A couple of mid-game notes

A couple of mid-game notes
Some mid-game notes after the four-run first had Camden Yards rocking about as loudly as anyone here could remember. Is the sink back on Jason Hammel's fastball? Did it ever go away? No, but Hammel's ground-to-air out ratio did decrease during this season from 1.95 in April to 1.32 in May, 1.33 in June and 1.21 in July. But Hammel got the first five Yankees out tonight on groundballs and then fanned Curtis Granderson to end the top of the second. He needed just 22 pitches over the first...
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Brother defends brother and Cal thanks his dad during statue ceremony

Brother defends brother and Cal thanks his dad during statue ceremony
There were several interesting moments during today's statue ceremony for Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr. Among the most memorable was when Cal's brother, Bill Ripken, spoke and gave a passionate defense of Ripken's consecutive games streak. "There were some doubters and haters that along the way blamed Junior for any of the Orioles' problems," Bill Ripken said. "He was selfish. For those people, I don't get you at all. "The streak was about giving us the best chance to win every...
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Adam Jones: "We believe we can play with them"

Adam Jones: "We believe we can play with them"
With a big series against the Yankees now hours away, Adam Jones said the Orioles are confident that they can beat the Yankees. "We believe we can play with them," Jones said. "Not looking at the jerseys. You know who is over there and there are superstars. When I first got called up I was like, 'There's Alex Rodriguez, he seems like he's 7-5.' "But over the years, you learn, you can play with these guys. They have been the elite of the game. But you can play with them. You wouldn't...
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Taking a look at the O's rotation for the Yankees series

Taking a look at the O's rotation for the Yankees series
When the Orioles faced the Yankees last weekend, they pitched very well against New York. The Yankees' team average was just .167 in that series, and the Birds held that lineup to just 15 hits over 90 at-bats in three games. The AL's fourth highest scoring team was held to eight total runs. While the Orioles hit six homers in that series, New York had just four extra-base hits in the series and went 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position. Obviously the Orioles would sign up for pitching...
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Will this be the year Bowie has playoff success?

Will this be the year Bowie has playoff success?
Long-time fans of the Orioles' Double-A Bowie affiliate can relate to long-suffering O's fans. The Orioles have made zero playoff appearances since 1997. Bowie had made just one since that year until this season. The Orioles have not won the World Series since 1983. The Baysox have never won the Eastern League championship even though they have been playing since 1993. In fact, Bowie has never even won a playoff series, losing in the playoff's first round in 1993, 1994, 1997 and 2008. So...
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Dylan Bundy talks about his outing tonight at Bowie

Dylan Bundy talks about his outing tonight at Bowie
BOWIE, Md. - In what was his best outing yet at the Double-A level, Orioles top pitching prospect Dylan Bundy gave up just one run over six innings tonight as Bowie beat Akron 4-2 in Game 1 of a best-of-five Eastern League playoff series. The Baysox played some tight defense behind him and backed the right-hander with homers from Rhyne Hughes, Ty Kelly and Ronnie Welty. Bundy said he felt some playoff intensity out there tonight. "Definitely, we want to win this thing. Quicker you win it,...
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Bowie Baysox live playoff blog (Bowie takes Game 1)

Bowie Baysox live playoff blog (Bowie takes Game 1)
Tonight's playoff live blog: Welcome to tonight's live blog from Bowie where the Baysox host Akron in Game 1 of a best-of-five playoff series. I will post notes and updates during tonight's game which will begin at 7:05 p.m. with Dylan Bundy making the start. Feel free to post any comments or questions you have in this blog. Akron takes the early lead: With one out in the top of the second, the Aeroes Matt Lawson hit a solo homer to left off Bundy for a 1-0 lead. Now the Baysox are batting...
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Pregame notes before Bowie's playoff opener

Pregame notes before Bowie's playoff opener
BOWIE, Md - The Double-A Bowie Baysox' pursuit of their first-ever Eastern League championship begins tonight when the Baysox host Akron at Prince George's Stadium in Game 1 of a best-of-five series. The winner of this series will meet the Trenton-Reading winner in the championship series that starts next Tuesday. The Baysox' first season was 1993 and this is the team's 20th, but they have never won the Eastern League title. In fact, Bowie has never even won a playoff series, losing in the...
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Talking with Chris Tillman in Bowie

Talking with Chris Tillman in Bowie
BOWIE, Md - Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman is with the Baysox in Bowie, but not to pitch in the Eastern League playoffs. He's just going to get a workout in today before he rejoins the Orioles tomorrow when the team returns to Baltimore. Tillman left Sunday's start in New York after just three innings saying his elbow felt "dead." An MRI on that right elbow revealed some inflammation in a nerve, but no structural damage. Tillman said he felt pretty sure the MRI would not turn up...
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Is the team of destiny now just a good team?

Is the team of destiny now just a good team?
Have the Orioles gone from a team that got off to a good start, to a surprise team, to a team of destiny to now, just a damn good team? Could be. Or maybe all four still apply, especially the last one. Buster Olney said it well in a recent appearance on ESPN radio, when he said the Orioles "can smell it now." You can insert your own joke here, but you get the point. Now they can feel it, now they can taste it, call it what you will. What Zach Britton said after the game last night has...
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Reynolds, Britton lead O's to 12-0 romp at Toronto, share of first place in AL East

Reynolds, Britton lead O's to 12-0 romp at Toronto, share of first place in AL East
Mark Reynolds hit another big home run. Zach Britton pitched another strong game. The surging Orioles picked up another win. It was close for a while, but ended as a blowout 12-0 victory over Toronto as the Orioles take the first two games in the series by shutouts. They have now held their opponents off the scoreboard for 22 straight innings. This win could lead them to a first-place tie in the American League East. Tampa Bay is leading New York 5-2 in the eighth and the Orioles would tie...
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Is strikeout increase a good sign for Britton?

Is strikeout increase a good sign for Britton?
Is Zach Britton's stuff getting better as the season goes on? He is certainly pitching better and the stat sheet will tell you that his ground-ball ratio is identical to what it was when his ERA was 8.35 over his first four O's starts this season. But his ERA is 2.36 over his last four starts and 1.25 over the last three. Why the improvement then? My theory is that his slider and other secondary pitches have gotten better and been a real key for him. It sure was in his last start against...
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No surprise: As pitching improved, wins came more often

No surprise: As pitching improved, wins came more often
Here are two stats that are clearly related: Since Aug. 3, the Orioles are 20-9. Since Aug. 3, their starting pitching ERA is 3.75. Around that time in early August, the Orioles' starting pitching ERA for the year was 4.81, just a tick under its highest mark on the year. Now that figure is 4.58 to rank ninth in the AL; earlier, the Orioles were ranked 11th and 12th in starting pitcher ERA. That still rates a little below average in the AL, where the average mark is 4.40, but it's trending in...
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Widlansky's big year helped lead Bowie to the playoffs

Widlansky's big year helped lead Bowie to the playoffs
He may no longer be young enough to get listed on some of those top prospects lists, and his defense has been questioned at times, but Robbie Widlansky has simply had one of the best offensive seasons of anyone on the O's farm this year for Double-A Bowie. Consider that he has hit well against both left (.305) and right-handed pitchers (.318). Consider that he is second among all Orioles minor leaguers in batting average and first in RBIs. Consider his .387 average with runners in scoring...
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Saunders gets first O's win in victory over Toronto (Yanks lose)

Saunders gets first O's win in victory over Toronto (Yanks lose)
With a bullpen assist, Joe Saunders' second Orioles start sure went a lot better than his first. He picked up his first win with his new team today as the Orioles beat Toronto 4-0 in Game 1 of a three-game series. Coupled with New York's 4-3 loss on the road vs. Tampa Bay, the Orioles moved to within one game of first place in the AL East. Saunders took a perfect game into the last of the sixth. But with two outs, an Adeiny Hechavarria single ended the no-hit bid and gave Toronto its first...
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Orioles looking to end a four-game Rogers Centre losing streak today

Orioles looking to end a four-game Rogers Centre losing streak today
This afternoon, the Orioles are trying to win at a ballpark that has often been a house of horrors for them - Toronto's Rogers Centre. The Orioles are just 7-33 in their last 40 games there. During this season though, the Orioles have won seven of nine road AL East series. But one of the two they lost was in Toronto, when they were swept by an 18-9 score May 28-30. In fact, since winning their first two games there this year, the Orioles enter today with a four-game Rogers Centre losing...
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We could see D. Bundy and Gausman both pitch in Wednesday's playoff opener for Bowie

We could see D. Bundy and Gausman both pitch in Wednesday's playoff opener for Bowie
When the Double-A Bowie Baysox host Akron in Game 1 of a best-of-five Eastern League playoff series Wednesday night, it looks like there is a good chance that the Orioles' last two first-round draft picks will pitch in that game. Dylan Bundy, taken fourth overall in 2011, is expected to be the starting pitcher. Kevin Gausman, taken fourth overall in June, may follow him to the mound in relief. Yes, that would be pretty cool to see. Bundy is 2-0 with a 3.24 ERA in three Baysox starts. Over...
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Today's live blog: Orioles vs. Yankees

Today's live blog: Orioles vs. Yankees
The series finale has arrived for the Orioles and Yankees. The Birds need a win to erase the memory of letting yesterday's game get away and to pull to within two games of first place in the AL East. Check back here on today's live blog often as I add notes, stats, facts and commentary throughout today's game. The readers can keep the dialogue going too, by leaving comments and/or questions on anything about the Orioles or the O's minors. Tillman's velo: This chart shows that Tillman's...
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Orioles' bounce-back ability gets put to the test today at Yankees

Orioles' bounce-back ability gets put to the test today at Yankees
During a season in which the Orioles have shown the ability to bounce back well within a game or during a tough stretch, I would expect no less than for them to play well and have a good chance to win today at Yankee Stadium. While message boards and talk shows are good at rehashing and over-analyzing every aspect of a tough loss like yesterday's, the Orioles have shown the ability all year to move on after a game - both a good one and bad one. Buck Showalter talks about how his club is good...
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One that got away: O's lose lead, game at New York

One that got away: O's lose lead, game at New York
We haven't seen it happen for a while, but today the Orioles lost and contributed to their own demise. Leading 3-1 with two outs and a man on first in the bottom of the seventh, the Orioles went on to allow three runs in the inning to lose 4-3 today at Yankee Stadium. From that point on, Orioles pitchers allowed a walk, an RBI single, a walk, a bases-loaded walk and then there was an error on J.J. Hardy with two outs and the bases loaded that put New York ahead 4-3. Pedro Strop struggled...
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