Ryan Flaherty doesn't face left-handed pitchers too often. He had just 23 of his 131 at-bats against southpaws before tonight.
But with the Orioles playing without Manny Machado, he went up there against Rangers lefty Neal Cotts in the last of the seventh tonight. He then hit a go-ahead solo homer to break a 4-4 tie and the Orioles beat the Rangers 6-4.
Cotts had allowed just two homers over 35 2/3 innings until Flaherty's drive to right field.
"Lefty comes in the game. Just trying to...
Ryan Flaherty began tonight batting just .203 for the season and with just three homers. But given a chance to do something big for his team tonight, he did just that.
Facing left-handed reliever Neal Cotts, Flaherty homered over the right field scoreboard leading off the last of the seventh. His fourth homer broke a 4-4 tie and lifted the Orioles to a 6-4 win over the Texas Rangers.
The Orioles came back from down 4-0 to tie the game and Flaherty untied it on a 91 mph 3-1 fastball for his...
Despite going 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position the last two nights, the Orioles have scored 15 runs on 18 hits in winning the first two games of their series with Texas.
The Orioles had three doubles and seven homers in the wins on Monday and Tuesday. In those games, they beat two struggling pitchers. Joe Saunders had given up 13 runs in 8 2/3 innings in his previous two starts. Nick Martinez, last night's losing pitcher, was 0-4 with a 7.62 ERA in his previous six starts.
Tonight,...
After last night's game, when he hit his 26th home run on his 34th birthday, Nelson Cruz said once again that he will be skipping the All-Star Home Run Derby.
"They asked me," Cruz said. "Like I've said in the past, I was in that once. I think the best thing for the team right now and for me is to stay out of that. Take that time to rest and come back strong for the second half. Try to help the team."
While he has just three hits over his past 24 at-bats over the last six games, two of...
Tonight was T.J McFarland's second career start, but unlike the first outing, he left with a win this time.
McFarland pitched a career-high five innings, allowing seven hits and two runs as the Orioles beat Texas 8-3. He said yesterday he would have some nerves out there, and he did.
"I'm always going to be a little nervous before. ... I mean even when the phone rings in the bullpen, I get, you know, a little stomach dropping," McFarland said. "But it's all good emotions that I should...
In his second major league start, T.J. McFarland went five innings to get the win, and for the second night in a row, the O's starter got plenty of early run support.
The Orioles hit three homers in the first two innings on their way to an 8-3 win over Texas tonight at Camden Yards.
They've taken the first two of this four-game series. The Orioles improved to 44-39 and stay one game back of first-place Toronto, who beat Milwaukee this afternoon.
For the second night in a row, the Orioles...
Hard to believe, but three months are now in the books for the 2014 season. There's now three more to go in the regular season for the Orioles.
The O's had their best record of any month in June, and their team ERA has gotten better each month:
O's in March/April: Went 12-12 on 4.5 runs per game and a 4.49 ERA
O's in May: Went 15-15 on 3.9 runs per game and a 4.00 ERA
O's in June: Went 16-12 on 4.5 runs per game and a 3.43 ERA
Pretty simple formula: Pitch better and win more games. Over...
Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph does not yet qualify for the American League defensive league leaders. If he did, his caught stealing percentage of 52 percent would be tops in the AL.
A player needs to appear in 50 percent of his team's games to qualify. Joseph has played in 33 of 83 Orioles games.
The AL leader is Robinson Chirinos of the Texas team the O's face tonight. He has caught 48.8 percent. The Yankees' Brian McCann is second at 45.5 percent.
Joseph has thrown out 13 of 25 for the...
For 32-year-old right-hander Ramon Ramirez, the last few weeks have been a little crazy.
He got released from Seattle's Triple-A team, the Tacoma Rainiers, after pitching just 4 1/3 innings there.
In late May, the Orioles agreed with him on a minor league contract. On June 2, he had his O's physical, passed it, was officially signed and then reported to Sarasota, Fla. On June 16, he was pitching at Triple-A Norfolk, and last night he was back in the major leagues, pitching the ninth inning...
It is not often that reporters interview the next day's starter after a game. But T.J. McFarland, who will make his second major league start tonight, was made available to reporters after the O's win last night.
McFarland has been pitching well out of the Orioles bullpen, but he leaves that role for at least one night to face the Rangers this evening.
"I'm extremely excited for tomorrow," McFarland said last night. "I'm anxious, little bit nervous. It's all good emotions. Go out...
Ubaldo Jimenez had not won at home all year and finally he got one tonight. He gave up just four hits and one unearned run over eight innings, pitching the Orioles past Texas 7-1.
He entered this start 0-6 with a 6.28 ERA in eight home starts.
"It feels good, finally to get the first win at home and finally being there for the team. It feels really good," Jimenez said.
The fans cheered him as he left the mound after the top of the eighth.
"As a ballplayer, that's what you play for, to...
Joe Saunders entered his start tonight with a career 7-0 mark and 3.98 ERA in 10 starts against the Orioles. That was the most wins all-time without a loss against Baltimore.
But Steve Pearce hit two of the Orioles' four homers off Saunders and Ubaldo Jimenez gave up just one unearned run over eight innings as the Orioles beat Texas 7-1 in the opener of a four-game series. They did pin a loss on their former teammate tonight.
The Orioles improved to 4-4 on this homestand and to 43-39 for...
Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette provided reporters with a briefing just before game time to discuss Manny Machado's suspension and Nolan Reimold's status.
On Machado's appeal being upheld:
"We were disappointed. We were hoping the suspension would be reduced and we thought there were good reasons it should have been reduced. Basically, we argued for equity and that we would have an even footing with other clubs that we're competing against. But that argument didn't seem to...
After losing their first American League East series since April 11-13, the Orioles get back at it tonight, hosting Texas in a four-game series at Camden Yards.
The Orioles are 3-4 on this 11-game homestand and 19-21 at home on the season. They begin the second half of the season tonight with a record of 42-39 and 1 1/2 games out in both the AL East and wild card race.
Chris Davis will make his 67th career big league start at third base as Manny Machado begins serving his suspension.
Davis'...
Manny Machado, meeting with a horde of reporters at his locker moments ago, said the most disappointing thing about his five-game suspension that was upheld today is that the Orioles will play with a 24-man roster for five games.
"That is the worst part about it," Machado said. "We're down a man and obviously I don't want to put my team in that situation, especially for five tough games. We've got Texas and going into Boston. Those are key series for us.
"That is what (stinks) about...
The Orioles' top three draft picks will make their professsional baseball debuts this week, pitching in games in Florida and Maryland.
Also, the Orioles today announced the signing of their seventh-round pick, UCLA pitcher Max Schuh. The O's are close to signing their ninth-round pick, University of Mississippi infielder Austin Anderson, according to a source.
When Anderson's signing is completed, the Orioles will have signed their first 16 draft picks, getting everyone from rounds three...
Jonathan Schoop has had his moments this year for the Orioles. He homered in two different games against New York's Masahiro Tanaka. He homered off Toronto's Drew Hutchison. He hit a pair of homers May 26 at Milwaukee off Kyle Lohse and Francisco Rodriguez.
During his rookie season at 22, Schoop is getting the bulk of the starts at second base. His two hits Sunday raised his average to .218 with six homers and 21 RBIs.
I asked manager Buck Showalter on Sunday how Schoop is dealing with all...
Miguel Gonzalez was disappointed with his outing today - and he could say the same for his three starts since coming off the disabled list.
The right-hander gave up three runs in 4 2/3 innings today, has an ERA of 6.13 and has given up 25 hits in 14 2/3 innings in those last three starts.
"Command," Gonzalez said. "Just flying open and I have to keep working on that and staying back. That has been my biggest issue this year. Other than that, I felt good.
"Just have to stay mentally strong....
Miguel Gonzalez lasted just 4 2/3 innings. He was not around when Tampa Bay scored seven runs in the sixth inning. Or added two more in the seventh.
Yeah, it was a rough day for Orioles pitchers.
Matt Joyce went 5-for-6 with two homers and four RBIs to lead the Tampa Bay Rays to a 12-7 rout of the Orioles in front of 32,665 at Camden Yards.
The Orioles reached the season's midpoint today and have a record of 42-39.
The Orioles could have moved to within a half-game of first place in the...
Orioles reliever T.J. McFarland has an ERA of 0.57 in June. That leads American League relievers with at least 10 innings pitched.
He is having a good season for the Orioles, going 0-1 with a 2.70 ERA over 14 games. Now the question is, will he make his second major league start on Tuesday when the O's need a starter against Texas?
McFarland said he doesn't know yet.
"I haven't been reading too much into it," he said. "I do know that however the next two games play out is possibly a...