Buck Britton moving up, explaining Patton move

Buck Britton moving up, explaining Patton move
Infielder

Looking back and ahead

Looking back and ahead
So Michael Gonzalez gets ejected for hitting Chris Dickerson without intent, but CC Sabathia only gets a warning for drilling Nick Markakis in the back - which he clearly intended to do - and Amaury Sanit isn't ejected for hitting Brandon Snyder despite both benches being warned. It's left to the discretion of the plate umpire. I guess that explains it. I've heard that the television camera adds 10 pounds. I just wonder how many cameras were pointed at CC Sabathia last night. Sabathia...

Let's hear from Bergesen and Markakis

Let's hear from Bergesen and Markakis
Brad Bergesen didn't try to put a positive spin on tonight's outing, which ended after 3 1/3 innings and left eight earned runs on his ledger. "For me, it was everything tonight. Just all around, just bad," he said. "Putting us in a 5-0 hole just made it real tough for us tonight. Just nothing good for me tonight whatsoever. "After that 15-inning game, my whole thought process going into tonight was that we really needed me to go deep and I let us down. I wasn't able to do it and it...

Jakubauskas and Patton down, Adams and Reimold up

Jakubauskas and Patton down, Adams and Reimold up
Chris Jakubauskas and Troy Patton pitched tonight and packed their bags. They're heading back to Triple-A Norfolk. Ryan Adams and outfielder Nolan Reimold are expected to report to Camden Yards tomorrow, giving the Orioles 12 pitchers and a full bench. It's interesting that both players were in Norfolk's lineup tonight instead of being late scratches. Reimold went 2-for-4 with his 22nd RBI, leaving his average at .237. He hit his sixth home run last night. Adams went 1-for-3 and is batting...

Showalter speaks after 13-2 loss

Showalter speaks after 13-2 loss
The Orioles' rotation had allowed eight earned runs in 56 innings over the past eight games before tonight, which added up to a 1.29 ERA. Brad Bergesen surrendered five earned runs in the first inning and eight overall in 3 1/3 innings in a 13-2 loss to the Yankees. Once again, any issues that Bergesen encounters on the mound can be traced to his fastball command, as manager Buck Showalter pointed out after the game. Buck Showalter comments on the Orioles' 13-2 loss to the Yankees "He...

The other side of Bergesen

The other side of Bergesen
We marveled at Brad Bergesen's four-hit shutout at Tropicana Field on Saturday. We mumbled to ourselves during his 3 1/3 innings tonight. A few of you might not have used your indoor voices. Bergesen is charged with eight runs and five hits, with three walks and two strikeouts. He threw 77 pitches, 47 for strikes, before Chris Jakubauskas replaced him. All five hits off Bergesen went for extra bases: Three triples and two doubles. When is the last time you've seen that happen? The last...

Bad beginning for Bergesen (updated)

Bad beginning for Bergesen (updated)
We might not sit through 15 innings tonight, but we waited out a 48-minute rain delay. Two batters and five pitches into the game, Brad Bergesen fell behind, 1-0. Two more pitches and the lead expanded to 2-0. Derek Jeter doubled, Curtis Granderson tripled and Mark Teixeira grounded to second. The Orioles' last two home games before tonight included only two extra-base hits. The Yankees matched that total after two batters. It got worse. By the time Bergesen threw his 34th pitch to strike...

Caught in the middle infield (with Roberts update)

Caught in the middle infield (with Roberts update)
The Orioles finished batting practice and the tarp went back on the field. The sky is threatening. I'm keeping one hand on my wallet. Just when we thought it was safe to memorize the 25-man roster, the Orioles will alter it again tomorrow afternoon. They'll bring up one or two position players from the minors. A middle infielder is needed with Brian Roberts and Cesar Izturis on the disabled list. And it's possible that Triple-A Norfolk catcher Craig Tatum will be recalled if he's ready to...

Pregame Showalter, Yankees lineup

Pregame Showalter, Yankees lineup
I gave you the Reader's Digest version of today's pregame maneuverings. Manager Buck Showalter expanded on them this afternoon while meeting with the media for about 10 minutes. On Cesar Izturis: "He's going to have surgery Tuesday at 7 a.m. Dr. (John) Wilckens is going to do the surgery with the nerve. We hope that goes well and he still has potential to be a player for us this year if everything goes well. If everything goes well, he could potentially be back playing for us this year...

More news on the roster, rotation and Izturis

More news on the roster, rotation and Izturis
The tarp is on the field. That's not a good sign. Lots of stuff going on here, and I know how much everyone likes stuff. Brian Roberts' placement on the new seven-day disabled list is pending approval from Major League Baseball. It's reserved for players with concussion symptoms. Roberts seems to qualify. Roberts would be eligible to return Tuesday. He's on a DL no matter what, but the Orioles want to limit it to seven days. Derrek Lee is eligible to return on June 1 for the Orioles'...

Roberts, Lee headed to disabled list (with Orioles lineup)

Roberts, Lee headed to disabled list (with Orioles lineup)
Brian Roberts isn't in the Orioles' lineup tonight, and he could be headed to the disabled list with recurring headaches. For the Orioles: Robert Andino 2B J.J. Hardy SS Nick Markakis RF Vladimir Guerrero DH Adam Jones CF Felix Pie LF Mark Reynolds 3B Jake Fox C Brandon Snyder 1B Brad Bergesen RHP Update: The Orioles have decided to place Roberts and first baseman Derrek Lee on the disabled list and recall pitchers Chris Jakubauskas and Troy Patton from Triple- A Norfolk. Lee is headed to...

Not going good for Gonzo (updated)

Not going good for Gonzo (updated)
I'm set up in the press box and still waiting to find out whether the Orioles are making one or more roster moves. The over/under is one. My last entry has received 109 comments (hopefully no more duplicates), and many of them are aimed at left-hander Michael Gonzalez. Gonzalez has been scored upon in his last four appearances covering two-plus innings. And I'm not counting inherited runners. Two more crossed the plate last night on Robinson Cano's double. Gonzalez has allowed four...

Things we need to know

Things we need to know
Later today, we'll find out whether Brad Bergesen is starting on normal rest or a restless Jeremy Guthrie talked manager Buck Showalter into giving him the ball. We'll find out whether Derrek Lee is going on the disabled list so the Orioles can recall a reliever, and whether Troy Patton is the choice, since he's already here (though I doubt that he unpacked.) We'll find out whether Brian Roberts took two aspirin and called Showalter in the morning to say he could play tonight, or whether...

More clubhouse chatter

More clubhouse chatter
Michael Gonzalez: "No way, shape or form was I trying to hit (Chris) Dickerson or anything like that. In fact, I was trying to throw a fastball down and away. It got away from me and I'm sorry it hit him. No one is harder on themselves than me. I understand and I know how it looked." "It was kind of shocking. I hit him and obviously I get thrown out, and I was more worried about how he was doing down there. You see a player go down like that and obviously in his head area, I really wasn't...

Showalter speaks after 4-1 loss

Showalter speaks after 4-1 loss
This might be the most agitated that I've seen manager Buck Showalter after a game since the Orioles hired him. He clearly wanted to say more - about plate umpire Dan Bellino's strike zone and Bellino's decision to eject reliever Michael Gonzalez after the left-hander hit Chris Dickerson in the head - but he was biting his tongue so hard, I'm surprised it didn't snap in two. Asked how Bellino explained the ejection, Showalter replied, "That his intent was to throw at him. Pretty obvious,...

Gonzalez ejected after HBP

Gonzalez ejected after HBP
We said it wouldn't get weird. Michael Gonzalez inherited two runners from Jeremy Accardo with no outs in the 15th inning and gave up a tie-breaking, two-run double to Robinson Cano on his first pitch. Gonzalez drilled Chris Dickerson on the side of the batting helmet with his third pitch, earning an instant ejection from plate umpire Dan Bellino. How in the world can Bellino assume Gonzalez was trying to hit Dickerson in that situation? The Orioles are out of relievers, so Jeremy Guthrie...

Accardo with the great escape (updated)

Accardo with the great escape (updated)
So much for a rested bullpen. Manager Buck Showalter has used six relievers again tonight, as he did Monday night at Fenway Park. Jeremy Accardo's turn came up in the top of the 13th, which isn't exactly going with the hot hand. Accardo had allowed runs in five straight appearances and six of seven. He permitted five runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings over those five games. And the Yankees pressured him tonight. Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira singled to open the 13th, putting runners...

And so it continues ...

And so it continues ...
The Orioles loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the 11th inning, but they couldn't score against Yankees left-hander Boone Logan. Logan replaced Luis Ayala with the sacks full and struck out Luke Scott. He fell behind, 2-0, to Matt Wieters, who swung at the next pitch and flied to right. If it's me, I'm taking on 2-0, but what do I know? First baseman Mark Teixeira kept the game tied with a lunging catch of Alex Rodriguez's wild throw as Vladimir Guerrero reached on an infield...

Orioles score! Orioles score! (Machado update)

Orioles score! Orioles score! (Machado update)
Yankees starter Bartolo Colon was cruising. He hadn't allowed a run in eight innings and his pitch count stood at a measly 87. He still didn't come out for the ninth. Not with Mariano Rivera in the bullpen. Rivera allowed back-to-back singles to Adam Jones and Nick Markakis with one out, and Vladimir Guerrero lifted a sacrifice fly to left field. Orioles 1, Yankees 1. Didn't Rivera blow a save here on April 24? That's eight career blown saves for Rivera against the Orioles. The...

No earned runs, no win for Britton (updated)

No earned runs, no win for Britton (updated)
Zach Britton is done after holding the Yankees to one unearned run and six hits over seven innings. Britton can't get the win because Bartolo Colon retired 13 straight Orioles before Adam Jones' leadoff single in the seventh, and his shutout remains intact. The rookie left-hander walked three batters and struck out four. He threw 102 pitches, 58 for strikes. The Orioles haven't scored in Britton's last three starts while he's been in the game. Meanwhile, he hasn't allowed an earned run...