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		O's Sign Aubrey Huff - 12/30/2006 1:00:00 PM - Pente The Orioles have signed to a three year $20 million contract Infielder-Outfielder Aubrey Huff. Huff immediately becomes the Orioles top offensive pickup this off season. O's Sign Minor League OF'er Jon Knott - 12/29/2006 1:00:00 AM - Hoffman After 5 years in the San Diego Padres organization, outfielder Jon Knott has signed a one-year contract with the Orioles. Gomez Returning to Orioles - 12/18/2006 1:00:00 PM - Legendre Chris Gomez and the Orioles came to terms on a one-year deal reported to be worth $850,000. He will compete with Brandon Fahey and newly acquired Freddie Bynum for the utility role. Devil's Advocate - 12/11/2006 11:00:00 AM - Gray I know it’s a difficult task to write about the Orioles these days (years) without any agenda. Blast the owner (again); defend the general manager team (again); make a case for optimism or pessimism (and claim to equate one or the other of these, but never both, with "realism")… O's Agree to 2-Year Deal with Payton - 12/9/2006 1:00:00 AM - Legendre The Baltimore Sun is reporting that the Orioles have orally agreed to a two-year deal worth around $9.75 million with free agent outfielder Jay Payton pending a physical. O's in the Free Agency Market - 12/8/2006 12:00:00 PM - Pente With an insane market almost coming to a close, the Orioles don't have a lot left to help improve their club in 2008. However, there are still a few possible players that could help. Rule 5 Draft Activity - 12/7/2006 1:00:00 PM - Legendre The Orioles selected Alfredo Simon in the Rule 5 Draft and traded him to Philadelphia for catcher Adam Donachie. While the Yankees selected first baseman Josh Phelps in the big league portion and they lost Kendy Batista to Texas and Lorenzo Scott to Florida in the minor league portion. Lastly, Baltimore sent Kevin Hart to the Cubs to complete the Freddie Bnyum trade. O's Trade for Bynum, Officially Sign Bako - 12/6/2006 1:00:00 PM - Legendre Baltimore sent a player to be named to the Cubs for utility infielder/outfielder Freddie Bynum and finalized the deal with backup catcher Paul Bako on Wednesday. Also, Brian Roberts will be staying in Baltimore and the Orioles are trying to get Marcus Thames from Detroit. Proposed Trade: Roberts & Penn for LaRoche & Giles - 12/5/2006 1:00:00 AM - Legendre The Atlanta Braves are coveting Brian Roberts and have proposed a deal that would land them Roberts and pitching prospect Hayden Penn in exchange for power-hitting first baseman Adam LaRoche and second baseman Marcus Giles according to published reports. O's Free Agent Happenings - 12/1/2006 1:00:00 PM - other The Orioles have brought back a veteran so far this off-season and bolstered their bullpen with 3 fresh faces. O's Minor League Managers & Coaching Staff Named - 12/1/2006 1:00:00 PM - other The Orioles today named their minor league managers and coaching staffs for the 2007 season along with the announcement that they will add a minor league team in the Gulf Coast League. Highlights include Bien Figueroa (pic) moving up to manage the Bowie Baysox and Gary Allenson returning to the organization to manage Norfolk. Off-season Shorebird Report: Part II - 11/26/2006 1:00:00 PM - Shorebird Doc Takes a detailed look at Brandon Erbe's delivery and maturation from a thrower to a pitcher this year. He talks with his pitching coach and includes 19 pictures. Perfect Platoon or Lee? - 11/24/2006 11:00:00 PM - Pente There seems to be a prevailing theory on the board that a platoon could put up Carlos Lee-type numbers out in left field. However, only the perfect platoon under perfect conditions could match what Lee will produce. O's agree to terms with J.Walker - 11/13/2006 1:00:00 AM - Folkemer The Orioles began the restructuring of their unreliable bullpen, agreeing to a three-year contract with lefty reliever Jamie Walker. According to the Baltimore Sun, the O's will pay Walker roughly $11.5 million over three seasons. O's trade Britton for Wright - 11/12/2006 1:00:00 PM - Pente According to the Baltimore Sun, the Orioles have agreed to trade reliever Chris Britton to the Yankees for right-handed starter Jaret Wright and cash. The 30-year old Wright was 11-7 with a 4.49 ERA last year with the Yankees. According to team sources, the Yankees will also send $4 million in cash to offset the $7 million due Wright next year. 2006 Top Prospect List - 11/12/2006 1:00:00 AM - Pente Not a bad year for 17-year old huh? Gets drafted as the number nine pick in all of baseball, hammers Appalachian League pitching before putting up a .876 OPS in a college league like the New York Penn League during Aberdeen's first ever playoff drive. He then ends it by getting named the Hangout first ever first year number one prospect. Something tells us that Billy Rowell has a pretty bright future ahead of him. Final 2006 Shorebirds Report -Part I - 11/9/2006 1:00:00 PM - Shorebird Doc delivers his final report of the year in a four part series. In part one, Doc takes a look of each player and gives his analysis of each. He also interviews pitching coach Kennie Steenstra, who breaks down each pitcher. Top 21-30 Prospects - 11/9/2006 1:00:00 AM - Pente Although he was old for his league, you can't discount the solid season but up by #30 prospect Ryan Finan. After finding Mark Fleisher at first base, Finan moved over to third base and not only had his best offensive season, but played solidly defensively as well. O's sign Minor League Free Agents - 11/6/2006 1:00:00 PM - other The Orioles signed several minor league free agents. Here's a synopsis of the noteworthy courtesy of rotoworld.com. Coaching Staff Finalized - 10/31/2006 4:00:00 PM - Legendre Manager Sam Perlozzo completed his coaching staff on Tuesday by adding two new coaches to the staff and moving a few others around. The two new coaches are Sam Mejias as first base coach and Juan Samuel as third base coach, both natives of the Dominican Republic. 2006 Top Prospect List - 10/30/2006 12:00:00 PM - Hoffman The 2006 Top Prospect List is right here. 2006 Top 11-20 Prospects - 10/26/2006 1:00:00 AM - Pente A lot of folks forgot about Ryan Keefer after he missed most of the 2006 season after having bone chips removed from his elbow. However, by the end of the season, this hard throwing right-hander was back on track at Bowie, and he will head the the AFL to pick up some lost 2006 innings. He comes in as the number 20 prospect and could be in Baltimore sometime in 2007. It's over! O's close '06 with 9-0 debacle - 10/1/2006 1:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles brought down the curtain on 2006 with a game fittingly representative of their season: a sloppy, soggy, embarrassing, often-unwatchable mess. In a contest that lasted only five innings, the O’s still managed to lose by nine runs, thanks to one last Hayden Penn (pic) disaster and an uninterested offense that was no-hit by a rookie making his second major-league start. It seemed the Orioles-- echoing the sentiments of most of their fans-- couldn’t wait to bring this interminable, arduous campaign to a halt. The 9-0 loss to the Red Sox closed the book on the Birds’ 70-92 season, the eighth-worst in team history. Millar's ninth-inning heroics lift O's, 5-4 - 9/30/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles snapped their season-long Fenway Park drought in dramatic fashion, mounting a ninth-inning comeback to pull out a 5-4 victory. Former Sox poster boy Kevin Millar (pic) applied the dagger to his ex-teammates, delivering a two-run single to turn the tables and provide one final smidgen of Orioles Magic. The Birds squandered an early 3-0 lead on Adam Loewen’s mid-inning control problems, and seemed destined for their second straight 4-3 defeat and their eighth loss in as many games at Fenway. But Millar’s heroics, along with two shutdown innings from Chris Ray, brought a surprisingly happy ending to the next-to-last game of the year. Inopportune O's lose to Sox again, 4-3 - 9/29/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles opened their final series of the year in typically depressing fashion, coming up empty in all respects in a 4-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox. The Birds’ astounding futility against the Sox has reached such depths that they couldn’t even win by matching up their ace against an emergency fill-in scrub veteran starter. Both Erik Bedard and Julian Tavarez allowed 11 baserunners in five innings, but the Red Sox took advantage of their opportunities while the O’s proved useless in the clutch, as always. The Orioles stranded 10 runners on base-- including six in scoring position-- squandered the bases loaded twice, and grounded into three double plays to punctuate their pitiful offensive effort. In more memorable news, Miguel Tejada (pic) set a new single-season O’s hits record with his 212th. Whoa!! D-Cab nearly tosses no-hitter - 9/28/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer On an incredible night at Yankee Stadium, a phenomenal Daniel Cabrera (pic) came tantalizingly close to baseball history, carrying a no-hitter into the ninth inning but falling two outs short in a 7-1 O’s victory. In a classic case of saving the best for last, Daniel’s final start of the season marked the pinnacle of the young right-hander’s career, providing an eye-popping glimpse of his sky-high ceiling. The dazzling Cabrera was in total command, toying with a loaded Yankees lineup like a yo-yo en route to his potentially history-making masterpiece. Only a Robinson Cano one-out single in the ninth separated Cabrera from the majestic achievement, with Daniel settling for a one-hit gem. Orioles get crushed, lose their 90th - 9/27/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles dropped their 90th game of the season-- and sure made it convincing-- with an utter debacle at Yankee Stadium, a 16-5 humiliation. What is there to say? The team is just bad. Really, really bad. Kris Benson (pic), in his final start of the year, saved the worst for last. He was disemboweled for eight runs in 2 2/3 innings, coughing up three of the Yankees’ five homers, to bring a sour end to his up-and-down debut season. Bruce Chen was an embarrassment in relief, allowing another five runs while getting just one out, and Winston Abreu completed the carnage by giving up the final three of the Yanks’ 16 runs. Early O's Scout Kubski passes - 9/27/2006 1:00:00 PM - Pente One of the architects of the early Orioles dynasty teams, Al Kubski passes away in his California home. R-Lo loses #18 as O's fall to Yanks, 5-4 - 9/26/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles opened their season-ending six-game road trip with an unsurprising, thoroughly uninspiring 5-4 loss to the New York Yankees. A showdown of the Haves versus the Have-Nots turned out pretty much as expected, with the O’s simply getting outmatched by a team cruising into its 12th straight postseason. Hayden Penn struggled with his control but wasn’t around long enough to get knocked around, as a back strain felled him in the fourth. Instead, he left the losing to the guy who does it best, Rodrigo Lopez (pic), who suffered his league-leading 18th defeat of the year. The Birds’ offense, in an all-or-nothing performance, contributed three solo homers but little else, and even manager Sam Perlozzo freed himself from the misery by getting ejected in the sixth. Tejada MVP - 9/25/2006 1:00:00 PM - Domen Miguel Tejada voted team MVP, and the Orioles sign a four-year agreement with the Norfolk Tides among a hodge podge of happenings of late. O's end home schedule with loss, 6-3 - 9/24/2006 7:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles finished their 2006 Camden Yards campaign with-- what else-- another loss, falling to the Twins by a 6-3 final. Starter Adam Loewen struggled through three innings before finding his footing, by which time it was too late for the Birds to play catch-up. Miguel Tejada (pic) celebrated his coronation as 2006 Most Valuable Oriole by blasting two homeruns, his first in more than a month, but it wasn’t enough to help the O’s avoid a losing home record for the season. The club finished 40-41 in Baltimore this year. Sloppy O's misplay their way to loss - 9/23/2006 9:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles bungled through a forgettable, regrettable 8-5 loss to the Twins. The old saying goes that pitching and defense win ballgames…and they sure as heck can lose ballgames, too. Erik Bedard (pic) suffered his shortest outing since June 1, getting tattooed for 12 hits in 4 2/3 innings, but got no help from an atrocious O’s defense that committed a couple of costly misplays. The Twins racked up an eye-popping 19 hits against six Oriole pitchers, allowing them to withstand an O’s offense that collected a knock in every inning but the ninth. The two clubs will play the rubber game of the series on Sunday, the Birds’ final home game of the year. Solid all around, O's stymie Twins, 7-3 - 9/22/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles, relishing the role of AL Central spoilers, opened their last home series of the year with a 7-3 win over the Minnesota Twins. The top five hitters of the O’s lineup went a combined 12-for-24 to lead a 15-hit offensive onslaught. Brian Roberts (pic) contributed three hits, runs, and RBIs, while Nick Markakis notched a pair of RBI doubles against his favorite foe. Daniel Cabrera took it the rest of the way with 6 2/3 quality innings before giving way to an effective bullpen, as the Birds continued to wreak havoc on a division that, sadly, isn’t their own. Free the Birds! Fans protest, O's win - 9/21/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer On an eventful, emotionally charged day at Camden Yards, the Orioles pulled off a come-from-behind win over the Detroit Tigers, 4-3. Kris Benson recovered from a rocky beginning to work through eight strong innings, but looked destined to suffer another hard-luck, run-supportless loss. Happily, Melvin Mora’s (pic) go-ahead two-run double in the eighth turned the tides and sent Birds fans home happy. Well…some of them, at least. The game was almost an afterthought in light of a nearly thousand-fan rally, as a group of disgruntled Birds backers walked out en masse to protest owner Peter Angelos. All in all, it was more than your typical afternoon at the old ballyard. Protest Brings Life to the Yard - 9/21/2006 11:00:00 PM - Pente 9/22 - Nestor's protest brings some life to a mid-afternoon September make up game. Penn terrific, 'pen horrific in 4-2 loss - 9/20/2006 8:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles closed their season series with the Devil Rays, falling short in their sweep attempt with a late-inning 4-2 loss. More important than the final score, though, was the reemergence of Hayden Penn (pic), who finally delivered a successful performance, proving my newly-coined adage that the fourth time is the charm. Penn worked 6 2/3 solid innings, holding the Rays to just two runs, but had to settle for a no-decision due to his teammates’ egregious lack of run support. Perpetual loss-magnet Rodrigo Lopez, who can’t seem to avoid getting beaten even when stashed in the bullpen, coughed up a tie-breaking two-run homer to Ty Wigginton in the eighth to take his 17th defeat of the year. Orioles overtake Rays again, 5-4 - 9/19/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles one-upped their favorite punching bag once more, beating the Devil Rays for the 13th time this year in a 5-4 squeaker. Once again, it wasn’t as much a matter of the O’s playing especially well as the Rays proving why they’re a last-place team, blowing a three-run lead to take their ninth consecutive loss. Adam Loewen picked up his sixth win despite being at less than his best, while the always-dicey bullpen required five different relievers to get the final nine outs, capped off by Chris Britton’s (pic) first major-league save. The Birds’ offense was led by a Jay Gibbons four-hit night and a notable Ramon Hernandez RBI, doing most of its damage in a four-run fifth inning that swung the tide. Bedard wins #15, Orioles top Rays - 9/18/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles, led by Erik Bedard’s (pic) 15th win, trumped the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 4-1, in the opener of a three-game series. The freefalling O’s took advantage of one of the few teams worse than themselves, riding their ace southpaw to their first two-game winning streak in three weeks. Corey Patterson’s three-run homer provided the offense, while the bullpen made things dicey in crunch time but held fast to preserve the win. If nothing else, the victory all but guarantees that the Orioles won’t finish in last place this year. So, uh, you know…that’s something to hang your hat on. O's escape with wild win in Motown - 9/17/2006 6:00:00 PM - Folkemer In an absolutely absurd, thoroughly unbelievable fiasco of a game, the Orioles somehow managed a 10-inning, 12-8 slugfest win over the Tigers. This was a game the O’s should’ve won by a mile yet had no business winning at all. The Birds twice melted down, first with Daniel Cabrera’s stunning self-destruction that erased a four-run lead, and then on Chris Ray’s second straight blown save on a game-tying two-run homer in the eighth. Yet, an O’s offense that went infuriatingly silent the previous night more than picked up the slack this time, pounding out 18 hits-- including four apiece from Chris Gomez (pic) and Ramon Hernandez-- and rallying for four 10th-inning runs to avert a three-game sweep. Offense goes AWOL, O's get shut out - 9/16/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles lost for the 11th time in 13 games, putting up a shockingly horrendous offensive performance in a 2-0 shutout loss to the Tigers. The O’s managed just six hits and squandered the few scoring opportunities they had, going 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and grounding into two double plays. The pitiful hitting display wasted a stupendous outing by Kris Benson (pic), who worked all eight innings and held the Tigers to just two runs but ended up with a hard-luck loss. O's lose...17-2?! Ugh! Ouch! Brutal. - 9/15/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer In an utter fiasco, the Orioles reached new depths of humiliation-- and that’s saying something-- with an unsightly 17-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers. The third time wasn’t the charm for a frustratingly ineffective Hayden Penn (pic), whose third start for the O’s proved just as horrendous as the first two. The rookie right-hander once again allowed seven runs, most of them during an eight-run Tigers fourth inning that buried the Birds early, while four relievers each allowed at least one run (including Winston Abreu’s five) to turn a mere loss into a total embarrassment. The O’s couldn’t pitch, couldn’t hit, couldn’t field, and basically looked like a disgruntled and mentally exhausted bunch who just want to go home and escape the torture that is the 2006 season. Don’t we all. Snakebitten O's lose to Sox again, 6-5 - 9/14/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles, forever finding new and demoralizing ways to lose, continued their appalling futility against the Red Sox in a 6-5 defeat. It was yet another case of woulda, coulda, shoulda, didn’a for the Birds, who saw a late lead come unraveled through a combination of unlucky breaks, missed opportunities, and plain old lousiness. Adam Loewen lacked his best stuff but gutted through 5 1/3 innings, only for a mix-and-match bullpen of seven relievers to give the game away. Chris Ray blew a save in the eighth on a pair of cheap hits, and Rodrigo Lopez’s (pic) control problems in the ninth handed the Sox the lead. Meanwhile, an erratic O’s offense scored five runs in one inning and zero in the other eight, including a critical game-ending double play that left the tying run at third base. O's notch rare win over Red Sox, 4-0 - 9/13/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles exorcised their Red Sox demons-- at least temporarily-- with a smooth, efficient 4-0 shutout to snap a four-game losing skid. This was the polar opposite of the series’ opening game: quick, well-played, thoroughly satisfying, and not at all akin to Chinese water torture. Erik Bedard (pic) stepped up as a stopper yet again with seven magnificent innings of dominance, allowing just two measly singles-- and no hits after the second-- to lead the O’s to their ninth shutout win. The victory was just the Birds’ second in 14 games against the Red Sox this year. O's clinch ninth straight losing season - 9/12/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer In an interminable, weird, and often-torturous ballgame, the Orioles ended up with an all-too-familiar result: another loss, 6-5, to the Boston Red Sox. A newly bespectacled Daniel Cabrera (pic) carried a shutout into the sixth, but saw it come undone on a string of bad-luck hits, followed by another Birds bullpen blowup that gave the Sox a seemingly comfortable five-run margin. The O’s offense, shut down for most of the game, mounted a phenomenal rally by plating four runs in the ninth, but stranded the tying run at third base to fall short yet again. The loss marks the Orioles’ fourth straight defeat, and their 12th in 13 games against the Sox this season. But most notably, it was their 82nd loss of the year, guaranteeing that the club will finish under .500 for the ninth consecutive season. Well, at least they’re consistent. O's melt down in 7th, lose to Yankees - 9/11/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles fell victim to yet another frustrating, snatching-defeat-from-the-jaws-of-victory affair, dropping the series finale to the Yankees, 9-6. The Birds’ attempt to split the four-game set looked promising for much of the night, thanks to a five-run outburst against Randy Johnson and a superb performance by emergency starter Rodrigo Lopez. But it all came undone in a calamitous top of the seventh, in which the Yanks rallied for six runs against erratic rookie Jim Hoey (pic). In the game’s most crucial play, miscast left fielder Fernando Tatis misplayed a fly ball into a game-losing, bases-clearing double. It all added up to another tough defeat for a team limping its way through the final month. Benson Scratched - 9/11/2006 6:00:00 PM - Domen Starting pitcher Kris Benson will not be making his scheduled start Monday against Randy Johnson and the Yankees after coming down with strep throat. Taking his place will be Rodrigo Lopez, who was recently demoted from the rotation into the bullpen for the remainder of the season. Penn splattered again in 9-4 O's loss - 9/10/2006 6:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles dropped a season-worst 18 games under .500, taking their 80th loss of the year in a 9-4 decision against the Yankees. Hayden Penn’s (pic) second start of the year was nearly as disastrous as the first, with the young right-hander lasting just three innings and accumulating another seven runs to his name. The Bombers blasted the homerun-happy Hayden for three roundtrippers to amass an early insurmountable lead. On the offensive end, Ramon Hernandez did all the damage, driving in all four O’s runs with a pair of homeruns in a losing cause. O's lose pitcher's duel to Yanks, 3-2 - 9/9/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer One night after a satisfying and victorious return to Camden Yards, the Orioles reverted to their losing ways with a 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Yankees. The Birds’ offense was utterly stymied-- like many offenses before them-- by 17-game-winner Chien-Ming Wang, whose breakout season continued with tonight’s seven-inning gem. The O’s, just 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position, did themselves no favors with their repeated failures in the clutch. The lack of run support spoiled a fantastic outing from Yankee-killer Adam Loewen (pic), whose ability to hold the Bombers to two runs was rewarded only with a hard-luck loss. Bedard snaps drought, O's bash Yanks - 9/8/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer In a joyful return to Baltimore, the Orioles delivered an emphatic tail-whipping to the New York Yankees, 9-4, to open a four-game series. Coming off a disastrous 2-7 West Coast road trip, the O’s clicked on all cylinders back in the friendly confines of Camden Yards. Erik Bedard (pic) broke his seven-game winless streak with a solid six-inning performance, and this time he finally received some run support. The Birds’ bats erupted for eight runs in the first three innings-- including homeruns from Melvin Mora, Jay Gibbons, and David Newhan-- to get the weekend series started on the right foot. Even when the game has no pennant implications, it’s always satisfying to deliver a pinstriped smackdown. Burres Up - 9/7/2006 11:00:00 PM - Domen The Orioles have purchased the contract of left-handed pitcher Brian Burres from AAA Ottawa, and he's expected to join the team on Friday in Baltimore. Burres was originally claimed off waivers by Baltimore last winter from the San Francisco Giants. O's conclude West slide story, lose 8-4 - 9/6/2006 8:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles wrapped up their nightmarish West coast swing with an 8-4 loss, completing the Angels’ three-game sweep. The O’s exchanged jabs with the Angels early, trading the lead back and forth for the first five innings. A pair of Brian Roberts (pic) homeruns and a Kevin Millar blast balanced out a lackluster outing from starter Daniel Cabrera. But once the Birds’ ever-unreliable bullpen got into the act, it was all over. Chris Britton gave up the go-ahead run in the sixth-- the first of four runs allowed by the leaky relief corps-- to send the O’s reeling to their fourth three-game sweep of the year (and the first against a team other than Boston). The defeat finishes a nightmarish 2-7 road trip, as the Birds scurry back to Baltimore with their tail between their legs. O's woes continue in extra-inning loss - 9/5/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles suffered another snakebitten extra-inning loss, falling to the Angels, 5-2, on Adam Kennedy’s walkoff three-run homer in the 10th. A near-doppelganger of the previous night’s game took an interesting twist in the late innings, when the O’s twice battled back from one-run deficits to tie the game in the seventh and eighth, while Kris Benson (pic) hurled a gem. In the end, though, the Birds’ countless wasted scoring opportunities-- the club was just 3-for-19 with runners in scoring position-- came back to haunt them, setting the stage for Kennedy’s fateful blast off Julio Manon. It never fails. The Birds can scratch, and claw, and fight-- but more often than not, they’ll still end up on the wrong side of the score. Jered weaves a gem in 1-0 Orioles loss - 9/4/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles continued their uninspiring road trip with a slumbering 1-0 loss to California’s Los Angeles of Anaheim Angels of Anaheim, Los Angeles, in Anaheim, California, via Los Angeles, nowhere near San Francisco. For once, Rodrigo Lopez (pic) lost a game through none of his own doing, pitching a seven-inning tour de force marred only by a fourth-inning run. But he got no help from his teammates. A lifeless O’s offense accomplished nothing against sizzling Angels rookie Jered Weaver, who combined with two relievers to hand the Birds their sixth shutout loss of the season. Penn pounded in debut; O's lose, 10-1 - 9/3/2006 7:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles were blown out of the water in the rubber game with the A’s, losing the series finale in a 10-1 embarrassment. Hayden Penn’s first big-league start of the season was an unqualified disaster, as the youngster was torched for eight runs and eight hits without even getting out of the first inning. And when you’re down by eight runs after one inning, well, it’s all academic from there. Sure enough, the offense packed it in early, getting shut out for the final eight innings and grounding into four double plays to complete an all-around disastrous day in Oakland. O's bend, but don't break, in 6-5 win - 9/2/2006 9:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles pulled out a nailbiting win over the Athletics, 6-5, narrowly averting a second straight late-inning disaster. The O’s seemed to on their way to an easy win early, jumping out to a 5-0 lead to back a thoroughly dominant Adam Loewen (pic). Yet, the club’s supposed cruise encountered some rough waters. An unjustified tongue-lashing from the home plate umpire irreparably rattled Loewen, who lost control of the strike zone and suffered a four-run A’s rally without getting an out in the sixth. Happily, the much-maligned O’s bullpen held the fort, with four relievers combining on four strong innings to preserve the ever-so-slight margin of victory. Identifying the O's needs is the first step - 9/2/2006 12:00:00 PM - Pente How close are the O's to contending? Tony takes a look at the Orioles holes and discusses possible replacements in 2007. O's throw one away in Oakland, lose 5-4 - 9/1/2006 1:00:00 PM - Folkemer In an all too familiar grabbing-defeat-from-the-jaws-of-victory fiasco, the Orioles suffered a stinging loss to the Oakland Athletics, 5-4. Holding a one-run edge with two outs in the seventh, the Birds’ fortunes turned for the worst when Melvin Mora (pic) uncorked a wild throw to first on what should’ve been an easy third out. The critical error extended the inning and allowed Frank Thomas to smash a heartbreaking, lead-shifting two-run homer off Todd Williams, essentially burying the demoralized O’s. Mora’s gaffe overshadowed an otherwise strong game in which he collected three hits and two RBIs, while hard-luck Erik Bedard was rendered winless again despite an effective six-inning performance. September Call Ups - 9/1/2006 12:00:00 PM - Domen The Orioles announced that a handful of players will be called up not just Friday, but throughout the weekend as minor league seasons come to an end. On Friday, OF Jeff Fiorentino will be promoted from AA Bowie. Triple-A pitchers Julio Manon and Winston Abreu have also been promoted. On Saturday it'll be Hayden Penn who gets promoted. He'll be making a start on Sunday for the Orioles, as they likely go to a six-man rotation. And after Sunday's game the Orioles expect to add pitcher Chris Britton from AA Bowie. He'll join the team in time for a series in Anaheim. Orioles end August with a loss, 7-5 - 8/31/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles slumbered their way to a series loss in Texas, dropping the rubber game to the Rangers by a 7-5 score. Daniel Cabrera’s magic from the previous two games was nowhere to be found tonight, as the enigmatic right-hander wallowed through the kind of unimpressive, control-challenged outing that has infuriated fans all too many times before. Meanwhile, an injury-ravaged, threadbare O’s lineup couldn’t get anything going until it was too late, with a last-ditch rally attempt falling short after eight innings of haplessness. The lone exception was the completely unstoppable Nick Markakis (pic), who delivered three more hits and a homerun to complete his eye-popping August. Catching On - 8/31/2006 1:00:00 AM - Domen A series of roster moves and injuries have left the Orioles, still, a bit shorthanded as they wait for rosters to expandon Friday. Prior to Wednesday's game they claimed catcher Danny Ardoin from the Colorado Rockies. The 32-year-old was hitting .193 in 35 games this year with the Rockies. He made his Orioles debut Wednesday night when starting catcher Ramon Hernandez went down with a strained back, appearing in the ninth inning. He was brought in when Chris Widger got hurt on Tuesday. O's blow lead but win in extras, 7-4 - 8/30/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles outlasted the Rangers in a whirlwind affair, pulling out a 7-4 victory in 10 innings. It was a game of ups and downs for the Birds, who plated four runs in the first inning…and didn’t score again until nine innings later, when a three-run rally broke a tie in the 10th. Miguel Tejada led the offense with four hits, Jay Gibbons (pic) delivered the go-ahead double, and new number three hitter Nick Markakis blasted another homer. On the pitching side, a strong Kris Benson saw a well-deserved win blown by his bullpen, but LaTroy Hawkins restored order with a pair of scoreless innings to earn the victory. Newhan Activated - 8/30/2006 4:00:00 AM - Domen Before the first game of their series in Texas, the Orioles activated OF/IF David Newhan. A spot on the roster opened up following the trade of Jeff Conine earlier this week. Newhan entered the game after an injury to Corey Patterson and played center field. He finished 1-3 with an RBI. Orioles wilt in Texas heat, lose 9-4 - 8/29/2006 8:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles hit the road and hit the skids, falling flat on their faces in a 9-4 loss to the Texas Rangers. Combine an erratic Rodrigo Lopez (pic) with an overanxious, flailing offense and a highly flammable bullpen, and the concoction spells certain doom for the Birds. A possibly bullpen-bound Lopez was tagged for seven runs in 6 2/3 innings, but go no help from a ragged relief corps that allowed three inherited runners to score. In the meantime, the O’s offense was stymied by veteran Kevin Millwood, who tossed his second complete game against the club this year. Ninth-inning heroics lift O's again, 5-4 - 8/27/2006 8:00:00 PM - Folkemer In a wild afternoon at Camden Yards, the Orioles celebrated their second straight walkoff win, 5-4, with Miguel Tejada’s (pic) game-winning single in the ninth completing a sweep of the Devil Rays. Dominated early by Rays rookie J.P. Howell, the Birds rallied against the Tampa Bay bullpen for a run apiece in the seventh, eighth, and ninth to overcome a two-run deficit. Jeff Conine, in what turned out to be his final at-bat as an Oriole, delivered a clutch game-tying double in the eighth, then was dealt to Philadelphia just moments after the game. Meanwhile, strong O’s defense and relief work bailed out less-than-stellar starter Adam Loewen, making possible the Birds’ second sweep of the year. Conine Traded to Phillies - 8/27/2006 5:00:00 PM - Legendre During Sunday's game the Orioles completed a trade sending Jeff Conine to the Philadelphia Phillies for a player to be named later. Hernandez delivers walkoff in 3-2 win - 8/26/2006 10:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles enjoyed a walkoff win against the Devil Rays, stealing a 3-2 victory on Ramon Hernandez’s ninth-inning RBI single. This was a game that, for seven or eight innings, it appeared the Birds had no business winning. A less-than-his-best Erik Bedard was tagged for a surprising 11 hits, but he impressively gutted through seven innings and minimized the damage to two runs with help from a few key defensive plays. In the meantime, the infuriatingly aggressive Birds’ offense got themselves out on all too many reckless first-pitch hacks, but homers by Nick Markakis and Jeff Conine kept the team in the game and set up Ramon’s last at-bat heroics. Cabrera impresses again, O's win, 4-0 - 8/25/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles opened the battle of the divisional also-rans with a highly satisfying 4-0 shutout of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. A resurgent Daniel Cabrera (pic) enjoyed his second straight flawless start, allowing just three walks and no extra-base hits in seven shutout frames, to run his scoreless-innings streak to 16. In the meantime, the O’s offense-- giving new meaning to the term “productive outs”-- squeaked out four runs without a single RBI hit, taking advantage of two sac flies, a run-scoring groundout, and an error. Chris Ray retired all five batters he faced for the extra-distance save, capping the Birds’ eighth shutout victory of the season. Boffo Boof baffles Birds in 11-2 loss - 8/24/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles belly-flopped in the rubber game against the Twins, losing the series by suffering a miserable 11-2 blowout. The game started out eerily similar to the previous night’s-- with an O’s starter getting torched for double-digit hits, while the Birds’ bats went silent against a little-known rookie-- and only escalated in its unwatchable grimness. Kris Benson (pic) failed to make it out of the fourth inning and coughed up six runs, while relief arsonists Bruce Chen and Russ Ortiz were tagged for another five, leading the Twins to their finale laugher. The ample run support backed Minnesota starter Boof Bonser, who delivered the finest outing ever against the Birds for a guy named “Boof.” Hoey Up - 8/24/2006 4:00:00 AM - Domen Hoping to bolster what has been a struggling bullpen, the Orioles called up reliever Jim Hoey from AA Bowie on Wednesday. The 6-8 flame thrower had racked up nearly 30 saves in the minor leagues this season, beginning with his tenure in Delmarva. Unlucky 13: hit-happy Lopez, O's lose - 8/23/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles fell back to earth after Tuesday’s fireworks display, dropping a snoozer to the Twins by a 4-1 score. Rodrigo Lopez (pic) was knocked around for a galling 13 hits in six innings-- including, in all fairness, several broken-bat bleeders and nubbers-- and the Twins made their early lead stand up. Rookie Matt Garza stymied the Birds for six strong innings for his first major-league win, getting support from phenomenal Twins defense and three perfect innings from the bullpen. The O’s offense couldn’t get anything going, managing only five hits-- all singles-- in taking their 70th loss of the year. Penn To Make Six? - 8/23/2006 12:00:00 PM - Domen The Baltimore Sun suggested on Wednesday that pitcher Hayden Penn is likely to be the sixth pitcher in the Orioles' rotation come September when rosters expand from 25 to 40. Nick's three jacks, Adam's gem lead O's - 8/22/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles opened a three-game series with a dazzling 6-3 win over the Minnesota Twins, led by the rookie brigade of Nick Markakis and Adam Loewen. On this fantastic night, the Birds’ future looked as bright as it’s ever been, thanks to the stupendous performances of the club’s freshman duo. The only question is, which was the more remarkable performance? Adam’s eight-inning, one-run masterpiece in which he retired the last 21 batters he faced? Or Nick’s unprecedented power display in which he bashed not one, not two, but three homeruns? One thing’s for sure-- if their youngsters keep playing like this, the O’s will be an extremely fun team to watch for years to come. O's bats go away on Halladay in 9-2 loss - 8/20/2006 6:00:00 PM - Folkemer In a clunker of a series finale, the Orioles’ sweep attempt was thwarted by Roy Halladay and the Blue Jays in a 9-2 loss. A battle of aces between Halladay and Erik Bedard (pic) turned into a rather one-sided affair, as the former carried a perfect game into the sixth inning while the latter was bashed for seven runs. A grievous non-call on a would-be first-inning strikeout seemed to rattle Bedard’s cage, with the southpaw ultimately falling victim to two homeruns, a squeeze bunt, and a costly throwing error in allowing his most runs since May. Halladay took it the rest of the way with a dominant seven-inning performance, notching his league-leading 16th win. A Plan for the O's - 8/20/2006 1:00:00 PM - Pente 8/20 - With the MASN deal in place, it's time for the O's to reconnect to their fan base. Here's a plan to get back to a first class organization that fans will connect to again. D-Cab dominates, bats boom in big win - 8/19/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer It took until the middle of August, but the Orioles finally marked their first four-game winning streak of the season with an incredible 15-0 pasting of the Blue Jays. It’s rare that an offense could explode for more than two touchdowns’ worth of runs and not even be the biggest story of the game. Such was the case today, however, as Daniel Cabrera (pic) trumped all other heroics with perhaps the finest masterpiece of his big-league career, tossing a five-hit, 10-whiff shutout in his utter domination of the Jays. His teammates made life easy for him by erupting for seven runs in the first inning, five in the seventh, and three in between. Kevin Millar led the charge with five RBIs, while homers by Nick Markakis, Miguel Tejada, and Brian Roberts hastened the destruction. It was, all in all, one of the most one-sided, thoroughly overpowering games in franchise history. O's, Benson cruise past Blue Jays, 7-2 - 8/18/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles opened a nine-game homestand with an easy, efficient victory over the Toronto Blue Jays, 7-2. Continuing the momentum from their demolition at Yankee Stadium, the O’s jumped out to a 6-0 lead after two innings and cruised the rest of the way, tying their season high with their third straight win. The Birds’ recently rejiggered top of the lineup continued to pay dividends, as 2-3-4 hitters Nick Markakis, Melvin Mora, and Miguel Tejada collected three hits apiece, scoring five runs and driving in five. An effective Kris Benson (pic) took it from there with seven solid innings to collect his first victory in two months. O's spank Yanks 12-2, win series - 8/17/2006 7:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles, in one of their most delightful, giddily satisfying blowout victories of the year, delivered a 12-2 tail-whipping to the Yankees in the rubber match of the three-game set. For as bad as the Birds have looked most of the season, they were world-beaters on this magnificent day, humiliating the Yanks on their home field and notching their first series win in three weeks. Absolutely everything went the Orioles’ way for once, from Rodrigo Lopez’s superb seven-inning performance to a blistering offense that made the most of its nine hits. The O’s nearly homered for the cycle-- with a Brian Roberts solo blast, a Fernando Tatis two-run shot, and a Nick Markakis (pic) three-run dinger-- in its delectable feast on Yankee pitching. Even if the Orioles end up with 90 losses this year, we can always look back on today’s festivities and smile. Hallelujah! Orioles win nailbiter, 3-2 - 8/16/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles released their pent-up frustrations with a hard-fought, tooth-and-nail, squeaker victory over the Yankees, 3-2. Rookie Adam Loewen (pic) played the role of stopper with his second gem against the Yanks in the last two weeks, but he couldn’t breathe easy until the much-maligned Birds bullpen redeemed itself with 3 1/3 superb scoreless innings. Four relievers wriggled themselves free of numerous Yankee rallies, and closer Chris Ray exorcised his pinstriped demons with an impressive two-inning save. On the offensive end, the O’s scored one run apiece in the first three innings and made it stand up, with new #2 hitter Nick Markakis blasting his sixth homerun. The tense win snaps the Birds’ five-game losing streak and sets up a Thursday afternoon rubber game. Snyder Out - 8/16/2006 1:00:00 PM - Domen Catcher Brandon Snyder, last year's first round pick is slated to have surgery to fix a torn rotator cuff, following a second opinion that confirmed the tear. The shoulder in question is his left, non-throwing shoulder, which could make his recovery a little faster. Right now it's estimated that he'll need nine months to recover. Same sad song: O's lose late to Yanks - 8/15/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles ran their losing streak to five with another bitter loss to the New York Yankees, blowing a late-inning multi-run lead in a head-shaking 6-3 defeat. This is far from the first time “bitter loss” and “Yankees” have appeared in the same sentence when it comes to the Birds, who have now seen the Bombers rally against their bullpen four times this year. A masterful outing by starter Erik Bedard was erased the moment he handed the ball to his relief corps in the seventh. LaTroy Hawkins (pic) needed just two batters to erase a two-run lead, Tim Byrdak allowed the go-ahead hit, and Chris Britton was tagged for two insurance runs in the eighth to complete the bullpen’s misery. All in a day’s work for a team spiraling hopelessly out of control. Sox slam, sweep away hapless Orioles - 8/13/2006 7:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles were swept away by the Red Sox in a wildly madcap yet typically depressing 11-9 loss in the finale. The O’s were in a constant battle with themselves, as a prolific brigade of bats did everything they could to keep the game competitive, while a frustratingly off-kilter pitching staff sabotaged their offense’s efforts at every turn. Daniel Cabrera’s (pic) second start since his return was a dreary disaster that recalled all of his usual agonizing struggles, resulting in a seven-run debacle that included the Birds’ 10th grand slam allowed this year. Three scrap-heap relievers each allowed a run, giving the Sox more breathing room to withstand the Orioles’ 14-hit, three-homer attack. The O’s made things interesting in the ninth, plating a pair of runs to pull within two, but stranded the bases loaded to fall to 1-11 against Boston this year. O's Waste Lead, Lose Again To Boston - 8/12/2006 7:00:00 PM - Domen Things started off great for the Orioles, but if only the first half of the game counted then perhaps they'd get credit for a win. But that's not how baseball works. Instead the ending ruined what had otherwise been a nice outing for Kris Benson, and included some instances of solid relief and others that weren’t so nice. It saw Brandon Fahey make two mental mistakes, though in fairness they were aggressive mistakes made trying to salvage a win, and manager Sam Perlozzo use Bruce Chen against the heart of the Sox while his best reliever, Chris Ray, sat and watched from the bullpen in the outfield. It was frankly a game that the Orioles should have won. Instead they’ll enter tomorrow’s game hoping to avoid a sweep on the road. Red Sox beat up on O's - 8/11/2006 1:00:00 PM - Pente David Wells shut the O's offense down while Adam Loewen was unable to build upon his solid outing last time out allowing six runs in just two and a third innings as the Red Sox beat up the O's 9-2. The Orioles are now 12-28 in games started by a left-hander. O's On Sour End Of Pitching Duel - 8/9/2006 1:00:00 PM - Domen Erik Bedard has been one of the most dominant pitchers in MLB lately, but on this particular Wednesday he was just a bit less dominant than former Cy Young winner Roy Halladay, who tossed 7 1/3 innings and allowed just three runs and eight hits in a 4-3 win over Baltimore. Halladay ties the major league lead with 14 wins for the season. B.J. Ryan tossed the final inning and two thirds for his 26th save. Cabrera sharp as O's beat Blue Jays - 8/8/2006 1:00:00 PM - Pente Daniel Cabrera (5-7) allowed just two runs, one earned, on five hits in seven innings to lead the O's to a 8-4 win. Cabrera struck out seven and tied a season low with just one walk. Nick Markakis hit a opposite field three-run bomb and singled in a another to drive in four on the night. Cabrera Up - 8/8/2006 1:00:00 AM - Domen After just a handful of starts at AAA Ottawa, the Orioles will bring back pitcher Daniel Cabrera from the minor leagues and start him later today in Toronto. Cabrera was 3-1 with the Lynx, with his last outing including six shutout innings. To make room the O's, inexplicably even, sent Winston Abreu back to AAA Ottawa. It comes at a time when Russ Ortiz is far and away challenging for the title of worst Oriole pitcher ever to continuously make starts. He's made 10 starts (11 total appearances) this 2006 season and hasn't won a single one of them. Jays Hammer Orioles 8-1 - 8/7/2006 1:00:00 PM - Domen Russ Ortiz retired nine hitters, but faced 21 over three plus innings. In that time he gave up nine hits while surrendering three more walks in giving up six runs. He didn’t strike out anyone, but did allow two home runs. So much for that mechanical adjustment he and pitching coach Leo Mazzone discovered, huh? Minor League Report Aug 6th - 8/6/2006 2:00:00 PM - Pente A look through the minors as of Aug 6th. Yanks Homer Past O's 6-1 - 8/6/2006 1:00:00 PM - Legendre Rodrigo Lopez gave up four, four solo homers to the Yankees today in a 6-1 loss. Derek Jeter, Johnny Damon, Miguel Cabrera and Jason Giambi all teed off Lopez in today's game. Nick Markakis singled in Jeff Conine for Baltimore's only run in the loss. Loewen, Orioles Shutout Yankees 5-0 - 8/5/2006 1:00:00 PM - Legendre Adam Loewen pitched six and a third one-hit innings to lead Baltimore to the 5-0 shuout over the Yankees. Miguel Tejada went three-for-four in the game with a double and two runs scored and Brian Roberts had the big hit, a two-RBI single in the second, which turned out to be more than enough for the victory! Benson DL'ed - 8/5/2006 1:00:00 PM - Domen The Orioles put pitcher Kris Benson on the disabled list Friday night, and activated pitcher LaTroy Hawkins from the bereavement list. Yanks Nip O's 5-4 - 8/4/2006 11:00:00 PM - Pente Jorge Posada broke a 4-4 tie in the 9th with a monumental home run off Orioles closer Chris Ray to send the Yankees to a 5-4 win over the O's. Fernando Tatis was given a start in right field and responded by going 2-for-4 with a home run off Randy Johnson to leda the offense. Javy Lopez Traded to Boston - 8/4/2006 1:00:00 PM - Pente The O's have traded disgruntled Javy Lopez to the Red Sox. Bedard Loses First In Nearly Two Months - 8/2/2006 7:00:00 PM - Domen No question about it, today was a hot one. Expecting peak performance out of anyone, the pitching, the hitting, whatever, would be somewhat unreasonable. And yet on this day, when the game time temps were 102 degrees at Camden Yards, the Orioles got outstanding pitching from Erik Bedard and the bullpen but still floundered in a 2-1 loss to Seattle. It was yet another series at home the Orioles lost, and the first game Bedard lost since way back on June 11th. Pitching Dominates In 2-0 Win - 8/1/2006 1:00:00 PM - Domen The hero of the night was Rodrigo Lopez, who tossed 7 2/3 outstanding shutout innings of baseball, leading many to ponder just where such outings had been all season in a 2-0 win at home against Seattle. Lopez needed just 82 pitches, which in the oppressive heat that's covering about half the country was plenty, to dispatch of Seattle. He allowed just four hits and didnt' walk a batter while striking out five. No Trades Made - 8/1/2006 1:00:00 AM - Domen The Orioles ultimately stood pat again as the non-waiver trading deadline came and went. The biggest name mentioned had been Miguel Tejada, but he expressed relief and happiness to remain in Baltimore. He also told The Sun that he would not demand a trade in the offseason either and that he wanted to win in Baltimore. Houston, Los Angeles, and Texas had all discussed deals. Mariners Hammer O's 10-5 - 7/31/2006 11:00:00 PM - Pente After another trading deadline came and went with the Orioles doing nothing once again, it seemed only fitting that the Orioles would jump out to a 3-0 lead before watching the Mariners come back for a 10-5 win. Adam Loewen deserved a better fate but the bullpen took a close game and made it a debacle. O's Rally To Win - 7/30/2006 11:00:00 PM - Gray In this case the Birds battled all odds to pull the game out, after doing everything in their power to give it away. The AP game report supplies those breathtaking odds: “Before Sunday, Baltimore was 2-51 when trailing in the ninth inning. Chicago was 51-1 when taking a lead into the ninth.” I won’t even attempt to multiply those odds to arrive at the improbability of what hero Javy Lopez and the rest of his Oriole batmates accomplished. On second thought, how about 9436.7346938859 to 1? No, wait, I forgot about Jenks. “Jenks had converted 19 straight save opportunities and was an AL-best 28-for-29 (96.6 percent) this season.” So if we just multiply the previous number by 96.6, we get approximate odds of 911, 589 to 1. But wait; Jenks had 19 straight, so that’s an infinite number . . . Okay, I give up. But you get the idea. It was an impossible comeback, but it happened. ChiSox Win Wild 13-11 Game - 7/29/2006 1:00:00 PM - Legendre Twenty-four runs, thirty-seven hits, one error and twenty-one men left on base. It was a wild game at Camden Yards on Saturday, a steamy 97 degrees, the stands almost 3/4 full and the Orioles playing the defending World Series Champions. It was also the first big league start for Jim Johnson; he was living the dream. But the dream quickly turned into a nightmare, the nightmare almost turned into a great comeback victory. But in the end, it was an explosive loss for the Orioles. Various topics - 7/29/2006 1:00:00 PM - Pente 7/29 - Tony covers the Tejada situation, Daniel Cabrera, looks through the minors and tells you of a former number one prospct that is back on the prospect scene. O's lose heartbreaker to ChiSox, 6-4 - 7/28/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles suffered a heartwrenching loss to the Chicago White Sox, giving away a two-run lead in the ninth inning en route to a 6-4 loss. In the opener of a three-game series, the O’s seemed to have everything going for them: a gutsy outing by newfound ace Erik Bedard, who left in line for his eighth straight win; a trio of RBI doubles, including two from Miguel Tejada, to grab an early lead; and a raucous, floppy-hat-wielding crowd at Camden Yards to cheer on the Birds’ every move. Only one thing didn’t work out as planned: the ending. Closer Chris Ray (pic) melted down in the ninth, coughing up a grand slam to injury replacement Ross Gload-- who hadn’t homered in two years-- to leave the Orioles stunned. I suppose there’s a reason the Sox are defending World Series champions, while the O’s are 10 games under .500. JJ Johnson Up To Start - 7/28/2006 1:00:00 PM - Domen The Orioles will be skipping Kris Benson's start this weekend as he tries to deal with a bout of tendonitis. Taking his place this Saturday will be J.J. Johnson, who had been scheduled to start for AA Bowie O's go all-out to finish off Royals, 6-4 - 7/27/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer In the rubber match of the three-game set, the Orioles used all the ammo in their arsenal to outlast the Royals, 6-4. Determined to avoid an embarrassing series loss, skipper Sam Perlozzo managed as if this were the seventh game of the World Series, using six relief pitchers and nearly emptying his bench to finally finish off the ever-resistant Royals. Rodrigo Lopez (pic), in what may have been his final start as an Oriole, miraculously gave up just two runs despite allowing 11 hits, while Perlozzo mixed-and-matched his relievers to struggle through the final four innings. The O’s offense, conversely, made the most of every opportunity, collecting six runs despite having just one batter with a multi-hit game. The Birds finish their road trip against two bad teams with a ho-hum 3-3 record, and will return home to face the White Sox. Loewen behold: Adam earns 1st ML win - 7/26/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles rebounded from Tuesday’s debacle, bouncing back from their much-deserved tongue-lashing to edge out the Royals, 4-3. The story of the night was starter Adam Loewen (pic), whose solid five-inning performance earned him his first major-league win, but not before he sweated out a late Kansas City comeback attempt against the Birds’ bullpen. A less-than-his-best Chris Ray gutted through 1 1/3 to preserve the rookie southpaw’s memorable victory. On the offensive end, the bottom of the Orioles’ lineup did the major damage, with the 6-7-8-9 hitters combining on a 9-for-16 night (led by Jeff Conine’s four hits) while driving in and scoring all four runs. Boy. It was all still a little too tense for my liking, but hey, a win is a win. Meet Keith Reed - 7/26/2006 1:00:00 PM - other An interview with former number one pick and current Ottawa Lynx outfielder Keith Reed Orioles lose to MLB's worst team, 7-5 - 7/25/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles made embarrassments of themselves in the opener of a three-game series, falling to the Kansas City Royals, 7-5. Despite facing the worst team in the majors, and despite giving an early 4-0 lead to Kris Benson, and despite being handed three runs on three errors in the first, and despite pounding out 13 hits (including four by Miguel Tejada) and putting 18 runners on base, and despite carrying a lead into the seventh, the woeful, hapless Birds managed to grab defeat from the jaws of victory. A wild Benson was tagged for a pair of two-run homers by Mark Teahen, while both the bullpen and the defense melted down in a three-run Royals eighth that decided the game. I would say the O’s have hit rock bottom, but they still have two games remaining in this series. Slammed by a Washington Post Beat Writer - 7/25/2006 9:00:00 PM - Pente 7/25 - Tony answers Jorge Arangure Jr's of the Washington Post after he rips the Hangout and Tony in his online chat today. Bedard restores order, O's avert sweep - 7/23/2006 8:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles, saving themselves from any more embarrassment than they’ve already suffered in this series, salvaged the finale of the three-game set with the Devil Rays, 4-2. Once again, the O’s relied on their stopper/ace/wunderkind/franchise savior Erik Bedard (pic), who suffered no ill effects from his food poisoning with a strong seven-inning performance. Rays starter Scott Kazmir was Erik’s equal, but his bullpen wasn’t, as the Birds scored twice in the eighth to break a 2-2 tie and back Bedard’s seventh straight win. That the O’s scored 19 runs in the first two games and lost them both, then won with a mighty output of four, speaks perfectly to the insanity that was this ridiculous series. Gibbons Begins Rehab - 7/23/2006 1:00:00 PM - Domen 7/23 - Jay Gibbons will begin a rehab assignment with AA Bowie today. O's lose unbelievable 13-12 slugfest - 7/22/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer Ladies and gentlemen, feast your eyes on the most insane game in the history of the Orioles-- an unfathomable 13-12 loss to the Devil Rays in which the O’s scored nine runs in the seventh inning, pounded out 22 hits…and somehow still came up short. The offense was simultaneously super-prolific and incredibly disappointing, receiving great individual performances from Corey Patterson (5-for-5), Brian Roberts (four hits) and Miguel Tejada (ditto), but also hitting into an unconscionable five double plays and failing horribly in key clutch spots to squander rally after rally. The pitching staff, meanwhile, was out-and-out horrendous. Rodrigo Lopez may well have destroyed his trade value with a fifth-inning meltdown, and selected relievers helped little with abysmal outings. The Rays posted 10 runs in the fifth-- including two Julio Lugo homeruns-- to help them withstand the Orioles’ nine-run rally two innings later. Well, you’ve got to hand it to the Birds-- they can always find the most jaw-dropping, unbelievable ways to lose a ballgame. This one truly takes the cake. Ortiz, O's pitchers collapse in 14-7 loss - 7/21/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer Behind perhaps the most abysmal start in the history of Orioles pitching, the O’s were pounded by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 14-7. In the opener of a three-game series that will go a long way to determining last place in the AL East, the Birds watched in horror as emergency starter Russ Ortiz failed to retire a single batter, instead allowing all six hitters he faced to reach base and score. The catastrophe only snowballed from there, as relievers Adam Loewen (pic) and Eddy Rodriguez coughed up another eight runs-- including a Jorge Cantu grand slam, one of four Rays homers-- to spoil a strong night for the Orioles offense. Is there any legitimate reason we can’t just end this season in July? O's catch Zs against Zito, lose 5-1 - 7/19/2006 7:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles struggled on both sides of the field as they dropped the rubber game to the Athletics, 5-1. Starter Kris Benson (pic) was unimpressive, surrendering three homeruns-- which ties his season high-- amidst a five-run, six-inning performance. The O’s offense, meanwhile, was stymied by former Cy Young winner Barry Zito, scraping across just one run for the third time in the past week. The loss drops the Birds back to nine games under .500 and completes a 3-4 homestand. They hope to bounce back on their upcoming road trip against the Devil Rays and Royals, two teams that are even worse than the Orioles. Sloppy O's left soggy in 5-4 loss to A's - 7/18/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles, seeking their first four-game winning streak of the year, were thwarted once again with a disappointing 5-4 loss to the Athletics. In a rain-marred game that stretched into the wee hours, the O’s wasted an early 3-0 lead due to a homer-prone Russ Ortiz and a control-challenged Eddy Rodriguez (pic), whose critical throwing error in the fourth provided the margin of defeat. After their early assault, the Birds’ bats went mostly silent, stranding five runners in scoring position (including the tying run at third in the ninth), while manager Sam Perlozzo’s frustrations boiled over into an eighth-inning ejection. It’s back to the drawing board for the Birds, who will have to continue their wait for a fantastic four-game streak. O's offense outlasts Oakland in 5-3 win - 7/17/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles opened a three-game series with the Oakland Athletics with an improbable 5-3 victory. The O’s weren’t exactly fundamentally sound in a game that featured a bases-loaded walk, a bases-loaded balk, a botched rundown, a steal of home, and other assorted inconveniences. Yet, when all was said and done, the Birds stayed on their feet and pulled out a victory, thanks to clutch RBI singles by Melvin Mora (pic) and Miguel Tejada to break a seventh-inning tie. The Orioles’ bullpen did a superb job again, with four solid innings in relief of an unhittable but control-challenged Adam Loewen, to lead the O’s to their first three-game winning streak since the end of May. Pitching strong again, O's blank Texas - 7/16/2006 6:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles salvaged a series split of the Rangers with a victory in the finale, 4-0. A combination of four hurlers, led by rejuvenated starter Rodrigo Lopez, delivered the Birds’ third straight sensational pitching performance. Lopez held the powerful Rangers offense to a mere five hits, all singles, while the bullpen worked 3 1/3 innings of perfect relief. On the offensive end, homeruns by Miguel Tejada and Nick Markakis (pic) provided ample run support to back the Orioles’ third shutout win of the year. The O’s hope to keep up the AL West momentum as they welcome the Oakland Athletics for three games. Like clockwork, Bedard wins again, 8-1 - 7/15/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles, once again riding the stopper status of Erik Bedard, got back on track against the Rangers in an 8-1 win. The Birds’ left-hander picked up right where he left off before the All-Star break, pitching seven brilliant innings and allowing just an unearned run for his sixth consecutive win. In the meantime, the heretofore sluggish O’s offense found itself rejuvenated-- and against a lefty, no less-- with a 14-hit, eight-run attack, including at least one hit from every starter. Ah, it’s nice to have a game like this every once in a while. Now, let’s see if we can’t do it with a bit more frequency. Offense nonexistent, O's lose again, 2-1 - 7/14/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles continued their stumble out of the second-half gate, going silent with the bats against in a 2-1 loss to the Rangers. This game wasn’t what you’d call a barnburner-- case in point, all three runs scored on ever-exhilarating sacrifice flies-- but was notable for a sensational (yet wasted) performance by Kris Benson (pic). The veteran dominated the Rangers with a complete-game, four-hit masterpiece, only to be abandoned by a hapless O’s offense, which was held to one meager run for the second night in a row. The Birds dropped to 10 games under .500, matching their season worst. With the trade deadline fast approaching, they can’t start overhauling this uninspiring team fast enough. Two Up, Two Down - 7/14/2006 1:00:00 PM - Domen The Orioles shook up the pitching staff today, sending starter Daniel Cabrera and reliever Sendy Rleal to AAA Ottawa. Up in their places are Adam Loewen and Eddy Rodriguez. Second half, same agony: O's lose, 15-1 - 7/13/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles, hoping to start the second half of the season on an up note, instead suffered about as embarrassing a loss as possible, getting pummeled by the Texas Rangers, 15-1. Believe it or not, this was actually a tie game until the sixth, when it all came crashing down quicker than you can say, “When does football season start?” The Rangers torched a demoralized Daniel Cabrera and three relievers (including cannon fodder Bruce Chen) for 14 runs in the last four innings, as Maryland native Mark Teixeira walloped three homeruns and drove in seven in sending the Birds to their 50th loss of the year. The O’s apparently enjoyed the All-Star break so much that they elected not to show up for work tonight. Scouting Frederick - 7/13/2006 9:00:00 PM - Pente Tony finds three pitchers who can reach the high 90's at Frederick and gives his thoughts on a Nolan Reimold. Shorebirds First Half Report Part 2 - 7/12/2006 1:00:00 AM - Shorebird Docs first half player impressions and an interview with pitching coach Kennie Steenstra. Shorebirds First Half Report Part 1 - 7/12/2006 1:00:00 AM - Shorebird A year ago, we were clamoring for the second half to start so that we could get new players and a fresh start. This year, we were thankful for the All-Star break just so we could catch our breath. Gomez Returns - 7/10/2006 9:00:00 AM - Domen O's close out first half with 5-4 win - 7/9/2006 6:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles headed into the All-Star break on an up note, notching a win over the Indians in the rubber game, 5-4. This wasn’t exactly a game straight out of Tom Emansky’s Instructional Videos, as both teams made numerous mistakes and sloppy play dominated the day. Rodrigo Lopez saw an otherwise strong outing undone when his defense betrayed him, with critical O’s misplays opening the door for a four-run Indians second. Yet, it was Cleveland that threw the game away, blowing a three-run lead with wild pitches, passed balls, and other assorted late-inning hijinks. The Birds’ bullpen restored order with four scoreless innings, including a five-out save by Chris Ray, and Javy Lopez (pic) contributed three hits and a homer. The Orioles head into their three-day hiatus with a 41-49 record. Orioles need to change their ways - 7/9/2006 12:00:00 PM - Pente 7/9 - The O's need to change their ways and take on risk if they are to break out of mediocrity. Bedard plays stopper, O's win, 7-4 - 7/8/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles finally recorded a much-needed victory, snapping their four-game losing streak with a 7-4 win over the Indians. The freefalling O’s found temporary salvation behind their newfound ace, Erik Bedard, who notched his 10th win of the year with a strong if not overpowering performance. Meanwhile, the Birds’ offense finally put up a competent performance against a left-handed pitcher, hammering rookie Jeremy Sowers for seven runs in four innings to jump out to a huge early lead. Things got tense when a late-inning Indians rally brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but Chris Ray successfully shut the door and chased away the Orioles’ frustrations for at least one night. Cleveland rocks Orioles in 9-0 debacle - 7/7/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles continued their full-blown meltdown by humiliating themselves in Cleveland, dropping the opener of a three-game series with the Indians, 9-0. What’s left to say at this point? All the usual ingredients were present for the shameful O’s. An abysmal starting pitching performance: check (Kris Benson: seven runs in three innings). A nonexistent offense: check (shut out for the fifth time this year). Atrocious, almost comical defense: check (at one point, Orioles outfielders were literally tripping over each other). And one of the most lackadaisical, apathetic efforts of the year from the team: big check (even the normally mild-mannered Sam Perlozzo looked embarrassed by his team’s indifferent lollygagging). With the loss, the Birds fell to a season-worst 10 games under .500. O's lose slugfest and series to ChiSox - 7/6/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles came up on the short end of an 11-8 slugfest in Chicago, completing a series loss to the White Sox. One night after the Birds’ bats failed them late, they finally got the offense working just in time to make no difference whatsoever. Russ Ortiz’s second outing as an Oriole was just as lousy as the first, as he coughed up a pair of homeruns to Jim Thome-- including a grand slam-- to blow an early three-run lead. An awful relief appearance by Todd Williams (pic)-- who coughed up another two roundtrippers-- sealed the team’s fate. After the first game of the series, the O’s were utterly outmanned, outclassed, outplayed, overmatched, and overwhelmed by the defending World Series champions. Matos DFAed - 7/6/2006 1:00:00 PM - Pente 7/6 - Luis Matos was designated for assignment today by the Orioles. Birds blow late rallies, fall to Sox, 4-2 - 7/5/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles dropped another one to the White Sox, suffering through a brutal beginning and a heartbreaking finish in a 4-2 loss. Daniel Cabrera’s (pic) Jekyll-and-Hyde routine was worked into overdrive, as he melted down amidst a 10-batter, four-run Sox first inning-- and then held them scoreless for the rest of the night. In the meantime, the Birds’ offense gave a whole new meaning to the term “unclutch,” blowing two golden opportunities to get back into the game. The O’s put two runners in scoring position with nobody out in both the eighth and ninth…and inexplicably came up empty each time, failing to close the two-run gap. In the end, the bitter defeat leaves the Birds a half game away from last place. O's suffer Fourth of July blowup, 13-0 - 7/4/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer Sung to the tune of America the Beautiful: O’s pitiful this fateful game, this somber day of pain. Their horrible futility became the White Sox’ gain. A mockery! A mockery! God help us, set us free. And end this Independence Day 13-zip travesty. O's trump defending champions, 8-1 - 7/3/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles breezed into the Windy City with a decisive 8-1 win over the Chicago White Sox to open a four-game series. For once, every single break and bounce seemed to go the Birds’ way, from disputed but favorable umpire’s calls, to broken-bat bloopers that fell in safely, to uncharacteristic atrocious defense by the defending World Series champions. The happy circumstances all added up to an eight-run middle-inning O’s onslaught. Erik Bedard, meanwhile, didn’t need any lucky breaks-- he was downright filthy for the fourth consecutive game, holding the powerful Sox offense to a meager two hits amidst eight dominant innings, getting a sure-to-be-tough series started on the right note. O's close interleague with 10-3 disaster - 7/2/2006 5:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles erred and stumbled through a lifeless, somnambulant 10-3 loss in the rubber game against the Braves. Pretty much nothing went right for the Orioles today, from another futile offensive performance against a lefty (scoring just three against Horacio Ramirez) to an ugly Kris Benson start (six earned in five innings) to familiar shoddy defense (two errors and other misplays) to a disastrous Sendy Rleal outing (a four-run eighth) that put the game out of reach. Long story short, it was a presentation quite fitting of a 38-45 team. With the loss, the O’s finish their ’06 interleague slate with a 9-9 mark. O's offense overcomes Ortiz outing, 7-4 - 7/1/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles opened the month of July with a total team effort, getting contributions from every source in a 7-4 win over the Braves. Six different O’s had multi-hit performances in the offense’s 17-knock onslaught, with four from Nick Markakis (pic) and three by Brian Roberts, as the club finally got the better of usual Oriole-killer Tim Hudson. In the meantime, Russ Ortiz’s Birds debut was far more notable for his batting acumen-- with a pair of RBI singles and a walk-- than his mound performance, where he was hit hard and failed to get out of the fifth. But a tag team of four relievers covered the final 4 2/3 innings, allowing just one run, to make Baltimore’s early lead stand up. O's reach midway point with 5-3 loss - 6/30/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles reached the 81-game mark with yet another loss, dropping the opener of a three-game series, 5-3, to the Atlanta Braves. While the Braves jumped out early, the Birds’ bats were again held frustratingly silent by a left-handed pitcher, getting shut out for five innings before back-to-back homers by Jeff Conine and Corey Patterson tied the game in the sixth. The deadlock didn’t last long, however, as relievers Kurt Birkins (pic) and Todd Williams coughed up a two-run Braves rally in the bottom half that swung the tide and decided the game. The O’s fell back to seven games under .500 as they reached the midpoint of their season schedule, and also completed a 12-16 month of June. Bats suddenly silent, O's shut out, 4-0 - 6/29/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles continued their frustrating Jekyll-and-Hyde act with a disappointing 4-0 loss to the Phillies to end a nine-game homestand. For the third time in two weeks, the O’s were denied a series sweep in the final game, as an offense that churned out an incredible 20 hits the previous night went suddenly and aggravatingly silent. Ryan Madson dominated the Birds for 8 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just five hits-- all singles-- and closer Tom Gordon got one out to complete the Birds’ third shutout loss. Rodrigo Lopez (pic) was the unlucky recipient of the nonexistent run support, spoiling a solid outing. After this 5-4 homestand, the Orioles now embark on a 10-game road trip that will carry them to the All-Star break. O's complete twin bill sweep in 12-5 rout - 6/28/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles completed a wild and wonderful day of baseball with a 12-5 pasting of the Phillies in the nightcap, securing a doubleheader sweep. Game Two was all about the offense, as the Birds’ bats exploded for an unfathomable 20 hits and 27 baserunners, leading to a 12-run destruction of the Phillies’ fallacious pitching staff. Nick Markakis (pic) and Miguel Tejada led the attack with four hits apiece, Jeff Conine added three, Ramon Hernandez blasted his second homer of the twin bill, and every Oriole in the starting lineup contributed at least one knock. It was quite a sight to behold. One guy to build around, one to send packing - 6/28/2006 11:00:00 PM - Pente 6/28 - Tony gives credit to the Orioles for a great pick up this off season and brings up a couple of players in the minors who might be worthy of a shot with the O's right now. Orioles open doubleheader with 7-4 win - 6/28/2006 5:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles, behind another sensational Erik Bedard performance, beat the Philadelphia Phillies in the first game of a doubleheader, 7-4. In a makeup of Tuesday’s rainout, the Birds’ left-hander (pic) dazzled with seven scoreless innings to flummox the Phils and earn his eighth win. The O’s gave him a huge early cushion with seven runs and a pair of homers, including Brian Roberts’s first blast of the year, and a late Phillies rally attempt was stifled by Chris Ray’s perfect ninth inning. O's Sign Ortiz - 6/26/2006 11:00:00 PM - Domen Pesky Nats shoo away sweep, O's fall - 6/25/2006 7:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles, looking for their first series sweep since mid-May, instead came out flat and fell to the Nationals, 9-5. Instead of a hotly contested, one-run duel like the opening two games of the series, the O’s stumbled into an early hole and never recovered. Daniel Cabrera (pic) suffered his second straight brutal outing, uncorking a franchise record four wild pitches and failing to get through the fifth inning, while the Birds’ bats were held in check by Nats ace Livan Hernandez. The regional rivals completed a season series split, with each combatant in the Beltway Battle winning three games this year. O's outlast rain and Nats in 3-2 win - 6/24/2006 1:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles battled a tag-team of the Nationals and Mother Nature and emerged victorious, pulling out a walkoff 3-2 win. It was a tight, hotly-contested battle all night, with the O’s and Nats carrying a tie ballgame into the ninth inning. And then…the rains came. And lingered. And didn’t disperse until more than two hours later. After a ridiculous 2-hour, 18-minute delay, it took the Birds only five minutes to end the contest. Ramon Hernandez’s two-out RBI single in the bottom of the ninth-- in front of a couple hundred diehard fans-- scored Luis Matos (pic) with the winning run nearly six hours after the game began. It was an exhausting, draining, interminable night. But all that matters is that it was a win. O's bounce back, win Beltway Battle, 2-1 - 6/23/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles recovered from their Thursday debacle with a much-needed, satisfying, 2-1 win over the Washington Nationals. In Round Two of the Beltway Battle, the O’s defended their home turf from the D.C. encroachers with another tense, hard-fought battle that had a happy ending this time. Rodrigo Lopez returned from his mini-hiatus with an excellent seven-inning performance, escaping from numerous jams to hold the Nats to just one run. LaTroy Hawkins and Chris Ray, co-conspirators in the Birds’ bullpen meltdown the previous night, each returned to form with a scoreless inning, with Ray (pic) working a dominant ninth for his 19th save. And there were fireworks! And a sellout crowd! This one definitely helped ease that Thursday sting. Movements And Signings - 6/23/2006 8:00:00 AM - Domen O's collapse late, lose heartbreaker, 8-5 - 6/22/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles suffered their most heartbreaking, bizarre, inexplicable, painful, infuriating defeat of the season with a hard-to-swallow 8-5, 10-inning loss to the Marlins. On the strength of Ramon Hernandez’s two homeruns and Kris Benson’s superb start, the O’s seemed to have the rubber game locked up with a 5-1 lead in the ninth. And that’s when it all went astoundingly wrong. Chris Ray melted down with his first blown save, coughing up back-to-back pinch-hit homeruns to tie it with the Birds just one out away from victory. And in the 10th, the Orioles introduced a whole new level of humiliation, as Todd Williams (pic)-- on what was supposed to be an intentional walk-- inexplicably lobbed a ball over the plate that Miguel Cabrera crushed for a go-ahead single. This one had to be seen to be believed, folks. Bedard fries Fish with 12-K masterpiece - 6/21/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer Behind the most phenomenal outing of Erik Bedard’s career, the Orioles snapped the Marlins’ nine-game winning streak with a 4-0 shutout victory. The O’s left-hander was simply unhittable tonight, allowing a grand total of three baserunners in his eight sensational innings, while tying a career high with an eye-popping 12 strikeouts. Bedard (pic) threw every pitch in his arsenal, including a newly fine-tuned changeup, with pinpoint location and superb velocity to keep the young Marlins flailing like, well, fish out of water. The Birds’ offense did some stuff too-- including a Javy Lopez homerun-- but tonight was all about the rejuvenated O’s southpaw. O's flounder against Fish, fall 6-2 - 6/20/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles opened a three-game series with a cold fish of a performance in a 6-2 loss to the Florida Marlins. After their season-long 10-game road trip, it was unclear tonight whether the O’s ever actually made it home, judging by their somnambulant, lifeless effort. Daniel Cabrera (pic) racked up nine strikeouts but also got ripped for a career-worst three homeruns, while counterpart Dontrelle Willis came within one out of a complete game despite allowing 12 hits. The Birds ran themselves out of several rallies and couldn’t get the big hit when needed, with only Corey Patterson’s seventh-inning homerun preventing a shutout. Worse still, Melvin Mora was forced out of the game after taking a fastball off the knee. It wasn’t a good night to be an Oriole. Flurry Of Roster Moves - 6/19/2006 11:00:00 PM - Domen First Week Through the Minors - 6/19/2006 1:00:00 PM - Pente After three years, Tony heads back to the minors with trips to Bowie and Aberdeen. O's snuffed in sweep attempt, lose 9-4 - 6/18/2006 6:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles’ attempts for a three-game sweep were thwarted in a 9-4 loss to the Mets in the finale. Though the O’s again put up a valiant battle, carrying a lead into the fifth inning, their good fortune finally ran out when David Wright’s grand slam put the Mets up for good and ruined what had been a scoreless outing by Adam Loewen (pic). The Mets put the game away in a ridiculous seventh inning, which featured O’s fielders losing the ball in their jerseys, interfering with baserunners, and committing multiple errors on the same play. Even with the loss, the Birds picked up a series win over a team that entered with an eight-game winning streak…and will now attempt to repeat the process with the Florida Marlins, who will carry an identical eight-game win streak into Baltimore on Tuesday. Benson beats Mets with arm...and bat - 6/17/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles pulled off another fantastic win over the Mets, riding Kris Benson’s (pic) sensational all-around performance to a 4-2 victory. In his first start against the team that traded him, Benson stymied the Mets with a brilliant eight-inning masterpiece, outdueling Pedro Martinez for his team-leading eighth win. Oh yeah, and one other thing-- Benson also cranked his first career homerun to help his own cause. That’s right, a homerun! Did you hear me, people? Kris Benson hit a homerun. The pitcher! Went deep! How charmed was this guy tonight?? Brian Roberts paced the offense with three hits…but still, the pitcher! Hit a homerun! O's rally back, snap Mets' streak, 6-3 - 6/16/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles got back on track with a surprising but supremely satisfying win over the New York Mets, 6-3. Despite having all the chips stacked against them-- a subpar performance on the road trip thus far, an opponent with an eight-game winning streak and the best record in the NL, a history of horrid interleague play, an ejection of Ramon Hernandez in the third inning-- the O’s showed true guts and determination to pull this one out, rallying for a four-run seventh inning to turn the tide in their favor. Brandon Fahey’s bloop RBI single put the Birds on top, and a blast by ex-Met Melvin Mora (pic) sealed the deal. The rally came just in time to hand a victory to Erik Bedard, who pitched six sensational innings. Offense awful in 4-2 Orioles loss - 6/15/2006 7:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles’ freefall continued with a 4-2 loss to the Blue Jays in the finale of the four-game set. An awful O’s offense was the culprit in today’s defeat, stranding nine runners on base and squandering countless scoring opportunities, resulting in the club’s seventh loss of two or fewer runs in June alone. The pitiful batwork wasted a strong effort by Daniel Cabrera (pic), who held the Jays to a solitary run in the first five innings before tiring in the sixth. The Birds are now eight under .500 and only figure to fall further fast, as they conclude their road trip with three games against the red-hot New York Mets. Gibbons Back To DL - 6/15/2006 9:00:00 AM - Domen Rodrigo, O's hit low point in 6-3 loss - 6/14/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles dropped to a season-worst seven games under .500 with a 6-3 loss to the Blue Jays. Despite not really having a starting pitcher, the Jays strung together a fine collective performance from a slew of relievers to hold the Birds to three runs, including a two-inning save by ex-Oriole B.J. Ryan. In the meantime, Rodrigo Lopez’s (pic) dismal night started with back-to-back homers by the first two batters he faced and never got much better, ultimately dooming the Birds to their sixth loss in nine games. They'll try to salvage a series split in an early afternoon game on Thursday. Scouting the Nationals/Rockies Game - 6/14/2006 1:00:00 PM - Pente Jun 14 - Tony scouts the Nationals/Rockies game from RFK Halladay no vacation in 7-1 O's loss - 6/13/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles continued their weeklong win-one, lose-one streak with a 7-1 defeat at the hands of the Blue Jays. For the second time in three games, the O’s offense was absolutely stymied by an opposing starter, this time Roy Halladay, who went the distance with a complete-game masterpiece. Miguel Tejada’s solo homerun was all that kept the former Cy Young winner from a shutout. In the meantime, Adam Loewen (pic) was hit hard early and late despite three scoreless innings in between, giving the Jays all the run support they needed to back their dominant ace. Gibbons Activated - 6/12/2006 11:00:00 PM - Domen O's swing into Toronto with win, 6-4 - 6/12/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles opened a four-game series in Toronto with a solid 6-4 win, notching their 30th victory of the year. This game was notable mainly for its refreshing lack of drama-- no 12th inning walkoffs, no one-hit shutouts by rookie pitchers, no late-inning losses or nail-biting dramatics. The O’s simply did a solid job on both sides of the ball, with Kris Benson (pic) and three relievers holding down the Jays lineup while the Birds’ bats produced enough meaningful hits (despite several other squandered opportunities) to come out ahead. Ramon Hernandez led the attack with three hits, including his 10th homerun, and Chris Ray overcame a ninth-inning solo homer to nail down the save. Birds' bats go silent in 4-0 loss to Twins - 6/11/2006 6:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles, in an all-around forgettable contest, weakly dropped the series to the Twins with a 4-0 loss in the rubber game. The O’s were absolutely overpowered by Twins rookie southpaw Francisco Liriano, who dominated them from start to finish with a seven-inning, one-hit masterpiece. In the meantime, Erik Bedard (pic) continued to frustrate the Birds with his pitch-heavy, aggression-lacking, tentative pitching style, resulting in a laborious 115-pitch, five-inning performance. With this total snoozefest out of the way, the Orioles now head to Toronto for a four-game set. O's jump out early, hold late in 9-7 win - 6/10/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles recovered from their Friday debacle-- sort of-- with an all-too-close 9-7 win over the Twins. The Orioles thought they had removed any possibility for another late-inning breakdown when they jumped out to a huge 8-0 lead, led by Melvin Mora's three hits and Miguel Tejada's three RBIs. Instead, they watched in horror as the bullpen nearly gave it all away, with John Halama and LaTroy Hawkins getting ripped for five runs in the seventh and Chris Ray struggling in the ninth. But those fans who hadn't already suffered cardiac arrest finally watched ex-Oriole Tony Batista-- representing the tying run-- ground out harmlessly to end the game, saving the Birds from a collapse for the ages. Ironically, the only O's pitcher who didn't buckle tonight was starter Daniel Cabrera (pic), who held the Twins scoreless despite allowing an astounding 11 baserunners in six innings. 2006 Orioles Draftee Bios - 6/10/2006 1:00:00 AM - other We break down each of Orioles 2006 Orioles draftees. Keep checking back as we continue to update the top picks. 1-10 available. Mistakes haunt O's in 7-5 loss to Twins - 6/9/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles opened a 10-game road trip with a brutal loss to the Minnesota Twins, letting a late lead slip away and ultimately losing in the 12th inning, 7-5. For seven innings, this was really quite a game-- Rodrigo Lopez pitched well, the O's turned a deficit into a lead with a four-run rally in the sixth-- but starting in the eighth inning, pretty much everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Ex-Twin LaTroy Hawkins melted down and gave away a two-run lead, Melvin Mora was forced from the game with an injury, umpires' blown calls repeatedly went the wrong way. And oh yes...manager Sam Perlozzo showed a spectacular display of strategical mismanagement at every turn, pressing all the wrong buttons as the game extended to extra frames. Eventually the ball ended up in the hands of Bruce Chen (pic), which met with a predictable result-- a walkoff two-run homer by Justin Morneau, his second blast of the game, that ended this torturous and all-too-unwatchable affair. O's split series, homestand with 7-5 win - 6/8/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles capped off their 10-game homestand with a thrilling, come-from-behind, 7-5 win over the Blue Jays. At long last, a homestand full of oh-so-many close losses and near-misses and bad breaks and rapid-fire lead changes and bitter finishes finally resulted in a happy ending for the Birds. Good luck smiled upon the O's in a go-ahead eighth inning in which they didn't need to swing a bat to score, with a bases-loaded plunking, walk, and wild pitch accounting for the three-run outburst. Every Oriole hitter reached base at least once, with Brian Roberts (pic) leading the charge with a pair of hits and the game-winning walk. In the meantime, after the Blue Jays offense attacked for 13 hits-- all singles-- in the first six innings, three O's relievers finished with three perfect innings to turn the tide in the Birds' favor. Blogging from Camden Yards - 6/8/2006 7:00:00 PM - Pente 6/8, 7:00pm - Tony blogs during tonights game against the Blue Jays. Innings one through nine! - 6/8/2006 1:00:00 PM - Pente 6/8, 10:46 - Tony blogs the complete game inning by inning. TOR- 5 BAL - 7. Final Mora, O's run themselves into 5-3 loss - 6/7/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles continued their custom of playing a close ballgame that ultimately ends in defeat, falling to the Blue Jays, 5-3. Unlike recent contests, though, this game wasn't the least bit well played by the Birds, featuring costly defensive mistakes, questionable managing decisions, and mostly silent bats. Those flubs were all trumped, however, by the most colossally ill-advised baserunning mistake I've ever seen, an egregious Melvin Mora (pic) brain cramp in the ninth that ran the O's out of a possible game-tying rally. With the tying run at second base, Mora foolishly tried to tag from third on a shallow popout to left-- when his run was completely meaningless anyway-- and got himself thrown out to end the game. The inexcusable gaffe dropped the Orioles to six games under .500. Coaching Shakeup - 6/7/2006 12:00:00 PM - Domen Tired bullpen falters, Orioles fall, 6-4 - 6/6/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles, in another hard-fought, back-and-forth, but ultimately losing affair, fell to the Blue Jays by a 6-4 score. A bedraggled Birds bullpen reached its breaking point, giving up three late-inning runs to fritter away a winnable game, with the normally reliable Chris Britton (pic) coughing up a go-ahead seventh-inning homerun to Alex Rios. An insurance run against Sendy Rleal in the eighth sealed the deal for the Jays, while the O's were haunted by the Ghost of Bullpen Past during a dominant ninth inning by ex-closer B.J. Ryan. On the offensive end, every Oriole but one reached base, but the lineup couldn't string together enough rallies to make a difference. Elsewhere, Corey Patterson contributed an RBI single but saw his nine-game-steals-streak come to an end. 2006 Draft Results - 6/6/2006 1:00:00 PM - Pente 6/6 - 2006 Draft Picks O's take high school infielder first - 6/6/2006 12:00:00 PM - Pente 6/6 - Tony reports from Camden Yards on the orioles first couple of picks. D-Cab returns strong as O's blank Jays - 6/5/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles opened a four-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays with a nice, relaxing shutout victory, 4-0. Daniel Cabrera (pic) returned from the DL and gave the O's rotation a big shot in the arm, combining with three relievers to complete the Birds' second shutout of the season. Cabrera alternated between unhittable and wild, but wriggled free from numerous jams for a solid five-inning performance. On the offensive end, Kevin Millar jacked his second homerun in as many games, while Corey Patterson's 26th stolen base continued his amazing run of...well, running. It was one of those games-- too few and far between-- in which everything just clicked for the Orioles. Loewen Sticks, For Now - 6/5/2006 9:00:00 PM - Domen O's break through, bash Bombers, 11-4 - 6/4/2006 6:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles finally busted loose against the Yankees, venting plenty of pent-up frustration in an 11-4 blowout. The O's torched Yankee pitching for four homeruns, including two by Javy Lopez (pic), in jumping out to a 10-0 lead and averting a three-game sweep. All but one hitter in the Birds lineup collected a hit, including Brandon Fahey's 3-for-4 performance in his first career start in the outfield. On the pitching side, Rodrigo Lopez carried a shutout into the seventh inning before tiring, earning his third straight win with another strong performance. It was a much-needed, feel-good win for the Orioles, who were finally able to blow their rivals out of the water early instead of playing them tight and losing late. Same old script: O's lose late to NY, 6-5 - 6/3/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer For the second game in a row, the Orioles fought the Yankees tooth-and-nail, scratched and clawed their way to a late-inning comeback...and ended with the same bitter result, a 6-5 loss. This carbon copy of Friday night's game again featured the Birds falling behind to a threadbare Yanks lineup, again included a two-run O's rally in the eighth to erase a 5-3 deficit, and again was lost by closer Chris Ray (pic), who coughed up a solo homer to Johnny Damon to lead off the 10th. How discouraging it must be to come so close to victory, yet ultimately fall short, against your hated rivals time after time. This is just turning into an unending nightmare that only figures to get worse. The O's will finish the series on Sunday afternoon, hoping to avoid the sweep, or at least to finally lose by a score that isn't 6-5. O's drop the ball in 9th, fall to Yankees - 6/2/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles suffered another demoralizing defeat at the hands of the New York Yankees, losing a tooth-and-nail battle by a 6-5 score. The badly hobbled Yankees, despite fielding a junior-varsity lineup that excluded four of their top sluggers and their star closer, continued their neverending mastery of the Birds, who once again found a demoralizing way to lose. After the O's appeared to end the top of the ninth by nabbing a runner stealing, the umpire reversed the call when Brian Roberts dropped the ball. The Orioles were called back onto the field, the inning continued, and Derek Jeter's go-ahead RBI single off Chris Ray (pic) spelled defeat. The O's gave everything they had tonight-- twice battling back from late-inning deficits-- but apparently their best effort isn't good enough to defeat even an injury-ravaged Yankees ballclub. Orioles drop dreary, rainy game, 8-6 - 6/1/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer In an all-around forgettable night at Camden Yards, the Orioles fell to the Devil Rays in a sloppy, dismal, rain-soaked affair, 8-6. The increasingly aggravating Erik Bedard (pic) suffered through another subpar performance, though he got no help from an hour-and-a-half rain delay that interrupted his outing and may have thrown him off his game. The O's also looked sloppy in the field, committing two errors along with countless other misplays that put them in an early hole, too deep for a late comeback attempt to overcome. All in all, it was a snooze-worthy, depressing start to the month of June. The Birds will need to get their act back together in a hurry, as the New York Yankees now come into town for a weekend series. Chen To Pen? - 6/1/2006 10:00:00 PM - Domen O's go extras to take down Rays, 6-5 - 5/31/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles notched their third straight win with extra-inning dramatics, going 11 frames to outlast the Devil Rays, 6-5. Melvin Mora's (pic) two-out RBI single in the 11th sealed a come-from-behind victory, as the Birds battled back from an early 5-1 deficit with contributions from unlikely sources. The bottom three hitters of the lineup collected six hits and scored five runs, while the much-maligned bullpen had its most phenomenal performance of the year. After an ineffective four-inning start from Bruce Chen, five O's relievers combined for seven shutout innings, with Sendy Rleal working two scoreless for his first major-league win. The feel-good victory caps off a feel-not-quite-as-good 12-15 month of May for the Birds. C-Pat does it all in 7-5 Orioles win - 5/30/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer In the opener of a 10-game homestand, the Orioles rode to a 7-5 win over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on the shoulders of Corey Patterson (pic). The speedy center fielder shined in every facet of the game—it says a lot for a guy when he hits two homeruns and it’s not even the highlight of his evening. No, that would be his incredible, game-saving leaping catch in the top of the ninth that robbed the Devil Rays of a game-tying two-run homer. The O’s got contributions out of other sources as well—from Miguel Tejada’s homerun to Rodrigo Lopez’s second straight quality start—but there’s no question who the player of the game was tonight. Lack of Passion is Just Part of Problem - 5/29/2006 6:00:00 PM - Pente 5/29 - After Kevin Millar's comments it's apparent the Orioles have some deep problems. Orioles Rally to Top Angels 7-6 - 5/28/2006 12:00:00 PM - Wilt The O's got ten hits from the top four batters in the order, a workman like performance from starter Kris Benson, and a shaky two-inning save from Chris Ray to top the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. 2006 Draft Preview - 5/28/2006 1:00:00 AM - other A look back at last year's Joe Jordan draft may give us clues to what's to come in this year's amateur draft. O's Shut Down in J. Weaver's Debut - 5/28/2006 - Wilt Jered Weaver cruised to a 10-1 win in his major league debut, going seven shutout innings. The bats were dormant once again, scoring only a consolation run late in the blowout. Adam Loewen pitched 4.1 innings of relief after starter Erik Bedard was hit hard, but he gave up four more runs. O's Name HOF Inductees - 5/27/2006 2:00:00 PM - Domen Vlad impales inside-the-parker; O's lose - 5/26/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles opened a three-game series against the Angels with a disappointing 5-2 loss in Los Angeles of Anaheim. For the second time in as many games, the Orioles got a fantastic comeback performance from a struggling starter, with Bruce Chen delivering six strong innings for his finest outing of the year. The O’s, though, came unglued in a three-run Angels eighth that snapped a 2-2 tie. Todd Williams (pic) was knocked around for five hits in 1/3 of an inning, including a Vladimir Guerrero inside-the-park homerun that—in a double whammy—gave the Angels the lead and also injured right fielder Jay Gibbons. The Birds’ offense was held silent, managing just six hits. It wasn’t a good night, folks. R-Lo keeps M's scoreless in Seattle, 2-0 - 5/25/2006 9:00:00 PM - Folkemer Behind a phenomenal comeback performance from Rodrigo Lopez, the Orioles managed a series split with the Mariners, winning the finale by a 2-0 score. The horribly struggling right-hander, pitching with one foot in the bullpen, saved his job—and the Birds’ skin—with 7 1/3 brilliant innings of scoreless, two-hit dominance. The low-scoring affair featured just six hits between the two teams combined, as the O’s offense was similarly stymied by M’s starter Gil Meche. But a pair of Brian Roberts doubles, and well-timed RBI hits from Miguel Tejada and the returning Jay Gibbons, provided just enough run support for Lopez (pic) to snap his seven-game losing streak. Chris Ray finished the shutout by getting the final five outs. Loewen Looking To Dominate In The Show - 5/25/2006 1:00:00 PM - other 5/25 - A look at Loewen's career so far with interviews with Loewen, pitching coach Scott McGregor and Orioles Hall of Famer Jim Palmer. Roberts Activated - 5/25/2006 9:00:00 AM - Domen Benson and defense lousy in 7-4 loss - 5/24/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles crashed and burned again in Seattle, sloppily giving away a 7-4 loss to the Mariners. Kris Benson (pic) was torched for seven runs in two innings, with no help from his defense, which made three costly mistakes behind him to hand the M’s a gift-wrapped victory. The unenthusiastic, lifeless O’s failed to build on their 14-run explosion the previous night, managing a pair of two-run homers but nothing more on the offensive end despite the long-awaited return of Brian Roberts to the lineup. The defeat drops the Birds back into a last-place tie in the division. Nine-run 9th helps O's crush M's, 14-4 - 5/23/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles snapped their three-game losing streak with a vengeance, demolishing the Mariners by a 14-4 score. The game was actually much closer than the score would suggest, considering the nine-run O’s explosion in the ninth that blew open a one-run contest. The Birds got contributions from absolutely every source. The 17-hit attack was paced by Ramon Hernandez , who blasted two homeruns (including a grand slam) and collected a ridiculous seven RBIs. Corey Patterson (pic) continued his sensational hitting by reaching base all six times, smacking a homer and two doubles and stealing two more bases. Every O’s hitter had at least one hit and one run. And with the starting rotation in shambles, an unlikely stopper emerged—John Halama, who was thrust into an emergency start and delivered a strong five-inning performance. Bedard blistered, Birds beaten, 8-6 - 5/22/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer For the third straight game, the Orioles lost to a team they really should be beating, dropping the opener of a four-game series to the Seattle Mariners, 8-6. Erik Bedard (pic) became the latest in a long line of dreadful O’s starters, getting torched for all eight runs in his arduous five-inning stint. While the Mariners were held to seven hits, a Richie Sexson grand slam did the major damage, allowing Seattle to jump out to an early lead that withstood a late-inning Birds rally. Meanwhile, all but one Oriole in the lineup collected a hit, but their bats failed them in a handful of clutch situations. Penn Scratched - 5/22/2006 11:00:00 PM - Domen O's lose rubber game to regional rivals - 5/21/2006 6:00:00 PM - Folkemer The first-ever series with the regional rival Nationals ended badly for the Orioles, who lost the weekend battle with a 3-1 defeat in the rubber game. Though starter Bruce Chen (pic) lost his fifth game in a row with an unimpressive four-inning stint, the real culprit today was the O’s offense, which was stymied over seven innings by the Nats’ formerly struggling ace, Livan Hernandez. The Birds managed a paltry six hits—all singles—amidst their lackadaisical afternoon at the plate, as the club fell to 1-6 on Sundays this year. Even worse, the loss drops the Orioles into a tie for last place in the AL East. Lopez loses again, 8-3, to Nationals - 5/20/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Battle of the Beltway evened up at one win apiece, as the Orioles fell to the Nationals by an 8-3 score. Round Two of this regional rivalry met with a vastly different result than the first, as Rodrigo Lopez’s (pic) season-long frustrations continued unabated with his seventh straight loss. The hapless right-hander blew a two-run lead and was torched for another six runs, bringing his season ERA to a nauseating 8.07 with no end in sight to the unwatchable carnage. Rodrigo’s badness spilled over to the O’s offense, who stranded 10 runners on base. The two teams, each with one victory under their belts, will square off for temporary bragging rights in Sunday’s rubber game. O's win Round 1 of Beltway Battle, 5-1 - 5/19/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer In their first-ever interleague matchup with the Washington Nationals, the Orioles rode Kris Benson’s (pic) complete-game masterpiece to a 5-1 win. The Birds’ National League neighbors down the road were no match for the dominance of the veteran O’s right-hander, who delivered the club’s first complete game in more than a year. The Orioles offense overcame early wasted scoring opportunities to plate five runs in the late innings, giving their de facto ace all the support he needed. Melvin Mora, fresh off a lucrative contract extension, collected three of the Birds’ 12 hits. Notch round one for the O’s in the Regional Rivalry Log. Afghanistan Diaries: The Book! - 5/19/2006 1:00:00 PM - Pente Tony's diary segments from his tour in Afghanistan have been made into a book. O's Sign Mora - 5/19/2006 12:00:00 PM - Domen O's finally solve Sox, snap streak, 4-3 - 5/17/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles finally snapped their 13-game losing streak to the Red Sox, hanging on for a 4-3 win to avert a three-game sweep. Erik Bedard (pic) stepped up as the stopper, overcoming a shaky beginning to pull out a dominant seven-inning, two-hit masterpiece. For the second straight game, the O’s did all of their scoring in the fourth and fifth innings, but their four-spot was just enough to overcome a nervewracking top of the ninth inning. Kevin Millar busted loose in his return to the starting lineup, reaching base all four times and blasting a two-run homer against his former team. The win caps a 5-3 homestand as the Birds prepare for this weekend’s Battle of the Beltway. Roberts to Bowie - 5/16/2006 11:00:00 PM - Domen O's lose unlucky number 13 to Red Sox - 5/16/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles dropped their 13th consecutive game to the Red Sox, mishandling a late-inning lead in a 6-5 loss. The O’s played their tightest game with the Sox all season, impressively erasing a 4-0 deficit against Curt Schilling on the strength of three middle-inning homeruns, including Brandon Fahey’s (pic) first big-league blast. But amidst the hullabaloo, the Birds forgot to actually…um…win. A two-run Sox rally against the bullpen in the sixth yielded the eventual, all-too-familiar outcome, with the Orioles ending up on the short end of the stick once again. Woulda, coulda, shoulda…but didn’a. Reality Check - Rodrigo Style - 5/16/2006 - Pente Time for Rodrigo Lopez to go back to the pen so who should be given his spot? Lopez crushed again in 11-1 loss to Sox - 5/15/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles failed to build momentum from their brilliant Sunday comeback, falling flat on their faces in a 11-1 embarrassment against the Boston Red Sox. It’s true what Earl Weaver says—momentum is your next day’s starting pitcher. And these days, starting pitchers don’t come much worse than Rodrigo Lopez (pic). The veteran right-hander’s atrocious 2006 reached its nadir with a four-inning, eight-run fiasco that decided the game much too early. Meanwhile, the O’s offense looked deader than a doornail in amassing a grand total of four baserunners, just two against dominant Sox starter Josh Beckett. With the loss, the Birds have now dropped 12 straight against Boston. Cabrera to DL - 5/15/2006 11:00:00 PM - Domen Amazin' O's score four in 9th for 8-7 win - 5/14/2006 7:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles wrapped up a three-game sweep of the Royals with their most thrilling comeback of the year, mounting an unbelievable, eye-popping four-run rally in the bottom of the ninth to pull out an 8-7 win. A game that after 8 ½ innings seemed a lost cause—thanks to another walkfest by Daniel Cabrera (who left early with an injury) and atrocious late-inning defense—was turned completely on its head in a magical ninth inning. Three walks, a sac fly, and three straight RBI singles—the last a pinch-hit game-winner from Kevin Millar (pic)—capped the sensational comeback and brought the return of Orioles Magic to Camden Yards. The huge win has the euphoric O’s flying high as they prepare to battle the Red Sox in a three-game series. Benson, O's power past Royals, 11-1 - 5/13/2006 8:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles enjoyed an old-fashioned laugher, clicking on all cylinders with an 11-1 pasting of the Royals. The Birds’ attack was led by a quartet of homeruns, including three in a six-run eighth inning that turned a relatively close game into a blowout. The onslaught was more than enough to back Kris Benson (pic), who dominated the Royals over seven strong innings for his team-leading fifth win. Javy Lopez, in his return from the DL, blasted a three-run homer for the Orioles, who will go for the three-game sweep on Sunday afternoon. O's scrape out win over Royals, 6-5 - 5/12/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles took full advantage of the worst road team in the majors, the Kansas City Royals, with a 6-5 win to open a three-game series. Corey Patterson (pic) was the hitting hero for the Birds tonight, blasting a three-run homer to give the Birds an early lead, then setting up the go-ahead run with an eighth-inning leadoff single and steal. A laborious outing by Erik Bedard and a disastrous four-run Royals sixth put the O’s in danger of an embarrassing loss, but they clawed their way back from a two-run deficit, ultimately pulling ahead on Brandon Fahey’s clutch RBI single. Gomez DL'ed, Lopez Back Soon - 5/12/2006 8:00:00 PM - Domen The First E-Rog? - 5/12/2006 2:00:00 PM - Pente Ed Rogers will never be the next A-Rod, but he may have find his niche in the utility role. Shorebird Report 5/12 - 5/12/2006 1:00:00 PM - Shorebird Doc gives his first report of the year with player capsules and interviews. Orioles back in the loss column, 6-3 - 5/10/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles erased their good will from Tuesday’s game with a clunker against the Tigers, falling by a 6-3 score. Rodrigo Lopez (pic) remained winless since Opening Day, falling victim to a rough first and last inning despite five scoreless frames in between. The Tigers removed all doubt with a four-run outburst in the seventh inning, which backed a quality performance by rookie Justin Verlander. The already injury-racked O’s suffered further devastation with a couple more injuries that leave their roster thinner than ever. Boy, things aren’t going well…and there’s still more than four months left to play. Mora helps O's snap losing streak, 7-6 - 5/9/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles snapped their five-game losing streak with a come-from-behind, feel-good 7-6 victory over the Detroit Tigers. In the start of a six-game homestand, an erratic Daniel Cabrera put the Birds in a 5-2 hole, and it looked like the club’s freefall would continue unabated. But the O’s showed an uncharacteristic amount of grit and heart, battling back on the strength of four homeruns before Melvin Mora’s (pic) clutch, two-out RBI single snapped an eighth-inning tie. The much-maligned Orioles’ bullpen worked four solid innings to set up the comeback. Lopez Rehabs - 5/9/2006 12:00:00 PM - Domen Chen Skipped - 5/9/2006 1:00:00 AM - Another day, another loss for O's, 10-3 - 5/7/2006 7:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles completed an 0-5 road trip, and lost their 11th straight game to the Red Sox, with a 10-3 bludgeoning in the series finale. This time, Kris Benson (pic) proved to be anything but a stopper, instead adding salt to the wound with a disastrous performance. Benson was torched for nine runs in just 4 1/3 innings, putting the Birds in an insurmountable early hole, as the Sox waltzed their way to their second sweep of the O’s in 2006. Meanwhile, the Birds’ bats proved that even terrible left-handed pitchers are too much for them to handle, as they squeaked out just two runs in five innings against minor-league talent Lenny DiNardo. The only thing more discouraging than the Orioles’ play is the fact that we fans don’t even find it surprising anymore. Bedard bombarded by Boston, 9-3 - 5/6/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The hapless Orioles continued their frightening freefall with an ugly 9-3 loss to the Red Sox. Even Erik Bedard (pic) couldn’t escape the dreary fog of ineptitude that has settled over the O’s, getting pummeled for six runs in just two innings of work for his worst outing of the year by far, with no help from an atrocious defense. That pretty much doomed the Birds from the get-go, putting them in a huge early hole that the listless offense had no chance to overcome. Absolutely nothing is working for the Orioles right now, and it’s a little embarrassing to see how quickly and easily they’re getting trounced by the heavyweights of the division. The O’s, who have lost seven of their last eight, will need a win on Sunday to avoid an 0-5 road trip. Time to face facts folks - 5/6/2006 6:00:00 PM - Pente Don't blame the injuries, but there are things to look forward to in the future. Overmatched O's outlasted by Sox, 6-3 - 5/5/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles, in an all-too-familiar custom, lost a late-inning lead in a 6-3 defeat against the Boston Red Sox. The game provided disheartening proof that the banged-up, depth-challenged O’s aren’t in the same league as the stellar Sox, who outgunned and outclassed the Birds in every capacity tonight. Curt Schilling wasn’t at his best but was still good enough to beat the slumping O’s offense, while Rodrigo Lopez (pic) enjoyed none of his usual success against the Sox and ultimately allowed five runs in 5 2/3 innings. The game turned in the sixth when Lopez threw a perfect pitch that was inexplicably called ball four, extending the Red Sox rally and leading to a tie-breaking three-run double by David Ortiz. Matos Activated - 5/5/2006 9:00:00 PM - Domen Chen shredded again in 8-2 loss - 5/4/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles fell again to the Rangers, who completed the modest two-game sweep in an 8-2 snoozefest. This was just one of those games that went exactly as anticipated and was utterly unsurprising in every way. To express things mathematically: Struggling, Homer-Prone Bruce Chen + Powerful Rangers Lineup + Launching Pad Ballpark = Bad News for the Birds. Sure enough, Chen (pic) was torched to the tune of eight runs in just four innings, remaining winless in the ’06 season. The O’s offense picked up right where it left off on Wednesday—which is to say, nowhere—with a pitiful four-hit performance in Kevin Millwood’s complete game. Good to see this team is on fire as they head to Boston. O's lose tough 12-inning battle, 2-1 - 5/3/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles opened their five-game road trip with a distressing 2-1 loss in 12 innings to the Texas Rangers. It was a half-sensational, half-embarrassing display for the Birds, whose pitching staff was incredible while their offense was…far less so. The O’s apparently left their bats behind as they managed one lone run in the extra-inning affair, but Daniel Cabrera (pic) and a stellar bullpen were up to the challenge. Cabrera held the slugging Rangers to one run in seven innings, while four relievers pitched a scoreless frame apiece. But manager Sam Perlozzo’s stunning lack of foresight—refusing to extend his best relievers for more than one inning—left him stuck in the 12th with John Halama, who surrendered a Mark DeRosa walkoff homer to bring about a heartbreaking end. Benson, Birds bounce back, beat BJs - 5/2/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles salvaged the final game of a tumultuous homestand, riding the back of Kris “Stopper” Benson (pic) to a 9-2 win over the Blue Jays. The veteran starter proved to be the Birds’ slump-buster again, snapping the O’s three-game losing streak and getting them back to .500 with his fourth win. The offense helped him out with a trio of homeruns—one from Miguel Tejada as part of a three-hit night—and a bullpen disaster-in-the-making was averted when Sendy Rleal retired potential go-ahead run Troy Glaus with the bases loaded. The Orioles now embark on a daunting five-game road trip to Texas and Boston. Whiteside DFA'ed - 5/2/2006 11:00:00 PM - Domen Brower, E-Rod Out - 5/2/2006 - Domen Bullpen implodes again in 9-7 loss - 5/1/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles opened a brief two-game series with yet another bullpen meltdown, blowing a seventh-inning lead in a 9-7 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. Even the normally reliable LaTroy Hawkins (pic) couldn’t escape the curse that is this hapless band of intolerable relievers, with the setup man coughing up a three-run homer to Troy Glaus that put the Jays ahead to stay. John Halama and Jim Brower put the game out of reach by allowing four more runs—a performance that brought about the end of Brower’s Orioles career—to render moot an O’s four-run ninth inning rally. In a final insult, the Birds’ former All-Star closer B.J. Ryan showed them just what they’re missing with a short-but-sweet one-out save for the Jays. Penn looks towards future - 5/1/2006 1:00:00 PM - other Hangout Ottawa Lynx correspondent Doug Bird sits down with top prospect Hayden Penn and his manager. Depleted O's lose again to Seattle, 4-3 - 4/30/2006 7:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles suffered a discouraging series loss to the Mariners, dropping the rubber game by a 4-3 score. The O’s returned neither to form nor to health in their final game of April, missing three players with injuries as Oriole-destroyer Jamie Moyer bested a patchwork lineup. Rodrigo Lopez, who seemed on his way to his first quality start, saw it come undone in a three-run M’s fifth inning that erased a 3-1 Birds lead. Missed opportunities against cost the O’s dearly, as they twice stranded a runner at third with less than two outs. In other news, Brandon Fahey (pic) went 2-for-4 in his major-league debut. With the loss, the Birds finish their first month of 2006 at exactly .500 (13-13). Fahey Up, Roberts DL'ed - 4/30/2006 1:00:00 PM - Domen O's lose game, four players to injuries - 4/29/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer In their most ridiculous, horrifying game of the year, the Orioles were devastated both on and off the field in an 8-6 loss to the Mariners. The game started out well enough, with the O’s taking a quick 4-0 edge, but the final four innings were among the most ludicrous you’ll ever see. Perpetual cannon fodder Jim Brower blew the lead in a six-run M’s sixth, while the Orioles suffered not one, not two, but FOUR injuries to key position players, including Miguel Tejada (pic). It left them with a patchwork lineup requiring seven defensive changes in one inning and featuring Jeff Conine at third base, Melvin Mora at second, and Ramon Hernandez at first. In the end, the O’s suffered their most disappointing defeat of the year, but at least everyone made it out of the ballpark alive. Injuries Galore - 4/29/2006 8:00:00 PM - Domen Cabrera shines as O's beat Mariners, 5-2 - 4/28/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles, in an all-around solid victory, defeated the Seattle Mariners by a 5-2 score to open a three-game weekend series. After a shaky road trip, a return to Camden Yards against an inferior team was just what the doctor ordered for the Birds. Daniel Cabrera (pic) had a dynamite performance—and in this case, “dynamite” is used in the positive sense—with a seven-inning, two-run gem for his second win. The O’s offense received contributions from all over the lineup, including Corey Patterson’s second straight three-hit night, to back Cabrera. On a down note, Miguel Tejada was forced out of the game with a hamstring injury after homering and setting a new franchise hit record for the month of April. O's avert sweep with 7-5 win over Jays - 4/27/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles snapped their four-game losing streak, salvaging the series finale with a 7-5 win over the Blue Jays. Kris Benson (pic) played the role of stopper with a strong seven-inning performance, his second win of the road trip to bookend the Birds’ 2-4 swing. The Birds’ horribly sloppy play from Wednesday seemed to transfer itself overnight to the Blue Jays, who committed three costly errors that aided the O’s seven-run attack. What looked like a laugher became surprisingly stressful when the Jays rallied for three ninth-inning runs off Chris Ray, but the young closer clawed his way to the final out to strand the possible tying run on base. Sloppy Orioles drop fourth straight, 8-2 - 4/26/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles dropped their fourth game in a row, giving an all-around lifeless performance in a bleak 8-2 loss to the Blue Jays. The O’s just didn’t come to play at all, looking horrible defensively, offensively, and…uh…pitchingly. Erik Bedard (pic) was denied the chance for his fifth win, getting tattooed for five runs in 5 2/3 innings, though even a strong performance likely wouldn’t have been enough considering the Birds’ lack of run support. The Orioles displayed an almost criminal lack of fundamentals on both sides of the ball— failing to move up runners, botching rundowns, forgetting how to tag, and other goodies—and fell back to a .500 record for the season. Blue Jays bash bad Birds bullpen, 7-3 - 4/25/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles opened a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays by giving away a winnable game, ultimately falling by a 7-3 score. Chalk this up at Sam Perlozzo’s first loss of the year, as his baffling decision to entrust a tie game to Jim Brower and John Halama, instead of any number of decent relievers, led to a four-run Jays rally in the seventh. Brower continued his ongoing Mike DeJean impression, facing four batters and allowing three of them to reach base, including a Vernon Wells go-ahead double. A pair of RBI singles off Halama added gasoline to the fire. Meanwhile, the O’s offense was mostly quiet again, with homers by Miguel Tejada (pic) and Jay Gibbons providing their only runs. Big Unit brilliant, Chen bad in 7-1 loss - 4/23/2006 6:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles’ jaunt to Yankee Stadium ended with a dull thud, as they were outplayed in every facet in a 7-1 loss in the rubber game. At the end of a stretch of 19 games in 19 days, the O’s…looked like a team who’d played 19 games in 19 days. Bruce Chen suffered yet another rough outing, getting lit up for five runs and 10 hits—including two Jason Giambi homers—in four innings of work, and Randy Johnson took it from there, overpowering the Birds over eight dominant innings. Only Miguel Tejada (pic) showed up to play, posting a 4-for-4 performance…while the rest of the lineup was a combined 0-for-27. Yep, this off day is coming at a good time. O's, Mora, Said To Be Close - 4/23/2006 12:00:00 PM - Domen O's lose rain-soaked game to Yanks, 6-1 - 4/22/2006 6:00:00 PM - Folkemer A day after their most thrilling win of the season, the Orioles fell flat-footed back to Earth in a dreary, waterlogged 6-1 loss to the Yankees. This game was everything Friday’s wasn’t—lackadaisical, intensity-free, not particularly close, and at times deathly dull. Daniel Cabrera (pic) wasn’t an outright disaster, but he coughed up six runs—and five more walks—in a discouraging performance that failed to build upon his superb outing against the Angels. The O’s offense was also missing in action, scratching out only six hits and one run against the previously struggling Shawn Chacon. Now if the Birds hope to run their series-winning streak to four, they’ll have to beat Randy Johnson in Sunday’s rubber game. O's beat Yanks in instant classic, 6-5 - 4/21/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles, in easily their most exhilarating, heart-stopping game of the year, squeaked out a 6-5 win over the New York Yankees in a nerve-wracking nailbiter. In their first test against the perpetual behemoths of the AL East, the O’s used every fiber of grit and determination in their arsenal to edge out the eight-time defending division champions. In a truly promising turn of events, some of the biggest contributions came from the Birds’ youngest players, who proved themselves unintimidated by the hostile Yankee Stadium atmosphere. Sendy Rleal worked out of a jam to preserve a slim lead in the sixth, Nick Markakis coolly drew a bases-loaded walk for a huge insurance run, and Chris Ray (pic) ended the game in the most dramatic way possible, freezing Hideki Matsui on a 3-2 slider with the sacks packed in the ninth. What a game! Our Closer has "The Moment" - 4/21/2006 10:00:00 PM - Pente Chris Ray just proved he's something special. O's win rubber game over Indians, 9-4 - 4/20/2006 1:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles capped off an impressive homestand, and their third straight series win, with a 9-4 victory over the Indians in the afternoon rubber game. Erik Bedard (pic) improved to 4-0, holding the Indians to three earned runs in six innings despite lacking his best stuff. His teammates assured him of the win by rallying back from three separate deficits, then putting the game out of reach with a six-run eruption in the sixth. Once again, nearly every hitter in the O’s lineup contributed to the attack, led by Javy Lopez’s three hits (including a homer) and Miguel Tejada’s homerun and three RBIs. The Birds have found their groove at the right time, capping off a 5-2 homestand as they prepare to face the Yankees this weekend. Thoughts on the O's and the minors - 4/20/2006 3:00:00 AM - Pente Tony takes a look at the O's as well as the minor leagues. Rosters A'Shuffling - 4/20/2006 1:00:00 AM - Domen O's turn tables on Indians in 18-9 rout - 4/19/2006 1:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles, fast becoming the most schizophrenic team in the majors, followed their blowout defeat with an equally decisive slugfest win, crushing the Indians in an 18-9 laugher. The O’s looked sloppy early, falling behind 7-3 with defensive gaffes and brutal pitching, and it seemed a repeat of Tuesday’s embarrassing affair was in the cards. But the momentum shifted dramatically in the fifth, when the Birds unleashed an offensive onslaught unlike any we’ve seen in ages. They exploded for seven runs in the fifth, and eight more afterwards, to utterly destroy the Indians. When the smoke cleared, every Oriole in the starting lineup had at least two hits. Everyone contributed to the assault, from the usual stars down to the much-maligned Jeff Conine (three hits and two RBIs) and Corey Patterson [pic] (a homer and three runs scored). Bydrak Following Newhan To DL - 4/19/2006 1:00:00 AM - Domen O's falter, flounder in 15-1 fiasco - 4/18/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles crashed and burned in the opener of a three-game series with the Cleveland Indians, humiliating themselves in a 15-1 debacle. After exciting series wins over the Devil Rays and Angels, the Birds’ cruise encountered a colossal shipwreck in an all-around cringe-inducing affair. The O’s couldn’t pitch, couldn’t hit, and were downright horrendous in the field, committing three costly misplays in a four-batter span to open the floodgates in the fifth. Bruce Chen remained unable to pick up a win or a quality start this year, surrendering eight runs in just four innings, and the Indians poured on an additional seven runs against Chris Britton and Jim Brower. Former Oriole Jason Johnson shut down the Birds’ bats over seven innings, with Brian Roberts’s (pic) four-hit night providing the only bright spot. Cabrera returns to form, beats Halos, 4-2 - 4/17/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles, behind a fantastic comeback outing from Daniel Cabrera (pic), took three of four from the Angels with a 4-2 win in the series finale. Cabrera’s wild walkathons from his first two outings were a distant memory tonight, as the young right-hander surrendered just one free pass—and not until the next-to-last batter he faced—amidst a superb seven-inning performance. Offensively, the O’s did all their damage in the first two innings, with a Miguel Tejada homer and a Brian Roberts two-run double supplying the run support. But there was one sour note on this otherwise happy night—David Newhan broke a bone in his right leg, which will almost assuredly keep him off the field for more than a month. DuBose, Chavez Clear Waivers - 4/17/2006 1:00:00 PM - Domen O's lay an egg on Easter, lose 9-3 - 4/16/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles’ winning streak ended with a dull thud, as they were pounded 9-3 by the Angels on Easter Sunday. The pesky Angels pulled out all the stops to win the game—using everything from a squeeze bunt and a steal of home to a pair of Vladimir Guerrero homeruns—while the O’s did all they possibly could to lose it. Kris Benson had his worst start as an Oriole, giving up four runs in five innings, while reliever Tim Byrdak also allowed a four-spot in the rough eighth inning. And in a fitting microcosm of the game, the Birds had a buffoonish play in which a Javy Lopez (pic) two-run homer turned into a single and an out when the runners crossed each other on the basepaths. Yeah, it was that kind of a day. Bedard excellent in 3-2 win over Angels - 4/15/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles picked up a tidy 3-2 victory over the Angels, riding the arm of Erik Bedard (pic) to their third straight win. The lefty provided the Birds’ finest starting pitching performance of the season, stymieing the Angels over eight strong innings to improve his record to 3-0. Meanwhile, the O’s offense did all of its damage in one inning, posting a three-spot in the fifth to give Bedard just enough run support. Ramon Hernandez and Chris Ray continued their red-hot starts with a three-hit night and another save, respectively. Hernandez walkoff HR beats Angels, 6-5 - 4/14/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer In a wild roller-coaster of a game, the Orioles pulled out their second straight last at-bat victory with a thrilling 6-5 win over the Angels. Ramon Hernandez won it with a walkoff homerun in the bottom of the ninth, one of eight dingers by the two teams and a fitting finish to a game full of dizzying highs and lows. Starter Rodrigo Lopez put the O’s in a 4-0 hole by giving up three homeruns in the first two innings, but found his groove and dominated the rest of the way. That gave the Birds the chance to claw back on long balls by Jay Gibbons, David Newhan, and Nick Markakis (pic). A Melvin Mora RBI single put the Birds ahead, but fill-in closer LaTroy Hawkins—one strike away from wrapping it up—coughed up a game-tying homer in the top of the ninth. But in the end, Hernandez’s heroics sent the O’s home happy and pushed the Birds back above .500. Mora's 9th-inning HR stuns Rays, 6-5 - 4/13/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles pulled out a thrilling series win in Tampa Bay with a dramatic last-gasp victory, scoring three runs in the top of the ninth to shock the Devil Rays, 6-5. Melvin Mora provided the heroic game-winning blast with a two-out, two-run homer off Dan Miceli in the ninth. The clutch roundtripper completed a five-spot of runs in the last two innings that helped the Birds battle back from a 4-1 eighth-inning deficit. Starter Bruce Chen gave up five runs—including four solo homers—but ate up 7 2/3 innings to rest a weary bullpen. Orioles magic is back! Morris Down, Britton Up - 4/12/2006 11:00:00 PM - Domen Cabrera wild, bullpen bad in 7-4 loss - 4/12/2006 1:00:00 PM - Folkemer In a ludicrous game, the Orioles fell to the Devil Rays, 7-4, on Jonny Gomes’s eighth-inning grand slam. Daniel Cabrera’s (pic) outing was…it was…well, it was too ridiculous for words. The mystifying and delightfully infuriating right-hander followed up his disastrous season debut by issuing a jaw-dropping nine walks—but also striking out 10 batters—in just five bewildering innings. Most incredibly, he somehow allowed only one run despite putting an entire lineup’s worth of runners on base, and even left in line for a win. But the Birds’ luck ran out when the bullpen got involved, with John Halama giving up a game-tying two-run homer and Sendy Rleal getting tagged for Gomes’s tiebreaking salami. Kevin Millar’s first two homeruns as an Oriole weren’t enough for an offense that managed just three other hits. The Book Everyone Should Read - 4/12/2006 1:00:00 PM - Pente If you read one book on baseball this year, this is the book you should read. O's pound Rays again in 8-4 win - 4/11/2006 1:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles climbed back to .500 with their second straight win, once again making Devil Rays pitchers their patsies in an 8-4 decision. It’s amazing how good this offense can look when batting against AAAA-level talent, as the O’s gave emergency starter Jason Hammel a rude welcome to the major leagues. Every Oriole in the starting lineup had at least one hit, three of them had two RBIs, and Melvin Mora smacked his third homerun. The Birds amassed seven runs in the first four innings, paving the way for an excellent Kris Benson (pic) to collect his first win as an Oriole. Chris Ray bailed out a shaky bullpen for his third save. O's snap losing streak, beat Rays, 6-3 - 4/10/2006 11:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles snapped their four-game losing streak with a 6-3 victory in their road opener against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Once again, Devil Rays pitching proved to be the perfect cure for the Birds’ offensive ills, with the O’s scoring four runs in the third and never looking back. Four Orioles collected multi-hit games, including Miguel Tejada’s three, while Jay Gibbons cranked a homer and sizzling Ramon Hernandez knocked a two-run single. Meanwhile, Erik Bedard (pic) turned in the team’s strongest pitching performance thus far, dominating the Rays over seven scoreless innings for his second win. Back in the USA, but is trouble ahead for the O's? - 4/10/2006 10:00:00 AM - Pente The O's 2-4 start has Tony looking even closer at the 2006 Orioles. Morris Brought Up - 4/9/2006 11:00:00 PM - Domen Red Sox sweep O's in 4-1 finale - 4/9/2006 6:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles dropped their fourth straight game, getting swept by the Red Sox with a 4-1 loss in the finale. Clutch hitting is a concept apparently alien to the Birds, who stranded a ridiculous 14 runners on base and plated just one run. Rodrigo Lopez (pic), meanwhile, made his second lackluster start, giving up four runs in less than six innings against a junior-varsity Sox lineup. After a high-flying start to their season-opening homestand, the O’s finished 2-4 and dropped from first to last place over the weekend. O's DFA DuBose, Bring Up Halama - 4/8/2006 9:00:00 PM - Domen O's shackled by Schilling in 2-1 loss - 4/8/2006 1:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles dropped their third straight game, going silent with the bats again in a 2-1 loss to the Red Sox. For the second time in three games, the O’s wasted a fine pitching performance thanks to a nonexistent offense, with Curt Schilling and two relievers shutting down the Birds’ lineup. The Orioles managed a meager four hits, with Luis Matos’s (pic) solo homer providing their only run, and are now back into a familiar spot—under .500. The Red Sox will go for the sweep on Sunday, while the O’s ponder why they ever let the Devil Rays leave town. Cabrera, O's rocked by Red Sox, 14-8 - 4/7/2006 1:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles suffered their first out-and-out travesty of the season, getting tattooed by the Boston Red Sox in a 14-8 final. The game wasn’t nearly as close as the final score would imply—though the final score doesn’t seem particularly close, either. Daniel Cabrera’s (pic) first start of the season was an unmitigated disaster, as the enigmatic young right-hander issued six walks in the very first inning and didn’t make it out of the second. Eric DuBose and Jim Brower added kerosene to the flame with subpar relief outings en route to a quick 11-0 Sox lead. Though the O’s attempted a spirited comeback with eight runs in the final three innings—including David Newhan’s three-run homer—the deficit was too large to make up. O's bats go silent in 2-0 loss to Rays - 4/6/2006 1:00:00 PM - Folkemer The high-flying Orioles offense was stopped in its tracks, disappearing completely in a 2-0 loss to the Devil Rays. In front of a record-low crowd, the team that racked up 25 runs in its first two games was nowhere to be found against Mark Hendrickson, who tossed a complete game shutout to avert the O’s sweep. The Birds hit the ball hard at times, but couldn’t find the holes and collected only three hits, never getting a runner to third base. The futility foiled a sparkling O’s debut from Kris Benson (pictured), who tossed seven strong innings but was undone by a two-run third. Mora Cuts Off Contract Talks - 4/6/2006 11:00:00 AM - Domen O's demolish Devil Rays, 16-6 - 4/5/2006 1:00:00 AM - Folkemer The Orioles opened an old-fashioned can of beatdown on the Devil Rays, destroying them handily in a 16-6 laugher. The O’s offense continued to pound away like nobody’s business, upping their two-day run total to 25 with a truly eye-popping performance. Jay Gibbons mashed two doubles and a homerun, Melvin Mora went yard for the second time, and Ramon Hernandez maintained his perfect batting average with two more hits and three RBIs. Super rookie Nick Markakis made his first major-league start and impressed with both his batting eye (three walks) and his power (an eighth-inning homerun for his first big-league hit). Best of all, the Birds again displayed patience at the plate, drawing nine walks in eight innings. Minor League News from India - 4/4/2006 1:00:00 PM - Pente Answering some questions on minor league players Opening Day Brings Lots To Think About For Skipper - 4/3/2006 6:00:00 PM - Domen John takes a look at where Sam Perlozzo's mind was in the hours leading up to Opening Day. Both confidence and reminiscent, the Orioles' skipper was glad Monday arrived. O's open with win over Rays, 9-6 - 4/3/2006 1:00:00 PM - Folkemer The Orioles notched their sixth consecutive Opening Day win, outlasting the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in a 9-6 slugfest. Nearly everything clicked for the O’s today. The retooled offense feasted on Rays pitching for four homeruns. All nine hitters reached base at least once, and eight different hitters had at least one RBI. The newest Orioles all made good first impressions, from Ramon Hernandez (three hits and two RBIs) to Kevin Millar (two hits and an RBI) to LaTroy Hawkins (a perfect inning of relief). Starter Rodrigo Lopez struggled, giving up six runs, but gamely gutted out seven innings to pick up the win. Chris Ray finished things off with a perfect ninth inning for his first major-league save. Markakis Makes Team - 4/2/2006 1:00:00 AM - Legendre Orioles Beat Nationals 8-4 - 4/1/2006 8:00:00 PM - Legendre 4/1 - The new rivalry in the mid-Atlantic region was born on Friday and Saturday as the Orioles and Nationals had a two game set to close out the spring, playing in each team's parks. It was met by a collective yawn from fans, drawing just over 30,000 combined. The real news from this game was Miguel Tejada, he hit a two-run shot and also drove in another, breaking out of his spring slump. Nick Markakis also had a good game, getting three hits and scoring twice in the number two hole. Corey Patterson, Luis Matos, Javy Lopez and Kevin Millar each drove in a run in the game. Daniel Cabrera was brilliant at times and wild at times, allowing three runs over four. Bruce Chen earned the win with two shutout innings of relief. Orioles Beat Nationals 9-6 - 3/31/2006 10:00:00 PM - Legendre 3/31 - Whether you call it the Battle of the Parkway or Battle of the Beltways the Orioles won the first ever game (albeit Spring Training) in that series 9-6 on Friday night at RFK. Baltimore took advantage of two big DC errors in the victory. At the plate Luis Matos doubled in two runs; Miguel Tejada had two hits, including a double and scored one; Brian Roberts, Jay Gibbons, Kevin Millar, David Newhan and Ramon Hernandez each drove in one in the game. Kris Benson earned the win, allowing two runs over four and Chris Ray earned the save with one and a third shutout innings. Orioles Blow By Marlins - 3/30/2006 11:00:00 PM - Domen Kevin Millar blasted a three-run homer, and Jeff Conine, Nick Markakis, and Melvin Mora blasted RBI doubles and the Orioles got by the Marlins 7-2. Millar's homer was part of a four-run third inning. Erik Bedard, in his final tune up on the mound was sharp enough going four innings allowing only one unearned run on three hits. David Newhan continued his torrid spring going 1-2 with a double and then scoring on Markakis' double. Deli Relaford did not make the trip, with the AP quoting manager Sam Perlozzo afterwards that Relaford was not going to make the team. Jay Gibbons did make the trip, but sat out his fourth straight game with a stiff back. Lopez To Begin Year As DH - 3/30/2006 12:00:00 PM - Domen Javy Lopez will start opening day as the DH for the Orioles when the season starts on Monday. Concerns about his fielding the past few weeks in spring training led to the decision. Lopez had at times shown good potential, but had not made the progress necessary. That means that first base will mostly be occupied by Kevin Millar and Jeff Conine, though if Lopez shows continued improvement as the season goes on he'll get more playing time there. The decision though does not do much to please Lopez, who has continually said he prefers to play in the field. Bad Vibes - 3/30/2006 4:00:00 AM - Pente Tony wonders if our current concerns could spell doom for 2006. Bullpen Blows It, O's Lose 5-4 - 3/29/2006 10:00:00 PM - Domen Rodrigo Lopez pitched four shutout innings and the offense tallied up four runs, but it wasn't enough as the bullpen was touched up for three runs in the final two innings in a 5-4 loss to the Twins. The brightest spot was David Newhan, who led off and went 2-4 with a run playing on both corners of the infield. Corey Patterson was part of a three-run 8th inning with an RBI single, but Miguel Tejada's slump continued as he went 0-3 with a pair of strikeouts. Gil Clears Waivers - 3/29/2006 11:00:00 AM - Domen Orioles Rally For Late Win Against Cards - 3/28/2006 1:00:00 PM - Domen The Orioles used some sloppy defense, this time by St. Louis to pull out a 3-2 win. Brian Roberts led off the 8th inning with a triple, and then scored on a single by Luis Matos to tie the game. What should have been a double play ball hit by Mora ended up moving Matos over after 2B Junior Spivey booted it. Matos then scored to give the O's a lead when Spivey threw wildly to first on a grounder hit by Tejada. Chris Ray notched his second save of the Grapefruit League with a perfect ninth, notching a strikeout. Bruce Chen pitched six innings, giving up just the two runs on four hits. The damage came on a two-run homer in the 4th inning. Rally Falls Short, O's Lose 5-4 - 3/27/2006 11:00:00 PM - Domen The top of the lineup, both the starters and reserves were productive. The same could not be said for the bottom, nor the pitching early on. Daniel Cabrera was wild and inconsistent, getting the loss by tossing four innings and giving up three runs on five hits. He also struck out six Marlins, but walked four more. Cory Morris came in and pitched two innings, giving up the other two runs. Offensively for the birds Brian Roberts went 2-3 with a pair of doubles, while Luis Matos was 2-3 with an RBI triple and a run. Jay Gibbons was 1-1, and left the game early because of a sore neck, his latest malady of the spring. His injury is not considered serious. Mora Eyed In Two-Slot - 3/27/2006 11:00:00 PM - Domen Mets Blank Orioles 8-0 - 3/26/2006 1:00:00 PM - Domen 3/26- The Orioles were inefficient in every facet of the game. They couldn't hit, and what was hit to them they couldn't field well, and the pitching wasn't any better either as they lost 8-0. Kris Benson, despite having what manager Sam Perlozzo said was his best stuff of the spring gave up six runs on eight hits, though only four of them were earned. He also committed one of four Oriole errors. Offensively the O's garnered just five hits, two of them from Brian Roberts and one of them a Kevin Millar double. Marlins beat Orioles 6-5 - 3/25/2006 7:00:00 PM - Legendre 3/25- The Orioles lost in the ninth to the Florida Marlins, 6-5. Starter Erik Bedard was superb, striking out eight in six innings and allowing just one run. However, the bullpen couldn't hold it. LaTroy Hawkins gave up a two-run homer, and Jim Brower blew a two-run lead in the ninth by giving up three runs. Offensively, Brian Roberts was the hitting star for the Birds, going 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI, and two runs. Nick Markakis continued his fantastic camp with two more hits, and Melvin Mora added a double and two RBI. Reimold/Pope making impressions - 3/25/2006 6:00:00 PM - Pente Julio Vinas gives us an update on a few minor league hitters making impressions in Sarasota. Orioles Beat Red Sox 2-0 - 3/24/2006 4:00:00 PM - Legendre 3/24 - Luis Matos hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to lead Baltimore to a 2-0 win over the Boston Red Sox. Starter Rodrigo Lopez pitched six shutout innings, allowing just two hits, four walks and three strikeouts. Sendy Rleal came on to pitch one inning, allowing a walk. Tim Brydak was perfect in one frame, striking out one and Chris Ray earned the win with one inning where he hit a batter and struck out two. It took until the ninth but Javy Lopez doubled and was replaced by Essix Snead, he then stole third. Jeff Conine then grounded to third and Snead was nailed at the plate. But then Matos came up and homered over the right field wall for the 2-0 victory. 2006 Minor League Spring Training Guide - 3/24/2006 1:00:00 PM - Legendre 3/24 - Dr. Shorebird reports that Fernando De Nabal has a broken finger, while coach Andy Etchebarren and Franklin Gonzalez are now out of their arm slings. He also reports on the A games of the day and chats with local pitching prospect Brandon Erbe. Nationals Beat Orioles 1-0 - 3/23/2006 4:00:00 PM - Legendre 3/23 - The Nationals beat the Orioles 1-0 on Thursday in Viera. Starter Bruce Chen allowed just one run on three hits with a walk and five strikeouts over five innings. Cory Morris then came on to pitch two hitless innings, allowing just a walk and two strikeouts. John Halama pitched the eighth, allowing a hit and two walks. But the star of the game from Baltimore was Nick Markakis, he went 4-for-4 with with two doubles in the game. Corey Patterson had two hits with Miguel Tejada, Javy Lopez (catching) and Chen each having one each. Markakis proves he’s ready - 3/23/2006 1:00:00 PM - Pente Could the O's have their first rookie of the year candidate? Rodrigo Gets Opening Day Nod - 3/23/2006 1:00:00 AM - Legendre Marlins Beat Orioles 5-2 - 3/22/2006 4:00:00 PM - Legendre 3/22 - The Orioles struggled in a 5-2 loss to the Marlins. Starter Daniel Cabrera allowed three runs on four hits with three walks and five strikeouts over five innings and took the loss. Tyler Yates then came on and allowed two runs on three hits over two-thirds of an inning. It looked like if it would be a more promising game offensively as Brian Roberts and Melvin Mora led off the bottom of the first with back-to-back singles before they were doubled in by Miguel Tejada. But that was all the offense Baltimore would get in the 5-2 loss to Florida. Williams Likely Headed to DL - 3/22/2006 1:00:00 AM - Legendre Minor League Spring Training Report - MAR 21 - 3/21/2006 1:00:00 PM - Shorebird Chat with Bien Figueroa. Orioles Beat Mets 6-5 - 3/21/2006 1:00:00 PM - Legendre 3/21 - The Orioles put up four runs in the ninth inning, and probably could have scored more, to beat the Mets 6-5. Starter Kris Benson struggled again, allowing four runs (3 earned) on six hits over four innings. Hayden Penn came on and didn't do much better, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks over three frames. But LaTroy Hawkins and Chris Ray each pitched a shutout inning to keep the deficit at three and give the offense time to heat up. And that it did in the ninth when the O's used a walk and two singles to load the bases, then Ed Rogers singled to drive in Nick Markakis. Then Corey Patterson hit a sac fly to drive in Eddy Garabito, then Chris Gomez was intentionally walked. Kevin Millar was then hit to force in the tying run before Desi Relaford singled in Ed Rogers for the game winner. The other runs came on a Melvin Mora homer n the third and in the fourth Jeff Conine tripled and then scored on a throwing error. Chris Smith Saga - 3/21/2006 1:00:00 PM - Pente The former number one draft picks explains when he was hurt and whether or not he had a pre-draft deal with the O's. Minor League Spring Training Report - MAR 20 - 3/20/2006 1:00:00 PM - Shorebird Shier hospitalized and Duncan back. Say it aint so Sam, say it aint so - 3/20/2006 1:00:00 PM - Pente Although Perlozzo mentioned Penn as a possible reliever, tony shows their are better candidates Red Sox Beat Orioles 3-1 - 3/19/2006 3:00:00 PM - Legendre 3/19 - The Boston Red Sox topped the Baltimore Orioles 3-1 on Sunday. Baltimore starter Erik Bedard went five innings and allowed just one run on three hits with three strikeouts. Rodrigo Lopez came on in relief and allowed two runs on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts over three innings of work. Baltimore's only run came in the ninth when Javy Lopez homered. The Orioles have an off day Monday and then take on the Mets on Tuesday. Cabrera & Tejada Returning Soon - 3/19/2006 1:00:00 AM - Legendre Cardinals Shutout Orioles - 3/18/2006 5:00:00 PM - Legendre 3/18 - The Cardinals shutout the Orioles 7-0 on Saturday in Ft. Lauderdale. Starter Bruce Chen struggled for the first time this spring, allowing six runs on six hits with three walks and three strikeouts. That was followed by three shutout innings from Jim Brower, Tim Byrdak and LaTroy Hawkins. However, Chris Ray allowed one in the eighth before Andy Mitchell came on for a perfect ninth. Baltimore had only four hits in the game a single by Luis Matos in the fourth and one by Ramon Hernandez in the fifth and then doubles by Javy Lopez in the seventh and Luis Lopez in the eighth. Minor League Camp Starts Smoothly - 3/17/2006 5:00:00 PM - Pente Tony takes a quick look minor league spring training including some surprises, early achievers and a sleeper. Orioles Squash Nats 12-4 - 3/17/2006 4:00:00 PM - Legendre 3/17 - The Orioles crushed the Washington Nationals 12-4 in what was a sloppy game for both teams. Melvin Mora had a huge day, going 4-for-4 with a two-run homer, his second of the spring and also an RBI and a double. Luis Matos and David Newhan both had two hits with a RBI, two runs scored and a triple. Jeff Conine had two sacrifice fly RBI in the game. Javy Lopez, Nick Markakis and Ed Rogers each also drove in a run and Napoleon Calzado was hit with the bases loaded to force in one. On the mount, John Halama impressed by going three innings allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and a strikeout. Minor League Spring Training Report - MAR 17 - 3/17/2006 1:00:00 PM - Shorebird Interview with Jay Shiner and more. Orioles Beat Cardinals 4-2 - 3/16/2006 1:00:00 PM - Legendre The Orioles beat the Cardinals 4-2 for their second straight win thanks to a ninth inning two-RBI single by catcher Brian Bock. The game had been tied at two since the second inning and with one out Val Majewski singled and Brandon Fahey followed with a walk before Bock's single to left to score both of them. Baltimore's other two runs came in the second when Kevin Millar led off with a walk and Nick Markakis followed with a single, Majewski then reached on an error. Fahey grounded into a force to score Millar and then Eli Whiteside hit a sac fly to drive in Markakis. Eric DuBose started and allowed two runs on four hits over three frames. Corey Morris then pitched three shutout innings. Scott Rice earned the win with one shutout frame and Eddy Rodriguez the save with a shutout ninth. Minor League Spring Training Report - MAR 16 - 3/16/2006 1:00:00 PM - Shorebird Interview with Don Werner and more. Williams Now Has Calf Pain - 3/16/2006 1:00:00 AM - Legendre It is Me - 3/15/2006 6:00:00 PM - Pente Tony looks into the Gracesqui incident and the Mazzone effect in the minors Orioles Beat Red Sox 3-1 - 3/15/2006 4:00:00 PM - Legendre 3/15 - Melvin Mora hit a two-run homer in the third inning to help the Orioles top the Red Sox 3-1. The homer turned out to be more than enough for Baltimore as starter Kris Benson went four innings and allowed just one run on four hits while striking out three. Hayden Penn relieved Benson and went three shutout innings of his own, allowing a hit and a walk while striking out three. At the plate, Mora was 3-for-3 with a single and a double to go along with a long ball. The Orioles got an insurance run in the seventh when Desi Relaford doubled in Brandon Fahey. Baltimore over Boston 3-1. Minor League Spring Training Report - MAR 15 - 3/15/2006 1:00:00 PM - Shorebird Interview with Shorebird pitching coach Kenny Steenstra and more. Cabrera Impresses, Roberts to Play Tuesday - 3/15/2006 1:00:00 AM - Legendre Mets Rock Orioles 11-4 - 3/14/2006 6:00:00 PM - Legendre Erik Bedard and the Orioles got rocked by the Mets in an 11-4 loss to snap their short two-game winning streak. Bedard allowed seven runs on six hits with two walks and six strikeouts over just three and two-thirds innings. Winston Abreu then came on and allowed a three-run shot (two charged to Bedard) and two more of his own in just one-third of an inning. The Mets scored a total of nine runs in the fourth inning. Baltimore got two RBI from Ed Rogers and one each from Corey Patterson and Eddy Garabito in the 11-4 loss. Minor League Spring Training Report - MAR 14 - 3/14/2006 1:00:00 PM - Shorebird Doc Watson interview and more. Orioles Shutout Marlins - 3/13/2006 5:00:00 PM - Legendre The Orioles shutout the Marlins 5-0 and are on a two-game winning streak since ending a five game losing streak. Starter Bruce Chen pitched four shutout innings in his first start since returning from the World Baseball Classic. Three and two-thirds of those were no-hit innings. In fact, Florida had only two hits, other coming off Eddy Rodriguez, who went two frames. Chris Britton, Andy Mitchell and Vic Darensbourg each pitched one frame. At the plate, Ryan Hubele had a big two-RBI double in the second and David Newhan followed an RBI double in the inning. Kevin Millar had an RBI double in the fifth to cap the scoring in the 5-0 victory. Maybe It's Me? - 3/13/2006 1:00:00 PM - Pente Tony wonders whether the Orioles should pay him not to write? Roberts Update, WBC Players Back - 3/13/2006 1:00:00 AM - Legendre Orioles Beat Mets 3-2 in 10! - 3/12/2006 1:00:00 PM - Legendre The Orioles finally broke their five game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the New York Mets in 10 innings at Ft. Lauderdale. After falling in a 2-0 hole, Baltimore started its comeback in the sixth when Melvin Mora and Kevin Millar both walked, Mora then scored on a Jeff Conine single. Then in the ninth David Newhan singled and stole second, Jeff Fiorentino followed with a walk and then Luis Lopez grounded to first, but Newhan scored on an error to send it to extra innings. In the 10th Napoleon Calzado singled, Esix Snead ran for him and scored on a Val Majewski double. And that's how Baltimore broke its five game skid. Minor League Spring Training Report - MAR 13 - 3/12/2006 1:00:00 PM - Shorebird The first report Cardinals Shutout Orioles 5-0 - 3/11/2006 1:00:00 PM - Legendre 3/11 - The Orioles lost their fifth game in a row with a 5-0 loss to the Cardinals on Saturday. Starting pitcher Hayden Penn impressed by going three shutout innings to start the game, allowing just two hits while striking out two. Vic Darensbourg then came on and struggled, allowing two runs on three hits in just one frame. Andy Mitchell then came on and did worse, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks over one inning. LaTroy Hawkins and Eddy Rodriguez followed with one shutout inning each. Franklyn Gracesqui then started the eighth, got two outs but also walked two and Chris Britton came on to get the final out with a strikeout. At the plate, Corey Patterson doubled, singled and stole a base. That was the most notable offensive performance of the day. Gibbons Hurting, Injury Cuts - 3/11/2006 1:00:00 AM - Legendre Another spring day, another spring loss - 3/10/2006 1:00:00 PM - Pente Marlins Beat Orioles 7-2 - 3/10/2006 1:00:00 PM - Legendre 3/10 - The Orioles lost an ugly one to the Marlins 7-2 on Friday, their fourth in a row and are now just 2-7 on the spring. Baltimore's two runs came on sacrifice flies, one by Val Majewski in the third to drive in David Newhan, who had doubled and one by Nick Markakis in the eighth to drive in Luis Lopez, who had singled. On the mound, Kris Benson struggled again, allowing five runs (three earned) on six hits. John Halama allowed just one run over three innings and JJ Johnson allowed one unearned run over two. The reason for all the unearned runs was two errors by Chris Gomez and one by Lopez. O's WBC Status Update - 3/10/2006 1:00:00 AM - Legendre Orioles Lose to Twins 4-2 - 3/9/2006 4:00:00 PM - Legendre 3/9 - The Orioles loss 4-2 to the Twins featured Kevin Millar's first homer as an Oriole, but not much else of note. He homered in seventh, Baltimore's other run came off an RBI single from Melvin Mora to drive in Corey Patterson, who had by hit by a pitch and then stole second before scoring. Cory Morris pitched well, allowing just one over two, Chris Ray and Tim Byrdak each had a shutout inning before Winston Abreu allowed one run over two. Scott Rice then pitched a shutout frame before Marino Salas came on and gave up a two-run shot. Sendy Rleal pitched a scoreless ninth. Baltimore rallied with two singled in the ninth, but the runners were stranded. Loewen Impresses - 3/9/2006 3:00:00 AM - Pente Tony takes a look at Loewen's performance and a few players he's never heard of on the USA WBC squad. Beyond the Numbers - 3/9/2006 1:00:00 AM - Gray Loewen Impresses, Roberts Takes BP - 3/9/2006 1:00:00 AM - Legendre Relief Struggles Again, LA Beats O's 9-3 - 3/8/2006 1:00:00 PM - Legendre The Orioles' struggles continued as they took a 9-3 loss to the Dodgers, falling to 2-5 in the Grapefruit League. However, there were some bright spots for Orioles fans as two Orioles who could make an impact on the team this season had notable outings. Corey Patterson hit a solo homer in the third inning, his first this spring and Eric DuBose was excellent, going two innings and allowing just one hit while striking out one. Baltimore got all three of their runs in the third with Patterson's homer and later in the inning Melvin Mora singled and Nick Markakis walked before both scored on a Napoleon Calzado triple. However, it was all LA from there as Jim Brower gave up three run over the next two innings to tie it. Then Ricky Bottalico gave up five runs in the sixth. Franklyn Gracesqui gave up a solo homer in the seventh, but otherwise pitched well. WBC Update, Hidalgo Gone - 3/8/2006 2:00:00 AM - Legendre Does Anyone Else not Care about Hidalgo? - 3/8/2006 2:00:00 AM - Pente Tony looks at the Hidalgo situation, pitcher's getting a longer look due to the WBC, and the organization's top middle infield prospect. O's Get No Relief in 10-6 Loss to BoSox - 3/7/2006 1:00:00 PM - Legendre The Orioles took a 10-6 loss to the Red Sox on Tuesday. Once again the star of the game was Jay Gibbons, who hit his first homer of the spring, singled in a run and also hit a sac fly to drive in another. Kevin Millar, Corey Patterson and Brandon Fahey each had an RBI double in the game. Fahey went three-for-three while Patterson went two-for-three. On the mound, Hayden Penn struggled in the first, but went a total of two innings allowing a run on three hits. Brian Finch then came on and went just one and a third allowed five runs on six hits. Eddy Rodriguez went one and two-thirds shutout inning, but walked three. Vic Darensbourg then came on and allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits over one. John Halama pitched the final two innings and allowed one unearned run in the 10-6 loss. Mora Wants Deal Done, Hidalgo Likely Gone - 3/7/2006 1:00:00 AM - Legendre Orioles Out Slug Cardinals 12-8 - 3/6/2006 7:00:00 PM - Legendre The Orioles out slugged the Cardinals 12-8 on Monday in Ft. Lauderdale. Jay Gibbons went two-for-four with two RBI, a run scored and a double. Kevin Millar had a two RBI double in the game and David Newhan, Ed Rogers, Jeff Conine, Desi Relaford, Val Majewski and Brandon Marsters each drove in one run. Nick Markakis continues his monster spring, going two-for-two with two doubles, he is now hitting an impressive .857 (6-7). It wasn't quite as pretty on the mount as JJ Johnson allowed three runs in just two innings, Scott Rice allowed two runs over two, Chris Britton allowed two (one earned) over one and a third and Sendy Rleal allowed one over one. Winston Abreu earned the win with two shutout innings and Chris Ray pitched two-thirds scoreless. Minor League Spring Training - 3/5/2006 1:00:00 PM - other Minor League camp will once again be held in Sarasota. Pitchers and catchers reported on March 3rd and position players report on March 10th with the first games scheduled for March 17th. Find all the information you'll need and a list of all those in camp on our Minor League Spring Training page. Also, reports from Dr. Shorebird from Sarasota starting on March 13th. Nationals Beat Orioles 10-6 - 3/5/2006 1:00:00 PM - Legendre 03/05 - The Orioles lost to the Nat 10-6 on Sunday. Nick Markakis (pic) continues to impress at the plate, he went two-for-two with a homer, a walk and scored on an Andy Tracy homer. Also homering in the game was David Newhan, who led off the game with a homer. Eddy Garabito and Brian Bock also had a bloop single RBI in the ninth. Kris Benson allowed two runs in two innings, but pitcher better than the line shows. Ricky Botallico and Marino Salas both struggled on the mound Welcome to the New Hangout - 3/5/2006 1:00:00 AM - Pente Tony's gives a quick hello in his new blog on the new Hangout. Mora Ok, Williams Improving - 3/5/2006 1:00:00 AM - Legendre 3/5 - Melvin Mora was hit by a pitch on his left wrist on his left wrist on Saturday and had to leave the game; however, it is not believed to be serious. Todd Williams is progressing from his injury as he played catch yesterday. Lastly, Richard Hidalgo had to leave the team to care for his sick wife. O's Win First Game 6-3 Over Dodgers - 3/4/2006 1:00:00 PM - Legendre The Orioles won their first Grapefruit League game 6-3 over the Dodgers on Saturday. Jay Gibbons (pic) delivered the big hit in the first with a two-RBI single in the first that put Baltimore up 2-0, Jeff Conine also delivered a sac fly RBI to make it 3-0. Eli Whiteside also drove in a run in the game. Starter Daniel Cabrera was perfect over two innings and struck out two. Eric DuBose and John Halama both allowed one run over two frames and LaTroy Hawkins earned the save. Ponson Makes Appearance - 3/4/2006 10:00:00 AM - Legendre O's Drop Second Straight to Fish, 5-4 - 3/3/2006 1:00:00 PM - Legendre The Orioles lost their second straight game to the Marlins 5-4 and are now 0-2 in the Grapefruit League. Napoleon Calzado went two-for-two with a RBI, a run scored and a double in the loss. Kevin Millar, playing first base, went two-for-three with a RBI. Brandon Marsters doubled in one and scored and Keith Reed singled in a run. Starter Bruce Chen went two perfect innings, striking out two before leaving the team to join team Panama in the World Baseball Classic. Chris Britton pitched one and a third perfect innings and Sendy Rleal went two perfect innings. Rakers Has Surgery, Out for Year - 3/3/2006 10:00:00 AM - Legendre O's Lose First Spring Game 6-4 to Fish - 3/2/2006 1:00:00 PM - Legendre The Orioles lose their first Grapefruit League game of the year to the Florida Marlins 6-4. However, Javy Lopez (pic) looked good at first base, making a few good plays in the field. Meanwhile, Rodrigo Lopez went two innings and allowed two runs (although earned, they were originally ruled unearned), Erik Bedard allowed one over two, while Adam Loewen went two shutout innings, John Stephens struggled in his second inning of work. At the plate, Luis Matos drove in one in the third, and in the eighth Alejadro Freire drove in one and Jeff Fiorentino had a two-RBI double in Baltimore's 6-4 loss. First Grapefruit League Game Today! - 3/2/2006 10:00:00 AM - Legendre Sammy Announces Starters for Thursday - 3/1/2006 10:00:00 AM - Legendre Williams Still Hurting, Roberts Swinging - 2/28/2006 10:00:00 AM - Legendre Mora Pulls Out of WBC, Hidalgo Signs - 2/26/2006 10:00:00 AM - Legendre Roberts Making Progress - 2/25/2006 12:00:00 PM - Legendre Majewski Tries First - 2/24/2006 12:00:00 PM - Legendre Rakers Leaning Towards Surgery - 2/23/2006 12:00:00 PM - Legendre Looking Forward - 2/23/2006 - Gray The message from the Orioles spring training camp 2006 is loud and clear: It’s time to move on. Rakers Likely Out for Season - 2/22/2006 12:00:00 PM - Legendre Penn Shutdown with Shoulder Pain - 2/21/2006 12:00:00 PM - Legendre Williams Cuts Workout Short Due to Pain - 2/19/2006 12:00:00 PM - Legendre Rakers to have MRI - 2/18/2006 12:00:00 PM - Legendre Roberts Avoids Arbitration - 2/17/2006 12:00:00 PM - Legendre Javy Wants to Stay, Two Pitchers Gone - 2/16/2006 12:00:00 PM - Legendre Orioles Win Arbitration Case vs. Rodrigo - 2/15/2006 12:00:00 PM - Legendre Rodrigo & O's Headed to Arbitration - 2/14/2006 12:00:00 PM - Legendre AL East Projections, Offense - 2/10/2006 12:00:00 PM - Wilt Early Minors Depth Chart - 2/8/2006 12:00:00 PM - Folkemer Nick Markakis will get a look with the Orioles this spring but will most likely start 2006 where he left off, at Bowie. Orioles Director of Minor League Operations David Stockstill sat down with the Hangout to give the fans an early look as to where players figured to start the 2006 season. Matos, 4 Others Sign - 2/4/2006 12:00:00 PM - Legendre Javy Rescinds Trade Demand - 2/3/2006 1:00:00 PM - Gray Javy Rescinds Trade Demand - 2/3/2006 12:00:00 PM - Legendre Orioles and Gibbons Agree to 4-Year Deal - 1/25/2006 1:00:00 PM - Folkemer Orioles and Gibbons Agree to 4-Year Deal - 1/25/2006 12:00:00 PM - Legendre Tony's Take/Benson Scouting Report - 1/21/2006 1:00:00 PM - Pente After reviewing video of Benson last year it's pretty obvious what the Orioles and probably more importantly what Leo Mazzone likes about Benson. Although he doesn't have overwhelming stuff, when he's on, he pitches on the corners with a 89-90 MPH fastball and a late tight 82-83 MPH slider along with a good changeup that he likes to use away from lefties. His slider, which he likes to use on the outside portion of the plate is his out pitch to righties. Benson Acquired from Mets - 1/21/2006 12:00:00 PM - Pente The Orioles shored up their 2005 rotation by acquiring right-handed starter Kris Benson from the New York Mets in exchange for reliever Jorge Julio and John Maine. Benson, 31, was 10-8 with a 4.13 ERA in 28 starts for the Mets in 2005. He was third on the Mets’ staff in wins and starts. In six big league seasons, he is 57-61 with a 4.25 ERA in 165 starts. Benson Acquired from Mets - 1/21/2006 12:00:00 PM - Pente Young to SD, New Minors Coaches - 1/19/2006 12:00:00 PM - Domen AL East Projections, Part Four - 1/18/2006 1:00:00 PM - Wilt O's Sign Millar - 1/13/2006 1:00:00 PM - Domen O's Sign Gracesqui - 1/12/2006 12:00:00 PM - Pente Evaluating Corey Patterson - 1/10/2006 12:00:00 PM - Rommel O's Trade for Patterson - 1/9/2006 12:00:00 PM - Pente Fanfest Attracts Crowds - 1/7/2006 12:00:00 PM - Domen Orioles Get Burres from Giants - 1/6/2006 12:00:00 PM - Legendre Burnitz Agrees with Pirates - 1/4/2006 12:00:00 PM - Legendre Thank you for becoming a Plus Member - 1/1/2006 12:00:00 PM - Pente Thank you for becoming a Plus Member

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