O's game blog: Pitching strong during series at Fenway Park

O's game blog: Pitching strong during series at Fenway Park
In the Red Sox's series against the Washington Nationals last week, they scored 22 runs in taking two of three games. The Red Sox have scored seven runs in losing two of the first three against the Orioles. After the O's bullpen was scored upon in each of the season's first 10 games, creating some concern, the club's relievers have pitched scoreless ball in back-to-back games. That is 7 2/3 innings with no runs and two hits given up the past two games at Fenway Park. The relievers gave up...
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With fewer strikeouts and more line drives, Adam Jones off to a sizzling start

With fewer strikeouts and more line drives, Adam Jones off to a sizzling start
We sure don't have enough at-bats or a large enough sample size to fully analyze why Adam Jones is off to such a blistering start at the plate. But looking at some of his plate discipline stats from FanGraphs, there are a few trends developing through 12 games for Jones. So far, he is striking out much less, swinging a bit less at pitches outside the strike zone, hitting a higher percentage of line drives and not missing hittable strikes. Jones struck out in 19.5 percent of his plate...
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Adam Jones ties career high with five RBIs as O's win 8-3 at Fenway Park

Adam Jones ties career high with five RBIs as O's win 8-3 at Fenway Park
For the Orioles, it was another good day at Fenway Park. For outfielder Adam Jones, it was another good day at the plate. Jones had four hits, including a homer, and drove in five runs to tie his career high as the Orioles beat Boston 8-3 for their seventh win in their last eight games at Fenway. The Orioles and Red Sox are both now 7-5 and tied for first in the American League East. With the game tied 3-3 in the fifth, the Orioles scored twice to go ahead by two runs. Jimmy Paredes and Jones...
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O's game blog: The Orioles are 6-1 in last seven games at Fenway Park

O's game blog: The Orioles are 6-1 in last seven games at Fenway Park
The Orioles picked up another win at Fenway Park on Saturday. Today they look to gain a 2-1 edge in this four-game series that ends Monday. The Orioles are 6-1 in their last seven games at Fenway dating to last year and have outscored Boston 38-21 in those games. The Orioles are 23-11 at Boston since July 19, 2011. Maybe they just love the green. They continue to show they are resilient. Blow a game against New York by allowing a pinch-hit grand slam and come back to win the next two in the...
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Dylan Bundy makes progress with his secondary pitches and the O's bounce back

Dylan Bundy makes progress with his secondary pitches and the O's bounce back
Granted, when judging Dylan Bundy so far this season, we're just going by a stat sheet of just six innings over two outings. However, as he continues to make his way back from his June 2013 Tommy John surgery, O's top pitching prospect Bundy said he made progress last night. He gave up two runs over three innings Friday night against Erie. In his first start against Harrisburg, he pitched three scoreless innings. This time progress came with his secondary pitches. "Command and offspeed...
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Dylan Bundy gives up two runs over three innings for Bowie (updated)

Dylan Bundy gives up two runs over three innings for Bowie (updated)
BOWIE, Md. - Dylan Bundy showed similar velocity to his first start and a curveball that looked good at times Saturday, but the middle of the Erie Seawolves' order got to him in the top of the third inning. The right-hander threw three innings at Prince George's Stadium in his second 2015 start, his first at home, for the Double-A Bowie Baysox. After keeping Erie off the board in the first and second, he gave up two runs in the third. Bundy allowed four hits and the two runs with one walk and...
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Pregame notes from Bowie on Hardy, Hobgood and Bundy

Pregame notes from Bowie on Hardy, Hobgood and Bundy
BOWIE, Md. - Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy, on the disabled list with a left shoulder strain, has worked out at Prince George's Stadium the last two days, taking part in drills early in the day even before the Double-A Bowie Baysox took batting practice. "It's going great," Bowie manager Gary Kendall said. "Yesterday he took his groundballs, going through different plays and different moves to the ball. Today, he threw a bit more and turned some double plays. He feels pretty good. "He hit...
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O's game blog: It's Tillman time in second game of series

O's game blog: It's Tillman time in second game of series
Coming off a start in which he allowed seven runs in the Orioles' loss to Toronto, Chris Tillman will try to get the Orioles even in Game 2 of four-game series at Boston. Tillman (1-1, 7.71 ERA) will pitch against Red Sox right-hander Clay Buchholz (1-1, 7.84 ERA) at Fenway Park. After giving up just one run over 6 2/3 innings on opening day, Tillman allowed seven runs over just 2 2/3 innings Sunday against Toronto. Those seven runs were one off his career-high of eight, allowed three times...
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On frustrating night, more than ejection led to tough loss

On frustrating night, more than ejection led to tough loss
It was a tough and frustrating night for the Orioles and their fans. But in the end, the O's also contributed to their own demise last night. Orioles pitchers walked seven, including the eventual winning run when Brian Matusz issued a four-pitch free pass to start the bottom of the ninth. The Orioles went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position, including Chris Davis hitting into a double play with two on in the fourth and Manny Machado chasing a third strike with two on in the sixth. The...
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Tough night: Jimenez ejected and O's lose 3-2 at Boston in ninth

Tough night: Jimenez ejected and O's lose 3-2 at Boston in ninth
The first night of a seven-game road trip turned into nothing but frustration for the Orioles. Their starting pitcher was ejected. They were held to two runs. They had just one hit after the fifth inning. They lost in walk-off fashion. Xander Bogaerts' bloop RBI single to right off Tommy Hunter with one out in the ninth gave Boston a 3-2 win over the Orioles in the opener of a four-game series. Brian Matusz took the mound for the ninth with the game tied 2-2, and walked leadoff batter Mike...
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O's game blog: Ubaldo Jimenez on the mound in road trip opener

O's game blog: Ubaldo Jimenez on the mound in road trip opener
Ubaldo Jimenez, who has a very poor career record against the Boston Red Sox, will try to turn that around tonight when the Orioles open a four-game series at Fenway Park. Jimenez (1-0, 0.00 ERA) pitches against Red Sox right-hander Joe Kelly (1-0, 1.29 ERA) in the series opener. In three starts against the Red Sox in 2014, Jimenez went 0-1 with a 6.10 ERA. Over 15 innings, he walked 12 and gave up four homers. In seven career starts, Jimenez is 1-3 with a 9.37 ERA versus the Red Sox with 23...
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Five years ago today, Ubaldo Jimenez pitched a no-hitter, plus Adam Jones notes

Five years ago today, Ubaldo Jimenez pitched a no-hitter, plus Adam Jones notes
It was five years ago today. A flame-throwing 26-year-old right-hander, Ubaldo Jimenez, who pitches tonight for the Orioles at Boston, threw a no-hitter for the Colorado Rockies against the Atlanta Braves. Jimenez threw 128 pitches, his fastball touched 98 mph and he walked six batters. He struggled with command pitching out of the windup so much that he switched to the stretch position to end the game. But he got Martin Prado, Chipper Jones and Brian McCann to end the game. "That was...
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A look at the Orioles through nine games with notes on Brach, Joseph and Schoop

A look at the Orioles through nine games with notes on Brach, Joseph and Schoop
So far, the Orioles offense is ahead of their pitching. Going into last night's games, the Orioles ranked fourth in the American League in batting at .270, were sixth in runs scored with 47 and first in homers with 15. The Orioles have scored five runs or more in seven of their first nine games and they scored 35 runs during their 3-3 homestand, batting .309 with 63 hits, including 11 homers at Camden Yards. But the bullpen has been scored upon in every game this year and that nine-game streak...
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Clubhouse quotes from Chris Davis, Bud Norris and Brad Brach after win over Yankees

Clubhouse quotes from Chris Davis, Bud Norris and Brad Brach after win over Yankees
Chris Davis began tonight 1-for-12 with eight strikeouts over his last three games. But tonight, while he did strike out three more times, he added an RBI single and two-run double in the Orioles' 7-5 win over the Yankees. "It's the ninth game of the year. Still early, still trying to feel some things out," Davis said. "Better at-bats tonight. Saw the ball a lot better. Swung at pitches in the strike zone, that usually helps. It'd be nice to get off to an Adam Jones start every year, but...
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O's use five-run sixth to get lead, beat Yankees 7-5

O's use five-run sixth to get lead, beat Yankees 7-5
During a homestand where the Orioles offense has been quite productive, tonight that offense produced a five-run inning for a come-from-behind win. Trailing 3-1 in the fourth and 3-2 in the sixth, the Orioles put up a five-run inning to beat the Yankees 7-5 and take the series, two wins to one. The Orioles bounced back from Monday's tough loss to take the final two games of this series. The Orioles are 5-4 on the year and 9-3 against New York at Camden Yards since the start of last...
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O's game blog: Bud Norris on mound in series finale against New York

O's game blog: Bud Norris on mound in series finale against New York
The Orioles have gotten solid starting pitching this series against the New York Yankees, and after a shaky first start, right-hander Bud Norris looks to keep that going tonight. Wei-Yin Chen and Miguel Gonzalez have combined to pitch 13 innings against the Yankees, allowing eight hits and three runs with two walks and 14 strikeouts. Over their last four games, O's starters have pitched to an ERA of 2.38 with three quality starts. Tonight, Norris (0-1, 24.00 ERA) pitches against 25-year-old...
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Adam Jones and Buck Showalter talk about Jackie Robinson Day

Adam Jones and Buck Showalter talk about Jackie Robinson Day
It is Jackie Robinson day throughout Major League Baseball. Today marks the 68th anniversary of Robinson's first big league game with the Brooklyn Dodgers, when he became the first African American to play in the majors. All players on all teams will wear No. 42 in today's games. "It is awesome," Orioles center fielder Adam Jones said. "It is bringing unity to the game. This game has extreme reaches due to some bravery by Jackie." Is it important that baseball honor the anniversary once...
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Zach Britton on his four-out save, plus other Orioles notes

Zach Britton on his four-out save, plus other Orioles notes
It was a first for Orioles pitcher Zach Britton. His 39th career save was his first of more than three outs. This time, Britton got the last out of the eighth inning and all three in the ninth for his first career four-out save. Britton said he was ready for this challenge, and if the club needs him to do it again, he's up for it. "It is a little different, but that is why me, Dom (Chiti), Dave (Wallace) and Buck (Showalter) talked about going two innings in spring training," Britton said....
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Clubhouse quotes from Gonzalez, Jones, Britton and Joseph after win over Yanks

Clubhouse quotes from Gonzalez, Jones, Britton and Joseph after win over Yanks
In need of a win and also hopeful of getting a good pitching performance, the Orioles got both tonight. Miguel Gonzalez struck out a career-high 10 batters, giving up just one run and four hits over seven innings in the Orioles' 4-3 win over the Yankees. "I think everything started in the first inning," Gonzalez said. "Minimizing the damage and throwing all my pitches for strikes. Keeping them off balance throwing in. And Caleb (Joseph) did a really good job back there. Really good ballgame...
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Miguel Gonzalez pitches a gem, Adam Jones drives in two in win over Yankees

Miguel Gonzalez pitches a gem, Adam Jones drives in two in win over Yankees
For a team that had allowed 28 runs in its last three losses, this pitching performance was needed tonight. Miguel Gonzalez threw a gem against the New York Yankees, striking out a career-high 10 batters and pitching the Orioles to a 4-3 win to even this series at a victory apiece. Gonzalez went seven innings, allowing just four hits and one run with one walk to go with the 10 strikeouts. His previous career-high in strikeouts was nine, accomplished three times before - most recently on June...
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