Nick Markakis still hopes to return before the All-Star break

Nick Markakis still hopes to return before the All-Star break
It is looking unlikely, but Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis still has hopes to return to the active roster before the All-Star break. The Orioles will send Markakis to short-season Single-A Aberdeen next Monday and Tuesday, and to Double-A Bowie Wednesday through Friday. He may not play in games there, but will continue to receive treatment from the medical staffs at those two affiliates while spending some time working with Terry Crowley and Mike Bordick. Orioles doctors will examine...
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O's agree to terms with their 2nd, 4th and 7th round picks

O's agree to terms with their 2nd, 4th and 7th round picks
The Orioles reached contract agreements with three draft picks today, coming to terms with second-round pick Branden Kline, a pitcher from the University of Virginia, along with fourth-rounder first baseman Christian Walker and seventh-round pick pitcher Matt Price. Both Walker and Price played at the University of South Carolina. Kline, from Thomas Johnson High in Frederick, Md., went 7-3 with a 3.56 ERA this year at UVa, pitching as a starter after being named all-ACC in 2011 as the...
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The plan for Dylan Bundy (more draft picks signings coming)

The plan for Dylan Bundy (more draft picks signings coming)
After 14 starts this year, the Orioles remain extremely pleased with the season their top pitching prospect Dylan Bundy is having. The 19-year-old from Oklahoma, who has been limited to five-inning starts so far, will soon will be allowed to go deeper into games. First, though, Bundy will take a small step back in his next start, which will come Wednesday at Potomac, when he will throw around four innings on a 60-pitch limit. That is so he can then pitch in the Futures Game three days later on...
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Cleveland uses the longball to win series opener

Cleveland uses the longball to win series opener
Even facing a team that had lost five games in a row while scoring just 11 runs wasn't enough to lead the Orioles to a victory. Instead, the Cleveland Indians hit a pair of three-run homers to end that losing streak in a 7-2 win at Camden Yards to start a four-game series. Johnny Damon delivered a three-run shot off Wei-Yin Chen in the second and Asdrubel Cabrera hit his three-run shot off Luis Ayala in the seventh as Cleveland improved to 38-37 and avoided falling under .500 for the first...
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Lefties against the Tribe and Bowie's All-Stars

Lefties against the Tribe and Bowie's All-Stars
Buck Showalter admitted today that at least one reason he selected Dana Eveland to start Saturday here against Cleveland is because he is left-handed. The Orioles will start three lefties in this series including Wei-Yin Chen, who is on the mound tonight. Cleveland has a record of 5-16 this year against left-handed starters and 32-21 against right-handers. Against southpaws, the Tribe bats .216 as a team with a slugging percentage of .326. Those numbers are .264 and .407 against right-handed...
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Nick Johnson on his latest trip to the DL

Nick Johnson on his latest trip to the DL
After leaving last night's game after just one at-bat, Nick Johnson has been placed on the 15-day disabled list today by the Orioles with a right wrist sprain. Johnson is batting .207/.324/.391 with four home runs and 11 RBIs in 38 games. He has had multiple surgeries on that wrist before, and will have an MRI tomorrow to make sure the injury is just a sprain at this point. "Need to try and get it right and hopefully there is nothing too structurally wrong with it," Johnson said. "It...
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Xavier Avery talks about his return to the Orioles

Xavier Avery talks about his return to the Orioles
For the first time since May 28 in Toronto, Xavier Avery will be back in the Orioles lineup tonight. He'll bat second and play left field. "It's always a surprise (to get called up) because you never know what can happen. It's a big surprise," Avery said of returning to the Orioles. He was with the Orioles from May 13-28, batting .217 in 15 games. He hit .313 his first eight games but went just 3-for-28 over his last seven before being optioned back to the Tides. "I didn't get a...
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After losing six of eight, will O's regroup against the Tribe and M's?

After losing six of eight, will O's regroup against the Tribe and M's?
The Orioles have lost six of eight games and given up 20 runs the last two nights against the Angels. For some that stray toward the negative, they may feel the other shoe is finally dropping and that the Orioles are falling. It was about a month ago that the Orioles lost nine of 11, when these questions and concerns surfaced for the first time this year. The Orioles went through that stretch at the end of May and dropped to six games over .500. A month later, another losing run has dropped...
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Hammel hammered as Angels complete two-game sweep

Hammel hammered as Angels complete two-game sweep
Well, this could have gone better for the Orioles. After not giving up an earned run on just six hits over his last two starts covering 17 innings, Jason Hammel gave up eight runs tonight to match his career high as the Angels routed the Orioles 13-1 at Camden Yards. The Angels have now won six of their last seven and 13 of 17 as they sweep the two-game series. The Angels are a major league best 36-19 since April 28. Hammel, who entered with the sixth best ERA in the American League at 2.61,...
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O's await MRI results for minor league prospect Nicky Delmonico

O's await MRI results for minor league prospect Nicky Delmonico
Single-A Delmarva infielder Nicky Delmonico, who just eight days ago was named the MVP of the South Atlantic League All-Star game, now is headed for the disabled list with a knee injury. Delmonico left Delmarva's game last night, today had an MRI and the Orioles are awaiting the results of what is a medial meniscus injury. Delmonico will likely see Orioles orthopedist Dr. John Wilckens over the next few days. In 70 games for the Shorebirds, Delmonico was batting .254 with 20 doubles, six...
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The O's dream of beating Weaver tonight

The O's dream of beating Weaver tonight
While the Orioles will honor one Weaver here on Saturday (Earl), tonight they want to beat another Weaver (Jered). The Angels right-hander comes into this game with a record of 7-1 and a 2.40 ERA that ranks third in the American League. His .189 batting average against is tops in the AL. This is Weaver's second start since a stint on the disabled list with a strained lower back. He missed 19 games and it was the second time in his career he's been on the DL. He returned to pitch six...
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Wieters on Hammel: "He's got the fire you want in your pitcher"

Wieters on Hammel: "He's got the fire you want in your pitcher"
Jason Hammel has matched Scott Erickson. Now he can take a look at equaling Jim Palmer and perhaps later Tom Phoebus. Hammel's last two starts have resulted in a shutout and eight innings, allowing just one unearned run on Friday against Washington. According to Elias, it was the first time an O's starter had consecutive starts of eight innings or more without allowing an earned run in a single season since Erickson did that in 1997. Jeremy Guthrie also accomplished the feat in his final...
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Updating the RISP stat and Keys scoreless streak ends

Updating the RISP stat and Keys scoreless streak ends
On the night of June 14, the Orioles played the Pirates at Camden Yards. They scored 12 runs in that game and went 8-for-17 when batting with runners in scoring position. It is kind of hard to believe, but in the 10 games since, they have a total of just five more hits with runners in scoring position. Here is the rundown with RISP since that game: 6-15 vs. Atl: 0-for-6 6-16 vs. Atl: 3-for-5 6-17 vs. Atl: 0-for-3 6-18 vs. NYM: 0-for-0 6-19 vs. NYM: 0-for-9 6-20 vs. NYM: 0-for-5 6-22 vs....
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Pitching coach Rick Adair on handling the majors' best bullpen

Pitching coach Rick Adair on handling the majors' best bullpen
After last night's loss, the Orioles now have an even run differential. Their record is nine games over .500 at 41-32 but they have scored 310 runs this year and given up the same number. Their are eight American League teams with a better run differential than the Orioles but just two with a better record (the Rangers and Yankees). Winning close games has clearly been big for the club this year and the Orioles are 25-12 in games decided by two runs or less and 9-2 in extra-inning games. A...
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Is the deck stacked against the Orioles tonight?

Is the deck stacked against the Orioles tonight?
The odds of an Orioles win may not be very great tonight. You have an O's team that has been slumping at the plate facing one of the league's best pitchers in C.J. Wilson of the Angels, who happens to be pitching very well in recent starts. Some Wilson stats: * Wilson is 8-4 with a 2.44 ERA that ranks second in the AL. * He is 4-0 with a 1.31 ERA over his last six starts. * Wilson has the best ERA in baseball since Sept. 1, 2011 at 2.08, just ahead of R.A. Dickey (2.19) and Stephen...
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Brian Matusz looking for first win since June 2

Brian Matusz looking for first win since June 2
On June 2, Brian Matusz tossed 7 1/3 innings and pitched the Orioles to an important win on the road against Tampa Bay. But over his last three starts, he has pitched a total of 12 1/3 innings, allowing 11 earned runs for an ERA of 8.03. After those outings, where he lasted just two innings, 5 2/3 and 4 2/3, losing all three games, he will try to pitch the Orioles past the Los Angeles Angels here tonight in the opener of a two-game series. Matusz took the loss against the Angels on April 20,...
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Back in the O's clubhouse, Matt Lindstrom hopes to get activated today (update)

Back in the O's clubhouse, Matt Lindstrom hopes to get activated today (update)
After a stay on the disabled list since May 11, Matt Lindstrom could be back on the Orioles' active roster officially at some point today. He has pitched four times in the minors on an injury-rehab assignment and is back in the Orioles' clubhouse today waiting to find out if he's getting activated in time for tonight's game. "I'm in here being evaluated by the doctor and training staff, just to make sure everything's good," Lindstrom said. "I don't know anything other than that....
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Norfolk pitching coach on Tillman and Britton

Norfolk pitching coach on Tillman and Britton
There has been some talk recently about Chris Tillman. Could the 24-year-old right-hander help the Orioles' rotation if he gets the call to Baltimore? Tillman has given up just one earned run over 11 1/3 innings in his past two starts. Over his last six starts, he is 4-2 with an ERA of 2.19 and opposing batters are hitting just .175 off him in those starts. Tillman's next Triple-A start is set for tomorrow night. Norfolk pitching coach Mike Griffin recently talked with me about Tillman on...
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Chris Davis is keeping it light during batting slump

Chris Davis is keeping it light during batting slump
Chris Davis may be a little light on hits recently, but his sense of humor remains strong. After talking with a few reporters Sunday about his recent batting slump he said, "Hey, thanks, guys for bringing all this up." He joked that he has pitching to fall back on if he needs it. Don't take any of this to mean Davis is not taking his slump seriously or not working hard to get out of it. He is, but he's also trying to keep an even keel and knows hitters go through hot and cold streaks. He...
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Orioles attendance: It's way up over last year

Orioles attendance: It's way up over last year
Remember when the Orioles came home for a series with Texas in early May with a 19-9 record and some people were disappointed that the first two games of that series drew a total of 23,201 fans on a Monday and Tuesday night? Well, the Orioles are doing a little better at the gate these days. In fact, Orioles' attendance is up an average of 6,721 fans per home game this year from the same point last year. O's attendance after 35 home dates: 2011: 709,284 for average of 20,265 2012: 944,521...
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