O's list of Rule 5 eligible players includes pitcher Pat Connaughton

O's list of Rule 5 eligible players includes pitcher Pat Connaughton
He has only pitched 14 2/3 innings on the Orioles farm, but 24-year-old right-hander Pat Connaughton is eligible to be taken this December in the Rule 5 draft. Yep, that was fast. This will be the fourth Rule 5 draft since the Orioles selected Connaughton in round four out of Notre Dame in the 2014 draft and signed him to a bonus of $428,000. With short season Single-A Aberdeen in 2014, Connaughton pitched to a 2.51 ERA and showed a fastball that touched 96 mph with secondary pitches showing...

A look at Orioles' struggles in series-opening games this year

A look at Orioles' struggles in series-opening games this year
We have sized up some statistics in recent days and weeks that have been an issue for the Orioles at times this year, such as their starting rotation's ERA and recent batting with runners in scoring position numbers. Here is one not discussed much, but one that has been an issue for the Orioles in 2015: their losing record in series-opening games. Let's compare it to last year: * In 2014, the Orioles went 32-21 (.604) in the first game of a series, and they went 30-15-8 in series for the...