Kevin Gausman on his outing, the rotation (plus other clubhouse quotes)

Kevin Gausman on his outing, the rotation (plus other clubhouse quotes)
For a team and a fanbase waiting for good starting pitching, two Orioles first-round draft picks have delivered the last two nights. The Cleveland Indians came to Baltimore with the best record in the American League, but have lost back-to-back games, scoring three combined runs. Dylan Bundy allowed one unearned run over five innings last night and right-hander Kevin Gausman tonight pitched seven scoreless innings on four hits in the Orioles' 5-2 win. Cleveland didn't score until there were...
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Kevin Gausman throws seven scoreless as O's top Tribe 5-2

Kevin Gausman throws seven scoreless as O's top Tribe 5-2
If the Orioles' starting pitchers are pushing to elevate their game in the season's second half, tonight's game was another significant step. Right-hander Kevin Gausman delivered his third scoreless outing of the season, pitching seven strong innings as the Orioles beat the Cleveland Indians 5-2 in front of 31,946 at Camden Yards. Gausman allowed four hits with three walks and seven strikeouts, throwing a career-high 116 pitches. He picked up just his second win to go to 2-7 with an ERA of...
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O's game blog: Kevin Gausman on the mound in Game 2 against Tribe

O's game blog: Kevin Gausman on the mound in Game 2 against Tribe
The Orioles are 3-1 this season against the American League Central-leading Indians and 17-6 against teams from that division. They try to add to both totals tonight in the second game of the series at Camden Yards. Mark Trumbo hit a three-run homer and Manny Machado added a solo blast in last night's 5-1 win at Oriole Park. Dylan Bundy allowed one unearned run over five innings in his second big league start. When Boston lost last night, the Orioles move back into first place in the AL East....
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Dan Duquette defends farm during State of the O's address

Dan Duquette defends farm during State of the O's address
Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter met with season ticket holders today at Camden Yards. It was their annual "State of the Orioles" address. There were a few questions about the Orioles' minor league system, during which time Duquette defended the O's farm. One woman asked this: "When will the Orioles farm system come into the 21st century?" When asked exactly what she meant by that, the woman said it was something she...
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After Bowie rehab game, Darren O'Day feels ready to return to Orioles

After Bowie rehab game, Darren O'Day feels ready to return to Orioles
It has been more than a month since reliever Darren O'Day has pitched for the Orioles, but his wait to return to the active roster is now potentially down to to hours. O'Day could return as soon as tomorrow. After his rehab outing last night for Double-A Bowie, he feels ready to rejoin the team. On the disabled list since June 3 with a right hamstring strain, O'Day started and pitched the first inning last night for the Baysox against Erie. He allowed one single in a scoreless inning with...
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Dylan Bundy's long road back leads to first win as a starter (plus trade talk)

Dylan Bundy's long road back leads to first win as a starter (plus trade talk)
I can remember a time when we wondered if Dylan Bundy would be treated like a Rule 5 draft pick this year. At one point in the spring, manager Buck Showalter wondered how things would go if Bundy was healthy but not getting major league hitters out. On the day after the Orioles announced that one top pitching prospect in Hunter Harvey would undergo Tommy John surgery, Bundy showed yet again that he is finally fully recovered from his. Bundy actually looked just about completely back from his...
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Dylan Bundy gets first win as a starter as O's top Cleveland

Dylan Bundy gets first win as a starter as O's top Cleveland
Showing an effective pitch mix from the outset tonight, Orioles rookie right-hander Dylan Bundy picked up his first win as a starting pitcher as the O's beat Cleveland 5-1 in the opener of a three-game series. Bundy's secondary pitches were effective early on as he pitched a career-best five innings, allowing five hits and one unearned run. He did not walk a batter, fanned five and threw 87 pitches. Bundy is 3-2 with an ERA of 3.30. Bundy struck out the side in the first inning around a Jason...
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O's game blog: It's a matchup of 2011 top draft picks at Camden Yards

O's game blog: It's a matchup of 2011 top draft picks at Camden Yards
The Orioles return home tonight to start a six-game homestand. The Cleveland Indians are in town first for a three-game series. The Colorado Rockies follow Cleveland to Camden Yards. At 54-40, the Orioles trail Boston by a ½ game for first place in the American League East. At 56-38, Cleveland owns the best record in the AL and leads the Central by seven games over Detroit. The Indians have a 30-14 record (.682) and team ERA of 3.19 since June 1. Cleveland went 22-6 (.786) in June, when the...
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At least for a few games, the O's rotation is trending up

At least for a few games, the O's rotation is trending up
While some were fretting over the Orioles' slumping offense, did the O's shaky starting pitching rotation start to put some things together? There have been some modest gains. For instance, over the last nine games, the O's rotation ERA is 3.61. In seven of the nine games, the O's starter allowed three earned runs or less. Five times that was two earned runs or less. Four times the starter went seven innings or more. In fact, the last two games, Yovani Gallardo and Chris Tillman each went...
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Tillman wins 14th, Schoop drives in two as O's end losing streak

Tillman wins 14th, Schoop drives in two as O's end losing streak
The Orioles had a few at-bats in their series at New York where the clutch hits didn't come, so Jonathan Schoop's at-bat in the seventh inning today was a nice change. Clinging to a one-run lead over CC Sabathia and the Yankees, the Orioles' second baseman delivered a key two-out, two-run double. It provided the Orioles a three-run lead and they went on to beat the Yankees 4-1 this afternoon. O's right-hander Chris Tillman pitched yet another strong game today and became a 14-game winner....
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O's game blog: Tillman looks for 14th win (O's add Brandon Bonilla)

O's game blog: Tillman looks for 14th win (O's add Brandon Bonilla)
The Orioles will try to end their road trip on a winning note today. That would allow them to end a four-game losing streak and avoid being swept four in a row at New York for the first time since Sept. 19-22, 2005. The Orioles have gone 3-10 at Yankee Stadium since the start of the 2015 season and are 12-20 there since 2013. The Orioles are 20-26 in road games this season. The Orioles have been outscored 19-4 during their losing streak and 14-2 in the first three games of the series in the...
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A look at the offense, Gallardo's outing and some trade talk

A look at the offense, Gallardo's outing and some trade talk
Well, look on the bright side: Yovani Gallardo went seven innings for the first time in over a calender year. That actually could be a positive and we'll get to that in a moment. But first, the offense. It's been offensive. It's been real bad. Here are the latest numbers: The Orioles have scored just two runs in the first three games of this four-game series, losing all three games against the Yankees. They have not scored in the last 12 innings. They have scored six runs the last five games...
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Blanked in the Bronx: O's fall as losing streak reaches four

Blanked in the Bronx: O's fall as losing streak reaches four
At this point for the Orioles, both the losses and the frustrations are mounting. For the Orioles, it was another night lacking clutch hits and runs as they lost 5-0 to the Yankees in the Bronx. They have lost three games in this series scoring a total of two runs on 14 hits. They went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position tonight, making them 2-for-17 in this series and 3-for-33 on this road trip that started with back-to-back wins but now has seen four losses in a row. They fall to 53-40...
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O's game blog: Orioles look to end three-game slide at New York

O's game blog: Orioles look to end three-game slide at New York
With a lineup missing Manny Machado, Chris Davis, Matt Wieters and Hyun Soo Kim, the Orioles take on the Yankees in the Bronx tonight. They've lost the first two games of this series by 2-1 and 7-1 scores. The Orioles' offense has produced just two runs on nine hits with one homer in this series, going 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position. The Orioles have scored 10 runs on a 2-3 road trip with two games to go, going 2-for-24 with runners in scoring position. They begin tonight at 53-39...
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With each loss, the fanbase gets a little more nervous

With each loss, the fanbase gets a little more nervous
The Orioles have been alone or tied for first place every day since June 4. By the end of tonight, they could fall into second in the American League East. A loss by the Orioles (53-39) at New York and a win by Boston (52-39) over the San Francisco Giants at Fenway Park would move Boston atop the division standings. To say there is at least a small segment of some fans that are nervous is an understatement. I've seen fans predict the Orioles will get swept by New York, will be in second place...
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The sixth inning proves pivotal as the Orioles fall at New York

The sixth inning proves pivotal as the Orioles fall at New York
It was one inning in one game, but it was pivotal tonight. In the sixth inning at Yankee Stadium, the Orioles failed to maximize a rally. Meanwhile, the Yankees took advantage of a rally of their own. It led to another O's loss, this one 7-1 to New York. The Orioles have dropped three straight games, scoring just four runs in that span. The Birds fall to 2-3 on this road trip after a 2-0 start and to 53-39 for the season. The Orioles were down 3-0 and Yankees starter Nathan Eovaldi had thrown...
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O's game blog: The O's have scored just nine runs on the road trip

O's game blog: The O's have scored just nine runs on the road trip
The Orioles look to get their slumping offense going tonight in the second game of a four-game series at Yankee Stadium. The Birds have scored just five runs the last three games. In the four games of this road trip, the O's are batting just .206 and have scored nine runs. They are 1-for-21 with runners in scoring position on the trip. The Orioles begin the night at 53-38, good for first in the American League East. They lead the Red Sox by 1 ½ games and the Blue Jays by 2 ½ games. The...
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A look at the recent struggles of the offense

A look at the recent struggles of the offense
Last night seemed like a good time for the Orioles to break out of a developing batting slump. Try to nip it in the bud before it could develop any further. They just could not do it. They lost 2-1 to the Yankees and figured to have trouble in the late innings with Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller and then Aroldis Chapman, who was throwing 105 mph in the ninth inning. I digress here, but in the midst of throwing pitches at 104 and 105 mph to J.J. Hardy last night, Chapman, for some reason, threw...
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O's game blog: Tonight's game and minor league notes (O's lose 2-1)

O's game blog: Tonight's game and minor league notes (O's lose 2-1)
The Orioles have played the Yankees six times this year, winning four, but both of those series were in Baltimore. They make their first visit to Yankee Stadium tonight to start a four-game series. Off a series win on the road against the Rays, the Orioles are 53-37 and leading the American League East by two games over the Red Sox and three over the Blue Jays. The Yankees (45-46) are in fourth place, 8 1/2 games out. New York is under .500 after the All-Star break for the first time since...
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Quick takes on Dylan Bundy, Kevin Gausman and the offense

Quick takes on Dylan Bundy, Kevin Gausman and the offense
A few quick thoughts on the Orioles as they leave St. Petersburg, Florida after taking two of three and head for Yankee Stadium. The Orioles and Yankees play a four-game series starting tonight. Does Bundy continue to start?: I see no reason for the Orioles to do anything but give Dylan Bundy the ball every fifth day for now. At some point they are going to have to determine whether he stays in the rotation or that they have to handle his innings in another way to get him through the season. It...
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