A quick update on the Orioles draft situation

A quick update on the Orioles draft situation
Here are a couple things we've heard about the Orioles chances to sign more of their draft picks over the last 24 hours. The deadline to sign picks is midnight on Monday and it appears that negotiations with O's top pick Dylan Bundy are likely to go into tomorrow and perhaps down to those final hours. Orioles officials remain confident a deal with Bundy will get done. They reportedly spoke to his advisers yesterday. Sources say talks between Orioles scouting director Joe Jordan and...
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The O's pitching rotation is struggling again

The O's pitching rotation is struggling again
At a time when the Orioles rotation is currently without Brian Matusz, Zach Britton and Jake Arrieta and Jeremy Guthrie's ERA is 7.32 over his past three starts, the starters are, not too surprisingly, struggling right now. They are struggling big time. Guthrie gave up six runs over 5 2/3 last night after Chris Tillman allowed six runs in 2 2/3 on Friday in game one of the Detroit series. Here are some numbers on the rotation recently: * No quality starts in the last seven games with an...
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It appears Baker is Bowie-bound (updated)

It appears Baker is Bowie-bound (updated)
First baseman his Twitter page. Since joining the Orioles, Baker has played with the Single-A Frederick Keys. In 12 games, he went 17-for-44, batting .386 with three doubles, two homers, 9 RBIs and a 1.063 OPS. He had six multi-hit games and went 11-for-21 (.524) against left-handed pitching. The lefty hitter, who turns 24 September 10, earlier posted solid numbers for the Pirates with Bradenton of the Florida State League. There he hit .282 with 21 doubles, 15 homers, 73 RBIs and an OPS of...
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Ripken Series begins and Youse's Orioles end with another title

Ripken Series begins and Youse's Orioles end with another title
The 12th annual Cal Ripken World Series has begun at the Ripken Academy in Aberdeen. The Series features ten teams from the United States along with squads from Canada, the Dominican Republic, the Republic of Korea, Australia, Mexico and Japan. The U.S teams include the Maryland State champs from Charles County and the Harford County champs from Bel Air, Md. The CRWS, which will be played from Aug. 13-21, is the culminating tournament of the Babe Ruth League's 12 and Under Cal Ripken...
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Guthrie on the loss and Davis on the homer

Guthrie on the loss and Davis on the homer
In the quiet of the Orioles' clubhouse after another one-run loss on this homestand - the club's fifth since last Friday - Jeremy Guthrie talked about Detroit's five-run rally against him in the sixth inning tonight. "I kept making the pitches that we were trying to do, but they were able to put some good swings on it and were able to string together a good rally," Guthrie said as Detroit scored five after there were two outs and none on. "I thought a portion of them (his pitches then)...
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Guthrie can't hold lead as Detroit tops the Orioles 6-5

Guthrie can't hold lead as Detroit tops the Orioles 6-5
For a while tonight, it looked like the Orioles had this game well in hand. Jeremy Guthrie went to the mound in the top of the sixth working with a 5-1 lead on Detroit. After needing just 58 pitches to get through five innings, Guthrie quickly recorded two quick outs on ground balls to start the sixth. He looked to be coasting, but suddenly the Tigers produced a double, two-run homer, single, single, RBI double and two-run single and Guthrie was walking off the mound at Camden Yards trailing...
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Dialing long distance: O's get five early runs with the longball

Dialing long distance: O's get five early runs with the longball
The Orioles have once again put the longball to good use, getting a two-run homer from Vlad Guerrero and a three-run shot from Blake Davis to take a 5-0 lead on the Tigers tonight at Camden Yards. It's now a 5-1 O's lead in the fourth. Guerrero's homer was his 10th of the season and ended an 11-game homerless run for him. Davis' homer to left just made it into the seats and was reviewed by the umpires. Before the game, Davis had told me sometimes he has a tendency for his bat to drag a...
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Bordick and Bancells set to enter O's Hall of Fame (with Buck audio)

Bordick and Bancells set to enter O's Hall of Fame (with Buck audio)
The latest class of the Orioles Hall of Fame will be inducted here tonight in a pregame ceremony at Camden Yards as Mike Bordick and Richie Bancells join a list that includes Cal Ripken Sr. and Jr., Brooks and Frank Robinson, Jim Palmer and 58 others. Bordick played with the Orioles from 1996 to 2000 and again in 2001 and 2002. His .987 fielding percentage is the best ever by an O's shortstop. He now works for the Orioles as a minor league instructor. Here is what Buck Showalter said about...
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After several games on the bench, Blake Davis gets a start tonight

After several games on the bench, Blake Davis gets a start tonight
Even though it's been awhile, Blake Davis still probably remembers where second base is located. After making just one start over the last 13 games, Davis is in tonight's starting lineup here against Detroit. He'll bat ninth at second base. He's been trying to stay sharp with his pregame work after getting just six at-bats since July 30. "Just staying in a routine every day," Davis said. "Taking ground balls and hitting in the cage. In between innings, I stay loose and hit some in the...
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Orioles are set to move their third and fourth-round picks to Single-A Delmarva

Orioles are set to move their third and fourth-round picks to Single-A Delmarva
The Orioles are expected to move pitchers Mike Wright and Kyle Simon, this year's third and fourth-round draft picks, today from short-season Single-A Aberdeen to Single-A Delmarva. Wright, taken in round three out of East Carolina, was 2-1 with an ERA of 3.77 over seven starts for Aberdeen. In 31 innings, he has given up 29 hits with six walks and 29 strikeouts. Over his last three IronBirds' starts, Wright allowed just two earned runs over 16 innings. He also has a 2.33 ground to air out...
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The big three: Will the Orioles sign Bundy, Esposito and Delmonico?

The big three: Will the Orioles sign Bundy, Esposito and Delmonico?
So now we are two days away from the deadline day to sign 2011 draft picks. The Orioles have three main targets to try to get signed. They are first-round pick Dylan Bundy, the Oklahoma high school pitcher, along with second-round selection, Vanderbilt third baseman Jason Esposito and sixth-round pick, high school third baseman Nicky Delmonico. In recent days I had a feeling the Orioles would get Bundy and one of either Esposito or Delmonico. Now, I sense the Orioles have a good shot to get...
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Once again, the O's are in need of a good starting pitching performance

Once again, the O's are in need of a good starting pitching performance
Alfredo Simon did not get his start tonight off to a promising start. The right-hander gave up single runs in the first two innings against Detroit on five singles and two walks. Simon enters with a record of 3-5 and 4.08 ERA and has never made a start against Detroit. The Orioles are once again in need of a good starting pitching performance. Chris Tillman went just 2 2/3 last night and O's starters pitched just 13 1/3 innings in the four-game series with Chicago, allowing 20 hits and 14...
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Guerrero and Reynolds look to get offense going as Detroit hits town

Guerrero and Reynolds look to get offense going as Detroit hits town
The only times this year that Vlad Guerrero did not bat fourth for the Orioles were when he pinch hit in interleague games in the ninth spot in the batting order and on July 24 when he played for Double-A Bowie and batted second in the order. Tonight, Guerrero will bat fifth after Adam Jones and before Mark Reynolds, as he tries to snap a 1-for-22 slump over his last six games that has seen his average drop from .285 to .271. He has gone seven games without an RBI. Meanwhile, Reynolds, who...
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The newest Orioles pitcher quickly makes his way to Baltimore

The newest Orioles pitcher quickly makes his way to Baltimore
The newest Orioles pitcher checked into the clubhouse today. Right-hander Willie Eyre is back in the big leagues for the first time since he pitched in 17 games for Texas in 2009. "It's been a long way to get back up," Eyre said. "I've thrown the ball well over the last year and a half or so. It's exciting." The 33-year-old Eyre recently opted out of his contract and left the Oakland organization where he pitched this year at Triple-A Sacramento for the River Cats. He was signed Aug. 3...
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Berry defends Rice program and its use of pitchers

Berry defends Rice program and its use of pitchers
Earlier today, I wrote about pitcher Ryan Berry and his comeback from right shoulder tendinitis that is continuing now with the short-season Single-A Aberdeen IronBirds. Berry had some shoulder issues in college and was limited to 81 2/3 innings in 2009 as a junior when he was one of the top pitchers in college baseball, going 7-2 for Rice with an ERA of 2.42. That June the Orioles selected him in round nine of the draft. "I had some tendinitis and actually my junior year missed about six...
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The comeback trail: 2009 pick Ryan Berry is working his way back with Aberdeen

The comeback trail: 2009 pick Ryan Berry is working his way back with Aberdeen
Ryan Berry was looking forward to the 2011 season. The right-hander went 2-2 with a 3.04 ERA in 17 games last year at Single-A Frederick and it was likely he would have started off this season in the pitching rotation at Double-A Bowie. But he never made it there. The Orioles' ninth-round pick out of Rice from the 2009 draft got sidetracked by shoulder tendinitis in the spring. "Last year, I threw 117 innings and I felt fine," Berry said recently at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen. "I took...
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Tillman on his rocky outing and Markakis on a milestone homer

Tillman on his rocky outing and Markakis on a milestone homer
His night began when he gave up four runs to the game's first five hitters and ended with his being optioned back to Triple-A Norfolk. It could have gone better here this evening for Orioles' right-hander Chris Tillman, who gave up six runs and eight hits in just 2 2/3 in a 6-3 loss to Chicago. "I felt fine. It is frustrating," Tillman said quietly in the Orioles clubhouse. "I wasn't necessarily making bad pitches, but they got way too comfortable early. They were diving over the plate...
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Tillman rocked early as Sox top O's, 6-3

Tillman rocked early as Sox top O's, 6-3
Coming off a start against Toronto where he gave up just two runs over seven innings, Chris Tillman hoped to build on that tonight against Chicago. Four batters into the game he allowed more runs - three - than he had in that last start. The first five Chisox hitters reached against Tillman, on a single, homer and three doubles, as he got rocked while giving up four first-inning runs. Tillman gave up six runs (all earned) and eight hits over just 2 2/3 as Chicago beat the Orioles 6-3 in front...
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Dan Klein still having discomfort throwing

Dan Klein still having discomfort throwing
Orioles minor league pitcher Dan Klein tried to throw twice recently and is still having discomfort with his right shoulder. He is going to head back to see Los Angeles Angels physician, Dr. Lewis Yocum on Monday. Klein has a SLAP tear in his right labrum and the Orioles third-round draft pick in 2010 out of UCLA has not pitched since June first for Bowie. The 23-year-old right-hander began this year at Single-A Frederick and went 0-1 with a 1.15 ERA in seven games over 15 2/3 innings. After...
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Could be another losing series for the Orioles

Could be another losing series for the Orioles
We already knew the Orioles would not win this series against Chicago, after they had lost the first two games of a four-game series. Now that they are trailing 6-3 in the fifth, they have an uphill battle to even tie this series. A loss tonight would mean the Orioles will have lost 10 of their last 11 series and split one other, since taking two of three from the Reds June 24-26. They split four games coming out of the All-Star break here against Cleveland, but would have lost every other...
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