I realize that the Orioles were off Thursday, but today's open date is a blessing and comes at a most opportune time. They'll need at least 48 hours to regroup.
Yesterday's loss left a stench.
The Orioles didn't pitch, they didn't field the ball and they didn't make smart choices on the basepaths. The only good news is it counts as one loss.
I've tried to rid myself of the memory by diving into a base, but I'm not lucky enough to develop concussion symptoms.
Derrek Lee will come...
Adam Jones talked about the inside-the-park home run that provided a convenient snapshot of today's 9-6 loss to the Rays.
"I missed the ball," he said. "I had a shot at it. I just missed the ball."
Did the ball hit his glove?
"I haven't seen the replay of it," he said. "I just know you've seen me catch it many times. It's cool when everybody out there starts ripping you when you usually catch everything. But it's all good."
Sounds like the fans were a little harsh in center...
X-rays on Mark Reynolds' left forearm were negative.
Manager Buck Showalter didn't hide his disappointment with the Orioles' level of play today, citing the mistakes and the extra outs given to Tampa Bay that contributed to a 9-6 loss. And though Showalter chose his words carefully, it's obvious that he's frustrated with Brian Matusz's inability to hold runners.
What's his level of concern with Matusz, who allowed four runs and five hits in 1 1/3 innings in his third start since coming...
Manager Buck Showalter must be sitting in the dugout wondering whether ESPN has an open seat on Baseball Tonight.
He didn't sign up for this mess.
Evan Longoria was credited with a two-run inside-the-park home run in the eighth inning after Adam Jones charged his line drive and watched the ball hook away from him and roll to the fence.
The ball appeared to nick his glove, though a few people in the press box are disputing it.
It's the latest embarrassment for the Orioles today.
The Rays...
Michael Gonzalez is entering today's game with two runners in scoring position, no outs and the Orioles trailing 5-3, in the seventh inning.
Gonzalez has been used in non-pressure situations, but Alfredo Simon can't go any further. He's logged 4 2/3 innings, plus two batters in the seventh, and thrown 75 pitches. It's pretty obvious that he's gassed.
Simon deserves serious praise for holding Tampa Bay to one run so far and sparing the bullpen of excessive use.
Manager Buck Showalter has...
I've repeated that sentence so many times, I felt like writing it in a headline.
I'm both Doug and Wendy Whiner.
It's actually the bottom of the third. Somebody please slow down the pace so I can get caught up.
The Rays were kind enough to run into another out. They did, however, increase their lead to 5-2.
Alfredo Simon has thrown 22 pitches in 1 2/3 innings. He needs to keep going or Chris Jakubauskas will have to replace him and manager Buck Showalter will be scrambling for Tuesday...
Wade Davis didn't want Brian Matusz to have all the frustration.
Davis gave up back-to-back home runs to Adam Jones and Vladimir Guerrero in the bottom of the first inning, reducing Tampa Bay's lead to 3-2.
Jones has nine homers to trail team-leader Mark Reynolds by three. Guerrero has six, the most recent coming May 22 against Washington.
The Orioles also hit back-to-back homers on April 27 in Boston. Jones followed Luke Scott's blast that night.
Meanwhile, Matusz has walked the first...
Left-hander Brian Matusz fell behind, 1-0, just four pitches into his third start with the Orioles.
Johnny Damon launched a 1-2 slider onto the flagcourt in right field, his 27th career leadoff home run. The ball traveled an estimated 392 feet.
Damon has reached base in 37 consecutive games to tie the Rays record set by Ben Grieve in 2001.
Ben Zobrist and Justin Ruggiano followed with singles - Zobrist on a changeup, Ruggiano on an 88 mph fastball - and Evan Longoria's sacrifice fly...
Left-hander Zach Britton was scheduled to start Tuesday night's series opener in Toronto, but he's being pushed back to Friday or Saturday in Washington. Chris Jakubauskas will take Britton's turn.
Jakubauskas will be followed in the rotation by Jake Arrieta on Wednesday and Jeremy Guthrie on Thursday.
Britton isn't injured. The Orioles want to control his innings so he doesn't reach his limit before September. They want him to pitch during the final month of the season.
Manager Buck...
For the Orioles:
J.J. Hardy SS
Nick Markakis RF
Adam Jones CF
Vladimir Guerrero DH
Luke Scott 1B
Mark Reynolds 3B
Felix Pie LF
Ryan Adams 2B
Craig Tatum C
Brian Matusz LHP
For the Rays:
Damon DH
Zobrist RF
Ruggiano LF
Longoria 3B
Upton CF
Rodriguez 2B
Kotchman 1B
Johnson SS
Shoppach C
Davis RHP
Jeremy Guthrie talked about:
His outing:
"I think it turned out that the big home runs by Mark (Reynolds) made it so, yeah, we were in the game. Any other night, David (Price) is throwing the ball so well throughout his career that three runs could have been considered not keeping us in the game. But we had good at-bats all night, the offense took some good swings and even hit some long outs, so the credit's to the offense. That's why we were in the game. Ultimately, we're trying to win...
The Orioles failed to reach .500 tonight because they couldn't make some plays in the field and Kevin Gregg couldn't nail down the save. The Rays were better defensively - left fielder Justin Ruggiano robbed J.J. Hardy of a home run and shortstop Reid Brignac robbed him of a two-run single - and the Orioles fell to 3-5 in extra-inning games.
Buck Showalter talks about what led to the Orioles giving up the lead to the Rays
"We were battling a good club there," manager Buck Showalter...
Orioles closer Kevin Gregg blew his fourth save tonight, surrendering a two-out single to Casey Kotchman that scored Ben Zobrist and tied the game 5-5.
It's not all Gregg's fault.
Zobrist tripled with one out, but the ball deflected off Felix Pie's glove as he lunged for it in left field. Again, we're not talking about a routine play. Far from it. But if the ball hits the glove, it must be squeezed. Pie needs to make that catch.
Isn't he normally a defensive replacement?
He was a...
Mark Reynolds simply will not let Adam Jones stay tied with him for the team RBI lead.
Reynolds has produced his 10th career multi-homer game tonight. He followed a 392-foot solo shot to right-center field in the fifth inning with a 421-foot two-run bomb to center in the sixth that gave the Orioles a 4-3 lead against Rays southpaw David Price.
Reynolds wouldn't know a cheap home run if it invited him to dinner and skipped out on the check (I'm pretty sure that makes sense). Every ball he...
When did Robert Andino become a Gold Glove second baseman?
His struggles at the position in spring training 2010 caused the Orioles to acquire Julio Lugo late in camp and outright Andino to Triple-A Norfolk.
He doesn't look like he's struggling anymore.
Andino made another fine play tonight, ranging up the middle to backhand Casey Kotchman's ground ball and flipping to J.J. Hardy for the force to end the third inning. Jeremy Guthrie had walked Evan Longoria with two outs, and he needed...
Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson has been hospitalized as part of a follow-up procedure related to an infection he developed more than two months ago. He prefers to keep his health a private matter, but that's virtually impossible.
Rather than have rumors and speculation continue to swirl, Robinson released the following statement earlier today:
"As you may recall, I was hospitalized in April for a routine procedure. I was recently hospitalized for a follow-up procedure, also...
Justin Duchscherer will make another attempt next week to go five innings in an extended spring training game.
Manager Buck Showalter said Duchscherer will pitch Tuesday or Wednesday.
According to the Orioles, Duchscherer left Tuesday's game in the third inning with spasms in his gluteus. He had completed four innings in his previous start despite being hit in the stomach by a line drive in the first, and he was scheduled to go five in his next outing.
The spasms apparently began after...
J.J. Hardy will make his third career start tonight as a leadoff hitter. Pretty much a no-brainer there. And Brandon Snyder will start at first base against Rays left-hander David Price.
For the Orioles:
J.J. Hardy SS
Nick Markakis RF
Adam Jones CF
Vladimir Guerrero DH
Matt Wieters C
Nolan Reimold LF
Mark Reynolds 3B
Robert Andino 2B
Brandon Snyder 1B
Jeremy Guthrie RHP
A win tonight would put the Orioles back at .500 for the first time since May 26, right before that horrific West Coast trip.
David Price is quite a hurdle, but the Orioles weren't supposed to clear Jeremy Hellickson last night. They didn't fall on their faces. They didn't even skin a knee.
Manager Buck Showalter can break out his right-handed lineup against Price, and that has to include J.J. Hardy atop the order. Right?
Felix Pie and Robert Andino used to be the leadoff options, but Pie...
Nick Markakis hadn't collected an extra-base hit since May 15 until hitting a grand slam and a two-run double tonight and setting a career high with six RBIs.
Nick Markakis talks about his six-RBI night in the Orioles' 7-0 win over the Rays
"I guess you could say it was a relief for me, but it was a relief for the whole team," he said. "We got a big hit in a big situation and we had great pitching and great defense. You play good defense and you pitch, most of the times you win the...