The O's road woes and a take on Britton

The O's road woes and a take on Britton
The Orioles return home tonight to host Toronto after ending another losing and frustrating road trip. The Orioles won the first game of the three different series on the trip, then lost the other seven games to go 3-7 in Toronto, New York and Kansas City. Some other notes on the trip: *The Orioles scored 12 runs in the first game of the series at Toronto, then just five runs total over the next two games. They scored four in the first game at New York, then just eight over the next three...
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Britton's bounce-back game (updated)

Britton's bounce-back game (updated)
In his first two major league starts, Orioles pitcher Zach Britton allowed just one earned run and seven hits over 13 2/3 innings. In his last two major league starts, Britton has allowed 13 earned runs (17 overall) on 13 hits in one inning. You could have gotten plenty of people to laugh at you if you had said before the season that Britton would give up 17 runs in an inning. No, it wasn't in one appearance, but it was still 17 runs in an inning. It has been a stunning fall in these last...
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Orioles may be making some progress with second-round pick

Orioles may be making some progress with second-round pick
The Orioles may be making some progress in talks with their second-round draft pick, Vanderbilt third baseman Jason Esposito. "We have had some productive, healthy dialogue in the last few days," Orioles scouting director Joe Jordan said this morning. "I think he wants to go play. The club has been real clear where we are at with this one." Jordan has said a few times he thought Esposito would be signed by now and already playing somewhere on the O's farm, but that has not...
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It's certainly not all bad on the O's farm right now

It's certainly not all bad on the O's farm right now
As most of you know, I cover and write plenty of blogs and stories on the Orioles minor leagues. Like the fans, I too wish the farm system was producing more talent for the big league team. A lot of fans are questioning how the Orioles are doing business in their player development system. I wish I had all the answers or even could point to a key area or facet of the system and say, this is where the Orioles need to do a better job. But it's a pretty complex issue for any organization to...
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A closer look at LJ Hoes' breakout season at Double-A and recent power surge

A closer look at LJ Hoes' breakout season at Double-A and recent power surge
At a time when the Orioles organization is getting constant criticism from fans questioning the Orioles' player development operation, there is a young man at Double-A Bowie getting better right before our eyes. LJ Hoes, the Orioles' 21-year-old, third-round pick out of Washington's St. John's High School in 2008 who was signed by scout Dean Albany, is putting up impressive numbers for the team and suddenly has added some power to his game. After hitting .241 in 41 games at Single-A...
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Guthrie not able to win back-to-back starts, O's lose 6-2

Guthrie not able to win back-to-back starts, O's lose 6-2
Update: Billy Butler hit a three-run homer in the last of the seventh and Alcides Escobar added a two-run triple as Kansas City beat the Orioles 6-2 to even the three-game series at a win each. Jeremy Guthrie gave up six runs over seven innings to fall to 5-14 with an ERA of 4.34. Vlad Guerrero and J.J. Hardy drove in runs for the Orioles who fall to 3-6 on this road trip and 43-64 on the season. For the first time in a few weeks, Jeremy Guthrie takes the mound tonight without trade...
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Orioles come to terms with Eyre and Ruettiger

Orioles come to terms with Eyre and Ruettiger
The Orioles today agreed to terms with pitcher Willie Eyre, who is going to be assigned to Triple-A Norfolk after he passes a physical and they have come to terms with Arizona State outfielder Johnny Ruettiger, their eighth-round draft pick. Eyre has pitched in the majors with Minnesota and Texas. This year, the 33-year-old right-hander has been with Sacramento of the Pacific Coast League, going 4-5 with a 3.48 ERA in 39 games with nine saves in 11 chances. In 62 innings, he allowed 63 hits...
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A couple of offensive notes on Reynolds, Adams and Wieters

A couple of offensive notes on Reynolds, Adams and Wieters
Here are a few notes about some Orioles and their recent performance at the bat. * Mark Reynolds drove in a season-high five runs in the Orioles 8-2 win last night. Reynolds had four RBIs total over his previous 11 games and was just 6-for-38 in those 11 games, but he had three hits last night. After going through a stretch where he hit just one homer over 19 games, Reynolds has now hit three homers in his past five games. He had 23 homers at the end of July. Last year, he had 24 at the end...
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Jim Callis: Bauer's deal does not impact Bundy negotiations

Jim Callis: Bauer's deal does not impact Bundy negotiations
Now that the third player taken in the June First-Year Player Draft, UCLA right-handed pitcher Trevor Bauer, has agreed to a contract with Arizona, some are wondering if his deal will serve as a guideline for the Orioles in their contract negotiations with top pick Dylan Bundy, who was taken fourth overall, one spot after Bauer. Bauer got a four-year, major league contract from the Diamondbacks that could be potentially worth more than $7 million, according to Baseball America. He is...
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Updates on Schrader, Hobgood and Bundy

Updates on Schrader, Hobgood and Bundy
At this point, the news is good on Orioles minor league pitcher Clayton Schrader. While he was placed on the Single-A Frederick Keys disabled list today due to elbow discomfort, he could return to pitch in the minors before this season ends. Schrader has what is called a flexor mass strain and has gone on the minor league DL, retroactive to Sunday. No MRI is planned on his elbow. Schrader has posted some very strong numbers on the farm this year. The right-hander, the Orioles' 10th-round...
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The Orioles' talks with top draft pick Dylan Bundy began today

The Orioles' talks with top draft pick Dylan Bundy began today
No dollar figures were exchanged, but the Orioles have begun the process they hope will lead to them signing high school pitcher Dylan Bundy, their first-round draft pick taken fourth overall in June, with a meeting today in Lakeland, Fla. At the East Coast Scouts showcase, Orioles scouting director Joe Jordan met with Denver Bundy, Dylan's father and also part of his representation. Denver works for B.B.I. Sports Group, which represents his son. "It went really good," Denver Bundy said of...
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Pitcher Randy Henry moves to Frederick

Pitcher Randy Henry moves to Frederick
Right-handed pitcher Randy Henry, the Orioles' fourth-round draft pick in 2009 out of South Mountain Junior College in Arizona, is being promoted from Single-A Delmarva to Single-A Frederick. Righty Scott Copeland is also going from Delmarva to Frederick while the Shorebirds are activating pitcher Josh Dowdy off the disabled list and get right-hander Jake Cowan from Aberdeen. Pitcher Tyler Wilson, the Orioles' 10th-round pick from this June out of the University of Virginia, is moving from...
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Zach Britton on the radio: "Right now, it's confidence for me"

Zach Britton on the radio: "Right now, it's confidence for me"
They were two outings 22 days apart, but in back-to-back big league starts at Boston and New York, Orioles rookie Zach Britton got knocked out twice in the first inning. Over those two starts, the second of which was Saturday night at Yankee Stadium, Britton pitched a combined one inning giving up 13 hits, 17 runs with 13 earned and threw 85 pitches. Opponent batters went 13-for-17 against him in the outings and his ERA rose from 3.47 to 4.56. Britton became the first pitcher in major league...
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Did I jinx Greg Miclat? My bad, plus other minor league news & notes

Did I jinx Greg Miclat? My bad, plus other minor league news & notes
I may owe Double-A Bowie second baseman Greg Miclat an apology. I think I jinxed him. I recently wrote about Miclat's amazing run stealing bases this year, where he had stolen 35 bases in 35 attempts. Well, in game two of a doubleheader Friday at New Britain, Miclat's run ended at 36-for-36 steals. In the sixth inning, he was picked off first and caught stealing for the first time all year. His 36 steals leads all O's minor leaguers and ranks second in the Eastern League. As Buck would...
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MacPhail on the trades he made and some he didn't

MacPhail on the trades he made and some he didn't
Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail spoke by conference call with reporters about the trade deadline yesterday evening. He indicated he got plenty of calls about Jeremy Guthrie, but needed pitching back to part with the right-hander. He also revealed that a player like Adam Jones could have brought a good haul in return, but he was not willing to part with Jones right now. Here is a transcript of some of his comments. What was Sunday and the deadline like for you, was...
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Bobby Bundy will move to Double-A Bowie for his next start

Bobby Bundy will move to Double-A Bowie for his next start
Right-handed pitcher Bobby Bundy, who has been one of the best starters in the Orioles minor leagues this year, will be promoted to Bowie soon and make his next start for the Double-A Baysox. The 21-year-old Bundy, the Orioles' eighth-round pick in 2008, is 11-5 with a 2.75 ERA over 20 starts at Single-A Frederick. In 121 innings, he allowed 102 hits with 31 walks, 100 strikeouts and a .230 batting average against. Over his last three starts for Frederick, Bundy has allowed just one earned...
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Orioles lose series finale at New York, fall to 1-9 against the Yankees

Orioles lose series finale at New York, fall to 1-9 against the Yankees
For the second time in a row on this road trip, the Orioles won the first game of a series, but then lost the rest. The Orioles went 1-2 at Toronto and won Friday at New York behind Jeremy Guthrie. But they lost the final three games at Yankee Stadium with the series ending today as New York beat the Orioles 4-2. The Orioles were out-scored 29-8 in the last three games. Today, Jake Arrieta gave up four runs in the fourth after blanking New York for three innings. That inning started with a...
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A couple of words about Mike Ballard and Pedro Viola

A couple of words about Mike Ballard and Pedro Viola
The Orioles' ever-changing roster changed again today. As for the pitching staff, as Jason Berken got optioned out, Mike Ballard joined the team and Pedro Viola rejoined the team. I recently wrote about how Ballard's pitching had been a big part of Bowie's recent winning ways and talked with Baysox pitching coach Kennie Steenstra about his. Ballard, a 27-year-old lefty, began the season with Triple-A Norfolk and moved to Bowie in early June. Ballard was 6-1 with a 2.88 ERA for the Baysox....
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Busy Saturday: Two losses, two trades for the Orioles

Busy Saturday: Two losses, two trades for the Orioles
On a day they gave up 25 runs, 35 hits, 12 runs in one inning and lost a doubleheader, I guess it wasn't all bad on Saturday for the Orioles. Most fans seem excited about the acquisitions the Orioles got from Texas for Koji Uehara in Chris Davis and Tommy Hunter. No, they are not stars and no one knows if they will prove to be answers to some of this organization's many questions, but I don't see how anyone can find much fault with the deal. This being a public forum, some of you have....
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Jim Duquette: Some scouts amazed at the haul the Orioles brought back in Uehara deal

Jim Duquette: Some scouts amazed at the haul the Orioles brought back in Uehara deal
Jim Duquette is a pretty well-respected guy in baseball circles. The former Orioles vice president of baseball operations from late 2005 through 2007 said the Orioles got very good value in return from Texas for Koji Uehara with the acquisitions of Chris Davis and Tommy Hunter. "I think the value is great," Duquette said. "I was surprised. I have called a couple of scouts in the industry checking on what they are hearing (about deadline deals) and it was three different scouts I spoke with...
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