Hanser Alberto is putting the finishing touches on a strong season

Hanser Alberto is putting the finishing touches on a strong season
The Orioles' Hanser Alberto began play Wednesday night ranked fourth in the American League and 10th in Major League Baseball batting .316. If only the teams that waived him over the winter knew he was capable of that. Alberto's .407 batting average against left-handed pitchers is the highest in MLB among qualifying hitters. If only those teams knew he would do that. After a winter that started with him playing for Texas, Alberto was claimed via waivers by the Yankees, then by the Orioles,...
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O's game blog: Going for a two-game sweep in Washington

O's game blog: Going for a two-game sweep in Washington
WASHINGTON - The Orioles, after last night's 2-0 win at Nationals Park, go for a two-game series sweep tonight. The Birds have just one four-game winning streak this year and will have a four-game win streak with a victory tonight. The Orioles began this season with an opening day loss at Yankee Stadium and then won four in a row. They have not won four straight since. Tuesday night, Aaron Brooks threw six scoreless innings on two hits and now has allowed just one run in 11 innings his past...
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More on Harvey's wild eighth inning and Mountcastle's MVP

More on Harvey's wild eighth inning and Mountcastle's MVP
WASHINGTON - On a night the Orioles shut out a hot-hitting Washington Nationals team and starter Aaron Brooks did the heavy lifting for six innings, right-hander Hunter Harvey's eighth inning will be the one remembered around Birdland for a while. Pitching in just his fourth big league game, the kid was called on to protect a 2-0 lead on the road in the eighth. And against a team that was 15-4 in its last 19 games scoring 143 runs. Harvey threw a couple of 98 mph fastballs to pinch-hitter...
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Aaron Brooks throws six scoreless as O's blank Nats 2-0 (updated)

Aaron Brooks throws six scoreless as O's blank Nats 2-0 (updated)
WASHINGTON - The Washington Nationals are pushing for a playoff berth. The Orioles are just trying to get better, as individuals and as a team. Tonight, the last-place Orioles pulled off a baseball upset. The Nationals' expensive free agent lefty, Patrick Corbin, threw another strong game. But he was outdueled by an O's right-hander added July 6 on a waiver claim. Aaron Brooks silenced the red-hot Nats bats on two hits over six innings as the Orioles blanked Washington 2-0 in front of 24,746...
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Pregame notes on Mountcastle, Trumbo, Alberto (game update)

Pregame notes on Mountcastle, Trumbo, Alberto (game update)
WASHINGTON - Orioles manager Brandon Hyde added his congratulations today to Triple-A Norfolk's Ryan Mountcastle for winning the International League's MVP honor. What we don't yet know is whether Mountcastle's hot bat will be moving later this year from the International League to the American League. "We want to see our minor league guys do well and we've had a lot of bright spots in the minors this year in our system," said Hyde. "Ryan is one of those. To do that in Triple-A at his...
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Former Tides mates on Mountcastle's award (Alberto update)

Former Tides mates on Mountcastle's award (Alberto update)
WASHINGTON - Triple-A Norfolk's Ryan Mountcastle was named the International League MVP today and the first baseman on the postseason All-Star team. That is welcome news in the Orioles clubhouse, where several players were his teammates this year in Norfolk. Mountcastle hit .308/.340/.528 with 32 doubles, a triple, 25 homers, 79 runs, 80 RBIs and an .869 OPS. He leads the International League in hits (153) and total bases (262), and ranks tied for second in extra-base hits (58), fourth in...
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O's game blog: Orioles, Nationals begin series at Nats Park

O's game blog: Orioles, Nationals begin series at Nats Park
WASHINGTON - The Orioles split two lopsided games with the Washington Nationals last month in Baltimore, and tonight the clubs begin a two-game series at Nationals Park. On July 16, the Nationals scored six runs their last four at-bats and got homers from Juan Soto and Matt Adams in an 8-1 win over the Orioles. The next night, Trey Mancini homered twice, driving in three runs as the Orioles won 9-2 behind a 15-hit attack. The Orioles and Nationals have been meeting since 2006 and the Orioles...
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Surprising Orioles pitching stats plus farm scores and notes

Surprising Orioles pitching stats plus farm scores and notes
There is no doubt about the importance of pitching. The Orioles are 42-88 and a lack of quality pitching has been a big reason for that. But there are a few stats that show us that even a team with a record like the Orioles' won-loss mark can do well when it gets some solid pitching. First, the overall numbers. With a team ERA of 5.84 through Sunday's games, the Orioles ranked 15th and last in the American League and 30th in Major League Baseball. Their rotation ERA of 5.72 ranks 15th in the...
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A look at the future of pitching development for the Orioles

A look at the future of pitching development for the Orioles
The Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds (86-44) have won a lot of games this year as a well-rounded team that can beat you many ways. But pitching has been the constant. They lead the 14-team South Atlantic League in ERA, WHIP and strikeouts. It's success like this at Delmarva, where they have a pitching coach in his first year in the Orioles organization, that the O's brass hopes they can build on. This is the start of producing what general manager Mike Elias has called the "elite talent...
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Villar becomes a 20/20 player as O's beat Tampa Bay

Villar becomes a 20/20 player as O's beat Tampa Bay
Orioles infielder Jonathan Villar became a 20/20 player, right-hander Dylan Bundy got a rare home win and the Orioles offense put up some runs for the second day in a row. The Orioles beat Tampa Bay 8-3 today to split this four-game series and complete a 4-3 homestand. They are 43-88 with four wins the last six games heading into Monday's off-day. Villar's solo homer in the Baltimore fourth was his 20th of the year. Villar, who has 28 steals, became the sixth Oriole to produce 20 or more...
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O's game blog: Dylan Bundy pitches series finale against Rays

O's game blog: Dylan Bundy pitches series finale against Rays
The Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays have exchanged 7-1 results the last two games, with the Orioles winning last night. A Baltimore win today would give the Orioles a 2-2 split in this series and a 4-3 homestand before they play two games in Washington starting Tuesday night. Pedro Severino hit his first career grand slam last night, and Hanser Alberto and Jonathan Villar added back-to-back homers in the O's fourth inning. Severino connected for his slam with two outs in the third inning, producing...
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The Stewart/Mountcastle connection and Villar's shot for 20/20

The Stewart/Mountcastle connection and Villar's shot for 20/20
Current Orioles outfielder DJ Stewart and Ryan Mountcastle, very likely a future Oriole, have played together as teammates in the minor leagues. But they have ties beyond that. Not only were they the O's top two picks in the 2015 draft - Stewart taken No. 25 overall and Mountcastle No. 36 - but both have strong relationships with Jered Goodwin, who was Mountcastle's head coach at Hagerty High School in Florida. He later coached Stewart with the FTB Mizuno premier travel team in Florida....
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Severino with a slam, Means with a gem as O's top Tampa Bay

Severino with a slam, Means with a gem as O's top Tampa Bay
After scoring just three runs in the first two games of this series - and going 0-for-15 with runners in scoring position - the Orioles offense turned to the longball to get it done tonight. The Orioles got three homers, including a grand slam from catcher Pedro Severino, to back a strong John Means outing. They beat Tampa Bay 7-1 after losing the first two in this series. But it took a few innings for the offense to get going. The Orioles spoiled a bases-loaded chance in the first, getting...
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O's game blog: John Means faces Tampa Bay

O's game blog: John Means faces Tampa Bay
The Orioles' John Means (8-9, 3.75 ERA) has shown signs recently of putting together a strong game from start to finish. The Orioles would love to see it happen tonight as they host the Tampa Bay Rays at Camden Yards. Means is 1-5 with a 7.48 ERA in six second-half starts, allowing an opponent OPS of .885. He's allowed seven homers over 27 2/3 innings in this span. The Orioles are 1-5 in those games, losing four in a row. Means was named to the 2019 American League All-Star team on June 30,...
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Jonathan Villar on 20-20 chance: "It would be unbelievable"

Jonathan Villar on 20-20 chance: "It would be unbelievable"
After he homered last night, Orioles infielder Jonathan Villar now needs just two homers to join a select group. Villar has 28 steals to rank third in the American League. If he can hit two more home runs, he'll become the sixth player in Orioles history with 20 or more homers and steals in the same year. "I don't really think too much about that," Villar said this afternoon. "It would be unbelievable to do that. But if I think about hitting homers, I won't hit any homers. I don't want...
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A recognition of some very good people leaving the Orioles

A recognition of some very good people leaving the Orioles
The news that came out yesterday that the Orioles had severed ties with 11 members of their scouting and front office staffs was perhaps inevitable. New general manager Mike Elias has to be able to bring in his own people and set up his staff however he sees fit. He didn't get his job until last November so he inherited much of his staff and of course there was going to be some turnover. That doesn't mean change is easy though. According to MASNSports.com, among those let go were director of...
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Tampa Bay uses early big inning to beat the Birds

Tampa Bay uses early big inning to beat the Birds
Sometimes when you get down by a touchdown early, there is plenty of time to get back in the game. But the Orioles couldn't do it tonight in a 7-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. Lefty Ty Blach, making his third start for Baltimore, gave up six hits and sevens runs in the second inning and the Orioles couldn't dig out of the big early hole. The Orioles (42-87) are 2-3 on this homestand and have lost 10 of 12 and 15 of their last 18 games. After winning a series against Kansas City, the best they...
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O's game blog: Ty Blach faces Tampa Bay

O's game blog: Ty Blach faces Tampa Bay
After last night's rain-delayed loss by the Orioles to the Tampa Bay Rays, the Birds host the Rays tonight in the second game of this four-game series, which continues through the weekend. The Orioles (41-87) are 2-2 so far on this seven-game homestand, which began Monday. They have lost nine of their last 11 and 14 of 17 games and are 20-45 at home. O's starters have recorded just three quality starts in the past 25 games with a 7.30 ERA in that span. The O's Hanser Alberto ranks fourth in...
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DJ Stewart is trying to get his bat heated up again

DJ Stewart is trying to get his bat heated up again
Orioles outfielder DJ Stewart said one thing he cannot do the rest of this season is try to make up for lost time. He's had two stints on the injured list with a right ankle injury and concussion since he made his O's debut this year on May 28. That first call-up followed his torrid May for Triple-A Norfolk. He hit .457/.518/.886 in 20 games. But about a week later with the Orioles he was injured and didn't get another big league at-bat for about two months. Now he's trying to recapture his...
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Nice first impression: Adley Rutschman settles in at Delmarva

Nice first impression: Adley Rutschman settles in at Delmarva
SALISBURY, Md. - Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds manager Kyle Moore wasn't quite sure what to expect. He knew his first-place team would be adding a major talent when they got catcher Adley Rutschman this week. The hype and attention that has followed the player taken No. 1 overall in the June draft was now headed for the shore. "There was a little bit of holding your breath, like how is this going to go?" Moore said before Thursday's game. "But when you're getting a player like Adley, he...
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