monday, may 29, 2017
TRANSCRIPT
World Champions 1983, 1970, 1966
American League Champions 1983, 1979, 1971, 1970, 1969, 1966 American League East Division Champions 2014, 1997, 1983, 1979, 1974, 1973, 1971, 1970, 1969
American League Wild Card 2016, 2012, 1996
Monday, May 29, 2017
Game Stories:
Orioles starter Alec Asher wastes lead, gives up six runs in second inning in 8-4 loss to
Astros Baltimore Sun 5/28
Springer, McCullers, Astros hand Orioles 7th loss in row 8-4 ESPN 5/28
Orioles suffer sixth straight defeat and 12th in 15 games, 5-2 to Astros Baltimore Sun
5/27
Keuchel solid in return from DL as Astros down Orioles 5-2 ESPN 5/27
Kevin Gausman solid, but Orioles lose, 2-0, to Astros for 11th loss in 14 games
Baltimore Sun 5/26
Marisnick, Beltran, Musgrove lead Astros over Orioles 2-0 ESPN 5/27
Columns:
Adam Jones out of Orioles' starting lineup with sore left ankle and hip Baltimore Sun
5/27
Gritty start from Kevin Gausman a step forward for Orioles right-hander Baltimore Sun
5/27
Orioles' Chris Davis strikes out eight times in series, says he's 'just not picking up the
ball' Baltimore Sun 5/28
Well said: Orioles are 'swinging at a lot of pitches we probably can’t do much with
Baltimore Sun 5/28
A deeper dive into Orioles star Manny Machado's slow start at plate Baltimore Sun 5/27
Mired in their worst losing streak since 2011, the Orioles head home for a key nine-game
series Baltimore Sun 5/28
After Sunday's loss, what's next for Ubaldo Jimenez and Alec Asher? Baltimore Sun 5/29
Chris Davis: “I’m just not picking up the ball” MASNsports.com 5/28
Can Bundy bring what’s needed again today? MASNsports.com 5/29
Asher’s short start leads to longer losing streak MASNsports.com 5/28
For the Orioles, a fall to third place has been a team effort MASNsports.com 5/29
Jones close to lineup return, and other notes (O’s down 8-4) MASNsports.com 5/28
Chris Davis weighs in on hitting issues after 1-for-12 series ESPN 5/29
O's hope for turnaround vs. division-rival Yanks MLB.com 5/29
Schoop's big day not enough for O's in loss MLB.com 5/28
Offense, pitching scuffle during O's slide MLB.com 5/28
Miley, Orioles unable to slow Astros' stars MLB.com 5/28
Jimenez takes move to bullpen in stride MLB.com 5/27
Gausman stung by long ball in solid outing MLB.com 5/27
O's offense silenced by Musgrove, Astros MLB.com 5/27
Will Manny Machado be a Yankee in 2019? ESPN 5/29
Jonathan Schoop Homers, But Orioles Drop Seventh Straight PressBoxOnline.com 5/28
Wade Miley Struggles As Orioles Drop Sixth Straight PressBoxOnline.com 5/27
Baltimore Orioles Fall To Houston Astros For Fifth Consecutive Loss
PressBoxOnline.com 5/26
Orioles' Seth Smith: Takes seat Monday CBSsports.com 5/29
Orioles' Adam Jones: Returns to lineup CBSsports.com 5/29
Orioles' Alec Asher: Blasted in third start CBSsports.com 5/28
Orioles' Chris Davis: Fans three times Sunday CBSsports.com 5/29
Orioles couldn’t wait any longer for Jimenez — not with Asher clearly a better option
right now BaltimoreBaseball.com 5/28
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-astros-20170528-story.html
Orioles starter Alec Asher wastes lead, gives up six runs in
second inning in 8-4 loss to Astros
By Eduardo Encina/ Baltimore Sun
May 28, 2017
The Orioles jettisoned struggling right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez to the bullpen last week, giving
his spot in the rotation to Alec Asher, hoping the relative newcomer would be able to provide the
floundering Orioles with more innings.
But fitting with the way mostly everything has backfired during their three days here in Texas,
Asher lasted just two innings after being staked to an early three-run lead and left the game after
a six-run second, replaced by Jimenez.
While this core group of veterans has faced its share of obstacles over the past five years, the
Orioles reached uncharted territory after their 8-4 loss to the front-running Houston Astros,
completing a three-game sweep of the O’s at Minute Maid Park.
“The command that he showed us out of the bullpen just kind of left him,” manager Buck
Showalter said of Asher. “He had a good, clean inning, a shutdown, after we scored a couple and
you could see watching how far he was missing his area he was trying to throw it to. Pretty
simple. You throw a lot of balls in the center of the plate, they’re going to end up where they
ended up.”
The Orioles (25-23) have lost seven straight, their longest losing streak in more than six years,
since losing nine straight July 4-15, 2011. The Orioles have lost six straight six times since then.
They have also lost 13 of their past 16.
Mired in their worst losing streak since 2011, the Orioles head home for a key nine-game series
Asher, who sparkled in the bullpen and in a pair of spot starts, failed to get beyond the second
inning. He was battered around in a 42-pitch second during which the Astros compiled four
extra-base hits, including a two-run homer by right fielder George Springer that put Houston up
5-3.
“You start falling behind hitters like the caliber of that team and you’re in trouble,” Asher said.
“Just one thing after another and you find yourself giving up a couple runs and it’s tough to get
out of it.”
It was an inning Asher couldn’t survive. Having been used in relief for most of May, he hadn’t
thrown more than 41 pitches in an outing — let alone an inning — in three weeks. Showalter
said Asher was equipped to go 90-95 pitches, but he was pulled after just 54.
“I’m sure that he certainly exerted himself a lot there,” Showalter said. “The Astros didn’t
cooperate and his command didn’t.”
“Very disappointing,” Asher said about his performance. “I feel like I let my team down. I didn’t
do my job, but it’s over now. There’s nothing you can do about it. You just go back and try to get
better and go from there.”
The Orioles scored three runs in the first two innings off Astros starter Lance McCullers, all
three runs driven in by second baseman Jonathan Schoop.
Two batters into the game, Schoop put the Orioles up 2-0 on his seventh homer of the season,
taking a 2-2 changeup into the left-field stands. The Orioles added a run in the top of the second
— taking advantage of two errors — when Schoop drove in Welington Castillo on an infield
single to shortstop.
That’s when the wheels came off for Asher, who saw the Orioles’ lead disappear when he
allowed four of the first five hitters in the bottom of the second inning to reach base.
With two on and one out, Marwin Gonzalez hit a ball off Asher that dropped into an alcove
along the left-field wall — a ball that had a 14 percent probability of being a hit by exit velocity
and launch angle — and scored two runs. Yuli Gurriel followed with an RBI double that tied the
score at three.
Two batters later, Springer hit a 2-2 cutter over the left-field wall an estimated 428 feet to give
the Astros a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. They added a run in the inning when Josh Reddick
tripled down the right-field line and José Altuve drove him in with an RBI single to make the
score 6-3.
As unlikely at it might seem, Jiménez provided calm to the game after entering in the third,
giving the Orioles six innings of relief. Jiménez was sent to the bullpen after being unable to go
more than five innings in five of his past six starts.
Jiménez allowed two runs in the third after the inning was extended following an overturned out
call at second base, but he held the Astros scoreless for the next five innings. He allowed five
hits, struck out five and walked none.
“He gave up a couple early and then shut it down after that,” Showalter said. “Really puts us in a
good position health-wise going into tomorrow. That was something that probably will get
unnoticed, but hopefully it’s the start of him pitching some good baseball that we know he’s
capable of.”
Jiménez allowed a double to Carlos Beltran on the first batter he faced in the third, but third
baseman Manny Machado picked off the lead runner on Evan Gattis’ grounder to third, catching
Beltran off second base.
Jimenez then fielded a sharp comebacker from Gonzalez and turned what was initially a 1-6-3
inning-ending double play, but the out call at second was challenged and overturned to keep the
inning alive.
Jiménez allowed an RBI single to Gurriel, and a second run scored when Gurriel came home on
a wild pitch after a double by Nori Aoki.
After Schoop’s run-scoring single in the second, McCullers allowed just one hit over the next 4
2/3 innings, a single by Castillo in the sixth, while retiring 12 of the final 15 hitters he faced.
McCullers, who had a 21-inning scoreless streak before Schoop’s homer in the first, found
effectiveness with his knuckle curveball, which he threw on 61 of his 105 pitches, drawing 10
swing-and-misses and 14 called strikes.
The Orioles’ only run after the second inning came on a homer by designated hitter Mark
Trumbo, who hit a 1-0 fastball from reliever James Hoyt the opposite way an estimated 407 feet
over the right-field fence.
http://www.espn.com/mlb/recap?gameId=370528118
Springer, McCullers, Astros hand Orioles 7th loss in row 8-4
By Associated Press/ MLB.com
May 28, 2017
HOUSTON -- With the lineup the Houston Astros have, Lance McCullers wasn't too concerned
when he gave up three runs in the first two innings on Sunday.
He was right not to be worried, and it didn't take long for Houston to turn things around.
George Springer homered during a six-run second inning, sending McCullers and the Astros over
Baltimore 8-4 for the Orioles' season-worst seventh straight loss.
Springer connected for the second straight game , helping the Astros overcome a 3-0 deficit
against Alec Asher (1-3).
"Three runs, I feel like our team is pretty much going to score that every time," McCullers said.
"Not an ideal start ... (but) you just say to yourself got to keep it here and let the guys go to work
and they did."
McCullers (6-1) allowed five hits and three runs -- two earned -- in six innings. He struck out
eight in his fourth straight win.
McCullers' streak of 22 scoreless innings ended when Schoop hit a two-run homer in the first.
Schoop drove in three runs and Mark Trumbo added a solo homer for the Orioles, who have been
outscored 38-17 during their skid.
"It's very easy to get into a lackluster game where we've already won the series, we've already
come back from the start of the homestand being poor, but our guys came out with an explosive
inning," manager A.J. Hinch said. "Huge to see and not just to pick up Lance, but to continue to
play pretty exceptional baseball."
The Astros have won six of seven since being swept by the Indians to start the homestand to
move a season-high 19 games over .500 at 35-16.
Marwin Gonzalez hit a two-run double with one out in the Houston second inning and scored on
a double by Yuli Gurriel to tie it at 3.
Springer for his 11th homer with two outs. Asher watched the ball sail over him and put his
hands on his knees and shook his head as Springer rounded the bases.
"You start falling behind hitters like the caliber of that team and you get in trouble," Asher said.
"Just one thing after another and you find yourself giving up a couple of runs and it's tough to get
out of it."
Josh Reddick followed with a triple and scored on a single by Jose Altuve to push the lead to 6-3.
Asher finally got the third out when Carlos Correa hit a grounder in his second at-bat of the
inning.
Asher gave up six hits in two innings in his first start since replacing struggling right-hander
Ubaldo Jimenez in the rotation. Jimenez, who had a 7.17 ERA in nine games entering Sunday,
allowed five hits and two runs in six innings after Asher's early exit.
Up 2-0, the Orioles the bases with one out in the second on a single by Hyun Soo Kim and two
errors. Schoop's single with two outs pushed the lead to 3-0 before McCullers retired Manny
Machado to limit the damage.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Orioles: CF Adam Jones was out of the lineup for a second straight game because of a sore hip.
But manager Buck Showalter said he was feeling better and that he expects him to return on
Monday.
Astros: Put RHP Charlie Morton on the 10-day disabled list with a strained muscle in the right
side of his back and Hinch said there is no timetable for his return. Mike Fiers, who was moved
into the bullpen on Saturday in favor of Brad Peacock, will return to the rotation to make
Morton's scheduled start on Tuesday at Minnesota.
MARVELOUS MARWIN
Gonzalez had two hits on Sunday and has reached base safely in 21 straight starts. Houston's
super utility player has been great this month, hitting an American League-best .381 to improve
to .299 overall this season. His 30 RBI lead the team and his 11 homers are tied with Springer for
first.
THEY SAID IT
Jimenez on pitching well out of the bullpen after struggling as a starter this season: "It's always
good to finally have a good one. Finally do something for the team, especially when they needed
me. I was able to help the bullpen so it feels good."
UP NEXT
Orioles: Dylan Bundy (5-3, 2.92 ERA) is scheduled to start for Baltimore on Monday in the
opener of a series against the Yankees. He allowed six hits and two runs in seven innings of a 2-0
loss to the Twins in his last start.
Astros: Brad Peacock (2-0, 0.87) will make his second start of the season on Monday when
Houston opens a three-game series at Minnesota. Peacock allowed one hit and no runs while
striking out eight in 4 1/3 innings of his last start when he filled in when Dallas Keuchel missed
one start with a pinched nerve in his neck.
http://www.espn.com/mlb/recap?gameId=370527118
Keuchel solid in return from DL as Astros down Orioles 5-2
By Associated Press/ ESPN
May 27, 2017
HOUSTON -- Dallas Keuchel picked up right where he left off on Saturday night in his return
from a short stint on the disabled list.
Keuchel (8-0), who missed one start with a pinched nerve in his neck, allowed four hits and one
run while fanning eight in six innings to lead the Houston Astros to a 5-2 win over the Baltimore
Orioles.
"It was pretty flawless," manager A.J. Hinch said. "We couldn't have asked for much more. He
was extremely sharp with getting outs."
His eight wins this season lead the majors and he's just one win away from matching his total
from last year, when he struggled in the follow-up to his stellar 2015 season during which he
won 20 games and the American League Cy Young Award.
"I felt good," he said. "So hopefully take the next step and continue to progress and get back to
hopefully seven or eight innings."
Will Harris struck out two in a perfect ninth for his second save.
Houston led by 1 in the fourth before George Springer hit a two-run homer off Wade Miley (1-3)
to make it 4-1.
Welington Castillo had an RBI single for the Orioles, whose season-high skid reached six games.
"There's just too much talent to struggle for too much longer," right fielder Mark Trumbo said.
"It could be tomorrow, it could be the next series, but we're going to start to do better."
Jose Altuve had three hits and an RBI and Carlos Correa added two hits and drove in a run for
the Astros, who won for the fifth time in six games.
Miley tied season highs by allowing eight hits and four runs in five innings to remain winless
since April 14.
Springer put Houston up 1-0 in the first when he made a diving slide to evade the tag at home
and score on a double by Altuve. Correa followed with a single to send Altuve home and push
the lead to 2-0.
The Orioles got going in the third inning when Caleb Joseph walked with two outs. Joey Rickard
singled before Joseph scored on a single by Castillo to cut the lead to 2-1.
Alex Bregman singled with one out in the fourth before Springer hit his 10th home run on a
towering 447-foot shot to center field with two outs to extend Houston's lead to 4-1.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Orioles: CF Adam Jones was out of the lineup on Saturday and expected to miss Sunday's game
as well because of a sore ankle and hip. "We needed to back off of him," manager Buck
Showalter said. "Hopefully it's only a day or two. We'll see. If it's not better in a couple of days,
we'll see if we need to take another step."
Astros: C Brian McCann was activated from the 7-day concussion list before the game and
returned to the lineup. He went 0 for 2 with two walks.
ROTATION CHANGE
The Astros will start Brad Peacock on Monday against the Twins and move Mike Fiers into the
bullpen. Peacock allowed one hit and struck out eight in 4 1/3 innings in his first start of the
season while filling in for Keuchel when he was injured. He's 2-0 with an 0.87 ERA in 13
appearances this year. Fiers has struggled this season, going 1-2 with a 5.21 ERA in nine starts.
Hinch said he isn't sure if he'll stick with this rotation past the Minnesota series.
RALLY BIRD
A small black bird was on the infield for most of the seventh inning. It sat between home plate
and the mound for a while before flying over and landing near third base. It was then that the
Astros showed the bird on the Jumbotron with the words "rally bird" below it. Baltimore third
baseman Manny Machado then walked near the bird and tried to shoo it away, drawing loud
boos from the home crowd. Soon after that, the crowd began chanting "Rally Bird!" repeatedly
before it finally flew off the field and perched on the net above the Orioles' dugout.
"We're playing the Orioles, we're playing the birds and they decided to strike up a rally bird,"
Springer said. "That was clever. I liked it."
UP NEXT
Orioles: Alec Asher (1-2, 2.17) who has spent most of the season in the bullpen, will start for
Baltimore on Sunday. Asher is taking the place of struggling right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez, who
was moved to the bullpen after posting a 7.17 ERA in nine games. Asher hasn't allowed a run in
his last four appearances.
Astros: Lance McCullers (5-1, 2.43) is scheduled to start for Houston on Sunday. McCullers
allowed one hit in five scoreless innings in his last start to extend his streak of consecutive
scoreless innings to 22 innings, which is the longest active streak in the AL.
http://www.espn.com/mlb/recap?gameId=370526118
Marisnick, Beltran, Musgrove lead Astros over Orioles 2-0
By Associated Press/ ESPN
May 27, 2017
HOUSTON -- In his last few starts, Houston's Joe Musgrove felt like he had been the weak link
on the team with the best record in the majors and he was determined to turn things around.
He was able to do that on Friday night by pitching seven strong innings in the Astros' 2-0 victory
over the Baltimore Orioles.
Jake Marisnick and Carlos Beltran homered to back his start. Marisnick went deep with one out
in the third inning, and Beltran's shot to the second deck in right field came with two outs in the
sixth.
Musgrove (4-4) allowed four hits in seven innings before the bullpen closed it out to send the
Orioles to their season-high fifth straight loss.
"He pitched with a little bit of edge to him tonight," manager A.J. Hinch said. "He was all over
the strike zone which is one thing; he usually is. But I thought the quality of his strikes was a
step above where he's been when he's gotten in trouble. I thought the execution of his secondary
pitches was a difference in the game."
Musgrove bounced back after allowing eight hits and a season-high seven runs in a season-low
three-plus innings in an 8-6 loss to Cleveland in his last start.
"I'm really just happy about being able to get some of the trust back with some of my teammates
and stuff," Musgrove said. "Not to say that they've been down on me, but it's tough to go out
there and put together bad outing after bad outing and feel like your teammates are not really
confident going into that day. So I'm happy that I can put a good one out and hopefully continue
to build off of that."
The Orioles weren't able to string any hits together until the eighth inning when a double by
Hyun Soo Kim and singles by Jonathan Schoop and J.J. Hardy loaded the bases with no outs. But
Chris Devenski struck out Seth Smith before retiring Adam Jones and Manny Machado on fly
balls to escape the jam.
Ken Giles struck out one in a perfect ninth for his 14th save.
Kevin Gausman (2-4) yielded eight hits and two runs in 6 2/3 innings for the Orioles, who have
dropped seven of their last nine.
Machado had two hits, but the other three batters at the top of Baltimore's order went 0 for 12
with seven strikeouts, including four by Smith.
"Nobody's panicking because even though we're losing, we're playing good baseball," Schoop
said. "We got our chances, but we didn't come through tonight. It'll change."
Marisnick homered in his second straight at-bat after hitting the go-ahead home run in the eighth
inning of a 7-6 win over the Tigers on Thursday night. George Springer followed with a single
and Josh Reddick reached on an error by Schoop at second base. But the Astros were unable to
add on after Gausman retired the next two batters to end the inning.
Marisnick has six home runs this season after hitting just five last year.
JIMENEZ TO BULLPEN
The Orioles have moved struggling RHP Ubaldo Jimenez to the bullpen and will move reliever
Alec Asher into the rotation to start on Sunday. Jimenez is 1-2 with a 7.17 ERA in nine
appearances with eight starts this season. Asher has started two games this season but has
worked mostly as a reliever and is 1-2 with a 2.17 ERA.
"I think he deserves the opportunity ... the challenge is that it takes a guy that's been pitching
well out of our `pen," manager Buck Showalter said. "But we've been challenged to try and
figure out a way to get a little deeper in some of the games, and it doesn't really matter who
we've got in the bullpen if we don't."
MOVES
The Astros optioned C Juan Centeno and RHP Jordan Jankowski to Triple-A Fresno after the
game to make room on the roster for the expected return from the DL of ace LHP Dallas Keuchel
and C Brian McCann on Saturday. Keuchel is on the 10-day DL with the pinched nerve in his
neck and McCann is on the 7-day concussion list.
UP NEXT
Orioles: Wade Miley (1-2 2.59 ERA) is scheduled to start for Baltimore on Saturday. He allowed
six hits and three runs in seven innings of a 3-1 loss to Toronto in his last start and hasn't gotten a
win since April 14.
Astros: Keuchel is expected to come off the DL to start on Saturday after missing just one start
with his injury. The 2015 American League Cy Young Award winner has brushed off a tough
2016 season by opening this year 7-0 with a 1.84 ERA. The left-hander has the second-lowest
ERA in the majors and his wins are tied for most in the big leagues.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-astros-20170527-story.html
Orioles suffer sixth straight defeat and 12th in 15 games, 5-2
to Astros
By Eduardo Encina/ Baltimore Sun
May 27, 2017
The Orioles’ struggles suddenly have them closer to the American League East cellar than first
place, which they occupied at least a share of for 35 days in the season’s first two months.
They suffered their sixth straight loss and 12th in 15 games, 5-2, against the Houston Astros on
Saturday night at Minute Maid Park.
The Orioles (25-22) scored three runs or fewer for the fifth time in six games. For the first time
since the seventh game of the season, when they were 5-2, the Orioles are just three games over
.500.
With the loss, the Orioles fell 3½ games behind the first-place New York Yankees and are just
three games ahead of the last-place Toronto Blue Jays.
With their second loss in Houston, the Orioles have now lost three straight road series and four
of their past five. They are 10-15 on the road this season.
In a lineup without center fielder Adam Jones (sore left ankle and hip), the top five hitters in the
Orioles batting order – Joey Rickard, Welington Castillo, Manny Machado, Mark Trumbo and
Chris Davis -- combined to go 5-for-20 with 10 strikeouts. The team finished with seven hits
overall.
Adam Jones out of Orioles' starting lineup with sore left ankle and hip
The Orioles struck out 13 times on the night.
Houston lefty Dallas Keuchel (8-0) held the Orioles to one run on four hits over six innings. The
only run against him came in the third, when Castillo hit a two-out RBI single.
“The tempo’s usually set by the other pitcher,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said, referring
to Keuchel. “He’s a great locator of the baseball. If you go back through his other outings and
see how many times he misses location compared to other people, you’ll get an idea of why he’s
so good. But they get up early like that, guys tend to push more, which falls right into his
repertoire.”
“He did a nice job,” said Mark Trumbo, who struck out three times. “I think we got some pitches
and we fouled them off. Obviously, myself included, we chased some, too. There’s a reason his
numbers are that good. He does a real nice job out there, but I think that we had a few that we
probably didn’t do as much with as we would have liked.”
The Orioles scored their second run when Davis capitalized on his first triple since Sept. 21,
2013 – a ball that hit off the right-center-field fence and caromed toward center field – by
scoring on a James Hoyt wild pitch in the seventh.
Orioles left-hander Wade Miley (1-3) failed to get beyond the fifth inning for the fourth time in
five healthy starts (not counting his two-thirds of an inning when he was pulled after being hit by
two comebackers in the first). He allowed four runs on 11 base runners (eight hits and three
walks).
Miley allowed two runs during a 24-pitch first inning, but it wasn’t entirely his fault. After
allowing a leadoff single to George Springer, Jose Altuve lined a ball to center that Rickard
misplayed and let bounce to the wall for an RBI double. Carlos Correa then followed with a
sharply hit ball that caromed off Davis’ mitt to second baseman Jonathan Schoop. But the throw
was wild, allowing another run to score.
Miley also yielded a two-run homer to Springer in the fourth that ended up being the difference
in the game. Springer took a 3-1 fastball an estimated 447 feet to left field.
Miley needed a diving play from Machado at third to escape the fifth inning on his 100th pitch of
the night.
Miley could have gone deeper, but he had six three-ball counts in his final three innings.
“The first inning, I felt like I was getting ground-balled to death,” Miley said. “Balls were
finding holes, obviously the [double] to Altuve, but I think there were about three or four ground
balls that just kind of snuck through. It’s part of it. I had a pretty quick, decent second and third,
and then struggled a little in the fourth and fifth. But just a couple counts where I fell behind 3-1,
3-2, and it probably cost me 15-20 pitches and that's the difference between [five] and seven
innings.”
After tossing a scoreless sixth inning, right-hander Tyler Wilson was chased three batters into the
seventh. Altuve opened the inning with a single, then stole second and scored on Correa’s single
to make the score 5-2. Evan Gattis doubled to put runners at second and third.
Left-hander Richard Bleier came on and limited the damage, inducing three infield groundouts,
including one off the bat of Brian McCann to Schoop, who went home for a play at the plate to
prevent a run from scoring.
Wilson has seen his season ERA balloon from 4.91 to 7.43 over his past two relief outings.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-astros-20170526-story.html
Kevin Gausman solid, but Orioles lose, 2-0, to Astros for
11th loss in 14 games
By Eduardo Encina/ Baltimore Sun
May 26, 2017
For the first 45 games of this season, the Orioles occupied one of the top two spots in the
American League East standings. But after their 2-0 loss to the Houston Astros on Friday night
at Minute Maid Park, the Orioles found themselves in an unfamiliar place: Third in the division.
The reeling Orioles -- who were 12 games above .500 and owned the best record in baseball just
17 days ago -- are now closer to fourth place in the division than first. It's just one indicator of
how much the Orioles have struggled of late, losers of five straight and 11 of 14. They are 4-11
in their past 15 road games.
Extending the frustration is how close the losses have been. Fifteen of the Orioles' past 16 games
have been decided by two runs or fewer, and 11 of their past 12 losses have been decided by two
runs or less.
Astros starter Joe Musgrove (4-4), who entered the night with a 5.63 ERA and was coming off
an outing in which he allowed seven runs over three innings, held the Orioles scoreless for seven
innings. The Orioles managed just four hits off Musgrove.
"I’m not going to state the obvious," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "Everybody in our
clubhouse knows that it’s been a challenge for us here lately, but they pitched well. I think the
guy threw 58 out of 102 pitches were off-speed pitches and we just didn’t make a lot of
adjustments. You’ve got to tip your hat to them.”
Ubaldo Jimenez sent to Orioles bullpen, Alec Asher to start Sunday against Astros
Orioles right-hander Kevin Gausman (2-4) pitched his third quality start in his past four outings,
the only damage done against him being two solo homers.
Four of the Orioles’ seven hits were doubles, all of which came with less than two outs in an
inning. But the Orioles (25-21) were a combined 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position after
opening the game hitless in their first seven at-bats with runners in scoring position.
"Nobody’s panicking now," second baseman Jonathan Schoop said. "Even though we’re not
winning, we’re playing good baseball. We play good baseball, playing good defense. Things
aren’t going our way right now. We got our chances and we didn’t come through, but it will
change."
The first six hitters in the Orioles’ batting order were a combined 2-for-24 with seven strikeouts.
The Orioles had their scoring opportunities late, loading the bases with no outs against right-
hander Chris Devenski in the eighth inning, but failed to score a run.
After Hyun Soo Kim opened the inning with a double, Schoop reached on an infield single and
J.J. Hardy loaded the bases on a bunt single.
But the Orioles couldn’t bring a single runner home with the top of the order up. Seth Smith
struck out for the fourth time on the night, Adam Jones hit a fly ball to left that wasn’t deep
enough to score Kim from third and Manny Machado sent a first-pitch delivery to the warning
track in right to end the inning.
The Orioles receive one-out doubles in both the third and fourth innings Friday, but couldn’t
score in either frame against Musgrove.
Schoop just missed a home run on his line drive off the left-center field wall in the third, but
Hardy and Smith struck out to end the inning.
In the fourth, Machado doubled down the left-field line with one out, but Chris Davis struck out
looking and Mark Trumbo flied out to right.
Machado doubled into left-center field to lead off the seventh, but Musgrove retired the next
three hitters to escape that jam.
The Orioles also ran themselves out of a promising inning in the sixth when Hardy reached on an
infield single, but was doubled up attempting to steal second after Smith struck out.
"He was commanding his cutter and same with his slider," Schoop said of Musgrove. "He was
good today. He commanding his fastball and everything was working his way."
Gausman limited the Astros to one run in the third inning, the only damage coming on No. 9
hitter Jake Marisnick’s solo homer to left. But Gausman paid the price of needing 33 pitches to
get through the inning.
Gausman endured three counts of six or more pitches, and the Astros fouled 10 pitches in the
frame to get his pitch count up.
Gausman had been dominating relying on his fastball – and got ahead of Marisnick 0-2 on a
three fastballs before the center fielder tattooed a slider an estimated 428 feet onto the train
tracks high above the left-field concourse of Minute Maid Park.
An error by Schoop, who dropped the ball on a double-play turn at second base, extended the
inning by 13 more pitches.
Gausman relied heavily on the fastball through his first three innings, throwing the pitch 81.67
percent of the time (49 of 60 pitches), and drew the only 11 called strikes and only three swing-
and-miss strikes with the fastball.
“He pitched well," Showalter said of Gausman. "He gave us a great chance to win, but their guys
did a little bit better.”
Gausman controlled his pitch count enough to manage to get into the seventh. He allowed eight
hits on the night, but the only other runner to score was Carlos Beltran, who hit a 2-1 fastball into
the right-field seats an estimated 400 feet with two outs in the sixth.
“Beltran, trying to throw a fastball up and kind of left it middle of the plate and he’s obviously
been around for I don’t know how long, but a long time, and he doesn’t miss those pitches,"
Gausman said. "Marisnick, trying to bury a slider, especially with two strikes and just kind of left
it center cut.”
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-adam-jones-out-of-orioles-starting-lineup-
with-sore-left-ankle-and-hip-20170527-story.html
Adam Jones out of Orioles' starting lineup with sore left
ankle and hip
By Eduardo Encina/ Baltimore Sun
May 27, 2017
Center fielder Adam Jones was out of the team’s starting lineup for Saturday’s game against the
Houston Astros because of soreness in his left ankle and left hip, manager Buck Showalter said.
Showalter said Jones jammed his ankle while pursuing a ball in the gap in Detroit 11/2 weeks
ago and the injury had for the most part managed itself until it got worse in recent days.
Showalter said the team will see how Jones progresses over the next day before seriously
considering whether he will undergo any series of tests. But Showalter was optimistic that the
lingering injury would resolve itself over the next two days.
“I know there was one play in Detroit where he was trying to cut a ball off in the gap and he
couldn’t quite get to it,” Showalter said. “He’s been favoring it some. I think it’s been bothering
him at the plate when he’s been trying to fire down on that leg. He can’t really make the
rotational with the upper half. It’s really gotten to be painful. I think it’s really been a challenge
at the plate, too. Hopefully he can get it cleared up. It’s been bothering him off and on. When he
hit a bag wrong, it kind of jammed it. But they’ve been treating it. I just didn’t like some of the
things he was feeling last night.”
Showalter wanted to take advantage of having consecutive day games Sunday and Monday, and
said Jones wouldn’t receive any tests until after the team returns home.
“We’re going home tomorrow,” Showalter said before Saturday’s game. “We were talking
about whether he should go home and get some pictures, but we’ll see how it manages between
today and tomorrow. We’ll see. It’s just a reminder. Everybody on the field, including their guys,
everybody’s got something. I see the treatment sheet every day that never gets talked about. It’s
really a great reminder of these things. Adam [always] posts up and he’s always going to want to
play. … We talked about it today. We felt like it was best to back off him.”
Orioles' Ubaldo Jimenez: 'I have no doubt that I’ll be able to work my way back'
Entering Saturday, Jones had played in all but one of the Orioles’ first 45 games, missing the
team’s series finale in Kansas City on May 14 with a sore hip.
“He jammed [the ankle] a few days ago and it’s kind of been off and on,” Showalter said. “The
hip’s a little sore, too, so we just need to back off of him. Hopefully it’s only a day or two. We’ll
see. If it’s not better in a couple days, we’ll see if we need to take another step. We’ve got day
games the next two days, so we just want to get ahead of it.”
Jones is hitting .258/.302/.411 with eight homers and 21 RBIs this season, but is hitless over his
past three games, going 0-for-12 with four strikeouts.
Around the horn: Showalter tweaked his batting order Saturday after the Orioles were shut out
the previous day, hitting catcher Welington Castillo second for the first time in his career.
Castillo entered the day hitting .324 (11-for-34) since returning from the disabled list, but was
just 1-for-16 over the last four games of that span. … All Orioles uniformed personnel wore
ripstop woodland camouflage-designed road jerseys and caps for Saturday’s game and will do so
Sunday. The team will wear white home camo jerseys and caps for Memorial Day on Monday
that will be auctioned off on the team website to benefit the Orioles Charitable Foundation and
the Fort Meade Alliance Foundation. … Orioles prospect Ryan Mountcastle hit three homers for
the High-A Frederick Keys on Friday against the Buies Creek Astros. Mountcastle is hitting
.342/.372/.620 with 11 homers and 35 RBIs through 46 games.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-gritty-start-from-kevin-gausman-certainly-
a-step-forward-for-the-orioles-right-hander-20170526-story.html
Gritty start from Kevin Gausman a step forward for Orioles
right-hander
By Eduardo Encina/ Baltimore Sun
May 27, 2017
His stat line might not have shown it – and the score definitely didn’t – but Orioles right-hander
Kevin Gausman might have given one of his best performances of the season in Friday night’s 2-
0 loss to the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.
Gausman was the tough-luck loser, much like his rotationmate Dylan Bundy was three days ago
in a 2-0 home loss to the Minnesota Twins. But the only two runs he allowed on the night were
on solo homers by Jake Marisnick and Carlos Beltran.
Gausman allowed eight hits, a total that didn’t seem like that many when watching it, and it
didn’t feel the same as the 10 hits he allowed in his previous start against the Toronto Blue Jays.
After owning a 7.55 ERA over his first seven starts of the season, Gausman has quality starts in
three of his past four outings. He went into Friday’s start saying he was still looking “to put it all
together,” and despite the loss, he took another step toward doing that.
“It all kind of stemmed from fastball command,” Gausman said. “I say it every time after every
start, but when I feel like I can throw the ball where I want to, those are the games where I’m
going to go deep in the game. You get quick outs, get pop flies and ground balls.”
Kevin Gausman solid, but Orioles lose, 2-0, to Astros for 11th loss in 14 games
Despite a third inning in which Gausman needed 33 pitches – running his pitch total to 60 – he
was able to last 6 2/3 innings.
“That third inning, just try to minimize,” Gausman said. “Gave up the solo home run [to
Marisnick] and get some guys on base. Kind of had some freak things that happened in that
inning, but like I said, just try to minimize.”
He did so by relying on his fastball, which he threw 78.5 percent of the time (84 fastballs out of
107 pitches), and when Gausman is doing that, it’s a good sign. It means he’s trusting the
location of his fastball, which he hasn’t been able to do at times this season.
“My fastball was staying true tonight,” Gausman said. “It wasn’t coming back to the middle of
the plate like it was earlier in the season. I felt really good my last couple starts with that pitch
specifically, so I’m definitely on the right track and just kind of try to keep the ball rolling.”
But it was what Gausman was able to do after the third that was most important, throwing strikes
to get quick outs and quick innings despite allowing at least one base runner in each frame.
Over his last four innings, Gausman threw 66 percent strikes, staying ahead of Astros hitters and
getting quick outs, especially in a 10-pitch fourth inning that set the tone after the long third.
“Yeah, I had a real good feel for my slider,” Gausman said. “Really, the worst one I threw
tonight got hit for a home run. That’s a good sign. I know my stuff’s really good when I’m
getting a lot of foul balls. That’s one thing that throughout my whole career, when I’m on, guys
are fouling it off. Unfortunately, it kind of gets me into deep counts. That’s one thing for me; I
know I’m on the right track, so definitely took the right step forward tonight and go get them
tomorrow.”
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-struggling-slugger-chris-davis-at-the-plate-
i-m-not-seeing-a-whole-lot-20170528-story.html
Orioles' Chris Davis strikes out eight times in series, says
he's 'just not picking up the ball'
By Eduardo Encina/ Baltimore Sun
May 28, 2017
The Orioles were already struggling when they arrived in Houston this weekend, but first
baseman Chris Davis thought he had begun to turn the corner. He felt like he was finally starting
to see the ball well, and he believed the solo home run he hit off Twins right-hander Jose Berrios
in the Orioles' series-ending loss to Minnesota at Camden Yards was a result to build on.
But after the Orioles were swept out of Minute Maid Park on Sunday with an 8-4 loss to the
Houston Astros — the Orioles' season-high seventh straight defeat — Davis felt lost again,
having gone 1-for-12 with eight strikeouts in the series.
"I'm not seeing a whole lot," Davis said. "I think the last game at home, I kind of started to feel a
little bit better, and obviously get down here and just having to battle a number of things. I'm just
not picking up the ball, and that's going to make hitting pretty tough. I'm looking forward to
getting home and getting back to an environment where I'm comfortable and where I've had a lot
of success."
Davis is prone to extensive slumps. The Orioles know that, and did so when they signed him to a
club-record seven-year, $161 million contract before last season. But Davis is on pace to strike
out 250 times this season, which would easily break former Oriole Mark Reynolds' major league
single-season record of 223 set in 2009.
Davis' total of looking strikeouts have increased this season, especially recently. He is just 3-for-
36 over his past nine games, and that includes 20 strikeouts. Out of those 20 strikeouts, 11 have
been looking, including two in Sunday's loss to the Astros.
Mired in their worst losing streak since 2011, the Orioles head home for a key nine-game series
"I'm just not picking up the ball out of the pitcher's hand," Davis said. "I feel like I was not really
recognizing the pitch until it was right in front of me, but at that point it's too late. Anytime I'm
taking that many called third strikes, something's going on because I've never been one to really
lay the bat on my shoulder."
Davis continues to work through his slump. He took early batting practice before Saturday's
game in Houston — there was no on-field BP before Sunday's game — and said he'll continue to
do so until he finds his way out of his funk.
"I think it's just continuing to work," Davis said. "If anything else, it's the peace of mind of
knowing I'm doing everything I could. As long as I've been playing, as long as I've been through
rough stretches, that's always really worked for me, to continue to go out there and put in the
reps, so that's what I'm going to keep doing."
Davis insisted he's trying to be aggressive at the plate, but that's been difficult.
"There's no lack of aggressiveness on my part going into my at-bat," Davis said. "I'm not going
into it thinking, I'm going to take a pitch here or there. I want to be aggressive in the strike zone,
but not being able to pick up the ball until really late makes it really hard. So I mean, we'll try
some different things and see if we can get out of this."
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-well-said-orioles-are-swinging-at-a-lot-of-
pitches-we-probably-can-t-do-much-with-20170527-story.html
Well said: Orioles are 'swinging at a lot of pitches we
probably can’t do much with'
By Eduardo Encina/ Baltimore Sun
May 28, 2017
The Orioles are currently in a tailspin, and there are a lot of reasons to worry about this club as it
has fallen into third place in the American League East after losing 12 of 15 games.
The starting rotation isn’t getting deep enough into games and the team’s bullpen has been
patched together of late, but ultimately the biggest reason why the Orioles aren’t winning is
because they aren’t hitting.
“It’s kind of hard to pinpoint,” outfielder Mark Trumbo said. “I think everybody’s probably got
something different going on, but I think we’re swinging at a lot of pitches we probably can’t do
much with. We need to do a better job capitalizing on the good pitches and laying off some of
the ones that are in the dirt and so forth.”
The Orioles’ 5-2 loss to the Astros on Saturday at Minute Maid Park was the latest example. The
Orioles struck out 13 times, which might seem like a lot but isn’t a ridiculous number by their
free-swinging standards.
It was the Orioles’ continued susceptibility to the breaking chase pitch that made those strikeouts
stand out.
When the Orioles had a runner at first with two outs in the seventh, catcher Caleb Joseph swung
through a slider. And with Manny Machado on third base with two outs in the eighth, Mark
Trumbo chased a slider. Chris Davis, who also struck out three times, flailed at a slider way out
of the zone to complete a strikeout in the fourth.
Orioles suffer sixth straight defeat and 12th in 15 games, 5-2 to Astros
Trumbo, who struck out three times Saturday, swung and missed at four of the eight sliders he
saw on the night. Joseph missed two of the three. Machado whiffed at two sliders in the dirt in
separate at-bats.
“They pressed in game one,” manager Buck Showalter said. “That’s what we do. You push. And
you’re always trying to find that fine line between pushing and playing with some control, too.
Because you bring emotion into at-bats, really good pitchers take advantage of that.”
This isn’t a groundbreaking discovery. The Orioles are a fastball-feasting team, and opposing
pitchers know that. So there’s no secret that they aren’t getting many fastballs to hit, especially
when opponents know they struggle handling breaking balls out of the zone.
And as the Orioles’ frustration mounts, they’re expanding the strike zone by flailing at breaking
pitches that aren’t strikes.
So if the Orioles are going to break out of this slump, it’s going to be by doing the opposite, by
laying off chase pitches in order to get pitchers to get back in the zone. And that will be difficult,
because it will break from their norms.
The Orioles' swinging-strike rate – their swing and misses compared to the pitches they see – is
11.2 percent, third highest in the AL, but is actually lower than last year’s season mark of 11.6
percent.
But the Orioles are swinging at 30.8 percent of pitches outside the strike zone, third highest in
the AL, and make contact on just 65.1 percent of those swings, which is fourth-worst in the AL.
Last season, the Orioles made contact on just 60.9 percent of their swings at pitches outside the
zone, which was the worst swing rate in the AL. Overall, the Orioles are making contact with
75.9 percent of their swings, compared to a 75.5 mark last season.
So this is basically what the Orioles are, right? And while we know they are prone to these sort
of lapses where they can collectively look lost at the plate, and high strikeout totals are a part of
their identity, Saturday’s game was the perfect example of how the Orioles helped their
opponents out.
As they try to avoid a sweep in Sunday’s series finale, the Orioles can expect another heavy dose
of breaking balls. Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. is throwing more curveballs (45.4 percent)
than fastballs (41.4 percent) this season.
“We’re going to play better,” Trumbo said. “When, those things are sometimes too hard to say,
but we have too much talent to struggle for too much longer. It could be tomorrow. It could be
the next series. But we’re going to start to do better.”
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-astros-0528-20170527-story.html
A deeper dive into Orioles star Manny Machado's slow start
at plate
By Eduardo Encina/ Baltimore Sun
May 27, 2017
Manny Machado is the first to point out there's plenty of baseball to be played this season, that
his early-season struggles at the plate will eventually be a memory, that sticking to the routine
that brought him success over the past five years will pay off as it always has.
And as the Orioles stumble through their worst stretch of this young season — they entered
Saturday's game in Houston losers of five straight and 11 of 14 — the spotlight has been cast on
the 24-year-old Machado, because amid the team's streaky batting order, he has usually been one
of the steadiest bats.
That's a testament to the bar Machado set as he has blossomed into one of the game's brightest
young stars, But with his team in a tailspin, and Machado suffering through the worst start of his
big league career, it's only natural to ask what's going wrong with the All-Star third baseman.
It's not difficult to see Machado is pressing at the plate. To say he's lost would be an
exaggeration, but he hasn't been the same hitter he has been in the past.
"But he's playing defense, he's conducting himself [the right way], he's the same person," Orioles
manager Buck Showalter said. "He just wants to do better for the team. That's it. There's nothing
that complicated about it. Think about how high of a bar he set. I'll keep him."
Machado goes into Saturday's game hitting just .225/.312/.444, his worst batting average through
45 games. The only comparable season is 2014, when Machado hit .229/.280/.330 after opening
the season a month late recovering from offseason knee surgery.
"There's nothing really to it," Machado said before Friday's series opener, during which he had
his first multi-double game of the season in a 2-0 loss to the Astros. "The hits aren't falling right
now. That's why it's hard to play this game, why it's hard to play 162 games, almost 700 at-bats.
It's not always how you start, its how you finish.
"But you know, you just have to stick to your routine, stick to your approach, keep doing what
I'm doing and not try to change anything just because I'm struggling. It doesn't mean I'm going to
start going out there and hitting differently. I'm going to do what I have to do and keep practicing
and keep swinging."
A deep dive into the numbers can't explain Machado's struggles. He's walking more than ever,
with his walk rate jumping to a career-high 10.9 percent one season after it was 6.9 percent. But
he's also striking out more (career-high 19.3 percent over his 17.2 percent in 2016).
Machado is also hitting the ball harder. His average exit velocity is 94.4 mph, which ranked
ninth in the majors entering Saturday, and his hard contact rate of 42.1 percent is the highest of
his career.
But when Machado first emerged as one of the game's best hitters, he did so in his first full
season in 2013 with a record-setting doubles pace where he sprayed the gaps with extra-base
hits. As Machado grew into his body and developed more power, the doubles turned into homers,
but he still exhibited the ability to spray the ball with authority to all fields.
This year, Machado's pull rate is a career-high 45 percent, a number that has gradually increased
with his home run totals. So it's a continuation of Machado's evolution as a hitter, but also an
indicator that he's trying to hit the ball out of the park more often, which is evident from some of
the from-the-heels swings he has taken this season.
Machado is still on pace for 32 doubles, 36 homers and 89 RBIs this season, but just 10 of his
first 40 hits this season were to the right of second base, another indication he has become too
pull happy. Also, his fly-ball percentage is a career-high 45 percent, while his line drive
percentage is a career-low 12.1 percent, numbers that show he's trying to hit the ball out of the
park rather than drive it for extra-base hits.
"I really haven't even looked into it," Machado said of those numbers. "I feel the same. It feels
like any other year. Obviously, I'm getting older, I'm getting smarter, I'm getting bigger. That
might have something to do with it. I don't know, but overall, just trying to keep doing what I do
every day, just stay with the same routine and not do anything differently. That's when you get
into bad habits when you try to change things. So I'm going to keep doing what I've been doing.
… It's the same thing that's worked for me for the last five years."
Because Machado has never seen his average dip this low at this point in the season, Showalter
said it's natural for him to put pressure on himself, and that's compounded by him being a
middle-of-the-order batter for a team that's not playing well.
"What he's got to get away from is thinking, 'I've dug myself this much of a hole, I've got to get
three hits tonight, four hits tomorrow,'" Showalter said. "But he understands how things work.
He's going to seek his level and he's going to figure it out. Sometimes you can coach those guys
too much. He's a watcher. He's an evaluator and he talks to people. He's got a lot of people
weighing in on it."
Showalter said he believes Machado's struggles root more from the mental grind of the season
than anything mechanical.
"If he wants to talk about it, he will," Showalter said. "But I talk about it more mentally and
emotionally, instead of the actual mechanical part of it. He'll figure it out."
Machado has faith he will find his form at the plate, and him doing so can only help an Orioles
team that's suddenly floundering.
Machado did hit a pair of doubles Friday, including one into the left-center gap that was
reminiscent of how he hit in 2013. With the bases loaded in the eighth inning of a two-run game,
Machado jumped on a first-pitch delivery, took it the other way and was just a few feet shy of a
grand slam.
"Things are going to turn out. Eventually balls are going to start falling," Machado said. "It's just
40- or 50-some games that we've been playing. We still have a lot of games left, a lot of at-bats,
a pennant chase, and that's the only thing I'm worried about, to be honest."
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bs-sp-orioles-mainbar-0529-20170528-
story.html
Mired in their worst losing streak since 2011, the Orioles
head home for a key nine-game series
By Eduardo Encina/ Baltimore Sun
May 28, 2017
As the Orioles returned home Sunday night after being swept out of Minute Maid Park following
their 8-4 loss to the Houston Astros, they pondered how to end their longest losing streak in
nearly six years.
Sunday's loss was the Orioles' seventh straight, their longest slide since dropping nine games in a
row July 4-15, 2011. The Orioles have lost six straight six times since then, but over the past five
years they have avoided the longer losing stretches that poison a season.
Their poor play isn't isolated to the past nine games. They have also lost 13 of their past 16 and
have dropped 11 of their past 13 away from Camden Yards.
So as they return to Camden Yards for what is now a critical nine-game homestand against the
New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox (the two teams ahead of them in the American League
East standings) and the Pittsburgh Pirates, they need to find a way out of their rut.
Sunday's loss was without center fielder Adam Jones, who missed his second straight game with
a sore ankle and hip, and shortstop J.J. Hardy, who was given the day off. For most of the
season, the Orioles have also been without closer Zach Britton, who is methodically working his
way back from a left forearm strain in Florida, which has robbed the bullpen of its stability.
Orioles starter Alec Asher wastes lead, gives up six runs in second inning in 8-4 loss to Astros
"I don't want to oversimplify it," manager Buck Showalter. "It pulls at you — and when the
people you respect and know how good they are — are struggling, you want to try to help. But
it's one of those things where we get Jonesy back hopefully tomorrow and J.J. back, and Zach's
making a lot of progress. But everybody's got issues like that all around baseball and you have to
work through them. You've got to look at tomorrow's always the start of something good, but it's
the big leagues. You're always going to have really good competition, whether it's the Astros, the
Yankees, the Red Sox. That's what makes it so gratifying if you can pull it off."
But a resounding theme of the recent struggles has been Orioles' inability to put away a game,
much like Sunday's, when right-hander Alec Asher gave back a 3-0 lead and more during a six-
run bottom of the second.
"There's a part of every human being in those situations, how much is enough?" Showalter said.
"You go through some of those periods. That's why I felt good after the first inning when he
went out there and put a zero on the board, and then after that we just couldn't stem the tide. I
think all the runs were scored in a couple of innings. You're playing day games after night
games. There are little momentum things that really put you on your heels."
For the Orioles, that's been a recipe for a tired offensive showing through the middle innings.
The Orioles scored just one run — on Mark Trumbo's solo homer in the eighth — over their final
seven innings. Last Monday, the Orioles took a five-run lead into the third but gave it back and
lost in ugly fashion, 14-7. In that game, the Orioles scored just two runs over the final seven
innings.
"I think anytime you can score and get runs on the board early, it's obviously beneficial to not
only your offense but your pitching, but for whatever reason, we've struggled in the middle
innings as an offense to really push runs across, and it's really one of those things where once we
do get a few guys across home plate, I think it's going to start some momentum," said first
baseman Chris Davis, who was 1-for-12 with 10 strikeouts in the three-game sweep. "I feel like
we start pressing a little bit when we get into those situations, and you just can't play the game
that way."
That combination has made for difficult moments for hitters and pitchers alike.
"I think everyone's a little frustrated," Asher said. "It's tough not to be. We're a really good team.
We'll get through it. Every team hits a rough patch and we'd rather be hitting ours now than in
the middle of the year. We'll get through it."
Over their three games in Houston, it was clear how much better the Astros, who have the major
leagues' best record at 35-16, are than the Orioles — at least now. The Orioles hit just .210 in the
series, they averaged just two runs and the starting rotation posted a 7.90 cumulative ERA.
The Orioles' recent struggles have nearly erased one of the best starts in franchise history, as the
club opened the season 12 games above .500 with a 22-10 record after an extra-inning win over
the Washington Nationals on May 9. Now, the Orioles are just two games above .500 (25-23)
with a challenging schedule against division opponents ahead.
"It's obviously a number of things," Davis said. "I feel like we always have, maybe not a skid
quite like this long, but we always have these stretches during the season where we really can't
put anything together. Usually it's a little bit later in the season, but I think if you're trying to find
a positive, the fact that it's still early and the fact that we still have a lot of baseball to play, I
think there's a lot to be said for that. We've just got to get out of it. There's no way around it."
So how do the Orioles break out? Davis said that's not easy to answer.
"That's a good question," Davis said. "If we had the answer, we'd probably put that into action a
long time ago. It's just one of those things where one thing goes wrong and it kind of snowballs
from there. Just try to stay positive and keep working and keep grinding it out."
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-after-sunday-s-loss-what-s-next-for-
ubaldo-jimenez-and-alec-asher-20170528-story.html
After Sunday's loss, what's next for Ubaldo Jimenez and
Alec Asher?
By Eduardo Encina/ Baltimore Sun
May 29, 2017
Orioles manager Buck Showalter was quick to point out the value of Ubaldo Jimenez’s relief
outing in the team’s 8-4 loss to the Houston Astros on Sunday afternoon at Minute Maid Park,
but he didn’t go much further than that in proclaiming any sudden confidence in Jimenez.
Making his first relief appearance since being demoted to the bullpen, Jimenez provided six
innings – allowing just two unlucky runs during his first inning of work in the third inning that
came after an inning-ending out was overturned by review – and saved the bullpen from another
potential roster move going into Monday’s series opener against the American League East-rival
New York Yankees.
“It’s always good to finally have a good one and finally do something for the team, especially
when I was able to help the bullpen, so it feels good,” Jimenez said after the game.
For Jimenez, whose 7.17 ERA entering the game was the second highest in the majors among
pitchers with 40 or more innings, it was definitely a step forward.
“I was making better pitches,” Jimenez said. “[Catcher Welington] Castillo was calling a great
game and I was executing pitches. I maintained the ball in the dirt. They kept hitting ground
balls and soft fly balls. And then we pitched behind in the count, we threw a lot of breaking balls.
So we pitched.”
After the game, however, when asked whether Jimenez's performance could allow him to regain
his spot in the rotation, Showalter definitely fell short of saying that.
“It’s a good outing for him and hopefully it’s a sign that he can get back on track down the
road,” Showalter said.
Jimenez relieved right-hander Alec Asher, who was selected to take Jimenez’s spot in the
rotation, but Asher lasted just two innings after giving up six runs inning in the second. He left
the game after just 54 pitches.
That’s an indication that Asher might be available back in the bullpen later this week, but who
takes the Orioles’ next open start when the fifth spot comes back Friday against the Boston Red
Sox isn’t clear.
It’s more complicated than just decided whether Asher or Jimenez is more deserving. The
Orioles had some reluctance in moving Asher into a starting role because he had pitched so well
in relief – giving the team both length and late-inning help – and his confidence grew in that role.
Now, can it be that easy to send Asher back to the bullpen after just one start?
There’s also question about Jimenez’s long-term future in the 'pen. He doesn’t have much
experience there and as was seen Sunday, when the Orioles got him up in the second inning, he’s
so used to starting that he needs additional time to warm up. It took awhile for Jimenez to get
loose even once he entered the game, but once he did, he was effective.
“It’s pretty tough, especially for me that I haven’t been a lot in the bullpen,” Jimenez said. "My
whole career has been starting, even in the minor leagues. But it is what it is. You have to find a
way to get it going. For me, it’s always the first inning. I think once I get loose, I can find all my
breaking balls and the movement on my fastball, but the first inning is always the toughest one.”
Keep in mind that right-hander Edwin Jackson’s opt-out date is Thursday. The veteran right-
hander, who has a 4.30 ERA at Triple-A Norfolk, fits the profile of a long man much better than
Jimenez because he has a track record of providing length in relief and wouldn’t need as much
rest between starts as Jimenez would.
But the Orioles’ recent move to allow outfielder Michael Bourn out of his contract when his opt
out came suggests the club is more willing to let those veterans with minor league deals walk.
The Orioles could potentially keep both Jimenez and Jackson in long relief, but it the bullpen’s
ability to move optionable pieces back and forth would take a hit because neither veteran can be
sent down to the minors.
http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2017/05/chris-davis-im-just-not-picking-up-the-
ball.html
Chris Davis: “I’m just not picking up the ball”
By Roch Kubatko/ MASNsports.com
May 28, 2017
HOUSTON - With three more strikeouts today, Orioles first baseman Chris Davis raised his
season total to 74 in 47 games. Mark Reynolds, later a teammate in Baltimore, holds the major
league record with 223 in 2009.
Davis isn’t the sole issue with the Orioles, not when they’ve lost seven games in a row and 13 of
their last 16. There’s lots of blame to be spread around. But he’s got the $161 million contract, a
spot in the middle of the lineup and the scrutiny that comes with both of them.
The first two strikeouts were called by plate umpire Marty Foster, Davis again shaking his head
and making the slow walk to the dugout. He went down swinging in the eighth inning after Mark
Trumbo homered in an 8-4 loss to the Astros at Minute Maid Park.
Asked what he’s seeing at the plate, Davis didn’t let an opportunity get past him.
“I’m not seeing a whole lot,” he said.
“I think the last game at home, I kind of started to feel a little bit better, and obviously get down
here and just having to battle a number of things. I’m just not picking up the ball and that’s going
to make hitting pretty tough. I’m looking forward to getting home and getting back to an
environment where I’m comfortable and where I’ve had a lot of success.”
The Orioles begin a three-game series Monday afternoon against the first-place Yankees. Davis
will arrive in a 3-for-36 slump in his last nine games that includes 20 strikeouts, 11 of them
looking.
Davis has struck out at least three times in four of those games.
“I’m just not picking up the ball out of the pitcher’s hand,” he said. “I feel like I was not really
recognizing the pitch until it was right in front of me, but at that point it’s too late. Any time I’m
taking that many called third strikes, something’s going on, because I’ve never been one to really
lay the bat on my shoulder.
“There’s no lack of aggressiveness on my part going into my at-bat. I’m not going into it
thinking I’m going to take a pitch here or there. I want to be aggressive in the strike zone, but not
being able to pick up the ball until really late makes it really hard. So, I mean, we’ll try some
different things and see if we can get out of this.”
Davis may be running out of ideas. He keeps showing up early to hit, taking swings off a tee set
up inside the batting cage before facing anyone who’s available to throw to him.
“I think it’s just continuing to work,” he said. “If anything else, it’s the peace of mind of
knowing I’m doing everything I could. As long as I’ve been playing, as long as I’ve been
through rough stretches, that’s always really worked for me, to continue to go out there and put
in the reps, so that’s what I’m going to keep doing.”
As the losses pile up for the Orioles, their hold on third place becomes more tenuous.
“It’s obviously a number of things,” Davis said. “I feel like we always have, maybe not a skid
quite like this long, but we always have these stretches during the season where we really can’t
put anything together. Usually it’s a little bit later in the season, but I think if you’re trying to
find a positive, the fact that it’s still early and the fact that we still have a lot of baseball to play, I
think there’s a lot to be said for that. We’ve just got to get out of it. There’s no way around it.
The obvious question, of course, is: How does a team do it?
“If we had the answer, we’d probably put that into action a long time ago,” Davis said. “It’s just
one of those things where one thing goes wrong and it kind of snowballs from there. Just try to
stay positive and keep working and keep grinding it out.”
Holding onto early leads - or any lead for that matter - would allow the Orioles to apply the
brakes and end their skid. They were up 3-0 in the bottom of the second inning and behind 6-3 in
the top of the third.
“I think any time you can score and get runs on the board early, it’s obviously beneficial to not
only your offense but your pitching, but for whatever reason we’ve struggled in the middle
innings as an offense to really push runs across,” Davis said.
“It’s really one of those things where once we do get a few guys across home plate, I think it’s
going to start some momentum. I feel like we start pressing a little bit when we get into those
situations, and you just can’t play the game that way.”
http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2017/05/can-bundy-bring-whats-needed-again-
today.html
Can Bundy bring what’s needed again today?
By Roch Kubatko/ MASNsports.com
May 29, 2017
Imagine that it’s January and you’re counting down the days until spring training, totally
unaware that injuries would rob the Orioles of their No. 1 starter and closer. Or that Kevin
Gausman would get off to a slow start and Ubaldo Jiménez would be headed back to the bullpen.
Perhaps you were braced for Jiménez’s latest removal from the rotation, but he also may have
raised hopes with his 2.31 ERA and 0.829 WHIP in September. You want to believe. There are
50 million reasons to be motivated.
Anyway, everyone had a clean slate over the winter. You’re challenged to guess which pitcher
would lead the team in innings toward the end of May. And you picked?
I’m figuring that Chris Tillman and Gausman were the most popular choices. Dylan Bundy
probably fell down the list based on the assumption that the Orioles would slow-play him in the
early stages of the season to make certain that he was still available down the stretch and that
they hadn’t piled too many innings on top of the 109 2/3 that he logged in 2016.
Bundy heads into today’s start with a team-leading 64 2/3 innings, placing him ahead of
Gausman (54), Wade Miley (53 2/3) and Jiménez (42 2/3). He’s registered quality starts in nine
of his 10 outings and cleared the sixth inning each time he’s taken the ball.
Manager Buck Showalter keeps lamenting how too many starters are running their pitch counts
to 100 by the fifth. Bundy has been a glorious exception. He’s become the staff ace at 24 and
with only one full major league season under his belt - the first half of it as a reliever.
The Orioles are hoping that Tillman and Gausman challenge Bundy for that honor, that Miley
can break through that fifth inning wall more frequently and someone seizes the other spot in the
rotation.
Is anyone going to seize it?
Bundy is making his first start against the Yankees this season and the third of his career among
five appearances. He’s 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA, with eight runs and 16 hits in 13 1/3 innings.
Brett Gardner is 3-for-7 against Bundy and Didi Gregorius is 2-for-6. Not much to go on here.
Rookie left-hander Jordan Montgomery faced the Orioles on April 30 at Yankee Stadium and
allowed three runs and three hits with four walks over five innings. He struck out seven.
The Orioles won in 11 innings. Times were good.
Left-handers are hitting .192 against Montgomery. Chris Davis probably would have been out of
the lineup Saturday night against Astros lefty Dallas Keuchel, but the bench thinned with Adam
Jones unavailable due to a sore left ankle and hip. Davis could sit against Montgomery if Jones
plays, with Trey Mancini moving to first base.
Davis struck out looking yesterday in his first two at-bats and went down swinging in his fourth.
He’s fanned 74 times in 47 games, with eight strikeouts coming in 12 at-bats in the Astros series.
Mark Reynolds holds the major league record with 223 in 2009, followed by Adam Dunn with
222 in 2012 and Davis with 219 in 2016.
It’s the called third strikes that continue to baffle the Orioles, who see the same things as the rest
of us. They honestly do. And they’re at a loss to fix it.
This isn’t on hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh. He’s not instructing Davis to keep the bat on his
shoulder. Just like he isn’t instructing others to chase anything in the dirt. It’s ultimately up to the
players to perform. They take early hitting, they watch video with Coolbaugh and assistant
hitting coach Howie Clark. And then the game starts.
Davis told a small gathering of reporters at his locker yesterday that he’s just not able to identify
the pitch until it’s too late. That’s why he’s been prone to taking fastballs right down the heart of
the plate.
Fans are screaming for Davis to be removed from the lineup or at least moved down. Lowering
him to seventh, for example, would require someone else to replace him in the middle. I know, I
know, could it really be any worse right now? But you can’t just come up with half of a solution,
if that’s what we’re calling it.
Jiménez worked the last six innings yesterday after replacing Alec Asher in the third. He tried to
save the bullpen with another day game on the horizon. The Orioles are trying to decide what to
do with him.
They can’t just stash him in the ‘pen. He needs to get hitters out under any circumstances.
Otherwise, you’re back to having six relievers without the benefits of a five-man bench.
Jiménez handled his assignment yesterday in a fantastic manner after a two-run third. He
contributed a little to the bleeding and then applied the tourniquet. How often does a manager
use only one reliever after the starter goes two innings?
“I was making better pitches,” Jiménez said. “(Welington) Castillo was calling a great game and
I just executed pitches. They kept hitting ground balls or soft fly balls and behind the count we
threw a lot of breaking balls. So we pitched.
“It’s always good to finally have a good one and finally do something for the team, especially
when they needed me. I was able to help the bullpen, so it feels good.”
It isn’t a smooth transition for Jiménez. He doesn’t warm up quickly and requires more notice
than other relievers, which isn’t always possible depending on the game situation.
“It’s pretty tough, especially because I haven’t been in the bullpen a lot,” he said. “My whole
career has been as a starter, even in the minor leagues. But it is what it is. You have to find a way
to get it going.
“For me, it’s only the first inning. I think once I get loose I find my breaking ball and the
movement on my fastball. But the first inning is always the toughest one.”
Each loss gets tougher. We’re up to seven in a row.
“It’s tough, it’s tough. There’s no doubt about it,” Jiménez said. “But this is baseball. We still
have four more months to go, so we have to find a way to get back on track and keep being
positive.”
One more observation: The Orioles miss Craig Gentry, who’s down at Triple-A Norfolk after
being outrighted. He’s their best backup in center field. Joey Rickard is better in the corners. And
Gentry is a weapon late in games with his ability to steal bases.
http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2017/05/ashers-short-start-leads-to-longer-losing-
streak.html
Asher’s short start leads to longer losing streak
By Roch Kubatko
May 28, 2017
HOUSTON - Now what?
The Orioles lost another lead this afternoon, and it happened again in alarming fashion. Alec
Asher threw 42 pitches in the second inning, surrendered six runs to the Astros, and didn’t return
for the third. A golden opportunity went unclaimed.
Ubaldo Jiménez made his 2017 bullpen debut and the Orioles continued their losing ways with
an 8-4 defeat that completed another sweep.
The Astros sent 10 batters to the plate in the second and hit for the cycle. Carlos Correa and Jose
Altuve singled, Marwin Gonzalez and Yuli Gurriel doubled, Josh Reddick tripled and George
Springer launched a 428-foot two-run homer.
A 3-0 lead was obliterated. A losing streak reached seven games, the Orioles’ longest since July
2011, when they dropped nine in a row. They’ve had six six-game skids since that month.
The Orioles have lost 13 of their last 16 games and are only two above .500 for the first time
since they were 4-2 on April 11. Not pitching, not hitting in the clutch, not able to find a way out
of it.
A Rays win today would leave them only a half-game behind the Orioles for third place in the
American League East. The Orioles begin a three-game series on Monday with the first-place
Yankees at Camden Yards, so it doesn’t get any easier.
Mark Trumbo belted a bases-empty opposite-field home run off reliever James Hoyt in the
eighth inning to complete the scoring.
Asher hit the first batter he faced today, giving him a team-leading six on the season. Springer
was wiped out on a 3-6-3 double play and Asher made it back to the dugout on 12 pitches after
retiring Altuve.
Asher’s ERA was 2.17 to start the day and grew to 3.77 after the second inning. He allowed six
runs and six hits and threw a wild pitch, the ball scooting under catcher Welington Castillo’s mitt
and through his legs as Gurriel raced home. Probably a passed ball, but really, it was the least of
the worries.
Carlos Beltrán greeted Jiménez, demoted to the bullpen in favor of Asher, with a leadoff double
in the third. Evan Gattis hit into a force and Jiménez nearly started a 1-6-3 double play, except
that the call at second was overturned. Gurriel followed with an RBI single up the middle,
because that’s life as an Oriole these days. From inning-ending double play to run-scoring hit.
Nori Aoki doubled and the wild pitch followed.
Jiménez retired the last 11 batters and 16 of 18 to prevent manager Buck Showalter from
depleting his bullpen. He didn’t issue a walk over six innings. Take the silver lining on a day
when Asher couldn’t grab the golden opportunity.
Jonathan Schoop followed Seth Smith’s leadoff single in the first inning with a two-run homer
off Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. Schoop drove in another run in the second on an infield hit
after Castillo reached on an error, Hyun Soo Kim singled and Paul Janish reached on McCullers’
throwing error to load the bases.
The Orioles were rolling, and then the wheels came off.
Someone needs to reattach them before the Orioles slide to the bottom of the standings.
http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/05/for-the-orioles-a-fall-to-third-place-has-
been-a-team-effort.html
For the Orioles, a fall to third place has been a team effort
By Steve Melewski/ MASNsports.com
May 29, 2017
When the Orioles’ seven-game losing streak began, they were leading the American League East
by a half-game over the New York Yankees team they face today at Camden Yards. Now, seven
losses later, they are just two games over .500 and 4 1/2 games out.
That happened fast.
The Orioles are in third place, just a half-game ahead of fourth-place Tampa Bay and three up on
last-place Toronto. Going first to worst is not a good look and the Orioles have to turn this
around sometime. It’s still May and it can’t last for the next 114 games, even if it feels like it
will.
They have gone from the best record in the major leagues when they were 22-10 on May 9 to 3-
13 since then. Now they play seven straight versus the Yankees and Red Sox and, yes, this would
be about the best time to turn it around. The Orioles actually have a solid record in American
League East games at 17-10 (.630). They have a losing record at 8-13 (.381) in all other games.
Losing 13 of 16 has been a team effort. They’ve lost plenty of close games, had short outings by
starters, blown leads by the rotation and bullpen, and a lack of offense from a homer-happy
lineup. Putting it all together - heck, putting anything together lately - has been very challenging,
Right now, topic one in Birdland is first baseman Chris Davis. His strikeouts, especially called
third strikes, have been a topic of major angst and frustration among the fanbase. A fanbase
featuring some that realize this slump will pass at some point, but also featuring some angry fan
frustration toward Davis that can lead to ugly words and a very nasty tone. Some of it goes way
past an appropriate point of frustration.
But back to actual baseball.
Davis is in a terrible slump. He is 3-for-38 over his past nine games with 20 strikeouts. Right
before this stretch, he homered five times in five games. So, yeah, pretty streaky, which we have
seen often in his career. With his big contract, he’s a high-profile player and he is the player
getting crushed by the fans now.
But the middle of the order has underperformed this year. If we look at Manny Machado and
Mark Trumbo, we can also see both need to pick it up with the bat.
Comparing each player in the OPS stat from 2016 to 2017, Machado has fallen 136 points (.876
to .740) and Trumbo has fallen 134 points (.850 to .716). Davis has actually gained one point
(.792 to .793). Davis is capable of much better, so he doesn’t get a pass for that. But the first two
players are way down from a year ago.
Machado came up with three doubles over the weekend and maybe his bat will finally start to get
going. He’s batting .220 after hitting .294 last season. Trumbo homered yesterday and is hitting
.317 with an .872 OPS in May. The uptick may have already started.
Davis looks real bad up there right now and the fan frustration and venting has mostly been
directed at him. But in falling to third place, the Orioles have been bad as a team - and in many
different aspects. We even saw infield defense be an issue recently when Jonathan Schoop made
key errors costing the team runs.
At some point, the middle of the order will get it going, more homers will be hit and more wins
will be in the offing. But until then, the Orioles look real bad. The whole team, even if one player
is getting most of the attention.
http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2017/05/jones-close-to-lineup-return-and-other-
notes.html
Jones close to lineup return, and other notes (O’s down 8-4)
By Roch Kubatko/ MASNsport.com
May 28, 2017
HOUSTON - Orioles manager Buck Showalter sounded confident today that Adam Jones will
return to the lineup for Monday afternoon’s series opener against the Yankees at Camden Yards.
Jones remains out of the lineup with soreness in his left ankle and hip.
“He’s doing well. He’s getting better,” Showalter said. “Could have pushed the envelope today if
we wanted to. I expect him to be back in the lineup starting tomorrow if he continues to feel like
he does today.”
No tests have been scheduled for Jones, who’s been bothered by the ankle injury since the series
in Detroit.
“I know Richie (Bancells) said he’s making good progress. We plan on him playing tomorrow,
and who knows, maybe today,” Showalter said.
“We hope that keeps it from being a DL thing. But there’s a lot of wear and tear. You talk about
good-tissue and bad-tissue guys, they’re talking about their healing from the wear and tear.
Adam’s good, and usually he responds well to things like that. He hasn’t had much need for it,
but some days after the game, you wonder how he’s going to feel the next day, but he comes
bouncing out and he feels good. But if it continues down that road, we’ll know it’s something a
little bit deeper.”
Shortstop J.J. Hardy is getting a day off. Nothing related to an injury.
The Orioles made another change to their bullpen today by optioning Tyler Wilson to Triple-A
Norfolk and recalling Logan Verrett.
Wilson has a 7.43 ERA and 1.800 WHIP in 13 1/3 innings with the Orioles. He allowed four of
the six Astros he face last night to reach base, and the outs also were loud, including a line drive
that third baseman Manny Machado turned into a double play.
“He’s making a lot of mistakes up in the zone, which is not his forte,” Showalter said. “He’s not
an overpowering guy, but when he has his command, he can make some contributions. But a lot
of up breaking balls. Just command hasn’t been there. He’s got some collapse on his back leg a
little bit that makes him work under the ball. He’s aware of it.”
Wilson may return to Norfolk’s rotation, which would have to expand.
“I’m not sure,” Showalter said. “That would give them six. I was talking to R.J. (Ron Johnson)
and Brian (Graham) this morning. They’re leaning toward going with six.
“They want to get the ball in (Jayson) Aquino’s hand and get (Gabriel) Ynoa going again. I know
(Jordan) Kipper’s doing well. They’ll probably go with six.”
The Orioles would prefer not having to use their minor league starters as major league bullpen
pieces, but it can’t always be avoided.
“We’d like to,” Showalter said. “We want to get Aquino back in the rotation. Those two guys
especially are still pretty young guys. And we’ve got Chris (Lee) down there, too, so you’d like
to get that continuity down there if we can cooperate up here.”
The Orioles don’t want to compromise their choices for spot starters in the rotation. It’s a bit of a
balancing act.
“We still do,” Showalter said. “It’s early in the season. You’re hoping that it kind of shakes out
and settles in. If we can be a little more consistent with our starting pitching, we can do that.
That’s what drives a lot of it.”
Former Orioles outfielder Nolan Reimold has retired, according to a tweet from the independent
Long Island Ducks. Reimold was batting .238 with four doubles, two home runs and seven RBIs
in 19 games.
Lew Ford, another former Oriole, has replaced Reimold on the active roster.
Here are the pitching matchups for the Yankees series at Camden Yards:
Monday: Dylan Bundy vs. Jordan Montgomery
Tuesday: Chris Tillman vs. Luis Severino
Wednesday: Kevin Gausman vs. Masahiro Tanaka
Update: Jonathan Schoop hit a two-run homer off Lance McCullers Jr. in the first inning and
drove in another run with an infield hit in the second to give the Orioles a 3-0 lead.
The Astros commited two errors in the second and the run was unearned. Seth Smith singled in
the first and Hyun Soo Kim singled in the second.
Update II: The Astros sent 10 batters to the plate in the second inning and took a 6-3 lead.
The inning included George Springer’s long two-run homer and 42 pitches from Alec Asher. The
Astros hit for the cycle with a single, double, triple and home run. Ubaldo Jiménez began
warming in the bullpen.
Update III: The Astros scored twice off Jimenez in the third to take an 8-3 lead. Yuli Gurriel had
an RBI single and he scored on a wild pitch.
Jimenez threw 27 pitches in the inning.
Update IV: Mark Trumbo hit a solo home run off James Hoyt with one out in the eighth inning
to reduce the lead to 8-4.
Jiménez has retired 13 of the last 15 batters.
http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/19488478/chris-davis-baltimore-orioles-discusses-
struggles-1-12-series
Chris Davis weighs in on hitting issues after 1-for-12 series
By Associated Press/ ESPN
May 29, 2017
Chris Davis' struggles at the plate continued over the weekend as the Baltimore Orioles were
swept by the Houston Astros, and the first baseman says he is having trouble with his feel at the
plate.
"I'm just not picking up the ball, and that's going to make hitting pretty tough," Davis told
reporters after the Orioles' 8-4 loss Sunday. "I'm looking forward to getting home and getting
back to an environment where I'm comfortable and where I've had a lot of success."
Davis was 1-for-12 against the Astros, part of a 2-for-26 slump that dropped his batting average
to .228 and has coincided with a seven-game losing streak for the Orioles. He has struck out 14
times in that span and leads the majors with 74 K's this season.
Baltimore's superstar third baseman isn't far from hitting the free-agent market. Will the slugger
stick with the O's, or will he take big bucks from the Bombers? As the AL East rivals battle this
week, our writers weigh in -- and so can you.
"I'm just not picking up the ball out of the pitcher's hand," Davis said. "I feel like I was not really
recognizing the pitch until it was right in front of me, but at that point it's too late. Anytime I'm
taking that many called third strikes, something's going on because I've never been one to really
lay the bat on my shoulder."
Davis said he will continue to work on his swing in batting practice, hoping to regain some of the
timing that allowed him to hit 85 home runs over the past two seasons.
The Orioles host the New York Yankees for a three-game series beginning Monday (1 p.m. ET,
ESPN).
http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/232928034/yankees-orioles-square-off-at-camden-
yards/?topicId=26688732
O's hope for turnaround vs. division-rival Yanks
By Richard Dean/ MLB.com
May 29, 2017
Adam Jones is expected to return to the starting lineup on Monday for the Orioles when the club
opens a key three-game home series with the division-rival and American League East-leading
Yankees.
Right-hander Dylan Bundy (5-3, 2.92 ERA) gets the start for the slumping Orioles versus
Yankees left-hander Jordan Montgomery (2-3, 4.30 ERA). The series opens a 10-day, nine-game
homestand for Baltimore, which entered Sunday's game at Houston on a six-game losing streak.
Jones was out of the starting lineup for the past two games against the Astros with a sore left
ankle.
"He's getting better. He responds well on things like that," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said.
"He'll be back in the lineup, starting tomorrow."
Bundy, who has received 33 runs of support through his first 10 starts, acknowledges the
importance of the upcoming series with the Yankees. The Orioles have the best home record (15-
7) in the AL.
"Absolutely. Them being the New York Yankees and who they are," Bundy said. "It's an
important series. Not only important, but it's huge for the division, and they're leading the
division. It's a big series, and we're looking forward to it. Luckily we got them at Baltimore,
where we are comfortable.
"I guess it's the AL East in general. These guys have been playing each other for a long time,
way before my time. There's a lot of past history. It's fun and exciting to play the Yankees."
It's also an opportunity for the Orioles to turn things around. Entering Sunday, the Orioles had
lost 12 of 15 games.
"It's real important for us to be on top of our game and give them a good fight," outfielder Mark
Trumbo said. "It's two quality ball clubs that have gone back and forth quite a bit. I think it's
going to be a great series of baseball. They have a bunch of nice young players."
Bundy will be making his first appearance this season against the Yankees. Montgomery had a
no-decision against Baltimore on April 30, allowing three runs and three hits over five innings.
He struck out seven with four walks.
Things to know about this game
• Yankees reliever Tyler Clippard's changeup and splitter both average 80 mph, but opponents
have gone a combined 9-for-53 (.170) against those offspeed offerings entering Sunday's game.
The right-hander has induced the second-highest rate of poor contact against pitches of 85 mph
or lower out of Major League relievers, according to Statcast.
• Jones is tied for second in the American League with a .407 (11-for-27) batting average with
runners in scoring position. His 125 career home runs at Camden Yards are the most in the
ballpark's history.
http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/232928936/astros-sweep-orioles-with-6-run-inning/
Schoop's big day not enough for O's in loss
By Christian Boutwell and Richard Dean/ MLB.com
May 28, 2017
HOUSTON -- For the second game in a row, the Astros pounced on the Orioles quickly. The
Astros hit for a team cycle in the second inning and added a half-dozen runs, deflating Baltimore
and easing into their fourth series sweep this season with an 8-4 win Sunday afternoon at Minute
Maid Park.
Even after the Orioles -- who have now lost seven in a row -- scored quickly in the first inning on
a two-run homer by Jonathan Schoop, the Astros responded.
All nine Astros batted in their season-high-tying, six-run second inning. Carlos Correa and Jose
Altuve singled, Marwin Gonzalez and Yuli Gurriel brought in three runs on a pair of doubles,
Josh Reddick tripled and George Springer blasted a two-run, 428-foot dinger to left field --
completing the team's one-inning cycle.
"The explosive inning we had in the second is obviously the huge difference in the game,"
Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "Obviously, it's huge to see, not just to pick up Lance, but just
continue to play pretty exceptional baseball. We have a deep roster, and we have a lot of guys
that can step up and play the game well."
Sunday marked Houston's 35th win, the most in the Majors, and Lance McCullers Jr.'s sixth win.
McCullers completed six innings on 105 pitches. He struck out eight and allowed five hits and
three runs (two earned), his first earned runs since May 1.
Orioles starter Alec Asher lasted just two frames, yielding six runs on six hits. Ubaldo Jimenez,
who was moved Friday to a relief role, picked up the slack in the 'pen. He tossed six innings of
two-run ball, striking out five.
"Everyone's a little frustrated. It's tough not to [be]," Asher said. "We're a really good team, we'll
get through it. Every team hits a rough patch. We'd rather be hitting ours now than later in the
year."
Mark Trumbo also homered for Baltimore, his seventh of the season, in the eighth inning.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Schoop's shot: With a two-run home run in the Orioles' second at-bat, Schoop ended McCullers'
MLB-best streak of 22 scoreless innings and put the Orioles ahead. Schoop's blast traveled 335
feet to Minute Maid Park's Crawford Boxes, according to Statcast™.
"It took me a little bit to kind of get in the groove," McCullers said. "Unfortunately, they
capitalized with a homer there."
Two doubles, tie game: Trailing 3-0 into the bottom of the second inning, Gonzalez and Gurriel
followed a single from Correa and a walk by designated hitter Carlos Beltran with consecutive
doubles to tie the game at 3. Gonzalez's two-run double and Gurriel's RBI double landed in
almost the same spot, deep in Minute Maid's left-center-field corner, and they kickstarted the
Astros' six-run inning.
"That was clutch," Correa said. "That's what this team is about, we never give up. We've been
coming from behind all year long. Hopefully we can keep doing that."
REPLAY REVIEW
In the third inning, Evan Gattis reached first on a 5-4 fielder's choice. In the next at-bat,
Gonzalez grounded to Jimenez, forcing Gattis to move to second. Before a challenge by Hinch
on the tag at second, Gattis was ruled out on the field. The call was overturned, ruling Gattis safe
and Gonzalez out on a 1-6-3 groundout at first base.
WHAT'S NEXT
Orioles: Right-hander Dylan Bundy is set to start on Monday as the Orioles begin a 10-day, nine-
game homestand, starting with a three-game series against the first-place Yankees at 1:05 p.m.
ET on MLB.TV. New York left-hander Jordan Montgomery had a no-decision in a late April
start against Baltimore.
Astros: Right-hander Brad Peacock was so effective in his recent spot start that he earned
another. He'll take the mound Monday at 1:10 p.m. CT on MLB.TV when the club opens a three-
game series at Minnesota. Twins right-hander Ervin Santana is seeking his eighth win.
http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/232899944/orioles-bats-pitching-struggle-vs-astros/
Offense, pitching scuffle during O's slide
By Brittany Ghiroli/ MLB.com
May 28, 2017
There was no one pitch or at-bat that summarized Saturday night for the Orioles in Houston.
Instead, it looked like much of the past two weeks has for the scuffling O's -- not nearly enough
offense and a pitching staff that has struggled to see the sixth inning.
Saturday's defeat, a 5-2 loss to the Astros, is still concerning for the Orioles, who lost their sixth
in a row, have dropped 12 of 15 and are in third place in the American League East. The O's are
just three games ahead of last-place Toronto and will turn to spot starter Alec Asher on Sunday
to try to avoid a sweep.
"We just haven't been doing much offensively," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "It's a
real tribute to their pitchers and us not swinging the bat real well right now.
"Tempo is usually set by the other pitcher. And [Astros starter Dallas Keuchel] is a great locator
of the baseball. They get up early like that, guys tend to push more, which falls right into his
repertoire."
Already without All-Star closer Zach Britton, the Orioles got word Saturday that center fielder --
and team leader -- Adam Jones would be sidelined for a few days with a jammed ankle. The
Orioles have scored three runs or fewer in five of six games, and while they've seen some good
pitching over that stretch, big bats Manny Machado, Mark Trumbo and Chris Davis have been
largely inconsistent.
"It's kind of hard to pinpoint. Everyone's probably got something different going on," Trumbo
said of the lineup's struggles. "We're swinging at a lot of pitches that we probably can't do too
much with. We can do a better job of capitalizing on the good pitches and laying off some of the
ones that are in the dirt."
The O's offense, which went 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base
Saturday, isn't solely to blame for the team's recent slide.
The bullpen has struggled without Britton, and Asher is starting Sunday because Ubaldo Jimenez
was demoted to relief.
Saturday's starter, Wade Miley, tied his season high with four runs allowed over five innings.
He's gone five innings in three of his last four outings and is part of an O's rotation -- aside from
Dylan Bundy -- that has struggled to turn in quality starts.
"The first inning, I felt like I was getting ground-balled to death. Balls were finding holes,
obviously the [double] to [Jose] Altuve, but I think there were about three or four ground balls
that just kind of snuck through," Miley said. "It's part of it. I had a pretty quick decent second
and third, and then struggled a little in the fourth and fifth. But just a couple counts where I fell
behind 3-1, 3-2, and it probably cost me 15-20 pitches, and that's the difference between five and
seven innings."
http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/232830468/astros-soar-over-orioles-behind-dallas-
keuchel/
Miley, Orioles unable to slow Astros' stars
By Christian Boutwell and Richard Dean / MLB.com
May 28, 2017
HOUSTON -- With two swift runs, the Astros handed ace Dallas Keuchel a lead they would
never give up before the second inning even began.
Prior to George Springer's mammoth two-run homer in the fourth, the Astros scored their first
two batters, Springer and Jose Altuve, quickly pacing Houston to a 5-2 win Saturday night over
the Orioles.
"The entire building feels good," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "If you like the Astros, you
like the Astros even better with a lead and with Keuchel pitching. It means something to our
dugout and puts a little pressure on the other dugout. Dallas has the ability to command the
game, especially when we have the lead."
The Astros' offense overpowered the Orioles with 11 hits, and did so behind Keuchel in his first
start since May 16. After being activated from the disabled list for a pinched nerve in his neck,
Keuchel (8-0) tossed six innings of one-run baseball, aided by eight strikeouts.
"[Keuchel] has ways to answer every challenge, and that's what makes him special," Hinch said.
Springer's home run was projected to travel 447 feet, according to Statcast™, and was insurance
for the Astros -- who have an MLB-best 34 wins through 50 games. Since 2000, 10 teams have
won at least 34 of their first 50 games, with the Cubs starting 35-15 last year en route to a World
Series championship.
The Orioles have lost six in a row for the first time since 2015.
"We just haven't been doing much offensively," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "It's a
real tribute to their pitchers and us not swinging the bat real well right now."
Houston's defense also played a part in extending Baltimore's slide, with shortstop Carlos Correa
avoiding teammates in shallow center field to haul in an over-the-shoulder catch for the first out
of the eighth inning.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Springer's 10th dinger: After an Alex Bregman single, Springer crushed his home run to left-
center field. According to Statcast™, Springer's long ball left the bat at 109.3 mph and was the
second longest homer he's hit this season, trailing a 454-footer on April 6.
"Just trying to hit the ball hard," Springer said. "There's an RBI out there and that was a big spot
in the game. I was just trying to get a spot I can hit and didn't want to miss it."
Quick work: To begin the bottom of the first inning, Springer hit a single against lefty Wade
Miley. Altuve then shot a double over center fielder Joey Rickard, who replaced Adam Jones
(sore ankle) in the starting lineup. Springer made an acrobatic dive to plate the Astros' first run,
then Altuve scored on a Correa base hit, putting Houston up 2-0 before its fourth batter reached
the batter's box.
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Chris Davis' seventh-inning leadoff triple was his first three-bagger since Sept. 21, 2013 at
Tampa Bay.
REPLAY REVIEW
After the Astros' two quick runs in the first inning, Correa was moved to second base on a single
by Marwin Gonzalez. Correa, taking a lengthy lead, was initially called safe on a 1-6 pickoff
before the umpires overturned the call on the Orioles' challenge.
WHAT'S NEXT
Orioles: Alec Asher makes his third start of the season, and the right-hander went at least six
innings in his first two. Asher takes the spot in the rotation after Ubaldo Jimenez was moved to
the bullpen. Sunday's 2:10 p.m. ET game concludes the three-game series.
Astros: Lance McCullers Jr., who is riding a 22-inning scoreless streak, takes the mound at 1:10
CT Sunday. He is coming off a five-inning start in which he allowed only one hit vs. Detroit.
The right-hander is set to make his 11th start of the season, with the Astros winning eight of his
first 10 starts. McCullers is 2-0 in his career against Baltimore.
http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/232841428/ubaldo-jimenez-understands-move-to-bullpen/
Jimenez takes move to bullpen in stride
By Richard Dean /MLB.com
May 27, 2017
HOUSTON -- Ubaldo Jimenez has been lit up this season for a 7.17 ERA, and the Orioles right-
hander says it has nothing to do with mechanics or tipping off pitches. That may not be a good
thing for Jimenez, who on Friday was moved out of the rotation into a relief role.
"I don't think my mechanics are bad," Jimenez said Saturday. "I was just getting hit. That's pretty
much what happened."
In 42 2/3 innings over eight starts and one relief appearance, Jimenez has given up 35 runs (34
earned) and 48 hits.
"You almost would rather it be mechanical," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "The
consistency of his command has been a challenge. I could break down some things that he does a
little unconventionally, but they've worked for him at times. Sometimes it's mental and emotional
too.
"You got to get where you're waiting for something good to happen instead of the other way
around. When you're making good pitchers and they're getting hit, that can kind of be on your
mind a little bit."
It's not the first time in his career that Jimenez has been moved from the rotation to the bullpen.
"In the [times] before, I didn't even have time to work on things," Jimenez said. "When I got
back [to starting], I was able to do what I was supposed to do, but in the bullpen you have less
time to work on things than when you are starting.
"When you are starting, you know what you are supposed to do each day. In the bullpen you
have to be ready to pitch at any given time."
Showalter had a discussion with Jimenez and explained the reasoning for the change.
"They just explained that they have to find a way to have someone that can do obviously better,"
Jimenez said. "In baseball, sometimes you go through tough times and you don't know why.
That's why I never put my head down. Things change. It's part of baseball, you're going to have
good times, you're going to have bad times. You have to keep your head up and keep moving
forward.
"I was making bad pitches. Sometimes I started the game real good, and then in the fifth inning I
just gave up couple of homers with runners on base."
http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/232708988/kevin-gausman-stung-by-hr-ball-in-solid-start/
Gausman stung by long ball in solid outing
By Christian Boutwell / MLB.com
May 27, 2017
HOUSTON -- Orioles starter Kevin Gausman pitched well. The Astros were just better.
Through Gausman's 6 2/3 innings, he held the Astros to eight hits and two earned runs with two
strikeouts and zero walks in a 2-0 loss at Minute Maid Park. Both runs came on homers, the first
by Houston's No. 9-hole hitter Jake Marisnick and the second to Carlos Beltran, who connected
on his second career homer against Gausman.
"Yeah, he pitched well," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said of Gausman (2-4, 6.17 ERA).
"He gave us a great chance to win, but their guys did a little bit better."
Kevin Gausman gets Alex Bregman to chase a pitch out of the strike zone for the out, turning
aside the Astros with a man on in the 6th
Gausman threw more than 80 four-seam fastballs of his 107 pitches, according to Statcast™, one
of which he left in the center of the strike zone for the Astros' veteran designated hitter, Beltran.
Gausman threw fewer than 25 off-speed pitches, one of which Marisnick sent a Statcast-
porjected 428 feet away from home plate."Trying to throw a fastball up and kind of left it middle
of the plate," Gausman said of the home run by Beltran. "He's obviously been around for I don't
know how long, but a long time, and he doesn't miss those pitches. Marisnick, trying to bury a
slider with two strikes and left it center-cut."
Other than the two home run pitches, Gausman said he had control of his frequently used
fastball. He has thrown consecutive quality starts for the first time since tossing five straight
from Aug. 23-Sept. 14, 2016.
"My fastball was staying true tonight and wasn't coming back to the middle of the plate as it was
earlier in the season," Gausman said. "I've felt really good in my last couple of starts that I've
pitched. Definitely on the right track."
http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/232576304/astros-shut-out-orioles-behind-joe-musgrove/
O's offense silenced by Musgrove, Astros
By Brian McTaggart and Christian Boutwell / MLB.com
May 27, 2017
HOUSTON -- Coming off perhaps the worst start of his young career, Astros right-hander Joe
Musgrove delivered his best Friday night at Minute Maid Park.
Musgrove allowed four hits and didn't walk a batter in seven scoreless innings and got some
clutch relief pitching in the eighth inning from Chris Devenski to lead the Astros to their fourth
win in five games, 2-0, over the Orioles.
"I've been doing a lot of work in between all my starts, really, just trying to find what that little
missing piece is," said Musgrove, who praised the work of catcher Evan Gattis. "I feel like I
found it this week."
Musgrove (4-4) reached two strikes against 14 batters and retired 12 of them. Entering the game,
he had given up a .305 on-base percentage in two-strike counts.
"He pitched with a little bit of edge to him," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "He was all over
the strike zone, and he usually is. I thought the quality of his strikes was a step above where he's
been when he's gotten in trouble. I thought the execution of the secondary pitches was the
difference in the game. Against this lineup, you can't stay in a pattern and you can't feed them
fastballs."
The MLB-best Astros (33-16) have opened up a nine-game lead in the American League West
over the Rangers and Angels.
"We swung the bat better than the score would indicate, we made some critical pitches,
obviously, when they did get a couple of guys on base," Hinch said. "From Joe Musgrove to
winning virtually every critical moment of the game, we get out of here with a win."
The Astros carried a 2-0 lead into the seventh against Orioles starter Kevin Gausman on solo
homers by Jake Marisnick in the third inning and Carlos Beltran in the sixth. Devenski allowed
three hits to start the eighth before coming back to get three three consecutive outs against the
top of Baltimore's order.
"With this lineup, we're always one swing away," Gausman said. "I know those guys are trying
to give me runs, but their pitching staff there did a good job of minimizing. Even in that eighth
inning, some good pitches by them and Manny [Machado] comes up 10 feet from a grand slam.
Obviously, it's a tough loss. But that's the beautiful thing about baseball, we'll play them
tomorrow."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Devenski high-wire act saves day: After not being able to muster much against Musgrove, the
Orioles rallied in the eighth against relief ace Devenski with three consecutive hits, including
two infield singles. But Devenski wriggled his way out of the jam by striking out Seth Smith and
getting Adam Jones to fly out to left and Machado to deep right.
"The Machado at-bat was the big exhale as far as the difference in the game," Hinch said.
Strike 'em out, throw 'em out: Musgrove had allowed just two one-out doubles through five
innings when J.J. Hardy led off the sixth by reaching on a dribbler down the third-base line.
Musgrove struck out Smith as catcher Evan Gattis threw out Hardy trying to steal second for a
double play, and retired Jones on the next pitch to quickly end the inning.
QUOTABLE
"I'm kind of happy about being able to get some of the trust back with some of my teammates
and stuff. Not to say that they've been down on me, but it's tough to go out there and put together
bad outing after bad outing and feel like your teammates aren't really confident going into that
day." -- Musgrove
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Beltran's home run was the 426th of his career, which moves him into a tie with Billy Williams
for 50th all-time. Mike Piazza is next on the list with 427.
WHAT'S NEXT
Orioles: Lefty Wade Miley (1-2, 2.59 ERA) will get the ball in Game 2 of the three-game series.
First pitch is set for 7:15 p.m. ET Saturday at Minute Maid Park. Miley will make his 10th start
and has 49 strikeouts in 48 2/3 innings this season.
Astros: Left-hander Dallas Keuchel (7-0, 1.84 ERA) will return from the disabled list Saturday
and take the mound at 6:15 p.m. CT. Keuchel was placed on the 10-day disabled list following
his May 16 start in Miami with a pinched nerve in his neck. He missed one start.
http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/page/holidaygames_machado/will-manny-machado-yankee-
2019
Will Manny Machado be a Yankee in 2019?
By Andrew Marchand and Eddie Matz/ ESPN
May 29, 2017
A lot can happen between now and November 2018. That's when Manny Machado's contract
expires, sparking what's sure to be an intense bidding war for one of the best players in the game.
Will he choose to stay with the only team he has ever known, or will he opt for a certain division
rival that has a habit of seducing superstar free agents? (Or will he go for what's behind door No.
3?)
With the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles kicking off a key three-game set at Camden
Yards (1 p.m. ET, ESPN), baseball writers Andrew Marchand and Eddie Matz debate.
Marchand: Machado makes a lot of sense for the Yankees, because he seems like A-Rod with
less drama and just as much of a rivalry with the Red Sox. Plus, if you look at the Yankees'
system, they don't necessarily have an out-of-this-world prospect at third. Well, they might have
one: They could move Gleyber Torres there, as he's playing the position some at Triple-A, and
Miguel Andujar, though he's no sure thing, is a pretty talented 22-year-old at Double-A. Still,
Machado could be the Yankees' play over Bryce Harper after the 2018 season.
B-more or the Bronx?
Matz: Machado makes just as much sense, if not more, for the Orioles. Everyone wants to talk
about how New York has gone out of its way to clear the books in preparation for the 2018 free-
agent class, but Baltimore currently has just $43 million on the books for 2019, or about $30
million less than the Yanks. Not to mention, Manny's heart still belongs to his first love:
shortstop. In related news, with J.J. Hardy's contract expiring, the O's should have a vacancy at
short.
Marchand: If he wants to play shortstop, maybe he'll stay in Baltimore (or go someplace else),
but from my experience, players usually take top dollar. When was the last time the Orioles
outbid the Yankees for a player? I'm waiting ...
Matz: I'm not saying Machado takes a hometown discount. What I am saying is that, despite
their frugal reputation, the Orioles -- whose $163 million payroll this year is MLB's 10th highest
-- have shown a willingness to spend when needed. If they were willing to plunk down $23
million a year on Chris Davis, it wouldn't surprise me to see them break the Bird bank on
Machado and at least match any offer from the Yanks.
Marchand: The Orioles really should be the highest bidder for Machado. It is an indictment of
their franchise if they can't keep one of the most special young players in the game in that
market. It would be doubly insulting for them if he ended up in the Bronx, which could be a
superteam. If Torres becomes a star at second, the Yankees' infield might be Greg Bird, Torres,
Didi Gregorius and Machado. Two years is longer than it might seem, so the combination could
be different, but you put Machado into the Yankees' mix and wow, it'd be something.
Matz: No question Machado donning pinstripes would be viewed in Baltimore as heresy. Which
is a big reason the O's are likely to back up the Brink's truck. But it's not the only reason. While
owner Peter Angelos is notorious for pinching pennies when it comes to pitching, dude loves the
long ball and is willing to pay for it. In related news, Manny is on pace to hit 35-plus homers for
the third straight season.
Marchand: Machado would be an absolute star in New York. He wouldn't make the splash
Harper's arrival would, but if he wants the ultimate spotlight, that might very well be 2019 with
the Yankees. Their prospects could all be good to go, making Machado the final cog for an
unbelievable offense. Plus, the Yankees might pay him the most. There are a lot of factors, but
the Yankees definitely could be big players for Machado.
Matz: The one X factor we haven't mentioned yet? Jonathan Schoop. The O's second baseman
and Machado are thicker than Baltimore humidity. They came up together. They locker next to
each other. Even though Schoop isn't slated to hit free agency until a year after his bestie, signing
him early to a long-term extension -- if the Birds are able to swing it -- could help persuade
Manny to choose B-more over the Bronx.
https://www.pressboxonline.com/2017/05/28/jonathan-schoop-homers-but-orioles-drop-seventh-
straight
Jonathan Schoop Homers, But Orioles Drop Seventh
Straight
By PressBox Staff/ PressBoxOnline.com
May 28, 2017
Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop hit a home run to give the Orioles an early
lead, but right-handed pitcher Alec Asher, starting in place of right-hander Ubaldo Jiménez,
allowed six runs on six hits in just two innings of work as Baltimore fell, 8-4, to the Houston
Astros May 28.
Baltimore (25-23) has now lost seven games in a row and 13 of its last 16. Houston, meantime,
improved to a Major League Baseball-best 35-16.
Schoop hit a two-run homer to left field in the first inning to give Baltimore a lead two batters in;
it was the first lead the club had since May 22. The Orioles added another run in the second
inning thanks in part to two throwing errors by the Astros, but left the bases loaded. Still, the
Orioles had a 3-0 lead.
But Asher threw 42 pitches in the bottom half of the second inning as the game quickly got away
from Baltimore. Marwin González scored two runs with a double to left, and Yuli Gurriel
immediately followed with a double of his own to left to score Gonzalez and tie the game.
George Springer hit a two-run homer to left-center and Jose Altuve hit a run-scoring single later
in the inning for a 6-3 lead.
Jiménez entered in long relief in the third inning and finished the game, giving up two runs on
five hits and striking out five in six innings. Jiménez threw 92 pitches, so he’s not likely to be
available out of the bullpen for three or four days. Jiménez had pitched to a 7.17 ERA before
May 28.
It’s unclear what direction the Orioles will go in regarding the fifth spot in the rotation after
Asher’s lackluster outing. Asher had a 2.17 ERA in 29 innings coming into his start May 28.
The Orioles will return to Baltimore for a three-game series with the New York Yankees starting
May 29. Orioles right-hander Dylan Bundy (5-3, 2.92 ERA) will oppose Yankees lefty Jordan
Montgomery (2-3, 4.30 ERA).
https://www.pressboxonline.com/2017/05/27/wade-miley-struggles-as-orioles-drop-sixth-straight
Wade Miley Struggles As Orioles Drop Sixth Straight
By PressBox Staff/ PressBoxOnline.com
May 27, 2017
Baltimore Orioles left-hander Wade Miley failed to make it past the fifth inning for the fifth time
in six starts while Baltimore’s bats continued to scuffle as the Orioles fell to the Houston Astros,
5-2, May 27.
The loss, which was Baltimore’s 12th in their past 15 games, dropped the Orioles to 25-22 on the
season while the Astros improved to a Major League Baseball-best 34-16. With the New York
Yankees and Boston Red Sox winning May 27, the Orioles fell 3.5 games back of first place
New York and 1.5 games back of second place Boston.
Miley gave up four runs on eight hits and walked three in five innings against the Astros May 27.
He gave up two quick runs in the first inning thanks to a leadoff single by George Springer, a
run-scoring double by Jose Altuve and an infield hit by Carlos Correa that drove in a run. Orioles
center fielder Joey Rickard, in the lineup for a banged up Adam Jones, got a bad break on
Altuve’s double, costing him a chance at making a play.
The big blow against Miley came in the fourth inning, when Springer hit a monster two-run
homer to left center field. That was all the support Astros left-hander Dallas Keuchel needed,
though the Astros added on a run in the seventh inning.
Keuchel, back from a brief trip to the 10-day disabled list with a pinched nerve in his neck, went
six innings and gave up one run on four hits and struck out eight. The outing lowered Keuchel’s
ERA to 1.81. The 2015 Cy Young winner was in command all night, dotting the fringes of the
strike zone and generating weak contact on the ground.
Welington Castillo, hitting second and serving as the designated hitter, had a run-scoring single
in the third inning to get the Orioles on the board. Chris Davis hit a triple off Astros left-handed
reliever Tony Sipp to lead off the seventh inning and later scored on a wild pitch. The Orioles
have scored five runs over their past four games, two of which were shutouts.
The Orioles will try to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Astros May 28. Orioles right-hander
Alec Asher (1-2, 2.17 ERA) will take the hill in place of right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez (1-2, 7.17
ERA). The Astros will counter with right-hander Lance McCullers (5-1, 2.43 ERA).
https://www.pressboxonline.com/2017/05/26/baltimore-orioles-fall-to-houston-astros-for-fifth-
consecutive-loss
Baltimore Orioles Fall To Houston Astros For Fifth
Consecutive Loss
By PressBox Staff/ PressBoxOnline.com
May 26, 2017
The Baltimore Orioles fell, 2-0, to the Houston Astros May 26 for their fifth consecutive loss,
11th loss in 14 games and second shutout loss in three games. The Orioles dropped to 25-21 on
the season, the first time they’ve been as few as four games over .500 since April 13.
Center fielder Jake Marisnick and designated hitter Carlos Beltran hit solo home runs in the third
and sixth innings to provide all the scoring the Astros needed to secure their 33rd victory of the
season. Astros right-hander Joe Musgrove threw seven shutout innings with six strikeouts,
lowering his ERA to 4.89 on the season.
The Orioles had their best opportunity to break through once Musgrove exited the game. Left
fielder Hyun-Soo Kim, starting his first game since May 20, led off the eighth inning with a
double. Kim was followed by infielders Jonathan Schoop and J.J. Hardy, both of whom had
infield hits to load the bases with none down. But right fielder Seth Smith struck out on three
pitches, center fielder Adam Jones popped up to left field and third baseman Manny Machado
flew to the track in right field.
The Orioles experienced frustration earlier in the contest, as well. Schoop barely missed out on a
solo homer in the top of the third inning, as the ball hit the top of the fence and bounced back
into play, limiting the big second baseman to a double. Machado led off the seventh inning with
a double but didn’t move off of second the rest of the inning.
On the positive side for the Orioles, right-hander Kevin Gausman turned in his second straight
quality outing, going 6 2/3 innings, scattering eight hits and striking out two. Tabbed as the
opening day starter after shoulder problems plagued Chris Tillman in spring training, Gausman’s
ERA ballooned to 7.19 after a poor outing in Kansas City May 14. Since then, Gausman has
thrown 12 2/3 innings and given up four runs.
The Orioles will take on the Astros again May 27, as Wade Miley (1-2, 2.59 ERA) is set to face
2015 Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel (7-0, 1.84 ERA).
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/teams/page/BAL/baltimore-orioles
Orioles' Seth Smith: Takes seat Monday
By RotoWire Staff/ CBSsports.com
May 29, 2017
Smith is out of the lineup Monday against the Yankees.
Smith has worked his way into the starting lineup for five of the last six games, but with lefty
Jordan Montgomery taking the hill for the opposing Yankees, he'll take a seat in favor of Joey
Rickard. Though Smith won't be starting, manager Buck Showalter could elect to use him later in
the game as a defensive replacement, especially if Rickard isn't hitting.
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/teams/page/BAL/baltimore-orioles
Orioles' Adam Jones: Returns to lineup
By RotoWire Staff / CBSsport.com
May 29, 2017
Jones (ankle/hip) is back in the lineup Monday against the Yankees.
Jones was held out Saturday and Sunday due to soreness in both his ankles and hips, but he'll
return to man center field and bat second in the order for the Memorial Day showdown against
New York. With his return, Joey Rickard will move over to left field, while Hyun Soo Kim
heads back to the bench.
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/teams/page/BAL/baltimore-orioles
Orioles' Alec Asher: Blasted in third start
By RotoWire Staff/ CBSsport.com
May 28, 2017
Asher (1-3) allowed six runs on six hits (one home run) while walking one and striking out one
over just two innings in Sunday's 8-4 loss to the Astros.
It wasn't a good first start as he takes Ubaldo Jimenez's rotation spot. Asher had allowed four
runs combined in his previous two starts this year, and his ERA rose to 3.77 in the 54-pitch
effort. The right-hander may not be long for the rotation himself with just 23 strikeouts in 31
innings so far this season. Because he's been pitching in relief, Asher provides little upside with
his inability to go deep into games, too.
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/teams/page/BAL/baltimore-orioles
Orioles' Chris Davis: Fans three times Sunday
By RotoWire Staff / CBSsports.com
May 29, 2017
Davis went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in Sunday's 8-4 loss to Houston.
You have to take the good with the bad when it comes to the all-or-nothing power bat of Davis.
The hitless night drops the slugger's average to .228 on the season, but he does have 10 homers
in 196 plate appearances. His career-high 37.8 strikeout percentage isn't doing his owners any
favors besides his homer output, and he also has a disappointing 18 RBI. Davis' power is a
constant, but nothing else is a guarantee with him.
http://www.baltimorebaseball.com/2017/05/28/orioles-couldnt-wait-longer-jimenez-not-asher-
clearly-better-option-right-now/
Orioles couldn’t wait any longer for Jimenez — not with
Asher clearly a better option right now
By Dan Connolly/ BaltimoreBaseball.com
May 28, 2017
The Orioles will start 25-year-old right-hander Alec Asher in today’s series finale against the
Houston Astros instead of veteran Ubaldo Jimenez.
Many of you were clamoring for this to happen weeks ago.
Me?
I was holding onto the umbrella in the tornado.
I have, in fact, been doing that for more than a year. And my preaching of patience paid off in
the second half last year when Jimenez was one of the Orioles’ best pitchers.
I was proselytizing the same thing this year – I actually predicted Jimenez as my surprise Oriole
heading into the season. Next to the Jimenez family, I probably kept the faith longer than anyone
that Jimenez would regain his form. Well, in retrospect, never mind.
I put away that soapbox last week after Jimenez gave back another early lead in an eventual loss
to the Minnesota Twins. The talent is still there; we’ve seen glimpses of it against Cincinnati and
Washington. But the inability to repeat his complicated delivery and throw strikes has been
paralyzing, and simplifying his delivery robs him of the deception he needs to befuddle hitters.
And now it is crunch time for the Orioles — losers of six straight and 12 of 15. They can’t just
keep going with the same formula and hope the outcome is different. That luxury is over. It was
different when Jimenez was pitching poorly in April, and the Orioles were winning in his starts
anyway.
Here’s the deal: I get paid to look at the Orioles’ situation objectively – without emotion.
Jimenez is a really good guy and has handled his struggles like a professional, but that doesn’t
play into my mindset. I promise you that. Good guy or not, it’s about what I think he can do for
the team.
Last year, when Jimenez was terrible in the first half, fans, who had knee-jerk reactions like,
well, fans, wanted Jimenez cut. “Eat his contract. Get rid of him,” was the refrain I heard over
and over again last May and June and in parts of July.
My counter-argument back then: The Orioles owe the guy $20-plus million, he was coming off a
season in which he was 12-10 with a 4.11 ERA in 32 starts and his career history shows that the
light can go on at any time.
My point was the Orioles could not afford to cut Jimenez – without any obvious replacement —
and let him go pitch somewhere else for a year-plus on the Orioles’ dime. Because the only thing
worse than seeing Jimenez struggle with the Orioles would be to see him thrive with a rival. It
wasn’t as much about sunk costs as it was the potential of that decision biting them back during
last year’s stretch run.
By September, I was crowing, “I told you so.”
The exact scenario I presented came to fruition. You can have revisionist history all you want,
but the fact remains the Orioles barely made the playoffs in 2016 and Jimenez helped carry the
team in the final two months. In his last eight starts in the regular season – after losing his
rotation spot and then regaining it out of team necessity – he posted a 2.54 ERA.
The Orioles won five of his final six starts.
Orioles fans who hate Jimenez discount that run, and that solid 2015 season, and simply dwell on
the ugly moments. And there have been plenty – no question. His cumulative ERA with the
Orioles in 95 games is 4.93, which is bad, generally speaking, and disastrous considering the
Orioles signed him to a four-year, $50 million deal in 2014.
I can’t convince the Ubaldo Pitchfork Mafia that Jimenez still has a chance to squeeze some
value out of his walk year. I think I’m done trying.
Because, frankly, he has pitched so terribly this year that I don’t believe the rainbow is on the
horizon. He certainly can’t be trusted in the rotation. Time has run out on giving him a chance
every fifth day, especially with the Orioles limping through this month.
Jimenez’s ERA is 7.17 in nine games, eight starts. He’s allowed 48 hits and 25 walks in 42 2/3
innings. He has earned the demotion to the bullpen. And, because of that inability to throw
strikes consistently, he’s never been good pitching in relief.
So, the Orioles may, indeed, have to ultimately eat his contract this year if this relief stint
backfires. There’s still roughly $10 million on his contract – but that’s at least more palatable
than absorbing twice that last year.
Now, the argument certainly can be made that Jimenez tuned it around in the past after a
demotion to the bullpen, and he could do that again in 2017.
That’s not unfathomable. But it’s no longer a torch I want to carry. And that’s because part of my
argument in 2016 was that the Orioles didn’t have anyone that was ready and/or clearly better
than Jimenez (and he proved that in August and September).
Maybe they don’t this year, either. But there are plenty of guys I’d rather see in the spot, whether
it’s Asher or the recently demoted Jayson Aquino or Gabriel Ynoa or Chris Lee.
Right now, there’s no question that Asher, who has pitched well in both of his spot starts, gives
the Orioles a better chance to win.
It’s funny. I knew nothing about Asher when he was called up to get his first sport start against
Toronto in April. I asked a scout I trusted and he told me that Asher’s stuff was nothing special,
that he would get clobbered if he didn’t throw strikes and that his ceiling was probably as a fifth
starter.
The scout called Asher “vanilla.”
Well, here we are at the end of May.
Asher is 1-2 with a 2.17 ERA in 11 games (two starts) and absolutely deserves Sunday’s chance.
Jimenez is relegated to the bullpen and his roster spot grows more tenuous each day.
Despite my protestations in the past, this is absolutely the right call.
Sometimes you have to choose vanilla over rocky road.