some rotation issues, but Dana Eveland was more than serviceable and the Birds have played some roster roulette the past week but it all seems to be working.

Take the Washington Nationals, their pitching is out of its mind right now, but it is ultimately unsustainable. Their offense isn’t scoring runs reliably and currently have scored the fourth fewest runs in the National League. Their pitching staff will continue to be good, but unless they stat getting their offense in line they will be vulnerable as the year rolls on. The Orioles are scoring runs, but not at an eye-popping rate, the rotation and bullpen have been great, but not historically great.

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Nick Johnson is the surprising hero of the night; Orioles defeat Rays to open up three-game set

I’m not sure what is happening with the Orioles; however, they are finding ways to win, and Friday night was another example of it.

The Orioles – again – pulled out another come-from-behind victory, as they downed the Rays, 4-3, to kick off the first contest of a three-game set.

If there was a must-win game in May, this might have been it as the Orioles and Rays were tied for the American League East lead on Friday with a record of 20-12.

With the victory tonight, the Orioles are an astounding 21-12 on May 12th and hold sole possession of first place in the American League East. If the Orioles can take two-out-of-three games from the Rays, they will be incredible shape heading into a showdown next week with the Yankees, Royals and Nationals.

Nick Johnson – yes, the guy many wanted off the team in April – has been hitting well in May, and he helped propel Baltimore to victory with a go-ahead, two run homer in the seventh inning off Tampa reliever Joel Peralta. They were down 3-2 before his shot, took the lead and did not look back.

Johnson does have a long, dubious injury history; however, when healthy, the man can swing a bat, get on base and is a ballplayer. Perhaps everything is now coming together for him, and if that is the case, the Orioles do have a valuable player on their hands.

Adam Jones and Nick Markakis also came through as they hit homers – solo shots – to also help the Orioles.
They were held to only two runs by starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson, who went 6 2/3 innings and gave up three runs before the Tampa bullpen took over. Peralta, who blew the save when Johnson homered, took the loss.

The Oriole bullpen was solid once again as Darren O’Day earned the victory, Pedro Strop threw a scoreless eighth inning, and Jim Johnson earned his 10th save of the year. He is a perfect 10-for-10 in save opportunities this season.

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