The homestand isn't off to a promising start.
The Orioles are losing, 3-0, to the Blue Jays in the fourth inning. Two of the runs off Zach Britton are unearned after third baseman Mark Reynolds committed his 11th error, but Britton has allowed four hits, issued an intentional walk and thrown a wild pitch.
Britton hadn't allowed an earned run in two straight starts covering 16 innings before surrendering nine runs and 19 hits in his last two outings covering 11 1/3 innings. He's having...
Here's the Orioles' lineup for today's game against the Blue Jays:
LF Felix Pie
CF Adam Jones
RF Nick Markakis
DH Vladimir Guerrero
C Matt Wieters
SS J.J. Hardy
1B Luke Scott
3B Mark Reynolds
2B Robert Andino
P Zach Britton
Orioles first baseman Derrek Lee will begin his injury rehab assignment tonight at Double-A Bowie.
Lee was supposed to report to the Baysox last night, but took some time to attend to his family after his grandfather passed away.
Lee has been on the disabled list since May 17 with a strained left oblique.
The veteran first baseman is hitting .231 with four home runs and 14 RBIs in 40 games this season.
The Orioles are back home tonight to begin a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays, and left-hander Zach Britton will make his 12th major league start.
Remember when Britton was supposed to spend at least 20 days in the minors?
Britton has allowed three runs or fewer in nine of his 11 starts, but he gave up a career-high six runs and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings in his most recent outing in Oakland.
He might want to pitch around a former Oriole.
Jose Bautista was named the American...
The amateur baseball draft - and we're required here at MASNsports.com to refer to it strictly as the First-Year Player Draft because it's that important - will begin on Monday. The Orioles will make their selections in Sarasota instead of Baltimore. I guess they were seeking a cooler climate.
Our own Steve Melewski has been doing the heavy lifting in the days leading up to the draft, but since everyone else is chiming in, I'll take a few seconds to do the same.
It's either that or try...
No game today. No position changes, no roster moves - well, I'm going out on a limb here by predicting that the roster stays the same - and no lineup shuffling.
I'll revel in the calm and wait for the next storm.
I had planned on driving to Double-A Bowie tonight for Derrek Lee's first injury rehab game, but manager Buck Showalter told reporters yesterday that Lee's grandfather passed away. The first baseman's assignment will be delayed for a few days.
So far, 2011 has been an...
Chris Tillman is making his first start tonight for Triple-A Norfolk, opposing former Orioles pitcher Kevin Millwood, who signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox and was assigned to Pawtucket.
Millwood lasted only 2 2/3 innings, allowing four runs and five hits, walking two, striking out three and hitting a batter. He threw 61 pitches, 36 for strikes.
Josh Bell was 2-for-2 with a double and two RBIs. Rhyne Hughes and Brendan Harris also drove in runs.
Tillman had a 4-0 lead going into...
I thought the Orioles would push Brian Matusz a little farther today after he threw 83 pitches in his final injury rehab start at Triple-A Norfolk.
Matusz was removed today after 84 pitches, including 52 strikes. He held the Mariners to one run and four hits, with no walks and three strikeouts.
Matusz would have completed six innings, except first baseman Nick Markakis - it still feels weird typing that position for him - couldn't pull down third baseman Mark Reynolds' high throw with two...
Brian Matusz doesn't necessarily have his best stuff today. He's hung a few changeups, including one that Jack Wilson ripped into center field for an RBI single. His fastball looks like it's topping out at 88 mph.
But Matusz is a pitcher. He's not just a thrower. And he's held the Mariners to that one run over three innings.
Matusz, in his first start this season, has allowed four hits, walked none and struck out two. He's thrown 44 pitches, including 28 for strikes.
The Orioles might...
Nick Markakis flied to center field in his first professional at-bat as a first baseman.
Matt Wieters struck out in his first at-bat this season as the cleanup hitter.
That's it, trash the experiments immediately.
Oh wait, Markakis just scooped out a throw in the dirt to complete a double play. Keep him there.
Wieters is hitting fourth in his fourth major league game. He's 1-for-13 with a walk and 2 RBIs.
Major League Baseball released its All-Star voting for the American League, and...
You want a different lineup? How about Nick Markakis making his first professional start at first base, Felix Pie playing right field, Luke Scott serving as the designated hitter and Matt Wieters batting cleanup?
For the Orioles:
Felix Pie RF
Adam Jones CF
Nick Markakis 1B
Matt Wieters C
Luke Scott DH
J.J. Hardy SS
Nolan Reimold LF
Mark Reynolds 3B
Robert Andino 2B
Brian Matusz LHP
Update: Vladimir Guerrero is getting a day off. His exclusion from the lineup isn't related to an...
Rather than send down a reliever to make room on the 25-man roster for left-hander Brian Matusz, the Orioles have designated utility infielder Jake Fox for assignment.
The Orioles would like Fox to clear waivers so he can be outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk.
"I don't know how likely that is, but that's our preference," said president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail.
Otherwise, MacPhail will attempt to trade Fox and get something in return.
First baseman Derrek Lee is close to going...
Jeremy Guthrie took a three-hit shutout into the eighth inning, retired the first two batters, committed an error, gave up a single and hung a changeup.
This is how losing streaks continue and why fans curse their decision to stay awake.
Justin Smoak hit a towering three-run homer off Guthrie to give Seattle a 3-2 lead.
Koji Uehara grabbed his glove after Brendan Ryan's single into right field, but he barely had time to step on the bullpen mound before Smoak destroyed the Orioles, 2-0...
In case you're having trouble keeping track of all the starting times on this road trip, today's game in Seattle begins at 3:40 p.m. on the East Coast.
Welcome back, Brian Matusz.
I've written this before, but I can't believe it's been two months since Matusz was supposed to make his 2011 debut at Tropicana Field. It was April 2, to be exact, and Matusz was inconsolable after being scratched from his start, sent for an MRI and placed on the disabled list.
A wart, a line drive off his...
Former Oriole Erik Bedard has struck out five batters over three scoreless innings tonight. He's thrown 32 strikes among his 44 pitches, and the only hit off him is Nick Markakis' single with two outs in the first.
Bedard was 3-0 with a 1.09 ERA in his last five starts before tonight. He's thrown 18 consecutive scoreless innings, including the three tonight.
I guess he's healthy again.
If Jeremy Guthrie thought this would be the night that he'd get a generous amount of run support,...
Adam Jones has returned to the lineup tonight after being restricted to pinch-running duty yesterday because of a sore right shoulder. He'll face former Orioles left-hander Erik Bedard. They crossed paths in a certain trade back in February 2008.
For the Orioles:
Robert Andino 2B
Adam Jones CF
Nick Markakis RF
Vladimir Guerrero DH
Matt Wieters C
Mark Reynolds 3B
Luke Scott 1B
Nolan Reimold LF
J.J. Hardy SS
Jeremy Guthrie RHP
The Orioles have collected just three extra-base hits - two doubles and a home run - over 36 innings in the four games of this current road trip.
In those four games, the Orioles have drawn 16 walks, but only two of those runners have scored.
Mark Reynolds' home run yesterday was the first for the Orioles in 38 2/3 innings since the second inning of a May 26 game.
Four of the Orioles' regulars have combined for nine doubles and no homers in their last 245 at-bats. Matt Wieters has three...
While wondering if former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel's next contract will include a vesting option ...
And while wondering if anyone got that joke ...
If I'm Jake Fox, I'm wondering where I fit on this team.
Fox didn't pinch-hit yesterday despite having a few opportunities. I explained in one entry why he isn't an automatic choice with a left-hander on the mound, considering that he's 3-for-28 against them this season and is a career .206 hitter against them. But playing...
Alfredo Simon kept today's game at Safeco Field from spinning out of control. If the Orioles brought their bats, he might be in line to get the win.
Simon struck out the first two batters he faced to leave the bases loaded in the third inning and keep Jake Arrieta's line from growing uglier. He gave manager Buck Showalter 3 1/2 scoreless innings, allowing only two hits, walking one and striking out four.
Just what the doctor ordered. And the manager.
Simon threw 55 pitches over two...
While wondering why Major League Baseball insists that teams celebrate Memorial Day by wearing ugly caps...
Matt Wieters commits his first error and Jack Cust triples.
So it's going to be that kind of a day?
Jake Arrieta threw 24 pitches in the first inning while surrendering two runs to the Mariners and putting the Orioles in an early hole.
Arrieta receives a lot of run support. He'll need at least three today.
Arrieta gave up two hits, including Cust's first three-bagger, and...