World Champions 1983, 1970, 1966

American League Champions 1983, 1979, 1971, 1970, 1969, 1966 American League East Division Champions 2014, 1997, 1983, 1979, 1974, 1973, 1971, 1970, 1969

American League Wild Card 2012, 1996

Monday, July 11, 2016

Game stories:

Orioles go into the break with a win as Tillman pitches well again The Sun 7/10

Tillman's 7 solid, Davis' HR lead O's past Angels MLB.com 7/10

Tillman with seven strong innings, Davis and Hardy homer in win MASNsports.com

7/10

Tillman earns 12th win as Orioles beat Angels 4-2 AP 7/10

Orioles End First Half With Chris Tillman's 12th Win CSN Mid-Atlantic 7/10

Columns:

Showalter confident in the roster he has right now The Sun 7/10

Orioles enter the All-Star break in an unexpected position The Sun 7/10

Orioles closer Zach Britton notches 100th career save The Sun 7/10

Trumbo is No. 1 seed in tonight's Home Run Derby MLB.com 7/11/16

O's prospect Sisco homers for U.S. Team MLB.com 7/10

Britton caps perfect first half with 100th save MLB.com 7/10

Dan Duquette on the Orioles’ All-Stars MASNsports.com 7/11

Showalter on Kim’s injury and a 4-2 win MASNsports.com 7/10

Orioles outright David Hale (O’s lead 4-2) MASNsports.com 7/10

Showalter on Joseph: “We’re lucky to have him” (updated) MASNsports.com 7/10

Darren O’Day provides an injury update MASNsports.com 7/10

Davis on the first half, Duquette on the rotation, Brach on All-Star nod MASNsports.com

7/11

Kim on his injury, Tillman on the win and more clubhouse quotes MASNsports.com 7/10

Manny Machado key to Orioles' ascent ESPN.com 7/10

Kim Leaves Game With A Strained Right Hamstring CSN Mid-Atlantic 7/10

Showalter Still Has Faith In Caleb Joseph CSN Mid-Atlantic 7/10

Orioles Prospect Chance Sisco Impresses In Futures Game CBS Baltimore 7/11

O’s thoughts: Humble Tillman snubbed; Britton’s surge; first-half, first-place

BaltimoreBaseball.com 7/11

Kim’s hoping to avoid DL; his absence would be a blow to power-centric offense

BaltimoreBaseball.com 7/10

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bal-orioles-go-into-the-break-with-a-win-as-tillman-

pitches-well-again-20160710-story.html

Orioles go into the break with a win as Tillman pitches well

again

By Peter Schmuck / The Sun

July 10, 2016

The Orioles lead the Red Sox and Blue Jays by two games heading into the All-Star break.

Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman did not make the American League All-Star team this year,

but he will head into the midseason break as one of only six pitchers in the majors with 12

victories.

He held the Los Angeles Angels to just three hits over seven innings as the O’s took the series

with a 4-2 victory before 32,963 on warm and humid Sunday afternoon at Camden Yards.

Tillman clearly bruised his All-Star credentials with a recent three-start slump during which he

allowed 14 earned runs over 14 2/3 innings, but came back to pitch well in his final two starts of

the non-mathematical first half, giving up just two runs on eight hits over 14 innings.

He gave up a first-inning RBI double to Angels slugger Mike Trout and then never looked back,

allowing just two singles over the next six innings in a 106-pitch performance that featured 61

strikes. The Orioles are now 16-3 in his 2016 starts and both he and the club headed into the

break with some much-needed momentum.

“I don’t worry too much about the personal stuff,’’ Tillman said, “but I think we had a pretty

solid first half. We need to keep playing good baseball to get to where we want to be at the end

of this deal.”

Tillman denied any disappointment over being left off the All-Star team and manager Buck

Showalter said he selfishly was glad Tillman would get the full break to rest up for the second

half.

“I know there’s one thing that Chris wants to really go to, and that’s the last game of the World

Series,’’ Showalter said. “That’s what he’s really interested in.”

What offensive help Tillman needed came in the fourth inning, when Mark Trumbo led off with

a single off Angels starter Tim Lincecum and Chris Davis blasted his 22nd home run of the

season. The Orioles added another run in the sixth when a pop fly by Pedro Alvarez dropped in

shallow left field and J.J. Hardy sent Lincecum packing with a sharp single to center.

The Angels narrowed that two-run lead with a run off All-Star setup man Brad Brach, but the

runner got into scoring position on a two-base error by Trumbo, so the run did not affect Brach’s

sub-1.00 ERA.

Hardy would drive in another run, in the eighth inning, with his third homer of the year and first

since April 12.

Alvarez finished with three hits for the fifth time this season and Adam Jones also delivered

three hits.

Closer Zach Britton completed a near-perfect first half with a scoreless ninth inning to record his

27th save in 27 opportunities.

It was the Orioles' second straight series victory over a Los Angeles team and it kept them two

games ahead of the Red Sox and Blue Jays in the American League East standings. They have

won four of five games since snapping out of a five-game losing streak at Dodger Stadium.

Their season will resume on the road Friday night against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Angels get a replay run: The first run of the game scored on that long double by Trout, but it

didn’t get up on the scoreboard until Angels manager Mike Scioscia challenged an out call at the

plate. Kole Calhoun came all the way around from first base and was originally ruled out on a

close play after strong and accurate throws by Mark Trumbo and Jonathan Schoop, but the replay

showed that Calhoun’s foot crossed the plate before Matt Wieters applied the tag.

Kim comes up sore: Hyun Soo Kim was removed from the game after the first inning with a

strained right hamstring. He grounded out to second base in his first at-bat and looked slow

running the play out. Joey Rickard replaced him in left field at the start of the second inning.

Lincecum solid: Two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum struggled in his previous

three starts for the Angels, pitched well through five innings on Sunday, giving up just the two-

run homer to Chris Davis in the fourth. He looked like he would get through six after striking out

the first two batters in the inning, but left the game after the Orioles tacked on a run against him.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/189085530/chris-davis-homers-chris-tillman-beats-angels/

Tillman's 7 solid, Davis' HR lead O's past Angels

By Jeff Seidel and Ben Raby / Special to MLB.com

July 10, 2016

BALTIMORE -- Chris Davis and J.J. Hardy both homered and starter Chris Tillman threw seven

solid innings, as the Orioles sealed a series win with a 4-2 victory over the Angels in the teams'

first-half finale on Sunday at Camden Yards.

Davis homered in the fourth off Angels starter Tim Lincecum (1-3) after Mark Trumbo singled,

giving the Orioles a 2-1 lead. Hardy added an RBI single in the sixth after a Pedro Alvarez bloop

double fell in between shortstop Andrelton Simmons and left fielder Ji-Man Choi.

Albert Pujols made it 3-2 with a sacrifice fly -- scoring an unearned run -- off All-Star reliever

Brad Brach in the eighth, but Hardy added a solo shot in the bottom of the inning to restore the

O's two-run lead. All-Star closer Zach Britton came on in the ninth and earned his 27th save in

27 chances, which means the Orioles take a two-game lead in the American League East into the

break.

Tillman (12-2) allowed one run on three hits in his seven innings, with the Angels' only run off

him coming on an RBI double by Mike Trout in the first.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Lincecum encouraged by latest start: Lincecum pitched into the sixth inning for the first time

in his last four starts and was encouraged after the outing, despite allowing nine hits and three

three runs over 5 2/3 innings.

"I felt like I challenged guys pretty well. I was controlling both sides of the plate with my

fastball," said Lincecum, who threw 102 pitches including 65 strikes. "A couple of breaking balls

up here and there put me in jams early on in the innings, but I made some pitches when I had to

and the defense made some plays behind me."

Bird Power: The Orioles relied heavily on power throughout the first half of the season, and it

showed on Sunday. Davis crushed a two-run homer to left in the fourth inning that gave the

Orioles their first lead of the game. That was the O's slugger's first homer since July 2 and No. 22

of the season. The Orioles finished the first half with a team-record 136 homers.

"[Lincecum] made some really good pitches on me my first at-bat," Davis said. "The pitch I hit

out was just out over the plate and was actually pretty close to the same pitch he struck me out

with my first at-bat. The difference was that on my first at-bat [it] was down."

Britton's milestone: Britton recorded his 100th save in the victory and is now 27-for-27 in save

situations this season, as he heads off to the All-Star Game in San Diego. The left-hander has

developed into one of baseball's top closers since he took the job early in the 2014 season, a year

where he came into Spring Training not even sure about his spot on the club.

"That's a nice little number, but like I said, I think it's more of a credit to how well Darren

[O'Day] and Brad [Brach] have thrown in front of me, and a lot of other guys, too, to put me in a

situation to be successful," Britton said. "It's a group effort."

Fielding gaffe costs Angels: After making a pair of basket catches this weekend, Simmons

could not get to the Alvarez fly ball in shallow left field with two outs in the sixth inning.

Simmons was backtracking for the catch, but pulled up at the last moment when he heard Choi

yell out.

Choi said postgame that he yelled for Simmons to take it. The ball dropped in for a base hit, and

with Alvarez racing towards second, Simmons committed a throwing error that allowed Alvarez

to take third. One pitch later, Alvarez scored on a single by Hardy to give Baltimore a 3-1 lead.

"Just a little inexperience, I think, out there with Ji-Man," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

"Andrelton had it and at the last second thought he heard a voice from Ji-Man, and an outfielder

knows that when an infielder is settling under a ball, let him get it. Ji-Man, it wasn't his ball, he

couldn't get to it."

QUOTABLE

"That's the best we've seen Tim, and that's a pretty good lineup that you've got to work hard to

get through. He made very few mistakes. I thought he executed his pitches well and should have

been through six innings." -- Scioscia, on Lincecum's start against the Orioles

"We're just trying to do everything to make sure we're as good as we're capable of being. You

want to seek your level. I just talked to them before we split up for four days. Make good

decisions the next four days. Remember the pact we made with each other when we left [Spring

Training]. Nobody's counting, bring what you bring." -- O's manager Buck Showalter, on the

Orioles and what they accomplished in the first half

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Trout, who will participate in Monday's T-Mobile Home Run Derby and start Tuesday's All-Star

Game, ranks second in the Majors hitting .338 (25-for-74) after falling behind in the count 0-2

(among hitters with at least 50 at-bats).

UNDER REVIEW

The Angels took an early lead on Trout's double, sending an 0-2 offering from Tillman off the

right-field wall. Kole Calhoun scored from first base, although he was originally called out at the

plate. The call was overturned on a manager's challenge that took two minutes and 49 seconds to

complete.

WHAT'S NEXT

Angels: The Angels begin a six-game homestand out of the All-Star break Friday at 7:05 p.m.

PT with the first of three against the White Sox. Manager Mike Scioscia has not yet announced

his starting rotation for the weekend series.

Home team: The Orioles head out on the road again after the All-Star break, and Yovani

Gallardo (3-1, 5.82) will get the start when they open their three-game series at the Rays on

Friday at 7:10 p.m. ET. Showalter put Gallardo ahead of Chris Tillman -- who starts Saturday --

to give each an extra day of rest coming out of the break.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2016/07/tillman-with-seven-strong-innings-davis-

and-hardy-homer-in-win.html

Tillman with seven strong innings, Davis and Hardy homer

in win

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

July 10, 2016

Chris Tillman may not have made the All-Star team, but he reminded us today why he was

clearly deserving of consideration. Even if he did walk a few more than he wanted to.

Tillman pitched seven strong innings as the Orioles beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-2 in front of

32,963 at Camden Yards. The O’s hit the All-Star break with a record of 51-36 and a two-game

lead atop the American League East.

The righty allowed three hits and one run. He walked five and struck out five and is now 12-2

with a 3.41 ERA. The Orioles are 16-3 in his 19 starts.

At home this season, Tillman improves to 8-0 with an ERA of 3.23 and the Orioles are 12-0 in

his outings at Camden Yards in 2016. He has pitched seven innings or more four times in his last

seven starts and seven times this season. Zach Britton pitched the ninth today to record his 27th

save in 27 chances. It was the lefty’s 100th career save.

Down 1-0 on Mike Trout’s RBI double in the first, the Orioles took the lead on a Chris Davis

two-run homer to left in the last of the fourth. Davis hit an 88 mph fastball on a 2-1 pitch from

Tim Lincecum. It was his 22nd homer, and the blast traveled 441 feet. Davis has hit six homers

his last 14 games.

It was his 183rd homer as an Oriole. Davis moved out of a tie with Ken Singleton and into eighth

place on the club’s all-time list.

The O’s made it 3-1 in the sixth with a gift run. With two outs, a Pedro Alvarez bloop to left fell

in and then shortstop Andrelton Simmons threw wildly past second as Alvarez advanced to third.

The bloop should have been caught, and proved costly to Los Angeles when J.J. Hardy followed

with an RBI single for a 3-1 lead. A two-base error in right field by Mark Trumbo led to an

unearned run for the Angels in the eighth to make it 3-2. Hardy’s solo homer in the eighth, which

came right after Alvarez was picked off first base, made it a 4-2 game.

The Orioles closed out the first with a half with a 33-14 (.702) home record. They avoided their

second series home loss by winning today, and are 11-1-3 in 15 home series. The O’s have won

seven of eight and 16 of their last 20 games at Camden Yards.

Five Orioles will head to San Diego for the All-Star Game while the rest of the team takes a

break. The season resumes Friday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. against the Tampa Bay Rays.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=360710101

Tillman earns 12th win as Orioles beat Angels 4-2

Associated Press

July 10, 2016

BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles cruised into the All-Star break with a performance that

typified their play for much of the first half of the season.

Baltimore got another solid start from Chris Tillman, and the Orioles added two more homers to

their major league-leading total in a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.

The Orioles reached the break atop the AL East with a 51-36 record, including 33-14 at home.

"We're just trying to do everything to make sure we're as good as we're capable of being,"

manager Buck Showalter said.

Tillman pitched seven innings of three-hit ball, and Chris Davis and J.J. Hardy homered to help

Baltimore capture the deciding matchup of the three-game series.

The Orioles have 137 home runs, the most they've ever hit before the break.

"There are always things that you can work on, but I like the position that we're in right now,"

Davis said. "Obviously, finishing off the first half with two wins at home is good to build some

momentum going into the second half of the season."

Tillman (12-2) didn't have a perfect inning until the seventh. But the right-hander allowed only

one runner past second base and offset his season-high five walks with five strikeouts.

"The end result was good," Tillman said. "We came out on top. It was a grind. It was a grind

from the get-go. I was missing with all my pitches early. Fortunately, we were able to kind of get

in somewhat of a rhythm and mix some pitches and get out of innings."

Brad Brach worked the eighth and Zach Britton got three outs for his 27th save in 27

opportunities.

Angels starter Tim Lincecum (1-3) gave up three runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings. The 32-

year-old was making his fifth start since signing with the Angels on May 20.

Lincecum kept the Orioles in check with the exception of an opposite-field, two-run shot in the

fourth inning by Davis that made it 2-1.

"The best we've seen him," manager Mike Scioscia said. "He made very few mistakes."

Lincecum was pleased with his outing, especially after giving five runs in 4 2/3 innings in his

previous start at Tampa Bay.

"I thought I challenged guys pretty well," the right-hander said. "Made some pitches when I had

to and my defense played real well, too."

Well, not exactly.

Los Angeles fell into a 3-1 hole in the sixth after a two-out popup by Pedro Alvarez dropped

between shortstop Andrelton Simmons and left fielder Ji-Man Choi. Simmons exacerbated the

miscue by throwing wildly to second base. Hardy followed with an RBI single.

"There was a mix up in communication," Scioscia said.

Mike Trout and Albert Pujols had RBI for the Angels, who reached the break in last place for the

first time since 1999.

Pujols got Los Angeles to 3-2 with a sacrifice fly in the eighth, but Hardy countered with a solo

shot off Huston Street in the bottom half. It was his first homer since April 12.

Angels third baseman Yunel Escobar was ejected in the seventh inning while in the field.

REPLAY REVERSAL

Los Angeles got a first-inning run when a call at the plate was reversed after a replay review.

Kole Calhoun was initially ruled out on a double by Trout before manager Mike Scioscia

challenged the call.

The lead stood up until Davis hit his 22nd home run after Mark Trumbo's leadoff single.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Angels: 1B C.J. Cron was in the clubhouse Sunday, his broken left hand in a soft cast. The injury

occurred Friday when he was hit by a pitch. He is scheduled to see a specialist on Monday.

Orioles: LF Hyun Soo Kim strained his right hamstring running out a first-inning grounder and

was removed from the game.

UP NEXT

Angels: Los Angeles comes out of the All-Star break on Friday with a matchup against the

visiting Chicago White Sox.

Orioles: Yovani Gallardo will start against Tampa Bay on Friday as Baltimore launches the

second half with a seven-game road trip.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/baltimore-orioles/orioles-end-first-half-chris-tillmans-12th-win

Orioles End First Half With Chris Tillman's 12th Win

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic

July 10, 2016

BALTIMORE—The Orioles scattered for a few days. Five go off for the All-Star Game. Others

went to their offseason homes or vacation spots. A few will just rest.

They end the first half with a two-game lead in the American League East, and with a stellar 33-

14 record at home.

In a fascinating first half of the season with starting pitching often vexing the Orioles, the one

constant has been Chris Tillman. .

Tillman wasn’t named to the American League All-Star team. That’s fine because he wouldn’t

have been able to pitch anyway.

The Orioles were happier that Tillman was available to pitch in the last game before the break,

and he ends it was a stellar 12-2 record.

Tillman allowed one run on three hits and though he did walk five, the Orioles came through

with a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels before 32,963 at Oriole Park on Sunday.

After walking Kole Calhoun with one out in the first, Mike Trout hit a drive to right that Mark

Trumbo threw to Jonathan Schoop at second. Schoop’s throw home was caught by Matt Wieters,

who tagged Calhoun.

Home plate umpire Tim Timmons called Calhoun out, but after a two minute, 40 second review,

the call was overturned.

Tillman walked Yunel Escobar and Calhoun to start the third, but he struck out Trout and got

Albert Pujols to ground out to short, starting a double play to end the third.

“The end result was good. We came out on top. It was a grind. It was a grind from the get-go. I

was missing with all my pitches early. Fortunately, we were able to kind of get in somewhat of a

rhythm and mix some pitches and get out of innings. To come out on top was good,” Tillman

said.

Tim Lincecum (1-3), who was signed by the Angels (37-51) last month, allowed three runs to the

Orioles (51-36). Chris Davis hit an opposite field two-run home run in the fourth, and in the

sixth, Pedro Alvarez’s pop to short looked as if it was going to be caught by shortstop Andrelton

Simmons, but he backed away at the last minute and it dropped.

Alvarez wound up on third after Simmons threw wildly on the relay, and J.J. Hardy’s single

scored Alvarez.

Brad Brach, on his way to the All-Star Game, gave up an unearned run in the eighth. Calhoun’s

line drive to right was misplayed by Trumbo, and he got to third on a two-base error. Pujols’ fly

ball scored Calhoun.

Hardy added his third home run of the season in the eighth. It was his first home run since he hit

two in Boston on Apr. 12.

Zach Britton, who is also going to San Diego, picked up his 27th save with a scoreless ninth. It

was the 100th save of his career.

"That's a nice little number,” Britton said I think it's more of a credit to well Darren [O’Day] and

Brad have thrown in front of me , and a lot of other guys too, to put me in a situation to be

successful.”

Because Tillman pitched Sunday he was ineligible for the All-Star Game, but he’ll take the time

off.

“It was not disappointing. The American League is a good league. There are a lot of good

pitchers. A lot of guys that deserve it. We’ve got five guys going, so that makes everyone in this

clubhouse happy. We’re well represented. I’m not disappointed at all,” Tillman said.

Showalter kept emphasizing the Orioles have 75 games to play.

“It's obvious what's ahead of us. A lot of challenges. But we have a chance to play meaningful

games every day. They were in April, OK? So, they've earned that and they want it. They want

to be in that cooker. That’s the difference between them and a lot of people. They want to play.

They want to be in the arena, not watching outside in. Everybody would like to be in it, but they

don't have the ability that they have. They want that. Have to cross a lot of roads to get there,

though. A lot of roads,” Showalter said.

NOTES: Hyun Soo Kim left the game after the first inning with a strained right hamstring. He

said it would be tested on Monday and hoped he wouldn’t miss any time. … RHP Jason Garcia

was optioned to Bowie. ... Yovani Gallardo (3-1, 5.82) faces Chris Archer (4-12, 4.66) on Friday

night at Tampa Bay when the Orioles resume play. … Escobar was ejected in the bottom of the

seventh inning by Timmons. … The Orioles’ 33 home wins are the most by any team in baseball.

Their 14 losses are tied for the fewest.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-schmuck-column-0711-20160710-

column.html

Showalter confident in the roster he has right now

By Peter Schmuck / The Sun

July 10, 2016

The Orioles have found a way to win games, and Buck Showalter said they don't need help from

the outside.

It takes more than a half-season to disprove your doubters, and Orioles manager Buck Showalter

doesn't spend a lot of time paying attention to them anyway.

So, he wasn't a ton of help when Sunday's game was over and he was peppered with questions

about the degree to which the first-place Orioles had met his preseason expectations.

"I didn't come in with any preconceived notions,'' he said. "I know this sounds clich?, but I just

wanted to do everything to make sure we're as good as we're capable of being. That's the thing,

to seek your level and not have anything distract you."

The Orioles have done that so far, overcoming a sketchy starting rotation to spend all but 15 days

of this season on top of the American League East standings. Whether they can stay up there

much longer with both the Red Sox and Blue Jays surging into the break remains an open

question, but Showalter has not changed his opinion of the team since it opened the season with

the first of three seven-game winning streaks.

"I just talked to them before we split up for four days,'' Showalter said. "Make good decisions the

next four days. Remember the pact we made with each other when we left Sarasota. Nobody's

counting, bring what you bring."

For the most part, the Orioles have done that. They've hung together through some key injuries

and they've won 51 games against all conventional logic. They've done it with only one full-time,

healthy starter – Chris Tillman – who has won more games than he's lost.

"Our guys don't dwell on conventionality," Showalter said. "…We don't always follow a script,

(but) there are some constants we want to maintain if we want to get where we want to go."

Those are obvious. The Orioles have gotten this far on a dynamic mix of raw power, highlight-

film defense and terrific late-inning relief. That has – so far – outweighed the deficiencies in the

starting rotation and fueled the us-against-the-world clubhouse chemistry that Showalter has so

successfully exploited throughout the past 4 ? seasons.

Everyone knew the O's would hit a lot of home runs. How could they not with the re-signing of

Chris Davis, the arrival of current major league home run leader Mark Trumbo, the consistent

presence of team leader Adam Jones and the continuing maturation of power-hitting infielders

Manny Machado and Jonathan Schoop?

But legitimate World Series contenders don't usually live on home runs alone, something that the

sporadic offense of the 2015 team learned the hard way. The Orioles still score a high percentage

of their runs while they are trotting around the bases, but they finally added some more on-base

potential to the equation.

No one imagined it on Opening Day, but Korean star Hyun Soo Kim knew what he was doing

when he refused the club's request that he accept a minor league assignment after struggling

horribly at the plate during spring training. He has been a steady on-base presence since he

started cracking the lineup regularly, but his status is now unclear after he pulled a hamstring on

Sunday.

Apparently, Dan Duquette also knew what he was doing when he and his scouting staff plucked

Joey Rickard off the Tampa Bay Rays' unprotected list during the Rule 5 Draft last December.

Both Rickard and Kim have contributed significantly to a more cohesive offensive attack.

The volatility in the starting rotation has created some instability in the bullpen, where the

Orioles have been mixing and matching middle and long relievers all season, but the pen has

been watertight in the late innings – even in the absence of injured set-up man Darren O'Day.

The late relief has been so good, in fact, that premier middle guy Brad Brach and his 0.91 ERA

joined Zach Britton and his league-leading 27 saves on the All-Star team.

Which brings us back to Showalter's original premise and the obvious follow-up to his

contention that he came into this season only wanting to make sure his players got the

opportunity to be as good as they are capable of being.

Well?

"We've got another level,'' he said. "We always think we've got another level. Help is right here,

this group. We are not coveting other people's players. They don't want to hear me talk about

what somebody is doing in Norfolk or Bowie. They don't want to hear about some guy [on

another team] that we're interested in. I don't want them to hear the manager talk about that. I tell

Dan [Duquette] to tell me at the 11th hour and we'll talk about the fit. Every answer we need to

have is in here."

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-angels-0711-20160710-story.html

Orioles enter the All-Star break in an unexpected position

Eduardo A. Encina / The Sun

July 10, 2016

The Orioles' final game before the All-Star break was a reminder of just how important strong

starting pitching is, and how it could end up being the main factor in determining just how far

these Orioles ultimately go in 2016.

Backed by seven innings of one-run ball by right-hander Chris Tillman – who went into the

break with 12-2 record – the Orioles' 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim gave

them a 51-36 record at the break. They hold the best record of any Orioles team through 87

games since 1997, when the club opened the season 55-32.

The Orioles lead the American League East – a position few experts thought they'd be before the

season began – leading the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays by two games. They will send

five players to Tuesday's All-Star Game in San Diego, and a few more players appeared worthy

enough to join them.

When the All-Star festivities are complete, the team will regroup for a workout in Tampa Bay on

Thursday night at Tropicana Field, where they will began their second half Friday.

"I don't know if we even had halfway goals to be honest with you," said first baseman Chris

Davis, who hit a two-run homer in Sunday's win. "I think it's always just kind of an overall goal:

Where are you at the end of the year? I think we played well. I think there have been times that

we've really shown we are a complete team and then there have been times when we've

struggled. But I think the last couple of games, there, were good of us to kind of bear down and

try to get away with two wins going into the break."

The Orioles closed the first half of the season with the type of wins they might need to pull out

often down the stretch. Typically outslugging teams, the Orioles grinded out two wins against the

Angels this weekend. On Saturday, their 3-2 win was just their ninth in 31 games when scoring

three runs or fewer this season. And on Sunday, the homer-happy Orioles hit two home runs, but

also scored the eventual game-winning run following a rare sacrifice bunt.

This year's Orioles are one of the best offensive teams in club history. They enter the break

leading the majors with 137 homers, including a major-league high 28 by Mark Trumbo. Five

Orioles starters – Trumbo, Davis (22), Manny Machado (19), Adam Jones (17) and Jonathan

Schoop (14) – have hit 14 or more homers over the break. They also are tied for the second-best

batting average in the American League; their .272 mark is tied with the Kansas City Royals and

trails only Boston's .292 average.

"I don't know if anything's terribly surprising," Trumbo said earlier this week. "I mean, if you

look at what we had in spring training, I was impressed up and down with the physical skills of

everyone. Obviously, you need to have some continuity out there and play the type of baseball

that you need to to be in this shape. But I think this team's by far one of the most talented, skills-

wise, that I've been on. And if everyone kind of does their part, I think it shows in the standings

and overall with the type of seasons that these guys are having."

Now for the ugly part: The Orioles starting pitchers own a collective ERA of 5.15, which ranks

14th out of 15 American League clubs. The Orioles' 34 quality starts – 11 of them belong to

Tillman – rank tied for last in the AL. No other starter has more than eight quality starts, and

while the Orioles are 16-3 in games Tillman starts, they are just 35-33 in games started by others.

"We've got to throw the ball a little better," said Tillman, who is 8-0 with a 3.23 ERA in 12 starts

at home this season. "Get the ball to the bullpen with a lead. Those guys are good, real good. As

long as you set them up the right way, you'll come out on top most times, I think. Every game,

there's not one thing. There are a few things that stick out for us. We've just got to keep playing

good baseball."

They boast the best home record in the AL (33-14) – going 11-1-3 in series at Camden Yards,

including a 6-0-1 against AL East competition. But the Orioles' road record is four games under

.500, and they finished their last road trip 4-5 despite earning two series wins. When the Orioles

open the second half, it will be in the midst of a stretch of 16 of 19 games on the road.

"If we win more games than anybody in our division, whether it's home or away, whatever,"

Showalter said. "… It's hard to win on the road. The American League East is tough. I'm glad

Toronto and all our teams are still engaged. They're going to play each other a lot. It's not going

to be just us that's going to have to beat some people in our division. It's always going to be

something. There's never been a perfect team or a perfect season or any team that thinks they

have had one at the end of the year."

Before his players went separate ways following Sunday's win, Showalter reminded them of the

pact he said the team made to itself nearly five months ago when it first assembled in Sarasota,

Fla., for spring training. The focus is not on being in first place at the All-Star break, but on

winning the final game of the postseason.

"It's obvious what's ahead of us, a lot of challenges," Showalter. "But we have a chance to play

meaningful games every day. They were in April, OK? So, they've earned that and they want it.

They want to be in that [pressure] cooker. That's the difference between them and a lot of people.

They want to play. They want to be in the arena, not watching outside in. Everybody would like

to be in it, but they don't have the ability that they have. They want that. Have to cross a lot of

roads to get there, though. A lot of roads."

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bal-orioles-closer-zach-britton-notches-100th-

career-save-20160710-story.html

Orioles closer Zach Britton notches 100th career save

By Jake Lourim / The Sun

July 10, 2016

Zach Britton is 27-for-27 on save chances this season and he now has 100 career saves.

In what’s become a formality when he enters games, Zach Britton came in for the ninth inning

Sunday at Camden Yards and closed down a 4-2 win for the Orioles. He is now a perfect 27-for-

27 in save chances this year.

Britton, who took over the Orioles’ closer role in early 2014, now has 100 career saves, tied with

Stu Miller for fourth place in club history.

“That’s a nice little number, but like I said, I think it’s more of a credit to the last few years, how

well Darren [O’Day] and Brad [Brach] have thrown in front of me, and a lot of other guys too, to

put me in a situation to be successful,” Britton said.

Britton’s latest outing came after starter Chris Tillman pitched seven innings of one-run ball and

Brach followed by allowing an unearned run in the eighth. Britton gave up a leadoff single to the

Los Angeles Angels’ Andrelton Simmons but retired the next three hitters.

He now leads the big leagues in saves and boasts a 0.72 ERA and 0.82 WHIP with 43 strikeouts

in 37 2/3 innings.

“There’s a real professional, competitive approach about it,” manager Buck Showalter said of

Britton and Brach. “I talk to pitchers all the time about your presentation to hitters, and they

present a very confident front to guys. It’s been fun to watch guys like Brad and Zach and

Jonathan [Schoop] and Manny [Machado]. You see them kind of take their experiences and play

up to their ability.”

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/188552574/orioles-mark-trumbo-to-enter-home-run-derby/

Trumbo is No. 1 seed in tonight's Home Run Derby

By Manny Randhawa / MLB.com

July 11, 2016

Orioles outfielder Mark Trumbo will take part in the 2016 T-Mobile Home Run Derby on

tonight at San Diego's Petco Park (8 p.m. ET on ESPN and simulcast on MLB.com), leading into

Tuesday's 87th All-Star Game presented by MasterCard (7:30 p.m. ET on FOX).

Trumbo currently leads the Majors with 28 home runs, just six shy of his career-high of 34 set in

2013 while with the Angels.

The other participants in this year's competition are defending champion Todd Frazier of the

White Sox, the Marlins' Giancarlo Stanton, the Rockies' Carlos Gonzalez, the Mariners'

Robinson Cano, the Padres' Wil Myers, Dodgers rookie Corey Seager and the Reds' Adam

Duvall.

The players were seeded one through eight based on home run totals through Wednesday. As the

top seed, Trumbo will take on No. 8 Seager in the first round, with the winner of that matchup

facing the winner of No. 4 Cano and No. 5 Stanton in the semifinals.

On the other side of the bracket, No. 3 seed Duvall faces No. 6 Myers and No. 2 Frazier meets

No. 7 Gonzalez in the first round.

The winners of those two matchups will meet in the other semifinal. Then the last two sluggers

standing hack for the home run derby title.

The rules of the competition, which was modified beginning with last year's Derby, are as

follows:

• Single-elimination tournament in which the winner of each matchup advances and the loser of

each matchup is eliminated.

• If the second batter hits more home runs than the first batter in any matchup, he will be

declared the winner and not attempt to hit additional home runs.

• Four minutes per batter for each round. Clock starts with the release of the first pitch. In the

first round and semifinals, each batter is entitled to one 45-second "time out." In the finals, each

batter is entitled to two 45-second "time-outs."

• Thirty seconds of bonus time will be awarded for two home runs that each equal or exceed 440

feet.

• Ties in any round will be broken by a 60-second swing-off with no stoppage of time or

additional time added. If a tie remains after the swing-off, batters will engage in successive

three-swing swing-offs until there is a winner.

Trumbo previously participated in the Home Run Derby in 2012 at Kansas City's Kauffman

Stadium, hitting a total of 13 homers -- seven in Round 1 and six in Round 2. The Blue Jays' Jose

Bautista beat Trumbo in Round 2 to advance and leave him with a third-place finish.

Only two Orioles have won the Derby since it started in 1985: Cal Ripken Jr. (1991) in Toronto

and Miguel Tejada (2004) in Houston. Trumbo's teammate Manny Machado hit 12 last year in

the opening round, but the Dodgers' Joc Pederson edged him out.

Trumbo has hit some mammoth homers so far this season, including his longest -- a Statcast-

projected 458-foot shot on June 2 against Rick Porcello of the Red Sox. He was the first player

in the Majors to reach the 20-homer mark and has already eclipsed his total from last season.

More numbers on Trumbo's homers this season, courtesy of Statcast™:

Longest HR of 2016: 458 feet, June 2 (sixth inning) vs. Red Sox, off Porcello

Hardest-hit HR of 2016: 114.8 mph, June 2 (fourth inning) vs. Red Sox, off Porcello

Average HR distance in 2016: 411 feet

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/189173282/os-prospect-chance-sisco-homers-for-us-team/

O's prospect Sisco homers for U.S. Team

By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com

July 10, 2016

SAN DIEGO -- Catcher Chance Sisco grew up in Corona, Calif., just 100 miles north of Petco

Park. Because of the proximity, he had at least 50 family members and friends in attendance on

Sunday to see him start behind the plate for the U.S. Team in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures

Game.

"I'm very excited to be here. My hometown is only an hour north of here," Cisco said after the

U.S. lost to the World Team, 11-3. "I was excited to play in front of a bunch of family and

friends."

The Sisco group was rewarded when their favorite son -- and the No. 3 prospect in the Orioles

system according to MLBPipeline.com -- homered with one out in the fourth inning off World

reliever Francisco Rios from the Blue Jays organization.

"I just got a fastball up in the zone and tried to put the barrel on it," Sisco said about his long

drive to left-center on a full count, which at the time gave the U.S. a three-run lead. "I didn't

think it was going out. Maybe it would be a double. But when I saw it go over the wall, it was

awesome."

Sisco is batting .307 this year with a .397 on-base percentage and .795 OPS for Double-A Bowie

in the Eastern League. Those numbers gave him the opportunity to go from here to the Eastern

League All-Star Game in Akron, Ohio, on Wednesday.

Cisco flied out to center in his first at-bat to end the second inning and then teed off in the fourth

against the right-handed Rios. He was replaced defensively in the top of the sixth.

Sisco has hit only one home run this season and 13 in his 1,282 plate appearances over the

course of four Minor League seasons, so power is not his most important product.

"I mean, I'm not really a power hitter," he said with a chuckle. "I usually hit gap to gap. A lot of

doubles [18 so far this season]. That's what I've done my whole career. The home runs will come

at some point, I think. I don't try to hit home runs. I just let them happen."

Sisco was a second-round pick by the Orioles in the 2013 Draft out of Corona's Santiago High

School and is just trying to make a mark in an Orioles organization that's replete with catchers

from the top down. Matt Wieters and Caleb Joseph are ensconced at the big league level.

Chance Sisco talks about hitting a home run in the Futures Game with his family in attendance

But Sisco said he can't worry about all that.

"My season has been going good. We're just trying to get some wins," he said. "I've been playing

well, just trying to stay healthy and stay consistent."

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/189154200/orioles-zach-britton-records-save-no-100/

Britton caps perfect first half with 100th save Orioles' closer heads to All-Star Game with 27 saves

By Jeff Seidel / Special to MLB.com

July 10, 2016

BALTIMORE -- Zach Britton truly achieved perfection in the first half of the Orioles' season.

The All-Star ended the first half in style by registering his 27th save in 27 chances -- the 100th of

his career -- as the Orioles headed into the break with a 4-2 victory over the Angels on Sunday

afternoon.

Britton took over as closer early in 2014 after Tommy Hunter struggled in the job when taking

over for Jim Johnson. The left-hander has fared nicely since the start, and he's now making his

second consecutive All-Star appearance. Britton heads to San Diego with a 2-1 record and an

0.72 ERA, having struck out 43 with 10 walks in 37 2/3 innings.

The 100 saves ties Britton with Stu Miller for fourth place on the team's all-time save list. The

left-hander also has not allowed a run in the last nine games he's appeared in.

"[One hundred] is a nice little number but like I said, I think it's more of a credit to how well

Darren [O'Day] and Brad [Brach] have thrown in front of me, and a lot of other guys, too, to put

me in a situation to be successful," Britton said. "It's a group effort."

Britton had 37 saves in 41 chances in 2014 and 36 in 40 opportunities last year. The left-hander

said that he learned to change a few things, probably on his focus when he's in certain situations.

"I feel like I haven't really given in this year, and I think that's one thing I wanted," Britton said.

"I looked back on some of the saves I blew last year, and I felt like at times maybe I gave in

when I was behind on the count. I feel like I've been pretty much making them swing at the

pitches I want them to swing at."

Catcher Matt Wieters has worked with Britton a lot during his role as the team's closer and said

that the more he throws, the better he can become.

And that's bad news for opposing hitters.

"I think, with any closer, the more success that they have, it gives them more information to

draw back on," Wieters said. "He's always been comfortable in that role but at the same time,

each time he goes out there and sees different swings or sees different things, he's really good at

kind of trying to read what the hitters are trying to do to him, which is big."

The Orioles optioned right-hander Jason Garcia back to Double-A Bowie after Sunday's game.

He was called up this weekend and was with the team for two games but did not pitch.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/07/dan-duquette-on-the-orioles-all-stars.html

Dan Duquette on the Orioles’ All-Stars

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

July 11, 2016

It’s become a point of pride in the Orioles’ organization, the way they stack up among other

teams in All-Star selections since the 2012 season. Add five more to the ledger this year.

Manny Machado is starting at third base for the American League, and the reserves include

outfielder Mark Trumbo and catcher Matt Wieters. The bullpen includes closer Zach Britton and

do-everything reliever Brad Brach.

The Orioles have fielded 20 All-Stars over the past five seasons, ranking first in the American

League and second in the majors behind the Cardinals (23). In that span, 12 different players

have been named All-Stars, tied for second-most in the majors behind the Cardinals (15).

“We could have had more, but since 2012 we’re really proud of the fact that the Orioles have had

more All-Stars than any other team in the American League,” said executive vice president Dan

Duquette.

“We’ve had players have good years and they’ve’ done a good job representing the Orioles at the

All-Star Game. It’s nice to see the league recognize the performance of the team. Britton,

Wieters and Manny have been on a couple All-Star teams each. Brach, it’s obviously his first.

We’re proud of all our guys, but we’re proud that the league is recognizing our players on a team

that has been better than any other team in the American League since 2012.”

You can look it up, too. The Orioles have 405 wins in that span to lead the AL and rank fourth in

the majors.

Duquette had to smile at Brach’s inclusion after acquiring the right-hander from the Padres on

Nov. 25, 2013 for minor league pitcher Devin Jones. Did anyone make a big deal out of this

deal?

Brach is 6-1 with a 0.91 ERA in 40 appearances this season, with five earned runs and 26 hits in

49 1/3 inning. He’s walked 15 (one intentional) and stuck out 58. He’s also stranded 18 of 19

inherited runners.

Brach got into trouble yesterday when Trumbo committed a two-base error on Kole Calhoun’s

leadoff single. Brach struck out Mike Trout on three pitches, induced a sacrifice fly from Albert

Pujols, walked Daniel Nava and retired Ji-man Choi on a long fly ball.

The inning really could have gotten away from him, a game might have been lost, but the Orioles

emerged victorious again while Brach again lowered his ERA.

“He earned the honor,” Duquette said. “He’s worked so hard to develop into one of the top

pitchers in the league. He’s improved each year he’s been with us. He had a decent year in ‘14,

he had a good year in 2015 and he’s really put it all together in 2016. He trained hard in the

offseason, he works diligently on his conditioning in-season and it doesn’t surprise me that he’s

having success because he’s really prepared to be successful.

“Brach’s (18-5) since he came to us. He’s really got some good numbers, but you can see the

improvement every year. He’s having a really strong year.”

Trumbo is strong like bull, as he’ll demonstrate tonight in the Home Run Derby. He’s the No. 1

seed, an honor bestowed upon the man who leads the majors with 28 homers.

Duquette also traded for Trumbo, giving up backup catcher Steve Clevenger while also getting

left-hander C.J. Riefenhauser from the Mariners on Dec. 2. Riefenhauser is pitching for Triple-A

Iowa in the Cubs system.

Trumbo singled and walked twice yesterday. He’s batting .288/.341/.582 with 16 doubles, 28

home runs and 68 RBIs in 87 games.

“Obviously, he enjoys being around our club,” Duquette said. “He’s having a good year. He’s

hitting better, he’s getting on base more with us than he did with the other clubs. He had a great

year in ‘12 and it looks like he might do even better this year than he did in ‘12. He’s been a real

solid contributor to the club in the middle of the lineup. He’s got some marquee value leading the

league in home runs.”

Trumbo batted .250/.299/.469 in 460 games with the Angels and .243/.295/.446 in 134 games

with the Diamondbacks. He’s been a better hitter than advertised, going to all fields and finding

the gaps as much as the seats.

“I think the depth of the lineup helps,” Duquette said. “He’s shown pretty good patience at the

plate. Certainly, clubs have to plan to get out a number of hitters in our lineup. They can’t just

focus on one, so sometimes when there’s a stronger surrounding cast, it helps individual players

perform better.

“He worked hard and he’s having a good year. I think he’s hitting the ball a little bit more

consistently with us than he did with some other clubs that he’s been with.”

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/07/showalter-on-kims-injury-and-a-4-2-

win.html

Showalter on Kim’s injury and a 4-2 win

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

July 10, 2016

The Orioles go into the All-Star break with a 51-36 record, a two-game lead in the American

League East and the hope that outfielder Hyun Soo Kim’s right hamstring strain isn’t serious.

Kim sustained the injury about halfway up the first base line as he grounded out in the bottom of

the first inning. Joey Rickard replaced him in left field.

“Strained right hamstring and we’ll see,” said manager Buck Showalter following a 4-2 win over

the Angels before 32,963 at Camden Yards. “Through the interpreter (Danny Lee) he was talking

that he did this the last two days before the All-Star break in Korea. Said a couple days later he

was fine, so we’ll see.

“I said the morale of that story is don’t play him the day before the All-Star break. I wish I had

known about it.

“He’s got 4 ½ days. We’ll see. It’s kind of good he’s had some history with it, so he has an idea,

but we’ll see.”

Showalter assumed that Kim hurt the hamstring going to first base. Head athletic trainer Richie

Bancells told Showalter that something was wrong.

“I’m trying to find out,” Showalter said. “He was halfway down the line. I thought, initially,

usually those things happen coming out of the box early in the game when there’s some moisture

in the dirt, but I think he was halfway down the line.

“I was actually looking at the play at second. Richie’s the one who had to tell me. I didn’t even

know because in today’s game, you’re looking at the legality of slides because you’ve got to be

on top of it.”

Chris Tillman improved to 12-2 with a 3.41 ERA in 19 starts. He’s posted 11 quality starts and is

now 8-0 with a 3.23 ERA in 12 home outings.

“Good, good,” Showalter said. “What did he end up with, five walks? They were all early and

after that ... I think he was running a little bit on empty at the end and it’s fortunate we made

some good defensive plays behind him.

“I know he doesn’t like the five walks. I was surprised his pitch count was as low as it was with

the five walks, but Chris is 12-2 now? Pretty good. What have you done for me lately? Duplicate

it.

“It’s been fun to watch him just mature and become the professional that he is. It’s been fun to

watch. It’s also been fun to have him on our side.”

Showalter was asked if he’s more impressed by Tillman’s 12 wins or being 10 games above

.500.

“I have to think about it,” Showalter replied. “Probably neither surprises me. Not with Chris.

He’s been pitching that well. If he didn’t have a couple hiccups there he’d have been flying out

to San Diego, too. I’m kind of glad he isn’t. We’re going to give him an extra day coming out of

the break. He and Yovani (Gallardo) and also (Kevin) Gausman. We’ve got 75 games left.

Gausman will pitch the first game in New York (on July 18).

“I know there’s one thing Chris wants to really go to and that’s the last game of the World

Series. That’s what he’s interested in.”

Zach Britton recorded his 27th save and the 100th of his career. He’s tied Stu Miller for fourth

place on the club’s all-time list.

Britton lowered his ERA to 0.72 in 37 2/3 innings. Brad Brach gave up an unearned run in the

eighth following Mark Trumbo’s two-base error, and lowered his ERA to 0.91 in 49 1/3 innings.

“Not only resiliency, but they just don’t ... somebody gets a hit off them, a swinging bunt or

walks a guy, OK next guy, let’s go,” Showalter said. “There’s a real professional competitive

approach about it. I talk to pitchers all the time about your presentation to hitters and they present

a very confident front to guys. It’s been fun to watch guys like Brad and Zach and Jonathan and

Manny. You see them kind of take their experiences and play up to their abilities.”

The Orioles optioned reliever Jason Garcia to Double-A Bowie after the game. He spent two

days with the club and didn’t get a chance to pitch.

Chris Davis’ two-run homer in the fourth inning gave him 183 to surpass Ken Singleton for

eighth place on the Orioles’ all-time list. Brady Anderson is seventh with 209.

Shortstop J.J. Hardy hit his first home run since April 12 in Boston. He needs three more for 100

as an Oriole.

Hardy is batting .407/.429/.667 (11-for-27) during his seven-game hitting streak.

Jonathan Schoop extended his hitting streak to nine games. He’s batting .351/.400/.486 (13-for-

37) in that span. He’s hitting .414/.457/.655 with nine doubles, four home runs, 15 RBIs and 23

runs scored in his last 21 games.

Pedro Alvarez tied his season high with three hits today. He’s batting .340/.370/.620 (17-for-50)

in his last 14 games, with two doubles, four home runs, 10 RBIs and 10 runs scored.

Trumbo is batting .345/.397/.759 (20-for-58) in his last 14 games, with three doubles, seven

home runs, 16 RBIs, five walks and 14 runs scored.

Adam Jones is batting .308/.341/.436 (12-for-39) in his last eight games, with a double, home

run, three RBIs and five runs scored. He’s hitting .341/.381/.516 (31-for-91) in his last 20 games.

Here’s more from Showalter:

On the first half:

“We’re just trying to do everything to make sure we’re as good as we’re capable of being. You

want to seek your level. I just talked to them before we split up for four days. Make good

decisions the next four days. Remember the pact we made with each other when we left Sarasota.

Nobody’s counting, bring what you bring.

“Our guys don’t dwell on conventionality. This has got to be done on the team to do this, you’ve

got to walk 80 times to do this. Starters have to go 7 innings every night. Who says you do? We

don’t always follow a script. There are some constants we want to do if we want to get where we

want to go.

“We’ve got another level. We always think we’ve got another level. Help is right here in this

group. We’re not coveting other people’s players. They don’t want to hear me talk about what

somebody is doing in Norfolk or Bowie. They don’t want to hear about some guy that we’re

interested (in). I don’t want them to hear the manager talk about that. Every answer we need to

have is in here.

“It’s obvious what’s ahead of us. A lot of challenges. But we have a chance to play meaningful

games every day. They were in April, OK? So, they’ve earned that and they want it. They want

to be in that cooker. That’s the difference between them and a lot of people. They want to play.

They want to be in the arena, not watching outside in. Everybody would like to be in it, but they

don’t have the ability that they have. They want that. Have to cross a lot of roads to get there,

though. A lot of roads.”

On being 33-14 at home, but only 18-22 on the road:

“Somebody said it’s akin to it’s always something. If we win more games than anybody in our

division, whether it’s home or away ... It’s hard to win on the road. The American League East is

tough.

“I’m glad Toronto and all our teams are still engaged. They’re going to play each other a lot. It’s

not going to be just us that’s going to have to beat people in our division. It’s always going to be

something. There’s never been a perfect team or a perfect season or any team that thinks they

have had one at the end of the year.”

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/07/orioles-outright-david-hale.html

Orioles outright David Hale (O’s lead 4-2)

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

July 10, 2016

The Orioles scored a big insurance run today in the bottom of the sixth inning, and Chris Tillman

has overcome command issues to work through the seventh.

Pedro Alvarez reached with two outs on a gift double, his pop up falling into shallow left field.

He hustled to second base with the Angels slow to recover and continued to third on shortstop

Andrelton Simmons’ throwing error.

Simmons was basically lost on the play.

J.J. Hardy followed with a single up the middle to plate Alvarez, give the Orioles a 3-1 lead and

end Tim Lincecum’s afternoon.

Tillman has allowed one run and three hits in seven innings, with a season-high five walks and

five strikeouts. His pitch count stands at 106.

The righty is trying to improve his record to 12-2 before heading home for the All-Star break.

Brad Brach was warming in the bullpen, sat down and is up again in the bottom of the seventh.

Meanwhile, the Orioles announced today that they outrighted right-hander David Hale to Triple-

A Norfolk.

Hale is 1-4 with a 5.11 ERA in 10 starts with the Tides.

By outrighting Hale, the Orioles have created an opening on their 40-man roster. They’re

expected to make some adjustments to the 25-man roster during the break.

Manager Buck Showalter wants another left-hander in the bullpen besides closer Zach Britton.

Reliever Mychal Givens may need to go on paternity leave. We’ll find out whether Hyun Soo

Kim’s hamstring strain forces him on the disabled list. And the rotation currently has four

starters, with the possibility of going down to three with Ubaldo Jimenez’s removal.

Update: The Angels shaved the lead to 3-2 in the eighth on Albert Pujols’ sacrifice fly off Brad

Brach after Kole Calhoun’s leadoff single and Mark Trumbo’s two-base error while attempting a

sliding catch.

The run was unearned and Brach’s ERA is down to 0.91 in 49 1/3 innings.

Tillman’s ERA is down to 3.41 in 113 1/3 innings.

Update II: Hardy homered in the eighth inning, his first since wrapping two fly balls around the

Pesky Pole at Fenway Park on April 12. Orioles 4, Angels 2

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/07/showalter-on-joseph-were-lucky-to-have-

him.html

Showalter on Joseph: “We’re lucky to have him” (updated)

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

July 10, 2016

Orioles relievers Brad Brach and Zach Britton, outfielder Mark Trumbo and third baseman

Manny Machado received their All-Star Game jerseys today on the field, holding up the yellow

and brown Padres throwbacks and pretending the color scheme wasn’t hideous.

Catcher Matt Wieters was in the bullpen.

With Wieters catching this afternoon, Caleb Joseph figures to go into the All-Star break still in

search of his first RBI. He’s batting .160 with two doubles in 26 games, his injury not the only

source of pain.

Joseph threw out another runner yesterday attempting to steal. His defense keeps him in the

majors.

“I think everybody would like to have both ends,” said manager Buck Showalter. “That’s why

guys like Matt and Salvador Perez go to the All-Star Game. But everybody starts out looking at

catch, throw, receive, put down good fingers, and Caleb does a great job with that. And we know

he’s capable of swinging the bat better.

“I think one of the strengths in our organization right now is our catching throughout. We’re

pretty deep there. He’s going to hit better. He’s got a track record of doing that. He had a lot of

at-bats on rehab, too.

“I think Caleb’s one of the top-ranked framers, all that stuff they do. Calls a great game. We’re

lucky to have him. I think it bodes well for us the last 75 games because we know he’s going to

hit better, too, as he goes. He’s drove in some big runs for us since he’s been here. I know he’s

frustrated with it right now because the first question every day to him is about some statistic. He

doesn’t have to look at it. He knows.”

Reliever Mychal Givens is in the bullpen again today. Still no baby, still no flight to Tampa to

join his wife, who’s due on Monday.

It may work out where Givens won’t need to go on paternity leave. Also, he’s a Tampa native

and the Orioles open the second half against the Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla.

“I’m hoping in a perfect world she would have the baby Monday and see you in Tampa,”

Showalter said. “They’re having it in Florida. It’s got a chance to work out conveniently, but the

most important thing is to have a healthy baby and everything’s all right there. I don’t want to

look at it too selfishly here.

“I think they would induce labor on Friday if it doesn’t happen, so then we’d have to bring up

somebody. I’ve got some ideas about that.”

Orioles first-round pick Cody Sedlock tossed three scoreless innings yesterday in his

professional debut at short-season Single-A Aberdeen. He allowed one hit, walked a batter and

struck out four.

Showalter said the reports were “really good.”

“I just read them,” he said. “He looked like a first-rounder. He’s got a lot of innings this year. I

don’t know how long they’ll continue to pitch him. I don’t know if he’ll go to instructional

league.

“He’s only 20 years old. That’s another good thing about him. Most college juniors are 21. He

gets to play most of next year at 21.”

Parker Bridwell, rehabbing from a broken rib, followed with two scoreless innings.

“He did real well last night,” Showalter said. “We actually talked about him with this two-day

move we made with (Jason) Garcia, but he had just thrown a couple times in the Gulf Coast

League.”

The Orioles are deciding Bridwell’s next move and whether he’s going to start or work out of the

bullpen.

“Parker Bridwell is interesting,” Showalter said. “There’s a lot to like about Parker. He’s

fearless, he certainly looks the part. We always get asked about him.

“I’ll tell you who’s pitching well again is Bobby Bundy. His last three or four outings, it looks

like he’s all the way back. He’s interesting. It’s good to see. He’s come a long way. He’s had a

lot of challenges, very much like Dylan.”

Update: Kole Calhoun walked with one out in the first inning and scored on Mike Trout’s double

to right. Calhoun was called out at the plate, but it was reversed upon challenge.

Trout took third on Jonathan Schoop’s relay, but he was stranded. Albert Pujols lined to

shortstop and Jefry Marte grounded to short.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/07/darren-oday-provides-an-injury-update.html

Darren O’Day provides an injury update

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

July 10, 2016

Orioles reliever Darren O’Day threw on flat ground again this morning, his second session in

three days. He’s headed to Sarasota to continue rehabbing and will rejoin the club over the

weekend at Tropicana Field.

O’Day has been on the disabled list since June 3 with a strained right hamstring. He’s trying to

remain patient, and that includes his occasional interviews, which brought some gems today.

How did the sessions go and where are you now?

“I’m on the disabled list. I’ll be back when I’m back and I’m working to get back as soon as I

can.”

How does the leg feel?

“It feels great. I’ve had some good days in a row, so once I make some progress I’ll let you guys

know.”

Is there a timeline to get back on the mound?

“Our head trainer Richie Bancells is doing the timeline. He doesn’t let me know for a good

reason, so you’d have to interview Richie.”

What do you hope to accomplish in Sarasota?

“To give the athletic trainers here in Baltimore four days off.”

Are they holding you back in a good way?

“I don’t know. Early on, I was pushing it a lot and then Richie’s kind of taken over in terms of

the pace, so I honestly don’t know when I’m getting on a mound or what I’m doing. Since he’s

been driving the bus, it’s been feeling better.”

Are you at peace with that?

“Yeah. Richie’s been doing this for a long time, so I put my trust in him.”

Have you had an injury like this in the past?

“Yeah, I did the same thing in 2007 in A ball. That was 20-something days, so this one’s a little

longer.”

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2016/07/davis-on-the-first-half-duquette-on-the-

rotation-brach-on-all-star-nod.html

Davis on the first half, Duquette on the rotation, Brach on

All-Star nod

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

July 11, 2016

The Orioles reach the All-Star break leading the American League East by two games. They are

51-36 and ahead of the pace of the 2014 Orioles that won 96 games and the American League

East title.

“I think we’ve played well,” first baseman Chris Davis said. “There have been times when we’ve

really shown we’re a complete team and there have been times we struggled. I think the last

couple of games, they were good for us to bear down and get away with two wins going into the

break.”

The Orioles ended the first half with back-to-back wins over the Angels to improve to 33-14 at

Camden Yards, where they are 7-1 in their past eight games and 16-4 in their last 20.

Duquette on the rotation: Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette was a guest on my

radio show Sunday on 105.7 FM the Fan, the Orioles flagship radio station in Baltimore. We

spent more than a few minutes on the Orioles starting rotation. I asked Duquette if the rotation’s

struggles threaten to derail what could be a very good season.

“We are going to have to get more consistent starting pitching to accomplish what we want to

accomplish, there is no question about that,” he said. “Having said that we have a couple of

veteran pitchers on the staff that have pitched to a higher level in other years of their career.

(Yovani) Gallardo is one and (Ubaldo) Jimenez is another. I expect them to pitch better the

second half of the year. It’s in the book, they’ve done that, just about every single year of their

career.”

Is there some help for the rotation on the farm?

“That is a possibility,” Duquette said. “I was looking at Joe Gunkel’s numbers the other day. He

is a year younger than Tyler Wilson at the same development level in the minors and he

performed better in the minors than Tyler Wilson has. I think there is a hope he can make a

contribution similar to what Wilson has done.

“He has good control and he’s come up with a good split-finger pitch. Very competitive kid,

local kid from Hershey, Pennsylvania and some of our fans up there have followed him.

“Ariel Miranda has good stuff. A left-hander and another guy with a split-finger and looked good

in his debut. Jayson Aquino came in and threw strikes. There are some pitchers there that may be

able to help us. I think perhaps the most consistent starter out of that group could possibly be

Gunkel.

“Beyond that, our scouts are out watching the other Major League clubs every day. There are

about 15 clubs chasing a few pitchers, so that is going be tough for anybody to acquire some

talent. But we’ve had some discussions with some teams and who knows, we may be able to add

to the club by the trade route.”

Brach is an All-Star: This is a special time for Orioles reliever Brad Brach. He is set to take part

in his first All-Star Game after a brilliant first half where he went 6-1 with an ERA of 0.91 and a

.155 batting average against. Over 49 1/3 innings he has walked 14 and fanned 58.

“It’s crazy, just having some of the guys come up to me and say ‘You can say you were an All-

Star forever. It doesn’t matter how you do the rest of your career, you’ll be known as an All-

Star,’” Brach said. “It is very humbling and I’m just really honored to be a part of the game.”

Last July, it was Darren O’Day representing the Orioles in his first All-Star Game and now

Brach is doing the same.

“Darren was talking about it the other day,” Brach said. “When he got in the line for the first

time, you stand there and you just hear all the names they are announcing. You’re on the team

with those guys and that is when it hit him. It’s going to be an amazing experience and I’m just

going to try and soak it all in.”

The All-Star nod this year takes on even more meaning for Brach with the game in San Diego.

That was the team that drafted him in the 42nd round in 2008 and where he got his big league

chance. That was also the team that traded him to the Orioles for minor league pitcher Devin

Jones in November of 2013.

“It’s awesome,” Brach said. “Going back to where I had the start to my career it’s extra special.

Petco Park is a special place for my family because that is where it all started and that is where

my first few years were.”

Sisco homers in Futures Game: Orioles catching prospect Chance Sisco has hit one home run

this year in 251 at-bats for the Double-A Bowie Baysox. But last night he homered in his second

at-bat in the All-Star Futures Game at San Diego’s Petco Park.

Sisco flied out to center in his first at-bat to end the second inning and then homered in the fourth

against right-hander Francisco Rios of the Toronto Blue Jays. He was replaced defensively in the

top of the sixth.

Sisco told MLB.com: “I just got a fastball up in the zone and tried to put the barrel on it. I didn’t

think it was going out. Maybe it would be a double. But when I saw it go over the wall, it was

awesome.”

The O’s No. 3 prospect heading into this season according to Baseball America said he had

about 50 family and friends in the stands. He grew up in Corona, Calif., which is just about 100

miles north of Petco Park.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2016/07/kim-on-his-injury-tillman-on-the-win-and-

more-clubhouse-quotes.html

Kim on his injury, Tillman on the win and more clubhouse

quotes

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

July 10, 2016

Orioles outfielder Hyun Soo Kim suffered a strained right hamstring today and left the game in

the second inning of the O’s 4-2 win over the Angels.

The injury happened when Kim was running to first base on a groundout to second in the first

inning.

“I felt a stinging pain as I was running,” Kim said, through interpreter Danny Lee. “I talked to

the trainer and decided to leave the game upon agreement. I hope that I don’t miss any games.

But I will be going through some tests tomorrow. So possibly there will be some good results

from it so I don’t have to miss any games.”

Today notwithstanding, Kim has had a strong first half for the Orioles, batting .329/.410/.454

with three homers and 11 RBIs in 46 games.

“Going through the first half it was very exciting for both the team and me. But ending the first

half like this with a possible injury was not a pleasing thing. So I’ll focus on getting back on the

field with healthy status,” he said.

Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman made 12 starts at home in the first half and the O’s went 12-0

in those games. With today’s win, the Birds went 16-3 in his starts. Today, he walked five but

allowed just three hits and one run and improved to 12-2 with an ERA of 3.41.

Chris-Tillman_Closeup-Tall.gif

“The end result was good and we came out on top,” Tillman said. “But it was a grind from the

get-go. I was kind of missing with all my pitches early. Fortunately, I was able to get into

somewhat of a rhythm and make some pitches. Came out on top, was good.”

He has had a bounce-back season in 2016.

“I mean, I am a team guy and don’t look too much at the personal stuff. I think we had a pretty

solid first half. We need to keep playing good baseball to get to where we want to be,” he said.

Tillman looked to be a near-lock for the All-Star game before a three-start stretch where he

allowed 14 runs over 14 2/3 innings. He has given up just two runs over 14 innings his past two

outings. But he is not on the All-Star team.

“No, it’s not disappointing,” Tillman said. “The American League is a good league and there are

a lot of guys that deserve it. We’ve got five guys going and that make everyone in this clubhouse

happy to be well represented at the All-Star game. Not disappointed at all.”

More clubhouse quotes:

Chris Davis on the first half for him and the team: “Yeah. I like the position that we are in

right now. Finishing the quote-unquote first half with two wins at home is good to build some

momentum for the second half.”

Davis on what he would like to improve on: “I mean, obviously the strikeouts. To me, that is

something I’m always working on. If I’m trying to take the positive out of it, I’ve had so many

seven or eight-pitch at-bats where I just couldn’t get it done. There have been too many

situations with runners in scoring position or even on first base where I could get them over, but

haven’t gotten the job done. That is something I need to continue to work on.”

Davis on Tillman not being an All-Star: “It is so hard, nowadays. Pitchers, really, they have

the upper hand right now. You look at the high strikeout rates and guys going six or seven

innings early in the season and padding their numbers, it is tough to single one guy out. I think

today was a good chance to see what he can do. That is a good lineup over there and I’m proud

of the way Chris has thrown the ball.”

Davis on possible loss of Kim: “That has been our forte the last few years, having someone step

up in big spots. I’m sure we’ll have someone that can fill in for him. I thought Nolan (Reimold)

had a pretty good first half. Joey (Rickard) got off to a huge start. But you are not going to

replace a guy like Kim.”

Zach Britton on getting his 100th career save: “It is just a whole number, right? I think it is a

credit to the guys that have thrown in front of me for a few years, Darren (O’Day) and Brad

(Brach). They’ve put me in some situations to be successful. It is a sum of the parts and not one

person.”

Britton on Tillman’s first half: “Huge. He should be going with us to San Diego, if you look at

what he’s done. It is hard to find five better starters than what he has done for a first-place team.

I knew working out with him in the offseason that he wanted to get back to what he had done the

previous years. There was no doubt he was going to do it.”

http://espn.go.com/blog/baltimore-orioles/post/_/id/1079/manny-machado-at-epicenter-of-

orioles-ascent

Manny Machado key to Orioles' ascent

By Eddie Matz / ESPN.com

July 10, 2016

BALTIMORE -- The All-Star break is here and believe it or not, following a 4-2 win against the

Los Angeles Angels, the Baltimore Orioles are still in first place. Last time they led the division

at the break, in 2014, they went on to win the pennant. While it remains to be seen how 2016 will

play out, it’s safe to say that nobody expected them to be where they are now. Anyone who says

differently (including me) is lying. Either that or they wear tight pants, a baseball hat, and lots of

black and orange to work every day. Speaking of people on Peter Angelos' payroll, it’s time to

dish out some hardware. Present some prizes. Bestow some baubles. Give some gold. You get

the point. Without further ado, I humbly submit for your consideration the Orioles midseason

awards:

MVP: Manny Machado. With all due respect to current MLB home run leader Mark Trumbo,

who has contributed to the most essential part of the O’s first-half success (their big bats), the

MVP cannot go to him. Because when you have the best player in baseball -- and for my money,

that’s Manny Machado -- it’s kind of an unwritten rule that he has to be the MVP of his own

team. Unless he’s in a major slump, which Machado is not and has not been all year. Quite the

opposite, in fact: Since going 4-for-4 way back on April 10, Machado’s average hasn’t dipped

below .300 all season. April’s player of the month in the American League, Machado's .957 OPS

leads the team and ranks fifth in the AL, and his 35 multi-hit games are tied for third. In other

words, he’s really good at the whole hitting-the-ball thing. But what makes him the Birds’ no-

brainer MVP? The whole catching-the-ball thing. After the O's lost J.J. Hardy for six weeks to a

broken foot, Machado slid over to shortstop and, despite having spent the past four years playing

third base almost exclusively, he essentially said, “Ain’t no big thang.” Just how valuable has

Machado been in the field? Despite splitting time between third (39 games) and short (44

games), he ranks in the top five in the AL in runs saved at both positions. That’s just crazy.

Cy Young: Zad Brachton. Don’t recognize the name? That’s what I’m calling the two-headed

bullpen monster that is Zach Britton and Brad Brach. I know it seems like a cop-out, but that’s

how dominant these two have been. Both are All-Stars. Both have a 1.3 fWAR. Both have sub-

1.00 ERAs. Their K rates are identical (10.6 per nine innings). Brach’s WHIP is 0.81, Britton’s is

0.82. Heck, they’re practically twins (except for the fact that one is a lefty and one is a righty).

But the biggest similarity of all: Without either of them, the Orioles -- whose bullpen has done

some world-class heavy lifting these first three months -- would be up the creek without a

paddle. Or a boat. Or water. That’s how important Zad Brachton has been.

Cy Old: Ubaldo Jimenez. To be clear, this isn’t about being an ancient hurler, but rather an

ineffective one. As in, the opposite of Cy Young. OK, now that we’ve got that out of the way,

let’s focus on the fact that Jimenez has been far and away Baltimore’s worst pitcher this year.

His 7.38 ERA is the highest in the majors by nearly a full run (min. 80 innings). He has gone

from starter to reliever and back to starter again because the pitching-poor Orioles don’t have

any other options. Unless a four-man rotation is a viable option. While that wouldn’t be a

popular decision among O’s starters, judging by the repeated boos at Camden Yards during

Jimenez’ last start, the good people of Charm City would be just fine with it.

Rookie of the Half-Year: Hyun Soo Kim. In early April, when The Joey Rickard Hype Machine

was on the verge of exploding from overuse and Kim was on the verge of being sent to the

minors, the odds of him winning the O’s ROHY were roughly equivalent to the odds of Iceland

winning a big international soccer match over England (wait, what?). Three months later, the 28-

year-old outfielder has become a fixture in the two-hole for Buck Showalter’s heavy-hitting club.

Among players with at least 170 plate appearances, the lefty-swinger, who started getting semi-

regular playing time in late May, ranks fifth in the AL in average (.329) and sixth in on-base

percentage (.410). On a free-swinging Birds squad, Kim’s plate discipline has been a revelation -

- he has a chance to become the first O’s regular since Rafael Palmeiro in 2004 to post more

walks than strikeouts.

Comeback Player of the Half-Year: Matt Wieters. With apologies to Chris Tillman, who has

rebounded from a blech 2015 to cement his status as the ace of the O’s staff (take if for what it’s

worth), this one is all Wieters. Last November, he surprised everyone by taking Baltimore’s one-

year, $15.8 million qualifying offer instead of signing a big-money, long-term contract

elsewhere. Maybe that’s because there was no big-money, long-term contract elsewhere. After

all, the switch-hitting catcher was coming off a partial season in which he returned from Tommy

John surgery and looked like a shell of himself, both with the lumber and the leather. But here

we are at the break, and Wieters has been rock solid on both sides of the ball. Not to mention,

he’s an All-Star. While none of his numbers jump off the page, that qualifying offer -- which at

the time felt to Orioles fans like a very expensive pair of handcuffs -- now seems like one of the

team’s best moves last offseason.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/baltimore-orioles/kim-leaves-game-strained-right-hamstring

Kim Leaves Game With A Strained Right Hamstring

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic

July 10, 2016

BALTIMORE—Orioles outfielder Hyun Soo Kim left the game after the first inning on Sunday

with a strained right hamstring.

Kim grounded out to first in his at-bat. He was replaced in left field by Joey Rickard.

Kim has been healthy all season, and he’s batting .329 with three home runs and 11 RBIs.

The Orioles outfield has been remarkably healthy this season. Only Adam Jones has missed time

with a rib cage injury early in the season.

If the Orioles had to put Kim on the disabled list, they have one left-handed hitting outfielder,

Henry Urrutia on the 40-man roster. Urrutia is currently at Bowie, where he’s hitting .306.

Mike Yastrzemski is at Norfolk, but he’s only hitting .239 with the Tides and isn’t on the 40-man

roster.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/baltimore-orioles/showalter-still-has-faith-caleb-joseph

Showalter Still Has Faith In Caleb Joseph

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic

July 10, 2016

BALTIMORE—It hasn’t been a terrific first half of the season for Caleb Joseph. He missed a

month after testicular surgery, and doesn’t have an RBI in 75 at-bats.

Last year, he had 49 RBIs in 320 at-bats. The Orioles have no complaints on his defense

“I think everybody would like to have both ends,” said manager Buck Showalter. “That’s why

guys like Matt [Wieters] and [Kansas City Royals catcher] Salvador Perez go to the All-Star

Game. But everybody starts out looking at catch, throw, receive, put down good fingers, and

Caleb does a great job with that. And we know he’s capable of swinging the bat better.

Showalter believes Joseph will hit better post All-Star break.

“He’s going to hit better. He’s got a track record of doing that. He had a lot of at-bats on rehab,

too,” Showalter said.

“I think Caleb’s one of the top-ranked framers, all that stuff they do. Calls a great game. We’re

lucky to have him. I think it bodes well for us the last 75 games because we know he’s going to

hit better, too, as he goes. He’s drove in some big runs for us since he’s been here. I know he’s

frustrated with it right now because the first question every day to him is about some statistic. He

doesn’t have to look at it. He knows.”

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2016/07/11/orioles-prospect-chance-sisco-impresses-in-futures-

game/

Orioles Prospect Chance Sisco Impresses In Futures Game

CBS Baltimore

July 11, 2016

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — The All-Star Futures Game, which showcases the MLB stars of the

future, took place yesterday in San Diego. 21-year-old Double-A catcher Chance Sisco

represented the Orioles and played for Team USA.

He’s a lefty-hitting catcher, which is a rare and valuable thing. Sisco also made waves after

hitting a bomb of a home run off Blue Jays prospect Francisco Rios. Sisco has apparently only

notched one home run in 71 games for Class AA Bowie this year and just hit six all last season.

This year in Bowie, Sisco is batting .307/.397/.398 in 71 Baysox games with 18 doubles, one

triple, one homer and 28 RBIs. He ranks fourth in the Eastern League in batting average and

third in OBP. Sisco was also rated No. 85 yesterday on Baseball America’s mid-season top 100

prospects report.

Current All-Star players like Zach Britton and Manny Machado, as well as Jonathan Schoop,

Chris Tillman, and more have all played in this game for the Orioles.

Congrats, Sisco!

http://www.baltimorebaseball.com/2016/07/11/myriad-os-thoughts-tillman-star-brittons-surge-

first-place-os/

Myriad O’s thoughts: Humble Tillman snubbed; Britton’s

surge; first-half, first-place

By Dan Connolly / BaltimoreBaseball.com

July 11, 2016

Among the professional athletes I’ve covered, Chris Tillman is way up on the list when it comes

to not being concerned about how he is viewed by anyone other than his teammates.

He never, ever boasts about his own accomplishments. In fact, he usually downplays everything

he has done.

So let’s boast for him.

Tillman deserved to be in the 2016 All Star Game, though he says he’s not disappointed that he

was passed over.

“The American League is a good league. There are a lot of good pitchers. A lot of guys that

deserve it,” Tillman said. “We’ve got five guys going, so that makes everyone in this clubhouse

happy. We’re well represented. I’m not disappointed at all.”

If AL manager Ned Yost had chosen Tillman, it would have been his second selection. He also

made it in 2013, when he was 11-3 with a 3.95 ERA in 19 starts.

This year he is 12-2 with a 3.41 ERA in 19 starts after Sunday’s victory against the Los Angeles

Angels. So he’s even better than he was the last time he got the nod. And his importance to the

beleaguered Orioles staff is immeasurable. The Orioles are 16-3 when he starts and 35-33 when

anyone else does.

“I worked out with him in the offseason. I know how much he put into it, and we know that he’s

performed at the level of the guys that are going (to the All Star Game),” said Orioles All Star

closer Zach Britton. “It’s nice to get recognized, and he definitely deserves it. I would think you

would even say more so than he did when he made it in 2013 … He’s definitely pitched like

we’re a first-place team. He’s the highlight guy of our rotation and we’ve pretty much ridden his

back to where we are now.”

On Sunday afternoon, while Tillman was pitching, it was announced that Cleveland’s Danny

Salazar was being scratched from the All Star team due elbow soreness and would be replaced

by Chicago’s Jose Quintana, who is 7-8 with a 3.21 ERA in 18 starts for a middling White Sox

club.

Sure, the Orioles already have five All Stars. And that’s plenty. But that’s also one fewer than

the Boston Red Sox, and the Orioles are leading the East.

Tillman probably would have been a slam-dunk, but he hit a rough patch in June, allowing 14

earned runs in a three-game stretch. But he’s bounced back with two effective outings to finish

the first half.

Because he pitched Sunday, that also hurt his chances to be selected – something Orioles

manager Buck Showalter alluded to. But Showalter added something that I’m sure would

resonate with Tillman.

“I know there is one thing Chris wants to really go to and that’s the last game of the World

Series,” Showalter said. “That’s what he’s interested in.”

I get all that. And I’m sure Tillman could use the rest, too. So it may be a good thing for the 2016

Orioles that he’s not an All Star.

But that doesn’t mean it’s any less of a snub.

Britton’s amazing surge

Britton picked up his 27th save in 27 save opportunities with a scoreless inning Sunday. And

that’s impressive enough.

But it was the 28-year-old’s 100th career save – incredible considering the converted starter took

over the closer’s role in May 2014.

He had 37 saves that year, 36 in 2015 and now 27 so far this season.

“That’s a nice little number but, I think it’s more of a credit to how well Darren (O’Day) and

Brad (Brach) have thrown in front of me, and a lot of other guys too, to put me in a situation to

be successful,” Britton said. “It’s a group effort.”

The humility thing is contagious in the Orioles’ clubhouse and that’s a good thing. But I only see

one guy out there on the mound in the ninth inning with the game on the line for the Orioles.

It’s pretty crazy how Britton has seized the job and, almost immediately, became one of the best

in the game at shutting the door on the opposition.

He’s one of only five men who have saved 100 games for the Orioles, joining Gregg Olson

(160), Jim Johnson (122), Tippy Martinez (105) and Stu Miller (100). That’s pretty good

company.

First place is first place

There’s obviously another half of baseball to go.

But the Orioles (51-36) are in first in the AL East, two games ahead of the Boston Red Sox and

Toronto Blue Jays.

That’s not much of a margin. But it’s better than the alternative.

“It’s obvious what’s ahead of us. A lot of challenges. But we have a chance to play meaningful

games every day. They were in April, OK? So, they’ve earned that and they want it. They want

to be in that cooker,” Showalter said of his players. “That’s the difference between them and a

lot of people. They want to play. They want to be in the arena, not watching outside-in.

Everybody would like to be in it, but they don’t have the ability that they have. They want that.

Have to cross a lot of roads to get there, though. A lot of roads.”

And, when you think about it, this wasn’t an easy road. They’ve had injuries, they’ve had losing

streaks, they’ve had terrible starting pitching and awful free-swinging for stretches. And they are

leading their division at the break.

“I don’t know if we even had halfway goals to be honest with you. I think it’s always just kind of

an overall goal: Where are you at the end of the year?” Orioles first baseman Chris Davis said. “I

think we played well. I think there have been times that we’ve really shown we are a complete

team and then there have been times when we’ve struggled.”

Lincecum pitches at Camden Yards for first time

The Orioles faced right-hander Tim Lincecum on Sunday for just the second time in his heralded

career, touching him up for nine hits and three runs in 5 2/3 innings (one run, though, was set up

by the Angels’ spotty defense).

It was the just the fifth start of the season for the two-time Cy Young Award winner, who began

the year late due to left hip surgery last September.

Lincecum had a showcase in May and the Orioles attended. They obviously needed starting

pitching, but they knew at the time – and were right – that Lincecum preferred to stay on the

West Coast.

Lincecum was a long-time star with the San Francisco Giants, who drafted him with the 10th

overall pick in 2006.

That draft always haunts the Orioles, who had the ninth pick in 2006 and selected New Jersey

high school slugger Billy Rowell, who didn’t get higher than Double-A Bowie. The 11th pick in

the draft was another Cy Young winner, Max Scherzer.

Oh well, the Orioles are in first place at the 2016 All Star Break, right?

http://www.baltimorebaseball.com/2016/07/10/kim/

Kim’s hoping to avoid DL; his absence would be a blow to

power-centric offense

By Dan Connolly / BaltimoreBaseball.com

July 10, 2016

The Orioles aren’t sure how long they will be without left fielder Hyun Soo Kim, who strained

his right hamstring running to first base on a groundout Sunday. But they are hopeful the injury

is minor and he can be ready for the beginning of the second half, which starts Friday at Tampa

Bay.

“He’s got 4 ½ days. We’ll see,” said Orioles manager Buck Showalter. “It’s kind of good he’s

had some history with it, so he has an idea. But we’ll see.”

If Kim has to go on the 15-day disabled list, the clock would start Monday, so he could return by

July 26.

Showalter said Kim’s interpreter, Danny Lee, told him that Kim had a similar experience before

an All Star Break in Korea.

“Through the interpreter, he was talking that he did this the last two days before the All Star

Break in Korea. Said a couple days later he was fine,” Showalter said. “I said, ‘The moral of that

story is don’t play him the day before the All Star Break.’ I wish I had known about it.”

Kim’s lone at-bat Sunday was in the first, when he grounded out and felt the pain as he ran down

the first base line. He was replaced in the field in the top of the second by Joey Rickard.

“I felt a stinging pain as I was running. I talked to the trainer and decided to leave the game upon

agreement,” Kim, through his interpreter, told MASN post-game. “I hope that I don’t miss any

games. But I will be going through some tests (Monday). So, possibly, there will be some good

results from it, so I don’t have to miss any games.”

Given how he started the season – refusing a club request to start the year in the minors after a

rough spring training – it’s a testament to the 28-year-old’s ability to hit that any prolonged

absence will be missed. That’s a pretty remarkable change from the start of the year.

After playing sparingly in April, Kim has become the club’s best hitter for average, batting .329

with a team-best .410 on-base percentage. He’s the starting left fielder against right-handed

pitching while Rickard and Nolan Reimold often start versus left-handers.

There’s no question that someone will have to step up if Kim is placed on the disabled list, but

that may not be an easy task since the Orioles have a dearth of contact hitters on the roster.

Kim has been able to bring a different skill set to the Orioles’ free-swinging, powerful lineup. So

a DL stay for Kim would be another hurdle the club will have to leap as it attempts to stay in first

place.

“That’s kind of been our forte the last few years, having guys step up in big spots, so I’m sure

we’ll have someone who can fill in for him,” first baseman Chris Davis said. “I thought Nolan

had a pretty good first half and Joey obviously got off to a huge start and has had some good at-

bats lately. But you’re not going to replace a guy like Kim-my.”