Orioles News - 9/29/07 - O's fall in close one, 11-10

The Baltimore Orioles lost last night, 11-10 to the New York Yankees. The game was in the Orioles' favor up until the 4th inning as the O's scored 2 runs in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd innings. They entered the 4th inning with a 6-1 lead. Then, the Yankees figured out Cabrera and started to hit off of him. By the time the inning was over, Cabrera had been chased from the game and the Yankees had scored 10 runs to take a 11-6 lead. Every Yankees starter scored a run in that inning. That's terrible. You have to have better pitching then that.

Daniel Cabrera's line for the game: 3 innings, 10 hits, and 7 runs. Looks like a typical pitching performance by Cabrera.

There were only 2 bright spots in this game for Baltimore: Nick Markakis and Brian Roberts. Markakis homered last night to bring his season total to 23. He also has 112 RBI's, 18 stolen bases, and a .300 batting average. Brian Roberts stole his 50th base of the season last night, so congratulations to him. Here's to several more seasons like that in an Orioles uniform.

The O's wrap up their season today with another game against the New York Yankees. If the O's win today, then they will have won the season series against New York. If not, they will have gone .500 in the season series with the Yanks. I figure the Orioles have a good chance since the Yankees will be resting most of their stars for the playoffs. Ahh, the playoffs. If only we could get there... (Sigh) - John T.

Orioles News - 9/28/07 - O's win in extra innings

The Baltimore Orioles won last night, 10-9 over the New York Yankees. It took 10 innings and a great rally by Baltimore to pull it off...

Coming into this game, the Yankees were 85-1 when leading after the 8th inning this year. Throw in the fact that future Hall Of Fame closer Mariano Rivera is on the mound, and the game seems to be over for the Orioles. Now throw in a 2 out, bases loaded triple by Jay Payton, and the O's sent the game into extra innings. Then in the 10th inning, Tike Redman hit a 1 out double, eventually moving to 3rd base on a passed ball. Nick Markakis and Miguel Tejada were intentionally walked to load the bases. Kevin Millar then came up to bat with the game on the line and... he struck out. Ok, lets try this again. Melvin Mora came up to the plate with 2 outs, the bases loaded, and a chance to be the hero. And Mora.... laid down a bunt to bring in the game winning run! A walk off bunt! (How many times do you hear that?) It was a gutsy call by the O's, but a call that paid off.

Our starting pitching wasn't much last night, as Jon Leicester went 4 1/3 innings, allowing 7 earned runs and walking 3 batters. But, our bullpen did a nice job after that, as they allowed only 2 more runs all game in this rare Orioles win. - John T.

Orioles News - 9/27/07 - Guthrie returns as O's win

Sorry I couldn't post this blog yesterday, my internet was down. So here it is.

A win! The Baltimore Orioles won last night, 8-5 over the Toronto Blue Jays. Rookie Jeremy Guthrie did great after coming back from a strained oblique. Guthrie allowed 3 runs (all earned) in 5 innings. Guthrie threw only 80 pitches due to the fact that he was on a pitch count. Guthrie was left with a no-decision because left fielder Jay Payton misjudged a fly ball which allowed a run to score. He also dropped a line drive which allowed a run.

Geez, Guthrie can’t catch a break anymore. Most of the time, the O’s aren’t providing him enough runs to win. But when they do, like last night, defensive mistakes cost him a decision. The rookie pitching sensation now has 7 no-decisions in his last 9 starts.

Jay Payton did make up for his mistakes in the field, as he drove in 3 runs. Also, Luis Hernandez hit his 1st major league home run last night. Congratulations to him. Hopefully this will be the 1st of many homers from him. J.R. House also homered, his 2nd this year.

So, a good day for the Orioles. – John T

Orioles News - 9/26/07 - 8 run Toronto 1st inning leads to O's loss

The Baltimore Orioles lost last night, 8-5 to the Toronto Blue Jays. This game was terrible. The Blue Jays began the game with a 8 run 1st inning. Yes, an 8 run 1st inning. With the pitchers we have, I'm not surprised. You can tell the game is going to be bad when on the 1st pitch of the game, you hit your opponet with a pitch. The Blue Jay who was hit was Reed Johnson. That was followed by a walk and then a single. So now the bases are loaded with Frank Thomas up and no outs. Great. Thomas crushed a pitch deep to left field but was robbed of the grand slam by Jay Payton (In picture). A run did score on that sacrifice fly though. After that, there was a single, a walk and another single. Then there was a fielder's choice and the O's got their 2nd out!!! Only 1 more out to go, right? Yes, but in the meantime, Toronto scored 3 more runs to run their total to 8 before the O's even went to bat.

So, after that 8 run inning by the Blue Jays, the O's were now down 8 runs against former Cy Young award winner Roy Halladay. But we can still rally to win, right? Fat chance. We did get some runs though, as Ramon Hernandez, Jay Payton and Tike Redman drove in runs. Redman drove in 2, as a matter of fact.

Just thought I'd share this with you: Victor Zambrono's line yesterday: 2/3 innings, 8 earned runs, and 3 walks. I'll leave you with that. - John T.

Orioles News - 9/25/07 - O's fall to Toronto - Baez out all of next year?

The Baltimore Orioles lost last night, 11-4. The winner of this game was the Toronto Blue Jays. This game was ugly. As a matter of fact, kid's should shield their eyes from this: The O's left 11 men on base in this game. That's terrible. A little league team could do better then that. Well, not really but you get the point. More facts to read with caution: This was the 17th game this year in which the Orioles have given up 10 runs or more. It was also their 25th loss in 34 games. Look here, another ugly fact. (The world is just filled with ugly facts, isn't it?) Starter Brian Burres went 3 1/3 innings, giving up 7 runs. All 7 of those runs were earned.

The Blue Jay's runs came in bunches as the scored 3 runs in the 2nd, 3rd, and 7th innings. The Orioles did get some runs as they scored 3 runs in the 5th inning on 5 hits and 1 error. They also scored again in the 7th inning, but it was too little, too late as this game was already decided.

In more news, reliever Dany Baez will likely miss all of next season with an elbow injury. Baez will have Tommy John surgery. My take on this: He won't be missed much by me. Baez is 0-6 with a 6.44 ERA in 53 appearances. Now you tell me, is he really worth a 3 year, 19 million dollar contract? - John T.

Orioles News - 9/25/07 - O's sweep season series against Royals

Swept! As in the Baltimore Orioles swept the season series against the Kansas City Royals with a win last night. The O's won 3-2. This game was being played as a make-up game for a rain out. In this matchup of 2 bad teams, it was actually a good game.

The Orioles struck first in this game, as they scored 2 runs in the 5th inning. The runs came after a Ramon Hernandez single, a groundout to advance Hernandez, and then a double by Tike Redman to score Hernandez. Brian Roberts then walked, and Melvin Mora singled to bring in another run. The Royals came back and scored once in the 6th to make the score a little closer. Daniel Cabrera left the game after he finished the 7th inning, as he allowed only 1 run all game. No, that's not a misprint. Cabrera really did allow only 1 run. He had a 2-1 lead when he left the game. That lead soon turned into a tie after a pinch hit home run in the 8th inning by Kansas City. That homer robbed Cabrera at his chance of getting a decision in the game. But, the O's proved they have some heroics in themselves too. In the 8th inning also, Nick Markakis hit a solo homer to give the O's the lead for good. Markakis now has 22 homers and 109 RBI's this season, a franchise record for a 2nd year player. Maybe we do have some young talent, but we're going to need plenty more players like him and Jeremy Guthrie if we ever want to compete. - John T.

Orioles News - 9/23/07 - O's shutout

The Baltimore Orioles lost yesterday to the Texas Rangers, 3-0. The O's were blanked again. That's the 4th time this month that the O's have been shutout. The Orioles wasted a great pitching performance from Jon Leicester. Leicester went the whole game, allowing only 3 runs. But the Orioles didn't score, as they left 8 men on base. 6 of those men were left in scoring position. That's a shame. We finally get a good pitching performance, yet it's wasted as we can't score. Baltimore also hit into 3 double plays. Two of those double plays came with men in scoring position. The Rangers however, took advantage of their opportunities as they left only 1 man on base in scoring position. Texas scored twice in the 2nd inning, with a triple and a single that brought in runs. They also scored again in the 6th on 2 singles, a wild pitch that advanced the runners, and a groundout to bring in the game's final run. It was a great pitching performance by Jon Leicester but in the end, it doesn't matter if you can't score. - John T.

Orioles News - 9/22/07 - O's win in shootout

The Baltimore Orioles won last night, 11-9 over the Texas Rangers in a shootout. Rightfielder Nick Markakis had 5 RBI's. That's right, Nick Markakis, the Orioles 2nd year player had 5 RBI's. That's what the O's need. Markakis now leads the team in home runs, RBI's, and runs scored. In his 2nd year in the Majors. Nice. Markakis also had a homer in the game. But, the Orioles still had plenty of missed opportunities as they left 11 men on base. That's poor.

Congrats to Brian Roberts on stealing his 47th and 48th base last night. Hopefully he can turn that into 50 before the year ends.

Radhames Liz, our starter, went 2.2 innings giving up 6 runs on 6 hits and 4 walks. Reliever Rocky Cherry came in, giving up 2 runs. Chad Bradford also gave up a run, but the Orioles could still take a victory. But let's face it. Your not going to win giving up 9 runs in one game. Most of the time at least. You need better pitching or your always going to lose. - John T.

Orioles News - 9/21/07 - O's fall to Texas

The Baltimore Orioles lost on Friday to the Texas Rangers. The final score was 3-2. It was a heartbreaking loss for Baltimore. The O's left 6 men on base. But, Miguel Tejada hit a homer, his first opposite-field homer all year. Wait, his 1st opposite-field homer all year? And Tejada is a power hitter right? That's sad. After that homer in the 2nd inning, the Orioles bats seemed to fall asleep. Until the 9th inning. In the 9th inning, the bases were loaded with no outs and Scott Moore hit a sacrifice fly to bring in a run. Now with 1 out, Paul Bako came in with the game on the line and.... Bako struck out. Melvin Mora was then caught stealing, and the game was over. That hurts. So, it was another loss for the Baltimore Orioles. (Sigh.) - Jon T.

Orioles News - 9/20/07 - O's win in 10 innings

The Baltimore Orioles won last night, 6-3 in the 10th inning over the Texas Rangers. A big part of the win is due to this guy, Brian Roberts (left), who hit a 3 run homer in the 10th inning to help lead the Orioles to a win. Miguel Tejada had the game tying hit, which at that point was only the Orioles 2nd run in their last 26 innings. The Orioles were doing badly, losing 1-0 in the 9th inning before a few hits turned into a run. In that game, the O's were 0-9 with runners in scoring position before the 9th inning. Another key factor in the O's win was pitching. (How often do you hear about the O's pitching doing well?) Starter Victor Zambrano went 5 strong innings, allowing only 1 run on 3 hits. He only walked 2 batters. Reliever Jim Hoey came in and mowed down the Rangers, not allowing a run. Rocky Cherry, Chad Bradford, and Jamie Walker all did the same, as they didn't allow a run. Fernando Cabrera did allow a run, 2 as a matter of fact but the Orioles still picked up a victory. Jamie Walker was the reliever who got the win.

Now for Miguel Tejada. He is our starting shortstop. But is it time for him to move? But where? To 3rd base? Or to another team? His range is declining at shortstop and he's making more errors then ever on the field. Should he move? I say yes. His play is declining. He's not doing well at the plate either. So, as much as I hate to say it, the O's need to trade him, possibly for some pitching prospects.

By the way, I am going away this weekend and I won't be able to post on Saturday and Sunday. - John T.

Orioles News - 9/19/07 - O's swept

Swept. The New York Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles last night, 2-1 to sweep the O's. The O's wasted a great pitching performance by Brian Burres. Burres went 7 1/3 strong innings, allowing only 2 runs on 5 hits. But, Burres' effort didn't matter because the Orioles only scored 1 run, on Melvin Mora's single to bring in Brian Roberts. It's tough to win when you only score 1 run. It's not like the Orioles didn't have chances to score. They had plenty, leaving 7 men on base. The Yankees scored only twice, once in the 2nd inning on a home run by Hideki Matsui and on a wild pitch by Burres in the 5th. If you have any kind of good run support at all, you can expect to win a game when holding your opponet to 2 runs.

Also in the game, Jay Payton was ejected in the 5th inning after striking out on a 3-2 pitch, a called third strike. Payton said something to the umpire, and as he walked away he tosed his helmet in the general direction of home plate. The umpire didn't like that, ejecting Payton from the game.

The O's play a 4 game road series with the Texas Rangers, the O's last road series of the year. Remember one of the last times the O's and Rangers faced off? If not, the final score was 30-3. Hopefully that won't happen again... - John T.

Orioles News - 9/18/07 - O's shutout by Yanks

The Baltimore Orioles were crushed last night, 12-0. The New York Yankees were victorious, with starter Mike Mussina mowing down the O's. Mussina allowed only 3 hits in 7 innings. Remind me again why we let this guy go... Orioles starter Jon Leicester wasn't nearly as good as Mussina, allowing 6 runs on 6 hits in 4 innings. Our bullpen then gave up 6 more runs in the 6th and 7th innings. This is the 3rd time this month that the O's have lost by 12 runs or more. And, this is the 3rd time this month that the Orioles have been shutout this month. That's sad. The Yankees had a 6 run 4th inning, but the O's could have escaped with minimum damage. There were 3 seperate times when a ball went off of or under an Orioles player's glove. These were not easy plays, but plays that should have been made. Orioles catcher Ramon Hernandez had 2 hits, and Miguel Tejada had 1, but other then that, the O's didn't have a basehit. Also, pitcher Daniel Cabrera dropped his appeal of a 6 game suspension for throwing at a batter. So, a terrible day for the O's as they managed just 3 hits. - John T.

Orioles News - 9/17/07 - Cabrera gets another loss

The Baltimore Orioles lost last night, for the 85th time this season. The score was 8-5, with the New York Yankees picking up the W. Pitcher Daniel Cabrera, (Who is currently waiting to hear from MLB offices about his appeal of a suspension for throwing a pitch behind Dustin Pedoria's head), was terrible last night. He went 5 sloppy innings, giving up 8 hits and 6 earned runs. He walked 3 Yankees. Cabrera threw 113 pitches, with only 60 of them going for a strike. He is now tied for the MLB lead for losses, with 17. The O's left 11 men on base in this one. Ouch. 9 of those men were left in scoring position. Ouch again. Nick Markakis had a good game, driving in 3 runs for us. However, the same couldn't be said about the rest of the team, as they didn't do well. - John T.

Orioles News - 9/16/07 - A series win!

The Baltimore Orioles won yesterday, 8-6 over the Toronto Blue Jays. This gives them a series win, their 1st since mid-August. This win came in extra innings, 12 to be exact. The game lasted 4 hours and 25 minutes! It was ugly, as both teams went a toal of 5-37 with runners in scoring position. There was a total of 27 men left on base, with 12 of those men playing for the Orioles. They used a combined 15 pitchers and 28 position players! In the game, the Blue Jay's had a 4-1 lead after 3 innings, largely because of back-to-back homers on consectutive pitches by Adam Lind and Russ Adams. Nick Markais brought the Orioles to within 1 after he hit a solo shot to give him a 20 homer, 100 RBI season. This is only his 2nd year in the Majors. That's the kind of young talent we need. The Orioles won the game in the 12th inning, as Aubrey Huff singled to begin the game. Freddie Bynum doubled, sending Huff to 3rd base. Paul Bako up, game on the line, golden oppurtunity, and....he struckout. Ok, lets try this again. Scott Moore up, game on the line, golden oppurtunity, and....he singled, bringing in a run!!! The O's took the lead!! Brian Roberts hit a sacrifice fly after that, sending across a insurance run. For Moore, it was his only hit of the game, but it couldn't have come at a better time. - John T.

Orioles News - 9/15/07 - O's fall to Blue Jays

The Baltimore Orioles lost last night, 8-3 to the Toronto Blue Jays. What's worse is the fact that our starting pitcher, Kurt Birkins, didn't even record an out while giving up 6 earned runs on 6 hits. In his last 2 starts, (a total of 4 innings), he has given up 10 earned runs. That's pathetic. The Jay's 6 run 1st inning began with a Vernon Wells single, which was folloed by a Reed Johnson single. Alex Rios then knocked in both runners with a double. Frank Thomas then crushed a pitch for a homer, giving Toronto a 4-0 lead. Aaron Hill then singled, followed by a double from Matt Stairs that put them both in scoring position. A single by Gregg Zaun scored both runs. The Blue Jay's were finally done scoring in the 1st inning. The Orioles got a run in the 4th inning after Nick Markakis walked, and Aubrey Huff doubled to score Markakis. The Blue Jay's got 2 more runs in the 7th inning after the ball bounced off of Nick Markakis' glove and rolled to the wall, allowing 2 unearned runs to score. The O's eventually picked up 2 more runs in the 8th inning on 2 hits. Freddie Bynum had a great day, driving in a run and making several great defensive plays in left field. Aubrey Huff had a great day also, going 4-4 with an RBI at the plate. But, it was a bad day for the rest of the team, as Baltimore dropped another. - John T.

Orioles News - 9/14/07 - O's win 2nd straight

Two in a row! Yes, 2 straight wins for the Baltimore Orioles. It has been almost a month since the O's won back-to-back games. They won last night, 6-2 over the Toronto Blue Jays. There was a great pitching performance by Brian Burres, which led them to a win. The Orioles nearly shut out the Blue Jays, but reliever Jamie Walker gave up solo home runs to Aaron Hill and Hector Luna in the 9th inning. Those were the Jay's only runs of the night. Burres was awesome last night, pitching 7 scoreless innings, giving up 8 hits and walking none. He stayed focused and did a great job of getting out of jams. He threw 105 total pitches, and 72 of those were strikes. The team was certainly fired up as Tike Redman had 3 hits, and drive in a run. The Orioles scored early, providing Burres with a 2 run cushion before he even took the mound. The O's got another run in the 2nd inning when Brian Roberts homered to make it a 3-0 game. Aubrey Huff had a two-out triple in the 3rd inning, followed by Ramon Hernandez's single that scored Huff. Baltimore also tacked on 2 more runs in the 9th. It was a great game for the Baltimore Orioles, as they needed this win. - John T.

Orioles News - 9/13/07 - O's win - Trembley suspended 3 games, Cabrera suspended 6

Baltimore Orioles manager Dave Trembley was suspended for 3 games for his actions on Wednesday night, including pretending to eject the umpire who had blown a call. Orioles pitcher Daniel Cabrera was also suspended, but he was suspended for throwing a pitch at Boston Red Sox 2nd baseman Dustin Pedroia. The ball just missed Pedroia's neck. Cabrera got 6 games for that pitch. But yesterday, the Orioles finally won!! They have now won 4 of their last 22!!! Do you feel a comeback?!?!?!? Me neither. They won the game 3-0 over the Los Angeles Angels. The main story of the game didn't come on the field though. The main story was Miguel Tejada, who didn't play and was clearly upset about it. The Orioles didn't play him so that they could look at some of their younger talent at shortstop. Tejada was clearly frustrated. But, lets face it. Miggi isn't going to last forever, so why not look at the young talent they have at shortstop? It's not like the game even meant anything anyway, because the O's have already assured themselves of a 10th straight losing season. So why not? Brian Roberts, Ramon Hernandez, and Melvin Mora were also benched, as most of the players in the game were back-ups. They did good though, as shortstop Luis Hernandez went 3-4 and 3rd baseman Scott Moore drove in 2 runs. Tike Redman also drove in a run. This win came against 16-game winner John Lackey. Lackey is a Cy Young canidate too. Now if only we could do this everyday... - John T.

Orioles News - 9/12/07 - A Loss Again... - Trembley Tossed

The score of last night's Baltimore Orioles-Los Angeles Angels game was 18-6. I bet you can guess what team had 18 runs... In case you can't, it was the Angels who scored the 18 runs. The O's main excitement was manager Dave Trembley getting ejected, as the Orioles were never really in this game. The ejection, by the way, was hilarious. Trembley drew a line in the dirt with his cleats several times, as if to show where 2nd baseman Howie Kendrick of the Angels was when runner Scott Moore was called out. It was a force out, but Kendrick's foot was still very far off the bag. It was so far off, he was actually standing in Virginia. Just kidding, but you get the point. Trembley also pretended to eject the umpire who had blown the call, a move that almost certainly will result in him getting suspended by Major League Baseball. At least then he won't have to watch the O's for the next few games... Pitcher Daniel Cabrera was horrible for the O's, giving up 10 runs on 9 hits as he also walked 4 batters. Yes, you heard right, 10 runs. He threw 105 pitches. All of this came on a whopping 4 1/3 innings pitched by Cabrera. And now, I leave you with that. - John T.

Orioles News - 9/11/07 - O's drop 17 of 20

Baltimore lost again last night, 10-5, but this time to the Los Angeles Angels. They have now lost 17 of their last 20 games. If they go .500 or 9-9 for the rest of the season (18 games), then Baltimore would finish with a whopping 70 wins. Also, the Orioles have now used 25 different pitchers this year, after using 2 more new pitchers last night. That is now a team record. One of those new pitchers was starter Victor Santos. He did bad, as the O's gave him a lead in the 2nd inning on Ramon Hernandez's RBI double play. The lead was soon lost for the game after a 5 run Angels 3rd inning, in which they knocked Santos out of the game. From there, the Angels never looked back, keeping the lead for the rest of the game. They got a run in the 4th inning, 3 more in the 7th inning, and another run in the 9th inning. Santos' line was terrible, allowing 5 earned runs and 7 hits in 2 2/3 innings. Kevin Millar went 3-4 for the O's, with a 2 RBI homer. But it wasn't enough, as the Orioles pitching couldn't hold the lead. Baltimore left a total of 8 men on base in that game. That's poor. - John T.

Orioles News - 9/10/07 - Off-season needs

The O's didn't play last night, so here is a look at what the O's need this offseason.

What do the Orioles really need this offseason? They have several young pitchers, (Jeremy Guthrie, Brian Burres, Garret Olson, Radhames Liz) that could be great starters for the rotation in a year or two. So what do they need? Run support. Right now, the O’s aren’t driving in many runs. They are terrible. We need the run support for the pitchers, so we can win games. Also, a power hitting left fielder. Our left field now is Jay Payton, who is good but we need some more runs. If we got a power hitting left fielder, then we would be in a much better spot right now. Also, we need a first baseman. Aubrey Huff is good, but if we had a power hitting first baseman, we would be in much better shape. Preferably Mark Teixara, a free agent soon and a Baltimore native. And a better bullpen. We need a better bullpen, one that doesn’t blow games all the time. Those are our main needs, and the O’s really need to address them this offseason. - John T.

Orioles News - 9/9/07 - Gibbons & Steroids - Bedard out for year, Guthrie too? - O's lose again

Yesterday was a very busy day for the Baltimore Orioles. Jay Gibbons, a Orioles outfielder, was linked to HGH and other steroids. This information was found when a pharmacy was raided last spring, linking Gibbon's adress as a buyer. Jay recieved these shipments from October 2003 to July 2005. That's a shame. In more O's news, Erik Bedard's oblique strain is now ending his season. Rookie pitcher Jeremy Guthrie just suffered the same injury, and it looks as if his season might be over also. Ouch. Double Ouch. In more Orioles news, the O's lost to the Boston Red Sox, 3-2. In case your keeping track, that's 16 losses in 19 games. Ouch again. This loss has now assured the Orioles of their 10th straight non-winning season. Nick Markakis and Melvin Mora both hit solo homers in yesterday's game, providing the Orioles only runs. In the 8th inning, JD Drew singled, stole 2nd base, went to 3rd base on a sacrifice fly, and then scored on Coco Crisp's single off of Chad Bradford. That was it, the final run that secured a Boston victory. It was a busy, yet terrible day for the Baltimore Orioles. - John T.

Orioles News - 9/8/07 - A rare win vs. Boston

The Orioles picked up a rare win last night, over Boston. (When does that happen?) The final score was 11-5. Ohmygod. The Orioles scored runs? This win snapped the O's 11 game losing streak at home. The Orioles had a 7 run 3rd inning, and Scott Moore, a player aquired in the Steve Trachsel trade, hit a grand slam in the inning. Dice-K, the Red Sox pitcher, was terrible, giving up 6 hits, 8 runs and 3 walks in 2 2/3 innings. The bases were loaded and Dice-K actually walked Nick Markakis and Kevin Millar. That's 2 free runs right there. Miguel Tejada hit a single that scored a run and then Scott Moore hit the grand slam, sending Dice-K out of this game. Nick Markakis hit a homer later in the game, as did Tike Redman. Jon Leicester gave up 4 runs in 5 innings, only walking 1 batter. He made this start because of injuries in the rotation and just plain bad pitching. Camden Yards was sold out, with most of the 48,043 fans in attendence rooting for the BoSox. They walked away unhappy, as the Orioles grabbed a victory. - John T.

Orioles News - 9/7/07 - Shutout by Boston

The Baltimore Orioles were shut out last night in a 4-0 loss to the BoSox. This loss, their 11th straight home loss, tied the team record for most losses in a row at home. We managed only 4 hits off of starter Jon Lester and a pair of relievers. Most of the action from the Orioles came in the 4th inning, but for all the wrong reasons. Daniel Cabrera balked with a runner on 3rd base, and the run was allowed to come home and score. Cabrera's next pitch ran up and nearly hit Dustin Pedroia's head. The umpire quickly ran out to warn both sides but in the Red Sox dugout, several players were yelling at Cabrera. Cabrera yelled back, and the benches emptied. The relievers from the bullpen came running in just so they could get in some of the action. No one threw any punches, and order was eventually restored. The umpire's discussed what to do for several minutes, eventually ejecting Cabrera. Dave Trembly, our manager, went nuts over this call, arguing with the umps, but he still couldn't save Cabrera from an ejection. The worst part of all this was when the bullpen came running in to join the fighting. Come on, show some class. That right there is what's wrong with baseball. - John T.

Orioles News - 9/6/07 - Another Loss

The Orioles lost again Thursday night, 7-6 to the Boston Red Sox. Like we've never heard that line before. The Sox really didn't win this game, the O's lost it. With the game tied in the 6th, bases loaded with no outs, the Orioles didn't score any runs. The O's left 5 runners in scoring position in that game and a total of 8 men left on base. The game was lost in the 9th inning, when reliever Dany Baez gave up a single to Coco Crisp. Crisp then stole second base, allowing him to easily score on Jason Varitek's single. Starter Garrett Olson looked horrible, allowing 5 runs in 3 2/3 innings. Red Sox starter Tim Wakefield looked just as bad, allowing 6 earned runs in 3 2/3 innings. Olson left the game after being hit. Not that he was doing well anyway... Now for reliever Dany Baez. Why is he even on this team? He is 0-6 with a 6.38 ERA in 50 games so far this year. That's sad. - John T.

Orioles News - 9/5/07 - 17-2 loss to the Devil Rays

What a difference a day makes. One day the Orioles pick up a late inning win, the next night they get whupped 17-2 by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. And they have a 4 game series with Boston coming up. This just keeps getting better. The D-Rays had a 8 run 4th inning, hitting 3 homers during this inning. Delmon Young hit a 3 run shot, Brendan Harris hit a solo shot, and Carlos Pena hit a grand slam. ALL IN ONE INNING!!! Pena also smacked a 2 run shot in 6th inning to bring his grand total to 7 RBI's on the night. Jonny Gomes hit a home run in the 7th inning to score the game's final run. Radhames Liz looked terrible, giving up 4 runs while retiring only 5 batters. He did take a line drive off his leg, to be fair, but he still stayed in the game. The O's are now 2-13 in their last 15 games. Pretty sad huh?

This offseason, the Orioles need 2 things: A better bullpen and Peter Angelos to sell the team. How many games has the bullpen lost us so far this year? How many times have we had the lead in late innings, only to have the bullpen blow the game? Too many. And since Angelos doesn't want to spend the money to overhaul this team, he should sell. With a new owner who is willing to spend money to get stars, instead of 2nd and 3rd rate players, the O's would be in a much better situation. More fans would come to the ballpark, and with reason because they know their team can compete. Now, hardly anyone comes out to games simply because they don't care. They always know the end result: A loss. Angelos needs to go! - John T.

Orioles News - 9/4/07 - O's win

The Orioles picked up a rare win last night, 8-4 over Tampa Bay. The O's had a 5 hit, 4 run 8th inning to help them win. For once, the tables were turned, as it was not the Orioles bullpen that gave up a win, it was the Devil Rays bullpen that gave up a win. The O's gave rookie pitcher Jeremy Guthrie a 2-0 lead in the 1st inning after Corey Patterson hit a solo homer and Miguel Tejada doubled, scoring on Nick Markakis's weak infield single. The Rays fought back in the 2nd inning, earning a run on 2 hits. Tampa Bay took the lead in the 5th inning on a bases loaded single that scored 2 runs. In the 7th inning, Melvin Mora walked on a full count and on the 1st pitch he saw, Aubrey Huff hit a 2 run homer to rightfield. The O's took the lead, 4-3. Tampa Bay tied it in the 7th inning, WITHOUT EVEN GETTING A HIT!!!! In the 8th inning however, Melvin Mora hit an RBI single to give the O's a 5-4 lead. Ramon Hernandez later hit a 3 run double to provide the games final runs. So, the O's finally pick up a win. - John T.

Orioles News - 9/3/07 - O's lose again

The Orioles lost again last night, 9-7 to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The Orioles have now lost 12 of their last 13 games. Kurt Birkins made his 1st career start last night and got a no-decision even though he blew a big lead. The O's provided him with a 4-0 lead in the 3rd inning on a collection of basehits, stolen bases, and errors. Birkins however, couldn't hold onto this lead. The Devil Rays made it close with a 3 run 3rd inning, and then tied up the game with a run in the 4th. In the 7th inning, Carlos Pena hit a 2 run homer off Jim Hoey as the D-Rays took the lead. This "home run" however, was debateable. It was hit off of the catwalk and outfielder Nick Markakis played it and threw the ball into the infield. The umpire called it a home run however. Tampa Bay got another run in the inning too. Then in the 8th inning, Brian Burres gave up a 2 run shot as the Rays extended their lead. Ramon Hernandez hit a 3 run homer in the 9th to make the score more respectable. It was an ugly loss as Tampa Bay moved within 3 games of 4th place in the AL East. - John T.

Orioles News - 9/2/07 - O's drop series to Boston

Sorry I couldn't blog yesterday, but could this season get any worse? A 30-3 loss to the Texas Rangers, an 11 run 8th inning by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and now a no-hitter from Boston Red Sox rookie pitcher Clay Buchholz on Saturday night. He was making only his 2nd major league start and he threw a no-hitter. Plus a 9 game losing streak. Great. Just great. What a season. The O's now have dropped 11 of their last 12 after a 10-0 loss on Saturday and a 3-2 loss on Sunday to the Bosox. The loss yesterday was just a case of missed oppurtunities. 2 baserunning errors, bases loaded with no outs and the O's don't cash in as no one scores, then in the 8th inning with a runner on 3rd base and 1 out, yet again no one scored. One of the baserunning errors came on Miguel Tejada trying to score from third base on a shallow fly ball to rightfield in the 4th inning. Tejada was thrown out with ease. Then in the 6th inning, Melvin Mora had just hit an RBI single, and Kevin Millar rounded 2nd base too far and was thrown out. Millar slapped the ground in frustration as he knew that he had just cost the Orioles. Kind of how this season went so far. In the 7th inning, Ramon Hernandez homered to make it a 1 run game. But, that was too little, too late. This was a shame though because Daniel Cabrera pitched a good game, allowing 3 runs in 6 innings. With these losses, the Orioles dropped another series. What a surprise... - John T.

Orioles News - 8/31/07 - O's snap losing streak

The Orioles won last night, 9-8 over the Boston Red Sox to halt their losing streak at 9 games. It wasn't a very pretty game, but a win is a win. Rookie pitcher Radhames Liz went only 3 innings giving up 2 runs (both earned), on 72 pitches. Of those 72 pitches, only 37 went for a strike. He looks like a Daniel Cabrera in the works, great one night and terrible the next. The O's took the lead in the 4th inning as a double by Nick Markakis followed by a home run from Miguel Tejada (In picture) gave the O's their first runs. Then Kevin Millar walked and Aubrey Huff singled, sending Millar to third base. A single from Melvin Mora scored Millar, followed by a single from Ramon Hernandez which scored Huff. That gave the O's a 4-3 lead. Also in the 4th inning, manager Dave Trembley was ejected for arguing that a Red Sox player had interfered with Ramon Hernandez on third base. In the 6th inning, the Orioles busted this game wide open. The bases were loaded with no one out and Jay Payton hit a sacrifice fly to bring in a run. Brian Roberts then walked to load the bases again, but this time with one out. Another sacrifice fly, this time from Corey Patterson, scored Melvin Mora. Nick Markakis then ripped a 3 run homer to rightfield, and the O's now had a 9-3 lead. The Orioles were done scoring after that outburst. The Red Sox weren't though, as they would score 5 more times and as our bullpen nearly blew a 9-3 lead. In other news, starting pitcher Steve Trachsel was traded away to the Chicago Cubs for 2 minor leaguers, 3rd baseman Scott Moore and reliever Rocky Cherry. Both of them have been staying at AAA this year. Trachsel's stock rose after a 2.37 ERA in 6 starts this August. He was 1-1 in August and would have been better if not for the bullpen collapsing and poor run support that has cost him wins. Also, pitcher Erik Bedard, a Cy Young canidate, could be out for an extended amount of time with a strained right Oblique muscle. That loss is going to hurt the Orioles badly. So, a busy day for the O's. The O's won, the manager got tossed, Trachsel was traded, and our ace, Erik Bedard is injured. - John T.