The draft, Luke Scott and the minors

The draft, Luke Scott and the minors
It's a rarity in baseball, but the games tonight become almost secondary. The first round of the First-Year Player Draft begins at 7 p.m., which clashes with first-pitch in tonight's series opener between the Orioles and Athletics at Camden Yards. It's another night of "firsts." The first four picks are a moving target, as manager Buck Showalter likes to say. The Pirates are expected to take UCLA pitcher Gerrit Cole at No. 1. The Mariners will take Rice third baseman Anthony Rendon...
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Klein headed to DL

Klein headed to DL
Double-A Bowie reliever
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Showalter speaks after 7-4 loss

Showalter speaks after 7-4 loss
The Orioles fell to 7-13 in series finales, including 4-7 at home. Jeremy Guthrie failed to pitch into the sixth inning for the third time this season. "Jeremy wasn't carrying normal stuff and it was kind of a struggle for him most every inning," manager Buck Showalter said. "He was kind of wild in the strike zone and paid the price, but there's still a game there to be won. We had some opportunities. We're ball four away from getting the tying run to the plate there. Obviously, it was...
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Scott unavailable today (Machado update)

Scott unavailable today (Machado update)
I couldn't help but notice that Luke Scott didn't pinch-hit in the ninth inning against right-hander Jon Rauch. Felix Pie and Matt Wieters came off the bench, but Robert Andino was allowed to face Rauch with two outs and Wieters on second. Andino struck out looking to end the game on a pitch that missed the strike zone, and he screamed at plate Kerwin Danley on his way back to the dugout, stopping three times to vent. Turns out, Scott wasn't available today after receiving a cortisone...
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Simon pitching in relief, Jakubauskas starts Tuesday?

Simon pitching in relief, Jakubauskas starts Tuesday?
Jeremy Guthrie is done after five disappointing innings. He hadn't allowed an earned run in two of his last three starts, but the Jays totaled six runs and nine hits. Guthrie walked three, struck out three and served up two home runs. He threw 87 pitches, 56 for strikes. Alfredo Simon has replaced Guthrie, which most likely means that Chris Jakubauskas will start Tuesday night against the Oakland Athletics at Camden Yards. Manager Buck Showalter said he'd wait until after the game to...
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Guthrie singing different tune (and trailing 5-2)

Guthrie singing different tune (and trailing 5-2)
Comedian Jay Mohr tweeted that Jeremy Guthrie needed to use Van Halen's "Unchained" as his entrance music and the right-hander would win his next three starts. Guthrie warmed up to the song today and got two quick outs in the first inning. Unfortunately, the next three batters reached, with Aaron Hill's single giving Toronto a 1-0 lead. Guthrie threw 22 pitches in the inning, the vast majority coming after he retired Yunel Escobar and Corey Patterson on fly balls to center field. Jones...
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Tuesday's starter still TBA (and Jays lineup)

Tuesday's starter still TBA (and Jays lineup)
The Orioles haven't announced a starter for Tuesday night's game against the Oakland Athletics at Camden Yards, but the name might be revealed later this afternoon. Alfredo Simon and Chris Jakubauskas are the two bullpen candidates. I'm predicting that Simon gets the assignment, but nothing is official and I've been wrong many times in the past. I'm sure at least one of you is keeping a list. "We'll take it through today and make a call after today. We'll be able to tell you after the...
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Orioles lineup

Orioles lineup
For the Orioles: Robert Andino 2B Nick Markakis RF Adam Jones CF Vladimir Guerrero DH Derrick Lee 1B J.J. Hardy SS Mark Reynolds 3B Nolan Reimold LF Craig Tatum C Jeremy Guthrie RHP
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Showalter speaks after 5-3 win

Showalter speaks after 5-3 win
Tonight's attendance: 20,086 It never fails. The Orioles are victorious after a tough loss or a stretch of bad outings, and manager Buck Showalter is asked whether it was an important game. The Orioles followed last night's 8-4 loss to the Blue Jays by rallying for a 5-3 win tonight. "I got the same question last game in Seattle, and they're very pertinent questions," Showalter said. "Season over if you lose? Is the season going to be a success if you win? You can't dwell too much,...
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More on Reynolds' slam

More on Reynolds' slam
Before tonight, Mark Reynolds was 6-for-52 with 26 strikeouts lifetime with the bases loaded. Make it 7-for-53 with 26 strikeouts. And one home run. Reynolds received a huge ovation as he circled the bases and disappeared into the dugout. It doesn't happen often around here. He's hitting .190, and he struck out for the 57th time this season, but none of that matters at the moment. Jim Johnson needed six pitches to get through the seventh after replacing starter Jake Arrieta, but manager...
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Berken extended to 84 pitches; Reynolds' slam gives O's 5-3 lead

Berken extended to 84 pitches; Reynolds' slam gives O's 5-3 lead
The Orioles wanted to stretch out Jason Berken at Triple-A Norfolk to make him a more effective long reliever and give them the option of starting him if the need arises later this summer. Berken threw 84 pitches over 5 2/3 innings tonight, so the plan with Berken most definitely has not changed. Berken allowed two runs and five hits, with one walk and five strikeouts, and he left with Norfolk trailing Rochester, 2-1. The 5 2/3 innings matches Berken's total in his first two starts with the...
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A few firsts (updated)

A few firsts (updated)
Jake Arrieta threw 11 of his 15 pitches for strikes in the first inning. Unfortunately, one of them landed on the flag court. Former Oriole Corey Patterson homered in his first career at-bat against Arrieta, giving Toronto a quick 1-0 lead. Arrieta is coming off the shortest outing of his career, when he lasted only 2 1/3 innings in a 4-3 loss in Seattle. He allowed four runs and four hits, with four walks and three strikeouts, and threw 68 pitches before leaving the game. Eight of the 17...
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Showalter on Adams

Showalter on Adams
Robert Andino is making another start at second base, which keeps Ryan Adams glued to the bench Adams has made three starts since the Orioles purchased his contract, and he's 2-for-12 after batting .303 with Triple-A Norfolk. Andino is the leadoff hitter when Felix Pie isn't in the lineup, and Showalter is going with the better defensive player at second. Showalter is hoping that Adams is learning a thing or two from the dugout. "As much as you tell him, it's kind of up to him just a...
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Updates on Roberts and Duchscherer (and Jays lineup)

Updates on Roberts and Duchscherer (and Jays lineup)
Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts will be reevaluated on Tuesday by Dr. Michael Collins, a Pittsburgh-based specialist in sports-related concussions. Roberts hasn't played since diving into first base during a May 16 game in Boston. Collins examined him for the first time on May 24 and recommended that Roberts be shut down for two weeks. Roberts had complained of dizziness and other symptoms that he related to motion sickness. Justin Duchscherer, who still hasn't pitched for the Orioles...
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Lee in Orioles lineup, batting fifth

Lee in Orioles lineup, batting fifth
First baseman Derrek Lee will be activated from the disabled list today, start at first base and bat fifth against Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Ricky Romero. Left-handed reliever Pedro Viola will be optioned to make room for Lee, who went 2-for-3 with a walk last night at Double-A Bowie. Viola pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings in his only appearance after being recalled from Bowie. Also, Adam Jones will bat third tonight. For the Orioles: Robert Andino 2B Nick Markakis RF Adam Jones CF...
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Not-so-great Scott

Not-so-great Scott
I'll be posting the lineup within the next 30 minutes, unless manager Buck Showalter is waiting for a health update on a specific player. It would seem to be an opportune time to sit Luke Scott, who's 2-for-21 and hasn't homered since May 3 in Kansas City. The Blue Jays are starting a left-hander, Ricky Romero, and Scott is 1-for-12 with three strikeouts lifetime against him. That one hit, however, is a home run. Jake Fox isn't here to serve as a right-handed hitting first baseman. Mark...
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Waiting on Lee

Waiting on Lee
Derrek Lee went 2-for-3 with a walk last night at Double-A Bowie, proving that you don't have to be a prototypical leadoff hitter to bat first. Manager Buck Showalter and president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail have discussed whether Lee is ready to come off the disabled list. We'll get confirmation later today. You can believe that Showalter wants him in tonight's lineup. Does Lee slip back into the third spot in the order once he's activated? That's the assumption. And does...
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Britton on Britton

Britton on Britton
Zach Britton met with reporters after tonight's 8-4 loss to the Blue Jays. As usual, he didn't make excuses or sugar-coat his outing. He offered another honest critique. Here are some of his comments: "I don't think I did a good job out there. Falling behind too many hitters. Watch on video and the hits I gave up were all balls out over the plate (and) up. That's what a good-hitting team does, they hit those pitches. The last two outings I haven't executed well and those are the...
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Showalter speaks after 8-4 loss

Showalter speaks after 8-4 loss
The Orioles and Blue Jays each had 10 hits tonight. That's pretty much where the similarity ended. "We had as many hits as they did. It certainly didn't feel like it," manager Buck Showalter said following tonight's 8-4 loss. "It took a while for us to get adjusted to what we knew he (Carlos Villanueva) was going to be doing. It was kind of frustrating early because he was doing exactly what we expected. We finally made the adjustment and got him out of there, but by then there was...
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More on Britton, Lee and Bergesen

More on Britton, Lee and Bergesen
In his last three starts, left-hander Zach Britton has allowed 14 earned runs (16 total) and 25 hits in 16 2/3 innings. He's also walked eight batters. OK, it isn't quite as easy as he made it look when he first came up. Britton didn't really make a bad pitch to catcher J.P. Arencibia, who golfed it into the left field seats for a grand slam. But the rookie wasn't sharp and he's no longer breezing through the early innings. Down on the farm, Derrek Lee is 2-for-3 as Double-A Bowie's...
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