Chris Waters pitches a 4-hitter, O's blank Toronto, 2-0
O's lefty Chris Waters pitched a complete-game, four-hit shutout as the Orioles beat Toronto 2-0 Tuesday night to start a three-game series. Waters improves to 3-3, 4.75 and he allowed just one runner to reach as far as second base all night.
It's the O's 4th shutout of the season and their 4th complete game, but it's the first complete-game shutout by a starter all year. Waters threw 106 pitches, 67 for strikes. He got the leadoff hitter out in eight of nine innings.
Waters, who retired the side in order three times, gave up three singles and a double and never needed more than 15 pitches in any one inning.
Waters walked two and fanned three. The only batter to reach second base was Travis Snider, who doubled with one out in the 8th. It's the first complete-game shutout by an Oriole since Erik Bedard did it at Texas on July 7th, 2007.
The O's ended Toronto's six-game home win streak and improve to 5-8 on the season vs. the Jays.
Luke Scott's solo homer to center in the 4th gave the O's a 2-0 lead. It was Scott's 23rd of the season and his 3rd homer vs. Toronto.
The O's took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Juan Castro drew a leadoff walk. He then scored on Brian Roberts' 48th double of the year for the 1-0 edge. Ramon Hernandez grounded into a double play with the bases loaded to end the rally.
Balt 2-6-0
Tor 0-4-0
Postgame Notes
More on Waters
His three wins have come vs. the Angels, Red Sox and Blue Jays......He got 15 outs in the air, including 9 putouts made by Nick Markakis in right......He lowered his ERA from 5.73 to 4.75 and the team ERA from 5.15 to 5.11......The top three in the Jays order, Marco Scutaro, Jose Bautista and Alex Rios went a combined 0-12......Waters is now 2-0, 2.42 in four starts on the road.......Tonight was his 9th Major League start, his third quality start and first win since August 20 vs. Boston.
Waters Pitches by Inning:
First: 11
Second: 10
Third: 15
Fourth: 12
Fifth: 11
Sixth: 9
Seventh: 13
Eigth: 14
Ninth: 11
The O's Four Shutouts in 2008
4-19 - at O's 6 NYY 0 - Brian Burres 5 hits in 5 2/3
8-5 - O's 3 at LAA 0 - Chris Waters 1 hit in 8 innings
8-9 - at O's 9 Texas 0 - Daniel Cabrera 4 hits in 6 innings
9-16 O's 2 at Tor 0 - Chris Waters 4 hits in 9 innings
Final Notes
This was the O's 4th complete game of the year......Daniel Cabrera has pitched two vs. Kansas City and Jeremy Guthrie one vs. Seattle....Waters and Radhames Liz have combined to pitch 17 shutout frames on just 9 hits the past two games......It's the O's first back-to-back wins since August 14 and 15.
Toronto has been shutout 11 times on the year.......This was just the 4th quality start by an O's starter in the last 24 games and Waters has two of them......Baltimore is now 28-21 in series openers.........The O's won for just the second time in the last nine games vs. the Jays.
Aubrey Huff went 0-2 with two walks, ending his hitting streak at 14 games.....Huff hit .411 during the streak........Brian Roberts' RBI double in the third extended his batting streak to six games and he is now 9-23 during his streak.....Luke Scott's homer in the 4th was just his second in his last 23 contests......Nick Markakis reached base four times with a double and three walks.......He is now 9-18 with 5 homers in his career at bats vs. Jays' starter Shaun Marcum.
Steve Melewski's Live GameBlog
Shaun Marcum
Left the game due to numbness in his right forearm, Gary Thorne just announced on MASN. Tonight he gave up one run and two hits in two plus innings throwing 52 pitches.
Good Use of the Outfielders
Through six shutout innings, Chris Waters has gotten 11 of 18 outs in the air. Nick Markakis has 6 putouts in right, Adam Jones 3 in center and Luke Scott 1 in left. There has also been one popup to short.
The 'I'll Try Not to Jinx Him Post'
Chris Waters is doing one fine job so far tonight. He has pitched a three-hit shutout through five. He has given up just three singles and no Jays runner has even reached second base yet. He has thrown only 59 pitches. The Jays are just 3-18 at bat so far.
His pitches by inning are - 11 in the 1st, 10 in the second, 15 in the third, 12 in the fourth and 11 in the 5th. Great outing.
Luke and the Longball
HR's vs. RHP: 18 in 338 at bats (1 every 18.8 at bats)
HR's vs. LHP: 5 in 100 at bats (1 every 20 at bats)
That homer in the 4th was Scott's 23rd of the year. He had hit just 1 in his previous 22 games. He has hit two in September and nine since the All-Star break.
Melvin Is Gone
Melvin Mora was ejected in the third by home plate ump Rob Drake. Mora was called out on strikes on a 2-2 pitch from John Parrish that on TV anyway, did look like a strike. So Melvin, 0-2 tonight, is now out of the game. In the last of the third, Aubrey Huff moved from first base to third and Kevin Millar entered at first base batting third.
Marcum Out
Shaun Marcum, a top Blue Jays starter, has been pulled from the game with no outs in the third inning. He gave up a walk, RBI double and walk in the third before Cito Gaston and the trainer came to the mound. Marcum apparently had some elbow issues earlier this year. John Parrish has come in. On July 10th in a start vs. the O's, Parrish pitched well. In seven innings he allowed six hits and three runs in a no decision.
Not Tonight
No first-inning problems for the O's pitcher tonight. Chris Waters got the Jays 1-2-3 on just 11 pitches. Radhames Liz sailed through the first on Sunday. It's good to see. But when the O's analyze some of their pitching problems after this season is over, the first inning problems should be much discussed. The O's have been scored on in the first 67 times this year and are 23-44 in those games. And the O's have given up more runs in the first this year, 126, than in any other inning. And it's not even close. They've given up 95 in the third inning, the second most. Why do O's starters struggle in the opening inning? It's sure to be a topic at the organizational meetings in October.
Play Ball!
The final road trip of the season is underway. The O's have lost 7 of their last 8 games this season vs. Toronto.....The Jays have won their last six home games......Toronto has won four of its last five series........The O's have lost seven and tied one in their last 8 series.......O's are 27-21 in series-opening games...........Jays are 43-29 at home......O's starters have just 3 quality starts the past 23 contests.
Starting Lineups
Orioles
2B Brian Roberts
RF Nick Markakis
3B Melvin Mora
1B Aubrey Huff
C Ramon Hernandez
LF Luke Scott
CF Adam Jones
DH Oscar Salazar
SS Juan Castro
P Chris Waters
Blue Jays
SS Marco Scutaro
2B Jose Bautista
RF Alex Rios
CF Vernon Wells
1B Lyle Overbay
3B Scott Rolen
DH Adam Lind
C Gregg Zaun
LF Travis Snider
P Shaun Marcum
Game Preview
Orioles (66-82) at Toronto (80-70)
After completing a 3-6 homestand, the Orioles begin the season's final road trip tonight at Toronto. The trip will end Sunday when the O's will be the visitors for the final game ever at Yankee Stadium.
The O's beat Minnesota 7-3 Sunday to win the final game of that series. Radhames Liz pitched 8 shutout innings of five-hit ball while Nick Markakis and Oscar Salazar hit a pair of homers each.
The outing by Liz gave the pitching staff a real boost. Even with that performance, O's starters are 2-10, 8.02 over the past 15 games.
The O's, who are 30-45 in road games, have lost 12 of 15 and 19 of the last 27 contests.
Toronto entered last weekend with a big series in Boston. The Blue Jays began the set 6 ½ games back of Boston in the Wild Card chase. But after losing three of four to the Sox, the Jays are now 8 ½ back with flickering post-season hopes now.
Toronto is ten games over .500 and has won 12 of its last 16 games. The Jays have won six in a row at Rogers Centre.
Toronto leads the season series with the Orioles, 8 wins to 4 and is 7-1 in the last eight games between the teams.
Pitching Match-Up
LHP Chris Waters (2-3, 5.73) tonight makes his 9th Major League start of the season, his 4th on the road and the first of his career vs. Toronto.
Waters is 0-3 over his last four starts since his last win, August 20 vs. Boston. He is 0-2, 7.63 over his past three starts. The Orioles are 3-5 when he starts, but have lost four in a row.
Waters struggles early in his outings. In the first two innings of his starts he gives up an opponent average of .343 and has allowed 13 of his 30 runs on the season in those first two frames.
Right-handed batters hit .268 off Waters while lefties hit .359. Waters has recorded two quality starts in eight tries on the year. In three road starts, he is 1-0, 3.71.
RHP Shaun Marcum (9-6, 3.38) tonight will make his 25th start of this season, his 14th at home and his 4th this year vs. the Orioles.
Marcum has been pitching very well recently with an ERA of 1.26 in two September starts. Over his last six starts, he is 4-1, 2.75. He has allowed 2 ER or less in five of his last six outings. In 13 home starts, Marcum is 5-4, 2.81.
The 26-year-old is usually toughest to hit early in games. Opponents bat just .180 vs. Marcum in the first three innings of his starts. Overall on the year, left-handed batters hit .240 off him and right-handed batters hit 203. However, of his 21 homers allowed, 14 have been hit by right-handed hitters.
Marcum was a 3rd-round pick by Toronto in 2003. The Blue Jays are 13-11 when he starts.
Marcum vs. the O's
2008: 1-0, 4.42, three starts (18 1/3 IP, 19H, 9ER, 5 HR's)
2007: 0-0, 6.57, three games, two starts
Career: 1-1, 6.12, 9 games, 7 starts (42 2/3 IP, 11 homers allowed)
O's vs. Marcum
Marcum has pitched well vs. many, but not all of the Orioles. Brian Roberts is just 4-21 in his career vs. Marcum, Ramon Hernandez is 3-18 as is Kevin Millar and Melvin Mora is 3-20 vs. the righty. But Nick Markakis has 5 homers in 17 career at bats vs. Marcum. This season, Markakis is 4-7 vs. Marcum, with two homers and 3 RBI. In his career, he is 8-17 with 5 homers and 6 RBI.
O's Hitters, 2008 vs. Toronto
Castro: 2-9
Cintron: 1-5
Hernandez: 5-36/2/5
Huff: 13-40/1/3
Jones: 13-43/4/9
Markakis: 18-48/3/8
Millar: 8-43/2/6
Montanez: 0-0
Mora: 18-43/3/16
Payton: 6-21/0/6
Quiroz: 1-10/0/1
Roberts: 15-47/0/1
Salazar: 0-0
Scott: 11-39/2/5
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