Andy MacPhail's comments on the Huff trade

Andy MacPhail's comments on the Huff trade
Here are some comments from O's team president Andy MacPhail on the Aubrey Huff trade. "This has more to do with the status that he is going to be a free agent in six weeks. There are a couple of benefits to this including sending the player to a first-place team. "From a self-interest standpoint, this is probably a time when you can get a prospect from a club because a game or two might make all the difference to them. The Tigers have plenty of good arms, relievers that are...
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Tonight's pitchers: Hernandez vs. Santana

Tonight's pitchers:  Hernandez vs. Santana
RHP David Hernandez (4-4, 3.81) tonight makes his 11th start of this season, his 5th at home and his 2nd this year vs. Los Angeles. He is coming off of a win on Tuesday vs. Oakland. He gave up six hits and two runs in 6 2/3 innings, throwing 106 pitches. Over his last six starts, Hernandez is 2-2, 3.55. He has recorded five quality starts on the year and all five have come over his last seven starts. In four home starts, Hernandez is 2-2, 3.22. Right-handed batters are hitting .287 off...
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Matt Albers talks about his struggles

Matt Albers talks about his struggles
The pitcher's mound had to be a lonely place for Matt Albers in the top of the 13th inning on Sunday. Not only did he let in some inherited runs, but he gave up five of his own over just one inning. Earlier this year, Albers had a stretch where he did not allow an earned run in 17 of 21 appearances. His ERA was 2.12 during the stretch. But now he has been hit for 17ER over six innings over his last seven appearances. "I had a good talk with Rick Kranitz and went over a few things,"...
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Guerrero goes deep twice as Angels top O's

Guerrero goes deep twice as Angels top O's
Vladimir Guerrero, struggling to hit homers earlier in the season, hit two tonight leading the LA Angels to an 8-5 win over the Orioles as the Angels won the final three games of the four-game series. After Maicer Izturis hit a solo homer to give LA a 3-2 lead in the 6th, Guerrero hit a two-run shot two batters later for a 5-2 lead. In inning later, he hit a three-run shot. It was Guerrero's 9th and 10th homers of the season and this is his 38th career multi-homer game. Losing pitcher...
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Post-game Notes: Angels take series finale

Post-game Notes:  Angels take series finale
The Orioles ended this homestand with two wins in seven games vs. Oakland and Los Angeles. They are now 30-31 at home on the year and 48-70 overall. Nick Markakis went 2 for 4 with a double, homer and two RBI. He now has 84 RBI. Markakis extended his current hitting streak to ten games. During the streak, he is batting .378 (17 for 45) with two homers and 8 RBI. For Markakis, 21 of his last 37 hits have gone for extra bases. He has now reached base in 37 consecutive games - the longest...
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Series preview: O's at Tampa

Series preview:  O's at Tampa
Game Preview Orioles (48-70) at Tampa Bay (63-54) After winning just two of seven games on a homestand that ended with Monday's loss to the Angels, the Orioles begin a nine-game road trip tonight at Tampa Bay. After three games with the Rays, the road trip takes to the Orioles on to Chicago and Minnesota. The O's are just 18-39 on the road this season and are just 3-18 on the road vs. the AL East. Series Pitching Matchups; Mon, 7:08p - Jason Berken (2-10, 6.63) v. David Price (5-5,...
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Tonight's pitchers: Berken vs. Price

Tonight's pitchers:  Berken vs. Price
RHP Jason Berken (2-10, 6.63) tonight makes his 16th Major League start of the year, his 7th on the road and the 1st of his career vs. Tampa Bay. Two starts ago, Berken gave up three runs in six innings vs. Toronto to get his second victory. In his last start, Wednesday vs. Oakland, he took his 10th loss. Berken gave up eight hits and four runs over five innings. In six starts since the All-Star game, he is 1-4, 7.85. Right-handed hitters hit .308 off Berken while lefties bat .319. He...
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Rays use longball to edge O's, 5-4

Rays use longball to edge O's, 5-4
The Tampa Bay Rays hit three homers and beat the Orioles 5-4 Tuesday night. For the Birds, it was game one of a nine-game road trip. Gabe Gross hit a two-run shot in the 3rd and Pat Burrell and B.J. Upton hit solo shots in the 6th as the Rays won their third in a row. O's pitchers have allowed nine homers over the last three games. Jason Berken gave up all three homers and took the loss, falling to 2-11, 6.72. Berken gave up five runs and 11 hits over 5 2/3 innings. Matt Wieters hit a...
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Post-game Notes: Rays take series opener

Post-game Notes:  Rays take series opener
The O's began their nine-game road trip with a one-run loss at Tampa. The Birds are now 12-16 in one-run games and have lost seven of their last eight one-run decisions. Matt with a longball - Matt Wieters two-run homer in the 8th was his 4th of the season. He has hit two solo shots and a pair of two-run homers. It was his first homer since July 5th, Wieters had gone 28 games without a longball. Gary and Buck talk with Dave Trembley after the O's 5-4 loss to the Rays Nick Markakis...
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Wednesday baseball: O's at Tampa

Wednesday baseball:  O's at Tampa
Game Preview Orioles (48-71) at Tampa Bay (64-54) Orioles pitchers have been giving up the longball a lot in recent games and Tampa Bay hit three homers to beat the Orioles Tuesday night, 5-4, in the opener of a three-game series. Tonight, in game two of this series at 7:08 p.m. at Tropicana Field, Chris Tillman (1-0, 4.88) pitches for the Orioles vs. Jeff Niemann (10-5, 3.86). O's pitchers have given up nine homers the last three games and 34 in the last 21 games. The Orioles have...
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Tonight's pitchers: Tillman vs. Niemann

Tonight's pitchers:  Tillman vs. Niemann
RHP Chris Tillman (1-0, 4.88) tonight makes his 5th Major League start of this season, his 3rd on the road and the 1st of his career vs. Tampa. Tillman's first two starts: 6.75 ERA (8ER in 10 2/3IP) Tillman's last two starts: 3.38 ERA (5ER in 13 1/3IP) Right-handed batters are hitting .327 off Tillman while lefties are batting just .214. The O's are 2-2 in his four starts. Tillman has allowed nine of his 13 runs in the first two innings of his starts. In two road starts, he is 0-0,...
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Tillman's poise

Tillman's poise
Chris Tillman showed some big-time poise in the bottom of the first inning tonight. Meanwhile, home plate umpire Mark Wegner is sure missing a good game, at least missing some good Tillman pitches. I give the 21-year-old right hander immense credit for keeping his poise while Wegner was missing pitches and forcing Tillman to work to the max to get out of a bases-loaded jam. But he was forced to throw 31 pitches. Will that catch up to him in the second inning tonight? Maybe the 5th or...
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Another solid Tillman outing

Another solid Tillman outing
Chris Tillman gave up just three runs, all on solo homers, in six innings plus tonight at Tampa. He leaves trailing 3-0 and might absorb his first Major League loss. But he pitched very well in this game and maybe had his best curveball of any of his five O's outings. Tillman tonight: 6IP, 7H, 3R-ER, 2B, 3K.....101 pitches. I thought he might not come out for the seventh inning, but I kind of liked the fact that he did, despite throwing 100 pitches through six. Dave Trembley showed...
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Rays use three homers to top O's, 3-1

Rays use three homers to top O's, 3-1
Chris Tillman allowed three solo homers and took his first Major League loss as Tampa Bay beat the Birds 3-1 Wednesday night to take the first two games of this series. Pat Burrell homered in the 4th, Ben Zobrist in the 6th and B.J. Upton took Tillman deep leading off the 7th. Tillman, now 1-1, 4.80, gave up seven hits and three runs over six innings. He threw 101 pitches and his ERA over his last three starts is 3.72. Jim and Buck interview Dave Trembley after the O's 3-1 loss to the...
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Post-game Notes: Tillman takes first ML loss

Post-game Notes:  Tillman takes first ML loss
O's pitching has been hampered by the longball all year, especially in the last few games. Chris Tillman allowed three solo homers tonight and the O's have allowed six homers in two games in this series. The Birds have allowed 12 homers over the last four games and 37 in the last 22 games. Tillman time - Tillman, now 1-1, 4.80 through five Major League starts, gave up three runs and seven his over six innings. He walked two and fanned three, throwing 101 pitches. Still, Tillman has...
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Thursday preview: O's at Tampa

Thursday preview:  O's at Tampa
Game Preview Orioles (48-72) at Tampa Bay (65-54) The Orioles have yet to win a series since the All-Star break. They won't win this one either as they have lost the first two games of a three-game set at Tampa Bay. Tonight, the clubs meet at 7:08 p.m. as the Orioles look to get one win in this series. Lefty Brian Matusz (1-2, 6.75) will pitch vs. the Rays James Shields (7-9, 3.88). The Orioles have lost 5-4 and 3-1 games in this series. Tampa hit three solo homers Wednesday night to...
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Tonight's pitchers: Matusz vs. Shields

Tonight's pitchers:  Matusz vs. Shields
LHP Brian Matusz (1-2, 6.75) tonight makes his 4th Major League start of this season, his 3rd on the road and the 1st of his career vs. Tampa. In his Major League debut, August 4th at Detroit, Matusz got a win, giving up just one run over five innings. Over his last two starts vs. Toronto and Los Angeles, he has given up 9ER and 18 hits over 8 1/3 innings. The Orioles are 1-2 in his starts. Right-handed batters are hitting .436 vs. Matusz in those starts with 24 hits in 55 at bats. ...
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Noting B-Rob Slams

Noting B-Rob Slams
Brian Roberts hit a Grand Slam in the 6th tonight to break a 1-1 tie and give the Orioles a 5-1 lead at Tampa. It's his 12th homer of the year, his 2nd in two nights and his 4th career Grand Slam. Roberts career Grand Slams: 5-22-03 at Anaheim off Troy Percival 5-28-03 v. Anaheim off Ramon Ortiz 6-20-04 at Colorado of Shawn Chacon 8-20-09 at TB off Lance Cormier Roberts is 2 for 4 in tonight's game, extending his batting streak to 10 games. He is hitting .391 (18 for 46) during his...
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Roberts' Slam leads O's past Tampa, 8-7

Roberts' Slam leads O's past Tampa, 8-7
The Orioles produced seven runs on two swings as Brian Roberts hit a Grand Slam and Nolan Reimold a three-run shot in Thursday's 8-7 win over Tampa. The O's avoided the series sweep and ended a five-game losing streak. Roberts hit his fourth career Slam off Lance Cormier in the 6th to break a 1-1 tie. An inning later, after Tampa cut the 5-1 lead to 5-4, Reimold delivered his three-run shot. It was Reimold's first homer since July 31st vs. Boston He had hit just one over his last 41...
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Post-game Notes: Roberts, Reimold lead O's to win

Post-game Notes:  Roberts, Reimold lead O's to win
A B-Rob blast - Brian Roberts turned a 1-1 tie into a 5-1 Orioles lead when he hit a Grand Slam off Lance Cormier in the 6th inning. Cormier had just entered the game in relief of starter James Shields. It was Roberts' fourth career Grand Slam and first in over five years. Roberts has hit two homers in two games and three over his last five games. Roberts career Slams: 5-22-03 at Anaheim off Troy Percival 5-28-03 v. Anaheim off Ramon Ortiz 6-20-04 at Colorado off Shawn Chacon 8-20-09 at...
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