Chen, Hardy and Jones help Orioles defeat Yankees; Earn series split

In the offseason, I questioned a lot of Dan Duquette’s moves – especially Wei-Yin Chen. Honestly, it was to be determined what Chen brought to the table with the Orioles and fans were intrigued what he could do in the majors, most notably against the beasts of the American League East.

So far, Chen is passing the test. In fact, he may be singularly well the best pickup that Duquette has had throughout the young season so far. Although he does not throw all that hard – from the high 80’s to very low 90’s – Chen locates so well and paints the ‘black’ so effectively on either side of the plate.

That being said, the Taiwanese southpaw earned his fourth win of the season and helped give the Baltimore Orioles the split over the Yankees in their brief two-game series. They defeated the Bronx Bombers, 5-2, in a masterful effort by Chen who allowed two runs on four hits in seven innings of work. Jim Johnson got the save, his 12th.

The Orioles were significantly helped out by the double play – especially in the eighth and ninth innings, where the Yankees looked to possibly break things open.

The Orioles are 23-14 and share the American League East lead with the Rays. The offense broke through against southpaw C.C. Sabathia, who was off on the night, and left many pitches in zone. Sabathia’s offerings were hit hard and times; therefore, he was tagged for four runs in six innings of work.

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Orioles unable to complete sweep of the Rays

The Baltimore Orioles were hoping for a three-game sweep over the Rays; however, that would not happen on a wild Mother’s Day game at Camden Yards. They lost 9-8 to Tampa Bay and nearly came back twice but could not produce any magic.

The sweep of the Rays would not happen, but the Orioles fought back – again.

Baltimore rebounded from a shaky Jake Arrieta start and was almost buried with the score at 7-1 at the start of the sixth inning. He only lasted 3 2/3 innings and looked terrible on the afternoon.

However, the offense came alive and they came within a run of the lead, 7-6, after the seventh inning as Nick Markakis had two doubles in that period, and Matt Wieters hit a two-run homer.

They would nearly cough up the game in top of the eighth inning as reliever Troy Patton gave up homers to Elliott Johnson and Ben Zobrist to give Tampa a 9-6 advantage; however, the Orioles would get a run back after Nick Johnson homered for the second time this season.

The Orioles, who were down 9-7, to start the bottom of the ninth got a run back as Adam Jones scored on a Sean Rodriguez throwing error; however, they could not complete the comeback as Matt Wieters grounded out to end the contest.

Baltimore is 22-13 right now and lead the American League East by a game. I’m still surprised by the way the Orioles are playing, and came away impressed how they played all twenty-seven outs.

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Xavier Avery Promoted

Yet another day, another move for the Orioles. This time, they promote an outfielder, Xavier Avery, one of their better prospects to the majors. Not sure how long he will up in Baltimore, but should be starting today.

If Avery plays well, he might be up in the majors for a while.

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The Orioles and the reality stretch

The Orioles have won eight of their last 12 games.

At the end of April Orioles fans were looking at this 15-game stretch and thought: "this is it, this is when it all comes crashing down." For many people just sneaking out five or six games would have been enough. The prospect of actually coming out ahead during this series, winning at least eight seemed alien and wrong.

We are Orioles fans, after April we were willing to think more positively but the thought of this team being legitimately good, well that was just silly. The The thought that the Baltimore Orioles would be on the tail end of this stretch of games more than 10 games over .500, in first place after playing the Yankees, Red Sox, Rangers and Rays with only one day off and a string of nagging injuries; that was little more than the fevered dream of a madman.

And here we are. The Orioles have won eight games, they are guaranteed to finish this reality stretch with a better record then when they started. They have a very good shot of still being in first place at the end of the stretch. If the Orioles win today, then they will be guaranteed to finish this stretch at least 10 games over .500.
The Orioles have taken all comers, and despite getting roughed up a bit by the Texas Josh Hamiltons, they have met every challenge that they have faced.

Today the Orioles look to sweep the Tampa Bay Rays in Baltimore and open up a three-game lead in the AL East. The Yankees will come into town on Monday night as they look to get their scatter-shot season back on track.

The Orioles are playing great ball right now and it is beginning to translate in the stands. Last night the Orioles drew over 30 thousand to the yard and they were into the game. The energy was palpable. It was not a playoff level intensity but everyone in that stadium knew what was going on. A fanbase that has been burned so many times before, with memories of 2005 still seared into their minds, wants to believe in this team so badly. As I sat in traffic going home from the game, the crowd that was still leaving was walking past my car high-fiving me and the three other drivers behind - Orioles fans are a very happy bunch right now.

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Orioles win second in a row, defeat Rays 5-3; Jones and Hall lead the way, Matusz solid on the mound

The Baltimore Orioles continue to roll as they are one-fifth through the season, and it is one great thing to see.

They won their second straight game and downed the Rays, 5-3, at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in front of an announced 32,862 fans on a wonderful night for a ballgame. It’s good to see the fans come back to the park, as the Orioles got a huge walkup crowd for Saturday’s contest.

Baltimore is now 22-10 and lead the American League East by two games.

Well, the Rays made five errors, and the Orioles did what good teams do – took advantage of the situation.
Adam Jones drove in two runs, and Bill Hall – in his first game as an Oriole and in the majors this season – hit a home run which gave his team some breathing room in the eighth inning.

Brian Matsuz, who struggled in his last start, delivered on the mound, going 5 2/3 innings and gave up three runs – two earned. His control was much better, as were the pitches as well. He struck out five, walked one, and gave up seven hits.

His numbers could have looked better; however, Steve Tolleson’s error in the sixth inning allowed two Rays to score moments later as Luke Scott hit an up-the-middle single. Matusz is now 2-4 on the season.

The Oriole bullpen kept the Rays at bay at Luis Ayala pitched 1 1/3 innings, Pedro Strop was solid in the eighth, and Jim Johnson pitched a scoreless ninth for his eleventh save.

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Another Day, Another Move; Reynolds to DL, Hall Promoted, Bergesen DFA'ed

Ah, it's another day; therefore, the Orioles made yet another move with their roster. Today, we learned that Mark Reynolds was placed on the disabled list as he pulled a muscle in his rib cage.

It seems like the Orioles are nothing short of a walking M.A.S.H. unit right now.

BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles have placed third baseman Mark Reynolds on the team's rapidly expanding 15-day disabled list.
Reynolds has a pulled muscle in his rib cage. He is batting .191 with two homers and nine RBIs.
The injury occurred during batting practice Friday, manager Buck Showalter said.
Reynolds said Saturday, "It's not too bad, but it's one of those things where if I push it it'll get worse."
Reynolds is the third player placed on the DL by the Orioles in a three-day span. Outfielder Endy Chavez (left oblique) was shelved on Thursday and reliever Matt Lindstrom (middle finger) was added to the list Friday.

In his place, the Orioles have called up longtime veteran Bill Hall. I'm sure he will pay wherever is needed. Hall can play the infield and outfield. However, in order to make room for Hall on the 40-man roster, pitcher Brad Bergesen was DFA'ed.

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True Believer

That’s it. I can’t deny it anymore.

The Orioles are real; to deny it at this point is to deny math, logic and reality.

The Birds did get beaten up by the Rangers a bit, but who hasn’t. The Orioles still have the second-best record in the American League, lead the league in homers, are getting solid starting pitching and shut down bullpen work.

This is not a fluke. Repeat, this is not a fluke.

I am completely comfortable making this declaration, I am not worried about jinxing anything or anyone. The Orioles are just good.

Fact: The Orioles have won 13 of their last 14 games. That includes series wins against New York, Oakland, Chicago and Toronto. It includes a series sweep in Boston, despite Boston’s woes the Orioles made a real statement that weekend.

Fact: The Orioles went on the road through New York and Boston and won five of six. In addition, the one game they lost the Birds lost by a score of 2-1.

Fact: This is not a function of a weak schedule. The Orioles have the second-highest RPI in baseball behind only the Texas Rangers. Not good enough? The Orioles have played the third toughest schedule in the American League, behind the Mariners and White Sox.

The current Orioles renaissance is not due to a weak schedule, even if the Red Sox have collapsed early-on.
Opinion: The Orioles aren’t doing anything that seems drastically unsustainable.

The Orioles are simply playing very solid baseball. The bullpen is starting to give up a couple runs, but they are still playing very well. The Orioles have hit a hiccup with some rotation issues, but Dana Eveland was more than serviceable and the Birds have played some roster roulette the past week but it all seems to be working.

Take the Washington Nationals, their pitching is out of its mind right now, but it is ultimately unsustainable. Their offense isn’t scoring runs reliably and currently have scored the fourth fewest runs in the National League. Their pitching staff will continue to be good, but unless they stat getting their offense in line they will be vulnerable as the year rolls on. The Orioles are scoring runs, but not at an eye-popping rate, the rotation and bullpen have been great, but not historically great.

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Nick Johnson is the surprising hero of the night; Orioles defeat Rays to open up three-game set

I’m not sure what is happening with the Orioles; however, they are finding ways to win, and Friday night was another example of it.

The Orioles – again – pulled out another come-from-behind victory, as they downed the Rays, 4-3, to kick off the first contest of a three-game set.

If there was a must-win game in May, this might have been it as the Orioles and Rays were tied for the American League East lead on Friday with a record of 20-12.

With the victory tonight, the Orioles are an astounding 21-12 on May 12th and hold sole possession of first place in the American League East. If the Orioles can take two-out-of-three games from the Rays, they will be incredible shape heading into a showdown next week with the Yankees, Royals and Nationals.

Nick Johnson – yes, the guy many wanted off the team in April – has been hitting well in May, and he helped propel Baltimore to victory with a go-ahead, two run homer in the seventh inning off Tampa reliever Joel Peralta. They were down 3-2 before his shot, took the lead and did not look back.

Johnson does have a long, dubious injury history; however, when healthy, the man can swing a bat, get on base and is a ballplayer. Perhaps everything is now coming together for him, and if that is the case, the Orioles do have a valuable player on their hands.

Adam Jones and Nick Markakis also came through as they hit homers – solo shots – to also help the Orioles.
They were held to only two runs by starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson, who went 6 2/3 innings and gave up three runs before the Tampa bullpen took over. Peralta, who blew the save when Johnson homered, took the loss.

The Oriole bullpen was solid once again as Darren O’Day earned the victory, Pedro Strop threw a scoreless eighth inning, and Jim Johnson earned his 10th save of the year. He is a perfect 10-for-10 in save opportunities this season.

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Orioles Make History, but Rangers take three out of four from them; the Rays on the docket...

On Thursday, the Orioles managed to split their single-game doubleheader with the Rangers; however, much like on Tuesday, history was made – again.

In game one, the Orioles won 6-5, as they homered five times off Texas starter Colby Lewis. They started the game off with three consecutive homers from Ryan Flaherty, J.J. Hardy and Nick Markakis and Adam Jones along with Matt Wieters joined in the fun. All the hits by Baltimore were homers.

Lewis’s feat – that is, serving up the home runs, plus striking out 12 – was the first time any pitcher gave up five homers and struck out more than 10 batters since 1918. Weird. He was too effective at a point, sitting down 18 straight batters.

The Orioles would not give up the lead; however, things became extremely compelling in the ninth inning as the bullpen gave up three runs as Luis Ayala allowed two runners to reach base. Afterwards, Jim Johnson was summoned into action and gave up a three-run homer to David Murphy. He would strike out Elvis Andrus to end the game and get the save – his ninth on the year.

Wei-Yin Chen would earn the win with another solid outing, going 7 2/3 innings and only allowing two runs.
In the second game, things did not go so well for Baltimore, despite it looking promising early.

Baltimore lost 7-3, and despite holding a 3-2 lead after the third inning -- as Texas helped them out with three errors in the second inning – they got shelled by the swinging Rangers again.

Tommy Hunter was ineffective, and Josh Hamilton homered again – for the sixth time in the series.

Although the Orioles lost three out of four to the Rangers, they should have no shame in doing so. They still hold a share of first place in the division with the Tampa Bay Rays. Both teams are 20-12 heading into tonight.

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If you're looking for a Philadelphia Sports Blog, anything about the Philadelphia Phillies, or Eagles, check out http://www.rissyroos.com

Press Release: Orioles Introduce "Birdland Passport" Program

The Orioles today unveiled the BIRDLAND PASSPORT program, which will reward fans who visit Oriole Park at Camden Yards and the Orioles’ local minor league affiliates. All five minor league affiliates – the Norfolk Tides, Bowie Baysox, Frederick Keys, Delmarva Shorebirds and Aberdeen IronBirds – are participating in the program.

"The program is designed to encourage our fans to frequent not only Oriole Park at Camden Yards, but also all of our minor league affiliates’ ballparks, which are all within a short drive from Baltimore,” said Orioles Director of Communications GREG BADER. “Baseball is the most affordable sport and is the perfect family outing. We hope the Birdland Passport prompts fans to visit each of this region's great ballparks."

Fans can pick up a complimentary passport by signing up at the Fan Assistance Center in the Warehouse at Oriole Park at Camden Yards or at any of the five minor league ballparks. Fans who visit five of the Mid-Atlantic region’s six Orioles affiliated ballparks will receive a limited edition Birdland Roadtrip T-shirt (one per customer and per passport). Those who visit all six in one year will be entered to win a trip for two to spring training in Sarasota, Florida in 2013.  More information on the program is available at www.orioles.com/passport.

Game Postponed; Doubleheader on Thursday...

From the Orioles...

***

Orioles-Rangers game postponed due to rain

Single-admission doubleheader scheduled for tomorrow at 4:05 p.m.

Tonight’s game between the Orioles and Texas Rangers has been postponed due to rain.  The teams will play a single-admission doubleheader tomorrow beginning at 4:05 p.m., with all gates opening at 3:00.  Game two will not start before 7:05.

Tickets for tonight’s game may be exchanged for seats of equal value for tomorrow’s doubleheader or any remaining non-prime home game during the 2012 season, subject to availability. Ticket exchanges must be made by June 30. The Oriole Park Box Office will open at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow.

Tickets for tomorrow’s game will be valid for both games of the doubleheader.

Ticket exchanges can be performed at the box office or submitted in writing along with the original tickets and mailed via certified mail by June 30 to:

Baltimore Orioles

Attention: May 9 Rainout

333 West Camden Street

Baltimore, MD 21201

The Orioles Lose Second in a Row to Rangers; Tuesday was the Josh Hamilton Show in Charm City - He Hits FOUR Homers...

It was the Josh Hamilton show in Charm City on Tuesday, you might have heard or seen, but first…
After an incredibly successful road trip, could the magic the Orioles have over the New York Yankees and Red Sox faded?
The Orioles – especially after their crazy weekend in a sweep over the Red Sox – have gained the attention of the baseball world and long-awaited press – both in print, online and on TV.
Well, we do not know for sure; however, everyone knew that the Texas Rangers would be a tough customer, and so far they have been. After solid pitching so far this season, the Orioles have gotten hammered by the bats of the Rangers, as they have given up twenty-four runs (!) in two games.
For the second time in as many nights, the Orioles lost to the Texas Rangers, by a score of 10-3.
The Rangers – unlike the Red Sox and Yankees – have a seemingly far more complete squad and perhaps may have been the best challenge the Orioles have had this young season.
Slugger Josh Hamilton made sure of that. Obviously, he is one of the best hitters in the game today; however, he was nothing short of remarkable on Tuesday.
He would hit four homers on the night off Baltimore pitching and drove in seven of Texas’ runs. His feat – hitting four homers – was only the 16^th time in all of baseball history that has been done.

The Rangers came out swinging early, and they had built a 5-0 lead by the end of the third inning, as they teed off on Oriole starting pitcher Jake Arrieta.

Hamilton homered in each of his first two at-bats, and Adrian Beltre homered in the third inning. Yes, Arrieta did settle down after that; however, the damage was pretty much already done. He went 6 1/3 innings on the night and allowed six runs.

Back to Hamilton – what can you say? After times of trouble in the offseason, and seeing talks stall on a new deal, he is off to an amazing start.

Whether Hamilton is healthy, or inspired by a chance to earn a bigger pay day, he’s killing it this season and is definitely one of the top three players in the game at plate right now.

On Tuesday night, Hamilton seemed to be hitting the ball at will. He treated Arrieta as if he was pitching batting practice. In the seventh inning, he hit a three-run shot off a reliever Zach Phillips. It was quite amazing to see that.

Former reliever-turned-starter Neftali Feliz stymied Baltimore, as he went six innings, struck out eight and allowed four hits. He was bringing it all night with a fastball in the mid-to-upper 90’s and stymied the Orioles for much of Tuesday night.

The Orioles got their first run off of Felix in the sixth inning as Nick Markakis plated in Endy Chavez – who reached on a double. Other than that, they didn’t have much else offensively on the night until very late in the contest.

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Press release: Orioles launch MLB.com At the Ballpark check-in promotions

From the folks at the Baltimore Orioles:

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The Orioles have announced new promotions to accompany the free MLB.com At the Ballpark application at Camden Yards during the 2012 season. At the Ballpark offers mobile check-in, social media, special offers, rewards and exclusive content for anyone with an Android or iOS device.

Incentives for fans to "check-in" using At the Ballpark include many new promotions for the 20th Anniversary season of Camden Yards. First, an "I'm Checked In" T-shirt for the first 20 fans who check in and visit Fan Assistance behind home plate each game to claim their prize. Second, the 20th fan to check in each game will unlock an opportunity to upgrade their seats to a Field Box location. Finally, the first 20 fans who check in to at least 20 games at Oriole Park using the application by September 13 will unlock an offer for the opportunity to watch batting practice from the field at a future game.

More information on MLB.com At the Ballpark is available at www.orioles.com/checkin.

Berken Sent Down, Zach Phillips Called Up

There was more bullpen shuffling done before today's game. I guess with the long game on Sunday, ples everything else, the team needs some fresh arms.

Orioles recall LHP Zach Phillips; option RHP Jason Berken to Triple-A Norfolk

The Orioles today announced that they have recalled LHP ZACH PHILLIPS and optioned RHP JASON BERKEN to Triple-A Norfolk.P

Phillips, 25, has recorded three saves and pitched to a 4.15 ERA (13.0IP, 6ER) in nine games for the Tides this season.  He pitched to a 1.13 ERA (8.0IP, ER) for the Orioles in 10 games last season after being acquired from Texas on July 19.

Berken, 28, allowed seven runs (two earned) in one inning of work last night in his first appearance of the season for the Orioles.

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Orioles struggle on Monday Night; Rangers end five-game winning streak

The magic for the Orioles did not manifest itself tonight against the Texas Rangers in the start of their four-game set.

After yesterday's win, everyone in the region was happy about the Orioles' recent run and were hoping for it to continue against the formidable Rangers; however, baseball can be a humbling game.

There were no miracle comebacks, dazzling pitching performances or seeing the offense break through again for Baltimore, as they lost to Texas, 14-7. Both the Rangers and Orioles are 19-10.

Baltimore is tied with the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the American League East.

The Orioles saw their five game win streak end, and the Rangers jumped all over Brian Matusz, who gave seven earned runs in five innings. You have got to wonder if Brian Matusz will be the next pitcher sent down to Norfolk, as Tommy Hunter was demoted.

He can not last at the major league level much longer there’s not any consistency at all whatsoever from start to start.

Matusz was not consistent at all from frame to frame on Monday, and a loaded Texas squad – plus with former Oriole Brandon Snyder, who drove in six runs – made him pay.

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How About 'Dem Orioles? The Texas Rangers are on the docket and is the AL East Wide Open?

Morning all. How about 'dem Birds?

So much for this portion of the schedule being a gauntlet for the Orioles. Just amazing.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around yesterday's crazy, improbable and ridiculous victory. The game will be considered an epic if the Orioles can play deep into the summer and still remain atop the American League East.

The Baltimore Orioles are back at home at Camden Yards after an amazing road trip, going 5-1 against both the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. They host the Texas Rangers in a four-game series starting tonight.

The Rangers, as we all know are defending American League champions, and are a tough customer. They are 18-10, lead the American League West by 3.5 games, and boast a solid roster.

Although they lost two out of three games to the Cleveland Indians over the weekend, they are always formidable, and have a great combination of hitting and pitching.

The Orioles will miss Yu Darvish - he pitched yesterday, and lost - however, they will see four excellent starters in Matt Harrison, Derek Holland, Neftali Feliz and Colby Lewis.

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Orioles Sweep Red Sox; The Unbelievable Keeps Happening...

The Baltimore Orioles beat the Boston Red Sox, 9-6, in 17 innings. This game was the most bizarre I've ever witnessed. I can't even recap this. If there was a game that needed a combined team effort -- this was it. Well, it only took six-plus hours to decide a winner, but this game was so fun to watch on TV.

Chris Davis tosses two scoreless innings and wins? Craziness. He actually looked very good, struck out two and mixed up his speeds on the pitches. I'm not sure if he even knew what he was doing, but hey it's a win and he got the ball over the plate. For a guy who struck out five times in eight at bats, Davis sure came up big in a unexpected moment. Yes, folks, Chris Davis is a hero. Thank goodness he didn't get hurt.

Every reliever was used. Even Kevin Gregg came in the game and threw two scoreless innings. I'm not sure if Buck Showalter planned things out this way - of course he didn't - but it was a miracle that Baltimore won today.

The Orioles are making a joke of their so-called rough patch of the schedule. They are 5-0 in May, and won five out of six from the Yankees, plus the Red Sox.

Baltimore is winning games now that they would have lost years ago.

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What in the World has happened with the Orioles? They win in Boston ... Again

What in the world has been done to the Baltimore Orioles?

I mean this in a good way. We are now in the month of May, and the Birds are still flying high thanks to another big win against the Red Sox, this time in dominant fashion.

They defeated Boston, 8-2, thanks to a ridiculous seven-run third inning which featured home runs from Adam Jones and Mark Reynolds. They are now 18-9 on the season; meanwhile, Boston is 11-15.

For a minute, I felt like I was watching the Orioles emulate the Yankees with a big inning. Yes, they might have been enormously aided by Boston starting pitcher Aaron Cook getting injured on a slide trying to protect home plate in the second inning; however, Baltimore took advantage and clobbered an opponent.
Cook would get hammered for seven runs in his outing – only 2 2/3 innings long.

For a change, instead of struggling for runs early and having a mount a rally late, the Orioles got down to business early and cruised.

Jason Hammel won his fourth game of the season, as he went 6 2/3 innings and gave up two runs. The bullpen – Darren O’Day, Troy Patton, Matt Lindstrom, and Kevin Gregg (yes, he is still on the team) – took care of the rest.

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It's been a fun - and surprising - run so far for O's: Special for MASN Sports

Well, for fans of the Orioles, the calendar has flipped from April to May and it has been a surprising season so far. As of this morning, the Orioles are flying high with a 16-9 record, and sit one game behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East standings.

There are some very compelling and unexpected storylines in the game today, and the Orioles definitely qualify as of one them. Seriously, I do not think many fans, media or so-called experts thought that this team would sit near the top of the division this late into the season.

Who knows how long Baltimore can stay competitive? But if the Orioles can play some consistent baseball and pitch well, it may be a compelling summer in these parts for a change. I was little skeptical about some the moves that Dan Duquette made, but he may be on to something.

In fact, I figured the Orioles would be struggling right about now with the talent they have, the young pitching, plus the division they play in. Then again, you actually have to play the games, too.

In the offseason, I predicted the Birds would see their win total in the sub-70s.

If they keep playing at this rate, that will not happen.

However, we've been fooled before. Do you remember 2005? OK, well the team was completely different and there were some mitigating circumstances that led to their freefall.

We, as fans, have had our hopes built up - that year, the ones before that and during Baltimore's 14-year drought, only to see things crash. However, being a fan is sometimes all about blind faith and hoping for better days.

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Orioles still flying high; Defeat Red Sox in 13 Innings...

The Baltimore Orioles won again, this time in Boston, to kick-off their three game set against the Red Sox, by a score of 6-4 in 13 innings.

Baltimore has won three in row, and nine out of their past eleven games. If you thought they would be doing this well, perhaps you look at some free casino games from meilleurs casino en ligne.

They are 17-9 so far this young season, and once again the bullpen came through in the clutch, tossing seven scoreless innings. As well, timely hitting played a big role – of course. Chris Davis’ RBI-single broke a game deadlocked at four in the 13^th inning, and Mark Reynolds – who also hit his first homer of the season – added an important insurance run with sacrifice fly.

Closer Jim Johnson would get the save, his 8^th of the season and Troy Patton (1-0) won in relief.

Wei-Yin Chen was shaky, as he went five innings and gave up four runs – three earned. He was not great – but he was not terrible, either. At least he prevented the game from becoming ugly, or a blowout like we have seen in the past with the Orioles up there. Trust me, the Orioles would have probably allowed a big inning to take a place, and find themselves out of the game.

For Boston, Jon Lester - who started on the mound - was not as sharp and didn’t dominate the Orioles as he has done in the past (with a record of 14-0). He went six innings and gave up three runs.

The defense was very shaky in the first few innings; however, J.J. Hardy made a highlight reel play that resulted in two outs in the eighth inning that could have saved the game for Baltimore.

Once again, the Orioles fought all night and showed they are not pushovers. I debated if this team could possibly sustain their level of current play considering the past history and talent level.

Why not?

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