Orioles in Big Trouble

The Baltimore Orioles have been struggling lately, they are still contending, but everyday looking more and more like pretenders. If you had told me before the year, that the Orioles would start like this, I would not have believed you. This team came out guns blazing and actually looked like a playoff team for the first time in a long time. However, now we are in trouble. Unless something is done we will fall off now just like every year since 1997, it will just be later this time.

So how bad is it?

The Orioles lost to the Twins last night 19-7. Chris Tillman (who pitched 8+ in his last outing and looked brilliant) gave up 7 runs in 2/3 of an inning. He didn't even get out of the 1st. Just when you think Tillman put it together, he didn't. Same old Tillman, I mean the guy still hasn't won back to back big league start. That fact alone is utterly insane. It gets worse...

We all know we have been without our leadoff hitter Nolan Reimold for the majority of the year. Reimold was actually our second leadoff hitter after Brian Roberts was hurt. Brian Roberts makes an amazing comeback and then...he gets hurt again. Roberts appears done, in all fairness though Roberts wasn't doing much since he came back other than the 1st game. This is where it gets really ugly though, Roberts backup at 2nd base, Robert Andino, also got hurt recently and is on the DL. So we are now left with Tolleson and Flaherty at 2nd. It still hasn't reached the worst part, Jason Hammel is on the DL and we don't know for how long. Hammel has been our most reliable starter and has been lights out. His injury now marks us having 4 guys from our opening day starting rotation now out of that rotation.

How do we fix it?
The X-Man commeth
Xavier Avery needs to be back in Baltimore. For whatever reason he gives the team a spark. They play with more energy when he is on the team. He should be here. If you are worried about their splits, have no fear. I have another solution. Bring up LJ Hoes. Hoes and Avery should platoon in left for Baltimore for the rest of the year. It is by far our best option and the two are rather close.

Trade the calvary

I am not saying trade the farm, I am saying trade the "calvary" guys. I most often hear the calvary referred to as Tillman, Matusz, and Arrieta. These are the 3 guys to trade. Their value has soured over time, but I am done with this group. The only one I have any hope that he will regain his former self is Arrieta. Even with him I say get rid of him.

Make the Grienke trade and bring Rickie Weeks with Him

Sure Weeks is struggling, but he is a heck of a lot better than what we have at 2nd base. Grienke is sorely needed at this time, we need an ace. Trade for him and extend him. He already said he doesn't want to play in a major market, so maybe just maybe that gives us the edge. We are said to have the inside track at least.

Trade for Jason Vargas and Offer to take Chone Figgins

It can't be said enough that we need pitching. One way to get pitching is to offer to take bad other teams bad contract. Figgins is a bad contract, and he can help us. He is a solid glove at 3b and a decent leadoff hitter. I know he has underperformed, but he can help. Offering to take back Figgins will also limit what we have to give up. There is a chance that by offering to take Figgins and offering to give up a prospect, that we can actually get King Felix. Imagine that guy in Baltimore.

Who do we trade?

Try to limit the prospects. In 1997 in order to make a playoff run, we gutted our farm system. Due to that and extremely poor drafting/development since then we have struggled to recover. We don't want to get into that situation again to try to make a run. So trade the guys we deem losers that we think failed.

Trade Matusz

Trade Tillman

Trade Arrieta

Trade Gregg

Trade Chavez

Trade Pearce

Trade Reynolds

Trade Adams

Trade Mahoney

Trade Flaherty

Trade Betemit

Trade Exposito

Trade Bergessen

Start with that group and see what we can get. If they want Davis in a deal and it nets us a part of our future then go for it. No matter what though, I say trade all of that group either now or in the offseason and see what we can get. They offer us little at the moment. Those three arms hold a lot of value in Milwaukee if we want to offer some up for Grienke. Kranitz actually had some success with the calvary back in 2010. All I know is I want pitchers and guys that want to win. Mark Reynolds doesn't say I want to win to me. The best move we have internally though is Hoes/Avery. Don't forget either that Zach Britton pitches tonight. Britton is the 2nd best pitcher in the organization behind Bundy. So it may be alright for one night.

-Noland

The Recent News From Birdland

Sorry I have been gone for a few days. I had a long drive back from VA and didn't really post when I was there, except about the Orioles game. Then, as soon as we got back, we had to finish packing everything up and move. We finally got internet in our new place, so here I am.

Anyways, a lot has happened since my last post with the Orioles.

Before we get to the other news, I want to congratulate Jim Johnson, Adam Jones and Matt Wieters on making the all-star team. This is the first time since 2005 that the Orioles will have multiple all-stars. 3 all-stars is great, but 4 is better, so vote Hammel for that final spot. Personally, I voted for the BeltwaysBallot.

First, we start with the new addition to birdland. Jim Thome, 41, has joined the Orioles via trade. For a team in desperate need of offense that is barely clinging to a playoff spot, Thome is a welcome addition. Thome provides punch to an offense that has little right now. Unfortunately he does not upgrade the defense or the starting pitching, which may be bigger issues at this point. I am ok with the prospects given up to obtain Thome so we will wait and see what happens here. Hopefully, this shifts Mark Reynolds out the door quick.

Unfortunately, to add Thome to the 25 man roster, the Orioles for some strange reason demoted Xavier Avery again. That demotion gives the Orioles one true OF on the 25 man roster. The decision was insane. Avery was providing good defense with a solid bat. He is not the problem. Leave him up at least until Cakes gets back unless a better player is acquired. Avery is the 2nd best OF we have available right now. This thing boggles my mind. He hit his 1st home run in the last week as well. At this blog, we are big supporters of Xavier. He is Jenna's 2nd favorite player. Thome does look good in orange and black though. Too bad its about 10 years later than everybody wanted it.

Once again Mark Reynolds has got to go.

The offense is stone cold right now and needs to bust out. They have had one good game lately and it was when Avery hit the bomb. Have been horrible on offense of late.

Once again Mark Reynolds has got to go.

Matusz and Hunter were demoted recently. Eveland took Hunter's turn and Matusz's turn doesn't come up again until Friday. Chris Tillman is expected to come up and pitch in Hunter's spot on Thursday. About time! Tillman was scratched tonight from his start in Norfolk. Tillman has allowed 2 runs or fewer in 8 of his last 11 Norfolk starts. Given how horrible Hunter, Matusz, and Arrieta have been, it is just time for Tillman.

The Orioles best pitcher last year, Zach Britton, appears ready now and will likely take the ball Friday for the Orioles. With Britton and Tillman likely joining the rotation, the Orioles hope to have at least four good starters in the rotation. Chen and Hammel have been carrying the rotation thus far.

Dontrelle Willis has retired.

Taylor Teagarden started his rehab assignment today!

Wilson Betemit has an 11 game hit streak.

The Orioles have made 10 moves to the 25 man roster in 6 days and more appear to be coming. The trade deadline is upon us. This should be an interesting one for the O's. oh and...

Mark Reynolds has got to go.

-Noland

Hammel Delivers, Chen Not Quite

Recently the Orioles have had two starting pitchers that have done well. Those pitchers are Jason Hammel and Wei Yin Chen. Fans of the team feel comfortable with those two on the hill and not so much when other pitchers are there. So with the Beltway Series here, it was good for the Orioles that those pitchers led off the series. Unfortunately, Chen got beat tonight, but Hammel had a different result last night. Even in the loss, Chen was impressive, but not as good as Hammel.

I was just going to skip the post on last night's game, but the performance was too spectacular. Jason Hammel improved to 8-2 behind an amazing performance last night. He did not give up a single earned run in his eight innings pitched. Absolutely amazing from the starter. There was a run scored by the Nationals off him, but was unearned. The run was unearned because of a Mark Reynolds error. Reynolds had 2 on the night. It didn't end there for Hammel who had 10 strikeouts and lowered his ERA to 2.61. Awesome job by Hammel. I see an all-star appearance in his future.

-Noland

Orioles Shut Out Braves For 2nd Straight Day

For the first time since August of 2010 the Orioles have posted back to back shut outs. You got to love quality pitching from the Orioles. The Orioles beat the Braves 2-0 due to the shutout. Tonight's brilliant pitcher was Wei Yin Chen. He went seven scoreless for the victory tonight. Chen lowered his ERA to 3.36 and picked up win #7 in the process. He now joins Hammel in the 7 win club, in fact they are the 1st Orioles teammates to record 7 wins by this point in the season since 1999. In 1999 Mussina had 8 wins at this point and wait for it...Sidney Ponson had 7 wins.

Obviously, since Chen pitched only 7 innings there were others involved in the shut out. One of those pitchers was Darren O'Day, who did not even record an out. That has got to be an interesting piece of history. The bullpen's effort was led by Jim Johnson who picked up his 20th save of the season. No way Johnson doesn't get an all-star appearance. He lowered his ERA to 1.21. The other bullpen stud also came through as Pedro Strop lowered his ERA to 1.42 and picked up his 12th hold. One other pitcher was involved in the shutout and his name was Troy Patton. Patton's ERA now sits at 3.45 as he pitched 2/3 of the 8th. Strop retired the only batter he faced.

Brian Roberts had the day off for the offense as they were pretty stagnant today. They did manage to get two runs today though. The offense was paced by Steve Pearce and Adam Jones who each scored a run. Even without Markakis and Reimold, the offense is being carried by the outfield. This Jones guy might be an all-star.

-Noland

Hammel Throws 1 Hitter Against Braves

Can the Orioles move to the National League? After destroying the Pirates in a sweep and running the NL starter with the best ERA out of the game yesterday I think it may be the way to go. Oh ya and Jason Hammel went through the Braves lineup like it was nothing.

Jason Hammel threw a complete game 1 hit shutout. Amazing. Before I go on, I need to give Dan Duquette mad props on the trade that brought in Hammel. I was not a believer in this trade at first, because I loved Guthrie, but man was it brilliant. We got two stud pitchers for a pitcher that is struggling currently. Great job Duquette. During the spectacular performance, Hammel had 8 strikeouts and lowered his ERA to 2.87. He is now 7-2 and that performance may have earned him an all-star spot. It sure will be exciting to see the Orioles with multiple all-stars this season.

While Hammel was the big star he wasn't the only star. The bats were working too as the Orioles won 5-0. It was a bit of an overreach to say the Orioles ran Beachy out of the game, because he was hurt. However, they did get a run off of him and raise his ERA to 2.00. Following Beachy's removal, the O's made the Braves bullpen look horrible. The offense was lead by somebody you might not expect either. The new and improved Brian Roberts went 2-4 with 3 RBIs. An awesome effort from Brian who raised his batting average to .318. If BROB is hitting like that, this team is going to be difficult to stop. Steve Pearce was also 2-4 in the win.

Feel free to check out my new superhero blog I am starting in a couple minutes. The site should be up and running within the hour. It can be found at superheroscoop.blogspot.com.

-Noland

AL All-Star Pitchers: My Picks So Far

I forgot to do this yesterday, so I am doing it now. This is the same thing as my National League list, but with the American League. Unfortunately, the Seminoles and Orioles both lost last night, but the good news is that it allows me to focus on this. Once again the pitchers will be in order to prevent any confusion. Starters first then relievers.

AL All-Star Game Starter
David Price    Tampa Bay Rays
8-4  3.01 ERA   .248 Average Against  
I picked Price because I think he is the best pitcher in baseball and he pitches in the toughest division in baseball. He is also tied for the most wins despite not having his star 3rd baseman to back him up. The defense in Tampa is down compared to most years as well. Also think of this, if you want to win homefield, who do you want in? Most people would say Price or......

Other Starters
Justin Verlander   Detroit Tigers
6-4   2.66 ERA   .205 Average Against
As I was saying before, if you want to win the game, you want this guy or Price in. No doubt about it. I would say these two are the locks to the game. Verlander was a freak last year, and although he hasn't been quite as good this year, he's been pretty good.

Chris Sale   Chicago White Sox
8-2   2.42 ERA    .197 Average Against
The best pitcher for the 1st place White Sox has been Sale. It is amazing because all 12 of his starts in MLB have come this season, but he has been fantastic for the Sox. He should be a lock for this game.

CJ Wilson   Los Angeles Angels
7-4  2.30 ERA   .189 Average Against
If you look at the numbers and figure in that CJ Wilson was the ace on the Texas staff that went to the World Series, you can pretty much figure he will start the all-star game. I do not see any way Ron Washington doesn't pick him for the squad. Unless of course he is bitter that Wilson went to the rival Angels.

Jake Peavy  Chicago White Sox
6-2  2.91 ERA   .202 Average Against
Peavy has returned to all-star form and has looked the best he's ever looked in the AL. This guy looks to be near lock status as well. He has had a fantastic season thus far.

Yu Darvish  Texas Rangers
8-4  3.57 ERA   .238 Average Against
Look, Darvish has been great this year in a hitter's park. He plays for a 1st place team, which is perhaps the best team in baseball, and the manager's team. Plus, if this is about the fans, Darvish should be in the game. People want to see this guy pitch.

Jason Hammel  Baltimore Orioles
6-2  3.22 ERA    .238 Average Against
Hammel has been the best pitcher on a very good Orioles team. The Orioles are competitive and deserve some all-stars. I don't think 4 all-stars are too much to ask for this team. For the first time in years, they have several guys deserving. Hammel is 2 starts behind many of the other pitchers due to a knee injury, but he deserves the appearance.

Jared Weaver   Los Angeles Angels
6-1  2.61 ERA    .195 Average Against
Weaver may have to decline due to injury, but he should get the honor whether he can play or not. Make the other decision if you have to. Weaver has missed 3 starts due to injury, but has been as good as anyone in the league. The dude is filthy.

Relievers
Jim Johnson   Baltimore Orioles
19/20 Saves  1.26 ERA 1-0  .153 Average Against
I do not know if any Orioles will make it besides Johnson and Jones, but if those two don't make it, then it is a crime. Johnson has been fantastic for the 1st place O's, only missing one save opportunity. In that blown save, he stayed in for the next inning and picked up the win. The AL needs Jim Johnson.

Chris Perez  Cleveland Indians
21/22 Saves  2.49 ERA  .200 Average Against
21 saves is a lot. The Indians are in 2nd place largely because they have a competent closer. The team is only .5 back and this is one of the few no-brainers in the selection process.

Fernando Rodney  Tampa Bay Rays
18/19 Saves  1.21 ERA  .181 Average Against
Another no-brainer. Rodney has been lights out for the Rays. Has done a fantastic job.

Rafael Soriano  New York Yankees
11/12 Saves  1.93 ERA   .258 Average Against
Soriano has filled in for Rivera and done a great job. He has only blown one save and helped put the Yankees in 1st place. Before he moved to closer, he was a great setup guy and went 2-0. He will make the team.

Pedro Strop   Baltimore Orioles
3-2  1.44 ERA   3 saves   .181 Average Against
This is the least likely all-star selection, but I had to give it up for my boy Strop. He has been fantastic and us Oriole fans sure appreciate having him around. A great guy.

-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

Orioles Beat Royals

The Baltimore Orioles defeated the Kansas City Royals handily last night. Baltimore won 8-2 behind excellent pitching, defense, and hitting. This is one of the most complete games the Orioles played all year. At what point do Orioles fans get excited about this team.

Jason Hammel had his best game since the knee injury. He pitched 6 strong innings earning a quality start and his 6th victory this year. Now 6-1, Hammel is showing to be quite the offseason addition. The righty did not give up a run and lowered his ERA to 2.78. What a fantastic outing. With starting pitching like that it is difficult to lose.

The bullpen was also very good. Stu Pomeranz gave up KC's only 2 runs. Pomeranz got the call back up to Baltimore yesterday. He was having a terrific season and those are the first runs he has given up in Bowie, Norfolk, or Baltimore this year. This guy deserves to be in the big leagues with how he has pitched. I am not going to let one outing change my mind on that. He was followed by Dana Eveland. Eveland pitched a scoreless ninth to secure the victory. The lefty lowered his ERA to 3.95.

Next, we need to talk about the performance of JJ Hardy. Hardy made a fantastic leaping catch to rob Billy Butler in this game. It was critical to the outcome and Butler is an Oriole killer. Great to see Hardy make such a fantastic stop. The guy did it with his bat also. JJ was 2-4 in the game with a double. He also walked, drove in 2, and scored. This game is all about scoring runs and when you score or drive in someone else it is huge. Big game from JJ.



Nick Markakis had a big night with the stick. He went 3 for 4 with 2 doubles. Markakis now has 11 doubles for the season and continues to hit well. In the process, he raised his average back up to .271. Not only that, but his on base percentage is .350. He gets on base and has increased power numbers and while this is a down year, you can live with this production from Nicky.

Adam Jones with all the contract talk in the air, had a great game. Jones drove in 2 more, strengthening his MVP case.

Meanwhile, Chris Davis had his best offensive game in a while. Davis was 2-4 with his 7th homer. He also had 3 RBIs and raised his average to .299. Davis pictured above had an awesome night.

Also if you go to the game on Monday you will get these sweet camouflage T-shirts assuming you are one of the first 10,000 fans in attendance.

-Noland

Orioles Beat Nats, Take Series

The Orioles have again defeated the Nats in interleague play. The worst they can do now is take 2 out of 3. This effort was led again by the Oriole outfield. Especially, Adam Jones. Jones hit an AdamBomb in the victory. Jones now has 14 homers on the year. He went 3 for 4 in the game with a run scored and 2 RBIs. Forget all star, this guy is in the thick of the MVP race. Jones is looking at some major $$$$ when the extension rolls around. Did I say this guy has been mashing?

Jones was not the only guy mashing as Nick Markakis hit his 8th homer of the season. Nicky is on pace for 30+ which is a huge increase over last year. The O's right fielder scored twice and drove in two. I take this kind of production any day. Another Oriole that was great is the great Andino. He went 2 for 5 with a run scored and 2 RBI. Andino has been hurt by Reimold being out as he has had to move up in the lineup most nights, but he has been really good still. Xavier Avery was 1 for 3 with a run scored. JJ Hardy was 2 for 4 in the 6-5 victory.

As with most close victories, the pitching is critical. Jason Hammel was good enough to pick up his 5th win today, but it wasn't pretty. Hammel gave up 4 runs over 5 1/3 to preserve the victory. He did record 5 strikeouts though and get the win. The guy just hasn't been as effective since the injury though. Hopefully, he gets back to the dominant stuff pre injury.

Ayala, Patton, and Strop all got holds. They continue to pitch well out of the pen. Then of course, Jim Johnson came in for the save. Johnson now has 15 saves on the season. He is on pace for 50+. The save record belongs to Randy Myers. Myers had 45 in 1997, the last year the Orioles made the playoffs. Crazy stuff. Can Johnson get anywhere close to that mark?

-Noland

Dylan Bundy Update

Top prospect Dylan Bundy continues to impress at Delmarva. The guy pitched 5 innings for the first time last night and gave up multiple hits for the first time as well.It looks like Bundy will be on his way to Frederick soon. The way this guy is pitching, he could be in Baltimore at some point next year.

On the year, Bundy has pitched 25 innings thus far. He has only given up 4 hits during that time. Bundy has also only allowed 2 runs during that time, but neither run was earned. His strikeout to walk ratio is unheard of, Bundy has 36 strikeouts and 2 walks. The guy is making hitters look ridiculous. South Atlantic League hitters are hitting .051 against Bundy.

In other Orioles news, Jason Hammel returned last night. Hammel went 5 innings, but could have been much better. The Yankees scored 5 runs against Hammel and it led to a losing effort. It is good to see Hammel back healthy, especially with the way he has been pitching, but he had his worst outing last night. We need to see Hammel pre-injury.

Rookie outfielder Xavier Avery, had his best night last night as well. Avery hit a triple and drove in his first run in the loss. The young man went 2 for 5 and scored 2 runs as well. I am a big Xavier Avery fan so I hope that he does very well here.

Let's hope tonight brings a better result for the birds.

-Noland

Lots of Orioles News

The game was postponed last night. Before the postponement, Endy Chavez had sore muscles and couldn't play. It now appears Chavez is headed to the DL and Tommy Hunter is coming up for the 2nd game of the double header. The Orioles are allowed 26 players on the roster for a double header, but a player has to go on the DL for Tommy Hunter to be recalled at this time. This is because Hunter was just sent down and has not been in the minors for the required 10 days. Because they are allowed 26 players today, an additional roster move is likely coming.

Also before the rain delay, Zach Phillips was optioned. He was optioned to make room for Steve Tolleson who was coming up due to the Chavez injury. I would have gone with Xavier Avery, but I understand this move. To make room for Tolleson on the 40 man roster, the Orioles moved catcher Taylor Teagarden to the 60 day DL. This seems like another interesting move to choose Teagarden over Roberts. It must mean that Roberts is closer to playing than Teagarden. Tolleson is not really an outfielder so this again is a curious move that Tolleson was brought up. It is unclear who will play left field with the Chavez injury.

Last night, Ryan Flaherty was in the lineup as the left fielder. Of course, the game never happened, but perhaps Flaherty is the guy that Showalter will choose in the absence of Chavez and Reimold. The guy sure does give you options. We also learned that Ryan Flaherty is the emergency catcher.

Jason Hammel was also skipped yesterday due to his own injury concerns. Let's hope that it isn't anything serious, because Jason Hammel has been our best starter. Hammel likely will not make the start this time around the rotation. Which leads to the final bit of news.

We still have no idea who will start Friday. Will Hammel be ready by then? Do we call up Eveland? Bergessen? Tillman? It sure will be interesting to watch.

Here is the current active 25 man roster just so you can follow along. More moves will be coming.

OF Adam Jones

OF Nick Markakis

IF Steve Tolleson

IF Mark Reynolds

IF Nick Johnson

IF JJ Hardy

IF Robert Andino

IF Ryan Flaherty

IF Chris Davis

IF Wilson Betemit

C Matt Wieters

C Luis Exposito

P Pedro Strop

P Tommy Hunter

P Stuart Pomeranz

P Troy Patton

P Darren O'Day

P Brian Matusz

P Matt Lindstrom

P Jim Johnson

P Jason Hammel

P Kevin Gregg

P Wei Yin Chen

P Luis Ayala

P Jake Arrieta

-Noland

Jason Hammel Picks Up 4th Win

Jason Hammel was fantastic again as the Orioles beat the Red Sox this afternoon. Hammel won his 4th start out of 5 and now has an ERA of 2.09. The starter picked up 8 more strikeouts this afternoon. This guy has to be the most pleasant surprise of the year thus far.

Hammel was not the only pitcher throwing bullets today. The other pitchers did not give up a single run. Even Kevin Gregg pitched well today. Gregg threw a scoreless inning (trade him quick). Darren O'Day didn't give up a run once again and now has an ERA of .68. Matt Lindstrom only pitched 1/3 of an inning, but he didn't give up anything. Lindstrom still hasn't given up a run on the season.

The Orioles' hitters also had a big day. Baltimore had 7 runs in the 3rd inning and 8 for the game. That 3rd inning explosion allowed Hammel to pitch with a huge lead. The explosion was led in part by Adam Jones who continues to dominate offensively. Jones had his 7th home run of the season and 2 RBIs. Wilson Betemit did amazing again as DH and went 2 for 3. I really like this pickup that the Orioles had in the off-season. Chris Davis again had multiple hits and is now hitting .326. Mark Reynolds had his second homer tonight and multiple hits today. Reynolds finished with 3 RBIs today and certainly increased his trade value.

Great job all around by the birds.

-Noland

Orioles Shut Out Blue Jays

Nolan Reimold was out of the game again, but it did not matter as the Orioles beat the Blue Jays to move to 11-7 on the year. Jason Hammel was again impressive and I think I have come around. It appears that Duquette knew what he was doing. The guy has pitched well. Hammel went seven strong and lowered his ERA to 1.73 in his impressive outing. Lindstrom (the other guy in the Guthrie deal) was next and continued the shutout. The power throwing righty reliever has 0 earned runs this season.

It was all closed down by Pedro Strop yet again. The other power throwing righty looked impressive in Johnson's spot once again. Whether Johnson gets back soon will be an interesting answer. At least we got Strop as backup though. Strop is lights out. Always remember we got him for Mike Gonzalez.

How about the hitters? Adam Jones continued his solid season by hitting a double and he is currently batting .306. Mark Reynolds got 2 hits and hopefully is breaking out of his slump. More importantly though, Chris Davis hit a bomb and is now hitting .286. Wilson Betemit was at 3B tonight and also hit a home run. Each home run was that player's second on the season. The Orioles continue to mash the ball.

-Noland

Orioles Win Again, Pelzer Released

Jason Hammel won his start to move to 2-0 as the Baltimore Orioles once again beat the Chicago White Sox. Hammel went 6 innings strong getting another quality start in the process. The starter was able to record 10 strikeouts in his outing. I am beginning to come around to Hammel. Lets hope his strong starts continue.

The rest of the pitching staff was also strong. Lindstrom continues to have a 0.00 ERA. He had two strikeouts in an inning of work. The other pitcher obtained in the Guthrie trade is having a heck of a season thus far. Pedro Strop gave up a run, but had a solid outing and hit 99 on the gun. Strop is a good one and will be a very solid piece out of the pen this season. Jim Johnson recorded his 6th save in the win. We got a good closer O's fans.

Adam Jones is having an absolutely monster season so far. He hit his 5th home run today. Jones is absolutely mashing the ball. Today he went 2 for 4 and is currently hitting .321. His hitting streak dates back to last season. Hopefully his hitting streak goes much longer and he continues to carry the offense.

Robert Andino continues to be an awesome baseball player. Andino went 2 for 4 today and is hitting .319. The second baseman is absolutely crushing the ball. Keep it up Andino.

It was not all good news though as Nick Johnson is still hitless for the year. Mark Reynolds and JJ Hardy both also went hitless and are still below .200. This offense still manages to be productive despite these players having a lack of offensive output.

The Orioles also released Wynn Pelzer today. Pelzer, acquired in the second Tejada trade was with the Bowie Baysox. He only appeared in three games this year, but was at one time one of the Orioles top prospects. Baseball America had Pelzer as the #6 prospect in the organization recently and projected him as the team's future closer. The prospect obviously fell out of favor with the Orioles since that 2010 rating from Baseball America. You win some you lose some, looked like a great deal at the time and still was for what we gave up.

-Noland

Orioles Win Again

Jim Johnson managed to pick up his fourth save as the Orioles beat the Blue Jays 6-4 earlier today. I like Johnson as closer much better than Gonzalez and Gregg. I'd like to see Jim Johnson stay an Oriole for a very long time. So far the Orioles have 5 wins and Johnson has saves in 4 of them, the guy is good.

Jason Hammel had his second good outing and makes me hate the Guthrie deal slightly less. I still do not like the deal though. Guthrie was one of my personal favorites, but I am not as frustrated by the fact that he is gone. Let's hope that Hammel can make me a believer. We will see in his next start, but it is early. He has had one heck of a start.

Chris Davis had a monster game going 3 for 4 with his homer on the season. Davis is now hitting .304 on the season and will probably stay in the lineup if he is hitting that well. Wilson Betemit also continues to hit in the clutch and he got his first Oriole home run today. Neither one of these guys had the big hit on the day though.

Orioles Left Fielder Nolan Reimold had a crucial 9th inning home run to give the team a victory. The home run was hit off Francisco Cordero and broke a 4-4 tie and put the O's up 2. Reimold's shot landed in the second deck as Reimold showed off his tremendous power. Gotta love it.

-Noland