O's game blog: Kevin Gausman faces the Rangers

O's game blog: Kevin Gausman faces the Rangers
The Orioles have taken the first two games of their four-game series against Texas by scores of 3-1 and 12-1. They host the Rangers the next two nights to conclude this series. In three weekend games versus the Cubs, the O's pitching staff allowed 27 runs on 41 hits. In the last two games against Texas, they have allowed two runs on nine hits. With Chris Tillman and Dylan Bundy, they recorded two straight quality starts for the first time since June 1-2. Right-hander Kevin Gausman (5-7, 6.39...
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Catcher Caleb Joseph on trying to get Kevin Gausman going tonight

Catcher Caleb Joseph on trying to get Kevin Gausman going tonight
Catcher Caleb Joseph will be back behind the plate tonight in the latest attempt to get pitcher Kevin Gausman on the right track. In his first second-half start on Friday against the Cubs, Gausman faced 17 batters, allowing eight runs and a career-worst four homers over three innings. He has gone from a pitcher with an ERA of 3.61 last year (which was 3.10 in the second half) to the current ERA of 6.39. Gausman recorded 18 quality starts in 30 outings last year and has recorded five quality...
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Mancini ends homerless stretch and second-round pick makes big debut

Mancini ends homerless stretch and second-round pick makes big debut
The Orioles reminded themselves how it can look when pitching and hitting come together in the same game. They scored six runs before they made a single out last night in beating Texas 12-1 at Camden Yards yesterday. Chris Davis hit a two-run homer during the Orioles big first inning and added his eighth career grand slam in the fourth as the Orioles built the early 10-1 lead. The Orioles had 16 hits, including two doubles and four homers and went 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position. It...
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Chris Davis with two homers and six RBIs as O's roll (with quotes)

Chris Davis with two homers and six RBIs as O's roll (with quotes)
The Orioles offense had produced just six runs and two homers the last three games. They matched those numbers in the first six batters of the last of the first tonight. But it would get even better. First baseman Chris Davis hit two homers, one a grand slam, and drove in a career-high six runs as the Orioles hammered Texas 12-1 at Camden Yards. On the second pitch of the game, Texas outfielder Shin-Soo Choo homered off right-hander Dylan Bundy. But it was all Orioles from there. Adam Jones...
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O's game blog: Dylan Bundy makes second-half debut

O's game blog: Dylan Bundy makes second-half debut
After getting a quality start and a win in well-pitched game last night, the Orioles shoot for two in a row tonight. Chris Tillman allowed one run over six innings in last night's 3-1 win over Texas. Tillman was pitching on 16 days' rest last night, and right-hander Dylan Bundy (8-8, 4.33 ERA) will be pitching on 11 days' rest tonight since his last start on July 6 at Minnesota. Bundy had a 3.05 ERA after his June 9 start against the Yankees. But in five starts since that game he is 2-3 with...
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O's Richard Bleier continued his strong season last night

O's Richard Bleier continued his strong season last night
Orioles lefty reliever Richard Bleier picked up his first major league win on May 16 at Detroit. Last night he picked up his second as the Orioles beat Texas 3-1. Entering to pitch the top of the seventh of a 1-1 game, Bleier hit Carlos Gomez, the first batter he faced. But then he got a fly out and a double-play grounder. When the Orioles scored twice in the last of the seventh and held the lead, the 30-year-old Bleier picked up his second win in his 50th major league game. Acquired on Feb. 21...
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O's get elusive quality start, trade talk and a gem on the farm

O's get elusive quality start, trade talk and a gem on the farm
Entering his start last night with an 7.90 ERA and with just two quality starts in 11 outings for the season, right-hander Chris Tillman was desperately in need of a well-pitched game. So were the Orioles. Both got one. Tillman allowed just two hits and one run over six innings as the Orioles beat the Texas Rangers 3-1 to open a four-game series. Tillman's outing was in stark contrast to the starting pitching over the weekend versus the Cubs. The O's starters in that series gave up 27 hits...
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Chris Tillman on his outing, Seth Smith on the go-ahead homer

Chris Tillman on his outing, Seth Smith on the go-ahead homer
He didn't get the win tonight, but his outing was big. Chris Tillman allowed one run over six innings in the Orioles' 3-1 win over Texas. It snapped a stretch of 10 straight games without a quality start by Orioles starting pitchers. His outing also followed a weekend where the club's starters allowed 21 runs in 11 1/3 innings against the Cubs. Did Tillman think about trying to be the pitcher to get it turned around tonight? "I didn't think about it," he said after his 95-pitch...
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Seth Smith hits go-ahead homer as O's take series opener

Seth Smith hits go-ahead homer as O's take series opener
The Orioles tonight got a rare quality start. That led to them getting a lead for the first time since the All-Star Game and that led to a victory. Seth Smith hit a tiebreaking homer in the last of the seventh as the Orioles beat Texas 3-1 at Oriole Park to improve to 43-49. They win the opener of a four-game series. With the game tied 1-1, Smith hit a first-pitch fastball from Texas starter Andrew Casher over the center field wall. His 10th homer traveled 413 feet and provided the 2-1 lead....
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O's game blog: Chris Tillman pitches Texas series opener

O's game blog: Chris Tillman pitches Texas series opener
The Orioles welcome the Texas Rangers to Oriole Park tonight as their 10-game homestand to start the second half continues. It began with three losses to the Chicago Cubs by a 27-11 score. The Cubs won 8-0 Sunday to complete the sweep. The Orioles starting pitchers combined to pitch just 11 1/3 innings in that series allowing 27 hits and 21 runs and they gave up seven home runs. The Orioles have gone 10 games without a quality start. Their 6.02 starting rotation ERA for the year is easily last...
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Zach Britton on trade rumors

Zach Britton on trade rumors
It is the time of year for trade rumors, talk and speculation. Orioles closer Zach Britton's name has come up a few times in the last few days in that regard. He hears that talk and can easily see speculation via social media, but tries not to let it distract him or keep him from returning to top form since he came back off the DL for the second time. He's been an Oriole a long time and doesn't seek to go anywhere else. "I've been here since I was 18," Britton said this afternoon. "I'm...
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Pondering the future, a draft pick gets signed and farm notes

Pondering the future, a draft pick gets signed and farm notes
It was such a poor start to the second half this past weekend for the Orioles. Swept by the Cubs and three poor starting pitching performances. Maybe the 2017 Orioles are not done, but it feels like they are. They have the time to salvage this season, but they just don't seem like they have nearly enough starting pitching to do so. Growing speculation that the Orioles are considering trading some key players may actually come as exciting news to fans at this point. Many that write on this blog...
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Ubaldo Jiménez and Chris Davis on the 0-3 second half start

Ubaldo Jiménez and Chris Davis on the 0-3 second half start
The Orioles were a team looking for a fresh start and the clean slate that the beginning of the second half presented. A chance to try and get back to .500 and back into serious playoff contention. Then they rallied from 8-0 down to tie the Cubs late on Friday night. But a ninth inning loss there just led to a pair of weekend blowout losses. The Orioles lost 8-0 today to the Cubs at Oriole Park and got swept three straight. So much for a fresh start and so much for a turnaround by the starting...
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Ubaldo Jiménez allows six runs as Cubs complete sweep

Ubaldo Jiménez allows six runs as Cubs complete sweep
A team desperate for a good starting pitching performance went another day without one. Right-hander Ubaldo Jiménez lasted just 3 2/3 innings this afternoon as the Chicago Cubs batters teed off again on an Orioles starting pitcher. The Cubs scored four in the second and two in the fourth on their way to an 8-0 win over the Orioles behind lefty José Quintana at Camden Yards. They scored 27 runs in the three-game series sweep and hit 10 homers. Jiménez allowed 11 hits, one off his...
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O's game blog: Ubaldo Jiménez pitches series finale

O's game blog: Ubaldo Jiménez pitches series finale
When the Chicago Cubs began their weekend series at Oriole Park they were 43-45 with eight losses in their last 12 games. They were 13-18 since June 6. But the Cubs have bashed eight homers the last two nights in 9-8 and 10-3 wins in the first two games of this series. The Cubs have 26 hits in the two games and have gone 8-for-14 with runners in scoring position. The two losses have the Orioles at 42-48 with 72 games remaining. The Orioles would have to go 47-25 to match last year's win total...
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Arrieta's return, Joseph's bat still hot, Miley still struggling

Arrieta's return, Joseph's bat still hot, Miley still struggling
Well on a positive note, catcher Caleb Joseph is still hitting well. He ended the first half swinging a hot bat and has continued it in the Cubs series. Last night at Camden Yards, he went 2-for-3 with a solo homer and RBI single in the Orioles' 10-3 loss to the Cubs. A diving stop by third baseman Kris Bryant in the seventh robbed Joseph of a 3-for-3 night. Over his last nine games, Joseph is 13-for-28 (.464) with two homers and seven RBIs. He has five RBIs his past two games. Joseph is...
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Cubs hit three more homers in romp over Orioles (quotes added)

Cubs hit three more homers in romp over Orioles (quotes added)
This is no way to win a series. Orioles' starting pitchers have allowed 15 runs and six homers over 7 2/3 innings the last two games. Kevin Gausman got hit hard Friday night and Wade Miley allowed seven runs over 4 2/3 tonight as the Chicago Cubs beat the Orioles 10-3 at Camden Yards. At least the Cubs fans in a big crowd of 40,258 could head out happy. Now the Orioles are no longer winning home games. They have lost this series and are 1-6 in their last seven games at Oriole Park. They fall...
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O's game blog: Jake Arrieta and Cubs face O's at Camden Yards

O's game blog: Jake Arrieta and Cubs face O's at Camden Yards
After the great comeback attempt that fell short, the Orioles (42-47) host the Chicago Cubs (44-45) in the second game of a three-game series tonight at Oriole Park. Down 8-0 after the top of the third inning last night, the Orioles pulled even at 8-8 on Mark Trumbo's two-run homer off Koji Uehara in the eighth inning. But Addison Russell's solo homer off Brad Brach in the top of the ninth gave the Cubs a 9-8 win in their first game in Baltimore since 2003. The Cubs are 7-3 all-time against...
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Kevin Gausman struggles again and some notes from the farm

Kevin Gausman struggles again and some notes from the farm
The Orioles ended the first half with two wins. They had a chance to start the second half with an improbable win last night. But for the 2017 Orioles, each time it looks like something good might happen, it usually doesn't. And last night the club's rally from 8-0 down to win was not completed. They came back from 8-0 down to tie but Addison Russell's homer in the ninth off Brad Brach gave the Cubs a 9-8 victory Friday night at Camden Yards. More frustration for a team and its fans. And...
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Down 8-0, O's rally to tie, but lose on HR in ninth (quotes added)

Down 8-0, O's rally to tie, but lose on HR in ninth (quotes added)
The start of the second half was delayed by rain tonight. Once the game did begin, Orioles right-hander Kevin Gausman gave up four homers and eight runs over three innings. But what looked like a terrible start to their post All-Star break schedule would get better for the Orioles. It just didn't have a happy ending. After the Orioles scored eight unanswered runs to come from 8-0 down for an 8-8 tie, the Cubs won it 9-8 with a homer in the ninth. No. 9 hitter shortstop Addison Russell blasted...
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