Opposite dugout: Yanks try to keep Birds out of postseason

Opposite dugout: Yanks try to keep Birds out of postseason
Manager: Joe Girardi (9th season) Record: 83-76 Last 10 games: 6-4 Who to watch: C Gary Sanchez (.303/.378/.672 with 20 HR, 42 RBIs), SS Didi Gregorius (.275 with 20 HR, 69 RBIs), 2B Starlin Castro (.272 with 21 HR, 70 RBIs), RHP Masahiro Tanaka (14-4, 3.07 ERA), RHP Michael Pineda (6-11, 4.58 ERA) Season series vs. Orioles: 8-8 Pitching probables: Sept. 30: RHP Yovani Gallardo vs. RHP Michael Pineda, 7:05 p.m., MASNOct. 1: LHP Wade Miley vs. RHP Masahiro Tanaka, 4:05 p.m., MASNOct. 2: RHP...
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Zach Wilt: The importance of Hyun Soo Kim

Zach Wilt: The importance of Hyun Soo Kim
You would have a hard time finding a more staunch supporter of Hyun Soo Kim than me. Sure, after his heroics last night, today is an easy day to write that I'm a fan of the guy, but I promise I can back it up. I wrote back in December of last year that I was excited about the Orioles signing Kim because it seemed like another one of those under-the-radar type impact moves from Dan Duquette. The Orioles needed a high-OBP bat to bring a bit more balance to the all-or-nothing nature of their...
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Pair of "Postseason Push" rallies announced for this weekend

Pair of "Postseason Push" rallies announced for this weekend
October is three days away, which means playoff baseball isn't far behind. As the Orioles continue an important series in Toronto, where they trail the Blue Jays by two games for the first American Leauge wild card spot and hold a one-game lead for the second wild card, the club today announced a pair of rallies to generate excitement back home in Baltimore for the team's playoff push. The first "Postseaon Push" rally will be held at Mother's North Grille in Timonium on Friday, Sept. 30,...
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Dillon Atkinson: Ramos' injury opens the door for Wieters

Dillon Atkinson: Ramos' injury opens the door for Wieters
In very unfortunate news for the player and team, Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos is out for the remainder of 2016 with a torn ACL. Ramos, 29, was having the best year of his career in 2016, which is his contract year. This season, he slashed .307/.354/.496 with 22 homers in 523 plate appearances and threw out 37.3 percent of attempted base stealers. It was beginning to look like Ramos would earn himself a big pay day in free agency, whether that money came from the Nationals or another club in...
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Ryan Romano: What makes Brad Brach's fastball so great?

Ryan Romano: What makes Brad Brach's fastball so great?
The Orioles bullpen has no shortage of underdog stories. Zach Britton washed out of the big league rotation before transforming into the sinkerballer extraordinaire he is today. Darren O'Day went undrafted out of college and bounced around several clubs until Baltimore snatched him up. And Mychal Givens started his minor league career as a shortstop, converting into a pitcher just three years ago. Brad Brach's journey is worth reflecting on, too: In eight years' time, he's gone from...
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Opposite dugout: Blue Jays hoping to hold onto top wild card spot

Opposite dugout: Blue Jays hoping to hold onto top wild card spot
Manager: John Gibbons (9th season) Record: 86-70 Last 10 games: 6-4 Who to watch: DH Edwin Encarnacion (42 HR, 126 RBIs); RF Jose Bautista (21 HR, 67 RBIs); 3B Josh Donaldson (.284 average with 36 HR, 96 RBIs); RHP Aaron Sanchez (13-2, 3.12 ERA); RHP Marcus Stroman (9-9, 4.34 ERA). Season series vs. Orioles: 9-7 Pitching probables: September 27: RHP Kevin Gausman vs. RHP Aaron Sanchez, 7:07 p.m., MASNSeptember 28: RHP Chris Tillman vs. LHP Francisco Liriano, 7:07 p.m., MASNSeptember 29: RHP...
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Andrew Stetka: Despite ups and downs, O's have playoffs in their sights

Andrew Stetka: Despite ups and downs, O's have playoffs in their sights
Fourth place. That's where I had the Orioles finishing this season. I wasn't alone. Many so-called experts pegged the O's for a fourth- or even fifth-place finish in the American League East. All five experts from CBS Sports had the O's in fifth. Five of six pundits from Yahoo! Sports slotted the O's in last as well, with the other picking them fourth. Bleacher Report had the Birds last, too. In a panel of 31 experts from ESPN, just two gave the O's a playoff spot, both slotting them as...
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Orioles hosting Birdland Experience Weekend for disability community

Orioles hosting Birdland Experience Weekend for disability community
This weekend, during their final home series of the 2016 season, the Orioles will play host to some very special fans. More than 1,000 members of the disability community will be in attendance during Birdland Experience Weekend, which will be held during games Friday through Sunday against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Camden Yards. Many of these visitors will be making their first trip to Camden Yards, experiencing an Orioles game in person for the first time. Birdland Experience Weekend caps...
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Matthew Taylor: O's sudden shift hurts more this time around

Matthew Taylor: O's sudden shift hurts more this time around
The Orioles are out of playoff position for the first time all season one week after an improbable division title seemed entirely possible following a Kevin Gausman gem at Fenway Park. An uplifting win that puts the postseason in reach has yielded to listless baseball. This all feels familiar, but worse. After all, we saw the same routine last season. You'll recall that the 2015 O's were a half-game out of the American League wild card race and five games back in the division on Aug. 19...
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Zach Wilt: On-base percentage the key to wins and losses for O's

Zach Wilt: On-base percentage the key to wins and losses for O's
There's no question that the Orioles have one of the most dangerous offenses in baseball. Opposing starters fear the wicked combo of Mark Trumbo, Chris Davis and Manny Machado, three guys with more than 30 homers. Oh by the way, Adam Jones is two shy of being the fourth Oriole to join that list. With 10 games remaining, the Birds are on pace to hit 253 home runs this season and they've crushed a league leading 238 so far. In September however, the O's bats seemed to have gone quiet during...
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Dillon Atkinson: Backsliding bats have been costly to Birds

Dillon Atkinson: Backsliding bats have been costly to Birds
At the end of June, everything was going right in Birdland. The Orioles were 47-31, holding a five-game lead atop the American League East. The Red Sox and Blue Jays started climbing back in the division, but heading into the All-Star break, the Birds still held a two-game lead over both Boston and Toronto. Heading into tonight's contest against the Red Sox, the Orioles are now 82-69, third place in the AL East. They are trailing Boston by five games and Toronto by one game. What in the world...
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Opposite dugout: Diamondbacks trying to avoid NL West cellar

Opposite dugout: Diamondbacks trying to avoid NL West cellar
Manager: Chip Hale (2nd season) Record: 64-88 Last 10 games: 6-4 Who to watch: 2B Jean Segura (.317 with 17 HR, 59 RBIs, 30 SB), 1B Paul Goldschmidt (.298 with 23 HR, 90 RBIs, 27 SB), LF Yasmany Tomas (29 HR, 75 RBIs), 3B Jake Lamb (28 HR, 88 RBIs), LHP Robbie Ray (8-13, 4.66 ERA, 210 Ks) Season series vs. Orioles: First meeting (3-0 in 2014) Pitching probables: Sept. 23: RHP Shelby Miller vs. RHP Yovani Gallardo, 7:05 p.m., MASN2 Sept. 24: LHP Robbie Ray vs. LHP Wade Miley, 7:05 p.m., MASN2...
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"Don't Miss the Magic" providing inspiration for those battling disease

"Don't Miss the Magic" providing inspiration for those battling disease
UPDATE: The Orioles have extended the charitable component from "Don't Miss the Magic" to run through the end of the post season. Every online stream, download, and share will will be accompanied by a $5 donation by the Orioles Charitable Foundation to Shannon's Fund. LISTEN HERE: Don't Miss the Magic (Soundcloud) We're still a few weeks away from the end of the regular season. Orioles fans are hoping the season isn't over for quite a while, of course. But even with the playoff...
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Ryan Romano: Wade Miley isn't this bad, but he has struggled

Ryan Romano: Wade Miley isn't this bad, but he has struggled
Across April, May, June and July, not a single left-handed pitcher started for the Orioles. The club made sure that would change in August by swinging for the Mariners' Wade Miley, a veteran southpaw with a history of reliability and durability. Yet while Miley has taken the hill every fifth day for the O's, he hasn't pitched very well - opponents have roughed him up for a 7.55 ERA in nine starts and only 39 1/3 innings. As the de facto replacement for Wei-Yin Chen, Miley needs to perform...
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Andrew Stetka: Finishing with non-losing record still an underrated sight

Andrew Stetka: Finishing with non-losing record still an underrated sight
It hit me like a ton of bricks the other day. I suppose I was caught up in the aftermath of a thrilling win that took a perfect relay throw to seal it: Michael Bourn to Manny Machado to Matt Wieters for the tag and win. It preserved Zach Britton's 44th save of the season and capped a comeback from four runs down. It also ensured that the Orioles, for a fifth straight season, won't be losers. Last year, of course, it took winning the final five games of the season to accomplish this feat....
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Opposite dugout: Red Sox take three-game lead into crucial series

Opposite dugout: Red Sox take three-game lead into crucial series
Manager: John Farrell (4th season) Record: 85-64 Last 10 games: 7-3 Who to watch: 2B Dustin Pedroia (.324 average with 189 hits); DH David Ortiz (.317 average with 34 HR, 116 RBIs); RF Mookie Betts (.314 average with 30 HR, 106 RBIs); SS Hanley Ramirez (28 HR with 150 hits); RHP Rick Porcello (20-4, 3.12 ERA); RHP David Price (16-8, 3.91 ERA). Season series vs. Orioles: 7-8 Pitching probables: September 19: RHP Rick Porcello vs. RHP Dylan Bundy, 7:05 p.m., MASNSeptember 20: LHP Eduardo...
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Matthew Taylor: On the tortuous nature of September baseball

Matthew Taylor: On the tortuous nature of September baseball
My wife and I discussed pennant races Thursday night shortly after the Orioles dropped a disappointing 7-6 decision to the Rays. She concluded our brief conversation with this simple truth: "So they're fun when you're winning, but they stink when you're losing." Truer words were never spoken. Moments later, the Red Sox completed a ninth-inning comeback versus the Yankees with a three-run walk-off home run, and I commenced an unmitigated assault on our defenseless bedroom pillows. Grown men...
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Zach Wilt: As weather cools, O's starting pitching heats up

Zach Wilt: As weather cools, O's starting pitching heats up
Like most people across the country, I updated my phone's firmware to its fancy new version yesterday evening. I've gotta have those updated emojis and goofy message effects that all my friends are talking about. After it completed, I was sure that something went wrong because the calendar app read "September 14," but according to the Orioles' matchup against the Red Sox that I was watching, it was surely October. The road crowd at Fenway Park was raucous and every pitch seemed to have...
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Opposite dugout: Rays hoping to buck recent trend vs. O's

Opposite dugout: Rays hoping to buck recent trend vs. O's
Manager: Kevin Cash (2nd season) Record: 62-83 Last 10 games: 4-6 Who to watch: 2B Logan Forsythe (.279 average with 19 HR, 50 RBIs); 3B Evan Longoria (32 HR, 155 hits); SS Brad Miller (72 RBIs, 122 hits); RHP Jake Odorizzi (9-6, 3.81 ERA); RHP Chris Archer (8-18 with 217 strikeouts); RHP Alex Colome (2.01 ERA with 32 saves). Season series vs. Orioles: 4-11 Pitching probables: September 15: LHP Blake Snell vs. RHP Yovani Gallardo, 7:05 p.m., MASNSeptember 16: RHP Chris Archer vs. RHP Ubaldo...
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Dillon Atkinson: Could O's use four-man rotation in playoffs?

Dillon Atkinson: Could O's use four-man rotation in playoffs?
Following Tuesday night's 6-3 win over the Red Sox, the Orioles are tied for the first wild card spot and second place in the American League East - being just two games back - with the Blue Jays. The Birds, 79-66, face the Red Sox again tonight in the rubber match of a three-game set at Fenway. O's young right-hander Kevin Gausman will counter Boston's Cy Young candidate Rick Porcello. With the Orioles winning the series in Detroit and winning last night's ball game, a win in Boston...
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