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

Sunday, September 4, 2016

Game Stories:

Orioles recap: Birds close in on first with second straight shutout, 2-0 win over Yankees

The Sun 9/3

O's gain in East, again blank fading Yanks MLB.com 9/3

Orioles with back-to-back shutouts and division series win MASNsports.com 9/3

Gausman Helps O’s Notch 3rd Straight Shutout of Yanks, 2-0 AP 9/3

Kevin Gausman Wins 4th Straight, Shuts Down Yankees CSN Mid-Atlantic 9/3

Columns:

Trading range for offense to this point, Orioles hope new additions strengthen outfield

defense The Sun 9/3

Wins against Yankees show Dylan Bundy, Kevin Gausman together hold Orioles' playoff

keys The Sun 9/3

O's lose Tolliver on waivers, outright Lobstein MLB.com 9/3

Adrienne Roberson's cool sports job: Bowie Baysox PA announcer ESPN.com 9/1

Orioles go for sweep with Miley opposing Pineda MASNsports.com 9/4

Showalter, Gausman and Jones following 2-0 win MASNsports.com 9/3

Gausman going for the elusive complete game (O’s lead 2-0) MASNsports.com 9/3

Tillman hoping shoulder injury is “in the rearview mirror” MASNsports.com 9/3

A few notes and observations on another shutout win MASNsports.com 9/4

O’s game blog: A look at the O’s pursuit of home run records MASNsports.com 9/3

Will This Version Of Caleb Joseph Show Some Offense? CSN Mid-Atlantic 9/3

Orioles Lose Tolliver On Waivers, Keep Lobstein CSN Mid-Atlantic 9/3

Chris Tillman Eager For Next Step In His Return CSN Mid-Atlantic 9/3

Orioles Blank Yankees Again, Gain Ground In Wild Card Race PressBoxOnline.com 9/4

Heading into his last game at Camden Yards, Teixeira talks about O’s fans, being booed

and playing in his hometown BaltimoreBaseball.com 9/4

This is the time Gausman needs to step up — and he has BaltimoreBaseball.com 9/3

Trying to make sense of recent — and odd — roster moves BaltimoreBaseball.com 9/3

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-recap-birds-yankees-20160903-

story.html

Orioles recap: Birds close in on first with second straight

shutout, 2-0 win over Yankees

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun

September 3, 2016

The Orioles are closing in on the Blue Jays after Saturday's win.

The New York Yankees have seen enough of Kevin Gausman.

The Orioles right-hander has had his way with the Yankees in his past two starts, and on

Saturday night at Camden Yards held New York to just two singles through six scoreless innings

in a 2-0 Orioles win in front of an announced crowd of 30,855.

The win gave the Orioles (74-61) their first series win against a division opponent since their

first series after the All-Star break after five straight series losses against American League

East rivals. It also pulled them within two games of the division-leading Toronto Blue Jays, who

lost Saturday.

The Orioles maintained their dominance of the Yankees at home, winning their 20th game in 26

meetings between the teams at Camden Yards since the beginning of the 2014 season. The

Orioles also became the first team since the 1973 Chicago White Sox to shut out the Yankees in

three straight meetings.

“You score two runs in the American League East, more often than not you're not going to win

that game,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “So the pitching was the key. … Very quietly

these guys have grinded out the things that they're good at. That's why we've got a chance here in

September.”

Gausman struck out eight on the night, five of those strikeouts coming with Yankees hitters

flailing at his mid-80s splitter. But Gausman’s entire arsenal was working Saturday. The 25-

year-old mixed his fastball with his slider and splitter as he struck out the first four batters he

faced and had six strikeouts before completing the third inning.

“Just trying to mix in all my pitches and keep them off balance,” Gausman said. “I think a lot of

their guys are obviously looking for a fastball against me, so if I can throw my off-speed pitches

for strikes, and kind of put that thought in the back of their minds, I can have success. I don’t

know what it is. Tonight it was just kind of more about our defense. We made some unreal plays

behind me.”

Saturday’s performance came after Gausman pitched seven scoreless innings in a 5-0 win last

Sunday at Yankee Stadium that prevented the Orioles from being swept in the Bronx. Over his

past two starts against the Yankees (69-65), Gausman has thrown 13 scoreless innings, striking

out 17 with just two walks. In five starts against the Yankees this season — all of them quality

starts — Gausman owns a 0.80 ERA.

“Kevin’s a good pitcher,” Showalter said. “He’s had a great look in his eye for about a month,

not that he hasn’t before. It’s just there’s a real driven look and presence about him. Felt like he’s

really kind of hit his stride. He’s been solid for us for a while. He’s in a good place in the

process, so to speak.”

Gausman (7-10) won for the fourth straight start, lowering his season ERA to 3.58.

“I’ve just been a little bit frustrated, until about a month ago, with how my season’s been going,”

Gausman said. “I felt like I was pitching great and things just didn’t go my way. Now it’s kind of

on the other side, the other flip side of it. Like I said, I’m just confident, feeling good. I think this

is the first time I’ve got into August and September and felt this good physically with this

amount of innings under my belt. I think that also has something to do with it, too.”

Gausman hasn’t allowed a run over his past three starts spanning 19 innings, taking a major step

forward since the team’s top starter, right-hander Chris Tillman, went on the disabled list with a

shoulder injury last month.

“We all want to step up,” Gausman said. “We all want to be that ace, and if you don’t, I don’t

know what your goal is then. We’re all trying to go out and throw shutouts every night we go out

there. Every time I take the mound I’m thinking of throwing a complete game. You just kind of

have to have that attitude, especially with Tilly being down, we know we have one less guy

that’s going to be a big innings-eater for us and has been for a lot of years. So we know we have

to step up and compete, especially this time of the year.”

Gausman could have gone deeper Saturday had it not been for a 30-pitch fourth inning in which

he stranded the bases loaded. He filled the bases with one out, but struck out Starlin Castro and

induced a flyout from Brian McCann to escape the inning.

Gausman was at 101 pitches through five innings, but Showalter sent him back out for the sixth

and the right-hander rewarded that faith. He needed only eight pitches to retire the Yankees in

order and walk off the field to a standing ovation.

The Orioles stranded nine base runners on the night, including five in scoring position, but didn’t

need much offense to back Gausman. The Orioles scored their first run in the fourth when Mark

Trumbo scored on Chris Davis’ broken-bat bloop single to right and Yankees right fielder Aaron

Judge’s ensuing misplay on the hit.

Adam Jones, playing in his second game back from a hamstring injury that kept him out for five

games, hit his 25th homer of the season off Yankees starter CC Sabathia with two outs in the

fifth.

The Orioles bullpen pitched three scoreless innings in relief of Gausman, with Mychal Givens

and Brad Brach each tossing a clean frame before closer Zach Britton notched his 40th save in as

many chances this season.

Machado rewarded after review

Third baseman Manny Machado added another dazzling play to his defensive highlight reel,

snagging Brett Gardner’s grounder down the line on the run in the fifth and while stepping into

foul ground throwing across his body to first.

“There's a lot of good third basemen in the league, [but] nobody makes that play -- the arm

strength, the throw, to have that type of velocity across the diamond and throwing on the move,"

Showalter said. "… I do not take it for granted. None of his teammates do. None of us do. It's a

huge play. We did a lot of good things defensively.

The speedy Gardner was initially ruled safe, but the call was reversed following an Orioles

challenge. The review was just 38 seconds, showing that Machado’s throw reached Davis, who

went into full extension to reach for the ball, beat Gardner’s foot to the bag.

“I hear guys say, ‘What about this guy? What about that guy?’” Showalter said. “Yup, he’s really

good. He’s not as good as Manny.”

Jones making presence felt

Jones had his second straight two-hit game since returning from injury, following up his two-hit

game Friday, when his two-out RBI single opened the doors for a six-run second inning in an 8-0

win over the Yankees.

Jones followed his leadoff single in the third Saturday by jumping on a 1-1 letters-high fastball

from Sabathia and sending it into the left-field stands in the fifth, reaching the 25-homer mark

for the sixth straight seasons.

Jones’ six seasons of 25 or more homers are the third most in Orioles history, trailing onlyEddie

Murray (10) and Cal Ripken Jr. (eight).

“Just thank the Lord that I’ve been able to stay healthy,” Jones said. “That’s the biggest thing. I

believe if I’m healthy and I’m on the field, something’s going to happen, and just been fortunate

enough to have great teammates to push me every day. Lord willing, it continues to maintain my

health to where I can go out there and play a lot of games each season and do something.”

Jones is 10-for-23 over his past six games and has hit safely in 10 of his past 12 games.

Showalter moves up wins list

Saturday’s win marked Showalter’s 1,414th career victory, passing Miller Huggins for 25th

place

on the all-time major league managerial wins list.

Huggins’ 17-year managerial career was most remembered for skippering the 1927 Yankees,

who are commonly regarded as one of the best teams in baseball history.

“It means I'm old,” Showalter said of the milestone. “If you pass somebody, the teams you've

been allowed to manage allow you to. And [if] you've played in fields that were named after

those guys, you know how old you are. It feels like I’ve played on two or three Miller Huggins

fields."

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/199330342/orioles-shut-out-yankees-win-series/

O's gain in East, again blank fading Yanks

By Brittany Ghiroli and Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

September 3, 2016

BALTIMORE -- After Zach Britton recorded his 40th save Saturday night at Camden Yards, the

Orioles had shut out New York for the second consecutive night, and third straight game overall

-- going back to the finale of last weekend's series -- and made significant moves in both of their

postseason races.

Kevin Gausman gave the O's their fourth quality start in five games, firing six masterful innings,

and Adam Jones belted his 25th homer, to lead Baltimore a 2-0 win and a series victory. It is the

Orioles' first series win in their last six against the American League East, and it pulled them

within two games of the division lead.

The O's also broke their tie with the Tigers for the second Wild Card spot, while the Yankees

slipped to 4 1/2 games back in that race.

"We all want to step up. We all want to be that ace, and if you don't, I don't know what your goal

is then," Gausman said. "We're all trying to go out and throw shutouts every night we go out

there. Every time I take the mound, I'm thinking of throwing a complete game.

"You just kind of have to have that attitude, especially with [Chris Tillman] being down, we

know we have one less guy that's going to be a big innings eater for us, and he has been for a lot

of years. So we know we have to step up and compete, especially this time of the year."

Gausman, who has now thrown 19 consecutive scoreless innings, was aided by an unearned run

in the fourth and Jones' fifth-inning homer, both coming off Yankees starterCC Sabathia, who

went six innings and allowed two runs (one earned).

"I thought Gausman's split was really good, and I thought he used his fastball," Yankees manager

Joe Girardi said. "We didn't do anything against him in New York either. We'd been swinging

the bats really well, and the last two days I think we have six hits and no runs."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

K-K-Kevin: Gausman struck out eight and has pitched to a 0.80 ERA in five starts against the

Yankees this year. The righty picked up his seventh win and extended his season-high winning

streak to four starts.

"He's had a great look in his eye for about a month. Not that he hasn't before. It's just there's a

real driven look and presence about him," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "Felt like he's

really kind of hit his stride. He's been solid for us for a while. He's in a good place in the process,

so to speak."

Err-ing Judge: Aaron Judge's inability to handle Chris Davis' routine fourth-inning single cost the

Yankees a run, as Mark Trumbo, who led off the inning with a double, had already held at third

base when the ball kicked off the right fielder's glove. O's third-base coach Bobby Dickerson

quickly started windmilling Trumbo home with Baltimore's first run. It has been a rough go of

late for the rookie Judge, who is 5-for-49 and has struck out 28 times over his last 15 games.

"Just took my eye off it and made an error. That's about it," Judge said.

It's Manny's World: Orioles third baseman Manny Machado made one of his best plays of the

year to end the fifth inning, backhanding Brett Gardner's grounder and throwing across his body

-- in foul territory -- to an outstretched Davis at first. The speedy Gardner was initially called

safe, but Showalter challenged the call, and it was overturned.

The play came in a big spot, getting Gausman out of the fifth and stranded a baserunner in a 1-0

game.

"There's a lot of good third basemen in the league, [but] nobody makes that play," Showalter

said. "The arm strength, the throw, to have that type of velocity across the diamond and throwing

on the move -- I do not take it for granted. None of us do. It's a huge play."

Little help, guys? For the second consecutive outing, Sabathia recorded a quality start against

Gausman and the O's, only to receive no run support. The Yankees' best chance came in the

fourth inning, when they loaded the bases on Jacoby Ellsbury's walk, Gary Sanchez's infield

single and a Didi Gregorius hit-by-pitch. Gausman clamped it there, striking out Starlin

Castro and retiring Brian McCann on a routine fly ball to left field.

"It is what it is. We need to put these behind us, come out tomorrow and try to get a win,"

Sabathia said.

QUOTABLE

"The first time they're going to throw some meaningful pitches in their professional career, and

it's coming in a playoff race. It's coming at an important time in their lives. I just think that

they're both grabbing it by the reins, and taking advantage of this wonderful opportunity to

showcase, not just to the players inside here, but all the players across Major League Baseball --

everybody watching baseball, that these guys are pretty good pitchers." -- Jones, on rookie Dylan

Bundy and Gausman

WHAT'S NEXT

Yankees: Michael Pineda will make his 27th start of the season on Sunday at 1:35 p.m. ET,

looking to snap a four-start winless streak. Pineda has surrendered five earned runs in both of his

last two outings, and he will face the Orioles after the Yankees shuffled their rotation so he could

avoid them last week in New York.

Orioles: Wade Miley will get the ball in Sunday's series finale. The lefty completed seven

innings for the first time with Baltimore his last time out and has posted a 3.75 ERA over his last

two starts.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/09/orioles-with-back-to-back-shutouts-and-

division-series-win.html

Orioles with back-to-back shutouts and division series win

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

September 3, 2016

Kevin Gausman struck out the side in the first inning tonight and made it four in a row and six of

eight, blowing through the Yankees’ order the first time through it.

Strikeouts can run up a pitch count when accompanied by a heavy assortment of foul balls, and

high pitch counts reduce the chances of a complete game, but Gausman’s priorities were in a

different order.

Get as deep into his start as possible and give the Orioles a chance to win.

It’s now been 321 games since the Orioles’ last complete game, but the rotation stayed on its

recent roll with Gausman tossing six scoreless innings in a 2-0 victory over the Yankees before

30,855 at Camden Yards.

Coupled with another Blue Jays loss tonight, the Orioles were able to move within two games of

first place in the American League East.

Zach Britton registered his 40th save with ease and manager Buck Showalter passed Miller

Huggins for 25th place on the all-time wins list with 1,414.

The Orioles (74-61) notched their seventh shutout and their second in two nights.

Adam Jones hit his 25th home run, a solo shot off CC Sabathia with two outs in the fifth, to

increase the lead to 2-0. Jones has reached that total in six consecutive seasons.

The Orioles received three quality starts in the three-game series against the Jays and Dylan

Bundy tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings last night. Then along came Gausman, who allowed only

two hits, walked two and struck out eight.

Gausman’s on his own roll, shutting out opponents in his last three starts over 19 innings. He’s

walked four and struck out 19.

By winning his last four starts, Gausman has improved to 7-10 with a 3.58 ERA in 140 innings.

Showalter brought in Mychal Givens to start the seventh with Gausman at 109 pitches. Gausman

threw 112, 110 and 108 in his three previous starts, never going more than seven innings.

He’s done enough to keep winning.

Gausman loaded the bases with one out in the fourth on a walk, infield hit and hit batter, but he

struck out Starlin Castro and retired Brian McCann on a fly ball to left.

The Orioles broke the scoreless tie in the bottom half on Mark Trumbo’s leadoff double, Chris

Davis’ one-out bloop single into right field and Aaron Judge’s fielding error. Trumbo initially

held at third until Judge booted the ball.

The Yankees threatened again in the fifth on Judge’s one-out walk and what initially was ruled

an infield hit for Brett Gardner with two outs. Manny Machado made the backhanded stop and

throw, and Gardner was out after a review that took only 38 seconds.

We’re not talking about a slow-footed Yankee here. We’re talking about Brett Gardner.

Machado’s play was elevated from great to impossible.

Machado had a ground-rule double in the first for his 250th career extra-base hit -142 doubles,

seven triples and 101 home runs.

Gausman needed only eight pitches to retire the side in order in the sixth and took the rest of the

night off.

In five starts against the Yankees this season, Gausman has allowed only three runs over 33 2/3

innings.

Givens gave up a one-out single to McCann in the seventh and fielded Mark Teixeira’s

comebacker to start a double play.

Caleb Joseph still doesn’t have an RBI after flying out to strand two runners in the second and

sending a slow roller in front of the mound with runners on the corners and no outs in the

seventh. J.J. Hardy, who doubled and took third on Michael Bourn’s infield hit, was caught in a

rundown.

Joseph is 2-for-24 with runners in scoring position. But he’s behind the plate for his defense and

handling of the staff, and made a nice play on McCann’s tapper to start a 2-6-3 double play that

ended the second inning.

The Orioles could have made it easier on themselves in the seventh, but they failed to score after

putting runners on the corners with no outs and loading the bases with two outs.

It didn’t matter. Brad Brach stranded Chase Headley in the eighth after an infield hit and Britton

remained perfect in save opportunities.

The Orioles had lost five straight division series. That’s one streak that ended tonight.

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2016/09/03/gausman-helps-os-notch-3rd-straight-shutout-of-

yanks-2-0/

Gausman Helps O’s Notch 3rd Straight Shutout of Yanks, 2-

0

Associated Press / CBS Baltimore

September 3, 2016

BALTIMORE (AP) — Kevin Gausman outpitched CC Sabathia for the second time in seven

days, Adam Jones homered and the Baltimore Orioles got their third straight shutout against the

New York Yankees, 2-0 on Saturday night.

Gausman (7-10) allowed two hits and two walks over six innings to win his fourth straight start.

He struck out eight and permitted only one runner past second base.

The right-hander threw seven shutout innings in New York last Sunday and is 2-1 with an 0.80

ERA in five starts against the Yankees this season.

Zach Britton, the third Baltimore reliever, worked a perfect ninth for his 40th save in 40

opportunities.

The victory moved the third-place Orioles within two games of the top spot in the AL East.

Sabathia (8-12) gave up two runs, one earned, in six innings. All it got him was another loss

against the Orioles, the third in a row since mid-July.

Baltimore will seek to complete a three-game sweep on Sunday. The Orioles won 8-0 on Friday

night and also beat New York 5-0 in Gausman’s previous start.

The Yankees came to town with a season-high four straight series wins, but they will leave with

their ninth consecutive series loss in Baltimore.

Gausman struck out six of the first eight batters he faced and experienced only one difficult

inning, the fourth. New York loaded the bases with one out before Starlin Castro struck out and

Brian McCann hit a fly ball to left.

A double and an error by Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge provided Baltimore with an

unearned run in the bottom half, and Jones hit his 25th home run in the fifth.

The suddenly punchless New York offense had no answer. The Yankees totaled 27 runs against

Baltimore over two games last weekend before Gausman stepped to the mound.

FAREWELL TO TEX

Maryland native Mark Teixeira will play his final game at Camden Yards on Sunday.

Teixeira was cheered as a visiting player in Baltimore until he signed as a free agent with New

York in 2009. From that point, the hometown kid heard only boos.

“When you play a long time, it really doesn’t bother you at all,” Teixeira said.

Besides, it’s not like he spurned the Orioles in 2009. “They didn’t have any intention of signing

me. They made an offer just to say they made an offer,” he said.

ROSTER MOVES

Orioles: LHP Kyle Lobstein cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk.

TRAINERS ROOM

Yankees: RHP Chad Green (2-4, 4.73) has a sprained elbow and is likely done for the season.

Green will see a doctor in New York on Monday.

Orioles: RHP Chris Tillman (right shoulder) will have a bullpen session Sunday after throwing

three times from flat ground during the week. Tillman (15-5, 3.76) last pitched on Aug. 20.

UP NEXT

Yankees: RHP Michael Pineda (6-11, 5.12) starts the series finale Sunday. He’s winless in his

last four starts.

Orioles: LHP Wade Miley (8-11, 5.43) returns to the mound coming off his longest start (seven

innings, three earned runs) since joining Baltimore at the trade deadline.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,

broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/baltimore-orioles/kevin-gausman-wins-4th-straight-shuts-down-

yankees

Kevin Gausman Wins 4th Straight, Shuts Down Yankees

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic

September 3, 2016

BALTIMORE—Buck Showalter has seen a different Kevin Gausman lately. It’s the Gausman

who has won four straight for the first time in his career, and pitched 19 consecutive scoreless

innings in his last three starts.

Gausman followed up on his seven shutout innings at Yankee Stadium on Sunday with six more

as the Orioles registered their third consecutive shutout against New York.

What made it more impressive was that Dylan Bundy allowed two hits in 5 2/3 shutout innings

on Friday, and Gausman allowed just two in his six.

The result was the Orioles’ 2-0 win over the Yankees before 30,855 at Oriole Park on Saturday

night.

It was the first time the Orioles had consecutive shutouts since last June 28, and the first time the

Orioles have shutout out the Yankees (69-65) in three straight games.

“Kevin’s a good pitcher. He’s had a great look in his eye for about a month. Not that he hasn’t

before. It’s just there’s a real driven look and presence about him. Felt like he’s really kind of hit

his stride. He’s been solid for us for a while. He’s in a good place in the process, so to speak,”

manager Buck Showalter said.

Gausman is now 2-1 with a dazzling 0.80 ERA this season against New York. He’s allowed just

three earned runs in 33 2/3 innings.

“I don’t know. Just trying to mx in all my pitches and keep them off balance. I think a lot of their

guys are obviously looking for a fastball against me, so if I can throw my off-speed pitches for

strikes, and kind of put that thought in the back of their minds, I can have success. I don’t know

what it is,” Gausman said.

Gausman (7-10) struck out his first four hitters, and six of the first eight.

With two outs and a runner on first in the fifth, Manny Machado ranged to his right a slowly hit

grounder by Brett Gardner and Chris Davis made a long stretch at first for the out. Gardner was

initially called safe, but after a review, the call was overturned.

“There's a lot of good third basemen in the league (but) nobody makes that play. The arm

strength, the throw, to have that type of velocity across the diamond and throwing on the move. I

do not take it for granted. None of us do. It's a huge play,” Showalter said.

Gausman walked two and struck out eight.

“Tonight it was just kind of more about our defense. We made some unreal plays behind me.

Schoop, Manny, all those guys, everyone was making good plays behind me,” Gausman said.

In the first four months of the season, Gausman had just three wins.

“I think maybe it’s just feeling a little bit more confident. Just confident with everything I’m

doing in between starts. And so I think that’s something as a young starter you kind of learn in

due time,” Gausman said.

He’s won the last three games while Chris Tillman has been on the disabled list.

“I don’t know if that did it. I’ve just been a little bit frustrated, until about a month ago, with how

my season’s been going. I felt like I was pitching great and things just didn’t go my way. Now

it’s kind of on the other side, the other flip side of it. Like I said, I’m just confident, feeling good.

I think this is the first time I’ve got into August and September and felt this good physically with

this amount of innings under my belt,” Gausman said.

Mychal Givens pitched a scoreless seventh. Brad Brach followed with a shutout inning in the

eighth. Zach Britton worked a perfect ninth for his 40th consecutive save.

The Orioles (74-61) took a 1-0 lead in the fourth. Mark Trumbo led off with a double, his first

one since July 31. With one out, Davis blooped a single to right, and Trumbo scored when Aaron

Judge bobbled the ball for an error.

Adam Jones homered to left, his 25th of the year off CC Sabathia (8-12) in the fifth.

After losing two of three to Toronto and falling four games in back of the Blue Jays, the Orioles

have won two straight while Toronto has lost twice to Tampa Bay, and are two games behind in

the AL East race.

“We were in the thick of things against Toronto, too. Lot of games left. No one is, I don't think

the final standings are over August 31. That’s why they make this last month and call it the

September push,” Jones said.

NOTES: Jones has now hit at least 25 home runs for six straight seasons. … Michael Pineda (6-

11, 5.12) faces Wade Miley (8-11, 5.43) on Sunday.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-yankees-0904-20160903-story.html

Trading range for offense to this point, Orioles hope new

additions strengthen outfield defense

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun

September 3, 2016

The Orioles' outfield defense has measured among the worst in baseball this season, but the club

worked to add

Now that they've made a couple of late-August moves to rectify it, everyone around the Orioles

seems comfortable acknowledging it. In settling their revolving doors in the corner outfield spots

this season, the standout offense the Orioles have gotten there has been paired with defensive

limitations that partially negated the gains.

On either side of star center fielder Adam Jones, the midseason loss of speedy rookie Joey

Rickard meant that the responsibilities of manning the corners fell on slugger Mark Trumbo,

who entered Saturday leading the majors with 41 home runs, and Hyun Soo Kim, the team's

most consistent contact hitter and on-base leader.

They rate out by some measurements, however, as some of the more limited defenders in the

game, a dichotomy Trumbo said everyone is conscious of, and creates an emphasison mistake-

free, fundamental defense for the Orioles outfielders.

"I think that basically what we have here, unless I'm totally off base, we have an extremely gifted

center fielder, and we have, as far as the guys taking the regular playing time, it's Kim and I,"

Trumbo said. "We probably grade out far more toward the average side of things. But I think

both of us try to do all the fundamentals correctly. … I think that's one thing both of us have

done really well, is giving our infielders a chance to make something special happen by playing

sound baseball. Do a few balls probably fall in front that other teams might get to? Possibly.

Probably. But I think we've also contributed some things with the bats that some of those other

guys might not do."

That's the tradeoff the Orioles have made this year, after their 2015 season was torpedoed

partially because of an endless cycle of corner outfielders that were among the league's worst

offensively and defensively.

The efforts toward improving that area represented much of the Orioles' offseason business. The

Trumbo trade with the Seattle Mariners was initially made for first base cover. But re-signing

Chris Davis and adding Pedro Alvarez consigned Trumbo to the outfield. Kim was signed as

their Opening Day left fielder, even if the Rule 5 pick Rickard pipped him for that spot in the

spring.

Rickard was the only one of the three to do much for the team's stated goal of taking some stress

off Jones, who is tasked with an incredible burden of playing center field in such a defense.

"If you look around the league, guys are fast," said first base coach Wayne Kirby, who handles

the Orioles' outfield defense. "They're younger, they're faster, and our team is not built that way.

Just because we're not younger and faster, we still get things done the right way. That's the way I

look at it. Kim is getting better jumps. Mark is having a great year in right field, for playing

every day. He's never done everyday outfield — there's bumps and bruises you go through. We

realize that we can't get to every ball like some other team, but we make up by hitting the cutoff

man and throwing people out."

In the Orioles clubhouse, the outfields of the Boston Red Sox — featuring Mookie Betts and

Jackie Bradley Jr. — Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals were cited as

those with multiple players who can play center field making things easier in the corners.

Manager Buck Showalter said the corner outfielders the Orioles play regularly have surpassed

their expectations, given they really didn't know what they'd get from others. He said Kim is a

"very sure fielder" who only this week missed a cutoff man for the first time.

"It really hit home for me how good he's been at that and how many outs he's gotten because he

got the ball to the cutoff man in a good spot — top of the chest. Guys really like it," Showalter

said. "Trumb came here, and we all knew he had a chance to hit. That's where it fit for us in the

outfield. He throws well, he's engaged in it and he wants to be as good as he's capable of being,

and he's done some good things for us out there.

"Obviously, he's done some good things for us offensively. He's not going to try to make a case

as a Gold Glover, but he's been adequate for us. Especially when you couple the offensive things

he's done, I would have been real happy with it coming out of spring, because there was a lot of

unknown there."

For Kirby, the personnel the Orioles have means accepting that they can't get to every ball and

handling the ones that do find their gloves properly. He points to the fact that they entered

Saturday with just eight outfield errors — second-fewest in the majors — as a point of pride.

Several players and coaches have acknowledged Kim's improvement in cutting balls off in the

corner and gap to save runs and extra bases. Trumbo has had a few moments of discredit in the

outfield, but rare is the outfielder who hasn't fluffed his lines at one point or another in a full

season.

"We've got to make something happen after [we field it], and we've got to be pretty much correct

on that, hitting the cutoff man and let our infielders who have all plus arms do what they do

best," Kirby said. "To me, I'm happy with our outfield play. I'm very happy with our outfield

play."

All that belies the crux of their issues, and why the Orioles' 11th-hour additions were rangy

defensive outfielders, Drew Stubbs and Michael Bourn. The Orioles can pride themselves on

handling every ball they get to, but they don't get to or convert as many into outs as would be

expected.

By measurement of ultimate zone runs (UZR), a metric that assigns a run value to each batted

ball then either debits or credits a fielder for whether he converts that ball in his defensive zone

into an out, the Orioles outfield went into Saturday ranked last in the majors. According to

FanGraphs, their UZR/150, which measures how many runs are saved or cost over the course of

150 games, was minus-14.3. By defensive runs saved (DRS), they were last with minus-47.

Some measurements are kinder to the Orioles. They made a total of 580 plays on 655 balls in

their outfield zones, making for a revised zone rating (RZR) of .886 through Friday. The league

average is .903, and the Orioles rank 28th in that category.

To hear those involved tell it, a lot goes into why that would be the case. Some of it, as Trumbo

and Kirby acknowledged, is the simple issue of foot speed. The rest is related to that, too, in that

the alignments Kirby sets them up in has to accommodate that and might shade more toward one

gap or another.

Kirby sets those defenses with a number of factors in mind. He'll factor in his team's pitcher, the

hitter's tendencies and the ball-strike count, then "secure the part of the field where we think

they're going to hit the ball at."

That's led, at times, to frustrating moments where hitters break their profile and pop-ups down

the line fall in for hits because the corner men can't chase them down. Part of shading one way or

another means putting Jones in positions that might cause a ball to fall into his zone that a player

of his speed and instincts might be expected to field.

"He's got a huge responsibility, and he's up for the task every day," Kirby said. "We talked about

that. We've talked about that, your range is going to have to increase. Some balls you're not

going to be able to get to because you're helping your teammate out, and Adam understands, 100

percent."

Jones himself is something of a flash-point to the Orioles' distaste for quantitative defensive

measurements. He's a four-time Gold Glove winner, but his URZ/150 of minus-11.9 through 124

games put him 27th among center fielders with at least 500 innings this season. Given the

context of the defense he plays in and what's asked of him, it's clear his impact is much more

positive than that.

"I've heard people saying my defensive metrics are declining, they're bad," Jones said. "To me

personally, that doesn't really mean much. You've got to look at the body of work, you've got to

look at the team."

In a way, he sees himself as something of an old-style player in the Orioles organization. He took

his cues as a young player from right fielder Nick Markakis, who put just as much of an

emphasis on his defense as his offense. He mentioned the likes of Nate McLouth and Alejandro

De Aza, who were good at patrolling the outfield grass on his flanks.

He, like Showalter, praised the work Trumbo and Kim have done this year to the hilt. But he

welcomes the additions of Stubbs and Bourn as players who can not only spell him late in games,

but spell those on his flanks to change the dynamics of the Orioles' outfield defense in close

games down the stretch.

"Two guys with great track records of terrific defense, stolen bases, something that I think we

were lacking just a little bit," Jones said. "They're two guys who are veterans who can come in

and help us out."

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-weekend-wins-against-yankees-show-

dylan-bundy-kevin-gausman-together-hold-orioles-playoff-keys-20160903-story.html

Wins against Yankees show Dylan Bundy, Kevin Gausman

together hold Orioles' playoff keys

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun

September 3, 2016

Is it so simple to say the Dylan Bundy-Kevin Gausman rotation turns can carry the Orioles to the

playoffs?

Is it so simple to say that the Orioles’ playoff chances rest on the two days, back-to-back,

when Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman pitch? When they stack winning starts — let alone

shutout starts, as they did Friday and Saturday in wins over the New York Yankees — it

certainly seems like that will be enough.

The two young right-handers, when they’re on, make a team that’s starting pitching-challenged

feel less so. They make a rotation that’s particularly unsteady stable, and in the absence of Chris

Tillman, make it seem like his return could create quite a formidable threesome atop the Orioles

pitching staff.

“That’s good for us right now, because Tillman’s not pitching,” closer Zach Britton said. “When

he gets back, if they can maintain what they’re doing and Tillman can come back to form, it’s

going to be really, really good for us. But it’s about being consistent all the way through, and

hopefully, whatever they’re doing right now, they step back and realize what they’re doing.

That’s the biggest thing for a young guy. You figure out, ‘Hey, when I’m going really well, what

is it?’ You fall back on those.”

This weekend represented the fourth time in their nine sets of back-to-back starts that both

pitched well and won in consecutive games within the same series. On July 22 and 23, they

combined for 12 innings without an earned run and allowed nine combined hits with three walks

and a dozen strikeouts in beating the division-leading Cleveland Indians. On Aug. 2 and 3

against Texas, they each went seven innings and struck out seven apiece, with two runs off

Gausman representing the only damage in a pair of wins over theRangers.

They combined for six strikeouts in 12 innings of work, with Bundy allowing a pair of runs as

they both earned victories over the Washington Nationals on Aug. 22 and 23. This was perhaps

the most impressive, holding the Yankees scoreless in 11 2/3 combined innings with four hits

allowed and 13 batters struck out.

Each set of starts has had a measurable impact on their playoff chances, according to FanGraphs'

playoff odds. The first three winning link-ups saw rises of seven percentage points, 8.8

percentage points, and 8.5 percentage points.

Their rise from this most recent set of victories was the most stark. They entered September with

a 31.7 percent chance of making the playoffs. That spiked to 45.8 percent entering Sunday's

game, and the feeling around the team has risen with it.

All of those came in series wins, a natural result of two straight sterling starts. But when they do

it, it seems to mean more. Both were the fourth overall pick a year apart, with Gausman growing

into a front-line starter on the major league stage and Bundy learning to pitch in the majors out of

the bullpen after three injury-hit years only to blossom into a starter in the second half of the

season.

“The first time they’re going to throw some meaningful pitches in their professional career, and

it’s coming in a playoff race,” center fielder Adam Jones said. “It’s coming at an important time

in their lives. I just think that they’re both grabbing it by the reins, and taking advantage of this

wonderful opportunity to showcase, not just to the players inside here, but all the players

across Major League Baseball, everybody watching baseball that these guys are pretty good

pitchers.”

The way the Orioles rotation falls around Thursday’s day off means the dream of having these

two young pitchers line up in step with Tillman, who is on the disabled list with right shoulder

bursitis, as a formidable three-man group won’t happen. Bundy is in line to pitch Wednesday at

the Tampa Bay Rays and Gausman is set up for his next start Friday after the off-day at

the Detroit Tigers. Tillman is scheduled to return on Sunday, Sept. 11.

They’ll still be a nightmare duo for opponents to have to face consecutively as September rolls

on, though. It will be an added bonus if they can single-handedly ensure series wins at a time

when the Orioles need them. But anything that contributes to the team’s success in such a

manner will also benefit them, meaning future pennant chases will be just as exciting as this one

could be.

“I think the next stage is to maintain it,” Britton said. “They’ve shown flashes of doing really

well throughout the whole year — like any young pitchers, it’s about being consistent. I think

that’s the next step for them. It looks like Gausy is starting to get there the last few, but like I

said, you’re looking for it all the way through the season. You want it the next time out, and the

next time out — same thing with Dylan.

"The big thing for Dylan is just to be healthy all the way through they year. I think for Kevin, it’s

all about coming in here and being consistent. He’s starting to do that now, which is good,

because you always want to finish strong. You don’t want to start off really well and then fall

off. You’d like to maintain it the whole course of the year, but it’s good to see him start making

the adjustments and pitching this well.”

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/199336528/orioles-lose-ashur-tolliver-on-waivers/

O's lose Tolliver on waivers, outright Lobstein

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com

September 3, 2016

BALTIMORE -- The Orioles lost left-hander Ashur Tolliver on waivers Saturday, as the pitcher

was claimed by the Angels.

"It's disappointing, but he's going to get a good opportunity for the Angels," manager Buck

Showalter said. "Knowing Ashur, that's something he deserves. He's a guy that can help. [I'm]

sure they'll like him."

The O's designated Tolliver for assignment when they added lefty Kyle Lobstein on Wednesday.

Lobstein, who was designated hours after he was added due to the acquisition of outfielder Drew

Stubbs, cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A.

The 28-year-old Tolliver made his MLB debut this season, and gave up four runs (three earned)

in 4 2/3 innings of relief over five games.

Showalter said the O's discussed Lobstein's future Saturday, and the plan is to send him to the

club's spring complex in Sarasota, Fla., when the regular season ends, "just in case" the O's need

postseason pitching help.

http://www.espn.com/espnw/voices/article/17439795/cool-jobs-sports-adrienne-roberson-bowie-

baysox-pa-announcer

Adrienne Roberson's cool sports job: Bowie Baysox PA

announcer

By Adrienne Roberson, as told to Doug Williams

September 1, 2016

Special to espnW.com

Adrienne Roberson started out as a theater major at the University of Tennessee but quickly

switched to broadcasting when she realized she could combine two passions: sports and speaking

into a microphone.

She loved listening to Casey Kasem and Dick Clark on the radio, and she grew up in

Philadelphia, going to Eagles and Phillies games with her dad. Once she got to Tennessee, she

realized "it's like you eat and breathe football."

Since then, Roberson, 41, has worked in radio across the U.S. as a disc jockey, sports and traffic

reporter and sports board operator for SiriusXM. But her big break came in college when she got

the job as public address announcer for the Knoxville Smokies minor league baseball team for

two seasons. She's done PA work for a number of college and pro sports teams -- true labors of

love -- and has been the voice of the Bowie Baysox, the Baltimore Orioles' Double-A affiliate

just minutes from her home in Odenton, Maryland, since 2005. By her count, she's one of only

three women doing the job in organized baseball.

She reached the majors in 2012 when she worked the mic for an Orioles game at Camden Yards

on Mother's Day. She has done eight other O's games since and was one of seven finalists (out of

672 applicants) for the team's regular gig.

More from espnW.com

Roberson juggles a hectic schedule working for the Baysox and Sirius, doing PA work for

Georgetown University and several other teams, and raising two teenagers with her husband, a

U.S. Navy officer. Recently she talked about her baseball career -- and why it's always important

to get your foot in the door.

Put down that beer!

When I applied to the Smokies, I got a job as a box-seat hostess, which is basically when you

bring the beer to the people sitting in the lower section. I wanted the job to announce, but that

wasn't open. So I got my foot in the door.

The announcer was a TV on-air guy, and he got called away to do a big story one day, and I put

the beer down, as a hostess, and walked up to the press box. They literally had me put the beer

down on the ground and I went up and announced the game. I was there, and they knew I wanted

that job. Then the guy started doing more stuff and I got the job. So in 1996 and '97, I was the

full-time announcer.

Everything has always been about being in the right place at the right time. Even if you have the

talent, it doesn't matter. You've got to pay your dues, you've got to learn from the bottom up and

at least get in the door and work for what you want to do.

Voice of the Baysox

In 2004, we moved here from Pennsylvania and while looking for homes, I saw the Bowie

Baysox stadium. We live about 15 minutes from there so I put in an application to be an

announcer. They didn't have an announcing position open so I was actually a camera operator in

2004. I maybe did about 30 games that year, you know, following the flight of the ball or fan

action, that kind of stuff. Again, the announcer couldn't make it one day, and I filled in because

again they knew that's what I wanted. When he decided to change jobs, they offered it to me.

Her style

I play it pretty straight. I do weave in a lot of enthusiasm. I definitely embellish sometimes. Any

players' names that end in "O," I like to give that much more. Like, "Now batting,

Manny Machadooooooo!"

It's not just reading a name on a piece of paper. You're a big element of the game.

When players come up to bat, they've got so much on their mind. Sometimes they're listening

and sometimes they're not, but they need to hear their music to kind of get in their zone and kind

of tune out all that's going on around them. I just try to give them that little bit of extra energy

and just bring enthusiasm to the game. It's not just reading a name on a piece of paper. You're a

big element of the game.

Tongue twisters

When I first get to the park, I sit down with the radio guy from the other team and we run

through the rosters for any weird pronunciations or names you think you know how it's going to

sound, but it's completely different. I write them phonetically real big on a piece of paper so

when that name comes up, I have it. There's been some difficult names. Two names I remember

that were hard were Eulogio de la Cruz -- pronounced "a-oo-low-Hee-E-oh" -- and Ambiorix

Concepcion.

Critics?

For the most part I've had really positive reaction. You do have some people that would prefer a

man's voice. You'd have that anywhere. You have people that don't like you. So I know there's

people out there, but I haven't had anybody say it to my face. I have seen it on Twitter.

Showing up to The Show

It's been incredible, just an absolute dream come true to work Orioles games. It's like the Baysox

but on a grander scale. Instead of 7,000 people, you're talking closer to 40,000, but it's a whole

different world. You're still in front of the mic, you're still doing the game, but the crowd energy,

the enthusiasm. Thousands of people are echoing what you say.

'Wow' factor at Camden Yards

I'd say from the second inning on, I enjoy every moment, just looking around at this gorgeous

field, and the city itself and the game. But that first little bit ... every time I go there's still that

wow moment.

This is work?

It's a job but it doesn't feel like a job. I never get bored. I get excited every time I go. It's my

passion. I get to watch a game and announce and every day is something new. It's never seeing

the same game again and again. Every day, something amazing happens. The people I work

with, we all like working together. When the season's over, it's sad.

Always busy

It's a good thing I really like what I do and it doesn't feel like a job, but at the same time, you

work all the holidays, either with the Baysox or Sirius or Georgetown. There's pretty much sports

every day. But I'm used to it. And just getting to be outside, enjoying the game is fun. You're not

in an office behind a desk all day. You're a part of the game.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/09/orioles-go-for-sweep-with-miley-opposing-

pineda.html

Orioles go for sweep with Miley opposing Pineda

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

September 4, 2016

The Orioles ended the 2015 season by sweeping the Yankees in a three-game series at Camden

Yards to finish at .500.

There’s more at stake this weekend. Completing the sweep today could push them closer to first

place before heading to Tampa.

The rotation has produced quality starts in five of the last six games, and Dylan Bundy came

within an out of joining the pack.

Wade Miley is 1-3 with a 7.14 ERA and 1.655 WHIP in six starts with the Orioles covering only

29 innings. However, he registered a quality start in his last outing by allowing three runs in

seven innings in a 5-1 loss to the Blue Jays. He retired the side in order in five of those frames

and struck out nine batters.

Miley is 0-for-2 with a 5.52 ERA in five career starts against the Yankees, with 18 runs and 31

hits allowed in 29 1/3 innings.

Brian McCann is 5-for-13 with a double and home run, and Brett Gardner is 5-for-12 with two

doubles.

Michael Pineda is 6-11 with a 5.12 ERA in 26 starts this season, but he’s averaging 10.2

strikeouts per nine innings. No annoying whistle, however.

In his last two starts, Pineda allowed a combined 10 runs and 14 hits over 11 1/3 innings. He

walked two and struck out 14. The Orioles figure to also get a whiff of him.

They saw Pineda on July 20 and were shut out on five hits over six innings in a 5-0 loss in the

Bronx. He’s 4-2 with a 3.68 ERA in 10 career starts versus the Orioles, with nine walks and 70

strikeouts in 58 2/3 innings. But he’s 1-2 with a 6.39 ERA in five starts at Camden Yards.

J.J. Hardy is 9-for-18 with three home runs against Pineda, so I’ll go out on a limb and say he’s

in the lineup today. Ryan Flaherty is 1-for-14. I say he sits.

Adam Jones is 8-for-26 with two doubles and a home run against Pineda. Manny Machado is 5-

for-13 with a double. The numbers don’t matter. If they’re healthy, they’re playing today.

Chris Davis is only 4-for-18 with 11 strikeouts, but the hits include a double and two home runs.

He’s also playing. Steve Pearce is 5-for-12 with a double and home run, and Nolan Reimold is 4-

for-11, but it’s hard to get them in the lineup, the assumption here that Hyun Soo Kim starts in

left field, Mark Trumbo in right and Pedro Alvarez as the designated hitter.

Jonathan Schoop is 2-for-13, but the hits are a double and home run.

Tyler Wilson is waiting in the bullpen to make his first appearance with the Orioles since Aug.

19 against the Astros, when he allowed four runs and five hits in two innings. He’s 4-6 with a

5.38 ERA in 20 games (13) starts this season.

Wilson hasn’t pitched since Aug. 29 for Triple-A Norfolk, when he allowed three runs and six

hits in 3 1/3 innings at Gwinnett.

“Physically, I’ve felt really good,” Wilson said. “Last outing, I had some deep counts and kind of

had some really long at-bats against guys, so I didn’t go that deep in the game just based on pitch

count. But physically, I’ve been feeling really good, stuff feels really good, and just excited to

get back out there up here.”

Wilson figured to get another chance as rosters expanded in September, though he didn’t take it

for granted.

“I was hoping so,” he said. “I just tried to take it a day at a time while I was down there and I

was prepared to go as long as I needed to go there, just continue to work on the things I was

working on and be ready if that opportunity did present itself.”

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/09/showalter-gausman-and-jones-following-2-

0-win.html

Showalter, Gausman and Jones following 2-0 win

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

September 3, 2016

The Orioles keep refuting reports that their season is over and they should have been sellers and

they may as well pack up their belongings and go home early.

The deficit in the American League East is back down to two games. They’re no longer tied with

the Tigers for the second wild card. Twenty-seven games are left in the regular season.

Buckle up.

According to STATS, this is the first time that the Orioles have shut out the Yankees in three

consecutive meetings. The last club to do it was the 1973 White Sox.

Zach Britton is 40-for-40 in save opportunities to start a season. According to STATS, he ranks

fourth all-time behind Brad Lidge, who started the 2008 season by going 41-for-41.

Adam Jones’ six seasons with 25 home runs or more are the third-most in Orioles history. Eddie

Murray had 10 seasons and Cal Ripken Jr. had eight.

Jones has hit safely in 19 of his last 23 games since Aug. 5, batting .344 (32-for-93) with three

doubles, four home runs, 13 RBIs and 11 runs scored.

Jones has 1,425 career hits as an Oriole to trail Paul Blair (1,426) for ninth place on the club’s

all-time list.

Kevin Gausman has held the Yankees to three runs this season in his five starts against the

Yankees, which leads us to a sampling of postgame quotes following tonight’s 2-0 victory:

Manager Buck Showalter on how Gausman has been able to dominate Yankees:

“Kevin’s a good pitcher. He’s had a great look in his eye for about a month. Not that he hasn’t

before. It’s just there’s a real driven look and presence about him. Felt like he’s really kind of hit

his stride. He’s been solid for us for a while. He’s in a good place in the process, so to speak.”

Showalter on importance of Gausman stepping up with Chris Tillman out:

“It’s not just him. We play four other days. I know he had an extra day this time, potentially an

extra day next time out. You’re thinking about that as you’re going through the games. But guys

have got enough, I don’t want to say ‘pressure,’ but need to pitch well. It’s always somebody

step up. You’re No. 1 starter is the guy pitching that night. I’ve said it many times.

“They don’t get involved in those types of things. I think privately, who knows? They’ve

responded real well to it if that’s the case, but it’s not something we gather them together and

say, ‘One of our better starters is not going to be pitching, so we want you to pitch better now.’

That would fall underneath the Captain Obvious again. But they get it. This time of year, if

you’re reciting the obvious to them, it’s really to me almost a slap in their face.”

Showalter on Machado’s defensive gem in the fifth to rob Brett Gardner:

“There’s a lot of good third basemen in the league. Nobody makes that play. The arm strength,

the throw, to have that type of velocity across the diamond and throwing on the move. I do not

take it for granted. None of his teammates do and none of us do. It’s a huge play.

“We did a lot of things defensively. To throw a zero there two nights in a row, that’s been a key.

I hear people talk about, ‘What about this guy, what about that guy, what about this guy?’ And I

go, ‘Yeah, he’s really good, but not as good as Manny.’ “

Showalter on passing Miller Huggins for 25th place on all-time wins list:

“It means I’m old. If you pass somebody, the teams you’ve been allowed to manage allow you

to. And you’ve played in fields that were named after those guys, you know how old you are.”

Gausman on success versus Yankees: “I don’t know. Just trying to mix in all my pitches and

keep them off balance. I think a lot of their guys are obviously looking for a fastball against me,

so if I can throw my off-speed pitches for strikes and kind of put that thought in the back of their

minds, I can have success.

“I don’t know what it is. Tonight it was just kind of more about our defense. We made some

unreal plays behind me. Schoopy (Jonathan Schoop), Manny, all those guys, everyone was

making good plays behind me.”

Gausman on having a great look in his eye: “I think maybe it’s just feeling a little bit more

confident. Just confident with everything I’m doing in between starts. And so I think that’s

something as a young starter you kind of learn in due time. I don’t know what it is, but just

throwing the ball well right now and just trying to go out and compete.”

Gausman on whether Tillman injury forced him to step up: “I don’t know if that did it. I’ve

just been a little bit frustrated until about a month ago with how my season’s been going. I felt

like I was pitching great and things just didn’t go my way. Now it’s kind of on the other side, the

other flip side of it.

“Like I said, I’m just confident, feeling good. I think this is the first time I’ve got into August

and September and felt this good physically with this amount of innings under my belt. I think

that also has something to do with it, too.”

Gausman on importance of everyone stepping up in Tillman’s absence: “It’s big. We all

want to step up. We all want to be that ace, and if you don’t, I don’t know what your goal is then.

We’re all trying to go out and throw shutouts every night we go out there. Every time I take the

mound, I’m thinking of throwing a complete game. You just kind of have to have that attitude,

especially with Tilly being down we know we have one less guy that’s going to be a big innings

eater for us and has been for a lot of years. So, we know we have to step up and compete,

especially this time of the year.”

Jones on Gausman: “He’s pounding the strike zone. You go out there and get strike one, it’s not

easy to get these guys out anyway, but it’s a little easier when you get ahead of guys. When you

get behind, that’s where hitters make their money.”

Jones on the Orioles still being in the AL East race: “We were in the thick of things against

Toronto, too. Lot of games left. I don’t think the final standings are over Aug. 31. That’s why

they make this last month and call it the September push.”

Jones on Bundy and Gausman back-to-back: “I’ve said it before, man. The first time they’re

going to throw some meaningful pitches in their professional career and it’s coming in a playoff

race. It’s coming at an important time in their lives. I just think that they’re both grabbing it by

the rein, and taking advantage of this wonderful opportunity to showcase, not just to the players

inside here, but all the players across Major League Baseball, everybody watching baseball that

these guys are pretty good pitchers.”

Jones on 25 home runs for six straight seasons: “Just thank the Lord that I’ve been able to stay

healthy. That’s the biggest thing. I believe if I’m healthy and I’m on the field, something’s going

to happen, and just been fortunate enough to have great teammates to push me every day. Lord

willing, it continues to maintain my health to where I can go out there and play a lot of games

each season and do something.”

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/09/gausman-going-for-the-elusive-complete-

game.html

Gausman going for the elusive complete game (O’s lead 2-0)

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

September 3, 2016

As Kevin Gausman takes the mound tonight, he’s probably unaware of the two-year anniversary

that relates to the Orioles rotation.

On this date in 2014, Miguel Gonzalez tossed a four-hit shutout to beat the Reds at Camden

Yards. He walked one batter, struck out eight and recorded the final out on his 117th pitch, with

Ryan Ludwick grounding out after Jay Bruce’s two-out single.

It’s worthy of commemoration because it’s the last complete game thrown by an Oriole, and the

man responsible currently is pitching at Triple-A Charlotte on an injury rehab assignment.

A grand total of 320 games have passed since Gonzalez’s gem, a streak surpassed only by the

Marlins.

This isn’t a hot topic inside the Orioles clubhouse, but we got a lot of mileage out of it on today’s

“Wall to Wall Baseball” show on MASN, with WJZ’s Mark Viviano handling the research.

This is the longest stretch without a complete game in club history. And if you need further proof

that times have changed, consider that the 1971 Orioles recorded 71 of them.

Think that’s going to happen again?

The Orioles had four 20-game winners in Mike Cueller (21 complete games), Jim Palmer (20),

Pat Dobson (18) and Dave McNally (11). Also not likely to happen again.

Dave Leonhard accounted for the other complete game among his six starts. He also had a save.

Just not in the same game, of course.

I’d love to see a list of the pitchers with a complete game and a save in the same season.

Palmer, the greatest pitcher in franchise history, totaled 211 complete games in 521 starts. A

ridiculous percentage. Hard to wrap your head around that one.

The evolution of the bullpen, the emphasis on pitch counts and the money invested in starters are

just three of the factors in the reduced number of complete games. Theories abound.

Gausman owns one complete game in his career, but it was a rain-shortened five-inning start

against the Yankees on July 13, 2014. He threw 98 pitches in eight innings in the second game of

a Sept. 30, 2015 doubleheader against the Blue Jays, allowing one run and striking out 10 batters,

butMychal Givens worked the ninth.

Earlier this season, Gausman shut out the Yankees on three hits over eight innings in a May 5

start. His pitch count again stood at 98. But Darren O’Day replaced him in the ninth and Zach

Britton earned the win in the 10th.

Here’s one more stat for you to consider while watching Gausman take on the Yankees: Sidney

Ponson recorded 29 complete games in his 12-year major league career, including six with the

Orioles in 2000.

It can be done.

Update: Gausman is at 101 pitches in five scoreless innings. No complete game tonight. But he

leads 1-0 after the Orioles scored an unearned run in the fourth on Mark Trumbo’s leadoff

double, Chris Davis’ out-out single and right fielder Aaron Judge’s error.

Gausman has struck out eight batters.

Update II: Adam Jones homered with two outs in the fifth, his 25th, to expand the lead to 2-0.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/09/tillman-hoping-shoulder-injury-is-in-the-

rearview-mirror.html

Tillman hoping shoulder injury is “in the rearview mirror”

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

September 3, 2016

Nothing much to report this afternoon from Camden Yards. The game will have to provide the

storyline.

Chris Tillman will throw a bullpen session on Sunday, as reported yesterday. His right shoulder

feels good and this is a significant step as he prepares for a Sept. 11 start in Detroit.

“I think tomorrow’s going to be a big day for me. We’ll see how it goes,” Tillman said.

Having a target date brings some comfort, but “I go day-to-day,” Tillman said. “I’m not looking

too far ahead. I want to feel good today and feel good tomorrow and we go from there.

“I think the way it’s been going has been pretty positive.”

Tillman is at the stage where much of his focus centers on regaining his timing. He hasn’t

pitched since Aug. 20.

“Yeah, I think so,” he said. “I hope it’s in the rearview mirror. I feel like it is as of right now, but

I hate to put that 100 percent term on it because you never know. We’ll see what tomorrow

brings.”

Tillman doesn’t believe that going on the disabled list this late in the season makes his situation

worse. There are no ideal times to be sidelined.

“I think it would be frustrating if he happened anytime in the year,” he said. “Bad timing, yeah,

but I like to take the ball every fifth day. That’s what I pride myself on and it’s not fun in

general.”

At least the rotation is on another impressive roll with three quality starts against the Blue Jays

and Dylan Bundy’s 5 2/3 scoreless innings last night.

“They’ve been throwing the ball well,” Tillman said. “It’s been fun, but you always like to do

your job. I’m here to pitch, not sit around and do nothing. I get bored really quickly and it drives

me nuts.”

Now that left-hander Kyle Lobstein cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk, he

will join the group in Sarasota for workouts and stay ready in case he’s needed later.

The Orioles acquired Lobstein from the Pirates on Wednesday for left-hander Zach Phillips and

designated him for assignment to clear a 40-man spot for outfielder Drew Stubbs.

The Angels claimed left-hander Ashur Tolliver off waivers after the Orioles designated him to

make room for Lobstein.

“It’s disappointing, but he’s going to get a good opportunity for the Angels,” said manager Buck

Showalter. “Knowing Ashur, that’s something he deserves. He’s a guy that can help. I’m sure

they’ll like him.”

Caleb Joseph is catching Kevin Gausman tonight. I wrote this morning that Matt Wieters is 7-

for-46 lifetime against Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia.

Is this a vital month for Joseph after the Orioles optioned him on Aug. 22? He was batting

.193/.240/.211 with no home runs or RBIs.

“Not really,” Showalter said. “I know what he’s capable of. He’s got a strong track record, not

necessarily a lot at the big league level. This is about catching, throwing and putting down

fingers. It’s gotten to the point where with Frankie (Pena) here and Matt having the new baby

that we thought it was a good opportunity to give him some at-bats.

“I’ve got a long memory. Caleb’s got some big hits for us. We like having him up there in big

situations. It’s not like he’s some pure-only defensive guy. He’s gotten some big hits for us.

“If you want to use the word ‘vital,’ there’s a lot of other things going on in his life that might be

vital. He’s going to be a big league catcher next year.”

Here are the starters for the series against the Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Monday: Ubaldo Jimenez vs. Matt Andriese

Tuesday: Yovani Gallardo vs. Jake Odorizzi

Wednesday: Dylan Bundy vs. Drew Smyly

For the Yankees

Brett Gardner LF

Jacoby Ellsbury CF

Gary Sanchez C

Didi Gregorius SS

Starlin Castro 2B

Brian McCann C

Mark Teixeira 1B

Aaron Judge RF

Ronald Torreyes 3B

CC Sabathia CC

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2016/09/a-few-notes-and-observations-on-another-

shutout-win.html

A few notes and observations on another shutout win

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

September 4, 2016

So yes, it is kind of crazy that the Orioles allowed 27 runs and 36 hits against the Yankees in

back-to-back games last weekend and now have allowed no runs on 14 hits in three straight

shutouts against the same team.

According to STATS, LLC., the Orioles had never blanked the Yankees in three straight games.

Until now. The last club to hold New York scoreless in three straight was the 1973 White Sox.

This is also the first time the Birds have posted consecutive shutouts since doing so in Games 1

and 2 of a doubleheader on June 28, 2015 versus the Indians.

And this was against a New York team that was playing good baseball when they got to Camden

Yards. They were coming off two straight extra-inning wins at Kansas City, had won six of eight

games and had won seven of their last eight series since Aug. 5. The Yankees offense had

produced five or more runs in 14 of their last 20 games before this series. The Yankees were 7-4

in their last 11 American League East games coming into this series. But not even Gary Sanchez

can get it going against O’s pitchers - he’s 1-for-6 in this series.

Yankees batters are 6-for-57 (.105) with no extra-base hits in this series and are batting just .154

(14-for-91) with only two extra-base hits (a pair of doubles) in their last three games.

Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of these three shutouts are that the games were started by

Kevin Gausman, Dylan Bundy and Gausman again. The youngsters have combined for 18 2/3

scoreless innings in those games. The young guns are getting it done for the Orioles right now.

Gausman’s split-finger pitch is suddenly back as a plus pitch after it seemed somewhat ordinary

for a few starts. In six scoreless innings last night, he threw 59 percent fastballs, 11 percent

breaking balls and 30 percent splits/changeups. He had a real good one last night.

Over his past three starts, Gausman has thrown 19 scoreless innings with four walks and 19

strikeouts. He has an ERA of 0.80 in five 2016 starts versus the Yankees, allowing three runs in

33 2/3 innings.

Gausman didn’t get his first win of this season until June 25. He won just three of his first 21

starts and now he is 4-0 in his last four starts. In 11 home starts, he is 6-1 with a 2.27 ERA.

Adam Jones hit a homer last night and it was his 25th of the year. According to a graphic last

night on MASN’s “O’s Xtra,” Jones joins Cal Ripken Jr. with six consecutive seasons of 25 or

more home runs - tops in club history:

6 - Ripken (1982-87)

6 - Jones (2011-16)

5 - Chris Davis (2012-16)

4 - Rafael Palmeiro (1995-98), Eddie Murray (1977-80), Murray (1982-85).

Jones’ six seasons with at least 25 home runs are third-most in club history. Murray had 10 and

Ripken had eight overall. The above list is only for consecutive seasons with 25 or more.

The Orioles could not gain ground on the Toronto Blue Jays when they played earlier this week.

But since the Jays left Baltimore, the Orioles have gained two games over the last two days to

pull within two games of first place.

The O’s, for now, have some momentum back on their side. Do they sweep the Yankees today?

Will they give up a run?

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2016/09/os-game-blog-a-look-at-the-os-pursuit-of-

home-run-records.html

O’s game blog: A look at the O’s pursuit of home run

records

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

September 3, 2016

With 28 games remaining in the regular season, the 2016 Orioles’ 213 homers already rank sixth

among all clubs in team history. The Orioles are on a pace to hit 257 homers, which would tie

the team record set in 1996. That total is tied for third-most in major league history.

The O’s all-time single-season homer leaders:

257 - 1996

217 - 2015

214 - 1985, 1998, 2012

213 - 2016

212 – 2013

As you can see, the Orioles’ next homer will be No. 214 and tie this club for the third-most in

club history. The Orioles need to hit just five more homers for second-most ever by an O’s

squad. The top mark is well within reach and so is the major league record.

The 1997 Seattle Mariners hit 264, the most ever and the Orioles have a shot at that. Texas hit

260 in 2005 for second-most ever. That 1996 O’s team with 257 is tied with the 2010 Toronto

Blue Jays for third-most in major league history.

The Orioles are certainly mashing a lot of homers lately, hitting four last night. In the last 15

games, they have hit two or more in a game 11 times, homering 36 times in that span. In the last

30 games, they have 18 multi-home run games, hitting 59 homers in that time.

At the pace they have kept over those last 30 games, they would hit 55 more homers the rest of

this season to end up with 268. That would set a new major league record. So we’ll see if this

team can keep up that pace.

There are 11 players in the majors with 33 or more homers. Toronto has two of those players and

the Orioles are the only team with three. Mark Trumbo has 41, while Chris Davis and Manny

Machado have 33 each.

Trumbo, Davis and Machado are the first set of three Orioles teammates with at least 30 home

runs each in a season. According to STATS, LLC., the O’s have had two teammates with at least

30 home runs eight times.

As Pedro Alvarez reached 20 homers Friday night, this O’s club became the 19th team in major

league history with six players with 20 or more home runs. The last was Toronto in 2010 with

seven players. The 1996 Orioles are the only other club in O’s history to previously do so, and

they had seven players hit 20 or more.

“There was the potential for that, so not surprised the team could do this,” Alvarez said of the

homers. “Most importantly, it’s been a lot of fun to play alongside all these guys. To have such a

good group of talent together has been a privilege and a treat. The thing that we do so well is we

go out every day and compete, and we don’t really focus on numbers and stats. All that stuff

takes care of itself at the end of the day and is a byproduct of the work we put in each day and

the trust that we have in our abilities.”

A win either tonight or tomorrow against the Yankees and the Orioles will end a five-series

American League East losing streak. On the mound, right-hander Kevin Gausman (6-10, 3.73

ERA) faces left-hander CC Sabathia (8-11, 4.31 ERA).

Gausman has been very good this year against New York, going 1-1 with a 0.98 ERA in four

starts with two scoreless starts. That includes seven scoreless innings at Yankee Stadium last

Sunday. Gausman has thrown 13 scoreless innings over his past two starts. In 27 2/3 innings on

the season against New York, he has allowed 23 hits and three runs with three walks, 24

strikeouts and a 0.94 WHIP. Gausman has allowed two runs or fewer in seven of his past nine

starts, going 5-4 with a 3.04 ERA.

Sabathia gave up three runs and six hits over 6 2/3 on Sunday against Baltimore. In four starts

this year versus the Orioles, he is 1-2 with a 2.49 ERA. In 37 career starts, he is 19-9 with a 3.35

ERA. He has made 22 career starts at Camden Yards, going 11-6 with a 3.51 ERA.

Farm notes: Double-A Bowie right-handed reliever Jesus Liranzo tossed two scoreless innings of

relief and struck out three in Game 2 of a Friday doubleheader. In 10 games with the Baysox, he

has pitched to a 2.00 ERA with 20 strikeouts over 18 innings and eight scoreless appearances in

that 10-game span

Single-A Frederick catcher Yermin Mercedes has hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games, batting

.375/.405/.425 (15-for-40) with two doubles, seven runs scored and four RBIs.

Single-A Delmarva outfielder Cedric Mullins has hit safely in seven of his last eight games,

batting .400/.417/.743 (14-for-35) with three doubles, three home runs, eight runs scored and

seven RBIs in that span.

Short-season Single-A Aberdeen first baseman Preston Palmeiro has hit safely in five of his last

six games, batting .280/.308/.400 (7-for-25) after going 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored

Friday night.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/baltimore-orioles/will-version-caleb-joseph-show-some-offense

Will This Version Of Caleb Joseph Show Some Offense?

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic

September 3, 2016

BALTIMORE – Caleb Joseph is in the lineup for the first time since Aug. 20. Joseph was sent to

Norfolk on Aug. 22. He returned on Friday and relieved Matt Wieters behind the plate.

After Wieters returned from paternity leave, the Orioles decided that Joseph needed work on his

hitting. He has no RBIs in 114 at-bats this season.

At Norfolk, Joseph was 10-for-40 (.250) with four RBIs.

Wieters’ future is uncertain. He’s a free agent at the end of the season, but manager Buck

Showalter doesn’t necessarily think this is a big month for Joseph to prove himself offensively.

“Not really. I know what he’s capable of. He’s got a strong track record, not necessarily a lot at

the big league level. This is about catching, throwing and putting down fingers,” Showalter said.

Last year, Joseph hit 11 home runs and was fourth on the team with 49 RBIs. He had a .234

batting average.

“I’ve got a long memory. Caleb’s got some big hits for us. We like having him up there in big

situations. It’s not like he’s some pure-only defensive guy,” Showalter said.

“He’s going to be a big league catcher next year.”

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/baltimore-orioles/orioles-lose-tolliver-waivers-keep-lobstein

Orioles Lose Tolliver On Waivers, Keep Lobstein

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic

September 3, 2016

BALTIMORE – On Wednesday made three moves, they made room on the 40-man roster by

designating left-handed pitchers Kyle Lobstein and Ashur Tolliver for assignment.

They hoped to keep both pitchers, but now they’ll only keep Lobstein, who they received from

the Pittsburgh Pirates for Zach Phillips, but who was on the roster for less than three hours.

Lobstein was designated for assignment when Drew Stubbs was claimed on waivers.

Tolliver, who was designated for assignment to make room for Lobstein was claimed by the Los

Angeles Angels.

“It’s disappointing, but he’s going to get a good opportunity for the Angels,” manager Buck

Showalter said. “Knowing Ashur that’s something he deserves. He’s a guy that can help. [I’m]

sure they’ll like him.”

Tolliver was a fifth round draft choice of the Orioles in 2009, but didn’t get to the majors until

May. He was 1-0 with a 5.79 ERA in five games.

Lobstein passed through waivers and was outrighted to Norfolk. He was 2-0 with a 3.96 ERA in

14 games with Pittsburgh.

Showalter said he discussed whether to add Lobstein to the September roster with Executive

Vice President of Baseball Operations Dan Duquette.

A 40-man roster move would have to be made, and Showalter said Lobstein might be among a

group of players sent to Sarasota, Fla. to stay ready in case they’re needed later in the month.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/baltimore-orioles/chris-tillman-eager-next-step-his-return

Chris Tillman Eager For Next Step In His Return

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic

September 3, 2016

BALTIMORE – Chris Tillman hopes to start again on Sept. 11. But, first Tillman has to throw in

the bullpen to make sure that his right shoulder feels fine. He’s been on the disabled list since

Aug. 21.

Tillman has thrown off flat ground three times, the most recent on Friday.

“Yeah, it felt pretty good. I think tomorrow’s going to be a big day for me. We’ll see how it

goes,

Tillman likes having a goal, but doesn’t want to get too far ahead of himself.

“Yeah, it feels good, but I go day-to-day. I’m not looking too far ahead. I want to feel good today

and feel good tomorrow and we go from there. I think the way it’s been going has been pretty

positive,” Tillman said.

He feels the shoulder issue, which pushed one start back three days, and then sent him to the

disabled list, is behind him.

“I think so. I hope it’s in the rearview mirror. I feel like it is as of right now, but I hate to put that

100 percent term on it because you never know. We’ll see what tomorrow brings,” Tillman said.

Without Tillman, the rotation has done fairly well.

“They’ve been throwing the ball well. It’s been fun, but you always like to do your job. I’m here

to pitch, not sit around and do nothing. I get bored really quickly and it drives me nuts,” Tillman

said.

Tillman is 15-5 with a 3.76 ERA and could get as many as five starts if he comes back in eight

days. It doesn’t help that it happened late in the season.

“I think it would be frustrating if he happened anytime in the year. Bad timing, yeah, but I like to

take the ball every fifth day. That’s what I pride myself on and it‘s not fun in general,” Tillman

said.

https://www.pressboxonline.com/2016/09/04/orioles-blank-yankees-again-gain-ground-in-wild-

card-race

Orioles Blank Yankees Again, Gain Ground In Wild Card

Race

By Paul Folkemer / PressBoxOnline.com

September 4, 2016

So far in September, the Orioles are playing like a team that's fully intent on winning a

postseason berth.

The O's shut out the Yankees for the second straight night with a 2-0 victory Sept. 3, as right-

hander Kevin Gausman continued his dominance against the New York squad. The Birds pulled

back into sole possession of the second American League wild card slot as the Detroit Tigers lost

in Kansas City. The Orioles also gained ground in the AL East, pulling back within two games of

the Toronto Blue Jays, who absorbed a defeat to the Rays.

Unlike the Birds' four-homer blowout of the Yankees the previous night, their offense barely

scraped across enough runs to get by during their Sept. 3 contest. Adam Jones' fifth-inning solo

homer provided their only earned run, while an error by Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge

plated the other.

Still, Gausman made the slim lead hold up with another overpowering outing against his frequent

victims, the Yankees. After throwing seven scoreless innings with nine strikeouts during his

previous start against them Aug. 28, Gausman picked up where he left off, whiffing six of the

first nine batters he faced.

"I'm just kind of mixing all my pitches and kind of keeping them off balance," Gausman said. "I

think a lot of guys are obviously looking for a fastball against me, so if I can throw my offspeed

pitches for strikes, and kind of put that in the back of their mind, I think I can have success."

Gausman's only shaky inning came in the fourth, when his control abandoned him for a bit. He

walked one batter and plunked another as the Yankees loaded the bases with one out. Gausman,

though, worked out of the jam by fanning Starlin Castro on a 3-2 pitch and retiring Brian

McCann on a fly to left.

Gausman didn't allow another runner into scoring position, thanks in part to tremendous defense

behind him. In the fifth, with a runner at first and two outs, speedy leadoff man Brett Gardner hit

a slow grounder down the third-base line that looked like a sure infield hit. Third baseman

Manny Machado, though, ranged far to his left to field the ball behind the bag, then made a

cannon throw to first with his momentum carrying him into foul territory. Gardner was initially

called safe, but replays showed that Machado's throw beat him by an eyelash, and the call was

overturned on review.

"There's a lot of good third basemen in the league, but nobody makes that play," manager Buck

Showalter said. "Arm strength to have that type of velocity across the diamond and throw on the

move. I do not take it for granted. None of his teammates do. None of us do. … I hear people

talk about, 'What about this guy? What about that guy?' I go, 'Yep, he's really good. He's not as

good as Manny.'"

Gausman's pitch count reached 101 after five innings, but because he had an extra day of rest

between starts and was cruising, Showalter stuck with him for another inning. It paid off when

Gausman retired the side in order in an eight-pitch sixth inning.

The six shutout innings ran Gausman's scoreless-innings streak to 19.

"Kevin's a good pitcher," Showalter said. "He's had a great look in his eye for about a month, not

that he hasn't before. There's just a real driven look and a real presence about him. I felt like he's

really hit his stride. He's been solid for us for a while. He's in a good place in the process, so to

speak."

Gausman agreed with his skipper that he's had more confidence of late.

"I think maybe just feeling a little bit more confident, just confident with everything I'm doing in

between starts, too," Gausman said. "I think that's something as a young starter you kind of learn

in due time. … So I'm just confident, feeling good. I think this is the first time I've gotten into

August and September and felt this good physically with this amount of innings under my belt."

With ace Chris Tillman on the shelf, the rest of the Orioles' rotation has stepped up. During the

five games of their current home stand, O's starters have delivered four quality starts, and righty

Dylan Bundy came one out shy of a fifth one Sept. 2.

"It's big," Gausman said. "We all want to step up. We all want to be that ace. And if you don't, I

don't know what your goal is. So we're all trying to go out and throw shutouts every night we go

out there. Every time I take the mound, I'm thinking of throwing a complete game. So you've just

kind of got to have that attitude, especially with Tilly being down, we know we have one less

guy that's going to be a big innings eater for us and has been for a lot of years. So we know we

have to step up and compete, especially this time of year."

Relievers Mychal Givens, Brad Brach and Zach Britton each worked a scoreless inning of relief,

with Britton notching his 40th save with a perfect ninth. That iced the O's victory and left them

in prime position for a sweep if they can bag the Sept. 4 finale.

"That'd be great, especially coming up, we've got Tampa, and then we've got Detroit and Boston,

and those are going to be two huge series," Gausman said. "So I think it's always good when you

get a sweep, especially right before you go on a road trip."

Right now, the Orioles need every win they can get as they set their eyes on the postseason. So

far, so good this September.

http://www.baltimorebaseball.com/2016/09/04/heading-last-game-camden-yards-teixeira-talks-

os-fans-booed-playing-hometown/

Heading into his last game at Camden Yards, Teixeira talks

about O’s fans, being booed and playing in his hometown

By Dan Connolly / BaltimoreBaseball.com

September 4, 2016

An era of sorts ends Sunday afternoon at Camden Yards.

No more chances for Orioles’ fans to boo Mark Teixeira, the former Severna Park kid and Mount

St. Joe’s graduate who has had a splendid 14-season career in the majors, the last eight with the

New York Yankees.

The boos have subsided some over the years here for Teixeira, who is retiring in October. You

could hear them on Friday and Saturday, but the decibel levels were nothing compared with

several years ago.

Quick background: Heading into the 2009 season, Teixeira was the hottest free agent commodity

in baseball. The Orioles, who had been terrible for a decade, wanted to bring him home and

make a splash.

But everyone knew it wasn’t going to happen. The Orioles weren’t going to pay what it took to

land him. He was in his prime and wanted to play for a contender. Agent Scott Boras basically

told the Orioles not to bother, and club president Andy MacPhail presented a respectable — but

token — offer that would have represented a major hometown discount. It was believed to be

seven years and $140 million.

Teixeira, instead, signed with the Yankees for eight years and $180 million – and that season he

played in his lone World Series, winning a championship ring.

All probably would have been forgotten with time, but when Teixeira told the New York media

at his introductory Yankees’ press conference that he went to games at Camden Yards wearing a

Don Mattingly jersey, well, that wasn’t well received in Charm City.

And Teixeira paid for that statement every time he came home – getting a blistering earful in the

first few years of that contract. To be fair, Teixeira always remained cordial and professional to

Baltimore fans and media, often exhibiting a sense of humor about the harsh treatment in his

hometown.

On Saturday, the 36-year-old spoke with reporters about his last series at the Yards – he’s batted

.264 with hit 19 doubles, 11 homers and 34 RBIs in 69 games — and his time playing before

Orioles fans.

Here’s some of that interview:

Teixeira on his last games in Baltimore: “I think it’ll sink in (Sunday). The past two days have

been business as usual, but (Sunday), when you’re leaving the stadium, it will probably be nice

to know that I’ve had my last game here.”

On whether he’s had friends and family here during the series: “My family came down for

Labor Day weekend. My kids had never been to this stadium, so it’s kind of cool for them to

come here. They didn’t enjoy the game Friday night very much (8-0 Orioles’ win), but it’s cool

that they got to come down.”

On whether his kids have asked him why he gets booed:“They didn’t really pay attention.

They don’t really pay attention to that stuff.”

On being booed in Baltimore: “Honestly, when you play a long time, that stuff, it really doesn’t

bother you at all. The fact that (fans) still understand I’m on the field is pretty good considering

the season I’ve had. If Yankee fans are cheering opposing players at Yankee Stadium, I’d be a

little mad. But when I go around town (in Baltimore) and I’m back home, it’s nothing but love.”

On the animosity caused by choosing the Yankees: “Of course. That’s what it is. But the

Orioles were upfront with me back when I was a free agent. They didn’t have any intention of

signing me. They made an offer just to say they made an offer. Andy MacPhail was great. He

was very upfront and said, ‘Listen, we’re not in a position to match the years or the dollars, and

we’re a long way from winning.’ They knew they were rebuilding. I’m the last thing they need

when they’re rebuilding.”

On playing at Camden Yards: “I’ve had some great games here. My first three-home-run game

was here with the Texas Rangers. Always seemed to hit a lot of home runs here. It’s a good place

to hit, so I’ve always enjoyed playing here.”

On the reception worsening when he became a Yankee: “Oh yeah. Absolutely. There were

probably 10,000 people in the stands the night I hit my third home run in ’06, and I got a

standing ovation after that home run. When your team’s not in it and you’re playing the Texas

Rangers … it’s a little different than playing the Yankees. Anyone who was around in ’96 knows

that the Yankees were not very well beloved here in Baltimore. There was a Jeffrey Maier

announcement in our high school that we had to pray for him. I went to an all-boys Catholic

school, and you weren’t allowed to say bad things about him. You just had to pray for him. So,

kind of a good learning experience for us. That was not a fun day for Orioles fans.”

On whether he was mad that day: “Just a little bit.”

On whether his family members are still Orioles fans: “Still are. My cousins came down for

the Oriole game … last weekend, and it was the first time I’d seen them wear Yankee shirts.

They said, ‘This is our first and last time wearing a Yankee shirt.’ But they supported me that

game, and we had a good game. It was fun.”

On whether his family/friends will go back to hating the Yankees now: “Absolutely. And all

my friends have told me that. They’re like, ‘We root for you, but we don’t root for the

Yankees.’”

On his overall thoughts leaving here: “I have enjoyed it. It’s been really nice. Just kind of

being honest with everybody and not having to hide it. To be able to say bye to people. Freddy

(Tyler), the clubhouse guy here, has been getting my dad parking passes for 14 years so he

doesn’t have to park 10 blocks away. It’s nice to be able to say bye to those guys.”

http://www.baltimorebaseball.com/2016/09/03/time-gausman-needs-step/

This is the time Gausman needs to step up — and he has

By Dan Connolly / BaltimoreBaseball.com

September 3, 2016

Buck Showalter is not singling out right-hander Kevin Gausman.

The way the Orioles manager has to view it – certainly publicly – is that the entire club had to

step up and perform better with right-hander Chris Tillman shelved with a shoulder injury.

Showalter has three veteran starters, Yovani Gallardo, Wade Miley and Ubaldo Jimenez, who

have to be better in this stretch run. And the club needs rookie sensation Dylan Bundy to keep

cruising along like he has had this kind of success in the majors before.

All of that’s true.

But if there is one pitcher that could set the example in Tillman’s absence – or needed to set that

example — it’s Gausman.

It’s time for the fourth pick overall in the 2012 draft to meet those lofty expectations. It’s his

fourth season pitching in the majors. He’ll be 26 in January.

It’s time.

And Gausman has answered that challenge better than anyone could have imagined.

He allowed no runs in six innings against the Washington Nationals on Aug. 23; after that game

it was officially announced that Tillman would be placed on the 15-day disabled list, something

that appeared to be a certainty that week.

On Sunday in New York, Gausman threw seven scoreless innings. And Saturday night he

blanked the Yankees again in six innings at Camden Yards.

“I’ve just been a little bit frustrated, until about a month ago, with how my season’s been going. I

felt like I was pitching great and things just didn’t go my way. Now, it’s kind of on the other

side, the other flip side of it,” Gausman said. “I’m just confident, feeling good. I think this is the

first time I’ve got into August and September and felt this good physically with this amount of

innings under my belt. I think that also has something to do with it, too.”

In his last three outings, all wins, Gausman has allowed 15 hits and four walks while striking out

19 batters in 19 innings. He’s had tremendous control in those games, and his split-fingered

fastball has been baffling, especially to left-handed hitters. He’s really been rough on the

Yankees, allowing just three runs in five quality starts this year.

“Kevin’s a good pitcher. He’s had a great look in his eye for about a month. Not that he hasn’t

before,” Showalter said. “It’s just there’s a real driven look and presence about him. Felt like

he’s really kind of hit his stride.”

It’s come at the perfect time: Late in the season with the club’s most reliable starter on the

disabled list. Maybe that’s coincidence. Maybe Gausman would have hit this run regardless.

But the fact that he is pitching this way with Tillman, who is scheduled to return next Sunday in

Detroit, not currently in the rotation is particularly crucial.

Showalter may not say it. But you know he – like most of us – is thinking it.

“We all want to step up. We all want to be that ace, and if you don’t, I don’t know what your

goal is then. We’re all trying to go out and throw shutouts every night we go out there,”

Gausman said. “Every time I take the mound I’m thinking of throwing a complete game. You

just kind of have to have that attitude, especially with Tilly being down. We know we have one

less guy that’s going to be a big innings-eater for us and has been for a lot of years. So we know

we have to step up and compete, especially this time of the year.”

http://www.baltimorebaseball.com/2016/09/03/trying-make-sense-recent-odd-roster-moves/

Trying to make sense of recent — and odd — roster moves

By Dan Connolly / BaltimoreBaseball.com

September 3, 2016

One of the best indicators of what other teams think of an organization’s system is to see what

happens when certain players are put on waivers.

Teams may not want to trade for a player, but if it only costs a waiver claim and a prorated

minimum salary, then maybe it’s worth a shot.

The Orioles haven’t had the best track record over the years in this regard, holding onto a guy on

the 40-man roster too long because of the fear of losing a player no one wanted anyway.

About a dozen years ago, the Orioles carried three bad catchers on the 25-man roster for months

for fear of losing one or two. Ultimately, two went through waivers and weren’t touched.

Under Dan Duquette and Buck Showalter, the roster management has been better – for the most

part. Although there is the occasional transaction that makes me scratch my head.

We had one of those occasions this week.

On Wednesday, the last day to acquire players for a postseason roster, Duquette made a flurry of

moves – primarily focused on building depth in the bullpen and the outfield.

He traded minor league lefty Zach Phillips to the Pittsburgh Pirates for lefty Kyle Lobstein –

and, to make room for Lobstein, designated lefty Ashur Tolliver for assignment.

Duquette then designated Lobstein for assignment to claim outfielder Drew Stubbs off waivers

and then moved Joey Rickard to the 60-day disabled list when Duquette traded a minor leaguer

for veteran outfielder Michael Bourn.

There was the potential for the Orioles to lose three lefty relievers in one flurry from an

organization that needs quality left-handed specialists.

I promised to reserve judgment – on losing the lefties and adding two reserve outfielders — until

it all shook out.

And now it has.

Lobstein cleared waivers Saturday and was out-righted to Triple-A Norfolk. There’s a possibility

he could be added to the 40-man roster again. But, when the minor league season ends this week,

Lobstein also could go to the minor league complex in Sarasota, Fla., and work out — an

insurance policy in case lefties Donnie Hart, Jayson Aquino and, eventually, Brian Duensing, run

into trouble in the majors.

“We discussed that today. I know he’s not on the roster,” Showalter said about plans for

Lobstein, 27. “At the very worst, they are going to ask him to go to Sarasota camp. Think that’s

Dan’s plan.”

So the Orioles traded for a lefty they probably won’t use.

A little more befuddling, they exposed Tolliver to waivers, and lost him to the Los Angeles

Angels on Saturday. That’s particularly interesting, because the Angels had the fourth highest

waiver claim. So he only got through three other teams before being grabbed.

It’s not surprising another club was interested in Toliver, an Orioles’ fifth rounder in 2009 who

battled injury and ineffectiveness and finally made the majors this year at 28. It was brief a look,

but he seemed like he could hang in a big league bullpen.

Tolliver allowed three earned runs in five games for the Orioles this year, but had a combined

1.94 ERA in 31 games through the minors and majors in 2016. He recently had been removed

from the minor league disabled list with a hamstring injury when he was designated.

And now he is with another organization.

“It’s disappointing, but he’s going to get a good opportunity for the Angels,” Showalter said.

“Knowing Ashur, that’s something he deserves. He’s a guy that can help. (I’m) sure they’ll like

him.”

Ultimately, Tolliver may prove to be a fringe major leaguer and these moves become incidental.

But they just strike me as odd – especially since Lobstein had been designated earlier in the week

by the Pirates and then passed through waivers by the Orioles. Obviously, the Pirates couldn’t

have traded him — no team took him for free — so he eventually would have been placed on

waivers by the Pirates.

So with a little patience, the Orioles could have claimed Lobstein and kept Tolliver and Phillips

in the organization, and would have only had to make one 40-man move.

Instead, there was a flurry of transactions — and I guess it it’ll take some time before we know if

any of them make a difference.