I'm not a big fan of incremental updates that don't really advance a story, but it's been a slow day and I feel guilty for posting only one entry, so here's a little something for you. Try to control your breathing and not be overcome by the excitement.
Second baseman Brian Roberts made another visit yesterday to Dr. Michael Collins, who's billed as a sports-concussion specialist. I've never read his business card, but I assume that title appears on it.
I'm told by a team official that...
In his last three starts, Alfredo Simon has gone 4 2/3, 5 2/3 and 5 1/3 innings.
He's allowed four earned runs, four earned runs (six total) and five earned runs (six total).
He's also served up four home runs in those three games.
Simon will get another loss today unless the Orioles rally from a 6-4 deficit in the eighth inning. He didn't bring his best stuff, as evidenced by the two homers he surrendered to Kurt Suzuki, the eight hits, two walks, hit batter and pitch count that...
The Orioles have a day off in Anaheim before beginning a three-game series tomorrow night against the Angels.
Maybe a few players will head over to Disneyland, which would be an appropriate place for them, considering that (insert your own joke here).
The rotation is an absolute mess again, which is reason No. 1 why this season swirled down the drain.
Jeremy Guthrie's bothered by some stiffness in his right shoulder. The club doesn't think it's serious, which means he'll probably have...
Vladimir Guerrero has collected three doubles in the past two games, the most recent coming today in the first inning.
A run scored as Guerrero found another gap in the Athletics' outfield, increasing the Orioles' lead to 2-0 before starter Alfredo Simon had thrown a pitch.
Before arriving in Oakland, Guerrero hadn't registered a double since Aug. 4 in Kansas City. He totaled only one since July 30.
Guerrero is 9-for-21 with seven RBIs since Aug. 11.
Could moving down one spot in the...
The Orioles are facing a right-handed pitcher today, Oakland's Brandon McCarthy, but they're leaning heavily to the right with today's lineup, which includes Robert Andino leading off and Nolan Reimold in left field.
For the Orioles:
Robert Andino 2B
J.J. Hardy SS
Nick Markakis RF
Adam Jones CF
Vladimir Guerrero DH
Mark Reynolds 1B
Nolan Reimold LF
Josh Bell 3B
Craig Tatum C
Alfredo Simon RHP
Felix Pie hasn't played since going 0-for-4 on Saturday.
Guerrero is 5-for-15 with a...
Josh Bell has driven in two runs for the second straight night, with his RBI single in the fifth reducing Oakland's lead to 4-3.
Robert Andino reached second base with one out after Josh Willingham dropped his fly ball for the Athletics' 100th error of the season. Andino raced home when Bell followed with a single into center field.
The Orioles keep pecking away at that lead. They sliced it to 4-2 in the fourth on a two-out single by Adam Jones and a Vladimir Guerrero double.
Bell has made...
I was looking forward to tomorrow's off-day and a little relaxation, or what qualifies in my life, but now I'll be tracking down the results of Chris Davis' visit to orthopedic specialist Dr. Lewis Yocum.
Yes, it's all about me.
Davis has a slight tear in his right shoulder and could be facing a shutdown or surgery. If you're Luke Scott or Jake Arrieta, it can turn into both.
The Orioles are keeping Yocum on speed-dial.
No truth to the rumor that they're thinking of moving the...
Left-hander Brian Matusz followed a scoreless first inning tonight with a messy second that's placed the Orioles in a 3-0 hole.
Matusz walked a batter in the first and two more in the second. He gave up an RBI double to Scott Sizemore on an 82 mph changeup, an RBI bloop single to Cliff Pennington on a 76 mph curveball and a bloop RBI double to Jemile Weeks on a 90 mph fastball.
Pitching coach Rick Adair visited the mound as Matusz struggled through a 28-pitch inning that raised his total to...
Pitcher Zach Britton, on the disabled list with a strained left shoulder, allowed one run over five innings in tonight's start for Triple-A Norfolk.
Britton gave up three hits to Charlotte, walked one and struck out three. He threw 62 pitches, 39 for strikes, before left-hander Mark Hendrickson replaced him in the top of the sixth.
Hendrickson promptly surrendered back-to-back home runs that increased Charlotte's lead to 4-0.
Britton fell behind, 1-0, in the first on Dallas McPherson's...
The hits just keep coming for the Orioles, and not the good kind.
First baseman Chris Davis was scratched from tonight's lineup because of continuing discomfort in his right shoulder, and president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail confirmed that the former Ranger has a slight tear. He's scheduled to be examined Thursday by, of course, Dr. Lewis Yocum, who's performed surgery on Jake Arrieta and Dan Klein within the past week.
Dr. James Andrews must be seething.
Davis will go on the...
Orioles pitching prospect Dan Klein underwent surgery today to repair a small tear in his right labrum and to loosen his shoulder capsule. He'll likely begin a throwing program in mid-December and could begin pitching for an affiliate by June 1.
Orthopedic specialist Dr. Lewis Yocum used one anchor to repair the tear. The average amount for a smaller tear is two.
"That's good news. There was little damage," said John Stockstill, director of player development.
Yocum also loosened the...
Chris Davis, who sat out last night's game with a sore right shoulder, is starting at first base tonight. He's avoided the disabled list.
For the Orioles:
Nolan Reimold LF
J.J. Hardy SS
Nick Markakis RF
Adam Jones CF
Vladimir Guerrero DH
Matt Wieters C
Mark Reynolds 3B
Chris Davis 1B
Robert Andino 2B
Brian Matusz LHP
For the Athletics:
Weeks 2B
Crisp CF
Matsui DH
Willingham LF
Allen 1B
Sizemore 3B
DeJesus RF
Suzuki C
Pennington SS
Moscoso RHP
A victory in either of the remaining two games of this series would clinch the Orioles' first season series win over the Athletics since 1998, when they went 8-3.
Warning: In the last six series where the Orioles won the opening game, they've gone 1-12 in the remaining games. They've won seven series openers on the road this year, including their last four in a row. However, the Orioles have won just two of the six road series after claiming the opening game - April 1-3 at Tampa Bay and...
The Orioles have designated reliever Luis Lebron for assignment to make room for pitcher Dylan Bundy on the 40-man roster.
Bundy agreed to terms on a major league deal last night shortly before the midnight deadline, so he must be placed on the 40-man.
Lebron, 26, missed the 2010 season after undergoing ligament-reconstructive surgery on his right elbow in May. He was pitching at short-season Single-A Aberdeen this season, allowing three runs and two hits in seven innings over seven...
The Orioles gave high school pitcher Dylan Bundy a five-year major league deal that starts in 2012, which requires the club to place him on the 40-man roster.
Baseball America's Jim Callis tweeted that Bundy will receive a guaranteed $6.225 million. However, the $4 million signing bonus included in the deal falls $2 million short of Matt Wieters' club record.
One more draft note: The Orioles gave sixth-rounder Nick Delmonico a $1.525 million signing bonus.
Meanwhile, the Orioles loaded...
Tommy Hunter gave up two runs, and a lead, in the second inning, but he's giving the Orioles a quality start.
Hunter has blanked the Athletics since the second. He's allowed nine hits, walked none and struck out two in six innings.
Hunter gets the first two outs and then runs into a little trouble, but nothing he can't handle at the moment.
The Orioles have only two hits off Oakland left-hander Gio Gonzalez through the sixth inning, including Matt Wieters' solo home run. Nick Markakis...
Isn't it nice to have the 2011 First-Year Player Draft behind us?
No more speculation on who the Orioles will select. No more speculation on who they will sign. It's finally done.
I would have settled for the Orioles reaching agreement with Dylan Bundy and one of the other two Top 10 picks - Jason Esposito or Nick Delmonico. Getting all three was a nice haul.
It's unfortunate that Bundy fell short of the $30 million signing bonus that he sought after the Orioles drafted him, but an...
Catcher Matt Wieters is off to a good start tonight in Oakland.
Wieters threw out Jemile Weeks trying to steal second base in the bottom of the first inning, and it wasn't even close. Shortstop J.J. Hardy took the throw. put his glove down, picked it back up, pulled out his Blackberry and updated his Facebook status, put his glove back down and let Weeks slide into it.
After disposing of the Athletics' potential go-ahead run, Wieters gave the Orioles a 1-0 lead in the top of the second with...
The Orioles reached agreement with their second-round pick, Vanderbilt third baseman Jason Esposito. A team official confirmed it a few minutes ago.
Esposito is known more for his glove, but he hit .341 with nine homers and 59 RBIs in 65 games. Esposito posted a .405 on-base percentage and .534 slugging percentage.
Esposito just tweeted the following (@jasonesposito): "3 of the best years of my life in Nashville and loved being a Commodore! Thank you to all Vandy fans! Time to move to the...
Reliever Dan Klein, widely regarded as the Orioles' top pitching prospect, will undergo exploratory surgery tomorrow in his right shoulder.
Klein has a SLAP tear in his right labrum, but the Orioles want to make sure he isn't dealing with other issues, as well. He underwent surgery while at UCLA to clean out the capsule in his rotator cuff area.
Klein hasn't pitched since June 1 at Double-A Bowie. Continuing soreness in his shoulder led to an MRI that confirmed the tear.
Dr. Lewis Yocum...