O's game blog: Looking to turn it around in Game 2 versus San Francisco

Having fallen four games out in the American League East race with 11 games left, the Orioles host San Francisco tonight in Game 2 of a three-game series at Oriole Park.

The Orioles (84-67) were held to five hits and blanked 10-0 last night. They have been shut out twice in the last four games, three times in the last eight and eight times on the season.

They have scored six runs the past four games and just 21 over the last 11 games, going 3-8. In that span, they are batting .189 with a .577 OPS and are 9-for-64 (.141) with runners in scoring position. Baltimore batters have scored two runs or less seven times in this span.

The Orioles are now 17 games over the .500 mark, the fewest they have been over .500 since June 6.

The O's have lost four of five, seven of nine, eight of 11 and are 26-29 since the All-Star break, 19-23 since Aug. 1 and 31-36 since July 1.

This, that and the other

This, that and the other
The Orioles shouldn't go streaking while José Iglesias has a sore quad. (A failed attempt to reference "Old School") This team has played eight series. Six have resulted in sweeps - the Orioles on the good side of three and the bad side of three. And now their losing streak has reached four games to lower their record to 12-12. The alternate cap should have a broom on the front. Players that live by the clichéd "one game at a time" motto are handling the losses in the same manner as...

Hyde on missing Saturday game, draft, Yaz (O's lead 9-6)

Hyde on missing Saturday game, draft, Yaz (O's lead 9-6)
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde will miss Saturday afternoon's game in order to attend his step-daughter Aria's high school graduation in Illinois. He's boarding a flight to Chicago in the morning and getting back to Baltimore for Sunday's series finale. Tim Cossins, field coordinator and catching instructor, will replace Hyde, as he did on April 15 after his close friend was ejected from a game in Boston for arguing the slide rule. "We've gone over some stuff, and after BP we're going to...

Mancini on Yaz, Blaine Knight on Grayson Rodriguez

Mancini on Yaz, Blaine Knight on Grayson Rodriguez
When the Orioles host the San Francisco Giants this weekend, a few members of the Orioles 2013 draft class, to include Austin Wynns and Trey Mancini, plan to get together with the 14th-round pick that year. That is outfielder Mike Yastrzemski. A non-roster invitee to O's spring training this year, Yaz went 3-for-18 (.167) in spring games, was optioned to minors camp at Twin Lakes park and on March 23 was traded by the Orioles to the Giants for pitcher Tyler Herb, who is 3-2 with a 5.06 ERA for...

Orioles acquire pitcher Tyler Herb (plus Núñez and Rogers updates)

Orioles acquire pitcher Tyler Herb (plus Núñez and Rogers updates)
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles consummated a minor league trade this afternoon, obtaining right-hander Tyler Herb from the Giants for outfielder Mike Yastrzemski. Herb made 13 starts last summer at Triple-A Sacramento and went 2-8 with a 5.35 ERA and 1.599 WHIP in 70 2/3 innings. The Harrisburg, Pa., native turns 27 in April. The Mariners drafted Herb in the 29th round in 2014 out of Coastal Carolina University. He's 30-34 with a 4.14 ERA and 1.439 WHIP in five minor league seasons. The Giants...

Leftovers for breakfast

Leftovers for breakfast
SARASOTA, Fla. - The lessons that are distributed in Orioles camp don't skip past the manager's office. Brandon Hyde is finding out a lot about his team, the layers of mystery peeled away as the days pass. "I'll tell you what, I just like our guys," Hyde said yesterday while standing in the visiting dugout at Charlotte Sports Park. "I like the way our guys work. I didn't know what kind of work ethic our guys had. I didn't know how guys prepared. I didn't know the makeup of our players...

Wrapping up a 9-6 win

Wrapping up a 9-6 win
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - What else must Richie Martin do in order to make the Orioles roster on opening day besides stay healthy? Plenty of games remain on the docket before they break camp, but Martin seems to be doing everything right. The slick fielding. The speed and hustle on the basepaths. The hits that keep coming following his breakout offensive year at the Double-A level that didn't motivate the Athletics to protect him in the Rule 5 draft. Given another start at shortstop today, Martin...

A few leftovers from yesterday's win

A few leftovers from yesterday's win
SARASOTA, Fla. - Cody Carroll was handed the ball and a two-run lead yesterday and retired the side in order to close out a 7-5 win over the Tigers. All it took were three fly balls - from Kody Clemens, Héctor Sánchez and Wenceel Perez - to get the save. Carroll struck out three batters in his previous outing on Thursday, also in the ninth inning, but a fly ball from the Phillies' Darick Hall carried over the right field fence for a game-tying two-run homer. Saves come and go. "You just...

Harvey among eight roster cuts, (O's acquire Moore, tied 4-4)

Harvey among eight roster cuts, (O's acquire Moore, tied 4-4)
SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles manager Brandon Hyde has made his first round of cuts today and they include pitcher Hunter Harvey. With the Orioles setting the goal of keeping Harvey healthy through camp and setting him up for a full season, the former first-round pick has been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk as the only member of the 40-man roster to be dismissed from the Ed Smith Stadium complex. The club also announced that catcher Cael Brockmeyer, left-hander Chris Lee, right-handers Dean Kremer and...

Wrapping up a 10-5 loss

Wrapping up a 10-5 loss
SARASOTA, Fla. - Hunter Harvey didn't flash a 98 mph fastball today, keeping it in Fort Myers, but he tossed a scoreless fifth inning with two strikeouts in an impressive outing. Harvey's heater was 95-97 mph and he used it to strike out Christian Arroyo and strand Kevin Kiermaier, who walked with one out and moved up on a wild pitch. Former major league closer Bryan Harvey watched as his son also struck out Mike Zunino in the Orioles' 10-5 loss to the Rays at Ed Smith Stadium. Guillermo...

Notes on rotation, Infante, Sucre, Sisco and defense (tied 4-4)

Notes on rotation, Infante, Sucre, Sisco and defense (tied 4-4)
FORT MYERS, Fla. - Alex Cobb is making his Grapefruit League debut in Friday's split-squad game against the Rays at Ed Smith Stadium. Nate Karns is making his second start in the night portion against the Yankees in Tampa. No way to shield them from a division opponent, especially with the Orioles returning to Fort Myers on Saturday to play the Red Sox. Cobb has been slotted ahead of Andrew Cashner after throwing live batting practice yesterday on Field 2 at the Sarasota complex. Cashner threw...

Bundy gives his early approval to new techniques

Bundy gives his early approval to new techniques
SARASOTA, Fla. - Among the early observations from Orioles spring training are how the workouts are packed with activity but also moving at a brisk pace, not a single minute wasted, and laptop screens are hard to see in bright sunlight. On the latter subject, the increase in technology and data collection is playing out before our eyes while pitchers complete their bullpen sessions on the row of mounds on a back field. High-speed video cameras capture slow-motion images while various team...

Catching up on an odd position battle

Catching up on an odd position battle
SARASOTA, Fla. - The report date for pitchers and catchers at Orioles camp yesterday didn't preclude a handful of position players from showing up. Mark Trumbo hit, threw and shagged fly balls on the Camden Yards replica field. Outfielder Ryan McKenna, utility candidate Chris Bostick, infielder Zach Vincej and Rule 5 infielder Richie Martin were in the clubhouse for media availability, and I heard that outfielders Trey Mancini and Mike Yastrzemski also were at the facility. What really stood...

Observations from Orioles spring training and updating Ortiz

Observations from Orioles spring training and updating Ortiz
SARASOTA, Fla. - The first official day of Orioles camp is Wednesday morning, but players took batting practice, shagged fly balls and did some running earlier today on the back fields. A nice turnout before noon. Position players already here include Mark Trumbo, Trey Mancini and Mike Yastrzemski. Mancini has been assigned Adam Jones' old locker in the far corner of the clubhouse. Jones' absence while remaining on the free agent market was noted by multiple players. One of them said he...

Farmhand Yastrzemski invited to take his shot

Farmhand Yastrzemski invited to take his shot
Playing in a major league spring training game is going to be nothing new for Orioles outfield prospect Mike Yastrzemski. He's played in 30 such games in four different seasons. The difference is that he previously came over from minor league camp. This spring - for the first time in his pro career - he's in major league camp as a non-roster invitee. He's got a locker at Ed Smith Stadium. "Very excited," Yastrzemski said last week from Nashville, where he trained at his alma mater,...

Orioles sign Eric Young Jr.

Orioles sign Eric Young Jr.
SARASOTA, Fla. - Seeking a veteran outfielder to compete for a job in spring training, the Orioles have signed Eric Young Jr. to a minor league deal that includes an invitation to major league camp, according to an industry source. Young, who turns 34 in May, is a career .245/.312/.332 hitter in 10 major league seasons. He appeared in 41 games with the Angels last year, slashing .202/.248/.303 in 117 plate appearances, and also has played for the Rockies, Mets, Braves and Yankees. Though...

Springing ahead to the start of camp

Springing ahead to the start of camp
The demise of baseball's offseason began with two cancelled flights today to Tampa, leading to the great race last night to the airport. Still plenty of time to compile a list of spring training story ideas and top candidates to be stalked at their lockers and on the back fields at the Ed Smith Stadium complex. Chris Davis is going to be asked again and again about his offseason workouts and changes from previous winters, though he's already detailed them in multiple interviews. His batting...

Eyeing a few of the spring competitions at Orioles camp

Eyeing a few of the spring competitions at Orioles camp
The inviting storylines awaiting the media at spring training, less than a week before it begins, include the competitions at third base and right field and behind the plate. Other candidates can be tossed into the mix as executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias attempts to swing a few trades and/or snatches up a couple of free agents lingering on another sluggish market. One-year deals become more attractive to players as we move through February. Manager Brandon Hyde can figure...

Yastrzemski heading to spring training, O's in Australia and Mussina's plaque

Yastrzemski heading to spring training, O's in Australia and Mussina's plaque
It was a bit of a surprise for me yesterday to see outfielder Mike Yastrzemski's name among the 18 Orioles non-roster invitees to spring training. It will be his first time joining those on the 40-man roster in big league camp. Pitchers and catchers report on Feb. 12 and the first spring game is Feb. 23. Yastrzemski has always had a lot of support from fans around Birdland, and I can think of two major reasons for that. One is that he has a famous baseball name and is the grandson of Hall of...

Eighteen non-roster players invited to Orioles spring training

Eighteen non-roster players invited to Orioles spring training
The Orioles are inviting 18 non-roster players to spring training, with the possibility of further additions depending on other moves that could be made before pitchers and catchers report on Feb. 12. The group of invites includes eight pitchers - right-handers Dean Kremer, Gregory Infante, Gabriel Ynoa, Zach Pop, Josh Lucas and Bo Schultz, and left-handers Chris Lee and Sean Gilmartin. Also receiving lockers at the Ed Smith Stadium complex are catchers Martin Cervenka, Carlos Pérez and...