A look at the latest disappointing loss and an interview with Xavier Avery

A look at the latest disappointing loss and an interview with Xavier Avery
The Orioles have a record of 26-28 against the AL East, 18-19 since the All-Star break and 6-10 in the last 16 games. These do not seem to be numbers that a playoff team would have. Yet, the Orioles are still in the hunt, even after their latest disappointing loss. They have a chance to make a run, but we keep waiting for them to do it and now there are just 29 games to play. It was very disappointing that Miguel Gonzalez got hit so hard in the last of the fifth, failing to get an out in that...
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Gonzalez starts well, gets hit hard in middle innings as O's fall at New York

Gonzalez starts well, gets hit hard in middle innings as O's fall at New York
When Miguel Gonzalez sailed through the first three innings on just 30 pitches tonight, he looked like he was on his way to a strong outing. He was pitching at Yankee Stadium, where he was 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA in four regular season starts. He had an ERA of 2.48 in five career outings against New York. But the Yankees scored twice off Gonzalez in the fourth and knocked him out of the game with a five-run fifth as the Yankees beat the Orioles 8-5 tonight at Yankee Stadium. The Orioles fall to...
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A look at CC Sabathia's recent struggles and other notes

A look at CC Sabathia's recent struggles and other notes
Last October, CC Sabathia might have been the difference between the Orioles winning or losing their five-game American League Division Series with the Yankees. Now the lefty is struggling and that has to be a strange sight to New York's AL East foes. Sabathia is 11-11 with an ERA of 4.81 in 27 starts this season. But over his last seven starts since the All-Star break, Sabathia is 2-3 with a 7.30 ERA. He has allowed five runs or more in four of those seven outings with a batting average...
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A look at the O's playoff chances in the minors and a Xavier Avery quote

A look at the O's playoff chances in the minors and a Xavier Avery quote
The final weekend of the minor league regular season has arrived and Triple-A Norfolk, Double-A Bowie and short-season Single-A Aberdeen still have playoff hopes with a few days left. Bowie faces an interesting scenario. The Baysox need to finish second and are four games behind second-place Erie as they begin a five-game series at Erie with a doubleheader tonight. If Bowie sweeps the five-game series, the Baysox will make the playoffs, but anything short of that will end their year on...
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O's hope Morse can get his bat going, help vs. lefty pitching

O's hope Morse can get his bat going, help vs. lefty pitching
The Orioles have struggled against left-handed pitching. Michael Morse has a power bat from the right side and thus today's trade makes plenty of sense. It will truly work out for the Orioles if Morse can get his recently ice-cold bat going. Morse is batting .226 this season in 76 games with Seattle. He has 13 homers and 27 RBIs, but he is batting just .158 with an OPS of .489 and two homers over 76 at-bats since the All-Star break. Over his last nine games, Morse is 3-for-32 with just one...
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O's win much needed for the team and the fans

O's win much needed for the team and the fans
To say the least, the Orioles needed that win over the Red Sox. Just when you're out, they pull you back in. Well, many of you - most of you - were never really out, but you know what I mean. The roller coaster of emotions for the fans is back on the upswing. The Orioles moved ahead of Cleveland into third in the wild-card race. Yes, only two teams make it to the postseason and the Orioles are 3 1/2 games back. But they gained ground on Oakland, Tampa Bay and Cleveland, all of which lost on...
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Jason Hammel talks about his outing tonight at Bowie (Waring hits three homers)

Jason Hammel talks about his outing tonight at Bowie (Waring hits three homers)
BOWIE, Md. - After throwing 47 pitches and going 2 2/3 scoreless innings tonight for Double-A Bowie in a rehab outing, Jason Hammel said he feels fine physically and was able to throw all his pitches. The Orioles right-hander said the right flexor mass strain that sent him to the disabled list July 29 was a problem for most of this year but he tried to pitch through it. It's no longer an issue for him. Tonight he gave up three hits with no walks, three strikeouts and two hit batters,...
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Jason Hammel pitches out of bases loaded jam in the first at Bowie (Hammel goes 2 2/3)

Jason Hammel pitches out of bases loaded jam in the first at Bowie (Hammel goes 2 2/3)
BOWIE, Md. - Pitching in a game for the first time since he faced the Boston Red Sox on July 28, Orioles right-hander Jason Hammel is making a major league rehab start tonight for the Double-A Bowie Baysox. Hammel pitched out of a bases loaded jam to keep the Binghamton Mets off the board in the top of the first. The right-hander is expected to go three innings for the Baysox, as the play their last regular season home game at Prince George's Stadium. He is facing a Mets team that has the...
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Notes from Bowie on Hammel's start, Joseph's award, Alvarez and more

Notes from Bowie on Hammel's start, Joseph's award, Alvarez and more
BOWIE, Md. - Jason Hammel will make a major league rehab start tonight for the Double-A Bowie Baysox against the Binghamton Mets at 7:05 p.m. in the final home game of the regular season at Prince George's Stadium. Hammel last pitched for the Orioles when he went 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs July 28 versus Boston. He has been on the disabled list with a right flexor mass strain. He is expected to go three innings tonight. If he still needs to reach his 45-to-50 pitch limit after three...
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O's minor league strikeout leader Bridwell searches for consistency (Ohlman, Joseph notes)

O's minor league strikeout leader Bridwell searches for consistency (Ohlman, Joseph notes)
So which Orioles minor league pitcher has the most strikeouts this year? You might guess Mike Wright or Eduardo Rodriguez, Zach Davies or maybe Kevin Gausman. But the correct answer is Single-A Delmarva right-hander Parker Bridwell, who has fanned 141 in 138 2/3 innings. Bridwell, who just turned 22 on Aug. 2, was drafted by the Orioles in the ninth round out of Hereford (Tex.) High School in 2010. Three starts ago, on Aug. 16 against Lakewood at Salisbury's Perdue Stadium, Bridwell...
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In the chase for a playoff spot, the Orioles are going in the wrong direction

In the chase for a playoff spot, the Orioles are going in the wrong direction
Plenty of teams have come back from 4 1/2 games out to make the playoffs this late in the year. Teams have come from 7 1/2 back this late in the year. Those are the margins the Orioles are behind right now in the wild card and AL East races. Teams have come back from those deficits, but the 2013 Orioles don't look like they will be one of those teams right now. Last night, Boston won the kind of a game the 2012 Orioles won. Come from behind late and then shut the other team down in the ninth...
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O's can't hold two-run lead and fall 4-3 at Boston

O's can't hold two-run lead and fall 4-3 at Boston
Chris Davis hit a long home run for the Orioles. But the Red Sox didn't need the longball. A seeing-eye two-run single and bloop single that plated another run did the trick. Boston rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the seventh to beat the Orioles 4-3 Wednesday night at Fenway Park. The Red Sox, who have won four in a row over the O's, dropped Baltimore 7 1/2 games back of first in the AL East. With Oakland's win tonight, the Orioles are 4 1/2 games back of the second wild card spot in the...
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A look at Bud Norris against lefty batters and one other take

A look at Bud Norris against lefty batters and one other take
Since joining the Orioles, Bud Norris has struggled when facing left-handed batters. The not so good news is that his stats against left-handed batters were only slightly better with Houston. Norris is 3-1 with a 5.53 ERA over six games and five starts with the Orioles since they acquired him July 31. The O's are 5-0 in his five starts and that is despite the fact he has allowed 11 runs in 10 1/3 innings over his last two starts. As an Oriole, Norris gives up an average of .277 vs....
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After attitude adjustment at Notre Dame, Trey Mancini has had solid season for Aberdeen

After attitude adjustment at Notre Dame, Trey Mancini has had solid season for Aberdeen
The Orioles' eighth-round draft pick, Notre Dame first baseman Trey Mancini, is having an excellent season for short-season Single-A Aberdeen. It is a carryover from the end of his junior season, when he batted .486 over his last 25 games for the Fighting Irish to end the year batting .389. He needed just three more hits and he would have hit .400. The strong finish in college and solid debut pro season with Aberdeen came about, Mancini said, more due to his attitude than anything he really...
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Wei-Yin Chen has worst outing of his career as Boston hammers the Orioles

Wei-Yin Chen has worst outing of his career as Boston hammers the Orioles
Maybe we should have known it might not be the Orioles' night when they had the bases loaded, no outs and scored a run in the top of the third but plated just one more run with their 2-3-4 hitters up. If we didn't know it, then it started to sink in when Boston scored 10 runs during the third, fourth and fifth innings. Boston whipped the Orioles 13-2 tonight to knock the O's 6 1/2 games out of first place in the opener of this series and a nine-game road trip. The 13 runs allowed tied an...
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As Red Sox series begins, O's are looking for first AL East road series win since April

As Red Sox series begins, O's are looking for first AL East road series win since April
On their way to 93 wins and a playoff berth in 2012, the Orioles played very good baseball against the AL East and they have not fared as well within the division this year. The 2012 Orioles played .500 or better ball against every team in the division for the first time since 1970. They posted a .597 win percentage (43-29), their best since 1980. This season the Orioles are 25-25 vs. the American League East, going 6-4 against Boston, 7-5 vs. New York, 6-9 against Tampa Bay and 6-7 vs....
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O's sending eight players to Arizona Fall League

O's sending eight players to Arizona Fall League
The Orioles will send eight players to the Arizona Fall League and they will play with the Surprise Saguaros beginning Oct. 8. The O's players going include Cuban outfielders Henry Urrutia and Dariel Alvarez along with pitchers Eduardo Rodriguez, Jason Gurka, Branden Kline and Tim Berry. Catcher Michael Ohlman and infielder Jonathan Schoop round out the O's players headed for Arizona. Ohlman is listed as a taxi squad player that will play two games per week. The O's are sending two staff...
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A look at the O's recent success at Fenway Park (Asencio note)

A look at the O's recent success at Fenway Park (Asencio note)
The Orioles have six games remaining this year at Fenway Park in Boston. Maybe that is good news as the Orioles have done well there recently. Dating back to September 2011, the Orioles have won five series in a row at Fenway, going 12-4 in that time. They went 3-1 there in a series in late 2011, 7-2 last season in Boston and 2-1 in April of this year at Fenway. They begin a nine-game road trip there tonight. It is part of a larger O's run of success against Boston. The Orioles went 13-5...
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Aberdeen pitching coach Alan Mills talks about Hunter Harvey (updated)

Aberdeen pitching coach Alan Mills talks about Hunter Harvey (updated)
Orioles 2013 first-round draft pick, pitcher Hunter Harvey, will make his second start for short-season, Single-A Aberdeen tonight at Lowell. It is an important game for the IronBirds' playoff chances. Aberdeen is 33-29 and leading its division, but by just a 1/2 game over Brooklyn with 10 games to play in search of its first-ever playoff berth. Last Tuesday night at Ripken Stadium, Harvey made a very strong Aberdeen debut. Harvey went 4 1/3 innings, throwing 77 pitches and gave up four hits...
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After very impressive game on offense, a nine-game road trip awaits for the Orioles

After very impressive game on offense, a nine-game road trip awaits for the Orioles
The Orioles scored 10 runs against Oakland in a key win on Sunday. The O's offense was really clicking in that game. They got a few things done on offense on Sunday: * Run aggressively on the bases. Check. * Make productive outs with good situational hitting. Check. * Get Nick Markakis' bat going again. Check. * Get some key hits with runners in scoring position. Check. * Throw in a few homers for good measure. Check. The Orioles won another series and they are 24-14-4 in series this year....
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