Brach optioned to Norfolk

Brach optioned to Norfolk
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles got through batting practice without any health issues and announced that reliever Brad Brach has been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk. Brach's removal creates a spot for T.J. McFarland, recalled from Norfolk, and gives the Orioles four left-handers in their bullpen. Brach made two appearances with the Orioles and posted a 16.20 ERA in 1 2/3 innings. He served up a three-run homer to Minnesota's Joe Mauer on Saturday in his debut with the club. Brach,...

Notes on McFarland, Davis, Gausman, Santana and Bundy

Notes on McFarland, Davis, Gausman, Santana and Bundy
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles will recall left-hander T.J. McFarland after batting practice today because they need length in their bullpen, a true long man who can consume innings if a starter makes an early exit. Manager Buck Showalter indicated that the Orioles could go with a 13-man pitching staff down the road. However, they seem prepared to send out another reliever today to make room for McFarland. "I think there may be some corresponding things as we go forward in the next day...

Waiting on the roster move

Waiting on the roster move
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Left-hander T.J. McFarland sat at his locker this afternoon at Tropicana Field, chatting with teammates Zach Britton and Brad Brach while waiting to find out whether the Orioles were placing him on the 25-man roster. The Orioles are expected to officially recall McFarland, but it may not happen until the conclusion of batting practice. Manager Buck Showalter wants to make sure that everyone is healthy. Stay tuned. The Orioles could have four left-handers in their...

Davis, McFarland in St. Petersburg (plus Orioles and Rays lineups)

Davis, McFarland in St. Petersburg (plus Orioles and Rays lineups)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Left-hander T.J. McFarland is in the Orioles clubhouse at Tropicana Field. No roster move has been announced, but no relievers are listed on the lineup card, so it looks like one will be removed to make space. Matt Wieters is at designated hitter and Steve Clevenger is behind the plate for tonight's series opener at Tropicana Field with Chris Tillman on the mound against Chris Archer. Also, Chris Davis is in St. Petersburg, and played catch and simulated fielding...

Quick update on Gausman

Quick update on Gausman
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A group of Orioles are taking early batting practice under the lights at Tropicana Field, including Jonathan Schoop, J.J. Hardy, Manny Machado, David Lough, Ryan Flaherty, Steve Pearce, Steve Clevenger and Jemile Weeks. Other players are hitting inside the cage in the tunnel that leads to the dugout. The sun is shining and it's hot outside, but they're preparing for indoor baseball. Schoop has three hits in his last 22 at-bats, and four in his last 26. Hardy hasn't...

Roster move coming as Orioles ready for series against Rays

Roster move coming as Orioles ready for series against Rays
Does anyone sleep well the night before an early-morning flight? Show of hands. The Orioles begin a three-game series tonight against the Rays at Tropicana Field, and they're prepared to make another roster move. As I wrote yesterday, left-hander T.J. McFarland was scratched from his scheduled start with Triple-A Norfolk and likely will be recalled to aid a bullpen that's in danger of burning out from excessive use. He'd be the only true long man of the bunch. The rotation has produced only...

McFarland scratched from Norfolk start (updated)

McFarland scratched from Norfolk start (updated)
The Orioles could be poised to make another roster move. Left-hander T.J. McFarland has been scratched from tonight's scheduled start for Triple-A Norfolk. He was supposed to take the mound in Louisville, but may be headed to St. Petersburg, Fla., where the Orioles begin a three-game series Tuesday night at Tropicana Field. Nick Additon is taking McFarland's turn tonight. The Orioles optioned McFarland to Norfolk on April 25 to create room for infielder Jemile Weeks. He must stay down for...

Santana goes two innings in extended spring start

Santana goes two innings in extended spring start
Left-hander Johan Santana threw two innings in an extended spring training start this afternoon, allowing one hit and striking out four. The best news to come out of the 28-pitch outing in Sarasota was that Santana hit 87-89 mph with his fastball, which is better than the 84-87 mph he was clocked at in the simulated game that preceded today's effort. Orioles manager Buck Showalter and pitching coach Dave Wallace drove from St. Petersburg, Fla., on the club's off-day to watch Santana's...

This, that and the other

This, that and the other
Hey, look, the Orioles are off again today. Open dates and heavy rains have punched a lot of holes in the schedule, but it comes with a heavy price. If the union allowed it, Major League Baseball probably would force the Orioles to play all 31 days in August. I'll join the team Tuesday in St. Petersburg, Fla. Have to get my Tropicana Field fix. I make fun of the place, but most media types love the working environment. Good press box, climate controlled, convenient parking, easy access to the...

Orioles' offense on Cruz control (O's lose 5-2)

Orioles' offense on Cruz control (O's lose 5-2)
Too bad that Major League Baseball doesn't award an extra run based on the distance of a home run. Nelson Cruz could have overcome a three-run deficit today despite only one runner being on base. Cruz put another ball into the third deck, his two-run shot off Phil Hughes reducing Minnesota's lead to 3-2 in the sixth inning. He took a 92 mph four-seam fastball out of the strike zone and launched an 88 mph cutter. Cruz's ninth homer traveled an estimated 416 feet. According to the MASN2 HD...

More on Markakis (Gonzalez only goes 4 2/3)

More on Markakis (Gonzalez only goes 4 2/3)
Nick Markakis led off today's game for the Orioles by grounding a ball into center field for a single. And so it continues. Markakis extended his hitting streak to 12 games. He's hit safely in 15 of his last 16. Markakis leads the Orioles with 37 hits, six more than runner-up Nelson Cruz. Before today, he ranked second with a .310 average and 15 runs, fourth with a .367 on-base percentage and third with a .790 OPS. Markakis has collected only two home runs, in both ends of Thursday's...

Orioles lineup vs. Twins

Orioles lineup vs. Twins
Steve Pearce remains at first base today for the Orioles while Chris Davis works out at Target Field. Davis also will accompany the team to St. Petersburg, Fla., for the series against the Rays that begins Tuesday night. He's eligible to come off the disabled list on May 11. Delmon Young is the designated hitter today. He's 7-for-21 with a home run lifetime against Twins starter Phil Hughes. Matt Wieters is back in the lineup. He's batting .391/.437/.594 against right-handers this...

While waiting for the Orioles lineup ...

While waiting for the Orioles lineup ...
The Orioles will attempt today to win back-to-back road series for the first time this season. They're 4-0 on the road in series finales and 6-3 overall. Miguel Gonzalez is working on six days rest today, which isn't a bad thing. He owns a career ERA of 3.16 in 13 starts with six days or more of rest, compared to 4.30 in 23 starts with four days. The Orioles lead the majors with a .291 average on the road and are second in runs per game on the road (5.6) behind the Athletics (5.9). Gold...

Orioles clear spot on 40-man roster

Orioles clear spot on 40-man roster
The Orioles announced this morning that they outrighted infielder David Adams to Double-A Bowie. Adams, 26, cleared waivers after batting .214/.295/.371 (15-for-70) with two home runs and eight RBIs in 21 games for Triple-A Norfolk. The Orioles claimed Adams off waivers from the Indians on March 22 and optioned him to Norfolk the following day. The Orioles now have 39 players on their 40-man roster.

Orioles and Twins in series finale

Orioles and Twins in series finale
The Orioles wrap up their three-game series with the Twins today at Target Field before reaching another open date on their schedule. They're 6-3 this year in the final game of a series. The Orioles are 10-8 against the American League East, but only 3-5 versus the Central. Miguel Gonzalez is making his sixth start of the season and fourth away from Camden Yards. In his first three road starts, he's gone 0-1 with a 7.20 ERA in 15 innings. Gonzalez has never faced the Twins. Ubaldo Jimenez...

Chen left with more challenges against left-handed hitters (O's lose 6-1)

Chen left with more challenges against left-handed hitters (O's lose 6-1)
Orioles starter Wei-Yin Chen has allowed three runs in five innings this afternoon at Target Field. He just surrendered an RBI single to Twins first baseman Joe Mauer in the fifth and sits at 101 pitches as the game moves into the sixth. Why is Mauer's hit noteworthy? Because left-handers began the day batting .457 against Chen, compared to .271 by right-handers. It's not supposed to work that way. Trevor Plouffe gave the Twins a 1-0 lead in the first inning with a run-scoring double to...

Clevenger keeps climbing the lineup

Clevenger keeps climbing the lineup
The Orioles' lineup for today's game in Minnesota includes catcher Steve Clevenger hitting in the fifth slot against Twins right-hander Kevin Correia. His name jumps out at me each time I see it listed so high. I'm just glad it's not in a dark alley. That's not to say Clevenger is unworthy and should be lowered. It's just odd for me to find an Orioles backup catcher in the middle of the lineup. In case you haven't noticed, they've employed a lot of catch-and-throw guys over the years....

A few pregame notes

A few pregame notes
The Orioles are 11-5 at Target Field since it opened in 2010. They will try to improve that record to 12-5 this afternoon in the second game of their three-game series against the Twins. I checked on Johan Santana's start in an extended spring training game this morning and found out it didn't happen. Apparently, it rains in Sarasota, too. Santana will pitch Monday, and you know manager Buck Showalter and pitching coach Dave Wallace will drive over there from St. Petersburg. Ubaldo Jimenez's...

Orioles and Twins lineups

Orioles and Twins lineups
The Orioles are sending left-hander Wei-Yin Chen to the mound today in Minnesota as they attempt to move a season-high four games above .500. Chen ranks second in the American League in run support average at 8.69 runs. C.J. Wilson is first at 9.53. The Orioles have scored just 40 runs (2.1 per game) in the 19 games when Chen has been charged with the loss in his major league career, and have scored 117 runs (5.3 per game) in the 22 games when he's won. Steve Clevenger gets the start behind...

A few random thoughts

A few random thoughts
The Orioles are in first place in the American League East. No Manny Machado until two days ago. No Chris Davis right now because he's on the disabled list. No J.J. Hardy for eight games. No wins for Ubaldo Jimenez in April. No sign of relievers Josh Stinson and Evan Meek, who have been optioned. Check the standings. Three games above .500 and looking down at everyone else. Go figure. I didn't overreact to Jimenez's struggles last month and I'm not going to overreact to his 7 1/3 scoreless...