SB Nation - Matt Albers

Boston Bats Come Alive as Sox Squash Orioles 11-5

Ben Buchanan — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 03:06:48 -0000

3 months ago: Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester throws to a Baltimore Orioles batter during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

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On a night when Jon Lester did not have his best stuff, the Red Sox' bats came alive to give him all the support he needed.

Against a team he traditionally dominated, Lester was shaky, and often seemed bothered by the condition of the mound. Commentator Dennis Eckersley observed he looked generally uncomfortable throughout much of his start. While giving up 10 hits including 2 homers would usually result in a few more runs, Lester managed to avoid serious damage, letting only 3 Orioles cross home plate and recording the quality start.

David Hernandez, the Orioles starter, had a pretty similar night. 7 hits, 3 walks, and a home run added up to 3 runs over 6 innings. But it wasn't the Orioles' starter that would give up the game, but their bullpen and defense. Matt Albers would give up 2 runs while recording only 1 out. Alberto Castillo fared even worse, facing 3 batters and giving up a hit to each. Finally, Bob McCrory would put the game well out of reach with a little help from Ty Wigginton, whose error would allow Victor Martinez to reach base in the 8^th. 4 batters, 2 homers, and 5 runs later the Red Sox were firmly in control.

The Sox' offense came from all kinds of places, with every starter recording a hit. Josh Reddick put the Sox up early 2-1 with a 2-run homer in his first at bat, David Ortiz had 2 doubles, Mike Lowell went 3-4, and JD Drew went 3-5 with a double and a 3-run shot. Even Brian Anderson managed to knock one out.

There was some mild drama in the 9^th inning as Manny Delcarmen would fail to record an out, offering up 2 homers to the first 2 batters he faced and then walking the next 2 men. Ramon Ramirez would come in to clean up after him, getting a pop out and a double play while giving up only a walk.

Red Sox Nation will get its second look at the recuperated Daisuke Matsuzaka tomorrow after a good start against the Angels. The Orioles counter with Jason Berken, who Sox fans might remember for his last performance against the team when he gave up 7 hits, 2 walks, and 6 runs before exiting with 1 out in the first on August 2^nd. Hopefully the Boston batters will have as much success when they go for the sweep tomorrow.

The Clutch Mart is Open! Victor Leads the Sox to a Win

Ben Buchanan — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 04:43:30 -0000

More photos » by Steven Senne - AP

3 months ago: Boston Red Sox's Victor Martinez, right, watches the flight of his three-run double as Baltimore Orioles catcher Matt Wieters, left, looks on in the seventh inning of a baseball game at Boston's Fenway Park, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009. Martinez hit the double off Orioles pitcher Danys Baez. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

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Pinch hitting with 1 out and the bases loaded, all Victor Martinez needed to put the Sox on top was a sacrifice fly. Instead, he took the first pitch he saw —a fastball begging to be hit —and smacked it to the foot of the monster for a bases clearing double.

Martinez' double capped another strong offensive night for the Red Sox, who managed 15 hits and 5 walks in the 7-5 win. In the first inning, Jason Bay put the Sox on top 2-0 with a 2-out base hit. Then, in the 4th, the Red Sox scored perhaps their most unusual run of the season. Mike Lowell reached first on an error after a low throw from 3rd baseman Melvin Mora bounced out of Ty Wigginton's glove, and then stole 2nd base as Varitek took a pitch in the dirt on a hit-and-run attempt. Varitek, 0-for-his-last-14, then doubled him in. The Sox would add another odd run in the 6th, then down 1, as Dustin Pedroia scored Joey Gathright (pinch running for Jason Varitek) from 3rd after bouncing a pitch off of pitcher Matt Albers. Every Sox starter recorded a hit except Alex Gonzalez.

Paul Byrd managed to keep the Sox in the game, dancing around 6 hits, 3 walks, and a ton of hard-hit balls to limit the Orioles to 2 runs over 5 innings. Manny Delcarmen pitched disastrously, loading the bases on 2 hits and his own fielding error before issuing a 4-pitch, bases-loaded walk to Brian Roberts. He recorded only 1 out. Ramon Ramirez allowed another of Delcarmen's runners to score on a single by Felix Pie before averting further harm by sitting down the next 2 batters on strikes. Billy Wagner had yet another 2 strike out inning in the 7th. Daniel Bard would strike out two, but allow the tying run to come to the plate by giving up a single and a walk before Jonathan Papelbon ended the 8th with a 1-pitch out. Paps would again induce some Drama, allowing a run to score in the 9th and again having the tying run come to the plate, but recorded the save on a Ty Wigginton pop-out.

The Sox stay 2 games up in the wild card race on the Texas Rangers, who blew out the Indians 10-0. Tampa Bay is coming to Boston for the two teams' final series of the season, while the Rangers host division rival Seattle.

Angels 17, Orioles 8 (13 innings): Marathon game ends in a whimper

Stacey — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 23:05:23 -0000

More photos » by Rob Carr - AP

4 months ago: Baltimore Orioles left fielder Nolan Reimold misses a three-run home run hit by Los Angeles Angels' Juan Rivera during the 13th inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009, in Baltimore. The Angels won 17-8. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

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This won't be a proper recap as I missed most of the game, but a game like this needs a post game, so here you go.

I had a wedding shower to attend today at 2 p.m. and was a little annoyed at having to miss the game. My favorite way to spend a Sunday in the summertime is lazing around the house, watching the O's game in between naps, gearing myself up for work the next day. I listened to the first inning on the radio in the car and by the time I got to the party I wasn't feeling so bad about missing it considering the way that particular inning went (Guthrie gave up three runs in the top, O's went 1-2-3 in the bottom).

Towards the end of the shower I checked my phone, thinking I'd see the final score. Instead what I saw was the O's down by 1 in the bottom of the 9th with Brian Roberts on 2nd base via his 45th double of the year. I felt a glimmer of hope. When I checked the phone a few minutes later, the game was tied via a sacrifice fly by Adam Jones. The party had pretty much broken up, so I hastily said my goodbyes and ran out to my car to listen to the game. I got there just as the bottom of the 9th was ending with the scored tied 8-8.

How did it get that way? Guthrie pitched another bad game, allowing 7 runs on 10 hits and 2 walks in 5.2 innings. About the only good thing you can say about Guthrie's outing is that he made it into the 6th. Had this only been a 9 inning game that could have been important in keeping the bullpen rested for tomorrow's finale. That turned out to be a moot point as the bullpen got totally wrecked with Cla Meredith being the only pitcher left in the bullpen at the end of the game. Following Guthrie in the game was Mark Hendrickson, Chris Ray, Danys Baez, Jim Johnson, Brian Bass, and Matt Albers, with those last two doing the more damage that should ever be allowed by a major league reliever.

For the offense, most of the team contributed in scoring those 8 runs. Brian Roberts, Nick Markakis, and Luke Scott all homered. Roberts, Reimold, Moeller, Scott, Wigginton, and Andino doubled. The 8 RBIs came from 6 different players, and the tying run in the 9th scored when Brian Roberts doubled, stole third, and scored on a sacrifice fly (we call that sequence of events "Brian being Brian") that was just inches from being a walk off HR for Adam Jones.

But back to the part of the game I witnessed. Jim Johnson came on to pitch the top of the 10th and was just great, retiring the side in order with a strikeout and two groundouts. The offense was unable to do anything in the bottom of the 10th, and JJ returned for the 11th and immediately got into trouble, giving up a single and two walks to load the bases with one out. Torii Hunter lined the first pitch he saw to Brian Roberts who threw to Huff at first to double up Kendry Morales.

The O's went quietly again in the 11th, with only Nick Markakis getting on base with a two out single. Brian Bass took over for JJ in the top of the 12th and I felt an immediate sense of impending doom. Brian Bass, who was the bullpen rock early in the season, has been just awful for quite some time now, and today was no different. After a leadoff groundout, Bass allowed back-to-back singles and hit Chone Figgins to load the bases. But for the second straight inning the Orioles would be on the good side of an awesome double play. Maicer Izturis chopped a ball towards first. Aubrey Huff made a nice pick, went home for the first out and go to first to receive the throw from Matt Wieters and complete the 3-2-3 double play.

Despite his horrible 12th, Brian Bass returned to the mound in the 13th (the O's offense again went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 12th). Again he was bad, this time giving up 4 straight singles to put the Angels up 9-8. With the bases loaded an no outs, Dave Trembley turned to Matt Albers. Albers has been straight up awful in the month of August, giving up 11 ER in just 5 IP.

This, friends, is when it got just awful. I kept wanting to change the channel, to flip over to the PGA Championship, but I couldn't. It was a train wreck. Here is the play log courtesy of Yahoo!:

- M. Albers relieved B. Bass

- E. Aybar singled to right, J. Rivera and K. Morales scored, T. Hunter to third

- M. Napoli struck out swinging, E. Aybar stole second

- H. Kendrick grounded out to third, T. Hunter scored, E. Aybar to third

- C. Figgins doubled to right, E. Aybar scored

- M. Izturis singled to shallow left, C. Figgins scored

- B. Abreu walked, M. Izturis to second

- J. Rivera homered to left, M. Izturis and B. Abreu scored

- K. Morales grounded out to first

When it was all said and done, the Angels had scored 9 runs in the 13th inning, which I have to think is some kind of record. The Orioles batters struck out 1-2-3 to end the game. What an awful way to lose in extra innings, although it was just so absurd that it was at least a little comical there at the end.

O's look to split the series tomorrow as David Hernandez faces off against Ervin Santana. I hope young David is prepared to pitch a complete game because the bullpen needs a day to recuperate. Although getting rid of Bass and Albers and replacing them with Mickolio and another AAA'er would certainly help.

Poll

Who was today's Most Birdland Player (MBP)?

Brian Roberts, who had 2 hits on the day, a HR and a bottom of the 9th double after which he stole third to put himself in place to score the tying run. Also Brian's Baseball Bash is tonight which is very Birdland.

118 votes

Nick Markakis, who's 6th inning 2 run HR tied the game at 6-6, and who is hosting a charity 5K tonight at Patterson Park.

22 votes

Luke Scott, who might just be coming out of his slump as he hit his 20th HR of the year and just missed his 21st on a double that hit near the top of the scoreboard.

12 votes

Jim Johnson, who held the Angels scoreless in the 10th and 11th.

5 votes

Nobody. All possible Birdlandness is canceled out with two relievers give up 9 runs in the 13th inning.

106 votes

263 votes | Poll has closed

Orioles 8, Tigers 2: Introducing Brian Matusz

duck — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 02:59:46 -0000

Yes, it was only five innings from the starter. Yes, it took 99 pitches to get through them. Yes, the Tigers had runners on base in every inning from the second through the fifth. I know what the stats say. But I say Brian Matusz had about as good a debut for the Orioles tonight as could be reasonably hoped for, let alone expected.

The line may say...

Baltimore	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	PC-ST	ERA
Brian Matusz (W 1-0)	5.0	6	1	1	3	5	0	99-65	1.80

but my eyes saw the future. I saw a great change-up used early in the game to set up a fastball used more effectively after a visit to the mound by pitching coach Rich Kranitz. I saw a slider than struck batters out, and most of all, I saw a young starter not get rattled but bear down and get outs he needed. And I saw a lot of Cesar Izturis.

Cesar was Gold Glove worthy with the defense tonight, and he hit one of his biannual homers as well. Nick Markakis finished a triple shy of the cycle, and even Melvin Mora tried to rehab his images with a RBI in 5 ABs. Of course, his average dropped to .255, and his struck out once and didn't bother diving after at least one reachable ball, but no disrespect, Melvin, no disrespect. (And yes, it's a long way to go to make that joke.)

Chris Ray went 2.2 IP and Matt Albers went 1.1 to finish out the game, and it's a good thing, because the 'pen is absolutely cooked right now. Aside from a strong effort from Matusz, we desperately needed to use just those two guys, and they came up big. Thank you, Soccer Mom Butt and Phat Albers.

I could load this recap with tons of analysis concerning Matusz' efforts in the stretch vs. windup, his matchups against an all right-handed lineup, or how he and Matt Wieters both learned a lot tonight about getting through a tough AL lineup. And seriously, what was up with the Tigers calling up a right-handed bat just for this game? Against a rookie making his first start? Really?

But I'll leave analysis to those of you much better at it, which is most of you. Tonight, lets us enjoy our glimpse into the future known as Brian Matusz.

Poll

Who was the Most Birdland Player for Tuesday, August 4, 2009?

Brian Matusz (W, 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 5 K, 3 BB)

242 votes

Nick Markakis (3-5, 3 RBI, 2R, HR, 2B)

37 votes

Cesar Izturis (3-4, HR, 3 RBI, 1R, Belanger-esque defense)

144 votes

Chris Ray (2.2 IP of desperately needed scoreless relief, 2K, 1 BB)

8 votes

431 votes | Poll has closed

Red Sox 18, Orioles 10: Solution to "September Swoon?" Lose all games in July and August as well.

Stacey — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 22:02:14 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

Complain all you want, Dave, your baseball team is still awful. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

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The Orioles scored 10 runs today, and still managed to lose by eight runs. It's pretty impressive, actually. Also impressive is Jason Berken extending his streak. He now hasn't managed a win since his major league debut on May 29th. Berken hit an all time low today, allowing 6 ER on 7 H and 2 BB in just 1.1 innings. His completely useless self was followed by a parade of ugliness, with Brian Bass, Matt Albers, Mark Hendrickson, Cla Meredith, and Jim Johnson combining to give up 12 more runs.

The most frustrating thing was, after the Red Sox put up 7 runs over the first three innings, the Orioles offense exploded for 6 runs in the bottom of the third against Clay Buchholz. Just like that the Orioles were back in the game, but just as O's fans started to feel a glimmer of hope, Brian Bass and Matt Albers gave it away. The Red Sox scored 7 runs in the top of the 4th and the game wouldn't be close again.

The O's offense did what they could, led by Adam Jones. AJ went 3-4 with a double, a HR, and a walk. He knocked in 3 and scored 3. Ty Wigginton also had a great day at the plate, going 3-5 with a HR. Wiggy played 3B in place of that cry baby Melvin Mora and if he keeps hitting like he did today Melvin will never get back on the field. Altogether the Orioles offense combined for 10 runs on 15 hits. They hit 4 doubles and 2 home runs. They took 6 walks. Only the catcher position didn't contribute a hit. But with pitching as bad as it was, they might as well have saved it for another day.

The O's end their home stand at 2-5 and now head on the road for four at Detroit and three at Toronto. If Luke Scott can't get himself going against the Tigers, then I fear all hope is lost.

Poll

Who was today's Most Birdland Player (MBP)?

Adam Jones (4-5, 2B, HR, BB, 3 R, 3 RBI)

218 votes

Brian Roberts (3-4, 2B, BB, 1 R, 1 RBI)

3 votes

Ty Wigginton (3-5, HR, 1 R, 2 RBI

15 votes

No One. Losers find a way to lose.

116 votes

352 votes | Poll has closed

Royals 5, Orioles 3. So, Bruce Chen, huh?

duck — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 02:41:05 -0000

More photos » by Gail Burton - AP

Rich Hill prepares for yet another awful pitch. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)

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Losing teams find ways to lose. And tonight, the Orioles found a way to lose to Bruce Chen and the Royals. Yup, Bruce Chen, ex-Oriole, last seen getting whiplash watching balls fly over the fence in 2006. He of the 6.58 ERA, the 1.462 WHIP and measly 5.5 K/9 in 2009.

And sure enough, the O's scored in each of the first two innings. Granted, KC scored in the first as well, but the O's couldn't lose to Bruce Chen, could they?

Rich Hill answered the question rather convincingly. Hill, who knew, stone cold knew, that his pitching career could be decided by tonight's effort, lasted seven outs. He gave up three runs, four hits, walked three, struck out one and generally looked clueless. His delivery looked awful, he had no idea where the ball was going, and didn't even bother throwing his glove in the dugout when Dave Trembley came out to yank him. And if corporal punishment was legal for pitchers, I do believe Diamond Dave would have taken him behind the nearest woodshed.

Oh, the lineup doesn't get a pass tonight. Did I mention we lost to Bruce Chen? Sure enough, aside from Adam Jones hitting a solo HR and getting hit at an opportune time, the Orioles just didn't get much going. The other RBI was the result of a Matt Wieters single that scored Aubrey Huff, but then third-base coach Juan "Windmill" Samuel had Nolan Reimold try for home, where he was out by about 700 feet, roughly. Maybe 600. Looked like 700 to me.

I could recite the offensive futility of the Orioles in this game, but much like Nickelback songs, it's the same tune, just different details. The bullpen did its job, for the most part, with Brian Bass going scoreless for 3.1 and although single runs were scored against Matt Albers and Danys Baez (whose trade values sinks like a rock with every appearence), Cla Meredith came in and threw a shutout inning to finish the 9th. But the bullpen didn't really lose this one. Rich Hill did.

Losing teams find a way to lose, and having a starter like Rich Hill in the rotation certainly increases the odds. And it's getting damn frustrating to watch.

Poll

Who was the Most Birdland Player for Monday, July 27, 2009?

Nolan Reimold (2-3, 1 BB)

41 votes

Adam Jones (1-3, HR, HBP)

33 votes

Aubrey Huff (2-4, 1BB)

3 votes

Brian Bass (3.1 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 1 K)

36 votes

No one - 3 runs against Bruce Chen? Are you kidding me?

138 votes

251 votes | Poll has closed

Yankees 6, Orioles 4: 0-5 in New Yankee Stadium

Stacey — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 03:45:36 -0000

Sometimes the thought of writing a narrative about a game just seems like too much. So instead, a recap in pictures (pictures obviously not from tonight but rather just pictures I enjoy).

The Good

Brian Roberts has been on fire since the All Star break, and he continued tonight, going 3-4 with a double, a stolen base, and two runs.

Nick Markakis had another great night. He went 3-4 with 1 RBI and 1 run scored. He also threw Derek Jeter out trying to score. It was beautiful.

Melvin Mora only had one hit, but it was a big one. With runners on 2nd and 3rd in the 6th inning, Melvin singled to left, scoring Markakis and Aubrey Huff.

Matt Albers came in to pitch with one out in the 6th inning and runners on 2nd and 3rd and immediately cleaned up the mess made by Brian Bass and Cesar Izturis. He struck out Derek Jeter and got Johnny Damon to fly out to Nolan Reimold. Mark Hendrickson also pitched a good inning. It's nice to see him effective.

See the more crappy stuff after the jump

The Bad

Luke Scott went 0-4 and is now just 1 for 16 since the All Star Break. Aubrey Huff did have one hit and scored a run, but only because Johnny Damon threw to 2nd instead of home. Huff stopped at third on Mora's single even though Juan Samuel was waving him in. By the time he started moving again he would have been out by a mile if Damon had thrown to the right base. Combined, Huff and Scott left 5 men on base.

Brian Bass was forced to come into the game in the fourth inning and gave up 2 hits and 3 walks in 2.1 innings. He only gave up one run but it would have been worse if Matt Albers hadn't saved his behind.

The Makes Me Want to Vomit

Rich Hill proved once again that he doesn't belong in a major league rotation. He only gave up 3 hits in 3 innings, but when you add 4 walks to that it gets ugly really fast. 3 innings, 4 walks, 5 runs. After tonight his WHIP is up to 1.83 and his ERA 7.64. It's my desire to never see Rich Hill again, but I don't think I'm that lucky.

Poll

Who was tonight's Most Birdland Player (MBP)?

Brian Roberts (3-4, 2B, SB, 2 R)

57 votes

Nick Markakis (3-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, threw out the Cap'n at home)

83 votes

Melvin Mora (1-4, 2 RBI, clutchness due to playoff experience)

4 votes

Matt Albers (1.2 IP, 0 H, 2 K, got the O's out of Brian Bass' jam by stranding two)

8 votes

Mark Hendrickson (1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, has found a home in the bullpen)

2 votes

No One

10 votes

164 votes | Poll has closed

AL East SB Nation Midseason Roundtable: The Trade Deadline

hugo — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 11:23:15 -0000

So, Sky Kalkman of the incredible site Beyond the Boxscore hosted a roundtable featuring bloggers from each SB Nation AL East blog: R.J. Anderson of D-Rays Bay (Tampa), Stacey Long of Camden Chat (Baltimore) , Randy Booth of Over the Monster (Boston), and Travis Goldman of Pinstripe Alley (New York), and Tom and I from your favourite Jays' site. Part I focuses on the trade deadline, while part II focuses on second-half storylines. Anyway, without further adeiu:

Sky Kalkman (Moderator): Which teams, under which circumstances, will be buyers over the next three weeks? How about sellers? If there are any undecideds, what will be the tipping point?

R.J. Anderson (DRaysBay): I think the Rays could buy and sell. If someone comes along with an enticing offer for Carl Crawford or Scott Kazmir, I fully expect the Rays to listen. At the same time, seeing them acquire a cheap catcher wouldn't shock me either.

Daniel Hugo (Bluebird Banter): Historically, the Jays have been quiet in July in terms of deals - not buying or selling. This season could be somewhat different. Of course everyone has heard the Roy Halladay trade rumours but I have to say, I don't think it's particularly likely he gets dealt before next year's trade deadline, though you never know. Scott Rolen could be interesting to some teams, but the Jays would likely need to get back someone who could play third base next season. Lyle Overbay has slumped lately but he is still having a solid season and could be a useful piece. And if anyone needs a shortstop short-term, Marco Scutaro will be a free agent after this season and is having a very fine season on both sides of the ball. The Jays would be looking to get young position players back, particularly in the infield, as only Aaron Hill is signed after the 2010 season. They could also be looking for a young power hitter. The Jays would love to trade Vernon Wells, of course, but his deal makes that very difficult, even without the no-trade clause.

Stacey Long (Camden Chat): There is no question that the Orioles should be sellers this year. They aren't going anywhere in the standings and they have a number of free agents to-be who could provide value to contending teams. Danys Baez has seen a career revival this year after missing all of last season. He's a FA next year and I can't imagine the O's bringing him back unless he takes a considerable pay cut. Aubrey Huff, also an upcoming FA, has dropped off after a great 2008 but still provides left handed power and has proven himself much more adequate at 1B than could have been imagined. Some O's fans want Aubrey to be re-signed (or at least offered arbitration after the year) because the Orioles don't have an immediate solution to replace him in 2010. Plus Huff has really endeared himself to fans and has publicly stated that he wants to remain an Oriole. He has regrets about leaving the Devil Rays just before they crossed the line into contending, and he's scared to miss that boat with the O's as well. Other possible trade pieces for the Orioles include George Sherrill, Jim Johnson, and Luke Scott. I think the O's may make a few trades, but Andy MacPhail is nothing if not methodical. He won't trade just because it seems like he should and he won't give away anything if he doesn't get substantial value in return. It seems that he prefers to operate in the winter when there is more flexibility, and he's very, very deliberate. But his patience did bring us Luke Scott, Matt Albers, Troy Patton, Adam Jones, Chris Tillman, George Sherrill, and more, so for now I'll defer to his wisdom.

Randy Booth (Over The Monster): The Red Sox will be "buyers," if you even want to call them that. They're certainly not sellers as the team with the best team in the American League. Even though the Red Sox have been inconsistent, they may not necessarily need to trade for anything. They have a few guys like Jed Lowrie coming off the disabled list that will instantly shore up some holes (of course, that's if he stays healthy). So for another year under Theo Epstein, the Sox might not make a huge splash -- unlike last year, when that guy named Manny, I think, was traded.

Sky Kalkman (Moderator): What holes will teams be looking to fill? What are the biggest holes they *SHOULD* be looking to fill but don't seem to be concerned about? Which holes from the first half can be plugged internally, perhaps by improvement the same player?

R.J. Anderson (DRaysBay): Catcher, corner outfield, pitching. John Jaso might be able to help out at catcher, and the other two are just for depth in the system.

Daniel Hugo (Bluebird Banter): The Jays have had a huge hole at DH/LF for most of the year - Adam Lind has done a great job in one of those spots, but the other one has been occupied by the likes of Kevin Millar and David Dellucci. Now that Travis Snider is back from a back/shoulder injury, if he starts hitting well, he could be called up and fill the spot. The Jays' pitching depth is quite impressive, but they will be relying on young and inexperienced starters to fill 4/5 of the rotation so an arm that could add some stability there would also be good, though they might be content to let the rookies work through it. All of them have showed quite a bit of promise. Shortstop remains a huge concern long-term with Marco Scutaro set to become a free agent after the season and no one to replace him in the Jays' system. But a hole at SS is nothing new for the Jays.

Stacey Long (Camden Chat): I have to think that the Orioles FO is looking for solutions to 3B and 1B for the immediate future, with SS a slightly more distant concern. Defensively I've had no complaints with Mora but his offense is simply atrocious. He has an option for next year but I will be shocked if it is picked up. There's no internal solution to the 3B issue and Mora isn't getting any better, so I hope that MacPhail has an external solution in mind. As for 1B, the O's only real hitting prospect, Brandon Snyder, could fill that role next year maybe, but it's no sure thing. For the rest of '09, Aubrey Huff will be fine. He's a 2nd half hitter and I'm confident he'll pick up the pace after the AS break.

The O's pitching at the MLB level is certainly sub-par, but I don't know anyone who considers it a "hole." We're all waiting patiently for Chris Tillman, Jake Arrieta, Brian Matusz, and a number of other lesser prospects to come up to the bigs and save us. We could see Tillman as early as this year which excites me greatly.

Randy Booth (Over The Monster): One thing they certainly do need is a defensive shortstop. Julio Lugo and Nick Green just ain't cutting it, but Jed Lowrie, when he comes off the DL, might, so who knows at this point if a trade is necessary. And the Sox might say they need a big bat to help out Ortiz, because let's face it: can he keep this up for this rest of the season? I'm not so sure. The Sox also might be looking for a third baseman because Mike Lowell has had his issues lately, and I don't think the Sox really want to have Kevin Youkilis over at third all the time. Other than that, I don't think the Sox will be going after much. They certainly don't need any pitchers, but could trade one (Takashi Saito namely).

Travis Goldman (Pinstripe Alley): As always, the Yankees will be buyers, and would be even if they weren't three back in the division. Pitching is the biggest weakness, and Cashman should feel free to address both the bullpen and the rotation. Who knew Wang and Pettitte would be this bad? Joba's not going deep enough, and Brian Bruney has been oscillating between injured and ineffective.

Sky Kalkman (Moderator): Who are the most popular trade targets for those holes? Any targets flying under the radar? Any targets your team is especially intrigued in? Any popular names they're backing away from? Any rumors you'd like to start?

R.J. Anderson (DRaysBay): Gregg Zaun, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, worst case: someone like Miguel Olivo.

Stacey Long (Camden Chat): R.J., I'd love to see a trade with the Rays that nets the Rays Gregg Zaun, but something tells me it'd be a tough sell. Matt Wieters credits Zaun a lot with helping him in every aspect of being a ML catcher and if their mentor/mentee relationship is really that strong the O's might not want to break it up.

As for O's trade targets, I haven't heard anything specific. Everything centering around the Orioles, trade-wise, explores only the pieces the O's would give away, not what they'd get in return. Whoever it is, I'd imagine it would be mostly minor leaguers.

Randy Booth (Over The Monster): All the shortstop names have dropped off the table so far (Omar Vizquel anyone?), but other names have surfaced for 3B like Garret Atkins. Don't color me impressed. The other names that could fill a gap are the Nats' Nick Johnson and Adam Dunn -- if the price is right.

Travis Goldman (Pinstripe Alley): Huston Street has been discussed. Ken Rosenthal (take it for what it's worth) says the Yanks are one of the main players for Halladay. I'd like to throw Cliff Lee's name into the mix. He's obviously not on Halladay's level, but is younger and would require significantly less in terms of prospects.

Sky Kalkman (Moderator): Which prospects and young major leaguers are most likely to change hands? Any that teams have deemed off-limits?

R.J. Anderson (DRaysBay): Basically the top three in the system: Tim Beckham, Desmond Jennings, and Wade Davis. I'd probably throw Jeremy Hellickson in that group as well.

Daniel Hugo (Bluebird Banter): You won't see Travis Snider or left-handed starter Brett Cecil traded. Actually, I doubt that the Jays are going to be willing to trade much in the way of prospects this July.

Stacey Long (Camden Chat): The Orioles aren't currently in the business of trading prospects and young major leaguers. I'd imagine that once the pitching starts to take form, perhaps next year, MacPhail will start using his major league ready pieces to fill in the gaps. I haven't heard anything official about players being off limits, but it'll be a cold day in hell before Chris Tillman, Jake Arrieta, Brian Matusz, Matt Wieters, Adam Jones, or Nick Markakis are traded.

Randy Booth (Over The Monster): While Clay Buchholz's name comes up a lot, he's been untouchable for a few years now and I don't think that will change now. Michael Bowden, however, who is a poor-man's Buchholz, is almost as good and could be up for grabs. Daniel Bard, the fireballing reliever who is impressing scouts every day, could also be traded because let's face it: he's just a reliever. I don't think any, however, will be traded.

Travis Goldman (Pinstripe Alley): The big four are Hughes, Joba, Austin Jackson and Jesus. For the Yanks to land Halladay, it would require at least two of them; however, Cashman has shown a reticence to deal 'home-grown' players, especially the upper tier ones, so I doubt they get Halladay. Two intriguing pitchers that could get dealt are Zach McAllister and Ivan Nova.

Sky Kalkman (Moderator): Without any trade-deadline moves, what has to happen for your team to win the division? How much more likely is your team to make the playoffs by plugging its holes or adding an impact player?

Randy Booth (Over The Monster): Two big keys: Jed Lowrie coming back to shortstop 100 percent healthy. If he can be healthy, he has shown in the past he can play some really good ball. The other key: Daisuke Matsuzaka. Dice-K has been absolutely horrid this season. But if he could come off the disabled list and pitch like he did last season, you can wrap up the AL Pennant and put it in a box on Yawkey Way.

Stacey Long (Camden Chat): 1) Aliens attack and destroy Boston, 2) The Mets and Yankees switch divisions, 3) The entire Rays team comes down with mono except for Dioner Navarro, and 4) the Blue Jays trade the Orioles Roy Halladay and Ricky Romero for Felix Pie.

Daniel Hugo (Bluebird Banter): It's hard to imagine the confluence of events that would have to take place for such a thing to occur, but one thing is certain: the Toronto sports media would still find plenty to complain about.

Travis Goldman (Pinstripe Alley): Both Wang and Joba have to return to 2008 form (in Wang's case, pre-injury). Adding a good reliever would make it easier to move Hughes back to the rotation if Wang/Joba don't return to form.

Sky Kalkman (Moderator): For the teams probably out of the running, what acquisitions and decisions based on the 2010 and future seasons would you consider a "win"?

Daniel Hugo (Bluebird Banter): Great question. I'd consider any acquisition of a young position player under team control for the next several years a big win. Particularly at shortstop or third base, where the Jays have little organizational depth in the high minors (and prospects in the low minors who aren't exactly lighting it up at the moment). The Jays have a lot of pitching depth, but not all that many young pitchers with top-of-the-rotation potential. With one-time future-ace Dustin McGowan's career now in doubt, adding a young, top-of-the-rotation potential pitcher to replace him would, of course, be a coup. If you could fill both of those needs by trading Roy Halladay, I think you have to at least consider it.

Randy Booth (Over The Monster): I'll skip this...

Daniel Hugo (Bluebird Banter): And people ask me why I don't like Red Sox fans...

Stacey Long (Camden Chat): For the past decade or so, August and September have been hard for Orioles fans to watch. The annual swoon comes at us fast and before you know it the O's are finishing the season 4-32 or something almost as ridiculous. I'd consider it a win for the O's to continue to play hard down the stretch and avoid the collapse. Hopefully the young guys on the team still have enough to prove that they won't let themselves pack it in. Another win would be continual improvement by Matt Wieters, Nolan Reimold, Brad Bergesen, David Hernandez, and even Adam Jones. And of course anything done to find help for the Orioles corner infield positions in 2010 and beyond is a bonus.

Orioles 12, Mariners 4: The Tale of Luke Scott and the 7 RBI

duck — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 05:44:53 -0000

More photos » by Ted S. Warren - AP

Luke Scott did this a lot Tuesday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

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For the last week, the Orioles have lost just about every battle of bullpens they've been involved in. Sure, last Tuesday was fun, but since then? Not so much. The blown lead against the Red Sox the next day. The blown four-run lead against the Angels on Saturday. The blown four-run lead against the Angels on Sunday. And yesterday's one-hit affair is best forgotten all together.

Tonight was a strange, strange night, and a week's worth of breaks went against, then for, the Orioles in the game against the Mariners. First, we went up 2-0 against Erik Bedard in the first inning. Progress, you say? Sure, if the umps hadn't blatantly blown a call and cost the Orioles a run. To set the scene: Nolan Reimold is on first, Nick Markakis is on second and Adam Jones is on third with Luke Scott batting. Nick and Adam easily score when the throw from the outfield bounces off the pitcher's mound and into a camera well. Nolan Reimold, who slowed AFTER rounding second, is awarded third base, but not home. He should have scored.

Here's why. Rule 7.05 (g) is about as clear as baseball rules get. To wit:

(g) Two bases when, with no spectators on the playing field, a thrown ball goes into the stands, or into a bench (whether or not the ball rebounds into the field), or over or under or through a field fence, or on a slanting part of the screen above the backstop, or remains in the meshes of a wire screen protecting spectators. The ball is dead. When such wild throw is the first play by an infielder, the umpire, in awarding such bases, shall be governed by the position of the runners at the time the ball was pitched; in all other cases the umpire shall be governed by the position of the runners at the time the wild throw was made;...

APPROVED RULING: ...The term "when the wild throw was made" means when the throw actually left the player’s hand and not when the thrown ball hit the ground, passes a receiving fielder or goes out of play into the stands.

It got worse. Jeremy Guthrie could barely reach 90 mph tonight, and his ball was flat. He was examined by the trainer in the first inning, and was pulled during the third. Dave Trembley in his post-game confab with Jim Hunter and Jim Palmer said Guthrie told him he felt dizzy during warm-ups and his stomach was upset. Trembley said there was no issue with his arm or shoulder, Guthrie simply was sick. We'll see.

Orioles Magic started to happen once the starters left. When Guthrie left, the score was 3-2 Seattle. The Mariners would not score again until the ninth, when the game was safely out of reach,. Mark Hendrickson pitched 2.2 innings, then came Matt Albers, Danys Baez and Jim Johnson, all pitching scoreless relief, before George Sherrill gave up one run. Seattle, meanwhile, was hamstrung by Erik Bedard's 80 pitch count limit. He was filthy tonight - eight K's and just on ewalk and made it look easy after the first inning. But once he was gone, this was a whole new ballgame. Three Seattle relievers combined to allow 10 runs, and what was a one-run Seattle lead in the 5th inning became a nine-run deficit by the end of the 7th.

Luke Scott destroyed the Mariners tonight. He was a double shy of the cycle, drove in 7 runs, and his 3-run homer in the 7th capped of a 6 run inning that ended any hope of the Mariners coming back. Nolan Reimold did his part as well, with 3 RBI in a two for four night at the plate. Ty Wigginton continues to surprise with his adequacy at second base, and Melvin Mora may be slow on the basepaths, but he can still gun them out from 3B when on the field.

Tomorrow's game, the last on the West Coast for the year, starts at 4:05 Eastern. And I, and the rest of Birdland, can return to normal sleep patterns.

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Poll

Who was the Most Birdland Player for July 7, 2009?

Luke Scott (3-4, 1 HR, 7 RBI. Yeah, I said SEVEN)

283 votes

Nolan Reimold (2-4, 3 RBI)

7 votes

Mark Hendrickson (2.2 IP, W, 0 ER, 2 H, 4 K, 1 BB)

11 votes

301 votes | Poll has closed

Angels 9, Orioles 6: New day, same ending

duck — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 01:30:09 -0000

More photos » by Keith Birmingham - AP

Aubrey Huff watches as two runs are walked home with the bases loaded in the seventh inning. We know, Aubrey, we know. (AP Photo/Keith Birmingham)

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I didn’t see most of last night’s Saturday's Orioles - Angels game, at least not coherently. But I watched enough at my local watering hole to see the O’s cruise out to a 4-run lead, then go back into the clubhouse and watch "Matlock." I was a bit surprised at how completely the game got away from the Orioles and Jason Berken specifically, and quite frankly, I got a little depressed about whether this team will ever have enough pitching in the rotation and the bullpen simultaneously to win on a consistent basis. Maybe it was just the vodka.

Nope, it wasn’t the vodka. Today didn’t elevate my mood at all. Again, the O’s staked a 4-run lead, and again, the starter, in this case Rich "Why the" Hill "am I still here?", faltered early, and the game was lost in the later innings as the Orioles again failed to score after the first few innings.

There were a few bright spots today. Adam Jones, son! was named to his first All-Star Game, meaning so far the Erik Bedard trade has yielded 2 All-Stars. Also in that deal was Chris Tillman, whom we may see as soon as Tuesday, given the news concerning Chris Ray’s departure after today's game back to Baltimore to have his shoulder examined. Matt Wieters had his first 3-hit day – and don’t look now, but his average is creeping up to .280 rather quickly. Brian Roberts had a home run, and an apology for Dave Trembley about his recent play. Apparently, Brian reads the blogs and knows we are not pleased.

But again, the bullpen was brutal. Matt Albers gave up 3 runs in his 0.2 of an inning, with 4 walks doing most of the damage. Yes, 1 was intentional, but 4 walks are 4 free baserunners, no matter how you explain it away. Chris Ray looked like he had no idea where his release point was, and there may be a problem with his shoulder. Mark Hendrickson came on and looked like he’s found a role in the bullpen, again quenching the flames of his predecessors with 2.0 IP of scoreless and hitless pitching with 2 strike-outs. He may have found his home in the ‘pen, and it’s not as a lefty specialists, it’s as a 2 inning pitcher. Good teams need those, too.

I’ll offer some choices for Most Birdland Player, but honestly, even with The Deity’s offensive outburst, I’m not feeling too happy about this team right now. Three lefty starters in Seattle aren’t about to improve my mood this week, I’m guessing.

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Poll

Who was the Most Birdland Player of July 5, 2009?

Brian Roberts (2-5, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R)

26 votes

Adam Jones, son! (All-Star selection, 2-5)

22 votes

Matt Wieters (3-3, HR, RBI, 2 R, 1 BB)

137 votes

No one - this was a game the Orioles should have won!

46 votes

231 votes | Poll has closed