 | ||
 |
 |
 |
O's allow 7 runs in 6th, fall to Royals 10-7
STATS: By Inning | Box | Matchup | O's Stats | Royals Stats
B-Rob's O's Blog:
Check out Brian Roberts' O's Blog only on MASNsports.com and even ask Brian a question for his next post! [link]
Steve Melewski's O's Blog:
Minor League Honors [link]
Tonight the Orioles, who have had their share of comeback wins this year, blew a four-run lead and lost 10-7 to Kansas City. The Royals, trailing 7-3, scored seven times in the 6th to get the 10-7 lead.
The Royals scored on six hits, a walk and a costly Kevin Millar error in that sixth inning. The club split the four-game series, two wins each. The Orioles fall to 2-2 on this homestand and 43-41 on the season.
Kansas City scored seven runs in the sixth off three O's pitchers to get the 10-7 lead. Garrett Olson started the inning, and Adam Loewen came in and so did Chad Bradford.
Six different Royals knocked in runs in the inning. Alex Gordon's sac fly gave Kansas City an 8-7 lead and Jose Guillen's two-run single made it 10-7.
The seven-run inning is the most runs scored in an inning vs. the Orioles this year. Tampa got six in the 5th on April 13th.
O's starter Olson allowed six runs, five earned, in 5 1/3. Loewen allowed three hits to the three batters he faced and they all scored.
Aubrey Huff's second homer of the game, a two-run shot, gave the O's a 7-3 lead in the fifth. It's Huff's second two-homer game of this season and the 8th of his career. He hit two homers June 20th at Milwaukee.
Huff went 7-17 in this series with two doubles, three homers and 7 RBI. He had an RBI in each of the games in this series.
After getting just one hit over the first three innings, the Orioles scored five times in the fourth vs. Kyle Davies. Huff led off the inning with his 16th homer of the season.
Later Melvin Mora plated a run with a single to make it a 3-2 KC lead. After Millar walked, Adam Jones hit a booming two-run triple to center for a 4-3 O's lead. Brandon Fahey followed that with an RBI triple off the scoreboard in right and the lead grew to 5-3.
The Royals scored twice in the third to lead 3-0 on Tony Pena's solo homer and Guillen's RBI single. Pena, who hit two homers all last season, hit his first of 2008 on a 2-1 pitch. Guillen's RBI was his 62nd of the season.
Billy Butler's solo homer leading off the second inning gave Kansas City a 1-0 lead. He hit the first pitch he saw from Garrett Olson 368 feet into the left-field seats. It's his second homer of the year. Kansas City has scored first in all four games of this series.
KC 10-13-0
Balt 7-9-1
Postgame Notes
Olson's Night
Garrett Olson could not follow up on his one-run outing last Saturday in Washington and ran into trouble in the Royals' seven-run 6th. He started the inning giving up a leadoff walk to Jose Guillen and double to Billy Butler. After he fanned Miguel Olivo, Mark Teahen reached on Kevin Millar's error and Dave Trembley went to his bullpen. Olson allowed six runs over 5 1/3 innings. That ties his season high of six runs allowed. He has been unable to pitch six innings or more in nine of his 13 starts.
Huff Homers Twice
For the second time in 11 contests, Aubrey Huff had a two-homer game. He did it June 20 at Milwaukee and tonight vs. KC. In his first three at bats he had a double, solo homer and two-run homer. He popped out in his last at bat. It's his 8th career two-homer game. He now has 17 homers, two more than he had all last year and the most he's hit since he had 22 in 2005 for Tampa. Over his last 20 games, Huff is batting .407 with 8 homers and 21 RBI.
Final Notes
While the O's that pitched in the game were charged with just one unearned run, the O's team allowed four unearned in the game, according to the official scorer......The Royals' four starters in this series allowed 22ER in 21IP on 30 hits.......The O's became the final team in baseball this year to lose a game in which they scored six runs......They were 27-0 when scoring six or more entering tonight.
Nick Markakis went 1-4 and is batting .341 during an 11-game hitting streak.....That's a new career-best hitting streak for him........Seven of the nine homers Garrett Olson has allowed this year have been solo shots........KC's seven-run inning was the biggest vs. the O's on the year, topping the six scored by Tampa in the 5th inning April 13.
Key Quotes
Dave Trembley on the loss
"Give Kansas City credit--we gave them an opening with a leadoff walk and error and they took advantage of it........Olson's location wasn't very good early.......Loewen and Bradford pitched up in the zone...........When you get ahead like that and lose it's not real comfortable for any of us........Some of our young guys, they gotta take the next step and get past the 5th inning."
Steve Melewski's Live GameBlog From Camden Yards
The Awful Inning
The Royals' seven-run 6th featured six hits, one walk and one costly error vs. three O's pitchers. It's the biggest inning of the year by an O's opponent. The pitching lines.
Olson: 5 1/3IP, 8H, 6R, 5ER, 2BB, 2K, 2 HR.......89 pitches.
Loewen: 0IP, 3H, 3R-ER, 0BB, 0K.......................10 pitches.
Bradford: 2/3IP, 2H, 1R-ER, 0BB, 0K...................13 pitches.
Huff's Hot Bat
So far tonight he is 3-3 with two homers, a double and 3 RBI. It's his 8th career two-homer game and second in the last 11 games this year. He also did it June 20 at Milwaukee. In this series, Huff is 7-16, two homers, two doubles, 7 RBI. He now has three homers the last two games and 8 over his last 20 games.
Back-To-Back Triples
Adam Jones and Brandon Fahey hit back to back triples in the Orioles fourth. If it seems like you haven't seen that in a while, you haven't. The last time the O's posted back-to-back triples was on August 4, 2000 vs. Tampa Bay when Ivanon Coffie and Luis Matos did it in the top of the third inning. I sure didn't think I'd be writing about Ivanon Coffie tonight.
Minor League Honors
RHP David Hernandez and 3B Jeff Nettles were named the organizational player and pitcher of the month for June by the O's Minor League department. Nettles, the son of Graig Nettles, hit .319 with 19 runs, three doubles, five homers and 20 RBI in the month. Hernandez went 1-0, 2.16, striking out 27 over five starts for Bowie. Both players were selected to play in the Eastern League All-Star game.
I had an interview with Norfolk manager Gary Allenson today and will write about the Tides this coming Monday here on Orioles Minor League Monday. Be looking for that as he had interesting things to say about Hayden Penn, Scott Moore, Alberto Castillo and others.
Pitching Probables, Texas Series
Fri 4:35pm: Jeremy Guthrie (4-7, 3.50) v. RHP Vincente Padilla (10-4, 4.13)
Sat 7:05pm: Brian Burres (6-5, 5.09) v. RHP Eric Hurley (1-1, 3.57)
Sun 1:35pm: Radhames Liz (3-0, 5.46) v. RHP Scott Feldman (2-3, 4.38)
Play Ball In Baltimore
The final game of this series and season between the O's and KC is underway on a warm night in Baltimore. First pitch was at 7:06 p.m., and it's 88 degrees. The Orioles already have won the season series vs. KC for the fifth straight year and are 5-2 vs. the Royals this year. They have won 11 of the last 13 at Camden Yards vs. the Royals.
Starting Lineups
Royals
CF David DeJesus (.323-9-42)
2B Mark Grudzielanek (.306-2-17)
3B Alex Gordon (.262-11-41)
LF Jose Guillen (.277-13-61)
DH Billy Butler (.272-1-18)
C Miguel Olivo (.266-9-28)
RF Mark Teahen (.254-9-29)
1B Ross Gload (.260-1-16)
SS Tony Pena (.154-0-8)
P Kyle Davies
Orioles
2B Brian Roberts (.295-6-31)
RF Nick Markakis (.289-12-41)
DH Aubrey Huff (.277-15-49)
C Ramon Hernandez (.252-7-32)
LF Luke Scott (.276-14-33)
3B Melvin Mora (.228-10-39)
1B Kevin Millar (.239-11-44)
CF Adam Jones (.273-4-31)
SS Brandon Fahey (.200-0-3)
P Garrett Olson
Kevin Millar has not hit as low as seventh this year. But he is just 2 for his last 16 at bat. Dave Trembley wanted to keep Ramon Hernandez at cleanup after he went 3-4 from that spot last night.
Albers Update
Matt Albers was back in the O's clubhouse today after his visit to Dr. Andrews in Alabama. Albers is pleased that his torn labrum for now, does not need surgery. He will leave Monday for Sarasota, Florida to begin the rehab he hopes gets him back on a major-league mound perhaps as soon as late August.
Trembley's Talk
In his pregame talk with reporters today Dave Trembley was asked about pitcher Jamie Walker, who went on the DL retroactive to June 26 with left elbow inflammation.
"He hasn't picked up a ball or played catch yet. I would imagine he's having a tough time not being out there. Sometime next week, he'll probably start on a throwing program and we'll see where he's at."
Walker just got a cortisone shot and said you take a few days off from throwing after that.
Trembley was asked about Kevin Millar batting seventh tonight.
"I told Millar yesterday why he wasn't playing. I don't think he really cares where he hits as long as he's playing. It would be difficult to take Ramon out of the four hole after yesterday. He'll be back hitting 3, 4 or 5 sometime coming up, maybe tomorrow.
"For me when it looks like a guy is struggling or trying to carry the whole team, I think, after repeated occurrences of that fact, you have to take them out of where they are (in the lineup) and put them somewhere else and let them take a deep breath. That's what I'm doing with Kevin."
Game Preview
Kansas City (38-47) at Orioles (43-40)
After beating the Royals the past two nights, the O's go for the series win tonight when the clubs play the final game of a four-game series at Camden Yards. This year the Orioles have won 12 series, lost 10 and tied three. They are 2-1 in this series vs. KC.
Daniel Cabrera pitched a complete game, seven-hitter Wednesday as the O's won 5-2. Cabrera threw 105 pitches in picking up his second complete game of the season vs. Kansas City. He is 5-0, 2.21 in eight career starts vs. the Royals.
Aubrey Huff hit a two-run homer in the first as the Orioles won for the 8th time in ten home games and improved to 24-13 this season at Camden Yards. Ramon Hernandez went 3-4 with an RBI and Brian Roberts connected for his AL-leading 31st double.
David DeJesus homered and had three hits for the Royals, who have lost four of five games. The Royals are 1-2 on this trip which heads to Tampa after tonight's game.
The Orioles are 12-2 the past two seasons vs. KC and are 27-8 vs. the Royals since the start of the 2004 season.
Pitching Match-Up
LHP Garrett Olson (6-3, 4.76) tonight makes his 13th start of the year, his 6th at home and his second of the season vs. Kansas City.
Olson is coming off a win Saturday night at Washington. He gave up just one run and six hits over five innings. He threw 99 pitches but did not return to the game after an hour and 3 minute rain delay.
In his previous three starts before Washington, Olson was 0-2, 8.40. In five June starts, the 24-year-old went 2-2, 5.81.
Olson is 1-0 vs. Kansas City on the year, beating the Royals on May 10 at KC. He gave up three runs and eight hits over 5 1/3 innings with one walk and two strikeouts. That's his only career appearance vs. the Royals.
Right-handed batters hit .259 vs. Olson while lefties bat .317 against him. He has recorded a quality start just 4 times on the season. He has pitched six innings or more four times. In five home starts, he is 3-0, 3.49.
RHP Kyle Davies (3-1, 3.34) tonight makes his 7th start of the season, his 3rd on the road and his first this year vs. the Orioles.
Davies was recalled from Triple-A Omaha on May 31st. In his first four Royals starts he was 3-0, 1.46. Over his last two starts, he is 0-1, 9.39. In two road starts, the 24-year-old is 2-0, 1.32.
Two starts ago, Davies lasted just 1 1/3 innings vs. the Giants. On the season he has allowed 36 hits in 32 1/3 innings, but has given up just one home run.
Right-handed batters hit .322 vs. Davies while left-handed hitters bat .258 against him. Davies was a fourth-round pick of the Atlanta Braves in 2001.
Davies was the staff ace at Omaha, going 6-2, 2.06 in ten starts. Opponents hit .228 against him. Upon his recall he was leading the PCL in ERA and was tied for second in wins.
He made one start vs. the Orioles for Atlanta on June 24, 2005. He picked up a 7-5 win, giving up five runs and eight hits over six innings.
Orioles Hitting Streaks
Markakis: 10 games at .351 (13-37) with 9 RBI and 5 doubles.
Jones: 6 games at .458 (11-24) with 3 RBI.
Hernandez: 5 games at .381 (8-21) with 2 HR and 6 RBI.
Huff: 5 games at .286 (6-21) with one HR and 5 RBI.
Roberts: 4 games at .313 (5-16) with one HR and one RBI.
This Series
The O's are hitting .272 in this series vs. KC (28-103). The O's have scored 17 runs in the series with 7 doubles, 1 triple and 3 homers. They have gotten 16 runs in 17 innings vs. KC's three starters Zack Greinke, Luke Hochevar and Gil Meche.
Leave a comment