Brad Brach on his dominant inning and the bullpen's good start

Brad Brach on his dominant inning and the bullpen's good start
The Orioles bullpen is off to a good start as the club is 3-0. Over 12 2/3 scoreless innings, the 'pen has allowed 12 hits, with six walks and 12 strikeouts. No surprise to see that unit doing well. The Orioles 'pen led the American League with a 3.40 ERA last season. The bullpens for the Orioles, Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins are the only three in the AL still with 0.00 ERAs. "It's great," right-hander Brad Brach said today. "I think that is what makes our 'pen so good. It is...
Continue reading

Chris Davis on moving up the club's homer list (plus other notes)

Chris Davis on moving up the club's homer list (plus other notes)
When first baseman Chris Davis hit a solo homer off Toronto Blue Jays lefty J.A. Happ in the fourth inning Wednesday, he became the eighth player in Orioles history to hit 200 or more homers for the club. Davis joined teammate Adam Jones in that club. Jones homered in the third inning Wednesday, and that longball moved him into a tie for fifth on the club's all-time homers list. 431 - Cal Ripken Jr. 343 - Eddie Murray 303 - Boog Powell 268 - Brooks Robinson 223 - Rafael Palmeiro and Adam Jones...
Continue reading

Hart on his first win, Smith on his homer, Jiménez on his outing

Hart on his first win, Smith on his homer, Jiménez on his outing
On a night that right-hander Ubaldo Jiménez struggled and the club fell into a four-run hole, the Orioles called on their bullpen and power to bail them out. Manny Machado's three-run homer pulled the Orioles within 5-4 in the fifth inning and Seth Smith's two-run shot gave them the lead two innings later. The bullpen recorded 4 2/3 scoreless innings as the Orioles beat the Yankees 6-5 to go to 3-0. Smith said Machado's homer got his team back in the game. It was a laser to left-center...
Continue reading

Seth Smith hits go-ahead homer, O's beat Yankees to go to 3-0

Seth Smith hits go-ahead homer, O's beat Yankees to go to 3-0
Sometimes a sac fly will do. But a two-run homer is better. Needing a fly ball to tie this game in the last of the seventh tonight, new Orioles outfielder Seth Smith instead delivered a go-ahead two-run homer. His first as an Oriole took the club from one run down to one up as they rallied from a four-run deficit to beat the Yankees 6-5 in front of 25,248 chilled fans at Camden Yards. The Orioles have a 3-0 start and New York to falls to 1-3 in dropping the opener of a three-game series. Down...
Continue reading

O's game blog: O's host Yankees in series opener

O's game blog: O's host Yankees in series opener
After wins by 3-2 in 11 innings and 3-1 over Toronto to start the season, the Orioles (2-0) host the New York Yankees (1-2) tonight. It is the opener of a three-game set to begin the second series of the year. The Yankees began the year on Sunday, losing 7-3 at Tampa Bay. They rebounded to win 5-0 in the second game, but lost the series finale 4-1 on Wednesday at Tropicana Field. In that series, Yankees starters pitched a combined 11 1/3 innings, allowing 19 hits and 11 runs. The Yankees...
Continue reading

Dan Duquette on Edwin Jackson and Miguel Castro

Dan Duquette on Edwin Jackson and Miguel Castro
The Orioles officially signed veteran big league right-hander Edwin Jackson today. He passed his physical, signed a minor league deal and now will report to extended spring training in Sarasota, Fla. Jackson, 33, has played for 11 teams over his 14-year major league career, most recently making 13 starts with the Padres last summer after the Marlins released him. He made eight relief appearances with Miami, going 0-1 with a 5.91 ERA in 10 2/3 innings, and was 5-6 with a 5.89 ERA in 73 1/3...
Continue reading

Adam Jones on donation to Boys & Girls Clubs (plus other notes)

Adam Jones on donation to Boys & Girls Clubs (plus other notes)
Earlier this week we saw yet another example of how Orioles outfielder Adam Jones is a leader for the team not only on the field, but off the field as well. The Orioles Charitable Foundation and Jones, along with his wife Audie, made a $75,000 donation to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore for the fourth consecutive year. The donation will include $10,000 to fund Youth of the Year Scholarship Awards and $65,000 to help to renovate the O'Donnell Heights Club gymnasium. "I...
Continue reading

A look at tonight's starting lineups on the farm

A look at tonight's starting lineups on the farm
Today is opening day and night in minor league baseball. The Orioles' Triple-A Norfolk affiliate plays at Charlotte at 7:05 p.m. with Mike Wright on the mound. Double-A Bowie plays at Akron with Brandon Barker on the mound at 6:35 p.m. Single-A Delmarva plays at Greenville at 7:05 p.m. with Lucas Humpal getting the start. Single-A Frederick was scheduled to open the season at the Keys' Nymeo Field against Carolina, but that game has been rained out. It will be made up as part of a...
Continue reading

O'Day on Bundy: "He was born to do what he's doing right now"

O'Day on Bundy: "He was born to do what he's doing right now"
Counting the American League wild card game last October, the Toronto Blue Jays went 11-9 against the Orioles last year, scoring 102 runs and hitting 30 homers in the 20 games. In losing two games to begin the 2017 season at Camden Yards, Toronto scored three runs and didn't hit a single homer. The Blue Jays scored three runs over 12 1/3 innings against Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy and went 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position in the series. When Bundy got off to a good start when he...
Continue reading

Bundy on his outing and the win, plus other clubhouse quotes

Bundy on his outing and the win, plus other clubhouse quotes
Edwin Encarnacion delivered three runs on one swing last October, ending the Orioles' 2016 season. But in starting 2-0 this year against Toronto, O's pitchers have allowed just three runs on 18 hits over 20 innings. And the Blue Jays went 1-for-16 in the series with runners in scoring position. Dylan Bundy broke out his slider/cutter big-time tonight. He tied his career highs with seven innings and 99 pitches as the Orioles beat the Blue Jays 3-1 to sweep the two-game series. Bundy gave up...
Continue reading

Bundy pitches a gem as O's beat Toronto 3-1

Bundy pitches a gem as O's beat Toronto 3-1
So much for Dylan Bundy's 7.41 ERA in spring training. The 24-year-old right hander threw a gem at the Toronto Blue Jays tonight as the Orioles won 3-1 to sweep the season-opening two-game series. Zach Britton recorded his 50th straight save since Oct. 1, 2015, pitching out of a bases loaded jam in the ninth. On his 24th pitch of the inning, he got Steve Pearce to ground into a game-ending double play. For the Blue Jays in the ninth, there was a lot of drama but no runs. Bundy matched career...
Continue reading

O's game blog: Bundy faces Jays (plus minor league rotations)

O's game blog: Bundy faces Jays (plus minor league rotations)
After their season-opening walk-off win over Toronto in the 11th inning Monday, the Orioles look to sweep this brief two-game series tonight at Oriole Park. Right-hander Dylan Bundy (10-6, 4.02 ERA in 2016) pitches against Blue Jays left-hander J.A. Happ (20-4, 3.18 ERA in 2016). Bundy entered the Orioles rotation last year after the All-Star break and went 4-2 with a 2.76 ERA in his first six starts. In 14 starts overall in 2016, he went 8-5 with a 4.52 ERA. Bundy picked up his first major...
Continue reading

O'Day feeling better, plus notes with Rickard and Mancini

O'Day feeling better, plus notes with Rickard and Mancini
Orioles reliever Darren O'Day said he is ready to pitch tonight. After battling a severe bout with the flu bug, O'Day was pretty sure he was not going to pitch on opening day. But he was also pretty certain he was not going to need to go on the disabled list. "No, I didn't think so," he said this afternoon. "The other day, I didn't feel well, and opening day, I didn't feel well and felt like I wasn't going to pitch that day. But feeling a lot better today. I feel like myself. Ever the...
Continue reading

Dylan Bundy on his spring, his cutter, facing Toronto and more

Dylan Bundy on his spring, his cutter, facing Toronto and more
For right-handers Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy, their time has arrived. Ready or not, they are heading up the Orioles rotation at a time when the club will play 24 of its first 27 games against American League East competition. The two No. 4 overall draft picks (Bundy in 2011 and Gausman in 2012) provide the Orioles two homegrown young guns to top their starting five as they await Chris Tillman's return, which they hope comes next month, from the disabled list. Bundy said the two pitchers...
Continue reading

Notes from Bowie on the rotation, Mullins, DJ Stewart and more

Notes from Bowie on the rotation, Mullins, DJ Stewart and more
BOWIE, Md. - Two years removed from an Eastern League championship, the Double-A Bowie Baysox begin their 25th season on Thursday. Bowie opens at Akron and plays seven games on the road before its April 13 home opener with Harrisburg. Right-hander Brandon Barker will start on opening night for the Baysox. Bowie will use a five-man rotation but in its fourth starter slot the Baysox will use both lefty Tanner Scott and right-hander Jason Garcia. The Orioles will have Scott start games and pitch...
Continue reading

In first day as new O's catcher, Welington Castillo played key role

In first day as new O's catcher, Welington Castillo played key role
If catching five different pitchers over 11 innings and facing a tough lineup like the Toronto Blue Jays was a test for new O's catcher Welington Castillo, he passed. Kevin Gausman, Mychal Givens, Brad Brach, Zach Britton and Tyler Wilson gave up 11 hits but just two runs as the Orioles won on opening day, 3-2 in 11 innings. Toronto's top three hitters each got six plate appearances, making if even more difficult for the O's staff to navigate its way through that game. But the Blue Jays went...
Continue reading

Mark Trumbo on his walk-off homer, plus other clubhouse quotes

Mark Trumbo on his walk-off homer, plus other clubhouse quotes
For the first time in team history, the Baltimore Orioles got a walk-off home run on opening day. After not hitting a spring training homer in 52 at-bats, Mark Trumbo, the 2016 Major League Baseball homer leader, hit his first of this year in his fifth at-bat. His homer to left on Jason Grilli's 1-2 slider with two outs in the last of the 11th gave the Orioles a thrilling 3-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Trumbo went 2-for-5, adding a double in a two-RBI day. "Pretty special. It's a whole...
Continue reading

Mark Trumbo with a walk-off homer as O's win in 11th

Mark Trumbo with a walk-off homer as O's win in 11th
Yes, there were similarities to the American League wild card game. The Orioles and Toronto, tied 2-2, playing in extra innings. But a different team won in 11 innings this time. Mark Trumbo, who didn't homer once in spring training, blasted a shot to left on a 1-2 pitch from Jason Grilli, and the Orioles beat Toronto 3-2. This was the sixth career walk-off homer for Trumbo, who led the majors with 47 home runs in 2016. This was the ninth extra-inning Orioles opening day game, and the first...
Continue reading

O's game blog: Kevin Gausman on mound in season opener

O's game blog: Kevin Gausman on mound in season opener
The Orioles begin their 64th season this afternoon when they play the Toronto Blue Jays to begin a two-game series and a five-game homestand. The Orioles and Blue Jays tied for second in the American League East last year, going 89-73. They were four games behind division-winning Boston. Toronto beat the Orioles in the AL wild card game and advanced to the American League Championship Series for the second straight year. With Chris Tillman on the disabled list, right-hander Kevin Gausman (9-12,...
Continue reading

O's 'pen should certainly be good again

O's 'pen should certainly be good again
We don't know how much we will see them today but the Orioles bullpen pitchers figure to be a teams strength again this year. The O's 'pen led the American League with a 3.40 ERA in 2016. Beyond the talent in their bullpen, the team also enjoys strong roster flexibility. The Orioles have a host of pitchers who can be optioned back and forth between the majors and minors and no doubt the shuttle between Baltimore, Triple-A Norfolk and Double-A Bowie will be active. Having so many optionable...
Continue reading