The Orioles snapped an eight-game losing streak last night with 11 runs after scoring a total of 10 in their previous four games. According to Elias, over the last 50 years, the only other team to end a losing streak of eight or more games with a shutout win of 11-0 or more was the 1993 San Francisco Giants, who beat the Cincinnati Reds, 13-0, on Sept. 17.
After beginning the year 33-158 (.209) with 14 RBIs when batting with two outs, the Orioles went 8-16 and scored 11 runs (10 RBIs) with...
Orioles left-hander Brian Matusz will join the Orioles at Camden Yards tomorrow, take the day off and throw Friday on flat ground or in the bullpen.
It's another step in the right direction for Matusz, who has been rehabbing his strained left intercostal muscle at the minor league complex in Sarasota.
The Orioles have three options with Matusz next week. He can return to Twin Lakes Park, accompany them on a road trip that begins April 29 in Chicago or go on an injury rehabilitation...
Robert Andino has reached base in nine of his last 10 plate appearances, and he'll stay in the lineup tonight.
Cesar Izturis is 3-for-7 with two RBIs lifetime against Twins starter Nick Blackburn, but Andino gets the nod. He's never faced Blackburn.
Here's the lineup:
Brian Roberts 2B
Nick Markakis RF
Derrek Lee 1B
Vladimir Guerrero DH
Luke Scott LF
Adam Jones CF
Mark Reynolds 3B
Matt Wieters C
Robert Andino SS
Zach Britton LHP
Don't look for the Orioles to make a run at infielder Brandon Wood, who was designated for assignment Tuesday by the Angels.
I'm told they're "not likely" to pursue Wood, a one-time minor league Player of the Year who hasn't been able to carry that success to the majors.
Wood is 26 and out of options. The Angels have 10 days to trade or place him on waivers. Any team acquiring Wood would have to keep him on the 25-man roster or attempt to pass him through waivers before outrighting him....
The losing streak is over and Zach Britton is pitching tonight.
Good times have returned to Camden Yards.
"We got the monkeys off our backs," Adam Jones said last night.
And all it took were 11 runs scored with two outs.
"That's something we haven't been doing, late two-out hitting and hitting with runners in scoring position," Jones said. "We got all 11 runs with two outs. That's a good stat. Now we have to keep building on it.
"We've got a winning streak of one right now....
I'll admit that I love that title. It's downright inspired.
Let's hear from Jake Arrieta, who blanked the Twins on four hits over six innings and lowered his ERA to 5.06.
Starter Jake Arrieta discusses picking up his second win of the season against the Twins
"I think overall it was really good. When we score runs offensively, I think the biggest thing to do is not give up rebound runs. I think those are the biggest innings for guys, when your team puts some runs on the board for you,...
Manager Buck Showalter finally got to meet with reporters tonight after a win.
It took long enough, but it happened.
The eight-game losing streak has gone the way of the dodo bird.
Buck Showalter talks with the media after the Orioles snap their eight-game losing streak
Here are a few quotes from Showalter:
"We strung a lot of good at-bats together, a lot of big two-out hits. Wieters had a good night. Matty had a clutch hit. Really, two of them. I thought the single to center kind of...
Robert Andino is 3-for-3 with a walk tonight. He has seven hits and two walks in his last 10 trips to the plate.
Is that good?
Derrek Lee singled twice tonight, but he fell to 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position after flying out in the eighth inning. Vladimir Guerrero followed with a three-run homer off former Twins closer Joe Nathan, making him 4-for-15.
The Orioles have four extra-base hits this season with two outs and RISP. Three of them came tonight.
Jason Berken tossed two...
Jake Arrieta finished the sixth inning with his pitch count at 108 and Jason Berken warming in the bullpen. You have to figure that he's done for the night.
Oriole starters have posted a 7.71 ERA during the eight-game losing streak, but Arrieta blanked the Twins on four hits. He walked three and struck out four.
Arrieta got a huge double play bouncer from Michael Cuddyer after a one-out single by Jim Thome in the sixth.
Two of Arrieta's three walks came in succession after Luke Hughes...
Should Brian Roberts be batting third? How about cleanup?
Roberts increased his team-leading RBI total to 14 with a two-out, run-scoring double in the fourth inning. Orioles 4, Twins 0.
Once again, Carl Pavano got into trouble with two outs. He hit Matt Wieters and allowed a single to Robert Andino. Roberts followed with a double to right field that scored Wieters. Andino held at third.
Roberts produced the Orioles' second extra-base hit this season with runners in scoring position and two...
Maybe you don't recognize it, but the Orioles have the lead tonight.
Matt Wieters singled with two outs in the second inning to score Adam Jones, giving the Orioles a lead for the first time since the eighth inning of Thursday's game in New York. They hadn't been ahead for 39 consecutive innings.
Did it seem that long?
Robert Andino walked and Brian Roberts singled to deliver two more runs off Twins starter Carl Pavano, who retired the first two batters before Jones singled and Mark...
Last night, Chris Tillman threw 13 pitches in a scoreless first inning. Tonight, Jake Arrieta threw 13 pitches in a scoreless first inning.
It means nothing, but I wanted to mention it anyway.
Nine of Arrieta's pitches were strikes. His fastball reached 93 mph multiple times.
Denard Span singled on the second pitch, but Arrieta retired the next three batters.
Twins starter Carl Pavano needed only seven pitches to dispose of the Orioles in the bottom of the first. Brian Roberts swung at...
Manager Buck Showalter would like to give closer Kevin Gregg more work, which might keep him sharp and prevent the kind of outings that we saw last night. Not that there have been many save chances during this skid, but even a random inning could prove beneficial.
"It's certainly something that we're conscious of coming out of spring training, but some of the situations that we've had early in the season haven't been there in perfect situations," Showalter said. "We haven't had a lot...
The tarp is coming off the field, but the Orioles won't hit outdoors.
Left-hander Brian Matusz reported to the minor league complex today feeling good physically after yesterday's flat-ground session.
Exactly the news that the Orioles wanted to hear.
Matusz is scheduled to throw from 120 feet tomorrow, the next progression from 60 and 90.
"He gets another day or two of that under his belt and we'll progress him to the mound," manager Buck Showalter said.
Matusz will need at least...
It's raining and the tarp's on the field. The clouds seem to be breaking up and we see some clearing. Early word is the storm will pass by 5 p.m., but I've been fooled many times in the past - and that includes the weather.
Here's the Orioles' lineup, which includes Luke Scott in left field:
Brian Roberts 2B
Nick Markakis RF
Derrek Lee 1B
Vladimir Guerrero DH
Luke Scott LF
Adam Jones CF
Mark Reynolds 3B
Matt Wieters C
Robert Andino SS
Jake Arrieta RHP
We've grown accustomed to the Orioles crashing in August, though last year proved the exception. I wonder if they're aware that it's still April.
Same first letter, different month.
The losing streak has reached eight games, but I'm still not in panic mode. That's mostly because it's baseball, which doesn't freak me out unless it forces me to rewrite a game story in the ninth inning or a screaming line drive is headed for my larynx.
Still, it's disturbing that the Orioles got off to...
May as well hear from Adam Jones, too.
"We put ourselves in some situations to get a big hit and we didn't," he said. "Hey, come out tomorrow, stop feeling sorry for ourselves. We don't. No one else in the league is, so we'll just go out and keep playing the game of baseball."
"We were a little more aggressive today. We had multiple situations. You never know how the game is going to end until the 27th out is made. We keep fighting until that 27th out, and lately we just haven't been...
Chris Tillman retired 11 in a row before the final batter reached on Robert Andino's throwing error. He finished strong, but wasn't exactly in the mood to celebrate.
"I wouldn't say I'm pleased," he said. "I felt OK about it. It was OK. It wasn't good enough. It's definitely a work in progress here. From the last start to this start, I've come a long way. I still have a lot of work to do, but it was OK."
Later, Tillman said he "got excited seeing the results." That's OK, too. He...
Manager Buck Showalter met with the media for about four minutes after tonight's 5-3 loss to the Twins, which ran the Orioles' losing streak to eight games.
Manager Buck Showalter talks about Chris Tillman and the Orioles' 5-3 loss to Minnesota
Here is a sampling:
On Chris Tillman:
"He was better. Obviously, they're operating without Morneau and Mauer, but it was good for the most part. He gave us a chance to win. We just didn't give him much offensive support. We knew Liriano was...
Clay Rapada faced four batters tonight in his Orioles debut, and he struck out three of them.
All three Twins who fanned were caught looking at the third strike. None of them agreed with the calls from plate umpire Chris Guccione, who handed Twins manager Ron Gardenhire his 53rd career ejection.
Jim Thome had to be restrained from going after Guccione.
The strikeouts came against three left-handed hitters. That's why Rapada is here.
The one batter who didn't strike out, switch-hitting...