That run differential is taking a beating today

That run differential is taking a beating today
Well, there you go. Brag about the Orioles showing heart and character and they get crushed in the rain in New York. It is not over yet, but a comeback this time seems rather unlikely with the Orioles losing 11-1 to the Yankees in the fifth inning. The Orioles' run differential is taking a beating today. They entered this game getting outscored by 51 runs on the year, which is the fourth-worst run differential in the American League. But as someone reminded me on Twitter today, a lot of...
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A team with a ticker

A team with a ticker
That is probably a good name for this 2012 Orioles team.: a team with a ticker. It means a team with heart. A team that shows character and a will to win with team chemistry. It is probably a bit cliched to say that, but the Orioles play like that. They've shown a ticker in abundance in recent days. They showed it as much Friday as probably in any game this year. In the opener of a big series with Oakland, they fell behind 5-0 only to rally to lead 6-5. After falling behind again 8-6, they...
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Nice comeback: O's spot Yankees five-run lead, then rally to win

Nice comeback: O's spot Yankees five-run lead, then rally to win
For the second night in a row, the Orioles posted an impressive win in New York. Last night, they held on late to win. Tonight, they came back early on to win. After falling behind 5-0 after the bottom of the first, the Orioles erupted for seven runs in the top of the second to quickly regain the lead on their way to a 11-5 win over the Yankees. In that big inning, all seven runs scored with two outs. Mark Reynolds produced an RBI double, Omar Quintanilla added a two-run single, and then...
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Some Orioles-Yankees pregame notes (game update)

Some Orioles-Yankees pregame notes (game update)
Some pregame notes to ponder as the Orioles meet the Yankees tonight in New York: * The Orioles went 5-13 vs. the Yankees last year. They are 4-5 in 2012 and a win tonight would match their win total of all of last year. The Orioles have won four of their last five games against the Yankees after starting the season 0-4. * The Orioles went 2-7 last season at Yankee Stadium and this year, they are 3-1 there, outscoring New York 18-7. Since a 2-1 loss in their first game there this year, they...
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How active will O's be, as trade deadline is now hours away? (Urrutia update)

How active will O's be, as trade deadline is now hours away? (Urrutia update)
The trade deadline is now just over four hours away. Will it be an active few hours for the Orioles? As the deadline draws near I go back to an interview I had with Dan Duquette on July 6. I sat across from him in his office that day as he spoke about the possibility of the Orioles making moves. "The future is always now, when you are trying to win. Your future is really the opportunity and the risk is in not going for it. What do you think the fans want to see? They want to see and hear...
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Nick Markakis finds a home in the leadoff spot

Nick Markakis finds a home in the leadoff spot
Nick Markakis had yet another productive game in the leadoff spot Monday as the Orioles beat New York 5-4. He went 3-for-4 with a double, a run scored and two RBIs. Since he returned from the disabled list and was moved to the leadoff spot, Markakis is batting .364 over 18 games with six doubles, one homer, five RBIs and an OPS of .885. He has nine multi-hit games among those 18 he has played in. Here is an interesting stat: In the first half, Markakis struck out 37 times in 199 at-bats. Over...
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Gonzalez gets the win as O's take series opener in New York

Gonzalez gets the win as O's take series opener in New York
Even though half the hits he gave up tonight were home runs, Miguel Gonzalez still was on his game for most the evening, keeping the Yankees off balance with some offspeed pitches which produced eight strikeouts as the Orioles beat New York 5-4 in the opener of a three-game series. With the win the Orioles improved to 4-1 in their last five games against New York and 4-5 on the season overall. They are now 8-5 over the last 13 games and 54-49 overall. Gonzalez gave up six hits and four runs...
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The Orioles' last trip to Yankee Stadium went well

The Orioles' last trip to Yankee Stadium went well
It has been a long time since the Orioles played at Yankee Stadium. Three months, in fact. But the last trip there, unlike many others over the years, went quite well for the Orioles. On April 30 Baltimore lost the series opener in the Bronx 2-1, but they then beat New York 7-1 and 5-0 on back-to-back nights to improve to 16-9 on the year. The Orioles held the Yankees to three total runs in the series and it was the first time in 34 years that the Orioles held the Yankees to two runs or less...
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Chen came up big for Orioles so they can take some momentum to N.Y.

Chen came up big for Orioles so they can take some momentum to N.Y.
A lot of the talk Sunday was about Wei-Yin Chen picking up 12 strikeouts in the win over Oakland. But the bigger accomplishment for me was simply that Chen pitched the Orioles to a big win, strikeouts or no strikeouts. The Orioles needed to avoid getting swept and Chen gave up just one run (unearned) over 5 2/3 innings against an Oakland team that had scored 40 runs in its previous four games and was 18-3 in its last 21 games. It was a big game and Chen came through with a big effort. He has...
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Postgame comments from Wieters, Chen and Quintanilla

Postgame comments from Wieters, Chen and Quintanilla
Orioles manager Buck Showalter has talked often about how competitive Wei-Yin Chen is on the mound. It may be hard at times for fans or reporters to notice that side of him, but Matt Wieters said his teammates do. "He has that competitive spirit out there," Wieters said. "Anytime we've needed a big win or big game, he's stepped up for us and given us a good outing and chance to win. He doesn't get too caught in the moment, but also seems to know when it's a key time to step up." Like...
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Chen's 12 strikeouts, Wieters' three-run homer help O's top A's

Chen's 12 strikeouts, Wieters' three-run homer help O's top A's
It was not just another Sunday at Camden Yards. Wei-Yin Chen set a major league record for strikeouts by a Taiwenese-born pitcher, Matt Wieters returned to the lineup and hit a key homer, Omar Quintanilla had a big day at the plate and Adam Jones continued his recent run production increase. All that happened as the Orioles beat Oakland 6-1 in front of 19,698 to avoid a three-game sweep and improve to 53-49 on the year. The A's fall to 12-3 since the All-Star break and lose for just the...
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Run production trending up for Adam Jones

Run production trending up for Adam Jones
Don't look now but Adam Jones' run production is on the rise. Again. Jones got the Orioles started today with an RBI double to left-center in the third for a 1-0 lead and then he scored moments later when Matt Wieters homered in the same general area to end a 1-for-31 drought. Jones now has nine extra-base hits with four doubles, a triple and four homers over his last 14 games. He has 12 RBIs over his last 13 games with four multi-RBI games in that stretch. Coming into today, over his last...
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Brian Roberts talks about his upcoming hip surgery

Brian Roberts talks about his upcoming hip surgery
A few moments ago, Brian Roberts told reporters at Camden Yards that he is opting to have surgery on the labral tear in his right hip. He played last night in Aberdeen, going 0-for-4 with a walk, but decided this was the best course of action. Here is Roberts' opening statement to reporters along with the questions and answers that followed: "After playing last night and giving it a go with my hip, we're going to proceed with surgery. It just hasn't responded the way we were hoping it...
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Lew Ford: "This is more than I could have dreamed of"

Lew Ford: "This is more than I could have dreamed of"
You could have tried to wipe the big smile off Lew Ford's face this morning, but you would not have been able to do it. The 35-year-old Ford has not played in the majors since 2007 with the Twins. Since then, he's played in Mexico, Japan and in the Atlantic League. But after being called up by the Orioles, he is back in the American League and will bat fifth in left field today for the Birds. No major league team would give him a chance in spring training, and he began the 2012 season with...
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Brian Roberts talks about his night in Aberdeen

Brian Roberts talks about his night in Aberdeen
ABERDEEN, Md. - He didn't get any hits Saturday in his first game since July 1, but Brian Roberts played all nine innings for the short-season Single-A Aberdeen IronBirds at Ripken Stadium in their 7-2 loss to Vermont. Roberts hopes to return for another game here tomorrow. "Got through nine innings, so we'll wait and see how everything goes tonight and in the morning," Roberts said. "I'm going to go into the stadium (Camden Yards) in the morning and see those guys (the training staff)...
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Roberts walks and scores in the first at Aberdeen (updated with audio)

Roberts walks and scores in the first at Aberdeen (updated with audio)
ABERDEEN, Md - Wearing a blue No. 17 Aberdeen IronBirds jersey, but using his specially-designed Orioles batting helmet, Brian Roberts moved to the plate here a few moments ago for his first-ever at-bat in a New York-Penn League game. Starting what he hopes will be just a two-game rehab assignment before he can rejoin the Orioles, Roberts led off the last of the first drawing a walk on a 3-2 pitch. He scored moments later when Creede Simpson ripped an RBI double into the gap in...
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Brian Roberts is set to test hip injury here in Aberdeen

Brian Roberts is set to test hip injury here in Aberdeen
ABERDEEN, Md. - After taking his cuts during batting practice in front of short-season Single-A Aberdeen manager Gary Allenson, Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts is going to bat leadoff and play second tonight for the IronBirds. His goal is to play nine innings the next two days here with the IronBirds and come through the games healthy enough to rejoin the Orioles for a road trip that begins Monday in New York. Roberts has been on the disabled list since July 3 with a labral tear in his...
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Brian Roberts will play for Aberdeen tonight

Brian Roberts will play for Aberdeen tonight
Brian Roberts, who has been on the Orioles' disabled list since July 3 with a labral tear in his right hip, has progressed to the point where he will test the injury in game action. MASNsports.com has learned that Roberts will play for Aberdeen tonight at Ripken Stadium, beginning an injury-rehab assignment. It's uncertain how long this assignment will last, but Roberts is expected to play second base for the short-season Single-A IronBirds tonight. After his return from concussion symptoms...
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Can Johnson and the Orioles bounce back from this one?

Can Johnson and the Orioles bounce back from this one?
With the great season he has had, what Orioles fan wouldn't have taken Jim Johnson on the mound last night with a one-run lead in the ninth? The Orioles had come back from 5-0 and 8-6 deficits, and after a stirring three-run last of the eighth, their All-Star closer needed three outs to end an uplifting comeback win to start a big weekend series. Instead, Johnson gave up six runs - the most he's ever allowed as a reliever - and the red-hot A's won again, beating the Orioles 14-9. Instead...
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Chris Davis and home homers

Chris Davis and home homers
Chris Davis hit a solo homer tonight in the last of the second. His liner to right got out of here in a hurry and was his 17th homer of the year and second in two games. Davis leads the Orioles in home runs at home. That was No. 12 for him. He began today batting .277 with 11 homers and 32 RBIs in 41 home games. He has a slugging percentage of .552 and OPS of .877 at home, compared to one of .662 in road games. Here are the O's leaders in home homers: 12 - Chris Davis 9 - J.J. Hardy & Adam...
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