Tonight's game was completed in 1 hour, 55 minutes.
The anthems took longer.
The Orioles hadn't played a nine-inning game in under two hours since May 25, 2005 vs. Seattle. That game also lasted 1:55.
Showalter joked about all the smiling faces in the interview room. We're easy to please.
Showalter wasn't going to yank Brad Bergesen after eight innings, though he played all the scenarios in his head.
"You think about it. You know where they are in the order, but I thought he...
Manager Buck Showalter wanted to get Corey Patterson in the lineup tonight. That was his primary motivation for starting Luke Scott at first base. Move Ty Wigginton to third and free up the DH spot for Patterson.
Showalter knew that the Yankees were expected to start left-handers CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte this weekend. He also knew that Patterson had one at-bat since Sept. 6.
So what happens? Patterson grounds a run-scoring single into right field in the fourth inning to give the Orioles...
Jose Bautista just homered into the Orioles' bullpen with two outs in the first inning, giving the Blue Jays a quick lead.
Bautista has tied the Blue Jays' single-season record of 47 homers, originally set by George Bell in 1987. And I still can't wrap my head around it.
Jose Bautista? Really?
If he still played for the Orioles, he'd be a nugget.
Brad Bergesen got ahead of Bautista, 0-1, with a 92 mph fastball. He threw another 92 mph fastball and almost wiped out a few...
Luke Scott had no idea that he was starting at first base until heading for the field to take batting practice. He took a quick glance at the lineup as he passed manager Buck Showalter's office and said, "Wow, I'm 3."
That number indicates first base. He's used to seeing the letters DH.
Scott dropped his bat and raced back to his locker to exchange his glove for a first baseman's mitt.
Showalter wanted to check out Scott at first base, but he also wanted to get Corey Patterson in the...
Brian Matusz says the inflammation is down in his left arm and he's only dealing with a slight bruise. He played long toss with Jeremy Guthrie and is ready to take his normal turn in the rotation.
It's up to manager Buck Showalter whether Matusz makes his next start on Monday in Fenway Park, but the rookie says he's physically fit.
"I felt good and that's the most important thing," he said. "I'll get back on my current routine."
That includes throwing a bullpen session on Friday to...
Whether Jake Arrieta makes his next start depends on a couple of factors, according to manager Buck Showalter.
Showalter will monitor the rookie's workout days and wait until Brian Matusz's next start becomes official. Matusz is playing catch today to test his left arm, which is sporting a bruise after being hit by a line drive.
"Try to get a feel for where Brian would go back in," Showalter said. "It could affect Jake a little bit."
Arrieta's next turn would fall on Tuesday in...
My entry this morning that included the box score from the forfeited game in Toronto 33 years ago stirred a minor debate over manager Earl Weaver's actual beef with the umpiring crew.
I didn't recall every detail and relied on baseball-reference.com's explanation before taking advantage of a job perk and placing a few calls.
"I remember that the issue was a tarp down in the bullpen," said center fielder Al Bumbry, who doubled in that game and was the only Oriole with three at-bats...
From the moment Buck Showalter put on his Orioles cap and first took a seat on the bench or brought out the lineup card to home plate, his resemblance to Earl Weaver sparked conversation on this blog and in the press box.
How many times has he heard it?
"That's the first one" he said yesterday.
Well, now he can join the club, because it seems like everyone else is talking about it.
Showalter spent part of yesterday afternoon's media session discussing Weaver's influence on the game....
Jake Arrieta has accumulated 173 1/3 innings this year, including his Triple-A starts. His previous high was 150 2/3.
Did Arrieta make his final start tonight?
"Ask me tomorrow," manager Buck Showalter said. "It's possibly my last one, it's possibly yours.
"He's at 176-ish right now, and 180-ish is probably the limit you take him. He's about 20-plus over, so that's a real quality question. If he hears something about that, he'll hear it from me first. Ask me tomorrow."
Will...
The Orioles trusted Pedro Viola with a nine-run lead with a runner on first base and two outs in the eighth inning.
That must make him feel pretty good.
Making his Orioles' debut, Viola walked Lyle Overbay on a full count and served up a three-run homer to Aaron Hill.
A fan sitting in the left field seats threw the ball back onto the field. Nobody retrieved it for Viola.
The home run came on a 92 mph fastball. Viola dug into his bag of tricks and struck out Adam Lind on an 80 mph...
Did the Rays really hang seven runs on the Yankees in the bottom of the fifth to wipe out a 6-0 deficit?
I mentioned Jake Arrieta's improved control in my last entry. He's walked two and struck out 13 in his last three starts. That's critical to his development.
Arrieta still needs to improve his tempo, but there's a lot to like about him, including the fact that he's gone six or more innings in six of his last eight starts.
Which No. 9 hitting third baseman with three strikeouts is...
The Orioles have a chance to win their fourth straight series.
When's the last time that happened?
I'm really asking. I don't feel like looking it up. Wouldn't even know where to start.
I'm sure that information will become available shortly. It requires going through the day-by-days, working backward, until you find four in a row. Nothing to it.
First, the Orioles need to hang onto this 3-0 lead.
Update: The Orioles haven't won four straight series since Aug. 3-15, 2004. They swept...
I'm in a cut-and-paste kind of mood, so here you go:
For the second consecutive year, the Orioles will begin their 2011 season on the road in Tampa Bay. The teams will meet on Friday, April 1 at Tropicana Field, the 18th time in 58 years the Orioles will have opened their schedule away from Baltimore. After two more games in Tampa, the 2011 team will make their debut at Camden Yards on Monday, April 4 against the Detroit Tigers. After an off-day on April 5, the Orioles will play the Tigers...
Do you remember what happened on Sept. 14, 1987?
Did you happen to catch the Orioles-Blue Jays game at the old Exhibition Stadium?
Toronto hit 10 home runs en route to an 18-3 victory over the Orioles. Ernie Witt mashed three of them and drove in five runs. Rance Mulliniks and George Bell each hit two. Fred McGriff, Rob Ducey and Lloyd Moseby also homered.
The game is significant for another reason. Cal Ripken's consecutive-innings streak ended when his father inserted Ron Washington at...
Brian Roberts won't start tonight after receiving treatment on his right knee and hitting in the indoor cage.
We haven't received the lineup, but Robert Andino will start at second base. Ty Wigginton is playing first, Cesar Izturis is the shortstop and Josh Bell is the third baseman.
The outfield consists of Felix Pie, Adam Jones and Nick Markakis. Matt Wieters is catching and Luke Scott is serving as the designated hitter.
We're told that Julio Lugo's headaches are the result of a...
Jake Arrieta is expected to be the first Orioles pitcher shut down this month. Maybe he gets one more start after tonight. Probably two at the most. Manager Buck Showalter doesn't have firm dates to pass along.
Showalter refers to it as "a moving target."
"I think we're getting closer every time he pitches," Showalter said. "We'll see how he pitches and how many innings he pitches, in that order. He's got a tough task there with Toronto."
Brian Matusz's status after being hit on...
Brian Roberts is receiving treatment on his right leg and will hit in the indoor cage before the Orioles make a decision on his status tonight. The lineup might not be posted until 5:30 p.m.
Julio Lugo underwent on MRI because of his recurring headaches, which "ruled out some things," according to manager Buck Showalter. Lugo is unavailable again "until we find out exactly what we're dealing with," Showalter said.
Brian Matusz has some slight swelling and bruising behind his left arm,...
Did you feel different when you woke up this morning?
It might have something to do with the AL standings. Or the cocktail dress and blonde wig you were inexplicably wearing.
Let's focus on the standings.
The Orioles no longer are the worst team in the league. Their 56-88 record puts them a game ahead of Seattle, which fell to 55-89 with last night's loss to Boston.
Buck Ball!
Showalter Time!
The guy really should have his own t-shirt night.
Don't look now - OK, you can peek - but...
We might still be playing if Luke Scott hadn't singled to center field off Blue Jays left-hander Brian Tallet in the bottom of the 11th inning to score Nick Markakis with the winning run.
The Blue Jays have roughly 147 relievers in their bullpen since rosters expanded, so they could go all night.
"Get a pitch to hit and stay in the middle of the field in case he throws a breaking ball," Scott said, describing his at-bat against Tallet. "A breaking ball in that situation around the plate...
Not everything was good tonight. Brian Matusz and Brian Roberts were forced out of the game early after being hit by a line drive and fastball, respectively. Josh Bell was batting leadoff. Players were changing positions and dropping pop-ups.
It wasn't clean and it wasn't pretty, but it ended with the first win over the Toronto Blue Jays in 13 tries.
"It means we get a chance to try to do it tomorrow," manager Buck Showalter said when asked about the significance of finally defeating the...
