Brendan Ryan's tiebreaking double lifts Yankees to win in series opener

Brendan Ryan's tiebreaking double lifts Yankees to win in series opener
On a night when they struggled to hit with runners in scoring position, a key double by their No. 9 hitter before a runner had even advanced that far was big tonight for the New York Yankees. Brendan Ryan's two-bagger scored the tiebreaking run from first base in the last of the sixth and the Yankees bullpen made it stand up in a 3-2 win over the Orioles. In losing for the 12th time in 17 games, the Orioles fall to 46-46 and drop five games behind the first-place Yankees. The Orioles have lost...
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O's game blog: Chen on the mound in series opener at New York

O's game blog: Chen on the mound in series opener at New York
Tonight, an Orioles team that has been struggling to score runs lately plays against a team that they have hit well this year. While the Orioles have scored three runs or less in 10 of their past 13 games, they have scored 54 runs with a team average of .299 this year in going 5-5 against the New York Yankees. The clubs begin a big three-game series tonight in The Bronx. Some O's hitters against the Yankees this year: * Caleb Joseph is batting .536 (15-for-28) with three doubles, a triple, two...
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Just how big is this Orioles-Yankees series?

Just how big is this Orioles-Yankees series?
There are probably a few words we could use to label the Orioles-Yankees series that begins tonight: Big, important, crucial, critical. For the good of the collective psyche of Birdland, the Orioles probably need to take at least two of three games. At worst, they'll be seven games out by Thursday night and at best they will be one game behind New York. While getting swept would be pretty disastrous for this Orioles team, anything other than that and they will be well within striking distance...
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A look at a pitcher who has made a huge impact for the Bowie Baysox

A look at a pitcher who has made a huge impact for the Bowie Baysox
As the Double-A Bowie Baysox pursue their first division championship since 2008 and second playoff berth in four years, their pitching staff is being led by a veteran right-hander who is putting up very strong numbers on the field while also providing an example for younger pitchers to follow. Terry Doyle picked up his latest win on Sunday, allowing two earned runs or less for the 10th time in 12 starts. He is 11-1 with an ERA of 2.08. In 95 innings he has allowed 81 hits with 11 walks, 79...
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O's win series in Detroit and take some momentum to New York

O's win series in Detroit and take some momentum to New York
I guess the glass-half-full Orioles fan will look at the weekend series in Detroit as a positive in that the Orioles won the series, they bounced back from a very poor game on Friday and their offense had a big game Sunday. The glass-half-empty crowd may look at it as they remain four games out of first, as they were at the All-Star break, and they lost three more days of the season. Sell off all players! Just kidding. I go back to what I wrote on Sunday morning in that a resurgent Chris...
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Orioles offense breaks out in 9-3 win at Detroit in series finale

Orioles offense breaks out in 9-3 win at Detroit in series finale
The Orioles offense broke out today and it included a big inning, 14 hits, a couple of home runs and even hits with runners in scoring position. The Orioles went 4-for-5 with RISP in the top of the fourth today against 2011 American League Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander. They scored six runs that inning to break a 1-1 tie on their way to a 9-3 victory over Detroit. Coming into this game, the Orioles were 2-for-21 in this series with RISP and 3-for-57 over their last eight games. Today...
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O's game blog: Orioles seek their first series win since June

O's game blog: Orioles seek their first series win since June
The Orioles have not won a series since June 26-28 against Cleveland. Remember, that series ended with shutouts in both ends of a day-night doubleheader. Since then, the Orioles have lost series against Texas, the Chicago White Sox, Minnesota and Washington. They can end that slide if they get a victory today at Comerica Park in the third game against Detroit after splitting the first two. Chris Tillman's eight-inning gem Saturday night lifted the Orioles to a 3-0 win and back to the .500 mark...
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A resurgent Chris Tillman would be a big boost for the Orioles rotation

A resurgent Chris Tillman would be a big boost for the Orioles rotation
Maybe we should not get carried away over one game. Then again, what a game it was. In desperate need of a win, Chris Tillman pitched the Orioles past the Tigers last night in a 3-0 victory. He pitched with a 1-0 lead for most of his night and retired the last 23 Tigers batters he faced in an exceptional performance. Tillman has been pitching better in recent starts and it all seemed to come together for him last night. He commanded all his pitches and his all-important fastball command was...
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Chris Tillman with an eight-inning gem as O's tame Tigers

Chris Tillman with an eight-inning gem as O's tame Tigers
Detroit's Comerica Park was the scene of a dramatic pitcher's duel tonight. David Price was very good, but the Orioles' Chris Tillman was better. Tillman gave up a single to Ian Kinsler to lead off the game and then allowed no runs or hits after that, pitching the Orioles to a 3-0 win over Detroit. Tillman retired the last 23 batters he faced after issuing a one-out walk in the first. Tillman fanned eight with just the one walk over eight very strong innings, throwing 105 pitches, 70 for...
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O's game blog: It's Tillman against Price tonight in Detroit

O's game blog: It's Tillman against Price tonight in Detroit
So, for the Orioles, is the bigger issue right now the pitching or the hitting? Both have their share of issues. The offense has scored three runs or fewer in six of its last seven games and nine of its last 11. The O's have scored just 19 runs in their last nine losses. As for the pitchers, the starting rotation has not been good enough. After Ubaldo Jimenez's outing last night, O's starters have given up six runs or more in three of the last six games. For the year, the O's rotation ERA...
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As losses mount, Orioles are losing touch with a playoff berth

As losses mount, Orioles are losing touch with a playoff berth
The Detroit Tigers had to be looking across the field at the Orioles dugout last night and wondering what happened to the team that kicked their butt last October. The Orioles had to be wondering how they were in first place earlier this month but are now five games out. The Orioles were tied for first place on July 2, but since then, they are 2-8 and have lost six games in the standings, going from one ahead to five behind. That escalated quickly. Ubaldo Jimenez is now 2-8 with a 7.39 career...
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Second half starts with a thud as Orioles lose at Detroit

Second half starts with a thud as Orioles lose at Detroit
Their starting pitcher got hammered. Their hitters struggled with runners in scoring position again. Simply stated, the Orioles began the second half with a terrible game. They lost 7-3 at Detroit to fall to 44-45. They are under .500 for the first time since June 11 when they were 29-30. Ubaldo Jimenez ended the first half by giving up just one run in 20 innings over his last three starts. Tonight's outing was nothing like that. Victor Martinez hit a two-run homer in the first to give the...
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O's game blog: Second half begins with Orioles at Detroit

O's game blog: Second half begins with Orioles at Detroit
The Orioles begin the second half tonight, looking to find some consistency and return to winning baseball after they went 3-10 and lost four straight series to end the first half. On June 3, the Orioles were a season-high six games under .500 at 23-29. But an 18-5 stretch improved their record to a season-best seven games over at 41-34. But those 10 losses in 13 games followed to leave the Orioles at 44-44 right now. The season resumes for the O's at Detroit ,where they begin a nine-game road...
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Orioles will not sign second-round pick Jonathan Hughes

Orioles will not sign second-round pick Jonathan Hughes
The Orioles' second-round pick of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft, Jonathan Hughes, will not sign and has chosen to attend college at Georgia Tech. Hughes was the No. 68 overall selection in the draft. The Orioles will receive the 69th overall pick in the 2016 draft as compensation, per MLBpipeline.com, which first reported the news. Huges, a 6-foot-2, 184-lb. right-handed pitcher, is the highest unsigned Orioles pick since Wade Townsend in 2004 (No. 8 overall). The 18-year old from Flowery...
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If skid continues to start second half, should Orioles be buyers or sellers?

If skid continues to start second half, should Orioles be buyers or sellers?
To sell or not to sell, that is the question. I don't know if they represent a large percentage of fans or not, but it seems that an increasing number of Orioles fans want the team to sell off players if they start the second half losing as they ended the first. The Orioles are 44-44 - four games out of first place - losing 10 of their last 13 games heading in the All-Star break. They have scored three runs or less in eight of their last 10 games. Last year's Orioles team won 96 games, and...
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Dan Duquette on minor league pitching injuries: "It is a war of attrition"

Dan Duquette on minor league pitching injuries: "It is a war of attrition"
When your top two pitching prospects have thrown a combined 22 innings this deep into the season, that has to be a concern for any organization. Both Dylan Bundy and Hunter Harvey have missed time this year for the Orioles. Harvey had a PRP injection during a visit with Dr. James Andrews on May 18 and was shut down for the next six weeks after being diagnosed with a strained right flexor mass. He has just recently resumed a throwing program. Harvey was already recovering from a slight fracture...
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How important is winning in the minor leagues?

How important is winning in the minor leagues?
It is a question that is debated from time to time in baseball: How important is winning in the minor leagues? Well, who doesn't like to win, but can you develop players to help your major league team without winning? Orioles director of player development Brian Graham spoke with me at length recently on this topic. He said sure you can develop players no matter a team's won-loss record, but they are also trying to develop players that understand what it takes to win. "It is a very important...
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Adam Jones and Darren O'Day on tonight's All-Star Game

Adam Jones and Darren O'Day on tonight's All-Star Game
Adam Jones is headed to the All-Star Game for the fifth time and Darren O'Day for the first. But both are thrilled to join Zach Britton and Manny Machado to represent the Orioles tonight in Cincinnati. O'Day was a manager's selection after a first half where he went 5-0 with a 1.07 ERA in 35 games. "The initial shock and excitement was pretty cool. I'm excited to represent the Orioles and excited to be an All-Star for sure," O'Day said at Camden Yards over the weekend. "It is real...
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Orioles put Pat Connaughton on minor league restricted list for now, still hopeful he returns

Orioles put Pat Connaughton on minor league restricted list for now, still hopeful he returns
Pat Connaughton is currently playing basketball for the Portland Trail Blazers summer league team. While he is trying to make that team's roster for the coming NBA season, the Orioles still hold out hope that one day he will be pitching in the major leagues for them. They seem to feel Connaughton has a better future in baseball and the door remains open for him to return. The Orioles drafted Connaughton out of Notre Dame in the fourth round last summer. He then pitched 14 2/3 innings to an ERA...
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Dan Duquette on the trade deadline this month

Dan Duquette on the trade deadline this month
Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette feels the countdown this month to the non-waiver trade deadline could and should be active throughout baseball with plenty of trade discussions that will include the O's pursuing one or more deals to fortify their team for the stretch run. "Our team is in contention and there are a lot of teams in contention, so there is going to be a robust trade market," Duquette said. "But it is going to be a seller's market because there are so many teams...
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