If the sting from Koji Uehara's blown save on Wednesday still hasn't subsided, you might want to consider making an appointment with a dermatologist. Also consider that the Orioles have won five of their last six games and nine of their last 13.
That's a pretty good stretch from the team with the worst record in the American League.
How much longer will the Orioles hold that distinction?
Their record currently stands at 54-87. The Seattle Mariners, a team that was championed over the...
Matt Wieters dropped a pop up that preceded Miguel Cabrera's two-run homer off Kevin Millwood in the sixth inning. Earlier in the game, he failed to block a pitch in the dirt, allowing the ball to roll away from him for a wild pitch.
Just as I was complaining about him to a friend via text message, he lifted a sacrifice fly to deep right field off Tigers reliever Phil Coke in the eighth inning to break a 3-3 tie.
It wasn't a bad pitch - down and away - but Wieters drove it to the warning...
Pretty sly move by manager Buck Showalter to put Jake Fox in tonight's lineup.
Showalter knew that Fox was 4-for-4 with a double, home run and three RBIs lifetime against Tigers starter Armando Galarraga. You can't keep that stuff a secret.
Didn't matter that it was right-hander vs. right-hander. Didn't matter that Fox has been glued to the bench.
Tonight was the right time to give Fox a start, and he just gave the Orioles a 3-1 lead with a two-run shot in the fifth inning.
Does anyone...
For the Orioles:
2B Brian Roberts
3B Ty Wigginton
RF Nick Markakis
DH Luke Scott
CA Matt Wieters
CF Adam Jones
LF Felix Pie
1B Jake Fox
SS Cesar Izturis
P Kevin Millwood
For the Tigers:
CF Austin Jackson
2B Will Rhymes
DH Johnny Damon
1B Miguel Cabrera
LF Ryan Raburn
RF Brennan Boesch
SS Jhonny Peralta
3B Brandon Inge
CA Alex Avila
P Armando Galarraga
Just to avoid any controversies later in the game, umpire Jim Joyce already has given the Orioles an infield hit tonight. Mark it down in your scorebooks.
Joyce actually will be working the plate tonight with Armando Galarraga on the mound in Detroit. It'll be another tearful reunion, with more reminders of Joyce's blown call on June 2 that denied Galarraga a perfect game.
My guess is the Orioles better come out swinging, because Galarraga will have a wide strike zone.
Galarraga is 0-2...
Brandon Snyder could make his debut in Detroit this weekend. It's a little easier to project a position player. The manager tends to dictate it more than the game - certainly while writing out the lineup in his office.
If you're staring at the ceiling each night wondering about left-hander Pedro Viola...well, that's pretty odd. I won't sugar-coat it. You need help.
Viola pitched in nine games with the Reds last season, so he's gotten the proverbial cup of coffee. He took his lumps with...
As you know, outfielder Lou Montanez cleared waivers earlier this week and was outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk. Because he'll be a minor league free agent, he's free to leave the organization and basically make this transaction nothing more than a paper move.
Judging from the following e-mail that I received from Montanez, I'd say he's already gone. Take a look:
"Again I'm standing at the edge watching the drawbridge close on another chapter of my life. A range of emotions flow through...
As you know, outfielder Lou Montanez cleared waivers earlier this week and was outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk. Because he'll be a minor league free agent, he's free to leave the organization and basically make this transaction nothing more than a paper move.
Judging from the following e-mail that I received from Montanez, I'd say he's already gone. Take a look:
"Again I'm standing at the edge watching the drawbridge close on another chapter of my life. A range of emotions flow through...
You might be tempted to run Jim Johnson back out to the mound in the bottom of the ninth. He's retired the last four batters he's faced and thrown 16 pitches in 1 1/3 innings. But that's not how manager Buck Showalter rolls these days.
Koji Uehara is warming in the bullpen. He'll take the ball as the Orioles try to take the final game of this series and break out the brooms.
Uehara has allowed four earned runs in his last 22 appearances covering 25 innings. The Orioles will gladly take...
My daughter just announced that she doesn't have school tomorrow and she doesn't know why.
I'll explain it to her later.
Brad Bergesen has held the Yankees to one run and three hits over six innings, and he continues to cling to a 2-1 lead. He's thrown 91 pitches, two of them resulting in fly balls to the warning track in the sixth.
You can exhale now. I wouldn't want your face turning blue.
Bergesen was 0-2 with a 10.38 ERA in two career starts against the Yankees, both in the Bronx,...
It took a while - an uncomfortable amount of time - but the Orioles finally broke through against Yankees right-hander Ivan Nova.
Adam Jones opened the fifth inning with an infield hit, took second on a wild pitch - Nova's first in the majors - and scored on Matt Wieters' two-run homer to left.
Orioles 2, Yankees 1.
Wieters went to the opposite field on a 3-0 pitch, his 11th homer of the season, after Nova carried a two-hit shutout into the fifth.
Wieters began the day 14-for-35 (.400)...
For the Orioles:
2B Brian Roberts
RF Nick Markakis
1B Ty Wigginton
DH Luke Scott
LF Felix Pie
CF Adam Jones
C Matt Wieters
SS Cesar Izturis
3B Josh Bell
RHP Brad Bergesen
For the Yankees:
LF Brett Gardner
SS Derek Jeter
DH Mark Teixeira
3B Alex Rodriguez
2B Robinson Cano
RF Nick Swisher
1B Lance Berkman
CF Curtis Granderson
C Francisco Cervelli
RHP Ivan Nova
The Orioles have clinched their first series win on 161st St. since Sept. 11-13, 2009. They've won three straight games against...
Former USC running back Reggie Bush will reportedly be stripped of his Heisman Trophy.
Bush says he was promised that any stripping would include one of the Kardashian sisters.
I want to begin my morning by wishing a very Happy Birthday to good friends and former colleagues Jeff Zrebiec and Peter Schmuck.
They were born on the same day, but I'm not sure if they're celebrating together. They usually take turns jumping out of the cake.
With Koji Uehara unavailable last night, I assured a...
The Orioles ran up CC Sabathia's pitch count tonight and watched him walk off the mound in the seventh inning.
Sabathia is gone after 6 1/3, with Nick Markakis' RBI single the final blow. Sabathia will win 20 games this season, but he won't reach that milestone tonight.
What a sweet piece of hitting by Markakis, who again slapped the ball to the left side and through the hole between short and third.
Sabathia allowed nine hits and exited with the Orioles ahead, 6-2. Five of the runs off...
Did that just happen?
The first five batters reached against Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia, as the Orioles bolted to a 3-0 lead. Four of them singled, including Adam Jones, who drove in two runs.
Third base coach Gary Allenson aggressively sent Nick Markakis, who looked like he would be an easy out. The ball arrived in plenty of time, but catcher Jorge Posada couldn't hold onto it.
Posada committed a passed ball earlier in the inning that allowed Brian Roberts to advance to second...
Lou Montanez cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk.
What's next for Montanez?
Minor league free agency.
It's not a real important transaction because Norfolk's season is over and Montanez is free to go. And you have to assume that he'll test the waters and try to hook on with another club, since he seems to be boxed out here.
Montanez had never been outrighted before, so he couldn't refuse the assignment. But it's just a technicality. I don't see him remaining in the...
The Orioles activated David Hernandez from the disabled list and recalled left-hander Troy Patton from Triple-A Norfolk and left-hander Pedro Viola from Double-A Bowie.
Maybe Patton will get a chance to pitch this time.
Hernandez will wear No. 29, Patton No. 40 and Viola No. 47.
For the Orioles:
Brian Roberts 2B
Felix Pie LF
Nick Markakis RF
Ty Wigginton 1B
Adam Jones CF
Nolan Reimold DH
Craig Tatum C
Robert Andino SS
Josh Bell 3B
Jake Arrieta RHP
For the Yankees:
Brett Gardner LF
Derek...
I don't know when Pedro Viola will pitch for the Orioles or how he'll fare, but he won't be making his major league debut.
Viola appeared in nine games with the Cincinnati Reds last year, allowing four runs and seven hits in seven innings, with three walks and five strikeouts. He surrendered two home runs, including the first for Colorado's Eric Young Jr.
You can read more about him right here. It's his bio, which must be accurate if it ran in Wikipedia.
The Orioles claimed Viola off...
You ask and I answer. And you ask again.
It's our little dance here at School of Roch, and it's the only cardio I get, so I'm not complaining. My responses often get lost in the comments section, so better to post them here.
"Why do the Orioles keep pitching Kevin Millwood when he isn't part of the future?"
They couldn't trade him and aren't willing to cut him loose unceremoniously. They're more likely to shut down a young starter or two that reaches his pitch limit while working...
Pedro Viola will join the Orioles in New York as an extra bullpen arm, further expanding their September roster.
Viola is on the 40-man roster, so no corresponding move is necessary.
Double-A Bowie's season ended today with a loss to Richmond. Viola was notified after the game that the Orioles had recalled him.
Viola went 0-2 with a 17.65 ERA, 10 walks and eight strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings at Triple-A Norfolk before moving down to Bowie. He was 3-4 with a 3.59 ERA, 19 walks and 64...
