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

Orioles Beat Down the Red Sox

The Orioles made the Red Sox look like a bunch of chumps last night. Well, the Red Sox are a bunch of chumps, so it had to happen, but it was nice to see anyways. There is no team I love to see my Orioles destroy more than the Boston Red Sox. That Red Sox nation is the most annoying nonsense in sports. Time for that to be nipped right about now. The final score was 7-1. That is a beatdown. Good pitching, good hitting, good everything.

The offensive charge was led by.....Mark Reynolds. Wait, is that right? I am still in disbelief. Reynolds seemed to have found his power stroke last night. If he can start doing this kind of thing about once a week, we are going to be tough to beat. I really hope he found his stroke. Reynolds hit 2 home runs last night. The two bombs brought Reynolds total up to 11 for the season. He is over 30 most seasons, so to get to that number he has to get incredibly hot. This certainly is a good start with two homers in one night though. The Orioles needed those homers as they helped the O's stay atop the wild card standings. In fact, Baltimore is tied with Tampa Bay atop the wild card standings now. No more being the second wild card. They are 6 games behind the Yankees, who they hope to catch by the end of the season.

Another big bat came from the unexpected source a couple weeks ago, but expected now. That's right, Omar Quintanilla hit another massive homer onto Eutaw Street. On the bounce, it actually hit the warehouse. This guy is a playmaker! It was Quintanilla's 3rd Oriole home run already. This guy is a keeper. DD picked him up for scraps. Great pickup DD!

Chris Davis was also 2-3 with an RBI and Matt Wieters had an RBI. These guys provided the rest of the offense, past Reynolds and Quintanilla.

The pitching staff was again terriffic. Last night's starter was the great Wei Yin Chen. Chen made a quality start and looked impressive in the process. 6 innings with only one run given up. Very impressive from Chen. This guy certainly looks to be our #1 starter in the postseason if we finish this thing and make it.

Darren O'Day was especially impressive today and continues to show how valuable he is. Not only did he extend his scoreless innings streak and look impressive, but he was absolutely dominant. O'Day struck out 3 in his innings. 3 outs all strikeouts. That is quite impressive out of the pen. O'Day now has an ERA of 2.45. This guy may be the most underrated player on the team. He has just been lights out lately. As a fan personally, I love the sidearm action. Chad Bradford was my favorite bullpen arm when he is here and O'Day is my favorite outside the big 2.

The big 2 didn't pitch yesterday, but another Duquette acquistion did. Matt Lindstrom pitched a scoreless 9th and lowered his ERA to 2.43. That Guthrie trade is looking better everyday.

JC Romero made his Oriole debut last night as well. He gave up one hit and no runs in 1 innings to finish with an ERA of 0.00. I wonder how long it will stay there. Very solid debut for Romero. Romero was brought in because Troy Patton had to go to the DL. Steve Johnson was also recalled in place of Miguel Socolovich. No word yet on when Johnson's next start will be.

-Noland

Nobody I Would Rather Have On This Team

I have thought about it and it makes sense. There is one player on the Orioles that is preferable to every player in baseball. At least for me, at least for this team, at least for right now.
He came up an Oriole.
He wants to be in Baltimore.
He does great charity work in the community.
He is a leader.
He never complains.
He isn't loud, obnoxious, or cocky.
He does his job no matter what.
He plays through injuries, the most recent one a hamate bone fracture until finally he couldn't play anymore.
He has a rocket arm.
He has dealt with the losing with class while striving to dig out of this horrible record of losing this franchise has had.
He is the posterboy of everything right with baseball.
The team was collapsing while he was gone and with his return looks like a playoff team again.
He is OUR leadoff hitter.
He is someone WE can be proud of.
He loves Baltimore and wants to bring the team back to where they belong.
He is #21.
Of course I am talking about Nick Markakis.

This guy is the real deal. Last night, he came through again for the Orioles. Markakis huge home run that was the difference last night. The homer was Markakis's 11th of the season. He drove in 2 and went 2-4 in the game. Markakis now has an average of .287. His OBP is .352, the best on the team. It seems even when nobody else is hitting, this guy comes through.

There was one other Oriole hitting last night though. His name was Mark Reynolds. No, I am not joking, Reynolds came to play last night. The former power hitter was 3-3 in the game with 2 doubles and an RBI. Reynolds now has 20 doubles on the season. He raised his average to .212, which isn't good, but from Reynolds I will take it. You can't argue with 3-3. Reynolds was even smart enough to congratulate the star of the team.

This all happened in a 3-1 victory for the Orioles. So, the RBIs are accounted for, but not the pitching. Once again the Oriole starting pitching was fantastic. Chris Tillman, was able to extend the Oriole's scoreless innings pitched streak to 28. Their all-time streak is 30. Tillman took his into the 8th inning, but gave up a run there. It would have been interesting to see if Buck had brought in Strop a little sooner. If that had happened the streak may now be tied at 30. However, let's be thankful for Tillman's gem. Tillman gave up only that one run in the 8th inning for 7 1/3 innings of brilliance. He lowered his ERA to 2.38. That's right, Chris Tillman's ERA is 2.38. Chew on that one for a second.

Tillman wasn't the only dominant pitcher last night. As I pointed to earlier, Pedro Strop did his thing last night.  Strop only pitched 2/3 inning, but as always, came through. The power arm continues to dominate. He now has an ERA of 1.29 and picked up his 18th hold. Strop is one of the few players that can challenge Markakis for Most Valuable Oriole. Another is Jim Johnson. The Orioles closer again took the mound in the 9th, and again came through. Another scoreless ninth, another save for Jim Johnson. This one is number 33 on the season. That Orioles save record will not be up much longer.

-Noland

Even With David Price Pitching the Orioles Win

The Orioles faced the best pitcher in baseball today. That's right they were up against David Price. For sure it would be a loss right? Wrong! It took extra innings and Price coming out of the game, but it happened. Baltimore 1 Tampa 0. Price pitched 8 innings and only allowed 2 hits. Another brilliant performance by the best.

How did the Orioles possibly win with Price on the hill? They got some terrific starting pitching of their own. Miguel Gonzalez was amazing. Gonzalez also gave up just 2 hits. He lasted 7 innings and lowered his ERA to 3.80. Gonzalez threw 104 pitches after it was all said and done. This performance was incredibly clutch. It sends a message to the rest of the league when you have Miguel Gonzalez dueling with David Price. Very pleased with this outing from Gonzo today.

Of course Gonzo wasn't alone. With a 1-0 victory in ten innings there were others that contributed to the shutout. By the way, this is the second consecutive shutout for the birds. 18 innings of shutout baseball. Tonights shutout was capped by Jim Johnson's 32nd save on the year. Once again, I will take Johnson over anybody. The guy is clutch.

Luis Ayala actually picked up the win in this wild game. Ayala worked the ninth inning in this victory. Troy Patton gave up a hit to his only batter and Ayala followed it with brilliance. Very impressed with how Ayala worked out of this one. Ayala's ERA now sits at 2.68. Darren O'Day worked the 8th in the victory recording a strikeout and also lowering his ERA to 2.68.

There were few offensive highlights as to be expected against Price, but other than the game winning hit, one player stood out. That player is Robert Andino. Andino managed to get on base 3 times tonight. He walked twice and also picked up a hit in the game. Mr. Smiley came through for the birds.

Now finally to how the Orioles won the game. Top of the 10th..Mark Reynolds is able to...draw a walk! Yes! Way to go Mark. Ok, so the automatic out is on base. It looks like the Orioles have a chance here. With 2 outs, Taylor Teagarden steps to the plate. All Teagarden does at that point is deliver a huge double! Teagarden at second and Reynolds scored! The Orioles lead and it is because Taylor Teagarden drove in Mark Reynolds. Are you kidding me? Anyone who didn't believe in miracles does now! Wow! Teagarden! This guy now has two HUGE extra inning game winning hits in his short time with Baltimore. Not bad for a #2 catcher who is a defensive specialist with no stick. That staff sure did look good today with Teagarden behind the dish. I like this guy!

-Noland

Back to Back Wins

The struggling Orioles made some magic happen. A couple of days ago it looked like the wheels were coming off, but this team is showing some resiliency. It comes from unlikely sources too, it comes from the starting pitching. Well, the pitcher today has been pretty fantastic. Wei Yin Chen had another quality start today. However, when you consider that the Orioles actually got back to back quality starts and they got one from someone other than Chen last night, you get excited as an Oriole fan.

Let's really look at the brilliant performance by Chen though. Chen moved to 8-5 after he pitched 7 strong tonight. He actually pitched better in his no decision last time, but he was dealing tonight. He had 5 strikeouts in the win and as I said before had a quality start.

Strop got the Orioles out of some hot water in the 8th. With the O's up one, O'Day came in to face a batter and walked him. After O'Day, Patton gave up a hit. So they called on Strop in the high pressure situation and Strop delivered. He got his 15th hold and now holds an ERA of 1.50.

After Strop came Jim Johnson as always. Like usual, Johnson came through. He was able to record his 28th save in 30 chances. Interesting note about the 2 blown saves is that the Orioles won both of those games. Johnson's ERA is now 2.43 and opponents are only batting .193 against him. We sure are lucky to have Johnson and Strop. Those two have definitely kept us in contention.

Another interesting note about this game is that Mark Reynolds had the deciding hit. Reynolds hit a two run single to put the Orioles up 4-3 for good. I still think we should trade Reynolds, but he has had a good series. He always kills Minnesota. Maybe Minnesota would want to trade for him?

Also Chris Davis went deep in the game. It was a monster shot and Davis's 15th of the season. Congrats to Davis and the Orioles on a huge victory. The Orioles remain a half game out of the 2nd wild card spot. 1.5 games out of the 1st wild card spot. The AL East looks pretty locked up as the Yankees are running away, but you never know. Just when you want to count these guys out, you have to think, Why Not?

-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 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

He's Back

Brian Roberts has returned for the Baltimore Orioles, and we could not be any happier. Not only did Roberts come back, but he collected 3 hits in his first game in nearly a year. Many people said Roberts was done so this was amazing. The 2nd baseman received a loud ovation. We love Brian Roberts and everything he represents, everything he has been through. My wife who barely followed baseball before she met me, loves everything Roberts represents and as I said previously that he is on our Orioles. 3-4 and an RBI after the long journey back, just amazing. Roberts said the following about the game...
"It'll be one of those (memories) that sticks out for sure. There's not a ton of games that stick out in your mind after a lot, but you have your few. Certain that will be, as much as my brain allows me to remember, it'll be one that's good."
"I'm just so grateful. I sometimes don't have words for what I've been through and where we are now. I'm humbled and grateful to have the opportunity."

Roberts even received a shaving cream pie in the face from the other star of the game for his efforts. The Orioles ended up winning 8-6 behind the emotional game. Adam Jones delivered the pie and most of the offense, again. Jones went 4-5 with two RBIs and a run scored. Oh, and he hit another home run, his 18th.

There were two other home runs this game. One of which was hit by Mark Reynolds who collected his 4th on the season. The other home run was Chris Davis, who hit his 11th. Davis is actually having a really solid year at 1st and DH. Davis is now hitting .301, and he picked up 2 more RBIs last night. 11 homers isn't to shabby either.

The pitching was great as well. Especially Jim Johnson who picked up his 19th save on the season. He has been amazing.

The real story though remains Roberts. All I got to say is.....
Welcome Back, Welcome Back, Welcome Back

-Noland

Orioles Win in Walkoff Via Adam Bomb

Adam Jones made it happen. The Orioles had a good game as well, but the reason for the victory is Adam Jones. The walkoff was Jones' 17th dinger on the year. This guy NEEDS to be an all-star starter. The Orioles win, The Orioles win.

The only thing I want to add is that Mark Reynolds wasn't in the starting lineup and the Orioles won. Just sayin'

-Noland

Orioles Defeat Rays, Back in 1st (I WAS THERE!!!)

One of my good friends from work hooked us up with some sweet seats today for the Orioles-Rays game. These seats were just 7 rows back down the 1st base side. Needless to say, my wife and I had a blast. This may have been the best seats I have had for a baseball game I have been to, so I was pumped. Given Tropicana Field is not as classy as Camden Yards, but it is a decent little stadium. We could basically reach out and touch the players too which is always awesome. Just a great outing for us.

These pictures are live close up shots from the wife's Iphone.

We got to the game right as it was starting, which I guess you can say perfect timing. The game itself was fantastic also. The Orioles snapped their rough 6 game losing streak and are once again tied with the Rays for 1st. Brian Matusz was the biggest reason for their success. He only gave up one run in his brilliant 7 1/3 innings of work. Matusz probably would have gotten through 8 if it wasn't for horrible defense from a certain infielder, but we will get to that later.

The best part of the game had to be Chavez's homer. The homer was just so exciting because it was completely unexpected. I mean who expects Endy Chavez to go yard. A close second was seeing Robert Andino hit. Andino was 0-3, but the wife and I are big fans of his and the way he carries himself. This guy is awesome.

We also loved seeing the bullpen guys pitch. Seeing Jim Johnson pick up his 17th save was awesome. Another amazing sight was the power that is in Pedro Strop's arm. Strop hit 99, 99, 99 on three straight pitches. That was impressive. That double play ball he induced after inheriting Matusz's runners was awesome. Strop is extremely impressive to see live I must say. This is now the 3rd time Jenna and I have seen it and we hope we are able to see this guy pitch for many years to come.

Just an absolutely fantastic game other than one thing. Mark Reynolds has got to go. He is dead weight he offers this team nothing. The error nearly blew an amazing performance by Matusz. This guy simply cannot play the field anywhere if he has to stay. I'd prefer we'd find any taker possible, but if we have to keep him, then he has to be DH. I hope he isn't there when I see the Orioles play the Nats in a few weeks live.

-Noland

Brandon Snyder>>>>Mark Reynolds

As someone who is a huge Orioles fan and someone from Northern VA I felt it important to talk about the big issue here. Mark Reynolds is playing absolutely horrible and Brandon Snyder who was terrific at Westfield High School in Northern VA should not have been let go. Many Westfield kids, including Brandon Snyder did Explosive Performance (speed camp) with my high school. We weren't usually in a class with them, but we did do Combine Training in the same group as Westfield. I was not happy when Snyder was dumped. I know that hindsight is 20/20, but let's look at this in greater detail.

Currently on the 40 man roster is Jai Miller. Miller was the person who was added the same day as Snyder. He was the guy that was added in the move right before Snyder was dealt to get Snyder off the 40 man. The strikeout king better get it together, because Brandon Snyder sure has looked good for Texas. People will go back to Jai Miller vs. Brandon Snyder constantly if Miller continues to struggle and Snyder continues to excel. Miller did hit a homer last night though at least. Jai Miller is the main guy added to knock Snyder off the 40, but he is not the only guy.

Another person on the 40 man is Nick Johnson. Johnson has not been able to hit out of a wet paper bag this season. The guy has been dreadful this season. It is amazing that the Orioles are tied for the best record in baseball as often as they march Johnson out there. Now, Johnson isn't really to blame for Snyder. He was signed to a minor league deal and earned a job in spring training. Still, would you rather have Snyder or Johnson?

Then there is Josh Bell. Bell was traded recently by the Orioles. We did not get much for Bell, but we got something. Still you have to wonder why Josh was sent out of town after Snyder. Was it because Texas was willing to give up cash? You would have to imagine that someone would have given up cash for Bell at that point. This stinks of poor decision. Had the roles been reversed, and Snyder been sent to spring training, would he have beaten out Nick Johnson for a roster spot? Could we have saved ourselves that disaster last night and had a really solid bench piece. A guy that can catch in a pinch.

Finally, we get to Mark Reynolds. Look I am obviously not a Reynolds fan. The guy is dreadful in the field. He had another incredibly costly error last night. Could we not have traded Reynolds in the offseason? Fresh off a campaign with over 30 homers couldn't we have gotten something of value? Especially given the fact that he looked ok at first and could be used as a DH for some teams. Would you rather have Brandon Snyder at third or old stone hands. I would have preferred Brandon personally especially if we could dump Reynolds and his salary and use the money elsewhere. Another starting pitcher perhaps? Guess we can only play what if on this one.

Oh we also have Zelous Wheeler, Joe Mahoney, and Matt Antonelli on the 40 man. I am not dissing any of these guys, but I would rather have Brandon Snyder than all of them.

-Noland

Orioles Sign Tejada (Again) and Today's Lineup

If Miguel Tejada passes his physical on Monday he will head to extended spring training in Sarasota, FL. This will be the third time that Tejada will sign with the organization. His most notable stint started in 2003 and ended with him being traded for Matt Albers, Troy Patton, Luke Scott and more. Tejada's last stint ended in him being traded for Wynn Pelzer who was recently released. In 2004 Tejada hit .311 with 34 homers and 150 RBIs. That season was Tejada's best in Baltimore and perhaps his best as a pro. This move is just a depth move for the Orioles, but they are not satisfied with their infield defense. That defense has been worst at 3rd base where Mark Reynolds has been awful. I doubt he starts in Baltimore, but you never know, the Orioles sure do like the guy. I personally am not a fan of Tejada and his steroid usage, but whatever.

The Orioles lineup is pictured here. Flaherty leading off and playing in left is certainly the biggest change from the norm. Mark Reynolds is once again in at third base. Let's hope that he doesn't get hit too many balls and continues his recent hot streak with the bat. Let's also hope Johnson is getting hits because he may be the reason Tejada is rejoining the organization.

-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 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

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

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

Flu Bug Hits the Orioles

The Orioles had the flu bug hit the team hard. Jim Johnson was hospitalized early this morning with the condition. It has apparently hit him hardest of all. Johnson is having a fantastic season so this is really tough to see. It stinks that anyone is ever hospitalized, but for Johnson with his injuries the last few years it must be especially hard. He will not be available tonight so if the Orioles are winning they will have to go to someone else for the save. My vote for that is anyone but Gregg. Pedro Strop maybe?

In addition to Johnson, Mark Reynolds is also sitting out this game with his flu-like symptoms. His absence allows Ryan Flaherty to get a rare start at 3rd base.

Nolan Reimold remains day to day. Reimold was mashing the ball this year so his injury is another tough one. The Oriole left fielder remains day to day with neck stiffness.

Robert Andino is leaving the team to attend the birth of his child after today's game. Andino will miss at least two games on paternity leave. Congratulations to Robert on his new addition. I just like this Andino guy and love that he is going to see his family even if the team will miss him. His absence allows for a roster move and the assumption is that Matt Antonelli will be the guy to come up.

Interesting stuff. Lets hope the birds get healthy.

-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

Orioles Bobble Head Vote

The Baltimore Orioles on September 29th will be having a bobble head giveaway and they are letting you choose who is the bobblehead chosen.
Here are the options.
You can vote from your phone as often as you want.
Text 31826 to submit your choice:

• "1" or "Reynolds" for Mark Reynolds
• "2" or "Hardy" for JJ Hardy
• "3" or "Hunter" for Tommy Hunter
• "4" or "Arrieta" for Jake Arrieta
• "5" or "Andino" for Robert Andino

I chose Andino, I mean how can you not, just look at the guy. Although I will not be going to the game most likely, I will certainly send someone to get me an Andino bobblehead here if he wins. To me he is the clear choice although I am a big JJ fan as well. There is no chance Hunter or Reynolds win so who you got between JJ, Jake, and Andino.

-Noland