Monday, July 24, 2017

World Champions 1983, 1970, 1966 American League Champions 1983, 1979, 1971, 1970, 1969, 1966 American League East Division Champions 2014, 1997, 1983, 1979, 1974, 1973, 1971, 1970, 1969 American League Wild Card 2016, 2012, 1996

Game Stories:

 Bundy gives back two leads by allowing 3-run homers, but Orioles score 2 in 8th to beat Astros, 9-7 The Sun 7/23  O's outslug Astros in wild, seesaw finale MLB.com 7/23  Slugfest in Baltimore: O’s win 9-7 to get series finale MASNsports.com 7/23  Britton gets AL saves record as Orioles beat Astros 9-7 AP 7/23

Columns:

 Avoiding sweep, Orioles start six-game trip hoping it's the road to the playoffs, not a dead end The Sun 7/23  Orioles notes: In first opportunity since April, Britton dominant in setting AL consecutive-saves mark The Sun 7/23  Orioles continuing to target off days to give Bundy rest, looking at 180-inning threshold The Sun 7/23  Gausman, O's set for series opener vs. Rays MLB.com 7/24  Britton sets AL mark with 55th straight save MLB.com 7/24  Caleb Joseph talks about his offensive resurgence MASNsports.com 7/24  Showalter catching on to backstop rotation MASNsports.com 7/23  Notes on the homestand, Britton’s saves and Schoop’s RBI tear MASNsports.com 7/24  Zach Britton sets an AL record and more from today’s win MASNsports.com 7/23  Showalter on Bundy’s season innings total (plus a game update) MASNsports.com 7/23  O’s game blog: O’s need a win to avoid sweep MASNsports.com 7/23  Jonathan Schoop on his recent RBI tear MASNsports.com 7/23  Zach Britton gets AL consecutive saves record as Orioles beat Astros AP 7/23  Did Zach Britton Pitch His Final Game In Baltimore With The Orioles? PressBoxOnline.com 7/23  Buck Showalter Says He Tries To Ignore Trade Rumors PressBoxOnlin.com 7/23  Pivotal Orioles-Rays series begins Monday CBS Sports 7/24  How has Dan Duquette fared in trading veterans for prospects — sell deals — in his MLB career? BaltimoreBaseball.com 7/24  Britton notches record save — is that his last at Camden Yards? (Bundy, Jimenez notes) BaltimoreBaseball.com 7/23  Zach Britton ties American League record with 55th consecutive save in Orioles’ win The Post 7/23

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-bs-sp-orioles-astros-game-story-20170723- story.html

Bundy gives back two leads by allowing 3-run homers, but Orioles score 2 in 8th to beat Astros, 9-7

By Peter Schmuck / The Baltimore Sun July 23, 2017

Right-hander Dylan Bundy has been the most consistent pitcher in the Orioles rotation this season, but he has also been vulnerable to some of the same problems that have hampered his less-successful fellow starters.

His performance in Sunday’s 9-7 win over the Houston Astros was a good example.

On a sizzling afternoon that would eventually feature a two-run game-winning rally in the eighth inning and Zach Britton’s American League-record 55th consecutive successful save opportunity, Bundy was handed a pair of three-run leads over the course of his 5 1/3 innings of work, and each time his quest for the elusive shutdown inning was undone by a game-tying three-run homer.

Diminutive second baseman José Altuve delivered the first one in the third inning after the Orioles had taken advantage of the early wildness of Astros starter Lance McCullers to score three times in the second. Norichika Aoki, who isn’t exactly Aaron Judge himself, dropped the second three-run homer on the flag court in the sixth to tie the score at 6.

“They hand me a three-run lead the first time and I blow it,’’ Bundy said, “and the second time they do it again and just hand me a win and I didn’t command my pitches in the sixth inning and they got me.”

Bundy ended up surrendering seven earned runs, even though he made only two unforgiving pitches. He would avoid his ninth loss when Mark Trumbo tied the game with his 17th home run in the bottom of the seventh, but raise his ERA to 4.53.

“It was another one like [Chris Tillman],’’ manager Buck Showalter. “I thought he was very close to having a lot better line. He hung a curveball and [Aoki] flipped it around the pole where you don’t have to hit it very far. He was real close to having a real good outing. I know what it’ll look like. I know Dylan was disappointed. He and [catcher] Caleb [Joseph] were really frustrated after that inning. They thought they should have gotten through it.”

Adam Jones kept the Orioles offense moving with four hits, which matched a career high he has achieved 20 times. The O’s also got multihit performances from Trey Mancini, who had a pair of run-scoring hits, and Jonathan Schoop, who had three singles to raise his team-leading batting average to .307.

The Orioles finally got over on the Astros with two runs off reliever Luke Gregerson in the bottom of the eighth inning. The rally start with a one-out double by shortstop Rubén Tejada, who moved up on Jones’ fourth hit and scored on a long sacrifice fly by Manny Machado. Schoop provided the insurance run with a looping single to left-center field.

Britton did the rest, striking out two in a scoreless ninth to record his sixth save of the season, and first since April 14, in his first save opportunity since returning from the disabled list. His 55th consecutive successfully converted save opportunity – dating to September 2015 – broke the AL record set in 1998-1999 by then-Boston Red Sox closer Tom Gordon.

Altuve is unconscious

Altuve hit the first three-run home run that erased a three-run Orioles lead in the third inning and didn’t stop there. He doubled in the fifth inning and singled in the sixth to set up the go-ahead run after Aoki hit a three-run homer to erase the other three-run Orioles lead. Altuve came into

the game leading the major leagues with a .352 batting average and raised it to .358 with a career-high four hits.

Mancini’s sweet music

Mancini just refuses to stop hitting. He singled home a run in the third inning to temporarily reclaim the lead and doubled home a run in the fifth inning to give the Orioles their second short- lived three-run lead of the game. He raised his average to .304.

Adam's big week

Jones managed just one hit in 15 at-bats in the first four games of the nonmathematical second half of the season, but he pulled out of that minislump in a fury. Over the final five games of the homestand, he went 10-for-24 with three homers and nine RBIs.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/243951024/orioles-break-late-tie-to-deny-astros-a-sweep/

O's outslug Astros in wild, seesaw finale

By Kyle Melnick and Mandy Bell / MLB.com July 23, 2017

BALTIMORE -- Manny Machado knocked in the tiebreaking run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning, then Zach Britton set an American League record with his 55th consecutive save to lift the Orioles to a thrilling 9-7 victory over the Astros on Sunday afternoon. The win snapped Baltimore's eight-game losing streak against Houston, including a five-game skid at Camden Yards.

In his first save chance since returning from a left forearm strain, Britton struck out the first two batters before walking Marwin Gonzalez, but forced pinch-hitter George Springer to ground out to short to record the save. Britton moved into sole possession of second place in Major League history, passing Tom Gordon and trailing only Eric Gagne, who converted 84 in a row.

"It's so hard to simulate that type of emotional situation in a rehab start or even out of the 'pen in a non-save situation," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "It's just completely different adrenaline. He looked like he was in his element there, finally. It's been a long haul to get back there. He was the last real piece for us to be able to get back and really be able to put what I think is a really good bullpen, if we can get deeper into games."

The Astros trailed by three entering the sixth, but a three-run blast by Norichika Aoki tied the game before a sacrifice fly by Josh Reddick gave Houston a 7-6 lead. However, in the seventh, Mark Trumbo answered with a leadoff homer to knot the game at 7.

The Orioles got off to a quick 3-0 lead in the second on a hit batsman, a double play and an Adam Jones single. In the third, Jose Altuve (4-for-5, three RBIs) launched a three-run blast to tie the game and extend his hitting streak to a career-high 15 games, but the Orioles tacked on another in the bottom half on a Trey Mancini single.

"Well, we won the series, which is the positive side of things. Obviously today, you know both offenses swung the bat pretty well," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "I liked the big innings that we had coming back from their two big innings. They just had an extra one and we didn't."

In the fifth, the O's added two runs to go up 6-3 on a Chris Davis sacrifice fly and an RBI double by Mancini, chasing Lance McCullers Jr. after just 4 2/3 innings. He allowed six runs on nine hits in his third straight start of fewer than five innings.

"[McCullers is] pitching careful a little bit," Hinch said. "I think he's trying to be a little perfect and falling behind a little bit and if he's not throwing his fastball for a strike, where he wants to, they can either disregard it or put a good swing on it. He's going through a rut right now and things aren't going his way. He's not getting beat around the ballpark as much as he is creating some havoc for himself."

Orioles starter Dylan Bundy went 5 1/3 and gave up seven earned runs on eight hits, including a pair of three-run home runs.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Trumbo ties it up: Trumbo led off the seventh with the Orioles trailing by one. After falling behind 1-2 in the count, Trumbo unleashed a 106.1-mph solo home run, according to Statcast™, that just stayed fair down the left-field line to tie the game at 7.

"This lineup from one to nine, we can do damage," said Jonathan Schoop, who plated an insurance run in the eighth with an RBI single. "Everybody believes in everybody."

Aoki more than A-OK: The Orioles seemed in control in the sixth with a 6-3 lead before Aoki belted a three-run home run to right field. It traveled a projected 356 feet, according to Statcast™, and marked the second time the Astros climbed back from a three-run deficit.

"[Aoki's day was] beautiful because I have seen him working really hard all year long," Altuve said. "I mean, I'm happy every time that one of my teammates has a really good game and especially Aoki, because he's a really nice guy."

The Astros put two runners on right after the homer with a walk and single before Reddick's sacrifice fly gave Houston its first lead.

QUOTABLE

"He's fit his role, whether we've asked him to play every day or be a role player here lately. He hasn't gotten a lot of opportunities, but he's come off the bench and swung the bat well.

Obviously he drove the ball today with two extra-base hits. He's come up big whenever I've been able to get him in there. It's a tough lineup to crack and so when he gets in there, to be able to contribute is exactly why he's on our club." -- Hinch, on Aoki's 3-for-4 day

"You don't want to get too far out in the standings. I understand where we are right now. You don't want to watch the standings, but it's the reality of where we are. Where we are in the standings dictates kind of where we go as an organization for a lot of the older guys in the locker room. These guys, they're fighting to win some games so we can keep this group together." --

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Jones, who posted a four-hit game, collected an RBI single in the second to give him sole possession of seventh place on the Orioles' all-time hit list with 1,548, passing Nick Markakis.

WHAT'S NEXT

Astros: Houston travels to Philadelphia for a three-game series against the Phillies, beginning Monday at 6:05 p.m. CT at Citizens Bank Park. Brad Peacock will take the mound for Houston and will be looking to pick up his seventh win in nine starts. In his past eight outings, the righty has a 2.70 ERA. On the road, he has a 2.62 ERA while holding batters to a .211 average.

Orioles: Hoping to better position themselves for one of the American League Wild Card spots, the O's begin a three-game series against the Rays on Monday at 7:10 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field. Kevin Gausman (6-7, 6.11 ERA) will start after allowing one run and striking out eight over six innings in his previous outing. The right-hander threw seven scoreless innings when he last faced the Rays in a July 2 win.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/07/slugest-in-baltimore-os-win-9-7-to-get- series-finale.html

Slugfest in Baltimore: O’s win 9-7 to get series finale

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com July 23, 2017

To win today, the Orioles needed to outscore the AL’s leading offense. That is just what they were able to do.

Manny Machado’s sac fly in the last of the eighth broke a 7-7 tie as the Orioles beat Houston 9-7 at Oriole Park. They salvaged the final game of the series, completed a 5-5 homestand and now hit the road with a 47-51 record.

No. 9 hitter Rubén Tejada doubled with one out in the eighth off Luke Gregerson and advance to third on Adam Jones’ single to center. Jones went 4-for-5 with four singles. The four hits tied his career high and it was the 20th time he did it. Machado’s first-pitch sac fly gave the O’s the lead and Jones took second on it. He would score on Jonathan Schoop’s flare single to center for a 9-7 lead.

That was Schoop’s 70th RBI and it gave him an RBI in seven straight games with 16 total in that span. He began today third in the AL in RBIs.

After Mychal Givens pitched a scoreless seventh, Zach Britton picked up his sixth save of the year and first since April 14. That save is Britton’s 55th straight and that sets an American League record. He had shared the mark of 54 straight with Tom Gordon. The all-time record is 84 in a row by the Dodgers’ Eric Gagne.

Houston tagged Dylan Bundy with seven runs today, but the O’s offense matched them this afternoon.

The relentless Houston offense knocked Bundy from the game during a four-run sixth to take a 7-6 lead. With two on and one out, Norichika Aoki’s three-run homer down the right-field line tied it at 6-6 and was his second home run this season. After walking Jake Marisnick, Bundy was replaced by Miguel Castro. Jose Altuve’s single put runners on the corners and a Josh Reddick sac fly put Houston ahead 7-6.

But that lead didn’t last too long. Mark Trumbo’s solo homer to left field off Chris Devenski tied it 7-7 in the seventh. He hit No. 17 on a 1-2 changeup.

Bundy allowed a season and career-high seven runs on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings with three walks and four strikeouts. His ERA grew to 4.53 and he has allowed five or more runs in five of his past seven starts.

Earlier the Orioles led 3-0 in the second but were quickly tied up 3-3 in the third. The Orioles loaded the bases with no outs in the second on a Chris Davis single, a hit by pitch and a walk and got three runs. They scored once on Hyun Soo Kim’s bases loaded hit by pitch, once when Tejada bounced into a double play and got a third run on Jones’ two-out single to left. Jones was 2-for-2 in the game after that single and that gave him 1,548 career hits with the Orioles. He moved into sixth on the club’s all-time hits list ahead of Nick Markakis. Next up is Boog Powell in fifth at 1,574 hits.

The lead didn’t last long either. Jose Altuve’s three-run shot in the third tied it 3-3. That extended his hitting streak to a career-high 15 games.

But the O’s would get the lead back and then add to it before Houston’s rally in the sixth. They went ahead 4-3 on Trey Mancini’s RBI single in the last of the third.

Then they added to the lead, scoring twice in the fifth. After Schoop’s single and Trumbo’s double to left, a Davis sac fly and Mancini’s RBI double made it a 6-3 lead.

The Orioles now hit the road and play at Tampa Bay on Monday night when Kevin Gausman (6- 7, 6.11 ERA) faces lefty Blake Snell (0-5, 4.98 ERA).

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/britton-gets-al-saves-record-as-orioles-beat-astros-9-7/

Britton gets AL saves record as Orioles beat Astros 9-7

By Associated Press July 23, 2017

BALTIMORE (AP) Setting the American League record for consecutive saves converted requires a remarkable display of consistency.

Patience also played a part for Zach Britton, because the Baltimore Orioles closer went more than 14 weeks this season between tying the mark and breaking it.

Britton converted his 55th straight save opportunity Sunday, blanking the Houston Astros in the ninth inning to seal Baltimore's 9-7 victory.

He struck out the first two batters and issued a walk before pinch-hitter George Springer bounced into a force play to end it.

''I never thought I could put together something like that at this level, with how good these guys are,'' the left-hander said. ''I'll reflect on it eventually. I just want to get back to pitching like myself consistently.''

Britton earned his fifth save on April 14 and endured more than two months on the disabled list with a strained left forearm before returning on July 5.

At that point, manager Buck Showalter refrained from using Britton in the closer's role until he was ready. Britton finally got the chance Sunday - and made the most of it.

Britton broke the AL mark held by Tom Gordon, who notched 54 straight saves with Boston from 1998-99. Britton started his run on Oct. 1, 2015, added 47 in a row last season and is 6 for 6 this year.

''A lot of us were here to see all of them and realize how hard that is to do, especially over that long a period of time,'' Showalter said.

The major league record of 84 is held by Eric Gagne of the Dodgers from 2002-04. Saves became an official statistic in 1969.

Baltimore broke a tie with two runs in the eighth against Luke Gregerson (2-3), using a sacrifice fly by Manny Machado and an RBI single by Jonathan Schoop.

Britton made the lead stand up, using 16 pitches to retire the AL West leaders.

Mark Trumbo homered and Adam Jones had four hits for the Orioles, who avoided a three-game sweep. Baltimore had lost eight straight to Houston, dating to last year.

''We're not perfect every game. We're not without our own flaws or things we can do better,'' Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. ''There have only been a couple of nights where we got it handed to us. Most of the time we're in the game.''

The Astros twice fell behind by three runs before coming back. Jose Altuve's 15th home run - the first of his four hits - made it 3-all in the fourth, and Nori Aoki connected with two on in the sixth to knot the score at 6.

Houston added a run in the sixth, but Trumbo tied it with a shot to left leading off the seventh. Mychal Givens (7-0) worked the eighth for the Orioles.

Astros starter Lance McCullers gave up six runs and nine hits, walked two and hit two batters in 4 2/3 innings. In three starts this month, the right-hander is 0-1 with a 9.88 ERA.

''It's up to me and the coaching staff to watch some video and figure out what is going on,'' McCullers said.

Added Hinch: ''He's going through a rut right now and things are not going his way. He's not getting beat around the ballpark as much as he is creating some havoc for himself.'' Baltimore's Dylan Bundy allowed seven runs in 5 1/3 innings, including both Houston homers.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Astros: 3B Colin Moran was placed on the disabled list with a facial fracture. The injury occurred Saturday night when the rookie fouled a ball off his cheek, and he remained hospitalized Sunday. Houston recalled 1B Tyler White from Triple-A Fresno. ... LHP Dallas Keuchel pitched five innings in his second rehab appearance Saturday night. He's been on the DL since June 5 with a neck injury.

Orioles: SS J.J. Hardy, who's been on the DL since June 19 with a fractured wrist, is taking grounders but not yet throwing. ''Right now, the stage is getting the mobility back,'' Hardy said. He will see a hand specialist in a week, then seek to strengthen the wrist before starting baseball activities.

UP NEXT

Astros: RHP Brad Peacock (8-1, 2.49 ERA) helps Houston launch a three-game interleague series in Philadelphia on Monday night.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bs-sp-orioles-mainbar-0724-story.html

Avoiding sweep, Orioles start six-game trip hoping it's the road to the playoffs, not a dead end

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun July 23, 2017

The Orioles headed south Sunday night for a road trip that could determine the direction of the franchise. They were able to salvage an inspiring comeback win over a Houston Astros team that has the best record in the American League to avoid a three-game sweep at Camden Yards, but numbers still might not favor the outward optimism the Orioles have that they can still contend for a playoff spot.

With the nonwaiver trade deadline looming a week from Monday, the Orioles left Baltimore still in limbo. They are four games under .500, but entered their six-game trip to Tampa Bay and Texas 3 1/2 games out of the second AL wild-card spot. That’s a position within reach, even though the Orioles haven’t gained much ground despite a 5-2 week at home.

“Yeah, it’s good,” closer Zach Britton said about winning the series finale. “You don’t want to get too far out in the standings. I understand where we are right now. You don’t want to watch the standings, but it’s the reality of where we are. And where we are in the standings kind of dictates where we go as an organization for a lot of guys in this locker room. These guys are fighting to win some games so we can keep this group together.”

The Orioles played the Astros competitively — especially considering that they were outscored by the Astros 15-6 in a three-game sweep in Houston in May — but still needed some late-inning resilience to avoid a sweep and a losing homestand (they finished 5-5).

They won Sunday by outslugging a good-hitting team. Right-hander Dylan Bundy lost a pair of three-run leads on one swing each time, and often in the past, the offense couldn’t recover from that. But on Sunday, it showed resolve similar to that of recent Orioles teams, tying the game on

Mark Trumbo’s seventh-inning solo homer, then executing timely hitting in a two-run eighth that won the game.

“That’s a really good baseball team,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “You all know that. … To play nine innings with them and have more runs than they do when it’s over is something you’ve got to be proud of. That’s a good team, one of the best ones we’ve seen this year. They’ve got a lot of weapons. Our guys made a lot of adjustments to the pitching patterns. Score nine runs off that staff. In day games there’s a lot of stamina tested, especially here. When they’re issuing warnings about not going outside and you play nine innings in 3 1/2 hours in something they’ve told you not to do, it’s a challenge.”

Showalter quietly marveled about how the Astros have built themselves to win — overcoming several years of lumps to construct a contender with good drafting, solid player development and some savvy trades. Houston has built up such a lead — a 17-game cushion in the AL West – that it can still play loose. He wondered how a team would have such depth that a player with 18 homers such as Marwin González could come off the bench, as he did Saturday to hit the three- run pinch-hit homer that sent the Orioles to defeat in the middle game of the series.

“They have a lot of pieces that fit, a lot of movable parts, a lot of things,” he said. “Marwin González makes that whole club [better]. He can play everywhere. He can give [George] Springer a day off, this guy a day off and play shortstop. It’s a really good club.”

The Orioles should get better with the looming return of shortstop J.J. Hardy and utility man Ryan Flaherty, but neither is the game-changer the inconsistent Orioles lack. The return of Zach Britton can unquestionably solidify a bullpen that’s been pieced together most of the year, and Britton converted his first save opportunity since returning from the DL with flashes of his former self.

But if there’s any player most likely to not be in an Orioles uniform when the club returns to Baltimore next week, it’s probably Britton.

Executive vice president Dan Duquette told fans Saturday that he is still optimistic this year’s team still has a playoff push in it, and is looking to improve the club instead of ration off pieces for the future — despite reports to the contrary.

The weekend series was considered a litmus test for the Orioles.

“I think it was a test for us because they came in here in first place by a lot of games,” second baseman Jonathan Schoop said. “And a test for us to show we’re good, too. [We] beat them today, move on and look forward to Tampa and try and win a series over there.”

The Orioles still dropped two of three this weekend — they have just one series win in their past six — so the most important fact of the matter is that given the hole the Orioles have dug for themselves at this point in the season, it’s more about wins and losses than any moral victories.

And the starting rotation, while giving the club some optimism in the Orioles’ four-game sweep of the Texas Rangers, is still far from fixed.

After receiving three straight quality starts in the first three games against the Rangers, they haven’t had a quality start in the past four games, and that included quick unravelings by right- handers Chris Tillman and Bundy — two pitchers who had begun making significant strides.

Now the Orioles must show they can win on the road, where they are 17-30, second worst in the AL.

The second wild-card spot gives teams hope — sometimes a false one — and takes away some relevance from the nonwaiver deadline because teams can still wait out August and make waiver deals until the end of next month.

For now, inside the clubhouse, the Orioles hold out hope.

“It’s still there for us, and that’s the way everybody in the clubhouse thinks of it,” Showalter said. “Having Zach back allows you to do some things that we haven’t been able to do. There’s been a lot of experimenting in a lot of different roles. [Fill-in closer] Brad [Brach] did a great job for us, as good as anybody could ask and actually showed that he could do that job for us or somebody else down the road.”

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bs-sp-orioles-notes-0724-story.html

Orioles notes: In first opportunity since April, Britton dominant in setting AL consecutive-saves mark

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun July 23, 2017

Orioles closer Zach Britton set an American League record for consecutive converted save opportunities with a scoreless ninth inning in Sunday’s 9-7 win over the Houston Astros.

Britton’s 55th consecutive save, which eclipsed Tom Gordon’s mark set in 1998 and 1999, was his first since April 14. He had been out until July 5 with a left forearm strain but was dominant Sunday in his first save opportunity in more than 14 weeks.

Britton struck out the first two batters he faced, including getting Yuli Gurriel after falling behind him 3-0, and worked around a two-out walk to Marwin González to retire the middle of a dangerous lineup.

“It's so hard to simulate that type of emotional situation in a rehab start or even out of the ’pen in a nonsave situation,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “It's just completely different adrenaline. He looked like he was in element there, finally. You know, it's been a long haul to get back there. He was the last real piece for us to be able to get back and really be able to put [out there] what I think is just a really good bullpen if we can get deeper in games. It can be huge for us if that happens because I think the bullpen will be in really good shape. We'll be able to pass the load around, too.”

Britton shook off some rust in his previous outings off the disabled list, including allowing two runs in his previous outing, Thursday night against the Texas Rangers.

“You never want to say that you lose focus in a situation where the game’s out of hand,” Britton said. “But I felt like today the focus was on making good pitches and not delivery. The last five outings I’ve had, I felt like at some point during the outing I was worried about what I was doing with my delivery and stuff. And today in that situation I just felt like I needed to make pitches and felt more like myself.”

After falling behind Gurriel 3-0, Britton received two borderline strike calls to even the count — Gurriel started toward first base both times — and then got him swinging on a sinker down and away. Britton struck out Evan Gattis on three pitches, all sliders, which is a rarity for Britton. He walked González on five pitches before getting pinch hitter George Springer to bounce into a fielder’s choice groundout.

“I mean, that was probably the first time I’ve actually felt like I did in ‘14, ‘15, ‘16, was today,” Britton said. “[Catcher] Caleb [Joseph] was saying that was a big difference right there with what I felt like. And I knew it was just going to be a couple pitches in the bullpen. I kind of felt like I was finding it. I was hoping I didn’t lose it in the game. But I felt really good, so hopefully I can continue doing that. Now it’s about getting consistent. So hopefully next time I get out there I feel as good as I did today.”

Showalter discussed the magnitude of Britton’s record, which dates to Oct. 1, 2015.

“What I feel proud is that a lot of us were here to see all of them and realized how hard that is to do, especially over that long a period of time,” Showalter said. "I told you before, you won't see

another year like he had last year. You just won't. To see him continue — I think that's his 16th or 17th outing since the injury — so he was good today."

Britton has been the subject of trade rumors as the nonwaiver deadline for making deals approaches, and whether the club ultimately decides to either keep or deal him, pitching the way he did Sunday is the best case for the Orioles. Performances like Sunday’s increase his trade value and quiet skeptics who might be concerned about the forearm injury that kept him out for much of this season after his dominant 2016 season.

And if the Orioles decide to keep him for the stretch run, they have back their ninth-inning anchor strong and fresh, restoring stability to a bullpen that needs to remain the club’s greatest strength if the Orioles are to pull out of the sub-.500 hole they’ve dug.

The possibility of it being Britton’s last outing at Camden Yards is real. The Orioles won’t play another home game until next Monday’s 4 p.m. nonwaiver trade deadline passes.

“Yeah, I guess if you are going to go out, that’s a cool way to do it, in front of the home crowd, feeling good and getting a save and a win against a good team,” Britton said. “Hopefully it’s not the last, but if it is, that would be I guess a good way to go out.”

Before right-hander Dylan Bundy allowed a season-high seven runs and needed a rally to avoid the loss, Showalter revealed part of the team’s schedule to give Bundy additional rest in the second half of the season.

Showalter said Bundy won’t start again until Aug. 1 against the Kansas City Royals, taking advantage of Thursday’s day off to give him four days of extra rest while keeping the rest of the rotation on turn.

“We’ve got him mapped out through the start of September,” Showalter said. “He’ll pitch today and probably the fifth day after the off day, so we will be easing the throttle a little bit, so we can push it again if we need it. I know right about where I think he’s going to end up if he stays on schedule.”

Showalter also plans to use the team’s days off next month — Aug. 17 and Aug. 24 — to give Bundy additional rest. He’s said the Orioles have an idea in mind of how many innings the club has projected for Bundy this season in his first year as a full-time big league starter, but threw out the 180-inning mark for the first time Sunday, adding that expanded rosters in September can add wiggle room.

Bundy entered Sunday’s start having pitched 114 innings in 19 starts after going 109 2/3 innings last year as a reliever and starter.

“Very happy with where he is right now physically and with the innings,” Showalter said. “He feels about as good as he’s felt in a long time for the whole year. So I hope we haven’t jinxed it. I think if you look at the fifth day after the off days, that’s pretty much what we’re looking at. We can take him around 180, somewhere in there, if everything goes well, and you can still make adjustments in September if you need to. You’re going to have more pitchers, more bodies.”

Kim receives rare start

Showalter gave Hyun Soo Kim his first start in nine games since the All-Star break.

Kim has played in four games off the bench since the break, and had a pinch-hit double in a ninth-inning rally Friday night. On Sunday the outfielder made his first career start at designated hitter.

“I think Kimmy needs to get out there,” Showalter said before the game.

Kim reached base in each of his first two plate appearance against Astros starter Lance McCullers. Kim was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the second inning, then looped a leadoff single to open the fourth.

Showalter has often said he’s wanted to get Kim more playing time, and believed that more playing time is needed to help him find his form of last season, but there have been few opportunities for Kim now that rookie Trey Mancini has returned to his everyday left-field position with the return of first baseman Chris Davis from the disabled list.

Around the horn

Adam Jones passed Nick Markakis for sixth place on the Orioles’ all-time hit list after his four- hit day Sunday. Jones has 1,550 hits as an Oriole. Boog Powell is fifth with 1,574. … Mancini drove in runs in two at-bats Sunday, improving his average with runners in scoring position to .431 (25-for-58). … Showalter gave outfielder Seth Smith the afternoon off because he’s struggled against McCullers, going just 1-for-12 with seven strikeouts. … The Orioles’ RBI (Reviving Baseball In the Inner Cities) ages-16-18 team won the Mid-Atlantic regional by beating the Phillies RBI team and will advance to the RBI World Series in Cincinnati starting Aug. 3. This is the second straight year the Orioles’ team is going to the World Series after advancing for the first time last year.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-early-notes-dylan-bundy-20170724- story.html

Orioles continuing to target off days to give Bundy rest, looking at 180-inning threshold

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun July 23, 2017

With right-hander Dylan Bundy ready to make his second start of the second half this afternoon, Orioles manager Buck Showalter revealed part of the team’s schedule to give Bundy additional rest in the second half.

Showalter said that after starting today’s series finale against the Houston Astros, Bundy will get four days of additional rest and then won’t start again until Aug. 1 against the Kansas City Royals, taking advantage of Thursday’s off day to give Bundy four days of extra rest while keeping the rest of the rotation on turn.

Showalter also plans to utilize the team’s off days next month – Aug. 17 and Aug. 24 – to give Bundy additional rest.

He’s said that the Orioles have an idea in mind of how many innings the club has projected for Bundy this season in his first year as a full-time big-league starter, but threw out the 180-inning mark for the first time on Sunday, adding that expanded rosters in September can add more wiggle room. Bundy entered Sunday’s start having already logged 114 innings in 19 starts after pitching 109 2/3 innings last year as a reliever and starter.

“Very happy with where he is right now physically and with the innings,” Showalter said. “He feels about as good as he’s felt in a long time for the whole year. so I hope we haven’t jinxed it. I think if you look at the fifth day after the off days, that’s pretty much what we’re looking at. We can take him around 180, somewhere in there, if everything goes well, and you can still make adjustments in September if you need to. You’re going to have more pitchers, more bodies.”

Showalter on treating the trade deadline:

Showalter often deals with the lingering trade deadline with ease, constantly emphasizing that he’s focused on the field as rumors bubble to the surface, but for the first time since the Orioles’

return to respectability, he could have to pull on of his core players into his office and tell them they’ve been dealt at the deadline.

“So many people seem to ask me about whether I’m worried what they’re thinking,” Showalter said. “That’s a very common question about the player, and I think it’s just one of those things because you all hear so much off the rumors and so many of the things I try not to get involved with. … It’s hard for me to imagine those guys are at home every night staying on top of it like you all have to stay on top of it. But as far as me telling somebody and being in a different mode, I think you’re always in a mode of what’s best for the team and the organization in the short term and the long term. … We’re trying to win tonight’s game. All that stuff, what’s today, the 23rd? … So what so we have, a week?”

Showalter used Sunday’s series finale against the Astros to give outfielder Hyun Soo Kim a start at designated hitter, marking his first in nine games since the all-star break.

Kim has played in four games off the bench since the break, and he recorded a pinch-hit double in the Orioles’ ninth-inning rally on Friday night.

“I think Kimmy needs to get out there,” Showalter said.

Showalter also gave outfielder Seth Smith the afternoon off since he’s struggled against Astros starter Lance McCullers, going just 1-for-12 with seven strikeouts against him.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/243918912/snell-rays-host-os-to-begin-three-game-set/

Gausman, O's set for series opener vs. Rays

By Bill Chastain / MLB.com July 24, 2017

The Orioles visit Tropicana Field on Monday night to begin a three-game series with the Rays.

This will be the Orioles' second visit to St. Petersburg this season. They took two out of three from the Rays (June 23-25) during that visit and hope to repeat that magic while trying to get back into contention. Meanwhile, the Rays hope to continue their ascent to the top of the American League East.

Critical to this game, and for the coming week for the Rays, will be the performance of starter Blake Snell.

Snell will be making his 12th start of the season, and fourth since returning from Triple-A Durham, and his struggles to pitch deep into games have continued.

Snell's 19 starts of five innings pitched or fewer are the most by an American League pitcher within their first 30 games since Baseball Reference data is available (1913).

The left-hander's stuff is top notch, but the inability to go deep has put a strain on the bullpen. Snell will be opposed by right-hander Kevin Gausman.

Gausman has been inconsistent this season, but he's coming off a start where he allowed one run over six innings and struck out eight on Wednesday in a 10-2 win over the Rangers.

Three things to know

• Gausman has faced the Rays once this season (July 2). He threw seven scoreless innings and struck out nine in the Orioles' 7-1 win.

• Rays infielder Trevor Plouffe is hitting .444 (4-for-9) with two doubles, a home run and four RBIs in his career against Gausman.

• Snell has made just one career start against the Orioles. That came on Sept. 15 at Baltimore and he allowed four runs in 4 1/3 innings.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/244015932/zach-britton-gets-al-record-55th-straight-save/

Britton sets AL mark with 55th straight save

By Kyle Melnick / MLB.com July 24, 2017

BALTIMORE -- Few would dare question Zach Britton's dominance, even as he's missed most of this season with a left forearm injury. He's not yet putting up the kind of record-breaking numbers he did last year as he's worked his way back into the Orioles' closer role, but Sunday he reminded fans why he's one of the best relievers in baseball when healthy.

In his first save opportunity since returning from his injury, Britton set the American League record for consecutive saves with No. 55 in a 9-7 victory over the Astros at Camden Yards, a streak that began Oct. 1, 2015. The record previously was held by Tom Gordon, who saved 54 straight for the Red Sox in 1998-99. Sunday's save also marked Britton's first since April 14.

Britton is rumored to be on the trade market, but whichever team the left-hander finishes his season with will likely have him back to form.

The past three seasons, Britton held ERAs below 2.00, including an 0.54 ERA and an AL-best 47 saves last year. But he landed on the DL in mid-April. He returned May 2 for two games before reinjuring his forearm, sidelining him from the Majors until July 5.

Britton was solid when he returned, allowing a combined four runs in seven one-inning appearances entering Sunday. But the 29-year-old was used as a setup man while refining his mechanics. Brad Brach pitched the ninth instead.

Sunday, Britton received his first save opportunity since the injury with the Orioles clinging to a two-run lead over the Astros, who lead the AL in almost every offensive category. After striking out the first two batters, Britton walked Marwin Gonzalez before ending the game by inducing George Springer to ground out.

Britton's next challenge will be to pass Eric Gagne, the Major League consecutive saves holder, who converted 84 in a row with the Dodgers from 2002-04.

"I felt like today the focus was on making good pitches, not delivery," said Britton, who also credited Brach and Darren O'Day's setup duties for helping him reach the milestone. "The last five outings I've had, at some point throughout the outing, I was worried about what I was doing with my delivery and stuff. I just felt like I needed to make pitches and felt like myself." "That's the first time I've seen him throw four breaking balls in a row since I've been here," said Showalter, who's managed Britton for seven years. "Zach throws in a little wrinkle here and there to keep them guessing for the next advanced scout."

Showalter said Britton was the bullpen's missing piece, helping all the relievers shift into defined roles. Baltimore's bullpen, which supports a struggling rotation, was tied for the 13th-best ERA in the Major Leagues, and Britton should help it improve after the unit held the third-best ERA last year.

Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said Saturday the club will make a playoff push and Britton would be a focal point of that run. But Baltimore is seven games back of the Red Sox in the AL East and 3 1/2 games out of the crowded competition for two AL

Wild Card spots, rumors have swirled about the Orioles potentially moving into selling mode with the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline approaching.

While Britton's consecutive saves streak is ongoing, he knows his stretch of saves in an Orioles uniform could come to a close soon.

"If you're going to go out, that's a cool way to do it in front of the home crowd ... and getting the win against a good team," Britton said. "Hopefully it's not the last. But if it is, that would be, I guess, a good way to go out."

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2017/07/caleb-joseph-talks-about-his-offensive- resurgence.html

Caleb Joseph talks about his offensive resurgence

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com July 24, 2017

Caleb Joseph has a tendency to choke up at the plate and he doesn’t care who notices. He’s secure in his masculinity.

There are no tears from the Orioles catcher, though his injury last summer would make anyone’s eyes water.

Joseph suffered through a miserable 2016 season, and not just the foul ball that put him on the disabled list for a month. He crafted a .174/.216/.197 slash line and didn’t drive in a run in 49 games. He lost an arbitration hearing that chafed a few members of the organization. Not everyone was sold on him as the backup, though manager Buck Showalter never wavered.

Pretty much at rock bottom offensively, Joseph basically surrendered to hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh and new assistant Howie Clark. He asked for help, putting his ego aside. Not that it requires heavy lifting. He’s about as far from a prima donna as Baltimore, Md is from Baltimore, Ohio.

The results have been startling. Joseph was batting .304/.333/.462 with 11 doubles, four home runs and 19 RBIs before going 0-for-2 yesterday with a pair of walks. He’s 11-for-28 this month.

Twenty-two of Joseph’s 48 hits have come with two strikes, the product of a change he made in his grip.

He moves it further up the bat. Watch for it.

“Just talking to (Coolbaugh) about putting the ball in play, refusing to give in and making an adjustment,” Joseph said. “About half of my hits have come with two strikes and that’s hard to do. Two strikes. I mean, two strikes is really tough in this league and if you can get over your ego and get over the fact that it may not look aesthetically pleasing to be choked up. It may look wimpy, but if you put the ball in play, you just never know what could happen.

“Look at (Friday) night. Put the ball in play and you hit it in the right spot, you get a hit. But it’s like that old basketball saying - you miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take. You’re going to strike out every time that you don’t make contact, period. So a huge concentrated effort on choking up, make an adjustment and trying to barrel the baseball with two strikes, and whatever happens happens.”

It’s been good.

Joseph is effusive in his praise of Coolbaugh, knowing that a hitter’s slump and a team’s collective funk often brings heat from fans who want a coaching scapegoat.

“This guy’s been a rock,” he said. “I mean, I was extremely dramatic in my waves up and down last year and this guy was steady. Steady every day, believing in me when I had a hard time

believing in myself. And he comes to work every day, he studies his rear off. He’s extremely knowledgeable. It’s not a cookie cutter approach. It’s adapting to what every player does well and then exploiting what he does well and repeating those things.

“He’s been a tremendous asset, he and Howie Clark. Howie Clark’s been a tremendous asset, especially the mental side of it. Hitting is physical, obviously, but at this level it’s a huge chess match and Howie’s really good at being able to understand why the body does stuff. It’s probably because the brain is either hindered or not allowing something to happen, so if we can free that up, you can free up your natural movements.

“These two guys deserve a lot of credit. Hitting is hard. It’s the hardest thing to do in sports, and so when a team is collectively struggling, it’s easy to point the finger. But these guys come in every day and they preach what we need to do. They preach making adjustments, they preach two-strike approach, they preach pregame work ethic, they preach all the things that need to be said and need to be done. There’s no question about it.

“I’d be foolish to sit here and take all the credit and say, ‘Yeah, I’m just doing really great and that’s good.’ These guys have played a huge, huge role in the success I’m having. And I believe a lot of the success that a lot of players are having, I’ve been able to kind of see from the distance just the transformation that Jon Schoop has been able to have, and Scott Coolbaugh’s been right in the middle of it. And I’m very happy for him because he cares, he really cares.

“I wouldn’t trade him for anybody. He’s a tremendous hitting coach. I’ll go to battle with him all day.”

* In case you missed my tweets yesterday, Double-A Bowie outfielder Austin Hays exited a game against Altoona after fouling a ball off his face. It was very similar to what happened Saturday night to Astros rookie Colin Moran, except Hays didn’t sustain any fractures. Hays received 10 stitches above his left eye. It was another freak accident - ball meets face without bouncing on the ground - but he should consider himself lucky.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2017/07/showalter-catching-on-to-backstop- rotation.html

Showalter catching on to backstop rotation

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com July 23, 2017

Orioles manager Buck Showalter wrote Caleb Joseph’s name into Wednesday night’s lineup against the Rangers, then switched to Welington Castillo on Thursday. He went back to Joseph Friday night in the series opener against the Astros and selected Castillo last night. An early afternoon game today most likely will put Joseph behind the plate. No quick turnaround for Castillo.

For Showalter, it’s nice to have catching choices.

Castillo began last night with eight hits in his last 18 at-bats, including a double and home run, to raise his average to .274. Joseph and Trey Mancini were tied for the team lead at .304. An 0-for-4 night left Castillo at .269. Mancini also went hitless in four trips and is batting .300, leaving Joseph in the lead.

Joseph has four consecutive multi-hit games, going 8-for-16 in that span. He’s hitting .357 (40- for-112) in 41 games since May 8, the highest average among catchers in the majors. It also was the third highest for any player before last night.

Two hot hitters allow Showalter to more freely alternate them in the stifling summer heat.

“That’s kind of what we’re doing,” he said. “We’re fortunate to have two catchers who are swinging the bat well and can catch well enough to be out there.

“Everybody’s got things that they’re a little better at than somebody else. Ubaldo (Jiménez) is so slow to the plate that nobody can throw those guys out. He goes through periods where he holds runners a little quicker, then all of a sudden he goes slow. Whoever catches when he pitches is going to have a low throw-out percentage, unfortunately.

“Both of them, we’re going to take advantage of. And they both pull for each other and have a great relationship with each other. If we can catch them both a lot, it will make them a lot fresher this time of the year.”

Joseph will catch Dylan Bundy, who has one career appearance against the Astros that came in relief last season at Minute Maid Park. He gave up a run and two hits and issued two intentional walks without retiring a batter.

To make matters worse, it happened in the bottom of the 13th inning and gave the Astros a 3-2 walk-off win.

Bundy replaced Mychal Givens and Tony Kemp greeted him with a triple to center field. With two bases open, Bundy walked George Springer and Jose Altuve to bring Carlos Correa to the plate.

Bases loaded, no outs. What could go wrong?

Correa lined a single up the middle on a 1-1 count to send everyone home. Well, the Orioles went back to their hotel, but the rest headed home.

Correa’s on the disabled list now and Brian McCann is the only currently active Astros player with a hit off Bundy, the group going a collective 1-for-13.

Kemp has appeared in only two games for the Astros this season. He’s hitting .334 at Triple-A Fresno.

Maybe Houston would include him in a package for Zach Britton, but I digress ...

Lance McCullers Jr. is 7-2 with a 3.28 ERA and 1.177 WHIP in 17 starts over 96 innings. He’s allowed only six home runs and is averaging 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings. I’m guessing that he’s not available.

McCullers has made two starts this month and surrendered nine earned runs (11 total) and 15 hits in nine innings. He faced the Orioles on May 28 and allowed two earned runs (three total) over six innings, striking out eight batters, in an 8-4 win. Jonathan Schoop hit a two-run homer in the first, the Orioles led 3-0 in the second and Alec Asher allowed six runs in the bottom of the inning.

Bad loss.

The Orioles haven’t done much against McCullers. In his three starts, they’ve managed only four earned runs (five total) and 10 hits in 20 innings with eight walks and 29 strikeouts. He’s never pitched at Camden Yards.

The current group is batting .145 against him with 10 hits in 69 at-bats. Adam Jones is 2-for-6 with a home run, Seth Smith is 1-for-12 with seven strikeouts, Chris Davis is 0-for-10 with six strikeouts, Johnny Giavotella is 0-for-9 and Joey Rickard is 0-for-5 with four strikeouts.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/07/notes-on-the-homestand-brittons-saves- and-schoops-rbi-tear.html

Notes on the homestand, Britton’s saves and Schoop’s RBI tear

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com July 24, 2017

It was a strange homestand for the Orioles. They won five. They lost five. There were two sweeps. Orioles pitching gave up 27 runs in getting swept three straight by the Cubs. Then they allowed just four runs in a three-game stretch versus Texas. But then they allowed 30 runs the last four games of the homestand.

Yet they won two of those last four games thanks to a resurgent offense that has produce 51 runs the past six games with a .333 average and 13 home runs.

“What did we end up, 5-5?” manager Buck Showalter asked, sizing up the long homestand. “That’s (Houston) a really good baseball team. You all know that. They have a lot of pieces that fit, a lot of movable parts, a lot of things.

“Our guys made a lot of adjustments to the pitching patterns. Score nine runs off that staff. In day games, there’s a lot of stamina tested, especially here. When they’re issuing warnings about not going outside and you play nine innings in three-and-a-half hours in something they’ve told you not to do, it’s a challenge.

“It’s still there for us, and that’s the way everybody in the clubhouse thinks of it. Having Zach (Britton) back allows you to do some things that we haven’t been able to do.” The Orioles scored nine runs on 14 hits in yesterday’s 9-7 win. Seven different players drove in runs and they scored six runs in 4 2/3 innings against Houston starter Lance McCullers.

“We had good approaches,” Trey Mancini said. “We laid off a lot of pitches out of the zone. Early on, McCullers, he’s got some really good stuff, really sharp curveball, but we did a good job laying off pitches out of the zone. We were waiting for mistakes. He was a little erratic the first couple of innings and I think we took advantage of that.”

The game ended with Britton recording his first save since April 14 and sixth for the year. It was his 55th consecutive converted save, which set an American League record. Britton had been tied at 54 straight with Tom Gordon of Boston, who made his run from April 19, 1998 through May 31, 1999. Britton’s streak began Oct. 1, 2015 - so it has now impacted parts of three seasons.

Does Britton ever take a moment to think about what he has accomplished with the streak?

“I mean in the offseason, I looked (back) on the season last year and I thought, ‘That’s pretty crazy.’ I never thought I could put together something like that at this level with how good these guys are. I’ll reflect on it eventually,” Britton said.

“I just want to get back to pitching like myself consistently. And you know, get in the game and help the team win the games I get in to pitch. That is always been the goal. Just never be the reason the team loses. Sometimes you are, but you know, I’m on a good roll and there are a lot of things, too, that have helped me get where I am.”

Johnny Baseball drove in another run on Sunday. Second baseman Johnathan Schoop began Sunday third in the AL in RBIs and drove in his 70th run for the final run of the game. Schoop has an RBI in seven straight games. In that span, he is 13-for-30 (.433) with three homers and 16 RBIs.

Schoop had an excellent first half this year, but he had one last year, too.

* Schoop before the break in 2016: .304/.338/.509 with 23 doubles, 14 HRs, 52 RBIs * Schoop before the break in 2017: 295/.347/.536 with 23 doubles, 18 HRs, 54 RBIs

But in the second half of 2016, Schoop hit .225/.252/.391 with 15 doubles, 11 homers and 30 RBIs. This year he wants to finish strong and complete two good halves of hitting.

“Last year was a lesson, too,” Schoop said. “I learned from it and I want to be better from last year. I want to be better every day. Without my teammates, my numbers would not be what they are. They help me, talk to me and teach me things that have helped me get better.”

Before Sunday’s game, Schoop talked about his recent RBI tear. Click here to read that story.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/07/zach-britton-sets-an-al-record-and-more- from-todays-win.html

Zach Britton sets an AL record and more from today’s win

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com July 23, 2017

On a day when the Orioles scored nine runs on 14 hits, a pitching performance was pretty noteworthy as well. In the Orioles’ 9-7 win over Houston, closer Zach Britton set an American League saves record.

Britton converted his 55th straight save to break a tie for the most consecutive in the AL at 54 with Tom Gordon. It is a streak that began Oct. 1, 2015. The major league record is a staggering 84 in a row by the Dodgers’ Eric Gagne that went from Aug. 28, 2002 to July 3, 2004.

It also could have been Britton’s last save for the Orioles at Camden Yards, as he remains the subject of trade rumors and the team is about to begin a road trip.

“Yeah, I guess if you are going to go out, that’s a cool way to do it,” Britton said. “In front of the home crowd, feeling good and getting a save and a win against a good team. Hopefully, it’s not the last, but if it is, that would be I guess a good way to go out.”

It was Britton’s sixth save of this season and first since April 14.

“What I feel proud is that a lot of us were here to see all of them and realized how hard that is to do, especially over that long a period of time,” manager Buck Showalter said. “You won’t see another year like he had last year. You just won’t. ... It’s the first time I’ve seen him throw four breaking balls in a row. When everybody knows what you’re going to do and you still do it, Zach throws in a little wrinkle here and there to keep them guessing for the next advance scout.”

Britton added: “I think it just feels good to put together an outing where I actually felt like I was more myself than anything. I think maybe it took a two-run ballgame to do that. Just get the focus back off the delivery and trying to be too fine. Just kind of let it rip. It was good to get out there and beat a good team, first off. But I think for the record I think it just shows more so how good of a job Darren (O’Day) and Brad (Brach) have done in front of me for the last few years. If you really think about it, I couldn’t do what I do if they didn’t do their job really, really well. So, a lot of that credit goes to them.”

Today, the Orioles had to keep scoring, because Houston was going to. The Orioles held a 3-0 lead and got tied 3-3, then led 6-3 before Houston scored four in the sixth to go ahead by one.

But Mark Trumbo’s solo homer in the seventh tied it 7-7 and the O’s pushed across two in the eighth for the lead. Manny Machado’s sac fly made it 8-7 and Jonathan Schoop singled in the ninth run. Adam Jones went 4-for-5 and the four hits tied his career high. He has now done that 20 times. Trey Mancini drove in two as seven Orioles had RBIs. Schoop, who had three hits and is batting .307, figured the Orioles might have to outslug Houston to get a win in this series.

“It’s going to be a battle because they’re a really good hitting team,” Schoop said. “Those guys over there, you see the numbers. And we know they’re a really good team. They know we’re a

really good team too. Yeah from one to nine, we can do damage and everybody believes in everybody. That was a good game there.”

Schoop’s RBI in the eighth extended his streak to seven consecutive games with an RBI and he has driven in 16 runs in that span. He is batting .481 (13-for-27) during a six-game hitting streak.

O’s right-hander Dylan Bundy allowed a career-high seven runs today over 5 1/3 innings. Six of the runs came on three-run homers by Jose Altuve and Norichika Aoki. Twice in the game his offense put him ahead by three runs but he could not hold either lead.

“I was just leaving stuff over the middle of the plate today,” Bundy said. “I was kind of lucky they only hit two homers off me. They gave me a three-run lead the first time and I blew it. The second time, they do it again. They just hand me the win. I didn’t command my pitches in the sixth inning and they got me.”

But his bullpen picked him up and the Orioles kept hitting. Miguel Castro, Donnie Hart, winning pitcher Mychal Givens and Britton combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings on two hits.

The win kept the Orioles from being swept twice during a 10-game homestand that ends with them going 5-5.

“Yeah, it’s good (to end on a win here),” Britton said. “You don’t want to get too far out in the standings. I understand where we are right now. You don’t want to watch the standings, but it’s the reality of where we are. And where we are in the standings kind of dictates where we go as an organization for a lot of guys in this lockerroom. These guys are fighting to win some games so we can keep this group together.”

The Orioles (47-51) ended an eight-game losing streak versus Houston. They are 30-21 at home but now hit the road for three at Tampa and three in Texas.

O’s RBI team reaches the Series: With an 8-4 victory over Philadelphia today, the Baltimore Orioles RBI 16-18 team won the Mid-Atlantic Regional Tournament and will advance to the RBI World Series in Cincinnati beginning on Aug. 3. It marks Baltimore Orioles RBI’s second consecutive trip to the RBI World Series after advancing for the first time last year.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/07/showalter-on-bundys-schedule-and-season- innings-load.html

Showalter on Bundy’s season innings total (plus a game update)

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com July 23, 2017

Orioles manager Buck Showalter has seldom mentioned a number as a potential season innings limit for right-hander Dylan Bundy who is pitching today. But the number 180 was mentioned by the skipper during his pregame media session earlier.

Bundy is making his 20th start of the year this afternoon and is 9-8 with an ERA of 4.18. After 11 days of rest he pitched Tuesday and was the last starter used by the club out of the All-Star break, to maximize his rest. Bundy responded with a strong outing against Texas giving up one run over six innings on 100 pitches.

After throwing a total of 109 2/3 innings last season, he passed that total Tuesday and is at 114 innings for the season entering today. That is tied for 15th most in the AL. “We’ve got him mapped out through the start of September,” Showalter said. “He’ll pitch today and probably the fifth day after the off day (Thursday). We’ll be easing the throttle a little bit so we can push it again if we need to. I know about where I think he’s going to end up (innings- wise) if he stays on schedule.

“Very happy with where he is right now physically and with the innings. He feels about as good as he’s felt in a long time. Hope we haven’t jinxed it. I think if you look at the fifth day after the off days, that is kind of what we are looking at,” Showalter added. “Think it will take him to around 180 (innings), somewhere in there, if everything goes well. And you can still make adjustments in Septmber if you need to when we’ll have more pitchers.”

Seth Smith is not starting for the Orioles today with a right-hander going for Houston but he’s fine physically.

“I want to get (Hyun Soo) Kim out there,” Showalter said. “He’s (Smith) what 1-for-12 with seven strikeouts off this guy (Houston’s Lance McCullers). He’s a reverse split guy again and just want to get Kim out there. He’s fine physically.”

It has been a busy day of transactions on the farm. Outfielder Cedric Mullins was activated off the DL by Double-A Bowie and outfielder Mike Yastrzemski was moved from Bowie back to Triple-A Norfolk. Yaz hit .228 earlier this season at Norfolk, but was batting .386 in 20 games with the Baysox.

O’s 2016 top pick, right-hander Cody Sedlock was activated off the DL today to start for the Keys. He’s been out since June 26 with a right elbow flexor strain. The Orioles today released Tucker Nathans and Adam Brett Walker.

Today’s game: It began with a scoreless first inning. Bundy retired Houston 1-2-3 on 11 pitches. The O’s first started with an Adam Jones single and Manny Machado walk. But Jonathan Schoop grounded into a double play and Mark Trumbo bounced to short.

All tied up: The Orioles and Houston were tied 3-3 after two and a half innings. The Orioles loaded the bases with no outs in the second and got three runs. They scored once on Hyun Soo Kim’s bases loaded hit by pitch, once when Rubén Tejada bounced into a double play and got a third run on Jones’ two-out single to left.

Jones is 2-for-2 and has 1,548 career hits with the Orioles. He moved into 6th on the club’s all- time hits list ahead of Nick Markakis. Next up is Boog Powell in fifth at 1,574 hits.

The lead didn’t last long at all. Jose Altuve’s three-run shot in the third tied it 3-3. That extended his hitting streak to a career-high 15 games.

Not anymore: Trey Mancini’s RBI single in the third got the lead back for the Orioles at 4-3. It was his 51st RBI and scored Schoop, who had singled and moved up two bases on groundouts.

Houston in the lead now: The Orioles added to the 4-3 lead and it grew to 6-3 in the fifth on a Chris Davis sac fly and Mancini’s RBI double.

But then Houston scored four in the sixth to take a 7-6 lead and knock Bundy from the game. Norichika Aoki’s three-run homer off Bundy tied it and a Josh Reddick sac fly put Houston ahead.

Bundy allowed a season-high seven runs on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings. He was replaced by Miguel Castro.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/07/os-game-blog-os-need-a-win-to-avoid- sweep.html

O’s game blog: O’s need a win to avoid sweep

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com July 23, 2017

The Orioles started this 10-game homestand getting swept three straight by the Chicago Cubs. They need a win today to avoid ending it being swept three by Houston.

Astros hitters have produced 31 hits and six homers the last two nights in 8-7 and 8-4 wins over the Orioles. They are 5-0 this season and have won eight in a row over the Orioles.

Right-hander Dylan Bundy (9-8, 4.18 ERA) makes his second start of the second half this afternoon, his 20th on the year and his 11th at Oriole Park.

Pitching on 11 day’s rest Tuesday versus Texas, Bundy went six innings allowing four hits and one run with one walk and four strikeouts on 100 pitches. He had pitched to an ERA of 8.53 his previous five starts.

Bundy has a team-leading 13 quality starts. He recorded eight in a row and 11 of 13 to start his season. He has two over his past six outings. In 10 home starts, Bundy is 5-4 with a 3.62 ERA.

Bundy passed his 2016 season innings total in his last start. He threw 109 2/3 innings last night and is at 114 innings so far this year.

Right-hander Lance McCullers (7-2, 3.28 ERA) will make his 18th start for the year and his 10th on the road for Houston.

McCullers has struggled a bit over his past three starts, going 0-1 with a 7.54 ERA, allowing 12 earned runs and 21 hits over 14 1/3. That raised his season ERA up from 2.53 to its present level.

McCullers was taken with the 41st overall pick in 2012 draft out of Jesuit High School in Tampa, Fla. He was an All-Star this year but did not pitch in the game.

McCullers does a great job at limiting home runs. He has given up just six this season over 96 innings. He has allowed only one homer over his past 11 games. He averages giving up 0.6 homers per every nine innings. McCullers has walked 30 and fanned 111 on the season and yields a .229 batting average against.

He has nine quality starts for the year, but none over his past four games. Houston is 12-5 in his 17 starts.

Houston’s Jose Altuve singled in his first at-bat of the game last night to extend his current hit streak to 14 games That tied his career high, done twice previously and is the longest active streak in the AL. Altuve is batting .476 (30-for-63) in that time and he currently leads the American League in both batting average (.352), and hits (130).

Adam Jones has an RBI in four straight games with three homers and nine RBIs in that stretch. Jonathan Schoop has homered in three straight games and has an RBI in six straight, including five straight multi-RBI games. Over his past six contests, Schoop is 10-for-25 with three homers and 15 RBIs.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/07/jonathan-schoop-on-his-recent-rbi- tear.html

Jonathan Schoop on his recent RBI tear

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com July 23, 2017

With an RBI surge this week, the Orioles’ Jonathan Schoop now ranks third in the American League RBI race. Nelson Cruz of Seattle is first with 75, Aaron Judge of New York is second with 73 and Schoop comes next at 69.

Schoop is on some hitting tear. He has now homered in three straight games and has an RBI in six straight games. He has had multiple RBIs in five straight games, recording 14 RBIs in those five games.

Over the current six-game stretch with at least one RBI, Schoop is 10-for-25 (.400) with three home runs and 15 RBIs. In the past six games he has driven in one, two, three, three, four and two runs.

Pretty special stuff for the Orioles 25-year-old All-Star second baseman.

“It feels good to get results, but you feel better if you win,” Schoop said this morning. “If you go 0-for-4 and win, you feel better. But it feels good to go through a stretch like that. Staying focused and consistent were my main goals. Stay healthy and continue for my team.

“No, it doesn’t surprise me. I believe in myself and know what I’m capable of doing. But I’m not big on numbers. My first year, J.J. (Hardy) talked with me about setting my goals. I try to be healthy, play hard every day, stay out there and win. The numbers will be there.”

Schoop has hit third in the order now for 25 games. He’s doing just fine in the middle of the order. Over 100 at-bats he’s hitting .320 with seven homers, 24 RBIs and a .928 OPS.

“I just want to be in the lineup,” he said. “When you first move up there you get excited a little bit, but I’m just happy I’m there. Every day I see my name there is an honor for me. Just happy I’m in there. It’s not different. They still pitch me the same, you just get to bat quicker.”

One thing that has helped Schoop take a step forward this year is chasing fewer pitches. Especially those down and low out of the strikezone. That was a focus this year, Schoop said - if it’s low let it go.

“Me and Scott (Coolbaugh, hitting coach) talked about that since spring training. It is better for me to chase up than low this year. I told him I’m going to do better at that. I still swing at it some, but so far that is working,” Schoop noted.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/recap?gameId=370723101

Zach Britton gets AL consecutive saves record as Orioles beat Astros

By Associated Press July 23, 2017

BALTIMORE -- Setting the American League record for consecutive saves converted requires a remarkable display of consistency.

Patience also played a part for Zach Britton, because the Baltimore Orioles closer went more than 14 weeks this season between tying the mark and breaking it.

Britton converted his 55th straight save opportunity Sunday, blanking the Houston Astros in the ninth inning to seal Baltimore's 9-7 victory.

He struck out the first two batters and issued a walk before pinch-hitter George Springer bounced into a force play to end it.

"I never thought I could put together something like that at this level, with how good these guys are," the left-hander said. "I'll reflect on it eventually. I just want to get back to pitching like myself consistently."

Britton earned his fifth save on April 14 and endured more than two months on the disabled list with a strained left forearm before returning on July 5.

At that point, manager Buck Showalter refrained from using Britton in the closer's role until he was ready. Britton finally got the chance Sunday -- and made the most of it.

Britton broke the AL mark held by Tom Gordon, who notched 54 straight saves with Boston from 1998-99. Britton started his run on Oct. 1, 2015, added 47 in a row last season and is 6 for 6 this year.

"A lot of us were here to see all of them and realize how hard that is to do, especially over that long a period of time," Showalter said.

The major league record of 84 is held by Eric Gagne of the Dodgers from 2002-04. Saves became an official statistic in 1969.

Baltimore broke a tie with two runs in the eighth against Luke Gregerson (2-3), using a sacrifice fly by Manny Machado and an RBI single by Jonathan Schoop.

Britton made the lead stand up, using 16 pitches to retire the AL West leaders.

Mark Trumbo homered and Adam Jones had four hits for the Orioles, who avoided a three-game sweep. Baltimore had lost eight straight to Houston, dating to last year.

"We're not perfect every game. We're not without our own flaws or things we can do better," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "There have only been a couple of nights where we got it handed to us. Most of the time we're in the game."

The Astros twice fell behind by three runs before coming back. Jose Altuve's 15th home run -- the first of his four hits -- made it 3-all in the fourth, and Nori Aoki connected with two on in the sixth to knot the score at 6.

Houston added a run in the sixth, but Trumbo tied it with a shot to left leading off the seventh.

Mychal Givens (7-0) worked the eighth for the Orioles.

Astros starter Lance McCullers gave up six runs and nine hits, walked two and hit two batters in 4 2/3 innings. In three starts this month, the right-hander is 0-1 with a 9.88 ERA.

"It's up to me and the coaching staff to watch some video and figure out what is going on," McCullers said.

Added Hinch: "He's going through a rut right now and things are not going his way. He's not getting beat around the ballpark as much as he is creating some havoc for himself."

Baltimore's Dylan Bundy allowed seven runs in 5 1/3 innings, including both Houston homers.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Orioles: SS J.J. Hardy, who's been on the DL since June 19 with a fractured wrist, is taking grounders but not yet throwing. "Right now, the stage is getting the mobility back," Hardy said. He will see a hand specialist in a week, then seek to strengthen the wrist before starting baseball activities.

UP NEXT

Astros: RHP Brad Peacock (8-1, 2.49 ERA) helps Houston launch a three-game interleague series in Philadelphia on Monday night.

Orioles: Kevin Gausman (6-7, 6.11 ERA) seeks to level his record for the first time since April 18 when Baltimore opens a three-game series at Tampa Bay on Monday night.

https://www.pressboxonline.com/2017/07/23/did-zach-britton-pitch-his-final-game-in-baltimore- with-the-orioles

Did Zach Britton Pitch His Final Game In Baltimore With The Orioles?

By Rich Dubroff / PressBoxOnline.com July 23, 2017

BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles' just-concluded 10-game homestand will be remembered for its oppressive heat and the team's failure to take advantage of opportunities.

When play resumed after the four-game All-Star break, the Orioles were four games under .500 (42-46). Nine days later and eight days prior to the non-waiver trade deadline, they're right where they were before the pause.

After the Orioles prevented a three-game sweep by the Houston Astros, 9-7, before 21,533 at Oriole Park July 23, the Orioles remained four games below .500 at 47-51.

The Orioles began the homestand with the Chicago Cubs beating them three straight times and outscoring them, 27-11.

After a report indicated the team was amenable to moving their top three relievers left-hander Zach Britton and right-handers Brad Brach and Darren O'Day, the Orioles won four in a row against the Texas Rangers, scoring 31 runs in the last three games.

After losing two of three to the Astros, who have an enormous lead in the American League West, the Orioles would need five wins in six games on their upcoming road trip to Tampa Bay and Texas to even reach .500 by the trade deadline.

"It's still there for us, and that's the way everybody in the clubhouse thinks of it," manager Buck Showalter said.

Right-hander Dylan Bundy allowed a career-high seven runs in 5.1 innings, and the Orioles, who trailed, 7-6, tied it on right fielder Mark Trumbo's 17th home run in the seventh.

They scored two in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by third baseman Manny Machado and an RBI single by second baseman Jonathan Schoop, who has 70 RBIs.

Mychal Givens pitched the eighth. The right-hander is 7-0 this season and a phenomenal 17-2 in his major league career.

Britton pitched a scoreless ninth for his sixth save, his first since April 14, and his 55th straight successful save, establishing a new American League record. He missed two months with a left forearm injury and since returning pitched seven times without a chance for a save.

"I think it just feels good to put together an outing where I actually felt like I was more myself than anything, I think maybe it took a two-run ballgame to do that," Britton said.

"Just get the focus back off the delivery and trying to be too fine. Just kind of let it rip. It was good to get out there and beat a good team, first off. But I think for the record I think it just shows more so how good of a job Darren and Brad have done in front of me for the last few years. If you really think about it, I couldn't do what I do if they didn't do their job really, really well. So, a lot of that credit goes to them."

With Britton by far the most attractive reliever possibly on the market, it could have been his final game in Baltimore as an Oriole.

"I guess if you are going to go out, that's a cool way to do it," Britton said. "In front of the home crowd, feeling good and getting a save and a win against a good team. Hopefully it's not the last, but if it is, that would be I guess a good way to go out."

Showalter doesn't sound eager to move Britton.

"It's so hard to simulate that type of emotional situation in a rehab start or even out of the pen in a non-save situation," Showalter said. "It's just completely different adrenaline. He looked like he was in his element there, finally.

"You know, it's been a long haul to get back there. He was the last real piece for us to able to get back and really be able to put what I think is just a really good bullpen if we can get deeper in games. It can be huge for us if that happens because I think the bullpen will be in really good shape.

ODDS AND ENDS: Adam Jones' second-inning single was the 1,548th of his Orioles career. The center fielder passed Nick Markakis for sixth place on the team's all-time hit list. He had four hits, equaling his career high. … The Orioles open a three-game series at Tampa Bay July 24. Right-hander Kevin Gausman (6-7, 6.11) faces left-hander Blake Snell (0-5, 4.98).

https://www.pressboxonline.com/2017/07/23/buck-showalter-says-he-tries-to-ignore-trade- rumors

Buck Showalter Says He Tries To Ignore Trade Rumors

By Rich Dubroff / PressBoxOnline.com July 23, 2017

BALTIMORE -- Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter knows that trade talk will continue to surround the team for the next eight days. The non-waiver trade deadline is July 31.

While trade talk is always a popular topic, it's much more of a concern to the media than to players, he believes.

"Y'all hear so much of the rumors and so many of the things I try not to get involved with," Showalter said. "It's hard for me to imagine that those guys are at home every night having to stay on top of it like y'all have to stay on top of it."

Showalter said he's not preparing to say goodbye to players he's grown close with.

"I think you're always in a mode of what's best for the team and the organization and the short and long-term," Showalter said. "The best deals are the ones that are best short-term and long- term."

In advance of the deadline, the Orioles are healthier than they've been, perhaps all season. Two of the remaining three players on the disabled list, infielder Ryan Flaherty (shoulder) and outfielder Anthony Santander (forearm) are scheduled to begin rehab assignments July 27.

Santander, a Rule 5 draft choice, hasn't played all season, and the Orioles are eager to get a look at him. If he is activated in mid-August and stays with the club through the end of the season, he'll use about half the needed 90 days on the active roster to enable the team to freely option him.

The bullpen has the personnel Showalter wants, and it's the main reason the team hasn't made an alteration to its major league roster since July 14, the longest stretch all season.

Showalter is missing Flaherty and regular shortstop J.J. Hardy (right wrist). Hardy may still be several weeks from a return. Flaherty, who hasn't played since May 18, and Santander are both on the 60-day disabled list.

"Not having Ryan has been a challenge for us," Showalter said. "It solved a lot of issues for us as far as [giving players] off days and really playing seven, eight positions. It's really hard finding somebody to do the things he does or did."

BUNDY REST: After right-hander Dylan Bundy's start, he'll get additional rest, Showalter said. He anticipates Bundy won't throw again until Aug. 1, the fifth day following the July 27 off day.

Showalter will use the scheduled Aug. 17 and Aug. 24 off days to give Bundy more rest. Bundy's schedule has been mapped out through early September. He anticipates Bundy could throw as many as 180 innings.

"It will be kind of easing the throttle a little bit so that we can push it again if we need to," Showalter said. "I know about where I think where he's going to end up if he stays on schedule. Very happy where he is right now physically and with the innings. He feels about as good as what he's felt in a long time."

KIM STARTS: Showalter is giving Hyun Soo Kim his first career start as a designated hitter. It will be Kim's first start since July 9.

Mark Trumbo will start in right and Seth Smith, who is 1-for-12 with seven strikeouts against Houston's starter, right-hander Lance McCullers, will not start.

"More for Kim than anything," Showalter said.

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/pivotal-orioles-rays-series-begins-monday/

Pivotal Orioles-Rays series begins Monday

By STATS / CBS Sports July 24, 2017

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The final week of July is a dangerous time for middling baseball teams, knowing a single series can change a club from being a buyer to a seller at the trade deadline, or vice versa.

That stands for both teams as the Tampa Bay Rays, suddenly mired in a four-game losing streak, play host to the Baltimore Orioles, who find themselves 3 1/2 games back of the Rays entering the clubs' three-game series that starts Monday.

Third-place Tampa Bay is 3 1/2 games behind the first-place Boston Red Sox in the American League East and tied for the second AL wild-card spot. The Orioles are among nine teams within five games of a wild-card position. "I think you're always in a mode of what's best for the team and the organization in the short and long term," Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said. "The best deals are the ones that are best short-term and long-term."

The last time the Rays faced the Orioles, Tampa Bay took two of three at Camden Yards to start a 10-4 run that propelled the Rays to the top wild-card spot. However, a three-game sweep at the hands of the Texas Rangers puts them back in the middle of a wild-card logjam. Could a bad week make them consider parting with starter Alex Cobb or any other key parts rather than bolstering their bullpen to help their chances down the stretch?

"It's tough. We'd put ourselves right where we wanted to coming home, and just haven't been able to get it done this series," said reliever Brad Boxberger, who gave up two home runs in the eighth inning Sunday and took the loss as Texas beat Tampa Bay 6-5.

"The way these three days have unfolded is not ideal," Rays manager Kevin Cash said after the Sunday loss. "I totally believe we can bounce back with a good series, without a doubt. We're going to play good baseball and get those big hits. Make the big pitches, and we'll be fine."

The Rays now have to hope for a spark from Monday starter Blake Snell, who is 0-5 with a 4.98 ERA this season. In his only career appearance against Baltimore, he gave up six hits and four runs in 4 1/3 innings in a start last season.

Snell, 24, went to the minors after seven starts for the Rays this season and pitched well there from mid-May to mid-June, but he hasn't gotten back to the form that made him one of the top pitching prospects in baseball in 2015.

Baltimore opens the series with right-hander Kevin Gausman (6-7, 6.11 ERA), having salvaged the finale against the Houston Astros with a 9-7 win on Sunday.

Gausman is 4-4 with a 4.21 ERA in 12 career appearances, including 10 starts, against Tampa Bay. In his only start against the Rays this season, he pitched seven scoreless innings, giving up just two hits while picking up the win on July 2.

The Orioles went 5-5 over a 10-game homestand since the All-Star break. They took two of three games from the Rays in each of the teams' first two series before Tampa Bay took two of three before the All-Star break.

"There are three games we just lost that we should have won," said Rays outfielder Steven Souza, who struck out to end the Sunday game with two runners on in the ninth. "Are they frustrating losses? Absolutely, but if we thought we were going to win every single series and sweep everyone the rest of the season, then you guys are all a little bit out of your mind.

"The goal is to make it to the playoffs. We need to be consistent, and this is a little hurdle that we just have to get over and we'll be fine."

http://www.baltimorebaseball.com/2017/07/24/dan-duquette-fared-trading-veterans-prospects- sell-deals-mlb-career/

How has Dan Duquette fared in trading veterans for prospects — sell deals — in his MLB career?

By Paul Folkemer / BaltimoreBaseball.com July 24, 2017

Dan Duquette may be facing uncharted territory in his Orioles’ career.

His club, languishing under .500 and in fourth place in the AL East, could be a seller at the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline – even though he talked publicly Saturday about looking to improve his rotation for a stretch run.

Veterans such as Zach Britton, Brad Brach, Darren O’Day, Welington Castillo and Seth Smith have been made available on the trade market as the Orioles look to replenish their farm system.

And that’s a position Duquette has never been in since taking over as the Orioles’ executive vice president of baseball operations in November 2011. The Orioles have had a .500 or better record during each of his five seasons at the helm, and Duquette’s usual approach has been to acquire veterans, not trade them away.

So, if the Orioles intend to be sellers this time around, what kinds of trades can fans expect to see from Duquette? Historically, how has he fared when swapping veterans for youngsters? We know his “buyer” deals for the Orioles haven’t worked out too well, but what about the flip side?

Let’s take a look at some of his notable sell-off trades from his previous GM stints in Montreal and Boston.

MONTREAL EXPOS TENURE (1991-1993)

Duquette’s experience as a seller began almost as soon as he got his first MLB general manager gig, taking over the perpetually cash-strapped Expos in September 1991. He faced the ongoing task of trying to deal the club’s veterans before they inevitably left for bigger bucks in free agency.

Nov. 25, 1991: 1B Andres Galarraga to St. Louis Cardinals for RHP Ken Hill

Galarraga had been a quality first baseman for the Expos for eight seasons. But the 30-year-old “Big Cat” was a year away from free agency and coming off a poor 1991 season when Duquette struck his first major trade as GM, swapping Galarraga straight-up for Hill, a 26-year-old righty.

The trade was a steal for the Expos. Hill put up three strong seasons atop the Montreal rotation, going 41-21 with a 3.04 ERA during that span and finishing as NL Cy Young runner-up in 1994. Meanwhile, Galarraga suffered through one ineffective, injury-plagued season with the Cardinals before leaving as a free agent, though he later resurrected his career in Colorado.

Dec. 9, 1991: Traded RHP Barry Jones to Philadelphia Phillies for C Darrin Fletcher

Jones, a veteran reliever, spent just one season with the Expos, tying for the NL lead with 77 appearances and picking up 13 saves while posting a 3.35 ERA. Duquette struck while the iron was hot, swapping the 28-year-old for Fletcher, 25.

Fletcher found a home with the Expos, becoming their starting catcher for the next six years, while Jones pitched so poorly for the Phillies that they released him before he’d spent a full season there. Again, Duquette came out on top in this swap.

Dec. 11, 1991: Traded OF Dave Martinez, OF Willie Greene and LHP Scott Ruskin to Cincinnati Reds for RHP John Wetteland and RHP Bill Risley

The main piece of this deal from the Expos was Martinez, 27, a veteran outfielder who’d been with Montreal since 1988 and was a year from free agency. Duquette also threw in 28-year-old reliever Ruskin and prospect Greene.

Duquette struck gold in Wetteland, who had spent three seasons as an ineffective swing man with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Expos converted him to full-time relief and reaped the rewards. Wetteland emerged as the club’s closer, racking up 105 saves in three years while pitching to a 2.32 ERA.

Dec. 24, 1992: IF Tim Wallach to Los Angeles Dodgers for IF Tim Barker

Duquette’s relationship with Wallach was among the lowlights of his Expos’ tenure. Wallach, a popular Expo, was a five-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove third baseman during his excellent 13-year Montreal career. But Wallach bristled when Duquette and company asked him to move to first base before the ’92 season. The experiment lasted only a few months, but created ill will between Wallach and the Expos.

Duquette unceremoniously traded him after that season for Barker, a Baltimore-born infielder who never made it out of the minor leagues. It was an uninspiring return for one of the best players in club history.

Nov. 19, 1993: 2B Delino DeShields to Dodgers for RHP Pedro Martinez

Eleven months after the failed Wallach trade, Duquette swung another deal with the Dodgers — and it became one of the most successful swaps in recent baseball history. In exchange for the speedy DeShields, 24, Duquette acquired a scrawny 22-year-old whom the Dodgers thought would never succeed as a starter because of his 5-foot-11 frame.

Nearly 25 years later, Martinez is enshrined in Cooperstown. (Spoiler: DeShields is not.) His Hall of Fame career track began with the Expos. It was in Montreal in 1997 that Martinez won the first of his three career Cy Young awards, going 17-8 while leading the league in ERA (1.90), complete games (13), WHIP (0.932) and strikeout rate (11.4).

On a side note, Duquette traded for Martinez a second time, acquiring him from Montreal for pitchers Carl Pavano and Tony Armas in a “buy” trade for the Red Sox in November, 1997.

BOSTON RED SOX TENURE (1994-2002)

After taking over the Red Sox in 1994, Duquette didn’t have much need to trade away veterans; the deep-pocketed club had a winning record during seven of his nine years – technically, seven of eight since he joined the 1994 Red Sox (54-61) in late January while the 1994 Expos he built and left that January were 74-40 — and was usually in a position to buy instead of sell. However, Duquette did make a few sell-off trades in 1996 and 1997, when the Red Sox finished in third and fourth place, respectively.

July 30, 1996: LHP Jamie Moyer to Seattle Mariners for OF Darren Bragg

Yes, Duquette dealt away Moyer, who ended up being one of the most remarkable success stories of his generation. But it’s tough to blame Duquette for not foreseeing that. At the time of the trade, Moyer was a 33-year-old journeyman who had a career 4.58 ERA for five teams, so few took notice when the Sox swapped him for a 26-year-old outfielder in Bragg.

Little did Duquette — or anyone — expect that Moyer would win 201 games from that point forward, scoffing in the face of Father Time and pitching until he was 49. Moyer’s major league career, in fact, ended eight years later than Bragg’s did.

Jan. 27, 1997: OF Jose Canseco to Oakland Athletics for RHP John Wasdin

Canseco muddled through injuries during his two-year stint with the Red Sox, but was productive when healthy, batting .298 with a .960 OPS, 52 home runs and 163 RBIs from 1995 to 1996. Duquette dealt Canseco back to his original team, the Athletics, for the 24-year-old Wasdin, who was Oakland’s first-round pick in the 1993 draft.

Wasdin didn’t pan out for the Red Sox, posting a 4.66 ERA in parts of four seasons, and he pitched for five clubs after that, including the Orioles in 2001. Wasdin, though, clearly made a favorable impression on Duquette during their Boston days. The Orioles hired him as their minor league pitching coordinator this season.

July 31, 1997: RHP Heathcliff Slocumb to Mariners for RHP Derek Lowe and C Jason Varitek

You’d think the DeShields-for-Pedro trade would go into the books as the best trade of Duquette’s career. Four years later, though, he may have topped it, pulling off another incredibly lopsided heist that changed the direction of his franchise.

The Red Sox, sitting 17.5 games back at the trade deadline, had little use for a closer — especially an underachieving, 31-year-old closer, Slocumb, who had 17 saves but a 5.79 ERA. The Mariners, desperate for bullpen help, agreed to send rookie righty Lowe, 24, and minor league catcher Varitek, 25, in exchange.

The rest is history. Lowe spent the next eight seasons in Boston as both a starter and a closer, racking up 42 saves in 2000 and a 21-win campaign two years later. He also won the clinching game of the 2004 World Series that snapped Boston’s 86-year championship drought. Varitek, meanwhile, emerged as one of baseball’s best catchers and the captain of the Red Sox, for whom he spent his entire 15-year career.

Another Orioles’ tie-in here: The Boston scout that recommended Lowe and Varitek from the Mariners’ system was Gary Rajsich, whom Duquette hired in 2011 to be the Orioles’ scouting director.

As for Slocumb? He went 2-9 with a 4.97 ERA in parts of two seasons for the Mariners, and was out of baseball three years after the trade.

http://www.baltimorebaseball.com/2017/07/23/britton-notches-record-save-last-camden-yards- bundy-jimenez-notes/

Britton notches record save — is that his last at Camden Yards? (Bundy, Jimenez notes)

By Dan Connolly / BaltimoreBaseball.com July 23, 2017

With the Orioles headed to a seven-day road trip, closer Zach Britton is not scheduled to pitch at Camden Yards again until at least the evening of July 31.

By then, we’ll all know whether the Orioles have decided to deal him away at the non-waiver trade deadline in an attempt to build their farm system.

If they do, then Sunday’s one-inning save against the Houston Astros in a 9-7 win could be Britton’s last in Baltimore as an Oriole. And it was significant, no matter what happens this upcoming week.

It was his first save since April 14 – due to a left lower forearm strain that put him on the shelf twice for roughly two-plus months – and it also was his 55th consecutive successful opportunity, setting the American League record previously held by Boston’s Tom Gordon in 1998-99 (saves became an official statistic in 1969).

“I guess if you are going to go out, that’s a cool way to do it. In front of the home crowd, feeling good and getting a save and a win against a good team,” said Britton, whose streak dates back to Oct. 1, 2015. “Hopefully it’s not the last (in Baltimore), but if it is, that would be, I guess, a good way to go out.”

Britton may be the Orioles’ most tradeable commodity; he’s a proven shutdown reliever who appears to be over his injury and has a contract situation that’s controllable through 2018. Contending teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Washington Nationals, Arizona Diamondbacks and, yes, the Astros, have both interest and a need for the 29-year-old Britton.

Perhaps it was particularly fitting for Britton to convert his first save opportunity in months against a mighty Astros club that was looking for a sweep. Britton allowed a two-out walk, but he recorded two strikeouts and a ground out in the scoreless inning – fairly typical Britton.

“I think it just feels good to put together an outing where I actually felt like I was more myself than anything,” said Britton, who previously had allowed four total runs in seven, one-run outings since he came off the disabled list July 5. “I think maybe it took a two-run ballgame to do that. Just get the focus back off the delivery and trying to be too fine. Just kind of let it rip. It was good to get out there and beat a good team.”

In discussing the record, Britton gave credit to setup men Darren O’Day and Brad Brach, who also have had their names mentioned as potential trade chips. If Britton were to be traded, Brach likely would take over as Orioles closer, a spot he held while Britton was hurt. Although, it’s possible both could be moved — if the Orioles are truly looking to be sellers – and Mychal Givens and O’Day would become the leading closer candidates.

At this point, Britton was simply focused on pitching like he has in the past.

“I never thought I could put together something like that at this level with how good these guys are. I’ll reflect on it eventually. I just want to get back to pitching like myself consistently,” said Britton, who trails only Eric Gagne, who saved 84 straight for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2002- 04, for the big league record. “Get in the game and help the team win the games I get in to pitch. That is always been the goal. Just never be the reason the team loses. Sometimes you are, but you know I’m on a good roll and there are a lot of things too that have helped me get where I am.”

Orioles manager Buck Showalter said he believes he saw the Britton of the past on Sunday.

“He looked like he was in element there, finally. You know, it’s been a long haul to get back there. He was the last real piece for us to able to get back and really be able to put (together) what I think is just a really good bullpen if we can get deeper in games,” Showalter said. “It can be huge for us if that happens, because I think the bullpen will be in really good shape. We’ll be able to pass the load around, too.”

The major question, of course, is does the bullpen makeup change within the next week.

Bundy gives up two homers; getting extra rest

Right-hander Dylan Bundy was solid on Sunday afternoon – and then he wasn’t.

Two innings he ran into trouble, and both times he cracked, allowing three-run homers. Jose Altuve hit one in the third and Nori Aoki smacked one in the sixth.

Otherwise, Bundy was fine, but you can’t dismiss two big homers that gave back a three-run lead each time. Bundy knows that’s not tolerable, and said he was fortunate the results weren’t worse.

“Stuff-wise, I was just leaving stuff over the middle of the plate today,” he said. “I was kind of lucky they only hit two homers off me.”

Bundy was pitching on four days’ rest after allowing just one run in six innings in his first start of the second half Tuesday.

The Orioles gave him 11 days’ rest in between those two starts, a luxury allowed by the All-Star break. Showalter said they are going to give him another break this week – taking advantage of Thursday’s off day, and starting him “probably” five days after that. So, he’d be on eight days’ rest if he pitches next on Aug. 1.

“It will be kind of easing the throttle a little bit so that we can push it again if we need to,” Showalter said. “I know about where I think he’s going to end up if he stays on schedule. Very happy with where he is right now physically and with the innings. He feels about as good as what he’s felt in a long time.”

Bundy said after his outing Sunday that he was unaware of that upcoming schedule.

“I didn’t know anything about that,” he said. “I am just going to throw my bullpen when I am supposed to and throw in the game when I am supposed to and give the team all I got. That’s all I can do, you know.”.

The schedule tweaking is an attempt to keep the 24-year-old Bundy’s innings down while not having him actually skip starts. He threw a career-high of 109 2/3 (in 2016) last year and is now at and he’s now at 119 1/3 innings with two months to go.

Showalter said the Orioles would like to keep his innings around 180, but “you can still make adjustments in September if you need to.”

Given the state of the rotation, the Orioles obviously need Bundy this year and beyond, so being careful with him makes sense, whatever that plan may be.

Jimenez starts Wednesday

I know a lot of you people live and die – especially die — with this, so here goes: Ubaldo Jimenez (4-6, 7.19 ERA) will make his next start for the Orioles, which is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon at Tampa Bay.

Kevin Gausman starts Monday and Wade Miley on Tuesday against the division rival Rays.

Jimenez is 5-3 with a 4.70 ERA in 10 career starts against the Rays and 2-3 with a 6.67 ERA in five starts at Tropicana Field. He’s faced them twice this year – once at home, once on the road – and didn’t get out of the fourth in either contest. He’s lasted a combined 5 2/3 innings in those games and allowed 12 earned runs (a 19.06 ERA).

Just thought you should know. Be kind to the messenger.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/zach-britton-ties-american-league-record-with-55th- consecutive-save-in-orioles-win/2017/07/23/504060fe-6fcb-11e7-9eac- d56bd5568db8_story.html?utm_term=.c094c6998959

Zach Britton ties American League record with 55th consecutive save in Orioles’ win

By Aaron Torres / The Washington Post July 23, 2017

BALTIMORE — Zach Britton entered in the ninth inning of the Baltimore Orioles’ 9-7 comeback win over the Houston Astros on Sunday afternoon and was asked to do what he had done 54 straight times: get the save.

The Orioles had led by three runs two different times at Camden Yards, and both times the Astros had come back to tie it. Now Britton faced Houston’s three, four and five hitters — the heart of the lineup for the best offensive team in Major League Baseball.

Britton struck out Yuli Gurriel on seven pitches, then Evan Gattis on three. After Marwin Gonzales walked, George Springer, who has 27 home runs this season, stepped up, representing the tying run.

Britton got him to ground into a force out to second base. With that, the Orioles (47-51) avoided getting swept for the second time in three series and finished their homestand 5-5. And with that, Britton earned his 55th consecutive save, an American League record.

“I feel proud that a lot of us are here to see all of them and realize how hard that is to do, especially over that long period of time,” Baltimore Manager Buck Showalter said.

Getting the ball into Britton’s hands was a challenge for the Orioles.

The game was tied at 7 before Manny Machado hit a sacrifice fly to left field in the eighth inning, scoring Ruben Tejada from third.

Jonathan Schoop, the next batter, then brought in Adam Jones from second with a single for an insurance run.

The Orioles twice had three-run leads but had to keep the Astros (65-33), who lead the majors in runs, hits and home runs, from doing what they had done all series: rally.

The worst pitching staff in the American League had no luck.

The Astros erased deficits of 3-0 in the third and 6-3 in the sixth, both times with three-run home runs.

Jose Altuve went deep in the third, and Norichika Aoki’s came in a four-run sixth inning that gave Houston its first lead.

Both homers came off Dylan Bundy, who was coming off one of his best starts of the season: one run over six innings in a win against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday. As in that game, the Orioles’ offense gave him an early cushion. Except this time he allowed seven runs on eight hits in 5⅓ innings and was in danger of being the loser when he left after walking Jake Marisnick.

“I was just leaving stuff over the middle of the plate today,” Bundy said. “I was kind of lucky they only hit two homers off me.”

The Orioles scored three times in the second inning. Chris Davis singled, and Baltimore loaded the bases after Trey Mancini was drilled and Caleb Joseph walked. Hyun Soo Kim then took a pitch off his right thigh, scoring Davis. After Ruben Tejada grounded into a double play to score Mancini, Adam Jones singled home Joseph, and Baltimore led 3-0.

After Houston tied the game in the third, Baltimore retook the lead in the bottom of the inning on a Mancini RBI single and added two more in the fifth on Davis’s sacrifice fly and a double by Mancini.

The lead wouldn’t last. But unlike the past two nights, Baltimore rallied. Mark Trumbo tied it in the seventh with a home run, and Machado gave the Orioles the lead in the eighth, setting up Britton’s save in the ninth.