Angels Sweep Orioles; Disputed Call Perhaps Makes the Difference...

The Orioles skid continued this week as they got swept by the Angels in a quick two game series that took place this afternoon and on Tuedsay night.

A few hours ago, the Orioles lost 3-2 as Koji Uehara looked strong, but took the loss; however, he may may be out a few days as he was a victim in a real scary incident. After giving up a pair of home runs to Kendry Morales and Torii Hunter in the seventh inning, he was hit hard in the chest thanks to a Gary Matthews line drive. There was no sign of internal damage; however, he did a have a bruised sternum, but in hindsight, he may have dodged a serious bullet. The Angels scored their first run in the fourth inning as Kendry Morales had an RBI triple.

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Texas Takes Three of Four from Baltimore

The Orioles started off well on Monday night in their final contest of a four game series; however, the bullpen could not hold onto to an early lead, and the Texas Rangers offense piled on Baltimore late. In the end, the Rangers defeated the Orioles, 6-4, last night at Camden Yards taking three out of four games during the weekend series.

Baltimore starter Jeremy Guthrie had to work hard to get five innings of work in, as he threw nearly forty pitches in the first frame, but he gave up three runs -- all earned -- and struck out four. Matt Albers could not hold onto the 4-3 slim lead the Orioles had against the prodigious Rangers offense. Texas made Baltimore pay in the sixth inning as Matt Albers was not on and he allowed Blalock to reach basse on a single, issue a free pass to Chris Davis, then young Taylor Teagarden plated Blalock; thereafter, Albers would walk Kinsler. Moments later, David Murphy drove in both Davis and Teagarden and Texas raised their elead 6-3.

Adam Jones Hits a Three-Run Homer to Lift O's Over Rangers, 8-5

After losing one-run games on Friday and Saturday night, the Orioles bounced and back defeated the Texas Rangers on Sunday afternoon, 8-5. Brad Bergesen got knocked around in his second major league start; however, he avoided the loss as Danys Baez came through when needed as he threw three scoreless and Adam Jones' home run in the sixth -- a three run shot -- made the difference.

Bergesen -- who was so successful against the White Sox in his first start -- suffered as he gave up three homers which accounted for all of the runs Texas scored on Sunday. He allowed a two run homer to Chris David in the second, a David Murphy solo homer in the fifth, and another two-run shot by Hank Blalock in the same frame. Despite his challenges yesterday, Bergesen still threw strikes; however, he left a lot of pitches over the plate and high, therefore, the Texas sluggers crushed some of the offerings they received.

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Michael Young Homers off George Sherrill Late; O's Lose, 5-4 -- Pictures Included & Fans Jumping on the Field?

Texas Rangers vs. Baltimore Orioles; April 24th, 2009
Despite another solid start by Koji Uehara, the Baltimore Orioles were stunned in the ninth inning thanks to a two-run opposite field homer by Michael Young off a pitch by George Sherrill. The Orioles weren't able to comeback in the ninth inning and lost a close one to the Rangers, 9-4. They held a razor thin one-run lead until the deciding frame.

Sherrill had gotten two outs in the ninth inning, as well as stopped a threat in the eighth, but allowed Kinsler to reach first on a single before Young brought him in. Sherill took the loss on Friday, while Uehara allowed two runs on four hits in 6 2/3 innings.

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The Impact of RSN's on Baseball and the Orioles...

I spent the afternoon doing some reading, mainly on financial stuff, and I came a piece on the Forbes Magazine website about the growth of regional sports networks (RSN's) and the disappearance of games from broadcast or free TV. The Orioles have had MASN for several years now covering their games along with the Nationals, and from what I know pretty much every regular season game will be shown on the network, and occasionally -- mostly on weekends -- games are showed on broadcast TV.

However, one has to understand how important these RSN's are to teams -- and, yes it all ties down to money. I have been following this topic for the past few years, and it's no surprise that the financial power of the Yankees, Dodgers and Red Sox are to these networks, while the small market teams are buying into RSN's to keep up with the big boys. therefore, as much as baseball -- good or bad -- likes to promote the wholeome image of the game, yes, it's a business and a huge one that.

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Eaton Surprises; O's Beat White Sox, 6-2

I have said that Adam Eaton would not inspire confidence in me this season, and he may be borrowed time in Baltimore. Well, I guess I was wrong and sometimes show how little I know at times. Out of the blue, Eaton surprised everyone, carrying a four-hitter and winning his first game as an Oriole as they beat the White Sox, 6-2.

Before the game, Dave Trembley gave Eaton a full vote of confidence despite his failures on the mound before Thursday night.

The performance justified comments made Wednesday by Orioles manager Dave Trembley, who stressed Eaton had a spot in the rotation and was not going to be judged on two April starts.

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What is Your Franchise Worth? Yes, Baseball Was Not Hurting in 2008...

Poking around Forbes Magazine this morning, they have their annual list of baseball franchise values and more; therefore, I decided to spend some time and poke around the site as well as look at their list. Although it's yet to be determined how the economy will affect the balance books and profitability of many teams, this much is certain at face value -- teams made money last year, and it will be hard to convince me that teams will really suffer *that much* this upcoming year.

From what I can predict, if a team loses money or sees their revenue/operating income go down, it will be made up somewhere else -- trust me.

The Yankees are the sport's most valuable franchise at 1.5 billion; however, interestingly enough they seem to $3.7 million in the red as well -- perhaps because of the new stadium and the investment in that. Still, I am sure they are making money elsewhere, including TV and what not, so let's not feel sorry for them. The value of their franchise keeps going up, and there's so much prestige behind the Yankee name that whatever happens, they'll come out just fine.

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O's Lose to the White Sox; Simon Out for a Long Time...

Last night, the Orioles could not replicate what they did the day before and got beat badly by the Chicago White Sox, 8-2. Baltimore faced a tough customer in John Danks and he brough it on Wednesday as he tossed seven innings, and alllowed just one run on four hits. Amazingly, he retired 19 out of the last 21 batters he faced, and it seemed that the Orioles were not going to get anything from him at all to really hit.

After looking good for the first two weeks of the season, Jeremy Guthrie did not look good again after seeing the Red Sox this weekend. Guthrie allowed the White Sox to score in the top of the the first, and allowed two more in the second inning. The Orioles fell behind 4-0 as Jim Thome took the Baltimore starter deep. Dennis Sarfate gave up a two-run homer in the seventh inning and another run to put the game out of reach for the Orioles.

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Bergesen Delivers; Huff Daddy Hits Two Bombs, O's Down White Sox, 10-3

Last night at a cool Camden Yards, the Baltimore Orioles snapped a five game losing streak, and perhaps a potential mainstay of the rotation may have been introduced.

The Orioles defeated the Chicago White Sox, 10-3, as they broke a five-game losing steak and the offense also came alive again as Aubrey Huff delivered with two home runs and Nick Markakis -- who leads the American League in RBI -- had a perfect night at the plate with four hits. As well, Luke Scott went 3-for-4.

More importantly, Tuesday's game was so important because it brought forth the introduction of Brad Bergesen. The righty, who pitched well out of Spring Training, but didn't make the squad because he had not pitched above Triple-A found himself inserted into the rotation after Alfredo Simon went on the disabled list for an elbow injury.

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Changes, Changes and Ozzie-Ball Comes To Town...

It's no surprise that Lou Montanez and Brad Bergesen were recalled from Triple-A after Ryan Freel headed to the disabled list after being in the head and Radhames Liz was sent after back-to-back performances in the big leagues.

Lou Montanez -- who probably should have been rightfully brought up to the majors to begin with -- should be perhaps be the 4th outfielder, or come off and serve as a pinch hitter. The boy can hit, and did his job well in Spring Training; therefore, let's hope he stays up in Baltimore in the long term.

Meanwhile, Bergesen will start against the White Sox tonight. A lot of fans have been clamoring about him, and he does one good thing well -- throw strikes and pitch to contact; however, his problem is that he doesn't throw hard. The fact he doesn't hard throw should not hinder him at all, but if he's not on -- the scoreboard could get ugly.

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Orioles Q&A with Chris Ray Tuesday, April 28 at the ESPN Zone in Baltimore's Inner Harbor...

The ESPN Zone and the Baltimore Orioles will kick off their annual Orioles Q&A series at 12 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28. At the free event, Orioles relief pitcher Chris Ray will field questions from fans.

Ray, who has made a strong return to the mound after an injury sidelined him last season, will share stories from the clubhouse and talk about his healthy return to Camden Yards. He’ll answer questions about all things baseball, talk about the Orioles’ hot start to the season, the pressures of playing from the bullpen and news from around the league.

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John Madden Retires from Broadcasting...

John Madden has decided to retire this morning from broadcasting after doing pretty much everything conceivable in the booth with all the networks. He's been in the field since 1979, and before that was a legendary coach of the Oakland Raiders where he won Super Bowl XI.

Godspeed, John. Thanks for your service and the memories.

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Baltimore Lit Up By Boston Again; Swept By the Red Sox

We knew the Red Sox were going to be tough, and I figured that the Orioles would show some fight; however, it was anything but the case. After their slugfest on Saturday, Baltimore has not put up might of a fight against Boston offensively, and they lost again up at Fenway, 12-1. Justin Masterson won for Boston, and the Orioles only managed five hits on the day and when you see players in the lineup -- Cesar Izturis, Gregg Zaun, Ryan Freel along with Felix Pie (both who I will get to in a minute) -- batting below the Mendoza line, the results are not going to be good.

It was painful to hear clips and bits on the radio as Mark Henderickson pitched ok -- he went five inning and allowed three runs -- however, Dennis Sarfate and Radhames Liz got lut up for nine runs in only 1 1/3 innings, therefore, waisting a solid effort by Hendrickson and making what was a competitive game into a laugher.

Dustin Pedroia led the way for Boston with four hits and three runs driven in, Jacoby Ellsbury had three hits, David Ortiz and Mike Lowell drove in two, and Jason Varitek hit a long home run off Hendrickson in the third inning. Baltimore's only runs came in the first inning as Izturis plated Robert Andino with a single.

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Baltimore Tries to Avoid Sweep Against Boston

It goes without saying the Orioles have run into a road block this weekend as the Red Sox again won up at Fenway, 2-1, on a cool Sunday. Koji Uehara, who started the game for Baltimore, was solid and perhaps had his best start in the majors to date, giving up two runs in only seven innings. Mike Lowell drove in a run in the second inning, and Dustin Pedroia drove one in during the fifth. The offense could not lift Uehara, and as a result, he took the loss - his first in the majors.

Baltimore seems to always struggle against the Red Sox, and Jon Lester was nothing short of brilliant, as he threw seven shutout innings, struck out nine and just allowed four hits. Baltimore's only run came off reliever Takashi Saito in the ninth inning, as he gave up two hits and allowed Nick Markakis to score, but got the final two outs to end the contest.

The Orioles will try avoid the sweep today, but right now, they are down 3-1 to the Red Sox as Mark Hendrickson is on the mound. Making matters worse on the injury front, Ryan Freel left Monday's game after getting hit in the face with a ball during a pick-of attempt; meanwhile, Adam Jones is sitting out today due to pulling a hamstring in Sunday's game.

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Eaton Struggles Again; O's Lose 6-4

Adam Eaton has not instilled much confidence in me as a pitcher, and he continued that trend on Saturday night. He only lasted four innings, and gave up six runs as Baltimore lost to Boston again, 6-4. This is their third straight loss, in which the starting pitching has suffered and there doesn't seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel. The Orioles have lost five in row overall against the Red Sox.

Boston scored once in the second, and then four times in third thanks in large part to a Kevin Youkilis three-run homer along with a Mike Lowell RBI. Eaton allowed all of Baltimore's runs, and the bullpen pitched three scoreless innings in the loss. Baltimore had a four run fifth inning highlighted by an Aubrey Huff two-run double along with a Nick Markakis bases loaded walk; however, the Boston offense was too strong again on the evening.

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The Red Sox on Deck

Ah, the Red Sox -- or as I call them, the Evil Empire 1A -- are on the docket us this weekend. They are currently 3-6 on the season, and are four games out of the division lead in the AL East. Well, Boston has struggled out of the gate, but showed some signs of life this week as Tim Wakefield threw a near no-hitter on Wednesday and they earned a victory.

What concerns me about Boston is not so much their hitting, but pitching. We have to face Brad Penny, Josh Beckett and Jon Lester (Monday's starter has not been announced) -- all in order, and Penny seems to be healthy and throwing heat again, while Beckett and Lester have always done fairly well against Baltimore. While the Red Sox offense isn't as fearsome as it was since 2008 because of the departure of Manny Ramirez and the decline in David Ortiz's numbers along with his early season struggles, they are still formidable as you've got to contend with the pesky Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Mike Lowell and Jason Bay.

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A Cause for Concern? The Pitching

So far, the Orioles have played in three series to start off, and have won each one taking two our of three games.

A 6-3 to start 2009 is indeed nice and rounds up to an 108 win season; however, does anyone expect Baltimore to win that much, if ever finish above .500? No.

As I see it, we can slug with anyone at the plate, we might have a decent bullpen (well, if Brian Bass wasn't in ut), but our starting pitching is -- um, still suspect.

Jeremy Guthrie has put aside all the talk about a potential decline, but everyone else is on watch.

Our Japanese buzzsaw, Koji Uehera, who was so good against the Yankees had his hands full with the Rangers on Monday. He looked very much off, the pitches were not hitting their spots, and against an aggressive Texas team whose offense is built for the park they play in -- teed off of Uehara. He will need to have pin-point control or location, or his outings on the mound -- much like against the Yankees -- have the potential to be very ugly. If Baltimore wishes to move back to respectability, they'll need this guy on.

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Orioles Get Whipped, 19-6 by the Rangers: Simon on the DL...

Just bad. Plain bad. It was bad for the Orioles as they lost 19-6 to the Rangers. It goes without saying the Orioles were bad in the field -- two errors in total -- and Mark Hendrickson paid for it as he only lasted 3 2/3 innings and gave up nine runs -- only TWO earned -- my lord.

Radhames Liz, who was just called from Norfolk looked bad as he gave up four runs on five hits in only an inning of work; thereafter, Brian Bass and Matt Albers came in as sacrifical lambs giving up seven more runs -- six earned -- in the final three innings.

Former Oriole Kris Benson -- a real nice guy who until last week had not pitched in a big league game since 2006 -- got the win, while Hendrickson took the loss.

Ian Kinsler hits for the cycle, drives in four runs and has six hits on the night. Marlon Byrd went for 5-for-6 and drove in three runs, and Nelson Cruz drove in six.

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Baltimore Whoops up on Texas Late, 7-5 Jones Comes Through, Scott Drives in Three...

The Orioles and Rangers didn't engage in a slugfest; however, it was another close game as they defeated them, 7-5. Alfredo Simon didn't make it two innings, and valiant effort by the bullpen along with a late homer by Adam Jones led Baltimore to victory along with a third consecutive series win.

Is Jones on his way to superstardom or what? This man does not even remotely look like the same player he was in 2008 -- I've said it over and over, but has he ever come into this own in the first two weeks of the year or what?

As well, Brian Roberts had three hits, and Luke Scott drove in three with a home run. The Orioles took advantage of a Ranger bullpen that imploded in the tenth inning and got the win; however, Texas rallied and scored twice in the bottom of the tenth thanks to a shaky George Sherill who made things way too exciting, but he pulled it out. The final two outs looked like deep fly balls that could have gone out, but they stayed in the park.

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Mark "The Bird" Fidrych Passes Away

On a even more somber note today, I just read that Mark "The Bird" Fidrych passed away today. According to various reports, he was sadly discovered by a family friend underneath a dump truck that he had been working on at his home in Northboro, Mass. From the looks of it, he seems to have been a victim of an unfortunate accident.

"The Bird's" career was fleeting, but memorable as he drafted in 1974 by the Detroit Tigers and made his MLB debut in 1976 where he took home AL Rookie of the Year. He packed the house in Detroit when he was on the mound and became a national phenomenon due his antics and eccentric nature. His career was cut short due to a rotator cuff injury in 1980; however, it goes without saying he's not been forgotten by anyone who saw him perform.

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