O's Unable to Send Samuel Out With a Win

The O's came close on Sunday afternoon, but were sent home losers after falling to the Kansas City Royals 5-4.

Kevin Millwood (2-11) took the loss, and was charged with five runs over 5 2/3 innings; Millwood continued a disturbing trend after allowing three runs to cross the plate in the first (over one third of Millwood's runs allowed have come in the first inning this season).

The O's bullpen pitched no-hit ball through the final frames, but the damage had been done. Luke Scott and Ty Wigginton both slapped solo shots, and Nick Markakis laced an RBI double, but the team went just 1-for-8 overall with runners in scoring position and stranded nine men on base.

The Birds dropped three of four to the Royals, and six of seven on the road trip. Juan Samuel finished his term as the O's manager with a 17-34 record, slightly better than Dave Trembley's 2010 numbers (15-39). Samuel will stay with the organization, but declined to return as the third-base coach, saying he was simply looking out for his and the players' best interests.

The Birds had Monday off, but there was plenty of activity in Baltimore...Buck Showalter was officially introduced as the Orioles 17th manager in a press conference on Monday afternoon.

A lot of fans seem to think that Tuesday is officially the start of the O's 2010 season. While it is hard to look at the first four months of Orioles baseball as spring and summer "training camp," I certainly feel that these next two months under Showalter will give the fans a much better perspective on what to expect in 2011. In that sense, it's fair to say that though the season has been over for the O's for a few months, this is a new beginning, and one worth getting excited about...

Under Showalter, the O's take the field on Tuesday night to face the Angels with Jeremy Guthrie on the mound...the Birds are a season-worst 41 games under .500. Here's looking to the future...