A Season To Remember

The Baltimore Orioles just had what I consider the most amazing season I have witnessed in baseball. I say that as an Orioles fan that was born and raised to love this team. This team that I love was the first sports team I ever liked. These guys have let me down more times than I can remember, but recently they have been great. The 2014 Orioles have advanced as far as any Oriole team has advanced in my lifetime. It is important though to think about what really happened this year in Baltimore to truly let it sink in.

During the off-season, everybody was trashing the Orioles lack of "big" moves from the fans to the media. Nobody had nice things to say about little pickups like Delmon Young. Fitting that it was Young who had the biggest hit in the ALDS that helped send Baltimore to the ALCS. Everybody was trashing the birds and not backing them though it seemed at the time. After that, almost every national media outlet picked Baltimore to finish 4th or 5th. Then the actual season came....
The season was filled with injury after injury, starting with Manny Machado beginning the season on the DL. Later in the year after the long road back, Machado would be lost again to season ending surgery. More injuries would occur including the big blow of Matt Wieters. This guy was having his best season as a pro (it was so good he was voted an all-star starter despite playing less than 2 months). Wieters (the team's most irreplaceable player according to pretty much everybody) would be lost for the season. Everyone expected the O's to fold, but they did not. This team kept pushing through. They pushed through despite Chris Davis having a major drop in production. Davis would end up serving a 25 game suspension for testing positive for adderol (he still has one game on the suspension) at the end of the season. This would cause him to miss the entire postseason. While he was having an off year, there is no doubt that the big bat would have been nice to have for the postseason power outage.

No matter what kind of obstacles were thrown at them though, the Orioles pushed through each and every one. If you had told me that Manny Machado would be hurt twice, Wieters would be lost early, and Davis would have that season, I would have thought the season would be a disaster. It was not anything close to a disaster though. These Orioles won the AL East by a landslide while recording 96 wins. That win total with this kind of attrition is incredible. They made it as far as I have ever seen the O's advance, by advancing to the ALCS. They made their fans proud. They preservered. It was an incredible thing to watch.

Thanks and congratulations are in order for this kind of season. It must start with Buck Showalter. He absolutely should be manager of the year and I am glad he is on our side. Twice he has gotten teams close to a World Series only to see them win after he is gone. In Baltimore, we will see him through and he will win it with us. This team and these fans appreciate what he has done for the Oriole faithful. Buck has restored the Oriole Way and given us hope. Dan Duquette for managing late additions so well also deserves some praise. The guy picked up Andrew Miller and Alejandro De Aza very late in the year and each was a fantastic move. Picking up Hundley when he did also helped bridge the gap left by Wieters' absence. We missed Matt Wieters, but not as much as you would think because of Duquette and Showalter. This is a duo that is much appreciated in Baltimore.

Finally, there is the players that deserve the credit. Here I go mostly with 2110, although everyone contributed to the Oriole Magic.

Those two outfielders though are incredible. I will start with Nick Markakis. I am glad this guy got to experience the postseason as an Oriole as I fear his time with the team could well have reached its end. He was on some bad Orioles teams and deserved to be on a good one healthy. This guy was just what he always was, he was consistent. Markakis was the consistent force on the team that you could ALWAYS count on. He was the rock. This guy is one the team and fans looked too and knew they could count on. He has done so much for the Orioles and for Baltimore and this season was no different. Much appreciation to Nicky!

Then comes Adam Jones. He is not officially the captain of the Orioles, but he may as well be. This guy is the vocal leader and the best player on the team. He is consistently good and just awesome at what he does. Jones throws well, hits well, hits for power, and has a terrific glove in centerfield. The torch has been passed from Markakis to Jones. Adam Jones is the heart and soul of the Baltimore Orioles and he proved it this year. With all due respect to Nelson Cruz and the season he had, the Baltimore Media was flat wrong about Most Valuable Oriole. There is absolutely no doubt that the honor belongs to Adam Jones. Everybody should know that he is the best player Baltimore has after this season, and they should notice that he is one of the most likable in all of baseball. What I like the most is that he will be an Oriole at least through 2018 and it seems that Buck will be too.
#IBackTheBirds
#StayHungry

-Noland

MLB Season Predictions

AL Season Predictions

AL East

1. Baltimore

2. Tampa

3. New York

4. Toronto

5. Boston

AL Central

1. Detroit

2. Kansas City

3. Chicago

4. Minnesota

5. Cleveland

AL West

1. Anaheim

2. Texas

3. Oakland

4. Seattle

5. Houston

Wild Cards: Tampa, Kansas City

MVP: Albert Pujols

Cy Young: David Price

NL Season Predictions

NL East

1. Washington

2. Atlanta

3. Philly

4. New York

5. Miami

NL Central

1. Cincy

2. Pittsburgh

3. Milwaukee

4. St. Louis

5. Chicago

NL West

1. San Fran

2. LA

3. Arizona

4. Colorado

5. San Diego

Wild Cards: LA and Atlanta

MVP: Buster Posey

Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw

ALCS: Baltimore over Anaheim

NLCS: San Fran over Washington

World Series: Baltimore over San Fran

World Series MVP: Matt Wieters

-Noland

Baltimore With The Comeback

As I said yesterday, nothing better than beating the Boston Red Sox and really upsetting Red Sox Nation. The Orioles were down 2-0 until the 6th inning, when they had a 5 run outburst to go ahead of Boston. They won this game 5-3. There were many key factors in the victory.

Let's start with the pitching. On the hill tonight was Miguel Gonzalez. Mr. Gonzalez picked up yet another quality start last night. He went 6 innings and only gave up 2 runs. Gonzalez lowered his ERA to 3.38 in the process which is quite respectable for a starter. In fact, compared to recent Oriole starters, you might even call it legendary. The rookie right hander moved to (5-2) on the season. If he keeps this up over the last month plus of the season he might get to double digit wins. This guy looks like the real deal. He was picked up from the Mexican League, great scouting by the Orioles on this one.

The next pitcher in line was the newbie, JC Romero. Romero was ok. His ERA still sits at 0.00 because he didn't give up an earned run. However, he did give up a run. There was an error that led to the run, but the error was committed by Romero. Not sure you should not get an earned run if you make the error, but it happened here. Ayala would finish the 7th after Romero pitched 2/3 of an inning. Ayala faced one batter and got him out.

After Ayala came the big dogs. First, Pedro Strop continuing to be filthy. This guy may be the best relief pitcher in baseball. Strop pitched the 8th inning scoreless again. He had 2 strikeouts, picked up his 20th hold and now has an ERA of 1.20. After Strop, comes Jim Johnson to lock it down. He did just that again. Johnson picked up his 35th save after pitching a scoreless 9th. Johnson had a strikeout in the performance and was dominant once again. If the starters can go 6 or 7 and have the lead, this team is awfully difficult to beat. The biggest reason for that all year has been Johnson and Strop. No more 6 million dollar closers that can't get the job done *cough* Gregg *cough*.

So, who led the offensive charge in the 6th inning surge. Well, would you believe me if I said Mark Reynolds again? He did it. Reynolds was the star for the second straight night. He had a huge double and drove in 2. Reynolds also walked in the game. I really hope this is a sign of what is to come out of Reynolds.

Matt Wieters also had a double, drove in one, and scored. It never stops amazing me how great Wieters is with this pitching staff and being an offensive force. This guy really does a fantastic job.

Manny Machado was 1-4, but no RBIs or anything. JJ Hardy was 1-4 with a run scored, but no RBIs.

Nick Markakis walked twice and scored, but didn't pick up a hit. Nate McLouth was 1-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Adam Jones was 1-4 with an RBI. Amazing how despite having off nights for them, the Orioles outfield all factored into a score apiece. McLouth was a part of two scores. This guy has been playing well for Baltimore and looks back in form. The Orioles still have one of the best outfields in baseball. We are lucky to get to watch these guys.

-Noland

More Comparisons Between This Team & '89

The Orioles continue to do well and exceed expectations. You cannot count them out. There was another year they were expected to compete and they did that until the very last day. When that happened it was 1989 and it looks like it is happening again. Behind another amazing extra inning victory in which the Orioles won in 14 innings they shrunk the division lead to 4 1/2 games. Baltimore is now tied with Oakland for a wild card spot as well. However, nothing matches up to the 1989 team like a familiar face. One of the faces of that team, was Dave Johnson the pitcher. Yesterday, the Orioles called up Dave's son Steve to make his 1st major league start tomorrow! Now this team is really looking like 1989.

I have long been saying that Steve Johnson should join the rotation as the 5th starter. Showalter and Duquette finally agreed with me. This is very exciting to a lot of Orioles fans. Steve Johnson was not the most hyped prospect. However, he was most deserving of the opportunity, he is on normal rest, and he is a good local kid. The Orioles faithful loves Steve Johnson. I expect a hug crowd @ Camden Yards tonight.

How did Johnson finally join the rotation? Zach Britton got shelled. Britton has not been effective since his return other than the one start. Tonight, he gave up 7 runs in 5 innings to really put the Orioles in a hole. Britton's loss is Johnson's game. Because of the fact that he had to warm in the bullpen to go in, Tommy Hunter is unavailable to start tomorrow night now. Hunter looks like he would have entered in the 15th if the game had continued. Showalter said they were getting close to Chris Davis time though so maybe he was coming not far behind.

Let's start with the craziest news first and go from there. The Orioles have played in the most games this season lasting 13 innings or more. This is their 5th game past 13 and they are 5-0 in those games! Amazing. After Britton left the game, the score was 7-2. The bullpen pitched 9 scoreless innings to lead the comeback effort. 6 pitchers led to that scoreless performance. Surprisingly, Kevin Gregg was the 1st pitcher in that unit and he pitched 2 scoreless. Patton, Ayala, Strop, Lindstrom, and O'Day also pitched in the game. With O'Day picking up the win. The win moved O'Day to 6-0 on the season. Everyone besides Gregg in that groups has a sub 3 ERA. Obviously, the best one in that group is Pedro Strop @ 1.27. Strop was huge once again.

The comeback started in the 6th inning. The Orioles scored 1 in the 6th and 4 in the 7th to help push it to extras. They won the game on an Adam Jones single with the bases loaded in the 14th. The Mariners intentionally walked Davis to get to Jones. I don't know why anyone would want to pitch to Jones in a walkoff situation, but Go Mariners. I will gladly take it. Guess which Oriole scored the winning run? Omar Quintanilla.

Making the decision to walk Davis more strange was the fact that he was the only Oriole not hitting last night. Davis was 0-6 for the game. Adam Jones and Omar Quintanilla each had 2 hits in the game. Btw, if you need more reason to love Robert Andino, look at that smile in the picture above. I absolutely love the passion and fun he plays the game with.

Other key contributors last night were Markakis and Hardy. Nick Markakis was 4-7 from his leadoff spot. He is now hitting .294. JJ Hardy was 1-4, but hit a very crucial 3 run homer. It was Hardy's 16th homer of the season. Great job by JJ!

There was only one guy more impressive than Markakis, Hardy, and Jones. That man is Matt Wieters. Not only did Wieters catch 14 innings like a boss, but he played it amazingly defensively. Oh, and he hit 2 home runs! Now Wieters is up to 15 on the season. Terrific job last night by Wieters. There is a strong chance that he gets a night off or is the DH tonight.

Ok, now the other ugly part of the game. Wilson Betemit made his 15th error last night. The guy is horrible at 3rd. Just play Andino!

All that being said, WHY NOT?!?!

-Noland

Orioles Come Up Big

Several Orioles came up huge last night. None of them more so than Matt Wieters. The big catcher set the tone tonight and the Orioles never looked back. Way back in the top of the 1st, Wieters hit an RBI single with two outs to put the Orioles up 1-0. The single broke an 0-22 streak with RISP for the O's recently (I am convinced Reynolds had half of those at bats). He also called a terrific game behind the plate. The Orioles pitchers combined for a shutout under Wieters direction. Finally, Wieters decided to be a speed demon last night, stealing two bases. The steals were Wieters 2nd and 3rd of the season. He now has 4 steals for his career.

So about that pitching staff....They threw a shutout, so who do you think the starter was? That's right, it was Wei Yin Chen. The team's most consistent starter continues to dominate opponents. He threw seven brilliant innings and only gave up 5 hits. Chen only had 4 strikeouts, but who cares? A shutout is a shutout. His ERA dropped to 3.46, and his record improved to (10-6). A tremendous performance for him. The last two innings were handled by Johnson and Strop, enough said.

Nick Markakis continues to excel in his leadoff role as well. Markakis got the Orioles started last night getting on base early. He was the person who scored on Wieters hit in the 1st. Markakis scored twice and drove in one yesterday. He went 1-3 for the game and rose his average to .289.

Chris Davis was the only Oriole with multiple RBIs (2) as he went 2-5. Hardy also collected 2 hits for the Orioles. Hardy seems to be swinging the bat better lately too.

Finally, the Orioles made a huge roster move yesterday. They designated Endy Chavez for assignment, and brought up Nate McLouth. McLouth also made his Oriole debut last night and played left field. He went 2-4 with a double and scored a run in his debut. What a wonderful debut for McLouth. Welcome aboard!

-Noland

Chen Had A Historic Day Yesterday

Wei Yin Chen had an amazing game yesterday. A historic game. It was perhaps his most overpowering performance. It is unfortunate that he had walks and an error behind him and he had to leave a little early. However, let's put his game into perspective.

First, let's remember that Chen won the game. He has now improved to (9-6) on the year. Chen also lowered his ERA to 3.65 while not allowing a single earned run. There was also only 3 hits the whole game. Now, for the good parts. Chen had 12 strikeouts. Those 12 strikeouts are a record for a Taiwanese player in the majors. Pretty cool. As I said earlier though, Chen only got through 5 2/3 innings. That short outing made Chen the first Oriole EVER to record more than 10 strikeouts in fewer than 6 innings. It is absolutely amazing that Chen had strikeouts in less than 6 innings and those accomplishments show that. His 12 strikeouts are the most by an Orioles pitcher since Erik Bedard struck out 15 against the Rangers on July 7, 2007. I am as amazed as you that there is actually some good news against the Rangers.

This performance could not have come at a better time for the O's. It came against the Oakland A's who have been red hot and are currently lined up to take a wild card spot. If the playoffs started today, there would be 3 AL West teams going. The Orioles are 2 games back of the Angels for the second wild card spot. They are 2.5 behind Oakland for the 1st. The Tigers are only one game back, and the Rays are tied with the Orioles. It is an extremely tight race for these wild card spots, just like MLB wanted.

Chen was not the only remarkable player last night. Omar Quintanilla continues to impress me. Forget about the error. I know our defense has been horrible, but I will take the errors if he makes the spectacular plays he made in the Rays series. I will also take them if he continues to deliver with the bat the way he has. Yesterday, he finished with a triple short of the cycle. Quintanilla hit his 1st Oriole home run and is 11-25 hitting since he's been on the team. He is actually hitting .440 as an Oriole and his average for the year is now .423. Tell me you won't take that in this lineup. This guy needs to play if he is hitting like this. 2 errors are ok with this kind of play. The plays I've seen him make on defense are tremendous. There is something special about this guy.

Lew Ford also made his Oriole debut. Ford went 0-3 and had a walk. However, Ford had a huge outfield assist and he gave the team some energy. The crowd loved him as well.

Matt Wieters hit his 13th home run of the season. Wieters also drove in 3 big runs in the victory.

Pedro Strop also continues to be filthy. Strop pitched another scoreless inning and lowered his ERA to 1.37. If I had to pick an Oriole MVP, Strop would be near the top of the list. Great game all-around. Let's hope they duplicate that performance this week against the evil empire.

-Noland

Orioles Update

Yesterday, was one of the Orioles best games of the season. Luckily, I was there to see a great game. Matt Wieters stole the show for the Orioles. Wieters had a huge home run in the 8th to bail out the pathetic Oriole offense. Well, they aren't pathetic, but they have been lately. That home run was a pretty impressive sight as the baseball was absolutely crushed. Not only that, but Wieters called a great game behind the plate. Additionally, he ended the game in impressive fashion. The game ended on a strike 'em out, throw 'em out. I have never seen a game end like that, so it was impressive for me.

The pitching was tremendous. Arrieta was awesome and only gave up one run in earning a quality start. Hopefully, Arrieta can duplicate his success in this start with all the rest of his starts. Pedro Strop went in for just 1/3 of an inning and managed to pick up the win. Strop is now (4-2) after the victory. The dude is dirty. After Strop comes Jim Johnson. The closer managed to pick up his 22nd save of the season. I'd take Johnson over any relief pitcher in baseball. All-Star.

Nolan Reimold underwent successful surgery today, so that is good. Reimold is a possibility to return this year, but it is very doubtful. Still, it is good news that there was no setback with the surgery.

Finally, Miguel Tejada asked for and was granted his release. No more worrying if Tejada will return to Baltimore.

-Noland

Orioles Beat Bedard, Sweep Buccos

Do you remember when the Orioles traded Erik Bedard? Steve Phillips thought the Mariners were going to win the World Series because of the deal. Some of my friends thought it was a bad trade for the Orioles. Well, the proof is in the pudding ladies and gentlemen. Just Adam Jones would have been a win for the Orioles. Consider what else we got for Bedard though. We got George Sherrill, who was a filthy closer for us for 2 seasons, Kam Mickolio who was a power arm that helped us land Reynolds (I didn't like the Reynolds trade), Chris Tillman, who was their #2 prospect at the time and still is still in the system, and Tony Butler who was another top 10 prospect of theirs at the time. Andy McPhail straight took the Mariners to the cleaners with that trade. Huge trade for us which is a big part of us contending right now.

Anyways, last night Bedard gave up 7 runs in just over 3 innings. Whoops, poor Erik. He just didn't have it last night.

The Oriole hitting was on point last night luckily, because their pitching wasn't to great either. Baltimore won 12-6 behind some brilliant performances by a few people. They had 8 doubles in the game. That is amazing. JJ Hardy, Chris Davis, Adam Jones, Matt Wieters (2x), Mark Reynolds (2x), and Steve Pearce. Reynolds and Pearce also went yard in the game. Mark Reynolds had by far his best game with that performance. Overall, Reynolds went 4-5 with 3 extra base hits. He also had 2 RBIs and scored 3 times. Great game by Reynolds. Steve Pearce hit his first Oriole homerun with his blast. Pearce and Wieters both had 5 RBIs in the victory. What a fantastic offensive display. In your Brian Roberts update, you find out that he went 1-5 and scored a run. This team loves having BROB around. You can definitely tell. Right now they also love having Pearce and even Reynolds. Its a good time to be an Orioles fan.

-Noland

My MLB All-Star Ballot

Before I released my ballot, I wanted to release the picture above so everyone knew where the top Orioles stood. Let me be clear though before I release my ballot. I love JJ Hardy, I think he is awesome, but Derek Jeter is going to win. Now let's get to the ballot and when you vote, #VoteOrange.

American League
1st Base
Paul Konerko  White Sox
.365 12 HR 35 RBI
Plays for the 1st Place White Sox
Konerko is currently 3rd in voting

2nd Base
Ian Kinsler   Texas Rangers
.273 7 HR 30 RBI
Plays for the 1st Place Texas Rangers
Kinsler is currently leading voting
I was extremely tempted to vote for Andino because he is one of my favorite players, but decided it wouldn't be right. Cano may be the better player, but he's a Yankee so vote Kinsler.

3rd Base
Mark Trumbo  Los Angeles Angels
.326 14 HR 39 RBI
Plays for the 2nd Place Los Angeles Angels
Trumbo currently not in the top 5
This guy deserves to be the starter, but probably won't be anywhere near the top. Beltre looks like the best choice and will likely win, but picking between him and Cabrera is tough. Trumbo is the top guy.

SS
JJ Hardy  Baltimore Orioles
.248 11 HR 27 RBI
Plays for my surprising competitive Baltimore Orioles
Currently 3rd in voting
I was tempted to vote for Jeter, I am not even going to lie. However, when I thought about it, JJ Hardy is a big reason for the Orioles success. Additionally, 11 HR from a SS is incredible.

Catcher
Matt Wieters  Baltimore Orioles
.255 9 HR 27 RBI
Best catcher in baseball
Currently 2nd in voting
Wieters has a real shot to start and will likely be returning to the game no matter what. What he does can't even be measured in the box score. He is vital to the Orioles success.

Designated Hitter
Edwin Encarnacion  Toronto Blue Jays
.290 17 HR 44 RBI
Currently 5th in voting
Time for a rant about David Ortiz. Why does Ortiz get a free pass on steroids? He took them. Can we stop loving him. Encarnacion is the better hitter in a weaker lineup. Not only that, but he has more RBIs. He should be the guy.

Outfield
Josh Hamilton  Texas Rangers
Adam Jones  Baltimore Orioles
Austin Jackson  Detroit Tigers
Hamilton .338 22 HR 61 RBI
Jones .300 17 HR 37 RBI
Jackson .324 6 HR 20 RBI
Hamilton 1st in voting
Jones 5th in voting
Jackson 11th in voting
Jackson is behind Brett Gardner, what kind of sick joke is that?
Hamilton and Jones have arguably been the best two players in baseball and they certainly deserve it, but the 3rd guy is more of a toss up.

National League
1st Base
Joey Votto  Cincinatti Reds
.355 10 HR 38 RBI
Currently 1st in voting
This one won't be close, Votto will win and deserves it

2nd Base
Jose Altuve  Houston Astros
.326 4 HR 22 RBI
Currently 5th in voting
Might as well vote for Altuve for 2 reasons.
1) he deserves it and is the only reason the Astros aren't in last
2) the Astros have to have at least one all-star so it might as well go to someone who deserves it

Shortstop
Starlin Castro  Chicago Cubs
.308 5 HR 38 RBI 16 Stolen Bases
Currently 3rd in voting
I was tempted to pick FSU alum Stephen Drew, but Starlin Castro deserves it and the Cubs have to have an all-star

3rd Base
David Wright  New York Mets
.354 8 HR 34 RBI
Currently 1st in voting
Don't see how it can be someone other than Wright.

Catcher
Buster Posey  San Francisco Giants
Not gonna lie. Didn't even think about this one. Had to vote for Buster.
Currently a close 2nd in voting.

Outfield
Carlos Beltran  St.Louis Cardinals
Matt Kemp  Los Angeles Dodgers
Michael Bourn Atlanta Braves
All deserve it a great deal.
Beltran is 2nd in voting.
Kemp is 1st.
Ryan Braun is 3rd, but didn't pick him due to steroid concerns.
Bourn is in 8th currently.

Another Walk Off Win

There are two Orioles that are at or near the best at their position and they deserve to be in the all-star game. I will vote for both of them and that ballot will be released tomorrow. However, it is important to look at what they did today. Before I get into that though, I'd like to mention that Steve Tolleson had an amazing game. He had a fantastic defensive play and a home run. You can see Tolleson's defensive gem on my twitter account @norob87.

Let's get back to the two top dogs on the Orioles though. First, Adam Jones once again scored the run on a walk off. What would we do without Adam Jones? He scored 2 runs today and had 2 hits. Jones was driven in by a walk off double courtesy of Matt Wieters. Wieters was 3 for 4 on the day. Below are photos from the walk off victory.

-Noland

Johnson Blows Save, but Orioles Still Win

Jim Johnson picked up the win in the 10th inning after blowing the save in the 9th and the Orioles defeated the Red Sox 8-6 on extras last night. It says a lot about Jim Johnson that he asked for the ball in the 10th after blowing the lead. He shut down the Sox in the 10th and helped preserve the victory.

The rest of the pitching was pretty darn good. Jason Hammel gave the Orioles five innings, which could be better, but during those 5 innings he only gave up 1 earned run. With the Orioles struggles in the rotation lately, it would be hard to believe Hammel's ERA. Hammel is pitching to a 2.97 ERA this season. If the Orioles are in 1st place at the break, then Hammel stands a pretty good shot at making the All-Star team after pitching like he has. This guy has to be near or maybe even at the top of the list for pleasant surprises this season. Unbelievable.

Ayala and Strop did their thing combining for 1 2/3 of scoreless baseball. Strop earned his 10th hold and Ayala his 6th. I continue to be amazed that we got Strop for Mike Gonzalez. Pedro Strop may just be the best pitcher we have on the roster.

Obviously, with an 8-6 victory you would expect to hear more about the hitting than the pitching though. The Orioles bats were on point last night. Every Oriole except Steve Tolleson that played last night got a hit. That included Ryan Flaherty who only got one at bat. Why Tolleson is playing over Flaherty is beyond me. Flaherty can actually contribute to this team's future and if we are going to keep him on the roster with so many people out, we might as well let him play. The way Tolleson is playing we might as well.

The top hitter last night may come as a surprise. Endy Chavez went 3-5 in the game with an RBI and 2 runs scored. New OF Steve Pearce was 1-3 with 2 RBIs. Pearce also had a high quality defensive play off the green monster that drew rave reviews from the coaching staff.

Robert Andino, Matt Wieters, and JJ Hardy had two hits apiece. Andino scored twice and leadoff for the Orioles. Wieters in Hardy each drove in a run and Wieters scored. Matt Wieters hit a double and JJ Hardy hit a triple. These were the only extra base hits on the night. Let's hope the O's get more timely hits tonight against the BoSox.

-Noland

Markakis Has Broken Bone in Wrist

The most dependable of Orioles is headed to the disabled list for the first time in his career. Right fielder Nick Markakis has a broken bone in his wrist and will have surgery to repair it tomorrow. He is expected to miss 3-4 weeks. Markakis started all 50 games prior to last night (48 in RF, 2 @ DH). This is a big blow to the Orioles' playoff chances having Markakis out for 3+ weeks. It is also one that I am not sure the Orioles can overcome. Yes, he was having a down year by his standards, but he is a hitter pitchers fear. Without him in the lineup, it will be much more difficult for Adam Jones to get quality pitches to hit. Losing your #1 hitter and your #3 hitter kills any lineup. The new lineup will have to somehow account for the loses of Reimold and Markakis.

There is good news though because Brian Roberts should be back soon. He is scheduled to finish his rehab stint June 11. Zach Britton is scheduled to be back after his rehab start in the next day. Britton's return will help fortify a struggling rotation while Roberts return will help a weak lineup. We just better hope Roberts is something close to his old self with Markakis and Reimold out still.
Here is my proposed lineup until Roberts gets back.
2B Robert Andino
SS JJ Hardy
C Matt Wieters
CF Adam Jones
1B Chris Davis
DH Wilson Betemit
RF Markakis' replacement
3B Ryan Flaherty
LF Endy Chavez


Once Roberts is back
2B Brian Roberts
SS JJ Hardy
C Matt Wieters
CF Adam Jones
1B Chris Davis
DH Wilson Betemit
RF Replacement
LF Endy Chavez
3B Robert Andino

Wieters is the only guy that makes sense @ #3 in my opinion. Unless we are trying to have a good hitter behind Jones. If that is the case then we need to swap Davis and Wieters. However, I would have my best hitter hit 3rd and Wieters is a better hitter than Davis.

You will notice that Mark Reynolds is not in either lineup. I am not a fan. I would try to trade him asap and eat some salary. I'd do the same thing with Gregg. We have to get another OF with Cakes and Reimold out. We need to do it asap.

What are the internal options?
Xavier Avery could come back up. The only problem with that is many in the organization think he is getting into bad habits. He may be getting into bad habits, but he is better than Chavez. He's certainly better than no options. If we want to compete for the playoffs, we might have to call Avery back up.

Jai Miller is still in the organization, but he is not playing well. He strikes out about every other time to the plate. That can't cut it in the big leagues.

Lew Ford is also an option for the Orioles. Ford is hitting .370 with 2 homers this season in Norfolk. This is in only 12 games, but perhaps Ford is the best option. We don't have much OF depth in the minor leagues.

Sure would have been good to still have Matt Angle on the 40 man at this point huh? Good thing we kept Josh Bell and Jai Miller when we let Angle go. That to me was the worst move of the offseason. Letting Matt Angle go was a really poor decision. We need to get someone to the Orioles that will hit. If we pay a price it is ok, but we can't give up our first good season in years without a fight. It should be interesting.

-Noland

Orioles Beat Red Sox in 13

Last night, the Orioles played the Red Sox in a wild 13 inning game. However, the Orioles did score 2 in the 13th to win 6-4. The Orioles had a big lineup shuffle last night to accompany the victory. Robert Andino led off the game and went 1 for 4. Andino's average now sits at .337 which is best on the team. Wieters went 2 for 4 as the DH and managed to hit a triple. The ball must have been hit really hard for Wieters to leg out a triple. The normal Orioles catcher also scored 2 runs. Wilson Betemit was in left last night and hit 6th. He got a hit, drove in one, scored once, and walked 3 times. Chris Davis hit in his normal spot and went 2 for 6.

None of those stories are the biggest at the plate though. Mark Reynolds had by far his best game hitting. Reynolds finally hit his first home run. Reynolds also went 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs. Unfortunately, for the Orioles he also had a costly error that helped put them in extras. I say once again, hitting only for Reynolds.

Wei Yin Chen did not have his best pitching performance, but the bullpen was spectacular. Lindstrom, Strop, Ayala, Patton, and Johnson each pitched at least a perfect inning. Strop, Ayala, and Patton each went two innings perfect. Patton ended up getting the win and Jim Johnson picked up his 8th save on the season. What a tremendous job the bullpen has done thus far. An amazing change of pace from the O's.

Additional notes: Nolan Reimold was officially placed on the DL which is why Andino led off the game and why Betemit was in left. The Orioles decided to bring up catcher Luis Exposito who played a bit last night. Brian Roberts also appears to be coming along nicely. I recommend you check out the School of Roch for more information on him.

-Noland

Arrieta & Wieters Help O's Defeat the Evil Empire

Jake Arrieta could not have pitched any better against the Yankees tonight. The young starter pitched 8 innings and completely shut down New York. Arrieta had 9 strikeouts and did not give up a single run. He was the biggest reason that the Orioles beat New York 5-0 tonight.

Arrieta did not do it alone though. After all you do have to have somebody call the game and you do have to score runs. Cue Matt Wieters. Wieters was 3 for 4 including a home run and a double. The Orioles catcher is clearly the best in the league and it is about time the rest of baseball took notice. Wieters is as good as it gets in a backstop.

Robert Andino also continued his amazing season tonight. Andino was 3 for 3 with an RBI. The second baseman also walked and is just a gamer. Markakis, Hardy, and Nick Johnson also had multiple hits. You read that correctly, Nick Johnson had multiple hits. Johnson had his first multi hit game of the season tonight. The Orioles were able to take 2 of 3 from the Yankees.

-Noland

Wilson Betemit With the Walk Off

The Orioles beat the A's again today behind a wild ninth inning rally capped by a Wilson Betemit homer. I gotta admit that I love Betemit at third base. This is one of the best additions the Orioles have made in a while, well other than Wei Yin Chen. Betemit was able to hit the 3 run walk off today and give the Orioles the 5-2 victory. Man I would have loved to be at that game. The guy is a gamer and he mashes, lets keep him. If we can somehow move Reynolds now I'd be down to have Betemit at third. Betemit is better than Reynolds defensively and offensively. Sure he has less power, but as we saw today he has enough. Video of the walk off and full story here.


Matt Wieters had a 2 RBI double right before the Betemit homer. Wieters is constantly proving that he is the best catcher in baseball. The guy does all this while still calling a heck of a game behind the plate. Oh and he is referred to as the best defensive catcher in baseball. This guy has to be an all-star.

Only one Oriole had multiple hits, and it was none other than the great Andino. Robert Andino was 2 for 3 and raised his average to .324. Does anyone still doubt that this guy is an everyday player?

The pitching was again spectacular and Pedro Strop got the win after a great relief effort. Strop now has 3 wins for the season. It looks as though Strop is establishing himself as Showalter's go to guy.

-Noland

Short Handed Orioles Pull Out the Win

Despite missing their closer and third baseman and left fielder, the Orioles pulled out a 2-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Earlier today I predicted that Pedro Strop would be the closer. I was right and Pedro Strop picked up his first save of the season. Strop can throw the baseball. I like the combo of him and Johnson at the back of the bullpen. He was a key part of the victory tonight.

The biggest key was the amazing play of the catcher. Matt Wieters is simply the best in the game. He called a brilliant game and helped Tommy Hunter give up only one run. Wieters also helped the O's bullpen throw three scoreless innings. Most of all though, Wieters hit his 6th home run in a game where runs were at a premium. Do not mess with Wieters.

Down on the farm, Dylan Bundy threw four more perfect innings at Delmarva. This guy is going to be really dang good.
-Noland

Showalter Ejected, but O's Win

Buck Showalter was ejected in the 6th inning and the Orioles responded with a win. The birds won in the 10th inning following the ejection. Guess why Showalter was ejected? He was ejected protecting Nick Markakis who was upset with a strike call. How does Markakis respond? The right fielder ended his RBI drought and got all three Oriole RBIs for the game. That'll do, that'll do. Nick Markakis is up to 8 RBIs on the young season.

Wei Yei Chen was brillant on the bump today for the O's, but ended up with a no decision. Chen gave up 1 run in 6 1/3 innings. Only giving up one run in six innings to that lineup is a job well done. Darren O'Day had another great outing and is looking like a better pickup by the day. O'Day lowered his ERA to 1.17 today, not bad for a guy we got for free.

The amazing pitching didn't end with Chen and O'Day either. After Strop gave up a run, Jim Johnson came in and did what Jim Johnson does. Johnson saved his seventh game. He is now 7 for 7 on save attempts. If he keeps this up the O's will have multiple all-stars for the first time in a long time.

There are a few more interesting notes from this game. Nolan Reimold had to sit out again with neck spasms. Endy Chavez had his best game of the young season today and scored a key run while playing fantastic defense in Reimold's place. Check out Roch's piece on Chavez. Ronny Paulino got the start for Wieters as the best catcher in baseball got the day off, or so we thought. Wieters pinch hit for Paulino and got a key hit at a crucial time in the game. Robert Andino also had another fantastic game, going 2 for 3 and scoring 2 runs. One of the runs Andino scored was the winning run and he is now hitting .316. Time to smile O's fans.

-Noland

Orioles Lose, Drop From 1st to 3rd

Is this where the slide begins? The Orioles were riding high early this season and now they look like the typical Orioles teams with no life. They also have the key injuries that fit all Oriole teams. Brian Roberts is still hurt for the what seems like the 5th straight season. I believe it is the 3rd straight season though with Roberts' injuries. Robert Andino has been having a solid year though so that one hasn't hurt the O's too bad. Nolan Reimold has been an animal with the bat this season, but he was out of the lineup last night due to neck spasms. Reimold is our replacement leadoff hitter, he was hitting .370 with 5 home runs. If Reimold is out for any serious length of time, it is big time trouble. Speaking of neck problems, Tsuyoshi Wada was shut down yesterday for neck spasms. Guess we will not see him anytime soon.

Now for the actual game. Jake Arrieta has been outstanding this season and started outstanding again last night. Unfortunately, for Jake he got rocked in the 5th inning. I for one am not gonna hang this one on Jake because of one bad inning. If we hadn't been playing the Angels we still may have pulled it out.

Hard to pull it out though when your offense has no life. Nick Johnson once again went hitless and is still at .000. How long do we remain patient with Johnson? Reimold's replacement Endy Chavez led off and went 0 for 4. He will get a longer rope than Johnson, but hitting .125 just doesn't cut it. JJ Hardy was also 0 for 4. My least favorite Oriole besides Kevin Gregg (Mark Reynolds) went 0 for 3. Just a punchless night from the offense.

There are some positives from last night though.
1) The Orioles found a taker for Josh Bell, more on that trade later
2) Matt Wieters hit his 5th home run
3) Adam Jones was 2 for 4 and is now hitting .311
4) Matt Lindstrom had another scoreless outing

That's it though. Maybe next time.

-Noland

Like I Said, Best Catcher in Baseball

Wieters won the gold glove for catchers last year in the American League and is widely regarded as the best defensive catcher in baseball. He routinely calls an amazing game behind the plate, does what he is supposed to do and throws everyone out. This year though he has improved another part of his game.

Wieters hit two more home runs last night with three total hits. He scored twice and drove in five. That isn't the best part though, one of the homers was a grand slam in the tenth inning. Talk about coming through in the clutch. Wieters is amazing. So far on the season he is hitting .344 and has a .462 OBP, and he is up to 4 homers on the season. This guy is going to be really good for a really long time.

Largely because of Wieters, the Orioles were able to come back against the Chicago White Sox last night. They were down 4-1 in the 8th before Wieters' first homer which made it 4-2. Then they scored 2 more in the ninth to send it into extras. The Orioles exploded in the 10th for 6 runs to win the game 10-4. Great job Orioles!

Other Orioles to homer in the game were Nolan Reimold and Adam Jones. Reimold did not start, but pinch hit in the 7th. He ended up going 2 for 3 after his pinch hit and hit a critical ninth inning homer while he was in the game. Reimold raised his average to .353 and hit his 3rd home run of the young season. Something that will probably be forgotten because of the 6th run ninth inning is that Reimold also actually had a single in the 10th that made it 6-4 before Wieters' grand slam. That single was pretty clutch. Adam Jones hit his 4th home run of the season in the ninth inning and continues to be on a tear.

Pedro Strop was flawless in two innings of work and picked up the win. I like this Strop guy, can you believe we got him for Mike Gonzalez? Hopefully, Duquette can pull some trade magic with Kevin Gregg.

-Noland

Orioles Update

The Orioles of course were swept by the Yankees in the past series. They did not look too good that entire series. Two extra inning losses and then there was the 1st game. We learned that Mark Reynolds has not improved much if all at third base and that Kevin Gregg is still capable of blowing games. We also learned that the Orioles are still not good with runners in scoring position. There is some good news though.

Adam Jones has extended his hitting streak to 9 games which dates back to last season.
The Orioles face Brandon Morrow tonight and Nolan Reimold is 3 for 6 and a homer lifetime against him. JJ Hardy is even better at 2 for 3 with two home runs. Leaving Reimold and Hardy at the top of the order might be a good idea against the Jays tonight.
Robert Andino is tied for the team lead in RBIs with 4 (well that one could be bad too depending on how you look at it). I look at Andino's bat as a positive because if Andino is hitting I like our chances a lot more this year. Andino is a solid baseball player with a lot of fire.
The last bit of good news is that we got Matt Wieters, the best catcher in baseball.
Keep smiling O's fans!

-Noland