Robert Andino, Nolan Reimold and J.J. Hardy homered as the Orioles beat the Red Sox 6-5 in Game 1 of a day-night doubleheader at Fenway Park.
The struggling Sox saw their lead for the wild card berth over idle Tampa fall to a game and a half. Boston has lost 10 of its last 12 games and is 4-14 in September.
Matt Angle's two-run double in the third gave the Orioles a 2-0 lead and gave Angle his first career multi-RBI game.
Jim Hunter asks Buck Showalter to give his thoughts on the O's 6-5...
I am trying to figure out if Alfredo Simon is one of Buck's nuggets for the future or not.
Maybe if I'm not sure, that means he isn't. But he sure has games where he looks very nugget-like.
Last year, Simon was, at times, a dependable late-inning reliever. This year, at times, he's been a solid-looking starter.
What he can't seem to do is pitch well consistently or for long stretches. It makes you wonder if Simon will always be that way or if something will click at some point and he...
If anyone wondered if the pitch that Alfredo Simon threw that hit the Angels Mark Trumbo in the first inning today was a purpose pitch, it was.
At least that is what Simon indicated after the game.
Alfredo Simon talks to reporters about his start in the O's loss to the Angels
"We got hit yesterday and I'm going to defend my players," Simon said. "We got hit hard and that happened in the game and I have to defend my hitters and my team, so that's what happened."
Simon gave up six...
The Orioles' run of solid starting pitching that had carried them to four straight wins over playoff contenders ended this afternoon at Camden Yards.
Alfredo Simon gave up six runs and eight hits over five innings as the Angels beat the Orioles 11-2 at Camden Yards to keep the Orioles from their sixth series sweep of the season.
Angels leadoff hitter Erick Aybar went 4-for-4 with two doubles, two homers, five runs scored and four RBIs for Los Angeles which also got a two-run double from...
Some notes as the Orioles and Angels wrap up a series today and the Orioles end a six-game homestand.
* Today the Orioles have a chance for their sixth series sweep of the season and first since they took four in a row at Minnesota in late August.
The Orioles' five series sweeps this year:
April 1-3: 3 games at Tampa.
May 10-12: 3 games vs. Seattle.
May 24-26: 3 games vs. Kansas City.
June 6-8: 3 games vs. Oakland
August 22-25: 4 games at Minnesota
* The Orioles have now won four games in a...
When Brian Matusz takes the mound in Fenway Park on Monday night, it will have been two weeks since he last pitched in a game.
He gave up five runs in just 1 1/3 innings on September 5 at New York and now he is slated to start the evening game of Monday's day-night doubleheader at Boston.
"Yeah, I'm excited to get out there and just getting another opportunity is a good feeling. I just want to go out, compete, pound the zone and get ahead."
Matusz feels he has had a few productive side...
After he pitched the Orioles to a 6-2 win over Los Angeles, Zach Britton talked about his seven-inning outing where he gave up just three hits and one run.
Zach Britton speaks with the media after a solid performance in the O's win over the Angels
"It's good. I know I'm capable of it," Britton said. "The last couple outings it just came down to fastball command. It was better tonight. Obviously it can still improve, but it allowed me to go deeper in the game. So I feel like I've had...
After tonight's win over the Angels, manager Buck Showalter provided an update on Mark Reynolds who was hit in the batting helmet in the third inning and left the game in the fifth.
"They took Mark down to University for a CT scan. Just precautionary and we'll see how he is tomorrow," Showalter said.
"Doctor looked at him up the runway, just thought from a precautionary standpoint to evaluate him for about an hour. He wasn't having any symptoms, everything was fine. But just wanted to...
Zach Britton had given up eight runs in 10 innings over his last two starts, but tonight the rookie lefty had an excellent outing against the Los Angeles Angels, pitching the Orioles to a 6-2 win at Camden Yards.
Britton took a no-hitter into the fifth and gave up just three hits and one run over seven innings. He improves to 10-10 with an ERA of 4.28 after his 105-pitch outing.
Britton walked two and fanned a career-high seven batters.
That makes four straight games where the Orioles'...
Zach Britton is trying to make it four straight quality starts for the Orioles' pitching staff tonight against the Angels.
Over the last three games Alfredo Simon, Jeremy Guthrie and Tommy Hunter have worked to a combined ERA of 1.71. They have pitched a total of 21 innings giving up 16 hits and four runs with seven walks and 24 strikeouts.
So far, Britton has blanked the Angels through three innings on 52 pitches. He threw 17 in the first, 10 in the second and 25 in the third when he...
The Orioles have four sacrifice bunts in the entire month of September and Matt Angle has two of them.
He also had a bunt single and double in Wednesday's win over Tampa Bay and is 6-for-7 stealing bases for the Orioles.
While Angle is hitting just .173, at 9-for-52 in 19 major league games, he has made a positive impact on this team with his speed and defense.
"Power has never been a huge part of my game at any level so I've had to try and adapt. Use speed and use it any way I can,...
Buck Showalter mentioned the Single-A Frederick Keys in his postgame comments last night and he spent some time today talking about the new Carolina League champions, who wrapped up their series with Kinston winning 11-3 last night.
Showalter had praise for the talented 19-year-old, middle infield duo of shortstop Manny Machado and second baseman Jonathan Schoop.
"I was thinking today about Machado and Schoop, They have probably played close to 150 games counting the playoffs," Showalter...
Mark Reynolds may have some bragging rights on the golf course this winter.
His solo homer in the fifth inning last night helped the Orioles beat the Angels and the homer came off Dan Haren. Reynolds and Haren are close friends and played together for three seasons in Arizona.
"Oh, yeah, he is one of my best friends in baseball," Reynolds said. "We were together in Arizona for three years. We hang out in the offseason a lot, play golf a lot. I guess I can let him know about this in the...
The Single-A Frederick Keys beat Kinston 11-3 tonight at Grainger Stadium to win the Carolina League championship.
The Keys lost Game 1 of the best-of-five series, but then won the next three games to claim the fourth championship in their 23-year history.
Frederick also won titles in 1990, 2005 and 2007.
The 2007 club was the last Orioles minor league team to win a championship until Friday night.
Frederick scored all 11 runs in the top of the third to win going away. Manny Machado hit a...
The Texas Rangers are trying to hold off the Angels and win the American League West. Tonight, a former Ranger provided Texas a lift.
Tommy Hunter pitched seven shutout innings as the Orioles beat the Angels 8-3 at Camden Yards. Even before Hunter did his postgame interview he had heard from some of the Rangers.
"They texted me," Hunter said. "I looked at my phone and and I just started smiling. I wish those guys the best, hope they make a deep run in the playoffs and don't forget...
Adam Jones is expected to have an MRI tomorrow on his sore right thumb, even if he hadn't heard that when reporters were allowed in the Orioles clubhouse after the game.
When asked about the MRI, Jones asked reporters who had said that. He was told it was manager Buck Showalter and Jones said he hadn't talked to Showalter at that point.
Jones said he feels certain he will return to the lineup and not be shutdown for the remaining games.
He said there was some improvement today.
"A lot...
This spoiler role seems to suit the Orioles.
After taking two of three from the Rays, the Orioles crushed the Los Angeles Angels 8-3 tonight at Camden Yards.
Los Angeles began the night 3.5 games out of first in the AL West and four back in the wild card with eight wins over their last 11 games.
Tommy Hunter entered with a record of 2-3 and 5.98 ERA in his first eight Orioles starts, but tonight pitched seven shutout innings of seven-hit ball. He walked two, fanned five and threw 109...
Needing one win for their fourth Carolina League championship, the Frederick Keys came to bat in the top of the third at Kinston tonight trailing 2-0.
Frederick scored 11 runs in that inning and holds an 11-2 lead in the fourth.
The Keys would win the Mills Cup finals series three wins to one with a victory tonight.
The big third inning featured a Miguel Abreu RBI double, a Bobby Stevens two-run single and Manny Machado's three-run homer. Jonathan Schoop plated two runs in the inning in two...
Orioles right-hander Tommy Hunter could use a good start tonight. In his eight O's starts since his trade from Texas, he is 2-3 with an ERA of 5.98.
He has allowed four runs or more in seven of the eight games.
Hunter enters tonight's start with a 1-4 record and ERA of 8.79 in seven career games versus the Angels. He is 24-15 with an ERA of 4.71 in 52 major league starts.
Here are some other notes about the Orioles and Angels:
* I didn't realize this, maybe you have, but the Orioles have...
You hear people in baseball all the time say that stats compiled in spring training and in September can be deceptive.
In some instances players are facing less than major league caliber players in spring and in September, the rosters are expanded and some teams might be playing out the string.
So how does Buck Showalter weigh September performances by his players?
"It's kind of like, 'look who he hit that home run off, look at the score.' But what do you want him to do, strike out?...
