BOWIE, Md. - For the second year in a row, Manny Machado made an impressive debut with a new team.
The Orioles top-rated position prospect must have a flair for the dramatic. With everyone paying close attention to his first at-bat in the Double-A Eastern League Thursday night, he smoked a first-pitch fastball from Harrisburg's Patrick Gilliam over the wall in left-center in the second inning as Bowie beat the Senators 4-2 in front of 4,268 chilled fans on opening night.
"How about that? He...
BOWIE, Md. - Manny Machado admitted before tonight's game that he could face some struggles as a 19-year-old playing in the Double-A Eastern League. So far he isn't having any issues.
On the first pitch he saw tonight, batting with one out and none on in the last of the second, Machado homered to left-center off Harrisburg starter Patrick Gilliam. Machado hit a liner that got out of here pretty quickly to give Bowie a 1-0 lead on opening night at Prince George's Stadium.
Last year, between...
BOWIE, Md. - It is sunny but chilly, but there have been some intense thunderstorms in Asheville, N.C. today and Dylan Bundy's scheduled pro debut has been rained out. The Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds will try again to open their season on Friday night.
Bundy is now scheduled to be the starter tomorrow when the Shorebirds meet Asheville at 7:05 p.m. The rainout will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Saturday, with the first pitch of Game One scheduled for 6:05 p.m. Both games of the...
BOWIE, Md. - There is plenty of excitement surrounding the Bowie Baysox game tonight. Not only is it opening night, but the game will also feature the Double-A debuts of the Orioles' top two position prospects in Manny Machado and Jonathan Schoop.
Machado, the club's first-round pick in 2010, will play at short and bat fifth tonight. Schoop, the Orioles 2011 minor league Player of the Year, will play second base and bat ninth.
"When I heard they were coming here, I was excited and excited...
BOWIE, Md. - When the Double-A Bowie Baysox open a new season tonight at Prince George's Stadium against Harrisburg, LJ Hoes will bat third and play left field. But tomorrow night he will likely be at another position.
About 10 days ago, the Orioles moved Hoes from left to center field at camp and he will likely begin playing center field for the Baysox tomorrow night. Bowie manager Gary Kendall said it might become a permanent change.
"Could be. Everything is subject to change," Kendall...
Then there was one.
One day left until the Orioles begin a new season and we finally get to see games that count. My trip to Norfolk, Va., was fun but the day was obviously busy and filled with the news of the finalization of the rotation and the completing of the 25-man roster.
Buck Showalter made an interesting point a few times yesterday in talking about the final roster decisions. He basically said "it's not where you start, but where you finish."
He pointed out that reporters and...
NORFOLK, Va. - When Major League Baseball made the 50-game suspension of Orioles minor league catcher Brian Ward official today, Dan Duquette could comment on the situation with Ward for the first time.
Here is the release from MLB:
The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced today that Baltimore Orioles Minor League catcher Brian Ward has received a 50-game suspension after a second violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program for a drug of abuse. The...
NORFOLK, Va - Buck Showalter just informed reporters of his season opening rotation and final roster move.
The Orioles starters will be in order: Jake Arrieta, Tommy Hunter, Jason Hammel, Brian Matusz and Wei-Yin Chen.
Zach Phillips has now officially been optioned to Triple-A, so Troy Patton and Darren O'Day get the final two roster spots.
The Orioles also put lefty Tsuyoshi Wada officially on the DL retroactive to March 28, with a left elbow impingement. Catcher Taylor Teagarden was also...
NORFOLK, Va. - As this game moves into the late innings, Brian Matusz is still awaiting word that he is in the Orioles' starting rotation. Barring a major surprise, he'll get that word from Buck Showalter after this game.
Here is what Matusz said a few minutes ago outside the Orioles clubhouse.
On today's outing:
"I felt really good. From the start warming up with (Matt) Wieters in the bullpen. I had good stuff and attacked the zone early. Felt really good. Had a good feel for all...
NORFOLK, Va. - Lefty Brian Matusz has kept the Triple-A Norfolk Tides off the scoreboard through four innings today as the Orioles and Tides are scoreless on a now cloudy afternoon with a light rain falling at Harbor Park.
Matusz, expected to be officially named to the O's rotation after today's game, has allowed just three hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Matusz entered today's game with a spring record of 1-1 with a 3.65 ERA in 24 2/3 innings. He walked just three batters with 22...
NORFOLK, Va. - Even though he was slowed by a groin strain in camp, Darren O'Day has made a major league opening day roster for the fifth time. Troy Patton will join him there.
The Orioles have announced that they've optioned lefty Zach Phillips to Triple-A and Patton and O'Day claim the final spots in the bullpen. It was a mild surprised that O'Day made it and it means the O's 'pen begins the year with Patton as the only lefty.
"Coming into camp, I saw how many talented pitchers we...
NORFOLK, Va. - Today is a homecoming for Orioles third baseman Mark Reynolds. He lived in the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area up until he left to play in college at the University of Virginia. He attended First Colonial High, which is 17 miles from Harbor Park.
"It feels good (to come home)," Reynolds said. "I was telling those guys earlier, I've never played here before. I used to come to games here, so it is a pretty cool experience to be back here playing.
"I was never a specific team's...
NORFOLK, Va. - Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette was asked today about Dylan Bundy's season. Does he see the O's 2011 top draft pick pitching all year with Single-A Delmarva, or could he moved up later to higher levels on the farm?
"Dylan Bundy's year, I hope, is as a starting pitcher and that he gets into the flow of a routine that a good major league starting pitcher goes through in terms of understanding his delivery, throwing on the side, conditioning himself and staying...
NORFOLK, Va. - Besides telling reporters that Tommy Hunter will start the second game of the season between Jake Arrieta and Jason Hammel, Orioles manager Buck Showalter didn't reveal any new news today here during pre-game interviews at Harbor Park.
Showalter said he would announce his five-man rotation and any final roster moves after today's game with the Tides. It still appears that Wei-Yin Chen and Brian Matusz will round out the rotation, but it just has not yet been...
NORFOLK, Va. - Here are today's starting lineups for the 3 p.m exhibition game with the Orioles playing the Triple-A Tides here in Norfolk.
Orioles
LF - Endy Chavez
SS - J.J. Hardy
RF - Nick Markakis
CF - Adam Jones
DH - Nick Johnson
C - Matt Wieters
3B - Mark Reynolds
1B - Chris Davis
2B - Robert Andino
Norfolk Tides
CF - Xavier Avery
SS - Steve Tolleson
2B - Ryan Adams
DH - Josh Bell
LF - Jamie Hoffman
1B - Joe Mahoney
RF - Scott Beerer
3B - Zelous Wheeler
C - John Hester
Brian Matusz...
SALISBURY, Md. - After three innings of tonight's exhibition game at Perdue Stadium, Delmarva has a 2-1 lead on Salisbury University.
Delmarva took a 1-0 lead in the last of the first. Glynn Davis led off with an infield single, stole second and third bases, and later scored on a Wynston Sawyer sac fly.
Salisbury tied the game with a run in the top of the second before Delmarva moved ahead in the last of the third. John Ruettiger was hit by a pitch to lead the inning and then stole two bases...
SALISBURY, Md. - He may be a first-round draft pick. He has a ton of talent and the scouts rave about him. Orioles fans are expecting nothing less than to see Dylan Bundy in the orange and black one day, dominating American League hitters.
If he is feeling any pressure to live up to all those expectations, Bundy was not letting on yesterday here during the media day for the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds.
"I really don't feel any pressure at all. I just like to go about my business the way I...
SALISBURY, Md. - You had to figure Dylan Bundy might pitch Single-A Delmarva's season opening game and that is exactly what he will do when he takes the mound on Thursday night in Asheville, N.C. for the Shorebirds in his professional debut for the Orioles organization.
There was a lot of speculation about where Bundy would begin his minor league career and he will start right here in Salisbury with the Shorebirds in the South Atlantic League.
"I'm excited to get here and start my career...
SALISBURY, Md. - At the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds media day this afternoon, Birds' manager Ryan Minor said Dylan Bundy will be his opening night starter Thursday at Asheville and is scheduled to pitch three innings in the club's South Atlantic League opener.
The Orioles' first-round pick from last year's draft has pitched sparingly so far in camp and will likely be limited to several outings around three innings or so early in the year with Delmarva.
"I think so," Minor said of the...
Here is a press release from the Delmarva Shorebirds:
Salisbury, Md. - In conjunction with the Baltimore Orioles, the Delmarva Shorebirds are excited to release the "Break Camp Roster" for the 2012 season. Headlining the roster is Dylan Bundy, the Orioles first round selection in 2011, and the top overall prospect in the farm system according to Baseball America. The Shorebirds roster features four of the top ten prospects in the system according to Baseball America; RHP Dylan Bundy (#1),...