Johnson removed after one inning (updated)

Johnson removed after one inning (updated)
Jim Johnson retired the Twins in order in the top of the seventh on only eight pitches, six of them strikes. He got two ground balls and struck out Denard Span. With the Orioles clinging to a two-run lead, I would have let Johnson pitch the eighth, as well. And a few reporters here are in agreement. However, Koji Uehara has entered the game, and you have to figure that Kevin Gregg will pitch the ninth if it's a save situation. Gregg hasn't turned in a clean outing in five tries, and he...
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Choosing between Andino and Izturis (updated)

Choosing between Andino and Izturis (updated)
Derrek Lee dug out another ball in the dirt tonight, sparing Robert Andino a throwing error. Lee crouched and backhanded the ball in a sweeping motion. Sir Smooth. I asked manager Buck Showalter earlier today if he had a tough decision choosing between Robert Andino and Cesar Izturis. Andino had reached base nine times in his last 10 at-bats. Izturis was 3-for-7 with two RBIs lifetime against Twins starter Nick Blackburn. "Yes and no," he replied. "Every day's a little different. What are...
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Wieters rakes with RISP (updated)

Wieters rakes with RISP (updated)
It happened again. Orioles catcher Matt Wieters stepped to the plate in the second inning with a runner in scoring position and launched a home run to center field off Twins starter Nick Blackburn, increasing the Orioles' lead to 4-1. Wieters is now 6-for-6 with a double, two home runs and 10 RBIs with RISP this season. Adam Jones' two-run double gave the Orioles a 2-1 lead. Mark Reynolds flied out, and Wieters produced a big fly. Zach Britton got a big 6-4-3 double play to end the top of...
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Matusz and Hardy updates

Matusz and Hardy updates
As if you haven't received enough already... Brian Matusz is scheduled to throw off flat ground from 120 feet on Friday, take Saturday off and throw from 120 feet again on Sunday. Assuming there are no setbacks, he could throw a bullpen session early next week at Camden Yards. Matusz would throw at least two bullpen sessions before the Orioles consider sending him on an injury-rehab assignment in the minors. Right now, they seem more inclined to take him on the road after the current...
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Pregame notes and Showalter quotes

Pregame notes and Showalter quotes
The Orioles snapped an eight-game losing streak last night with 11 runs after scoring a total of 10 in their previous four games. According to Elias, over the last 50 years, the only other team to end a losing streak of eight or more games with a shutout win of 11-0 or more was the 1993 San Francisco Giants, who beat the Cincinnati Reds, 13-0, on Sept. 17. After beginning the year 33-158 (.209) with 14 RBIs when batting with two outs, the Orioles went 8-16 and scored 11 runs (10 RBIs) with...
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Matusz coming to Baltimore tomorrow

Matusz coming to Baltimore tomorrow
Orioles left-hander Brian Matusz will join the Orioles at Camden Yards tomorrow, take the day off and throw Friday on flat ground or in the bullpen. It's another step in the right direction for Matusz, who has been rehabbing his strained left intercostal muscle at the minor league complex in Sarasota. The Orioles have three options with Matusz next week. He can return to Twin Lakes Park, accompany them on a road trip that begins April 29 in Chicago or go on an injury rehabilitation...
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Andino stays in lineup

Andino stays in lineup
Robert Andino has reached base in nine of his last 10 plate appearances, and he'll stay in the lineup tonight. Cesar Izturis is 3-for-7 with two RBIs lifetime against Twins starter Nick Blackburn, but Andino gets the nod. He's never faced Blackburn. Here's the lineup: Brian Roberts 2B Nick Markakis RF Derrek Lee 1B Vladimir Guerrero DH Luke Scott LF Adam Jones CF Mark Reynolds 3B Matt Wieters C Robert Andino SS Zach Britton LHP
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Orioles would not with Wood

Orioles would not with Wood
Don't look for the Orioles to make a run at infielder Brandon Wood, who was designated for assignment Tuesday by the Angels. I'm told they're "not likely" to pursue Wood, a one-time minor league Player of the Year who hasn't been able to carry that success to the majors. Wood is 26 and out of options. The Angels have 10 days to trade or place him on waivers. Any team acquiring Wood would have to keep him on the 25-man roster or attempt to pass him through waivers before outrighting him....
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About last night ...

About last night ...
The losing streak is over and Zach Britton is pitching tonight. Good times have returned to Camden Yards. "We got the monkeys off our backs," Adam Jones said last night. And all it took were 11 runs scored with two outs. "That's something we haven't been doing, late two-out hitting and hitting with runners in scoring position," Jones said. "We got all 11 runs with two outs. That's a good stat. Now we have to keep building on it. "We've got a winning streak of one right now....
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Battery of Arrieta, Wieters charges Orioles

Battery of Arrieta, Wieters charges Orioles
I'll admit that I love that title. It's downright inspired. Let's hear from Jake Arrieta, who blanked the Twins on four hits over six innings and lowered his ERA to 5.06. Starter Jake Arrieta discusses picking up his second win of the season against the Twins "I think overall it was really good. When we score runs offensively, I think the biggest thing to do is not give up rebound runs. I think those are the biggest innings for guys, when your team puts some runs on the board for you,...
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Showalter: "I like our club, I like our people."

Showalter: "I like our club, I like our people."
Manager Buck Showalter finally got to meet with reporters tonight after a win. It took long enough, but it happened. The eight-game losing streak has gone the way of the dodo bird. Buck Showalter talks with the media after the Orioles snap their eight-game losing streak Here are a few quotes from Showalter: "We strung a lot of good at-bats together, a lot of big two-out hits. Wieters had a good night. Matty had a clutch hit. Really, two of them. I thought the single to center kind of...
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A few updates

A few updates
Robert Andino is 3-for-3 with a walk tonight. He has seven hits and two walks in his last 10 trips to the plate. Is that good? Derrek Lee singled twice tonight, but he fell to 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position after flying out in the eighth inning. Vladimir Guerrero followed with a three-run homer off former Twins closer Joe Nathan, making him 4-for-15. The Orioles have four extra-base hits this season with two outs and RISP. Three of them came tonight. Jason Berken tossed two...
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Arrieta and Wieters having big nights (updated)

Arrieta and Wieters having big nights (updated)
Jake Arrieta finished the sixth inning with his pitch count at 108 and Jason Berken warming in the bullpen. You have to figure that he's done for the night. Oriole starters have posted a 7.71 ERA during the eight-game losing streak, but Arrieta blanked the Twins on four hits. He walked three and struck out four. Arrieta got a huge double play bouncer from Michael Cuddyer after a one-out single by Jim Thome in the sixth. Two of Arrieta's three walks came in succession after Luke Hughes...
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Roberts adds to RBI total

Roberts adds to RBI total
Should Brian Roberts be batting third? How about cleanup? Roberts increased his team-leading RBI total to 14 with a two-out, run-scoring double in the fourth inning. Orioles 4, Twins 0. Once again, Carl Pavano got into trouble with two outs. He hit Matt Wieters and allowed a single to Robert Andino. Roberts followed with a double to right field that scored Wieters. Andino held at third. Roberts produced the Orioles' second extra-base hit this season with runners in scoring position and two...
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Arrieta through two innings

Arrieta through two innings
Last night, Chris Tillman threw 13 pitches in a scoreless first inning. Tonight, Jake Arrieta threw 13 pitches in a scoreless first inning. It means nothing, but I wanted to mention it anyway. Nine of Arrieta's pitches were strikes. His fastball reached 93 mph multiple times. Denard Span singled on the second pitch, but Arrieta retired the next three batters. Twins starter Carl Pavano needed only seven pitches to dispose of the Orioles in the bottom of the first. Brian Roberts swung at...
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Showalter talks about Gregg

Showalter talks about Gregg
Manager Buck Showalter would like to give closer Kevin Gregg more work, which might keep him sharp and prevent the kind of outings that we saw last night. Not that there have been many save chances during this skid, but even a random inning could prove beneficial. "It's certainly something that we're conscious of coming out of spring training, but some of the situations that we've had early in the season haven't been there in perfect situations," Showalter said. "We haven't had a lot...
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Matusz progressing, Twins lineup

Matusz progressing, Twins lineup
The tarp is coming off the field, but the Orioles won't hit outdoors. Left-hander Brian Matusz reported to the minor league complex today feeling good physically after yesterday's flat-ground session. Exactly the news that the Orioles wanted to hear. Matusz is scheduled to throw from 120 feet tomorrow, the next progression from 60 and 90. "He gets another day or two of that under his belt and we'll progress him to the mound," manager Buck Showalter said. Matusz will need at least...
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Scott returns to lineup

Scott returns to lineup
It's raining and the tarp's on the field. The clouds seem to be breaking up and we see some clearing. Early word is the storm will pass by 5 p.m., but I've been fooled many times in the past - and that includes the weather. Here's the Orioles' lineup, which includes Luke Scott in left field: Brian Roberts 2B Nick Markakis RF Derrek Lee 1B Vladimir Guerrero DH Luke Scott LF Adam Jones CF Mark Reynolds 3B Matt Wieters C Robert Andino SS Jake Arrieta RHP
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Waiting for Gregg to be great

Waiting for Gregg to be great
We've grown accustomed to the Orioles crashing in August, though last year proved the exception. I wonder if they're aware that it's still April. Same first letter, different month. The losing streak has reached eight games, but I'm still not in panic mode. That's mostly because it's baseball, which doesn't freak me out unless it forces me to rewrite a game story in the ninth inning or a screaming line drive is headed for my larynx. Still, it's disturbing that the Orioles got off to...
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Jones: No crying, no pouting

Jones: No crying, no pouting
May as well hear from Adam Jones, too. "We put ourselves in some situations to get a big hit and we didn't," he said. "Hey, come out tomorrow, stop feeling sorry for ourselves. We don't. No one else in the league is, so we'll just go out and keep playing the game of baseball." "We were a little more aggressive today. We had multiple situations. You never know how the game is going to end until the 27th out is made. We keep fighting until that 27th out, and lately we just haven't been...
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