World Champions 1983, 1970, 1966

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

American League Wild Card 2012, 1996

Saturday, August 1, 2015

Game Stories:

Orioles roar back from down six to topple Tigers, 8-7, after eventful deadline The Sun

8/1

Orioles roar back, rally from 6-run deficit MLB.com 8/1

Mike Wright leaves game with injury (O's win 8-7) MASNsports.com 7/31

Jones and Machado homer as Orioles rally from six runs down to win MASNsports.com

7/31

Jones, Machado HRs rally Orioles past Tigers 8-7 AP 7/31

Orioles pull off comeback win, beat Tigers 8-7 CSN Baltimore 7/31

Columns:

Orioles minor league report: Tides' Tyler Wilson shows his stuff The Sun 8/1

Orioles notes and observations on Wright, Parra, Givens and Parmelee The Sun 8/1

Peter Schmuck: Orioles address key need with Parra trade The Sun 7/31

Instant analysis of Orioles' trade with Brewers The Sun 7/31

Dan Connolly's breakdown of Parra trade for Davies The Sun 7/31

Baysox holding "Captain Manny" Machado bobblehead giveaway Aug. 9 The Sun 7/31

Orioles' Dan Duquette 'happy and excited' to land Gerardo Parra on busy deadline day

The Sun 7/31

Adam Jones moves into seventh on Orioles' home run list, Mike Wright leaves game The

Sun 7/31

Schmuck: Orioles' Tommy Hunter deal a head-scratcher The Sun 7/31

Orioles notebook: Bud Norris' career with club comes to an end The Sun 7/31

Pregame Orioles notes on Gerardo Parra, Chris Tillman, Mychal Givens and Mike

Wright The Sun 7/31

O's trade for Gerardo Parra, give up Zach Davies The Sun 7/31

Orioles trade Tommy Hunter to Cubs for Junior Lake The Sun 7/31

Orioles call up Mychal Givens from Bowie The Sun 7/31

Orioles designate right-hander Bud Norris for assignment The Sun 7/31

Parra arrives with eyes on playoff push MLB.com 8/1

Givens recalled, collects first MLB win MLB.com 8/1

O's reliever Wright to have MRI on injured calf MLB.com 8/1

Gausman to face Tigers with Parra likely in lineup MLB.com 7/31

Orioles add outfielder Parra from Brewers MLB.com 7/31

Hunter jokes with O's before, after trade MLB.com 7/31

Norris designated but confident in abilities MLB.com 7/31

Means tosses 7-inning no-hitter for Class A Delmarva MLB.com 7/31

Tillman dealing with ankle soreness MLB.com 7/31

Ditching deadlines and getting back to baseball MASNsports.com 8/1

Mike Wright may have strained calf muscle MASNsports.com 7/31

Chen exits in fourth inning, Showalter on today's trades MASNsports.com 7/31

Hearing from Dan Duquette, Tommy Hunter and Chris Tillman MASNsports.com 7/31

Tommy Hunter on being traded (Parmelee DFA'd) MASNsports.com 7/31

Updates on Gerardo Parra and Tommy Hunter MASNsports.com 7/31

Orioles trade Tommy Hunter to Cubs MASNsports.com 7/31

Orioles lineup vs. Tigers (and notes) MASNsports.com 7/31

Orioles recall Mychal Givens MASNsports.com 7/31

Zach Britton on Mychal Givens and Tommy Hunter, plus other notes MASNsports.com

8/1

Gerardo Parra talks about joining the Orioles (plus postgame clubhouse quotes)

MASNsports.com 7/31

O's game blog: It's Chen against Farmer as O's host Detroit (Delmarva no-hitter)

MASNsports.com 7/31

Wieters and Britton on O's additions, Givens on rejoining the team MASNsports.com

7/31

Delmarva's Cam Kneeland making the most of his opportunity MASNsports.com 8/1

Shorebirds' John Means throws seven-inning no-hitter (with video) MASNsports.com

7/31

Tigers-Orioles Preview SI.com 8/1

Brewers trade Gerardo Parra to Orioles for pitching prospect SI.com 7/31

Orioles trade Tommy Hunter to Cubs for Junior Lake SI.com 7/31

Orioles get LF Parra from Brewers for minor league pitcher AP 7/31

Baltimore Orioles' bats coming alive for stretch run ESPN.com 8/1

Gerardo Parra trade gives O's upgrade, but how much? ESPN.com 7/31

Orioles get Gerardo Parra from Brewers in exchange for Zach Davies ESPN.com 7/31

Can the Orioles get a long start from Gausman? CSN Baltimore 8/1

Why Showalter is excited about new outfield addition CSN Baltimore 7/31

Duquette: 'When you're close, got to do what you can' CSN Baltimore 7/31

Orioles deal Hunter for minor league outfielder CSN Baltimore 7/31

Orioles Bolster Outfield With Gerardo Parra, Finalize Several Moves

PressBoxOnline.com 7/31

Dan Duquette Tried To Lure Pedro Martinez To The Orioles PressBoxOnline.com 7/31

3 Things To Know About Gerardo Parra CBS Baltimore 7/31

The Orioles designated Bud Norris for assignment NBCSports.com 7/31

Cubs pick up Orioles reliever Tommy Hunter for Junior Lake NBCSports.com 7/31

Orioles trade for Brewers outfielder Gerardo Parra NBCSports.com 7/31

Friday Replay: Meet the Newest Oriole Baltimore Magazine 7/31

Brewers trade Gerardo Parra to Orioles: Three things to know CBSSports.com 7/31

Cubs get reliever Tommy Hunter from Orioles for Junior Lake CBSSports.com 7/31

Orioles regroup after Gerardo Parra and Junior Lake trades, roster moves USA Today

7/31

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bal-orioles-roar-back-from-down-six-to-topple-

tigers-87-20150731-story.html#page=2

Orioles roar back from down six to topple Tigers, 8-7, after

eventful deadline

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun

August 1, 2015

The Orioles’ 8-7 win over the Detroit Tigers on Friday night wasn’t the way you typically draw

them up, but they couldn’t argue with the result.

For the second straight night, the Tigers ran out to a big lead against the Orioles. And for the

second straight night, the Detroit bullpen allowed the Orioles back into the game.

This time, the Orioles completed their comeback, battling back from a 6-0 deficit after the top of

the fourth to score eight straight runs for their sixth win in seven games in front of an announced

36,985 at Camden Yards on Friday night.

On Thursday, the Orioles rallied from a seven-run deficit against the Tigers bullpen before

losing, 9-8.

“We kind of dug ourselves a hole both nights,” said Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “We

are a good offensive team and our guys found a way. It's tough, tough sledding. … There [were]

a lot of big at-bats in there.”

With the win, the Orioles are now one game behind the Minnesota Twins for the second

American League wild card and are tied with the Toronto Blue Jays for second in the AL East.

The Orioles remained six games out of first behind the division-leading New York Yankees.

“We need wins,” catcher Matt Wieters said. “The [ideal] formula would be pitching, defense and

timely hitting, but today we had to score some more runs. A win is a win is a win. We’ll take as

many in any win we can.”

It was a day full of emotions as the Orioles were busy at the nonwaiver trade deadline. They

welcomed new arrival Gerardo Parra, who was acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers earlier in

the day for pitching prospect Zach Davies and arrived in the Orioles dugout in the second inning

of Friday's game. But minutes after the 4 p.m. deadline, players said goodbye to reliever Tommy

Hunter, a clubhouse favorite and part of the team throughout its resurgence, after he was dealt to

the Chicago Cubs for minor league outfielder Junior Lake. They also said goodbye to pitcher

Bud Norris, a 15-game winner in 2014, and first baseman Chris Parmelee.

“It’s a tough day to lose a couple of guys that we’ve been playing with,” Wieters said. “At the

same time, it’s all part of the business of baseball. Once the lights go on, you have to be ready to

play, no matter who’s on the roster.”

But early in Friday’s game, it didn’t look good for the Orioles. Left-hander Wei-Yin Chen had

his shortest start of the season, lasting just 3 1/3 innings, allowing six runs on 10 hits. Right-

hander Mike Wright, recalled from Triple-A before the game as an extra bullpen arm, then left

the game after facing just three batters and could be heading to the disabled list with what the

team suspects is a strained left calf.

The Orioles’ charge back was led by the long ball. Jones’ three-run homer off Tigers starter

Buck Farmer in the fifth was his second homer in as many nights. And Manny Machado’s two-

run blast off reliever Jose Valdez (0-1) completed the comeback in the sixth, giving the Orioles a

7-6 lead.

Rookie right-hander Mychal Givens (1-0), called up from Double-A earlier in the day as part of

the team’s deadline-day roster shuffle, earned his first major league win with 1 2/3 scoreless

innings in relief of Wright. Givens retired five of the six hitters he faced.

"Words can't really say it,” Givens said of getting his first career victory in his Camden Yards

debut. “But just glad to have the win and glad that we got the win for the team and hopefully go

back tomorrow and get another W."

Chen tied a career-high by allowing three homers, including back-to-back solo shots to open the

fourth inning by catcher James McCann and first baseman Jefry Marte. His 3 1/3-inning outing

tied the shortest of his career, matching his start on June 28, 2014 against the Tampa Bay Rays.

“It's probably his low point with his command this year,” Showalter said of Chen. “Matt was

saying he hadn't seen him that wild in the strike zone. ... They were on him pretty good. We were

trying to get a few innings out of him because it was kind of challenging down there.”

The Tigers scored their first run three batters into the game on Ian Kinsler’s RBI single and

Marte hit a run-scoring double in the second. J.D. Martinez put Detroit up 4-0 with a two-run

homer with two outs in the third.

Chen was yanked from the game one batter after allowing the back-to-back homers in the fourth.

Chen has allowed 22 homers this season – tied for third-most in the American League - but 18

are solo shots.

“Those were some mistake pitches,” Chen said of the home runs. “I tried to command those

pitches on both sides of the plate, but I couldn’t do it today. Fortunately today our hitters scored

a lot of runs to come back and win the game. I have to try and learn from today’s experience and

make an adjustment. Hopefully I can do better next time.”

The Orioles got on the scoreboard in the fourth when Wieters, who hit a one-out double earlier in

the inning, scored on Ryan Flaherty’s grounder that snuck past Marte at first base for an error.

In the Orioles' four-run fifth, Jones took Farmer deep for his 17th homer of the season. It was his

183rd homer as an Oriole, passing Ken Singleton for sole possession of seventh place on the

franchise’s all-time list.

It was also Jones’ 100th home run at Camden Yards, as he joined Rafael Palmeiro (124) as the

only players to hit 100 homers in the ballpark’s history.

With the Orioles trailing 6-5 in the sixth, Machado took a 3-1 fastball from Valdez, who was

making his major league debut, into the left-field seats for a two-run shot. His 22nd homer of the

season gave the Orioles a 7-6 advantage. Later that inning, Chris Davis gave the Orioles a two-

run lead with an RBI single to right off Valdez.

Perhaps the most important defensive playe off the game occured in the seventh. With the

Orioles up 8-6 and Jose Iglesias at first, Ian Kinsler doubled into the right-center field gap, but

Jones slid to cut the ball off and Jonathan Schoop's relay throw home nabbed Iglesias at the

plate.

Tigers manager Brad Ausmus asked for a crew chief review, claiming Wieters blocked Iglesias'

path to the plate, but the call was uphelp. Kinsler scored one batter later off Chaz Roe on Victor

Martinez's ground out, but the play at the plate halted what could have been a big inning for the

Tigers.

That was the only run the Orioles bullpen allowed in 5 2/3 innings.

Darren O’Day, who struck out three in 1 1/3 scoreless innings, stranded a runner at second in the

eighth, getting Rajai Davis to pop up to the catcher after Anthony Gose hit a two-out double.

Closer Zach Britton allowed a one-out single in the ninth to Kinsler, but retired the next two

batters he faced, striking out Martinez to end the game for his 27th save in 28 opportunities.

“Darren and Zach, that part of the order to go out there, especially left-handed and get those

people out before they score a run is really, really hard to do,” Showalter said. “That's pretty

impressive, him and Darren, especially with a guy like J.D. Martinez — twice he got a chance to

tie us or beat us and we got outs there.

“We also need some things like Mychal or Mike Wright or whoever to kind of help out, too,

which they did tonight. Thank goodness we brought both of them.”

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/140208052/orioles-rally-past-tigers-erase-6-run-deficit

Orioles roar back, rally from 6-run deficit

By Jason Beck and Connor Smolensky / MLB.com

August 1, 2015

BALTIMORE -- A night after coming within one run of a comeback victory, the Orioles were

able to overcome a six-run deficit on Friday night to top the Tigers, 8-7, at Camden Yards.

Detroit chased a Baltimore starter after 3 1/3 innings for the second night in a row, this time at

the expense of Wei-Yin Chen. The Tigers collected 10 hits and six runs off the lefty, including a

two-run long ball from J.D. Martinez in the third inning, and back-to-back homers from James

McCann and Jefry Marte in the fourth.

After falling behind, 6-0, the Orioles picked up a run on an error in the fourth and scored four in

the fifth, highlighted by Adam Jones' three-run homer to left field. Manny Machado kept the

power surge going in the sixth, with a two-run homer to left that gave the Orioles a 7-6

lead. Chris Davis chipped in the final run for the Orioles, who saw Mychal Givens pick up his

first Major League victory with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless ball on the day he was recalled from

Double-A Bowie.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

J.D. delivers: Martinez went nine games without a home run, his longest streak since late May

and early June, before taking Chen's third-inning offering deep to left field. Martinez's 28th

homer of the year punctuated Detroit's second straight early-inning outburst in this series.

Bullpen blues: Buck Farmer had the makings of a quality start before a walk, an infield single

and Jones' three-run homer ended his night. That was bad news for a Tigers bullpen that

struggled to hold onto a seven-run lead the previous night. Ian Krol paid for two singles, a walk

and a throwing error for another run. Jose Valdez, just recalled from Triple-A Toledo after

the Joakim Soria trade, made his Major League debut and didn't retire any of the four batters he

faced, giving up the go-ahead runs. Neftali Feliz rescued his new team with two scoreless

innings to keep the game close.

"A week ago, we couldn't buy a run," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "Now we seem to get

runs and we can't seem to hold them."

O's starter struggles ... again: Chen lasted 3 1/3 innings, tied for the shortest start of his career,

while giving up a season-high six runs. The left-hander struck out six but gave up a career-high-

tying three home runs on 10 hits. Prior this series, Baltimore's starters had gone 4-0 with a 1.25

ERA and five quality starts. In the first two games of the series, Oriole starters have combined to

throw 6 2/3 innings, allowing 11 runs.

"I did miss my spots a lot today and I tried to locate my pitches on both sides of the plate, but

unfortunately a lot of pitches went right down the middle," Chen said through his interpreter.

"When you are throwing your pitches down the middle, you are going to get hit. That's what

happens in the Major Leagues."

Comeback deja vu: The Orioles' comeback was sparked by a Davis homer Thursday night, but

it was Jones who got things started this time. Jones hit his 17th home run of the season on a 2-1

pitch that he sent deep into the left-field stands to bring the Orioles within three in the fifth.

Machado got Camden Yards on its feet once again when he gave Baltimore its first lead of the

night. The Orioles have scored eight runs off the Detroit bullpen this series.

"That's where you can never quit, never give up," Orioles catcher Matt Wieters said. "You never

know what some confidence or some good swings last night might have done for some guys

tonight, to be able to come back and have a shot at the end. That's why when we get down,

there's no quit in this team."

QUOTABLE

"We kind of dug ourselves a hole both nights with a good offensive team and our guys found a

way. It's tough, tough sledding. Adam obviously had a big blow. There were a lot of big at-bats

in there." -- Orioles manager Buck Showalter

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Jones' home run was his 183rd as an Oriole, passing Ken Singleton for sole possession of

seventh place on Baltimore's all-time list. It was also Jones' 100th home run at Camden Yards.

REPLAY REVIEWS

The Tigers' Rajai Davis attempted to steal second with one out and Detroit holding a 6-0 lead.

Davis was ruled out on a strong throw from Wieters, and the ruling stood after Ausmus'

challenge was unable to overturn the call.

A crew-chief review was also called in the seventh, when the umpires looked at whether Wieters

violated the collision rule on a tag at the plate on a relay throw from Jonathan Schoop on a Ian

Kinsler double. After a review, it was ruled that there was no violation.

"I was told that if a runner doesn't slide, that you can't argue blocking the plate," Ausmus said,

"which makes no sense to me. Wieters was way out in front of the plate, which makes it almost

impossible for [Jose] Iglesias to slide."

WRIGHT EXITS WITH INJURY

On the same day that Mike Wright was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk, the right-hander entered

the game with one out in the fourth and left an inning later with a left calf injury. Wright will

undergo an MRI on Saturday.

WHAT'S NEXT

Tigers: Anibal Sanchez, who beat the Orioles two weeks ago at Comerica Park with six innings

of two-run ball, will try to repeat that feat Saturday (7:05 p.m. ET). It'll be his first start at

Camden Yards since 2010, when he was still with the Marlins.

Orioles: Kevin Gausman will make his sixth start of the season for Baltimore as he looks to pick

up his first win since Aug. 22. The young right-hander is coming off a no-decision against the

Braves on Monday, when he threw a career-high 7 2/3 innings of scoreless ball.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/07/mike-wright-leaves-game-with-injury.html

Mike Wright leaves game with injury (O's win 8-7)

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

July 31, 2015

Orioles pitcher Mike Wright left tonight's game with an injury with one out in the fifth inning

and a runner on first base.

The Orioles are losing 6-1 and digging into their bullpen.

Wright replaced starter Wei-Yin Chen with one out in the fourth. He retired Ian Kinsler on a

ground ball to open the fifth and Victor Martinez followed with a single.

Wright didn't throw another pitch. Manager Buck Showalter, pitching coach Dave Wallace and

head athletic trainer Richie Bancells walked to the mound and Wright walked to the dugout.

Mychal Givens, also recalled this afternoon, replaced Wright and retired the next two batters. He

struck out Nick Castellanos to end the inning.

Wright was summoned from Triple-A Norfolk today and officially added to the 25-man roster

when the Orioles traded Tommy Hunter to the Cubs. Givens was recalled after the Orioles

designated Bud Norris for assignment.

I'll provide an update on Wright's condition when the Orioles announce it.

Showalter didn't to use Wright tonight in case the rookie was needed to take Chris Tillman's turn

on Monday in Oakland. Tillman has a sprained left ankle.

Instant update: Wright exited with a cramp in his left calf muscle.

Update II: Adam Jones hit a three-run homer off Buck Farmer in the fifth to reduce the Tigers'

lead to 6-4. Ian Krol is now pitching.

Jones has 100 home runs at Camden Yards. He also has 183 as an Oriole, passing Ken Singleton

for sole possession of seventh place.

The Orioles weren't done. Chris Davis singled, Matt Wieters walked and Davis scored on J.J.

Hardy's infield hit and Krol's throwing error. Hardy extended his hitting streak to 14 games.

Tigers 6, Orioles 5

Ryan Flaherty struck out and is 0-for-25.

Update III: Jose Valdez made his major league debut tonight and didn't record an out in the

sixth. Manny Machado hit a two-run homer and Davis had an RBI single, as the Orioles took an

8-6 lead.

Davis has 70 RBIs on the season and one baserunning mistake tonight. He tried to steal second,

appearing as though he wasn't expecting a throw with Jones on third, and was an easy out.

Update IV: The Tigers scored a run off Chaz Roe in the seventh on Victor Martinez's RBI

grounder. Jones picked up his eighth outfield assist earlier in the inning as Jose Iglesias tried to

score from first on Ian Kinsler's double.

The Orioles lead the majors with 30 outfield assists.

Tonight's attendance: 36,985

Update V: Game over. Mychal Givens earns his first major league win, Zach Britton gets his

27th save, and the Orioles even the series with an 8-7 victory over the Tigers.

The Orioles have won six of their last seven games. They're 14-17 in one-run games.

The Orioles rallied from a 6-0 deficit for their biggest comeback of the season.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2015/07/jones-and-machado-homer-as-orioles-

rally-from-six-runs-down-to-win.html

Jones and Machado homer as Orioles rally from six runs

down to win

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

July 31, 2015

This time, the comeback was complete. One night after they fell a run short after being seven

runs down, the Orioles rallied from behind 6-0 to win.

Adam Jones hit a three-run homer and Manny Machado a go-ahead two-run homer as the Orioles

rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-7 in front of 36,985 at Camden Yards.

The Orioles won for the sixth time in seven games to improve to 52-50. They have scored 37

runs in their last seven games and 16 runs in this series.

Detroit once again got off to a fast start. They took a 6-0 lead against Wei-Yin Chen by the top

of the fourth. Chen lasted just 3 1/3 innings to tie his shortest start of his career. He allowed 10

hits and six runs, including a two-run homer to J.D. Martinez and back-to-back solo shots to

James McCann and Jefry Marte. Chen had allowed three or fewer runs in 11 straight starts.

Over the last two games, O's starters allowed 20 hits and 11 runs in 6 2/3 innings. In the previous

six games, the starters were 4-0 with a 1.25 ERA. The Tigers batters are 12-for-18 the first time

through the order in this series.

The O's cut their deficit to 6-1 in the fourth when Matt Wieters doubled and scored on an error.

Jones' three-run blast in the fifth made it 6-4. It was his 17th homer of the year and his 100th at

Oriole Park. It was also Jones' 183rd as an Oriole, as he moved past Ken Singleton into seventh

place on the club's all-time list. The O's closed to 6-5 in that inning when Chris Davis singled,

went to second on a walk and third on a hit and scored on an error.

After a leadoff walk in the last of the sixth, right-hander Jose Valdez came in for Detroit to make

his major league debut. He would face four batters and not retire any of them. His first career

hitter was Machado, who promptly hit a two-run homer for a 7-6 lead. It was his 22nd homer.

Three batters later, Davis' single made it 8-6.

Detroit closed to within 8-7 in the seventh but also had a runner cut down in the plate in that

inning on an excellent relay from Jones in center to second baseman Jonathan Schoop and on to

Wieters at the plate, who made a nice catch of a short-hop and tag for the important out.

Meanwhile, on the mound for the Orioles, Mike Wright replaced Chen in the fourth but exited

with a left calf cramp while pitching in the fifth. That brought on right-hander Mychal Givens,

who was recalled today from Double-A Bowie.

Givens pitched scoreless ball for 1 2/3 innings, retiring five of six hitters, to get his first major

league win in his second appearance. He fanned two batters, throwing 19 pitches, 13 for strikes.

After Chaz Roe pitched 2/3 of an inning and Darren O'Day went 1 1/3, Zach Britton got the final

three outs to record his 27th save in 28 chances. Britton has recorded 23 straight saves since May

3.

After exchanging one-run wins, the Orioles host Detroit tomorrow night for the third game of

this series. Kevin Gausman (1-2, 4.20 ERA) pitches against right-hander Anibal Sanchez (10-8,

4.61 ERA).

http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/07/31/ap-bba-tigers-orioles-1st-ld-writethru

Jones, Machado HRs rally Orioles past Tigers 8-7

Associated Press / SI.com

July 31, 2015

BALTIMORE (AP) One night after their comeback bid fell short, the Baltimore Orioles pulled

off their biggest come-from-behind win of the season at the expense of the trade-ravaged Detroit

Tigers.

Adam Jones and Manny Machado homered, and Baltimore rallied from a six-run deficit to

register an uplifting 8-7 victory on Friday.

Down 6-0 in the fourth inning, the Orioles teed off against the pitching-poor Tigers and went

ahead 7-6 in the sixth when Machado hit a two-run drive off rookie Jose Valdez (0-1), making

his big league debut.

One night earlier, Baltimore stormed back from a 9-2 hole before losing by a run.

''We kind of dug ourselves a hole both nights (against) a good offensive team and our guys found

a way,'' manager Buck Showalter said. ''It's tough, tough sledding.''

It was the sixth win in seven games for the Orioles, who earlier in the day bolstered their roster

for a playoff run by obtaining outfielder Gerardo Parra from Milwaukee before the non-waiver

deadline.

Parra watched from the bench as Baltimore rattled off eight straight runs. Before this one, the

Orioles' biggest turnaround was a three-run deficit against Miami.

''You can never quit, never give up,'' catcher Matt Wieters said.

The fourth-place Tigers insist they won't give up trying to win, but it's tough when management

is clearly eyeing the future. After dealing away ace left-hander David Price and closer Joakim

Soria on Thursday, general manager Dave Dombrowski traded slugger Yoenis Cespedes to the

Mets for two minor leaguers.

Detroit compensated for the loss of the slugger by hitting three home runs off Wei-Yin Chen,

including the 28th of the season by J.D. Martinez, and Ian Kinsler had four hits. But it wasn't

enough.

''Guys continue to play hard,'' manager Brad Ausmus said. ''Offensively we're fine right now. A

week ago we couldn't buy a run. Now we seem to get runs but we can't seem to hold them.''

As has often been the case this season, the Tigers - whose ERA ranks 13th in the AL - couldn't

generate enough offense to overcome their shoddy bullpen. It was the fourth time in six games

Detroit has yielded at least eight runs.

Detroit also made two errors, the last of which let in the eighth run.

Chen allowed six runs and 10 hits in 3 1-3 innings. It was the most runs he had given up since

yielding eight against Boston on Aug. 27, 2013.

Mychal Givens (1-0) earned his first big league win with 1 2-3 innings of one-hit relief, and Zach

Britton got three outs for his 27th save.

Kinsler singled in a first-inning run and Jefry Marte made it 2-0 with an RBI double in the

second. Martinez connected in the third with a man on, and it became 6-0 when James McCann

and Marte homered on consecutive pitches in the fourth.

Baltimore began its comeback with an unearned run in the fourth, and then closed to 6-5 with a

four-run fifth. With one out, Jimmy Paredes lined a single off the left leg of starter Buck Farmer,

who limped around the mound after impact. Although he appeared a bit tentative as he warmed

up in front of manager Brad Ausmus, Farmer had a 6-1 lead and needed only two more outs to

qualify for his first major league win.

Four pitches later, Jones ended the rookie's outing with a three-run homer.

Ian Krol followed, getting two outs and giving up two runs.

''The hitting was there, the pitching wasn't there,'' Krol said. ''That seems to be the problem so far

in our season. But I believe in this team.''

MOVING DAY

Tigers: Valdez and OF Tyler Collins were recalled from Triple-A Toledo ... Detroit activated

LHP Daniel Norris, acquired in the trade that sent Price to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Orioles: Givens and RHP Mike Wright were recalled from the minors. Wright got in the game

but lasted only one inning before leaving with a left calf cramp that Showalter said might

actually be a strain.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Orioles: RHP Chris Tillman is nursing a sprained right ankle that might push back his start

Monday in Oakland.

ON DECK

Tigers: Anibal Sanchez (10-8, 4.61 ERA) beat the Orioles on July 17 and will seek an encore on

Saturday night.

Orioles: Kevin Gausman (1-2, 4.20 ERA) strives for his first win since April 7. He has had 12

appearances since then, including five starts.

http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/orioles-talk/orioles-pull-comeback-win-beat-tigers-8-7

Orioles pull off comeback win, beat Tigers 8-7

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Baltimore

July 31, 2015

BALTIMORE – On a tumultuous day for the Orioles, they came away with a comeback win.

The day featured goodbyes to Tommy Hunter and Bud Norris, who helped the club in some

memorable games, and a hello to Gerardo Parra, acquired from Milwaukee.

Parra arrived early in the game, and didn’t play, but got to watch the Orioles spot the Detroit

Tigers a six-run lead, but still come away with an 8-7 win before 36,985 at Oriole Park on Friday

night.

For the second straight game, an Orioles starter had an early exit. On Thursday night, Miguel

Gonzalez allowed five runs on 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings. A night later, Wei-Yin Chen allowed six

runs on 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings.

Gonzalez was still saddled with the loss because Norris allowed four runs, and the Orioles nearly

came back, but fell a run short, 9-8.

“We kind of dug ourselves a hole both nights with a good offensive team and our guys found a

way. It's tough, tough sledding,” manager Buck Showalter said.

Chen, who equaled his shortest major league outing, was spared the humiliation of a loss, thanks

to his offense and the Tigers’ hideous bullpen. He allowed hits to the first three Detroit batters in

the first. Ian Kinsler’s RBI single scored Rajai Davis.

Jefry Marte’s RBI scored James McCann in the second, and J.D. Martinez’s two-run home run,

his 28th, gave the Tigers a 4-0 lead in the fourth.

McCann and Marte hit back-to-back home runs off Chen in the fourth to put Detroit (50-53)

ahead 6-0.

“All I can say is I didn’t pitch well tonight, but fortunately our hitters did a great job of scoring

run and we got a win so that’s a good thing,” Chen said through a translator.

The Orioles scored against Buck Farmer in the bottom of the fourth when Matt Wieters hit a one-

out double, and with two outs, Ryan Flaherty’s dribbler, went under Marte’s glove at first to

score Wieters.

In the fifth, the Orioles batted around and scored four runs. With one out, Manny Machado

walked, Jimmy Paredes singled off Farmer’s left leg, and Adam Jones hit his 17th home run of

the year, to cut the Detroit lead to 6-4.

Chris Davis singled against Ian Krol. Wieters walked, and Hardy reached when his bouncer

eluded Krol. Krol threw wildly to first, and Davis scored, and the Orioles were only down by

one.

Mike Wright, recalled earlier on Friday, relieved Chen with one out in the fourth, but left with a

cramp in his left calf with one out in the fifth. Mychal Givens (1-0), also recalled, relieved him

and recorded five outs, and allowed one single. It was Givens’ second major league appearance,

and his first at home.

“Words can't really say it,” Givens said of his first win. The former minor league infielder

enjoyed watching the bats help him get the win.

“Always have confidence in our offense. We have a great team, and it's just a matter time that

we're going to get back in a row and hopefully get on the playoff hunt,” Givens said.

David Lough walked to lead off the bottom of the sixth. Jose Valdez (0-1) relieved Krol, and in

his major league debut, allowed a two-run home run to Machado, his 22nd. Jimmy Paredes

walked, and scored on Davis’ single, and the Orioles (52-50) led 8-6 after six.

Chaz Roe allowed a run in the seventh when Victor Martinez’s infield out scored Kinsler.

Darren O’Day threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings and Zach Britton pitched the ninth for his 27th save.

“We need wins. The [ideal] formula would be pitching, defense and timely hitting, but today we

had to score some more runs. A win is a win is a win. We’ll take as many in any win we can,”

Wieters said.

NOTES: Wright will go for an MRI on his left calf on Saturday. … Showalter said he remains

hopeful on Chris Tillman’s left ankle. "Chris is a little better, but i think tomorrow is a big day

with Tillman, whether or not he'll make Monday's start. We'll know probably after tomorrow,"

Showalter said. … Showalter said that designating Chris Parmelee for assignment was not easy.

“We'd like to keep them all. It was a good offseason sign. We gave him the opportunity,”

Showalter said. “What it comes down to is we like Parra to help us more.”

Hardy has a 14-game hitting streak, longest of the season for the Orioles. … Flaherty is in an 0-

for-26 slump. ...Jones’ home run was his 100th at Oriole Park, and the 183rd of his Orioles’

career, putting him in seventh place on the team’s home run list. … Anibal Sanchez (10-8, 4.61)

faces Kevin Gausman (1-2, 4.20) on Saturday night.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-minor-league-capsules-0802-

20150801-story.html

Orioles minor league report: Tides' Tyler Wilson shows his

stuff

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun

August 1, 2015

Triple-A Norfolk

Tyler Wilson's final start in July was one of his best of the season. The right-hander improved to

5-5 and lowered his ERA to 3.05 with seven scoreless innings against the Pawtucket Red Sox on

Wednesday. He allowed five hits with just one walk and four strikeouts, and hasn't allowed more

than six hits in a start since June 9.

Double-A Bowie

First baseman Trey Mancini ended his scalding hot July batting .331/.364/.496, following up a

strong May that cemented him as one of the organization's best performing hitters. The 23-year-

old had seven multi-hit games in 11 games from July 17-27. Overall, he entered Saturday with

seven home runs, 16 doubles and 30 RBIs in 48 games for the Baysox.

High-A Frederick

Left-hander Matt Taylor has allowed earned runs in just three of his first nine appearances (four

starts) after returning from a concussion suffered when he took a line drive to the head in April.

Three of his eight walks in that span came Wednesday, when he allowed three runs in 1 2/3

innings. But Taylor has otherwise been a bright spot for the Keys pitching staff.

Low-A Delmarva

Third baseman Jomar Reyes, who missed time with a thumb injury this season, had hits in seven

straight games entering Saturday. Reyes had two home runs in his first 54 games this season, but

had two in three games from July 25-27. He entered Saturday batting .283/.343/.443 for the

Shorebirds.

Short-A Aberdeen

Outfielder DJ Stewart, the Orioles' first-round draft pick in 2015, entered Saturday with three

two-hit games in four contests, but was batting .211/.300/.347 with just six extra-base hits in 25

games for the IronBirds. … Outfielder Cedric Mullins entered Saturday with 11 steals in 13

attempts, though he entered Friday batting .150 in his last 10 games. That lowered his season

average to .278.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-notes-and-observations-wright-

parra-givens-parmelee-20150731-story.html

Orioles notes and observations on Wright, Parra, Givens

and Parmelee

By Dan Connolly and Ryan Baillargeon / The Baltimore Sun

August 1, 2015

One of the reasons the Orioles felt comfortable trading reliever Tommy Hunter is because they

felt like they had enough depth in the minors that they could replace his innings and be able to

more freely shuttle pieces up and down to keep the bullpen fresh.

That theory could be tested as soon as Saturday.

Mike Wright, who was recalled from Triple-A on Friday as part of the roster shuffling caused by

the trade deadline, left with one out in the fifth inning with what appears to be a left calf strain.

He is getting an MRI on Saturday morning, and it’s possible he will have to go on the disabled

list. He was wearing a soft boot on his left foot after the game.

”If we don't feel like Mike Wright is ready to go, we'll probably talk about adding somebody,”

said Orioles manager Buck Showalter, who said he might not necessarily add a long man to fill

Wright’s role. “In some cases you can't be picky. There were a lot of phone calls made to

Norfolk tonight. We took their starters [Wright and the recently traded Zach Davies] two nights

in a row.”

Wright said he has never had this type of injury any previous season. He said he felt a calf cramp

in his last start at Norfolk, but it went away.

“The next couple of days I felt fine. I threw a bullpen yesterday and felt perfectly fine, and then

today, the throw down from [catcher Matt] Wieters, I felt it grab pretty good,” he said.

The Orioles staff is already a bit compromised because Chris Tillman sprained his right ankle

Wednesday and his Monday start in Oakland is in jeopardy. Wright was considered a potential

replacement for that game if Tillman can’t go.

“Chris is a little better, but I think [Saturday] is big day with Tillman whether he’ll make

Monday’s start,” Showalter said. “We’ll know after probably [Saturday].”

Parra ‘happy’ to be Oriole

Outfielder Gerardo Parra, who was acquired before Friday’s nonwaiver trade deadline for

prospect Zach Davies, spoke with the media for the first time as an Oriole after Friday night’s

game.

The former Milwaukee Brewer highlighted how thrilled he was to be in Baltimore, using

“happy” eight times while being interviewed.

“I just want to play hard every day, try to help the team,” Parra said. “We are here to win. I'm

just doing the best I can and try to help the team make the playoffs.”

Parra arrived at game time Friday, so he didn’t get the start, though he was available off the

bench. The 28-year-old has won Gold Gloves in right and left field, and Showalter isn’t sure

which corner spot he will man with the Orioles.

As for Parra, he doesn’t seem to mind which spot he plays, either.

“It doesn’t matter to me,” Parra said. “I can play short, second base, I just want to make a help to

the team.”

Givens gets first career win

There was a box of balls waiting at Mychal Givens' locker after Friday’s game. The 25-year-old

right-hander had just notched his first major league win.

It was Givens’ second career appearance — his other coming at Fenway Park on June 24, and he

credited that outing and spring traing with helping to get the butterflies out.

“I felt comfortable,” Givens said. “The guys are really good, even make you a little family.”

The shortstop-turned-pitcher didn’t show any signs of nerves even after he came back out for the

sixth inning with the Orioles trailing by one (he entered in the fifth down 6-1). He worked

around a one-out single to complete 1 2/3 scoreless innings as the Orioles took an 8-6 lead in the

bottom half of the inning.

“It feels great,” Givens said. “[I’m] just taking everything in, enjoying the moment, enjoying the

time with the team right now.”

Showalter explains DFAing Parmelee

In a host of moves Friday afternoon, Chris Parmelee, who had played first base and right field in

32 games with the Orioles, was designated for assignment to make room on the 25-man roster.

After Friday’s win, Showalter explained why Parmelee was the odd man out.

“[Executive vice president] Dan [Duquette] came down, kind of what he wanted to do,”

Showalter said. “We talked about it. We’d like to keep them all. It’s tough. It was a good

offseason sign, and we gave him the opportunity. Had a good year going in Norfolk, came here

and was good early on. Played good defense for us. I think what it comes down to, we feel like

Parra can help us more. We will see where the season takes us.”

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck-blog/bal-peter-schmuck-orioles-address-key-

need-with-parra-trade-20150731-story.html

Peter Schmuck: Orioles address key need with Parra trade

By Peter Schmuck / The Baltimore Sun

July 31, 2015

The deadline acquisition of outfielder Gerardo Parra from the Milwaukee Brewers probably isn’t

going to impress anyone still in awe of the two huge deals pulled off by the Toronto Blue Jays

this week, but it is a solid deal that addresses a key need for the Orioles.

They’ve been parading outfielders through left field all season and no one has really grabbed the

opportunity to play regularly. Travis Snider has gotten most of the playing time by default

because he was acquired for that purpose during the club’s unheralded offseason, but he really

hasn’t given the club enough production to justify full-time playing time at a power position.

Parra is having his best season, batting .328 with an on-base percentage that rivals anyone on the

Orioles current roster. He isn’t a big name, but if he’s a steady player who gets on base and can

deliver key hits with runners in scoring position, Duquette should get credit for doing what he

could with the players he had available to trade.

The O’s might have gotten more if they had been willing to trade top pitching prospect Kevin

Gausman, the apple of everyone’s eye who were lighting up Duquette’s cellphone, but the club

was right not to give up that much value when it’s best chance to reach the postseason may be

for the one-game wild card playoff.

It was a different situation a year ago, when the O’s traded highly regarded pitcher Eduardo

Rodriguez was dealt to the Boston Red Sox for super-setup man Andrew Miller. The club wasn’t

looking way up at a hot Yankees team and had more offensive punch with Nelson Cruz in the

middle of the lineup.

This year, the Orioles offense has been spotty and that inconsistency glared during a July slump

that took them from first place to as far as seven games out of the division lead. They can still get

up if they can establish a steady attack, and Parra appears to be a player who will add some

connectivity to a lineup that depends too much on the home run ball.

Parra’s name has been floating around for the past few days, so the deal is not a tremendous

surprise. No doubt, a lot of fans would rather have somebody with a bigger name, but the Orioles

minor league system is short on position depth and has several of its top pitching

prospects — most notably Dylan Bundy and Hunter Harvey — on the shelf with injuries.

They certainly were far from the position the Blue Jays were in when they sent three solid left-

handed pitching prospects to the Tigers for David Price … and that was after making the

surprising trade for power-hitting shortstop Troy Tulowitzki.

Zach Davies, who got some face time with the major league club in spring training, got positive

reviews from manager Buck Showalter, but he was a player with some value who the Orioles felt

they could afford to give up.

Though it certainly remains to be seen whether the Orioles will be able to keep pace with the

Blue Jays now, the Parra deal is a solid, medium trade that should have a positive impact down

the stretch.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-instant-analysis-of-orioles-trade-for-

gerardo-parra-from-the-milwaukee-brewers-20150731-story.html

Instant analysis of Orioles' trade with Brewers

The Baltimore Sun

July 31, 2015

The Orioles have traded for outfielder Gerardo Parra of the Milwaukee Brewers, sending back

minor-league pitcher Zach Davies. The trading deadline is today at 4 p.m. Here are some initial

thoughts on the deal:

Dan Connolly, reporter: This trade had to be done. Really, it is the perfect fit for an Orioles

team that has gotten woeful offensive production out of left field – which has included six

players making starts there: Travis Snider, David Lough, Nolan Reimold, Steve Pearce and two

guys no longer with the team, Alejandro De Aza and Delmon Young.

Ed Encina, reporter: The Orioles had to do something to upgrade their offensive production in

left field. And while the acquisition of Gerardo Parra isn’t as splashy a move as other teams have

made at the trade deadline, it unquestionably makes the Orioles a better team down the stretch.

The Orioles usually rely on track record and while Parra is a two-time Gold Glove winner –

defensive metrics suggest a down year defensively – the 28-year-old is still an upgrade in the

field. Parra is having a career year at the plate, but his .328 average and .369 on-base percentage

will be welcome anywhere in the Orioles’ batting order. He will be playing in the American

League for the first time in his career. Dealing right-hander Zach Davies, who over the past two

seasons had risen to become one of the Orioles’ top pitching prospects despite his low draft

status and wiry frame, prompts uneasy feelings much like when the Orioles were forced to deal

Eduardo Rodriguez to get Andrew Miller, but you have to give something to get something.

Davies was one of the organization’s best models of solid player development, but if he could

draw the missing piece to get the Orioles’ to the World Series, it’s worth it.

Josh Land, Orioles editor: The Orioles needed a corner outfielder who can get on base, and

they got it at minimal cost in acquiring Gerardo Parra from the Milwaukee Brewers. Parra is

having a terrific contract year, with a .369 on-base percentage (.330 career) and .328 average.

He'll be a good fit in the leadoff spot and is a quality defender. Yes, they part with another young

pitcher for a rental. But they bring in exactly what they need without parting with any of their top

prospects, and managed to get it done one-for-one. Dan Duquette did a good job waiting out the

market and for prices to drop before he acted to improve his club's playoff chances.

Childs Walker, reporter: It’s not as glitzy as the trades the Blue Jays pulled off this week, but

the Orioles’ acquisition of outfielder Gerardo Parra is a smart win-now move. In the thick of the

wild-card race and on the verge of potentially losing several big-name players to free agency, the

Orioles needed to invest in making the playoffs this year. As an excellent defender with some

pop in his bat, Parra will offer a clear upgrade in left field, which has been one of the Orioles’

most obvious weak spots all season. Zach Davies has pitched well again this season, but he

projects to be a back-of-the-rotation starter, which is something the Orioles already have in

abundance. He was a reasonable price to pay for a boost to the club’s 2015 playoff chances.

Ron Fritz, sports editor: This trade vastly improves the Orioles' offense and defense. It gives

them a leadoff hitter to allow them to move Manny Machado down in the lineup (although he

failed to get a hit in three games when he batted third). Parra is also a two-time Gold Glove

winner. This is a good start to trading deadline day for the Orioles.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-dan-connolly-s-instant-analysis-on-parra-

trade-20150731-story.html

Dan Connolly's breakdown of Parra trade for Davies

By Dan Connolly / The Baltimore Sun

July 31, 2015

The Orioles hate giving up minor-leaguers with potential. And Zach Davies was one of their

rare, deep draft successes – a 26th-round pick in 2011 who succeeded on every level and had

made himself the 6th-best prospect in the organization’s system.

But this trade – Davies for Milwaukee Brewers left-handed outfielder Gerardo Parra - had to be

done. Really, it is the perfect fit for an Orioles team that has gotten woeful offensive production

out of its left-field combo – which has included six players making starts there: Travis Snider,

David Lough, Nolan Reimold, Steve Pearce and two guys no longer with the team, Alejandro De

Aza and Delmon Young.

Heading into Thursday, the Orioles left-fielders have combined to hit .210 (29th out of 30 for

MLB left-fielders) with a .283 on-base percentage (27th) and a .330 slugging percentage (27th).

They have combined to hit 42 points under the major league average for left-fielders. Ouch.

Parra is a career .279 hitter with a career .330 on-base percentage. Those are pretty solid

numbers. But this year he is playing out of his gourd in 100 games. His .328 average is by far the

best of his seven-season career – his previous season high was .292 for the Arizona

Diamondbacks. His nine homers this year are one off his career high for a season.

It’s possible the pending free agent is just putting it all together in his walk year and will do this

for several more years. Or maybe it is just a one-season thing. But the Orioles don’t care. He

serves as a major upgrade.

He’s not necessarily a typical leadoff hitter; he’s stolen 64 bases and been thrown out 37 times in

his career. But he’s hit leadoff more times than in any other spot in his career.

So all of that makes him a guy worth having. But the real deal here is that he is also an excellent

defender. He can play all three positions in the outfield and has twice won the Gold Glove. I was

told recently by a scout that he isn’t perhaps as good defensively this year than he was in the

past, but he’s still well above average.

And Buck Showalter puts a premium on defense.

Parra is not a super-sexy name like Justin Upton or Carlos Gonzalez. But he fits this team very

well. And Zach Davies has a big league future with a great mentality, but he is not considered a

true top prospect – so it definitely seems worth the risk.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baltimore-sports-blog/bal-baysox-holding-captain-manny-

machado-bobblehead-giveaway-aug-9-20150731-story.html

Baysox holding "Captain Manny" Machado bobblehead

giveaway Aug. 9

The Baltimore Sun

July 31, 2015

If a bobblehead depicting Manny Machado as a pirate has always been on your must-have list,

Prince George's Stadium will be the place to be on Aug. 9.

The Bowie Baysox will be giving away a "Captain Manny" bobblehead at that Sunday

afternoon's 2:05 p.m. game as part of their Pirates & Ninjas Day promotion. According to the

club's press release, the first 1,000 "landlubbers" ages 13 and up will receive the "bobbling

pirate-themed rendition" of the former Baysox shortstop and current Orioles third baseman.

“Matey’s, you won’t want to miss this giveaway,” Baysox assistant director of ticket sales and

pirate enthusiast Ashley Nalley said in a statement. “Captain Manny has finished his grog and is

ready for another adventure at Prince George’s Stadium. Fans can follow him around the seven

seas to find the loot or otherwise may walk the plank.”

Leading up to Pirates & Ninjas Day, the Baysox will also be holding a “Captain Manny

Scaveng-ARR hunt." Starting Friday, the Baysox will post a clue on Twitter each day at "high

tide" (10:13 a.m.) that will lead fans to a local business. The first person to arrive at that day’s

location during regular business hours and say, “Land ho, Machado,” will receive a prize

package that includes free tickets to the Aug. 9 game and a random bobblehead. Each prize

winner will also receive a clue to the location of a “Captain Manny” Bobblehead that will be

hidden in the stadium the day of the giveaway.

Machado, the Orioles' 2010 first-round draft pick, played 109 games with the Baysox in 2012,

hitting .266 with 26 doubles, 11 home runs and 59 RBIs. He was promoted directly from Bowie

to the Orioles, where he made his major league debut on Aug. 9, 2012 - doubling the giveaway

as a three-year anniversary celebration.

Machado won Gold Glove honors as the top third baseman in the American League and

Platinum Glove honors as the top overall defensive player following the 2013 season.

Machado has also been depicted as a garden gnome and as the holiday-themed “Manny Claus” in

recent years. The miniature Machado collectible is dressed up like a pirate complete with a skull

cap, long hair and pirate garb, holding a sword and standing among seashells.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-trades-0801-20150731-

story.html#page=1

Orioles' Dan Duquette 'happy and excited' to land Gerardo

Parra on busy deadline day

By Dan Connolly / The Baltimore Sun

July 31, 2015

When the dust settled following Friday afternoon's nonwaiver trade deadline, the Orioles had

filled their most glaring need by dealing for an established, hot-hitting outfielder while dealing

away one of the core members of their bullpen in a separate move.

On Friday morning, the Orioles acquired 28-year-old outfielder Gerardo Parra from the

Milwaukee Brewers for minor league pitcher Zach Davies. Then, at the 4 p.m. deadline, the

Orioles sent right-handed reliever Tommy Hunter to the Chicago Cubs for minor league

outfielder Junior Lake.

The trades ignited a flurry of roster moves for the Orioles that included designating right-hander

Bud Norris and first baseman Chris Parmelee for assignment and recalling top minor league

pitchers Mychal Givens and Mike Wright.

Viewed all together, Orioles manager Buck Showalter said Friday's action makes his club better

as it prepares for the pennant push over the final two months of the season.

"I hope so. I think so," Showalter said Friday afternoon. "I'm not getting too deep right now. I'm

trying to win tonight's ballgame in nine innings."

Because their system is not particularly deep and they didn't want to deal away pitchers such as

Kevin Gausman, Givens and Wright, the Orioles were limited in what they could do. And

although there is always inherent risk in giving up a prospect such as Davies, a 22-year-old right-

hander who had a 2.84 ERA in 19 games at Triple-A Norfolk this season, Orioles executive vice

president Dan Duquette felt it was worth it.

"We're real happy and excited that we were able to pick up Parra. He's one of the top hitters in

the National League this year and he fits the profile of an everyday position player for us,"

Duquette said. "I think when you're close and you have a chance to get into the playoffs, you've

got to do what you can around these deadlines to strengthen your team and keep going toward

the goal."

The Orioles entered Friday six games behind the division-leading New York Yankees in the

American League East and trailing the Minnesota Twins by two games for the final AL wild

card. The Orioles' biggest deficiency this season has been a complete lack of production from the

six players who have combined to play left field.

Heading into Friday, Orioles left fielders combined to hit .210 (29th out of 30 for MLB left

fielders) with a .283 on-base percentage (27th) and a .330 slugging (27th). Parra is a career .279

hitter, but the pending free agent is batting .328 with a .369 on-base percentage and .517

slugging percentage this year. Parra, who arrived just before game time, is also a two-time Gold

Glover with an above-average arm who can play left field, right field or center if needed.

"I've always been a fan of [Parra's]," Showalter said. "I know the guy won a Gold Glove in left

and right and [is] having a big year offensively and plays the game like our fans like to see it

played. He fits us and kind of who we have to be to be competitive."

Showalter wouldn't commit to whether Parra would play left or right — he said he'd talk to the

player about that soon — or whether he would immediately become the club's primary leadoff

hitter, allowing Manny Machado to be slotted into more of a run-producing role.

"He's an option [to leadoff]. He's doing real well out of that role and some other roles,"

Showalter said of Parra, who has batted first more than in any other spot in his career. "I look at

him as about [having] the ability to hit in three or four spots if we wanted to."

The move also signified to the Orioles players that management is still pushing forward after

speculation that the club might begin to trade some of its pending free agents if it didn't rebound

recently.

"I think it was big. We needed some help in the outfield, and we all knew that," closer Zach

Britton said. "Adding him is good, a guy that we can maybe put in the leadoff spot. I'm not Buck,

I'm assuming he is probably going to be a top-of-the-lineup type of guy. He's hitting the ball

really well, so that's good for us."

The Orioles absorbed what's remaining of Parra's $6.24 million salary and might have to do the

same with what's left of Norris' $8.8 million salary unless he is traded within the next 10 days.

So the Orioles received a little financial relief by dealing away the 29-year-old Hunter, who has

been with the club since the Orioles acquired him and Chris Davis from the Texas Rangers for

Koji Uehara in July 2011.

One of the most popular players in the clubhouse, the gregarious Hunter took the move in stride,

saying it probably would be harder on his pregnant wife than on him.

"There were a lot of fun times here and a lot of good people," Hunter said. "A lot of friendships

made and hopefully they continue through the years."

Hunter, a free agent at season's end, had been the subject of trade rumors since early Friday

morning. The Orioles had talked with the Cubs about dealing Hunter for infielder Mike Olt, but

ultimately agreed to acquire Lake as the deadline expired.

"I actually told Darren O'Day that we really can't play catch until 4:05 — so you get that four- or

five-minute grace period," Hunter said. "And at 4:03, he came in and asked me and I was like, 'I

don't know.'"

Hunter, who began last year as the Orioles closer and posted a 4.22 ERA in 212 games as an

Oriole, didn't rule out the possibility of returning to Baltimore this winter.

"There's not going to be any shut doors," Hunter said. "I'm not trying to run, stomp out of here

like I didn't like it, because I loved it here."

By trading away Hunter and designating Norris, the Orioles created some flexibility in their

bullpen. Previously, no reliever could be sent to the minors unless they first passed through

waivers. Givens and Wright both have options.

"That's a little bit of it, but a very small part of it," Showalter said.

Duquette said Lake, who has batted .241 with 16 homers in 193 big league games in parts of

three seasons with the Cubs, will start at Norfolk but could work his way back to the majors this

season. He was hitting .315 this year for Triple-A Iowa, where he worked with former major

leaguer Manny Ramirez.

"He's become a lot more of a selective hitter. Looking for his pitch, hitting the ball to right-center

field, using the whole field," Duquette said of Lake, who is a former minor league roommate of

Orioles infielder Ryan Flaherty. "I think he is going to be a helpful player for our team. He's a lot

like Jimmy Paredes was a year ago when we picked him up from Kansas City."

Now that the nonwaiver trade deadline has passed, the Orioles can still make deals, but the

players involved must first clear trade waivers. Duquette has made at least one August trade each

season he has been in Baltimore, and that likely won't change. He said he is still seeking a

pitching upgrade — or any incremental move that will help the Orioles get to the postseason.

With so much potential volatility surrounding next year's roster, Showalter embraces that

philosophy.

"There's a lot of things contingent on signing players. Next year is next year. We are trying to

win a World Championship this year," Showalter said. "That's what it is all about with the

situation we are in. It's as simple as that."

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-adam-jones-moves-into-seventh-on-

orioles-home-run-list-mike-wright-leaves-game-20150731-story.html

Adam Jones moves into seventh on Orioles' home run list,

Mike Wright leaves game

By Ryan Baillargeon / The Baltimore Sun

July 31, 2015

Orioles center fielder Adam Jones blasted a three-run homer into the Orioles bullpen in the fifth

inning Friday night to bring his career home run total with Baltimore to 183. The long ball

moved him past Ken Singleton into sole possession of seventh place on the Orioles’ all-time

home run list.

It marked Jones’ 17th home run this season, and his second in as many nights. The 29-year-old

belted at least 19 home runs in six straight seasons entering this year and has had at least 25 in

four straight campaigns.

Jones, in his eighth season with the Orioles, ranks third on the team in home runs this year,

trailing Chris Davis and Manny Machado.

* Right-hander Mike Wright, who was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk before Friday’s matchup

with Detroit, pitched an inning before coming out of the game with a left calf cramp.

Wright allowed a single to designated hitter Victor Martinez with one out in the fifth inning and

showed discomfort as he fell toward the first base bag after the pitch, walking gingerly before

trainers came out to examine him.

Manager Buck Showalter opted to pull the 25-year-old after the injury. The single to Martinez

marked the only base runner he allowed.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck-blog/bal-schmuck-orioles-tommy-hunter-deal-a-

headscratcher-20150731-story.html

Schmuck: Orioles' Tommy Hunter deal a head-scratcher

By Peter Schmuck / The Baltimore Sun

July 31, 2015

Tommy Hunter throws in the high 90s and has been a big part of the Orioles bullpen for the past

three years. Junior Lake is an outfielder who has not distinguished himself in parts of three major

league seasons.

So, why did the Orioles make this deal? Was it to save the approximately $1.6 million remaining

of Hunter’s salary for this year, which would offset some of the $2 million or so that they will

have to pay newly acquired outfielder Gerardo Parra for the final two months of the season?

That’s the way it looks, but there’s probably more to it than that. The Orioles shuffled the roster

Friday, designating struggling Bud Norris for assignment and replacing him with promising

Mychal Givens, then dealing Hunter and calling up Mike Wright to fill out the bullpen.

The club now has a lot more roster flexibility in the bullpen, which tends to come in handy when

you run the kind of Triple-A shuttle the Orioles have devised to get more instant gratification out

of the player-development system.

The outfield situation also is coming more into focus, but not because of Lake. He’s a guy who

provides some organizational outfield depth, but his so-so defensive stats don’t exactly fit the

picture.

The arrival of Parra, however, should help. He’s having a very good season and he should add

significant on-base potential and some pop to the lineup, something the club has not been getting

enough of from Travis Snider.

Hunter will be missed in more ways than one. He was a solid reliever who had not allowed a run

in his past five outings and who would have very good numbers if not for two bad appearances in

which he allowed a total of seven earned runs over three innings. In his other 37 appearances, he

had a 2.38 ERA.

He also was quite a character and a popular guy with his teammates and the media.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-notebook-0801-20150731-

story.html#page=1

Orioles notebook: Bud Norris' career with club comes to an

end

By Eduardo A. Encina and Ryan Baillargeon / The Baltimore Sun

July 31, 2015

The Orioles' acquisition of outfielder Gerardo Parra in Friday's trade-deadline deal with the

Milwaukee Brewers marked the end of Bud Norris' time with the team. The Orioles designated

the veteran right-hander for assignment shortly after announcing the Parra trade, parting ways

with a key piece of their 2014 rotation.

The Orioles had been attempting to trade Norris in recent weeks, but were unsuccessful. After

designating him, the Orioles have 10 days to either trade or release Norris, but as of now, the

team is still on the hook for approximately $3.53 million of Norris' $8.8 million salary this

season.

Norris won a career-high 15 games in 2014, but struggled to match that success this year in his

final season before reaching free agency.

He lost his rotation spot earlier this month after going 2-7 with a 6.79 ERA in 11 starts. He was

sent to the bullpen for the first time in his big league career to pitch in mostly long relief.

As a reliever, Norris didn't fare any better, posting an 8.44 ERA in 10 2/3 innings. He was

charged with four runs on six hits over 2 2/3 innings out of the 'pen in the Orioles' 9-8 loss to the

Detroit Tigers on Thursday.

"He just never really got going from spring training on," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said.

"He's got some real good pitching ahead of him. It just wasn't going to happen there. … We tried

so many things. I think being the competitor that Bud is, he won't probably think that, but in the

long run this is probably a good move for him. It hurts because he was such a contributor for us

last year. We kept waiting for him to get a couple starts under his belt and take off, but it just

never happened. We just got to the point where we just couldn't continue down that road."

A strong personality with a blue-collar mentality who pitched with fearlessness on the mound,

Norris played a big role with last season's division-winning club. Norris was 15-8 with a 3.65

ERA in 28 starts last season.

This season, Norris struggled in spring training and got off to a rocky start before missing four

weeks with bronchitis that caused him to lose 13 pounds. Once he returned on June 7, he made

five starts before being demoted to the bullpen when the club decided to keep right-hander Kevin

Gausman in the rotation.

"He was very instrumental in our success last year," Showalter said. "It's a real reminder about

how things snowball mentally and emotionally. Physically he's fine and someone's going to pick

him up and he's going to pitch well for them. Sometimes you just ask yourself, 'Is it going to

happen there this year?' I think Bud needs a fresh start and he's going to pitch well for whoever

picks him up and he's going to pitch well for someone next year. He's healthy and strong. He just

needs a fresh start. I think this is actually a blessing for him because he needs to be starting."

Norris was 9-1 with a 2.85 ERA last season against American League East opponents last

season. His .900 winning percentage against division opponents was the third-best single-season

mark in club history. He was also the winning pitcher in the team's series-clinching American

League Division Series Game 3 win in Detroit, tossing 6 1/3 scoreless innings in a 2-1 victory.

"Bud had a great 2014 for us," catcher Caleb Joseph said. "He was one of the main reasons we

made it to the American League Championship Series. He won 15 games and the pitched an

outstanding game against the Tigers in the playoffs. He's a good teammate; he's a good friend.

He's going to be missed. Just kind of a bitter part of the business, like we saw with Delmon

[Young being designated], sometimes you forget that there is a business aspect in this game and

it's just unfortunate that another one of the guys that was with us when we made that run last year

has to go a separate way now."

Norris' Orioles teammates in both the rotation and bullpen said he will be missed.

"It is frustrating, especially for the starting pitchers," right-hander Chris Tillman said. "We were

so close with him and it's almost like we failed at the same time. It's a bummer because we are all

in it together. We live and die with how each other do. He knows that and we know that. It's

disappointing for us just as much as it is for him."

Said closer Zach Britton: "He got sick and things just kind of snowballed a little bit. And it was

unfortunate because we were relying on him and hoping that he could kind of turn it around

down in the bullpen. But it's tough. It's not where he needs to be. He needs to be in the rotation

somewhere. I'm sure someone is going to pick him up right away. It's unfortunate, but where we

are now, just trying to get another bullpen piece."

Givens with team for "foreseeable future"

Right-handed reliever Mychal Givens got the phone call around 1:30 p.m. on Friday informing

him he was being called up from Double-A Bowie to join the Orioles for the second time in his

career.

While Givens gives the Orioles an optionable arm in the 'pen — something they haven't had for

stretches of the season — Showalter doesn't expect to send him back down right away.

"I'm planning on him pitching out of our bullpen for the foreseeable future," Showalter said. "I

hope it's the last time he's in the minor leagues. It'll be kind of up to him."

In his third season since being converted from shortstop, Givens has been superb in 34

appearances with Bowie. He holds a 1.79 ERA in 55 1/3 innings and has struck out 77 batters

compared to 16 walks.

"They trained me well and they took good care of me through the process of getting converted,"

Givens said. "They gradually went one inning and gradually started working on getting late

innings and multiple innings."

The 25-year-old has converted 14 of his 16 save chances at Bowie. Givens was called up June 20

and made his major league debut on June 24, tossing a clean inning against the Boston Red Sox

while recording one strikeout.

Britton said this time will be different, though, because of the Orioles' position in the standings

with the second half of the season under way.

"He's going to … get the taste of what it's like to be in the postseason race and trying to fight for

spots," Britton said. "It'll be a tough little thing for him being in that situation where it's not

audition, it's about being effective for a winning team. I think he's going to handle it. He's got a

good head on his shoulders."

The Orioles showed their trust in Givens when they were reluctant to part ways with him during

trade negotiations at the deadline.

With right-hander Mike Wright, another minor league hurler with options, also recalled before

Friday's game, the Orioles now have multiple relievers with flexibility. But Showalter has made

it sound like he would be reluctant to option Givens if he proves to be effective.

"I don't want to get to the point where we have to option somebody," Showalter said. "I hope we

pitch well enough where that doesn't come into play."

Tillman unsure on Monday start

Tillman, who sprained his right ankle coming off the mound to cover first base in the ninth

inning Wednesday night, said his ankle was more sore Friday than he anticipated. Tillman said

he considers himself day-to-day, but remains optimistic about his chances of making his next

scheduled start when the Orioles open a nine-game West Coast road trip Monday in Oakland.

"I don't think it's going to be anything serious," Tillman said. "If it's not my normal start day,

maybe a day, two days tops. But it honestly could very easily be my day."

If Tillman is unable to make his scheduled start, Wright could be an option if he isn't used out of

the bullpen before then. Wright has started six games for the Orioles this season, going 2-3 with

a 5.16 ERA in 29 2/3 innings.

Around the horn

The Orioles designated infielder-outfielder Chris Parmelee for assignment before Friday's game

to clear 25-man roster space to add Parra. Parmelee hit .216/.255/.433 with four homers and nine

RBIs in 32 games with the Orioles. He hit three homers in his first two games, but batted .148

over with one homer in his last 22 games (17 starts). His defense at first base let the Orioles

experiment with Chris Davis in right field, but utility man Ryan Flaherty has also seen time

recently at first base, making five starts in six games at the position. … Joseph was credited with

a single on a hit was that was originally scored an error on Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan

Longoria in the seventh inning of the Orioles' 3-1 loss to the Rays last Friday. … Low-A

Delmarva right-hander John Means threw a seven-inning no-hitter Friday in Game 1 of a

doubleheader. Means, who walked one on the day, is 8-7 with a 3.48 ERA.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-pregame-orioles-notes-expecting-gerardo-

parra-updates-on-tillman-and-givens-wright-added-to-bullpen-20150731-story.html

Pregame Orioles notes on Gerardo Parra, Chris Tillman,

Mychal Givens and Mike Wright

By Ryan Baillargeon / The Baltimore Sun

July 31, 2015

Manager Buck Showalter said newly acquired outfielder Gerardo Parra had to fly into

Washington, D.C., so he will have to fight rush-hour traffic on the beltway en route to Camden

Yards. Showalter expects him to arrive at the park around game time.

Parra is expected to be active Friday, although he won’t start, forcing the Orioles to make

another move before the game to clear 25-man roster space. The 28-year-old is having a career

offensive year with a .328/.369/.517 slash line and is also a two-time Gold Glove recipient.

-- Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman, who injured his right ankle after his final pitch Wednesday

night, said it is more sore than he anticipated. He is taking it day by day, but remains optimistic

about his chances of making his next scheduled start in Oakland on Monday.

“I don’t think it’s going to be anything serious,” Tillman said. “If it’s not my normal start day,

maybe a day, two days tops. But it honestly could very easily be my day.”

-- The Orioles recalled right-hander Mychal Givens from Double-A Bowie to add depth to the

bullpen. Showalter said he sees Givens staying with the team for the “foreseeable future.”

Givens, 25, made his major league debut June 24 against the Boston Red Sox, pitching a clean

inning with one strikeout. It is his only appearance with the Orioles.

-- After right-hander Tommy Hunter was traded to the Chicago Cubs at the nonwaiver trade

deadline, the Orioles recalled right-hander Mike Wright, who is expected to arrive before the

game, to provide another arm in the bullpen.

With Tillman still not sure if he will be ready for Monday’s start, the Orioles would likely prefer

to not use Wright on Friday to keep him available as an option for a spot start in Oakland.

Wright, 25, has started six games for the Orioles this season, going 2-3 with a 5.16 ERA in 29

2/3 innings.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-source-os-get-gerardo-parra-for-zach-

davies-20150731-story.html

O's trade for Gerardo Parra, give up Zach Davies

By Dan Connolly / The Baltimore Sun

July 31, 2015

The Orioles have traded minor league right hander Zach Davies to the Milwaukee Brewers for

28-year-old outfielder Gerardo Parra. The team announced that the trade was official at 1 p.m.

The Orioles have landed the left fielder and potential leadoff hitter that they have craved.

The left-handed hitting Parra, a two-time Gold Glover, is having a career offensive year, batting

.328 with a .369 on-base percentage, nine homers and 31 RBIs. Orioles left fielders were among

the worst baseball at the position in average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

Davies, a 26th rounder in 2011, was 5-6 with a 2.84 ERA in 19 games (18 starts) for Triple-A

Norfolk this year.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-trade-tommy-hunter-to-cubs-for-

junior-lake-20150731-story.html

Orioles trade Tommy Hunter to Cubs for Junior Lake

By Dan Connolly / The Baltimore Sun

July 31, 2015

The Orioles have traded right-hander Tommy Hunter to the Chicago Cubs for outfielder Junior

Lake.

Hunter, 29, had been with the Orioles since July 30, 2011, when he was acquired with Chris

Davis from the Texas Rangers for Koji Uehara. Hunter will be a free agent at the end of the

season.

He is 2-2 with a 3.63 ERA in 39 relief appearances with the Orioles this season. He has pitched

especially well of late, tossing six scoreless innings over his past five appearances to lower his

ERA from 4.19.

Lake, 25, has played 193 major league games over the past three seasons, including 108 in 2014,

but has spent the majority of this season with Triple-A Iowa. In the majors, he's a career

.241/.283/.380 hitter with 16 homers, 46 RBIs and 15 steals. In 58 minor league games this

season, he's hitting .315/.404/.472 with seven homers and 31 RBIs.

Lake has been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk and right-hander Mike Wright has been called up

from the Tides. Lake isn't arbitration-eligible until 2017 and can be under team control until after

the 2019 season.

Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal was the first to report the trade.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-call-up-mychal-givens-from-bowie-

20150731-story.html

Orioles call up Mychal Givens from Bowie

By Dan Connolly / The Baltimore Sun

July 31, 2015

The Orioles have recalled right-handed reliever Mychal Givens from Double-A Bowie to take

newly acquired outfielder Gerardo Parra's open spot on the roster.

The Orioles needed another reliever when they designated right-hander Bud Norris for

assignment to make room for Parra on the 40-man.

Right-hander Mike Wright is also reportedly on his way to Baltimore from Norfolk in case the

team needs another reliever, but he has not been called up.

Givens, 25, is 4-2 with a 1.79 ERA and 14 saves in 34 games with the Baysox this season. He led

the Eastern League with 12.52 strikeouts per nine innings, had the third-fewest base runners per

nine innings (9.27) and was tied for the third-lowest batting average against (.191) among

Eastern League relievers at the time of his recall.

Givens made his major league debut on June 24 in Boston, striking out one in one inning.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-designate-righthander-bud-norris-

for-assignment-20150731-story.html

Orioles designate right-hander Bud Norris for assignment

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun

July 31, 2015

In making their trade for outfielder Gerardo Parra from the Milwaukee Brewers official, the

Orioles also designated right-hander Bud Norris for assignment, parting with a key piece of their

2014 starting rotation.

The Orioles had been attempting to find a trade partner for Norris in recent weeks, but were

unsuccessful. They still could by today’s 4 p.m. non-waiver trade deadline.

Norris, who won a career-high 15 games last season, lost his rotation spot earlier this month after

starting the season 2-7 with a 6.79 ERA. He was sent to the bullpen for the first time in his big

league career to pitch in mostly long relief.

As a reliever, Norris posted an 8.44 ERA over 10 2/3 relief innings. He was charged with four

runs on six hits over 2 2/3 relief innings in the Orioles’ 9-8 loss to the Tigers on Thursday.

A strong personality with a blue-collar mentality who pitched with fearlessness on the mound,

Norris played a big role with last season’s division-winning club.

Norris was 15-8 with a 3.65 ERA in 28 starts with the Orioles last season. He was the winning

pitcher in the team’s series-clinching ALDS Game 3 win in Detroit, tossing 6 1/3 scoreless

innings in a 2-1 victory.

It earned him an $8.8 million contract for 2015.

This season, Norris struggled in spring training and got off to a rocky start before missing four

weeks with a bout with bronchitis. Once he returned on June 7, he made five starts before being

demoted to the bullpen when the club decided to keep right-hander Kevin Gausman in the

rotation.

Shortly after the Orioles officially announced their trade for Parra – the team sent Triple-A

Norfolk pitcher Zach Davies to Milwaukee in the deal – Norris posted this tweet from his

account (@BudNorris25).

“Dear #Birdland, I'm sorry it got to this. 2014 was magical. I got sick and haven't been right

since. Wish my teammates nothing but the best.”

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/140268578/gerardo-parra-joins-baltimore-orioles-dugout

Parra arrives with eyes on playoff push O's acquired outfielder in Trade Deadline deal from Brewers

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com

August 1, 2015

BALTIMORE -- Outfielder Gerardo Parra entered Camden Yards for the first time in the second

inning, all smiles and stopping to introduce himself to new teammates and coaches in the

Orioles' home dugout.

"I feel happy," said Parra, who was acquired earlier in the day and had a front-row seat to the

Orioles' 8-7 win over the Tigers. "Everyone put their hand in for me and said hi, and I'm happy

we got the win, it's a first-day win. [My mindset is] just come in positive, play every day hard

and make the playoffs."

Parra, who was obtained from the Brewers for pitching prospect Zach Davies, has never played

in the American League. Friday was his first career visit to Camden. Still the two-time Gold

Glove Award winner, who flew into Washington and drove to Baltimore on Friday afternoon,

said the events of the day didn't feel that weird.

In 24 games this month, Parra was batting .435 with four home runs and a 1.212 OPS. The 28-

year-old is batting .328/.369/.517 in 100 games this season and can be a free agent this winter.

Because he's been traded during the season preceding free agency, the Orioles cannot make a

qualifying offer to him and thus will not receive Draft-pick compensation if he signs with

another team during the offseason.

As for his recent surge at the plate, Parra said: "I don't want to think anything. I just want to play

hard every day, try to help the team. We are here to win, I'm just doing the best I can and try to

help the team make the playoffs."

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/140121272/orioles-mychal-givens-gets-first-mlb-win

Givens recalled, collects first MLB win Pitching prospect holds Tigers scoreless over 1 2/3 innings

By Connor Smolensky / MLB.com

August 1, 2015

BALTIMORE -- Orioles closer Zach Britton said the biggest adjustment Mychal Givens was

going to have to make in the Majors was to not treat it like an audition, but to be effective for a

winning team.

Givens -- who was recalled from Double-A Bowie on Friday after the Orioles designated Bud

Norris for assignment -- was indeed effective in the Orioles' 8-7 victory on Friday night as he

picked up his first Major League win against the Tigers.

"Words can't really say it," Givens said about his first win.

Givens entered with one out in the fifth inning after Mike Wright left the game with a calf injury,

and threw 1 2/3 innings, giving up one hit while striking out two. Givens -- along with Wright,

who also was recalled Friday -- came up a lot during trade rumors, but the Orioles were not

willing to part with either.

"Invariably in our conversations with other teams, after Kevin Gausman, the two pitchers they

wanted next was Mike Wright and Mychal Givens," said Orioles executive vice president Dan

Duquette. "So other teams have identified them as ready for the big leagues. So now, we are

going to give them an opportunity."

Givens said he was surprised to receive the call Friday morning, and shipped up to Baltimore as

fast as he could. He was originally selected as a position player in the 2009 Draft before the

Orioles approached him about converting to a pitcher at the beginning of the 2013 season.

The right-hander went 4-2 with a 1.79 ERA and 14 saves in 34 games with the Baysox this

season. Givens led the Eastern League with a 12.52 strikeout-per-nine-innings ratio, and was tied

for the third-lowest batting average against (.191) among Eastern League relievers.

Givens made his Major League debut on June 24 at Boston, where he struck out one batter over

an inning of work. He had his contract selected on June 20 and was optioned five days later, but

if he keeps this up, he may be sticking around a little longer.

"He's got good stuff, anybody who can throw from that angle and throw as hard as he can with a

breaking ball on top of it," said catcher Matt Wieters. "It's tough, the first time in your rookie

year being up and you pitch at home. To keep the adrenaline down, I was impressed with that

more than anything."

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/140185672/orioles-pitcher-mike-wright-exits-with-injury

O's reliever Wright to have MRI on injured calf Righty recalled earlier in day after Trade Deadline deals

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com

August 1, 2015

BALTIMORE -- Orioles right-hander Mike Wright exited Friday night's game against the Tigers

in the top of the fifth inning with a left calf injury.

"They said it's a possible strain," Wright said after the game, -- an 8-7 victory for the Orioles.

"I'm going to get an MRI tomorrow to just kind of tell what it is exactly."

Wright threw a pitch to Victor Martinez, who singled, and pitching coach Dave Wallace and

manager Buck Showalter came out immediately with head athletic trainer Richie Bancells.

Wright walked off the mound after several minutes and was replaced by Mychal Givens.

"Initially, we thought it was a cramp. He said it felt a lot better after two-thirds of an inning when

he came in," Showalter said. "And then he went back out and I noticed he looked a little gingerly

going back out there between innings."

Wright said he had a cramp in his calf during his last outing for Triple-A Norfolk but felt fine

afterward.

"The next couple of days I felt fine," Wright said. "I threw a bullpen yesterday and felt perfectly

fine, and then today, the throw down from [Matt] Wieters, I felt it grab pretty good."

Both Givens and Wright -- ranked among the Orioles' top prospects -- were added to the roster

on Friday in the wake of the O's trading of Tommy Hunter and designating Bud Norris.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/140209284/gausman-to-face-tigers-with-parra-likely-in-

lineup

Gausman to face Tigers with Parra likely in lineup

By Connor Smolensky / MLB.com

July 31, 2015

With the Trade Deadline behind them, the Orioles and Tigers can get back to baseball Saturday

night for the third game of a four-game set.

Both teams were active near Friday's Deadline, as the Orioles picked up outfielder Gerardo Parra

from the Brewers for pitching prospect Zach Davies and traded reliever Tommy Hunter to the

Cubs for Minor League outfielder Junior Lake. Baltimore also designated right-hander Bud

Norris for assignment while adding Mychal Givens (Double-A Bowie) and Mike Wright (Triple-

A Norfolk) to its bullpen.

The Tigers traded Yoenis Cespedes to the Mets for right-handed prospects Michael Fulmer and

Luis Cessa, as Detroit made it a point to restock their depleted farm system.

Kevin Gausman (1-2, 4.20 ERA) will look to cool down the Tigers' bats as the right-hander

comes off of a career-high 7 2/3-innings scoreless outing against the Braves. The Tigers will

counter with Anibal Sanchez (10-8, 4.61 ERA). He beat the Orioles on July 17 with a six-inning

start, giving up eight hits and two runs with two walks while striking out three.

Things to know about this game

• Orioles manager Buck Showalter said he could see Parra -- who is expected to start Saturday --

playing either left or right field and batting in three or four different spots in the lineup. If Parra

were to bat leadoff for Baltimore, that would allow Manny Machado to slide down for

potentially more RBI chances.

• Sanchez has never lost to the Orioles, boasting a 2-0 record and 3.86 ERA in three starts

against them. He's coming off a loss to the Rays on Monday, when he allowed three runs on

eight hits in 5 1/3 innings.

• Gausman has not recorded a win over his last 12 outings, going 0-5 with a 3.65 ERA and four

quality starts in that span.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/139849178/brewers-trade-gerardo-parra-to-orioles

Orioles add outfielder Parra from Brewers Two-time Gold Glove Award winner swinging hot bat

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com

July 31, 2015

BALTIMORE -- The Orioles acquired outfielder Gerardo Parra from the Brewers for right-

handed pitching prospect Zach Davies hours before today's 4 p.m. ET non-waiver Trade

Deadline. To open a roster spot for Parra, the Orioles designated outfielder Chris Parmelee for

for assignment.

"We're real happy and excited that we were able to pick up Parra. He's one of the top hitters in

the National League this year, and he fits the profile of an everyday position player for us," said

executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette. "Two-time Gold Glover, he can

hit against left- and right-handed pitching, and he's very good at getting on base. He's got some

really good numbers at the top of the order. He's a good setup hitter and a good defender to play

in the field. That should keep our defense strong, help our pitching, and his presence at the top of

the lineup should be real additive. That's an ingredient that we've been missing, and we're glad to

have him join us."

The swap represents a departure from Milwaukee general manager Doug Melvin's high asking

price as the Brewers were said to be looking for multiple prospects for Parra in the days leading

up to the Deadline. Instead, they settled on one higher-valued prospect, as Davies was on display

in this year's Futures Game.

"I saw during our research on Parra, he's the leading hitter in the big leagues since May 1 in

terms of average. He's been hitting the ball really well. He's desirable to a lot of teams, so the

cost is significant," Duquette said. "It's a credit to our farm system that we have the players

available to trade. And again, I think when you're close and you have a chance to get into the

playoffs, you've got to do what you can around these deadlines to strengthen your team and keep

going toward the goal."

In 24 games this month, Parra was batting .435 with four home runs and a 1.212 OPS. The 28-

year-old is batting .328/.369/.517 in 100 games this season and can be a free agent this winter.

Because he's been traded during the season preceding free agency, the Orioles cannot make a

qualifying offer to him and thus will not receive Draft-pick compensation if he signs with

another team during the offseason.

Davies, whose name first surfaced on Thursday night, was ranked as the Orioles' No. 3 prospect

by MLBPipeline.com and pitched at this year's Futures Game. He is 5-6 with a 2.84 ERA in 19

games (18 starts) with Triple-A Norfolk and has impressed the organization as he's steadily

climbed the ranks.

"That's one of those [trades] that should work out real well for both clubs," manager Buck

Showalter said. "We got a good player back and gave up a good pitching prospect. I've always

been a fan of [Parra]. We played him out there last year. I know he won a Gold Glove in left and

right, having a big year offensively, but he plays the game like our fans like to see played. He fits

us and kind of who we have to be to be competitive."

Parra landed in Washington, D.C., on Friday afternoon and made the drive to Baltimore, arriving

just before the game. His presence presents another leadoff option for Showalter, who wasn't

sure if Parra would get the bulk of his time in left or right field just yet.

"You talk to probably 20 people about him in the last week. I got a pretty good grip, but it's

better off to talk to the player," Showalter said. "[He's] capable of hitting in a lot of spots in the

lineup, and he's handled himself well against left-handed pitching this year. Smart, looking

forward to his addition."

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/140150072/tommy-hunter-reacts-to-trade-from-orioles

Hunter jokes with O's before, after trade Reliever sent to Cubs at Deadline for outfielder Lake

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com

July 31, 2015

BALTIMORE -- Tommy Hunter was joking with reporters around Friday's 4 p.m. ET Trade

Deadline, making a beeline for manager Buck Showalter's locker only to turn around and burst

out laughing at reporters' reactions.

Several minutes later, the joke became reality as news broke on social media that Hunter was

headed to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Minor League outfielder Junior Lake.

"I told [fellow reliever] Darren O'Day we really can't play catch till 4:05, that four- or five-

minute grace period. At 4:03 he came in and asked me and I was like, 'I don't know, they might

have just taken a couple guys off their Triple-A roster,'" said Hunter, who had been rumored in

trade talks in the days leading up to the Deadline, rumors that persisted Friday afternoon. "And

then I saw all of your pretty faces [in the media] again around my locker."

The always gregarious Hunter, with the Orioles since mid-2011, said he dropped some jokes in

with his teammates when saying farewell and acknowledged that being traded once before --

from Texas -- helped prepare him for Friday's news. Hunter, who goes back to his Texas days

with O'Day and Chris Davis, said the toughest part may be for his wife, Ellen, who is 7 1/2

months pregnant with the couple's first child. He planned on going home Friday to talk with her

and wasn't sure when he'd be traveling to meet the Cubs.

"Tommy never has a bad day," manager Buck Showalter said. "A very infectious personality and

he could pitch. ... He makes it easier with how upbeat he is about it. He was picking us up in

there. I know [for coaches] Dom [Chiti] and Dave [Wallace] and I, it's tough. You go through the

battles that you go through together, the ups and downs, it's tough to not have that there. There

are some other things that it does for the organization."

First, it frees up some salary as the Cubs will take on the remainder of Hunter's contract. It also

allows the O's to gain some bullpen flexibility, with the club adding both Mychal Givens and

Mike Wright -- who both have Minor League options remaining -- to the 'pen for Friday. Lake

will report to Triple-A Norfolk.

Hunter, a free agent at season's end, also didn't rule out a return to Baltimore next year.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/140110766/orioles-bud-norris-designated-for-assignment

Norris designated but confident in abilities Orioles open spot for Parra; right-hander awaits next step

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com

July 31, 2015

BALTIMORE -- The Orioles designated Bud Norris for assignment on Friday, clearing a roster

spot for new outfielder Gerardo Parra and cutting ties with one of their best starters during last

year's American League Championship Series run.

"I never got my mind right, and I'm physically still getting back to where I need to be," said

Norris, who pitched to a 6.79 ERA before being moved to the bullpen. "I know what I'm capable

of. I want to get back to pitching and helping somebody. What happened in 2014 I won't forget,

and I will take it with me forever."

The 30-year-old Norris posted a career-high 15 wins along with a 3.65 ERA last year. Norris

went 8-2 with a 3.27 ERA in 13 second-half starts, helping the Orioles win the AL East and

earning a start in the AL Division Series. He pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings in a win against the

Tigers and took a loss in the ALCS against the Royals, giving up four runs over 4 1/3 innings as

part of the O's four-game sweep.

"Absolutely I needed to get out of Houston and came over to a great situation where they were

playing meaningful games," said Norris, a Trade Deadline pickup in 2013. "[2013] didn't go the

way I envisioned, and [I] came back rejuvenated and had an amazing 2014. It was so much fun

for the fan base and the team, and I'll never forget it."

Part of the Orioles' Opening Day rotation, Norris never looked in sync this spring, and sickness -

- which caused him to lose considerable weight and go on the disabled list -- didn't help matters.

He was moved to the 'pen and made seven appearances, bringing his line to a combined 2-9 with

a 7.06 ERA in 18 games (11 starts) with the O's this season.

"We tried him in the starting role. We transitioned him to relief, and he just didn't have a lot of

success. We're going to try and find a spot for him with another club," Orioles executive vice

president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said. "That was a disappointment, I think. I know

it's a personal disappointment for me. I was disappointed we couldn't help him perform more or

he couldn't perform better this season because he had a great year last season."

Norris said he doesn't want to be a distraction, and he was planning on heading home to San

Francisco to see his family while he waits for the next step.

"There are eight more free agents in that clubhouse, a lot of moving pieces," Norris said. "I'm

obviously going through some stuff, but I honestly wish them well and hope they can finish

strong."

Duquette said the O's explored trading Norris in every discussion they had leading up to the

Deadline and wasn't optimistic a waiver deal would get done soon.

"I'm not sure about that. We're going to try," Duquette said. "He's a veteran pitcher. He's healthy.

That's what's puzzling. I'm disappointed we couldn't find a solution to that."

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/140171702/john-means-tosses-no-hitter-for-shorebirds

Means tosses 7-inning no-hitter for Class A Delmarva Orioles No. 29 prospect throws a 7-inning no-no for Class A Delmarva

By Alex M. Smith / MLB.com

July 31, 2015

John Means tossed a seven-inning no-hitter for Class A Delmarva on Friday evening.

The Orioles' No. 29 prospect on the revamped Top 30 Rankings had not thrown a complete game

in 29 previous starts, but he only needed 78 pitches -- including 57 strikes -- to sit down 21

straight Charleston hitters and win the first half of the teams' doubleheader, 4-0.

The victory pushed Means' record to 8-7 and cut his ERA from 3.74 to 3.48 in 20 starts for the

Shorebirds this season. An 11th-round Draft pick last summer, he has not allowed an earned run

in his past 16 2/3 innings, going back to a win over Greensboro on July 19.

Delmarva is 19-14 after winning three straight games and sits in second place in the second-half

South Atlantic League Northern standings. The team's roster also features No. 4 prospect Jomar

Reyes, a third baseman in the midst of a nine-game hitting streak.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/139808076/orioles-chris-tillman-has-minor-ankle-injury

Tillman dealing with ankle soreness Righty on impressive run, sports 1.19 ERA in past 6 starts

By Connor Smolensky / MLB.com

July 31, 2015

BALTIMORE -- Chris Tillman threw one of his best outings against the Braves on Wednesday,

but it may push back his next start.

The Orioles right-hander, who threw 8 2/3 innings of scoreless ball against Atlanta, rolled his left

ankle on the final out of his performance when covering first base on a grounder to first. Tillman

said the ankle was sore and had it wrapped when talking with reporters on Friday, adding that his

situation is day to day.

"I don't think it's going to be anything serious," said Tillman, who is scheduled to start Monday.

"If it's not my normal start day, maybe a day or two days, tops. It could very easily be Monday."

If Baltimore's Opening Day starter were to miss time, it would come when Tillman has been

pitching as well as he has all season. He held the Braves to four hits Wednesday, and has allowed

just one run over his last 23 2/3 innings.

After seeing his ERA rise to 6.22 following a rough outing June 21 against Toronto, Tillman has

pitched to a 1.19 ERA in his last six games, picking up his fourth straight quality start

Wednesday.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/08/ditching-deadlines-and-getting-back-to-

baseball.html

Ditching deadlines and getting back to baseball

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

August 1, 2015

The Orioles won last night for the sixth time in seven games. They gained ground in the wild

card race. And they still need to regroup.

The non-waiver trade deadline has passed, though plenty of deals are struck in August. It's

mostly a superficial deadline that doesn't warrant a countdown clock and mass hysteria.

Players now must pass through waivers before being traded, which isn't an uncommon

occurrence. But back to the regrouping. ...

They need to finish coming to grips with the Tommy Hunter trade, which is as popular in the

clubhouse as raw sewage. It's a tough sell for players, with the return for one of the most popular

figures on the team being a Triple-A shortstop-turned-outfielder who may or may not crack the

expanded roster in September.

They smell a salary dump and they're not happy, but this too shall pass.

(The move also created a spot for an optionable reliever, giving the bullpen two with Mychal

GIvens and Mike Wright, but that didn't ease the pain yesterday.)

They need to get their starters on track after back-to-back disappointments from Miguel

Gonzalez and Wei-Yin Chen. They rallied both nights, falling a run short Thursday and winning

by a run last night, because the Tigers can't get any relief.

Dumpster fires ask to stop being compared to the Tigers' bullpen. Manager Brad Ausmus picks

up the dugout phone and dials 911. He walks to the mound with a blindfold and a stiff drink.

If the Tigers could fit a lead into a child's car seat, they'd accidentally leave it on the roof.

My point is that the Orioles won't always have the Tigers' bullpen to push around. They've

trailed 7-0 and 6-0 the last two nights. It's a bad trend.

Kevin Gausman will try to reverse it tonight. In his last start, he shut out the Braves over 7 2/3

innings and didn't get the decision in a 2-1 win.

Gausman is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in two career starts against the Tigers, with six runs and 11 hits

in 10 innings. Yoenis Cespedes is 3-for-9 with a home run, but he's gone.

Gausman is still here despite just about every team in baseball checking on his availability and

insisting that the Orioles include him in any trade. Executive vice president Dan Duquette orders

a sandwich at a deli and is told that it'll cost him Gausman.

Anibal Sanchez faced the Orioles on July 17 and allowed two runs and eight hits in six innings in

the Tigers' 7-3 win. He's 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA in three career starts against them.

Matt Wieters is 3-for-6 with a home run against Sanchez, but he caught last night and may not be

in the lineup. Adam Jones is 3-for-7. Gerardo Parra is 8-for-14, so yeah, he's playing.

Chris Parmelee is 1-for-16, but he's gone.

Parmelee is one of the nicest guys in baseball and I hope he lands with another team. We spoke

only a few times in spring training, but he remembered my name the day he arrived at Camden

Yards and always included it while greeting me. Maybe I'm easily impressed, but a gesture like

that one sticks with me.

Hunter will be missed by the local media almost as much as his teammates. My list of favorite

players that I've covered on the beat now includes him.

The clubhouse won't be the same without him. It's going to be more quiet, for sure.

After former director of media relations Monica Barlow passed away in the spring of 2014, the

Orioles invited me onto their charter to attend her memorial service in Virginia. Manager Buck

Showalter knew we were close friends and saved me a seat.

I accepted the offer with a measure of trepidation. I don't normally travel with the team and

didn't want players to feel that I was intruding. I kept my distance - the best I could on a plane -

and gave them plenty of space.

We boarded a bus after landing that transported us to the service, and I again found a seat near

the back against a window as I attempted to blend into the background and not get in the way.

Hunter plopped down next to me, purposely crowding me as if we were inside a sardine can, and

proceeded to engage me in conversation for most of the ride.

He pointed out houses and asked whether I thought anyone important lived in them. He made me

choose which teammates could fill out a basketball starting five. He cracked jokes to take my

mind off our destination and the loss of a dear friend, to make me feel more comfortable while

surrounded by players outside the usual baseball environment.

That's Tommy Hunter.

I often defended Hunter because he never could escape the perception that he always gave up

home runs or was the equivalent of a white flag waved by his manager when he entered a game.

The stats said otherwise, but not everyone cared to read them.

I didn't go easy on him when he blew a save during his brief tenure as closer or was ineffective

in a set-up role. He understood that the media had a job to do. But I also appreciated his

contributions coming out of the bullpen and especially his compassion on a bus ride in Virginia.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/07/mike-wright-may-have-strained-calf-

muscle.html

Mike Wright may have strained calf muscle

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

July 31, 2015

Rookie pitcher Mike Wright may have strained his left calf muscle tonight. He's expected to

undergo an MRI on Saturday to determine the severity of his injury, and the Orioles may be

forced to call up another reliever.

Wright limped off the field in the top of the fifth inning of the Orioles' 8-7 victory over the

Tigers before 36,985 at Camden Yards. The club announced that he was bothered by a cramp,

but it may be more serious.

"Initially, we thought it was a cramp," said manager Buck Showalter after his club won for the

sixth time in seven games and moved within one of the second wild card spot. "He said it felt a

lot better after 2/3 of an inning when he came in. And then he went back out and I noticed he

looked a little ginger going back out there between innings. You could see his velocity was at 91.

"We think it may be a strain instead of a cramp, but we'll probably get it looked at tomorrow. An

MRI or A, whatever the initials are nowadays. We'll see what he is tomorrow."

Wright said he's never experienced a calf injury before this season.

"My last outing at Norfolk, the last inning I thought I caught a cramp and honestly, that's all it

was, a cramp," he said. "The next couple of days, I felt fine. I threw a bullpen yesterday and felt

perfectly fine, and then today, the throwdown from (Matt) Wieters, I felt it grab pretty good."

The Orioles are discussing whether to call up another reliever. T.J. McFarland tossed an inning

tonight with Triple-A Norfolk.

"If we don't feel like Mike Wright is ready to go, we'll probably talk about adding somebody,"

Showalter said.

"In some cases, you can't be picky. There were phone calls made to Norfolk tonight. We took

their starters two nights in a row."

The Orioles were hoping to avoid using Wright in case Chris Tillman can't make Monday night's

start in Oakland. Tillman has a sprained left ankle.

"Chris is a little better, but i think tomorrow is a big day with Tillman, whether or not he'll make

Monday's start," Showalter said. "We'll know probably after tomorrow."

The Orioles fell behind 7-0 last night and 6-0 tonight before posting their biggest comeback win

of the season. Adam Jones hit a three-run homer in the fifth, and Manny Machado had a two-run

shot in the sixth.

"We kind of dug ourselves a hole both nights with a good offensive team, and our guys found a

way," Showalter said. "It's tough, tough sledding. Adam obviously had a big blow. There were a

lot of big at-bats in there. The selectivity was big, too."

Wei-Yin Chen needed to be bailed out after working only 3 1/3 innings and allowing six runs

and 10 hits.

"Matt and I were talking," Showalter said. "It was probably the low point with his command this

year. Matt was saying he hadn't seen him that wild in the strike zone. Trying to go in and missing

out over the plate. They were on him pretty good. We were trying to get a few innings out of him

because it's kind of challenging down there."

Mychal Givens earned his first major league win in his second appearance with 1 2/3 scoreless

innings.

"Mychal got the win, right?" Showalter said. "That's pretty cool. I was wondering why J.R. (John

Russell) brought in the lineup card. He deserved it. So did two or three others."

Before the game, the Orioles designated Chris Parmelee for assignment to create room for

outfielder Gerardo Parra.

"We'd like to keep them all," Showalter said. "It was a good offseason sign. We gave him the

opportunity. He had a good year going in Norfolk, came here, was good early on, playing good

defense for us. What it comes down to is we like Parra to help us more. Let's see where the

season takes us."

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/07/chen-exits-in-fourth-inning-showalter-on-

todays-trades.html

Chen exits in fourth inning, Showalter on today's trades

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

July 31, 2015

Wei-Yin Chen is done after 3 1/3 innings tonight, allowing a run in the first, another in the

second, a two-run shot from J.D. Martinez in the third and back-to-back homers by James

McCann and Jefry Marte in the fourth to fall behind the Tigers 6-0 at Camden Yards.

Chen hadn't allowed more than three runs in a start since May 20 vs. the Mariners, when he

surrendered a season-high four. The three home runs also are a season high.

The 3 1/3 innings tied his career low. Mike Wright replaced Chen with a runner on first and one

out.

Chen performed damage control in the first after Rajai Davis doubled, Jose Iglesias singled and

Ian Kinsler produced an RBI single. He induced a double play grounder from Victor Martinez

and struck out Martinez.

McCann singled with one out in the second and scored on Marte's double. Kinsler singled with

one out in the third and came home on Martinez's blast to left field.

MASN cameras showed outfielder Gerardo Parra shaking hands in the Orioles' dugout. He's in

uniform and available to play.

Starved for more quotes? How about a batch of them from manager Buck Showalter's pregame

session with the media?

On Parra: "Parra, that's one of those that should work out real well for both clubs. We got a good player

back and gave up a good pitching prospect. I've always been a fan of his. We played him out

there last year. I know he won a Gold Glove in left and right. Having a big year offensively. He

plays the game like our fans like to see it played. He fits us and kind of who we have to be to be

competitive."

On whether Parra will play left field:

"I think he is capable of both. He's won Gold Gloves in both. I will sit down with him at some

point. I want to hear from him. I talked to probably 20 people about him in the last week. I got a

pretty good grip, but it's better off to talk to the player. Capable of hitting in a lot of spots in the

lineup and he's handled himself well against left-handed pitching this year. Smart, looking

forward to his addition. It's another good tribute to our scouting department and player

development with Zach (Davies), and they got a good pitching prospect. We got a guy that just

turned 28 years old, started the year at 27, and is hopefully getting into the prime of his career.

He really likes to play and likes to compete, and more importantly, everyone said he likes

winning. He should fit in well."

On Bud Norris:

"Very instrumental in our success last year. It's a real reminder about how things snowball

mentally and emotionally. He's physically fine and someone is going to pick him up and he's

going to pitch well for them. Sometimes you ask yourself, 'Is it going to happen today or this

year?' I think Bud needs a fresh start and he's going to pitch well for whoever picks him up. He's

going to pitch well for somebody next year. He's healthy and strong, just needs a fresh start. I

think this is actually a blessing for him because he needs to be pitching, whether it's out of the

bullpen or whatever. He doesn't have to be starting, but just never really got going from spring

training on. He had a couple decent games, but nothing like we knew he was capable of. He's got

some real good pitching ahead of him, but it just wasn't going to happen here."

On why Norris struggled: "I'm not going to get into contract years and all that. Some people handle that real well and some

don't. We tried so many things and I think being the competitor Bud is, he probably won't think

that, but in the long run this will be a good move for him. We wish him well. He was such a

contributor for us last year. Kept waiting for him to get a couple starts under his belt and take off,

kind of like Tilly (Chris Tillman), but it never happened. We got to the point where we just

couldn't continue down that road."

On difficulty of parting with Tommy Hunter:

"Tommy never has a bad day. A very infectious personality and he could pitch. He will help the

Cubs. I'm glad it's to a place that is competitive. It's not that they want it any more than us. He's

also a lot closer to his mom, which is great for him. That's a tough one. These aren't pieces of

meat. When you're with them all the time and you hear people talk about them the way it does

this time of year, it really flies all over me because his wife is 7 1/2 months pregnant. He makes

it easier with how upbeat he is about it. He was picking us up in there. I know Dom (Chiti) and

Dave (Wallace) and I, it's tough. You go through the battles that you go through together, the ups

and down, it's tough to not have that there. There are some other things that it does for the

organization. You have to support those things and what's good for the organization."

On Mychal Givens:

"Mychal was right up the road in Bowie. It happened quickly and he's on the roster. We have

some other options there, on and off the roster. We think Mychal has a chance to help us and also

give us a better idea about where we are as we go forward with him. There is always a possibility

of something else going on, but right now I am planning on him pitching out of our bullpen for

the foreseeable future. I hope it's the last time he's in the minor leagues."

On advantage of now having two optionable relievers:

"I don't want to get to the point where we have to option somebody. I hope we pitch well enough

where that doesn't come into play. That's a little bit of it, but a very small part of it. Mike Wright

will be here before the game, too. His day to pitch is today. We will make sure Chris (Tillman) is

fine to pitch for Monday. We have to cover that, too. He has some ankle soreness, but seems to

be managing that real well. There are a lot of sidebars to this move to make sure we are covered.

If we have seven really good relievers and five really good starters, we don't have to worry about

optioning, but we know that's almost impossible from the injury standpoint and everything else.

It does help on the surface if you want to do that, but we're almost a month away from 40-man

call ups."

On Parra batting leadoff: "He's an option. He is doing real well at that role and other roles. I look at him as an ability to hit

three or four spots if we wanted to. I'd love to get him locked into one. Believe me, I would like

to run the same lineup and same order out there, which we have in the past when we get it kind

of going. I hope this helps some."

On whether this is a better team today than yesterday: "I think so. I hope so. I'm not getting too deep right now. I'm trying to win tonight's ballgame in

nine innings. That other stuff, we all think about in our down time, but there are a lot of things

contingent on signing players. Next year is next year. We're trying to win a world championship

this year. That's the situation we're in."

On Junior Lake: "I looked at him some in the media guide, looked at some reports on him. I don't know a whole

lot. Bobby Dickerson had him years ago, Cooley (Scott Coolbaugh) may have had him in a fall

league, I know Dom scouted him in winter league I think for years. Ryan Flaherty roomed with

him. Then you have the analytical part of it."

On whether he needs to soothe hurt feelings in clubhouse over Hunter leaving: "A lot of it you've already done. They probably knew about it. They can keep a secret, too. They

knew what was going on for the most part. There aren't many secrets in the game within the

players and other clubs. They knew a lot of what was going on. Maybe they may not seek it out

online, but they have so many friends that are feeding them all this stuff."

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/07/hearing-from-dan-duquette-tommy-hunter-

and-chris-tillman.html

Hearing from Dan Duquette, Tommy Hunter and Chris

Tillman

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

July 31, 2015

I'm still buried in pregame quotes and I'm trying to dig my way out.

Let me present you with a sampler platter. More is on the way.

Dan Duquette on today's trades: "We were able to make a couple of trades to help our team and try to get ready to get back to the

playoffs. We're real happy and excited that we were able to pick up (Gerardo) Parra. He's one of

the top hitters in the National League this year and he fits the profile of an everyday position

player for us. Two-time Gold Glover, he can hit against left- and right-handed pitching and he's

very good at getting on base. He's got some really good numbers at the top of the order. He's a

good set-up hitter and a good defender to play in the field. That should keep our defense strong,

help our pitching, and his presence at the top of the lineup should be real additive. That's an

ingredient that we've been missing and we're glad to have him join us."

Duquette on whether he feared that Parra deal wouldn't happen: "The price is steep this time of year because there's a lot of teams that are chasing a couple of

good players. I saw during our research on Parra, he's the leading hitter in the big leagues since

May 1 in terms of average. He's been hitting the ball really well. He's desirable to a lot of teams,

so the cost is significant. We gave up a good young pitching prospect in Zach Davies. Has a

good changeup, he represented the team in the Futures Game and he got off to a good start in his

career. It's a credit to our farm system that we have the players available to trade. And again, I

think when you're close and you have a chance to get into the playoffs, you've got to do what you

can around these deadlines to strengthen your team and keep going toward the goal."

Duquette on trading Tommy Hunter: "Tommy Hunter's done a nice job for the team. We had him for five years. He came over from

Texas and basically established himself as a major leaguer here. He did some good work for us. I

remember the time he struck out A-Rod in the playoffs. That was a real high point. He's going to

a new team, a good situation. And for us, we have some younger pitchers who are going to come

up and join our team that have options, but also have a lot of talent. Mike Wright's been here.

He's done a nice job. Mychal Givens has been here. He's done a really good job in Double-A.

And invariably in our conversations with other teams, after Kevin Gausman the two pitchers they

wanted next was Mike Wright and Mychal Givens. So other teams have identified them as ready

for the big leagues. So now, we're going to give them an opportunity. It's a lot easier to manage a

pitching staff and the workload when you have pitchers on your staff and in your bullpen that

have options. And based on the workload and availability you're able to send players with

options out to get a fresh player. And that's how we've been able to successfully manage our

pitching staff. This allows us to do that."

Duquette on whether trading Hunter also was about freeing up money for Parra:

"Believe me, we added. But at the same time, we have other very capable pitchers coming into

our bullpen. Tommy Hunter is going to be a free agent at the end of the season. And the players

that are going into the bullpen not only have talent but they can also do a very responsible job for

the club in the future. We just thought this was a good opportunity to make a transition with the

bullpen and help us manage our pitching.

Duquette on Orioles never being sellers: "We're always looking to buy and add to our team. And the reason for that is our run differential.

We've been scoring more runs than we've given up. That tells me we are in this race and we're

still competing for this season. I think our fans, our players, our organization, are going to do

what we can to get to the next step."

Duquette on Junior Lake:

"Junior Lake's a 25-year-old right-handed hitter. Been with the Cubs his whole career, came up

with the Cubs organization as a shortstop. Good athlete, good hitter. He's got about 600 plate

appearances. He's hit a little over .240, shown flashes of power and he's been working with

Manny Ramirez down in Triple-A and he's become a lot more of a selective hitter. Looking for

his pitch, hitting the ball to right-center field, using the whole field. I think he's going to be a

helpful player for our team. He's a lot like Jimmy Paredes was a year ago when we picked him

up from Kansas City. This kid has had a trial with one organization. He's made some adjustments

at Triple-A and I'm anxious to see how that's going to play when he comes back. I like his power.

I like his versatility. I'm sure we'll find an opportunity to give him a shot."

Duquette on whether Lake will join Orioles in September: "He's got a year experience because he played in the big leagues this year. He's going to go to

Triple-A for now. He's a pretty good ballplayer. He's hitting over .300 at Triple-A. He's on-base

almost .400. He's slugging almost .500. That generally plays in the big leagues."

Duquette on being in the market for pitching: "We're always looking to add pitching. It's a little more difficult with the waiver period.

Everybody has to go on waivers and you have to get permission of the other clubs to move the

contract. There'll be a little bit of a lull in the transfer of players from team-to-team, but there

will be some other opportunities. We'll be looking to add to our team."

Duquette on decision to DFA Bud Norris: "That was a tough decision. Bud had a really good year last year, really good. Won the playoff

game for us against these Tigers, just a terrific game. This year he hasn't been able to re-establish

that. We tried him in the starting role. We transitioned him to relief and he just didn't have a lot

of success. We're going to try and find a spot for him with another club. That was a

disappointment, I think. I know it's a personal disappointment for me. I was disappointed we

couldn't help him perform more or he couldn't perform better this season because he had a great

year last season."

Duquette on attempts to trade Norris: "We explored that with every club we talked with. He's not throwing the ball real well right

now."

Duquette on whether he's optimistic that Norris can be traded: "I'm not sure about that. We're going to try. He's a veteran pitcher. He's healthy. That's what's

puzzling. I'm disappointed we couldn't find a solution to that."

Tommy Hunter joking about wanting a playoff share from Orioles: "I've got a mouth to feed now, a little baby on the way, and diapers."

Hunter on when he'll join Cubs: "I'm going to go home and give my wife a hug and see what she wants to do. I guess get out of

here tomorrow. I'm not real certain on the plans now. Say goodbye to the guys, pack up and take

the next step."

Hunter on whether it's easier to be traded after it happened in 2011:

"Easier. It is baseball. And I will reiterate about being traded once before makes this whole

process a lot easier. You know what to expect. You expect certain things. It's definitely easier the

second time around than it was the first. The first was not the easiest situation. These guys, I

don't think they didn't want me. It's about other teams, too. It was a move they made. Live with

it. Go play ball. See you guys around sometime. Smile and have a joke."

Chris Tillman on his left ankle: "Sore, sore, which I expected it to be. It's actually a little better than I was anticipating. I'm a

second-day sore guy, so it's kind of day-to-day from here. See how it feels."

Tillman on how he injured the ankle covering first base: "I didn't even take a step. I picked up my foot and sat it down and I felt it. Some discomfort and I

think just wanted to make sure. Normally you get swelling in the ankle and there was no

swelling. Wanted to make sure. Just typical."

Tillman on whether he can make Monday's start in Oakland: "I don't think it's going to be anything serious. If it's not my normal start day, maybe a day or two

days tops. But it honestly could very easily be my day."

Tillman on severity of injury: "I'm pretty sure it's just a basic sprain. From what I've heard from the doctors and trainers, it's

just a sprain."

Tillman on Norris: "It is frustrating, especially for the starting pitchers. We're close with him, and it's almost like we

failed at the same time. It's a bummer because we're all in it together. We live and die with how

each other does. He knows that and we know that. It's as disappointing for us as it is for him."

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/07/orioles-to-designate-travis-snider-for-

assignment-tommy-hunter-on-being-traded.html

Tommy Hunter on being traded (Parmelee DFA'd)

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

July 31, 2015

The Orioles confirmed that they designated Chris Parmelee for assignment and stated that

Gerardo Parra has reported to the club.

Parmelee batted .216/.255/.433 with seven doubles, one triple, four home runs and nine RBIs in

32 games. He got off to a sizzling start after the Orioles purchased his contract, but he was 7-for-

50 with three RBIs and 13 strikeouts this month.

Here's Tommy Hunter:

On his reaction: "It's sort of surprising, I guess, but if your name's been in it all day, it's not as surprising at the

last second. I'm going to Chicago. See you guys."

On whether he thought he was safe as 4 p.m. approached: "I told Darren O'Day that we really can't play catch until 4:05. You get that four- or five-minute

grace period, and at 4:03 he came in and asked me. I was like, 'I don't know. They might have

just taken a couple guys off their Triple-A roster, so you might hold on.' Then I saw all of your

pretty faces again around my locker."

On relationships with players: "You definitely build friendships in this game. It's a pretty tight close-knit community of baseball

players. There haven't been very many of us. We're all pretty similar in attitudes and goals in life.

So you definitely build some strong friendships. But they'll last. It's not like those friendships go

away. All these guys in here, I played with CD (Chris Davis) and Darren and a couple other guys

for years. I think the hardest part about it is probably going to be from my wife, but she's strong,

so she'll be all right, too."

On reflecting on good times: "There were some great times. Just look at the last four years. Came over in '11 and the crazy

thing that happened in '11 in September, just the way the team played. That was probably one of

the coolest months I've had in baseball, in 2011, when this team finished last and the walk-off

and all that crazy stuff that happened at the end of the year. And '12, shocking the world, I guess,

and doing everything. And '13, missing it a little bit. And '14 having that Delmon Young hit,

probably the loudest stadium I've ever been in. There's a lot of fun times here and a lot of good

people and a lot of friendships made. Hopefully, they continue through the years."

On coming back as free agent: "Yeah. It's all about if they want me back, I assume. There's not going to be any shut doors. I'm

not going to stomp out of here like I didn't like it, because I loved it here. It's been good for us. I

wouldn't mind coming back."

On unfinished business here: "Yeah, if you don't win a World Series, you kind of failed a little bit. That's the bottom line.

That's how we think as athletes. Everybody wants to win, everybody wants to be a part of it and

we fell short a couple times. Yeah, you can hang your hat on it a couple months after the fact, but

during those two months you still feel like you failed. Yeah, there is some unfinished business

here. I wish them the best. I threw some jokes out there so it wasn't too somber and bitter when

you leave. But they've got a chance to do some special things over here and you wish them the

best. And hopefully they remember you when those playoff shares start coming around."

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/07/updates-on-gerardo-parra-and-tommy-

hunter.html

Updates on Gerardo Parra and Tommy Hunter

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

July 31, 2015

Outfielder Gerardo Parra is flying into Washington D.C. and driving to Baltimore, and he's

expected to arrive at Camden Yards around first pitch at 7:05 p.m.

It depends on the traffic. His flight is due to arrive at 6 p.m.

Parra will be eligible to play tonight, and the Orioles must make a corresponding roster move.

Travis Snider, another left-handed hitting outfielder, is expected to be impacted.

Tommy Hunter said he's heading home to hug his wife and spend the evening with her. He won't

report to the Cubs until Saturday.

Hunter said he cracked a few jokes in the clubhouse to lighten the mood. His departure isn't a

popular move among his teammates.

The Orioles are saving around $1.5 million by trading Hunter.

Outfielder Junior Lake will report to Triple-A Norfolk. Infielder Ryan Flaherty was Lake's

roommate in the Cubs' minor league system.

I'm told that the Orioles came close to acquiring outfielder Ben Revere from the Phillies. They

were on the verge of completing the trade - I don't have any other details - but the Blue Jays

nabbed him.

I'll have quotes in my next blog entry.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/07/orioles-trade-tommy-hunter-to-cubs.html

Orioles trade Tommy Hunter to Cubs

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

July 31, 2015

With minutes to go before the 4 p.m. non-waiver trade deadline, Tommy Hunter found out he

was headed to the north side of Chicago.

The Orioles have reached an agreement with the Cubs, sending the right-hander to Chicago and

bringing outfielder Junior Lake, 25, to the Orioles organization. He'll report to Triple-A Norfolk.

Hunter, along with Chris Davis, came to the Orioles in 2011 in a trade for reliever Koji Uehara.

On the season, Hunter is 2-2 with a 3.63 ERA over 39 games.

Right-hander Mike Wright has been recalled from Norfolk to replace Hunter in the bullpen.

The Hunter trade was first reported by FOXsports.com's Ken Rosenthal.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/07/orioles-lineup-vs-tigers-and-notes.html

Orioles lineup vs. Tigers (and notes)

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

July 31, 2015

New outfielder Gerardo Parra is listed among the reserves for tonight's game against the Tigers.

The Orioles are showing 26 players on their lineup board. A corresponding move will need to be

made.

Parra, who's been assigned No. 18, still hasn't arrived at Camden Yards.

Manny Machado is leading off. David Lough is in left field and Ryan Flaherty is at first base.

Center fielder Adam Jones is batting .328/.361/.586 (19-for-58) in his last 14 games.

Chris Davis has hit 83 home runs at Camden Yards, passing Nick Markakis for sixth place on the

all-time list. Davis is the seventh Oriole with at least four seasons of 25 or more home runs.

Davis has hit safely in 11 of his last 13 games, batting .300/.375/.700 (15-for-50) with six home

runs and 17 RBIs.

Shortstop J.J. Hardy will try to extend his hitting streak to 14 games.

Chris Tillman said his left ankle remains sore - he has it wrapped - but there's been improvement.

He sprained it Wednesday night while covering first base in the ninth inning.

Tillman said if he can't make Monday night's start, he would only be pushed back a day or two.

For the Orioles Manny Machado 3B

Jimmy Paredes DH

Adam Jones CF

Chris Davis RF

Matt Wieters C

J.J. Hardy SS

Ryan Flaherty 1B

Jonathan Schoop 2B

David Lough LF

Wei-Yin Chen LHP

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/07/orioles-recall-mychal-givens.html

Orioles recall Mychal Givens

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

July 31, 2015

With the Orioles short a man in the bullpen today, they made another roster move by recalling

right-hander Mychal Givens from Double-A Bowie.

Givens takes the spot vacated by Bud Norris, who was designated for assignment.

Givens, 25, went 4-2 with a 1.79 ERA and 14 saves in 34 games with the Baysox this season. He

led the Eastern League with a 12.52 strikeout per nine innings ratio, posted the third-fewest

baserunners per nine innings ratio (9.27) and was tied for the third-lowest batting average against

(.191) among Eastern League relievers.

Givens, the shortstop-turned-reliever, made his major league debut on June 24 at Fenway Park

and struck out one batter in a scoreless inning. The Orioles purchased his contract four days

earlier.

As the Virginian-Pilot reported, right-hander Mike Wright has been summoned from Triple-A

Norfolk in case he's needed tonight. He could take the place of Tommy Hunter if the Orioles

move him by the 4 p.m. non-waiver deadline. They've been in talks with the Cubs.

Also, the Orioles don't know whether outfielder Gerardo Parra will join them for tonight's game.

The 25-man roster currently is filled with Givens' arrival.

Parra will be the 1,000th player to appear in a game for the Orioles since the franchise moved to

Baltimore in 1954.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2015/08/britton-on-givens-and-hunter-plus-other-

notes.html

Zach Britton on Mychal Givens and Tommy Hunter, plus

other notes

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

August 1, 2015

The Orioles scored two runs in a game twice in the series against Atlanta and won both games.

They have scored eight runs on back-to-back nights against Detroit and they go 1-1.

So, yeah, baseball. Hard to predict how it will go on any given night. But Friday was kind of

Givens' night.

Mychal Givens, the 25-year-old right-hander who began his pro career as a shortstop, got his

first major league victory last night. It was his second major league appearance.

Givens featured the solid mid-90s velocity he showed in the minors, where sometimes he topped

out above that. He also had that sharp slider. He showed poise, too, coming in the game after

Mike Wright left injured. He entered in a game where the Orioles were trailing 6-1. But when he

took the mound for his second inning, they were down just 6-5.

O's closer Zach Britton was impressed with his work.

"It is interesting to see how he bounces back," Britton said. "He comes into the game with a

decent deficit. Then, all the sudden, he is back out there in a one-run game, and he handled that

really well. That's impressive. He didn't get overwhelmed with the situation, and he is a big

reason we won that game. Good to see him get that first win, too, that is always exciting."

Yesterday was an interesting one for Orioles bullpen pitchers. They saw two veterans leave the

clubhouse in Tommy Hunter and Bud Norris. Two young pitchers returned to the team in Wright

and Givens.

Britton said it was tough to see Hunter leave. They have lockers next to one another and spent

many of nights together out in the Orioles bullpen.

"That's tough. You played with someone for four years and you get to know him off the field,

too," Britton said. "We build friendships, and it's tough to see him go. He kept us loose in the

bullpen. We know that at any time we all could be traded. For us, it's not just a business. It is

about these friendships."

As for the standings, the Orioles are tied for second in the American League East, six games

back of the Yankees. New York beat the White Sox 13-6 last night and has won nine of its last

12 games. In the race for the second AL wild card, the Orioles and Toronto stand one game

behind the Minnesota Twins.

More notes on the Orioles:

* Both Miguel Gonzalez and Wei-Yin Chen have been knocked out of the game in the fourth

inning the last two nights. They have combined to pitch just 6 2/3 innings in this series, allowing

20 hits and 11 runs. Detroit batters are 20-for-36 (.556) against those O's starters in this series. In

the previous six games before facing the Tigers, O's starters went 4-0 with an ERA of 1.25.

* In the first four innings the last two nights, Detroit has outscored the Orioles 13-3. In innings

five through nine, the Orioles have outscored the Tigers 13-3.

* Chen allowed three runs or less for 11 consecutive starts until last night. That dated back to

May 20 against Seattle when he allowed four runs in seven innings.

* Last night was the Orioles' largest comeback win of the year. They trailed 6-0 in the fourth

inning. The previous biggest comeback victory was from three runs down, May 22 at Miami.

* The Orioles have eight homers over their last four games, hitting two in each game. They have

12 multi-homer games over the last 20 games.

* After going through a stretch where they scored three runs or less in 14-of-17 games, the

Orioles have now scored 37 runs the past seven contests and 16 runs in the two games in this

series.

Delmarva's no-hitter and more from the minors: The Orioles' Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds

affiliate won both games of a doubleheader at home last night by shutouts of 4-0 and 2-0 against

Charleston. In Game 1, left-hander John Means pitched a seven-inning no-hitter on just 78

pitches.

Delmarva pitchers allowed just three hits in the twin bill.

MASNSports.com's Pete Kerzel was at Friday's no-hitter at Perdue Stadium and filed this

story with comments from Means on his no-no.

Elsewhere in the O's minors, Triple-A Norfolk now has the best record in the International

League, and Double-A Bowie has the best record in the Eastern League.

Norfolk won 10-6 at Lehigh Valley as Henry Urrutia went 3-for-5 with a homer, and is batting

.289.

The Tides are 62-43 and leading their division by 4 1/2 games.

Bowie posted a 4-2 walk-off win over Trenton. Quincy Latimore hit two homers. His second was

a two-run shot with two outs in the last of the ninth to end the game. The Baysox are 60-45 and

leading their division by four games. Bowie has tied its season-high, winning six in a row, and is

now a season-high 15 games over .500.

The rookie-level Gulf Coast League Orioles routed the Rays 16-4 on Friday. Infielder Alejandro

Juvier, the club's 15th-round draft choice in 2014, went 5-for-6 with two runs scored and six

RBIs. Over his last four games, Juvier is 12-for-18, raising his batting average from .237 to .319.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2015/07/gerardo-parra-talks-about-joining-the-

orioles.html

Gerardo Parra talks about joining the Orioles (plus

postgame clubhouse quotes)

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

July 31, 2015

New Orioles outfielder Gerardo Parra arrived in Baltimore tonight, shortly after first pitch. He

was activated for tonight's game but didn't play. He did get to meet his new teammates and watch

them post a comeback 8-7 win over Detroit.

"I feel like I played today, too, being in the dugout and seeing the guys play hard. I love it," the

28-year-old Venezuelan native said.

"I feel happy to come here. Great team. They play hard every day, and I'm so happy to be here.

Everybody put out a hand to me and said hello. First day, win. Just want to come in positive,

play every day hard and make the playoffs."

Parra hit .328/.369/.517 in 100 games with Milwaukee. He had 24 doubles, five triples, nine

homers and 31 RBIs. He is hitting .435 in July and .460 during his current 14-game hitting

streak.

Was it a relief to have the trade deadline over with and at least know where he was headed?

"Just want to play hard every day. Didn't want to think too much about that because you don't

have any control of that," he said. "Doesn't matter. Just want to play every day."

Parra, who won Gold Gloves in the National League in 2011 and 2013, seemed to enjoy the

Orioles 8-4-2 relay tonight that cut down a run at the plate in the seventh inning.

"That's beautiful," he said. "Gold Glover playing center field. I feel happy when I see the guy

play hard."

Parra said he didn't know any of the Orioles before tonight.

"No, no. Just this morning I put everything (information on the team) in my pocket for the flight

here," he said. "I'm happy. Great team that works hard and we have a chance to make the

playoffs.

"I never played in the American League. I'm feeling like it's the same league. Just play every day

hard and don't think too much. I feel like this is my house, too. I don't want to think anything

different."

Other clubhouse quotes after the victory:

Mychal Givens on getting his first major league win: "Words can't really say it. Just glad to

have the win for the team. Hopefully come back tomorrow and get another W. I got a bunch of

balls in my locker (from the game as momentoes). That is good."

Did Givens' previous time in the majors help the nerves tonight?: "Usually have a few

butterflies every time you go out. But that previous appearance at Fenway helped it a little bit,

and the appearances from spring training kind of helped. Today I felt comfortable."

Givens on the chance to possibly stick with the team for the rest of the season: "It feels

good. Just taking everything in. Enjoying the moment and the time here with the team right now.

Just taking one day at a time and try to not worry about anything. Just go out there and have

fun."

Matt Wieters on Givens tonight: "He's got good stuff. Anyone that can throw from that (arm)

angle and as hard as he can with a breaking ball on top of it. It's tough, being a rookie and

pitching at home and kind of (trying to) keep the adrenaline down. I was impressed with that

more than anything. Big situation, he didn't seem fazed by it at all. Did his normal routine and

was ready to go."

Wieters on the O's rallying two nights in a row: "That's where you can never quit. You never

know what some confidence or some good swings last night might have done for some guys

tonight. Even when we get down by a lot, there is no quit in this team."

Wieters on Parra: "You could just tell with him on the bench that he wants to win. The biggest

thing is you see the guys that do get traded to a team that has a chance for the playoffs, their

spirits get lifted a bit."

Wei-Yin Chen on his outing tonight: "I did miss my spots a lot today. I tried to locate pitches

on both sides of the plate, but unfortunately a lot of pitches went right down the middle. There

were some mistake pitches (on the home runs). I have to try to learn from today, make

adjustments and do better next time."

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2015/07/os-game-blog-its-chen-against-farmer-as-

os-host-detroit.html

O's game blog: It's Chen against Farmer as O's host Detroit

(Delmarva no-hitter)

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

July 31, 2015

As an active day for the Orioles winds down, they still have a game to play tonight. They host

the Detroit Tigers in the second game of a four-game series.

The Orioles' comeback from seven runs down fell one short last night in a 9-8 loss to the Tigers.

They are 51-50 and had a five-game win streak snapped with that loss. Over a longer stretch, the

Orioles have lost 11-of-19 and 16 of their last 26 games. They are 2-2 versus Detroit and 30-19

at home.

Matt Wieters was a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning last night and went 2-for-2 with an RBI

single. Over his last three games, he is 6-for-10 after going through a 2-for-23 stretch.

J.J. Hardy begins tonight with a 13-game hitting streak. It is his longest streak since a 13-gamer

from May 3-18, 2013 and the longest streak by an Oriole this year. During the streak, Hardy is

batting .298/.320/.468.

Chris Davis homered and drove in four runs last night. Over his last nine games, Davis is 10-for-

33 (.303) with six homers and 16 RBIs.

On the mound tonight, Wei-Yin Chen (5-6, 2.88 ERA) pitches against 24-year-old right-hander

Buck Farmer (0-2, 9.22 ERA).

Chen has allowed two earned runs or less in eight of his last nine starts. In that span, he is 4-2

with a 2.55 ERA, with 11 walks and 48 strikeouts over 60 innings. The Orioles are 6-3 in those

games and 11-8 in Chen's 19 starts in 2015.

Orioles starting pitchers went 4-0 with a 1.25 ERA over their last six games going into last night,

but then Miguel Gonzalez allowed five runs and 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings against Detroit.

Farmer made 16 starts this year for Triple-A Toledo, going 7-3 with a 4.15 ERA. In three games

and 13 2/3 big league innings, he has allowed 22 hits and 14 runs, with four homers allowed and

a .373 average against. Left-handed batters have hit .438 off him (14-for-32), with a .688

slugging percentage in that small sample size.

Delmarva no-hitter: In Game 1 of a doubleheader today, Single-A Delmarva left-hander John

Means threw a no-hitter in a 4-0 win over Charleston at Perdue Stadium. It was a seven-inning

no-hitter as that is the length of doubleheaders in the minors. Means walked one and fanned six,

throwing just 78 pitches.

An 11th-round draft pick last June out of the University of West Virginia, he is now 8-7 with an

ERA of 3.48 for the Shorebirds. Over his last three starts, the 22-year-old Means has allowed just

one earned run over 17 1/3 innings.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2015/07/wieters-and-britton-on-the-os-additions-

givens-on-rejoining-the-team.html

Wieters and Britton on O's additions, Givens on rejoining

the team

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

July 31, 2015

In the Orioles clubhouse, the players are coming to terms with today's moves and the new look

of their roster, with outfielder Gerardo Parra and pitchers Mychal Givens and Mike

Wright added.

Bud Norris was designated for assignment and Tommy Hunter was traded to the Cubs for

outfielder Junior Lake, who will head to Triple-A Norfolk. Parra is not in the starting lineup but

is expected by game time, and another roster deletion will have to occur.

Catcher Matt Wieters talked about the additon of Parra, who is fourth in the National League

batting .328. He is batting .460 during his current 14-game hitting streak.

"I think he can help our ballclub," Wieters said. "What I've seen of him, he's a very good

defender and we pride ourselves on that. He's having a great year with the bat, and I think he can

really help the top of our lineup. Creating opportunities is big in how you score runs. Looking

foward to seeing him in our uniform.

"We felt that we have enough in this clubhouse to have a chance. Anytime you add to it that

gives us an advantage to finish the year strong and make a run."

Wieters was interviewed before today's 4 p.m. trade deadline and asked if the players would be

relieved when it passed.

"Especially for guys where all the rumors were floating around. But there can still be trades, and

stuff can still happen. But it will be nice to just focus on playing baseball," he said.

Meanwhile closer Zach Britton talked about the bullpen addition of right-hander Givens, who is

4-2 with an ERA of 1.79 and .191 average against at Double-A. He made his major league debut

June 24, pitching a scoreless inning at Boston.

"The biggest thing he is going to learn is the adjustments guys will make (against him). And

we'll help him with that as much as we can. It's not an audition, it's about being effective for a

winning team," Britton said of Givens.

"We've got a good group of guys in here, and I think it makes a young player coming in feel

more comfortable. If he struggles, it's not like guys will look at him any differently. We're here

for Mychal. We like him a lot, and we're expecting big things from him."

Britton talked about Norris and his struggles that led to him being designated for assignment.

"It was tough to watch," he said. "A 16-game winner for us last year and a big part of what we

did last year. He got sick, and things kind of snowballed a little bit. We were hoping he could

turn it around in the bullpen. That is not where he needs to be. He needs to be in the rotation

somewhere, and I'm sure someone will pick him up right away."

Givens talked about rejoining the Orioles and the improvements he's made over the last 12

months to improve his command and control. He worked with O's pitching coaches Dave

Wallace and Dom Chiti at the club's pitching minicamp in January in Sarasota, Fla., to improve

on repeating his delivery and mechanics.

"Just staying focused," Givens said. "I give all the credit to the organization and all the pitching

coaches. Dom and Dave helped me in the mini camp making some adjustments. I ran with it and

got help from (pitching coach) Alan Mills at Double-A."

After spending his first three years in the O's minors as a shortstop, Givens is now in his third

year as a pitcher. It's a conversion that obviously has produced impressive results.

"Feel good as ever. They trained me well and took care of me throughout the process," he said.

"We started going just one inning and then moved up to multiple innings. Real happy with the

results we've gotten."

http://www.masnsports.com/orioles-buzz/2015/08/delmarvas-cam-kneeland-making-the-most-

of-his-opportunity.html

Delmarva's Cam Kneeland making the most of his

opportunity

By Pete Kerzel / MASNsports.com

August 1, 2015

SALISBURY, Md. - It's three hours before the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds entertain the

Charleston RiverDogs in a doubleheader at Perdue Stadium, and there's precious little activity

that would suggest that a pair of seven-inning games are on the docket. Most of the Shorebirds

are escaping the sweltering 88-degree heat by seeking refuge in the air-conditioned clubhouse,

though a few guys clad in shorts are whizzing a Nerf Vortex football in left field, oblivious to the

blazing sun.

Beneath the third base stands, Cam Kneeland is busy honing his craft, whacking baseballs in an

indoor batting cage. It's stuffy and a little dark, but a sweat-drenched Kneeland is focused on his

swing, ripping line drives that are caught in netting, the baseballs retrieved so they can be hit

again and again.

If fans of the South Atlantic League club didn't know the 25-year Kneeland before the season

began, they know him now. On a team filled with guys getting their first taste of full-season pro

baseball, Kneeland is an anomaly, one of the older guys in the clubhouse and in his fourth season

of pro ball. Jomar Reyes, the third baseman regarded as the brightest prospect on the team, is 18,

seven years Kneeland's junior.

Where Reyes is on a fast track through the Orioles organization, Kneeland has had to scratch and

claw for everything he's achieved in the game. Undrafted out of Massachusetts-Lowell, he

wound up in the independent Canadian-American League, where he quickly learned that if

anyone was going to forge him into a baseball player, it was going to have to be Kneeland

himself.

In his senior season, he filled out paperwork for several major league clubs, and there was some

chatter that the Minnesota Twins might draft him in the late rounds, but Kneeland's name wasn't

called during the 2011 First-Year Player Draft. His college hitting coach had a connection in the

Can-Am League, and Kneeland wound up on the Worcester (Mass.) Tornadoes the following

season. In 2013, he moved to the Trois-Rivieres in Quebec City, Quebec, where he slashed

.306/.364/.468 with nine homer and 62 RBIs and drew the interest of Orioles scouts.

Baltimore signed him and sent him to short-season Single-A Aberdeen, where Kneeland

appeared in just two games. This season, he earned a spot on the Shorebirds roster out of spring

training, and has appeared in 77 games, slashing .258/.336/.387 with three homers and 41 RBIs,

the second-highest total on the club.

Shorebirds skipper Ryan Minor, who finished his pro career at 31 with the independent Atlantic

League's Lancaster Barnstormers, understands that some players coming out of indy ball carry a

stigma of not being good enough to play for affiliated teams, and that a guy who is a few years

older than most of his teammates has an additional hurdle to climb. But neither obstacle, he says,

fazed Kneeland.

"For Cam, it's just getting an opportunity with us to play," Minor explains. "He signed a little late

with us last year and didn't play a whole lot. He's come in here, and I think he appreciates his

opportunity that he's been given here. There was some point, in some conversations, (doubt)

whether he was going to make the club or not. When he had that opportunity, he made the most

of it. ... When he's gotten the opportunity to play, he's made the most of it. He's been a leader for

us."

Kneeland played sporadically early this season, and didn't light up the stats sheet when he was

getting a chance. In late May, his average dipped to a season-low .167, but first-year hitting

coach and ex-Oriole Howie Clark marveled at how Kneeland wasn't frustrated by his bad luck.

You know the old baseball adage about all of those well-struck balls that went for naught

eventually evening out? Kneeland was about to learn it, firsthand.

"With experience, he doesn't dwell on the previous game," says Clark, an Oriole in 2002 and

2006 who played parts of six big league seasons. "Every day, he comes in and he's fresh. When

he walks out the door, he leaves it in here. He understands the big picture in that sense."

The Shorebirds were decimated by injuries - some day-to-day situations, others that took regulars

out of the lineup for longer stretches. Guys got promoted to Single-A Frederck. Suddenly,

Kneeland was playing regularly - and not just at third base, his primary position - and the

increased playing time brought better results at the plate. And more productive at-bats yielded

regular playing time - at shortstop, third base, second base, first base, even left field. When both

of their regular catchers went down, there was even talk that Kneeland might be used as an

emergency catcher. He says that's the one position he really doesn't have an interest in playing,

but you get the idea that if Minor asked, he'd strap on the gear and make a go of it. (Kneeland has

never appeared in right field, behind the plate or pitched since joining the Orioles organization,

but did pitch in three games in 2012 for Worcester, compiling a 15.43 ERA.)

"What we've went through with injuries and promotions, ... for Cam, just to be a little bit older, I

think his maturity level resonates through the clubhouse," Minor says. "Especially with the

young guys, they see his approach getting ready for a ballgame. Just the idea that sometimes, less

is more. You don't have to go out and spent two hours in the cage with Howie to get ready for a

ballgame. He really does prepare himself with quality time in the cage, takes ground balls at all

these positions. When he's able to do that, he puts himself in position to be successful. From the

mid-point of the first half until now, he's been kind of our key guy to make sure we have in the

lineup every night."

When Clark first saw Kneeland, a native of Rowley, Mass., at minor league spring training in

Sarasota, he figured he was a guy who had spent several years moving up the organizational

ladder, not a guy who had been rescued from the obscurity of the Can-Am League. Like Minor,

Clark was immediately struck by Kneeland's maturity and demeanor.

"Cam, he's a pretty even-keel guy," Clark says. "He's got a really sound approach. You know

what you're going to get day in and day out, and that's a huge thing for us. He's very easy in

regards to maintenance. He knows what he needs for the day. We chat a little bit, but he's very

self-sufficient."

To hear Kneeland tell it, that's simply a result of paying attention to his surroundings and

appreciating the opportunity he's been given.

"Indy ball, going from that to here, it helped me prepare a lot and it helped me respect it a lot

more," he explains. "Guys in indy ball are all fighting to get on a team. Some guys here don't

realize that until you get released. You see a lot of indy ball players - everyone has a lot of drive,

but indy ball guys have a little more drive than the others because they don't know what it's like

to be on a lower level and not in an organization."

Kneeland's signing by the Orioles didn't warrant more than some tiny type on a transaction page

- if it was noticed at all. Every year, major league clubs sign guys who are used to fill spots in

their minor leagues - a backup catcher on a Single-A club, an extra left-handed reliever on a

Double-A team, a reserve infielder who can play multiple positions on a short-season squad.

Some people might look at Kneeland as one of those organizational space holders. Only when he

got his shot, he made the most of it. And there are worse job descriptions than a guy willing to do

whatever he's asked, fill whatever role is needed to make the team successful.

"You sometimes get the stigma of being a little older in this league and it's like you're just filler,"

Minor says. "But those guys tend to hang around a long time and opportunities tend to open up,

whether it's in this organization or another organization. People like guys with experience and

maturity level and the ability to walk into a clubhouse and not mess up the atmosphere. Cam's

definitely one of those guys. ... He's been a blessing to have around for us. Especially with the

younger guys."

Minor and Clark have come to look at Kneeland as a pseudo-coach, a guy who leads by example

and who can still relate to his teammates in a baseball sense. Kneeland says he doesn't feel at all

like the teenager who's been assigned to eat with the youngsters at the card table for

Thanksgiving dinner.

"I'm hoping to open some eyes, but I'm just happy to be playing baseball," Kneeland says.

"Everyone here is getting paid a little bit to play the game that supposedly they love. I can't

complain because I get to put a uniform on every day. Hopefully, I can move up through the

system. If not, I'm enjoying my time right now."

Those early-season struggles might as well be a distant memory. Funny how some success seems

to make things feel better.

"Baseball is a really tough game mentally, and you can't let anything get to you," he says. "You

have to take it a pitch at a time, an at-bat at a time. Just move on if you have three Ks or four Ks

in a night, you go in the next day and you got to move on. You let anything wear you down,

you're going to go down a bad slope."

Kneeland isn't about to let that happen, not with the Shorebirds a handful of games within the

Northern Division lead and about five weeks remaining on the schedule.

"All I need is a chance," Kneeland says. "Coming into the year, I figured I'd be one of those guys

you get on a roll and they want to see what I can do. That's all you can ask for: to get an

opportunity to play. That's the best thing you can ask for."

http://www.masnsports.com/orioles-buzz/2015/07/shorebirds-john-means-throws-seven-inning-

no-hitter.html

Shorebirds' John Means throws seven-inning no-hitter (with

video)

By Pete Kerzel / MASNsports.com

July 31, 2015

SALISBURY, Md. - Single-A Delmarva left-hander John Means threw a seven-inning no-hitter

in the Shorebirds' 4-0 victory over Charleston in the first game of a doubleheader Friday night.

Means, an 11th-round pick by the Orioles out of West Virginia in the 2014 First-Year Player

Draft, walked one and struck out six in his first career no-hitter. He threw 78 pitches, 50 for

strikes, in a game that lasted only 1 hour, 51 minutes.

"That's a first for me," Means said. "Never thrown a no-hitter before. I was a little nervous going

into the last inning, but it was a lot of fun."

It's the first no-hitter in Shorebirds history since May 7, 2004, when Zach Dixon and Chris

Britton combined on a no-hitter in a 2-1 win over Lexington that took 13 innings, according to

Baseball-Reference.com, though that is not recognized as a no-hitter by the South Atlantic

League.

Means tossed the fourth no-no in the Shorebirds' 20-year history. The last one recognized by the

South Atlantic League came on April 27, 1998, when Matt Achilles spun a 5-0 gem over

Hagerstown.

Means was in control the whole way, using an effective curveball early and then getting

RiverDogs hitters off-balance late with a changeup. Though he allowed some well-struck balls,

they were hit right at the defenders behind him for easy outs.

"My fastball was getting up a little early on," Means said. "They were hitting some good shots,

and I was getting some good defense behind me. I think toward the end, I started to settle in and

get everything working."

Each no-hitter seems to turn on a sparkling defensive gem, and that happened in the fifth inning,

when Means got out of a jam after Billy Fleming led off the inning by reaching on a throwing

error by shortstop Steve Wilkerson. With one down, Collin Slaybaugh ripped a liner to third that

was gloved by third baseman Jomar Reyes, who threw to first baseman Derek Peterson for an

inning-ending double play. Fleming fell down between first and second trying to return to first.

"That was unbelievable," Means said. "That was hit hard, I made a mistake. I knew it would be

kind of close, and I knew (Reyes) might have to dive for it. I knew it would be kind of right at

him and he'd have to make a good play on it. But it was an unbelievable play. I'm glad the guy on

first kind of slipped so he couldn't get back."

Needing three outs to complete the no-no, Means took the mound in the top of the seventh as

many fans were strolling into Perdue Stadium for Friday evening baseball. Last night's scheduled

game against the RiverDogs was rained out, necessitating today's doubleheader, with the first

game starting at 5:05 p.m.. The opener of the twinbill was sparsely attended, but fans began

arriving around 6:30 p.m., and many found they were witnessing history.

Means got Leonard Thompson to pop to Peterson at first on a 1-1 pitch, with Peterson shielding

his eyes from the sun setting behind the stadium as he made the grab. Isaias Tejeda flew out to

left fielder Ademar Rifaela on a 1-0 offering for the second out. With the fans standing and

applauding, Means got Austin Aune to stike out swinging on a weak half-swing for the no-

hitter's final out.

Catcher Yermin Mercedes slapped a tag on Aune, who pleaded that he'd checked his swing, just

to make sure and then raced to the mound to embrace Means. The Shorebirds dugout emptied,

players rushing the mound and mobbing Means in celebration.

"I was thinking about it for the last three innings," Means said. "It's hard to get out of your mind,

but you try not to think about it. You just go in and try to do what you've been doing."

Three Charleston hitters reached base: Thompson when he was hit by a pitch in the first inning;

Thompson on a fourth-inning walk; and Fleming on the fifth-inning error.

Means improved to 8-7 and lowered his ERA to 3.48.

Delmarva gave Means a 2-0 lead in the second, loading the bases on three singles before Elier

Leyva hit an RBI single and Peterson grounded into a double play that plated another. In the

third, Rifaela singled, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Cam

Kneeland's two-out triple. The Shorebirds' final run scored in the sixth, when T.J. Olesczuk hit a

run-scoring single.

http://www.si.com/mlb/2014/05/11/ap-bba-tigers-orioles-preview

Tigers-Orioles Preview

SI.com

August 1, 2015

Gerardo Parra arrived too late to make his debut for Baltimore and was only a witness to a

stirring comeback victory.

The newly acquired outfielder could get his first opportunity to play for the Orioles and attempt

to extend his 14-game hit streak Saturday night against the Detroit Tigers.

Parra, acquired from Milwaukee on Friday, made his first appearance in the Baltimore dugout in

the second inning and watched Baltimore (52-50) erase a six-run deficit for an 8-7 victory.

Manny Machado provided a go-ahead, a two-run homer in the sixth, and Adam Jones went 3 for

5 with a three-run shot in the fifth for the Orioles' sixth win in seven games.

Baltimore nearly rallied from a seven-run deficit in Thursday's opener, a 9-8 loss, and will try to

get a quick jump on the Tigers (50-53) with help from its newest player. Parra was fourth in the

NL with a .328 average, and had nine homers and 24 doubles.

He's 23 for 50 (.460) during his streak - tied with teammate J.J. Hardy's for the longest in the

majors - and has batted .390 in 43 games dating back to June 11. Parra is also a two-time Gold

Glove-winning outfielder.

"I've always been a fan of his," manager Buck Showalter said. "The guy won a Gold Glove in

left and right and is having a big year offensively. Plays the game like our fans like to see it

played. He's really likes winning, so he should fit in well."

Parra is also 8 for 14 with two doubles lifetime against Tigers starter Anibal Sanchez (10-8, 4.61

ERA), who had a career high-tying string of seven consecutive victories and a four-start win

streak snapped Monday.

Sanchez gave up three runs in 5 1-3 innings in a 5-2 loss in Tampa Bay while getting zero runs

of support.

The right-hander received 56 runs in his prior eight games, including a 7-3 win over Baltimore

on July 17. He won't have Yoenis Cespedes to help him after the Tigers slugger was traded to

New York Mets on Friday.

Detroit, though, had 16 hits for the second straight game and its first without its second-leading

home run hitter and second-best RBI man.

"Guys continue to play hard," manager Brad Ausmus said. "Offensively we're fine right now. A

week ago we couldn't buy a run. Now we seem to get runs but we can't seem to hold them."

Kevin Gausman (1-2, 4.20) will try to power the Orioles to another victory over Detroit while

hoping to get better run support. The right-hander has gotten a combined four runs in his five

starts this season, going 0-2 with a 4.08 ERA, and couldn't benefit from one of the best

performances of his career Monday.

Gausman tossed 7 2-3 scoreless innings in a 2-1 victory against Atlanta.

Gausman is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in two starts against Detroit and allowed five runs in four

innings in his lone matchup last season, a 7-5 loss May 14, 2014.

Sanchez yielded two runs in six innings in defeating Baltimore last month and is 2-0 with a 3.86

ERA in three starts against the Orioles.

http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/07/31/brewers-trade-gerardo-parra-orioles

Brewers trade Gerardo Parra to Orioles for pitching

prospect

By Christopher Chavez / SI.com

July 31, 2015

The Milwaukee Brewers have agreed to trade outfielder Gerardo Parra in exchange for

Baltimore Orioles pitching prospect Zach Davies, the team announced Friday.

The trade was first reported by Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.

Parra, 28, is hitting .328 on the year with nine home runs and 39 RBIs. He is eligible for free-

agency at the end of the year.

Davies was drafted in the 26th round of the 2011 MLB draft. In 101 1/3 innings in Triple A, he

has posted a 2.84 ERA with 7.2 strikeouts per nine innings.

Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports the Brewers were looking to move

Parra in exchange for two players, but settled for Davies. Parra is the second Brewers outfielder

traded ahead of the deadline after Carlos Gomezwas dealt to the Houston Astros on Thursday.

The Orioles sit in second place in the American League East, six games behind the New

York Yankees. The Brewers are in last place of the National League Central Division with a 44-

59 record.

http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/07/31/mlb-trade-deadline-tommy-hunter-traded-chicago-cubs-

baltimore-orioles

Orioles trade Tommy Hunter to Cubs for Junior Lake

By Christopher Chavez / SI.com

July 31, 2015

The Chicago Cubs pulled off a last minute trade to acquire Tommy Hunter from the

Baltimore Orioles in exchange for Junior Lake, the Cubs announced Friday.

Hunter struck out 32 batters in 44.2 innings with a 3.63 ERA as a reliever for the Baltimore

Orioles this season. He will be a free agent at the end of the year.

Lake played in 21 games for the Cubs this year while hitting .224 and spending time in the

minors. Lake has 10 doubles, seven home runs and a .315 batting average in 58 games for the

Triple A Iowa Cubs.

The Cubs and Orioles are two games behind the current wild card leaders in their respective

leagues.

http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/07/31/ap-bbo-orioles-brewers-trade

Orioles get LF Parra from Brewers for minor league pitcher

Associated Press / SI.com

July 31, 2015

BALTIMORE (AP) The Orioles filled one of their most pressing needs Friday by obtaining left

fielder Gerardo Parra from the Milwaukee Brewers for a minor league right-hander Zach Davies.

In a flurry of activity before the non-waiver trade deadline, Orioles vice president of baseball

operations Dan Duquette also dealt right-handed reliever Tommy

Hunter to the Chicago Cubs for outfielder Junior Lake and designated struggling starter Bud

Norris and first baseman Chris Parmelee for assignment.

The 28-year-old Parra batted .328 with nine homers and 31 RBIs in 100 games this year. He's

hitting .279 over 6-plus seasons, most of them with Arizona.

''I've always been a fan of his,'' Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said of Parra. ''The guy won

a Gold Glove in left and right and is having a big year offensively. Plays the game like our fans

like to see it played. He's really likes winning, so he should fit in well.''

Left field has been a problem for the Orioles this season. Travis Snider is batting .239 with three

homers and 20 RBIs, and Nolan Reimold has a .243 average with two home runs and seven RBIs

in 28 games.

''We needed some help in the outfield. Everyone knew that,'' Baltimore closer Zach Britton said.

''Adding him is good - a top-of-the-lineup kind of guy.''

Parra will probably take over as Baltimore's leadoff hitter. Manny Machado has been filling that

role, but he's more of a power hitter and will likely be dropped to second or third in the lineup.

Parra has played all three outfield positions and had a 14-game hitting streak through Thursday.

''We were able to make a couple of trades to help our team and try to get ready to get back to the

playoffs,'' Duquette said. ''We're real happy and excited that we were able to pick up Parra. He's

one of the top hitters in the National League this year and he fits the profile of an every-day

position player for us.''

Machado was solid atop the order, but now the Orioles have a player who more adequately fits

the description of a leadoff hitter.

''That's an ingredient that we've been missing,'' Duquette said.

Davies is 5-6 with a 2.84 ERA in 19 games with Triple-A Norfolk. He was assigned to Triple-A

Colorado Springs.

''That's one of deals that should work out well for both clubs,'' Showalter said. ''We got a good

player back and gave up a good pitching prospect.''

Brewers manager Doug Melvin believes Davies has the potential to be part of the big league

team's rotation next season.

''We felt that the level of this player was better than two players,'' Melvin said.

Baltimore cleared a roster spot for Parra by cutting ties with Norris and Parmelee.

After going 15-8 with a 3.65 ERA last season, Norris signed a one-year contract with the Orioles

during the offseason. He gave up eight runs in his first start and never really righted himself

before going on the disabled list with bronchitis. He ultimately landed in the bullpen as a long

reliever.

Norris is 2-9 with a 7.06 ERA. He yielded four runs and six hits in 2 2-3 innings on Thursday

night in Baltimore's 9-8 loss to Detroit.

''It got to a point where we couldn't continue down that road,'' Showalter said. ''Bud needs a fresh

start and will pitch well for whoever picks him up.''

Parmelee was batting .216 with four home runs and nine RBIs in 32 games.

Late in the day, the Orioles unloaded Hunter, who was 2-2 with a 3.63 ERA in 39 games with

Baltimore this season.

Baltimore filled the void in the bullpen by recalling right-hander Mychal Given from Double-A

Bowie and right-hander Mike Wright from Triple-A Norfolk.

''Tommy Hunter is going to be a free agent at the end of the season,'' Duquette said. ''The players

that are going into the bullpen not only have talent but they can also do a very responsible job for

the club in the future. We just thought this was an opportunity to make a little bit of a transition

in the bullpen.

''Invariably, during our discussions with other teams, after Kevin Gausman, the two pitchers they

wanted next were Mike Wright and Mychal Givens,'' Duquette said. ''Other major league teams

have identified them as ready for the big leagues. So now we're going to give them an

opportunity.''

http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/61140/orioles-bats-coming-alive-for-stretch-run

Baltimore Orioles' bats coming alive for stretch run

By Eddie Matz / ESPN.com

August 1, 2015

BALTIMORE -- Don’t look now, but the Baltimore Orioles' offense is finally awakening from

its seemingly interminable midsummer slumber. For the second night in a row, the Orioles, who

moved to within a game of the second AL wild card spot with an 8-7 win over the Detroit Tigers,

mounted a huge comeback. For the second night in a row, they tallied double-digit hits. For the

second night in a row, they scored eight runs. It’s a turnaround that’s long overdue.

Heading into the Detroit series, Baltimore had produced just 77 runs in 23 July games, the

second-lowest total in the American League. The culprit? An almost unfathomable run of

ineptitude in clutch situations. According to ESPN Stats & Information, through June, the O’s

were hitting a robust .317 with runners in scoring position, the best mark in baseball. But from

July 1 through July 29, they plummeted to just .158 with runners in scoring position, dead last in

the majors. Over the past two nights, though, it’s been a completely different story.

“Right now, guys are just clicking and feeling good with their approach at the plate,” said

catcher Matt Wieters, who went 2-for-2 on Thursday -- including a seventh-inning, pinch-hit

RBI single -- then followed that up with a double and a walk in four plate appearances Friday.

“I’ve always thought that hitting was contagious.”

The Orioles’ performance would seem to back up Wieters’ theory.

After a brutal July in which no Baltimore regular managed to hit .300, the Birds' bats --

especially the big ones -- all seem to be stirring at the same time. So far, in the first two games of

the Detroit series, Manny Machado, Adam Jones and Chris Davis have combined to go 11-for-24

with four home runs, while scoring nine runs and driving in 13. Along with Jimmy Paredes, who

batted second on Friday night, the Orioles’ 1 through 4 hitters reached base 11 times via hit or

walk.

The entire offense seems to be following suit: Coupled with a seven-run explosion earlier this

week against Atlanta, the O's have scored seven or more runs in three of four games. It's the first

time this season they’ve accomplished that.

When asked about his team’s offensive outburst on Friday, Buck Showalter chalked it up to

being patient at the plate.

“Selectivity was big,” the O’s skipper said.

Being discriminating isn’t something this current Orioles vintage is known for. In fact, they’ve

been about as choosy as a drunk college kid at Golden Corral. Heading into Friday, Birds batters

had whiffed 851 times against only 251 walks. That works out to a 3.29 K/BB ratio, the second-

worst mark in baseball (the White Sox are at 3.39). During the first two games of the Detroit

series, though, it’s been a different story, as O’s hitters have fanned just 11 times and drawn nine

free passes (a 1.22 ratio).

Granted, the recent success has come against a struggling Tigers pitching staff that ranks 14th in

the American League with a 1.36 WHIP, but still, after a dreadful, month-long stretch like the

one the Baltimore offense has endured, they’ll take it where they can get it. What’s more, the

recent surge has come without a legitimate leadoff hitter, a problem the Orioles might have

finally solved with the acquisition of Gerardo Parra.

The former Brewers outfielder was acquired just before the trade deadline in exchange for minor

league hurler Zach Davies. Although he didn’t arrive in Baltimore until close to game time and

wasn’t in Friday’s lineup, the 28-year-old is an experienced top-of-the-order hitter who should

enable Showalter to drop Machado down to the 2- or 3-hole, where the slugging third baseman is

a more natural fit. In the midst of a career year, Parra’s current slash line is .328/.369/.517. Even

if he comes back to earth -- which can be expected after a July in which he put up video game

numbers (.435 avg., 1.212 OPS) -- he should still be a significant upgrade for an Orioles team

that’s been getting bubkes from the four-headed LF monster known as Stevis Loughmold and

next to nothing out of any leadoff hitter not named Manny.

“His presence at the top of the lineup should be additive,” general manager Dan Duquette said of

Parra. “That’s an ingredient we’ve been missing.”

And one that should only help the Birds’ bats to continue cooking.

http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/61130/gerardo-parra-trade-gives-os-upgrade-but-

how-much

Gerardo Parra trade gives O's upgrade, but how much?

By Eddie Matz / ESPN.com

July 31, 2015

BALTIMORE -- In case you’re just tuning in, the Baltimore Orioles acquired outfielder Gerardo

Parra from the Milwaukee Brewers earlier today, sending minor league right-hander Zach Davies

to Milwaukee in return. At first glance, the deal gives Baltimore a big upgrade at left field (if

that’s where Parra ends up playing), both offensively and defensively. But look a little bit closer,

and there are question marks.

Let’s start on the defensive side. Buck Showalter said it was unclear where exactly Parra will

play in the outfield. The 28-year-old has won two Gold Gloves, one in right field, and one in left

field. “He’s capable of both,” said Showalter, when asked where Parra will play. “I want to sit

down with him and hear it from him.”

For what it’s worth, to make room for Parra on the 25-man roster, the Orioles just

designated Chris Parmelee for assignment, which indicates that we might see more of Chris

Davis at first base, with Parra slotting in at right field. Or we could continue to see more of super

utility man Ryan Flaherty at first (and/or Steve Pearce once his oblique is healed), with Davis

staying in right and Parra manning left field.

Regardless of where Parra is stationed, the numbers suggest that he isn’t nearly the defender he

once was. In 2013, when he nabbed his second Gold Glove, Parra’s 41 runs saved led all major

league outfielders. His 31.1 UZR was also the best in baseball. Since the beginning of 2014,

however, Parra’s minus-5 runs saved ranks 41st among all outfielders, and his minus-7.2 UZR is

45th. Is he an upgrade over what the Orioles have been using in the corner outfield spots?

Probably, but not as much as you might think.

On the offensive side, there’s a lot to like about Parra. “His presence at the top of the lineup

should be additive,” GM Dan Duquette said. “That’s an ingredient we’ve been missing.”

But is Parra really the leadoff hitter the O’s have been sorely lacking ever since Alejandro De

Aza fell off a cliff earlier this season? Is he a true table-setter that can allow Manny Machado to

drop down into the two or three hole, where he really belongs? Probably not. Parra -- who’s

started 100-plus games at each of the first, second, seventh and eighth spots in the lineup -- has

never walked more than 48 times in a season and has whiffed 100 times each of the past two

years. That doesn’t sound terribly leadoff-ish. His career walk rate of 6.6 percent is below the

MLB average (8.1), and this season he’s drawing a free pass just 5.7 percent of the time. On an

O’s squad that’s hardly known for its discretion at the plate, that puts him squarely between

Flaherty (7.7) and Jimmy Paredes (4.8). Duquette also noted that since May 1, Parra is the

leading hitter in the majors. And while that may be true, it also suggests that the newest Oriole is

due for some good ole’ fashioned regression.

So far, Parra’s having a career year, posting a slash line of .328/.517/.886. But much of that is

due to a ridiculous July in which he’s hitting .435 with an off-the-charts OPS of 1.212. His

batting average on balls in play (BABIP) currently sits at .372, which is seemingly unsustainable

given a career BABIP of .328. In other words, unless something just suddenly clicked for Parra

in his seventh big league season, odds are we can expect him to come back to earth over the next

couple months.

Does that make it a bad acquisition for the Orioles? No way. Not when you consider how

unproductive their left fielders have been: Parra’s career OPS of .738 is 126 points higher than

the .612 that the four-headed monster known as Stevis Loughmold has posted so far this year

(28th among 30 teams when it comes to the LF position). And it’s not like the cost was all that

steep. To get Parra, the Birds gave up Davies, a former 26th-round draft pick, who, at this point

doesn’t project as much more than a back-of-the-rotation starter.

With two months left to go and two games separating them from the second AL wild-card spots,

there’s no doubt the Orioles had to address their needs. And there’s no doubt that leadoff hitter

and corner outfield were the two most glaring holes. Parra is an upgrade in both regards. Just

how much remains to be seen.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/13353094/baltimore-orioles-get-gerardo-parra-milwaukee-

brewers-exchange-pitching-prospect-zach-davies

Orioles get Gerardo Parra from Brewers in exchange for

Zach Davies

By Jerry Crasnick / ESPN.com

July 31, 2015

The Baltimore Orioles acquired outfielder Gerardo Parra in a trade with the Milwaukee

Brewers on Friday, filling a pressing need to upgrade left field.

The Orioles sent pitching prospect Zach Davies to the Brewers for Parra, a versatile outfielder

who was hitting .328 with an .886 OPS, nine homers and 31 RBIs in 100 games this season in

Milwaukee.

Parra watched from the bench as Baltimore rattled off eight straight runs to beat the Detroit

Tigers 8-7. Before this one, the Orioles' biggest turnaround was a three-run deficit

against Miami.

The deal was reached hours before the non-waiver trade deadline.

Parra, 28, is a .279 career hitter over parts of seven seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks and

the Brewers. He currently has a 14-game hitting streak, the longest active streak in MLB,

according to ESPN Stats & Information. During the streak, he is hitting .460 with 13 runs scored.

The Parra trade comes a day after the Brewers sent center fielder Carlos Gomez and pitcher Mike

Fiers to the Houston Astros in a trade for four minor leaguers.

In a separate transaction, the Brewers sent relief pitcher Jonathan Broxton and cash to the St.

Louis Cardinals for outfielder Malik Collymore, the team announced.

The Orioles, who have been searching for an offensive upgrade, had been mentioned in

speculation involving San Diego outfielder Justin Upton. But sources said the Orioles were

resistant to include starter Kevin Gausman, minor leaguer reliever Mychal Givens or 23-year-old

second baseman Jonathan Schoop in a trade for a veteran bat.

The Orioles entered the weekend with a 51-50 record, tying them for second in the AL East

behind the New York Yankees. They're six games out of the division lead and two games out in

the wild-card race.

Left field has been a problem for the Orioles this season. Travis Snider is batting .239 with three

homers and 20 RBI, and Nolan Reimold has a .243 average with two home runs and seven RBI

in 28 games.

Parra will probably take over as Baltimore's leadoff hitter. Manny Machado has been at the top

of the order, but he's more of a power hitter and will likely be dropped to second or third in the

lineup.

Parra has played all three outfield positions and is a two-time Gold Glove winner.

Davies is 5-6 with a 2.84 ERA in 19 games with Triple-A Norfolk. He was assigned to Triple-A

Colorado Springs.

Baltimore cleared a roster spot by designating right-hander Bud Norris for assignment.

After going 15-8 with a 3.65 ERA last season, Norris signed a one-year contract with the Orioles

during the offseason. He gave up eight runs in his first start and never really righted himself

before going on the disabled list with bronchitis. He ultimately landed in the bullpen as a long

reliever.

Norris is 2-9 with a 7.06 ERA. He yielded four runs and six hits in 2 2/3 innings on Thursday

night in Baltimore's 9-8 loss to Detroit.

Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.

http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/orioles-talk/can-orioles-get-long-start-gausman

Can the Orioles get a long start from Gausman?

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Baltimore

August 1, 2015

Tonight's Game:

Detroit Tigers (50-53) vs. Baltimore Orioles (52-50), Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore,

7:05 p.m.

Starting pitchers:

Anibal Sanchez (10-8, 4.61) vs. Kevin Gausman (1-2, 4.20)

Keys to the Game:

Can the Orioles get a deep start from Gausman? The last two starters, Wei-Yin Chen and Miguel

Gonzalez lasted just 3 1/3 innings.

Can the Orioles bats stay hot? They've scored eight runs in the last two games.

News and Notes:

Gerardo Parra is scheduled to start in left field. He'll be the 1,000th Oriole.

Mike Wright is scheduled for an MRI on his strained left calf. He could be headed for the

disabled list.

Chris Tillman will test his left ankle to see if he can make his scheduled Monday start in

Oakland.

Parra is 8-for-14 (.571) against Sanchez.

http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/orioles-talk/gerardo-parra-showalter-excited-about-his-new-

outfield-addition

Why Showalter is excited about new outfield addition

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Baltimore

July 31, 2015

BALTIMORE – Buck Showalter was glad that Gerardo Parra was added. It gives him another

possible leadoff hitter. Parra, who was officially added to the roster about an hour before game

time, will wear No. 18. He was acquired from Milwaukee for Triple-A pitcher Zach Davies.

“That’s one of those that should work out real well for both clubs. We got a good player back

and gave up a good pitching prospect. I’ve always been a fan of (Parra’s). We played them out

there last year and I know the guy won a Gold Glove in left and right and having a big year

offensively and plays the game like our fans like to see it played. He fits us and kind of who we

have to be to be competitive,” Showalter said.

Showalter thinks he can play both left and right field.

“I think he is capable of both. He has won Gold Gloves in both. I’m gonna sit down with him at

some point and I want to hear from him,” Showalter said. “I’ve got a pretty good grip but you’re

better off to talk to the player. He is capable of hitting a lot of spots in the lineup and has handled

himself well against left-handed pitching this year. Smart, looking forward to his addition.”

While Showalter was happy to see Parra come, he was sad the team traded Tommy Hunter to

Chicago.

“Tommy never has a bad day, very infectious personality and he can pitch. He will help the Cubs

and I’m glad it’s to a place that’s competitive. It’s not that they wanted him more than us,”

Showalter said. “That’s a tough one.”

As he prepared for Friday night’s game, Showalter said he believes the team is a better one with

these improvements.

“I think so. I hope so. I think so. I’m not getting too deep right now, I’m trying to win tonight’s

ballgame in nine innings. That other stuff, we all think about it. There’s a lot of things contingent

on signing players. Next year is next year. We are trying to win a World Championship this year.

That’s what it is all about. With the situation we are in. It’s as simple as that,” Showalter said.

NOTES: Chris Tillman had his left ankle bandaged, and said he hopes to make Monday’s start.

He injured the ankle in the ninth inning of Wednesday night’s game. … Reliever Mychal Givens

found out he was recalled from Bowie on Friday morning. He’s in his second stint with the team.

http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/orioles-talk/duquette-when-youre-close-got-do-what-you-can

Duquette: 'When you're close, got to do what you can'

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Baltimore

July 31, 2015

BALTIMORE -- Dan Duquette had a busy day, adding and subtracting players. His prize was

adding outfielder Gerardo Parra froutfielder Gerardo Parra from the Milwaukee Brewers. The

price was Triple-A pitcher Zach Davies.

Just before the deadline, the Orioles sent Tommy Hunter to the Chicago Cubs for minor league

outfielder Junior Lake. The Orioles needed flexibility in the bullpen and for now have added

Mike Wright from Norfolk and Mychal Givens from Bowie.

To make room for Parra, the Orioles designated first baseman Chris Parmelee for assignment.

"We were able to make a couple of trades to help our team and try to get ready to get back to the

playoffs. We're real happy and excited that we were able to pick up Parra. He's one of the top

hitters in the National League this year and he fits the profile of an every day position player for

us,” Duquette said.

“Two-time Gold Glover, he can hit against left- and right-handed pitching and he's very good at

getting on base. He's got some really good numbers at the top of the order. He's a good set-up

hitter and a good defender to play in the field. That should keep our defense strong, help our

pitching, and his presence at the top of the lineup should be real additive. That's an ingredient

that we've been missing and we're glad to have him join us."

The trade was completed Friday morning.

"The price is steep this time of year because there's a lot of teams that are chasing a couple of

good players,” Duquette said.

“I saw during our research on Parra, he's the leading hitter in the big leagues since May 1 in

terms of average. He's been hitting the ball really well. He's desirable to a lot of teams, so the

cost is significant. We gave up a good young pitching prospect in Zach Davies.”

The Orioles begin play on Friday night two games behind Minnesota for the second wild card

spot.

“It's a credit to our farm system that we have the players available to trade. And again, I think

when you're close and you have a chance to get into the playoffs, you've got to do what you can

around these deadlines to strengthen your team and keep going toward the goal,” Duquette said.

The Orioles needed to add pitchers who had options in Wright and Givens.

“We have some younger pitchers who are going to come up and join our team that have options,

but also have a lot of talent. Mike Wright's been here. He's done a nice job. Mychal Givens has

been here. He's done a really good job in Double-A,” Duquette said.

“Invariably in our conversations with other teams, after Kevin Gausman the two pitchers they

wanted next was Mike Wright and Mychal Givens. So other teams have identified as ready for

the big leagues. So now, we are going to give them an opportunity.”

Duquette said he had a hard time letting Norris go.

“That was a tough decision. Bud had a really good year last year, really good,” Duquette said.

“This year he hasn’t been able to reestablish that. We tried him in the starting role. We

transitioned him to relief, and he just didn’t have a lot of success. We’re going to try and find a

spot for him with another club. That was a disappointment, I think. I know it’s a personal

disappointment for me. I was disappointed we couldn’t help him perform more or he couldn’t

perform better this season because he had a great year last season.”

Duquette said there wasn’t any interest in Norris from other teams.

“We explored that with every club we talked with. He’s not throwing the ball real well right

now,” Duquette said. “He’s a veteran pitcher. He’s healthy. That’s what’s puzzling. I’m

disappointed we couldn’t find a solution to that.”

Duquette said that he would continue to look for pitching in August, which will be more difficult

because players have to pass through waivers.

“We’re always looking to add pitching,” Duquette said. “There’ll be a little bit of a lull in the

transfer of players from team-to-team, but there will be some other opportunities. We’ll be

looking to add to our team.”

http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/orioles-talk/orioles-deal-hunter-minor-league-outfielder

Orioles deal Hunter for minor league outfielder

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Baltimore

July 31, 2015

BALTIMORE – Fifteen minutes before the 4 p.m. non-waiver trade deadline, Tommy Hunter

joked with a large group of reporters in front of his locker about the possibility of being traded.

Fifteen minutes later, Hunter found out he was headed to the Chicago Cubs for minor league

outfielder Junior Lake.

“It’s always surprising, but if your name has been in it all day, it’s not as surprising at the last

second,” Hunter said. “I’m going to Chicago. See you guys.”

Hunter was 21-20 with a 4.28 ERA with the Orioles. He was acquired along with Chris Davis

from Texas in exchange for Koji Uehara on July 30, 2011.

“You definitely build friendships in this game,” Hunter said. With the Orioles, he was part of

two playoff teams.

“If you don’t win a World Series, you kind of failed a little bit. That’s how we think as athletes,”

Hunter said. “There is some unfinished business. I wish them the best. I threw some jokes out

there so it wasn’t too somber.”

He came to the Orioles as a starter, and late in 2012 was converted to a reliever. This year, he

was 2-2 with a 3.63 ERA in 39 games.

Lake, a 25 year-old outfielder, is a .241 hitter in parts of the last three seasons with the Cubs. He

hit .224 with a home run and five RBIs in 21 games for Chicago this year. He will be optioned to

Triple-A Norfolk.

Hunter will be a free agent after the season, and didn’t rule out a return.

“If they want me back…there’s not going to be any shut doors,” Hunter said. “I’m not going to

stomp out of here like I didn’t like it because I loved it here.”

Hunter will report to the Cubs in Milwaukee on Saturday. The Orioles are two games out of the

second wild card spot, and Chicago is battling with San Francisco for the second NL wild card

spot.

“They’ve got some a chance to do some special things over here. You wish them the best and

hopefully they’ll remember you when playoff shares start coming around,” Hunter said.

http://www.pressboxonline.com/2015/07/31/reports-orioles-acquire-outfielder-gerardo-parra

Orioles Bolster Outfield With Gerardo Parra, Finalize

Several Moves

By Todd Karpovich / PressBoxOnline.com

July 31, 2015

As the trade deadline ticked away, the Orioles managed to solve one of their most glaring needs

by trading for one of the top outfielders on the market -- the Brewers' Gerardo Parra.

Baltimore sent right-handed minor league pitcher Zach Davies to Milwaukee for Parra, who will

start in left field and likely take over the leadoff spot. The Orioles have struggled to get

production from their corner outfielders, and Parra could be the solution. He is batting .328 with

nine home runs and 31 RBIs with 24 doubles on the season.

Parra can play all three outfield positions and has won two Gold Gloves with the Diamondbacks

-- in 2011 as left fielder and in 2013 as a right fielder. Parra also brings his hot bat to Camden

Yards, where he will look to extend his career-high 14-game hitting streak. He will be a free

agent at the end of the season.

"We were able to make a couple of trades to help our team and try to get ready to get back to the

playoffs," Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette said. "We're real happy and excited

that we were able to pick up Parra. He's one of the top hitters in the National League this year,

and he fits the profile of an everyday position player for us.

"[He's a] two-time Gold Glover. He can hit against left- and right-handed pitching, and he's very

good at getting on base. He's got some really good numbers at the top of the order, gives us a

good setup hitter and a good defender to play in the field. That should keep our defense strong,

help our pitching and his presence at the top of the lineup should be a real additive. That's an

ingredient that we've been missing, and we're glad to have him join us."

The right-handed Davies has appeared in 19 games (18 starts) for Triple-A Norfolk and is 5-6

with a 2.84 ERA.

"I think that's one of those should work out real well for both clubs," Orioles manager Buck

Showalter said. "We got a good player back and gave up a good pitching prospect. I've always

been a fan of his. [We] played [the Brewers] out there last year. [Para] won a Gold Glove in left

and right and having a big year offensively and plays the game the way our fans like to see it

played. He fits us."

The Orioles designated Chris Parmelee for assignment to clear room for Parra. Parmelee

appeared in 32 games (97 at bats), batting .216 with four homers and nine RBIs.

To clear more roster space, the Orioles also designated right-hander Bud Norris for assignment.

Norris opened the season as a starter, but he was eventually demoted to the bullpen. He went 2-9

with a 7.06 ERA (66.1 innings pitched, 52 earned runs) in 18 games (11 starts).

It was a disappointing end to Norris' tenure with the Orioles. He was acquired in 2013 for pitcher

Josh Hader, outfielder L.J. Hoes and a 2014 competitive balance round A draft pick. Norris won

a career-high 15 games last season and also picked up a victory in Game 3 of the American

League Division Series against the Tigers. The Orioles have 10 days to trade, release or option

him to the minors.

"He was very instrumental in our success last year, and it's a real reminder about how things

snowball mentally and emotionally," Showalter said. "He's physically fine. Someone's going to

pick him up, and he's going to pitch well for them. I think Bud needs a fresh start, and he's going

to pitch well for whoever picks him up, and he's going to pitch well for somebody next year. He

just never really got going from spring training on. He's got some real good pitching ahead of

him. It just wasn't going to happen here."

Baltimore also sent right-hander Tommy Hunter to the Cubs for utility player Junior Lake, who

can play multiple positions in the infield and outfield. Hunter, who was acquired from the

Rangers with first baseman Chris Davis for reliever Koji Uehara in 2011, has made 39

appearances this season and is 2-2 with a 3.63 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP.

Hunter did not rule out coming back to the Orioles.

"It's all about if they want me back, I assume," Hunter said. "There's not going to be any shut

doors. I'm not going to stomp out of here like I didn't like it, because I loved it here. It's been

good for us. I wouldn't mind coming back."

Lake, 25, has appeared in 193 major league games, batting .241 with 16 homers and 15 steals.

He was optened to Triple-A Norfolk.

To bolster the bullpen, the Orioles recalled right-hander Mychal Givens from Double-A Bowie.

The 25-year-old Givens went 4-2 with a 1.79 ERA (55.1 innings pitched, 11 earned runs) and 14

saves in 34 games with the Baysox this season. He also led the Eastern League with a 12.52

strikeout-per-nine-innings ratio. Givens made his major league debut June 24 at Boston, striking

out one during an inning of work after having his contract selected June 20.

Editor's Note: This story has been updated since it was originally published.

http://www.pressboxonline.com/2015/07/31/dan-duquette-tried-to-lure-pedro-martinez-to-the-

orioles

Dan Duquette Tried To Lure Pedro Martinez To The Orioles

By Jim Henneman / PressBoxOnline.com

July 31, 2015

There were all kinds of interesting angles connected to MLB's Hall Of Fame induction ceremony

July 26, none more intriguing to Baltimore fans than the revelation that Dan Duquette tried to

talk Pedro Martinez into joining the Orioles in 2012.

As Martinez noted toward the end of his 32-minute acceptance speech, he and Duquette had an

extensive history together.

"I have a man here, [Dan] Duquette, who had the courage to trade for me twice -- and they both

turned out OK," Martinez said. "Then he tried to get me a third time, but I was too old."

Duquette, as the general manager of the Montreal Expos, rescued Martinez from the bullpen of

the Los Angeles Dodgers, who didn't believe the scrawny right-hander was strong enough to be a

starter, in exchange for second baseman Delino DeShields. Four years later, when he was calling

the shots for the Red Sox, Duquette traded Carl Pavano and Tony Armas Jr. to the Expos for

Martinez, who was in his free-agent "walk" year.

By the time Pedro was helping the Red Sox break the "Curse of the Bambino," and win the

World Series in 2004, Duquette was no longer around, having been jettisoned when the current

ownership group took over in 2002. As Duquette said earlier this week, his next attempt to

acquire Martinez "wasn't to play in the Israel League," a short-lived experiment he started that

nevertheless opened the door for 75 players in professional baseball.

When Duquette arrived in Baltimore, the team was in desperate need of pitching, and he wasn't

beyond signing some veterans with their best years behind them. He admitted that Pedro was an

early target, despite the fact he was already entrenched in his broadcasting career.

"I asked him, 'Why don't you come over and do some pitching?'" Duquette said. "He said, 'Don't

make me that offer. …. I'm going into the Hall Of Fame in three years … you'll mess up my

schedule."

Duquette noted that even though Martinez had been retired for two years, he had gone 5-1 for the

Philadelphia Phillies, who were trying to win a second straight World Series in 2009.

"He probably still had a little left in the tank," said Duquette, who was part of the Martinez

contingent in Cooperstown, N.Y., for the induction ceremonies.

***

The most surprising thing about this year's HOF celebration was the number of Houston Astros

jerseys on display in Cooperstown. Second baseman and catcher Craig Biggio is the first Astro to

be enshrined, which undoubtedly played a large role in the turnout, as did the fact that Martinez

and left-handed pitcher Randy Johnson, two of the other three inductees, all played for multiple

teams.

But the fact that only the Dominican Republic flags outnumbered the Houston jerseys and shirts

was a surprise to everyone -- especially the vendors, who quickly found out they were under

stocked on Biggio memorabilia.

Biggio, at 17-plus minutes, gave the shortest speech, but he provided the most emotional

moment when he called out coach Matt Galante, saying, "Without this man, I'm not here."

Biggio, whose remarkable career began as an All-Star catcher, transitioned into a Gold Glove

second baseman, and then an everyday center fielder, said Galante was the person most

responsible for his conversion from a catcher.

Galante, of course, was among those who quickly noted the person most responsible was Biggio

himself.

***

It long ago had been well documented that the Tigers traded a future Hall-Of-Famer to get a

"pitching fix" for the stretch run in 1987, when they sent right-hander John Smoltz to Atlanta in

exchange for right-hander Doyle Alexander. Many forget Alexander went 9-0 in 11 starts to lead

Detroit to a division title, and followed up with a 14-8 record the next year -- mainly because the

Tigers couldn't get past the Twins in the American League Championship Series in 1987.

Smoltz noted in his acceptance speech that there was another Hall-Of-Famer involved, indirectly,

in that trade -- future teammate Tom Glavine. The trade of Alexander opened up a spot in the

Braves' rotation for Glavine, who came out of the minor leagues and survived the normal growth

pains a little earlier than anticipated.

***

Johnson finished his illustrious career with 303 wins. He was 46 years old when he recorded No.

300. The question now: Will Johnson be the last 300-game winner?

There is strong evidence to say he will be. As of July 31, the winningest active pitcher, with 220,

is 40-year old Tim Hudson. Entering the seaons, CC Sabathia (34) was the only active pitcher

under the age of 35 with more than 200 wins (212).

Of those in the under 35 group, Justin Verlander (who is 32) leads with 153 wins. The

winningest active pitcher under the age of 30 is Felix Hernandez with 137. Never say never, but I

can safely say another 300-game winner is not happening in my lifetime.

***

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2015/07/31/3-things-to-know-about-gerardo-parra/

3 Things To Know About Gerardo Parra

CBS Baltimore

July 31, 2015

The Orioles have acquired Gerardo Parra from the Brewers for right-handed pitching.

The O’s have Adam Jones in center field and Chris Davis has been playing right field, but the

outfield was an obvious area of need.

Gerardo Parra, 28, is in the middle of a career year with 24 doubles, nine home runs and 31 RBI

in 100 games for the Brewers. Baltimore figures to try to sign him to a contract extension before

he hits the open market.

3 Things to Know:

1. The O’s Need Left Fielders

The Orioles’ left fielders are ranking the very worst production at the position in all of baseball.

Snider leads the way with 36 starts in left this year. With Davis settling into right field, Parra

figures to take over in left.

2. The Orioles Are Going For It

Last week the Orioles lost four straight and were swept by the Yankees, and there was talk the

team was preparing to sell before the trade deadline. Davis and Matt Wieters, who will become

free agents after the season, were the obvious trade candidates. But, since the four losses, the O’s

have won five of six. This trade for Parra shows they’re going for the gold. The division is not

out of reach.

3. The Brewers Prospects and Players

The Brewers sent Gomez and Fiers to the Astros for four impressive prospects: outfielders Brett

Phillips and Domingo Santana, lefty Josh Hader and righty Adrian Houser.

Read the full story here on CBS Sports.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/07/31/the-orioles-designated-bud-norris-for-assignment/

The Orioles designated Bud Norris for assignment

By Bill Baer / NBCSports.com

July 31, 2015

The Orioles acquired outfielder Gerardo Parra in a trade with the Brewers on Friday. In order to

clear room on the 25-man roster for him, the club designated pitcher Bud Norris for assignment.

Norris, 30, has had a rough year. He compiled a 6.79 ERA in 11 starts through the end of June,

which included a stint on the disabled list due to bronchitis. He lost his rotation spot and moved

to the bullpen in July, but continued to struggle, allowing 10 earned runs in 10 2/3 innings across

seven appearances.

The Orioles explored trade options but ultimately decided to designate him for assignment,

MLB.com’s Britt Ghiroli reports.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/07/31/cubs-pick-up-orioles-reliever-tommy-hunter-for-

junior-lake/

Cubs pick up Orioles reliever Tommy Hunter for

Junior Lake

By Aaron Gleeman / NBCSports.com

July 31, 2015

Rafael Soriano‘s struggles put the Cubs back in the market for veteran bullpen help and Ken

Rosenthal of FOXSports.com reports that they’ve acquired Orioles reliever Tommy Hunter in

exchange for infielder/outfielder Junior Lake.

After years as an inconsistent mid-rotation starter Hunter moved to the bullpen full time in 2013

and found success, adding several miles per hour to his now mid-90s fastball and posting a 3.05

ERA and 145/37 K/BB ratio in 192 innings for the Orioles. That includes a 3.63 ERA and 32/11

K/BB ratio in 45 innings this season.

Lake has struggled in 193 games for the Cubs since debuting in 2013, hitting .241 with 16

homers, a .663 OPS, and a hideous 198/31 K/BB ratio. His numbers in the minors are a lot better

and Lake has experience at every position except catcher defensively, so if nothing else the 25-

year-old could develop into a useful bench player.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/07/31/orioles-closing-in-on-trade-for-brewers-outfielder-

gerardo-parra/

Orioles trade for Brewers outfielder Gerardo Parra

By Aaron Gleeman / NBCSports.com

July 31, 2015

UPDATE: It’s a done deal. Parra for Davies.

==========

Brewers outfielder Gerardo Parra has been heavily linked to the Orioles all week and Ken

Rosenthal of FOXSports.com reports that the two sides are “closing in” on a deal.

According to Rosenthal the trade would send Parra to Baltimore in exchange for pitching

prospect Zack Davies, a 22-year-old right-hander currently starting at Triple-A.

Baseball America’s midseason prospect update ranked Davies as the eighth-best prospect in the

Orioles’ farm system, noting that he “keeps hitters off-balance with an 88-92 mph fastball and an

above-average changeup while mixing in an average slider.”

Parra is having a fantastic, career-year by hitting .328 with nine homers and an .886 OPS in 100

games and he can handle all three outfield spots defensively, but he’s also an impending free

agent and hit just .267 with a .709 OPS from 2012-2014.

http://www.baltimoremagazine.net/2015/7/31/friday-replay-meet-the-newest-oriole

Friday Replay: Meet the Newest Oriole And four more things that happened in Baltimore sports this week.

By Jess Mayhugh / Baltimore Magazine

July 31, 2015

1. The Orioles trade for Gerardo Parra. After rumors have been swirling all week, the Orioles traded for Milwaukee Brewers (and

longtime Arizona Diamondbacks) outfielder Gerardo Parra, who is having his best season yet

with a stellar OPS of .886. The two-time Gold Glover makes sense for the O's who have been

looking for a left fielder. Parra will most likely play left, leaving Nolan Reimold or Travis Snider

for right, sending Chris Davis back to his most natural position at first. Hopefully, Parra will give

the Orioles a boost in the homestretch, both with his glove and his bat. The Orioles designated

pitcher Bud Norris (who, he himself admits, had an awful season) for assignment, to make room

for Parra.

2. Baltimore welcomes Nick back by sweeping his team. In a show of characteristic class, the Baltimore crowd gave departed Orioles fan-favorite Nick

Markakis a 30-second standing ovation at his homecoming with the Braves on Monday. Never

the demonstrative type, the outfielder refreshingly acknowledged the crowd by stepping out of

the batter's box and tipping his helmet. He then promptly hit a double. But, it wouldn't matter in

the end as the Orioles swept the Atlanta Braves thanks to enduring starting pitchers and a clutch

extra-inning, walk-off home run from Matt Wieters.

3. Ravens training camp begins. Hard to believe in this heat and humidity that football season is just around the corner. Ravens

started training camp this week, and here is the Cliff Notes version: Lardarius Webb failed his

conditioning test, Breshad Perriman "tweaked" his knee, and Steve Smith Jr. wore a sweet Natty

Boh hat to practice. Also of note is Joe Flacco'scandid presser, where he admitted that 90-percent

of the Ravens team could probably kick his ass.

4. Enormous Brandon Williams poses with adorably tiny puppy. As a part of the city's Soft Side campaign—in which celebs like Torrey Smith and Tommy Lee

pose with really cute, adoptable animals—nose tackle Brandon Williams looks even more

enormous while holding the tiny Mabel. I'm just going to leave this here:

5. ESPN wraps on filming Dunbar 30 for 30 episode. If you're a sports fan, which hopefully reading this, you are, then you're probably also a huge fan

of ESPN's 30 for 30documentary series, in which they dissect a moment or era in sports and

often have celebrities narrate the tale. This week, ESPN was in town filming the story of

the legendary Dunbar Poets, from which basketball stars like Muggsy Bogues, Reggie Williams,

and David Wingate were born. The filming wrapped yesterday and it's set to air next spring.

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/25255542/brewers-trade-gerardo-parra-to-orioles

Brewers trade Gerardo Parra to Orioles: Three things to

know

By Mike Axisa / CBSSports.com

July 31, 2015

One of the top available outfielders is off the board. The Orioles have acquired Gerardo

Parra from the Brewers for right-handed pitching prospect Zack Davies, CBS Sports MLB

Insider Jon Heyman reports. The trade is pending physicals.

The O's have the great Adam Jones in center field, but he has been flanked by the likes of Travis

Snider, Steve Pearce, Delmon Young, David Lough, Nolan Reimold and others at times this

season. Chris Davis has been playing right field of late. Outfield was an obvious area of need.

Parra, 28, is in the middle of a career year, hitting .328/.369/.517 (140 OPS+) with 24 doubles,

nine home runs and 31 RBI in 100 games for the Brewers. He hit .267/.321/.388 (94 OPS+)

while averaging 32 doubles, 10 home runs and 46 RBI per 162 games from 2012-14.

The timing of his career year worked out nicely for the Brewers. Parra is an impending free agent

who is owed approximately $2.5 million the rest of the season. Baltimore figures to try to sign

him to a contract extension before he hits the open market.

The 22-year-old Davies has a 2.84 ERA with 81 strikeouts and 33 walks in 101 1/3 Triple-A

innings this year. He was the O's 26th round pick in 2011. Baseball America ranked Davies as

Baltimore's sixth best prospect before the season, saying he "projects as a back-of-the-rotation

starter."

The Brewers are in full blown sell mode now. They traded Carlos Gomez and Mike Fiers to the

Astros on Thursday and Gerardo Parra on Friday. Kyle Lohse, Matt Garza, Francisco Rodriguez

and Adam Lind could all be moved before the trade deadline.

The Orioles are 51-50, six games back in the AL East and two games back of a wild-card spot.

They are in the same exact position as the Blue Jays, who have traded for Troy Tulowitzki and

David Price in recent days.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE TRADE

1. The O's left fielders have been really, really bad.

So far this season Baltimore's left fielders are hitting .210/.283/.330 (71 OPS+) with eight home

runs and 25 RBI, which is among the very worst production at the position in all of baseball.

Snider leads the way with 36 starts in left this year. With Davis settling into right field, Parra

figures to take over in left, and even if he reverts back to his 2012-14 form down the stretch, he'll

still be a huge upgrade over what the O's have been getting from the position.

2. The Orioles are going for it.

Last week the Orioles lost four straight and were swept by the Yankees, and there was talk the

team was preparing to sell before the trade deadline. Davis and Matt Wieters, who will become

free agents after the season, were the obvious trade candidates. But, since the four losses, the O's

have won five of six. The Parra trade shows they're going for it, not selling. The division is not

out of reach but the wild-card spot is more attainable.

3. The Brewers are getting quality prospects for their players.

On Thursday, the Brewers send Gomez and Fiers to the Astros for four impressive prospects:

outfielders Brett Phillips and Domingo Santana, lefty Josh Hader and righty Adrian Houser.

Phillips, Santana and Hader were among the 12 best prospects in Houston's stacked farm system

coming into the season according to Baseball America. Davies is not a super high-upside guy but

he is very likely to pitch in a big league rotation and soon, which is very valuable, especially

since he'll be making close to the MLB minimum for a few years. Milwaukee is getting a nice

blend of upside and probability in their trades so far.

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/25255952/cubs-get-reliever-tommy-hunter-from-

orioles

Cubs get reliever Tommy Hunter from Orioles for Junior

Lake

By Matt Snyder / CBSSports.com

July 31, 2015

Just before the 4:00 p.m. ET non-waiver trade deadline, the Cubs acquired relief pitcher Tommy

Hunter from the Orioles, confirms Jon Heyman. The return for the Orioles is outfielder Junior

Lake.

Hunter, 29, has a 3.63 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 32 strikeouts against 11 walks in 44 2/3 innings this

season. He got off to a terrible start to the season, though, and actually has a 2.63 ERA in his last

34 outings.

The Cubs have had issues with consistency in the bullpen, but with Hector Rondon in a very

good groove taking back over as the closer, Hunter should help solidify things along with Justin

Grimm and Pedro Strop. We'll see if Rafael Soriano gets right and if Jason Motte can get back on

track.

As for Lake, the 25 year old has been bouncing back and forth between the minors and majors

the past three seasons. In 193 career big-league games, he's hitting .241/.283/.380 with 16

homers and 15 steals. In 58 Triple-A games this season, Lake is hitting .315/.404/.472 with 10

doubles and seven homers.

Teamed with the Gerardo Parra acquisition, it appears Lake is part of the effort to upgrade the

corner outfield spots that flank All-Star center fielder Adam Jones.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/orioles/2015/07/31/baltimore-orioles-trade-deadline-

gerardo-parra-junior-lake/30967123/

Orioles regroup after Gerardo Parra and Junior Lake

trades, roster moves

By Jacob B Lourim / USA TODAY

July 31, 2015

BALTIMORE - The Baltimore Orioles’ busy July 31 started when the club traded for

outfielder Gerardo Parra from the Milwaukee Brewers. With a few hours still left until the 4 p.m.

deadline, they already had an upgrade that would help them stay in the hunt in the American

League East.

And it came at a small cost — small enough that the atmosphere in the clubhouse was loose as it

would be on a normal day. Relief pitcher Tommy Hunter even joked about being traded himself.

The next move, however, didn’t provoke nearly the same mood. A few minutes later, the Orioles

traded Hunter, a 29-year-old in his fourth full season with the team, to the Chicago Cubs for

outfielder Junior Lake.

The management informed Hunter, and Hunter said his final goodbyes to teammates on the way

out. Then manager Buck Showalter walked into his pregame press conference and asked:

“Why’s everybody so solemn?”

The net impact of Friday on the big-league club, of course, is positive. Entering Friday,

Baltimore was hitting .210 and slugging just .330 in the left-field slot, occupied most often

by David Lough, Travis Snider and Nolan Reimold. Parra brings a .328 average and .517

slugging percentage and has won two Gold Glove awards. He fills a void in the lineup, perhaps

in the leadoff slot, allowing third baseman Manny Machado to move down.

In return, the Orioles gave up Class AAA right-hander Zach Davies. In 19 appearances (18

starts) this season, Davies posted a 2.84 earned-run average.

“That’s one of those that should work out really well for both clubs,” Showalter said. “Got a

good player back and gave up a good pitching prospect.”

But as with most teams, the day didn’t go calmly.

Early in the afternoon, Baltimore designated right-hander Bud Norris for assignment. Norris was

a critical piece of the 2014 Orioles that won the AL East and swept Detroit in the AL Divisional

Series, winning 15 games and shutting out the Tigers over 6.1 innings in the clinching game of

the series.

But he couldn’t recapture that success this year in the rotation or the bullpen. In 11 starts and

seven relief outings, his ERA is 7.06.

“It’s a reminder of about how things snowball mentally and emotionally,” Showalter said. “He’s

physically fine. Someone’s going to pick him up, and he’s going to pitch well for them.

“He’s got some really good pitching ahead of him. It just wasn’t going to happen here.”

Later in the day, just before the deadline, came the more shocking move. Hunter moved to the

bullpen full-time in 2013, and since then he has a 3.05 ERA in 191 2/3 innings for the team.

As with Norris, losing him and adding a different arm to the bullpen gives the Orioles the

flexibility to option a reliever, and the club adds another outfield bat in Junior Lake. Still, after

the day had gone smoothly until then, Showalter called losing Hunter “tough.”

“Tommy never has a bad day,” he said. “Very infectious possibility, and he can pitch.”

He added that Hunter remained upbeat after the trade, that he was the one cheering up the team’s

management.

“I’m not going to stomp out of here like I didn’t like it,” Hunter told reporters. “Because I loved

it here.”

But Showalter said the Orioles ended Friday as a better baseball team than they started it. They

had to, with the New York Yankees leading them in the AL East by six games and the Toronto

Blue Jays going all-in and acquiring shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, ace David Price, reliever Mark

Lowe and outfielder Ben Revere. The Orioles became more capable of keeping pace.

On July 31, sometimes instability comes as a side-effect.

“We’re trying to win a world championship this year,” Showalter said. “That’s what it’s all

about. That’s the situation we’re in. It’s as simple as that.”