Orioles recall Phillips and option Velazquez (plus lineups)

Orioles recall Phillips and option Velazquez (plus lineups)
The Orioles brought back reliever Evan Phillips today after his role Thursday as the 29th man in the doubleheader. Phillips was optioned after Game 2, but has been recalled from the alternate camp site in Bowie. The Orioles optioned infielder Andrew Velazquez. Phillips struck out all four batters he faced Thursday and has a 3.65 ERA and 1.541 WHIP in 12 1/3 innings. He's walked eight and struck out 16. Velazquez is batting .159/.274/.206 in 40 games and 77 plate appearances. He's made 19...

Notes on Iglesias, MVO, Harvey, Valdez and Cobb

Notes on Iglesias, MVO, Harvey, Valdez and Cobb
Orioles shortstop José Iglesias is out of the lineup tonight for the second consecutive game, which leads to the latest quiz. Is Iglesias on the bench because of his quadriceps, shin or all of the above? "All of the above," manager Brandon Hyde said during today's Zoom conference call with the media. "It's a well-deserved day off for him. He'll be available off the bench. He actually wanted to be available off the bench in the second game last night as well. But yeah, giving him a...

Orioles lineup vs. Rays

Orioles lineup vs. Rays
José Iglesias is out of tonight's lineup, whether due to a sore quadriceps muscle or shin. Andrew Velazquez gets the start at shortstop as the Orioles try to rebound from yesterday's doubleheader sweep. Ryan Mountcastle is the first baseman and cleanup hitter and Chance Sisco is the designated hitter. Bryan Holaday is catching. Austin Hays is in left field. Third baseman Rio Ruiz is on the field today for early work on his throws. Alex Cobb is making his penultimate start of the season....

Valdez allows first runs in Orioles' 3-1 loss in Game 1 (updated)

Valdez allows first runs in Orioles' 3-1 loss in Game 1 (updated)
Dean Kremer has become the rookie middle brother. He's the Peter Brady of the Orioles. Keegan Akin made his major league debut on Aug. 14, about three weeks ahead of Kremer. Bruce Zimmermann, the Ellicott City resident and newest arrival, is starting Game 2 of tonight's doubleheader after the Orioles selected his contract from the alternate camp site. It's follow and be followed for Kremer, whose third career start this afternoon finally let him to face a team from outside New York. The Rays...

Wojciechowski DFA, Zimmermann starting Game 2

Wojciechowski DFA, Zimmermann starting Game 2
Baltimore native Bruce Zimmermann has been summoned from the alternate camp site in Bowie and announced as the probable starter for Game 2 of today's doubleheader against the Rays at Camden Yards. The corresponding roster move will be made following Game 1. Asher Wojciechowski has been designated for assignment and the Orioles recalled relievers Branden Kline and Evan Phillips from the secondary site. Phillips was added as the 29th man. One of the relievers could return to Bowie after Game 1...

Akin overpowers Braves for five innings in 5-1 win (updated)

Akin overpowers Braves for five innings in 5-1 win (updated)
Keegan Akin made it out of the first inning tonight, a relatively modest accomplishment except he couldn't do it in his last start. And he's young and inexperienced and therefore unpredictable. He had plenty of help while making that early exit. He had a short memory tonight. Akin's outing was more important than the game result in the grand rebuild scheme, but the Orioles got the best of both worlds. Akin shut out the Braves over five innings, striking out a career-high nine batters while...

Lineups and notes on rotation, Armstrong, offense and more

Lineups and notes on rotation, Armstrong, offense and more
Ryan Mountcastle is back in left field tonight as the Orioles continue their series against the Braves at Camden Yards. Mountcastle made his first start at first base last night in a 5-1 loss. Pat Valaika is playing first base, Andrew Velazquez is at second base and Hanser Alberto has moved to third. Austin Hays is in center field instead of Cedric Mullins. José Iglesias produced his 15th multi-hit game last night, tied with Alberto for the team lead. Iglesias is batting .375 (24-for-64)...

Orioles' bats return to mute mode in 5-1 loss (updated)

Orioles' bats return to mute mode in 5-1 loss (updated)
The latest snapshot of a weird and unprecedented 2020 season came this afternoon before batting practice, when the Orioles gathered in right field in their home white uniforms for the annual team photo. Everyone wearing masks and lined up in rows with the proper spacing between bodies. Just another day at the ballpark for the Orioles, who are down to their last 12 games of the regular season and always reminded of the unpredictability of it after tonight's 5-1 loss to the Braves at Camden...

Orioles and Braves lineups

Orioles and Braves lineups
Ryan Mountcastle is making his first major league start at first base tonight as the Orioles continue their series against the Braves at Camden Yards. Mountcastle has been working out at first and played the position in the minors before the Orioles shifted him to left field during the 2019 season at Triple-A Norfolk. Austin Hays remains in left field and is batting ninth. Hanser Alberto returns to the lineup at second base. José Iglesias remains the No. 2 hitter. DJ Stewart is batting third...

Another look at the most lopsided win of the 2020 season

Another look at the most lopsided win of the 2020 season
It was stunning, surprising, unexpected. All of that and maybe more. The Orioles scored three runs over four games at Yankee Stadium and then they scored nine in the last of the third last night. And it was against the first-place Atlanta Braves. The Orioles won via a 14-1 blowout, producing more runs than they have in any game this year, and their biggest margin of victory. They had 16 hits in four games over the weekend and 15 last night. They hit two home runs in the entire series in New...

Orioles break out with nine-run inning and roll to 14-1 win (updated)

Orioles break out with nine-run inning and roll to 14-1 win (updated)
If the Orioles can't jump back into playoff contention over the last two weeks of the season, they certainly can find other ways to make good use of these games. Get Austin Hays back in the major league flow after another freakish injury, whether he's starting in an outfield corner or in center. Learn whether Cedric Mullins can be more than a fourth outfielder and whether DJ Stewart can avoid a power outage. Reintroduce Ryan Mountcastle to first base, the third of his four positions as a...

A few notes on a huge night of O's offense

A few notes on a huge night of O's offense
After a weekend where the Orioles scored three runs in four losses at Yankee Stadium, we didn't have to wait long to see if the club would break out tonight. The Orioles led 10-0 by the third inning and the top four in their order were putting up crazy numbers. They piled it on to beat the first-place Atlanta Braves 14-1 in a blowout win to start a three-game series and eight-game homestand against first-place teams. In the four games at New York, the Orioles batted .138 (16-for-116) and went...

Davis back on injured list, Wilkerson released and other notes

Davis back on injured list, Wilkerson released and other notes
Orioles first baseman Chris Davis has returned to the 10-day injured list with left knee patellar tendinitis after appearing in only one game, which clears a roster spot for outfielder Austin Hays. Hays has been activated from the injured list and is in left field for tonight's game against the Braves at Camden Yards. Davis was in the lineup for Game 2 of Friday's doubleheader against the Yankees in the Bronx. He went 0-for-3 with a strikeout and is slashing .115/.164/.173 in 55 plate...

Hyde on Hays' pending return, Núñez's latest streak and more

Hyde on Hays' pending return, Núñez's latest streak and more
The Orioles are prepared to activate Austin Hays from the injured list early this week, increasing their options in the outfield and perhaps giving a slumping offense a needed jolt. Hays hasn't played since Aug. 14 due to a non-displaced fracture in his left ribcage. He's been active lately in simulated games at the alternate camp site in Bowie and took batting practice yesterday at Camden Yards. "He has been taking at-bats and I can see him being activated here in the next couple days,"...

O's lose in 10 innings, fall 4 1/2 games behind Yankees (updated)

O's lose in 10 innings, fall 4 1/2 games behind Yankees (updated)
The Yankee Stadium whistle still works. The one that plays after an opponent's strikeout. No longer done for the benefit of fans. Every bit as irritating to teams that don't want to be serenaded after another empty at-bat. The Orioles heard it five times today in the first two innings. Nine times through the fifth. The other sound is a club stumbling backward. Down to their last 15 games in a truncated season, the Orioles have fallen 4 1/2 behind the Yankees following today's 2-1 10-inning...

O's game blog: Dean Kremer faces the Yankees

O's game blog: Dean Kremer faces the Yankees
After a miserable night of baseball - one that saw them lose 6-0 and 10-1 - the Orioles try to regroup today and gain a game on the Yankees as the series continues. It's the third game of a four-game series. The Orioles (20-24) have lost three in a row since winning six of eight games. They are 10-9 on the road and 11-16 versus American League East clubs. They begin play today tied with Detroit, 3 1/2 games behind the Yankees for the No. 8 AL playoff spot. New York (24-21) has won its last...

Orioles and Yankees lineups

Orioles and Yankees lineups
The X-rays taken on Renato Núñez's left hand last night were negative and he's in today's lineup as the first baseman. The Orioles also will try to break their three-game losing streak with Pat Valaika at shortstop and José Iglesias as the designated hitter. Ryan Mountcastle moves up to third in the order, followed by catcher Pedro Severino. Dean Kremer is making his second major league start after holding the Yankees to one run and one hit over six innings in his debut last weekend...

Early defensive breakdowns doom O's in 10-1 loss (updated)

Early defensive breakdowns doom O's in 10-1 loss (updated)
The losses are easier for Orioles manager Brandon Hyde to stomach when his team is playing crisp baseball. When the mental and physical mistakes are removed from the equation. They were front and center tonight in the first inning in the second game of the doubleheader. The Orioles weren't charged with an error, but fielding data is influenced by other factors. So are outcomes. The Yankees responded to the latest DJ Stewart homer with four runs in the bottom of the first, chasing rookie Keegan...

Rough night at the office: O's outscored 16-1 in twinbill

Rough night at the office: O's outscored 16-1 in twinbill
Since the New York Mets' Michael Conforto made that incredible catch with the bases loaded against the Orioles in the sixth on Wednesday night, it seems not a lot has gone right for the club. Tonight, they got blanked in the first game by the New York Yankees, and then the Baltimore defense came unglued in the last of the first in the nightcap. The Orioles came up very flat twice tonight as they lost a doubleheader to the Yankees to start an important four-game series. The O's lost 6-0 and...

Cobb surrenders three early home runs in 6-0 loss in opener

Cobb surrenders three early home runs in 6-0 loss in opener
The Orioles headed to the ballpark this afternoon looking up at the Yankees, who were 1 1/2 games ahead of them for the last playoff spot in the American League. They glanced back and saw the Tigers, who trailed them by a half-game. A tight squeeze for a team that wasn't supposed to be anywhere near the race. The temptation to check the standings in the second week of September provides a strong dose of perspective, no matter how it turns out for the Orioles. They aren't sitting in the bottom...