Who Will Replace Bergesen in Rotation?

While Brad Bergesen was sent to the minors after his start last night, the Orioles do not need to replace his spot in the rotation until next Saturday, May 1st. The O's have off days coming up on Thursday as well as Monday. This will allow them to only use the remaining 4 starters on the roster for the time being.

Come May 1st though, who will be getting the ball for the O's? Here is a look at some of the possible candidates:

Jason Berken - Berken has been one of the Orioles most effective pitchers early in the season out of the bullpen. He has pitched 12 innings in 4 appearances with a 1.50 ERA. While it is a small sample size, one must be impressed with the turnaround we've seen from Berken from last year to this year. In my opinion this turnaround comes from Berken pitching out of the bullpen. He only has to face each hitter once or maybe twice per game rather than the two, three or four times he would face each batter last year. It is because of this that I think Berken may be better suited to stay in the bullpen.

Jake Arrieta - After struggling in Triple A last year, Arrieta has come back strong in 2010. In 3 starts Arrieta has given up 1 earned run in 18 innings pitched. His walks are a bit higher than one would like (9 in 18 innings), but he is not giving up many hits. While he may look like the best option, don't count on Arrieta being Bergesen's replacement. Arrieta is not on the 40 man roster so the O's would have to either take someone off the roster and risk losing them, or transfer someone like Felix Pie to the 60-day DL.

Chris Tillman - Tillman is an obvious candidate because he pitched in the majors last year and was expected to be the O's 5th starter coming into spring training before eventually losing out to Dave Hernandez. Tillman has gotten off to a rocky start in Norfolk. He is 0-3 and has given up 9 earned runs in only 9.2 innings. He has struck out 10 and walked only 4, but he has given up an alarming 17 hits.

I can't see the Orioles going with anyone outside of these three. I think Arrieta is a long shot, and Tillman hasn't helped himself with his bad start in Norfolk. Honestly, as much as I do not like the move, I think Berken will be moved into the rotation. Hopefully I am proven wrong, but I feel like he is better suited out of the bullpen. There is still alot of time before we have to worry about this though.

Randy Biggs
Baltimore Sports Blog

Brad Bergesen Optioned to Triple A Norfolk

Orioles starter Brad Bergesen will be optioned to Triple A Norfolk after struggling in his first two starts of the season and being pulled in the third inning last night. Bergesen was 0-2 with a 12.19 ERA in three starts. He managed to only pitch 10.1 innings in those three starts, and walked 6. I feel that Bergesen has faced some tough luck in his last two starts as errors by the third baseman in each game led to extended innings and extra runs being scored. Last year Bergesen averaged 2.34 walks/9 innings. That number has more than doubled to 5.35 walks/9 innings this year. Bergesen needs to regain the control he showed last year and needs to improve on getting hitters to hit ground balls rather than in the air.

Left handed reliever Alberto Castillo was recalled from Norfolk to take Bergesen's place on the roster. In 5 appearances at Norfolk Castillo had 2 saves and pitched 4.1 innings. The 34 year old made his MLB debut in 2008 with the Orioles and has posted a respectable 3.32 ERA over the past two years in 48 appearances.

O's Lose 10th Out of Their Last 11

A 7-run third inning by the Seattle Mariners paved the way for the Orioles 10th loss in their last 11 games. The Mariners added on run in the 7th inning off and went on to win the game 8-2.

Brad Bergesen was charged with all 7 runs allowed in the 3rd inning, but only 4 of them were earned. Bergesen had the chance to escape the inning with allowing only a run, but a ground ball misahndled by Ty Wigginton that most likely would have been a double play extended the inning. Following the error, the Mariners went on to score 5 more runs in the inning. Bergesen gave up 7 runs, 4 earned in only two and a third innings pitched. He gave up 6 hits and struggled with his control walking 3 and while striking out none.

Jason Berken was able to stop the bleeding and held the Mariners scoreless for three and a third innings. He struck out 3 and only allowed 3 hits. Berken has been effective out of the bullpen, and looks like he may have found a home there.

After scoring 8 runs the day before in Oakland, the Orioles offense was nonexistent for most of the game. Mariners starter Doug Fister held the Orioles hitless until Nick Markakis led off the 7th inning with a single up the middle. Markakis was erased on a Nolan Reimold double play, but Matt Wieters two out single extended the inning and brought up Luke Scott. Scott's double to right center field scored Wieters from first, and put the Orioles on the board. It was Luke's 5th RBI of the season.

Kam Mickolio came in to relieve Jason Berken and gave up one run in two innings. Mickolio struck out two, walked two, and gave up three hits. It was his second appearance since being recalled from Norfolk last week. He has given up a run in each of those two appearances.

Ty Wigginton lead off the ninth inning with a homerun bringing the score to 8-2. It was Wigginton's 5th homerun of the year and his 11th RBI. Wigginton went 1 for 3 with that homerun and was also hit by a pitch in the 1st inning. He is the Orioles hottest hitter with his .294 average, and has hit the last 5 Orioles' homeruns.

Following the Wigginton homerun, Nick Markakis struck out and Nolan Reimold popped out to shallow left field. Matt Wieters added a single over the second baseman's head before Luke Scott struck out to end the game.

The Orioles record now sits a 2-12 and remain the only team in the majors with double digit losses.

Before the game we found out that outfielder Felix Pie will miss about 3 months with his back injury and 2nd basebam Brian Roberts is still weeks away from a return.

I'll have my thoughts on the game as well as the latest injury news tomorrow.

Randy Biggs
Baltimore Sports Blog

Berken Effective in Relief

Berken pitched one more inning after my last post allowing two more hits, but not surrendering a run. His ERA now stands at 1.50 in 12 innings pitched. Maybe he's found a home in the bullpen, and I think that is where he is the most effective. One time through the order he can get hitters out, it's the second and third times through the order he struggles.

The O's were able to break up the no hitter by Fister and also score a run, but Kam Mickolio has come in and given that run back to the Mariners and it's currently 8-1. He needs to keep pitching to see if we have something with him and see how effective he can be late in the game out of the bullpen.

Randy Biggs
Baltimore Sports Blog

Another Rough Start for Bergesen

With the way this season has gone thus far with all the injuries I'm not surprised about Scott playing first. Dave Trembley has to find ways to get his healthy players in the lineup, and that is hard to do when you have so many players who play the same position (ex: Left Field).

Brad Bergesen got off to a rough start after he gave up a leadoff double to Ichiro (who now the higest BA. of any opponent in Orioles history) in the first inning and walked Franklin Gutierrez to set up first and second with one out. He was lucky to get a double play ball off the bat of Jose Lopez to get out of the early jam.

In the second inning he looked good as he got three quick groundouts all to Julio Lugo at second base to set down the Mariners. The third inning is when it all fell apart.

After a fly ball out by Rob Johnson to lead off the inning, Bergesen gave up a double to Jack Wilson and walked Ichiro and Chone Figgins to load the bases. A single by Franklin Gutierrez put the Mariners on the board. An error on Ty Wigginton at third led to another run and the bases remaining loaded. A single, a double, and homerun followed that error and put the Mariners up 7-0.

I'll have more on Bergesen after the game.

The extra outs given to the Mariners by the Wigginton error led to the Mariners opening up the flood gates. The Mariners sent 10 batters to the plate, and lasted my entire drive home (about 15 minutes).

Berken has looked solid out of the bullpen so far, only giving up 1 hit and striking out 3 in his two and a thirds innings of work. I'm interested in seeing what happens as he goes through the lineup again and batters are seeing him for the second time tonight.

Lets get some runs!
EDIT: Let's get some hits first...I don't want to see a no-hitter.

Go O's

Randy Biggs
Baltimore Sports Blog

Felix Pie Update, Tonight's Lineups

For those of you who read my post earlier this should come as no surprise, but Felix Pie was officially placed on the 15 day disabled list before tonight's game. Lou Montanez was recalled from Triple A Norfolk and will take his place on the roster. Montanez hit .259 in 27 at bats with 5 RBIs.

Here are tonight's lineups for both the O's and the A's:

Orioles
Adam Jones CF
Nick Markakis RF
Miguel Tejada 3B
Matt Wieters C
Nolan Reimold DH
Luke Scott LF
Garrett Atkins 1B
Ty Wigginton 2B
Cesar Izturis SS

Dallas Braden hasn't faced this lineup too many times in his young career, and when he has hes pretty much shut them down

Athletics
Davis CF
Barton 1B
Sweeney RF
Kouzmanoff 3B
Chavez DH
Fox C
Gross LF
Rosales 2B
Pennington SS

Like I said, I don't see the losing streak ending tonight, but there is always hope.

Go O's!

Randy Biggs
Baltimore Sports Blog

Felix Pie Headed to the DL?

It looks like Felix Pie is next Oriole to land on the Disabled List, joining Brian Roberts and Mike Gonzalez.

Pie re-injured his left shoulder in last night's game against the A's. Nolan Reimold replaced Pie in LF the next inning after Pie walked and scored a run.

Lou Montanez has left Triple A Norfolk to join the team on the West Coast which makes it even more likely that Pie will go on the DL.

Pie has been one of the Orioles best hitters thus far in this early season. This could be another damaging blow to the Orioles.When it rains it pours...you can only ask "What's next?"

O's Look to Snap 7 Game Losing Streak: 4/16 Game Preview

Tonight the Baltimore Orioles are looking to put an end to a 7-game slide that has put their record at 1-9 to begin the 2010 season. This is the Orioles worst start since the 1988 season when they lost their first 21 games of the season.

The A's took the first game of the series last night, 6-2. Once again, the Birds were unable to hit with runners in scoring position as they went 0 for 8. That brings their total to 11 for 74 this season, or a .149 average.

Kevin Millwood will get the start for the Orioles tonight. He is still looking for his first win as an Orioles. Millwood is 0-1 with a 2.13 ERA in two starts against the Rays and the Blue Jays. Millwood has looked impressive thus far this season. He was a victim of a late game bullpen meltdown in his first start, and in his second start the O's managed only 2 runs.

Dallas Braden will be the starting pitcher for the Athletics. That is not good news for the Orioles as Braden is 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA this season, and in his career is 4-1 with a 1.32 ERA against the Orioles. Luke Scott, Nick Markakis, and Adam Jones are the only Orioles who have faced Braden 5 or more times in their career, and they are a combined 1 for 24.

While I think Millwood will keep the Orioles in the game tonight, I feel like the offense will once again fail to show. Don't be surprised if the losing streak is extended to 8 tonight.

Go O's!

Randy Biggs
Baltimore Sports Blog

O's Lacking Fire and Sense of Urgency

Last night's 6-2 loss to the Oakland Athletics really seemed to me to be the lowest point of this 12-year run of losing. While watching the game, I just didn't see the players looking like they needed to win that game. They were lacking the fire of a winning team.

There was a point late in the game when the A's struck out 4 straight Orioles batters. We couldn't even put the ball in play, and some of those swings looked half assed. I'm not saying they weren't trying, but they sure didn't look like it.

The straw that broke my back was the Adam Jones triple in the 9th inning. Jones hit the ball to the warning track in right center field. A's CF Rajai Davis was unable to catch the ball, and it fell in for a hit and bounced off the wall. Jones must've thought the ball was going to be caught because he jogged down the first baseline and finally began running at full speed once he saw the ball drop in. Had he been hustling the whole way maybe Jones gets an inside the park homerun, making the score 6-3. The A's probably would've brought their closer in at that time, and who knows what could've happened. The Orioles can't be doing things like this if they hope to turn their fortunes around.

The Orioles need a player to step up and hold others accountable for their actions.

That's all the venting I have for now, look for the preview of tonight's game coming up shortly.

Orioles Recall Kam Mickolio

I forgot to mention this earlier today, but the Orioles have recalled Kam Mickolio from Triple A Norfolk to replace Mike Gonzalez on the 25 man roster. Mickolio had a decent Spring as he posted a 1.93 ERA over 9 appearances. In 3 innings in Norfolk he has allowed one earned run.

There are many who feel he is the closer of the future for The Birds and would like him to be thrust into the role right now to see what he's got. His role has yet to be defined by Dave Trembley, and while that might not be a bad idea, I think he needs a little time before we make him our 9th inning man.

Randy Biggs
Baltimore Sports Blog

Tonight's Game Preview

The Orioles are hoping a change of scenery will bring an end to their current 6 game losing streak when they start their 9-game road trip in Oakland. The Orioles are coming off their first homestand of the year, a homestand in which they went 0-6 being swept by the Blue Jays and the Rays. The O's are struggling to score runs, and when they are scoring runs it seems like the pitching can't keep it together.

David Hernandez will take the mound for the Orioles. Hernandez was the tough luck loser Saturday night against the Blue Jays. He pitched six innings giving up only 2 runs. In his career versus Oakland, Hernandez is 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA in two starts.

Ben Sheets will get his third start of the season for the A's tonight. Sheets has yet to record a decision in starts against the Mariners and Angels and has a 4.09 ERA. Sheets is coming off an injury plagued last couple of years, and is looking to make a comeback with the A's this year. He has one career start against the O's, back in 2003. Sheets took the loss in that game giving up 5 runs in 6 innings. This Orioles team is much different than the one from 2003.

Sheets has only faced 6 current Orioles prior to tonight, and here are their statistics vs. Sheets:

Garrett Atkins - 6 for 14, 1 HR, 3 RBIs
Cesar Izturis - 0 for 7
Felix Pie - 0 for 5, 1 RBI
Luke Scott - 2 for 14, 2 RBIs
Miguel Tejada - 1 for 11, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Ty Wigginton - 3 for 16

Hopefully the O's can turn it around tonight against the A's. The deeper the hole they dig themselves in, the harder this season will be to watch.

Go O's!

Randy Biggs
Baltimore Sports Blog

It's Been a Long Day Already

The Orioles are starting to look more like a little league team out there. The mistakes made by Tejada and Izturis on the Crawford pop up and the way Nolan Reimold misplayed the line drive by Dioner Navarro are unexcusable. When you give lineups like the Rays extra outs to work with, they will make you pay.

Bergesen had another short day today, going 3 innings plus 3 batters in the 4th inning. He gave up 8 runs, with only 5 of them earned runs. I think the official scorer was generous to Reimold on the line drive by Navarro by not giving him an error. Bergesen's ERA now sits at 11.74 after 2 starts.

I'm a little surprised Trembley went with Berken out of the bullpen. He pitched an inning in last night's game.

After Jason Berken walked Ben Zobrist in the 4th inning, every batter in the Rays' lineup had reached base.

Miguel Tejada just hit his 2nd homerun of the year to cut the deficit to 7. It's no surprise no one was on base when he hit it.

Go O's!

Randy Biggs
Baltimore Sports Blog

Earl Weaver Would Love This...

Another 3-Run homerun for the Rays, this time by BJ Upton, puts the Rays up 6-0 after 3 innings.

Bergesen's over 60 pitches through 3 innings and has given up 6 runs. He won't last too much longer in this game. I'm guessing Mark Hendrickson will get a chance to pitch a couple of innings and try and keep this deficit from growing any bigger. Of course, that means the O's are going to have to score some runs.

When It Rains It Pours

Mike Gonzalez has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with an injury to his left shoulder. I saw this one coming as it seems whenever a pitcher struggles an injury follows shortly thereafter.

This explains why Gonzalez told Trembley he was unavailable last night after warming up late in the game.

I haven't heard any announcement on who will fill in for Gonzalez in the closer's role, but I think their best option is to do a "closer-by-committee" situation where they choose their pitchers based on matchups.

Down 3-0 Early...

If anyone has watched the pregame show, you would know how frustrated Manager Dave Trembley is with the way his club is playing right now. The lack of clutch hitting, the mental errors, and the struggles of the bullpen are all areas of concern.

Well, the first inning of today's game just adds to the list. Carl Crawford popped up in between shortstop and third base, and both Miguel Tejada and Cesar Izturis failed to catch it. Tejada was charged with the error, and rather than being the second out of the inning, Crawford scored on Carlos Pena's 3-run homerun.

The error gave the Rays an extra out to work with, and Pena was able to take advantage of it. These are the mistakes that are frustrating Trembley.

Bergesen was able to get the next batter and end the inning, but the damage was already done. Here come the O's to bat.

Randy Biggs
Baltimore Sports Blog

Today's Game Preview

The O's look to salvage the final game of this three game series versus the Tampa Bay Rays today as Brad Bergesen takes the mound against the Rays' David Price.

Bergesen started the Orioles' home opener on Friday and went 4.2 innings allowing 5 Earned Runs on 8 hits against the Blue Jays. He also walked 1 and struck out 2 batters. In 1 start against the Rays last year, Bergesen was 0-1 with a 6.35 ERA. In an interesting note, Bergesen's career record is 7-5. At Camden Yards he is 7-1, while on the road Bergesen is 0-4.

David Price picked up the win in his first start of the season Friday against the Yankees as he pitched 7.2 innings only allowing 3 Earned Runs on 7 hits. He was 2-0 against the Orioles last year with a 3.75 ERA.

For the second straight day, Manager Dave Trembley is shuffling the lineup around to get things going, as well as give some people the day off. Here is how the Orioles will matchup vs. David Price, and how they have fared against Price:

1. Adam Jones CF (2 for 6, 1 RBI)
2. Ty Wigginton 2B (1 for 5)
3. Nick Markakis RF (2 for 8)
4. Miguel Tejada 3B (Never faced Price)
5. Nolan Reimold LF (2 for 6, 1 RBI)
6. Luke Scott DH (1 for 7, 1 RBI)
7. Garrett Atkins 1B (o for 3)
8. Craig Tatum C (Never faced Price)
9. Cesar Izturis SS (1 for 7)

Ty Wigginton earned himself some at-bats last night with his 2 HRs, and so it is good to see him in the lineup again today. Craig Tatum will make his first start in an Orioles' uniform today, giving Matt Wieters his first day off since Spring Training. I'm surprised it took this long.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the O's can put it all together today and snap this losing streak. Look for updates during the game.

Go O's!

Randy Biggs
Baltimore Sports Blog

The Struggles Continue for the Orioles.

Sorry to those who actually do read this blog. I know I haven't posted since before the game Friday, but I've had a pretty busy last couple of days.

The struggles continue for the Orioles, and after last night's 10 inning loss to the Rays they've dropped 5 in a row, and 7th overall on the season. It seems to be the same routine night after night. The starting pitching keeps the team in the game and gives them an oppurtunity to win the game. These starts have been wasted by either an anemic offense or a bullpen meltdown.

Good teams are able to put together all aspects of the game at the same time. The hitting, the pitching and the defense. The Orioles just aren't doing that right now, and it has lead them to their 1-7 record.

For those who think things will turn around shortly, they might want to take a look at the schedule. After today's day game against the Rays to close out the series, the O's head to Oakland to play the Athletics (6-3) in a four game series, then go to Seattle for 3, and then start a 12 game stretch where they play either the Red Sox or Yankees. This is a rough stretch for any team, let alone a team that has already started 1-7. The Orioles are going to have a rough few weeks ahead of them.

Look for my preview for today's 1:35 game as we get closer to game time.

Randy Biggs
Baltimore Sports Blog

The Home Opener

I've been waiting for this day since last October. I can finally go back to Camden Yards and see an Orioles game. It's ironic, the last team I saw the O's play at home last year was the Blue Jays, and that's who they'll be starting the 2010 home campaign against.

The Blue Jays took 2 out of 3 from the Texas Rangers to start the season. Vernon Wells is off to a hot start for the Jays hitting 4 homeruns in only 10 at-bats. Going to the hill for the Jays is Brandon Morrow, who was acquired by Toronto in the offseason from Seattle. He mostly pitched in relief for the Mariners, so it will be interesting to see how he makes the transition from reliever to starter.

Brad Bergesen makes his 2010 debut for the Birds. Bergesen was off to a solid rookie season in 2009 before a line drive of his shin ended his year prematurely. I'm hoping he can pick up where he left of in 2009 and continue to impress the Orioles and their fans.

On the offensive side of the ball, the O's have struggled to hit with runners in scoring position in the first three games of the season. They will look to break this trend today against the Blue Jays. Matt Wieters is off to a hot start in 2010 going 6 for 12 against the Rays adding a homerun and 3 RBIs. Free agent acquisition Garrett Atkins has also looked good at the plate hitting a double in each game of the series and adding 3 RBIs.

I'm going to the game today, so I probably won't be able to post anything until after the game at the earliest, and that's a long shot. Enjoy the game, and GO O'S

Randy Biggs
Baltimore Sports Blog

And the Orioles Are in the Win Column!

For the first time in 2010, the Baltimore Orioles are victorious. In another nailbiter, the Orioles defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 and avoided the sweep. All three games this series were decided by one run.

The Orioles continued to struggle with runners in scoring position tonight going only 3 for 11. That leaves them 6 for 34 in those situations early in the season. Last year the O's were second in the American League in this category hitting .286 in those situations. For a team looking to climb out of the cellar and inch closer to .500 they are going to need to get closer to last year's production.

Enough of the negatives, lets move on to the positives of tonight. Brian Matusz, the 23 year old pitcher making his 9th major league start showed me a great deal of poise tonight. He could have fallen apart in the 3rd inning after walking the bases loaded with nobody out, but Matusz limited the damage to only two runs. The 5 walks from Matusz was very uncharacteristic, so don't expect to see that too much from him this year. He was able to strike out 7, including the final three batters he faced. Again, I am very excited to see where this kid goes this year.

Matt Wieters had another great game at the plate going 2 for 4 with an RBI. Wieters has started the year with 3 multi-hit games.

Garrett Atkins had another good night at the plate going 2 for 4 knocking in 2 runs in the process. Atkins has hit a double in every game this year. It is good to see him getting off to a good start after last year's down year.

Brian Roberts ended his early season slump and ended the night with two hits, including his first double of the season. Roberts also added a stolen base.

Closer Mike Gonzalez probably impressed me the most tonight, even though he made the game interesting the in 9th. I can do without the late inning dramatics from him this year, but the fact that he was able to come in to this game and create an almost identical situation to the one he was in Tuesday and then get out of it impressed me. It showed me that he did not let Tuesday night's blown save mentally affect him.

O's Looking to Avoid Sweep

The Orioles send young Brian Matusz to the mound tonight to take on Jeff Niemann and the Tampa Bay Rays. Matusz looks to end the Orioles losing streak and earn the O's their first victory of the season.

As I said earlier, I am looking forward to seeing Matusz pitch tonight against this Rays lineup that is very talented. Matusz will have to stop Evan Longoria who has already hit 2 homeruns and an 2 RBI double in the first two games. He is quickly turning into an Orioles Killer.

As of the time I am writing this, I have yet to find any lineups for tonight posted, so I am going to make a few predicitions on it. I do not see Brian Roberts playing for a third straight night on the artificial surface in Tampa. Julio Lugo will most likey replace him at 2nd tonight. Although, Roberts did have 2 homeruns against Niemann last year and hit .444 against him. Also, Nolan Reimold looked a little slow last night and missed two balls that perhaps he would have caught last year. I see Luke Scott getting his first start in LF tonight with Reimold or Ty Wigginton starting at DH. Finally, because of the day game tomorrow and flight home tonight, there is a slight chance the hot hitting Matt Wieters does not play tonight, giving Craig Tatum his first start in an Orioles uniform. Again, I give that a small chance of happening.

That's all for now. I'm prediciting the O's get their first win tonight, and have an offensive outburst against Jeff Niemann and the Rays. Talk to you after the game.

Two Straight Losses to Start the Season

Sorry for no blogs yesterday, but I had to work all day. The Orioles dropped their second straight game last night to the Tampa Bay Rays, and again the score was 4-3. That makes them 0-2 in one run games to start the season, not a good start.

Once again the Orioles struggled to hit with runners in scoring position, this time going 2 for 9. That leaves them at a combined 3 for 21 so far this year. Imagine what a couple of more hits in those situations could have done. We could be talking about a 2-0 start rather than an 0-2 start.

Enough of that bad, let's take a look at the good. Matt Wieters had another good game at the plate going 2 for 4. Jeremy Guthrie seemd to put his rough spring training behind him, and while he got the loss he pitched into the seventh and only gave up three runs. He was able to pitch out of some rough spots, particualrly in the fourth inning.

I am excited to see Brain Matusz pitch tonight. He is the future of this pitching staff, and so it will be interesting to see how 2010 begins for him, especially against this tough Tampa Bay Rays lineup. I will have a preview of tonight's game as we get closer to game time.

Finally, I saw that Robert Andino passed through waivers and will start the year at Triple-A Norfolk. This pushes Scott Moore out of the starting role at SS for the Tide. 

A Disappointing Beginning: O's vs. Rays Recap April 6, 2010

The Orioles were two outs away from being victorious on Opening Night, but closer Mike Gonzalez was unable to finish off the Rays. Sure, you can place the blame on Gonzalez and his inability to get ahead of the Rays hitters, but there are many other things that went wrong for the Orioles that could have prevented the loss.

For starters, the most glaring statistic of the night is how the Orioles hit with runners in scoring position. They went 1 for 12 in those situations, with the only hit being Cesar Izturis’ attempted sacrifice bunt in the top of the 9th that turned into a bunt single. This game shows why teams cannot rely on the homerun ball alone, especially when all you hit are solo homeruns.

Hitting with runners in scoring position is a very key part to a team’s success, especially in the tough AL East. Had the Orioles managed a couple more hits in these situations and been able to add insurance runs, perhaps Gonzalez wouldn’t have had the chance to blow the save in the 9^th inning.

Miguel Tejada ran in to some tough luck in the top of the 9^th. In my opinion he was squeezed by the umpire on the first two called strikes after Rays closer Rafael Soriano fell behind 3-0. Then, Tejada hit a screaming line drive, but right at left fielder Carl Crawford. He couldn’t have hit the ball any harder or better than that.

While the outcome wasn’t what we had hoped, and there were several negatives that came from the game, there were also some positives in my opinion.

Miguel Tejada looked good defensively at third base. While it wasn’t always graceful, Tejada was able to handle everything hit to him and record outs on all the ground balls he faced.

Adam Jones and Matt Wieters both had solid games at the plate going 3 for 5 and 2 for 4 respectively, with each adding a homerun and an RBI.

Finally, the Orioles pitching impressed me in innings 1 through 8. Millwood was able to work out of some tough jams, and had good movement on many of his pitches. He showed good control as he only walked one, but he did give up a fair amount of base hits. Matt Albers, Will Ohman, and Jim Johnson were solid in relief as the three combined for 3 scoreless innings only allowing 1 hit.

Opening Night Lineup and some notes

Here is a look at tonight’s lineup for the Orioles and how each player has fared against Tampa Bay Rays starter James Shields:

Orioles

1. Brian Roberts 2B (.261, 2 RBIs in 46 At-bats)
2. Adam Jones CF (.400, 1 RBI in 15 At-bats)
3. Nick Markakis RF (.295, 1 HR, 3 RBIs in 44 At-bats)
4. Miguel Tejada 3B (.350, 2 RBIs in 20 At-bats)
5. Luke Scott DH (.273, 2 RBIs in 22 At-bats)
6. Matt Wieters C ( 0 for 3)
7. Felix Pie LF (1 for 5)
8. Garrett Atkins 1B (1 for 2 with a HR and 2 RBIs)
9. Cesar Izturis SS (0 for 3 with 1 RBI)

- Kevin Millwood will be the starting pitcher for the Orioles.

o He hasn’t faced the Rays hitters to many times over his career, as Jason Bartlett’s 15 at-bats off Millwood are tops on the team.

o Carlos Pena and Willy Aybar are the only Rays who have taken Millwood deep in their career.

o Millwood is 1-1 with a 6.63 ERA in his career at Tropicana Field

- The Rays beat the Orioles the last time the two teams squared off on Opening Day in 2008.

- In other news, 1B Michael Aubrey has cleared waivers and will be sent to AAA Norfolk to begin the season. He was designated for assignment last week to make room on the 40-man roster for Julio Lugo.

That’s all I have for now look for another post before the game if something comes up, but definitely after the game.

Randy Biggs

Baltimore Sports Blog

2010 Position Players Preview

Good day to all! My favorite day of the year has arrived: Orioles’ Opening Day. I’ve been waiting for this since the season ended back in October. To celebrate, here is the 2010 preview for position players:

Catchers

Matt Wieters:

2009 Statistics – .288 AVG 9 HR 43 RBIs

Matt Wieters arrived in Baltimore last May with much hype. The organization’s top prospect was the preseason choice for Rookie of the Year for many in the media. Wieters struggled early on last season, but was able to turn it on after the All-Star break. The O’s catcher hit .362 with 3 HRs and 14 RBIs in the month of September, ending his rookie season on a high note. Wieters proved he can hit, and hit against the pitching of the AL East. With the hype off Wieters, and close to 100 games of experience already (he played in 98 last season) I feel that Wieters will continue his development in 2010. Look for him to hit over .300 with between 15-25 homeruns and close to 100 RBIs.

Craig Tatum:

2009 Statistics (With Cincinnati Reds) – .162 AVG 1 HR 6 RBIs

This move was a bit of a head scratcher to me. Tatum was claimed off of waivers in November from the Cincinnati Reds and has only played 26 games in the majors. He won the backup catcher’s job over Chad Moeller because of his defense. I personally would have chosen Moeller for this job because of his knowledge and experience, and how that would help our young pitching staff. I’m not in charge of putting the roster together though, so it will be Tatum to begin the 2010 season. Don’t expect much from him at the plate, possibly hitting around .200, a few HRs and RBIs. Tatum’s biggest contribution will be behind the plate with his defense.

Infielders

Garrett Atkins:

2009 Statistics (With Colorado Rockies) – .226 AVG 9 HR 48 RBIs

Atkins had a down year in 2009 as his numbers fell to well below his averages of .305, 25 HRs and 110 RBIs that he hit from 2006 to 2008. Atkins signed a one year deal with the Orioles several days after being let go by the Rockies in search of a fresh start. The Orioles are hoping that with help from hitting coach Terry Crowley Atkins will be able to return to the hitter that was one of the most feared between 2006 and 2008. I think this will be another one of Crowley’s successful projects, and while Atkins may not be able to put up the dominant numbers he did in the past, I think he will be a solid contributor to the Orioles lineup.

Cesar Izturis:

2009 Statistics – .256 AVG 2 HR 30 RBIs

You know what you’re going to get with Izturis. He is a former Gold Glove winner who will play solid defense up the middle, but won’t give you much at the plate. Izturis will need to do little things such as bunt and move runners over to make his contributions offensively. I would be shocked if he didn’t have another great season defensively.

Brian Roberts:

2009 Statistics – .283 AVG 16 HR 79 RBIs

Roberts scares me quite a bit. He is the catalyst of the Orioles’ offense, the spark the gets things going. Without him in the lineup the Orioles have struggled to score runs in the past. He missed most of spring training this year with a herniated disk in his back. I don’t think that is an injury that will just go away, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Roberts spent a significant amount of time on the disabled list this year, which also happens to be the first year of his new 4-year $40 million contract. I hope I am way off on this, but my gut feeling tells me it will be a tough year for Roberts.

Miguel Tejada:

2009 Statistics – .313 AVG 14 HR 86 RBIs

The Orioles resigned Tejada to play 3B after he spent the past two years with the Houston Astros. It will be an interesting season for Tejada as he makes the adjustment from shortstop to third base on the go. I think that Tejada will be ok, but don’t be surprised to see Miggy struggle and make some errors early in the season. At the plate, Tejada’s power numbers may be down, but he is still hitting for a high average and driving in runs. He was an All-Star for Houston both years there, mostly because of his bat. He will start the year as the Orioles’ cleanup hitter, but rather than homeruns Tejada will use doubles to drive in his runs. The Orioles are hoping Miggy can keep the hot corner warm until power hitting prospect Josh Bell is ready.

Ty Wigginton:

2009 Statistics – .273 AVG 11 HR 41 RBIs

Wigginton is a very versatile player off the bench. Last year he played every position in the infield except catcher, as well as left field for the Orioles. This versatility will help Wigginton get at-bats off the bench, as well as allow him to make some starts to spell the starters. Wigginton is the type of player who needs to consistently get at-bats to be a contributor offensively. This year I see Wigginton putting up similar numbers as he did last year.

Julio Lugo:

2009 Statistics (With Boston and St. Louis) – .280 AVG 3 HR 21 RBIs

Lugo was a late addition to the roster as he was acquired from the Cardinals the last week of spring training. Initially, this trade didn’t make much sense to me as the Orioles already had Robert Andino penciled in to the utility role, which has now been taken over by Lugo. But as I think about this trade even more, I believe the O’s traded for Lugo as an insurance policy for Brian Roberts. Maybe the Orioles, like me, don’t see Roberts lasting an entire season. Either way, he will play solid defense for the Orioles, and isn’t terrible at the plate.

Outfielders

Adam Jones:

2009 Statistics – .277 AVG 19 HR 70 RBIs

At the beginning of the season last year, Manager Dave Trembley stated that Jones would be the most improved player, and he didn’t disappoint. He got off to a hot start and made the All-Star team before dropping off in the second half and ultimately had his season cut short with an injury. Jones was also able to break through and win a Gold Glove Award. This year, Jones needs to continue to improve at the plate. He seemed to be swinging for the fences after the All-Star break, something he will need to cut down on in 2010. He also needs to be more disciplined and cut down on strikeouts. If he can stay healthy, I see Jones having another All-Star caliber season. Look for him to hit 20-25 homeruns and drive in almost 100 runs.

Nick Markakis:

2009 Statistics – .293 AVG 18 HR 101 RBIs

After a 2007 season in which Markakis hit .300, 23 homeruns and 112 RBIs, he has seemed to regress. While coming close, Markakis has yet to top the numbers he put up in his second season in the majors. I think that as the young players in the lineup continue to develop and get better, so will Markakis’ numbers. Look for Markakis to hit around 20-25 homeruns and over 100 RBIs, but he will also hit about 45 doubles as well, which in some cases are just as good as a homerun. Another underrated aspect of Markakis’ game is his defense. He is not afraid to lay out for a ball and has good range in RF. His arm is phenomenal, and he saves runs not only by throwing runners out, but also keeping them from even testing his arm. Markakis will have a good all around season, and I think this will be the year he finally wins a Gold Glove.

Nolan Reimold:

2009 Statistics – .279 AVG 15 HR 45 RBIs

Reimold was a nice surprise for the Orioles when he was called up early in the season. He showed good potential at the plate, and was able to make adjustments as the rest of the league adjusted to him. An Achilles injury ended his season prematurely, and has also slowed him down this spring as he is attempting to recover from surgery. This may have cost him his starting spot, and Manager Dave Trembley has hinted that he may use a platoon in LF with Reimold and Pie. If Reimold is able to overcome the injury from last season, and the soreness he has experienced following surgery for it, he will once again be a solid contributor in the Orioles offense. I could see him hitting around .280 with 15 or 20 homeruns and about 70 RBIs.

Felix Pie:

2009 Statistics – .266 AVG 9 HR 29 RBIs

Like Atkins is this year, Felix Pie was a Terry Crowley project in 2009. Pie came over from the Chicago Cubs as a highly touted prospect with great numbers in the minor leagues, but he could never put it together in the majors. Pie got off to a horrible start, but after working more and more with Crowley, he improved as the season went on. With a great spring training, paired with Reimold’s recovery, Pie will most likely be the Opening Day starter in LF. He will get his fair share of at-bats, and will most likely platoon in LF with Reimold. I think Pie will improve on his numbers from last season, and get closer to the player the Cubs thought they had several years ago.

Luke Scott:

2009 Statistics - .258 AVG 25 HR 77 RBIs

Luke Scott is the streakiest hitter I have ever seen in the game of baseball. When he is hot, he is on fire and unstoppable. When he is cold, he can be pretty bad. Scott led the Orioles with 25 homeruns last year. The batting average was right on par with his career average, and his 77 RBIs were a career high. Scott will be used this year mostly as a DH, but he could also see some time in LF. I think we will once again see Scott bring the power numbers and hit over 20 homeruns, and get close to 80 RBIs. He will probably hit around .255 though due to his streakiness.

Well, there’s your preview for positional players. I know I cut it a little close to game time, but at least I got it out there. I’m going to be interested in looking back at this post in October after the season has ended and seeing how I did with my analysis and predictions.

As a team, I don’t see the Orioles ending their run of losing season unfortunately. I do see the Orioles improving a great deal though. It will be exciting to see the continued development of last year’s rookies, and possibly the emergence of the next round of Orioles prospects making it to the big leagues. My final prediction: 76 Wins-86 Losses.

Go O’s!

Randy Biggs

Baltimore Sports Blog

2010 Pitching Staff preview

The 2009 Baltimore Orioles ended the season with a 64-98 record, good enough for a 5^th place finish in the American League East and their twelfth consecutive losing season. When you look at the win/loss record for the Orioles, it appears to have been a lost season, a total failure. But 2009 should best be remembered as the year in which Adam Jones had a breakout season, three of the organization’s top prospects made their MLB debut in Matt Wieters, Chris Tillman, and Brian Matusz, as well as the surprise rookie seasons of Nolan Reimold and Brad Bergesen.

In 2010, the Baltimore Orioles look to take the next step forward in their rebuilding process. As the season gets underway, here is Baltimore Sports Blog’s player by player outlook for 2010, starting with the pitching staff:

Starting Pitchers

Kevin Millwood:

2009 Statistics (With Texas Rangers) – 13-10 3.67 ERA 123 Strikeouts 198.2 IP

The Orioles traded former closer Chris Ray and Rule 5 pick Ben Snyder to Texas for righty Kevin Millwood. While Millwood isn’t the true “ace” the Orioles needed, he will be looked to anchor the young pitching staff of the Baltimore Orioles. The 13-year veteran will bring a great deal of experience to the rotation, and will be asked to not only be an innings eater, but also a tutor and mentor for the club’s young pitchers. Millwood posted a 3.67 ERA last season with Texas, which ranked 8^th among qualifying pitchers in the American League. All that while pitching in a hitter friendly park in Texas. Look for Millwood to post similar numbers with the Orioles, and could possibly be trade bait in July if the Orioles fall out of the race early in the season.

Jeremy Guthrie:

2009 Statistics – 10-17 5.04 ERA 110 Strikeouts 200 IP

Calling 2009 a disappointing season would be an understatement for Guthrie. The 2008 and 2009 Opening Day starter struggled mightily to keep the ball in the ballpark as he allowed 35 homeruns to opposing batters. After posting an ERA under 4 in both 2007 and 2009, Guthrie’s ERA rose to over 5 for the first time since 2006 when he pitched in 9 games for the Cleveland Indians. 2010 will be an important season for the former 1^st round pick. If he is able to revert back to the way he pitched in the ’07 and ’08 seasons, Guthrie will be fine. If not, Guthrie could find himself out of the starting rotation in order to make room for prospects such as Chris Tillman. After a rough spring there are many question marks surrounding Guthrie and how he will perform in 2010.

Brian Matusz:

2009 Statistics – 5-2 4.63 ERA 38 Strikeouts 44.2 IP

In his first professional season, the 2008 1^st round draft pick of the Baltimore Orioles dominated in his minor league stops in Single-A Frederick and Double-A Bowie and earned a promotion to the majors in early August. While the numbers aren’t earth shattering, Matusz impressed many in the baseball world with the way he pitched in his eight starts, including in his final start of the season against the New York Yankees before being shut down September 15^th. Matusz is an early Rookie of the Year Candidate, and only added to that buzz with a strong spring training. Matusz has four quality pitches in his arsenal, and is has a great deal of baseball smarts to go along with his physical abilities. Matusz will live up to the hype and have a good year in 2010. His continued development could lead to him becoming the true number one pitcher this organization has lacked for many years.

Brad Bergesen:

2009 Statistics – 7-5 3.43 ERA 65 Strikeouts 123.1 IP

Bergesen was a pleasant surprise for the Orioles in 2009. The 2008 Orioles’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year made his major league debut on April 21 in a victory over the Chicago White Sox. After struggling in his first couple of starts, Bergesen turned it around and lowered his ERA from 5.49 on May 24 to 3.43 when his season unfortunately ended after being hit with a line drive off the bat of Billy Butler of the Kansas City Royals on July 30^th. Bergesen is a finesse pitcher with good control. His fastball shows good movement, and he has a sinker that allows him to get out of jams with runners on base. If Bergesen is able to maintain the same control he showed last season, and keep his pitches down, he will have a solid year in 2010.

David Hernandez:

2009 Statistics – 4-10 5.42 ERA 68 Strikeouts 101.1 IP

Hernandez’s rookie season was not flattering by any stretch of the imagination. Hernandez struggled with his control, and his inability to locate his fastball led to him giving up 27 homeruns in his 20 appearances (19 stars, 1 relief appearance). Hernandez is a hard thrower who was known as a strikeout pitcher in the minor leagues. He came to spring training with the opportunity to win the job as the 5^th starter, and took full advantage of it as he beat out prospect Chris Tillman with his solid spring. Hernandez needs to be able to locate his fastball better and keep the ball in the ballpark if he wants to have a good season and stay in the rotation. If he can do this, look for him to be a solid 5^th starter for the Orioles.

Relief Pitchers

Mike Gonzalez:

2009 Statistics – 5-4 2.42 ERA 10 Saves 90 Strikeouts 74.1 IP

The Orioles signed Gonzalez to try and solidify the 9^th inning after trading away closer George Sherrill last July. The left-handed reliever has shown in his career that he is capable of closing out games as he has converted 54 of 66 save opportunities in his seven year career. Gonzalez is a strikeout pitcher who can be tough on both lefties and righties. His velocity was down in spring training, but Gonzalez did not seemed bothered by this. Gonzalez should be a solid addition to the Orioles bullpen, and should bring some stability back to the closer’s role.

Jim Johnson:

2009 Statistics – 4-6 4.11 ERA 10 Saves 70 IP

Jim Johnson was thrust into the closer’s role after the midseason trade of George Sherrill. Johnson didn’t seem comfortable with his new role, converting 10 of 16 save opportunities and having his ERA go from 2.23 in 2008 to 4.11 last season. With the addition of Mike Gonzalez, Johnson will be able to return to his eighth inning set-up man role that he thrived in during the 2008 season and early 2009. The Orioles need Johnson to revert to his old self if they want to stop the late inning struggles of last season.

Cla Merideth:

2009 Statistics (With San Diego and Baltimore) – 4-2 3.99 ERA 37 Strikeouts 65.1 IP

The Orioles acquired the right-handed submarine pitcher in the middle of the 2009 season. Merideth became a viable option for manager Dave Trembley with his ability to get ground ball outs and pitch several days a week. Merideth’s unorthodox pitching motion makes it harder for hitters to pick up the ball out of his hand. He will be called upon in the middle innings to get ground ball outs and double plays. Merideth had a strong spring in which he only allowed one earned run in ten innings. Look for him to carry over that strong spring into the season and be someone Dave Trembley can depend on to get big outs in the middle inning.

Mark Hendrickson:

2009 Statistics – 6-5 4.37 ERA 61 Strikeouts 105 IP

The 6ft. 9in. lefty is back for his second season with the Orioles. Used initially as a starter last year, Hendrickson made the transition to the bullpen during the season and excelled in his new role. He was versatile out of the bullpen for the Orioles as he was able to come in and pitch multiple innings when needed and he also came in to face tough left handed batters. Look for more of the same in 2010 as Hendrickson will again be used as a long reliever and situational lefty for manager Dave Trembley. His production should also be very similar to his 2009 numbers.

Jason Berken:

2009 Statistics – 6-12 6.54 ERA 66 Strikeouts 119.2 IP

An injury to Koji Uehara opened the door for Jason Berken to earn a spot in the Orioles’ bullpen in 2010. Used exclusively as a starter in 2009, Berken looks to change his role to a long relief man to begin the season. While he did run into some bad luck and poor run support, Berken still struggled mightily in 2009. Opponents batted .327 against Berken and managed to hit 19 homeruns in his 24 starts. He will need to improve on these numbers in 2010 if he would like to keep his roster spot when and if Koji Uehara is able to return from the disabled list.

Matt Albers:

2009 Statistics – 3-6 5.51 ERA 49 Strikeouts 67 IP

Albers came over to the Orioles in the Miguel Tejada trade prior to the 2008 season. After showing some promise in 2008, he was slowed by an injury to his shoulder that carried over into the 2009 season. Albers was very ineffective out of the bullpen in 2009 and was back and forth between Baltimore and Triple-A Norfolk. If Albers wants to stay on the major league roster this season, he is going to need to be more effective in his appearance out of the ‘pen. He can do this by cutting down the amount of walks and hits he allows to opposing teams. If he can do this in 2010, look for Albers to look more like the promising young pitcher of 2008 than the struggling reliever of 2009.

Will Ohman:

2009 Statistics (With LA Dodgers) 1-0 5.84 ERA 7 Strikeouts 12.1 IP

Ohman was a non roster invitee who pitched his way onto the roster with a good spring training. He was limited to only 12 innings last year because of a shoulder injury. Ohman will be used as a situational lefty brought in to get out left handed hitters. If he is able to succeed in this role, it will go a long way towards improving the Orioles horrid bullpen from 2009.

That is a look at the Orioles’ pitching staff for 2010. Look for the preview for position players either later today, or tomorrow before the game against the Rays.

Randy Biggs

Baltimore Sports Blog

Welcome to the Baltimore Sports blog

Welcome to the Baltimore Sports Blog. We hope to become your one stop blog for all things Baltimore sports. At the Baltimore Sports Blog, we will cover the two main Baltimore sports teams, the Orioles and Ravens. We also hope to cover the Maryland Terrapins. While these three teams will be our main focus, we will also feature news items from all around the sports world.

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Randy Biggs. I am a 23 year old Baltimore sports fanatic. I graduated from the University of Maryland in May of 2009 with a degree in Communications. I spent three years in High School writing for the student newspaper as a staff writer, sports editor, and editor-in-chief. I went to college hoping to major in Journalism. That didn’t exactly pan out, but my love for writing about sports didn’t die with that dream.

While I do consider myself a Baltimore sports fanatic, I will do my best to provide accurate and objective reporting on this blog. At the same time, this blog will be fun and hopefully entertaining for all of the readers. Feel free to leave comments, in good taste of course, with your opinions and views of the blogs. My hope is to create an interactive blog in which there is direct communication between the writers and readers.

I look forward to this endeavor that I am beginning, and I encourage all readers to spread the word about this blog, that is of course if you find it entertaining and useful. With that, I will stop boring you with my little introduction and begin blogging about the love of my life, Baltimore sports.

Randy Biggs
Baltimore Sports Blog