Simon Can't Get Final Out As O's Fall In Ninth

The O's came close to back-to-back victories against Kansas City, but Alfredo Simon fell apart with two outs in the ninth, and the Orioles lost to the Royals 7-5 on Friday night.

Jake Arrieta became the latest starter to exit a game early...Arrieta allowed three runs in the first inning before settling down, but his pitch count and lack of control led to an early departure. Arrieta walked five and allowed six hits in 4 1/3 innings. The bullpen held on and let the O's offense slowly chip away...

The Birds scored a few runs early, and waited until the eighth inning to tie and then take control of the game. It looked as if the O's would come from behind yet again, but things unraveled quickly in the bottom of the ninth...

Closer Alfredo Simon recorded two quick ground-outs before running into trouble. After a walk and a single put runners on the corners, it was clear Simon was uncomfortable on the mound. With rain falling, Simon took time-out to clear the mud caking up in his cleats. Moments later, Alex Gordon cleared the bases with a walk-off three-run blast that barely cleared the right-field fence...this one hurt, but it was only Simon's third blown save in 18 chances.

I was hoping the extra-inning victory on Thursday night would give the O's some momentum in this series, and it looked like it had...sadly, the momentum has switched back to Kansas City for Saturday's contest. The Royals send Zack Greinke to the mound to face-off against Brad Bergesen...

Extra-Inning Victory Ends Huge Day for Orioles

What a day for Orioles' fans...

Early Thursday afternoon, it was announced that Buck Showalter would be the new manager for the O's...he'll be in the dugout Tuesday when the Birds return to Camden Yards.

Just a few hours later, Miguel Tejada was traded to the San Diego Padres.

And late Thursday night, the O's beat the Kansas City Royals 6-5 in 11 innings.

Honestly, the Orioles' organization completely exhausted me today...

Back to the game...

The O's went ahead 3-0 and seemed destined for a win on this monumental day in franchise history. Brian Matusz took a no-hitter into the fourth inning but quickly fell apart...Matusz left after 3 1/3 innings and was charged with five runs off two hits and four walks...Matusz is now tied with Jeremy Guthrie with the most losses (11) of the season for an O's pitcher.

The bullpen held the Royals scoreless through the final frames, with David Hernandez (5-7) picking up the win and Alfredo Simon earning his 15th save. Hernandez now leads the O's in wins...

I'll say this much for the Birds...they certainly battled back in this one. Down 5-3, the O's tacked on a run in the sixth and tied the game with a solo homer from Corey Patterson in the eighth. Ty Wigginton's sac fly in the 11th plated Brian Roberts and gave the O's the 6-5 lead...still, the O's went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position while stranding 11 men on base...good thing they were playing Kansas City.

The Birds try to make it two straight on Friday night. The consensus in the clubhouse seems to be to play hard for Juan Samuel, and send him back to third base coach on a high note. Jake Arrieta takes the mound for the O's...

O's Drop 12th Straight Game to Jays

It's almost unbelievable...the Birds have yet to beat the Blue Jays this season, and were swept out of Toronto after a 5-o defeat on Wednesday night.

For once, an O's starter went deep into a game, but it wasn't enough for this squad...Jeremy Guthrie went seven strong innings but was tagged with the loss, though he allowed just one unearned run. Guthrie allowed just six hits and a walk, but was betrayed by his defense in the second inning, when Corey Patterson misplayed a single that allowed a runner to score from first base.

It wasn't just the defense that turned on Guthrie...

The Orioles managed just three hits throughout the game...Brian Roberts led-off with a single, Jake Fox singled in the seventh, and Ty Wigginton slapped a double in the ninth to account for all of the O's offensive highlights.

Meanwhile, the bullpen collapsed through the final two frames, with Koji Uehara and Will Ohman allowing four runs to put the game well out of reach for the Birds.

If it's not one thing with this team, it's the other. Guthrie came through with one of his best starts of the season, but an error eventually saddled him with yet another loss. The bullpen was ineffective, and the offense was non-existent...

The Birds now head to Kansas City to take on the Royals for a four-game set. At least they have a CHANCE of winning this series...Brian Matusz takes the mound for the O's on Thursday night.

Millwood Hit Hard as O's Drop Fourth Straight

The O's dropped their 11th straight game to Toronto this season, falling to the Blue Jays 8-2 on Tuesday night.

Kevin Millwood became the latest starter to get knocked out early, as he lasted just 5 1/3 innings and left with the Birds trailing 6-0. Millwood (2-10) is now the third O's starter to hit the 10-loss mark, joining Jeremy Guthrie (4-10) and Brian Matusz (3-11) as the O's "biggest losers." If Brad Bergesen (3-9) isn't sent down to Norfolk, he'll have a chance to join the exclusive club next week...

The Birds were kept off the board until the eighth inning, and went just 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. After the O's managed to score twice in the top of the inning, Toronto answered right back with two runs in the bottom half to erase any hope of an Orioles' comeback...

Jeremy Guthrie takes the mound Wednesday night, as he and the Birds attempt to beat a Toronto club that has owned the team all year long...good-luck, Guth.

O's Lose Long-Ball Battle in Toronto

Both the Orioles and the Blue Jays blasted three homers each, but it was Toronto that came out on top, beating the O's 9-5 on Monday night.

Brad Bergesen lasted just five innings, and allowed all three of Toronto's homers. Bergesen was charged with eight runs off ten hits...seven of the ten hits went for extra bases (add four doubles to the three dingers). Simply put, Bergesen was hit...hard.

With the team trailing 8-0 in the sixth, the O's offense suddenly came to life...Matt Wieters smacked a two-run shot to put the Birds on the board, and Luke Scott followed in the seventh with another two-run blast. Scott now leads the team with 17 round-trippers. Wieters went deep again in the eighth (the first muli-homer game of his career), but that was all the O's could manage as they dropped their tenth straight to Toronto this season.

After the game, I heard a strange and disturbing stat: this was the 20th straight Monday night game that the Orioles have lost, setting a new MLB record...and I thought Sunday's were bad last season! The Birds are 0-8 this season on Monday's...

The O's send Kevin Millwood to the mound Tuesday night...hopefully the team can manage to take down Toronto for the first time in 2010. Tuesday will mark the 100th game for the Birds (31-68) this season.

O's Drop Another One

The Birds finished off what could have been a promising homestand with yet another loss, falling to the Twins 10-4 on Sunday afternoon.

Don't let the final score fool you...this one was over early. Jake Arrieta became the latest starter to get roughed-up in the early innings, and the over-worked bullpen couldn't keep the Twins off the board in the later innings, either.

The Orioles struck first, scoring in the bottom of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. That lead was short-lived, as the Twins scored four runs off a grand slam in the third and continued tacking on runs through the next three frames. Jake Arrieta gave up five runs on seven hits and four walks through four innings, and Mark Hendrickson was unable to stop the bleeding, yielding another four runs off eight hits through three frames. Overall, the Twins smacked 19 hits off O's pitchers, with three homers, a double and a triple...

Once again, the O's offense was nowhere to be found. After manufacturing a run in the first, the Birds didn't score again until the ninth inning, down 10-1. The O's had 10 hits, with five coming in the ninth, where they scored three times in a game that was all but over. Luke Scott remains the lone bright spot offensively: Scott went 2-for-3 with two doubles and a walk, and now boasts a higher batting average (.296) than Nick Markakis (.294).

The Birds finished the homestand with a 2-8 record, and now head to Toronto to begin a seven-game road trip. Brad Bergesen takes the mound for the O's on Monday night...

Scott Provides All the Offense as O's Fall

The Birds couldn't get it done against the Twins on Saturday night, falling to the visiting Minnesota Twins 7-2.

Luke Scott provided all of the O's offense with a two-run bomb in the fourth inning, giving the Birds a brief 2-1 lead. The Twins stormed back with two more runs in the fifth, and went on to score another four times off the O's bullpen...

Brian Matusz struggled early, walking the bases loaded in the first inning, but escaped the jam allowing just one run. Matusz lasted five innings, allowing three runs on six hits and three walks while fanning five...he now leads the team with 11 losses this season.

The Twins pretty much teed-off on the O's pitching, scoring seven runs off 14 hits and five walks...the Birds managed just six hits (Scott had two of them) and went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

The Birds finish up the 10-game homestand later this afternoon...a win would give them a split of the series against Minnesota and a 3-7 record on the homestand. The O's send Jake Arrieta to the mound...

Guthrie Gets a Win on B-Rob's Return

The Birds welcomed back Brian Roberts with a big win on Friday night, as they took down the Twins 3-2 at Camden Yards.

Jeremy Guthrie looked stellar for the second consecutive start, and gave up just two runs on six hits over seven innings. Guthrie matched his season high with six strikeouts (he struck out six in his last outing as well) and did not issue a walk. The bullpen held on to the one-run lead in the eighth, and Alfredo Simon picked up his 14th save of the season to even the series with Minnesota.

It was good to see Roberts leading-off in the first inning...though he went 0-for-4 with a strikeout, just his presence on the field made me feel better about this O's team. Roberts was smiling throughout the game, and it was just obvious he was happy to be on the field with the rest of the worst team in baseball...hopefully, he can help turn things around.

After the O's took a 1-0 lead in the first, both teams were held scoreless until Guthrie gave up a two-run shot in the top of the sixth inning. Luke Scott answered right back with a two-run blast of his own in the bottom half of the inning, and the Birds kept the Twins off the board through the final frames.

The O's try to turn this win into a streak on Saturday night...Brian Matusz is slated to take the mound for the Birds.

Only The Bats Went Down Quietly...

What a crazy game...three ejections in the seventh inning...a fan was arrested in the eighth...and the Orioles were shut out, 5-0 by Carl Pavano and his Minnesota Twins at Camden Yards.

Kevin Millwood returned to the Orioles' starting rotation on Thursday night, and promptly got welcomed back by the Twins, as Minnesota scored three runs in the first inning off a bases-loaded double. Millwood (2-9) settled down the rest of the way, but was charged with five runs and yet another loss after departing in the seventh inning.

Ahh...the seventh inning. That's when things got exciting for O's fans (sadly, when your team is the worst in all of baseball, you have to find entertainment in places other than the standings).

Ty Wigginton was the first Oriole to be ejected...after Millwood gave up a lead-off single, an attempted steal turned into an easy pick-off...Wigginton's tag on the runner at first base was ruled too late, or even non-existent,and Wiggy went off! After being tossed by the ump, and restrained by skipper Juan Samuel, play resumed...

The next batter singled off Millwood, scoring the "should have been out by a mile" runner, and pitching coach Rick Kranitz clapped loudly from the dugout...a little too loudly, considering he was the second Oriole to be ejected in a five-minute time span.

Juan Samuel had seen enough, and stormed out of the dugout, cursing and flailing his arms like a madman...Samuel was tossed, reminiscent of Earl Weaver as he threw and kicked at his cap...

Three up, three down.

In all the commotion, it was easy to miss out on the fact that Millwood was replaced by Michael Gonzalez, the O's closer in April who hadn't pitched since the first week of the season. Gonzo pitched out of trouble, had good velocity, and is certainly welcomed back with open arms to an over-worked bullpen.

The eighth inning brought even more excitement for the home crowd...a fan streaked onto the field, and after jumping the outfield fence, came back for an encore. Watching on TV, I couldn't see the on-field shenanigans, but was hoping there would be stories of a tasing in the paper today...apparently the fan was cornered by police and taken into custody.

After all the excitement though, the reality is this: the Orioles lost again. And not only did the team lose at home again, the Birds suffered a complete-game shutout. That's never pretty. The O's and Twins still have three games to go in this series, but the first game, though memorable in many ways, should be forgotten...Jeremy Guthrie takes the mound for the Birds on Friday night.

O's Rally Falls Just Short

The O's missed out on a chance to win a series against the Tampa Bay Rays, falling 5-4 on Wednesday afternoon at Camden Yards.

After the Orioles took the game late Tuesday night, it looked like the momentum would be in Baltimore's favor.

But the Rays beat up on Brad Bergesen early, taking a 4-0 lead into the fourth inning. The O's battled back, and scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth and another run in the fifth to tie the game. Time for a little O's magic...

Jason Berken came on to relieve Bergesen and walked in the go-ahead run in the sixth inning, which would prove to be the game winner. The run was charged to Bergesen (3-8), who continues to struggle this season after a spectacular rookie year.

Offensively, the Birds showed some power on Wednesday afternoon: Ty Wigginton smacked his team-leading 16th homer in the fourth and slapped a double down the line in the eighth inning. The O's collected nine hits; five of them went for extra-bases. Yet the Birds went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base.

After starting the 10-game homestand 1-5, the Orioles have a chance to even things out with the Minnesota Twins coming to town for a four-game set. Kevin Millwood, fresh off the DL, gets the nod on Thursday night.

Birds' Bats Break Through in Extra-Inning Thriller

The Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays battled back and forth for nearly five hours on Tuesday night, but it was the O's that ended up on top with an 11-10 victory in 13 innings at Camden Yards.

The Birds jumped out to an early 3-0 lead with three consecutive solo home runs in the second inning...after Luke Scott got things started, Ty Wigginton and Adam Jones followed with blasts that put the O's on the board and brought the crowd to its feet. It was the first time the Orioles had hit back-to-back-to-back homers since 1995. Scott connected for another round-tripper in the third inning.

Tampa Bay hit solo home runs off starter Jake Arrieta in both the third and fourth innings, and with the O's ahead 4-2, all six runs had come from solo shots...Tampa Bay added another run on the eighth inning on yet another solo homer. Strangely enough, all seven long balls hit on Tuesday night came with the bases empty...

The two teams battled back and forth over the later innings...the O's lost the early lead in the sixth inning but continued to keep the game close with timely hitting. Down 9-7 heading into the ninth, Miguel Tejada connected for his second two-run double of the night, knotting the game at nine and sending it into extra innings.

After the Rays scored a run in the top of the 12th, the Orioles answered right back with a run to keep the game alive. Koji Uehara shut down Tampa in the 13th and picked up his first win after the Birds methodically took down Lance Cormier (remember him?) in the bottom of the inning...

Cesar Izturis led-off with a walk, and Felix Pie advanced him to second with a sacrifice bunt. Julio Lugo, who had entered the game in the ninth as a pinch-runner for Tejada, slapped a single to right field to score Izturis and give the O's a dramatic come-from-behind victory.

With the win, the Birds are now 30-63 for the season and have won their first game of the second half. After playing until almost midnight, both teams will take the field early Wednesday afternoon for the series finale. Brad Bergesen gets the start for the O's...

Tillman Tagged for Eight Runs in Loss

The Orioles dropped their fourth straight game, falling 8-1 to the Tampa Bay Rays Monday night at Camden Yards.

O's starter Chris Tillman took the loss, after lasting just 2 1/3 innings and giving up all eight runs on seven hits, four walks and a hit batter. The bullpen allowed just two hits and two walks over the final six frames, but Tampa's seven-run third inning proved to be the difference in the ballgame.

What happened to the O's offense? The team has come back from the break looking just like they did during the early months of the season. The Birds had seven hits but managed just one run for the second straight game. It's almost an unbelievable statistic: over the last two games (both blowout losses) the O's have collected 19 hits but have scored just two runs...

After heading into the break on an impressive four-game winning streak, the O's have now dropped four straight at home. The Orioles scored 23 runs in the four games against Texas, but have scored just six runs in the last four contests.

And the Birds (29-63) still own the worst record in all of baseball...

The O's send Jake Arrieta to the mound on Tuesday night to try and right the ship...here's hoping the team can pick up win number 30.

Matusz, Birds Blown Away

The O's were swept by Toronto for the third time this season after the visiting Blue Jays crushed them 10-1 on Sunday afternoon.

The Orioles went ahead 1-0 in the first inning before Toronto stormed back with ten unanswered runs. O's starter Brian Matusz lasted just 1 2/3 innings and was charged with six runs off five hits, two walks and a hit batter. It was Matusz's shortest outing of his young career; his tenth loss of the season now ties him with fellow starter Jeremy Guthrie (3-10) for the most losses in the A.L.

What a season this has been...the Birds probably won't have a starter with 20 wins, but there's a chance the team could have three 20-game losers (Kevin Millwood (2-8) should return from the DL this week)!

Once again, the offense managed some hits (12 compared to Toronto's 15) but were unable to produce any runs...the Birds stranded 11 men on base and went just 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position. Unbelievable.

On the plus-side, Nick Markakis slapped two doubles and now leads the Majors with 31.

The Orioles take on the Tampa Bay Rays for a three-game set beginning Monday night...Chris Tillman is slated to take the mound for the Birds.

Berken Blows Guthrie's Chance

The Birds blew a chance to beat the visiting Toronto Blue Jays for the first time this season, falling 3-2 on Saturday night.

Jeremy Guthrie gave up a lead-off home run to begin the game, but went 6 2/3 strong innings and left with the O's clinging to a 2-1 lead.

Jason Berken, the best pitcher out of the 'pen all season long, gave up a two-run shot in the eighth inning to give the Jays a 3-2 lead.

The offense had plenty of chances to win this one late...

The Birds had runners on the corners with just one out and Nick Markakis at the plate...Markakis grounded into a double play to end the threat.

In the bottom of the ninth, the hitters showed patience at the plate and managed to load the bases on three free passes...with two outs, number nine hitter Cesar Izturis grounded out to end the game. Izturis remained in due to the fact he singled in both Orioles' runs with the bases loaded in the fifth inning. Izturis couldn't get it done a second time though, and the Birds dropped another game.

Brian Matusz takes the mound Sunday afternoon in the series finale. The O's are in danger of being swept in three straight series against Toronto...

O's Start Second Half with a Loss

The O's saw their four-game win streak come to an end, as they fell to the visiting Toronto Blue Jays 4-2 on Friday night.

It was nice to see baseball played again after having a few days off; it would have been much nicer to see the Birds win five straight for the first time this season.

Starter Brad Bergesen wasn't at his best, and let the Jays take an early lead and build on it. The Jays scored single runs in the first through third innings, and tagged Bergesen for a fourth run in the sixth.

The Orioles had multiple chances to score throughout the game, particularly in the later frames. The Birds scored twice in the fifth but left runners at second and third to end the inning. Overall, the O's went 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position and stranded six men on base. As a team, the birds managed just seven hits while striking out eight times (Adam Jones struck out three times).

The one positive? The bullpen impressed again...four relievers combined to pitch the final three frames, allowing just one hit and one base on balls.

The Birds have now dropped seven straight games against Toronto this season...they'll go for win number one on Saturday night...Jeremy Guthrie takes the mound for the O's.

Birds Soar Into Break On A High Note

The O's are flying high after completing a four-game sweep of the Texas Rangers on Sunday afternoon...the Birds won 4-1 and set a few important milestones in the process.

LEGAL DISCLAIMER!

I haven't actually researched these stats myself, so don't get nuts on me if this is not accurate, but this was the first four-game road series the team has swept since 1995, and the first four-game sweep in Arlington since 1976. Thank-you Orioles.com.

END OF LEGAL DISCLAIMER!

This fact I know for sure...the O's won it's first series on the road all season long, and did it in glorious fashion with a four-game sweep of the first-place Texas Rangers. The team battled back from big deficits, won in extra innings, beat a Cy Young winner on his big homecoming debut and basically just looked like a team that could overcome any obstacle and would not quit.

Yup...the Orioles...worst team in all of baseball. Did that look like the same team you've been watching all season?

Let's face the facts.

Dave Trembley had to go. This team has been playing with heart since Juan Samuel took the reigns. In the past three weeks the Birds have had two four-game winning streaks. They were able to manage just two three-game winning streaks before that over the first three months! Granted, one of the streaks came at home and mostly at the expense of the Washington Nationals...but all four of those wins were come-from-behind victories! And to see the Birds sweep Texas in four games in Arlington was unbelievable...this is the same organization that trounced the O's 30-3 just two years ago (coincidentally, the same day Trembley was announced as the manager).

Sorry...let me settle down here. Jake Arrieta (3-2) took the win Sunday afternoon after yet another stellar performance. Arrieta went 6 1/3 innings and allowed just one run (a first inning solo homer) on six hits while walking two and fanning three. Again, the bullpen held on, with Jason Berken continuing to look like the reliever of the year and Alfredo Simon picking up yet another save.

Yeah...I may be guilty of drinking the orange Kool-Aid...but what I have seen in the past month is what I had expected from this team all season long. I've said it many times before: I'd much rather see the O's struggle in the first half and finish the season strong than the other way around. We are all used to watching the O's fall apart through the last three months of the season; wouldn't it be better to deal with the early season struggles and watch a competitive team dominate in the second half?

Of course, that may not happen either. The Orioles (29-59) are 30 games under .500 and are still the worst team in the league. The past few weeks have been encouraging, and with the added confidence that can only come from winning, this team could be hard to beat in the second half. Juan Samuel has stepped-up and put some life into his players, yet may be gone in the next few days.

With no O's games to blog about, I'd like to delve into that topic Monday night...should Juan Samuel be replaced if Buck Showalter accepts the job? Obviously Buck has the prior experience Andy MacPhail desires, but Samuel has taken a team with no hope and transformed it into a team that believes it can win no matter what the odds or circumstances. Honestly, when can you remember more comeback victories then in the past few weeks? Samuel led the O's to a 14-20 record in 34 games...that's pretty much half of the O's wins all season coming under Samuel's watch. Again, the games weren't blowouts...the Orioles played as a team and showed they are a Major League club with talent. Of course, these young Birds could use a manager with some winning experience, and the Orioles would be lucky to have Buck Showalter come to Baltimore.

That's it for now...I'll post again on the managerial topic and once more on Wiggy's performance before the Orioles start the better half of the season...

Cliff Lee Who?

Just kidding...we all still know who Cliff Lee is. But Chris Tillman and the O's offense stole his thunder on Saturday night, as the Birds beat Texas for the third straight game, 6-1.

In Lee's debut as a Texas Ranger, Tillman out-pitched his mound counterpart. Tillman took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and took the win, allowing one unearned run through 7 1/3 solid frames, walking one and fanning three.

The Birds welcomed Lee to Texas with home runs in three consecutive innings...Nick Markakis went deep in the fourth, Cesar Izturis blasted a solo shot (his first round-tripper of the season) in the fifth and Adam Jones hit a two-run bomb in the sixth inning to give the O's a 5-0 lead. Jones' 14th homer ties him with Ty Wigginton for most on the club this season...

Believe it or not, this marks the first time the Birds have won a road series all season! The two teams go at it again Sunday afternoon...Jake Arrieta takes the mound for the Orioles, who have a chance to sweep Texas before heading into the All-Star Break.

Best. Comeback. Ever?

O.K. Maybe it wasn't the greatest comeback of all-time, (remember the Red Sox game last July?) but it was, in a word, amazing. The O's took down the Texas Rangers 7-6 in 10 innings on Saturday morning.

The Birds were down by four runs in the ninth inning, and loaded the bases against Texas' All-Star closer Neftali Feliz. With two outs and down to his last strike, Corey Patterson launched a grand slam to tie the game. After Jason Berken held the Rangers scoreless in the bottom of the frame, Jake Fox slapped a solo shot to lead-off the tenth inning and give the Birds their first lead of the game.

Alfredo Simon got the Rangers 1-2-3 in the bottom of the tenth to pick up the save, while Berken took the win. Brian Matusz, who was tagged for four runs through three innings, was spared the loss thanks to the comeback kids. The bullpen was spectacular again; Texas' final two runs in the eighth inning were unearned due to a pair of defensive errors by the O's.

After basically giving the Rangers those two runs before heading into the ninth inning, it would have been easy for the Orioles to lay down and die. But for the second straight game, the O's wouldn't quit and managed to pull out the win. I've gotta say, I am impressed...two straight against the first-place Rangers is tough to do for any team, especially come-from-behind victories.

I'm hoping some fans didn't miss out on watching this miraculous comeback...the game was delayed for 2 hours, 29 minutes due to rain, and thanks to the O's late-inning heroics, the final out came around 2:30 on Saturday morning. For those who stayed up, it was well worth it!

The Birds look to make it three straight on Saturday night, but it won't be easy. Chris Tillman, back from Triple-A Norfolk, is slated to take the mound for the O's. He'll get to face newly-acquired Cy Young winner Cliff Lee...welcome back to the Majors, Chris!

Birds Battle Back to Win in Texas

The Orioles overcame three errors and a four-run deficit to beat the Texas Rangers 6-4 on Thursday night.

Jeremy Guthrie was sloppy, allowing four runs and five walks over 4 2/3 innings, but the bullpen backed him up with 4 1/3 scoreless frames.

The offense slowly chipped away, and scored six unanswered runs in the final five innings. Scott Moore put the Birds on the board with a solo shot in the fifth, and Felix Pie launched a solo homer in the seventh.

Texas slowly unraveled in the top of the eight inning...Nick Markakis led-off and reached first on a fielding error before stealing second. Ty Wigginton singled to put runners on the corners before Adam Jones was plunked by a pitch on an 0-2 count to load the bases. The game was tied after Pie was hit by a pitch, and back-up catcher Craig Tatum drove in the go-ahead run with a walk. Julio Lugo singled with one out to give the Birds a 6-4 lead...

Let's recap: two hits (both singles), a walk, an error and two batters hit by a pitch...sounds like the Birds got lucky, huh? I've seen it happen to us too many times before, so it was nice to see the "baseball gods" smile down on the O's for a change...

While the offense chipped away, the bullpen was impressive, allowing just two hits and a walk through the final frames...David Hernandez (4-7) took the win, though he allowed both hits in relief. Alfredo Simon picked up his 11th save in 13 attempts.

The Birds look to make it two straight on Friday night...Brian Matusz takes the mound for the O's.

After My Vacation, It Seems O's Really Need A Break

Well, it's good to be back...

I've gotta say I had a better week than the O's.

Obviously I don't plan on recapping every game since Saturday, so here's a quick run-down:

Saturday night: O's lose to Red Sox 9-3. Jake Fox hits his first home run as an Oriole.

Sunday afternoon: Orioles over Boston 6-1. Great ballgame on Independence Day! Brian Matusz went seven strong, giving up two hits while walking three and fanning eight to pick up the win.

Monday afternoon: O's lose a shoot-out in Detroit 12-9. Kevin Millwood gave up five runs in just an inning of work and is later placed on the 15-day DL.

Tuesday evening: O's bullpen blows lead in ninth and then game in 11th...Birds lose 7-5.

Wednesday night: Orioles never had a lead and lost 4-2. Birds swept out of Detroit.

Next up: O's take on Texas for a four-game series before the All-Star Break.

I'll be back on my normal posting schedule from now on...

Update: I'm at the beach...I'll be watching but not posting on vacation...Happy 4th and Let's Go O's!

Bergesen's Solid Start Wasted in Loss to Sox

The Birds came oh-so-close to taking out the Red Sox at Fenway Park, but fell 3-2 on Friday night.

O's starter Brad Bergesen was magnificent, going 7 2/3 innings and allowing just three runs off five hits while walking none and fanning seven. Bergesen left with two outs in the eighth after allowing a double to Marco Scutaro...Will Ohman came on in relief and allowed a bloop single that gave the Sox a 3-2 lead and eventually the win.

Two of the five hits the Sox collected off Bergesen were solo home runs off the bat of J.D. Drew...Drew homered in the second inning to give Boston a 1-0 lead, and again in the fifth to knot the game at 2 (of course, replays showed that Drew's first "home run" never actually cleared the fence, but the O's never challenged the call).

Nick Markakis hit his fourth homer of the season in the fourth inning to put the O's on the board, and Corey Patterson's RBI single in the fifth gave the Birds a brief lead before the Sox came back to tie and eventually win the game.

Most fans (myself included) are wondering why Bergesen was pulled in favor of Ohman...Bergesen was at 100 pitches and had completely dominated Boston's lineup (with Drew as the lone exception). Juan Samuel reasoned that with two leftys coming to bat, Ohman was the best fit. Of course, Terry Francona countered with a righty off the bench, and moments later the Sox took the lead...

It was definitely a hard loss for Bergesen and the Birds, but it was quite a game to watch. The Orioles send Jeremy Guthrie to the mound on Saturday night...hopefully he can even the series...Go O's!

Birds Leave Baltimore on a Sour Note

I was pretty excited for this game...Josh Bell was called up to play shortstop, Jake Arrieta was on the mound, and the O's were in position to win two consecutive series for the first time this season...

It didn't happen.

The Birds scored first, but fell to the Oakland A's 8-1 on Thursday night.

Bell went 1-for-4 and was charged with a throwing error.

Arrieta (2-2) took the loss.

On the bright side, the Orioles had a winning homestand, going 5-4 against the Marlins, Nationals and Athletics...

Now the Birds need to try to win away from home...they face Boston and Tim Wakefield Friday night to begin a 10-game road trip...Brad Bergesen takes the mound for the O's.

Yard Birds

The O's tied a season-high with five homers on Wednesday night, beating the Oakland A's 9-6 at Camden Yards.

(It's hard to believe, but the Birds hit five homers against the Red Sox on May 1st...)

Just like the previous wins over the past week, it wasn't easy...the Orioles had to come from behind yet again...

The O's went up 3-0 thanks to Adam Jones. Jones blasted a two-run shot in the second inning and followed that with an RBI double in the third.

The Birds played sloppy defense in the fourth...two errors in the inning helped the A's put up six runs and take a commanding 6-3 lead.

The bullpen was spectacular yet again, shutting down Oakland for the rest of the game (five relievers through four innings surrendered just two hits, one walk and no runs), and the offense sprung to life to give the O's yet another come-from-behind victory.

Jones, Ty Wigginton and Miguel Tejada all smacked two-run blasts, while Corey Patterson and Luke Scott each had solo shots. After Wigginton tied the game, Scott went deep to give the Birds a 7-6 lead in the seventh inning that they would never relinquish...

The bad news: Scott injured his hamstring rounding first base (not thinking the ball was gone, Scott hustled around first), and will probably be out until after the All-Star Break...

The O's finish the homestand Thursday night...Jake Arrieta takes the mound...let's see if the Birds can take two straight series! Go O's!

O's Win Streak Comes to an End

You can't win them all, right?

The O's snapped a season-high four-game win streak on Tuesday night, falling 4-2 to the visiting Oakland A's.

Brian Matusz had yet another quality start, but was saddled with the loss. After starting the season with two straight wins, Matusz has lost nine straight, though he has pitched far better than his record shows.

The Birds went down early but were in the game until the end. Koji Uehara came on to pitch the ninth inning with the O's trailing 3-2, and allowed Oakland to push another run across the plate.

The Orioles were held to just five hits, but at least the power swings are still there...four of the five hits were doubles. The team showed patience at the plate as well, drawing seven walks, but was unable to get that big hit when it counted...the O's went just 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base.

As I stated before, the day off on Monday may have been a bad thing for the team...normally the Birds need to rest up, but the momentum was all theirs and it would have been nice to see them extend the winning streak to five.

Still, Wednesday is another day...the O's send Kevin Millwood to the mound, looking for his third straight victory.

Orioles Magic is Officially Back in Baltimore...

Dare I say it?

After the Birds won their fourth straight game on Sunday afternoon, sweeping the Nationals with a 4-3, come-from-behind victory, I feel pretty confident that the magic is back. At least for now...

Honestly...who in their right mind could have predicted this? The Birds hadn't won four straight games all season. The winning streak includes one lopsided victory (Thursday night's 11-4 thrashing of the Florida Marlins) but each contest against Washington was decided by one run.

And the Orioles trailed in each and every game...in order: down 3-0, down 6-0, down 5-0 and then down 3-0 again on Sunday. But the O's played as a team...the starters were not spectacular but never let the game get TOO out of hand, the bullpen was magnificent and the offense stepped-up and started scoring runs.

Let's just say I've been in a better mood this week than I have been all season.

Sadly, the Orioles have Monday off. This is the first time all season I have been upset that the team was not playing the next day...it's usually been a time for them to rest, lick their wounds and try to forget about the previous series.

Not this week...hopefully the O's can keep the momentum going...Brian Matusz leads the Birds against the visiting Oakland A's Tuesday night. Go O's!

Birds Battle Back, Win Third Straight

The O's rallied from a five-run deficit to defeat the Washington Nationals 6-5 on Saturday night.

You read that right...

A day after rallying from six runs down to win by a run, the Birds pulled off another improbable comeback to win their third straight game.

I don't want to get too crazy, but this looks like an entirely different team over the last few games. Throughout this entire miserable season, if the O's went down early they typically stayed down. I know this is the Nationals, not the Yankees, but the comebacks have been amazing to watch.

The offense has come to life, and the players are getting hits when it counts. The Birds are finally hitting for some power as well. For the most part, even the calls have been going the O's way...

The starting pitching has been lacking, but the bullpen has been absolutely incredible as of late. Four relievers combined to allow just two base-runners (one hit, one walk) through the final five frames on Saturday...

The Birds wrap up Interleague play against the Nats on Sunday afternoon. Jeremy Guthrie takes the mound as the O's attempt to sweep the Nationals back to D.C. and win four straight for the first time all season...Go O's!

Back-to-Back Wins? O' Yeah!

The Birds came from behind to beat the Washington Nationals 7-6 on Friday night at Camden Yards. It was the first time that the O's posted consecutive victories since mid-May.

The Orioles were down 6-0 in the fourth inning, but battled back to tie the game in the eighth and walk off with a victory in the ninth. It was the biggest comeback for the O's this season...

Jake Arrieta got hit hard early on, but the bullpen combined for 4 2/3 innings of scoreless ball, allowing the offense to slowly creep back into the game.

Best managerial call of the game: Juan Samuel took slumping Garrett Atkins out in the eighth inning...Atkins was 0-for-3 and had grounded into a double-play with the bases loaded in the second inning. Pinch-hitter Scott Moore launched a two-run blast that put the O's within a run.

The Birds look to make it three straight Saturday afternoon...Brad Bergesen is expected to make the start. Go O's!

Millwood Wins Again Behind Offensive Outburst

Be honest...were you cheering for the O's on Thursday night? I know I was.

The Orioles busted out of a slump in a BIG way, crushing the visiting Florida Marlins 11-5 at Camden Yards.

After starter Kevin Millwood allowed two runs in the first inning and another one in the second, it looked as if the Birds were doomed and Millwood would lose yet again.

But this time, something happened.

Signs of life, a spark, something different...whatever it was (and I'm not calling it Orioles Magic this year) put a smile on my face and of any Oriole fan that has been dreading every game, yet watching and hoping and waiting...

The Orioles offense simply EXPLODED. Six straight hits (O's hadn't done that since 2008) in the third inning resulted in five runs, giving Millwood some breathing room. At one point, the O's went 5-for-5 with runners in scoring position...honestly, this game was unreal.

Millwood lasted just five innings and gave up four runs, but the offense never let up...Adam Jones went deep in the fifth inning (his second solo shot in as many games) and the Birds just kept tacking on runs...another run in the sixth, three in the seventh (Miguel Tejada's three-run blast gave him four RBIs for the game) and another run in the eighth...

The 17 hits tied a season-high from April, when the Birds took down the Boston Red Sox and we all still believed the best was yet to come...

Still, this was nice. The Birds won their 20th game of the year, the fans left happy, and Kevin Millwood finally got another win.

The O's take on the Washington Nationals over the weekend...Jake Arrieta tries to push the win streak to "2"...here's hoping the bats still have some heat left in them...

Matusz Can't Hold on as O's Lose Another

For once, it looked like the O's were on the right track.

The Birds scored four runs in the second inning on Wednesday night, but eventually fell to the Florida Marlins 7-5 at Camden Yards.

The O's hit back-to-back solo shots to start the second, and added another two runs to take a commanding 4-0 lead...Adam Jones and Luke Scott both went deep, and Corey Patterson picked up two RBIs with a single (Patterson finished the game with three knocked in).

But lefty rookie Brian Matusz just couldn't get it done...immediately after the Birds staked him a comfortable lead, Matusz allowed two 2-run shots in the third inning to knot the game at four each, and allowed another two runs to cross the plate in the seventh to put Florida up for good.

Closer Alfredo Simon pitched the ninth (for some reason) and allowed the Marlins to score another insurance run, after the Birds had put one more on the board in the bottom of the eighth. The O's could have scored more, but a strange call involving Matt Wieters bunting with two on and none out ended with the "speedy" Luke Scott out at third base...

The O's try it again Thursday night...Kevin Millwood takes the mound as the Birds try to win game number 20 of the season before the All-Star Break.

Another Disgusting Loss...

What a shame this season has been...just one disappointment after another.

The O's returned home to Camden Yards and promptly lost yet another game in stellar fashion, falling 10-4 to the Florida Marlins.

Jeremy Guthrie gave up four runs in the second inning but settled down and managed to pitch into the seventh. The early runs were too much for the O's to overcome, even though Matt Wieters brought the Birds to within a run in the bottom of the second inning with a three-run blast...

Other than that offensive glimmer, the Birds were kept in check (as usual) throughout the game. Luke Scott's sacrifice fly in the eighth inning was the only other run the team managed all game. The O's had 10 hits but went just 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position, while stranding six men on base...pretty much business as usual for the Orioles.

The O's lead the Majors with 51 losses, and still need one more victory to hit 20 wins on the season...the Birds send Brian Matusz to the mound on Wednesday night. Let's Go, O's...

Millwood Records First Win; Arrieta Takes a Loss

I actually had a post written for Saturday night's game, but the "autosave" function betrayed me and I'd rather not write that post all over again...

Not that it wasn't stellar...and a long time coming.

Kevin Millwood picked up his first win in an Orioles uniform on Saturday night...the O's won 5-4.

The Orioles looked primed to keep the streak alive on Sunday afternoon, but fell to the San Diego Padres 9-4.

Jake Arrieta was unable to keep his win streak intact, and lost for the first time in the Majors...

Life is strange, isn't it? Especially when it involves the 2010 Baltimore Orioles.

Millwood, a veteran, allowed three runs in the first inning on Saturday (although all three crossed the plate due to a defensive miscue by the O's) but grinded out six innings and eventually took the win...it wasn't easy...Alfredo Simon allowed a run and had the tying run on third base before picking up his first save since returning from the DL.

Arrieta, a rookie, had won his first two contests in the Major Leagues. Kevin Millwood was cursed with the worst run support a starting pitcher could imagine, while Arrieta basked in the glow of run support from the offensively-challenged Orioles offense.

Sunday afternoon was no different...the Birds scored four runs in the first inning, staking Arrieta to a 4-0 lead. I've been uneasy to believe in the Orioles lately, but this game was in the bag...Adam Jones hustled to first base on what could have been the third out of the inning, but an error (later ruled a hit) allowed a run to score. Slumping Matt Wieters slapped a 3-run double and the O's were leading and raring to go...

Not so fast, Jack. The four runs scored would be the only runs the Birds put on the board all game, while Arrieta and the bullpen tried and failed to keep the Padres down...

Final score on Sunday...9-4 San Diego.

The O's scored four times in the first before allowing NINE unanswered runs to cross the plate...yet another game gone awry.

The worst part? Besides the fact the O's haven't won a road series all season long? The Birds have now hit the 50-loss mark before winning 20 games...

Say it ain't so...

Padres Walk-off Over O's

In a season where nothing has gone right, the O's lost another game in typical heart-breaking fashion.

After taking the lead in the top of the ninth inning, David Hernandez came on to close the game out, but instead took the loss as the San Diego Padres scored twice and beat the O's 3-2.

The saddest part? I'm not even surprised anymore...I was actually shocked the O's scored a run in the ninth to take the lead. With the loss, the O's now have 12 blown saves, leading the A.L.

Brian Matusz pitched exceptionally, but the lack of run support cost him yet another win. Matusz went six strong innings, allowing just one run off six hits and a walk while striking out four.

The defense didn't help him out either...Adam Jones misplayed a fly ball in the sixth inning that led to the Padres' first run.

The Birds slapped eight hits (all singles) in the loss. After the game, it was commented that over the last four games, the O's have had 36 hits (that's a healthy average of nine hits per game) but 30 of them have been singles...it's tough to win games when you aren't hitting for extra bases.

Kevin Millwood goes for his first win of the season on Saturday night. Millwood (0-8) has pitched well against San Diego in his career, so maybe, just maybe, we'll see an Orioles victory...

O's Fall to Huff, Giants

It's been the same old story throughout the season.

The Birds were in the ballgame against the Giants on Wednesday afternoon, but were unable to come through in the clutch and dropped yet another road series, falling 6-3.

Jeremy Guthrie pitched a good game, but surrendered back-to-back solo shots (one to former Oriole Aubrey Huff) in the sixth inning that broke a 2-2 tie and gave the Giants a lead they would never relinquish.

Offensively, it was more of the same...the O's have managed to plate a few runs throughout the series in San Francisco, but they continuously miss out on multiple opportunities to break open the game and take a commanding lead. The Birds went 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position, and failed to capitalize when runners were on with less than two outs. The O's stranded 13 men on base and managed to strikeout 15 times in Wednesday's matchup.

Another problem this year has been momentum...the O's just can't seem to string together wins. After Jake Arrieta's performance Tuesday night, the Birds should have been gunning right out of the gate...but they just haven't been able to keep the winning momentum alive. The O's have losing streaks of nine and ten games this season, but their longest win streak stands at three games, and they've managed that feat just twice this year.

The Orioles have a much-needed day off to regroup on Thursday before taking on the San Diego Padres for a three-game set. Brian Matusz is slated to take the mound Friday night...

Arrieta Does It Again

Thank God for Jake Arrieta.

The Birds finally won a game on Tuesday night, beating the San Francisco Giants 4-1 at AT&T Park.

Arrieta, making his second Major League start, pitched seven strong innings and allowed just one run off three hits while walking two and fanning three. Arrieta (2-0) has now beat the Yankees and Giants and is the only O's starter to record a win (two of them, at that) over the last 19 games...

David Hernandez picked up his second save of the season...both his saves have come in games Arrieta has started (this would be a strange coincidence if the O's had more than two wins in the last two weeks...).

The offense wasn't spectacular, but they did just enough to give Arrieta a cushion to work with, which turned out to be more than enough. Ty Wigginton knocked in two and Adam Jones slapped a solo shot to left field in the fourth inning. The Birds went just 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position, but were able to plate a few runs early to give Arrieta some breathing room...the Birds scored a run in the first, third, fourth and fifth innings.

After going deep Monday night, Matt Wieters went 0-for-4. Still, this is the first time in a while that the O's hit homers in consecutive road games...hopefully Wieters and Jones can keep it up.

It doesn't get any easier for the Birds...Jeremy Guthrie (3-7) goes up against Tim Lincecum (6-2) on Wednesday afternoon. The O's (18-47) desperately need to start a winning streak, and are now a bit closer to winning 20 games before dropping 50. Here's hoping...

Tillman's Terrible Start Dooms O's

The Orioles were blown out for the second consecutive game, falling 10-2 to the San Francisco Giants on Monday night.

Chris Tillman allowed a run in the first inning, but Matt Wieters drilled a solo shot in the second to tie the game. Tillman couldn't follow that blast with a zero, and allowed five runs to cross the plate in the bottom of the inning.

Another short outing for a starter spelled disaster for the offensively-challenged O's, who were down 6-1 heading into the third inning. The Birds have now been outscored 21-6 over the last two "games".

Besides Wieters' shot, the only other Oriole that showed power was Ty Wigginton...Wiggy had two doubles and knocked in the O's second run. Wigginton should have been credited with his 14th homer of the season, but a blown call cost him and he was given a double.

Speaking of blown calls, the umps were of no help to the Birds all game long...there were three blatant blown calls throughout the game: early on, the umps gave the Giants an inning-ending double-play although the runner was clearly safe at second base...the fielder didn't even have the ball in his hand before the runner slid into second base. In the ninth inning, Cesar Izturis was called out at first base after hustling down the line and beating the throw by a step. And of course, Wigginton's homer that was ruled a double but would have been a solo shot if challenged on a replay.

The O's are now 17-47, 30 games under .500, and have the exact same record as the 1988 O's that started the season 0-21. The Birds need three wins to win 20 games, and three losses to hit 50 losses for the season. I wonder which will happen first...

Jake Arrieta, the only O's starter to win a game in the past 18 contests, takes the mound for the Birds Tuesday night. Please, Jake, stop the bleeding...

Orange Crush

The O's were spanked. Hard. It hurt.

The Orioles organization has basically ruined Kevin Millwood (0-8).

The "game" on Sunday was absolutely pathetic. Sure, the Orioles scored more than one run for the first time in the three-game series against the New York Mets.

But they still allowed the Mets to complete their first road sweep of the season, as they humiliated the Birds with an 11-4 victory on Sunday afternoon at Camden Yards.

Millwood, obviously pressing and struggling to find some way to win this season, allowed the Mets to take a 5-0 lead in the top of the first inning. All five runs came on two long balls, and although Millwood pitched into the sixth, he allowed three homers in the game and now leads the Majors with 19 home runs allowed this year.

Millwood's final line: 5 1/3 innings, 11 hits, eight runs (all earned), one walk and four strikeouts.

The Mets out-hit the O's for the first time this series, 18-11. But that tends to happen when you put 11 runs on the board...

Honestly, I don't know what else to say. I wonder why people aren't reading/commenting on this blog, but I noticed that there are no comments on the O's official website either...maybe everyone was watching the World Cup instead?

The Birds dropped to 17-46 on the season, and as much as I want to believe that things can only get better, I am starting to realize that this season was over before it even started...

Lack of offense hurts O's again

Another wasted performance by a starting pitcher...

The O's dropped their second straight to the New York Mets on Saturday night, losing 3-1.

It was the first road series win for the Mets all season...big surprise it came against Baltimore.

My wife and I were at the game; it was the first game we had been to together this season. I was really hoping she would be the good-luck charm the O's needed.

These O's need more than just luck...it seems they just need to learn how to play good baseball.

Brian Matusz pitched a gem, but was saddled with another undeserved loss. Matusz went eight strong innings, walking none, fanning four, and allowing just three "earned" runs. I put "earned" in quotes for the simple fact that one of the Mets' runs should have never scored...

Matusz (2-7) gave up a lead-off homer to start the game, and another lead-off shot in the eighth inning. But the Mets scored their second run on a sure double-play ball that would have ended the sixth inning with the game knotted at one run a piece.

After Matusz put the O's in an early hole, Corey Patterson and Nick Markakis doubled in the bottom of the first to tie the game. But that was it for the Birds...they ended up out-hitting New York (again) 7-5, but were unable to come up with the big hit when it mattered.

The Birds went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position, and left six men on base...

Next up...Kevin Millwood (0-7) tries for his first win of the season on Sunday afternoon. His mound counter-part, Mike Pelfrey, comes in with an 8-1 record and a 2.23 ERA. Good luck, Kevin.

Runs Hard To Come By

The Orioles did everything in their power to NOT score a run in Friday night's 5-1 loss to the New York Mets at Camden Yards.

The O's looked utterly clueless against knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, who admitted after the game that he threw just five fastballs while he was on the mound.

Down 4-0, the Birds looked primed to get back in the game in the fourth inning, when they sandwiched a walk between two singles to load the bases with none out. But Dickey retired the next three batters (Luke Scott, Adam Jones and Matt Wieters) on seven pitches...two strikeouts and a first-pitch-swinging pop-up.

The O's ended up stranding 10 men on base, and went just 3-for-17 with runners in scoring position. The lone run scored came on a wild pitch...

The sad fact is that the Orioles actually out-hit the Mets 11-10, and every starter besides Cesar Izturis collected at least one hit.

Brian Matusz takes the mound tonight for the Birds...if the rain holds up the wife and I will be there cheering on the O's!

Arrieta turns the Tides for the O's

Shocking. In a good way.

That's how I have to describe the O's win over the Yankees on Thursday night.

I wasn't sure how Jake Arrieta would perform in his major league debut against the New York Yankees. Honestly, I wasn't sure how his major league teammates would back him up...would it be a lack of offense, or a slew of defensive errors this time that would send the Yankees packing with another Baltimore sweep?

The Birds backed Arrieta with timely hitting and great defense. Dave Trembley would have been proud...

Even the bullpen stepped it up a notch after Arrieta departed after six innings...David Hernandez pitched a scoreless ninth for his first save.

It's hard to find anything good about the Orioles so far this season, but this game helped bring back a little bit of faith...the O's have now won 17 games...bring on the New York Mets!

Errors costly as O's fall again

How many times do we have to go through this?

At least once more, I suppose.

The O's let an early lead slip away and eventually lost to the Yankees 4-2 on Wednesday night.

Chris Tillman pitched a great game but was denied his first win. Tillman actually started the fire with a throwing error in the fourth, but was able to douse his own flames and get out of the inning with the Birds up 2-1.

In the sixth inning, the O's unraveled. The Birds were charged with two errors (one was ruled a hit after the game, but that matters little at this point) and the Yankees saw two runs cross the plate, giving New York a 3-2 lead they would never relinquish.

Tillman (0-2) went six innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on eight hits, while walking three and striking out one. This was one of his better starts, and he deserved to come out on the winning side, in my opinion.

As for the offense, the Birds collected 10 hits, two for extra-bases, but went just 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 men on base...a definite no-no when facing the Yankees.

Still, the fact that Jake Arrieta makes his MLB debut Thursday night should compel any O's fan to watch and cheer, even as the Yankees try for their third consecutive sweep of the Birds.

I'm not sure why the team thought it best to have Arrieta debut against the Yanks, but at least it's at Camden Yards and not Yankee Stadium...

Late rally not enough in loss to Yanks

The Birds actually put some runs on the board in a game that Kevin Millwood started, but it wasn't nearly enough as the O's fell to the Yankees 12-7 on Tuesday night.

Millwood (0-7) struggled early, and allowed six runs before being lifted after 5 2/3 innings. Millwood walked five, struck out six and allowed ten hits...two of the hits were bombs (a two-run shot in the first inning and a grand slam in the third).

Things didn't get any better after Millwood exited, as the Yankees scored six runs in the seventh inning to take a commanding 12-3 lead.

Both teams knocked out 15 hits, but as usual the O's offense lacked power and timely hitting. The Birds were without an extra-base hit until Adam Jones slapped a two-run homer in the eighth inning. Nick Markakis connected for a two-run double in the bottom of the ninth, but the deficit was too much to overcome.

The O's (16-42) are still the only team in baseball with less than 20 wins, and it doesn't get any easier with Yankee's ace C.C. Sabathia (3-0 vs. the Orioles this season) on the mound Wednesday night...

O's can't win one for the new Skipper

I was hoping to see the O's play an inspirational game on Friday night...

With Dave Trembley home in Florida, Juan Samuel was able to experience the thrill of managing the worst team in baseball.

It wasn't pretty.

The O's were shut down by the visiting Boston Red Sox 11-0, dropping their ninth straight game and falling to a horrific 15-40 record.

Clay Buchholz allowed five hits over nine innings...yup, a complete game shut-out. All five hits were singles...

Meanwhile, O's starter Chris Tillman allowed four runs off five hits in just 1 1/3 innings, and four relievers were unable to stop the bleeding...the Sox scored 11 runs on 16 hits (3 doubles and 3 homers). The O's struck out ten batters while walking four, but the Sox bunched hits together, scoring at least one run in six separate innings...

It doesn't get any easier.

O's killer Jon Lester (10-0 against Baltimore) takes the mound Saturday night. Jeremy Guthrie will try to keep the Birds from losing 10 straight for the first time this season...

The End of an Era?

Let's hope so.

The Birds were swept again. Three straight to the Yankees. Get this: the Yankees scored more runs (18) than the O's had hits (17) in the series. Absolutely pathetic...especially after being swept in three games by Toronto. The losing streak has reached eight straight.

So this is it.

After weeks of speculation, it looks like Dave Trembley is gone.

I can't say I'm upset.

But what now? Are the Orioles (15-39) going to start winning games?

Look at that record. I've never seen anything like this.

We need a change, but what hope do we have at this point in the season?

The O's are the worst team in all of baseball...no one talks about the Baltimore Orioles without laughing.

Or in my case, cringing. If I hadn't been through this for over a decade, I might even cry.

But we are used to this by now in Baltimore. Defeat. Humiliation. Utter hopelessness.

It was going to be different this year. The O's were ready to compete!

So long, Dave Trembley...you tried.

And failed.

Matusz shines but O's fall

This is getting harder and harder every day...

The Orioles dropped their sixth straight on Tuesday night, falling to the Yankees 3-1.

Brian Matusz was incredible, and left in the seventh inning with two on and two out, with the score dead-locked at one run a piece...

David Hernandez came on in relief and was able to get A-Rod to ground out to third base...at least, that's what should have happened.

Instead, Miguel Tejada's throw to first fell well short of the bag, and two runs came in on the throwing error.

At this point in the season, does anything really surprise you anymore?!

Once again, the offense stalled: the Birds made yet another average starter look like Cy Young... Javier Vazquez came into the game with a 3-5 record and an ERA hovering near 7.00, but held the O's to one run off four hits through seven innings, walking one and fanning seven.

The Birds have been stuck at 15 wins for a week now, and look to Brad Bergesen Wednesday night in the Bronx to turn things around...

Birds blown out of Toronto

Three games.

Three losses.

Hundreds of questions...

The O's were swept by the Toronto Blue Jays over the holiday weekend, and are now 0-6 against our "Neighbors to the North" this season.

The Birds were outscored 16-3 over the three-game set.

Toronto smashed nine home runs, while the O's managed just one extra-base hit: a double off the bat of #9 hitter Cesar Izturis on Saturday.

What a weekend.

I spent the days with my friends in Pennsylvania...there was no MASN on the TV. Instead, we checked the score on my iPhone during and after the game, and had many wonderful conversations on the future of the Orioles...

It doesn't look good.

The Birds have Monday off to regroup before heading to New York to take on the Yankees...

Chalk up another loss for Millwood

It's been a pretty safe bet this season: when Kevin Millwood takes the mound, the O's offense is nowhere to be found.

That was all too true on Friday night in Toronto, where the Birds were shut down 5-0 by the Blue Jays.

Both teams collected eight hits, but the Jays' offense actually put runs on the board...the Birds eight hits all went for singles, and the team hasn't had an extra-base hit over the past two games.

The O's are now 15-34, and are a season-worst 19 games under .500. Millwood dropped to 0-5 in his first 11 starts...

The Birds now turn to Chris Tillman, making his first start at the big-league level this season.

I'm about to head out for a weekend bachelor party, so I won't be posting again until Monday...I'll be watching though...hopefully I'll be posting good news?! Enjoy the holiday weekend, and Let's Go O's!

Bullpen Blows Bergesen's Beauty

The O's let another win slip away...

The Birds dropped their second straight to the visiting Oakland A's, 7-5 on Thursday night.

Unlike Wednesday's game, this one had "win" written all over it.

After falling behind 2-0 in the second inning, the O's rallied behind starter Brad Bergesen to take a 3-2 lead in the sixth, and extended the lead to 5-2 in the seventh inning.

Bergesen was masterful after a rough start, and left in the eighth inning with the O's up 5-2. Up to that point, Bergesen had allowed just the two runs off four hits and three bases on balls. After allowing consecutive singles in the eighth, he was lifted for long-reliever Jason Berken.

Berken did his job, getting an out on four pitches and keeping the runners in place...

But Dave Trembley decided to go back to the bullpen to match lefty-vs.-lefty, and brought in Mark Hendrickson...

Bad move.

Hendrickson couldn't get it done, and neither could Cla Meredith, as the A's broke through with a five-run eighth inning, spoiling Bergesen's night and effectively sending the O's on the road with another losing streak.

It gets harder and harder to watch.

The game was in the bag, yet here I am blogging about yet another wasted opportunity.

Honestly, it's hard not to blame Dave Trembley for this one. I understand bringing Bergesen back out to start the eighth inning...he was dominating, but after an extended offensive inning for the O's, Bergesen tired, and after allowing two singles to start the inning, he was pulled (which was the right move).

But the bullpen moves continue to baffle me...why not let Berken finish the inning? Four pitches is not "long" relief...these "lefty/righty" match-ups have not worked at all this season, so why not go with the hot hand?!

It doesn't matter now. The O's went 1-2 against Oakland on the short homestand, and now head to Toronto with a 15-33 record, STILL the worst in all of baseball...

Atkins hits a long ball as O's fall

Garrett Atkins finally hit a home run as an Oriole.

Unfortunately, that's the best news available after the O's fell 6-1 to the A's on Wednesday night.

Starter Brian Matusz (2-5) had another forgettable performance, allowing four runs in the first inning before settling down and holding the A's to only two more runs through five frames.

Matusz started the season with two wins, but hasn't recorded a victory in his last seven starts. The young lefty has now given up four first-inning runs in two straight starts, both losses.

On the bright side, the bullpen held up and kept the game within reach...four innings of shutout ball, including rookie Frank Mata's first MLB appearance (1 1/3 innings, one hit, one walk).

The offense couldn't bail Matusz out, as the Birds collected just three hits all game...

Obviously, the big story is that Garrett Atkins finally hit a home run, ending a streak of 146 at-bats without a long-ball, one shy of the longest drought of his career. Atkins was slotted as DH due to Luke Scott's shoulder strain, meaning the O's still haven't had a homer from a first-baseman all season...

Atkins' shot in the third inning put the Birds on the board, but that was the lone run the O's scored on Wednesday...they now send Brad Bergesen to the mound Thursday night to attempt to win the home series before heading back on the road...

O's over A's

The Orioles gave fans something to cheer about after beating the Oakland Athletics 5-1 at Camden Yards on Tuesday night.

Jeremy Guthrie looked sharp, giving up just one run off six hits over six innings. Guthrie walked three and struck out two, and picked up his third win of the season.

The bullpen pitched three scoreless innings of one-hit ball, walking none and fanning three.

The defense was impressive, in particular Ty Wigginton's snare at first base and Miguel Tejada's leaping catch at the opposite corner.

And fundamentally, this was the best the O's have looked all season. The hitters worked the count. They took walks (six walks compared to seven hits). Two runs scored on sacrifice flies in the same inning...

I was shocked to hear after the game that the Birds had just five sac flies on the season, the lowest number in the Majors...that's not a typo! Incredible! Maybe the O's are learning how to manufacture some runs...

Nick Markakis went deep in the eighth inning, and Matt Wieters added an RBI double to pad the lead and help ensure the victory.

There were a lot of changes to the O's roster after the off-day on Monday...

Dave Trembley is still the O's skipper, at least for now.

Koji Uehara and Alfredo Simon were placed on the 15-day DL.

After picking up his first win of the season last week, starter David Hernandez was demoted to the bullpen...the move is expected to be permanent.

The Birds called up Alberto Castillo and Norfolk's closer Frank Mata to help bolster the bullpen.

Word on the street is that Chris Tillman will join the team this weekend, and will be the starter Saturday afternoon in Toronto.

That's it for now...let's hope the Birds can build on this win and start a streak...Brian Matusz takes the mound tomorrow night...Let's Go O's!

A Losing Rally

The Orioles hitters finally showed up when it mattered most...the ninth inning.

Unfortunately, the pitchers weren't on the same schedule, as the Birds fell to the Washington Nationals 4-3 on Sunday afternoon.

Kevin Millwood, still searching for his first win of the season, was given a 1-0 lead before allowing three runs in the bottom of the first inning (to be fair, it was a blown call, and later Adam Jones' poor read on a fly ball that allowed the runs to score, but the line reads differently).

Millwood, as he has done all season, hunkered down, and didn't allow another run to cross the plate while he was on the mound. He went 6 1/3 innings, allowing eight hits while walking one and striking out eight.

After the run in the first, the O's offense disappeared. The Birds were held to two hits through the first seven innings, before exploding in the ninth...

The Orioles tied the game, taking Millwood off the hook, and went into extras with momentum on their side...

After recording one out in the bottom of the tenth, closer Alfredo Simon left the game after straining his hamstring on a play at first base, and relief pitcher Cla Meredith warmed-up...

Meredith faced just one batter, throwing just four pitches.

The final pitch cleared the fence in left-center field, and the Birds were forced out of D.C. losers of two straight.

The O's lost four of five on the road trip, and return home to Camden Yards on yet another losing streak and with the worst record (14-31) in all of baseball...Jeremy Guthrie is slated to start against Dallas "Mr. Perfect" Braden on Tuesday night.

Ty not enough

Ty Wigginton knocked in four runs, and Adam Jones hit an inside-the-park homer, but the O's lost to the Nationals 7-6 on Saturday afternoon.

Wigginton smacked his team-leading 13th homer of the season, and the Birds provided plenty of offense for starter Brad Bergesen , but it just wasn't enough.

Bergesen struggled to get through five innings, allowing six runs off 11 hits. With the bullpen thinned due to poor outings from starters earlier in the week, Mark Hendrickson was called upon to finish out the game, and was tagged for the loss after allowing the eventual winning run to cross the plate in the bottom of the sixth.

If the O's score six runs, they allow seven.

If they score only two runs, the pitchers allow just three.

And so the story continues...

Kevin Millwood, winless due to a lack of run support, takes the mound for the O's in the series finale Sunday afternoon...let's hope he pitches a shut-out.