Frederick is set to host the Carolina League All-Star game

Frederick is set to host the Carolina League All-Star game
OAKLAND - The All-Star break has arrived in the Single-A Carolina League, and tomorrow night the Orioles' Frederick Keys affiliate will host the All-Star game at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium. Frederick previously hosted All-Star games in 1991 and 2005. In that most recent game, the Orioles' Nick Markakis not only won the pregame Home Run Derby, but hit two homers in the game to lead the Carolina League past the California League. The All-Star Classic, presented by Visit Frederick, will...

O's senior director, international scouting Koby Perez on upcoming signing period

O's senior director, international scouting Koby Perez on upcoming signing period
For the first time in several years, the July 2 date coming up will be meaningful for Orioles fans. That is the start of a new signing period for international amateur players that can be signed when they turn 16. After years of signing a few international players, the Orioles are now making a major commitment moving forward to tapping into talent in places like the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. In an interview in May, executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias said this July 2...

Another one-run loss, plus Friday on the farm

Another one-run loss, plus Friday on the farm
That's four games on the road trip and four one-run games with three losses for the Orioles. Very competitive yet again, they did some good things but failed to win. Thanks to an error and a few timely hits, they took a 3-0 lead on Houston right-hander Gerrit Cole through four innings. Rio Ruiz had a clutch two-out, bases-loaded single in the first. Chance Sisco hit his first homer of the year and fifth of his career in the third. Sisco did a nice job to wait on a curveball over the outside...

Talking homers allowed with a catcher, plus farm notes

Talking homers allowed with a catcher, plus farm notes
Whenever an Orioles pitcher gives up a homer - and they've allowed the most in the majors this year - there is always a catcher on the other end waiting for a pitch that never gets to his mitt. The catcher can be just as frustrated as anyone that the pitch went out and Pedro Severino has been there, done that this year for the Orioles. "We all feel really bad because we don't want to miss (the location of) pitches," he told me recently. "This is the big leagues man, we are making mistakes...

Delmarva manager on Rodriguez, Hall and more (plus O's notes)

Delmarva manager on Rodriguez, Hall and more (plus O's notes)
It has been a little over two weeks since my trek to Salisbury, Md. and Perdue Stadium to see up close how the Orioles' Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds affiliate had gotten off to a remarkable 24-4 start. The Shorebirds were playing at a .857 winning percentage through 28 games and they were obviously going to cool off some. But it hasn't been much. After last night's 12-2 home win over Lakewood, the Shorebirds are 36-10 (.783). That is still easily the best-record in all of minor league full...

O's got whipped in Cleveland but go 4-0 on farm Sunday

O's got whipped in Cleveland but go 4-0 on farm Sunday
Well, the Orioles minor league affiliates went 4-0 Sunday with some real nice pitching performances. We'll get to that shortly. But the big league club got blown out 10-0 in Cleveland and the postgame interviews reflected that result. Starting pitcher Yefry Ramirez said he was "just bad." Chris Davis struck out four times against Indians right-hander Shane Bieber and said he didn't make adjustments and that was "just stupidity on my part." Manager Brandon Hyde has been remaining upbeat...

A complete team effort has keyed Delmarva's stunning start

A complete team effort has keyed Delmarva's stunning start
SALISBURY, Md. - Take a team that has gotten outstanding starting pitching and timely hitting. A team that has solid defense, great chemistry and likes to keep it loose. A team that features a young, progressive-thinking coaching staff. And you can get a team playing some good baseball. Make that great baseball. But even those connected with the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds - the Orioles' affiliate in the South Atlantic League - are honest to admit they could not have expected anything like...

O's game blog: John Means gets the start against Boston

O's game blog: John Means gets the start against Boston
After Sunday's rainout, the Orioles get back on the field tonight. The homestand, now down to eight games, continues as they open a three-game series with the Boston Red Sox. The Orioles (12-22) beat Tampa Bay 3-0 Saturday night behind Dylan Bundy's 7 1/3 innings. He threw 96 pitches in getting his first win of the year and first since Sept. 18. He snapped a career-long six-game losing streak. Boston (17-18) scored 30 runs in winning the last three games of a series in Chicago against the...

A look at short outings, Delmarva's start and a new top 100

A look at short outings, Delmarva's start and a new top 100
I'm not sure how it is going to happen, but the Orioles need to make it happen. They need to start getting more innings from their starting pitchers. The sooner the better. In 32 games during an 11-21 start, the Orioles' starting pitchers have thrown six innings or more just four times and have made only four quality starts. The starters' ERA is 5.54 and they have gone 5 1/3 or fewer innings 26 times, including in each of the last seven games. It was not a good road trip for getting deep...

Driven to win: After fast start, Mancini works to do more

Driven to win: After fast start, Mancini works to do more
He hasn't been in the Orioles lineup since the first inning on Saturday, when he got hit by a pitch on his right index finger. He suffered a painful bruise but luckily for the team, it wasn't worse than that. He should be able to return for today's doubleheader in Chicago. In Trey Mancini, the Orioles have a homegrown player who provides clubhouse leadership, is great in the community and is driven to succeed. He's having a fantastic start to his 2019 season. In 28 games and 121 plate...

More bullpen struggles and Ofelky Peralta's big strikeout game

More bullpen struggles and Ofelky Peralta's big strikeout game
There will be tough days in baseball and the Orioles had one Tuesday. They lost two pitchers to the injured list and then lost a 13-2 blowout to Oakland to fall to 5-6 on the year. They've played in three straight blowout games, losing two of them. Right-handers Nate Karns and Alex Cobb were added to the injured list yesterday. Cobb is dealing with back spasms. He had come off the IL to pitch well in the home opener versus the Yankees, allowing two runs over 5 2/3 innings. He threw his...

Minor league notes on Akin, Sedlock, Rodriguez and more

Minor league notes on Akin, Sedlock, Rodriguez and more
Here is a whole batch of minor league news and notes for today. And we add some news about draft picks as well. * Double-A Bowie left-hander Keegan Akin will return to the Baysox rotation tonight. Akin left his start on June 26 with groin tightness after he had pitched four innings. He never went on the disabled list, and the injury turned out to be a minor issue. He returns tonight with an 8-5 record and 2.63 ERA over 15 starts. He ranks second in the Eastern League in ERA. During my recent...

O's game blog: O's try to end losing streak versus K.C.

O's game blog: O's try to end losing streak versus K.C.
As the Orioles (8-27) look to break a seven-game losing streak tonight, they host the Kansas City Royals in the second game of a three-game series and nine-game homestand. Right-hander Andrew Cashner (1-4, 4.89) will make his eighth start and fifth at home. Cashner went 1-1 with a 2.50 ERA over his first three starts, but over his past four he is 0-3 with a 6.97 ERA. He's allowed 28 hits and five homers over 20 2/3 in those games. Many of Cashner's stats come up short from his 2017...

Minor league notebook: Mountcastle's return, props for Peralta & more

Minor league notebook: Mountcastle's return, props for Peralta & more
Orioles third base prospect Ryan Mountcastle is expected to join Double-A Bowie sometime in the next several days. He's played four games at extended spring training in Florida with two games in the field. He will probably head north after another three or four games in Florida and join the Baysox. Mountcastle had been out since mid-March when he was hit by a pitch in a minor league spring game and suffered a hairline fracture in his right hand. He is ranked as the No. 65 prospect in baseball...

Hearing from Buck Showalter and Dan Duquette in Norfolk

Hearing from Buck Showalter and Dan Duquette in Norfolk
NORFOLK, Va. - Orioles outfielder Trey Mancini is not expected to play in today's exhibition finale against the club's Triple-A Norfolk affiliate. It's precautionary. He tweaked his hamstring yesterday and will skip today's game in chilly Norfolk. He is expected to be ready for opening day. So is third baseman Tim Beckham, who will play in a simulated game tomorrow in Florida. Outfielder Austin Hays will bat third today in right field for Norfolk, but he is still expected to start the minor...

Another loss mixed with some facts and opinions

Another loss mixed with some facts and opinions
The latest Orioles game just produced more frustration for players and fans alike. Now at 40-45 after falling 6-4 at Minnesota, the Orioles are tied for fourth and fifth in the American League East with Toronto. So that means they are tied for last place. They have lost four in a row and six of seven. They are 18-35 since May 9, when they were 22-10 and had the best record in Major League Baseball. The team since then has seldom looked like a good team, much less a winning team. They are...

They didn't make top 10 prospects list, but could be in second 10

They didn't make top 10 prospects list, but could be in second 10
In late October, Baseball America released a new list of the Orioles' top 10 prospects, coming off the 2016 season. Today, we'll look at a few players that might make the second 10. But first, another look at Baseball America's Orioles top 10:1. Chance Sisco2. Cody Sedlock3. Ryan Mountcastle4. Hunter Harvey5. Trey Mancini6. Keegan Akin7. Austin Hays8. Jomar Reyes9. Chris Lee10. Tanner Scott Here are three players that seem likely to make the second 10, which has not been released or...

O's game blog: Wade Miley makes O's debut in Texas series finale

O's game blog: Wade Miley makes O's debut in Texas series finale
Acquired via trade from the Seattle Mariners on Sunday, left-hander Wade Miley (7-8, 4.98 ERA) makes his Orioles debut tonight against the Texas Rangers. Miley made 19 starts for the Mariners before the deal. Over his last three starts, he has pitched to an ERA of 2.79 with six walks to 17 strikeouts over 19 1/3 innings. Miley went 1-4 with an ERA of 3.45 in five July starts with a .248 batting average against. This followed a June where he went 1-2 with a 7.40 ERA in four starts with a .314...

Solid bat, improved defense have led Chance Sisco to the Futures Game

Solid bat, improved defense have led Chance Sisco to the Futures Game
He is one of the Orioles' top prospects. While he has never been ranked in an end-of-season top 100 list by Baseball America, catcher Chance Sisco was rated No. 85 yesterday when it released its mid-season top 100 prospects report. The Orioles' 21-year-old Double-A catcher is trending up. The kid the Orioles drafted out of a California high school in the second round in 2013 has always hit well for average. But this year, his defense seems to be taking some steps forward, too. All of this is...

Reimold taking advantage of chances (plus farm notes)

Reimold taking advantage of chances (plus farm notes)
ANAHEIM, Calif. - It might be one of the hardest things to do in Major League Baseball. That is not play regularly, but then come through with hits in the times when you are called on. So far this year, Orioles outfielder Nolan Reimold is handling that task well. He doesn't start every night and has just 62 at-bats and that ranks 10th on the team. But when given the opportunities, he has come through. "It's tough, you just have to stay ready," Reimold said. "The more you do it, the better...