World Champions 1983, 1970, 1966

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

American League Wild Card 2016, 2012, 1996

Monday, July 17, 2017

Game Stories:

Helpless vs. Cubs' Quintana, O's lose, 8-0, and are a 2017-worst 7 games below .500;

Jimenez shelled The Sun 7/16

Jimenez is latest starter to struggle as O's fall MLB.com 7/16

Orioles swept by Cubs in first post-break series (with quotes) MASNsports.com 7/16

Ubaldo Jiménez allows six runs as Cubs complete sweep MASNsports.com 7/16

Quintana dazzles in Cubs debut, fans 12 to beat Orioles Associated Press 7/16

Columns:

Orioles rotation, with a league-worst ERA of 6.02, is spinning out of control The Sun

7/16

Orioles notes: Tillman to make first start since June 30 tonight vs. Rangers The Sun 7/17

One year removed from first start, Dylan Bundy still building identity in Orioles' starting

rotation The Sun 7/17

Tillman set for action as O's take on Rangers MLB.com 7/16

Sharper Britton nearing return to closer role MLB.com 7/16

Available Orioles and Tillman’s return to the mound MASNsports.com 7/17

Notes on Schoop and Giavotella (O’s down 8-0) MASNsports.com 7/16

Flaherty on the frustration of injury and Orioles’ struggles MASNsports.com 7/16

Pondering the future, a draft pick gets signed and farm notes MASNsports.com 7/17

Ubaldo Jiménez and Chris Davis on the 0-3 second half start MASNsports.com 7/16

Brad Brach Has Become A Rock In Orioles' Bullpen PressBoxOnline.com 7/17

At A Crossroads, No Easy Answer To Which Path Orioles Should Take

PressBoxOnline.com 7/17

Orioles Need To Change Their Starting Pitching Philosophy PressBoxOnline.com 7/17

10 Questions With Orioles Closer Zach Britton PressBoxOnline.com 7/17

Orioles look to turn it around vs. Rangers CBS Sports 7/17

The Orioles lost again Sunday and their starting rotation has been historically awful CBS

Sports 7/17

Plenty of questions about the Orioles’ broken rotation, but there are no obvious fixes

BaltimoreBaseball.com 7/17

O’s rotation on pace to easily be worst in club history — bottom 10 in MLB in last 100

years BaltimoreBaseball.com 7/16

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-cubs-game-story-20170716-

story.html

Helpless vs. Cubs' Quintana, O's lose, 8-0, and are a 2017-

worst 7 games below .500; Jimenez shelled

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun

July 16, 2017

In an 8-0 Orioles loss that secured a series sweep at Camden Yards for the visiting Chicago Cubs

and dropped the Orioles to a season-worst seven games below .500 (42-49), Quintana struck out

12 and walked none to dazzle in his team debut.

Jiménez, meanwhile, ceded 11 hits before he was pulled in the fourth inning, many of them

rockets that found patches of outfield grass. He left trailing 6-0.

"We’re playing a world champion team that everyone knew was going to get going at some

point," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "Unfortunately, they got started here. They’re on

the top of their game. They have a lot of good pieces. Good starting pitching. We were not up to

the challenge."

After a quick first inning, the Cubs tagged Jiménez for four runs on six hits in the second inning,

then added a two-run home run by third baseman Kris Bryant in the fourth inning that helped

spell the end for Jiménez.

With steady bat, Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph continues to prove nightmare 2016 is behind him

Showalter said he was encouraged by Jiménez's first inning, but "his command deserted him in

the second inning."

Said Jimenez: "I was able to get ahead, but I couldn’t put it away. They took a good approach …

and by the time I figured it out it was too late. They’d already scored three or four runs."

Quintana, who switched sides of Chicago when the Cubs dealt four prospects to the Chicago

White Sox for his services last week, allowed three hits in seven innings and tied a franchise

strikeout record for a team debut.

"That’s why you have to give up four players for guys like him," Showalter said. "I think he’s

under control the next three years for them. ... We knew he’d be having a lot of adrenaline

flowing for him today, new teammates, trying to make a mark and prove himself a little bit. He

was big."

Yet again, the Orioles bullpen came in and did its job after a starter struggled to do the same.

Left-hander Donnie Hart retired all six batters he faced before turning the ball over to Mychal

Givens, who fanned two and retired all four batters tasked to him.

Zach Britton pitched a scoreless eighth inning to keep him on his every-other-day schedule since

returning from a left forearm strain, before Darren O’Day allowed a two-run home run in a

difficult ninth inning.

"The bullpen did another good job," Showalter said. "Darren had a little hiccup, but we were able

to stretch it out. We were a little short down there."

Center fielder Adam Jones’ move back to the leadoff spot that suited him so well last season had

been off to a slow start since he reinherited the role Friday, as he hadn’t collected a hit and had

reached only on a hit-by-pitch in his first two games.

But he ended that -- and gave the Orioles their first hit of the day -- by hacking at the first pitch

of the fourth inning and pulling it into the left-field corner for a ground-rule double. Jones was

left at third base.

The Orioles' day was short on offensive highlights. Catcher Welington Castillo singled to left in

the fifth inning, and shortstop Jonathan Schoop singled to center to open the seventh. Jones was

hit by a pitch on the foot in the ninth for the Orioles' fourth and final base runner.

The All-Star second baseman Schoop made his second start of the season at shortstop and again

looked at home there. He handled five chances overall, three at shortstop and two at his typical

second base spot in the shift.

His best play of the day showed he’s a natural second baseman. Shifted to the right side of the

bag against a left-handed hitter, Schoop ranged deep into the first base hole to cut off a ground

ball and second baseman Johnny Giavotella in the process.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/242439078/cubs-jose-quintana-fans-12-in-win-vs-orioles/

Jimenez is latest starter to struggle as O's fall

By Mandy Bell and Carrie Muskat / MLB.com

July 16, 2017

BALTIMORE -- Jose Quintana made a great first impression on the Cubs, who did their best to

welcome him. Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo each belted two-run homers and rookie Ian Happ

smacked a two-run double to back Quintana in his debut, an 8-0 Interleague victory on Sunday

over the Orioles at Camden Yards.

"This one is special for me because it's the first one with the Cubs," said Quintana, who received

a celebratory cold-water shower by his new teammates after the game. "I just want to help this

team."

Acquired from the White Sox on Thursday for four Minor Leaguers, including the Cubs' No. 1

prospect, Eloy Jimenez, Quintana didn't disappoint. The lefty retired the first nine batters he

faced and scattered three hits over seven innings while striking out 12, one shy of his career high.

"He could really be a big boon to us," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "We grab a lead, and he

pitched really well with the lead. There's no messing around, there's no walks, there's no bad

counts. He made them put the ball in play, and he's punching guys out. He was burying the curve

and elevating the fastball. He was doing everything well."

How rare was it for Quintana to get some runs? He got four or more runs when he was in the

game in six of his 18 starts with the White Sox this season. Since 2012, he leads the Major

Leagues with 65 no-decisions.

The Cubs, trying to catch the Brewers in the National League Central, had scored 19 runs in the

first two games of this series and jumped on Orioles starter Ubaldo Jimenez in a four-run second.

Jimenez was pulled after serving up 11 hits over 3 2/3 innings. It was a rough series for the

Orioles' starters, who gave up 21 runs over 11 1/3 innings.

"I'll tell you, his first inning, that was about as good of stuff he's had maybe since he's been

here," Orioles' manager Buck Showalter said of Jimenez. "But his command deserted him the

second inning, and balls he was trying to throw in were center cut, and balls he's trying to throw

away come back over the plate. It's a good team. They're not going to let you get away with those

mistakes."

Rizzo's blast, his 22nd of the season, came with a man on in the ninth. With the win, the Cubs

swept the series and won three in a row on the road for the first time this season.

What did Maddon like about the Cubs' play?

"Energy," Maddon said. "The most impressive part has been the energy. I really believe if we

play with that kind of internal fire and energy, we'll win a lot of games in the second half. It's

how we feel about ourselves."

The Cubs' players noticed a difference.

"We are back," catcher Willson Contreras said. "We're back to where we were last year."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Catching on: Contreras has been hot since moving into the clean-up spot and went 4-for-5 on

Sunday, setting a career high in hits. Contreras, Kyle Schwarber and Happ hit consecutive

doubles to open the second, and Contreras and Schwarber scored on Happ's drive. Jason

Heyward followed with an RBI single and then scored two outs later on Ben Zobrist's RBI single

for a 4-0 lead. Jimenez threw 30 pitches that inning. Contreras is 18-for-42 (.429) with three

homers in his last 11 games.

The key? It could be rookie catcher Victor Caratini's bats. Contreras has been using them since

the All-Star break, and he's 8-for-14.

"I have to thank Victor," Contreras said. "He gave me bats, and I'm hitting with his bats and I'm

hot. Thanks, Victor. He's a great guy. I love Victor." More >

Join the party: In the first two games of the series, the Cubs scored 19 runs, but none by Bryant.

That changed in the fourth. Jon Jay singled to open the inning and reached third on Zobrist's

squibbler that catcher Welington Castillo fielded. Bryant then launched a 1-0 pitch into the left-

field seats for his 19th homer and a 6-0 lead. According to Statcast™, it was the hardest-hit home

run of Bryant's career, with an exit velocity of 113 mph.

"I think our offense came alive here," Bryant said.

QUOTABLE

"We have starting pitchers who have a better track record than they've had. It's been very

sporadic. We haven't been pitching well. The bullpen has done a really good job keeping it in

order, but it's hard to keep it in order with the short starts we're having. It took a lot of

imagination to get through this game, especially with a short turnaround." -- Showalter

"It's not just me, but I think everyone needed it, the rest was needed. Everybody looks focused,

everybody looks like they have a plan, and an approach. We're not wasting time, we're attacking

pitches." -- Contreras, on the benefit of the All-Star break

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

With the win, the Cubs posted their first sweep of an American League East team since taking

three against the Red Sox from June 30-July 2, 2014.

The 12 strikeouts by Quintana tied a franchise record for the most in a Cubs debut, set by Matt

Garza on April 3, 2011, against the Pirates.

WHAT'S NEXT

Cubs: Jon Lester will make his first start of the second half on Monday when the Cubs get their

first look at the Braves' new stadium, SunTrust Park. It will be Lester's 20th start of the season.

He is 4-2 with a 2.14 ERA in seven career starts against the Braves. First pitch is scheduled for

6:35 p.m. CT.

Orioles: Chris Tillman gets the call when the Orioles open up a four-game series with the

Rangers at Camden Yards on Monday in his first start since June 30 after skipping his last outing

for the birth of his daughter. The righty had one of his best starts his last time out, giving up

fewer than three runs for just the second time this season. Tillman is 1-5 on the year with a 7.90

ERA. First pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m. ET.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2017/07/orioles-swept-by-cubs-in-first-post-break-

series.html

Orioles swept by Cubs in first post-break series (with

quotes)

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

July 16, 2017

The All-Star break didn’t fix the Orioles’ starting rotation. It’s still broken.

Rest must not have been the answer.

Ubaldo Jiménez lasted only 3 2/3 innings this afternoon and the Orioles lost to the Cubs 8-0

before an announced crowd of 31,105 at Camden Yards.

The Orioles were swept in the opening series of the second half and fell to 42-49, putting them

seven games below .500 for the first time this season. They were shut out today for the fifth time

and the Cubs outscored them 27-11.

Jiménez surrendered six runs and a season-high 11 hits. Donnie Hart replaced Jiménez, who

walked off the field to a chorus of boos.

The starters in the series combined to allow 21 runs, as the Orioles fell behind 8-0, 7-0 and 6-0.

That’s no way to contend.

That’s no way to live.

Today marked Jiménez’s fourth start of fewer than four innings and seventh of fewer than five

among his 14 non-relief outings. His ERA has swelled to 7.01 in 87 1/3 innings. Patience again

grows thin.

José Quintana, making his Cubs debut, shut out the Orioles on three hits with no walks and 12

strikeouts over seven innings.

Quintana retired the first nine batters before Adam Jones led off the fourth with a double.

Welington Castillo singled with two outs in the fifth to give the Orioles their second baserunner.

Through six innings, Quintana already had notched 11 strikeouts in an utterly dominant

performance. He fanned Mark Trumbo after Jonathan Schoop’s leadoff single in the seventh and

Chris Davis grounded into a double play.

The 12 strikeouts for Quintana tied the Cubs record for most in a pitcher’s debut with the club.

Matt Garza also struck out 12 on April 3, 2011 versus the Pirates.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Quintana and Randy Johnson in 1998 are the only pitchers

since 1900 to strike out 10 or more batters in consecutive games with different teams.

Jones was hit by a Brian Duensing pitch in the ninth inning to give the Orioles four baserunners

on the day.

Everything was hit hard off Jiménez. Much of it was redundant.

Willson Contreras, Kyle Schwarber and Ian Happ opened the second inning with doubles to left-

center field. Happ got the RBI. Jason Heyward followed with a run-scoring single and Ben

Zobrist delivered one with two outs on a ball that scooted under a diving Johnny Giavotella.

Jiménez somehow allowed two singles and struck out a batter in a 10-pitch scoreless third

inning, but he came out of the game after Kris Bryant’s two-run homer in the fourth and

Contreras’ two-out infield hit.

The Orioles’ bullpen did its part again until the ninth. Hart retired all six batters he faced,

Mychal Givens retired all four and Zach Britton stranded two in a scoreless eighth. But Anthony

Rizzo hit a two-run homer off Darren O’Day in the ninth.

A showcase for Britton and O’Day? A team in the cellar ready to concede that it must become

sellers?

Stay tuned.

Showalter on Jiménez: “I’ll tell you, his first inning, that was about as good of stuff he’s had

maybe since he’ been here, but his command deserted him the second inning and balls he was

trying to throw in were center cut and balls he’s trying to throw away come back over the plate.

It’s a good team. They’re not going to let you get away with those mistakes. The bullpen did

another good job. Darren had a little hiccup, but we were able to stretch it out. We were a little

short down there. Trying to stay away from guys who don’t need to pitch.”

On Quintana: “That’s why you have to give up four players for guys like him. I think he’s under

control the next three years for them, so that’s ... We knew he’d be having a lot of adrenaline

flowing for him today, new teammates, trying to make a mark and prove himself a little bit. He

was big. Obviously, we didn’t score any runs, so it’s hard to hang it around ... You start there

with Quintana and the fact that we didn’t score any runs.”

On again falling behind big early: “It affects guys. It affects you offensively, but first game of

the series we were able to grind our way back into the game. That’s not so easy against major

league caliber frontline guys like Quintana. They play to your aggressiveness and take you out of

any plan you might have trying to attack a pitcher. It has an effect. It certainly does.”

On difficulty of being swept at home after break: “All losses are hard. We’re playing a world

champion team that everyone knew was going to get going at some point. Unfortunately, they

are started here. They’re on the top of their game. They have a lot of good pieces. Good starting

pitching. We were not up to the challenge. We’ll see if we can get it started tomorrow.”

On why he believes team can turn it around: “We have starting pitchers who have a better track

record than they’ve had. It’s been very sporadic. We haven’t been pitching well. The bullpen has

done a really good job keeping it in order, but it’s hard to keep it in order with the short starts

we’re having. It took a lot of imagination to get through this game, especially with a short

turnaround.”

On how he can continue trusting track records: “As opposed to what? It’s been a challenge for us

and we have to figure out.”

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/07/ubaldo-jimenez-allows-six-runs-as-cubs-

complete-sweep.html

Ubaldo Jiménez allows six runs as Cubs complete sweep

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

July 16, 2017

A team desperate for a good starting pitching performance went another day without one. Right-

hander Ubaldo Jiménez lasted just 3 2/3 innings this afternoon as the Chicago Cubs batters teed

off again on an Orioles starting pitcher.

The Cubs scored four in the second and two in the fourth on their way to an 8-0 win over the

Orioles behind lefty José Quintana at Camden Yards. They scored 27 runs in the three-game

series sweep and hit 10 homers.

Jiménez allowed 11 hits, one off his career-high and six runs, throwing 80 pitches. He allowed

four straight hits, including three doubles, to start the second. He gave up Kris Bryant’s two-run

homer in the fourth.

Orioles starters got torched in this series. They went a combined 11 1/3 innings, allowing 27 hits,

21 runs and seven home runs. O’s starters have gone 5 2/3 innings or less 10 consecutive games.

They have just five quality starts in the last 36 games.

Meanwhile, making his Cubs debut, Quintana threw seven scoreless at the Orioles on three hits

and just one runner reached third base. In a 100-pitch outing, Quintana did not walk a batter and

fanned 12, getting 20 swings and misses. This was his 10th career game with 10 or more

strikeouts.

He tied a franchise record for most strikeouts in his debut with the team. Matt Garza fanned 12

Pirates on April 3, 2011.

While the Cubs leave town at 46-45, the Orioles fall to a season-worst seven games under the

.500 mark at 42-49. They have lost eight of 10, 10 of 13 and 33 of their past 50 games. They fall

to 25-19 at home, where they have lost seven of their last eight games.

The Orioles welcome Texas to town on Monday night to continue this 10-game homestand.

Right-hander Chris Tillman (1-5, 7.90 ERA) pitches for the Orioles against right-hander Andrew

Cashner (4-7, 3.54 ERA).

http://www.espn.com/mlb/recap?gameId=370716101

Quintana dazzles in Cubs debut, fans 12 to beat Orioles

By Associated Press

July 16, 2017

BALTIMORE -- Jose Quintana is well aware of the lofty expectations that came with his trade to

the Chicago Cubs.

He certainly dazzled his new teammates in his debut.

Quintana struck out a season-high 12 in seven sharp innings and the Cubs beat the Baltimore

Orioles 8-0 Sunday for a three-game sweep.

"It was my first outing with the Cubs, but after the first inning, I felt really good," Quintana said.

"I threw everything in the first inning and just focused on making quick outs."

Acquired by the defending World Series champions during the All-Star break from the Chicago

White Sox for a playoff push, Quintana gave the Cubs exactly the kind of boost they hoped to

get.

"It could really be a big boon to us, there's no question," Chicago manager Joe Maddon said.

"Everybody else saw it."

The lefty ace allowed three hits, walked none and joined Matt Garza as the only pitchers in Cubs

history to fan 12 in their debut.

Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo homered to help the Cubs move over .500 for the first time since

June 29. The Cubs hit 10 home runs during the sweep at Camden Yards.

Chicago took advantage of another wild start by Ubaldo Jimenez (4-5) and opened a 4-0 lead in

the second. Willson Contreras added a career-high four hits.

The Cubs traded their top two prospects, outfielder Eloy Jimenez and right-hander Dylan Cease,

along with infielders Matt Rose and Bryant Flete, to get Quintana. He was 4-8 with a 4.49 ERA

for the White Sox.

Chicago began the day 5 1/2 games behind in the races for the NL Central and second wild-card

spot.

"We're playing a world champion team that everyone knew was going to get going at some

point," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "Unfortunately, they started here. They're on the

top of their game. They have a lot of good pieces. We were not up to the challenge."

Quintana retired nine straight batters until Adam Jones led off the fourth with a double. This was

the 10th time in his career, and third this season, he fanned at least 10.

"All the other starters saw it. They saw that we grabbed a lead and there was no messing around.

There was no walks. There was no bad counts."

Ian Happ had a two-run double and scored on Jason Heyward's single in the second. Heyward

stole second and scored the fourth run on a two-out single by Ben Zobrist.

A two-run homer by Bryant, his 19th, boosted the margin to 6-0 in the fourth.

Jimenez allowed six runs and 11 hits, one shy of tying a career-high, over 3 2/3 innings. He has

not pitched past the fifth inning in four of his past five starts.

Rizzo hit his 22nd home run in the ninth off Darren O'Day.

"I really believe if we play with that kind of internal fire, that kind of energy we'll win a lot of

games in the second half," Maddon said.

DOMINATION

It was the Cubs' second consecutive sweep of the Orioles; they took three from Baltimore in

2014. Chicago also improved to 9-3 all-time against Baltimore.

QUIET BATS

The Orioles were shut out for the seventh time this season and struck out 14 times, two shy of

their season high.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Cubs: LHP Brett Anderson (back) allowed five runs (three earned) and eight hits with four

strikeouts and one walk over 41/3 innings Saturday for Double-A Tennessee. He is 1-2 with 5.06

ERA in five rehab appearances.

Orioles: SS J.J. Hardy's rib injury is fully healed, but he remains on the DL with a right wrist

fracture.

UP NEXT

Cubs: LHP Jon Lester (5-6, 4.25 ERA) is slated to start Monday against Atlanta RHP Julio

Teheran (7-6, 4.79). Lester is looking to bounce back from his last outing when he allowed 10

runs (four earned) in 2/3 of an inning -- the shortest start of his 12-year career.

Orioles: RHP Chris Tillman (1-5, 7.90) takes the mound Monday against Texas, trying to earn

his first win since May 7. The Rangers will counter with RHP Andrew Cashner (4-7, 3.54).

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bs-sp-orioles-starting-pitching-mainbar-0717-

story.html

Orioles rotation, with a league-worst ERA of 6.02, is

spinning out of control

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun

July 16, 2017

It turns out that four days off in mid-July wasn’t the panacea for the Orioles rotation that so

many hoped for and that the team required if it was going to play meaningful baseball deep into

the season’s second half.

The Orioles starters have a 6.02 ERA after right-hander Ubaldo Jiménez allowed six runs by the

fourth inning in Sunday’s 8-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs, who earned a series sweep. Every poor

start drops the 42-49 Orioles further out of playoff contention, and there’s no bottom in sight.

“It’s been a challenge for us,” Buck Showalter said of his starting pitchers. “We’ve got to figure

it out, and games are dwindling.”

Jiménez, who failed to pitch out of the fourth inning for the fifth time this season, said the group

is well-aware of what it’s going through, especially now that the idea of a fresh start to open the

second half of the season is gone.

“It is disappointing,” Jiménez said. “There’s no question about it, it’s disappointing. But this is

baseball. We need to figure it out. … I think everyone wants to do their job, and I don’t think

you’re going to get more pressure. Every five days, you want to go out there and be there for the

team. We all know how things are going right now, but I don’t think we more pressure than we

already have.”

In a series in which none of the Orioles starters made it past the fifth inning, and in a season

during which the club has just 32 quality starts, Showalter has had plenty of occasion to analyze

the carryover of a string of bad starts.

On Saturday, he spoke of the pressure a pitcher can put on himself to be the guy who stops such

a tide. There’s been plenty of occasion for that, especially this series.

Kevin Gausman got shelled for four home runs and eight runs in three innings Friday night, only

to spit the hook on the loss when the team erased its eight-run deficit before falling in the ninth

inning. Wade Miley allowed seven runs without completing five innings Saturday night to

continue his free fall from the league’s ERA leaderboard in May, and went so far after the start

as to say he wasn’t even good when his numbers looked it.

Then there’s Jiménez, who was booed off the mound by the partisan home fans Sunday after

yielding six runs on 11 hits without completing four innings.

Taken in total, the rotation allowed 21 runs in 11 1/3 innings, and only Friday’s improbable

comeback (and the required 24 2/3 innings of impressive relief pitching) kept the series from

looking even worse.

The homestand has seven games remaining, four against the Texas Rangers and three against the

Houston Astros, both clubs whose offenses could make for more pitching headaches. The

Orioles’ streaky offense has been at fault for some of the team’s recent struggles, but Showalter

still turns to the fact that these pitchers have pitched better before as a reason to believe things

will turn around for the club.

“We’ve got some starting pitching that’s got a better track record than they’ve had. It’s been very

sporadic, them pitching well. … It’s hard to keep [a bullpen] in order with the short starts we’re

having. It takes a lot of imagination to get through a game.”

That imagination extends to before games, too. Showalter said before the game that the team

even has considered starting with the relief pitchers and essentially pitching the game backward,

even if there are plenty of reasons it wouldn’t work out.

“Believe me,” he said. “We’ve thought of what a lot of people would consider some unorthodox

stuff. … It’s a challenge.”

Helpless vs. Cubs' Quintana, O's lose, 8-0, and are a 2017-worst 7 games below .500; Jimenez

shelled

The rotation’s 6.02 ERA is over a full run worse than any other in the American League, and

would be the highest for a major league team’s rotation since the Rangers posted a 6.24 ERA in

2003 under Showalter. Just three major league

teams finished a season with an ERA of 6.00 or higher this century, the others being the 2001

Rangers and the 2005 Kansas City Royals.

Showalter doesn’t really know what he’ll get tonight from Chris Tillman in his first start since

June 30, as the right-hander missed a start for the birth of his daughter. After him, right-hander

Dylan Bundy will resume what’s been an up-and-down season, albeit one that has him leading

all Orioles starters with a 4.41 ERA.

While it’s been difficult to stick with this group, Showalter said, “It’s kind of, ‘As opposed to

what?’ ” The alternatives are thin. There’s a lot of money invested in the current pitchers. But the

short starts are draining any promise out of the season.

“It’s tough,” first baseman Chris Davis said. “I mean, none of these guys in here want to go out

and perform poorly. Everybody in here holds themselves accountable and holds themselves to a

high standard. You can see it on their faces. You can see it in their body language, the

frustration. But at the same time, you’ve got to start making adjustments.”

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bs-sp-orioles-notes-0717-story.html

Orioles notes: Tillman to make first start since June 30

tonight vs. Rangers

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun

July 17, 2017

Try as he might to build up some positivity ahead of Chris Tillman’s first start, manager Buck

Showalter said he’s “not real sure” what to expect in the veteran right-hander’s first start since

June 30 when he takes the mound Monday night.

“He’s had, really, three workdays, counting the one he had in Bowie,” Showalter said. “He’s

certainly rested. But I’m hoping that he takes his new fatherhood to another level.”

Tillman was scheduled to start July 5 in Milwaukee but stayed back in Baltimore for the birth of

his first child. He took a bullpen session later that week in Bowie before rejoining the team in

Minnesota, but didn’t get into a game.

Showalter said earlier in the weekend that the team thought with all Tillman had gone through

that last week before the All-Star break, keeping him out until Monday was the best play.

Before that, Tillman found some positives in his June 30 start against the Tampa Bay Rays,

allowing two runs on seven hits in five innings while taking a no-decision. It’s been a difficult

free-agent season for Tillman, though, as he’s carrying a 7.90 ERA in 11 starts after missing the

first month of the season with a shoulder injury that has hampered him since last August.

“I was kidding him the other day,” Showalter said. “I know some of you all in here have had that

moment the first time you looked in a crib and said: ‘Oh, my gosh, I have to find something I’m

pretty good at that they’ll actually pay me for, because there’s somebody down this hallway

who’s counting on me to be pretty good.’ I don’t know. I think Chris should be able to pay the

bills.

“That’s kind of getting a little deep with it, but I’m anxious to watch him pitch. We’ll see if he’s

going to have the type of last two-fifths of the season that he’s capable of. So, we thought it

would benefit him with all the things that went on in his life to have two or three workdays and

get ready to go.”

Zach Britton worked around a leadoff single and a two-out walk for a scoreless eighth inning

Sunday, his third straight scoreless outing as he works his way back from a left forearm strain.

As questions roil about his and some of the other stars’ futures with the club, Britton is happy

about where he is at this early stage of his comeback.

“If you look at the outs, a lot of weak ground balls today,” Britton said. “I made a bad pitch to

[center fielder Ian] Happ, a breaking ball that he hit. That’s not something I would do in a save

situation. When you’re not in position to probably win the game, you can kind of work on some

pitches. Like I said, I’ve been feeling good. Back into form the more games I get.”

Britton said he doesn't know how long he’ll continue pitching every other day just to get work in.

“I would assume if we got some winnable games, I’ll throw later and kind of hang around for a

save situation,” Britton said.

Showalter said there’s no telling what right-hander Miguel Castro’s role will be going forward,

but at age 22 on his third major league team already, there’s hope he’s found a good home in

Baltimore.

They’re trying to keep him stretched out for long relief, but starting could be in his long-term

future.

“This is a young man,” Showalter said. “There are a lot of things I like about him. He’s engaged.

He’s a student of the game. You first meet him and everything and you see this guy that may

give you some, I don’t know, prior prejudices of what you think he might be about and it’s just

the opposite. He watches every pitch. He’s competitive. He’s not scared; he likes to compete.

And he brings a lot of intangibles to play up here, so where that shakes out is going to be

interesting to watch. And he’s got a third pitch.”

Despite the signing deadline being last week, the Orioles announced that 26th-round draft pick

Cameron Blankenship, a left-hander from California Irvine, was signed Sunday. … Shortstop J.J.

Hardy, who is out with a fractured wrist and still several weeks from a return, has fully recovered

from a fractured rib, Showalter said. … Showalter said he’s been impressed with Triple-A

Norfolk reliever Matt Wotherspoon, who was acquired for international bonus slots from the

New York Yankees.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-one-year-removed-from-his-first-start-

dylan-bundy-still-building-identity-in-starting-rotation-20170717-story.html

One year removed from first start, Dylan Bundy still

building identity in Orioles' starting rotation

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun

July 17, 2017

Even a year later, Dylan Bundy and the Orioles brass contend that the process that brought him

out of the bullpen and into the starting rotation after last year’s All-Star break was an organic

development.

Whatever the method behind bringing the former first-round draft pick back from nearly three

years of elbow and shoulder troubles and finally making him a big league starter, the result is

now a year’s worth of starts for Bundy since his first exactly one year ago today.

Now as then, Bundy evaluates his progress based solely on the health of his prized right arm.

“It’s easier to evaluate after a full season, I’d guess, but as long as the health is there, obviously,

in my arm,” Bundy said. “I’m going out there every five days when I’m called upon to throw —

as long as I go out there and do my job and give this team the innings that it needs, and hopefully

give us a chance to win at the end of it.”

He’s done that more often than not.

Orioles rotation, with a league-worst ERA of 6.02, is spinning out of control

In 32 starts since joining the rotation this time last year, Bundy is 16-13 with a 4.41 ERA and a

1.269 WHIP while striking out 7.8 batters per nine innings. This year, 12 of his 18 starts qualify

as quality ones, and his 4.33 ERA leads the team. His peripheral stats suggest the 4.41 ERA

could be flattering — his fielding-independent pitching (FIP), which calculates ERA based on

factors in a pitcher’s control, is 5.02.

But even with two full half-seasons together, it’s hard to create a full picture of what the Orioles

have with the 24-year-old right-hander they had to keep on the roster as a reliever on Opening

Day last year. His best starts have been dazzling, even if they haven’t been as frequent lately. He

sees himself as a pitcher who is still evolving, even with a year’s worth of starts completed.

When he worked as a reliever last year, and even after he transitioned into the rotation, he was

pitching without his slider, to relieve possible pressure on his arm. But his fastball last year

averaged 95 mph and exploded out of his hand. This year, its average velocity is down to 92

mph, but he’s added the slider back to his repertoire and dominated with it early in the season.

He believes he’ll ultimately be somewhere between those two pitchers.

“I showed parts of it last year and I showed parts of it this year,” he said. “Last year, I showed

the velo, and this year, I’ve showed the four-pitch mix, changing speeds and keeping everybody

off-balance like I did the first four or five starts of the year. I was mixing every single pitch I had

and keeping hitters off-balance a lot. Last year, I had some of the velo pops.

"I think it’s kind of combined. You kind of morph into the guy you want to be, and hopefully at

the right time, it’ll all come together, those two guys, and we’ll all reap the benefits of it.”

Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette, who made Bundy his first top draft choice in

2011, said he’s been impressed with how Bundy has learned to pitch without the high-end

velocity he had before Tommy John elbow surgery in 2013.

“I think he knows who he is, and he’s out there competing day in and day out,” Duquette said.

“But it’s his first time going through the full-time [schedule of] being in the rotation. I think he’s

learning about the demands, the physical demands and the mental demands of that workload. But

he works hard and he wants to be the pitcher this team can depend on to get this job done.”

Bundy will look to remain the bright spot in a disappointing rotation over the second half of the

season. The club tweaked the rotation around a late-June day off and this month’s All-Star break

to give Bundy a bit more rest in between starts, and manager Buck Showalter said they’ll

continue to do so when needed this year.

“I’ve got it mapped out into September,” Showalter said. “I know what I’d like to do the rest of

the way. It’s something we planned since spring training, so we’ll see. We’re going to start this

way, and he’ll pitch every fifth day for a while. But when the off-days come up, you may see a

little change in it. We’ll see how he feels.”

He’ll likely top last year’s 109 2/3 innings in Tuesday’s start against the Texas Rangers — he’s

at 108 through the break — and needs only 12 more starts for 30, which is a badge of reliability

for a starting pitcher.

“I don't know how many I have left,” Bundy said. “I have a lot of work left to accomplish to fix

some stuff, mechanically and pitch-wise, out there during the game. I’ve still got a lot of stuff to

work on in the second half. Hopefully, it’ll all come together.”

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/242440660/tillman-cashner-set-for-action-as-os-battle-

rangers/?topicId=26688732

Tillman set for action as O's take on Rangers

By T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com

July 16, 2017

Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman and Rangers righty Andrew Cashner will be pitching on

extended rest when they square off in the opener of a four-game series on Monday at Camden

Yards.

Tillman will be making his first start for the O's since June 30. He was on paternity leave for the

birth of his first child, although he was able to work out with the club's Double-A affiliate.

Tillman allowed two runs in five innings in his last start against the Rays, which was one of the

better ones he has had in an otherwise disappointing first half.

Tillman started the season on the disabled list with a sore right shoulder and his only win came in

his first start on May 7 when he threw five scoreless innings against the White Sox.

"I'm anxious to watch him pitch," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "See if he will have the

type of last two-fifths of the season that you know he's capable of. We thought it would benefit

him with all that went on in his life to have him two or three workdays and be ready to go. Not

going to be a lot of off-days."

Cashner is pitching for the first time since July 5 and only the third time since June 14. His first-

half physical issues included right biceps tendinitis and a strained left oblique muscle. Getting hit

in the pitching arm with a broken bat against the Indians on June 29 didn't help either.

"Now it's about getting back to grinding it out for the rest of the season," Cashner said. "It was a

good break and nice time off, now I need to get in a routine and get back out there competing."

Three things to know about this game

• Mark Trumbo has 18 home runs in 283 career at-bats against the Rangers. That's his most

against any opponent and the sixth most by an active player.

• Adrian Beltre is 7-for-15 vs. Tillman, and his 23 career home runs in 404 at-bats against the

Orioles are sixth most by an active player.

• This is the first meeting this season between the teams. The Rangers won 10 of 14 games

played between the two teams in 2015-16, although the Orioles won two of three last year at

Camden Yards.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/242481904/os-zach-britton-nearing-return-to-closer-role/

Sharper Britton nearing return to closer role

By Mandy Bell / MLB.com

July 16, 2017

BALTIMORE -- Entering the series finale against the Cubs, Orioles manager Buck Showalter

said that Zach Britton had finally started pitching the way he was pitching prior to his 60-day

disabled list stint. On Sunday, Britton felt the same way, meaning the lefty is one step closer to

returning to the closing role.

"Yeah, I mean if you look at the outs, a lot of weak ground balls today. I made a bad pitch to

[Ian] Happ, a breaking ball that he hit, that's not something I would do in a save situation. When

you're not in position to probably win the game, you can kind of work on some pitches," Britton

said. "I'm not sure [when I'll be used in save situations]. [Showalter] had mentioned the every-

other-day thing, but I would assume if we got some winnable games, I'll throw later and kind of

hang around for a save situation."

In an 8-0 loss to the Cubs, Britton started the eighth inning with a 6-0 deficit. The lefty allowed a

leadoff single to Happ, but forced back-to-back groundouts from Jason Heyward and Addison

Russell. With a runner on third, Britton walked Jon Jay before inducing Ben Zobrist to ground

out to third and escape the inning.

"I feel good, you know, physically," Britton said. "Where we are right now, just trying to get

innings in games. You know, [I] would like it to be in a situation where we're winning games,

but that's kind of where we're at. It's not ideal for me, but I feel good, so that's a plus."

The closer went on the disabled list for the second time this season on May 5 with a left forearm

strain. He was reinstated on July 5 and, since that evening, Britton has been on an every-other-

day schedule to get him some work before being put back in the high-leverage closer role.

"I think there's such a process in that when you look at everything he went through to get here,"

Showalter said on Saturday. "If you remember the first two or three outings, it wasn't Zach, and

you could tell [by] the look on his face he didn't feel good about the command of the sinker and

everything, and that's why we tried to stay on an every-other-day thing."

Britton's return has given some depth to a bullpen that has been forced to come into games as

early as the third and fourth innings of late. Prior to his second DL stint, Britton had posted a

1.00 ERA through nine innings. After going a perfect 47-for-47 in save opportunities last season,

Britton is carrying a 54-game save streak -- dating back to Oct. 1, 2015 -- which is tied for the

second-longest of its kind in Major League history.

"He wants perfection, and when it's not there, he's not satisfied with it until a very few times last

year, [well] the last two years, [when he had] very historic times for a reliever statistically,"

Showalter said. "There were times where he felt like he wasn't really good, but he was,

obviously."

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2017/07/available-orioles-and-tillmans-return-to-the-

mound.html

Available Orioles and Tillman’s return to the mound

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

July 17, 2017

There are varying levels of “sellers” in baseball. The Orioles are in the process of seeking their

level.

They must get approval from ownership before making any significant deals. In the meantime,

they’d definitely be willing to move outfielders Seth Smith and Hyun Soo Kim and catcher

Welington Castillo.

Those are the smaller pieces that don’t get as much media attention.

Executive vice president Dan Duquette will listen to offers for closer Zach Britton and setup men

Brad Brach and Darren O’Day, but again, it’s complicated because they’re still not officially

“available.”

Being swept yesterday by the Cubs and falling a season-worst seven games below .500 could

change that status in a hurry.

Smith and Kim are eligible for free agency following the season. Smith continues to play right

field against right-handers, though he’s moved down from the leadoff spot. Kim barely gets off

the bench and he’ll become invisible with Trey Mancini moving back to left field.

Smith is owed the remainder of his $7 million option that the Orioles inherited from the Mariners

in the Jan. 6 trade for pitcher Yovani Gallardo. Kim is owed the remainder of his $4.2 million.

Castillo is an interesting case. He holds a $7 million player option for 2018. It looks like an opt-

out and quacks like an opt-out, but it’s regarded as a player option.

The Orioles want Chance Sisco behind the plate next season, and they’d take him later this

summer. They’re fine with Caleb Joseph as a backup. They don’t need three catchers.

Here’s a question that’s based strictly on my curiosity and not inside information: If the Orioles

designated Castillo for assignment, he cleared waivers, another team signed him and then

released him after the season, what happens to the $7 million option? Are the Orioles on the

hook for it? Or would the team that signed him and let him go assume responsibility?

Unless there’s a special stipulation in the contract, the Orioles apparently would be responsible.

If anyone else was curious.

Anyway, Castillo is available if a team is looking for a veteran catcher.

The Orioles would get a bigger haul, of course, for one of their prime bullpen pieces. Just stating

the obvious here. The question is how committed is the organization to a rebuild?

Don’t expect a complete overhaul like 2000, which set back the franchise for years. Melvin Mora

wasn’t much of a return for Mike Bordick, B.J. Surhoff, Charles Johnson, Will Clark, Harold

Baines and Mike Timlin.

Here’s the complete list:

* Bordick to the Mets for Mora, Mike Kinkade, Leslie Brea and Pat Gorman.

* Timlin to the Cardinals for Chris Richard and Mark Nussbeck.

* Johnson and Baines to the White Sox for Brook Fordyce, Miguel Felix, Juan Figueroa and

Jason Lakman.

* Clark to the Cardinals for Jose Leon.

* Surhoff and Gabe Molina to the Braves for Luis Rivera, Trenidad Hubbard and Fernando

Lunar.

The Orioles may be set in left field next season with Mancini, who isn’t going to supplant Chris

Davis at first base. There are people in the organization who believe Austin Hays could be a

starting outfielder in 2018, and Cedric Mullins also has plenty of supporters.

Drafted, developed, productive and inexpensive.

Meanwhile, Chris Tillman makes his first start tonight since June 30 against the Rays, his season

interrupted by paternity leave and the break. He’s 1-5 with a 7.90 ERA and 2.143 WHIP in 11

starts, with 79 hits allowed in 49 innings. His only win came in his first start on May 7 against

the White Sox.

Asked yesterday what he could expect from Tillman, manager Buck Showalter didn’t have a

readily available response. How could he? To put it in Robert Andino’s terms, he’s no future

teller.

“Not real sure,” Showalter said. “He’s had three work days counting the one he had at Bowie, so

he’s certainly rested. But I’m hoping that he takes his new fatherhood to another level.

“I was kidding him the other day. I know some of you in here have had that moment. The first

time you look in a crib and you go, ‘Oh gosh, I’m going to have to find something that I’m pretty

good at that they’ll actually pay me for. There’s somebody down this hall that’s counting on me

to be pretty good.’ I don’t know. I think Chris should be able to pay the bills.

“I’m anxious to watch him pitch and see if he’s going to have the last two-fifths of the season

that he’s capable of. We thought it would benefit him with all the things that went on in his life

to have two or three work days and be ready to go.”

Tillman is 3-2 with a 5.40 ERA and 1.475 WHIP in seven career starts against the Rangers over

40 innings. The current group is batting .349 (29-for-83) against him.

Adrian Beltre is 7-for-15 with two doubles and a home run. Elvis Andrus is 5-for-14 with a

double and five walks.

The Orioles rotation has posted a 6.02 ERA in 91 games, worst in the American League and

ahead of only the Reds (6.04).

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2017/07/notes-on-schoop-giavotella-relief-

candidates-and-castro.html

Notes on Schoop and Giavotella (O’s down 8-0)

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

July 16, 2017

Jonathan Schoop is making his second start and third appearance at shortstop today, with Johnny

Giavotella playing second base in the series finale.

As I wrote this morning, Giavotella is 4-for-8 lifetime against Cubs left-hander Jose Quintana.

“I want to get Johnny in there,” said Orioles manager Buck Showalter. “He’s only second base,

so to get him in there and to not sit Jon, unless you DH him, which moves another guy, (Mark)

Trumbo in right field and moves another player around that you don’t want to do. But I think

Jon’s capable. He’s handled it the last time well. I know he looks forward to it.

“It’s probably the least disruptive of places where people have played. And with the shifts and

stuff we play, he’s basically been playing shortstop all year in a lot of ways. A lot of properties

of a shortstop.

“Like most guys in the infield, they all start out that way. And we know he’s got plenty of arm

strength. We’ll see. Only one way to find out if Steve Pearce can play second base, right? But

it’s a really good pitcher and we’re going to have to take advantage of Johnny’s hitting a little

bit. I don’t want him sitting around too long. And he has shown the ability to hit up here.

Everywhere he’s been, really.”

The Orioles could have pitchers Mike Wright, Stefan Crichton and Hunter Harvey on the Gulf

Coast League team this week.

Crichton already has made two appearances on his injury rehab assignment. Wright joins him

Monday and Harvey is expected to do so on Wednesday.

The Orioles decided to stick with their current bullpen rather than call up a pitcher from the

minors. They’ve become a little more intrigued by Triple-A Norfolk right-hander Richard

Rodriguez, 27, who’s 4-3 with a 2.53 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 27 games over 53 1/3 innings.

He’s allowed only three home runs, walked 14 batters and struck out 54, and opponents are

batting .211.

Rodriguez has a 0.98 ERA in his last 10 games, with four walks and 21 strikeouts in 18 1/3

innings.

“He’s been hurt some, but he’s pitched well for the last month,” Showalter said.

Rodriguez, a non-roster invite to spring training, also posted a 2.53 ERA in 48 games last season.

Showalter talked about the positive reports on Matt Wotherspoon, 25, who was acquired from

the Yankees on July 2 for international signing bonus slots. He’s allowed one run and one hit in

4 2/3 innings with Norfolk.

“I like him,” Showalter said. “I was watching on him this morning.”

Miguel Castro, 22, has earned praise from Showalter for his arm, attitude and ability to pitch

after a short amount of rest. He’s staying in the bullpen for now, but like Richard Bleier, there

has been talk of stretching him out to be a rotation candidate.

“Sure. That’s what we were doing down below, because it would help us with the ability to use

him like that, but it was more about his development,” Showalter said. “He’s a young man. There

are a lot of things I like about him. He’s engaged, he’s a student of the game. You first meet him

and everything, you see a guy who may give you some prior prejudices of what you think he

might be about and it’s just the opposite.

“He watches every pitch, he’s competitive, he’s not scared, he likes to compete. He brings a lot

of intangibles that play up here. Where that shakes out is going to be interesting to watch. He’s

got a third pitch.”

Castro probably stays in a relief role through the remainder of the season.

“That need seems to have been as strong as the other,” Showalter said.

Update: Ubaldo Jiménez allowed four runs and six hits in a 30-pitch second inning and the Cubs

grabbed a 4-0 lead. Willson Contreras, Kyle Schwarber and Ian Happ opened with doubles into

left-center field, and Jayson Heyward and Ben Zobrist had RBI singles.

Update II: Kris Bryant hit a two-run homer in the fourth to increase the lead to 6-0. Jimenez has

allowed a season-high 10 hits.

Update III: Anthony Rizzo hit a two-run homer off Darren O’Day in the ninth to increase the

lead to 8-0.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2017/07/flaherty-on-the-frustration-of-injury-and-

orioles-struggles.html

Flaherty on the frustration of injury and Orioles’ struggles

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

July 16, 2017

Infielder Ryan Flaherty hasn’t been given an exact date for beginning his injury rehab

assignment, but he’s hopeful that he can start playing later this week. And just briefly before the

Orioles activate him from the disabled list.

The Orioles cleared Flaherty to begin throwing again and he’s been taking ground balls and

swinging in the cage.

“I’ve been throwing now for about a week and a half,” he said. “Just trying to build my arm

strength up before I get going in rehab games.”

Flaherty, who’s 7-for-30 in 13 games, has been out since May 19 with a right shoulder strain.

The discomfort is centered more in the lat area and has complicated his recovery.

“It’s frustrating,” he said. “It’s one of those weird injuries. Because of where it’s located, it just

takes a while to heal. And just trying to get my arm strength back.”

The Orioles shut down Flaherty earlier due to a reoccurrence of the pain that surfaced back in

spring training. He tried throwing beyond 60 feet and couldn’t do it. But there haven’t been any

more setbacks and he’s been able to avoid surgery, which became a growing possibility at one

point.

“It’s not surgery or anything like that. It’s a matter of just trying to let the muscle heal.”

Flaherty doesn’t expect to stay in the minors for long and joked about his timetable.

“As soon as I get a couple of hits,” he said. “No, I don’t know. I’d imagine three games,

something like that. As quick as I can get out there and get ready to go.

“I have no idea. They haven’t told me. I’m just trying to come in every day and try to do as much

as I can and hopefully get out there quick.”

In the meantime, Flaherty is watching an opportunity pass to start at shortstop or second base

while J.J. Hardy is on the disabled list with a fractured wrist. And he is forced to watch the

season crumble as the Orioles have fallen six games below .500.

“It’s frustrating. We’re all frustrated,” he said. “We expect every time we go out there to win and

when that’s not happening, it’s frustrating. But every day you just hope that it’s going to turn

around. You come in every day and you hope today’s the day that things turn. And every day it

doesn’t is frustrating.

“Keep plugging along and keep going.”

Hardy can begin strengthening exercises in a few weeks. Meanwhile, his fractured rib has

healed, so that won’t be an issue.

Here are the starters for the four-game series against the Rangers at Camden Yards:

Monday: Chris Tillman vs. Andrew Cashner

Tuesday: Dylan Bundy vs. Tyson Ross

Wednesday: Kevin Gausman vs. Martin Perez

Thursday: Wade Miley vs. Cole Hamels

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/07/pondering-the-future-a-draft-pick-gets-

signed-and-farm-notes.html

Pondering the future, a draft pick gets signed and farm

notes

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

July 17, 2017

It was such a poor start to the second half this past weekend for the Orioles. Swept by the Cubs

and three poor starting pitching performances.

Maybe the 2017 Orioles are not done, but it feels like they are. They have the time to salvage this

season, but they just don’t seem like they have nearly enough starting pitching to do so.

Growing speculation that the Orioles are considering trading some key players may actually

come as exciting news to fans at this point. Many that write on this blog and reach out to me on

Twitter want to see the team start building for a better future through trades to acquire prospects.

A pitcher like Zach Britton could potentially bring a nice haul of prospects and interject some top

talent into a farm system that could surely use more. I don’t run the Orioles, but if I did, I’d be

open to listening to offers on any player right now.

Would fans be open right now to the team taking one or two steps back to hopefully get ahead

down the road? How long would that road be? Will the current braintrust of Dan Duquette and

Buck Showalter even be here past the end of their contracts in 2018?

Some big questions that we don’t have the answers for right now. But these next few weeks seem

right now more inclined to be interesting on the rumor and speculation front than for the games

themselves.

One more draft pick signing: It was surprising news, but Ken Rosenthal first reported Sunday

afternoon and the Orioles later confirmed the signing of their 26th-round draft pick, UC-Irvine

lefty Cameron Bishop.

Rosenthal wrote: “The deadline for signing draft picks was 5 p.m. ET on July 7, but Major

League Baseball allowed the Bishop deal to stand even though the Orioles submitted it nearly

five minutes late.

“Bishop agreed to terms two days before the deadline and passed his physical the following day;

MLB, after investigating the matter, determined that he should not be a victim of delays on the

Orioles’ side, sources said.”

Bishop missed his junior year this past season in college with a strained oblique, but he has been

pitching this summer in the Cape Cod League. Bishop reportedly sought a signing bonus of a

mid-third round draft pick and in the end he got exactly that - a bonus of $607,000.

Bishop is expected to fly to Florida this morning to begin his Orioles career and likely will be

assigned to short-season Single-A Aberdeen when they deem him game-ready, which should not

take long.

Orioles scouting director Gary Rajsich was pretty elated at the MLB ruling and this news.

“Cameron is very, very happy and excited to start his pro career,” Rajsich said. “He’s a good one

to have. He’s a 6-foot-4, 240-pound left-hander with a good fastball (touching 95 mph), breaking

ball and changeup. What is not to like here?

“Our scout in southern California, Mark Ralston, has liked Bishop since high school. He saw him

in the fall throw very well, prior to his oblique injury. He said that if he had pitched this spring,

he would have been the No. 1 college pitcher on his list.”

Any player taken after the 10th round could be signed for a max amount of $125,000. A team

can exceed that, but any overage had to come out of that team’s draft pool. The Orioles had an

available excess pool amount of around $513,000 of which $482,000 went into this deal.

The Orioles signed 32 of their 41 selections in the 2017 First-Year Player Draft.

On the farm Sunday: The Double-A Bowie Baysox are playing some very good baseball these

days. Bowie beat Altoona 9-1 Sunday to improve to 50-43. The Baysox lead their division in the

Eastern League by two games. On June 16, the Baysox were five games under .500, but they

have gone 19-7 since that date.

Outfielder Austin Hays hit two more homers and drove in four runs. Hays has hit six homers in

22 Double-A games. Over 86 games between Single-A Frederick and Bowie this year, he is

batting .327 with 22 homers and 61 RBIs. In 495 career minor league at-bats, Hays has 26

homers and 82 RBIs.

Outfielder Mike Yaztrzemski went 4-for-5 with a double, triple, four runs and two RBIs. He is

batting .393 in 15 games with Bowie. This marks the first four-hit game for Yastrzemski since

Aug. 29, 2015 at Reading and the four runs scored are also a career high. Garabez Rosa drove in

two and has 68 RBIs.

Right-hander Lucas Long, moved back into the rotation, pitched seven innings allowing one

unearned run. Long is now 6-3 with an ERA of 1.91.

For Triple-A Norfolk Sunday, right-hander Jimmy Yacabonis pitched three hitless and scoreless

innings to get the victory in the Tides’ 4-3 win over Durham. Yacabonis is 2-0 with an ERA of

1.27 and a .141 batting average against.

Orioles minor league home run leaders:

22 - Austin Hays, Bowie

17 - Pedro Álvarez, Norfolk

15 - Ryan Mountcastle and Ademar Rifaela, Frederick

14 - Aderlin Rodriguez, Bowie

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/07/ubaldo-jimenez-and-chris-davis-on-the-0-

3-second-half-start.html

Ubaldo Jiménez and Chris Davis on the 0-3 second half start

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

July 16, 2017

The Orioles were a team looking for a fresh start and the clean slate that the beginning of the

second half presented. A chance to try and get back to .500 and back into serious playoff

contention.

Then they rallied from 8-0 down to tie the Cubs late on Friday night. But a ninth inning loss

there just led to a pair of weekend blowout losses. The Orioles lost 8-0 today to the Cubs at

Oriole Park and got swept three straight.

So much for a fresh start and so much for a turnaround by the starting rotation. It got worse, not

better. Also in need of a fresh start, the defending champion Cubs scored 27 runs in the sweep to

improve to 46-45.

O’s starter Ubaldo Jiménez pitched a scoreless first on 16 pitches. Then three straight doubles

started the Chicago second and the Cubs produced a 4-0 lead that would not be challenged today.

Jiménez allowed six runs and 11 hits (one off his career-high) over 3 2/3 innings and 80 pitches.

It was the O’s 10th straight game without a quality start.

“I was able to get ahead, but couldn’t put them away,” said Jiménez, who is now 4-5 with an

ERA of 7.01. “They took a good approach, taking the ball to the opposite field. By the time we

figured it out it was too late. They had already scored three or four runs.”

Jiménez was asked with each poor outing by the rotation if the next guy just has more pressure to

produce something positive.

“I think everyone wants to do the job,” he said. “I don’t think you are going to get more pressure.

Every five days you want to go out there and be there for the team. We all know how things are

going right now but I don’t think there is any more pressure than we already have. It is

disappointing, there is no question about it. But this is baseball. We need to figure it out and get

ready for tomorrow.”

The updated numbers on the Orioles rotation are these: Just five quality starts in the last 36

games with an ERA of 8.52 in that span. O’s starters have pitched fewer than six innings in 28 of

the last 32 games.

First baseman Chris Davis on the rotation: “None of these guys in here want to go out and

perform poorly and everybody in here holds themselves accountable and holds themselves to

high standards. You can see it on their faces. You can see it in the body language, and the

frustration. You feel for them. At the same time, you’ve got to start making adjustments.”

For Davis and the Orioles, it is a deflating start to the second half. They fell behind 8-0 in the

third on Friday, 7-0 in the fifth last night and 6-0 in the fourth inning today.

“It’s tough,” Davis said. “Obviously as an offense, you’d like to go up there and strike the first

blow. I think we showed the first night we had the capability to come back and keep ourselves in

these games by swinging the bats. That’s a good team over there. I’m not going to sit here and

say, ‘We did a bunch of things wrong.’ We obviously didn’t play well. They did pretty much

everything right.

“I think you’ve got to put it behind you. With the second half starting and us having the long

homestand, we want to get started on the right foot, but that didn’t happen. We still have a lot of

games left to play, and this homestand is still big. I think it’s big for us to bounce back against

the Rangers. Get a nice, comfortable win if there’s such a thing.”

At 42-49, the Orioles have fallen a season-high seven games under .500. They are 1-7 in the last

eight home games. Today they were shutout for the seventh time and swept in a series for the

eighth time.

You would not expect the players to be giving up on the season with so many games left and

Davis said they are not.

“If I didn’t think we could come back, there would be no point for us to come in here. It doesn’t

make things easier when you’re down. That’s part of it. We just have to keep getting after them,”

Davis said.

https://www.pressboxonline.com/2017/07/17/brad-brach-has-become-a-rock-in-orioles-bullpen

Brad Brach Has Become A Rock In Orioles' Bullpen

By Rich Dubroff / PressBoxOnline.com

July 17, 2017

You may be forgiven if you don't remember how the Baltimore Orioles acquired Brad Brach.

The San Diego Padres traded the right-handed reliever to Baltimore in November 2013 in

exchange for minor league pitcher Devin Jones.

Brach had bounced between the Padres and Triple-A Tucson for three seasons, not really

distinguishing himself in the major leagues.

During those three seasons for San Diego, Brach was 3-6 with a 3.70 ERA. He struck out more

than 10 batters per nine innings but walked half as many. He needed a change.

Brach was traded closer to his New Jersey roots and to a team he already liked.

"I grew up a Mets fan, but my second-favorite team was the Orioles because I hated the

Yankees," Brach said. "For me, it was exciting just to get to come back to the East Coast, get

closer to family and friends. I knew coming here I'd have an opportunity because they were

winning, and that was the thing."

During Brach's three years with the Padres, they never won more than 76 games.

Brach, who was drafted by San Diego in the 42nd round, was impressive during his first spring

training with the Orioles in 2014, but he started the season at Triple-A Norfolk. He had two

initial stints with the Orioles in May and June, mostly as a long reliever.

By early June, he had accumulated 10 appearances with the Orioles and posted a 5.40 ERA.

Later that month, he returned to the majors and never left.

"It was awesome," Brach said. "When I made it the last time and came up and kind of found

myself in a little bit different situations, I wasn't necessarily pitching long relief like I was the

first few times. When I came up, I found myself pitching the sixth, seventh inning of games, and

we were winning a lot."

The Orioles' 2014 pitching staff was strong. Five starters -- right-handers Kevin Gausman,

Miguel Gonzalez, Bud Norris and Chris Tillman and left-hander Wei-Yin Chen -- all had ERAs

of 3.65 or lower.

Brach joined a bullpen that featured newly anointed left-handed closer Zach Britton and right-

hander Darren O'Day, who both had ERAs well below 2.00.

Five weeks after Brach rejoined the team for good, the Orioles made the bullpen even better

when they acquired left-handed reliever Andrew Miller.

"It was something special. You could just tell the team was on a good roll and that we had a good

bit of everything," Brach said. "We were pitching well; we had a good bullpen, and we could hit.

It was one of those things where we were a real special team. As you're going through, you kind

of realize that team was going to do something good that year."

Brach was seemingly in the right place at the right time. He won seven of his eight decisions

with the Orioles and had a 3.18 ERA.

It seemed whenever there was a big comeback win, Brach was always the pitcher of record. That

continued into the postseason, when Brach won the second game of the American League

Division Series against the Detroit Tigers after pinch-hitter Delmon Young hit a three-run double

in the eighth to put the Orioles ahead.

After pitching well for the Orioles in 2014, Brach fulfilled a goal the following season.

"I always liked to think I had confidence in myself that I could get to that level, but, realistically,

just wanted to just stick with someone and not necessarily have a role, but stick with a team and

stay up an entire year," Brach said. "In ‘15, I was able to get that opportunity. I didn't get off to

the best start, but I was able to turn it around, and I think from there, it was the turning point in

my career, just being able to stay in the big leagues for an entire season."

In 2015, Brach was 5-3 with a 2.72 ERA and picked up his first save.

"It gave me a lot of confidence in 2016," Brach said.

Last year, when O'Day missed half the season with injuries, Brach moved into higher-leverage

situations and blossomed. During the season's first half, he was 6-1 with a 0.91 ERA and was

rewarded with an All-Star selection.

He got to experience his first All-Star game back in San Diego.

"It was incredible. Kind of like a whirlwind because there's a lot going on," Brach said. "I didn't

know where I needed to be and what I needed to do. When you get there, you get an itinerary,

and especially having to fly across the country, everything was going like crazy when I first got

there. It was awesome getting to go back to San Diego, especially in that stadium where I started

my career."

Brach and Britton were both on the AL team, and even though Brach didn't get to pitch, the days

were special.

"I flew out my entire family and my wife Jenae's entire family," he said. "It was kind of nice to

have everybody there because you never know if you're going to get that opportunity again.

When I got to stand on the line there and hear my name announced with all the other guys, you

look across the field and it's the best players in the game, it's an extremely humbling experience."

This season, when Britton was injured, Brach took over the closer's role, and for a time in June,

he became the undisputed bullpen leader when O'Day was down, too.

"Injuries are just part of the game. For me, it was unfortunate Darren and Zach got hurt," Brach

said. "I saw it as an opportunity, and I just didn't want to waste it because you never know how

many of them you'll get in the game."

The opportunities Brach has gained from his baseball career also led him to his wife.

As a minor-leaguer, Brach was playing in Nashville, Tenn., and one night he and a friend

decided to bar-hop.

"We started at the corner and kind of popped our head in each one," Brach recalled. "We walked

past this one, and it looked like a dump. It was called Paradise Park. We heard a girl singing, and

we were kind of like, ‘Let's go check it out.' We were just going to pop in for a couple of songs,

and we ended up staying the rest of the night."

Brach instantly fell for the singer -- country music recording artist Jenae Cherry.

"I just asked her to lunch the next day and somehow she said yes," Brach said. "We kind of kept

in contact from there. I kind of made a deal with her before I left Nashville: If I get called up to

the major leagues, will you fly out to San Diego for a series? At the time she told me she thought

it was like if she ever became Carrie Underwood, she'd get me backstage passes. She thought it

was like way off -- that there was no way that was going to happen. It ended up happening. She

came out and saw a series before the end of the year."

The Brachs have been married since November 2013. Jenae has performed before Orioles

games, and last year her song, "Don't Miss the Magic," was played after Orioles wins.

Despite the ups and downs he experienced early in his career, Brach has found his place in the

Orioles' bullpen.

"When you're down in the bullpen, instead of just wasting time talking about nonsense, you can

sit down there and you can learn a lot," Brach said. "Definitely take the opportunities and talk

about baseball, too. The nonsense is the fun part, too. That's the part you always remember,

especially when you're done playing; the fun times are what you always remember."

https://www.pressboxonline.com/2017/07/17/at-a-crossroads-no-easy-answer-to-which-path-

orioles-should-take

At A Crossroads, No Easy Answer To Which Path Orioles

Should Take

By Dan Connolly / PressBoxOnline.com

July 17, 2017

I'm always careful of being too dramatic when it comes to writing about a particular baseball

season, because each is unique and each has its ebbs and flows.

Oftentimes, we have thought one thing was going to happen, and suddenly the opposite occurred.

Remember when the Orioles were going to have to prepare for life without reliever Darren

O'Day and first baseman Chris Davis? And then, in the winter of 2015-16, the Orioles found a

way to pay for both.

That's why I hesitate to type these words: But I believe they've already been handwritten on the

warehouse wall, anyway.

These Orioles are at a crossroads this month.

Decisions made during the days leading up to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline may have a

profound impact on this organization for years. Even calculated inaction may cause some serious

ripples.

The deal is this: The Orioles have several key players who will be free agents at the end of 2018.

Although the team would love to keep everyone together and battle for a World Series

championship this season and next, a rotation in tatters during the first half of 2017 makes those

dreams rather unrealistic.

If pitching is, indeed, the key to MLB titles, these current Orioles aren't in position to make a real

run. Heading into this season, the hope was that they could compete if right-handers Kevin

Gausman and Dylan Bundy took the next step forward, veteran Chris Tillman remained his

steady self and left-hander Wade Miley and/or enigmatic Ubaldo Jimenez could be consistently

solid.

Bundy lunged ahead -- despite his struggles in late June/early July. Nothing else went as

expected -- unless you count Miley and Jimenez being maddeningly inconsistent.

Tillman dealt with shoulder discomfort all spring and into the season and was limited to 11 first-

half starts, and he struggled to keep his ERA under 8.00. Gausman, who took over Opening Day

duties from Tillman, had a disastrous first half, posting a 5.85 ERA and allowing 128 hits and 43

walks in 97 innings.

All of that combined produced an American League-worst 5.07 ERA and a horrendous 5.75

rotation ERA, the worst in the AL and second-highest in the majors.

So, yeah, the rotation inspires no postseason feelings at this point.

But given that most AL teams are flawed and that there are two wild-card spots available for the

taking, the Orioles could spin a disappointing first half into the belief that they hit rock bottom

and still are within striking distance of the postseason.

And, the reality is, once you get to the playoffs, anything can happen. It's not like these Orioles

couldn't get hot for a month -- they went 22-10 to begin the season, remember.

That's what is being weighed in the warehouse. Do you hold out hope that a healthier roster and a

rotation that could be better suddenly converge for a second-half surge?

Or do you assume the second half is as half-empty as the first, cut your losses and look to

improve the rotation for the future?

If that's the path, the Orioles must be willing to make some exceptionally difficult decisions. The

first is what to do with 25-year-old third baseman Manny Machado, one of the most dynamic

young players in the game.

Machado is a free agent after the 2018 season. He'll land a huge contract and, though it's

impossible now to predict what Machado and Washington Nationals star Bryce Harper might

command on the open market, the $400 million figure has been tossed around in relation to each.

And that would be well beyond Davis' franchise-record, $161 million deal signed in 2016.

The sense is the Orioles wouldn't -- maybe couldn't -- go $400 million for one player. So, if they

can't re-sign Machado, perhaps the smartest thing to do is trade him now, while a team would

have him under control for a season-and-a-third.

He didn't have his best first half, hitting .230, well below his .278 career average. But he still had

18 homers, 47 RBIs and played spectacular defense. He could land the Orioles several high-

ceiling prospects, something they desperately need, especially from a pitching standpoint. The

only current Orioles pitching prospect that is above Double-A is lefty Chris Lee, who has had

major trouble at Triple-A Norfolk.

Machado is obviously the linchpin for a rebuilding effort, but the Orioles certainly could get an

impressive return by dealing relievers Zach Britton and Brad Brach this month. Plenty of

contenders are looking for relief help, and Britton and Brach, both All-Stars in 2016, can

stabilize a bullpen. Like Machado, they are free agents after the 2018 season.

The last of the Orioles' four top trade chips is second baseman Jonathan Schoop, who was the

club's lone All-Star in 2017. He is under team control through 2019.

Besides that quartet, the Orioles don't have any players who would absolutely bring back blue-

chip prospects in a deal. All the other possibilities are either unproven (Bundy, Gausman,

outfielder/first baseman Trey Mancini), or have contracts or contract stipulations (Davis,

designated hitter/outfielder Mark Trumbo, O'Day, center fielder Adam Jones) that would limit

their values and/or suitors in the trade market.

The Orioles possibly could deal away some of their lesser players -- Seth Smith, Welington

Castillo, Hyun Soo Kim -- but the return would be minimal.

There really isn't an obvious answer to this dilemma for the Orioles. Do they hope against

evidence that they are more like the 22-10 team that started the first half than the 20-36 one that

ended it and go out and get rotation help, as inconsequential as it may end up being?

Do they close their eyes, let the trade deadline pass and hope that doing nothing was the right

call? Or do they swallow hard and trade current stars for potential future ones?

Everyone seems to have a different opinion. And no one is 100 percent sure which plan is right.

That is what we can safely call -- drama aside -- a crossroads.

https://www.pressboxonline.com/2017/07/17/orioles-need-to-change-their-starting-pitching-

philosophy

Orioles Need To Change Their Starting Pitching Philosophy

By Stan Charles / PressBoxOnline.com

July 17, 2017

Watching the Orioles' 2017 starting rotation night after night and day after day has caused an

emotional crisis for me. At 65 years old and now in my 34th consecutive season of Orioles

fandom with no ring, I am wondering if I'll ever get to experience what I did back in the fall of

1983, when the Philadelphia Phillies' Garry Maddox lined a lazy, humpback liner into Cal

Ripken Jr.'s glove and the O's were atop the baseball world.

Seriously, as much fun as the first five years of executive vice president of baseball operations

Dan Duquette regime have been, the 2017 season has revealed a missing link: the team's

philosophy on developing or acquiring high-end starting pitching. That task is an absolute

necessity if a team is going to seriously contend for a World Series championship.

At one time, the Orioles represented the gold standard for not just good starting pitching but

great starting pitching. They're the organization that developed Milt Pappas, Steve Barber, Wally

Bunker, Dave McNally, Jim Palmer, Dennis Martinez, Mike Flanagan and Mike Boddicker from

the late 1950s through 1984. Since 1984, when Boddicker was the last O's starter to win 20

games, the club has developed only one great pitcher: Mike Mussina.

And if they didn't develop them, they traded for the likes of a Pat Dobson, Mike Cuellar, Scott

McGregor or Scott Erickson to pass the baton to. Now the best they can trade for is Wade Miley.

Sure, there was Ben McDonald, Erik Bedard and Sidney Ponson, who all teased that they could

be staff leaders. A few others not drafted by the club -- Jeremy Guthrie, Jose Mercedes and

Rodrigo Lopez -- were adequate helpers

Chris Tillman has been a solid, reliable leader. They've had some bad luck with the recent

starting prospects Dylan Bundy, Kevin Gausman and Hunter Harvey, with two of them missing a

lot of development time due to injury.

The free-agent market hasn't been too positive an avenue past Jimmy Key in 1996-1997. There

was the failed Sid Fernandez experiment years ago. Rich Hill flopped as an Andy MacPhail pick-

up.

Duquette did have some good luck with Wei-Yin Chen, but he has struck out badly with his two

biggest forays into modern high-stakes free agency with Ubaldo Jimenez and Yovani Gallardo.

The talent at Triple-A that could help the starting staff is non-existent.

Recently, I did a quick exercise in order to ascertain if there was finally at least some cause for

hope that a pipeline of starting pitching talent might exist. So I started to look at basic starting

pitching stats at Delmarva (Low-A), Frederick (High-A) and Bowie (Double-A) -- innings

pitched, ERA, WHIP and strikeouts-to-walks ratio. The stats of the Orioles' starting pitching at

these three levels was so abysmal that I quickly did the same exercise for the other four

American League East teams, and what I found was staggering.

Without boring you with the names, let's just do the number of promising starting pitching

prospects for those three levels of play. Let's face it, if the Orioles had any at Triple-A Norfolk,

they'd have been in Baltimore weeks ago.

The Blue Jays have about 10 pitchers who reasonably can be projected anywhere from a No. 1-

to a No. 4-caliber starting pitcher. The Tampa Bay Rays had 11 such prospects, and in fact used

one of them -- Ethan Clark -- in the trade that delivered them shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria from

the Miami Marlins in June. The Boston Red Sox have 13 true starters percolating in their minor

league system, and the New York Yankees have a whopping 15 that passed my rudimentary test.

The Orioles lagged far behind their AL East rivals with only four pitchers who look to be

capable of advancing to even the next level next year.

You'd think for a team with so few starting pitching prospects in the minors, one shortcut might

be to enter into the geographical area where you might be able to cheaply sign “live arms” --

Latin America. This would include the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Panama, Venezuela,

Colombia and Cuba. Instead, the Orioles are essentially punting by trading away spending slots

to other teams to try to get something rather than having the money simply go unspent.

On July 2, the Washington Nationals announced the 27 players they just signed from these

countries (excluding Cuba), 12 of whom were pitchers.

Remember in 1999 when the Orioles played a game in Cuba and then had the National Cuban

team play in Baltimore? You'd think with all the flak owner Peter Angelos took for his and the

club's historic trip to Cuba and sitting with Fidel Castro that there would have been some gain for

being the first American team to play on Cuban soil in nearly four decades.

Instead, the Orioles have signed just one Cuban player of any note -- Ariel Miranda in 2015.

Don't get me started by mentioning outfielder Henry Urrutia, the Cuban outfielder who played a

grand total of 34 games with the Orioles during two seasons in 2013 and 2015 and is now in the

Boston minor league system.

With this season slipping away and complicated personnel decisions looming, O's fans have

good reason to worry about the club slipping backward and becoming less relevant. If the Orioles

don't establish a starting pitching philosophy that works, all of their other good efforts may be for

naught.

https://www.pressboxonline.com/2017/07/17/10-questions-with-orioles-closer-zach-britton

10 Questions With Orioles Closer Zach Britton

By Kevin Eck / PressBoxOnline.com

July 17, 2017

PressBox caught up with Orioles closer Zach Britton.

PressBox: Who was your favorite athlete when you were a kid?

Zach Britton: I enjoyed watching Tom Glavine pitch. A [fellow] left-handed pitcher, and the

Braves were my favorite team.

PB: If you weren't playing baseball, what would you be doing for a living?

ZB: It's hard to say. I feel like there'd have been a lot of things I'd have done differently. I was

focused on baseball from such a young age. My dad builds homes, so maybe something like that.

My brother's a police officer, so there's so many paths I could've taken.

PB: What is your all-time favorite movie?

ZB: So many good baseball movies, but "The Sandlot" was one I really liked when I was coming

up.

PB: What's your favorite thing about Baltimore?

ZB: I enjoy the people around the area. Growing up on the West Coast, it's just a different feel

from out there. The people here have been great, and it's felt like a second home because I've

played for all the minor league affiliates in Maryland.

PB: What's your favorite thing to do during the offseason?

ZB: I have two young kids now, so basically being at home and being a dad.

PB: What's your favorite "cheat" food?

ZB: My kid's cereal. Every now and then we give him French Toast Crunch, and I find myself

eating it when it's supposed to be for him. That's one of the perks of having a young kid.

PB: Do you have any hidden talents?

ZB: I've always been a semi-good drawer. I haven't really done it much, but I've always enjoyed

doing it when I've had some spare time.

PB: What's the best advice you were ever given?

ZB: I can't remember the guy's name, but when I was in the minors he came in and talked to us

about how hard it is to get drafted, how hard it is to get to the big leagues, and to never take the

opportunity for granted. Especially being in the big leagues for a while now, you can take it for

granted because you don't realize that the average career is really short. "Enjoy it while you're in

it but never take it for granted" was good advice I got and it kind of stuck with me when I was at

a young age.

PB: What's something that everyone's obsessed with but you just don't get?

ZB: I would say reality TV shows. My wife will watch some of these shows, like "Keeping Up

with the Kardashians," and I just don't get how people get into it. There are even some guys [on

the team] who watch shows like "The Bachelor." I just don't get the hype with reality TV shows.

PB: What is the most annoying or dumbest question you've ever been asked by a member of the

media?

ZB: Our media's been pretty good here. I think after one of my first blown saves in 2014, it was

obviously a brutal loss, and somebody came up to me and said, "So, how do you feel?" "Oh, I

feel awesome." I always tell [media members] to bring something better to the table than the

"how do you feel?" question after a bad game. It gets under my skin. After a good game, you

don't care if they ask it.

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/orioles-look-to-turn-it-around-vs-rangers/

Orioles look to turn it around vs. Rangers

By STATS / CBS Sports

July 17, 2017

BALTIMORE -- Seeking their first win in the second half of the season, the Baltimore Orioles

open a four-game series with the Texas Rangers on Monday at Camden Yards.

The Orioles, a season-worst seven games below .500 at 42-49, were hammered in a weekend

series by the visiting Chicago Cubs, allowing 27 runs and 10 homers over the course of a three-

game sweep. It was not the way they were hoping to start the second half or a 10-game

homestand.

"It's disappointing," said Orioles pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez, who was roughed up for six runs on 11

hits over 3 2/3 innings Sunday. "There is no question about it. It's disappointing. But this is

baseball. We need to figure it out and just get ready for tomorrow."

The Rangers (45-46), meanwhile, had their modest two-game winning streak snapped Sunday

with a 4-3 loss at Kansas City. With two outs in the ninth inning, Lorenzo Cain won the game for

the Royals with a bases-loaded single.

The Rangers have won five of their past seven overall as they continue their 10-game road trip.

Unlike the Orioles, who have a strong bullpen and a weak rotation, the Rangers have a good

starting staff and a shaky relief corps, which has blown 17 saves, tied for the second most in the

major leagues.

The Orioles will send Chris Tillman (1-5, 7.90 ERA) to the mound. Tillman has not started a

game since June 30 due to the birth of his first child.

"He's certainly well-rested," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said.

Tillman has not won a game since tossing five scoreless innings on May 7 in his first start of the

season. He lost five consecutive outings from May 24 to June 15 before getting a no-decision in

each of his past three starts. He hasn't worked more than 5 1/3 innings since June 4.

Over his past 10 starts, Tillman is 0-5 with an 8.80 ERA.

"I am anxious to watch him pitch," Showalter said. "See if he is going to have the last two-fifths

of the season that he is capable of."

Tillman is 3-2 with 5.40 in seven career starts against the Rangers, but he has not faced them this

season.

Tillman will be opposed by Rangers right-hander Andrew Cashner.

On June 29, Cashner (4-7, 3.54 ERA) was struck on the right forearm by a broken bat in the sixth

inning of a 5-1 loss to the Cleveland Indians. X-rays were negative.

He returned to pitch July 5 against the Boston Red Sox and was solid, allowing a pair of

unearned runs on three hits over seven innings. He struck out four and walked three while

picking up the win.

"I think for me it's just having the feel of (the sinker)," Cashner said. "My sinker is really good

right now. Just continue throwing that."

Cashner will be looking to win back-to-back starts for the first time this season.

"When a team gets hot, it's always usually the starting pitching that's carrying them," he said.

"The hitters will carry you a night or two, but really winning and losing in the big leagues relies

on your starting pitching."

Cashner's only career start against Baltimore came in 2013, when he allowed five hits and two

runs (one earned) in 7 1/3 innings during a no-decision.

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/the-orioles-lost-again-sunday-and-their-starting-rotation-

has-been-historically-awful/

The Orioles lost again Sunday and their starting rotation has

been historically awful

By Mike Axisa / CBS Sports

July 17, 2017

The second half of the season has started the same way the first half ended for the Baltimore

Orioles: with a bunch of losses.

Sunday's loss to the Cubs (CHC 8, BAL 0) clinched the series sweep for Chicago and dropped

the O's to a staggering 20-38 in their last 58 games. Only the Phillies (16-41) have been worse

during that time. Baltimore was once 22-11 this season. Now they're 42-49.

The biggest reason the O's have crashed is the starting rotation. Ubaldo Jimenez was hammered

for six runs on 11 hits and one walk in only 3 2/3 innings on Sunday. Here are the team's top five

starters at the moment:

Dylan Bundy: 4.33 ERA in 108 innings

Kevin Gausman: 6.39 ERA in 100 innings

Wade Miley: 5.40 ERA in 93 1/3 innings

Ubaldo Jimenez: 7.01 ERA in 87 innings

Chris Tillman: 7.90 ERA in 49 innings

Ubaldo Jimenez was hammered again Sunday. USATSI

Including spot starters, the O's rotation has a 6.02 ERA this season. You read correctly -- 6.02!

Believe it or not, that is not the worst rotation ERA in baseball. The Reds are slightly worse with

a 6.04 ERA, but Cincinnati is rebuilding and everyone expected the Reds to be bad. The O's

were in the AL Wild Card Game last year and came into this season looking to contend.

2017 rotation:

The Orioles have never finished a year with a rotation ERA above 5.51; that mark was set by the

2008 club, which had a trio of starters with ERAs over 6.00 in 17 starts or more (Garrett Olson,

Brian Burres and Radhames Liz). That club, which also had Steve Trachsel post an 8.39 ERA in

10 games (eight starts), lost 93 under Dave Trembley.

And this rotation has a fighting chance of burying that one in the record books.

In fact, if this rotation gest no better, it will be just the 11th team since 1913 – the extent of

baseball-reference.com's database – to post a 6.00 rotation ERA or higher for a full year.

Only one team this century, the 91-loss Rangers in 2003, finished with a rotation ERA over 6.00.

Texas starters had a 6.24 ERA that year. Coincidentally, Buck Showalter managed both those

2003 Rangers and these 2017 Orioles.

There have been rumblings the O's will sell veterans at the trade deadline, and they absolutely

should do that. Make everyone available, even Manny Machado. He's going to be a free agent

after next season. The O's have been ignoring their future for too long. It's time to hunker down

and add some much-needed youth.

http://www.baltimorebaseball.com/2017/07/17/plenty-questions-orioles-broken-rotation-no-

obvious-fixes/

Plenty of questions about the Orioles’ broken rotation, but

there are no obvious fixes

By Dan Connolly / BaltimoreBaseball.com

July 16, 2017

I think I wrote plenty Sunday night on just how bad the Orioles’ rotation has been so far this

season.

A quick recap: The Orioles now have a 6.02 rotation ERA, worst in the majors and it would be,

by far, worst in club history for a full year (5.51 ERA in 2008).

In fact, it would be the ninth worst mark for a full season for any rotation since 1913, according

to baseball-reference.com’s database.

So, the rotation is awful. Been established. Now what?

That’s the hard part. Maybe the impossible part.

Sure, you could fire first-year pitching coach Roger McDowell if you want a fall guy. But that

seems pointless. That’s like firing a chef who made a meal with week-old food. This isn’t

McDowell’s fault; this rotation was relying on plenty of ifs before a pitch was thrown in 2017.

You could clean house in the rotation, waive Ubaldo Jimenez or Wade Miley or send Kevin

Gausman to Triple-A Norfolk.

That’d be fine if you want to make a statement. But that might be all it does. You really don’t

have anyone clearly better to insert into the rotation. Seriously.

You could try Alec Asher or Jayson Aquino again or wait until Mike Wright gets healthy. But

the starters at Triple-A Norfolk have been, as a group, not good.

Chris Lee has a 6.32 ERA in his first 17 starts, Aquino has a 4.58 in 13, Tyler Wilson, a 5.09 in

12, Jordan Kipper, 5.07 in 11, and Gabriel Ynoa, 7.64 in 12.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter was asked about his trust factor with his current starters, most

of which have had some sustained success previously in the majors. His answer: “As opposed to

what? It’s been a challenge for us and we have to figure it out.”

You could hammer executive vice president Dan Duquette for not having more foresight to

improve this rotation. And, though that’s fair criticism, there wasn’t much available last

offseason in terms of rotation help. In fact, the market was so poor, Duquette actually unloaded a

starter, Yovani Gallardo, to Seattle for Seth Smith last year. Gallardo is 3-7 with a 5.65 ERA in

17 games and is now in the Mariners’ bullpen.

Rotations stink just about everywhere in the majors; but the Orioles are the worst of a rocky

bunch.

And I hate to be the bearer of bad news – as if you didn’t already know this — but probably the

only way it gets better is if these guys do their jobs in the next few weeks.

They haven’t for much of this year. And, in the first three games of the second half, all losses to

the Chicago Cubs at Camden Yards, Gausman, Miley and Jimenez allowed 21 runs in 11 1/3

innings. So, the immediate future’s not exactly looking bright.

“I think everyone wants to do their job,” Jimenez said. “Every five days you want to go out there

and be there for your team. We all know how things have gone right now.”

Jimenez has been a stand-up guy, as always, about his consistent troubles. So has Miley and

Gausman and Chris Tillman and even Dylan Bundy, in the few times he’s struggled.

This group is not lacking in character or work ethic. What it’s lacking is positive pitching results.

And I’m not sure anyone knows how to turn that around. Or if anyone can.

http://www.baltimorebaseball.com/2017/07/16/os-rotation-pace-easily-worst-club-history-

bottom-10-mlb-last-100-years/

O’s rotation on pace to easily be worst in club history —

bottom 10 in MLB in last 100 years

By Dan Connolly / BaltimoreBaseball.com

July 16, 2017

You know the Orioles rotation is bad. Really, seriously, horrendously bad.

You don’t need me to tell you that.

But I was curious how bad.

And the answer is mind-boggling.

I’ve covered this team for 17 seasons. Only once in that entire time have the Orioles had a

rotation ERA that was in the top half of baseball at the end of the year That was in 2014, when

the Orioles won the American League East for the first time since 1997.

The 2014 rotation, which had five guys post a 3.65 ERA or lower in 20 or more starts, had a 3.61

cumulative ERA that season, 12th best in the majors.

In every other year, going back to 2000, the Orioles’ rotation ERA has been 21st or worse in the

majors.

Twice in my tenure, the Orioles have been 30th of 30 in starters’ ERA – in 2011 and 2008.

So, a bad rotation is nothing new in these parts.

Yet this 2017 group, with four starters carrying a 5.40 ERA or higher, could be the standard

bearer for terrible pitching units.

No other rotation in Orioles history has been able to do for a complete season what these Orioles

are doing right now, 91 games into the year.

There’s a little history in the making here.

When Ubaldo Jimenez allowed six earned runs in 3 2/3 innings Sunday, it pushed the Orioles’

rotation ERA to 6.02 for the season (worst in the majors, of course, eclipsing the awful

Cincinnati Reds’ rotation).

The Orioles have never finished a year with a rotation ERA above 5.51; that mark was set by the

2008 club, which had a trio of starters with ERAs over 6.00 in 17 starts or more (Garrett Olson,

Brian Burres and Radhames Liz). That club, which also had Steve Trachsel post an 8.39 ERA in

10 games (eight starts), lost 93 under Dave Trembley.

And this rotation has a fighting chance of burying that one in the record books.

In fact, if this rotation gets no better, it will be just the 11th team since 1913 – the extent of

baseball-reference.com’s database – to post a 6.00 rotation ERA or higher for a full year.

Only one club since 2000 has had a rotation ERA above 6.00 at season’s end.

Ready for this?

It was the 2003 Texas Rangers, who were managed by Buck Showalter. That was his first year in

Texas. That team lost 91 games.

So, it’s possible that this Orioles’ rotation could make franchise history – it’s likely, really – and

join an elite group of awful starting pitchers in baseball history.

And it still wouldn’t be the worst Showalter has had to endure in his managerial career.

Now, that’s really something.