O'Day: "I'm ready to go" (O's lose 3-2 on passed ball)
By Roch Kubatko
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - If the Orioles carry a slim lead into the late innings or are tied today, will Darren O'Day be summoned from the bullpen at Tropicana Field?
He won't be hard to find. The bullpens are situated in foul territory. Right out in the open, in prime line drive territory.
O'Day says he's ready. The left hamstring is feeling better and he wants to pitch.
"My hamstring was sore, my high hamstring," he said. "I think I might have broke up some scar tissue or something. I'm not a doctor, but it was only a couple days, so I think I'm ready to go. I should be good to go."
O'Day thinks the discomfort is related to his hamstring injury in 2007.
"It's the same spot, but that time it was much worse," he said. "It happens where the muscle, you traumatize it and then it stays with you a while. I think it was a result of that."
And as a result, Orioles manager Buck Showalter wouldn't let him pitch in the past three games.
"When you come to a game and you know you're not going to pitch, it's pretty frustrating," he said. "I don't like it. Andrew (Miller) and I were just discussing it, how miserable it is, actually. We like to pitch. That's what we like to do.
"I don't particularly like to watch baseball. I like to play it. I want to be in there whenever I can. Whatever date or month that is, I'll be in there to pitch."
The Orioles wanted to stay ahead of the injury. Same with J.J. Hardy's back and Steve Pearce's abdomen.
"Yeah, I have a good manager, good training staff," O'Day said. "They took care of me."
Pearce walked in his first at-bat today. The Rays can't keep him off the bases.
Meanwhile, it's '80s Day at The Trop. Anyone have an embarrassing photo from that decade they'd like to share with the class?
Update: Of course, Chris Davis hit a home run today.
Wasn't in the lineup, talked to manager Buck Showalter about it, got into the lineup and gave the Orioles a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Who didn't see it coming?
Davis jumped on the first pitch, an 82 mph slider, for his 26th home run this season.
Davis was 1-for-8 with five strikeouts against left-hander Drew Smyly before today, but the one hit was a home run on Aug. 27 at Camden Yards. It was the only run Smyly allowed over seven innings.
The Orioles are 54-11 when they score first and 70-29 when they homer.
Update II: The Rays scored twice in the third to take a 2-1 lead and raise Kevin Gausman's pitch count to 51.
Evan Longoria had a sacrifice fly and Wil Myers broke the tie with a two-out single to right-center field. Adam Jones appeared to catch the sinking liner, but the ball popped out of his glove.
Gausman allowed three hits and walked a batter in the inning.
Update III: Nelson Cruz bounced a single up the middle to score pinch-runner Quintin Berry in the eighth and tie the game 2-2.
Steve Pearce walked and Berry replaced him. Berry took second on reliever Jake McGee's errant pickoff throw and raced home on Cruz's single. Davis singled, but Delmon Young lined into a double play, with pinch-runner David Lough caught off second base.
Gausman completed seven innings for the second consecutive start. He allowed two runs and five hits, walked four and struck out seven. Gausman threw 106 pitches, 68 for strikes.
Update IV: Yunel Escobar scored the winning run in the ninth inning on Nick Hundley's passed ball.
Rays 3, Orioles 2.
Escobar reached on Ryan Flaherty's error, took second on a sacrifice bunt and went to third on a fly ball. Ben Zobrist was walked intentionally and Andrew Miller replaced Brad Brach.
Miller's second pitch glanced off Hundley's mitt and rolled to the backstop.
The Orioles have lost consecutive games for the first time since the Wrigley Field sweep.
O'Day says he's ready. The left hamstring is feeling better and he wants to pitch.
"My hamstring was sore, my high hamstring," he said. "I think I might have broke up some scar tissue or something. I'm not a doctor, but it was only a couple days, so I think I'm ready to go. I should be good to go."
O'Day thinks the discomfort is related to his hamstring injury in 2007.
"It's the same spot, but that time it was much worse," he said. "It happens where the muscle, you traumatize it and then it stays with you a while. I think it was a result of that."
And as a result, Orioles manager Buck Showalter wouldn't let him pitch in the past three games.
"When you come to a game and you know you're not going to pitch, it's pretty frustrating," he said. "I don't like it. Andrew (Miller) and I were just discussing it, how miserable it is, actually. We like to pitch. That's what we like to do.
"I don't particularly like to watch baseball. I like to play it. I want to be in there whenever I can. Whatever date or month that is, I'll be in there to pitch."
The Orioles wanted to stay ahead of the injury. Same with J.J. Hardy's back and Steve Pearce's abdomen.
"Yeah, I have a good manager, good training staff," O'Day said. "They took care of me."
Pearce walked in his first at-bat today. The Rays can't keep him off the bases.
Meanwhile, it's '80s Day at The Trop. Anyone have an embarrassing photo from that decade they'd like to share with the class?
Update: Of course, Chris Davis hit a home run today.
Wasn't in the lineup, talked to manager Buck Showalter about it, got into the lineup and gave the Orioles a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Who didn't see it coming?
Davis jumped on the first pitch, an 82 mph slider, for his 26th home run this season.
Davis was 1-for-8 with five strikeouts against left-hander Drew Smyly before today, but the one hit was a home run on Aug. 27 at Camden Yards. It was the only run Smyly allowed over seven innings.
The Orioles are 54-11 when they score first and 70-29 when they homer.
Update II: The Rays scored twice in the third to take a 2-1 lead and raise Kevin Gausman's pitch count to 51.
Evan Longoria had a sacrifice fly and Wil Myers broke the tie with a two-out single to right-center field. Adam Jones appeared to catch the sinking liner, but the ball popped out of his glove.
Gausman allowed three hits and walked a batter in the inning.
Update III: Nelson Cruz bounced a single up the middle to score pinch-runner Quintin Berry in the eighth and tie the game 2-2.
Steve Pearce walked and Berry replaced him. Berry took second on reliever Jake McGee's errant pickoff throw and raced home on Cruz's single. Davis singled, but Delmon Young lined into a double play, with pinch-runner David Lough caught off second base.
Gausman completed seven innings for the second consecutive start. He allowed two runs and five hits, walked four and struck out seven. Gausman threw 106 pitches, 68 for strikes.
Update IV: Yunel Escobar scored the winning run in the ninth inning on Nick Hundley's passed ball.
Rays 3, Orioles 2.
Escobar reached on Ryan Flaherty's error, took second on a sacrifice bunt and went to third on a fly ball. Ben Zobrist was walked intentionally and Andrew Miller replaced Brad Brach.
Miller's second pitch glanced off Hundley's mitt and rolled to the backstop.
The Orioles have lost consecutive games for the first time since the Wrigley Field sweep.
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