O's game blog: O's host Twins in series opener

O's game blog: O's host Twins in series opener
The next three games at Camden Yards will match up the team with the best home record in the majors against the team with the second-best road record in the majors. The Orioles (25-17) host the Twins (22-18) to begin a three-game series tonight. The Orioles are 15-4 (.789) at home and had an eight-game win streak at Camden Yards snapped on Sunday. The Twins are 11-5 on the road. That .688 win percentage is second in baseball to the Astros' .714 (15-6 record). Minnesota begins today leading the...

Showalter on Castro, Ynoa and more (O's down 12-6)

Showalter on Castro, Ynoa and more (O's down 12-6)
Manny Machado took batting practice this afternoon and remained in the Orioles lineup for tonight's series opener against the Twins at Camden Yards. Machado still had to test his left hand after yesterday's X-rays came back negative. "Keep in mind there's three levels of X-rays, it seems like to me," said manager Buck Showalter. "There's the one local in the locker room and there's the scan and if you're still having some symptoms they go to the MRI. I guess it's because each one...

A look at some solid performances on the O's farm

A look at some solid performances on the O's farm
As the four full-season affiliates in the Orioles organization have all now played around 36 games, we've got a large enough sample size to see a few things emerge. A few quick impressions: * Ryan Mountcastle's bat has been pretty special during his debut season at age 20 in the Carolina League for Single-A Frederick. Yes, there are big questions about his defense at shortstop, but his bat looks like it has future middle-of-the-order potential. He went 4-for-5 with a triple and two RBIs last...

O's game blog: Bundy faces Boston (Bundy and O's beat Boston)

O's game blog: Bundy faces Boston (Bundy and O's beat Boston)
The Orioles begin a four-game series tonight at Boston's Fenway Park. The Orioles won all three series there last season, going 6-3. They went 1-1 this year in a two-game series on April 11-12, losing the series opener 8-1 and then winning the next night 12-5. Since the 2012 season, the Orioles are 57-42 (.576) against the Red Sox. Since that season in Boston, the Orioles have a record of 30-19 (.612). After splitting that series in Boston and taking two of three from the Red Sox earlier at...

That escalated quickly: Ugly losses follow Orioles' 4-0 start

That escalated quickly: Ugly losses follow Orioles' 4-0 start
Well, the Orioles will wake up this morning tied for first place in the American League East. So there is some good news. But entering the sixth inning at home on Sunday, the Orioles led the Yankees 3-0 and seemed headed for a 5-0 start. What has followed that is a 13-inning stretch where the Orioles have been outscored 15-1. That has led to back-to-back losses after the 4-0 start. So some things could be better. In the last two games, we've seen Darren O'Day walk three batters in an inning...

A look at minor league outfielder Austin Hays, plus other notes

A look at minor league outfielder Austin Hays, plus other notes
As a first season in professional baseball goes, it could not have gone too much better in 2016 for right-handed hitting outfielder Austin Hays. The 21-year-old Hays, the Orioles' third-round selection (No. 91 overall) last June out of Jacksonville University, made a strong debut. Over 38 games and 140 at-bats at short-season Single-A Aberdeen, Hays batted .336/.386/.514 with nine doubles, two triples, four homers, 21 RBIs and an OPS of .900. He missed time with a sprained right wrist but...

Wrapping up a 5-4 win

Wrapping up a 5-4 win
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Stefan Crichton picked up his fourth spring save today, as the Orioles defeated the Braves 5-4. Outfielder Austin Hays, a third-round pick last year, recorded the game-winning RBI with an infield hit in the ninth inning that scored Adrian Marin. The ball ricocheted off first base. Marin tagged and took third base on Cedric Mullins' fly ball to shallow right field, setting up his dash home. Manager Buck Showalter isn't ready to pronounce Wade Miley ready for opening...

Wrapping up a 6-6 tie and updating injuries

Wrapping up a 6-6 tie and updating injuries
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles were headed toward a split-squad loss today against the Twins, down by five runs with four outs left in regulation. David Washington hit a two-run homer with two outs in the eighth, Joey Rickard hit a solo shot off reliever Ryan O'Rourke with two outs in the ninth and Ryan Mountcastle launched a two-run shot to tie the game. Neither team scored in the 10th and they settled for a 6-6 tie. Another crazy day in the Grapefruit League. Manager Buck Showalter left the...

Wrapping up a 12-5 win

Wrapping up a 12-5 win
SARASOTA, Fla. - Infielders Ryan Flaherty and Paul Janish aren't expected to be ready for Thursday's split-squad games, leaving the Orioles in a bit of a roster bind as they face the Twins at home and the Yankees in Tampa. Flaherty is recovering from a sore shoulder and the Orioles want to give him one more day. Janish signed a minor league contract over the weekend and still needs to shake off some rust. The Orioles will be digging deep into their minor league camp for extra infielders,...

Gunkel scratched from today's exhibition game

Gunkel scratched from today's exhibition game
SARASOTA, Fla. - Joe Gunkel won't appear in today's exhibition game against the Pirates due to an upper respiratory infection. He was supposed to follow left-hander Wade Miley. "He could probably pitch today, but he's not feeling well," said manager Buck Showalter. "He's better than he was yesterday, but Roger (McDowell) and I decided just to be fair to him, let him get back to 100 percent before we run him out there, especially his first time out there. "We talked to him today and he...

Baseball America's top 10 Orioles prospects: Chance Sisco is No. 1

Baseball America's top 10 Orioles prospects: Chance Sisco is No. 1
After he was drafted in the first round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft, right-hander Dylan Bundy became the Orioles' No. 1 ranked prospect at the end of that season. And Bundy stayed as the club's top-ranked prospect every year after, even as he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2013. But with Bundy no longer eligible for prospects lists, there is a new Orioles No. 1. Catcher Chance Sisco's steady move up the rankings has led him to the top spot. When Baseball America released its latest...

Minor league notes on league top 20s, Chance Sisco and Tanner Scott

Minor league notes on league top 20s, Chance Sisco and Tanner Scott
Baseball America has been rolling out its top 20 prospects list for each minor league over the last several days. They have not published the Triple-A league lists yet, but so far through the Double-A level, the Orioles have had just five players make the top 20s. Four of those were off the short-season Single-A Aberdeen IronBirds team when they ranked players from the New York-Penn League. The O's top draft pick from June, Illinois right-hander Cody Sedlock, was ranked No. 5 in that league...

O's game blog: Chris Tillman faces the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre

O's game blog: Chris Tillman faces the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre
TORONTO - Still with a shot to catch the Blue Jays for the first American League wild card while also trying to hold off the teams trailing them for the second wild card, the Orioles play in Toronto tonight in the second game of a three-game series. The Birds were held to eight hits - just one for extra bases, a double - and went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position on Tuesday night. They were held to one run over six innings by Aaron Sanchez in a 5-1 loss. The Orioles (85-72) lead the...

A few things to track over the remaining 29 games (plus farm notes)

A few things to track over the remaining 29 games (plus farm notes)
Despite the avalanche of negativity on the blog and social media yesterday, I notice the Orioles have a game scheduled with the Yankees tonight. I assume they will show up. I plan to go cover it, so I hope both teams are there. Yes, of course, the Orioles' poor play has given fans plenty of reasons to doubt them. Some of you have pointed each one of them out about 1,000 times now. So yeah, we kind of get it. But they also have 29 games left, are tied for the second wild card and are four games...

O's third-round pick has strong debut, plus other notes (plus roster moves)

O's third-round pick has strong debut, plus other notes (plus roster moves)
As far as a pro debut goes, it was a pretty solid one. The Orioles' third-round draft pick, Jacksonville University outfielder Austin Hays, had three hits last night for short season Single-A Aberdeen. Hays showed some speed on his first pro hit, a gap shot to left-center field in the third inning that went for an RBI triple. He had a 3-for-4 night with a run, stolen base, an RBI and a couple of nice defensive plays. It was his first game, but not his first day with Aberdeen, and already...

Hearing from Hays following amateur draft

Hearing from Hays following amateur draft
BOSTON - Austin Hays may not be well-versed in his Orioles history, but he knows the quality that largely defines the team that drafted him. "I know they've got a lot of power in their lineup this year," said Hays, the 91st overall pick in last week's amateur draft. "They've got a chance to make some history. And they're doing really well again this year. But I haven't followed them too much growing up. I didn't have any ties to Baltimore and the Orioles." It all changed for Hays when...

Orioles select outfielder Austin Hays in 3rd round (4th, 5th round)

Orioles select outfielder Austin Hays in 3rd round (4th, 5th round)
With three college pitchers already in the fold, the Orioles began Day 2 of the First-Year Player Draft by selecting Jacksonville University outfielder Austin Hays in the third round. Hays is the 91st overall pick. Baseball America rated him No. 46 on its draft prospect list and wrote the following: "Power potential with bat and power arm make him prototype right field prospect." Hays, 20, batted .350/.406/.655 with 16 doubles, two triples, 16 home runs and 42 RBIs in 54 games as a junior. He...