Baltimore With A Huge Close Win

One day after an extremely controversial loss and some heated statements from 1st baseman Mark Reynolds, the Orioles got a huge win yesterday. Baltimore won behind a spectacular pitching performance from Zach Britton. That's right, Britton recalled before the game because Steve Johnson had to be used in relief a few nights back, was dominant. Britton threw 7 strong scoreless innings on 103 pitches. We all know Britton has this in him, but it is impressive considering it was against the Detroit Tigers. It was also impressive because Britton has been dreadful this year. Even after last night, his ERA sits at 6.23. Opponents are hitting .301 against him. His numbers have been poor and pitches straight. Last night he had movement and picked up 5 strikeouts. He also improved to (2-1). Most important, he helped the Orioles beat a wild card contender.

The last two innings were handled by the usual suspects. However, the Orioles won 3-2 and not 3-0. It did not go over as smooth as usual. Pedro Strop's scoreless inning streak ended as he gave up 2 in the 8th. Strop though was able to recover and get the hold. His 21st on the season. After last night's mishap, Strop's ERA is now 1.51. After Strop came the great Jim Johnson. Johnson pitched a scoreless ninth for save #36! Johnson is moving awfully close to that club record.

All of the RBIs came from Chris Davis. Davis hit a 3 run homer in the 7th inning off of Rick Porcello. It was his 19th on the season. It also could not have come at a better time. The Orioles needed this win to keep pace, and they got it. Taking the series against Detroit tomorrow would be huge.

-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

Orioles 5 Royals 3

I know that my coverage lately has been about the Olympics, but I think I did a good job of keeping up with the birds during these games. The Orioles are played well during the Olympics. These guys would be in the playoffs if the season ended today. They are not as hot as the Rays who have won 6 straight, but we are only a half game behind them. Baltimore also controls the 2nd wild card spot currently. Have no fear O's fans, it looks like this team will in fact compete down to the wire.

The most recent surge by the Orioles has been led by their newest face. Manny Machado has been on fire with the Orioles. In just four games, Machado has an extra base hit in every game. He also now has 3 home runs after last night. 3 homers in 4 games is amazing from the youngster. With 4 straight games of getting extra base hits, Machado has tied a club record. This record was previously held by 3 Orioles, including Frank Robinson. Anytime you are mentioned in the same sentence as Frank Robinson, it is a positive thing. Good thing Duquette held onto this guy. Holy cow!

So the offensive charge was led by Machado, but he wasn't the best player yesterday. That title still belongs to Nick Markakis. The right fielder was 2-4 with a home run and an RBI. It was Markakis's 13th home run of the season. He raised his average to .288 after last night. His .351 OBP leads the team unless you count Machado of course. Actually McLouth is slightly higher in his short time as well. However, Markakis has been the key to this lineup since moving atop it. He is one player that we are sure glad is on our side.

Tommy Hunter got mixed results as the starter and picked up a no decision after getting through 5. The bullpen once again was spectacular. Luis Ayala picked up the win to move to (4-3) after pitching a scoreless 6th. Ayala lowered his ERA to 2.56 and was very economical throwing only 8 pitches.

Ayala was aided by Patton, Strop, and Johnson. That trio all pitched a scoreless inning. Patton and Strop picked up holds and Johnson the save. It was Strop's 19th hold of the year. The dominant power arm also lowered his ERA to 1.22. Meanwhile, our closer Jim Johnson picked up his 34th save of the season. The back of the Oriole bullpen continues to dominate.

-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

Orioles 5 Yankees 4

Sometimes the best way to start off a conversation is to say the score of an important game. Well, guess what? The Orioles beat the Yankees! Go O's! Now see how it happened...

Miguel Gonzalez pitched a pretty fantastic game. Buck may have left him in too long, but Gonzo grinded it out. He gave up back to back homers in the 7th to keep the Yankees close, but he was strong through 6 2/3. Including the homers, he gave up 4 runs in those 6 2/3 innings. Not bad against the Yankees, especially considering if Buck had taken him out a little sooner it would have been 2 runs in 6 2/3 innings. Gonzo also managed to have 8 huge strikeouts. That makes 20 strikeouts by Oriole starters in 2 games. Pretty fantastic.

The bullpen was great for their 2 1/3. Perhaps the biggest strength for the Orioles this year, the bullpen came through again. Darren O'Day started the charge for the Orioles as he ended the seventh. O'Day picked up his 8th hold and lowered his ERA to 2.88. As I have said numerous times, the 8th inning is the best time for the Orioles. Our secret weapon enters the game at that time, Pedro Strop. Once again, Strop was brilliant in the 8th. Strop lowered his ERA to 1.34 and picked up his 17th hold. This guy is awesome. Then comes the 9th, which is of course, Jimmy time! Jim Johnson did not disappoint. He delivered again. Johnson is now at 31 saves on the season. He looks like he might get that record. We will see of course.

The pitching wasn't the only thing working for the O's last night. They got some key hits as well. Nick Markakis led the charge from his leadoff spot again. Markakis is hitting .364 since coming off the DL and leading off. After last night, he raised his season average to .286. I'd say Orioles MVP is between him, Jones, and Strop. I would vote Markakis, Strop, Jones personally. Why Markakis #1? He sets the tone for this team. Last night, he was 3-4. Markakis also drove in 2 and scored once. This guy makes the Orioles a much better team. Wilson Betemit also picked up multiple hits. He was 2-4 including his 12th home run of the season. Very huge game from Betemit who also scored twice.

Finally, Omar Quintanilla came through again with the bat. Quintanilla was 1-2 with an RBI and a run scored. He is doing a fantastic job getting on base and having quality at bats. Very impressed so far with this guy.

-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 Win Makes AL Wild Card Very Tight Race

As you know there are two wild card teams this season. You also know that after the Orioles dropped out of position for that 2nd wild card, they have won 3 straight. Well guess what? Now they have won 4! Because of the win, the wild card race is a tight one.

The Baltimore Orioles moved to 50-44 with the victory. It tied them for the 2nd spot and moved them only a 1/2 game back of the 1st wild card. The Angels hold the 1st wild card. They just dropped a game to Texas and are 51-44. The Chicago White Sox looked like they were going to win the central, but they just lost 4 straight and the Tigers won 4 straight. Therefore, the White Sox are 50-44 as well. Chicago dropped out of 1st and into a tie with Baltimore, etc. Finally, the red hot A's are also 50-44.
Here are the wild card standings
Los Angeles 51-44
Baltimore 50-44
Chicago 50-44
Oakland 50-44

The Orioles also are now only 7 games behind New York after this winning streak. We can only hope that the streak continues.

What is one reason for the streak? Ryan Flaherty suddenly decided to play some baseball. The Rule 5 pick hit his 4th home run tonight. In the process, Flaherty  improved his average to .200. It will be interesting to see how long Flaherty can keep this up.

Another reason for the success is the starting pitching. Orioles starters registered their 4th straight quality start last night. This one was registered by Chris Tillman. If you remember, Tillman didn't get out of the 1st inning in his last outing. However, this time, Tillman only gave up 1 run in 6 2/3 to improve to 2-1. Despite Tillman's struggles last time, his ERA sits at 1.15, that is because of poor defense behind him in the previous 2 starts. The O's amazingly had no defensive struggles last night. In his next outing, Tillman will again try to deliver a 2nd straight victory for the first time in his career.

The bullpen was also impressive. Strop picked up his 16th hold after pitching a scoreless 8th. This lowered Strop's ERA to 1.47. Then Jim Johnson picked up his 29th save! Johnson now has an ERA of 2.38. The back end of the Orioles' bullpen is as good as anybody. Strop and Johnson are filthy.

There were other heroes with the bat, too many to name. I will say that Jim Thome hit another massive home run. Thome now has 2 Oriole homers and we are hoping for many more. Nick Markakis had 2 hits also raising his average to .273. #21 is doing quite well in the leadoff spot.

In roster news, Steve Pearce was the roster casualty to make room for Omar Quintanilla. Pearce was designated for assignment prior to yesterday's game. This move gives the Orioles three middle infielders, but considering Chris Davis has been playing LF, it was more likely that Tolleson would get at bats than Pearce. Pearce was DFA and the Orioles now will see if he clears waivers. It would be cool if he can stay in the organization, because then they may be able to move him later. Welcome aboard, Omar!

-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

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 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

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

Orioles Beat Pirates

Before I get into the Orioles beating the Pirates in back to back games, I want to say that I will get to Matt Cain's perfect game at some point today. It may be part of the all-star post, if Cain makes my NL Squad for pitchers. However, as always the Orioles come first here at RAN.

Brian Matusz was injured from the batting cage incident the other day, so he had to have his start moved back a day. That change called for a new starter last night. Therefore, Jake Arrieta who was working on normal rest was re-inserted into the starting rotation after being moved to the bullpen following his last start. Based on how he was pitching lately, we should have expected disaster. We actually got brilliance for Arrieta though. Arrieta got a quality start as he went 7 innings and only gave up one run. The performance also got Arrieta a win and raised his record to (3-8). His ERA is still an awful 5.89, but he did earn another start. Hopefully, this is the start of a big change for Jake.

Pedro Strop also pitched well in this one. Strop pitched a scoreless ninth for the birds. That lowered Strop's ERA to 1.44. You might see Strop on my list of all-stars later today as well.

Brian Roberts went hitless in the 7-1 victory, but his average is still .333. JJ Hardy was 3-4 with 3 runs scored. Chris Davis was 3-4 with 3 RBIs. Davis also hit his 12th home run of the season and is now hitting .305. If 1st base in the AL wasn't so stacked, Davis would have a real shot at the all-star game. He may make it still. New OF Steve Pearce was 2-4 with an RBI. Pearce is hitting .286 since joining the Orioles. Not to shabby, Steve. Finally, the star of the night offensively was Wilson Betemit. He was 3-3 with 3 RBIs. Betemit also had his 8th home run of the season. Some may not like what Wilson provides and may liken him to Vlad, but Wilson has provided solid production for the Orioles. Are there other players I would rather have? Of course, but Wilson gets the job done.

-Noland

Jim Johnson Bounces Back

Orioles closer Jim Johnson has bounced back and picked up his 18th save of the season. This happened Orioles beat the Red Sox again last night and remained in 1st place. Johnson, had blown a save the previous game, but managed to win that game and pick up the save in this one. All Star?

The Orioles won 2-1 behind Johnson's performance. That means that other pitchers were very very good. Leading this charge was Pedro Strop. Strop picked up his 11th hold and lowered his ERA to 1.23. All Star?

Additionally, Wei Yin Chen had a quality start. Actually, a brilliant start. Chen only gave up 1 run in 7 innings of work. Chen is now 5-2 and lowered his ERA to 3.49 in the process. He is one of the few bright spots in the rotation. Hopefully, he keeps having outings like this.

Only a couple of Orioles had hits, but they had enough. The Orioles had 5 hits, including RBIs from Robert Andino and Endy Chavez. The runs were scored by Betemit and Flaherty. I keep saying let's see what the Flaherty kid can do with regular playing time. We have 2 outfielders and Brob out, and he should play everyday at least until Brob gets back. I'll take whatever I can get out of Chavez too, but I wouldn't lead him off. Let's see if the birds can keep up this momentum for the time being.

-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 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

Orioles Beat Red Sox, Roberts to Return Soon

Brian Matusz pitched perhaps his best game of the season as the Orioles beat the Red Sox 4-1 last night. Matusz improved to (4-4) behind another quality start. The guy had 9 strikeouts yesterday. When was the last time you remember Matusz having 9 strikeouts? I sure don't remember it. He only gave up 2 hits and one run over 6 1/3 innings, lowering his ERA to 4.86. The Orioles can win with this guy pitching this well.

 The bullpen was once again spectacular. Darren O'Day followed Matusz and pitched 2/3 of an inning. In that 2/3 of an inning, O'Day struck out both batters he faced. O'Day lowered his ERA to 1.23. Following Darren, was Pedro Strop. Strop lowered his ERA to 1.09 in a scoreless outing. The flamethrower picked up his 8th hold and got a strikeout in the process. Then, came the great Jim Johnson. Johnson recorded his 16th save with another amazing outing. The closer lowered his ERA to 0.87. He has been the leader of an absolutely amazing bullpen.

Nick Markakis was the only Oriole with multiple hits last night. The right fielder went 2 for 4 and raised his average to .264. Wilson Betemit hit a clutch 2 run home run. The homer came off of Matt Albers, and was Betemit's 7th on the year. Betemit doesn't play that often so the fact that he has 7 home runs is quite impressive. Very solid role player for the Orioles this season. Youngster Steve Tolleson had a big game himself. Tolleson was 1-3 with a homer, raising his average to .313. He also has one of the best on base percentages on the team at .353. Given it is a small sample size, but Tolleson has done a great job thus far. Speaking of high on base percentages, what about Bill Hall? Hall, entered the game as a pinch runner for Chris Davis and managed to get a hit in his only at bat. He now has an on base percentage of .545. Again, small sample size, but impressive.

More good news: B-Rob is almost back. The second baseman will begin his rehab assignment with Bowie tonight. He hasn't played since May 16, 2011 and is anxiously waiting a return. Position players get a maximum 20 days on a rehab assignment, and B-Rob is expected to take the full 20 days. After 20 days, the Orioles will have to make a decision on their roster. The clock on those 20 days starts today with Roberts first game. Roberts will play 2nd base at Bowie. I really wish Roberts all of the best.

-Noland

Orioles Beat Nationals

The Baltimore Orioles defeated the Washington Nationals last night in game one of the beltway series. The Orioles were lead by a tremendous pitching effort as they gave up only one run in 11 innings. Jake Arrieta had his best start in a while as he only gave up 1 run over 7. Arrieta keeps the quality start streak going for the O's. If they can have quality starts every game, they will win the overwhelming majority of them.

The bullpen was absolutely flawless. Darren O'Day went 1 1/3 innings and was perfect as he didn't allow a baserunner. O'Day now has an ERA of 1.37. Troy Patton finished an inning going 2/3 of an inning and was also perfect. Then came Kevin Gregg...Gregg pitched a perfect inning as well. He lowered his ERA to 3.46 and has been perfect for several outings in a row now. What happened here? Kevin Gregg also won the game and now has 2 victories on the year. You know what they say, "every game there's a different star that's the magic of Orioles baseball." Finally, Pedro Strop came in for the final inning and picked up his 3rd save of the season. Strop did give up a hit, but it didn't matter as he preserved the 2-1 victory.

The offense came through for the birds also. Nick Markakis had one of his best games of the year as he had two extra base hits. Markakis had his 9th double of the season and his 7th home run. His power numbers have definitely come up, although his average has dipped. He now is hitting .258 for the season when he is usually around .300. This guy still has plenty of time to bring it up though. The other Oriole outfielders both had 2 hits. Xavier Avery went 2 for 4 with a double, a walk, and a run scored. This guy continues to impress. Avery is now hitting .280. Adam Jones went 2 for 5 with an RBI. Game 2 will feature

-Noland

Orioles Sweep Royals

Sure, it was only a two game series, but the Baltimore Orioles completed a sweep of the Kansas City Royals last night. Brian Matusz struggled early, but he settled down and improved to 3-4 on the season. The young left hander gave up 3 runs over 6 innings in the Oriole victory.  All three runs were given up in the 3rd inning. His recovery allowed Matusz to register a quality start which gets the Orioles pitching back on track with 3 straight quality starts.

The bullpen was once again lights out for the Orioles. They did not give up one run in the 5-3 victory. Luis Ayala pitched a scoreless inning, picking up his 4th hold on the year. Ayala is now pitching to an ERA of 1.77. My favorite non-Johnson bullpen arm, Pedro Strop, pitched a scoreless 8th for his 6th hold. Strop now has an ERA of 1.23. The incredible Jim Johnson picked up his 14th save. Johnson has an ERA of 0.48. He also has converted 14 straight saves this season and 20+ dating back to last season.

I'll let you guess who paced the offense. Did you guess? That is correct, it was Adam Jones. Jones hit another home run last night. The center fielder is up to 13 on the season. His average now stands at .296. Jones also drove in 2 and had a walk.

Two other Orioles had multiple hits and played great last night. Nick Markakis went 2 for 4 and scored a run. Chris Davis was great going 3 for 4 and also scoring a run. Davis raised his average to .296.

In other Orioles news, the two players that were placed on waivers found out where they were going today. Matt Antonelli who was taken off the roster to clear room for Xavier Avery on the 40 man. Unfortunately for him he did not stay in the organization. The Yankees needed him more than the O's, and he is now on the Yankee 40 man. Antonelli will likely be sent to the Yankee triple A affiliate. The other Oriole that was taken off the 40 man was Brad Bergessen. He cleared waivers and will be assigned to AAA Norfolk. It does not seem likely that Bergessen will regain his old form and be a solid major leaguer again. I would love to see it happen though.

-Noland

Wei Yin Chen Shuts Down Yankees

Right now, Wei Yin Chen is the best Orioles starter. He is mr. dependable among the group. The guy we can count on. Once again, Chen had a terrific outing tonight. Not only that, but he did it against the team we struggle with the most. Chen was brilliant as he moved to 4-0 on the season. He gave up two runs on four hits over seven innings. The runs he did give up were on a home run hit by Curtis Granderson, but Xavier Avery looked like he was going to catch it. It appeared that a fan hit Avery's glove and we had a Jeffrey Maher 2 on our hands. Only this time it was at our own stadium. I don't know why we can't overturn these home runs, especially with instant replay. These Yankee fans have got to learn that they can not do that. This outing was only the Orioles 3rd quality start of the last 10 games.

That is not all the news about the Orioles' new x-man. This guy plays with such a great energy and effort. We have not seen too much of this over the last 14 years as O's fans. The guy is a breath of fresh air. Avery went 1 for 3 with a beautiful bunt single. Again, the hustle plays, how many bunt singles have we seen lately? He also scored his third run of the season following a walk. Avery is also showing patience, something that has been very rare out of Oriole pitchers. The guy drew a walk against one of the best pitchers in baseball, before this year the Orioles would get shut down by some turkey with a 6.00 ERA and let him only throw 85 pitches in the process. Avery is a keeper.

Steve Tolleson also had a big night for the birds. Every game there's a different star, that's the magic of Orioles baseball. I guess the magic is back. I was not expecting big things from Tolleson when he came up, but so far he has delivered. Tolleson was 2 for 3 with a double. The guy is now hitting .400 in his short time with the Orioles. Small sample size I know, but we have to be pleased with his contribution. Tolleson has come a long way since his previous pro experiences.

JJ Hardy was another Oriole that had a big night at the plate. Hardy was also 2-4 with a double and also drove in two runs. The Oriole SS has been on a tear lately. JJ has raised his average to .252 after being in the .100s all of April. Perhaps it is time to switch him and Nicky in the order?

Adam Jones continues to pace the Oriole offense. Jones went 2-3 with a walk last night. He also registered his 11th home run on the season. This is incredible. At this rate, Jones may get to 50. Absolutely, unbelievable job by Adam Jones. For sure, this guy will be an all-star. I guess it was a really good move to keep him this offseason. We can definitely build around Adam Jones if he is mashing like this.

Pedro Strop got his 5th hold in this game as he held the Yankees scoreless for an inning. Strop now has an ERA that sits at 1.29. This guy has been one of the best set-up men in baseball. He has been setting up for the best closer in baseball. Oriole closer Jim Johnson converted his 12th save in 12 chances last night. The closer has converted 20 straight saves dating back to last season. His ERA now sits at 0.54. If we come into the 8th with a lead, I feel pretty comfortable and that might be the biggest reason we are still in 1st place.

-Noland

It Is Finally Good To Be An O's Fan

This team is just awesome. I just love to watch them right now. So much effort. Love the guys they are bringing in, especially the baby birds. Bill Hall comes up and in his first Orioles game goes yard. If you know anything about Bill Hall's track record, he is an animal on Mother's Day. Baltimore took down the Rays again tonight increasing their AL East lead to 2 games.

The Orioles had two more players get extra base hits in this game as well. My new favorite Oriole, Robert Andino, hit a double and so did Steve Tolleson. These roster moves that the Orioles have made lately have all turned to gold. This stuff is insane. The other Oriole that was a stud again was...Adam Jones. This is not really surprising as Adam Jones continues to tear the cover off of the ball. This guy needs to be an all-star starter. Absolute stud right now.

Brian Matusz solidified his role on this team with a solid performance tonight. Matusz went 5 2/3 innings and left with a 4-3 Oriole lead. He picked up the win, improving to 2-4 on the season. He appears to be in Baltimore for the time being. The biggest reason for his victory was the continued dominance by the bullpen tonight.

Luis Ayala took over for Matusz and got his third hold. Ayala pitched a scoreless inning plus and now has an ERA of 1.04. Following Ayala was the brilliant Pedro Strop. Strop got his ERA down to 1.35 while picking up his 4th hold. Finally, was the great Jim Johnson. Johnson finished off the scoreless bullpen effort with his 11th save. Great job by the Orioles pen.

To make room on the 40 man roster for Bill Hall, the Orioles designated Brad Bergesen for assignment. This would make it pretty clear that Bergesen is down the Oriole pecking order. The Orioles also need to make room for Xavier Avery on the 25 and 40 man rosters as Avery will be up for tomorrow's game. That move will not be officially announced until tomorrow, but I welcome Avery to Baltimore. I have said it makes little sense that he is not the guy up so they call up him and Bill Hall, which are both great moves. Mark Reynolds being on the DL does not bother me too much. I mean I hate to see the guy hurt, but this is a solid 25 man roster while Reimold is out. My wife and I are big Xavier Avery fans. Love having Bill Hall on board as well as I said earlier in this post. Should be a fun ride the rest of this year.

-Noland