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Thursday, April 14, 2016

Game stories:  Orioles recap: Birds absorb first loss, 4-2 to Red Sox, in Fenway Park finale The Sun 4/13  Fateful 8: O's handed first loss by Red Sox MLB.com 4/14  The wait continues for Tyler Wilson (O’s lose 4-2) MASNsports.com 4/13  Ubaldo Jimenez struggles as O’s suffer first loss of 2016 MASNsports.com 4/13  Orioles finally lose after 7 straight wins, fall to Red Sox AP 4/14  Orioles' perfect start comes to an imperfect end CSN Mid-Atlantic 4/13

Columns:  The end of the Orioles' streak and looking at Tyler Wilson's impact The Sun 4/14  Orioles need better results from rotation after undefeated run ends The Sun 4/13  Orioles eyeing Thursday for Adam Jones' return The Sun 4/13  Orioles notebook: Even with limited game action, Dylan Bundy getting his work in The Sun 4/13  5 stats that stand out through the Orioles' league-leading 7-0 start The Sun 4/13  Orioles starter Mike Wright's escape act shows his growth since last season The Sun 4/13  If you love this Orioles team, hug a Mariner The Sun 4/13  Wilson emerges from layoff to save O's 'pen MLB.com 4/14  Tillman can help O's start new run in Arlington MLB.com 4/13  This, that and the other MASNsports.com 4/14  Wrapping up a 4-2 loss MASNsports.com 4/13  Notes on Jones, Wilson, Kim, O’Day and Bundy (updated) MASNsports.com 4/13  Adam Jones working out before batting practice as Orioles wait to post lineup MASNsports.com 4/13  Dylan Bundy impresses a veteran teammate (plus other notes) MASNsports.com 4/14  A look at the Orioles’ minor league affiliates, who went 1-3 this afternoon MASNsports.com 4/13  Maybe it's time to start believing in the Baltimore Orioles ESPN.com 4/13  Orioles-Rangers Preview STATS, LLC. 4/14  Can the Orioles finally get a lengthy start? CSN Mid-Atlantic 4/14  Davis off to great start, hits fourth home run CSN Mid-Atlantic 4/13  Worley to get the start Friday for Orioles CSN Mid-Atlantic 4/13  Idle Wilson patiently waits his Orioles turn CSN Mid-Atlantic 4/13  Kim gets his second start in left field CSN Mid-Atlantic 4/13  With Increased Confidence, Jason Garcia Working To Rejoin Orioles PressBoxOnline.com 4/13  Fans ecstatic over Orioles' start to season WBAL TV 4/13  The Orioles Are Ridiculous, But How Ridiculous Are They? Fangraphs.com 4/13  J.J. Hardy Is a Wizard Fangraphs.com 4/13

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-recap-birds-absorb-first-loss-4-2- to-red-sox-in-fenway-park-finale-20160413-story.html

Orioles recap: Birds absorb first loss, 4-2 to Red Sox, in Fenway Park finale

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun April 13, 2016

Despite their best start in club history, the Orioles were eventually going to lose a game, and their seven-game winning streak to open the season ended Wednesday night with a 4-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

“I'm proud, we won the series,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “We won two out of three in the American League East on the road against a team we all know is going to be pretty good this year. We're real proud of that. Now we move on.”

The Orioles' bats went cold in the Boston chill as they were unable to break through against Red Sox right-hander Joe Kelly, who tight-roped through trouble throughout his start.

They put 12 runners on base against Kelly — seven hits and five walks — but managed just two runs over the starter's five innings.

The Orioles stranded nine base runners against Kelly, including the bases loaded in the second inning, when leadoff hitter Joey Rickard hit into an inning-ending fielder's choice.

J.J. Hardy opened that inning with a blast that hit off the center-field fence, but he was thrown out attempting to extend the hit for a triple.

With the Orioles up 2-0 on Chris Davis' two-run homer in the third, Xander Bogaerts hit a two- run double into the left-field corner off Ubaldo Jimenez, who let the first four batters he faced in the third reach base.

The Red Sox made Jimenez pay for a leadoff walk in the fourth when Jackie Bradley Jr.'s run- scoring triple to right drove in Brock Holt, who drew a six-pitch free pass to open the inning. Bradley then scored on Mookie Betts' RBI groundout to give the Red Sox a 4-2 lead.

In the sixth inning, Manny Machado hit a two-out double off Boston reliever Matt Barnes, but he was thrown out attempting to steal third with Davis at the plate.

“There's going to be nights, I tell the guys all the time, if you feel something, go for it,” Showalter said. “Whether it's J.J. trying to stretch a double, whether it's Manny in that situation, some of the things that allowed us to get to 7-0 didn't work out for us tonight. I want our guys to trust what they're feeling. You have to tip your hat. ... They've got a long chain from the sixth inning on that they were able to do the job out of a very pitcher-friendly night.”

Davis crushes one over the Monster

Davis hit his team-high fourth homer of the season in the third inning, taking a 94-mph fastball from Kelly over the Green Monster in left field.

Davis was sitting on the fastball on a 3-0 count and sent it the opposite way for his second homer off the series. Davis drove in seven runs in the series.

His home run Wednesday was his seventh in 31 games at Fenway Park since the beginning of the 2013 season.

Davis' home run was the Orioles' 14th in their first eight games. That included six homers in this three-game series.

Kim playing patiently

South Korean outfielder Hyun Soo Kim received his second start of the season and showed the plate discipline that made him one of the Korean Baseball Organization's most patient hitters.

Kim drew walks in each of his first two plate appearances against Kelly. He was 2-for-3 in his major league debut in Sunday's 5-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Machado leads hit parade

Machado had three hits on the night, giving him four multihit efforts in his first eight games. Machado hit safely in all eight games this season.

Machado also scored on Davis' homer, giving him runs in seven of the Orioles' eight games.

Despite scoring only two runs Wednesday, the Orioles have at least eight hits in each of their first eight games, extending a new franchise record. The Orioles had at least eight hits in each of their first six games in 1993.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/172174130/red-sox-hand-orioles-first-loss-of-season

Fateful 8: O's handed first loss by Red Sox

By Ian Browne and Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com April 14, 2016

The Red Sox, backed by a resilient pitching performance by Joe Kelly and some timely early hits from Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley Jr., handed the surging Baltimore Orioles their first loss of the season with a 4-2 decision on Wednesday night at Fenway Park.

The O's came in at 7-0 -- a club record start to the season -- and had been the only remaining undefeated team in the Majors.

In five innings, Kelly (1-0) threw 116 pitches, two short of a career high. Despite allowing at least one baserunner in every inning, the righty minimized the damage against him, surrendering seven hits and two runs while walking five and striking out six.

"Obviously, it wasn't the best, but I went out there and battled and grinded against an undefeated team who's been really, really hot," said Kelly.

Baltimore jumped out first when Chris Davis struck for a two-run homer over the Green Monster in the third. Bogaerts delivered a game-tying two-run double a half-inning later against O's starter and losing pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez (1-1).

"I'm proud -- we won the series," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "We won two out of three in the American League East on the road against a team we all know is going to be pretty good this year. We're real proud of that."

Bradley ripped an RBI triple off the base of the right-field wall in the fourth to give the Red Sox a lead they kept.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Kimbrel redeems himself with dominance: Two days after taking the loss in an inauspicious home debut, Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel was back to his dominant self. The righty overpowered the Orioles in the ninth, striking out the top three batters in the order on just 14 pitches. Fittingly, Kimbrel ended the performance by getting Davis swinging. It was Davis who hit a tiebreaking three-run homer off Kimbrel on Monday.

"He's like so many great closers, where if a day doesn't go well, he has a short memory," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "He wants to get back to it. Fortunately, we were able to provide a lead here in the ninth, and he did a great job."

Machado runs O's out of rally: With Baltimore down two in the sixth, Manny Machado hit a two-out double off reliever Matt Barnes. But any momentum was lost when Machado was thrown out trying to steal third base by catcher Ryan Hanigan. The steal attempt was particularly puzzling because Davis was at the plate.

"He felt it, and he went for it," Showalter said of Machado's decision. "It's like a 30-foot jump shot. If he makes it -- if he takes away the breaking ball in the dirt and it bounces to the backstop -- everybody's patting him on the back."

Pedroia cuts down Hardy: The Fenway fans were treated to an exciting play in the top of the second when J.J. Hardy hit one to deep right-center that Bradley leaped for at the wall but couldn't catch. Right fielder Mookie Betts fielded the carom, and second baseman Dustin Pedroia ranged a long way, running to the grass just behind shortstop before making a perfect throw to third. Travis Shaw slapped down the tag to nail Hardy.

Wilson surfaces: Orioles right-handed reliever Tyler Wilson, who hadn't made an appearance since Opening Day, came on after Jimenez and again delivered. Despite the long layoff, Wilson pitched three scoreless innings, running his season total to six scoreless frames.

"He deserves a lot of credit," O's catcher Caleb Joseph said. "That's a really, really tough job against a lot of big names over there, a good offense. Tyler, he's prepared. He's going to be engaged at all times. He came out and pounded the strike zone, kept us within arm's reach of the game. Any time you can do that, look, that's one of the hardest jobs in baseball, to come out and be that kind of long-relief guy who can really keep your team in the game. Kudos to him. He did a fantastic job."

QUOTABLE

"I mean, we won the first seven games, but our offense was unbelievable. It's not going to happen like that every single night. So we need to step up and do our job." -- Jimenez, who worked five innings on the need for the Orioles' starters to work deeper in games

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Baltimore, which entered Wednesday with 12 straight wins dating to last year's regular season, set a franchise record by hitting 14 homers in its first eight games of a season.

WHAT'S NEXT

Orioles: Baltimore will continue its road trip in Arlington on Thursday at 8:05 p.m. ET with the opener of a four-game series against the Rangers. Baltimore will hand the ball to Chris Tillman, who pitched two scoreless innings against the Twins on Opening Day before rain delays ended his afternoon. In his next outing, Tillman allowed one run over five innings in a victory over the Rays.

Red Sox: On Friday at 7:10 p.m. ET, after enjoying their first scheduled off-day of the season, the Red Sox will host the Blue Jays for the opener of a four-game series. The Jackie Robinson Day matchup pits right-hander Rick Porcello, who won last weekend in Toronto, against knuckleballer R.A. Dickey. Porcello faced Dickey in his last start, when the Boston righty gave up four runs over six innings.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/04/the-wait-continues-for-tyler-wilson.html

The wait continues for Tyler Wilson (O’s lose 4-2)

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com April 13, 2016

BOSTON - Tyler Wilson is alive and well, and he appreciates your concern.

Wilson was amused when told that fans wondered what happened to him. Was he injured? Was he dead?

The inactivity has nothing to do with his health. He hasn’t pitched since tossing three scoreless innings on opening day, but that’s the life of a long reliever. And Wilson is full of life.

“I’m great,” he said. “We’re 7-0. Me not pitching is a byproduct of us having so much success. I love the way the bullpen has thrown the ball well. Obviously, we have guys at the back end that dominate when we’re up. I hope we can keep that trend going.

“The starters have been throwing the ball well. If that means me sitting out there and just waiting around, I’m happy because that means the team’s playing well and we’re obviously winning games, and that’s the ultimate goal.”

Wilson was a candidate to start Friday night against the Rangers in Arlington, but the Orioles announced that Vance Worley will take the mound on his normal turn.

“I don’t know anything about Texas, but I’ve definitely thrown some bullpens,” Wilson said. “Any time you’re in the bullpen, and you go two days without pitching, the third day you get a light something before the game, so I’ve actually had a couple and I feel great.

“Like we kind of talked about in spring training, no matter how long it goes between outings or wherever I am, it’s my job to be ready when that bell does ring. Whatever capacity. It looks like it’s going to be different here. I haven’t pitched in eight days, so I still have to be ready when the ball rings rather than called up for a spot start or something like that.

“It doesn’t change my approach. I go about my business every day. I’m going to be ready every time the bell rings if my name is called.”

Wilson probably assumed that a three-inning stint on opening day, after the weather ended Chris Tillman’s outing, signified a larger role on the pitching staff.

“I was excited with how opening day went,” he said. “Obviously, we won in walk-off fashion, which was great and I was excited to be a part of that. The rain obviously is what kind of forced my hand into being the guy that came in here and I was excited about that. The circumstances haven’t really called for it in these first seven games and that’s OK. When they call my name, I’ll be ready.”

Lacking experience in a relief role, Wilson is learning on the job at the highest level.

“Staying on top of your skill work pregame and really managing how many pitches you throw in a bullpen,” he said, rattling off the lessons. “Managing how much you work out in the weight room to be ready to have an extended outing every single day. If you have an extended outing and know you’ll be down the next day, you can give your arm a break or get a workout in. So just kind of managing, physically more than anything. Mentally, I don’t think it changes anything. I’m still ready to go every single day and that doesn’t change.

“I’m definitely learning every day I’m up here. Not being in the game gives me a chance to sit there and talk pitching with guys like Zach (Britton) and Darren (O’Day) at the end of the game and that’s really invaluable. That type of mental experience and putting myself in situations when I’m not out there.

“It’s been a learning process and I’m trying to get better every single day in some capacity, whether it’s out there on the mound getting game reps or in the bullpen, watching and see how plays develop.”

Update: Chris Davis hit an opposite-field two-run homer in the third inning to break a scoreless tie.

Manny Machado led off with a double and Davis followed with his fourth home run.

Ubaldo Jimenez survived a 28-pitch first inning, escaping without a run despite allowing a hit and walking two batters. The Red Sox stole three bases.

Update II: Ubaldo Jimenez has thrown 104 pitches, 58 for strikes, in five innings. He’s allowed four runs and six hits, with four walks and five strikeouts.

Xander Bogaerts had a two-run double in the third to tie the game and the Red Sox scored twice in the fourth on Jackie Bradley, Jr.’s RBI triple and a ground ball.

Red Sox starter Joe Kelly threw 116 pitches in five innings.

Update III: Tyler Wilson threw three scoreless innings in the Orioles’ 4-2 loss to the Red Sox, their first defeat in eight games.

Wilson allowed two hits and struck out two. He threw 39 pitches.

Hyun Soo Kim walked twice in four plate appearances. He didn’t have a putout in left field.

Machado had three more hits, including two doubles.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2016/04/ubaldo-jimenez-struggles-as-os-suffer- first-loss-of-2016.html

Ubaldo Jimenez struggles as O’s suffer first loss of 2016

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com April 13, 2016

On a night when both starting pitchers struggled, the game was played at times at a laborious pace. The Orioles made a couple of outs on the bases. It was just not a crisp night for Baltimore. But it was a long one, as the Orioles lost for the first time this season.

Right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez gave up four runs and six hits over five innings as Boston beat the Orioles 4-2 at Fenway Park. Jimenez walked four and fanned five, throwing 104 pitches. He is 1- 1 with an ERA of 3.75

The Orioles’ 12-game winning streak dating to September is over and they are 7-1. Boston improved to 4-4. It took about 1 hour, 45 minutes to play the first four innings as each pitcher needed 90 pitches to get the first 12 outs.

Each team scored twice in the third inning. For the Orioles, Manny Machado, who had three more hits, doubled to left. He scored when Chris Davis hit a two-run homer over the Green Monster for a 2-0 lead. Davis hit No. 4 on a 3-0 pitch. He put an inside-out kind of swing on a 95 mph fastball from Joe Kelly to hit it out.

It was the Orioles’ 14th homer of the year - the first seven were solo shots and the last seven have all come with at least one man on base.

Boston tied it 2-2 on Xander Bogaerts’ two-run double down the third-base line that scored Mookie Betts and Dustin Pedroia, who had led off the third with singles. Boston went ahead 4-2 an inning later. Jackie Bradley Jr. tripled home a run and scored on a groundout by Betts. Betts went 7-for-14 in this series. He entered it batting .130.

Machado went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and is batting .441. After going 2-for-9 the first two games, he is 13-for-25 the last six games with three doubles and three home runs.

But Jimenez had an ineffective outing and O’s starters have pitched more than five innings just once this year. In the first four games, O’s starters pitched to an ERA of 1.42. In the last four games, that number is 6.86, with 15 earned runs allowed over 19 2/3 innings.

The Orioles also made a few baserunning mistakes tonight. J.J. Hardy doubled leading off the second but was thrown out trying for a triple. In the sixth, Machado doubled but was thrown out for the last out of the inning trying to steal third with Davis at bat.

Kelly allowed two runs over five innings to get the win and five Boston relievers kept the Orioles off the board the rest of the night. Closer Craig Kimbrel struck out the side in the ninth, getting the O’s top of the order on 14 pitches to end it.

After scoring 18 runs in the first two games of this series, the Orioles were held to two tonight. They left nine runners on base over the first five innings and went 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position for the game.

Now it is on to Texas for Thursday’s start of a four-game series. Chris Tillman (1-0, 1.29 ERA) pitches against left-hander Cole Hamels (2-0, 2.08 ERA).

http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=360413102

Orioles finally lose after 7 straight wins, fall to Red Sox

Associated Press / ESPN.com April 14, 2016

BOSTON -- The Baltimore Orioles were overdue for a game like this.

The Orioles wasted too many early chances and finally lost after opening the season with a team- record seven straight wins, beaten by the bats of Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and the Boston Red Sox 4-2 Wednesday night.

"Some of the things that allowed us to get to 7-0 didn't work out for us tonight," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "You have to tip your hat. They've got a long chain from the sixth inning on that they were able to do the job out of a very pitcher-friendly night."

On a chilly night with game time temperatures in the mid-40s, Baltimore left nine runners on in the first five innings, falling behind before Boston's bullpen shut it down the rest of the way.

The Orioles were the last undefeated team in the majors, ending their longest winning streak to start a season since moving to Baltimore in 1954. The franchise opened 9-0 in 1944 as the St. Louis Browns.

The Red Sox snapped a three-game losing streak. Bogaerts hit a two-run double and Bradley had a tiebreaking triple.

Chris Davis hit a two-run homer for the Orioles, who had just two hits and were held scoreless after the fifth.

"Yeah, it was a tough game," Davis said. "I think if you'd have told us when the season started we'd get off to the start we did, I think we'd have been happy with it. But it's always tough to drop the last game of a series."

Joe Kelly (1-0) labored through five innings, giving up two runs on seven hits with five walks and six strikeouts. Craig Kimbrel, the fifth Boston reliever, struck out all three batters he faced for his second save. He took the loss in the first game of the series, giving up a three-run homer to Davis.

"Obviously it wasn't the best," Kelly said. "I went out there and battled and grinded against a team that's been really, really hot."

Ubaldo Jimenez (1-1) gave up four runs on six hits and four walks in five innings.

The Red Sox gave up nine runs to Baltimore in each of the first two games of the series. They took the lead for good in this one in the fourth when Bradley hit an RBI triple off the base of the right-field fence and scored on Mookie Betts' groundout that ricocheted off Jimenez's glove over to second baseman Jonathan Schoop.

Trailing 2-0 in the third, Boston tied it on Bogaerts' two-run double that got past diving third baseman Manny Machado and went into the left-field corner.

Davis hit his fourth homer, sending a drive into the first row of Green Monster seats in the third.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Orioles: CF Adam Jones didn't start for the sixth straight game because of ribcage soreness. Showalter said he hopes to get him in the lineup Thursday.

Red Sox: Benched 3B Pablo Sandoval was placed on the 15-day DL with a strained left shoulder. LHP Eduardo Rodriguez, on the DL since early April with an injured right knee, threw 50 pitches at the club's spring training complex in Fort Myers, Florida. "He got through it very good," Manager John Farrell said. RHP Carson Smith, on the DL with a strained flexor muscle, also threw in Fort Myers.

SHIPPIN' OUT OF BOSTON

After the game, the Red Sox optioned OF Rusney Castillo to Triple-A Pawtucket.

"We need to get him out to get him going, get him some at-bats to get him playing every day," Farrell said.

Castillo had just four at-bats so far, getting two hits.

WEIRD INNING

Bogaerts reached after hitting into a 5-4-6 double play in the first, then stole two bases. The Red Sox had three steals in the inning but didn't score.

UP NEXT

Orioles: RHP Chris Tillman (1-0, 1.29 ERA) is set to face LHP Cole Hamels (2-0, 2.08) when Baltimore opens a four-game series at Texas on Thursday.

Red Sox: After an off day Thursday, Rick Porcello (1-0, 6.00) is scheduled to face the Blue Jays and RHP R.A. Dickey (1-1, 8.10) in the opener of a four-game series in Fenway Park. Porcello got the win in Toronto on Saturday, giving up four runs in six innings.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/blog/orioles-talk/orioles-perfect-start-comes-imperfect-end

Orioles' perfect start comes to an imperfect end

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic April 13, 2016

BOSTON – His team’s seven-game season-opening winning streak over, Buck Showalter didn’t flinch when it was pointed out he knew his team couldn’t win every game.

“Why not?” Showalter asked quietly.

After a spring training when they were ridiculed for failing to win any of their first 12 games, the Orioles entered this season as the favorite to finish last in the American League East.

Showalter, who has seemed extraordinarily confident in the season’s early days, has enjoyed the Orioles best start in franchise history.

But, it’s over now.

After the Orioles lost to the Boston Red Sox 4-2 before 31,011 frozen fans at Fenway Park on Wednesday night, Showalter reflected on what his team had accomplished.

“I’m proud we won the series. We won two out of three in the American League East on the road against a team we all know is going to be pretty good this year. We’re real proud of that. Now we move on,” Showalter said.

The Orioles (7-1) play a four-game series in Texas, a difficult assignment, and now they know for certain they’re not going to be able to overcome every bumpy start with scores of home runs.

Chris Davis’ two run home run was the only Orioles scoring, and in the last four innings, five Boston relievers allowed just two hits.

“It was a tough game. I think if you’d have told us when the season started we’d get off to the start we did, I think we’d have been happy with-it. But it’s always tough to drop the last game of a series. But I’m glad we got the series win and we hung in there and battled back tonight. It’s just sometimes you get beat,” Davis said.

Ubaldo Jimenez allowed four runs on six hits in five innings, walking four and obviously couldn’t get a tight grip on the ball.

Jimenez, who is the only one of the starters to pitch more than five innings in the season’s first eight games, was happy with how the team began its season.

“It was fun. You are always trying to start the right way. And that was a fun way to start the season. You are never thinking in spring training, oh you are going to win the first seven games of the season. You never know because it’s really tough. But it really got us in the right place, the right mood,” Jimenez said.

Davis’ two-run home run, his fourth in eight games, gave the Orioles a 2-0 lead in the fourth, but Jimenez (1-1) didn’t keep it.

The Orioles (7-1) had seven hits off Joe Kelly (1-0) in five innings, but left nine on base while he was in the game. During the winning streak, they didn’t have to worry about those runners left.

“I think the first few games it’s kind of been our M.O. We get guys on and we’ve been able to get that hit to drive them in. Unfortunately, we just couldn’t do that tonight,” Davis said.

Jimenez was grappling all night. Somehow, the Red Sox didn’t score in the first despite two walks, a single and three stolen bases.

“It was a crazy inning,” Jimenez said.

In the third, Xander Bogaerts’ two-run double tied the score, and Boston (4-4) scored two more in the fourth to take a 4-2 lead.

Jackie Bradley hit an RBI triple, and he scored on Mookie Betts’ infield out.

Showalter is hoping for longer starts.

“You bet your [butt],” Showalter said. “It’s not easy to do, pitch six, seven innings in the American League. I’m hoping when the weather warms up and guys start feeling the baseball a little bit more [it will improve], but we’re all playing with the same conditions, same rules for the most part.”

Kelly walked five, including Hyun Soo Kim twice.

In the sixth, Manny Machado, who had doubled with two outs, tried to steal third with Davis at bat, but was thrown out trying to steal, ending the inning.

“I tell the guys all the time, if you feel something, go for it,” Showalter said. “Some of the things that allowed us to get to 7-0 didn’t work out for us tonight. I want our guys to trust what they’re feeling.”

Craig Kimbrel struck out the side in the ninth for his second save.

“We had a lot of fun. I’m glad it’s over so I don’t have to answer questions about how long it’s going to last,” Caleb Joseph said.

“We started off well, even tonight’s game, we were one, two swings away at any point during that game to do some damage there.”

NOTES: Joey Rickard failed to get a hit for the first time in eight games. … Chris Tillman (1-0, 1.29) faces the Rangers’ Cole Hamels (2-0, 2.08) on Thursday night.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-morning-notes-the-end-of-the- streak-and-looking-at-tyler-wilson-s-impact-20160413-story.html

The end of the Orioles' streak and looking at Tyler Wilson's impact

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun April 14, 2016

The Orioles left Boston feeling sour following their 4-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park having just been handed their first loss of the season.

They won their first seven games of the season for their best start in club history, but eventually they were going to lose, whether it was in the series finale at Fenway on Wednesday, sometime during their upcoming four-game series in Texas or even after that.

“I think if you’d have told us when the season started that we’d get off to the start we did, I think we’d have been happy with it,” said first baseman Chris Davis, who drove in the Orioles’ only runs Wednesday with a two-run homer. “But it’s always tough to drop the last game of a series. But I’m glad we got the series win and we hung in there and battled back tonight. It’s just sometimes you get beat.”

Catcher Caleb Joseph looked at it a different way, knowing that pressure and questions would mount as their winning streak continued to grow – especially considering that the Orioles’ scorching start occurred after they were winless in their first 12 spring games.

“We had a lot of fun,” Joseph said. “I’m glad it’s over so I don’t have to answer questions about how long it’s going to last. It’s great. Anytime you get off to a good start, especially when everybody’s picking you last, and especially in my opinion after you get off to a rough start in spring training.

“… We believe in ourselves. It’s a tight band of brothers in there and to start off how we anticipated it, got guys ready. We started off well, even tonight’s game, we were one, two swings away at any point during that game to do some damage there.”

Wilson strong again

Give the game ball Wednesday night to right-hander Tyler Wilson, who tossed three scoreless innings to preserve the bullpen and keep the Orioles within striking distance.

“He has a delivery that doesn’t get out of whack,” Showalter said. “And he does a lot of work [in between outings].”

Wilson hadn’t pitched since he relieved starter Chris Tillman after the second of two Opening Day rain delays. Wilson allowed only a pair of singles Wednesday, retiring the last four batters he faced. Wilson also conserved his pitches, needing just 39 pitches (30 strikes) to get through three innings.

“He deserves a lot of credit,” Joseph said. “That’s a really, really tough job against a lot of big names over there, good offense. Tyler, he’s prepared, he’s going to be engaged at all times. He came out and pounded the strike zone, kept us within arm’s reach of the game.

"Anytime you can do that, look that’s one of the hardest jobs in baseball, to come out and be that kind of long-relief guy, who can really keep your team in the game. Kudos to him, he did a fantastic job. We like our chances deeper in the game. One, two swings there, we win the game.”

It’s interesting to see how Showalter has organized his bullpen early on. He basically had three long relievers – Wilson, Dylan Bundy and T.J. McFarland – and so far they’ve served as a sort of extension of the starting pitcher, especially since the Orioles starters have posted just one outing of more than five innings.

Showalter considers them all capable of starting, and Wilson will undoubtedly get the opportunity to start first. McFarland is valuable as the bullpen’s only lefty outside of closer Zach Britton, and Bundy is still building his innings count since he entered the season having pitched in only 17 minor league games over the past three years.

So if the Orioles need a starter, Wilson is likely the first pitcher they turn to. His performance so far in long relief – he has allowed just four hits over six scoreless innings – can only help his chances.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-red-sox-0414-20160413-story.html

Orioles need better results from rotation after undefeated run ends

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun April 13, 2016

The Orioles' hot start is no doubt surprising, but even more incredible is the fact that they were able to win their first seven games of the season despite some short starts from their rotation.

The offense has been able to compensate, especially in a three-game series at Fenway Park in which the Orioles scored nine runs each of the first two nights.

But the offense won't always be there -- it has played out this way before -- and that the Orioles can't depend on swatting multiple homers every night, so they will have to get better results from their starters.

They won their first seven games by putting up runs. They averaged 5.7 runs per game over that span and scored fewer than four runs just once before Wednesday night. The Orioles have 14 homers through eight games.

At the start of the season, it's expected to see some abbreviated starts. Pitchers still are on pitch limits as they're continuing to be stretched out. In some cases, their starts were shortened because of long lapses between outings.

But through their first eight games, the Orioles have received a start of more than five innings just once. The rotation has a combined 4.19 ERA, which is still far better than last year's 4.53 starters' ERA. The starters have shown the uncharacteristic ability to pile up strikeouts, averaging 9.3 per nine innings.

But five innings per night simply won't do, not if the Orioles are going to be contenders.

“You bet your [butt],” manager Buck Showalter said when asked if he's going to need to get more innings from his starters. “It's not easy to do, pitch six, seven innings in the American League. I'm hoping when the weather warms up and guys start feeling the baseball a little bit more, [it will improve]. But we're all playing with the same conditions, same rules for the most part.”

Right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez is the only Orioles starter to have gone beyond that five-inning mark — his seven-inning outing last Thursday is the team's longest of the season. But he battled just to get through five innings Wednesday in the team's first loss of their short season, 4-2 to the Boston Red Sox.

“Yeah, of course we need to start [getting deeper],” Jimenez said. “But at the beginning of the season it's really hard to say how deep you want to get into games. You are always trying to work to get better for the team. I mean, we won the first seven games, but our offense was unbelievable. It's not going to happen like that every single night. So, we need to step up and do our job.”

Jimenez needed 28 pitches to get through the first inning. And his escaping the first without allowing a run — after walking two, and allowing one hit and three stolen bases — was a minor miracle. He was the beneficiary of an unconventional 5-4-6 double play that erased two lead runners. After needing that many pitches to get through one inning, Jimenez was heading for a short start.

Showalter said Jimenez struggled to get a feel for his pitches in the Boston cold, and that he didn't get a grip on his breaking ball until his final inning. And that might have helped explain the biggest difference between Jimenez's first outing of the season and Wednesday's: his control. Jimenez had nine strikeouts and issued no walks in his 2016 debut, a 4-2 win over the Minnesota Twins.

Jimenez walked four batters Wednesday, including a leadoff walk to Brock Holt in the fourth that eventually became the winning run when Jackie Bradley Jr. broke a 2-2 tie with a one-out triple. Bradley scored when the next batter, Mookie Betts, grounded out.

“It did hurt me a lot,” Jimenez said. “I tried to throw the split, but it just bounced five feet away out of my hand. I didn't feel it.”

Holt's at-bat was a microcosm of Jimenez's night. He threw a first-pitch splitter out of the zone, then fell behind 3-0 before walking Holt on a full-count pitch.

“I'm sure he'd like to take back some of the walks, but it was a challenge,” Showalter said. “He's been throwing a lot of strikes for us this year, so I think the weather had a lot to do with it tonight, I hope."

Counting Wednesday's game, the Orioles bullpen is averaging more than four innings per game. That can work with the Orioles' opening-week schedule that was full of weather delays and a postponement, which has allowed Showalter to keep his bullpen arms fresh, but it won't last long.

The Orioles travel to Texas for a four-game series against the Rangers with 17 games over the next 18 days. They already had two days off while playing their first eight games, thanks in part to Saturday's postponement.

The Orioles gave themselves the benefit of having three relief arms who can give them length — right-handers Dylan Bundy and Tyler Wilson, and left-hander T.J. McFarland – which is a rarity.

Bundy worked 2 1/3 innings Tuesday night and Wilson worked three scoreless innings in relief of Jimenez on Wednesday to preserve the 'pen.

“Pitching multiple innings out of the bullpen in the American League is really hard to do,” Showalter said. “Most of those guys are called starters and that's what we think Dylan and Tyler can do.

"But we knew we were going to need Tyler here long potentially tonight and it really put us back on our feet tonight going into Texas. And he'll tell me tomorrow that he's ready to go. But as long as we're able to get some multiple innings, we haven't had to overtax anybody yet because we've got seven guys pitching well.”

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-eyeing-thursday-for-adam-jones- return-20160413-story.html

Orioles eyeing Thursday for Adam Jones' return

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun April 13, 2016

Orioles manager Buck Showalter said he hopes to have center fielder Adam Jones -- who hasn’t started since the second game of the season -- back in his starting lineup for Thursday’s series opener in Texas.

Jones took a major step forward in his recovery from a rib cage strain before Wednesday’s series finale at Fenway Park, taking live batting practice on the field in early work.

He was still out of the starting lineup Wednesday and rookie Joey Rickard made his sixth straight start in center field.

Jones said earlier this week that he wanted to get to the point that he could try to simulate game swings in batting practice without feeling discomfort. Jones said throwing and running were never an issue, that he only felt pain when he swung.

Showalter has been open in saying that weather has played a factor in continuing to hold Jones out of the starting lineup. It has been a chilly week in Boston, and Jones was limited to being a late-inning defensive substitution Monday and Tuesday. He hasn’t had a plate appearance since April 6.

So attempting to bring Jones back in Texas, where it’s expected to be 71 degrees, makes sense.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-notebook-0414-20160413-story.html

Orioles notebook: Even with limited game action, Dylan Bundy getting his work in

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun April 13, 2016

Over the first seven games of the season, Orioles right-hander Dylan Bundy has received plenty of work, although most of that work has been warming up in the bullpen and not pitching in games.

Since pitching one scoreless inning April 7, Bundy warmed up eight times in the Orioles bullpen before he made his next appearance in Tuesday's 9-5 win at Fenway Park, where he had a career- long 2 1/3-inning relief outing and was credited with a hold. Before Bundy made his first appearance of the season last week, he got up three times over the first three games of the season before getting the call.

That's unlike Orioles manager Buck Showalter, who doesn't often get his pitchers up unless he really thinks they're going to get in the game. And he rarely gets a reliever up more than once in one game.

But to Bundy — who entered this season limited to 17 minor league games over the past three seasons because of injuries, including Tommy John elbow reconstruction in 2013 — it has allowed him to get some valuable work as he continues to adjust to regular relief work for the first time in his pro career.

"They've had me up a little bit, but that's fine," Bundy said. "I like to throw a lot anyway to warm up for a game. I'm getting a lot of bullpen work in.

"I've never done this at this level, so I've never gotten up two or three times before going in a game, so it's a little different. But I look at it as bullpen work, so after I'm hot the first time, I'm more trying to locate my pitches the second and third times. The first time, you don't care where the ball is. You're just loosening your arm up. And then maybe after eight pitches out there, you start working on hitting your spots. So if I'm up two or three times in a game, I start working on my location and I count that as my bullpen work for the day if I don't get into the game."

On Tuesday, Bundy entered the game in the sixth and retired six of the first seven batters he faced before allowing one run in his third inning on back-to-back hits in the eighth.

"I'm not used to throwing that many innings," Bundy said. "I was trying to go three and I got my pitch count up there in the eighth. I wasn't able to go three. I wish I had been able to do that to help out the 'pen. That was the only negative about the outing. I felt like I did decent. Fastball command got away from me a little bit in that third inning."

Showalter has been impressed with Bundy's transition to the bullpen, which included the team testing him in a variety of relief roles during spring training.

"Keeping the ball in his hands, staying in his delivery," Showalter said. "I've been really impressed with how he has come in and been in his delivery and not searching for a strike for a long time. I said it before, one of the byproducts of him being hurt for a while is him developing a good changeup. He had a changeup, but he didn't have to use it much. His changeup has been a big pitch for him. His times to the plate have been good. I've been really happy with Dylan so far."

Because Bundy has pitched so few innings over the past three years, and because he's out of minor league options, the Orioles have to carry him as a reliever, but Showalter has said that he could be a consideration to start in the second half of the season.

Worley to start Friday: The Orioles will keep their starting rotation in order as right- hander Vance Worley will make his next scheduled start Friday in Texas.

Before Wednesday's game, Showalter said he'd like to begin getting his starting pitchers in as much of a routine as possible. That was difficult in the first week of the season because the rotation was shuffled because of several weather delays.

"I've got a pretty good idea of where we're going, but I want to get our guys on a little bit of a routine, our starters, and let them start pitching every fifth day," Showalter said. "The weather and the off days haven't been very cooperative, but I'd really like to get everybody on a schedule as soon as we can."

Worley allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits over 4 2/3 innings in the Orioles' 5-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. He was limited to 79 pitches because he hadn't been stretched out in spring training and threw just two innings in his final spring start because of a rain delay.

Wilson waiting for a call: Rookie right-hander Tyler Wilson entered Wednesday having not pitched since tossing three scoreless innings on Opening Day, but is making the most of being in the Orioles bullpen.

"I am definitely learning every day I'm up here," Wilson said. "Not being in the game gives me a chance to sit there and talk pitching with guys like [closer] Zach [Britton] and [setup man] Darren [O'Day] at the end of the game, and that's really invaluable. That type of mental experience and putting myself in situations when I'm not out there, it's been a learning process. And I'm trying to get better every single day in some capacity, whether it's out there on the mound getting game reps or in the bullpen, watching and see how plays develop."

Even though he hasn't pitched in more than a week, Wilson has thrown bullpen sessions in order to get work in and stay ready.

"Anytime you're in the bullpen, and you go two days without pitching, the third day you get a light something before the game, so I've actually had a couple, and I feel great," Wilson said. "No matter how long it goes between outings or wherever I am, it's my job to be ready when that bell does ring.

"Whatever capacity, it looks like it's going to be different here. I haven't pitched in eight days, so I still have to be ready when the ball rings rather than called up for a spot start or something like that. It doesn't change my approach. I go about my business every day. I'm going to be ready every time the bell rings if my name is called."

Around the horn: Showalter said he didn't know when pitching prospect Hunter Harvey would join an affiliate, but it might not be for another two weeks. Showalter said the most recent medical report on Harvey said the right-hander is "ready to go, completely able." … Outfielder/designated hitter Jimmy Paredes took batting practice again and could be nearing a rehabilitation assignment.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-5-stats-that-stand-out-through-the-orioles- league-leading-7-0-start-20160413-story.html

5 stats that stand out through the Orioles' league-leading 7-0 start

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun April 13, 2016

A relentless lineup and lockdown bullpen are most responsible for the Orioles' 7-0 start. That bullpen, and the team's short stints for starting pitchers, is the primary focus of our five Orioles stats that stand out this week.

Each week, we'll go through five stats that matter. Click through the photos above to learn about these numbers.

Playoff odds stemming from a seven-game winning streak

47.7 – Five teams started 7-0 and went on to win the World Series. But that’s aiming too high for me, so let’s try this one on. In 2014, as the Kansas City Royals ripped off a 10-game winning streak, the folks at FiveThirtyEight created a chart that shows how often a team with a certain win streak make the playoffs. There are probably a few more data points to consider since then, but they had 47.7 percent of teams (120 of 277 teams) making the playoffs after a seven-game winning streak. Considering the Orioles entered the season with a roughly 12-percent chance of making the playoffs at all, I bet anyone would take that. For what it’s worth, those 11.8 percent playoff odds at Fangraphs are now 32.3. Progress.

Mounting innings for the bullpen

29 1/3 – The Orioles have been stellar in relief, but they’ve used their bullpen more than almost any other team in baseball this season with 29 1/3 innings from the relief corps. That number is slightly inflated thanks to the seven innings of rain-delay required relief on Opening Day, but the ensuing six games haven’t provided the pen much rest. Only the Pittsburgh Pirates and Oakland Athletics have more relief innings (albeit in one more game), and on a per-game basis, the Miami Marlins have needed slightly more relief than the Orioles. The Orioles have plenty of bullpen depth, but asking for nearly 13 outs per game from your bullpen is asking too much.

Yovani Gallardo's fading fastball velocity

88.2 – Right-hander Yovani Gallardo ended last season with slightly diminished velocity, but the drop has been precipitous this year. His average fastball through two starts is 88.2 mph. That’s the slowest of his career by far, down from 92 mph in 2014 and 91 by the end of 2015. The first two starts have shown what happens when a pitcher carries that low of velocity. He got through it in his debut, working the corners and issuing three walks but allowing just one run. He caught too much of the plate Monday in Boston and allowed five runs.

Locking it down with runners in scoring position

.140 – One of the keys to the Orioles’ success so far has been stranding opponents in scoring position. Through seven games, the pitching staff is allowing a .140 batting average with runners in scoring position, second-best in the league behind the Cincinnati Reds (.129). The starters have contributed to this, limiting damage through most of their starts. The only reliever to allow a hit with a man on second or third is right-hander Mychal Givens. The Orioles will need to keep stranding these runners, given the staff’s low strikeout tendency and the fact that they probably won’t have a 1.16 WHIP all season.

Jonathan Schoop hitting for power early

1 – Jonathan Schoop has six hits through seven games this season, and only one of them is a single. Four doubles and a home run complete his hitting account this season, and show the type of power he’s capable of. Schoop is batting .261, but he’s been deprived of several hits on hard- hit balls right at defenders. It will be interesting to see if some of these turn into hits, and just where his line ends up this season. Count me as someone who thinks he’ll have a great year.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-mike-wright-s-escape-act-shows-his- growth-since-last-season-20160412-story.html

Orioles starter Mike Wright's escape act shows his growth since last season

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun April 13, 2016

Orioles right-hander Mike Wright’s battled to get through five innings Tuesday night in his first start of the season. But the way Wright emerged from a bases-loaded jam in the fourth inning of the Orioles’ 9-5 victory over the Boston Red Sox showed how far the 26-year-old right-hander has come.

Wright retired the first two batters of the inning before he began to unravel. He allowed a single to Hanley Ramirez, then his Travis Shaw on the leg with an wild 0-2 slider. He then loaded the bases by hitting Brock Holt with another wild slider, this one on a 2-1 count.

Last year, Wright probably wouldn’t have gotten out of that jam. He struggled with runners on base. Opposing batters hit .338 against Wright with runners on base last season, and he issued a walk once every six plate appearances when runners were on.

With the bases loaded and two outs in the fourth, a hit could have broken the game open. But Wright found a way to slow the game down and get results. He worked ahead of catcher Blake Swihart 0-2 before inducing an inning-ending groundout to second on the sixth pitch of the at- bat.

“Last year I might have got out of some of them and it might have been a little bit of luck, but this year I felt like I was a little bit calmer,” Wright said. “I tried to execute pitches just like I had been doing. I didn't let the situation – especially that bases-loaded situation – [get me]. I had to take a step back because I’m like, 'Man, this situation’s tough. I got two outs and they load the bases.’ But it’s still only one pitch away. So yeah I think I was a little bit better this year than any time I would have been last year.”

Showalter also took notice of Wright’s escape act.

“[He] didn't let it get away from him,” Showalter said. “It was a pretty good start for him considering he hasn't pitched for a while. Tried to get him to 90 pitches, didn't know if the Red Sox would allow us. I was proud of Mike. [He] kept it under control emotionally, seemed to stay engaged in the moment and didn't let anything snowball and our guys got us back in the ballgame.” http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck-blog/bal-if-you-love-this-orioles-team-hug-a- mariner-20160413-story.html

If you love this Orioles team, hug a Mariner

By Peter Schmuck / The Baltimore Sun April 13, 2016

While you marvel at the prodigious home runs and the .464 batting average outfielder Mark Trumbo has produced over his first seven games with the Orioles, keep in mind the Orioles probably would not be where they have been the past four-plus years without a big assist from the Seattle Mariners.

The deal that brought Trumbo and pitcher C.J. Riefenhauser to the Orioles for Steve Clevenger over the winter might look like the steal of the century right now, but it isn't in the same league as the one that brought Adam Jones, Chris Tillman, George Sherrill and two other players to Baltimore for starting pitcher Erik Bedard in 2008.

Andy MacPhail pulled off a pair of deals to shed Bedard and Miguel Tejada in exchange for a total of 10 players to repopulate the Orioles' roster and minor league system. The Bedard deal turned out to be the one that truly helped the O's turn the corner, as Jones quickly emerged as a premier center fielder and both Tillman and Sherrill (31 saves in 2008) made All-Star teams.

Trumbo (making north of $9 million this season) apparently was a salary dump for the M's, who dealt him for catching depth. Clevenger, who was popular here because he grew up in Baltimore, would not have made the O's roster this year and has played just two games for the Mariners so far.

Of course, Trumbo has opened the season on a tremendous roll. He singled in nine of his first 18 at-bats to provide some much-needed on-base production. Then, to make sure nobody forgot just how big a dent he can put in a baseball, he mashed a ball off of $217 million pitcher David Price on Monday that turned around the Red Sox home opener, then hit a prodigious homer on Tuesday night to erase another Boston lead.

It took a while for Jones and Co. to turn things around in Baltimore, but the Orioles have won more games than any other American League team over the past four-plus years. The Mariners, meanwhile, haven't fared nearly so well, managing only two winning records since that first deal prior to the 2008 season.

They could probably use a little more punch this year. They're 2-6 and in last place in the American League West.

But at least they have our undying gratitude.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/172239728/orioles-pitcher-tyler-wilson-back-from-layoff

Wilson emerges from layoff to save O's 'pen

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com April 14, 2016

BOSTON -- Orioles right-handed reliever Tyler Wilson, who hadn't pitched since April 4, made his long-awaited return to the hill on Wednesday night, working three scoreless innings in Baltimore's 4-2 loss to the Red Sox.

Wilson followed starter Ubaldo Jimenez's five innings and handled the long layoff well, running his season total of scoreless innings to six.

"He deserves a lot of credit," O's catcher Caleb Joseph said. "That's a really, really tough job against a lot of big names over there, a good offense. Tyler, he's prepared. He's going to be engaged at all times. He came out and pounded the strike zone, kept us within arm's reach of the game. Any time you can do that, look, that's one of the hardest jobs in baseball, to come out and be that kind of long-relief guy who can really keep your team in the game. Kudos to him. He did a fantastic job."

Wilson allowed two hits and struck out two in the 39 pitch-outing, throwing 30 strikes. The righty, who made the Orioles out of Spring Training, is primarily a starter but has been in the bullpen for the first week of the season. He's an option for spot starts, though Vance Worley, slated to start on Friday in Arlington, seems to have taken the fifth-starter spot.

"Someone's always going to be in that [relief spot] … but he's a good guy in that situation because he stays ready," manager Buck Showalter said of Wilson before the game. "He's very athletic. He's got a good delivery that doesn't take a lot of honing, so to speak." Wilson, who followed Chris Tillman's outing on Opening Day, said the toughest part of relieving is making sure he's physically ready to pitch every day. As for the mental side of things, Wilson is doing his best to learn about that every day he's in the Major Leagues -- regardless of his role.

"Not being in the game gives me a chance to sit there and talk pitching with guys like Zach [Britton] and Darren [O'Day] at the end of the game," Wilson said. "That's really invaluable, that type of mental experience and putting myself in situations when I'm not out there. It's been a learning process, and I'm trying to get better every single day in some capacity, whether it's out there on the mound getting game reps or in the bullpen, watching and seeing how plays develop."

Worth noting

• Center fielder Adam Jones (ribcage) took batting practice on the field prior to Wednesday's game, and Showalter said he hopes to start Jones on Thursday in Texas.

Hyun Soo Kim got his second start this season on Wednesday, playing left field and going 0-for- 2 with two walks and a strikeout.

• The Orioles announced on Wednesday that a special Mother's Day Catch on the Field will take place on Sunday, May 8, prior to the 1:35 p.m. ET game against the Athletics. Father's Day Catch on the Field will be held on Sunday, June 19, prior to the 1:35 p.m. game against the Blue Jays.

Beginning Friday at 11 a.m., fans may purchase one of two ticket packages that include a pair of tickets for the Mother's Day game and a 25-minute pregame session of catch on the field at Oriole Park. Father's Day packages will go on sale on Tuesday, May 10, at 11 a.m. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Baltimore Orioles Charitable Foundation.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/172239728/orioles-pitcher-tyler-wilson-back-from-layoff

Tillman can help O's start new run in Arlington

By T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com April 13, 2016

The Orioles started this season as the hottest team in baseball, winning their first seven games before the Red Sox guided them to the loss column with a 4-2 decision on Wednesday night. Rangers pitcher Cole Hamels, meanwhile, is riding the longest winning streak of his career.

Something will have to give in Arlington when Hamels pitches for the Rangers against right- hander Chris Tillman and the Orioles on Thursday night at 7:05 CT in the opener of a four-game series.

The Rangers haven't lost a game with Hamels on the mound since Aug. 7. He is 9-0 with a 3.04 ERA in his last 12 starts. He has also been getting 6.61 runs of support per nine innings, and he has surrendered just one unearned run.

"I just think we've had a good combination of offense and defense and sticking to the plan of attack," Hamels said. "It comes down to executing pitches and getting into a routine. I strive for consistency. If I execute the game plan, execute pitches and have great defense, I know the offense is going to score runs. It's a good feeling. It's a team effort clicking on all cylinders."

The Orioles, in winning their first seven games, got off to the franchise's best start since the 1944 St. Louis Browns went 9-0. That team went to the World Series for the only time while it was the Browns.

Tillman will be making his third start of the season. He pitched two scoreless innings against the Twins on Opening Day before rain delays ended his afternoon. He allowed one run over five innings in a 6-1 victory over the Rays in his most recent start.

Worth noting

• So far, Rangers pitchers have had success against Chris Davis since the former Ranger was traded to Baltimore. In 26 games (95 at-bats) against Texas, Davis is hitting .189 with four home runs, 10 RBIs, a .337 slugging percentage and 41 strikeouts.

• Mark Trumbo and J.J. Hardy are the only Orioles with more than 10 career at-bats against Hamels. Trumbo is 4-for-12 against him, while Hardy is 4-for-15, and each has a home run. Trumbo's 14 career home runs against the Rangers are his most against any club.

• The Rangers won six of seven from the Orioles last season, including the last four. They won all three in Arlington. The Orioles took six of seven from the Rangers in 2014.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/04/this-that-and-the-other-114.html

This, that and the other

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com April 14, 2016

BOSTON - The Orioles are returning to the scene of their meltdown.

It actually was the continuation of one. They were swept in a three-game series in Arlington in August after the Twins won all four games at Camden Yards and the Royals took three of four at Kauffman Stadium.

It didn’t get any better after the Orioles left Texas. They dropped two of three to the Rays at Camden Yards and two of three to the Blue Jays in Toronto.

The Orioles were six games under .500 on Sept. 6. They wouldn’t return to the playoffs.

The Rangers took six of seven games against the Orioles last season, their first series win since 2012. They hit 13 home runs and outscored the Orioles 34-15.

Chris Tillman has allowed one run and four hits in his two starts this season, with two walks and 10 strikeouts over seven innings. It’s time to turn him loose. The weather cut off his first outing after two innings and he was working on short rest in his next one.

Tillman is 3-1 with a 4.67 ERA and 1.413 WHIP in six career starts against the Rangers and 3-0 with a 3.91 ERA and 1.217 WHIP in four starts in Arlington.

The current Rangers are batting .333 (18-for-54) against Tillman. Adrian Beltre is 6-for-12 with two doubles and a home run, Elvis Andrus is 5-for-13 with a double and Ian Desmond is 4-for- 13 with a double.

The Orioles will see three left-handers in this series, beginning tonight with Cole Hamels, who’s 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA in two starts this season.

Hamels is 1-2 with a 4.29 ERA and 1.286 WHIP in three career starts against the Orioles. Mark Trumbo is 4-for-12 with a home run and J.J. Hardy is 4-for-15 with two doubles and a home run.

The current Orioles are batting .206 (13-for-63) against Hamels.

* Tyler Wilson tossed three scoreless innings in relief of starter Ubaldo Jimenez to go with his three scoreless on opening day. He threw 29 pitches in two innings last night, one more than Jimenez threw in the first.

It’s going to be real interesting to find out how the Orioles make room for Kevin Gausman’s return from the disabled list and whether Wilson is impacted by it.

Wilson clearly belongs in the majors, but so do other guys who end up riding the shuttle. Is he better served pitching every five days at Triple-A Norfolk than sitting in the Orioles’ bullpen? Or should he remain as a long reliever and spot starter?

Vance Worley is starting Friday night in Arlington while Gausman is starting at Single-A Frederick. Gausman could take Worley’s next turn.

Worley is out of options, so he’d have to move into the bullpen if the Orioles want to hold onto him. And I’m back to wondering how Wilson might be impacted.

* I knew that manager Buck Showalter would rave about the Orioles’ 5-4-6 double play in the bottom of the first inning. Not necessarily because Manny Machado couldn’t apply the tag on Mookie Betts, but how Hardy backed up at third base.

Betts hit the dirt as Machado tried for the out. Machado threw to second to get Dustin Pedroia, and Jonathan Schoop fired to third to complete a most unusual double play.

No one should be surprised that Hardy was in the right place. It’s what he does.

“I don’t know how many shortstops would have been covering third there on that play, and that’s one of the things analytic people miss,” Showalter said. “I mean, you can’t teach that. That’s anticipation of the game.

“I can’t tell you how unusual that is, to have a shortstop be able to anticipate that play and get to third base, a play you’ll never see again.”

* Hyun Soo Kim drew a seven-pitch walk to load the bases with two outs in the second inning. He took a few close pitches, exhibiting the batting eye that made him so intriguing to the Orioles.

Kim also walked on five pitches in the fourth inning. Two infield hits and two walks in two major league games. Maybe he really will become an on-base machine.

The Rays used the infield shift against Kim, but the Red Sox only shaded shortstop Xander Bogaerts a little more toward second. Nothing drastic.

* They don’t award Gold Gloves a few weeks into the season, but if they did, Chris Davis would take home the hardware at first base.

This guy has been outstanding in every game. Making clean stops on scorching ground balls to his left and right, digging out throws, stretching like Gumby. Sometimes he’s digging and stretching at the same time.

That’s a typical morning for me, but Davis is doing it in games.

He made a backhanded play on Jackie Bradley Jr.’s sharp ground ball last night and stepped on the bag to end the second and strand Ryan Hanigan. It’s become the norm.

* I’m on a 6:45 a.m. flight to Dallas, followed by the rental car pickup and drive to Arlington.

I can’t think of that place without picturing Brooks Robinson eating nachos in the television booth. Chuck Thompson always got a kick out of it.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/04/wrapping-up-a-4-2-loss.html

Wrapping up a 4-2 loss

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com April 13, 2016

BOSTON - The Orioles won’t go 162-0.

The season-opening winning streak ended at seven games tonight with a 4-2 loss to the Red Sox at frigid Fenway Park.

The Orioles actually won 12 in a row dating to last September. They set a franchise record by hitting 14 home runs in their first eight games, the previous mark being 13 in 1966, 2012 and 2015.

They’ve also collected at least eight hits in their first eight games for the first time in franchise history.

Manny Machado became only the sixth player in Orioles history to score at least once in as many as seven of the club’s first eight games, joining Frank Robinson (1966 and 1969), Cal Ripken Jr. (1991), Will Clark (1999, 2000), Nick Markakis (2009) and Adam Jones (2013).

Rule 5 pick Joey Rickard walked in five plate appearances, his first hitless game in the majors. He’s one of three players in franchise history to start his career by reaching base via a hit, walk or hit by pitch in the first eight games. The last was Howie Clark in July 2002.

Ubaldo Jimenez lasted only five innings and threw 104 pitches. He’s still the only starter to work more than five innings this season.

Jimenez threw 28 pitches in the first inning, only 13 for strikes. He allowed a hit and walked two batters. The Red Sox stole three basses. But somehow, he didn’t give up a run.

Tyler Wilson was sensational in relief with three more scoreless innings and only 39 pitches thrown, including 30 strikes.

J.J. Hardy was thrown out trying to stretch a double into a triple leading off the second, and Machado was thrown out trying to steal third base to end the sixth with Chris Davis representing the potential tying run. Davis hit a two-run homer in the third.

Manager Buck Showalter on Jimenez: “I think both pitchers, you could tell how cold (it was). You just have no feel for the baseball. I was talking to Ubaldo. He said he just got a feel for his breaking ball in the last inning or so. It was about the first time the hands thaw out. It’s tough. You kind of chuckle about the temperature they had out there. It’s another thing that might not be accurate here.

“He kept us engaged in the game and he knew that runs weren’t going to be a whole lot. He gave up a ground ball that trickled down the third base line. You can’t fault him for that. I’m sure he’d like to take back some of the walks, but it was a challenge. He’s been throwing a lot of strikes for us this year, so I think the weather had a lot to do with it tonight, I hope.”

Showalter on the starters’ short outings: “It’s been more than that because we’ve got seven guys back there pitching pretty well and we can pass it around. We’re pretty fresh in our ‘pen and when you get jobs done like Dylan (Bundy) did last night and how Tyler did tonight ... “Pitching multiple innings out of the bullpen in the American League is really hard to do. Most of those guys are called starters and that’s what we think Dylan and Tyler can do. But we knew we were going to need Tyler here long potentially tonight and it really put us back on our feet tonight going into Texas. And he’ll tell me tomorrow that he’s ready to go. But as long as we’re able to get some multiple innings, we haven’t had to overtax anybody yet because we’ve got seven guys pitching well.”

Showalter on starters needing to go deeper: “Yes. I was trying to work around it, but you bet your (butt). It’s not easy to do, pitch six, seven innings in the American League. I’m hoping when the weather warms up and guys start feeling the baseball a little bit more (it will improve), but we’re all playing with the same conditions, same rules for the most part.”

Showalter on the Orioles not taking advantage of having runners on base: “There’s going to be nights, I tell the guys all the time, if you feel something go for it. Whether it’s J.J. trying to stretch a double, whether it’s Manny in that situation, some of the things that allowed us to get to 7-0 didn’t work out for us tonight. I want our guys to trust what they’re feeling.”

Showalter on Machado getting thrown out at third: “He felt it and he went for it. It’s like a 30- foot jump shot. If he makes it ... If he takes away the breaking ball in the dirt and it bounces to the backstop, everybody’s patting him on the back

Jimenez on the cold weather: “At first I didn’t have the split or the slider because of that. I didn’t have any feel for it.”

Jimenez on the first inning: “It was a crazy inning, but I think once I got David Ortiz, with two outs and David Ortiz was up, I was more worried about getting him out than worrying about the runner. You don’t want to try to be quick to home plate and deliver a pitch right down the middle. He’s going to hit it a long way. I should’ve done a better job taking care of the runner.”

Jimenez on Xander Bogaerts’ two-run double in the third: “I executed a pitch. We went inside. It was a really good pitch. I just got a ground ball. I threw what I wanted to.”

Jimenez on how it hurt issuing a leadoff walk to Brock Holt in the fourth: “It did, it did hurt me a lot. I tried to throw the split but it just bounced five feet away out of my hand. I didn’t feel it.”

Jimenez on the fun stretch of winning seven in a row: “It was fun. You’re always trying to start the right way. And that was a fun way to start the season. You’re never thinking in spring training, oh you’re going to win the first seven games of the season. You never know because it’s really tough. But it really got us in the right place, the right mood.”

Jimenez on the rotation needing to pitch deeper in games: “Yeah, of course we need to start doing that. But at the beginning of the season it’s really hard to say how deep you want to get into games. You’re always trying to work to get better for the team. I mean, we won the first seven games, but our offense was unbelievable. It’s not going to happen like that every single night. So, we need to step up and do our job.”

Mark Trumbo on the streak ending: “We did the win the series, though, so I think the positives are going to outweigh the negatives. I don’t think anyone had the illusion we were going to go undefeated, but this was the type of game you can stomach. They executed a little better and we just need to keep going.”

Trumbo on being happy with the offense: “Yeah, I think real happy. I think obviously we’ve got some big hits and hit some home runs, but I see a nice approach out of everyone, too. I think we take a lot of walks, been patient and kind of put together a complete offensive output.”

Caleb Joseph on the elements affecting both starters: “I think they played a part. I don’t think if you ask Ubaldo he’s going to blame it on the weather by any means, or (Joe) Kelly on their side. But, yeah, you’ve got really cold conditions. The balls are really slick. Even when they rub them up, they still feel like snowballs in your hand. Hard to get a really good grip. Saw quite a few pitches getting backed up, fastballs slipping out of guys hands.

“Going into Jackie Bradley’s at-bat, I think more times than not that slider that he throws has a little more depth on it. That one hung up and that was the triple he hit. But Ubaldo did a good job keeping us engaged in the game, and Tyler Wilson did a really good job, too.”

Joseph on the winning streak ending: “We had a lot of fun. I’m glad it’s over so I don’t have to answer questions about how long it’s going to last. It’s great. Any time you get off to a good start, especially when everybody’s picking you last, and especially in my opinion after you get off to a rough start in spring training.

“Nobody in there hit the panic button by any means. We believe in ourselves. It’s a tight band of brothers in there and to start off how we anticipated, it got guys ready. We started off well, even tonight’s game, we were one, two swings away at any point during that game to do some damage there.”

Joseph on Wilson: “He deserves a lot of credit. That’s a really, really tough job against a lot of big names over there, good offense. Tyler, he’s prepared, he’s going to be engaged at all times. He came out and pounded the strike zone, kept us within arm’s reach of the game. Anytime you can do that ...

“Look, that’s one of the hardest jobs in baseball, to come out and be that kind of long relief guy who can really keep your team in the game. Kudos to him, he did a fantastic job. We like our chances deeper in the game. One, two swings there, we win the game.”

Chris Davis on the streak ending: “Yeah, it was a tough game. I think if you’d have told us when the season started we’d get off to the start we did, I think we’d have been happy with it, but it’s always tough to drop the last game of a series. But I’m glad we got the series win and we hung in there and battled back tonight. It’s just sometimes you get beat.

Davis on still feeling like the Orioles could pull out a win: “Yeah, I think so. I think the first few games it’s kind of been or M.O. We get guys on and we’ve been able to get that hit to drive them in. Unfortunately, we just couldn’t do that tonight. But you tip your cap and just realize that some nights you get beat.”

Showalter on the streak ending: “I’m proud. We won the series. We won two out of three in the American League East on the road against a team we all know is going to be pretty good this year. We’re real proud of that. We move on. Now we’ve got to play four games against (the Rangers).”

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/04/notes-on-jones-wilson-kim-oday-and- bundy.html

Notes on Jones, Wilson, Kim, O’Day and Bundy (updated)

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com April 13, 2016

BOSTON - Adam Jones felt good this afternoon after taking early batting practice and four rounds with the regular group, and there’s a good chance he starts Thursday night’s series opener against the Rangers.

Manager Buck Showalter already has checked the forecast in Arlington and the temperature is supposed to be 71 degrees at game time.

Jones hasn’t started since last Wednesday due to discomfort in his rib area. He’s been a defensive replacement in center field the past two games and remains available tonight.

Tyler Wilson is a candidate to start Friday against the Rangers. The Orioles continue to list the spot as TBA, though it’s Vance Worley’s turn.

Update: Worley has been announced as Friday’s starting pitcher.

Wilson hasn’t pitched since opening day, but he’s healthy. Inactivity comes with being a long man out of the bullpen.

“He’s a guy who’s capable of pitching long,” Showalter said. “He’s still a candidate if we wanted to do that in Texas, starting. We’re going to keep everybody in the mix. He’s been up a couple times. He’s throwing on the side. Someone’s always going to be in that ...

“But he’s a good guy in that situation because he stays ready. He’s very athletic. He’s got a good delivery that doesn’t take a lot of honing, so to speak. He stays within himself. It’s not perfect right now. But I kind of like the idea that somebody in our bullpen hasn’t pitched lately. It’s not always the case.”

The announcement on Friday’s starter is on hold until Showalter sees how the bullpen is needed tonight.

“I’ve got a pretty good idea where we’re going,” he said. “I want to get our starters in a little bit of a routine and let them start pitching every fifth day. The weather and the off-days haven’t been very cooperative, but I’d really like to get everybody on a schedule as soon as we can.”

Hyun Soo Kim got back in the lineup tonight, and he’s going to be challenged by the Green Monster.

“He needs to play,” Showalter said. “We’re not going to let him sit around too long. I like he gets in and kind of gets a feel for things and goes and plays. But we’ll see. If he’s going to be a contributor, which we think he can be, he’s going to have to do things like this.”

Kim, who had two hits Sunday in his major league debut, received the usual crash course in playing left field at Fenway Park. The idea, though, is to avoid crashing into it.

“You mean like the one with (Mark) Trumbo or the one with (Ryan) Flaherty or the one with ...” Showalter said.

“It’s like I was outfield coach with the Yankees one year and a ball hit off the ladder and went this way, and Mr. (George) Steinbrenner wanted to know why didn’t we ever work on that. How do you work with a ball off the ladder? You don’t know which way it’s going. Ryan plays it real well. But there is no perfect course. If there was, everybody would do it. It just comes with experience and being around it.”

Kim has been getting extra work in left since he arrived in Boston.

“He’s been doing it the last two days. Today will be the third day,” Showalter said. “And we had that day game Monday, Trumbo was out here early that morning. But there’s just so much you can simulate. Right field is tough here, too, especially in day games.”

Plenty of fans wondered why Showalter brought Darren O’Day into last night’s game with two outs in the ninth and the Orioles leading 9-5. Showalter said the decision was tied to closer Zach Britton and the possibility of having to face David Ortiz one more time.

“I wanted to keep Zach out of the game. That was probably the biggest factor,” Showalter said. “I wanted to get (T.J.) McFarland out of there on a good note and if you let him face those three right-handers, you’re probably going to bring Ortiz back into play. And I’m trying to keep Zach from coming into that ballgame.

“I really wanted him, if we could help it, not have him pitch last night. I thought it was important. And Darren had a day’s rest I figured he could get one of those three guys out and not get Zach in the game to face Ortiz.

“I’ve been in this place too many times where you assume something and next thing you know you wish you shoulda, woulda, coulda. Mostly it was about trying to keep Zach out of the game. Try not to have those two guys pitch every night.”

Dylan Bundy threw two scoreless innings before coming back out and allowing one run. He’s adapting to the relief role, warming and recovering in rapid fashion.

“I’m surprised as how quickly we’re getting callbacks on him saying he’s ready,” Showalter said. “The thing I like today is that he was sore in the right places. It was very interesting to me to come in today and see how he felt. That’s the first time he’s started a third inning. That’s something we wanted to get him through before we got through April. He did well.

“I’ve been really impressed with how he’s come in and been in his delivery and not searching for a strike for a long time. I said it before, one of the byproducts of him being hurt for a while is him developing a good changeup. He had a changeup, but he didn’t have to use it much. His changeup has been a big pitch for him. His times to the plate have been good. I’ve been really happy with Dylan so far.”

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/04/adam-jones-working-out-before-batting- practice-as-orioles-wait-to-post-lineup.html

Adam Jones working out before batting practice as Orioles wait to post lineup

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com April 13, 2016

BOSTON - Adam Jones took early batting practice today and did some long-tossing in the outfield, as the Orioles figure out whether he can rejoin the lineup for tonight’s series finale against the Red Sox.

Jones hit off a tee in the cage before taking swings against a coach. He moved to the outfield to play catch and gradually extended the distance before moving back in and completing his throws.

Jones, who hasn’t batted since Wednesday due to soreness in his rib area, also has been stretching to gauge his recovery.

Manager Buck Showalter has used Jones as a defensive replacement the past two games. The discomfort only surfaces when Jones swings.

Showalter isn’t concerned about backdating a possible assignment on the disabled list, knowing Jones would need the full 15 days if he experiences a setback.

The Orioles head to a warmer climate after tonight’s game, flying to Arlington for a four-game series against the Rangers. Weather has been a factor in Showalter’s decision to sit Jones, but the temperature has risen today and there’s no threat of rain.

There’s been no urgency to rush Jones into the lineup with Rule 5 pick Joey Rickard playing so well and the club off to a 7-0 start.

Showalter’s last winning streak of at least seven games was a nine-game stretch with the Rangers in May 2005.

The Orioles have registered at least eight hits in their first seven games for the first time in club history. They previously had at least eight hits in the first six games in 1993.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2016/04/dylan-bundy-impresses-a-veteran- teammate-plus-other-notes.html

Dylan Bundy impresses a veteran teammate (plus other notes)

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com April 14, 2016

Orioles right-handed reliever Dylan Bundy has now made four major league appearances - two in 2012 and two this season.

The player ranked as the Orioles’ No. 1 prospect a whopping five times (2011 through 2015), pitched more than one inning for the first time as an Oriole on Tuesday night at Fenway Park.

The 23-year-old right-hander had a solid outing. Over 2 1/3 innings, he gave up three hits and one run on 43 pitches. Showing a solid curveball and changeup, Bundy almost looked more like a starter than a reliever, mixing his pitches well and keeping Boston off the board in the sixth and seventh.

Count veteran Darren O’Day among those impressed by Bundy. I talked to him about Bundy during the Orioles’ first homestand.

“He’s being a sponge right now,” O’Day said of the Orioles first-round pick in 2011. “Been a starter his whole life, so there are some big adjustments you have to make. He’s coming along nicely. He’s taking the ribbing well, being the youngest guy down there. Being the backpack guy.”

The backpack is what some bullpen rookies have to carry out to the ‘pen each night. It is usually filled with gum and other assorted goodies.

“Dylan is an important part of this bullpen. This team is going to play a lot of close games, so we have to have one through seven in the bullpen,” O’Day added.

For a player that received so much press and hype as an amateur and young pro, I’ve never seen Bundy exhibit even a hint of an ego. Neither has O’Day. He sees a young kid with talent, poise and a bright future. And a young kid that battled to make his way back to the bigs after Tommy John surgery in June 2013.

“That is a product of who he is, how his parents raised him, where he’s from,” O’Day said. “After he got in his first outing, I went up and said ‘Congratulations on making it back.’ There are times I’m sure he thought, ‘I’m done.’

“He’s grateful to be here in any capacity. I hope the bullpen is just a steppingstone to get his innings up to be a starter. I think he is talented enough to be a really good starter. I’m just really happy for him. You can tell he’s grateful for every day and I think that’s a good place to be if you are looking to get the most out of your game.”

Pretty nice praise there for a rookie from a very respected veteran.

Bundy video: Click here to see yesterday’s MASN pregame interview with Gary Thorne and Bundy. Bundy told Thorne he’d like to throw 90 or 100 innings this year and also said his arm felt great after that outing on Tuesday. You can see videos by going to our media lounge on the front page of the website. Click on “Videos” and then “Orioles.”

Meanwhile, after their first loss of the year last night, the Orioles are 7-1 as they head to Texas. They lead the American League East by 2 1/2 games over New York, by three over Boston, by 3 1/2 over Toronto and by four over Tampa Bay.

A few notes on the Orioles:

* The Orioles’ rotation ERA was 1.42 over the first four games, when O’s starters allowed just four runs (three earned) over 19 innings. Over the past four games, the starters have an ERA of 6.86, allowing 16 runs (15 earned) over 19 2/3 innings. O’s starters have worked five or fewer innings in five straight games and in seven of eight this season.

* The O’s have been outscored 7-0 in the first inning. But they have outscored their opposition 14-4 in the second and third innings, and 12-4 in the last three innings.

* The Orioles first seven homers this year were solo shots, producing obviously just seven runs. But their last seven homers have come with at least one man on the bases producing 16 runs.

* The O’s 14 homers over their first eight games is a club record. The previous record was 13 in the first eight games in 1966, 2012 and 2015.

* The O’s begin a four-game series tonight at Texas. They went 1-6 last year against the Rangers and lost the last four games between the teams. They were shut out twice in those four games and outscored 16-4.

* The Rangers have been getting some good starting pitching. In their most recent three-game series with Seattle, Rangers starters pitched to an ERA of 1.02. Over the last seven games, that mark is 2.74. Texas has eight quality starts already through a 5-5 start to lead the major leagues in that category. The O’s have just one quality start so far.

* Manny Machado went 6-for-13 (.462) in the Boston series with two doubles and four runs. Over his last six games, he is batting .520 (13-for-25) with three doubles, three homers and four RBIs. Machado has hit safely in all eight games in 2016, batting .441/.486/.794 with an OPS of 1.281.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2016/04/a-look-at-the-orioles-minor-league- affiliates-who-went-1-3-this-afternoon.html

A look at the Orioles’ minor league affiliates, who went 1-3 this afternoon

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com April 13, 2016

This was a rare day on the Orioles farm, as all four full-season affiliates played day games. Here is how it went:

Triple-A Norfolk lost 8-1 at home to Charlotte to fall to 2-4. Tides starter Odrisamer Despaigne allowed nine hits and seven runs over four innings. He is 0-2 and has an ERA of 8.00 through two starts.

Right-fielder Dariel Alvarez went 1-for-4 and has hit safely in each game so far, batting .320. Christian Walker has done the same, today coming up with an RBI single in the eighth as Norfolk avoided a shutout. Walker began the day batting .389 with two homers and six RBIs. Last year, he did not hit his first homer until May 1, in the Tides’ 21st game. Pitcher Ariel Miranda, who made his Triple-A debut on Monday, is slated to make another Tides start on Sunday. In that first game, Miranda allowed one run in 4 2/3 innings.

Norfolk was rained out last night. That game with Charlotte will now be made up on May 10 in a doubleheader starting at 5:05 p.m.

Double-A Bowie was held to five hits in a 4-3 loss at Erie. The Baysox are 1-5. Garabez Rosa went 2-for-4 and hit his first homer, a two-run shot in the second inning. Trey Mancini went 1-for-4 and is batting .318. The one hit was his fourth homer, which leads all O’s minor leaguers. He’s hit safely in each game for Bowie. Chance Sisco went 1-for-3 and is 5-for- 10 over his past three games and batting .313 on the year.

Left-hander Jayson Aquino, acquired by the Orioles from St. Louis last week, made his first start for his new organization today. He took the loss, allowing four runs and seven hits over five innings. Ashur Tolliver and Jason Stoffel then combined for four scoreless innings with seven strikeouts. Tolliver fanned five over three frames.

The Baysox have a very wide range of experience on their roster to open the season. Sisco was born in 1995 and is the seventh-youngest player in the Eastern League at 21. On the other end of the spectrum is former major league outfielder Julio Borbon, who was born in 1986 and is 30. When Borbon made his major league debut with the Texas Rangers in 2009, Sisco was a freshman at Santiago High School in Corona, Calif.

Single-A Frederick won 5-3 at Salem to improve to 4-3. Starter John Means gave up two runs over five innings to get the victory. Then the bullpen trio of Ivan Hernandez, Max Schuh and Michael Zouzalik gave up one run over the last four innings to complete a seven- hitter. Zouzalik got the last two outs for his first save.

Outfielder Cam Kneeland, who began the day as the leading hitter among O’s farmhands, went 2-for-4 and is batting .429. Jomar Reyes drove in three runs and is batting .280 and Josh Hart hit his first homer.

The Keys stole five bases in Tuesday’s 6-4 win. Erick Salcedo swiped three bags to tie his career high set back in 2011 in the Dominican Summer League. The Keys home opener is set for tomorrow night at Harry Grove Stadium.

Single-A Delmarva took a 7-4 lead to the last of the seventh at Kannapolis, but allowed four runs to lose 8-7. Still, the Shorebirds recorded a winning road trip at 4-3 and are heading home for their home opener on Thursday night.

Starting pitcher Brian Gonzalez allowed four runs (three earned) and six hits over five innings. Bobby Strader gave up four runs (three earned) over 1 2/3 to take the loss.

Christian Turnipseed, an O’s 28th-round draft pick last year out of Georgia Gwinnett College, got four outs today and has recorded 3 2/3 scoreless innings this season. That gives the 23-year- old Turnipseed 32 scoreless innings to start his O’s career. Last year, he pitched in the Gulf Coast League and at short season Single-A Aberdeen with 28 1/3 scoreless on just 11 hits with seven walks and 30 strikeouts.

I apologize in advance to Turnipseed for likely jinxing his scoreless streak, but it should be noted, right?

Shortstop Ricardo Andujar went 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI and is batting .357. Last night,Alex Murphy hit a two-out, two-run homer in the eighth to lift Delmarva to a 2-1 win. Today Murphy went 1-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to seven games.

Tomorrow night for the home opener in Salisbury, the first 5,000 fans will receive a magnet schedule and the Oriole Bird will be on hand for a special appearance at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium.

http://espn.go.com/blog/baltimore-orioles/post/_/id/652/maybe-its-time-to-start-believing-in-the- baltimore-orioles

Maybe it's time to start believing in the Baltimore Orioles

By Eddie Matz / ESPN.com April 13, 2016

At some point, you gotta start believing, right?

After the Baltimore Orioles won five straight to open the season, the time had not yet come. Sure, they were the only unbeaten team left in the majors, but the Birds going 5-0 against the Twins and Rays was only slightly more convincing than the Harlem Globetrotters going 5-0 against the Washington Generals. For a pitching-poor team that entered the season with grave expectations, there needed to be more proof. A whole lot more.

A mere two days later, which is to say two seemingly inconceivable wins against the Boston Red Sox later, the time might very well be upon us. To start believing, that is.

If you happened to be in Vegas over the weekend and were looking to make a prop bet on when the Orioles would get hung with their first L of 2016, the smart money would've been on Monday, April 11.

It was the Sox home opener at Fenway, and David Price was on the hill. You know, the perennial Cy Young candidate who'd won his last two home openers while allowing a grand total of two runs. The towering lefty who led the American League in ERA last year and whom Boston inked to a $217 million contract in the offseason for the express purpose of choking the ever-loving life out of overmatched division rivals like the Orioles. Opposing him was Yovani Gallardo, whom Baltimore signed in late February, giving him roughly one-tenth of Price's payday for the express purpose of, well, he was the pretty much the only guy who was still available.

If ever there was a time for all 25 players (and their manager) to call in sick on the same day, this was it.

Predictably, Gallardo got shelled early by Boston's loaded lineup, allowing hits to the first four batters he faced during a three-run first. But then something interesting happened: No sooner did Baltimore's rotation start showing its true colors than Orioles hitters began to show theirs. In the third inning, a powerful O's offense that had laid dormant for the better part of the first two series pummeled Price for five runs, the big blow coming on a 428-foot jack by Mark Trumbo. It was Price's worst inning in nearly a year. Later, with the game tied 6-6 in the ninth and runners on first and second, Chris Davis launched a 449-foot bomb to dead center off lights-out closer Craig Kimbrel. It was the first time Kimbrel had allowed a home run with runners in scoring position in, well, ever.

Tuesday, it was more of the same, as inexperienced starter Mike Wright -- who on paper was no match for Boston righty Clay Buchholz -- got roughed up early and left after five innings with his team in a 4-2 hole. But the Birds stormed back, clubbing three more dingers on the day -- including a pair of opposite-field shots by No. 7 hitter J.J. Hardy -- en route to their seventh straight W to start the season.

The last two wins against Boston confirmed the scouting report on these 2016 Orioles. Namely, that in order for them to be anything even remotely resembling competitive, they'll have to win their fair share of 8-7 and 10-9 games. Or 9-7 and 9-5, as the case was on Monday and Tuesday.

But who's counting? Certainly not the O's offense, which is currently on pace to score ... as many damn runs as it takes, thank you very much.

Just how potent are the Birds' bats? They're currently leading the AL (or tied for the lead) in runs, homers, average, slugging and OPS. They've faced both Chris Archer and Price -- the two best starters the AL East has to offer -- and slapped them around like piñatas, tallying a combined five dingers and 11 runs in just 10 innings. They've gone yard 10 times in their last four games and are now on pace for 301 bombs, which would shatter the current record of 264, set by the '97 Mariners.

Can you say LONGBALLtimore?

Oh, and by the way, they're doing all this damage without five-time All-Star Adam Jones, who's missed the last five games with an oblique injury.

Meanwhile, their bullpen has been nails backing up a rotation that, on the whole, has performed better than advertised. And that's despite the absence of Kevin Gausman, who has the look of a future ace and might already be Baltimore's best starting pitcher, but who began the season on the DL with shoulder soreness.

Yet Buck Showalter's club has ripped off seven straight. Which, by the way, is the same number of W's that the Royals reeled off to start last year, when they won a little something called the World Series.

Maybe that's just a coincidence. Then again, maybe it's time to start believing.

http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/preview?gameId=360414113

Orioles-Rangers Preview

STATS, LLC. / ESPN.com April 14, 2016

Held in check for the first time this season, the Baltimore Orioles' offense next faces arguably its toughest challenge yet.

After having a historic winning streak halted, Baltimore attempts to end Cole Hamels' unbeaten run when it begins a four-game series with the host Texas Rangers on Thursday night.

The Orioles scored 40 runs in recording the franchise's first 7-0 start since moving to Baltimore in 1954, but their bats generated little other than Chris Davis' two-run homer in Wednesday's 4-2 loss at Boston.

Coming off a long flight and a short turnaround, they'll now have to gear up for Hamels (2-0, 2.08 ERA), who's 9-0 with a 2.96 ERA in 11 regular-season starts dating back to Aug. 23. The Rangers have won the accomplished left-hander's last 12 non-playoff assignments.

Hamels has been sharp in each of his two outings this season. He yielded four hits through seven innings in a 3-2 victory over Seattle in the April 4 season opener, then held the Los Angeles Angels to a run and four hits in six innings in Saturday's 4-1 win.

The three-time All-Star was even better in a 4-1 victory over Baltimore in Arlington on Aug. 28, permitting a run and two hits with 10 strikeouts over eight innings.

Hamels did allow a pair of solo homers in his season debut and faces an Orioles team that's hit 14 over a seven-game stretch. Davis has four with nine RBI during that span and Manny Machado has three while batting .441 over an eight-game hitting streak.

Mark Trumbo, who homered in the first two games of the Boston series and is hitting .406, is 4 for 12 with a homer against Hamels.

Texas (5-5) returns home after winning four of six to conclude a seven-game trip against AL West foes Los Angeles and Seattle, though it was denied a three-game sweep of the Mariners when Dae-Ho Lee's pinch-hit two-run homer in the 10th inning Wednesday resulted in a 4-2 defeat.

"I like the way we played, 4-3 going home, win a series against division foes, I like the way we went about it. I like our approaches at the plate," manager Jeff Banister said. "Offense got going a little bit, so we'll take the 4-3 and go back and go to work in our ballpark."

Texas, held to six hits in the finale after recording 26 over the series' first two games, faces a potentially rejuvenated Chris Tillman (1-0, 1.29) in the opener.

Tillman allowed a run and four hits over five effective innings in Friday's 6-1 win over Tampa Bay, flashing the form that made him among the AL's steadiest pitchers from 2013-14. He compiled a 29-13 record and a 3.52 ERA in 67 starts over that period, but slipped to 11-11 with a 4.99 ERA last season.

"It was OK," Tillman said of his 83-pitch effort. "The command was a little bit off, especially early. It kind of got better right towards the end. I was able to command the fastball better, as well as the changeup. Threw some real good changeups later on in the game to help me get through that."

Tillman posted a 5.33 ERA in 15 road outings last season but does have past success at Globe Life Park, compiling a 3-0 record and 3.91 ERA in four starts.

Adrian Beltre is 6 for 12 with a home run off Tillman and 8 for 20 with two homers in the last five games. Elvis Andrus, 5 for 8 in the Seattle series, is 5 for 13 against Tillman.

Texas won six of seven against Baltimore in 2015 and swept a three-game set at home Aug. 28- 30.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/blog/orioles-talk/can-orioles-finally-get-lengthy-start

Can the Orioles finally get a lengthy start?

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic April 14, 2016

Tonight's Game: Baltimore Orioles (7-1) vs. Texas Rangers (5-5), Globe Life Park, Arlington, Tex., 8:05 p.m.

Starting pitchers: Chris Tillman (1-0, 1.29) vs. Cole Hamels (2-0, 2.08)

Keys to the Game:

Can the Orioles finally get a start that lasts longer than five innings. Just one of their eight starters has pitched into the sixth inning.

Can the Orioles avoid their first losing streak of the season?

News and Notes:

Current Orioles are batting .206 against Hamels.

Tillman is 3-0 with a 3.91 ERA in four starts in Globe Life Park.

Current Rangers are batting .333 against Tillman.

The Orioles set franchise records with at least eight hits in each of their first eight games and by hitting 14 home runs.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/blog/orioles-talk/davis-great-start-hits-fourth-home-run

Davis off to great start, hits fourth home run

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic April 13, 2016

BOSTON – Chris Davis is off to a fast start again. On Wednesday night, Davis hit his fourth home run of the year in the Orioles’ eighth game of the season.

So far this season, Davis has homered in every other Orioles game beginning with the team’s second.

Davis, who signed a seven-year, $161 million contract before the season, hit a two-run homer to give the Orioles, who have won their first seven games, a 2-0 lead over the Boston Red Sox in the third inning.

While this start is impressive, it’s not Davis’ best start. In 2013 when he hit led the majors with 53 home runs, he hit homers in his first four games.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/blog/orioles-talk/worley-get-start-friday-orioles

Worley to get the start Friday for Orioles

By Eric Garland / CSN Mid-Atlantic April 13, 2016

Vance Worley will get the start Friday for the Orioles, manager Buck Showalter announced to reporters Wednesday.

Worley’s matchup will be the second game of a four-game series on the road against the Texas Rangers.

It was initially unclear who would take the rubber Friday, with Worley and Tyler Wilson considered the two likely candidates.

Wilson hasn’t pitched since April 4, when he took over for Chris Tillman after a rain delay. Wilson threw three innings, and didn’t allow a run as the Orioles beat the Minnesota Twins on Opening Day.

Worley made his Orioles debut Sunday, and pitched four and two-thirds of an inning before being pulled. Worley gave up two earned runs and one unearned run off of seven hits to the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Orioles also expect to get a boost to their starting rotation next week with the return of Kevin Gausman, who opened the season on the disabled list. The target return date for Gausman is April 20, but that date could get pushed back if the Orioles feel Gausman would benefit from another minor league rehab start.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/blog/orioles-talk/idle-wilson-patiently-waits-his-orioles-turn

Idle Wilson patiently waits his Orioles turn

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic April 13, 2016

BOSTON – Tyler Wilson hasn’t pitched since Opening Day, when he pitched three scoreless innings. Are you worried that he hasn’t pitched? Wilson isn’t.

“I’m great. We’re 7-0. Me not pitching is a byproduct of us having so much success. I love the way the bullpen has thrown the ball well. Obviously, we have guys at the back end that dominate when we’re up. I hope we can keep that trend going,” Wilson said.

“The starters have been throwing the ball well. If that means me sitting out there and just waiting around, I’m happy because that means the team’s playing well, and we’re obviously winning games, and that’s the ultimate goal.”

There was some thought Wilson could have started Friday's game in Texas, but Vance Worley was chosen instead. Even though he hasn’t pitched in a game, he’s thrown in the bullpen before games.

“Any time you’re in the bullpen, and you go two days without pitching, the third day you get a light something before the game, so I’ve actually had a couple, and I feel great. Like we kind of talked about in spring training, no matter how long it goes between outings or wherever I am, it’s my job to be ready when that bell does ring,” Wilson said.

“I haven’t pitched in eight days, so I still have to be ready when the ball rings rather than called up for a spot start or something like that. It doesn’t change my approach. I go about my business every day. I’m going to be ready every time the bell rings if my name is called.”

Wilson’s situation doesn’t trouble manager Buck Showalter.

“He’s a guy who’s capable of pitching long. He’s still a candidate if we wanted to do that in Texas, starting. We’re going to keep everybody in the mix. He’s been up a couple times. He’s throwing on the side. Someone’s always going to be in that … But he’s a good guy in that situation because he stays ready. He’s very athletic. He’s got a good delivery that doesn’t take a lot of honing, so to speak. He stays within himself. It’s not perfect right now. But I kind of like the idea that somebody in our bullpen hasn’t pitched lately. It’s not always the case,” Showalter said.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/blog/orioles-talk/kim-gets-his-second-start-left-field

Kim gets his second start in left field

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic April 13, 2016

BOSTON – Hyun Soo Kim gets his second start of the season in left field on Wednesday night. In his first game, Kim went 2-for-3 on Sunday.

“He needs to play. We’re not going to let him sit around too long. I like that he gets in and kind of gets a feel for things and goes and plays. But we’ll see. If he’s going to be a contributor, which we think he can be, he’s going to have to do things like this,” manager Buck Showalter said.

Kim has also been taking extra balls off the Green Monster.

“He’s been doing it the last two days. Today will be the third day. And we had that day game Monday, [Mark] Trumbo was out here early that morning. But there’s just so much you can simulate. Right field is tough here, too, especially in day games,” Showalter said.

“There is no perfect course. If there was, everybody would do it. It just comes with experience and being around it.”

NOTES: Showalter said that Adam Jones took batting practice and hopes that he’ll return to the lineup on Thursday in Texas. Jones, who hasn’t started since Apr. 6 because of an injury to his ribs. He’s been a defensive replacement the last two games. … Hunter Harvey is ready to pitch after tweaking a groin muscle in Sarasota.

https://www.pressboxonline.com/2016/04/13/with-increased-confidence-jason-garcia-working- to-rejoin-orioles

With Increased Confidence, Jason Garcia Working To Rejoin Orioles

By Justin Silberman / PressBoxOnline.com April 13, 2016

After making the Orioles' 25-man roster as a Rule 5 pick last season, right-hander Jason Garcia is back in the minors working on his development.

In March, Garcia, 23, was optioned to Double-A Bowie, where he's working as a starter in an attempt to return to Baltimore at some point in 2016. He had to spend the entire 2015 campaign with the big league club or be offered back to Boston, advancing from Low-A in the Red Sox system to the majors in one season.

Now that he is no longer bound by the restrictions or uncertainty that comes with being a Rule 5 pick, Garcia is feeling as confident as he ever has since joining the Orioles' organization.

"Just the overall experience last year, it's obviously the goal of everyone to get to the big leagues, so I learned a lot last year and walked away with a lot," Garcia said April 6 on Glenn Clark Radio. "So I used that information and knowledge and everything I learned last year [for] this year, and [I'm] ready to get this season going."

This season, Garcia will lean on the experience he gained with the Birds to help anchor the Bowie rotation. Despite starting 51 career minor league games in six seasons prior to this year, Garcia said moving from a relief role last season back to the rotation will be an adjustment.

"It's definitely tough going from the bigs back down to Double-A, but it's a transition that I'm ready to make and hopefully get back up as soon as possible and help [the Orioles]," Garcia said.

After dealing with nagging groin and sore shoulder injuries last season, Garcia will look for more stability after an up-and-down stint with Birds.

He opened the 2015 season with a 5.93 ERA during his first eight outings before missing about two months with shoulder tendinitis. But once Garcia regained his health and returned from the injury, he posted a 2.81 ERA and held opponents to a .222 batting average during his final 13 appearances. All told, he finished the season 1-0 with a 4.25 ERA and 1.416 WHIP while racking up 22 strikeouts and 17 walks.

As Garcia continued finding his way with O's, he said the advice he received from right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez -- one of his idols growing up -- went a long way in his continued improvement.

"Just, honestly, [Jimenez taught me] kind of the same thing that everyone taught me, is just being confident in yourself and knowing that you belong out there," Garcia said. "[I] got there for a reason, and then there's no reason to doubt it and question it now, so [I] just stayed confident and trusted my stuff and just went out there and have fun."

Even though Garcia is fully focused on the rejoining the Birds, he relishes the opportunity to help his Baysox teammates by passing on the knowledge he learned in Baltimore.

"It's definitely a cool feeling," Garcia said of his leadership role with Bowie. "… A lot of guys lean on me here and ask what it's like up there, what are the hitters like, what was my approach, what did I struggle with, every kind of question you can think of. It's kind of cool sharing my experience, because a year prior, I was the guy sitting there bugging some else and asking them all those questions."

http://www.wbaltv.com/sports/fans-ecstatic-over-orioles-start-to- season/39010002?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=wbaltv11

Fans ecstatic over Orioles' start to season

WBAL TV April 13, 2016

TIMONIUM, Md. —Just a week into the season, the Baltimore Orioles seem unstoppable.

The team beat the Boston Red Sox again Tuesday night to remain undefeated. The O's will go for the team's eighth win and the series sweep Wednesday night.

"I think we're going to keep it up for the whole season. We'll be the first undefeated team for the entire season," said Shannon Nickey, a fan.

It's not often when a baseball team strings off seven wins in a row to start the season, and the fact that it's the Orioles makes it even better.

"To be able to start 7-0, especially when all the national pundits picked us to finish last, now we're 7-0 and everyone is fearing us now," said Nathan Grube, a fan.

Fans lined up Wednesday at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, buying tickets for future games. Eric Buckner bought tickets to a weeknight game, which he said, in years past, he may not have done.

"It looks like a very exciting year, and they're a power-hitting team. They're never going to be out of a ballgame, so (I'm) very excited about it," Buckner said.

"Even though it's early in the season, you can already see that people are jumping on the Orioles bandwagon and they're excited, because it looks like it's going to be a good team," said Robbie Davis Jr., with Robbie's First Base.

At Robbie's First Base in Timonium, Orioles memorabilia is selling fast, so much so that it's hard to keep merchandise for some players on the shelves.

"The new guy, (Joey) Rickard, they're asking for his memorabilia. We don't really have any yet, because he's so new, and Mark Trumbo, a guy that's got a track record of being a good baseball player, he comes here, he's off to a good start," Davis said.

While the naysayers will say, "It's a long season, don't get too excited," fans 11 News spoke with said, "Why not?"

"I think that the Orioles, this is our year. We've been waiting to win the World Series for so long, and it's our turn, so it's not surprising we're off to a good start like this," Nickey said.

So, as the Orioles go for 8-0 Wednesday night, they still have a few games to go for the record. Both the 1982 Atlanta Braves and 1987 Milwaukee Brewers went 13-0 to start the season.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-orioles-are-ridiculous-but-how-ridiculous-are-they/

The Orioles Are Ridiculous, But How Ridiculous Are They?

By Matthew Kory / Fangraphs.com April 13, 2016

The way these things – meaning “baseball” – go, the Orioles probably won’t be undefeated for long. Baseball is all about losing. The best teams lose a lot. The worst teams lose a lot a lot. I’m not sure the Orioles are the latter of those things, but even if they’re the first a loss is coming, so we’d better get to this while we can.

Have you seen the standings? Jeff Sullivan examined them a couple days ago here at website Fangraphs dot com and, further, he examined the teams that have improved their chances of making the playoffs the most since the season began.

Now hold that thought because we’re going to come back to it. Remember the preseason? That’s the time we all pretend we know what’s going to happen and make predictions about the upcoming season. These predictions are stupid stupid stupid predictions that will always be wrong because predictions about baseball are always wrong. Anyway, if you examined (lots of examining!) those preseason predictions — specifically the ones concerning the American League Eastern Division — you would find many different permutations. You’d find people who predicted the Red Sox to win the division, others who predicted the Rays, and many others who predicted the Blue Jays. Some even predicted the Yankees. Did anyone pick the Orioles? I didn’t see anyone. The Orioles were the one team it seems nobody thought was going to do squat in the AL East this season. So, of course of course of course they’re 7-0 and in first place. Of course.

Now jump back with me to Jeff’s article. The team that improved its playoff odds the most since the start of the season? The Baltimore Orioles! The Orioles added 14 percentage points to their playoff odds at the time Jeff published his article, and that was before Baltimore beat the Red Sox in Boston (again) yesterday. This hot start deserves mention, so consider it mentioned. Now it’s time to ask the obvious questions: were we wrong about the Orioles? What has made them so good this season? And maybe most importantly: while they’re obviously not going to go 162-0, is what the Orioles are doing sustainable on any sort of long-term level?

The first thing that jumps out at you about the Orioles is their lineup. A lineup that featured Manny Machado, Chris Davis, and Adam Jones has added Pedro Alvarez and Mark Trumbo. That’s some serious power. It’s kinda a shame baseball doesn’t have unlimited DHs because the Orioles could sure use it. Anyway, that’s a lineup that should hit a ton of homers. It’s not a lineup that will walk a lot, though, so you might temper your expectations as far as runs scored goes. And indeed the Orioles, while scoring enough runs, haven’t been bashing their opponents’ temples in. As a team, they’re tied with Houston for third in home runs (with 13) and tied with a bunch of teams for seventh in doubles (with 14). They’re not stealing bases and they’re in the middle of the pack in terms of taking walks. So they’ve been productive but not outrageous.

On an individual level, Manny Machado and Mark Trumbo have been silly with OPSs of 1.227 and 1.214, respectively. Beyond that it’s more of a small-sample-size hot start for the Orioles, with Nolan Reimold, Chris Davis, J.J. Hardy, and Jonathan Schoop all hitting well, if not to the insane levels of Machado and Trumbo. The only other serious regression candidate is Rule 5 pick Joey Rickard. Is he going to post a .900 OPS on the season? Maybe, but that’s probably going to fall off a bit, if not a lot. Overall, though, there doesn’t seem to be much egregious going on here that a few more weeks of games won’t smooth out. I’d expect the Orioles to score fewer runs going forward, but it’s not like their hot start has been proved up by ridiculous/lucky offensive production.

Fielding-wise, the team has been adequate but not much more than that. Which, based on the personnel, you’d probably expect. Wieters and Machado are outstanding defenders, but after that nobody really stands out. Then there’s the fact that the Orioles are playing Mark Trumbo in the outfield. In the end it probably evens out to a roughly average defensive squad. So far our defensive rankings have the Orioles near the bottom, and by Defensive Efficiency (the ability to turn batted balls into outs), the Orioles are middle of the pack. Quibble with the numbers and rankings all you like: it’s early and these are defensive numbers. The point which I think we can all agree on is that defense is clearly not the driving factor for the Orioles’ start.

Now we come to the pitching and… a-ha! This is where things get interesting. On a team level, the Orioles have conceded only 22 runs. Only the White Sox, Cubs, Nationals, and Royals have given up fewer. The big complaint with the Orioles this season was always their rotation. Baltimore starters have given up 16 runs in 33.2 innings. That’s a 3.74 ERA. So, not league- leading stuff, but adequate. The bullpen though has given up six runs in 29.1 innings. That’s the most innings thrown on a per-game basis in the league. The Orioles bullpen has been (a) fantastic, at least in terms of results, and (b) propping up the rotation.

Let’s look quickly at that rotation. Chris Tillman and Yovani Gallardo have each started twice. Gallardo has been lousy. He’s got a 5.40 ERA and yes he’s been victimized a bit by bad luck, but mostly he’s just not that good a pitcher anymore. Still, if the Orioles can minimize his exposure by pulling him before the third time through the lineup and yank him anytime there is trouble, he can be effective even with a higher ERA.

Chris Tillman has been amazingly good. Why? Well most likely because he’s only thrown seven innings over two starts. His first start was interrupted by rain and he only managed five innings in his second start. His fastball velocity is up a bit (92.1 mph from 91.5) and he’s getting more swings and misses on a percentage basis than he ever has from all his pitches (fastball, changeup, cutter, and sinker). The bizarre result is he’s struck out 40% of the batters he’s faced. That’s incredibly good, better than every pitcher except Jose Fernandez and Noah Syndergaard, and also more than twice what he’s ever posted over any season in his career except 2013 where it’s almost twice. This probably bears more investigation than I can give it here, but considering Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer, and Chris Sale were the only starters to strike out more than 30% of their batters faced last season, Tillman remaining at 40% seems unlikely. If Tillman is now the AL version of Jake Arrieta, then the Orioles are obviously going to be much better than we all thought, but right now it’s seven strong innings from a middle-of-the-rotation starter. If he keeps this up we’ll surely check back in later on.

And I haven’t even talked in depth about the bullpen yet! In a division with bullpens filled with the likes of Craig Kimbrel, Koji Uehara, Carson Smith, Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller, and Aroldis Chapman, perhaps the Orioles’ has been a but unsung. Zach Britton and Darren O’Day belong in that class, and the undercard of Brad Brach, Dylan Bundy, Mychal Givens, , and T.J. McFarland is strong as well. Their pen has been exceedingly strong, though that 90% strand rate isn’t going to last and the middle-of-the-road FIP seems to indicate the team isn’t playing quite as well as their record indicates.

But none of that should really be shocking. We know the undefeated team has luck on their side. No major-league team is so much better than their opponents that they can win every game. It’s fun when it shakes out that way, though. The Orioles are 7-0 because they’re hitting better than we thought they could, and pitching much much much better than we thought they could. In retrospect Baltimore’s pen, is strong — if not this strong — and maybe, just maybe, their rotation isn’t the black hole everyone thought it was. This team is going to score some runs so if the pitching is better than was expected perhaps the Orioles have something here. They’re not going to go undefeated, but considering what they’ve already done, they don’t have to.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/j-j-hardy-is-a-wizard/

J.J. Hardy Is a Wizard

By Jeff Sullivan / Fangraphs.com April 13, 2016

It’s not easy to hit a home run to right field in Fenway Park. It’s actually quite difficult to hit a home run to right field in Fenway Park, even as home runs go. There’s a common misconception that Fenway yields a bunch of cheap dingers. By quantity, Fenway keeps itself reasonable. But it does claim one particular type of cheap dinger, the one where a hitter manages to wrap the ball around Pesky’s Pole. If you place the ball just right down the line, you can hit it 305 feet and take your four bases. It’s absurd when it happens, but so is the fact that we dedicate so much of our attention to the sport in the first place. Don’t tug on that absurdity thread, unless you’re prepared to question more than you’re used to.

Tuesday afternoon, I was watching the Orioles play the Red Sox, and J.J. Hardy slashed a liner to right that bounced off the top of the fence beside the pole. I thought to myself, “ehh, maybe that’s worth an article.” Shortly thereafter I left the house and didn’t think much about it. Imagine my surprise when I found out Hardy did it again, a few innings later. The batted ball itself was different, but the result was the same: Twice in one contest, the right-handed Hardy homered next to the pole. That’s a whole different level of absurd.

Hardy first made a victim of Clay Buchholz. He later made a victim of Robbie Ross. One was an opposite-field line drive, and one was an opposite-field…technically, fly ball, but it was more like a long pop-up. Here, see for yourself:

If you want, you can watch Hardy discuss his performance after the game. What he pulled off wasn’t lost on anybody. Sometimes, these little exceptional events can be subtle. There’s nothing subtle about rounding the bases after you hit a short home run. I think players trot because they believe they deserve it. Hardy might’ve been experiencing a unique blend of pride and embarrassment.

Something you should know about Hardy: He isn’t renowned for his opposite-field power. From Baseball Savant, here are his PITCHf/x era home runs, including Tuesday’s:

Before Tuesday, Hardy had exactly one opposite-field home run to his name since the start of 2010. In one sense, he has now unquestionably added to that amount. In another sense, you might give the homers an asterisk. You don’t want to get too deep into that, because a home run is a home run is a home run, but you shouldn’t take this as a sign that Hardy has upped his right- field power. He hasn’t. He just played in the right place, and put the right swing on the right pitches.

For fun, I pulled some information from the ESPN Home Run Tracker. I looked at Fenway, specifically, and I gathered all the regular-season and postseason home runs hit there since 2006. So we’re covering a little over a decade. From all the homers, I then narrowed down to what we might consider “Pesky homers.” This requires a little guesswork, and there’s a fine line between a Pesky homer and a regular homer, but in short, I looked for cheap homers to short right field. I was left with a sample of 32 homers, or about three a year. Right there, that’s a good sign that this hasn’t spiraled out of control. David Ortiz leads everyone, with five of these. Hardy is the first player to do this twice in a game. It’s actually the first time this has happened twice in a game, on record, even if by different players. It’s rare to see one of these home runs. It’s exceptionally rare to see two of these home runs on the same day. And for them both to be hit by the same player? That might be a Fenway first. It also might not be — Fenway is old — but Hardy did something weird. The more I think about it, the more unbelievable it becomes.

I mentioned the PITCHf/x era. But, hey, this is also now the Statcast era, right? I got more information from Baseball Savant, examining all the out-of-the-park homers recorded since the start of 2015. I eliminated the bugs, then I plotted the homers by launch angle and batted-ball speed. Here’s what I was left with, with Hardy’s homers highlighted:

Not that you needed more proof that these were unusual. Not unprecedented, but unusual. There’s more we can do, though! Through the magic of Statcast, let’s look at similar batted balls, but in other parks. Here’s Hardy’s first home run:

Here’s a ball hit with about the same speed, at about the same angle, and to roughly the same place:

It should be noted that, while Hardy’s first home run was cheap, it’s not like he didn’t deserve a hit. In another park, that’s probably a double, or maybe even a triple. So Hardy didn’t get four free bases — he got two, or one. It was a good hit. Now here’s the next one:

Here’s a ball hit with about the same speed, at about the same angle, and to roughly the same place:

This one — this one — was silly. Elsewhere, it’s a catchable fly ball, in the vicinity of the warning track. Hardy got to jog all the way around. I think he realized it, too. Here’s Hardy after the first home run:

Enhance:

Here’s Hardy after the second home run:

Enhance:

It’s not often you want to round the bases with a smile on your face. Let me walk that back. It’s not often you get to round the bases with a smile on your face. I think there are only a few times when you can get away with it without provoking your opponent. You can smile if it’s your first career homer. You can smile if you’re a pitcher. You can smile if maybe you just broke some kind of record. And you can smile if you realize the home run you just hit was really stupid. Hardy wasn’t showing up the Red Sox, here. He smiled because he couldn’t take his game too seriously. And, given everything that happened, who could?