No place like home opener for Orioles

No place like home opener for Orioles
Has anyone checked weather.com lately? Warmer temperatures, wetter conditions. That pretty much sums it up. The last time I looked, the heaviest rain arrives at 3 p.m., right around first pitch for the Orioles' home opener against the Blue Jays. But it eases up later in the day and I'm sure the club will do everything possible to avoid a potential doubleheader on Saturday. Bud Norris is 4-0 with a 2.36 ERA in six starts against the Blue Jays. He's now 10-3 with a 3.58 ERA in 18 starts at...

Matt Kremnitzer: On Orioles roster, expect the unexpected

Matt Kremnitzer: On Orioles roster, expect the unexpected
You already know the Orioles will need help from familiar names like Manny Machado, Matt Wieters and Chris Davis after Nelson Cruz and Nick Markakis departed via free agency. National writers and reporters repeated that line of thinking often during the preseason, and it isn't wrong. But things rarely go as expected, and the Orioles are likely going to need more than that over the course of a long season. It's also a bit simplistic - of course the O's could use strong performances from their...

Game update and Flaherty on playing shortstop (updated)

Game update and Flaherty on playing shortstop (updated)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Alejandro De Aza is the first Oriole to reach base and score a run in 2015. Travis Snider collected the first RBI. Manny Machado drew the first walk. Steve Pearce was the first to strike out. Delmon Young was the first to strike out swinging. I'm just trying to cover all the prop bets, so to speak. The run was unearned after Rays starter Chris Archer made a poor throw to first that allowed De Aza to reach. Pearce struck out looking with runners on the corners and one...

Ryan Webb confused by roster move

Ryan Webb confused by roster move
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Ryan Webb walked out of manager Buck Showalter's office this morning just as confused as when he entered it. Webb was designated for assignment today to make room for catcher Ryan Lavarnway on the 25- and 40-man rosters. The Orioles are down to 13 pitchers. The Orioles have been trying to trade Webb, who's set to earn $2.75 million no matter where he pitches. They discussed placing him on the disabled list. "To clear that up, I had the problem with my knee in spring...

Let the real games begin

Let the real games begin
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The games count starting today. No more Grapefruit League statistics and starters leaving early and interviews taking place outside the clubhouse before the final out. No more players busing over from minor league camp. No more Puerto Rico Development Program. Chris Tillman gets the opening day assignment for the second consecutive season, and it's assumed that he won't have a contract extension in his back pocket unless negotiations really heated up overnight. The...

Game update and more from Showalter (Orioles lose 6-4)

Game update and more from Showalter (Orioles lose 6-4)
ORIOLES QUICK WRAP Score: Tigers 6, Orioles 4 Recap: Chris Tillman turned in the longest outing by an Orioles starter this spring, going 5 1/3 innings and allowing two runs and five hits. He walked one and struck out four. Tillman threw 70 pitches, 45 for strikes. Tommy Hunter served up two home runs in 1 2/3 innings. Delmon Young had a two-run triple in the fourth and Nolan Reimold added a sacrifice fly. Jayson Nix tied the game 4-4 with a home run in the eighth. Kevin Gausman pitched the...

Orioles lineup vs. Tigers

Orioles lineup vs. Tigers
SARASOTA, Fla. - Nolan Reimold is getting another start in left field today and Delmon Young returns to right field for the Orioles' game against the Tigers in Lakeland. Manny Machado is leading off today and Ryan Lavarnway is behind the plate. Christian Walker is starting at first base. The reserves include Steve Clevenger, Caleb Joseph, Ryan Flaherty, Chris Parmelee, Mike Yastrzemski, Michael Almanzar, Julio Borbon, Glynn Davis, Ozzie Martinez and Garabez Rosa. The bullpen includes Kevin...

Today's game, Young and Pearce

Today's game, Young and Pearce
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles are using two starters for today's game against the Tigers in Lakeland, one of the longest trips on the spring training schedule. Not many roads, but lots of miles. I'll say that the Tigers feed the media quite well, and we mostly use our stomachs to judge the camps. But there may be a revolt if they don't find more seats in their press box for visiting reporters. I won't sit on anyone's lap. Not this time. Chris Tillman will take the mound first, followed by...

Game update and Chen on Chen (O's lose 5-2)

Game update and Chen on Chen (O's lose 5-2)
ORIOLES QUICK WRAP Score: Blue Jays 5, Orioles 2 Recap: Wei-Yin Chen joined Ubaldo Jimenez as the only Orioles to go five innings in a Grapefruit League game. He threw 62 pitches, 39 for strikes. Chen allowed two runs (one earned) and four hits, with no walks and one strikeout. Former Oriole Steve Tolleson hit a solo homer off Chen in the third. Caleb Joseph had an RBI double in the second after Blue Jays starter Daniel Norris hit Nolan Reimold with a pitch. Delmon Young homered in the seventh....

Delmon Young on why he arrives early each morning

Delmon Young on why he arrives early each morning
SARASOTA, Fla. - Delmon Young isn't a guy who's accustomed to having reporters around his locker in spring training, which explained his reaction today when a few members of the media approached him. He glanced up, saw us and got a puzzled look on his face. It's just nice to catch up, no matter how brief the conversation. Young routinely is the first Oriole to arrive each morning, leaving his locker unoccupied when reporters are allowed inside the clubhouse. He's in the weight room or...

This, that and the other

This, that and the other
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles don't have a game scheduled today. The complex is closed. The media also is discouraged from wandering over to Twin Lakes Park. This, my friends, is the one off-day of spring training. Too bad the forecast calls for an 80 percent chance of thunderstorms. We haven't had rain all spring and it arrives today. Back in my Fort Lauderdale days, I'd pick up friend and colleague David Ginsburg at his hotel by 9 a.m. and head down to South Beach under what always managed...

Game update and more from Showalter

Game update and more from Showalter
FORT MYERS, Fla. - Miguel Gonzalez failed to complete four innings today, but he definitely increased his pitch count. Gonzalez threw 80 pitches, 57 for strikes, and left with the Orioles ahead 4-2 with two outs in the bottom of the fourth. T.J. McFarland stranded Kurt Suzuki, who doubled with two outs. Gonzalez was charged with two runs and six hits in 3 2/3 innings, with no walks and four strikeouts. Gonzalez was hoping to today become the first Orioles starter to exceed four innings in a...

Orioles lineup vs. Yankees

Orioles lineup vs. Yankees
SARASOTA, Fla. - Manny Machado is leading off today and Ryan Lavarnway is behind the plate for the Orioles in their game against the Yankees. Travis Snider is in left field and Delmon Young is in right. Matt Wieters remains the designated hitter. The bullpen behind starter Wei-Yin Chen includes Kevin Gausman, Jason Garcia, Tommy Hunter, Steve Johnson, Logan Verrett and Chaz Roe. For the Orioles Manny Machado 3B J.J. Hardy SS Chris Davis 1B Adam Jones CF Matt Wieters DH Delmon Young RF Travis...

A few notes before today's game against the Twins (plus pictures)

A few notes before today's game against the Twins  (plus pictures)
FORT MYERS, Fla. - Caleb and Brooke Joseph are the proud parents of a baby boy, born at 6:40 p.m. last night. Walker Everett Joseph weighs 7 pounds, 15 ounces and is 21 1/4 inches long. No word on whether he bats from the right or left side. Manager Buck Showalter said Joseph could rejoin the team on Monday. The Orioles' first round of cuts are coming on Monday, with more expected the next two days. Pitcher Dane De La Rosa is a candidate to be sent out while he recovers from knee surgery. He...

Orioles lineup vs. Tigers

Orioles lineup vs. Tigers
SARASOTA, Fla. - Alejandro De Aza is leading off and playing right field today for the Orioles in their home exhibition opener against the Tigers. Matt Wieters is serving as the designated hitter and batting cleanup. J.J. Hardy is batting second. Delmon Young is starting in left field. Caleb Joseph is behind the plate. Still no baby. For the Orioles Alejandro De Aza RF J.J. Hardy SS Adam Jones CF Matt Wieters DH Chris Davis 1B Delmon Young LF Manny Machado 3B Ryan Flaherty 2B Caleb Joseph...

Another look at the lineup and what to do with Pearce

Another look at the lineup and what to do with Pearce
I was messing around with another projected Orioles lineup yesterday during "Wall to Wall Baseball" on MASN. We had two hours to kill. Manager Buck Showalter can go in many directions, depending on the opponent's starting pitcher. Here's one possibility: Alejandro De Aza LF Manny Machado 3B Adam Jones CF Chris Davis 1B Matt Wieters C Steve Pearce DH Travis Snider RF J.J. Hardy SS Jonathan Schoop 2B I'm fully aware of the free-agent losses this winter, but that's still a nice...

Outfield and DH math: Who gets ABs to replace production of Cruz, Markakis?

Outfield and DH math: Who gets ABs to replace production of Cruz, Markakis?
The Orioles will be looking to replace the offensive production of Nelson Cruz and Nick Markakis this season after both players left the club via free agency. In both cases, it appears that it will not be one individual player that attempts to duplicate their offensive production, but several that get the chance. Last season, Cruz took 37 percent of the at-bats by O's left fielders and 59 percent of the at-bats at designated hitter. Markakis took 91 percent of the at-bats by O's right...

Latest look at the lineup

Latest look at the lineup
Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette told me yesterday that he's still working on the spring training roster with manager Buck Showalter. The club is expected to add at least one more player to a minor league deal before heading south. Former hitting coach Jim Presley remains under contract with the Orioles after being reassigned following the 2014 season, but it hasn't been determined whether he's going to work for them in some capacity. There were early talks of giving him a...

Hearing from Wieters and Young as another FanFest ends

Hearing from Wieters and Young as another FanFest ends
Fans are filing out of the Baltimore Convention Center, marking the end of another FanFest. The attendance exceeded 16,000 despite all the griping about how the Orioles aren't trying to improve following their division title and that they're likely to finish in last place. Maybe folks were just trying to get warm. Orioles catcher Matt Wieters remains optimistic that he'll be ready on opening day. So far so good. However, he won't really know until he starts playing in exhibition...

This, that and the other

This, that and the other
The Orioles still haven't released their camp roster for spring training, including the invites, because they're continuing to work on it. More decisions were made yesterday. We must remain patient. It sounds as though the Orioles are leaning toward inviting veteran left-hander Mark Hendrickson, who had a tryout earlier this month at the minicamp in Sarasota. Hendrickson has lowered his arm slot to the point where he's more of a submarine stylist. Factor in his 6-foot-9 frame and it's quite...