One Oriole I Will Always Love

Following a sports team for so long as I have with the Baltimore Orioles you realize players change teams frequently. You also realize that you have to be careful which players you root for. Players come and go, and some do things that make you embarrassed to admit you rooted for them (I'm looking at you Raffy). However, there is one Oriole, well now former Oriole that I will always hold in high regard. That man is Robert Andino.

Look at that smile. How could you not love the guy? He is just so infectious. He is a happy and inviting athlete in an era of self-centered egomaniacs. He is excited to play the game and doesn't act like a victim. He gave you everything he had night in and night out. He was a team guy and we as Orioles fans loved the guy for it. Most of all he was happy to be a Baltimore Oriole and made others happy to be Orioles too.

All of this made me love him. I am not the only one either. Robert Andino, his smile and the way he played the game made him my wife's favorite player. She thought he was just such a friendly guy and she loved the way he approached the game. Both of us thought Andino was a breath of fresh air on this team. My son even smiled when Andino and Davis came to bat in the playoffs. I mean people notice how he carried himself. Everyone noticed even the youngest amoung us. Andino was a gamer and a true Oriole.

I will continue to root for Robert Andino as he moves on to Seattle. I hope that he is incredibly successful with the Mariners for the impact that he had on my team. He is the ultimate Oriole and we will always appreciate him. We will never forget how he knocked the Red Sox out of the playoff picture in 2011. That single and the fire he brought to that game sparked the Oriole turnaround. That moment set the tone to the entire 2012 playoff run. It is absolutely about how you finish and Robert Andino helped us finish 2011 on an incredibly high note. He helped end 14 years of intimidation in the AL East. 14 years of backing down and giving up ended there. Ended because of Robert Andino. Thank you to him for that. I for one will never forget.

It is not all doom and gloom with this move. With the addition of Alexi Casilla and with Brian Roberts working his way back it means there was less room for Andino. Add to that the fact that the 2nd baseman of the future (Shoop) might be ready next year, we knew that Andino might be leaving, but it doesn't make it less sad. That being said, we needed a backup outfielder, we needed defense, and we needed speed. Trayvon Robinson can be our 4th outfielder, he has speed, and he can play solid defense. The guy we got could be good. Dan Duquette has not failed us yet with any moves and I am excited to have Trayvon aboard. I will miss that Andino guy though as excited as I am for some speed.

The stuck out tongue has got a long way to go before it measure up to the smile though. Robinson has some big shoes to fill. He is a guy that we hope can fill the void. If the only games Robinson misses are to see the birth of his son and be present for his kids like Andino, I will be incredibly happy. However, I get the feeling that Robert Andino is a rare baseball player. He is a rare athlete and a rare person.
All the best to you Mr. Andino. Thanks for the memories and thanks for changing the losing culture. We will always have that game against Boston.

-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

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

Now That's How You Make A Debut

Many Orioles fans including many of my friends hated the Teagarden trade this offseason. They said I told you so when Teagarden got hurt. Who is laughing now? Teagarden, didn't start the game (his 1st as an Oriole), but man did he ever finish it. The backup catcher launched a walk off homer in his 2nd at bat for the birds. Now, it is my turn to say I told you so. I was pumped when Teagarden replaced Paulino. Turns out I was justified. Actually, I was watching the at bat with my wife and I said "come on Teagarden you have to hit a homer because Mark Reynolds is up next and Kevin Gregg is pitching." Next thing you know, he does. I then leaped for joy. There have been few times as an Oriole fan I was more excited than tonight. Feel so good for Teagarden.

Speaking of Oriole debuts, another Oriole made his regular season debut. Actually for Miguel Socolovich, it was his major league debut. Socolovich looked great in an extremely high pressure situation. He retired the Tigers 1, 2, 3 in the 10th inning. One of the batters he retired was Miguel Cabrera. Socolovich did give up a run in the 10th, but it was just a guy he left on, Patton was the guy who actually gave up the run.

Wei Yin Chen actually pitched 6 brilliant innings and only gave up 1 run. It should have been an easy win, but Ryan Flaherty had a huge error in the 9th (some defensive replacement) and Jim Johnson blew the save. It's a shame Chen couldn't get the victory, but that's just how it goes sometimes.

Kevin Gregg picked up the victory for the Orioles. Gregg pitched 1/3 inning and lowered his ERA to 3.86. Gregg improved to 3-2 on the season. Seems like a perfect time to trade him! I mean he picked up the win and lowered his ERA, it isn't going to get better than this. Offer to pay his entire salary and see if we can get a prospect or two or a spare part. Gregg and Reynolds for Rickie Weeks?

While we are on topic of getting rid of guys, I must bring up Ryan Flaherty. Do we have to keep this guy? He is dead weight on a team trying to make the playoffs. I hate to give him up for free too, but he offers nothing at this point. A defensive replacement cannot be making huge errors that turn the game.

In other news, JJ Hardy also hit a 13th inning home run to break out of a huge slump. As a huge Hardy fan that thinks some fans have been way too hard on him, this was an awesome sight. Very happy for JJ.

Finally, Nick Markakis had 3 doubles! 3 of them. What an awesome performance. If I ever said Nick wasn't my favorite baseball player, I sincerely apologize. I apologize to Nick and Orioles fans everywhere. This guy has been the heart and soul of our team in recent years. He has been all we had on many nights. Thank God that he is back in an Orioles uniform. The guy can play baseball.

Also Robert Andino had a homer tonight. More Andino!

Finally, it was Jim Palmer night at the Yard. Great to see the O's honoring their best pitcher ever. Palmer is a class act.

-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

Markakis Has Broken Bone in Wrist

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-Noland

Orioles Beat 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

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

Orioles Win 17 Inning Thriller

Chris Davis picked up the most bizarre stat line ever in the Orioles win. Davis went 0-8 in this game, but he managed to be the hero. How is that? Davis picked up the win throwing two scoreless innings for the Orioles. Yes, Chris Davis pitched in this game and threw two scoreless innings. He has not pitched since High School, but managed to come through in the clutch. You got to give it up to Chris for coming through in a tough spot. The guy was a stud out there on the mound. Where did this come from?

Baltimore ran out of pitchers because Tommy Hunter had a horrible outing and couldn't get through the 5th. It did not help that the game went 17, but it all worked out in the end. I'd be ok with Hunter going down for a reliever for a few days. If someone in AAA took his turn in the Baltimore rotation, that would be ok. For now the bullpen needs an arm. We should be able to expect some sort of roster move in the next 24 hours.

The bullpen did a terrific job tonight. Even Kevin Gregg threw two scoreless innings. That was absolutely huge. Jim Johnson, Pedro Strop, and Matt Lindstrom also pitched two scoreless. Lindstrom and Johnson still are perfect on the year. These guys have been lights out, and Orioles fans hope it continues. Jim Johnson should be in line for an all-star appearance if he keeps this up.

This game was not only won by pitching. JJ Hardy had an absolutely huge game. Hardy was 5 for 8 with two home runs. He had 12 total bases in this game! Yes, 12! Hopefully, this is the beginning of a hot streak from Hardy.

Adam Jones also had an amazing game. Jones was 3 for 8 including his 8th home run on the season. That home run put the Orioles up for good in the 17th. Can't get much more clutch than a 3 run homer in the 17th. Once again, Jones is having a monster season for the Orioles. Robert Andino also homered for the Orioles. Andino continues to impress me with his effort and attitude.

What a game! Go O's!

-Noland

Orioles Beat Red Sox in 13

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

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

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

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

-Noland

Arrieta & Wieters Help O's Defeat the Evil Empire

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

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

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

-Noland

Orioles Finally Beat Yankees

Not only did the Orioles beat the Yankees, but Nick Johnson finally got a hit and Brian Matusz was pitching for the O's. We can only hope that Matusz is back on the right track and this will continue. Back to back good starts from Matusz is certainly an encouraging sign. He went 6 1/3 today and I am thrilled with how he shut down the Yankee lineup.

The offense was paced by Chris Davis. Davis went 3 for 4 raising his average to .333. The first baseman also scored three runs and hit his 5th home run on the year. Chris Davis is off to an amazing smart and is making the Koji trade look better by the day.

Nick Markakis was 2 for 5 and appears to be breaking out of his slump. If we can get Markakis going this is going to be a fantastic season.

Robert Andino was 1 for 2 and is still hitting over .300. Andino's average sits at .316. He also walked twice and scored a run. Once again, the guy is a gamer. Do you remember how we got Andino? Hayden Penn ring a bell? If it doesn't check out the picture on the left. This is looking like one of the best trades in recent club history. If not the best trade in recent history.

O'Day and Ayala were amazing again in relief. Neither reliever gave up a run. I sure am liking this bullpen other than Gregg. It sure is nice to see Orioles 7, Yankees 1 after the game. Maybe the O's can do this again tomorrow night.

-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 Destroy Oakland

Last night the Orioles beat the Oakland A's 10-1 to move into a first place tie with Tampa Bay. The two AL East leaders are both 13-8. This has been a great start for the Orioles and the best one since 2005. Hopefully, the Birds can keep up this outstanding performance. If they continue to play like they did last night, this could be a pretty long run.

Of course with any victory where you give up less than 2 runs most of the accolades should go to the starting pitcher for the game. This game is no exception as start Wei Yin Chen pitched an amazing game. Chen only gave up one run in 7 innings to lower his ERA to 2.22. These starters have been lights out, and if they continue this I like our chances against anybody.

Chen was not the only phenomenal pitcher last night. Luis Ayala pitched two more scoreless frames in the victory. Ayala still does not have an earned run for the season and has been brilliant out of the pen. Him, O'Day, Strop, and Johnson are another big reason for the O's being in first place.

The offense finally exploded last night as well. Chris Davis lead the charge for the Orioles last night offensively. Davis was 3 for 4 including 4 RBIs while raising his average to .313. The 1st baseman also absolutely crushed a ball onto Eutaw Street for his 4th home run of the year. There is a baseball plaque coming to Eutaw Street with Chris Davis's name on it. Awesome display of power Chris.

Other notable offensive performances happened last night. Adam Jones went 3 for 4 and scored 3 runs. Jones raised his average to .333. Wilson Betemit went 2 for 4 with a double and continues to give the Orioles solid production while in the lineup for Reynolds (cough, cough). Robert Andino was the other Oriole with multiple hits as he also went 3 for 4. Andino raises his average to .309. Great production by those hitters so far in April.

-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

Showalter Ejected, but O's Win

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

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

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

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

-Noland

Orioles 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 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