Mancini breaks slump, notes on Hart, minors award winners

Mancini breaks slump, notes on Hart, minors award winners
Any hitter who is having a good offensive season has probably had times during the year when he minimized a cold streak at the plate and got right back to hitting well again. Orioles rookie Trey Mancini has had to do this a few times. From Aug. 13 through 20, Mancini went 2-for-26 (.077), and that dropped his average to .282. Since then he has gone 14-for-27 (.519) with a homer and eight RBIs. Mancini is 10-for-17 (.588) with five RBIs in his last four games. "It takes a while when you're...
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Zach Britton and Chris Tillman on the O's win streak

Zach Britton and Chris Tillman on the O's win streak
The Orioles played mediocre or worse baseball for several months, but in the last few days they have gotten hot and perhaps turned around their season. Back-to-back one-run wins over Boston and Seattle give the Orioles a five-game winning streak and put them a game over .500 at 66-65. They have not been over .500 since they were 31-30 June 11. Zach Britton, who got a 14-pitch save last night, talked about the Orioles trying to claim a playoff berth after they had losing records in May (12-16),...
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O's outscore Mariners 7-6 to start homestand (quotes added)

O's outscore Mariners 7-6 to start homestand (quotes added)
Orioles pitchers gave up just four runs in three games in Boston. Tonight, Chris Tillman allowed that many by the fourth inning. If the Orioles were going to win tonight, the bats would need to come up big. And the bats did that as the Orioles scored runs in five of six innings from the second through the seventh. They beat Seattle 7-6 at Oriole Park to pass the Mariners in the hunt for the second AL wild card spot at 66-65 to Seattle's 66-66. The Orioles are over .500 for the first time since...
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O's game blog: Tonight's game and minor league award winners

O's game blog: Tonight's game and minor league award winners
After a weekend sweep of the Boston Red Sox, the Orioles host Seattle tonight to start a three-game series and 10-game homestand. They'll host the Mariners for three games, the Blue Jays for four and the Yankees for three at Camden Yards. The Orioles recorded their first sweep of the Red Sox since June 9-11, 2015 at Camden Yards and the first series sweep at Fenway Park since Sept. 8-10, 2014. In the series, the Orioles outscored the Red Sox, 25-4. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it...
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Britton is ready to go and Hart thinks about the homefront

Britton is ready to go and Hart thinks about the homefront
Orioles closer Zach Britton hasn't pitched since his run of 60 straight converted saves ended last Wednesday at Oriole Park. The 60 straight is an American League record. Britton has had some left knee soreness and had an MRI, which did not show any structural damage. He didn't close Sunday's game in Boston, as Brad Brach came on for a five-out save. But Britton indicated today that was more manager Buck Showalter giving his knee an extra day rather than him not being available to...
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Can O's take Boston sweep and run with it to October?

Can O's take Boston sweep and run with it to October?
Heading into their series with the Orioles starting Friday night, the Red Sox had gone 16-5 over the previous 21 games. They were 40-22 at home with 10 wins in the previous 12 games at Fenway Park. They were 8-3 in their last 11 games versus American League East teams. They were averaging 6.05 runs per game their previous 21 games. But then they got beat three games in a row by the Orioles, and were outscored 25-4 and outhit 36-18 in a stunning Baltimore sweep over the weekend. O's pitching...
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O's game blog: O's look for series sweep at Fenway Park

O's game blog: O's look for series sweep at Fenway Park
After recording a season high in runs in Friday's 16-3 win and recording their eighth shutout of the year in Saturday's 7-0 victory, the Orioles have a chance to sweep the Boston Red Sox today at Fenway Park. The Orioles (64-65) also have a chance to get back to the .500 for the first time since they were 56-56 on Aug. 7. Their last three-game sweep at Fenway Park came in September 2014. The Orioles have outscored Boston 23-3 and outhit the Red Sox 30-10 over the weekend. O's starters have...
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O's go for sweep today, plus minor league pitcher notes

O's go for sweep today, plus minor league pitcher notes
The Orioles top two picks in the 2016 draft, pitchers Cody Sedlock and Keegan Akin, will end the minor league season on the disabled list with Single-A Frederick. But the Orioles will bring both players to their instructional league next month in hopes they head into the offseason healthy. Sedlock, the 27th overall pick in round one, has been on the disabled list twice with elbow issues. He spent July 1-22 on the DL with a right elbow flexor strain and went back on it Friday. "He'll go to...
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O's game blog: Kevin Gausman on the mound in Game 2

O's game blog: Kevin Gausman on the mound in Game 2
After their sixth straight win in a series-opening game, the Orioles play the second game of a three-game set today at Fenway Park. The Orioles' 16-3 win on Friday improved their overall record to 63-65, their road record to 25-39 and their record against the American League East to 28-22. The Orioles set a season-high for runs last night, and tied their season high with 20 hits. The Orioles have scored 67 runs over their last 10 games. They hit two homers Friday, with Mark Trumbo connecting...
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Will O's blowout win lead to good weekend at Fenway Park?

Will O's blowout win lead to good weekend at Fenway Park?
For the Orioles, finally a two-game winning streak. They haven't had one since winning three in a row from Aug. 5-7. But after a 12-inning win Wednesday, they crushed Boston last night 16-3 in the series opener at Fenway Park. It was a season high in runs for the Orioles and they tied a season high with 20 hits. They surpassed the previous best when they beat St. Louis 15-7 on June 17. This was the seventh time this season the Orioles have scored 12 or more runs and the 15th time they have...
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O's game blog: Hellickson faces Porcello in series opener

O's game blog: Hellickson faces Porcello in series opener
For the first time since late July, the Orioles will play an American League East opponent tonight. They begin a three-game series at Boston's Fenway Park against the first-place Red Sox. The Orioles (62-65) are tied for third and 11 games behind Boston (73-54). The Orioles are three games out for the second AL wild card, but there are four teams closer to that current second wild card team, which is Minnesota, than the Orioles. The Red Sox own a 4 1/2-game lead in the AL East and have been...
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Previewing the O's-Red Sox series, plus farm notes

Previewing the O's-Red Sox series, plus farm notes
The Orioles and their flickering playoff hopes head to Boston's Fenway Park tonight to begin a three-game weekend series. The Red Sox are leading the American League East at 73-54 and are 16-5 their last 21 games. The Orioles are 62-65 and won two of three against Oakland in the series that ended Wednesday. But they have lost five of eight overall and nine of their last 15. They are 24-39 in road games. The Orioles and Boston have not met since June 4. They played 13 times in the Orioles'...
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Trey Mancini had help for his slump buster, plus other notes

Trey Mancini had help for his slump buster, plus other notes
It was a slump, but it didn't last long. All hitters go through them and Trey Mancini recently found that he was dealing with one. Before the series with Oakland that started Monday and ended yesterday, Mancini was 2-for-26 his previous seven games. He went 0-for-11 in the series versus the Angels. His average dropped from .297 to .282. But manager Buck Showalter has said each time this year when Mancini has been challenged by a cold streak at-bat it didn't last long. He always broke out of...
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Zach Britton on his left knee and other clubhouse quotes

Zach Britton on his left knee and other clubhouse quotes
After playing over four hours, blowing leads of five runs and two runs, but winning on a walk-off extra innings homer, the Orioles emerged with a victory today but also some concern over their closer. And not necessarily because left-hander Zach Britton finally blew a save for the first time since Sept. 20, 2015. But because after the game it was revealed that a left knee injury has been bothering Britton recently. He will have an MRI on the knee tomorrow. "Gosh, I've probably had it since...
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Manny Machado's walk-off HR gives O's win over Oakland

Manny Machado's walk-off HR gives O's win over Oakland
The Orioles lost leads of 6-1 and 7-5, but they didn't lose this game. In fact, they won it in walk-off fashion, but it took awhile. After Oakland tied the game in the ninth off Zach Britton, the Orioles won it in the 12th inning when Manny Machado led off with a homer to left-center that just made it into the stands. That gave the Orioles an 8-7 win as they improved to 10-2 in extra innings. Machado hit No. 28 on a 1-1 slider from Simon Castro. He has seven homers and 18 RBIs over his last 11...
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O's game blog: Dylan Bundy pitches Oakland series finale

O's game blog: Dylan Bundy pitches Oakland series finale
Orioles right-hander Dylan Bundy has been pretty good when pitching on extra rest this year. He takes the mound today with 10 days rest as he tries to pitch the Orioles past Oakland in the third and deciding game of this series. Bundy's last start was Aug. 12 against the same Oakland team he faces today. He got the win that night, allowing three runs over six innings. In his last three starts, Bundy is 3-0 with a 2.14 ERA. In four starts with six days or more rest in 2017, Bundy is 3-1 with a...
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The O's rotation and its latest turn for the worse

The O's rotation and its latest turn for the worse
Over their last five series, counting the current one versus Oakland, the Orioles are 5-0 in series-opening games. They are 1-9 in all other games in those series. Yikes. They have not won any of the previous four series but could win this one if they beat Oakland behind right-hander Dylan Bundy this afternoon at Camden Yards. Anyone that has been even remotely paying attention the last week or so could probably tell the Orioles rotation has taken another turn south. This follows a stretch...
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Ubaldo Jiménez allows three homers as the A's beat the O's

Ubaldo Jiménez allows three homers as the A's beat the O's
Last night, left-hander Wade Miley provided the Orioles with what has lately been a rare quality start. But they could not get two in a row tonight. Right-hander Ubaldo Jiménez allowed five runs and three homers over five innings as the Oakland Athletics beat the Orioles 6-4 at Oriole Park. A late-game O's rally fell short. They pulled within 5-4 on Jonathan Schoop's two-run single in the last of the eighth. But a solo homer in the ninth by the A's Khris Davis off Darren O'Day accounted...
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O's game blog: O's look for a series win against Oakland

O's game blog: O's look for a series win against Oakland
After last night's 7-3 victory over the Oakland Athletics, the Orioles (61-64) host the A's (54-71) tonight in the second game of a three-game series. Adam Jones homered twice last night and went 4-for-4 as the Orioles improved to 3-2 versus Oakland, 37-25 at home and 10-10 in August. Jones hit his 23rd and 24th home runs. This was his second multi-home run game of the season (also July 9 at Minnesota) and the 12th of his career. He has 38 multi-hit games, the second-most on the team. Jones...
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Manny Machado goes to bat for Scott Coolbaugh, plus other notes

Manny Machado goes to bat for Scott Coolbaugh, plus other notes
During an interview to discuss his American League Player of the Week award, Orioles third baseman Manny Machado took two opportunities to pass on some props to Orioles hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh. It seems at times this year, when the team's hitting or rotation has struggled, some fans point a finger at Coolbaugh or pitching coach Roger McDowell. But unsolicited, Machado said of Coolbaugh: "He has had a big influence on me doing well. Staying on me every day. Getting in the cage, talking...
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