Britton on trade talk, Mancini on his struggles and more

Britton on trade talk, Mancini on his struggles and more
When Orioles closer Zach Britton pitches for a minor league affiliate tonight, it will be his first game action this year, and first since his December Achilles surgery. It will be a nice step forward for Britton. But Britton also knows that while it will be a big step toward his return to the Orioles, it could also lead to his being traded by the Orioles at some point this summer. The players see the reality of the situation. They understand as they look around their clubhouse these days, some...
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Manny Machado and Bryce Harper homer as Nats win (with quotes)

Manny Machado and Bryce Harper homer as Nats win (with quotes)
Orioles right-hander Dylan Bundy was not as sharp as he was for a complete-game win in Chicago, but he still delivered his team-leading seventh quality start. But with the Orioles offense still not doing much, he wound up with another loss tonight. Washington right-hander Jeremy Hellickson held the Orioles to two runs over five innings and then four bullpen pitchers locked down the win as the Nationals beat the Orioles 3-2 at Camden Yards. The Nationals, who have not won a season series since...
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O's game blog: Dylan Bundy faces the Nationals

O's game blog: Dylan Bundy faces the Nationals
The Orioles host the Washington Nationals tonight in the second game of a three-game interleague series and a seven-game homestand at Oriole Park. The Nationals took the series opener 6-0 Monday as Anthony Rendon hit a three-run homer off Alex Cobb. Lefty Gio Gonzalez pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings to improve to 6-2 with a 2.10 ERA. He has allowed two earned runs or fewer in 10 of his 11 starts this season. Shortstop Manny Machado singled in the first inning and has now hit safely in 18 of 22...
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After his "toughest two weeks" in the majors, Mancini looks to get bat going

After his "toughest two weeks" in the majors, Mancini looks to get bat going
With his decreasing average causing his frustrations to increase, Orioles left fielder Trey Mancini is getting a day off today, at least at the beginning of the game. He is not in tonight's starting lineup. After going 1-for-13 over the weekend versus Tampa Bay, Mancini went 0-for-4 and hit into a pair of double plays in last night's 6-0 loss to Washington. He is batting .118 (6-for-51) over the past 13 games. Mancini is well-known for being hard on himself and that was apparent again during...
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Feeling a draft: Orioles have the 11th pick on Monday

Feeling a draft: Orioles have the 11th pick on Monday
We are now less than a week from the First-Year Player Draft. The Orioles have the No. 11 pick in round one and they have two other selections in the top 100, with picks at No. 37 and No. 87. Major League Baseball has set the Orioles' allotted total pool for signing their picks in the first 10 rounds at $8,754,400, the 13th highest amount of any club. The allotted amount to sign the No. 11 overall pick is $4,375,100. This will be Gary Rajsich's seventh draft as Orioles director of scouting....
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O's bats silent again in 6-0 loss to Nats (quotes added)

O's bats silent again in 6-0 loss to Nats (quotes added)
When a pitcher on a roll met struggling hitters today, maybe we should have known what to expect. Not much changed as Washington lefty Gio Gonzalez continued his strong season and pitched his team to a 6-0 victory over the Orioles this afternoon in front of 36,139 at Camden Yards. The Orioles have scored just six runs their last four games and 21 in the last nine. They have scored three or fewer runs in nine of their past 10 games. Today they were shut out for the second time in nine...
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Showalter on O's RISP stats, plus a game update

Showalter on O's RISP stats, plus a game update
Manager Buck Showalter spent some of his pregame press conference this morning talking about his team's stats when hitting with runners in scoring position. The 2018 Orioles are lagging behind the 2017 Orioles. After going 4-for-17 with RISP over the weekend at Tropicana Field, the Orioles are batting .241 with RISP to rank 11th in the American League. Last year, the Orioles were second batting .287, trailing only Houston at .294. "It kind of reflects bad on all us," Showalter said. "It is...
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Showalter pregame on Mancini's struggles, Memorial Day and more

Showalter pregame on Mancini's struggles, Memorial Day and more
Manager Buck Showalter has dropped Trey Mancini from first to sixth in the batting order for today's series opener with the Washington Nationals. Mancini went 1-for-13 in the Tampa Bay series and his average has dropped to .240, which is its lowest point since April 8. "Give him a little blow up there," Showalter said. "He's going through an uncharacteristic period. Trey's one of those guys that always seems like if he doesn't swing the bat well on a given night, it doesn't carry over...
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O's game blog: Alex Cobb faces Nats in series opener

O's game blog: Alex Cobb faces Nats in series opener
When the Orioles begin an interleague series this afternoon against the Washington Nationals, right-hander Alex Cobb (1-6, 7.32 ERA) will be on the mound. He will be looking to bounce back from a poor outing Wednesday night in Chicago. Cobb retired the first seven batters in that game, but was gone before the end of the home fourth. Over 3 2/3 innings, he allowed eight hits and six runs, and gave up a three-run homer to Yoán Moncada on a curveball. The Orioles are 1-7 in Cobb's 2018 starts....
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A look at the O's and Nats, another strong Akin outing and more

A look at the O's and Nats, another strong Akin outing and more
The Orioles are a better team at home than on the road, and they return to Oriole Park this afternoon to face the Washington Nationals to start a seven-game homestand, that will also see the Yankees come to town beginning Thursday night. Entering play as of Sunday, the Orioles were tied with the Tampa Bay Rays and Minnesota Twins for the fewest home games played in the American League at 23. The Orioles are 10-13 (.435) at home and 7-23 (.233) on the road. The Orioles are 3-5 in eight home...
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O's game blog: Kevin Gausman pitches road trip finale

O's game blog: Kevin Gausman pitches road trip finale
The Orioles play their road trip finale this afternoon at Tropicana Field against the Tampa Bay Rays. The trip began as the Birds went 1-3 at Boston and then 2-2 in Chicago. They have split the first two games of this series - beating the Rays 2-0 on Friday and losing 5-1 yesterday. The Orioles are 17-35 overall, which is a .327 winning percentage that projects to a final record of 53-109. The Orioles are 7-22 on the road, winning just four of their last 22 away from Baltimore. They are now...
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More on the struggling offense, plus minor league notes

More on the struggling offense, plus minor league notes
The Orioles' up-and-down offense has certainly had many more downs than ups in the 2018 season. In the series finale in Chicago on Thursday afternoon, the Orioles scored nine runs in the first three innings. They have scored three runs in 24 innings since. They lost 5-1 to Tampa Bay on Saturday afternoon to fall to 17-35 overall and to 7-22 on the road. They are 4-6 on an 11-game road trip that ends today before they return home to face the Washington Nationals starting Monday. Chris Davis...
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O's game blog: Andrew Cashner seeks third win as O's face TB

O's game blog: Andrew Cashner seeks third win as O's face TB
The Orioles play at Tropicana Field this afternoon in the second game of a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Orioles improved to 17-34 with last night's 2-0 win behind David Hess. The Orioles have now won consecutive road games for the second time this season, the first was April 5-6 at Yankee Stadium. It was the Orioles' second shutout of the season, also on April 27 against Detroit. It was the first time the Orioles won scoring two-or-less runs this season and first time...
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As Cashner takes mound today, third time through has been a challenge

As Cashner takes mound today, third time through has been a challenge
The problems in navigating a lineup the third time through the order resurfaced for Orioles right-hander Andrew Cashner in Chicago on Monday night. Cashner will look for improvement this afternoon when he faces the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg. Cashner threw four scoreless innings to begin his night Monday, but was knocked from the game during the sixth. As the lineup turned over, Cashner issued a walk and five straight hits over the fifth and sixth innings. For the season, Cashner allows a...
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O's game blog: The road trip moves on to Tampa Bay

O's game blog: The road trip moves on to Tampa Bay
The Orioles begin the final stop on their three-city road trip tonight when they open a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Thursday's 9-3 win at Chicago was just the third in the last 20 road games for the Orioles, who are 16-34 through 50 games and 6-21 on the road. The trip began with the Orioles losing three of four at Boston and then splitting four in Chicago. The Orioles and White Sox each posted a 3-2 win and a blowout victory in the series. Right-hander...
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Dylan and Davis dominated the Orioles discussion on Thursday

Dylan and Davis dominated the Orioles discussion on Thursday
CHICAGO - When Dylan Bundy fanned 14 Chicago White Sox batters Thursday afternoon he came one whiff short of the Orioles' single-game record of 15 strikeouts, done three times. Mike Mussina fanned 15 Minnesota Twins batters on Aug. 1, 2000, and he also fanned 15 Boston Red Sox batters on Sept. 24, 2000. On July 7, 2007, Erik Bedard fanned 15 against the Texas Rangers. Bundy got 14 in his two-hitter as the Orioles beat the White Sox 9-3 to split a four-game series. It topped his previous career...
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Dylan Bundy on his 14-strikeout game in win over White Sox

Dylan Bundy on his 14-strikeout game in win over White Sox
CHICAGO - On a day when the Orioles offense grabbed the early headlines, right-hander Dylan Bundy had them at the end. He pitched a complete-game two-hitter today on a career-high 121 pitches as the Orioles beat the Chicago White Sox 9-3 to split a four-game series. Bundy fanned two batters in each of the first four innings and struck out a career-best 14 against just one walk. He allowed one hit that produced runs and it was a three-run homer by José Rondon in the fourth with the Orioles...
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Dylan Bundy fans 14, uses early offense to beat White Sox

Dylan Bundy fans 14, uses early offense to beat White Sox
CHICAGO - The struggling Orioles offense got a jump-start in the Chicago sunshine this afternoon. It came via the continued control issues of young Chicago White Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito. O's right-hander Dylan Bundy wouldn't need a lot of offense this afternoon, but he got it anyway. He pitched a complete-game two-hitter. Giolito began the day tied for the American League lead in walks and issued three - two with the bases loaded - as the Orioles took a 4-0 lead in the first. They led...
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Showalter's pregame updates on Trumbo and O'Day (game update)

Showalter's pregame updates on Trumbo and O'Day (game update)
CHICAGO - There were some topics to discuss today with the Orioles that didn't involve struggling slugger Chris Davis. Manager Buck Showalter provided updates on Mark Trumbo and Darren O'Day. Trumbo developed right knee soreness after sliding into a base here on Tuesday night, when he went 4-for-4. He did not play last night. O'Day, who is 0-1 with a 3.77 ERA, has been out since May 5 with a hyperextended right elbow. "We may get an MRI on Trumb's knee just to be on the safe side,"...
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Chris Davis reacts to Jim Palmer's criticism

Chris Davis reacts to Jim Palmer's criticism
CHICAGO - Orioles first baseman Chris Davis responded today to critical comments made about him on the MASN telecast last night by Hall of Famer Jim Palmer. "They say he works hard," Palmer said on the "O's Xtra" postgame show. "He told everybody in spring training that he worked with (hitting coach) Scott Coolbaugh. So I asked Scott in spring training. I said, 'Hey, you must have really put in a lot of work.' He goes, 'We didn't work.' So I don't believe anything." Davis is...
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