Buck Showalter, Earl Weaver and Davey Johnson are the only Orioles managers to start out 6-1 in their first seasons.
Did you know that Weaver won his first six games and lost each of his next three by one run?
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Showalter is the first manager since 1924 to win three of his first seven games in walk-off fashion.
I'm not sure what that says about Showalter or his team, but it's a fact.
The Orioles have nine walk-off wins this season, and their 10...
I haven't seen a replay of the Orioles scoring the go-ahead run in the sixth inning last night, but I still find it hard to believe that Paul Konerko didn't step on first base before throwing home. It sure looked like he did, but he insisted that he stopped and umpire Brian O'Nora agreed.
As I wrote last night, it doesn't change a whole lot except for how the official scorer reports it. Matt Wieters would have been out 3-unassisted, which is what I wrote on my sheet. I'm not sure if it...
As it turns out, what transpired in the bottom of the sixth inning isn't quite what we believed.
I'll start by saying that the Orioles' run still counts. They're not resuming play with the score tied or awarding Chicago the win. But Paul Konerko never stepped on first base after fielding Matt Wieters' ground ball. He stopped short and threw home, but Luke Scott was ruled safe because catcher A.J. Pierzynski didn't make contact with the plate - eliminating the force - and didn't tag the...
B-Rob walk-off: Brian Roberts just hit his first home run of the season, leading off the bottom of the 10th with a drive onto the flagcourt in right against J.J. Putz. That's the Orioles' first walk-off homer of the year, and the first since Matt Wieters on Sept. 16, 2009 vs. Tampa Bay.
Manager Buck Showalter pulled Koji Uehara after two perfect innings and gave the ball to Alfredo Simon.
One pitch, and we're tied.
Paul Konerko crushed a 95 mph fastball for his 28th home run.
Brian...
Tonight's attendance: 14,135.
The Orioles scored twice in the bottom of the sixth to take a 2-1 lead and position Brian Matusz for the win.
Matusz is charged with one run and three hits in six innings, with two walks (one intentional), four strikeouts and one hit batter. He threw 99 pitches, 60 for strikes.
That's seven consecutive quality starts from the rotation, the first time it's happened since July 2003.
The starters have allowed 10 earned runs in their last 47 2/3 innings.
Ty...
Brian Matusz has allowed one run over three innings, and the White Sox are making him work hard.
Matusz threw 14 pitches in the first inning, 23 in the second and 23 in the third, giving him 60 for the game. (I decided to save you the math.)
Brent Lillibridge lined out to open the third, but he saw seven pitches. Matusz hit Juan Pierre - who never should have worn his lucky bullseye on this trip - Alexei Ramirez grounded out and Alex Rios doubled to left field on Matusz's fifth pitch. Paul...
Manager Buck Showalter knew a few days ago that Cesar Izturis was approaching 1,000 career hits. The veteran shortstop reached 1,001 in yesterday's game.
"I think about how underappreciated that he is. He's just solid," Showalter said. "It's not always a look-at-me mentality. He just brings it. He's just solid. That's the most common description of him from everybody. He's a guy you can count on. He's very durable. I was happy for him to have a moment yesterday. He's a good...
Craig Tatum is back in the home clubhouse after going 2-for-21 at Triple-A Norfolk. He hit .271 in 32 games with the Orioles before they optioned him.
"Tatum's been struggling a little offensively down there compared to what he was doing here," manager Buck Showalter said. "We thought we'd get him back to the big leagues so he could start hitting again."
Tatum's arrival gives the Orioles a four-man bench.
"It's a little more comforting," Showalter said. "You're always thinking...
For the Orioles:
Brian Roberts 2B
Nick Markakis RF
Ty Wigginton 1B
Luke Scott DH
Adam Jones CF
Felix Pie LF
Matt Wieters C
Cesar Izturis SS
Josh Bell 3B
Brian Matusz LHP
For the White Sox:
Pierre LF
Ramirez SS
Rios CF
Konerko 1B
Quentin DH
Pierzynski C
Viciendo 3B
Jones RF
Lillibridge 2B
Jackson RHP
Manager Buck Showalter must take his pre-game questions black, because this one wasn't sugarcoated.
A reporter asked Showalter about Alfredo Simon, who would pick up his 17th save later in the day.
"Based on what you've seen, is this guy a major league closer?"
"Never overlook an orchid while searching for a rose," Showalter replied. "We'll see. You see the stuff and see why he's had success. Who knows? We've got to know. We don't want to be guessing about it. When we get through...
Let's start with the good.
Nolan Reimold, starting again in left field tonight for Triple-A Norfolk, is 2-for-3 with his 10th home run. He also stole his sixth base, always encouraging news when we recall the Achilles issues that have hounded him since spring training.
Reimold is batting .232 with 31 RBIs. Maybe we'll see him in September. I'd like to think he'll be a major part of the 2011 team, but I'd also like to think that I still have a shot at Salma Hayek.
The odds on Reimold are...
Troy Patton's timing could have been better.
He gets called up and the rotation strings together six consecutive quality starts, making his role of long reliever obsolete.
"It's really a tough situation," he said after the Orioles optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk. "I came up here to be a long relief guy and it just happens to be the one week of the season that literally no long relief guy was needed. I wasn't needed to go in the games.
"I understand it. It's good that I go back down...
The rotation has a little competition going these days. Nobody wants to be the first pitcher to ruin the streak of quality starts, which has reached six games.
Manager Buck Showalter hasn't seen a poor start since he got here.
Buck Showalter meets with the media following a 4-3 win over the White Sox
"I understand, I watched," he said. "I know it hasn't been the case all year, but it's not like these guys have never pitched well this year. And they seem to be feeding off each...
Roster move: The Orioles optioned left-hander Troy Patton to Triple-A Norfolk after today's game. A corresponding roster move will be announced tomorrow. Many of us are guessing Craig Tatum, who's on the 40-man roster, or Scott Moore.
Alfredo Simon served up a two-run homer to Ramon Castro with one out in the ninth inning to reduce the Orioles' lead to 4-3.
Tension time.
Brent Lillibridge lined to short and Juan Pierre flied to left after Simon fell behind, 2-0. Simon notched his 17th...
Cesar Izturis led off the bottom of the seventh with a double to left-center field, making him Mr. 1,001.
Manager Buck Showalter could have ordered rookie Josh Bell to bunt, which seemed like the obvious call. He could have sent up Julio Lugo to bunt, also a valid option.
Bell swung away and lined to right. Izturis was a few steps off the bag and couldn't get back to tag, though the ball wasn't hit deep enough for him to advance.
Why wasn't Bell bunting?
I wonder if Showalter gave Bell...
The Orioles and White Sox are tied, 1-1, in the sixth inning. Ageless Omar Vizquel hustled to second base while Juan Pierre was caught in a rundown in the fifth, and he scored on Alex Rios' two-out single.
Guthrie is trying to give the rotation six consecutive quality starts. He's given up seven earned runs in his last 32 1/3 innings.
Toronto's Brandon Morrow is no-hitting Tampa Bay through seven innings today. He struck out the side in the seventh, giving him 14. His pitch count stands at...
Cesar Izturis singled with two outs in the second inning for the 1,000th hit of his major league career.
I joked about the Orioles hanging numbers on the warehouse, but Izturis received a loud ovation from the Camden Yards crowd as his image appeared on the video board along with a message of congratulations on his milestone.
Felix Pie, who homered two batters earlier, gave Izturis a big hug while delivering his glove between innings.
Too bad the Orioles couldn't do more with four hits and...
Orioles manager Buck Showalter will meet with president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail after today's game to discuss the composition of the roster.
Showalter and MacPhail wanted the Orioles to go through their rotation once before debating whether to add a fourth bench player and return to a 12-man pitching staff. The club has turned in five straight quality starts, with Brad Bergesen and Kevin Milllwood impressing in back-to-back outings.
"It's something we're considering,"...
Brian Roberts 2B
Corey Patterson DH
Nick Markakis RF
Ty Wigginton 1B
Adam Jones CF
Felix Pie LF
Jake Fox C
Cesar Izturis SS
Josh Bell 3B
Jeremy Guthrie RHP
Guthrie has posted a 1.98 ERA in his last four starts, with two walks and 17 strikeouts.
1980 Cy Young winner Steve Stone, now a White Sox broadcaster, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
I'm still waiting for the Orioles to post their lineup. The door to Buck Showalter's office is closed, and the only people in the clubhouse are Gary Allenson, T-Bone Shelby and Matt Wieters.
Showalter will meet with reporters at 11:45 a.m.
Here's the White Sox lineup:
Juan Pierre LF
Omar Vizquel 3B
Alex Rios CF
Paul Konerko DH
Carlos Quentin RF
Mark Kotsay 1B
Alexei Ramirez SS
Ramon Castro C
Gordon Beckham 2B
Mark Buehrle LHP
Buehrle is 5-3 with a 2.72 ERA in 14 career games against the...