O's game blog: O's host St. Louis in series finale

O's game blog: O's host St. Louis in series finale
After an 11-2 loss Friday and 15-7 win on Saturday, the Orioles (33-34) host the St. Louis Cardinals (31-36) in the series finale this afternoon. The winner today takes the series. Then the Orioles welcome Cleveland to town for four games starting on Monday night. Right-hander Ubaldo Jiménez (1-2, 6.71 ERA) returns to the Orioles rotation today. He has swapped spots with Alec Asher, who is now taking the bullpen role that Jiménez had taken since his last start May 22. That day, Jiménez...
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J.J. Hardy on offense breaking out and his own contribution

J.J. Hardy on offense breaking out and his own contribution
In an attempt to get back to winning baseball after an extended run of losing, the Orioles beat the Chicage White Sox 10-6 Wednesday night. But they lost the next day and then they lost the series opener 11-2 Friday at home against St. Louis. But they posted a 15-7 win on Saturday over the Cardinals. Will that be the win that sparks this team? After yesterday's game, I asked shortstop J.J. Hardy what the team needs to do to get on a roll moving forward. "I think (we can) build off of this,"...
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Jonathan Schoop homers twice, offense breaks out (quotes added)

Jonathan Schoop homers twice, offense breaks out (quotes added)
Whether they were taking out several weeks worth of frustrations or just hammering a pitcher having a bad day, either way, the struggling Orioles will gladly take it. Having lost eight of their previous nine games, they battered right-hander Adam Wainwright today for nine runs and seven hits over 1 2/3 innings as the Orioles beat St. Louis 15-7 to even this three-game series. A pitcher that has seen much better days, the O's got to Wainwright for two runs in the first and seven in the second...
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O's game blog: Wade Miley faces Adam Wainwright in Game 2

O's game blog: Wade Miley faces Adam Wainwright in Game 2
The Orioles (32-34) host the St. Louis Cardinals (31-35) this afternoon in the second game of this series and of a seven-game homestand. It began last night with St. Louis bashing a season-high five homers and scoring a season-high 11 runs to beat the Orioles 11-2. St. Louis outhit the Orioles 14-5 and scored seven runs from the sixth inning on to turn the game into a blowout. The Orioles run of blowout losses continues and they have been outscored 82-31 in losing eight of their past nine...
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Mike Wright updates his status, talks about stay on the DL

Mike Wright updates his status, talks about stay on the DL
Orioles manager Buck Showalter said right-hander Mike Wright got a cortisone injection yesterday. He was put on the 10-day DL on Friday with right shoulder bursitis, retroactive to Thursday. Wright is eligible to return on June 25, but it will probably be longer than that before he is back on the active roster. In six games with the Orioles, Wright is 0-0 with a 5.56 ERA. Over 11 1/3 innings he allowed 11 hits and seven runs with one walk and 14 strikeouts. Wright pitched two scoreless innings...
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O's Gary Rajsich on the draft and top pick DL Hall

O's Gary Rajsich on the draft and top pick DL Hall
When the First-Year Player Draft began on Monday night, Orioles scouting director Gary Rajsich did not expect the first round to end with high school left-handed pitcher DL Hall being selected by the Orioles. He expected Hall to be gone by the time the Orioles selected at No. 21. But Hall wasn't gone and the Orioles gladly pulled the trigger on a pitcher that they clearly had very highly ranked and were delighted to get. Rajsich explained how it all went down. "We targeted pitching and...
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O's game blog: Orioles host St. Louis as homestand begins

O's game blog: Orioles host St. Louis as homestand begins
The Orioles have returned home and now we find out if some wins will return for them as well. They are 21-10 at home and 11-23 on the road. During a 1-7 road trip, the Orioles were outscored 71-29. They averaged 3.6 runs per game but had a team ERA of 9.14 and a starters ERA of 12.53 on the trip. According to STATS, LLC., the last time the Orioles had a road trip of at least eight games with one or less win was July 1-10, 2011, when Baltimore went 1-9 on a 10-game road trip to Atlanta (1-2),...
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Kevin Gausman makes adjustments to try and turn around his season

Kevin Gausman makes adjustments to try and turn around his season
CHICAGO - Last season, Orioles right-hander Kevin Gausman went 9-12 with a 3.61 ERA. Now his ERA is nearly three runs higher. In the second-half of the 2016 season, Gausman went 8-6 with a 3.10 ERA. From Aug. 23 to Sept. 14, Gausman pitched four scoreless starts in five games, going 4-0 with a 0.82 ERA. He came up big for the team down the stretch. It looked like he was finally moving toward becoming that homegrown top-of-the-rotation starter the Orioles have long tried to develop. But this...
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Wrapping up another loss and a 1-7 road trip

Wrapping up another loss and a 1-7 road trip
CHICAGO - The Orioles had a chance to at least end a disappointing road trip on a good note today. But they could not do it. The White Sox scored four runs in the last of the sixth to break a 1-1 tie and beat the Orioles 5-2 in front of 20,139 at Gauranteed Rate Field. A White Sox team that began this series having lost nine of 11 just took three of four from the Orioles. The O's head back to Baltimore tonight where at least they have played well this year. This road trip was a 1-7 disaster...
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O's lose series finale in Chicago to end a brutal 1-7 road trip

O's lose series finale in Chicago to end a brutal 1-7 road trip
CHICAGO - Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman kept getting into and out of jams, but he finally broke. We've seen this a lot lately from Orioles pitching. Chicago scored four runs off Tillman in the last of the sixth, with some wildness from right-handed reliever Jimmy Yacabonis thrown in, as the White Sox beat the Orioles 5-2. The Sox take three of four in this series at Guaranteed Rate Field. With the loss, the Orioles are back under .500 at 32-33. They completed a 1-7 road trip and have lost...
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Showalter on Machado's loud outs, plus a game update

Showalter on Machado's loud outs, plus a game update
CHICAGO - In the game here last night, Orioles third baseman Manny Machado had a loud 1-for-5 night. He singled in the sixth, but could have had three other hits in the Orioles' 10-6 win. That is noteworthy since Machado is trying to get his bat going. He is 4-for-13 in this series, returning Monday from missing four games with a strained left wrist and sore hand after getting spiked in the series at home against Pittsburgh. Manager Buck Showalter noted this morning how Machado struck several...
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Mike Wright dealing with shoulder soreness

Mike Wright dealing with shoulder soreness
CHICAGO - The Orioles will be one pitcher short in their bullpen today for the series finale against the White Sox. Manager Buck Showalter told reporters that right-hander Mike Wright felt some shoulder soreness after the game last night. He is unavailable today. He pitched two scoreless innings in the win over the White Sox. But he gave up some hard-hit balls in the sixth and seventh innings. Wright has a 5.56 ERA in six games and 11 1/3 innings. "That is a little bit alarming because that...
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O's game blog: Tillman on the mound in series finale

O's game blog: Tillman on the mound in series finale
CHICAGO - As Chris Tillman tries to begin to pitch better for the Orioles, he needs to start at the start. Tillman (1-4, 8.01 ERA) has allowed a first-inning ERA of 16.71 on the season. Over seven first innings, he has given up 13 runs and 16 hits, including four of his seven homers. Tillman has made seven 2017 starts. He did not allow a run in the first inning of his first three. But now, over his last four starts, he was scored on each time in the first inning. In those games, he allowed 13...
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Chris Tillman's first-inning struggles and other notes

Chris Tillman's first-inning struggles and other notes
CHICAGO - Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman pitches the series finale in Chicago this afternoon. He will try to avoid allowing a first-inning run for the first time since May 19. He has allowed one or more runs in the first inning of his past four starts. He's allowed 13 runs in the first and over his past four starts, 13 of the 21 runs he has allowed have come in that inning. If he could just get through the first. "It's not like he goes out there and says, 'Que sera, sera?' " manager...
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Castillo's grand slam leads O's past Chicago (quotes added)

Castillo's grand slam leads O's past Chicago (quotes added)
CHICAGO - The Orioles flipped the script tonight. Even though starter Dylan Bundy gave up five early runs as they fell behind by four, this time their offense bailed them out. Catcher Welington Castillo hit his first career grand slam as the Orioles beat the Chicago White Sox 10-6 to snap a six-game losing streak and an 11-game road losing streak. They get back to the .500 mark at 32-32. The Orioles scored nine runs in the fourth through the sixth innings, but Castillo had the game's biggest...
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Scott Coolbaugh's son drafted by the Orioles (O's lead 10-5)

Scott Coolbaugh's son drafted by the Orioles (O's lead 10-5)
CHICAGO - This doesn't happen every day. The Orioles drafted a player this afternoon who was already in their clubhouse when he was selected. In the 36th round, the Orioles took shortstop Tyler Coolbaugh from Angelo State (Texas) University. He is the son of their hitting coach, Scott Coolbaugh and is with his dad here in Chicago. The elder Coolbaugh said he was working in the batting cage when his son saw his name on the MLB.com coverage. At about that same time he got a congratulatory text...
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Pregame notes on Smith, Washington and more

Pregame notes on Smith, Washington and more
CHICAGO - Tonight's game will be delayed by rain at the start. It was scheduled to begin at 7:10 p.m. CT but it has been raining here most of the afternoon. But a press box announcement indicated that they do expect to get this game in. Now we just await a start time. Update: The White Sox announced that tonight's game will begin at 9:40 ET. Meanwhile, here is how it is going for the Orioles these days. The losses are piling up and so are the injuries. First baseman Chris Davis went on the...
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David Washington is getting ready to make his major league debut

David Washington is getting ready to make his major league debut
CHICAGO - On his first day in the big leagues David Washington will make his major league debut. The Orioles selected his contract today, and then manager Buck Showalter selected him to bat eighth as the DH. Washington admitted he's a bit of a nervous wreck right now, but he'll try to channel the nerves and emotions as best as he can. "It's crazy," Washington said. "My mind is going about a million miles per hour right now. Very excited. I've been a bit of a wreck. Trying to get...
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O's game blog: Dylan Bundy on the mound in Chicago

O's game blog: Dylan Bundy on the mound in Chicago
CHICAGO - Will this be the night for the Orioles? The night they end a six-game losing streak and an 11-game road losing streak that is tied for the second-longest in team history? And what will it take? Maybe a starter pitching a great game or maybe a breakout by an offense that has scored three runs or fewer five times in the last six games. After a rain delay of well over an hour, tonight's game is slated to start at about 9:40 p.m. ET. Tonight right-hander Dylan Bundy (6-5, 3.05 ERA) will...
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Trying to avoid a club record road losing streak

Trying to avoid a club record road losing streak
CHICAGO - Now a team with a losing record for the first time since the next to last day of the 2015 season, the Orioles continue to search for answers. They are just not finding many. Whether it is another starter that doesn't get deep in a game or another night of missed chances on offense, a lot continues to go wrong for a team that once was 12 games over .500. But now the Orioles are 31-32 and much closer to last place than first. Last night's White Sox starter, left-hander Derek Holland,...
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