Dylan Bundy, Hunter Harvey pitch in minors today (plus other notes from Twin Lakes Park)

Dylan Bundy, Hunter Harvey pitch in minors today (plus other notes from Twin Lakes Park)
SARASOTA, Fla. - It's the fourth day of Orioles minor league exhibition games at Twin Lakes Park and for the first time, top draft picks Dylan Bundy and Hunter Harvey will be pitching in minor league exhibitions. While Single-A teams Delmarva and Frederick are on the road in Fort Myers playing against Minnesota, Triple-A Norfolk and Double-A Bowie are home today at noon against the Twins. Harvey is slated to pitch two innings for Frederick in Fort Myers and Bundy is scheduled to pitch three...
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Healthy Manny Machado playing with enthusiasm at O's camp

Healthy Manny Machado playing with enthusiasm at O's camp
SARASOTA, Fla. - It has been a welcome sight for the Orioles this year to see Manny Machado back at third base, healthy and playing with great enthusiasm. "Just playing baseball. That is all it is," Machado said simply. Manager Buck Showalter put it this way after Machado led off Thursday's game with a single and stole a base as part of a 1-for-4 day. "I think Manny's primed to have a good year. You can tell how good he feels. He's playing with a certain recklessness that healthy people...
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Wrapping up Orioles' 11-5 win over Boston

Wrapping up Orioles' 11-5 win over Boston
FORT MYERS, Fla. - As the reserves entered this game, it got wild over the final innings. The Orioles scored nine runs in the last three innings to beat Boston 11-5 at JetBlue Park. The Orioles won for the fourth time in five games and improved to 7-12 in front of a sellout crowd of 9,981. No cuts were announced after the game. Manager Buck Showalter said he wants to talk to some players before the moves are made. There could be more announced tonight, but tomorrow seems more likely at this...
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Brian Matusz on trade rumors and his outing today (O's win 11-5)

Brian Matusz on trade rumors and his outing today (O's win 11-5)
ORIOLES QUICK WRAP Score: Orioles 11, Boston 5 Recap: Brian Matusz had another strong spring outing, pitching four scoreless innings and allowing just two hits in his second spring start. He has allowed just one run this spring. The O's took a 3-1 lead to the last of the seventh, but Boston scored four runs to lead 5-3. The O's got the lead back, scoring six runs in the eighth. Rusney Castillo hit a three-run homer off Steve Johnson. In the O's big inning, Jonathan Schoop had an RBI single,...
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Brian Matusz pitches four scoreless innings against Boston (updated)

Brian Matusz pitches four scoreless innings against Boston (updated)
FORT MYERS, Fla. - Brian Matusz may be the subject of trade rumors, but it certainly hasn't hurt his pitching today. The left-hander pitched four scoreless innings as the Orioles lead Boston 1-0 at JetBlue Park. Chaz Roe came on to pitch in the last of the fifth for the Orioles. Matusz allowed baserunners to lead off the first two innings, but pitched around a Jimmy Paredes error at third base in the first and a Shane Victorino single in the second. Facing a lineup filled with Boston regulars,...
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Mike Wright optioned to Triple-A and other pregame notes from Fort Myers

Mike Wright optioned to Triple-A and other pregame notes from Fort Myers
FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Orioles have optioned right-hander Mike Wright to Triple-A Norfolk, reducing their spring training roster to 44 players. In four spring training games, Wright allowed two runs on five hits with one walk and eight strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. More cuts could be coming after today's game. Manager Buck Showalter also said that Matt Wieters will not serve as the Orioles designated hitter on Sunday, as was originally planned. Wieters won't play before Wednesday at the...
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Shooting for 200: O's starters look to get deeper in games this year

Shooting for 200: O's starters look to get deeper in games this year
SARASOTA, Fla. - When the 2015 season begins, Orioles starting pitchers have a goal in mind - to pitch more innings than last year, get deeper in games more often and pursue the goal of a 200-inning season. Last season, while O's starting pitchers ranked fifth in the American League with an ERA of 3.61, the Orioles were 10th in starter innings at 953 2/3. Detroit led the AL with 1,007 starter innings. Chris Tillman has reached the 200 mark each of the last two years, pitching 206 1/3 innings...
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Henry Urrutia continued his strong camp with a tiebreaking homer today

Henry Urrutia continued his strong camp with a tiebreaking homer today
SARASOTA, Fla. - A strong spring training continued this afternoon at Ed Smith Stadium for Orioles outfielder Henry Urrutia. He entered today's game in the top of the sixth, taking over in right field for Travis Snider. Two innings later, he did something he's never done in 58 regular-season major league at-bats or in 204 at-bats at Triple-A Norfolk last year. He homered. And it was a blast. He hit it out to center field, driving an 0-1 pitch from Stolmy Pimentel over the wall to break a 4-4...
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Chris Tillman talks about his strong outing against Pittsburgh

Chris Tillman talks about his strong outing against Pittsburgh
SARASOTA, Fla. - Chris Tillman's steady progress toward what will likey be another opening day start for the Orioles continued today at Ed Smith Stadium. In was his third start of the spring and his third good one, as he went four innings against the Pirates. The right-hander allowed four hits and one run with no walks and five strikeouts. He threw 65 pitches, 43 for strikes. "Thought it was really good, actually," Tillman said outside the O's clubhouse. "Fastball command was really good....
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MLBPA executive director Tony Clark on meeting with Orioles players today

MLBPA executive director Tony Clark on meeting with Orioles players today
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles clubhouse was closed to reporters this morning as the players met with Tony Clark, the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association. He makes the rounds and meets with players at every camp and today he saw the Orioles. "These meetings are an opportunity to share with guys a state of the union of sorts," Clark said. "But also to make sure that we go through any of the issues that have been part of the headlines the last few months. Whether...
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Q&A with Elier Leyva, the O's newest Cuban outfielder

Q&A with Elier Leyva, the O's newest Cuban outfielder
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles have done pretty well when it comes to signing and developing Cuban outfielders. In December, they added another Cuban to the organization. Henry Urrutia was signed in 2012, was the O's minor league Player of the Year a season later and is having a strong spring camp this year. So is Dariel Alvarez, who was signed a year after Urrutia and had a strong minor league season last summer. Now the O's have added another corner outfielder from Cuba. They signed...
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Brian Graham on Dylan Bundy, Hunter Harvey and Pat Connaughton (Travis Seabrooke returns to pitch)

Brian Graham on Dylan Bundy, Hunter Harvey and Pat Connaughton (Travis Seabrooke returns to pitch)
SARASOTA, Fla. - Fresh off their time in major league camp with the Orioles, first-rounders Dylan Bundy and Hunter Harvey have reported to minor league camp at the Buck O'Neil Baseball Complex at Twin Lakes Park. O's director of player development Brian Graham said this afternoon that he was not certain yet when they would pitch in a minor league exhibition game. "We'll see. They both threw bullpens today," Graham said. "So it will be a couple of days down the road. The other thing with...
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A few notes from Twin Lakes Park, where O's minor league games start today

A few notes from Twin Lakes Park, where O's minor league games start today
SARASOTA, Fla. - Today is an important day at the Orioles minor league facility. It is the first day of exhibition games at the Buck O'Neil Baseball Complex at Twin Lakes Park. The Orioles' two highest-level affiliates, Triple-A Norfolk and Double-A Bowie, are on the road playing against the Red Sox in Fort Myers. The O's two Single-A clubs, Frederick and Delmarva, play here at 1 p.m. against Boston. Don't read too much into lineups this early in camp - no minor league rosters are anywhere...
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Nolan Reimold has returned to the Orioles, looking for health and an opportunity

Nolan Reimold has returned to the Orioles, looking for health and an opportunity
SARASOTA, Fla. - Nolan Reimold was drafted by the Orioles in 2005 and spent his entire career in the organization until last summer. Designated for assignment by the club last July 1, he was claimed off waivers by Toronto and also played with Arizona. For the first time, he was an ex-Oriole. Now Reimold is back with the club - where he wanted to be this year all along - is hoping to finally return to complete health and to make his way back to the major leagues. Reimold is now fully recovered...
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Matt Wieters talks about his first spring game behind the plate

Matt Wieters talks about his first spring game behind the plate
SARASOTA, Fla. - There were no steal attempts and it was not a very eventful day for Orioles catcher Matt Wieters. But his comeback from Tommy John surgery took a significant step today when he caught six innings in the Orioles' 10-9 loss to Minnesota at Ed Smith Stadium. This was not a B or intrasquad game and he was in live game action against another big league opponent for the first time since last May, making his Grapefruit League debut. Before the game, he said the sellout crowd warmly...
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Bud Norris on today's start against Minnesota

Bud Norris on today's start against Minnesota
SARASOTA, Fla. - So far for Orioles starter Bud Norris, he is increasing his innings total each start and working on his pitches. But he has not gotten solid results yet during spring training. Norris gave up five hits and three runs over four innings today. He walked one, fanned one and allowed two homers against the Twins at Ed Smith Stadium. A brisk wind to left-center may have aided one or both Twins home runs. He has pitched 7 2/3 innings over three starts, allowing 13 hits and 10 runs,...
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Now healthy, Steve Johnson is showing some of his old form at O's camp

Now healthy, Steve Johnson is showing some of his old form at O's camp
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles started this camp with six non-roster pitchers, and now only Steve Johnson and Chaz Roe remain. Johnson said his right shoulder feels good following surgery in September to shave down a bone spur. He has looked good in three spring appearances, at times looking like the pitcher the Orioles saw in 2012 when Johnson went 4-0 with a 2.11 ERA and helped the team make the playoffs. Manager Buck Showalter has taken note. "I kept telling Wally (Dave Wallace), 'I've seen...
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Travis Snider on his new team, strong 2014 second half and more

Travis Snider on his new team, strong 2014 second half and more
SARASOTA, Fla. - He is a former top prospect that had a solid year in 2014 and now he may be playing a position where he is one of the players replacing a fan favorite in Baltimore. Nick Markakis is gone and Travis Snider, acquired in a January trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates, may get some of the starts in right field this year. What can he bring to the Orioles? "Just an everyday intensity," Snider said. "I like to keep things loose and have fun in the clubhouse and play hard on the field,...
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Miguel Gonzalez on today's outing against the Phillies

Miguel Gonzalez on today's outing against the Phillies
CLEARWATER, Fla. - After going two and three innings over his first two spring starts, Orioles right-hander Miguel Gonzalez stretched out to four innings today against the Phillies at Bright House Field. He retired the first nine Phillies in order on 34 pitches, before allowing two runs in his fourth inning. "Good. Better than last time," Gonzalez said. "I was staying tall over the rubber. Really worked on it in my side last time. It paid off, felt really good." With a 14-pitch first...
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Mike Wright among young O's pitchers making a positive spring impression

Mike Wright among young O's pitchers making a positive spring impression
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Some young pitchers from the minor leagues continue to show well in major league exhibition games with the Orioles. Mike Wright, Hunter Harvey and Tyler Wilson have combined to pitch 11 2/3 scoreless innings over their last seven appearances. Wright was the latest to take the mound and tossed 2 2/3 scoreless frames yesterday in Bradenton against the Pirates, allowing just one hit with no walks and three strikeouts. "I feel very good about the way camp is going and I feel...
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