Notes on Valencia, Wynns, Sisco and more (O's down 14-5)

The news is light this afternoon at Camden Yards.

I reported earlier that the Orioles released infielder Danny Valencia from his contract. He becomes a free agent.

A team will sign Valencia now that he won't require any sort of compensation in return.

"I'd be surprised if they don't," said manager Buck Showalter. "I'm sure there will be some interest now that that's kind of flushed out. I'd be surprised if Danny isn't playing again shortly for somebody."

Rookie catcher Austin Wynns is behind the plate again tonight, making his fifth start and seventh appearance this month. He's thrown out five of 12 runners attempting to steal and is batting .280/.308/.480 with three home runs and seven RBIs in 20 games.

"I don't want him to sit around too long," Showalter said. "He's in a pretty good place right now and I don't want him to sit on it. We've got tomorrow off again and I want to keep him in the flow. He's swinging the bat OK and he's growing some as a catcher. Just want to keep him in the flow.

"He's picking up a lot of things about pitching and our pitchers and the only way to do it is to get him out there. He's presented himself well. It's the old thing, you play better you play more. He's done well."

Rookie Chance Sisco, who broke camp with the team and has twice been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk, is batting .217/.301/.337 in 24 games with the Tides and he's 4-for-30 throwing out runners attempting to steal.

"There's good things being said about his catching," Showalter said. "I know R.J. (Norfolk manager Ron Johnson) really was talking about how well he caught last night. He's not hitting for a pure average like he'd like to, but seems to be catching well."

The Orioles still haven't announced their international signings, which I'm hearing include players from the Dominican Republic, Curacao and Venezuela. The paperwork has been submitted to Major League Baseball.

On this date in 1979, Eddie Murray stole home with two outs in the 12th inning to give the Orioles their second straight 12-inning win over the White Sox at Memorial Stadium. Doug DeCinces was on first base and Murray stood on third against rookie Guy Hoffman.

Mike Flanagan went the distance, allowing five hits and striking out 12 while earning his 16th victory.

For the Mets
Brandon Nimmo RF
Jeff McNeil 2B
Wilmer Flores 1B
Michael Conforto LF
Todd Frazier DH
Austin Jackson CF
José Bautista 3B
Kevin Plawecki C
José Reyes SS

Zack Wheeler RHP

Update: Dylan Bundy threw 29 pitches in the top of the first inning and fell behind 2-0 on a sacrifice fly by Wilmer Flores and RBI bloop single to right field by Todd Frazier.

Update II: Mets starter Zack Wheeler threw 34 pitches in the bottom of the first and allowed one run and three hits. Adam Jones had an RBI single.

Update III: Bundy allowed two runs in fourth, along with two triples, a single and a double. José Bautista and Brandon Nimmo had RBIs and the Orioles trail 4-1.

Update IV: Frazier homered off Bundy in the fifth inning to increase the lead to 5-1.

Update V: Bundy was charged with seven runs and 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings. Tanner Scott let two inherited runners score in the sixth on Nimmo's triple. Another run scored on Scott's walk/wild pitch and Evan Phillips let two inherited runners score on Frazier's double for a 10-1 lead.

Update VI: Phillips served up a grand slam to Kevin Plawecki to give the Mets a 14-1 lead in the sixth.

Update VII: Mark Trumbo had a two-out RBI single in the seventh to reduce the lead to 14-2.

Update VIII: Wynns had an RBI double in the eighth, Jonathan Villar hit a two-run homer and the Orioles trail 14-5.