O's game blog: Can Hess duplicate success against Toronto?

O's game blog: Can Hess duplicate success against Toronto?
The last time right-hander David Hess (2-8, 5.50 ERA) took the mound he pitched well in a loss at Toronto's Rogers Centre. That was on Wednesday afternoon. Now, five days later, Hess goes back to the mound and the Blue Jays are once again the opponent. In that game last week, Hess went a career-high seven innings and threw a career-high seven strikeouts. He gave up just three hits and one run, and left trailing 1-0 in a game the Orioles would lose 6-0. Hess had a four-start stretch in June...

Notes on 100 losses, stolen bases and the farm on Sunday

Notes on 100 losses, stolen bases and the farm on Sunday
With Sunday night's 5-3 loss to the New York Yankees, the Orioles were swept four straight and they fall to 37-94. The 2018 Orioles are closing in on becoming the third team in club history, which dates to 1954, to lose 100 or more. The 1954 Orioles went 54-100 and the 1988 Orioles went 54-107. There have been nine Orioles teams since 1954 that lost 95 or more in a season, and this club is one loss from becoming the 10th. The other nine teams are on this list: 107 losses - 1988100 losses -...

Josh Michael: Kirvin Moesquit has become stolen base machine for Shorebirds

Josh Michael: Kirvin Moesquit has become stolen base machine for Shorebirds
I am a bit of an old-school baseball fan. I appreciate the small aspects of the game like hitting behind the runner, the hit-and-run, the sacrifice bunt and the stolen base. Many of the small things seem to have left the game, and while I understand the numbers behind it, part of me still misses them. When it comes to the Orioles, the stolen base has been as missing in action as their offense as a whole has been this year, but down at Single-A Delmarva, second baseman Kirvin Moesquit is...

O's game blog: O's starters have four straight quality starts

O's game blog: O's starters have four straight quality starts
The Orioles and Yankees will not start on time today. There is a message on the scoreboard that reads: "Ladies and gentlemen, the start of today's game is being delayed by the threat of inclement weather. We are monitoring the national weather service reports and will keep you advised of an expected start time as soon as possible. We thank you for your patience and understanding." Orioles starting pitchers have recorded a season-best four consecutive quality starts. Right-hander Kevin...

Minor league notebook: Mountcastle's return, props for Peralta & more

Minor league notebook: Mountcastle's return, props for Peralta & more
Orioles third base prospect Ryan Mountcastle is expected to join Double-A Bowie sometime in the next several days. He's played four games at extended spring training in Florida with two games in the field. He will probably head north after another three or four games in Florida and join the Baysox. Mountcastle had been out since mid-March when he was hit by a pitch in a minor league spring game and suffered a hairline fracture in his right hand. He is ranked as the No. 65 prospect in baseball...

O's game blog: Kevin Gausman pitches Toronto series finale

O's game blog: Kevin Gausman pitches Toronto series finale
After 7-1 and 2-1 losses, the Orioles need a win at home tonight to avoid getting swept three straight by the Toronto Blue Jays. The Orioles are 4-8 and Toronto is 8-4. Toronto is 3-0-1 in its four series. They split four with the Yankees and then won two of three from both the White Sox and Rangers. A Toronto win tonight would give them their first three-game sweep in Baltimore since July 16-18, 2010. O's starters Dylan Bundy and Andrew Cashner combined to pitch 14 innings allowing just two...