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O's allow 14 hits, fall to Jays 10-8
STATS: By Inning | Box | Matchup | O's Stats | Jays Stats
Steve Melewski's MASN Blog:
Celebrate 83 [link]
For the Orioles, the game started quite well. Nick Markakis hit a first-inning blast for a 2-0 lead and Melvin Mora continued his hot hitting and it was 4-0 after three.
But the O's pitchers couldn't hold it and Toronto stormed back with eight runs over the 5th and 6th frames to take a 10-8 win. The bottom third of the Jays order, Adam Lind, Kevin Mench and John McDonald combined for six hits and 7 RBI.
Mora capped a great night with an RBI single in the 9th that pulled the O's within 10-8. He went 4-5 with 5 RBI on the night and has 14 RBI on the six games of this homestand.
O's starter Garrett Olson gave up six runs and nine hits over 4 2/3. He has worked to an ERA of 10.53 in July.
The Orioles, who hit three homers among six extra-base hits, are 3-3 on this homestand and have lost 10 of the last 14 contests.
Lind hit a three-run homer off Alberto Castillo in the sixth, as Toronto moved back ahead, 9-7. It was Lind's 5th homer of the year and his fourth hit of the night. A Rod Barajas RBI single in the 8th made it 10-7 Jays.
Right after blowing a three-run lead and trailing by two, the O's scored three runs in the fifth to reclaim the lead, 7-6. Aubrey Huff led off with a double and scored on Mora's two-run homer to even the score, 6-6.
Later in the frame, Ramon Hernandez hit a solo homer down the right-field line for a 7-6 lead. It was the O's 3rd homer of the game. Hernandez now needs four hits for 1,000 in his career.
The Blue Jays scored five times in the fifth to take the lead, 6-4. Alex Rios led off the inning with his 6th homer to make it a 4-2 game. After a hit batter, double and intentional walk, number nine hitter McDonald ripped a three-run double to left for a 5-4 lead to knock Olson out of the game. David Eckstein greeted reliever Fernando Cabrera with an RBI hit and Toronto's lead was 6-4.
Toronto scored once in the fourth on a McDonald sac fly. That cut the O's lead to 4-1. They left the bases loaded when Olson got Marco Scutaro on a foul fly out.
The Orioles moved ahead 4-0 on Mora's two-run double in the third. It scored Adam Jones who reached on an error and Nick Markakis, who had walked.
Markakis hit a two-run homer in the first to give the Orioles a 2-0 lead. His 15th scored Jones, who had been hit by a pitch and traveled 380 feet to right. With that blast, Markakis is now 8-16 in his career with 5 homers vs. Shaun Marcum.
Tor 10-14-1
Balt 8-12-0
Postgame Notes
Mora's Hot Hitting
Tonight, Mora was 4-5 with a homer and 5 RBI. The four hits and 5 RBI are season-highs. In the six games since the All-Star break, Mora is 12-24 with 4 homers and 14 RBI. He has 20 RBI over his last 11 games and has tied Aubrey Huff for the team RBI lead with 61 each. Mora has 8 multi-RBI games over his last 11 contests. His two-run homer in the 5th was his 15th of the year and 148th of his career.
Olson's Struggles
Garrett Olson couldn't hold a 4-0 lead, couldn't survive five innings and could not get outs vs. the bottom of the order. The lefty who pitched so well earlier in the year is really struggling right now. His ERA for the season is up to 6.11 after he allows six runs in 4 2/3. In four July starts his ERA is 10.53 (23 ER - 19 2/3). In three career starts vs. Toronto his ERA is 14.72. He threw 108 pitches, 61 for strikes.
The Bottom Is Tops
It was that way for Toronto tonight as the last third of its order, Adam Lind, Kevin Mench and John McDonald went a combined 6-11 with 3 doubles, a homer, four runs and 7 RBI.
Final Notes
Ramon Hernandez homered in his third straight game......He also homered in 3 in a row September 10-12, 2006....Ramon needs 4 hits for 1,000 in his career.......Adam Lind had the first four-hit game of his career, going 4-5 with a double and three-run homer.......the Orioles have hit 13 homers and batted .303 since the All-Star break......Adam Jones went 2-4 and scored twice and is batting .378 over the last 21 games......Luke Scott went 0-2, snapping a five-game batting streak......the O's have now allowed 10 or more runs 8 times this year after it happened 19 times in 2007........O's starters have pitched to an ERA of 7.21 over the last 16 contests......the O's are 3-3 on this homestand, 7-11 in July and 28-19 at home this season.
Quotable
Garrett Olson on his recent struggles
"Pitch selection is important, but you have to be confident in what you throw....Sometimes I didn't establish fastball command....Coming up initially (early in the season) I was pretty relaxed on the mound and taking my time with pitches....I've tried to do that here recently, but sometimes I don't take that same concept as my approach....Right now mechanics is not an issue....I'm not going to let this get me down."
Steve Melewski's Live GameBlog From Camden Yards
Celebrate 83
The O's 1983 World Champs will be honored here tomorrow night. I've heard a pregame ceremony will begin at 6:40 so get to your seats early. The first 25,000 fans through the gates get a 25th anniversary World Series pennant. During the game the current players will wear throwback jerseys from the 83 season. Among those scheduled to be here tomorow are Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray, Mike Boddicker, Al Bumbry, Rick Dempsey, Tito Landrum, Ken Singleton, Gary Roenicke and former GM Hank Peters.
The Elusive Third Out
We are seeing some amazingly bad pitching by the Orioles tonight. They have lost leads of 4-0 and 7-6 and, after Adam Lind's three-run homer off Castillo, are behind 9-7. The last seven Toronto runs have scored after two were out. Can't get the key pitch to end the inning. Will the O's hitters keep coming back after this or does it eventually take its toll?
Mora, Mora, Mora and other hitting notes
Melvin Mora is 2-3 tonight with a two-run double and two-run homer. His hot hitting continues. On this homestand, through tonight's fifth inning, he is 10-22 with 4 homers and 13 RBI. He now has 19 RBI his last 11 games and now has 8 multi-RBI games in his last 11 contests. Mora now has 61 RBI to tie Huff for the team lead.
Nick Markakis ended a 5-30 drought with his two-run homer in the first.
Ramon Hernandez hit a solo homer in the 5th. He is now 7-17 during a five-game hitting streak and is 4 hits shy of 1,000 for his career.
The Orioles now have hit 13 homers since the All-Star game.
Markakis vs. Marcum
Nick Markakis has amazing stats vs. tonight's Jays starter Sean Marcum. He hit a two-run homer off of him in the first and is now 8-16 with five career homers vs. Marcum. That's not a misprint. That's 5 homers among his 8 hits in just 16 at bats vs. a pitcher who this year has an ERA of 2.65.
Other Orioles vs. Marcum: Hernandez - 2-17, Mora - 2-18, Millar - 3-17, Roberts - 4-20.
Milestone Watch
Brian Roberts needs 2 doubles for 250
Melvin Mora needs 3 homers for 150
Aubrey Huff needs 5 doubles for 250
Luke Scott needs 5 homers for 50
Ramon Hernandez needs 3 doubles for 200 and 5 hits for 1,000
Game Two Is Underway
The second game of the O's and Jays series has begun at Camden Yards. A win tonight moves the O's within one game of the .500 mark and tomorrow will be the 100th game of the season. First pitch was at 7:07pm and it's 94 degrees. Check back during tonight's game for news and live updates from the Yard.
Starting Lineups
Blue Jays
DH David Eckstein
2B Marco Scutaro
CF Alex Rios
C Rod Barajas
1B Lyle Overbay
3B Scott Rolen
LF Adam Lind
RF Kevin Mench
SS John McDonald
P Shaun Marcum
Orioles
2B Brian Roberts
CF Adam Jones
RF Nick Markakis
DH Aubrey Huff
3B Melvin Mora
LF Luke Scott
1B Kevin Millar
C Ramon Hernandez
SS Juan Castro
P Garrett Olson
Walker Passes A Test
Jamie Walker pitched to live hitters today before batting practice, throwing about 25 pitches and it went well.
"I felt good, I threw maybe one or two pitches up in the zone, but it felt good," Walker said. "I'll probably find out tomorrow the next step. My elbow feels good, but we'll know more as the day goes on to see if it tightens up like it had been. Hopefully that cortisone shot did the job."
Walker pitched to Brandon Fahey and Guillermo Quiroz.
"After my last bullpen we tweaked my mechanics a little bit and hopefully that will help put less stress on the elbow. I hope they activate me for Thursday, but they haven't told me yet."
Manager Dave Trembley said they'll decide the next move for Walker tomorrow. They have not ruled out sending him out on a brief rehab assignment.
Trembley's Talk
During his meeting with reporters today Dave Trembley was asked if Chad Bradford has inherited the role as the pitcher he'll go to in the seventh inning.
"I would say he's not going to be that guy every night, because he's not going to pitch three or four days in a row, but he's a guy I feel comfortable with. He throws strikes, he won't beat himself and he keeps the ball in the park. We didn't use him a lot in the first half because with more rest and fewer appearances, I thought he'd be more beneficial to the club after the All-Star break."
Bradford has pitched to an ERA of 1.86 since June 1st, allowing just 4ER and three walks in 19 1/3 in that time.
Trembley said he looks forward to meeting some members of the O's 1983 World Championship team when they are honored here Wednesday at Camden Yards.
"It's a great gesture by the Orioles. Anything you can do to restore, continue, re-educate people about the history of the organization it's a nice thing to do. I'd like to get more of those people involved."
Trembley talked about Garrett Olson and his recent struggles.
"He can go along real smooth, then lose his command. But now these young guys have a half-season under their belt and they should start showing consistent improvement each time they go out."
A few days ago, after Olson's last start, Trembley questioned some of Olson's pitch selection.
"We don't call pitches, but we prepare our people before they go out and play. Guys rely on what the catcher puts down. The ball is in your hand, it's your game. You should go with what your strengths are. With some of the young guys, the game speeds up and they just throw whatever the catcher puts down."
Trembley talked about the fact that Olson's last seven starts (ERA of 8.23) have not been as good as his first eight starts (ERA of 3.86) this year.
"It's a learning curve that's an ongoing process this year. We have to take some bitter medicine along with it. They have to be willing to accept it. We've tried to exhibit as much patience as we can. I think it's time for these young men to step up and show the confidence in themselves that we've shown in them."
Game Preview
Toronto (48-51) at Orioles (48-50)
Trying to reverse a slide that saw them lose 7 of 8 games before the All-Star break, the Orioles have begun the second-half at 3-2.
Tonight, the season's longest homestand continues as the Orioles host Toronto in game two of a four-game series.
The Orioles hit two more homers in Monday's 8-3 win as Adam Jones and Ramon Hernandez delivered two-run shots. Melvin Mora added a key two-run single, and he's knocked in nine runs in five games to start the second-half. The Orioles lead the AL with 10 homers since the All-Star game.
Radhames Liz picked up his 4th win, pitching 5 2/3. Then the Baltimore bullpen combined for 3 1/3 scoreless to nail down the O's 48th win. Losing pitcher Jesse Litsch allowed six runs in 4 2/3.
The Orioles are 11-7 their last 18 home games and 28-18 at home on the season. The Birds are 4-5 vs. Toronto, including a 2-1 mark at Camden Yards.
Toronto, held to seven hits in Monday's defeat, has lost three of its last four. The Jays are just 4-14 over their last 18 on the road.
Pitching Match-Up
LHP Garrett Olson (6-5, 5.79) tonight will make his 16th start of the season, his 8th at home and his second on the year against Toronto.
Olson is really struggling lately and is 0-2, 10.20 over his past three starts. In his first 8 O's starts this year he was 5-1, 3.86. But over his last 7 starts, he is 1-4, 8.23.
Olson's ERA has increased each month, from 2.70 in April, to 4.31 in May, 5.81 in June and 10.20 in July.
Olson has recorded four quality starts on the season, but none over his last 7 starts. The O's are 7-8 when he starts this season.
Right-handed batters hit .290 vs. Olson, lefties bat. 278, and he gives up an average of .250 when pitching with runners in scoring position.
In seven Camden Yards starts, Olson is 3-1, 4.76.
He had a very poor start at Toronto on July 9th, allowing 7 hits and a season-high 7 runs in just 3 2/3. In two career starts vs. the Blue Jays, he is 0-2, 17.05, giving up 12 ER in just 6 1/3 innings.
RHP Shaun Marcum (5-4, 2.65) tonight is scheduled to make his 16th start of the season, his 7th on the road and his 3rd this year vs. Baltimore.
Marcum has been out since June 18th and on the DL with a right elbow strain. He pitched four perfect innings for Dunedin of the Florida State League vs. Vero Beach last Thursday, throwing 55 pitches.
Marcum was activated from the DL after last night's game and is expected to be on about a 70-pitch limit tonight.
Before he went on the DL, the 26-year-old was pitching quite well with an ERA of 2.66 his last four starts. He currently ranks third in the American League in ERA, 2nd in opponent batting average (.198) and third in strikeouts per nine innings.
Marcum, a third-round pick in 2003, has given up just 72 hits in 98 2/3 on the season with only 27 walks and 86 strikeouts. His ERA was 3.24 in April, 2.18 in May and 2.70 in June. In six road starts, he is 1-2, 3.03.
Right-handed batters hit just .169 off Marcum while lefties bat, .229 and opponents hit just .169 off him with runners in scoring position.
Marcum vs. the Orioles:
2008: 1-0, 1.98 in two starts (3 ER - 13.2 IP)
2007: 0-0, 6.57 in three games, two starts
Career: 1-1, 5.45 in eight games, six starts
In 38 career innings vs. the Orioles, Marcum has allowed 8 homers. The O's Nick Markakis is 7-15 with 4 homers vs. Marcum.
O's Hitters Recently
Fahey: 3-13 AB and has 8 RBI his last 12 games
Hernandez: Four-game hitting streak at 6-14/2/6 and needs 5 hits for 1,000
Huff: Over his last 34 games is batting .361-10-30 with 14 doubles
Jones: Over his last 20 games is hitting .372-2-15
Markakis: 3-20 and 5-30 AB
Millar: Three-game hitting streak at 5-13 with 3 doubles
Mora: Last five games is 8-19/3/9 and has 15 RBI the last 10 games
Payton: 5-16 AB
Roberts: 6-26 AB and has 18 doubles his last 34 games
Scott: Five-game hitting streak at 8-17/3/7
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