Waters wins his Major League debut, O's top LAA, 3-0
Chris Waters waited a long time to make his Major League debut. After the way he pitched tonight, it's a game he'll be talking about for a long time.
After 185 Minor League games pitching 1,040 innings, Waters took the mound tonight in Anaheim vs. the team with the best record in the Majors.
All he did was one-hit the Angels over eight superb innings as the O's beat LA 3-0, to even the series at a win each. Waters, a 27-year-old lefty, gave up only a second-inning single to Vladimir Guerrero. He walked three and fanned three and retired 14 of the last 15 batters he faced.
Waters was called up with a mark of 3-6, 5.70 at Triple-A Norfolk. But he pitched to an ERA of 3.60 in July and had allowed just one hit over seven innings in his most recent Triple-A outing.
His eight innings tonight was his longest outing of this season, including his Minor League starts. He threw 103 pitches. George Sherrill pitched a scoreless ninth for his 31st save.
Luke Scott's long solo homer to right gave the O's a 3-0 lead in the seventh. It's his 5th homer of the second-half and career-high 19th of the season.
The Orioles took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Brian Roberts led off with a single to center and scored on a Nick Markakis RBI double. It was the 100th double of his career and his 61st RBI of the season. Melvin Mora's single to center scored Markakis for a 2-0 edge and Mora's 70th RBI.
Bal 3-9-0
LAA 0-2-0
Postgame Notes
Waters' Amazing Debut
Chris Waters was calm at the start of the game, late in the game and even during the postgame interview when he got hit in the face with the shaving cream. He got three outs in the first inning on just 8 pitches and had just 19 pitches through two, 67 through five and finished with 103.
He retired the last seven batters he faced and 14 of the last 15. The Angels went 1-24 at bat vs. Waters tonight. Of his 24 outs, he got 14 on groundouts. He showed an excellent change vs. right-handed hitters and his curve seemed to get better as the game went on. This was the 5th time the Angels were shutout on the season, but the first time at home. His pitching ended Torii Hunter's 15-game batting streak and Garret Anderson's 12-gamer.
This time last night many O's fans probably didn't know much about Waters, but you know tonight they were all cheering for him. It was a special night for this 27-year-old from Lakeland, Florida. This winter, when we look back on this season, this figures to be a game everyone will remember.
Final Notes
This was the Orioles' second shutout of the year, the other coming April 19th, 6-0 vs. the Yankees.....That was 94 games ago........Waters and Sherrill combined on a two-hitter.....That's the fewest hits the O's have allowed in a game this season, topping the three-hitter Daniel Cabrera pitched May 8th at Kansas City.....With the shutout, the O's team ERA was reduced from 4.72 to 4.68.
The O's clinched a winning road trip and are now 5-3 with one left on the trip......They have won 6 of their last 9 games, are 25-35 in road games and 9-10 since the All-Star break......LA falls to 13-5 in the second half.
Aubrey Huff's first-inning single extended his batting streak and he is now hitting .429 during his 14-game streak.....Brian Roberts had one hit, extending his batting streak to eight games, but Ramon Hernandez went 0-4, ending his streak at seven games........Nick Markakis went 2-3 and is hitting .364 over his past 11 games.....his double in the first was the 100th of his career..........Luke Scott went 3-3 and hit a homer in the 7th.....It's his career high 19th homer and 5th since the All-Star break......a win on Wednesday afternoon and the O's would go 2-1 on each of the three stops on this road trip.
Steve Melewski's Live GameBlog
Luke and the Longball
Luke Scott hit a solo homer tonight in the seventh. It's his 19th, a new career high, topping last season's 18 with Houston. Then, he hit 18 in 369 at bats. Tonight he hit his 19th in his 332nd at bat. It's his 5th homer of the second half. Scott was just 4-25 on this road trip until tonight and he is 3-3 so far. It's his first three-hit game since July 19 vs. Detroit.
Waters = Amazing
Five strong was impressive, seven innings of one-hit ball vs. the Angels is amazing. Waters is doing a great impression of a crafty lefty tonight, mixing up a tough change to right-handed hitters, and he's around the plate with all his pitches, so he's even gotten some close calls from the ump. He couldn't look any more poised. Can he finish this thing off?
Waters Running Smoothly
Chris Waters is certainly doing the improbable tonight. He has allowed just one hit through five vs. the team with the best record in baseball, on the road, and has a 2-0 lead. He's pitched ahead, worked fast and used all his pitches. He's been a joy to watch so far and an outing like this may at least earn him one more. He has thrown just 67 pitches through five and the only hit is Guerrero's single in the second. Hard to believe he had a 5.70 ERA at Triple-A.
Hayden Penn's Night
Hayden Penn pitched five shutout innings tonight to get a win in Norfolk's victory over Columbus. Penn allowed just four hits with no walks and three strikeouts. Of his 62 pitches, 45 were strikes. If he was going to be the O's starter tonight before his recent injury, as Dave Trembley said tonight, this outing should cement his getting to Baltimore really soon. He is now 6-7, 4.79 on the year.
Keys No-Hitter
Three Frederick Keys pitchers combined to pitch a no-hitter tonight as the Keys beat Salem 5-0 at home. Brandon Erbe went the first six innings with three walks and seven strikeouts. He improves to 9-10, 4.19. Ryan Ouellette pitched just 1/3 of an inning with two walks, then Fredy Deza finished up the last 2 2/3, gaining a save. It's the first no-hitter in the Carolina League since 2006.
It's the 5th no-hitter in Keys history and first since Radhames Liz, Russ Petrick, Jeff Montsani and Casey Cahill combined to pitch one also vs. Salem on April 12, 2006.
Adam Pohl calls the last out of the Frederick Keys no-hitter
Trembley's Talk
Dave Trembley told reporters in Anaheim tonight that Adam Jones would be on crutches for two weeks and would get another CT scan in three weeks. He will be out a mimimum of four weeks, the skipper said. He would not say when Lou Montanez would get a start or commit to how many starts he will get. He said according to the reports he got, Montanez could play in center field. Trembley said there is no talk at all about moving Nick Markakis from right to center.
Trembley confirmed tonight that Hayden Penn was to be the guy making tonight's start, until he got hit by that bat the other night in the first inning. He said Chris Waters was recommended highly by the O's Minor League staff. Trembley also confirmed tonight that Dennis Sarfate would make his next scheduled start, this Sunday at home.
Game Two Underway
Game two of the O's and Angels series is underway. Chris Waters will make his Major League debut tonight. Check back here often tonight for news and updates.
Starting Lineups
Orioles
2B Brian Roberts
RF Nick Markakis
3B Melvin Mora
DH Aubrey Huff
C Ramon Hernandez
1B Kevin Millar
LF Luke Scott
CF Jay Payton
SS Juan Castro
P Chris Waters
Angels
3B Chone Figgins
SS Erick Aybar
1B Mark Teixeira
RF Vladimir Guerrero
CF Torii Hunter
2B Howie Kendrick
DH Robb Quinlan
LF Gary Matthews Jr.
C Jeff Mathis
P Jon Garland
Garland has not lost to the O's since 2004.....He is 6-0, 3.76 over his last six starts vs. the Orioles.......The O's have lost 13 of thier last 17 games at Anaheim.........Brian Roberts is just 3-26 at bat this season vs. the Angels.
Game Preview
Orioles (53-58) at LA Angels (70-42)
After losing in the bottom of the ninth Monday night, the Orioles will try to regroup and rebound tonight in game two of their series vs. the Angels. The O's are 4-3 on this road trip with two games to go.
The O's entered the ninth trailing the Angels 5-1 Monday, but rallied to tie the game 5-5 when Nick Markakis hit a two-run single and Melvin Mora a two-run double off Major League saves leader Francisco Rodriguez.
But in the last of the ninth, Torii Hunter led off with a double and scored the winning run when George Sherrill issued a two-out, bases-loaded walk to Chone Figgins to end the game.
The Angels, who hold baseball's best record at 70-42, led 5-0 after four innings.
The Orioles, winners of 5 of 8 games, are now 8-10 since the All-Star break. LA, a winner of 6 of 8 and 15 of 19 games, is 14-0-3 in its last 17 series vs. American League teams. The Angels lead the AL West by 11 ½ games over Texas.
LA is 5-2 this season vs. the Birds.
Roster Move Today
The O's announced today that they have placed Adam Jones on the 15-day DL, retroactive to Sunday, with a fractured left foot. The O's have added OF Lou Montanez to the roster from Bowie and moved Adam Loewen to the 60-day DL to make 40-man roster room for Montanez.
Jones could be out 4-6 weeks and it's possible he could miss the rest of the season.
The 26-year-old Montanez, a right-handed hitter, was batting .335-26-97 at Bowie and was leading the Eastern League in all three Triple Crown categories. He was named the O's minor league player of the month for July and Eastern League player of the month for July after hitting .352-8-29 in the month. He left Bowie with a 19-game hitting streak alive during which he batted .473 (35-74) and knocked in 29 runs during the streak.
Pitching Match-Up
LHP Chris Waters (3-6, 5.70 at Triple-A) after pitching in 185 Minor League games covering 1,040 innings since 2000, will make his Major League debut tonight.
The 27-year-old Waters, in his second season in the O's organization, began this season at Double-A Bowie and was 5-0, 1.69 in six starts. He was then promoted to Triple-A Norfolk and made 18 appearances, 16 as a starter, with the Tides. In 22 starts combined this season, he is 8-6, 4.65.
Waters struggled for a while at Norfolk, but after pitching to an ERA of 8.77 in June went 3-1, 3.60 in six July starts. In his last outing, last Thursday vs. Lehigh Valley, he pitched seven shutout innings, giving up just one hit.
With Norfolk, Waters has allowed 97 hits and 43 walks in 90 innings. He gave up a batting average of .210 vs. left-handed hitters, .317 vs. right-handed batters and .363 when pitching with runners in scoring position.
Waters was originally drafted in round five by Atlanta in 2000. His best year in the Minors was 2002 at Myrtle Beach when he went 13-7, 2.76.
In his career in the Minors he has pitched in 185 games, 179 as a starter, with a record of 58-60 and 4.06 ERA in 1,040 innings.
RHP Jon Garland (10-6, 4.30) tonight will make his 23rd start of 2008, his 13th at home and his 3rd of the season vs. the Orioles.
Garland has struggled a bit recently and is 2-0, 7.40 over his last four starts. Included in that stretch was his start July 26th in Baltimore when he allowed 5 earned runs in 5 1/3. In 12 home starts on the season, he is 3-4, 4.09.
The 28-year-old Garland was an 18-game winner in 2005 and 2006 with the White Sox.
Right-handed batters hit .293 vs. Garland, while lefties hit .285, and he gives up an average of .286 with runners in scoring position.
Garland, who has recorded 14 quality starts this season, pitched a complete game on July 6th. He pitched a 6-hitter that day in a win over Toronto.
Garland vs. Baltimore:
2008: 2-0, 4.05, two starts (13 1/3 IP, 10H, 6ER)
2007: 1-0, 2.57, one start
Career: 7-2, 4.40, 11 games, nine starts, covering 59 1/3.
O's Current Hitting Streaks
Huff: 13 games at .442 (23-52) with 3 homers and 12 RBI
Hernandez: 7 games at .360 (9-25) with one homer and 3 RBI
Roberts: 7 games at .333 (10-30) with one homer and RBI
Millar: 4 games at .400 (6-15) with 2 RBI
Mora: 4 games at .375 (6-16) with 4 RBI
Cintron: 4 games at .555 (5-9) with one RBI
Jones: 2 games at .500 (5-10) with 2 RBI
I saw Chris Waters last game at Triple-A Norfolk and this was his line.
7IP 0R 1H 3W 7K.
Chris has learned how to pitch and his last to games of pro ball have proved it.
How do I get 2 copies of the Orioles game 5 August 2008 with Chris Waters Pitching. I need the pre- and post- game shows as well as the game. Can you help me. John.
301-379-7634