Orioles manager Buck Showalter still hadn't posted his lineup before meeting with reporters at 1:30 p.m., but he told us that second baseman Brian Roberts hasn't been cleared to play today.
Roberts was examined yesterday by a team physician because of recurring headaches. He tried to work out on the field with head athletic trainer Richie Bancells earlier today, but the session didn't go well enough for him to play. He'll be re-evaluated tomorrow.
I'm heading back downstairs to check the...
Now that the instant gratification of yesterday's postponement has worn off, it's time to prepare for today's doubleheader.
I'll pass along the lineups for Game 1 at 1:05 p.m., when the clubhouse opens to the media. It seems like forever since I've walked inside Camden Yards, but I should be able to find it.
Also need to check on second baseman Brian Roberts, who's missed the last two games because of headaches. He was supposed to be examined yesterday in Baltimore.
I'd add headaches...
Orioles minor league shortstop Alfredo Zambrano, a member of the club's Dominican Summer League team, has been suspended for 50 games for testing positive for metabolites of Nandrolone.
Don't know much about them, but they're considered a performance-enhancing substance in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
The suspension begins at the start of next season.
Zambrano, 17, batted .140 in 18 games.
So much for performance enhancing.
Chris Tillman will make one more start this season, in Game 1 of tomorrow's doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers. Jeremy Guthrie will start Game 2, which is set to begin 20 minutes after the conclusion of the opener.
Left-hander Brian Matusz takes the ball on Saturday, and Brad Bergesen starts Sunday's season finale.
Jeremy Bonderman will start Game 1 for the Tigers tomorrow, followed by Rick Porcello.
I placed a lot of emphasis on Tillman's previous start, and he responded by reducing...
The Orioles just announced that tonight's game has been postponed due to the rain. A single-admission doubleheader is scheduled for tomorrow beginning at 4:35 p.m.
The second game will begin 20 minutes after the conclusion of the opener. Both games will be broadcast on MASN2.
Tickets for tonight's game may be exchanged for seats of equal value for tomorrow's doubleheader or either of the other two remaining home games this season. Fans may also hold their tickets until the 2011 tickets go...
The question doesn't actually come from Koji Uehara. It's about him.
Just like any other free agent, Koji Uehara could be offered arbitration after the season. The rules aren't different simply because he came here from Japan.
Do I think it will happen? Not at this point, but I once had serious doubts that he'd still be pitching in late September. I did, however suggest from the very beginning that he had the stuff and the past experience to be a closer. I just wondered if he'd stay...
It's Thursday, it's raining...enough already.
Way too soon to pass along postponement information, but I'd be shocked if we have a game tonight. I'd greatly appreciate final word coming before I drive to Camden Yards, but the chances of it happening are pretty slim. There might be a "window" somewhere later tonight.
I'd keep it shut so the rug doesn't get wet.
See what happens when you fill up Tropicana Field? The players freak out and they can't score.
The Orioles took two of...
Koji Uehara picked up his 11th save tonight to preserve a 2-0 victory over the Rays, striking out two more batters while retiring the side in order.
Since allowing Alex Rodriguez's three-run homer on Sept. 17, Uehara hasn't given up a hit, run or walk in five appearances covering five innings. He's struck out 11 batters, many of them with the splitter that he abandoned in that game against the Yankees.
Uehara has walked five and struck out 52 in 42 innings this season.
I'll say it again:...
Kevin Millwood made it through the first inning without allowing a run and decided to keep going.
Millwood has surrendered only one hit through five scoreless innings, walking one and striking out four. Matt Joyce reached on a two-out error on left fielder Corey Patterson, but Millwood fanned B.J. Upton.
What is it about pop ups and shallow fly balls that perplex the Orioles?
In his previous start, Millwood gave up six runs and seven hits over five innings at Fenway Park. A week later,...
"IT'S RAINING!"
"Thanks, Roch."
I know there's some curiosity over tomorrow's dreadful forecast and how it could impact the game against the Detroit Tigers that kicks off the final homestand of the season.
It's too early to provide any definitive answers, but after checking around earlier today, I've learned that the two teams would likely play a doubleheader on Friday. Tomorrow night's tilt, meaningless as far as the playoff picture is concerned, wouldn't simply disappear from...
Orioles reliever Alfredo Simon had his suspension reduced from three games to two, and he'll begin serving it tonight.
Simon appealed the original ruling from Bob Watson, MLB's vice president of rules and on-field operations, which stemmed from Sunday's incident in Toronto when Simon was ejected after hitting Jose Bautista with a pitch. Both benches had been warned after Bautista and Luke Scott were hit earlier in the game.
The Blue Jays accused Simon of intentionally throwing at Bautista,...
For the Orioles:
LF Corey Patterson
3B Ty Wigginton
DH Nick Markakis
1B Luke Scott
C Matt Wieters
CF Adam Jones
RF Felix Pie
2B Robert Andino
SS Cesar Izturis
RHP Kevin Millwood
For the Rays:
C John Jaso
2B Ben Zobrist
LF Carl Crawford
3B Dan Johnson
1B Carlos Pena
RF Matt Joyce
CF B.J. Upton
DH Brad Hawpe
SS Jason Bartlett
RHP Jeff Niemann
Kevin Millwood will make his final start tonight, and his last as an Oriole. At least, that's the assumption.
You know what happens when you assume, but there's virtually no chance that the Orioles attempt to re-sign him over the winter.
Millwood will try to avoid his 17th loss. He's been his own worst enemy, but the Orioles haven't exactly rushed to his aid.
These aren't excuses, just facts:
Millwood receives the second-lowest run support of any pitcher in the American League at...
Last night's game can be slipped into the "forgettable" file. Not much to review after this one.
David Price dominated and the Rays celebrated. Brad Bergesen wasn't sharp, Brian Roberts wasn't feeling well and Julio Lugo wasn't on the bench at the end after being ejected.
Good times.
Josh Bell made a rare start, his first since Sept. 20, and I'm sure he appreciated that manager Buck Showalter waited until Price was on the mound. What could have possibly gone wrong?
Bell went...
Brad Bergesen walked three of the first six batters that he faced tonight, and the lapse in control cost him a run.
Bergesen issued free passes to Matt Joyce and Carlos Pena leading off the second inning, and Joyce scored when B.J. Upton lined an 0-2 pitch into center field.
Fortunately for the Orioles, Adam Jones caught Reid Brignac's fly ball and cut down Pena advancing to third base.
Bergesen didn't issue a walk over nine innings in a Sept. 15 victory over Toronto, but he walked four...
Brad Bergesen has posted a 2.31 ERA in his last 10 starts covering 70 innings, and he's left nine of those games with a lead or the scored tied.
Bergesen has allowed three runs or fewer in nine of his last 10 starts and has worked at least seven innings in six of them. He's also won his last three decisions on the road, and seven of his 12 outings away from home have been quality starts, including the last five.
In his last five road starts, Bergesen is 3-0 with a 1.49 ERA over 36 1/3...
It's raining, it's Tuesday and I'm fighting the urge to crawl back into bed.
Last night's 4-0 win over the Rays improved my mood, but a little sunshine would be nice, too.
It also improved the Orioles' record on Mondays to 6-0 after an 0-8 start. Too bad we've run out of Mondays this season.
One more victory and the Orioles will avoid losing 100 games, which didn't seem possible last month.
They also might have set a record for most wins under a different manager in one...
I'm reminded again that young pitchers don't get stronger this time of the year. Some of them just don't tire as much.
Left-hander Brian Matusz is wide awake tonight.
Matusz is shutting out the Rays on three hits over seven innings, with two walks and eight strikeouts. He just made it look ridiculously easy in the bottom of the seventh.
One knock on Matusz has been his inability to keep his pitch count down. He's thrown 94 pitches so far, so the bullpen is getting a break.
The Orioles...
Buck Showalter will serve a one-game suspension tonight after being ejected from yesterday's game. Bench coach Jeff Datz will run the show. Showalter also was fined an undisclosed amount.
Alfredo Simon was suspended three games and fined an undisclosed amount for throwing at Toronto's Jose Bautista. However, he's appealing the suspension and is available to pitch tonight.
Blue Jays pitcher Shaun Marcum was fined an undisclosed amount for throwing at Luke Scott.
As far as I know, I...
For the Orioles:
Brian Roberts 2B
Nick Markakis RF
Ty Wigginton 3B
Luke Scott 1B
Corey Patterson DH
Adam Jones CF
Matt Wieters C
Felix Pie LF
Cesar Izturis SS
Brian Matusz LHP
For the Rays:
B.J. Upton CF
Jason Bartlett SS
Carl Crawford LF
Willy Aybar DH
Ben Zobrist RF
Kelly Shoppach C
Carlos Pena 1B
Sean Rodriguez 2B
Dan Johnson 3B
Wade Davis RHP
