The 2012 Orioles: The team that ended 14 years of futility

The 2012 Orioles: The team that ended 14 years of futility
I think all Orioles fans that have suffered through 14 losing seasons should take a minute or two at least to savor today's win. It seemed almost as if it took 14 years, but the Orioles now officially will not have a losing record in 2012. They'll have one much better than last year, the year before that and that and so on. The sweep of Tampa was big for so many reasons, but for a key one, the O's have distanced themselves now by four games from the Rays, and it would have been just two...
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Some notes on the Orioles' pitching and offense (updated)

Some notes on the Orioles' pitching and offense (updated)
After the Orioles' pitching staff gave up 31 runs in the four games of the Yankees series, the Birds staff has allowed just four in two games against Tampa Bay. In fact, the Orioles are 5-1 in their last six games against the Rays, allowing just eight total runs in those six games. The starters had gone six consecutive games without a quality start, pitching to an ERA of 6.67 in that time, until Miguel Gonzalez delivered one last night, allowing just two runs over six innings. When the...
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Manny Machado talks about his defense at third base

Manny Machado talks about his defense at third base
Manny Machado's defense at third base has been very solid since he got to Baltimore on Aug. 9. He has certainly surprised some people with a flawless move over the diamond from short. But has he surprised himself with how well he has done there? "I wouldn't say I'm surprised, but you know I'm athletic, and I'm a shortstop. It's a tough adjustment, but I think I've been doing it pretty well," Machado said before yesterday's game with Tampa Bay. "Whenever I have time, I go out there...
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McLouth: "It's almost like a college football crowd"

McLouth: "It's almost like a college football crowd"
This must be pretty exciting for Nate McLouth. Batting .140 and let go by the Pittsburgh Pirates in late May, now he's batting .279 and leading off for the Orioles and tonight getting mobbed by his teammates after a walk-off hit in the bottom of the ninth provided a 3-2 win over Tampa Bay. "This is neat," McLouth said. "Almost daily you can kind of sense and feel the excitement growing. The crowds, it's almost like a college football crowd to to be honest with you. It's been neat to...
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Machado and Hardy talk about the defensive play in the top of the ninth

Machado and Hardy talk about the defensive play in the top of the ninth
Make a great defensive play in the top of the ninth. Single and score the winning run in the bottom of the ninth. Just another night for Manny Machado, who at this time last year was leading Frederick to a Carolina League championship. Machado had just about everyone in the Yard marveling at his play that got the last out of the Tampa ninth. He charged in to field a slow roller off Evan Longoria's bat and then made a fake throw to first, spun around and threw back to third. Rich Thompson had...
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Walk off win: McLouth's hit ends it as O's top Tampa 3-2

Walk off win: McLouth's hit ends it as O's top Tampa 3-2
On a night when the two teams struggled often to get a clutch hit, the Orioles got two big ones in the last of the ninth to beat Tampa Bay 3-2 in front of 26,076 at Camden Yards. Manny Machado led off the inning with a single to left off Kyle Farnsworth and moved to second on Robert Andino's sac bunt. Then Nate McLouth ripped a single off the right-field wall down the line to give the Orioles a walk-off win and put them three games ahead of the Rays. Jim Johnson pitched the top of the ninth...
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Showalter talks about Miguel Gonzalez

Showalter talks about Miguel Gonzalez
He is starting on the mound for the Orioles tonight and he might be the biggest surprise on the team this year. Right-hander Miguel Gonzalez is 6-4 with a 3.62 ERA, one year after he pitched a total of 56 2/3 innings in the Red Sox system, mostly at Double-A, going 0-7 with a 5.40 ERA. Now he is pitching big games for the Orioles in a pennant race. The Orioles found him pitching in Mexico over the winter and signed him as a minor league free agent on February 28, after spring training had...
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Markakis and Hammel provide injury updates

Markakis and Hammel provide injury updates
One day after leaving the game in the fourth inning with a right knee injury, Orioles pitcher Jason Hammel is still waiting to get an MRI and that won't happen until tomorrow. His mood is not any beter about the situation, he said. "Not really, I'm frusrated. That is all I can be right now until something positive shows up. It's just frustrating. "It is a good thing that there isn't a lot of swelling, but that just raises more questions for me about what is going on," Hammel...
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The resilient O's do it again, plus other notes

The resilient O's do it again, plus other notes
If there is one thing we should have learned about the 2012 Orioles, probably long before now, is they are amazingly resilient and can bounce back time and time again. They took another hit last night when Jason Hammel limped off the mound injured, just two games after Nick Markakis headed off the field injured. But that didn't keep the Orioles from winning 9-2 over Tampa Bay to start a big three-game series. Six pitchers combined for a five-hitter as the O's, at least last night, overcame...
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Hardy, S. Johnson talk after win over Rays gives O's share of first place

Hardy, S. Johnson talk after win over Rays gives O's share of first place
It was a night where J.J. Hardy let his bat do the talking. The Orioles shortstop, usually reserved in interviews, had few words to say after his two-homer, five-RBI night led the Orioles past Tampa Bay 9-2 for a share of first place in the American League East. "I don't know, I can't explain it," Hardy said. "I got a couple of pitches to hit and didn't miss them. He's a tough pitcher (Matt Moore) and it was nice to see him get out of there early. "Steve Johnson for one came in and...
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Jason Hammel talks about his knee injury

Jason Hammel talks about his knee injury
Orioles pitcher Jason Hammel said he felt great and thought he was back on track tonight in his second start since coming off the disabled list. Then he felt something in his right knee again, on the second pitch he threw to Evan Longoria with two outs in the top of the fourth. He went on to walk him and shortly after that, Hammel left the game, injured again. Again, the right knee. The one he had arthroscopic surgery on in July. "It felt exactly the same as it did in the game against...
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Hardy drives in five, O's rout Rays 9-2 to tie for first place

Hardy drives in five, O's rout Rays 9-2 to tie for first place
It wasn't exactly the way the Orioles drew it up, as their starter left the game in the fourth, but they used six pitchers and a huge game at the plate by J.J. Hardy to beat Tampa Bay 9-2 in Game 1 of a big three-game series at Camden Yards. Pending the outcome of the Yankees-Red Sox game in Boston, the Orioles trail the first-place Bronx Bombers by a half-game. Instant update: The Red Sox walked off with a 4-3 win over the Yankees, meaning the O's and Yankees are tied for first place in...
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A few mid-game notes

A few mid-game notes
Some O's and Rays notes as this game moves to the fifth inning with the Orioles leading Tampa Bay 3-1. Steve Johnson came on to pitch in the top of the fourth tonight when Jason Hammel left with a right knee injury. Johnson is 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA over seven big league games, including two starts, this year. In 21 innings, he has allowed just 14 hits with six walks with 27 strikeouts and a batting average against of only .192. Impressive, as he has done that amid irregular work. He has...
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Wieters on Hammel, Moore and the Tampa series

Wieters on Hammel, Moore and the Tampa series
Could this series between the Orioles and Tampa Bay be low-scoring? It certainly was the last time these teams played when there were three straight shutouts. Tampa Bay won the series opener 2-0 on Aug. 3 and then the O's posted 4-0 and 1-0 wins. Over three games, the Orioles outscored the Rays 5-2. The Rays' pitching staff leads the majors in ERA (3.22) and opponent average (.230) and leads the American League in strikeouts (1,170). Only one pitching staff in the last 25 years has led the...
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After roster move-filled season, Norfolk skipper Ron Johnson joins O's

After roster move-filled season, Norfolk skipper Ron Johnson joins O's
It is not only players that come up from the minor leagues in September. Teams add some coaches, as well, and today Ron Johnson, the manager at Triple-A Norfolk, and Tides pitching coach Mike Griffin joined the Orioles. Manager Buck Showalter thought so much of their work this year that he had that duo join him at the podium for his pregame press conference today. Showalter has said several times how much he appreciated the job Johnson and his staff did this year as Norfolk went 74-70,...
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LJ Hoes talks about joining the Orioles

LJ Hoes talks about joining the Orioles
It must have seemed like a pretty quiet afternoon for LJ Hoes. He was watching television a little after noon when he got the phone call telling him to come to Baltimore to join the Orioles and play in the big leagues for the first time. "I was sitting at home watching a movie, 'Mr. Baseball,' so they called and said we need you here by 2:15. So now I'm here," the 22-year-old Hoes said. "They told me after the season to work out and stay in shape. Just want to help this team any way I...
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Orioles vs. Rays: Taking a look at the season series so far

Orioles vs. Rays: Taking a look at the season series so far
After a day of rest, the Orioles begin a huge three-game series tonight against the Tampa Bay Rays at Camden Yards. The Orioles open this series one game ahead of Tampa Bay in the AL East and also for a wild card berth. Both teams are playing well. Tampa Bay has won six of its last eight and is 21-11 over its past 32 games. The Orioles have won 11 of 16 and are 23-11 over their last 34 games. Since the All-Star break, the Orioles are 33-22 while the Rays are 32-22. Against the AL East, the...
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Some fans have missed the mark on Sabathia-Markakis

Some fans have missed the mark on Sabathia-Markakis
When it comes to Orioles vs. Yankees, emotions run high. But no matter how upset some Orioles fans are over Nick Markakis getting hit Saturday night by CC Sabathia, you are not going to convince me that Sabathia did that on purpose. Believe me if I thought that, I'd be among the first to express anger about it. Some fans are still expressing the opinion today that the Orioles should have retaliated yesterday. For what? There was no reason to throw at any Yankees in Sunday's game (although...
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Stretch run arrives with Orioles so close to making playoffs

Stretch run arrives with Orioles so close to making playoffs
The stretch drive has arrived in Major League Baseball. Now there are just 22 games left for the Orioles in the 2012 regular season. Once again, we can say that if the season ended today, the Orioles would be in the playoffs as they would claim the second wild card berth and would meet Oakland in a one-game playoff for the right to advance to a series against Texas. After Sunday's loss, the Orioles are just one game out of first place in the American League East at 78-62, but they are also...
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Postgame comments from Britton, Davis and Jones

Postgame comments from Britton, Davis and Jones
Zach Britton struggled with his command today, especially in that fourth inning where he walked three and the Yankees scored four times. But he said the ground ball that hit him in the face at the end of the third inning, was not a problem for him an inning later. "It didn't really hurt," he said. "It hit my eye and moved my contact around but it didn't do anything and really didn't have an effect on anything today. Not at all." What did hurt Britton was New York's ability to lay off...
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