New month, same Bergy?
New month, same Bergy?
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Brad Bergesen might not have flipped the page on his calendar. Bergesen was 3-0 with a 2.72 ERA in five starts last month. In his most recent outing, he held the Angels to one run over eight innings, and it scored on a questionable balk call. He doesn't look like a pitcher who needs to be shut down. Tonight, Bergesen faces the Red Sox in September. He's hoping that change is good. Bergesen is 1-2 with a 3.71 ERA lifetime against the Red Sox, with three walks and 20 strikeouts in 26 2/3...
Shutdown mode
Shutdown mode
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
September means roster expansion. It also means shutting down the occasional player. It also means shopping for school supplies, which ranks in the top three of my least-favorite tasks in life. I'd rather remove my appendix with a melon baller. But I digress... We already know that the Orioles are going to add more players from the minors, including pitcher Chris Tillman. At least one more reliever is coming up - and that doesn't include David Hernandez, who will be activated from the...
Baysox battling for playoff berth
Baysox battling for playoff berth
Steve Melewski
Orioles
The Bowie Baysox will play their final regular season home game tonight, hosting Altoona at 7:05 p.m. The Baysox are 73-64 and trail Harrisburg by a half game for second place in the Eastern League's Western Division. The top two teams make the playoffs, so the Baysox are looking to catch and pass Harrisburg. Bowie has five games remaining and Harrisburg has six. After tonight, Bowie ends the regular season with a four-game series at Richmond. Last night, Joel Guzman and Brandon Waring...
Post-game notes and quotes
Post-game notes and quotes
Steve Melewski
Orioles
Some final notes and quotes after Boston's comeback, 9-6 win over the Orioles. There are clubhouse comments from Jake Arrieta, Ty Wigginton and Nolan Reimold. Arrieta on facing Boston: "Those guys are similar to the Yankees where they see a lot of pitches, lot of veteran players that really work the counts. Felt like I was in a lot of deep counts. I felt like I did a good job at going 0-2 and getting ahead of some guys, but they fought their way back in some counts. "A basehit here...
Maya earns win and Solis throws two innings shut out ball in debut
Maya earns win and Solis throws two innings shut out ball in debut
Byron Kerr
Nationals
Cuban-born pitcher Yunesky Maya did quite well in Syracuse Wednesday, going 5 2/3 innings, allowing one run on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts and earning the win as Syracuse dropped Rochester 7-2. Maya (1-1) threw 98 pitches, 62 for strikes. Chiefs play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti said Maya had good breaking stuff and was in control most of the night. Elsewhere, left-hander Sammy Solis was perfect in his two-inning debut for Hagerstown, allowing no hits, no runs, no...
Early lead vs. Lester evaporates as Sox rally to beat O's
Early lead vs. Lester evaporates as Sox rally to beat O's
Steve Melewski
Orioles
On a night when the Orioles scored more runs vs. Jon Lester than they had in any of his previous 15 starts against them, they still could not beat him. After the Orioles had given up just three runs total during a four-game win streak, Boston stormed back with six in the 7th for a comeback, 9-6 win over the Orioles. Buck Showalter meets with the media after the O's 9-6 loss to the Red Sox Lester entered with a 12-0 record and career 2.00 ERA vs. Baltimore, but the O's scored four in the...
The 'pen wasn't mightier (w/ Showalter quotes)
The 'pen wasn't mightier (w/ Showalter quotes)
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The Orioles' bullpen gave up six runs in the seventh inning. That equals the total it allowed in the previous nine games spanning 18 innings. Alfredo Simon, who hadn't pitched since Aug. 24, has surrendered home runs in five of his last eight outings. Mark Hendrickson hadn't pitched since Aug. 22, and it's strange that I didn't notice the layoff. That's what happens when your starters are going deep in games. Heck, Rick VandenHurk moved his locker after Jim Johnson returned and I...
Bullpen meltdown
Bullpen meltdown
Steve Melewski
Orioles
Well, the Orioles won't beat Jon Lester tonight. I don't think they ever will. After torching him for five early runs, they could not score any more off him and now, in the top of the seventh, the O's bullpen had a meltdown and now Boston has a 9-5 lead. Mark Hendrickson, who had not pitched since August 22nd, worked a scoreless sixth in relief of Jake Arrieta, but he gave up a two-run homer in the 7th to tie the game. After a walk, he was replaced by Alfredo Simon, who is still...
Just like old times (updated twice)
Just like old times (updated twice)
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Tonight's attendance: 16,210. It's loud here, and only because the Red Sox have taken a 9-5 lead. Mark Hendrickson is charged with three runs in the seventh, and Alfredo Simon served up three more on Adrian Beltre's homer. Simon hasn't pitched since Aug. 24, when he gave up a run and three hits in one inning against the White Sox. Manager Buck Showalter told reporters a few days ago that Simon was fine physically, and the right-hander threw after last night's game to stay sharp. He's...
If the Orioles win tonight... (updated twice)
If the Orioles win tonight... (updated twice)
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
A victory tonight would give the Orioles their first five-game winning streak since June 17-21, 2009. Jake Arrieta has allowed three runs and six hits in five innings. He hasn't walked a batter, but he's sitting on 95 pitches. Mark Hendrickson has been warming up for a while. David Ortiz is leading off the sixth. We're facing a pitching change. Down on the farm, Triple-A Norfolk's Tim Bascom is shutting out Gwinnett on three hits through five innings. Blake Davis is playing shortstop...