ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter earned his 1,200th career win today, which meant nothing to him. He was more interested in his club taking two of three from the Rays at Tropicana Field.
"How many losses?" Showalter asked. "You know what that means? You get an opportunity for 1,200 more if you've got good players.
"It means I'm old. It means I'm old."
Showalter was ready to argue plate umpire Pat Hoberg's strike zone in the first inning and get himself tossed....
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - It was bound to happen again.
Nelson Cruz hadn't hit a home run since June 3 in Arlington, Texas. He wasn't going to be shut out for the remainder of the season.
That sort of power outage only happens in New Orleans during the Super Bowl.
Cruz launched a 91 mph fastball from Rays reliever Kirby Yates in the top of the eighth inning, the ball smacking off a light hanging from the C ring catwalk.
The catwalk. Yeah, the catwalk.
It's the third ball to hit the C ring...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Kevin Gausman loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the first inning and didn't allow a run.
That's the good news.
The Rays forced Gausman to throw 35 pitches.
That's the bad news.
The Orioles used four relievers last night. They have a six-man bullpen. They need Gausman to be more economical.
J.J. Hardy's eighth error of the season, on Evan Longoria's bouncer, loaded the bases. Gausman struck out James Loney and Ben Zobrist on 84 mph splitters and...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Nick Markakis led off today's game against the Rays with a single into center field, his 1,459th hit with the Orioles. He's 115 behind Boog Powell for fifth on the club's all-time list.
Too soon to keep track?
Markakis began the day batting .301/.360/.418 with 14 doubles, a triple, six homers and 28 RBIs in 70 games. He's now batting .406 in the first inning this season.
Showalter was curious about the All-Star voting and how Matt Wieters continues to lead American...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter is giving rookie Caleb Joseph the start behind the plate again today following a night game.
What do you get a catcher for his 28th birthday? More at-bats.
Joseph has caught Kevin Gausman's last two starts, with the right-hander allowing two runs in 13 innings.
"I don't know about paired, but that's some of it," Showalter said. "We've got an off-day tomorrow. Just stay there for the time being with Caleb.
"We'll see what...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Steve Pearce is starting in left field and batting second for the Orioles again today after contributing a home run, double and two walks in last night's game against the Rays.
Caleb Joseph is catching a day game after a night game to keep him working with Kevin Gausman.
For the Orioles
Nick Markakis RF
Steve Pearce LF
Adam Jones CF
Chris Davis 1B
Nelson Cruz DH
J.J. Hardy SS
Manny Machado 3B
Jonathan Schoop 2B
Caleb Joseph C
Kevin Gausman RHP
For the Rays
Matt Joyce...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles wrap up their series with the Rays this afternoon before enjoying an off-day in New York. The schedule actually favors them for a change.
No 4 a.m. arrival. And, you know, an entire day and night in the Big Apple before another big series against a division rival.
Time to unwind, fellas.
Kevin Gausman makes his second career start and third appearance against the Rays. He allowed seven runs and eight hits over 4 1/3 innings in a June 8, 2013 loss at...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter had a pretty good idea tonight that Chris Davis' fly ball to left field in the third inning bounced off the foul pole. He could tell by the sound it made inside the mostly empty dome - unless it was left fielder David DeJesus slamming into the wall.
The sound turned out to be the one Showalter wanted all along, Davis' grand slam keying a 7-5 victory over the Rays.
"I'm not sure if that was him or DeJesus," Showalter said. "I was glad...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter had to choose tonight whether to use Steve Pearce or Delmon Young as the designated hitter.
Young was 2-for-21 against Rays left-hander Erik Bedard.
Decision made.
Pearce walked twice against Bedard and hit a two-run homer off Brad Boxberger in the top of the seventh to increase the Orioles' lead to 7-4.
Pearce has five home runs this season to go with a .310 average. He looks pretty good in that second slot in the order.
Caleb Joseph led...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - For Chris Davis, his third career grand slam was worth the wait.
Davis sent a fly ball down the left field line tonight with the bases loaded and one out in the third inning. Tampa Bay's David DeJesus crashed into the wall at full speed, appearing to knock himself out as two runs scored and Davis stopped at second base.
DeJesus stayed in the game. The ball stayed in play only because it hit the foul pole, which replays confirmed after manager Buck Showalter came out of...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter intends to keep his starters on turn past Thursday's off-day, which basically gives the club a six-man rotation.
For how long is another matter.
Ubaldo Jimenez, Bud Norris and Chris Tillman will make the starts at Yankee Stadium, keeping them in a rotation that also includes Wei-Yin Chen, Miguel Gonzalez and Kevin Gausman.
"That could change, depending on what happens the next couple of nights, obviously," Showalter said.
The Orioles...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles activated Miguel Gonzalez from the 15-day disabled list and pointed him toward the mound for tonight's start against the Rays at Tropicana Field.
Reliever Josh Stinson, who's out of minor league options, was designated for assignment to make room for Gonzalez on the 25-man roster.
The move leaves the Orioles with six relievers and six starters on their pitching staff. Left-hander T.J. McFarland is the long man backing up Gonzalez tonight.
Kevin Gausman will...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Orioles catcher Matt Wieters underwent ligament-reconstructive surgery on his right elbow today in Gulf Breeze, Fla. The operation was performed by Dr. James Andrews and didn't include any complications.
Andrews replaced a ligament in Wieters' elbow with a tendon, shaved a bone spur and transposed a nerve. Wieters will spend tonight in the hospital and most likely travel to Atlanta on Wednesday.
Wieters is scheduled to begin rehabilitation in some form right away, but...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Manny Machado has been lowered to seventh again in the Orioles lineup, with Steve Pearce batting second tonight.
Jonathan Schoop is starting at second base.
The Orioles still haven't announced a corresponding roster move for Miguel Gonzalez.
For the Orioles
Nick Markakis RF
Steve Pearce DH
Adam Jones CF
Chris Davis 1B
Nelson Cruz LF
J.J. Hardy SS
Manny Machado 3B
Jonathan Schoop 2B
Caleb Joseph C
Miguel Gonzalez RHP
For the Rays
Desmond Jennings CF
Matt Joyce...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Jonathan Schoop and Ryan Flaherty are on the field early today, doing drills at second base with Bobby Dickerson and Mike Bordick.
Delmon Young and Tampa Bay's Jerry Sands delivered pinch-hit home runs last night, the fifth time in Orioles history that each team had a player come off the bench and go deep. It happened most recently on June 10, 1985 with Floyd Rayford and Detroit's Barbaro Garbey, according to the Orioles' public relations department.
The Orioles lost...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Delmon Young is batting .296 this season. He's collected a hit in five of his last six games - he failed as a pinch-hitter Friday night - and has homered in two of his last five games.
The Orioles are facing a left-hander tonight. Young seems like the obvious choice to serve as the designated hitter, with Nelson Cruz starting in left field.
Or is he?
Young is 2-for-21 (.095) lifetime against Tampa Bay's Erik Bedard, the former Oriole who's making his 13th appearance...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles will make a roster move this afternoon, activating Miguel Gonzalez for tonight's start against the Rays and sending out a pitcher.
It won't be Kevin Gausman, who starts on Wednesday.
Orioles catcher Matt Wieters will undergo surgery at noon to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, also known as a "UCL."
It's not to be confused with the school that won 10 national championships under John Wooden.
The Orioles will let us know...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - For one of the few times since he moved to the bullpen, Orioles left-hander Brian Matusz couldn't keep an inherited runner from scoring.
The batter also rounded the bases tonight, the decisive blow in the Orioles' 5-4 loss to the Rays at Tropicana Field.
Pinch-hitter Jerry Sands smacked a two-run homer off Matusz with two outs in the bottom of the eighth to break a 3-3 tie. He got ahead in the count 2-0 and pulled a 91 mph fastball into the left field seats.
Matusz...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Jerry Sands picked an opportune time to hit his first home run of the season.
Sands, pinch-hitting for David DeJesus, belted a two-run homer off left-hander Brian Matusz with two outs in the eighth to give Tampa Bay a 5-3 lead.
It's the first pinch-hit homer of Sands' career and the second for the Rays this season.
The Orioles had tied the game in the top of the eighth, but they couldn't score again after loading the bases with one out. The run was charged to Grant...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Nick Markakis doubled off the top of the fence in left field tonight leading off the sixth inning, giving him 1,455 career hits to tie Ken Singleton for sixth place on the Orioles' all-time list.
Once Markakis passes Singleton, he can take aim at Boog Powell, who ranks fifth with 1,574 hits. Brady Anderson is fourth with 1,614.
Markakis is 4-for-6 lifetime against Rays starter Jake Odorizzi.
Markakis came close to breaking up Odorizzi's shutout bid with a home run....