Tillman deals, Markakis homers and O's top Seattle 1-0

Tillman deals, Markakis homers and O's top Seattle 1-0
Given just one run to work with today, Chris Tillman made it stand up, once again beating the team that drafted him in the second round in 2006. Tillman pitched seven scoreless innings as the Orioles edged Seattle 1-0 this afternoon on a Nick Markakis leadoff homer in the first inning. It is the first time in club history that the Orioles won 1-0 on a leadoff home run. In winning for the seventh time in 10 games and the 20th time in 29 games, the Orioles concluded a 4-2 homestand and...

Tillman tosses seven scoreless innings (O's win 1-0)

Tillman tosses seven scoreless innings (O's win 1-0)
Had Chris Tillman been removed from today's game in the middle of an inning, he would have received a standing ovation on his walk to the dugout. Instead, Tillman will have to settle for the high praise coming from his manager and teammates following the game. Tillman shut out the Mariners on four hits over seven innings, with no walks and six strikeouts. He was removed after 101 pitches, 65 for strikes. Tillman retired 14 in a row before Kendrys Morales led off the seventh with a single....

Andrew Miller on his O's debut and the crowd reception, plus other clubhouse quotes

Andrew Miller on his O's debut and the crowd reception, plus other clubhouse quotes
Even before he was introduced into the game tonight, Andrew Miller got a big reception from Orioles fans in the eighth inning as he was about to throw his first pitch for the team. He made his O's debut and it was a success, as he protected the club's 2-1 lead with two groundouts around a walk to Robinson Cano. "Real exciting reception," Miller said. "I was a little amped up at first. But the goal is to hand the ball off to the next guy with the lead. Bridge the gap between an excellent...

Showalter on Chen, Miller and a 2-1 win

Showalter on Chen, Miller and a 2-1 win
In case you missed it in my last entry, the Orioles tied the franchise record tonight with their seventh consecutive one-run game. You have to go all the way back to June 21-29, 1956. The Orioles have won five of those games during the current stretch, including tonight's 2-1 victory over the Mariners at Camden Yards. Wei-Yin Chen is riding a career-high five-game winning streak. His 12 victories this season tie his career-high. Chen has gone eight and 7 1/3 innings in his last two...

O's beat Seattle 2-1 in club-record tying seventh straight one-run game

O's beat Seattle 2-1 in club-record tying seventh straight one-run game
Get a solid pitching performance and win a close game. It's a formula the Orioles are using a lot these days. They used it again tonight to beat the Seattle Mariners 2-1 in front of 39,487 in the opener of the weekend series behind Wei-Yin Chen. This was the Orioles' club-record tying seventh straight one-run game and they are 5-2 during that stretch. The Orioles improved to 61-47 for the season to match their season-high at 14 games over .500. They are now 20-11 against the American...

Sweet Chen music (O's win 2-1)

Sweet Chen music (O's win 2-1)
For Wei-Yin Chen, the song remained the same while facing the Seattle Mariners. Last week, Chen tossed eight scoreless innings at Safeco Field, leading manager Buck Showalter to tweak the rotation and pair them again tonight. It worked. Chen went 7 1/3 innings tonight, holding the Mariners to one run and five hits. He walked one, the final batter he faced, and struck out a season-high eight. Andrew Miller replaced Chen in his Orioles debut. He got Dustin Ackley to ground into a force and...

Britton on Miller, Machado on robbing Pujols of hits

Britton on Miller, Machado on robbing Pujols of hits
As Andrew Miller joins the Orioles bullpen tonight, he gives the team another power lefty for late in the game. Zach Britton is ready to welcome Miller to the team and the 'pen. "He'll be a good addition," Britton said this afternoon. "We watched him throw for Boston and everything we've heard from our hitters, he's a tough at-bat for lefties and righties. "Anytime you have a tall lefty with the angle that he gets with the velocity and movement on the slider, it's a very...

Orioles designate Webb off 25-man roster

Orioles designate Webb off 25-man roster
The Orioles made room for new reliever Andrew Miller today by designating Ryan Webb off the 25-man roster. This is the same move made with Evan Meek earlier this season. It's procedural. Webb remains in the organization and will be optioned to Triple-A Norfolk. Teams don't put in claims for players DFA'd off the 25-man. It's not the same as being taken off the 40-man. Webb, 28, is 3-2 with a 3.80 ERA in 42 2/3 innings over 42 appearances with the Orioles this season. The Orioles signed...

Andrew Miller: "Clearly they are doing something right here"

Andrew Miller: "Clearly they are doing something right here"
New reliever Andrew Miller was asked today what he thought of the Orioles when he was watching them from the Boston dugout. "Admired playing against them," Miller said at his first O's press conference. "Someone asked if this was a big change and if I had any animosity toward Baltimore. Definitely not. "Clearly they are doing something right here. Last couple of years they've been one of the best teams in what I believe to be the best division in baseball. To be up there is an...

Orioles lineup vs. Mariners

Orioles lineup vs. Mariners
Chris Davis has returned to the Orioles lineup tonight after being used as a pinch-hitter last night and getting a second at-bat as the designated hitter. New reliever Andrew Miller is in the clubhouse and wearing No. 48. The corresponding roster move will be announced after batting practice. Orioles left-hander Wei-Yin Chen shut out the Mariners over eight innings last week in Seattle, and he's trying to find the same success tonight in the opener of a three-game series at Camden...

Brach on his outing, cheering section, plus reaction to the Andrew Miller trade

Brach on his outing, cheering section, plus reaction to the Andrew Miller trade
Right-hander Brad Brach has been pitching very well for the Orioles and that continued at Camden Yards last night. In the Orioles 1-0 loss in 13 innings to the Angels, Brach pitched scoreless eighth and ninth innings on just 21 pitches. He retired all six batters he faced with three strikeouts. "When you go out there in a tie game, you just want to get the outs as quick as you can and get the team back in to hit," Brach said. "That is all I was focused on, to put up zeroes for the...

More on the Miller trade and how to make room for him

More on the Miller trade and how to make room for him
The Orioles will introduce reliever Andrew Miller to the Baltimore media today and make a roster move to accommodate his arrival from the Red Sox. They could go in a few directions. Brad Brach, T.J. McFarland and Ryan Webb have options. McFarland could be expendable with three other relievers in the bullpen, but we know how much manager Buck Showalter values his contributions, his ability to "defend himself" against left-handed and right-handed hitters, his work as the long man behind the...

A take on the Andrew Miller-Eduardo Rodriguez deal

A take on the Andrew Miller-Eduardo Rodriguez deal
Dan Duquette called Andrew Miller a left-handed reliever that can dominate left-handed batters and be very effective against right-handed batters as well. In the end, it appears the Orioles were just not willing to pay the price to get a starter like Jon Lester or David Price, so they strengthened the back-end of their bullpen. As Duquette mentioned today, a lot of postseason games are decided late by the performance of the bullpens. Miller is having one strong season. He is 3-5 with a 2.35...

Duquette on today's trade

Duquette on today's trade
The trade today that brought Red Sox reliever Andrew Miller to Baltimore was in the works for the past few weeks, according to executive vice president Dan Duquette. It gained steam over the last three or four days, though Duquette tried to keep Double-A Bowie left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez. Duquette said he tried a few combinations, but the Red Sox wanted Rodriguez. Here's a transcript from Duquette's press conference: On the impetus for making the trade "We were looking to add some depth...

Showalter on trade

Showalter on trade
Orioles manager Buck Showalter expects new reliever Andrew Miller to arrive here around 10:30 p.m. "He's pitched the last two days," Showalter said. "He'll be in uniform and available tomorrow." The Orioles acquired Miller from the Red Sox today for minor league pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez, strengthening a bullpen that's already been solid. "He's just another good piece," Showalter said. "He goes with some other good pieces down there. He gives us more depth down there, keep...

Eduardo Rodriguez reacts to being traded by the Orioles

Eduardo Rodriguez reacts to being traded by the Orioles
He's been with the Orioles since the day he was signed by former Oriole pitcher Calvin Maduro out of Valencia, Venezuela in January 2010. But now, 21-year-old left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez is leaving the organization after being traded today to Boston for reliever Andrew Miller. Reached by phone today in Binghamton, New York where the Double-A Bowie Baysox play tonight, Rodriguez said he was surprised by the news. "They called me and said you got traded. I just have to keep doing my...

Quick hits from Camden Yards

Quick hits from Camden Yards
Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette will meet with reporters at 5 p.m. today to discuss the trade that brought left-hander Andrew Miller from the Red Sox for Double-A Bowie pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez. Duquette apparently was working on another deal at the non-waiver deadline, but I'm told the Orioles are done for today. Manager Buck Showalter said the deal wouldn't "rattle your cage." Must have been a fairly minor move. Anyway, it didn't happen. Keep in mind that more trades...

Orioles acquire Andrew Miller

Orioles acquire Andrew Miller
The Orioles have acquired Red Sox left-hander Andrew Miller from the Red Sox for Double-A Bowie pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez, according to an industry source. With this move, the Orioles currently have four left-handers in their bullpen. ESPN.com first reported that the Orioles acquired Miller. A source has confirmed that Rodriguez is involved in the trade. Rodriguez was 3-7 with a 4.79 ERA, 69 strikeouts, 29 walks in 16 starts with Bowie. He is 22-26 with a 3.45 ERA in his career in the...