The Orioles have won 66 games this season and they've got six more to play. They also won 66 games last season.
I'm trying to appreciate the "progress" that they've made in 2011.
I'm also trying to forget that last year's team was 2-16 and went through three managers.
The Orioles will avoid 100 losses. They could win more games than last season. They won't have the worst record in baseball. They no longer have the worst record in the American League after winning eight of their last...
So much for that 5-0 lead.
The Tigers scored once in the fourth inning and four times in the fifth to tie the game, 5-5.
Delmon Young's three-run shot, off a 94 mph fastball from left-hander Zach Britton, erased the rest of the Orioles' lead.
Well, it was fun while it lasted.
Britton has won four of his last five decisions since coming off the disabled list. He had allowed two earned runs or fewer in four of his last six starts, and four earned runs or fewer in his last seven.
In his...
Vladimir Guerrero drove in the Orioles' final two runs last night, and he's produced their first run tonight.
Guerrero's sacrifice fly off Tigers starter Jacob Turner scored J.J. Hardy in the top of the first inning and gave the Orioles a 1-0 lead.
Hardy and Nick Markakis singled with one out and Guerrero flied to center field to provide an early lead for rookie left-hander Zach Britton.
Guerrero has driven in seven runs in his last six games - including two in the eighth inning last...
The Orioles finally posted their lineup. You can decide whether it was worth the wait.
For the Orioles:
Robert Andino 2B
J.J. Hardy SS
Nick Markakis RF
Vladimir Guerrero DH
Matt Wieters C
Adam Jones CF
Mark Reynolds 1B
Chris Davis 3B
Nolan Reimold LF
Zach Britton LHP
Second baseman Brian Roberts will be featured on "Outside the Lines" at 10 a.m. Sunday on ESPN2 as part of a segment on athletes and concussions. You can check out a clip
The Orioles have taken their act to Detroit for the last four road games of the season.
No mo' after Motown.
Only three Orioles starters are listed for the series - Zach Britton tonight, Alfredo Simon tomorrow night and Jeremy Guthrie on Saturday night. Sunday's starter is TBA.
Brian Matusz and Rick VandenHurk are available for the assignment. Jo-Jo Reyes tossed three scoreless innings in relief Tuesday night, which might sway manager Buck Showalter.
Any preferences?
The Tigers will...
Mark Reynolds wasn't satisfied with hitting his 35th homer tonight.
He also wasn't willing to let the Orioles trail by two runs.
Reynolds homered again off Josh Beckett, his two-run shot in the seventh inning tying the game, 4-4.
Matt Wieters singled and was forced at second on Adam Jones' fielder's choice grounder. Reynolds took a 93 mph fastball for a ball, fouled off another one and launched a curveball.
Reynolds has 14 career multi-homer games, the most recent before tonight coming...
Mark Reynolds homered off Josh Beckett with two outs in the top of the second inning to give the Orioles a 1-0 lead.
Reynolds pulled a 91 mph cutter to left field, easily clearing the Green Monster after Beckett got ahead, 0-2, in the count.
Reynolds sat out two games after being drilled in the helmet by an Ervin Santana pitch Saturday night, but he's 6-for-11 in his last four. He's homered in three of those games and driven in seven runs.
He won't get much love in the Most Valuable...
The Orioles are looking to win their first four-game series at Fenway Park since Aug. 8-10, 2003, when they took three of four. Their last series win in Boston was Sept. 20-22, 2010, when they took two of three.
The Orioles are going for their fifth road series win of the season.
A win tonight would give the Orioles their third consecutive series win, a feat they haven't accomplished since Sept. 3-15, 2010, when they won four straight series (vs. Tampa Bay, at New York, at Detroit and vs....
Adam Jones and Mark Reynolds are making back-to-back starts after returning to the Orioles' lineup last night. Matt Angle gets the start in left field.
For the Orioles:
Robert Andino 2B
J.J. Hardy SS
Nick Markakis RF
Vladimir Guerrero DH
Matt Wieters C
Adam Jones CF
Mark Reynolds 1B
Chris Davis 3B
Matt Angle LF
Tommy Hunter RHP
For the Red Sox:
Ellsbury CF
Aviles 3B
Gonzalez 1B
Ortiz DH
Pedroia 2B
Reddick RF
Crawford LF
Scutaro SS
Varitek C
Beckett RHP
Red Sox manager Terry Francona called upon closer Jonathan Papelbon to get a five-out save tonight.
He got a blown save instead.
Robert Andino lined a three-run double into the right field corner with two outs and the count full to give the Orioles a 7-5 lead in the eighth inning.
Matt Wieters and Mark Reynolds singled off Daniel Bard. Francona brought in Papelbon with one out, and the right-hander responded by getting a called third strike on Chris Davis.
Plate umpire Mark Wegner's...
Rick VandenHurk's second start with the Orioles this month didn't do much to enhance his standing within the organization.
VandenHurk couldn't record an out in the fourth inning and he couldn't hold a 4-1 lead.
Jo-Jo Reyes replaced him with runners on first and second, no outs and the Orioles ahead, 4-3. Jacoby Ellsbury singled to load the bases. Reyes struck out Dustin Pedroia and Adrian Gonzalez appeared to bounce into a 3-6-3 double play, but first baseman Mark Reynolds missed catcher...
It's tough to get a group of sportswriters and broadcasters to agree on anything, but I don't recall many divided opinions in the Most Valuable Oriole voting that takes place during the final month of every season.
The second- and third-place finishers can bring a heated debate, but the winner usually takes the honor by a fairly wide margin.
Luke Scott was the overwhelming choice last year, though at least two voters refused to pick him. Something about his .214 average with runners in...
Rick VandenHurk fell behind, 1-0, tonight after facing three Red Sox batters.
Back-to-back one-out doubles by Dustin Pedroia and Adrian Gonzalez in the first inning gave Boston an early lead. Gonzalez is 3-for-4 with two doubles and a home run lifetime against VandenHurk, who hasn't pitched since Sept. 10 in Toronto.
That's what you would call extended rest.
VandenHurk lasted only 2 1/3 innings in his last start, allowing three runs and three hits - including two home runs - and walking...
Adam Jones is starting in center field tonight and Mark Reynolds is back at first base. The lineup looks fairly normal again.
Jones hasn't started since Sept. 9 because of a sprained right thumb.
For the Orioles:
Robert Andino 2B
J.J. Hardy SS
Nick Markakis RF
Vladimir Guerrero DH
Matt Wieters C
Adam Jones CF
Mark Reynolds 1B
Chris Davis 3B
Nolan Reimold LF
Rick VandenHurk RHP
VandenHurk hasn't pitched since Sept. 10 in Toronto, when he allowed three runs and three hits, including two...
Should we believe that Jim Johnson is going to make a start before the 2011 season comes to a merciful end?
It's not necessary.
The Orioles can decide over the winter that Johnson belongs in the rotation. They can put him on a starter's schedule in spring training. They can change their minds at any time and return him to the bullpen.
It's not like he'll be stretched out so far that he can't snap back to a short-relief role. He's not a rubber band.
Johnson hasn't been formally named...
Orioles left-hander Brian Matusz might not pitch again this season, which would deny him the chance to lower his ERA and avoid a most dubious distinction.
According to STATSPASS, Matusz's 10.68 ERA is the highest in major league history for any pitcher with at least 10 starts. I'm providing the Top 10 below. I'm only including the number of starts, not relief appearances.
Keep in mind that his record hasn't been updated. He's facing another loss unless the Orioles rally tonight. They...
I predicted in spring training that left-hander Brian Matusz would emerge as the staff ace. Then I thought the Orioles would keep in at Triple-A Norfolk for an extended period, but they recalled him. Then I thought they would continue to send him to the mound every five days, but they pulled him from the rotation after his Sept. 5 start in New York. Then I thought they would keep him in the bullpen for the rest of the season, but they gave him the start tonight in Game 2 of a doubleheader in...
No lead is safe at Fenway Park, but the Orioles are bold enough to try.
They jumped on right-hander John Lackey for three runs in the top of the first inning, bringing more angst to Red Sox Nation.
Matt Angle singled and stole his eighth base. J.J. Hardy walked, and Angle sprinted home on Nick Markakis' single.
That's 1-0.
Vladimir Guerrero lined a sacrifice fly to right field - if you can line a fly ball. I've never heard of a sacrifice line drive.
That's 2-0.
Chris Davis drove in...
Maybe Adam Jones can get back into the lineup tomorrow night. He's missing again in Game 2.
Jones was a defensive replacement in Game 1.
For the Orioles:
Matt Angle CF
J.J. Hardy SS
Nick Markakis RF
Vladimir Guerrero DH
Chris Davis 1B
Robert Andino 3B
Nolan Reimold LF
Ryan Adams 2B
Craig Tatum C
Brian Matusz LHP
For the Red Sox:
Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Marco Scutaro SS
Adrian Gonzalez 1B
Dustin Pedroia 2B
David Ortiz DH
Jed Lowrie 3B
Conor Jackson LF
Jason Varitek C
Darnell McDonald...
Manager Buck Showalter played the matchup game in the eighth inning with the Orioles clinging to a 6-5 lead.
He won.
Now, the Orioles will try to do the same.
Clay Rapada faced David Ortiz to open the bottom of the eighth and retired him on one pitch, which resulted in a liner to short.
Left-handed hitters are 4-for-43 against Rapada this season and 5-for-62 over the past two seasons. Right-handers are batting .692 this year, so Showalter brought in Pedro Strop to face pinch hitter Ryan...
