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

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Game Stories:

New lineup produces same result as Rays hand Orioles fifth straight loss The Sun 8/31

O's 7th-inning rally falls short in opener MLB.com 8/31

More on Manny Machado at shortstop (O's lose 6-3) MASNsports.com 8/31

Rays homer twice off Wei-Yin Chen to take series opener MASNsports.com 8/31

Rays back Archer with 3 HRs in 6-3 victory over Orioles AP 8/31

Orioles return home and losses continue CSN Mid-Atlantic 8/31

Columns:

Drake, Johnson could be only call-ups today The Sun 9/1

The importance of The Streak that likely will stand forever The Sun 9/1

The importance of being Frank The Sun 9/1

Orioles' Manny Machado 'energized' by first major league start at shortstop The Sun 8/31

Gonzalez worried about elbow and shoulder The Sun 8/31

Steve Johnson will be among Orioles' September call-ups The Sun 8/31

O's lineup shuffle includes Machado's first major league start at shortstop The Sun 8/31

Machado steps up in first start at SS MLB.com 9/1

Gonzalez gets cortisone shot in shoulder MLB.com 9/1

Tillman looks to help O's bounce back MLB.com 8/31

Adam Jones struck a pose after making this catch, probably invented a new baseball-

themed dance MLB.com 8/31

Orioles adding Oliver Drake to expanded roster (updated) MASNsports.com 9/1

Ripken's return serving as much-needed distraction for Orioles MASNsports.com 9/1

Buck Showalter on Miguel Gonzalez, Wei-Yin Chen and a 6-3 loss MASNsports.com

8/31

Gonzalez to undergo MRI in the morning MASNsports.com 8/31

Britton on Arrieta: "Maybe the change of scenery was what he needed"

MASNsports.com 8/31

Notes on Bundy, Gonzalez, trade deadline, lineup and more MASNsports.com 8/31

Manny Machado starting at shortstop MASNsports.com 8/31

Steve Johnson on his return, Bowie is in the playoffs and O's lose again

MASNsports.com 9/1

Machado on playing shortstop, Chen on his outing after O's loss to Tampa Bay

MASNsports.com 8/31

O's game blog: Orioles are 26-24 against the AL East as Tampa Bay series begins

MASNsports.com 8/31

Adam Jones on fans: "I'm glad they are a little angry" (plus Wieters, Johnson quotes)

MASNsports.com 8/31

Rays-Orioles Preview SI.com 9/1

Machado gets 1st major league start at SS for struggling O's AP 8/31

O's Miguel Gonzalez to have MRIs on sore right elbow, shoulder ESPN.com 9/1

Orioles' Manny Machado starts at shortstop for first time as pro ESPN.com 8/31

Can the Orioles finally score some runs for Tillman? CSN Mid-Atlantic 9/1

Steve Johnson about to experience big leagues again CSN Mid-Atlantic 8/31

Orioles concerned about Miguel Gonzalez's health CSN Mid-Atlantic 8/31

Why O's are trying to shake things up with Machado at SS CSN Mid-Atlantic 8/31

August Wrap-Up: Who Were The Orioles' Biggest Stars And Disappointments?

PressBoxOnline.com 9/1

Cal Ripken Jr On The 20th Anniversary Of 2131 CBS Baltimore 9/1

Manny Machado is making his first career start at shortstop NBCSports.com 8/31

Orioles attendance continues to pick up Baltimore Business Journal 9/1

A Conversation with Cal Baltimore Magazine 9/1

Orioles' Manny Machado gets first MLB start at shortstop CBSSports.com 8/31

Baltimore Orioles – PlayerWatch Reuters 8/31

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-rays-0901-20150831-story.html

New lineup produces same result as Rays hand Orioles fifth

straight loss

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun

August 31, 2015

The Orioles’ first at-bat against the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night was a fitting microcosm

of how poorly things are going for this team right now.

Manny Machado scorched a line drive to deep center field, a ball seemingly destined to go over

the fence and give the Orioles a rare early lead. Machado watched while rounding first base as

Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier jumped into the fence, extended his arm over it, and brought

the ball back in for a harmless flyout.

“This is how it’s going to start?” Machado said he thought to himself. “Oh man, that’s just the

icing on the cake. That’s just how things are going around here, but, hey, he made a nice play

there.”

The losses continue to pile up for the Orioles as September arrives. Their 6-3 loss to the Rays on

Monday had its moments. The Orioles showed patience against Rays ace Chris Archer early,

despite being unable to score on him. They rallied in the middle innings against the Tampa Bay

bullpen, a sign of the fight these players insist they still have.

But the result was the same, the Orioles’ fifth straight loss and 11th in their last 12 games against

a Tampa Bay team just as desperate in clinging to their postseason hopes.

The end result is that the Orioles (63-68) are now five games below .500 for the first time since

June 6, when they were 25-30. They entered the night 5 ½ games back of the second wild-card

spot held by the Texas Rangers, who played late Monday in San Diego.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter hoped shuffling the lineup — giving Machado his first big

league start at shortstop and starting Matt Wieters at first base for the second time in his career

— could give the Orioles bats a boost. He stacked the batting order with players who had good

numbers against Archer, putting all three catchers on his roster in the starting lineup.

The Orioles forced Archer to throw 92 pitches through four innings, but they also stranded eight

baserunners over those four frames, including four in scoring position.

“I thought we’d make a run at them,” Showalter said. “We did, but we were just a hit away with

some situations with some people out there, but we didn’t take advantage. I was impressed with

the at-bats. We had [Archer] over 100 pitches in the fifth inning. We had a lot better quality at-

bats than we’ve been having. We just couldn’t finish off those innings. When he went back out

there or the sixth at 100-plus, you think you’re going to benefit from that, but we weren’t able to

keep him at bay and we created a margin we couldn’t overcome."

Their most consistent starter, left-hander Wei-Yin Chen, failed to get through the fifth inning, his

shortest start in a month.

And the Orioles offense — which hadn’t scored since plating three runs in the fifth inning of

Saturday’s loss in Texas — extended their scoreless streak to 19 innings before finally scoring

on Adam Jones’ RBI single in the seventh.

The Orioles rallied for three runs in the seventh. Jones’ run-scoring single off Rays reliever Matt

Andriese was followed by a two-out, two-run single by Steve Clevenger, but their comeback was

too little, too late.

A Rays team that ranks last in the American League in runs scored blasted three homers off

Orioles pitching, including two off Chen, who has allowed a team-high 26 homers this season,

tied for third-most in the AL.

Trailing 3-0, the Orioles stranded the bases loaded in the fourth when struggling left fielder

Gerardo Parra, the team’s trade-deadline acquisition, struck out to end the inning.

“We’re seeing the ball,” Machado said. “We’re having quality at-bats. We didn’t come [through

in the] clutch. We had a couple of situations, myself [included], runners at first and second, to do

something and it just didn’t happen. I think that’s what it is. I think we’re just one pitch away

and I think we have to stay with that mentality there and just live in the moment. Don’t try to go

up there and hit homers. Obviously, that’s going to help us in some situations, but live in the

moment. … Don’t try to do too much. Just try to get on base. This is a team. Let the other guy

behind you pick us up.”

Archer (12-10) lasted six shutout innings, allowing just four hits and striking out six while

walking three.

Chen (8-7) allowed just one hit over his first 3 2/3 innings of work — a leadoff triple in the

second by Logan Forsythe, who scored on a sacrifice fly two batters later to put Tampa Bay

ahead 1-0 — but then yielded four straight hits with two outs in the fourth.

“He was OK, but it wasn’t as good as he’s capable,” Showalter said of Chen. “I thought the way

he started out, I thought we were going to have a really good outing from him, which we needed.

He’s a couple pitches away from it. I thought the two-seamer he was trying to go down and

away, they jerked across the plate that they hit out of the ballpark was a pitch he’d like to have

back.”

With Forsythe on first after a single, Asdrubal Cabrera crushed a 1-1 pitch deep down the left-

field line for a two-run homer, giving the Rays a 3-0 lead. Evan Longoria also homered off Chen,

a solo blast in the sixth, and Tim Beckham launched a solo homer off reliever Brad Brach in the

sixth.

Chen allowed five runs on nine hits over 4 2/3 innings, his shortest outing since going 3 1/3 on

July 31 against the Tigers. The five runs he allowed were the second-most this season for Chen,

who had allowed three runs or fewer in 16 of his last 17 starts.

“You have to pitch to the corners because they are major league hitters,” Chen said through

interpreter Louis Chao. “If you keep pitching down the middle you will get hit.”

Over their last eight games, Orioles starting pitchers have posted a 6.80 ERA, allowing 34 runs

over 45 innings. Starters have failed to go six innings in five of those eight games.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/146514262/rays-hit-three-homers-to-defeat-orioles

O's 7th-inning rally falls short in opener

By Bill Chastain and Todd Karpovich / MLB.com

August 31, 2015

BALTIMORE -- Rays hitters backed Chris Archer's quality start with three home runs to lead a

6-3 win over the Orioles on Monday night at Camden Yards.

The win widened the Rays' (65-66) lead over the Orioles (63-68) in the race to claim the second

American League Wild Card spot, though both teams still have a tall mountain of teams to climb

to earn the spot.

Archer completed his 18th quality start of the season by holding the Orioles to no runs on four

hits and three walks while striking out six in six innings. The right-hander earned his 12th win of

the season and ended his outing with a 3-6-1 double play that saw him hustle to first after

throwing his 113th pitch.

Asdrubal Cabrera, Evan Longoria and Tim Beckham all homered for the Rays, accounting for

four of their six runs. Meanwhile, the Orioles rallied in the seventh against Matt

Andriese when Adam Jones singled home one and Steve Clevenger singled home two more to

cut the lead to 6-3.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

A homer shy for Forsythe: Logan Forsythe went 3-for-3 in his first three at-bats, leaving

himself a home run shy of the cycle when he stepped to the plate in the seventh to face Jason

Garcia. But Forsythe flew out to center to end the inning, while also ending his chances of

joining Melvin Upton Jr. as the second player in Rays history to hit for the cycle. Forsythe's

triple was his first since April 28, snapping a career-long 106-game streak without recording a

triple.

New-look O's, same old result: Baltimore manager Buck Showalter looked to reinvigorate his

lineup with several drastic changes. Manny Machado made his first Major League start at

shortstop. Showalter also started three catchers with Caleb Joseph behind the plate, Clevenger

serving as DH and Matt Wieters at first. None of it initially worked as the Orioles were held

scoreless by Archer. Baltimore finally ended a drought of 19 consecutive scoreless innings when

Jones' single off Andriese in the seventh scored Machado from second.

"It didn't show up on the scoreboard, but that's the only thing we judge it by at the end,"

Showalter said. "Our guys know that. They talked about some things today, like they do every

day. If I told you everything that goes on from 11 o'clock in the morning to the first pitch, that's

what everybody does. We don't have a corner on it. We're trying to do something that 29 other

clubs are trying to do. It's a challenge."

Kiermaier robs Machado: Rays manager Kevin Cash calls Kevin Kiermaier the best center

fielder in baseball. Kiermaier validated that statement on the first ball put into play against

Archer when Machado led off the game with what appeared to be his 27th home run of the

season. But Kiermaier leaped high above the center-field wall and when he came down,

Machado came up empty and Archer had recorded his first out of the game. Kiermaier suffered a

mild right ankle sprain on the catch and exited the game.

Rare rough outing for Chen: Orioles left-hander Wei-Yin Chen (8-7, 3.36 ERA) entered the

game 4-0 in his past seven starts. However, he struggled most of the night against the Rays. Chen

allowed a pair of towering homers to Cabrera and Longoria. A two-out double by Forsythe in the

fifth ended his night, trailing 5-0. Chen was charged with all five runs -- one shy of tying a

season high -- on nine hits and absorbed his first loss since July 21.

"Sometimes you try to do something different to help the team," Chen said through an

interpreter. "For today's game, I think my performance was not about that. I just didn't perform

well."

QUOTABLE

"Every once in awhile, you're in need of a little different look. Something to take away from

Groundhog Day." -- Showalter, on his lineup changes

"I'm just trying to win a game. It was great to be out there and play short for the first time, start a

game at short. I mean, it was just another game, another game we needed to win, an opportunity

to present ourselves in a good position." -- Machado

"The Orioles are a good team. Their approach against me is very sound. They always drive my

pitch count up. They force me to make pitches in tough situations. Great defense helped me out."

-- Archer, on his outing Monday night

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

The Rays have now won 19 of their past 25 games (since May 30) against left-handed starting

pitchers.

WHAT'S NEXT

Rays: Drew Smyly (1-2, 3.82 ERA) will make his fourth start since returning from the disabled

list (torn left labrum) in Tuesday's 7:05 p.m. ET game. The left-hander allowed three earned runs

on eight hits Thursday against the Twins. He maintains that he continues to feel well and that any

negative numbers since his return have been the result of lack of execution of his pitches.

Orioles: Right-hander Chris Tillman (9-9, 4.58 ERA) is 1-2 in four starts against the Rays this

season. He beat them Opening Day and then lost his next two appearances. Tillman did not get a

decision in Baltimore's 3-1 loss on July 24. Tillman also suffered two straight losses after

enjoying a seven-game winning streak. He has allowed 14 runs over his past 22 innings.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/08/more-on-manny-machado-at-shortstop.html

More on Manny Machado at shortstop (O's lose 6-3)

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

August 31, 2015

The Orioles lineup tonight included a fair share of double-takes.

Is that Manny Machado at shortstop instead of third base? Are all three catchers getting starts?

Caleb Joseph is 2-for-6 against Rays starter Chris Archer. Matt Wieters is 4-for-12. Steve

Clevenger is 0-for-2, but he was swinging a hot bat before leaving the club for the birth of his

daughter.

Machado is making his first career start at short in the majors and only his second appearance. In

his debut, he replaced J.J. Hardy in the ninth inning of an Aug. 23 game against the Twins and

committed a costly error while charging a ball.

"He's been playing shortstop all year, half the games in the shifts. He really has," said manager

Buck Showalter. "He's got as many putouts at shortstop as he's got at third base. Bobby

(Dickerson) was telling me. So I know it's different. I know he's pretty excited about it.

"Every once in a while you're in need of a different look. Something to take away from

Groundhog Day."

In other words, shake things up after your club has lost 10 of its last 11 games. But Showalter

isn't doing it as some sort of gimmick.

"What plays into it is Manny's capable of being a really good shortstop and Ryan (Flaherty) has

played well at third," Showalter said. "I like Ryan at all places, and Ryan has had a little success

off Archer, too. And we're looking for any way to mount some offense against a pitcher that

good.

"I wanted to get Steve (Clevenger) back in there. I hate anybody getting penalized because they

had a great event in their life like the addition of a child. We had three left-handers in a row,

we've got another tomorrow. Matt's good protection for Chris being a switch-hitter, I could keep

going for about 30 reasons.

"They've added another left-hander in the bullpen and will probably add another one tomorrow.

They are going be very left-handed, so you want to make sure that you space them out."

While Machado does spend a considerable amount of time at the shortstop position on shifts, he's

not used to having an infielder to his right. It was the norm, of course, during his days as a high

school and minor league shortstop.

"Maybe if it's someone that he hasn't been comfortable with, or if this guy's never played

shortstop, but Manny's played more games at shortstop (in his life) than he has third base. It's

kind of like Chris Davis in right field," Showalter said.

"What's the definition of insanity?"

Asked about the error against the Twins, Showalter said, "I think that was great. Not great, but I

think that could be a good thing, too. And it wasn't routine. It wasn't a real easy play. I'm not so

sure anybody else would have made it. We assume that."

Showalter wanted to get Machado back at shortstop. He doesn't want players to dwell on a

mistake without getting a chance to atone for it.

"Oh, yeah, almost did it," he said. "I think not only Manny, but some people need a little blank in

the giddy-up. I think everybody needs a little something different now and then. If you're scared,

get a bigger dog on your porch. How do you find out if Steve Pearce can play second base? You

run him out there.

"We know Matt will be a good target at first base. He catches his whole life. That's what he's

doing there. One thing you concern yourself a little bit with stuff like that is footwork. That was

another reason I wanted to play Manny at short if Matt was going be the first baseman.

"I thought about Clev over there, but the dynamic of moving things around if you pinch-hit or

pinch-run works better that way."

The new lineup was slow to evolve. Showalter and bench coach John Russell began working on

it following yesterday's game in Texas.

"John and I spent a lot of time on this one," Showalter said. "It started on the plane last night.

Then you wake up the next day and see if you still feel that way. Like a lot of things, I try not to

knee-jerk on because you're usually emotional - not emotional, but in a different mental state of

mind - (after the losing streak) and you don't want to make some rash decision.

"There's a time for rash and there's a time for, what's the word? Spontaneity. I can do that."

Showalter doesn't want the lineup to be construed as a sign of panic as the Orioles slipped into

fourth place in the American League East.

"I'm trying to give you all something, because I know you're getting tired of asking the same

questions," he said.

"We're trying to win and we think this gives us the best chance tonight. We'll see what tomorrow

brings.

The future could include Machado at shortstop on a more permanent basis. For now, J.J. Hardy

remains on the disabled list and Paul Janish has been sensational in the field when he's cracked

the lineup against left-handed starters.

"We're looking forward to J.J. getting back Tuesday," Showalter said. "So is Manny and we'll see

what we do in the ninth inning tonight if we have a lead defensively."

Rays leadoff hitter Brandon Guyer swung at the first pitch from Wei-Yin Chen and grounded to

Flaherty at third base.

And so it begins ...

Update: Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier robbed Machado of a leadoff home run in the

bottom of the first inning, leaping high above the fence to make the catch. A spectacular play.

The Rays took a 1-0 lead in the second on Logan Forsythe's leadoff triple and Tim Beckham's

sacrifice fly. Adam Jones made a strong throw to the plate, but Joseph couldn't hold onto the

ball.

Update II: Forsythe singled with two outs in the fourth and Asdrubal Cabrera homered to deep

left field to give Tampa Bay a 3-0 lead. The ball was crushed.

Chen gave up four straight two-out hits in the inning.

The Orioles, meanwhile, haven't scored since the fifth inning of Saturday night's game.

Update II: The Rays expanded their lead to 5-0 in the fifth on Joey Butler's double play

grounder that scored Rene Rivera, who led off with a double, and Evan Longoria's 15th home

run of the season.

Chen allowed five runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings, with no walks, four strikeouts and two

home runs. He threw 76 pitches, 56 for strikes.

Forsythe doubled to knock Chen out of the game. He's a home run short of the cycle.

Update III: Beckham homered off Brach on the first pitch of the sixth inning to give Tampa Bay

a 6-0 lead.

Update IV: The Orioles won't be shut out. Adam Jones singled in the seventh to score Machado,

who reached on a fielder's choice after singles by Caleb Joseph and Gerardo Parra. Clevenger

delivered a two-run single with two outs to reduce Tampa Bay's lead to 6-3.

Parra was 2-for-25 in his last six games before the single.

The Orioles hadn't scored in 19 consecutive innings.

Update V: A return home didn't aid the Orioles, who lost to the Rays 6-3 before 19,841 at

Camden Yards.

Again, the Orioles' scoring was confined to one inning.

The Orioles have lost five games in a row, 11 of 12 and 12 of 14 to fall five games below .500

for the first time since June 6.

The Orioles (63-68) have been held to three runs or fewer in 11 of their last 12 games. They're 0-

60 when trailing after the eighth inning.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2015/08/tampa-bay-rays-homer-twice-off-wei-yin-

chen-to-take-series-opener.html

Rays homer twice off Wei-Yin Chen to take series opener

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

August 31, 2015

The Orioles' return tonight to Camden Yards did little to change their recent fortunes. They lost

another game, this one to Tampa Bay by a 6-3 score, as they combined poor offense for six

innings with poor starting pitching to lose for the 11th time in 12 games.

The Orioles have scored just 10 runs during a five-game losing streak as they fall to 63-68. That

is one game off their low point of the season when they were six games under .500 at 23-29. The

Orioles have scored three runs or less in 11 of the past 12 games.

Wei-Yin Chen's recent run of good pitching ended as he allowed nine hits and five runs over 4

2/3 innings. He falls to 8-7 with an ERA of 3.36. Chen had allowed three earned runs or less in

16 of his last 17 starts before tonight and was 3-0 with a 2.42 ERA over his last four starts for the

Orioles. This was his shortest outing since going 3 1/3 innings against Detroit on July 31.

Tampa Bay hit two homers off Chen as Asdrubal Cabrera hit a two-run shot in the fourth to put

the Rays ahead 3-0. They added two in the fifth for a 5-0 lead. In that inning, Evan Longoria hit

a solo homer. It was his 15th.

Of the 14 homers Tampa Bay has hit in 13 games against O's pitching this season, eight have

come off Chen. He has given up nearly a third of his 26 homers on the season to Rays batters.

Chen has allowed two or more homers eight times.

Chris Archer blanked the Orioles over six innings tonight on four hits. But his pitch count

reached 113, forcing him from the game. He pitched out of several jams and the Orioles were

just 1-for-7 against him with runners in scoring position. He entered with a career mark of 1-4

with a 5.06 ERA versus the Orioles, but got the win tonight to improve his season mark to 12-10

with an ERA of 2.78.

The Orioles ended a 19-inning scoreless stretch when they scored three runs on four hits off

reliever Matt Andriese in the seventh. Adam Jones had an RBI single and Steve Clevenger

singled in two more runs.

Manny Machado made his first major league start at shortstop tonight. He made one great play in

the hole at deep short to rob Rene Rivera in the top of the sixth. When Machado led off in the

first tonight, Tampa Bay center fielder Kevin Kiermaier went way above the fence to rob him of

a homer. According to ESPN Stats and Info, O's batters have been robbed of six homers in 2015,

twice as many as the next closest teams, Texas and Colorado.

In the second game of this series on Tuesday night, Chris Tillman (9-9, 4.58 ERA) faces lefty

Drew Smyly (1-2, 3.82 ERA).

Congrats to Bowie: The Orioles' Double-A Bowie affiliate tonight clinched a playoff berth in

the Eastern League for the sixth time in 23 seasons. The Baysox scored four in the last of the

eighth to rally and beat Altoona to clinch their first playoff berth since 2012. Now 76-58,

Bowie's magic number to win the division title is down to three.

http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/08/31/ap-bba-rays-orioles-1st-ld-writethru

Rays back Archer with 3 HRs in 6-3 victory over Orioles

Associated Press / SI.com

August 31, 2015

BALTIMORE (AP) A season-defining road trip started on a positive note for the Tampa Bay

Rays, who still have designs of reaching the postseason as a wild-card entrant.

Chris Archer pitched six shutout innings, and Tampa Bay hit three home runs in a 6-3 victory

over the fading Baltimore Orioles on Monday night.

By the time the Rays finish their nine-game run through Baltimore, Yankee Stadium and Detroit,

they should have a pretty good read on their chances of reaching the playoffs.

''Great way to start off the long road trip,'' said manager Kevin Cash, who beforehand called this

''a big series for both teams trying to claw their way back into this thing.''

At this point, the Orioles are clinging by their fingernails. Baltimore has lost 11 of 12 and trailed

in this one 6-0.

Although the Rays are a game below .500, a few more victories like this might make things

interesting.

''Oh yeah, definitely,'' shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera said. ''If we play hard and put some wins

together, you never know what could happen in a month.''

Cabrera and Evan Longoria homered off Wei-Yin Chen (8-7), and Tim Beckham added a solo

shot against Brad Brach. Logan Forsythe had a single, double and triple.

Archer (12-10) gave up four hits, walked three and struck out six to earn his first win against

Baltimore in seven starts since June 7, 2013. The right-hander finished the month with 50

strikeouts, tying the club record for August held by Scott Kazmir (2007).

''It seemed like he really settled in after about the 80th pitch,'' Cash said. ''We're not going to

nitpick, though. It was a pretty outstanding outing.''

Brad Boxberger, the third Rays reliever, worked the ninth for his 33rd save.

The Orioles, meanwhile, have been held to three runs or fewer in all 11 losses of this skid.

Manager Buck Showalter put together a revamped lineup in an effort to shake the team out of its

funk, but moving Manny Machado to shortstop and starting all three catchers failed to achieve

the desired result.

Machado, a third baseman who won a Gold Glove in 2013, started at shortstop for the first time

in the big leagues. He made an excellent play in the sixth, ranging far to his right to make a

backhand pickup in the hole before making an off-balance, one-hop throw that retired Rene

Rivera.

Showalter got his three catchers in the lineup by placing Caleb Joseph behind the plate, shifting

Matt Wieters to first base and using Steve Clevenger as the designated hitter.

Clevenger drove in two runs, but Baltimore stranded 11 and was 3 for 11 with runners in scoring

position.

''We did some good things getting some people out there,'' Showalter said. ''It seems like we're

always a hit away.''

Chen allowed five runs and nine hits in 4 2-3 innings. The left-hander was 4-0 in seven starts

since July 21.

''I think there was something off with my mechanics,'' Chen said through an interpreter.

Forsythe singled with two outs in the fourth, and Cabrera followed with his 10th home run to

make it 3-0. A bases-empty drive by Longoria capped a two-run fifth, and Beckham led off the

sixth with his seventh homer for a 6-0 lead.

A two-run single by Clevenger highlighted a three-run seventh against Matt Andriese.

LONG TIME COMING

Rays: Forsythe's triple was his first since April 28, ending a career-long stretch of 106 games

without a three-bagger.

Orioles: Machado's last start at SS in a pro game was on Aug. 12, 2012 while with Double-A

Bowie.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Rays: CF Kevin Kiermaier left in the third inning with a mild right ankle sprain. He leapt for a

sensational, home-run-robbing catch of a drive by Machado in the bottom of the first. Before the

game, Cash called Kiermaier ''the best center fielder in the game.''

Orioles: Pitching prospect Dylan Bundy has been cleared by Dr. James Andrews to start a

throwing program. Bundy has a calcium buildup in his right shoulder.

ON DECK

Rays: Drew Smyly (1-2, 3.82 ERA) makes his fourth start since returning from the 60-day DL on

Tuesday night. He's 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA lifetime against Baltimore.

Orioles: Chris Tillman (9-9, 4.58 ERA) takes a third stab at his 10th win of the season.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/blog/orioles-talk/orioles-return-home-and-losses-continue

Orioles return home and losses continue

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic

August 31, 2015

BALTIMORE – Buck Showalter hoped a shakeup, highlighted by Manny Machado’s first major

league start at shortstop, would get the Orioles back on track.

It didn’t happen.

Machado was just fine at shortstop, but the rest of the Orioles were off, and they suffered their

11th loss in 12 games, 6-3 to the Tampa Bay Rays before 19,841 at Oriole Park on Monday

night.

“Buck came up to me and showed me the lineup and told me, ‘What do you think about it?’ I see

his point. We’re trying to win games here. We’re trying to see what’s working and everything’s

going against us. Today, we played good and they just outhit us,” Machado said.

Machado had three chances, started a double play, and made a pretty backhanded play on Rene

Rivera in the sixth.

“It came back pretty easy. I’ve been playing that my whole life. I didn’t play third base until I

got up here. It just came natural. I was out there just trying to make the plays and as the game

went on, I just started feeling more comfortable out there.”

As well as Machado played at shortstop, he’ll be back on third for Tuesday’s game. Paul Janish

will play short.

“I thought he handled himself well. He had some really good at-bats, too,” Showalter said.

After their six losses in seven games road trip, the Orioles hoped they get hot at home, but they

now have lost five straight here.

The Orioles continued their pattern. They have scored three runs or fewer in each of their 11

losses.

Wei-Yin Chen allowed five runs in 4 2/3 innings as he lost for the first time in eight starts.

Chen (8-7) allowed a leadoff triple to Logan Fosythe, who had three hits, in the second. He

scored on Tim Beckham’s sacrifice fly.

Asdrubal Cabrera’s two-run home run down the left field line, with two outs in the fourth, gave

Tampa Bay (65-66) a 3-0 lead, and in the fifth, they added two runs.

Rivera scored when Joey Butler hit into the double play started by Machado, and Evan Longoria

followed with his 15th home run.

Chen gave up nine hits to go with his five runs.

“I think it’s my command because you have to pitch to the corners because they are major league

hitters,” Chen said through his interpreter. “If you keep pitching down the middle you will get

hit.”

Chris Archer (12-10) was hardly at his best, but he left eight Orioles on base in the first four

innings.

Machado led off with a drive to center that Kevin Kiermaier snared above the wall.

“Oh man, that’s just the icing on the cake. That’s just how things are going around here, but hey

he made a nice play there,” Machado said. “This is how it’s going to start? That’s the beauty of

baseball. As many plays as I make at third and short and get taken out, it’s just part of the game,”

Machado said.

Two innings after Kiermaier robbed Machado of the homer, he left the game in the third inning

with what was described as a mildly sprained right ankle.

The Orioles (63-68), who are five games under .500 for the first time since June 5, had runners

on first and second with two outs in the second and second, but couldn’t score. They loaded the

bases in the fourth, but Gerardo Parra struck out.

Beckham added his seventh home run of the year off Brad Brach leading off the sixth, and the

Rays led 6-0.

Archer allowed four hits in six innings.

The Orioles scored three runs off Matt Andriese in the seventh. Caleb Joseph singled, Machado

hit into a force play, and Adam Jones drove in the Orioles’ first run with an opposite field single

to right.

Chris Davis struck out for the 175th time this season. Matt Wieters walked to load the bases, and

Steve Clevenger hit a two-run single to left to cut Tampa Bay’s lead to 6-3. Jonathan Schoop

swung at the first pitch and ended the inning by grounding into a force.

“We did some good things getting some people out there. It seems like we're always a hit away.

Had trouble grouping a whole lot together other than one inning,” Showalter said.

Alex Colome retired the Orioles in order in the eighth, and Brad Boxberger finished up in the

ninth for his 33rd save.

NOTES: Miguel Gonzalez had a cortisone shot in his right shoulder. He’ll have an MRI on

Tuesday. …Frederick RHP David Hess won his second Carolina League Pitcher of the Week

award. … Drew Smyly (1-2, 3.82) faces Chris Tillman (9-9, 4.58) on Tuesday night. … The

Orioles will honor Cal Ripken’s consecutive game streak before the game. Ripken will throw out

the first pitch.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-drake-johnson-could-be-only-callups-

today-20150901-story.html

Drake, Johnson could be only call-ups today

By Dan Connolly / The Baltimore Sun

September 1, 2015

Today is the first day of expanded rosters, but don’t expect the Orioles to do too much.

Reliever Steve Johnson is on the taxi squad and will be placed on the 40-man roster (there are

two open spots) and activated today.

Also, it’s expected that today the club will call up U.S. Naval Academy product Oliver Drake,

who has served as Triple-A Norfolk’s closer and has had a tremendous year.

The 28-year-old right-hander has posted a 0.82 ERA in 42 games for the Tides, striking out 66

batters in 44 innings and converting all 23 of his save opportunities.

Along with Johnson and right-hander Chaz Roe, who will come off the disabled list and be ready

to pitch Wednesday, Drake will give Orioles manager Buck Showalter more reinforcements for

the bullpen.

Other than that, the call-ups to Baltimore are likely to be minimal, or at least delayed with

Norfolk on the verge of clinching a division title and Double-A Bowie heading to the playoffs.

Outfielder Dariel Alvarez received his call-up Friday.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/cal-ripken-jr/bs-sp-framing-cal-ripkens-streak-0901-

20150831-story.html

The importance of The Streak that likely will stand forever

By Peter Schmuck / The Baltimore Sun

September 1, 2015

If you take Cal Ripken Jr. at his word, his quest to become baseball's all-time iron man was not a

quest at all.

He would tell you — and he did many times after The Streak took on a life of its own — that his

only obsession was with playing on that day, not the ones that came after or the ones that came

before.

Fair enough, but Ripken's successful attempt to break Lou Gehrig's legendary consecutive games

record was more than just the embodiment of one man's day-to-day commitment to show up for

work and do his job. It was part of something greater.

It was one of those rare things that forges a link between eras and represents all that's good about

sports and the American ethos.

The fact that a teenage Ripken didn't watch "Pride of the Yankees" one day and suddenly declare

that he was going to chase down the Iron Horse only adds to its significance. The fact that he

broke it on Sept. 6, 1995, and kept playing every game for three more seasons confirms that it

wasn't just about breaking one of baseball's supposedly unbreakable records.

That doesn't mean that it wasn't important to him. Ripken wouldn't have played through

countless injuries and endured years of late-season fatigue, not to mention absorbing criticism for

staying in the lineup when he wasn't necessarily at his competitive best, if he didn't comprehend

what it all meant on a personal as well as global level.

It certainly was important to Major League Baseball, though no one would realize how important

until the sport dragged itself through a labor war so damaging that a large segment of its

customer base decided to take the 1995 season off.

Ripken lured the fans back, sometimes one at a time, as he finally embraced his looming place in

history and reached out almost daily with impromptu autograph sessions in city after city. He

made a cynical public remember that the game was not about owners and lawyers and labor

leaders. He made fans forget about that aborted salary cap every time he tipped his Orioles cap in

another ballpark.

What he didn't do was make anyone forget Gehrig, whose legend was only partly built on his

long-standing record of 2,130 consecutive games played. Gehrig remains one of baseball's most

poignant heroes, his career and life cut short by ALS and his legend chiseled into the American

consciousness with the famous speech in which he declared himself "the luckiest man on the face

of the Earth."

Gehrig remains an icon of baseball's Golden Age and Ripken remains a throwback to a simpler

era. The case could be made even before Ripken added 501 games to the record that Ripken's

streak was a much more grueling achievement because he played a more demanding position in

the age of coast-to-coast travel and 162-game schedules.

Doesn't matter. Both streaks live on and fit nicely into their own periods of baseball history.

Gehrig was the steady, unbending choir boy who stood in stark contrast to Babe Ruth in the

Yankees lineup famously known as "Murderers' Row." Ripken was the guy in the milk

commercials who played through much of the steroid era and came out clean.

Gehrig wasn't the first player to run up a long string of consecutive games. Baseball's first true

iron man was Everett Scott, a shortstop like Ripken who played 1,307 straight games for the Red

Sox and Yankees from 1916 to 1925. He and Gehrig were teammates during the 1925 season,

but Scott's streak ended 26 days before Gehrig's began.

Hall of Famer Joe Sewell became the second major league player to appear in more than 1,000

consecutive games, running up a streak of 1,103 as a member of the Cleveland Indians from

1922 to 1930. He also would play for the Yankees late in his career and played on the same

infield as Gehrig, but their streaks did not overlap while they were teammates.

Scott's streak stands as the third longest, but Sewell would be overtaken by Billy Williams

(1,117), Steve Garvey (1,207), Ripken (2,632) and Miguel Tejada (1,152), in chronological

order.

Garvey, who holds the National League record, made no secret of his desire to challenge the

Gehrig streak while he was the first baseman of the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres,

but his quest was cut short when he suffered a severe hand injury sliding into home plate during

the 1983 season.

Much was made at the time Ripken broke Gehrig's record of the wording of Gehrig's monument

at Yankee Stadium, which predicted that Gehrig's "amazing record of 2,130 consecutive games

should stand for all time."

No similar claim has been immortalized in bronze regarding Ripken's streak, but it's fair to ask

whether it's even conceivable that anyone will ever mount a serious challenge to it.

There are all sorts of reasons to believe it will stand forever, starting with the simple fact that

Gehrig's stood for more than a half-century and Ripken's is longer by more than three full

seasons. But there are other reasons that are actually rooted in the Ripken streak, which became

controversial at times when he was struggling at the plate.

In a sense, Ripken and his managers became prisoners of its historical significance. Once

Gehrig's record became a real possibility, The Streak became more important than any individual

managerial move or lineup decision.

There also are economic arguments against it in the age of $300 million contracts. Superstar

players are too valuable to risk allowing them to play through injuries or excessive fatigue, so it's

exceedingly unlikely that many players will get the opportunity to play continuously long

enough to force the issue.

Ripken, like Gehrig, was a very special case. He was a big, durable guy with local roots who

established himself early on as one of the great all-around players at his position. "The Streak,"

he liked to say, was a byproduct of an old-fashioned work ethic instilled in him by his father and

a level of performance that justified his place in the lineup right up to the end.

No argument here.

Editor's note: Sun columnist Peter Schmuck is the only sportswriter to have covered significant

portions of Cal Ripken's all-time record consecutive games streak and Steve Garvey's National

League record streak as an everyday beat writer — covering the Orioles in the early 1990s and

the Los Angeles Dodgers in the early 1980s.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck-blog/bal-the-importance-of-being-frank-

20150831-story.html

The importance of being Frank

By Peter Schmuck / The Baltimore Sun

September 1, 2015

It’s almost hard to believe that Hall of Famer Frank Robinson turned 80 on Monday, but it has

been 49 years since he led the Orioles to their first world championship in his first season in an

Orioles uniform.

Manager Buck Showalter reflected on Robinson’s legacy during his pregame news conference

late Monday afternoon and shared his appreciation for the way that one of baseball’s greatest

players still embraces the Orioles.

“Frank was winning,’’ Showalter said. “The conversation can stop with just about anything he

could do to win a game. You knew where his priorities were. I love talking to him. It’s always

about getting to the end game. You can tell he has a great passion for it.”

Robinson played only six of his 21 major league seasons in Baltimore, but chose to go into the

Hall of Fame as an Oriole and has never made a secret of his lasting affection for the

organization and its fans. He also has strong ties to the Nationals, since he came over with the

Montreal Expos and was the Nats’ first manager in Washington.

Of course, he was the first African-American manager in major league history and he also came

back to manage the Orioles from 1988-1991. He currently works as an assistant to the

commissioner in baseball’s central office.

“His job the last few years, he had to be careful about showing partiality,’’ Showalter said. “He

wasn’t too good at it when it came to the Orioles. I could tell how much he liked talking to the

players in the spring, and they liked listening to him … a very captive audience. He speaks from

his heart. If you’re just around him for a while, you see the passion.”

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-manny-machado-energized-by-

first-major-league-start-at-shortstop-20150831-story.html

Orioles' Manny Machado 'energized' by first major league

start at shortstop

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun

August 31, 2015

Before the Orioles' series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night, manager Buck

Showalter approached Manny Machado with the lineup card that showed Machado as the team’s

starting shortstop.

“What do you think about it?” Machado said Showalter asked him.

His team reeling, Showalter shuffled his lineup, giving Machado his first major league start at

shortstop and also starting Matt Wieters at first base for the first time in his career. Ryan

Flaherty, who had good numbers against Rays starter Chris Archer, started at third and all three

catchers on the roster -- Wieters, Caleb Joseph and Steve Clevenger -- were all in the starting

lineup.

“I see his point,” Machado said. “We’re trying to win games here. We’re trying to see what’s

working and everything’s going against us.”

But the biggest story was Machado, arguably the best third baseman in the game, returning to

shortstop for his first start there since Aug. 8, 2012 at Double-A Bowie, the day before he was

called up to join the Orioles.

Machado, who was groomed as a shortstop in the minors before moving to third in the majors,

had played just one inning at shortstop in his big league career, shifting from third in the

12th inning of the Orioles’ 4-3 loss to the Twins on Aug. 23. Machado had just one defensive

chance, and his error on the play allowed the eventual winning run to reach base.

But Machado was smooth at shortstop on Monday. He started a nice 6-4-3 double play in the

fifth on Rays left fielder Joey Butler and then made a terrific back-handed play on Rene Rivera’s

grounder on the edge of the outfield grass and threw him out at first in the ninth.

“It came back pretty easy,” Machado said. “I’ve been playing that my whole life. I didn’t play

third base until I got up here. It just came natural. I was out there just trying to make the plays

and as the game went on, I just started feeling more comfortable out there.”

Showalter was pleased with Machado’s play, even though he said Machado would return to third

Tuesday and Paul Janish would play shortstop against Rays left-hander Drew Smyly. And

Showalter left no doubt that J.J. Hardy would start at shortstop when he returns from a right

groin injury.

"Manny was really energized by the opportunity,” Showalter said. “I can tell you he was excited

about it for the right reasons. Something where we were trying to give a little bit different look

tonight. I thought he handled himself well. He made a really good play over there in the hole and

started a good double play with Jon.”

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-gonzalez-worried-about-elbow-and-

shoulder-20150831-story.html

Gonzalez worried about elbow and shoulder

By Dan Connolly / The Baltimore Sun

August 31, 2015

Orioles right-hander Miguel Gonzalez said he is dealing with right elbow and shoulder soreness

and will undergo MRIs on both Tuesday.

Gonzalez had a cortisone shot in the shoulder Monday and will be sidelined for a few days. But

he is hoping that the MRI on his swollen right elbow Tuesday shows only inflammation and not

something much worse: a ligament tear.

“You’ve got to stay positive,” said Gonzalez, who had elbow-ligament-replacement [Tommy

John] surgery in 2009. “I mean, I had Tommy John six years ago and I know what it takes, the

process and all that. Hopefully, we don’t have to do anything like that. Hopefully it is minor and

just rehab it, work hard and move on.”

Gonzalez, 31, said he was feeling more soreness than normal in his right shoulder while pitching

Sunday in a loss to Texas and may have over-compensated with his elbow and arm. He said both

were sore on Monday morning and his elbow was swollen.

“It was bothering me a little bit, my shoulder,” Gonzalez told the Baltimore Sun. “And I guess I

was protecting my shoulder and I was using more and more of my elbow and then my elbow

swelled. So that’s why they want to give me a couple more days to see how it goes.”

Gonzalez is in the middle of a difficult season, posting a 9-11 record with a 4.85 ERA in 25

starts. He hasn’t pitched beyond 5 1/3 innings in 11 of his last 14 outings — raising the question

that he may not be physically sound.

Gonzalez, however, continually said he was healthy -- just not commanding his pitches as

sharply as he can -- before feeling the soreness on Sunday and Monday.

Showalter said after Monday’s game that Gonzalez had the cortisone shot in the shoulder and

would be getting an MRI, but did not mention the elbow. He had said earlier Monday that

Gonzalez was “a little sore today in a couple of places.”

Gonzalez will miss his next start, which had been slated for this weekend in Toronto. But he is

hoping a few days of rest will be the extent of his layoff. He said he’s trying to put thoughts of

another elbow surgery out of his mind.

“Knowing that it happened in 2009, I know how it felt,” Gonzalez said. “And it’s not as bad as it

was before. So that’s a positive.”

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-steve-johnson-will-be-among-orioles-

september-callups-20150831-story.html

Steve Johnson will be among Orioles' September call-ups

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun

August 31, 2015

Right-hander Steve Johnson will be among the players the Orioles add when rosters expand on

Tuesday.

Johnson, a St. Paul’s graduate, was with the Orioles on Monday and will have his contract

selected from Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday. Johnson thought he might receive a September call-

up, but he still was surprised when told in the middle of Nofolk’s game Sunday in Gwinnett, Ga.,

that he was heading to Baltimore Monday morning.

“I really wasn’t expecting it yesterday, so it kind of surprised me a little bit,” Johnson said. “I

was hoping for a September call up. I was pitching well and I’m glad it happened.”

Johnson, who turned 28 on Monday, was 4-1 with a 2.30 ERA in 32 outings (three starts) over

54 2/3 innings. Last season, Johnson’s season was sidetracked by injury as he dealt with shoulder

problems and had surgery to remove bone spurs from the base of his right shoulder.

“Just finally [feel] healthy,” Johnson said. “I worked on the delivery in spring training after the

surgery and finally got in a groove and just tried to stay with it. … Last year, [my] health and I

lost my fastball. That’s pretty much my main pitch, my fastball command and that sneaky

fastball. I kind of lost that last year and I kind of got it back and commanding it and throwing my

offspeed pitches. I’ve been in kind of a nice groove.”

Because Johnson, who was signed to a minor league contract in the offseason, is out of minor

league options, the Orioles couldn’t call him up as a short-term bullpen arm because he would

have had to clear waivers first before returning to the Orioles.

“You know if you pitch well long enough eventually they will call your name if they like you,”

Johnson said. “And that’s all I kept telling myself, if I pitched well long enough, they’ll

hopefully give me a call. And it finally happened and I’m pretty happy about it.”

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-pregame-o-s-lineup-shuffle-

includes-machado-s-first-career-major-league-start-at-shortstop-20150831-story.html

O's lineup shuffle includes Machado's first major league

start at shortstop

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun

August 31, 2015

As the Orioles – losers of 10 of their past 11 games – open their three-game series against the

Tampa Bay Rays Monday night, their starting lineup has a much different look.

“Every once in a while you’re in need of a different look, something to take away from

Groundhog Day,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said.

Manny Machado will make his first major league start at shortstop, the position he was groomed

for in the minor leagues before joining the Orioles in August 2012 to solve their problem at third

base.

Machado has started every game this season at third base. Ryan Flaherty, who is hitting .357 (5-

for-14) against Rays starter Chris Archer, will start at third.

“What plays into it is Manny’s capable of being a really good shortstop and Ryan’s played well

at third ... I like Ryan at all places," Showalter said. "But Ryan has had a little success off Archer

too. And we’re looking for any way to mount some offense."

Machado has played just one inning at shortstop in his major league career before Monday night.

He shifted to shortstop in the 12th inning of the Orioles’ 4-3 loss to the Twins on Aug. 23,

making a costly fielding error on his only play that allowed the eventual winning run on base.

Showalter half-joked that that Machado has played his share of shortstop this season when the

Orioles play shifts on left-handed batters.

“He’s been playing shortstop all year, half the games in the shifts,” Showalter said. “He really

has. He’s got as many putouts at shortstop as he’s got at third base, [infield coach] Bobby

[Dickerson] was telling me. So I know it’s different. I know he’s pretty excited about it.”

The Orioles are also starting all three catchers on the roster. Matt Wieters will make his third

career start at first base – he also started there on Aug. 1 against the Detroit Tigers – while Steve

Clevenger will be the designated hitter and Caleb Joseph will catch.

“They’re all swinging the bat [well], swinging the bat pretty well off Archer,” Showalter said.

“And if not them then who?"

Clevenger, hitting .370 in 13 games, will be making his first start since Monday. He didn’t start

in the three-game series in Texas because the Orioles were facing three lefties and was on the

three-day paternity list Tuesday through Thursday for the birth of his first child.

“I wanted to get Steve back in there,” Showalter said. “I hate anybody getting penalized because

they had a great event in their life like the addition of a child. We had three left-handers in a row,

we’ve got another tomorrow. Matt’s good protection for Chris being a switch-hitter, I could keep

going for about 30 reasons. They’ve added another left-hander in the bullpen and will probably

add another one tomorrow. They are gonna be very left-handed so you want to make sure that

you space them out.”

Other notes:

Showalter said that Miguel Gonzalez is “sore in a couple places” following his last start on

Sunday and is questionable for his next start.

He went 5 1/3 innings Sunday, allowing four runs on seven hits in a 6-0 loss to the Rangers.

Gonzalez owns a 6.49 ERA in 13 games since returning from the disabled list with a groin strain

in June.

Top pitching prospect Dylan Bundy has been cleared to resume throwing following his

appointment with Dr. James Andrews Monday. The hope is for Bundy to begin a throwing

program and be able to log game innings in instructional league next month. Bundy hasn't

pitched in a game since May 21; he's been sidelined with calcium buildup in the back of his right

shoulder.

Tyler Wilson, who is on the minor league disabled list with a left oblique strain, will throw a

four-inning simulated game Tuesday.

Mike Wright will make a minor league rehab start tomorrow for Triple-A Norfolk. He allowed

one run on two hits over four innings. He is expected to pitch five innings.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/146520642/manny-machado-makes-first-start-at-shortstop

Machado steps up in first start at SS Usual third baseman starts double play, shows off arm in new position

By Todd Karpovich / MLB.com

September 1, 2015

BALTIMORE -- In the sixth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays, Manny Machado managed a

backhand grab deep in the hole and threw out Rene Rivera on a close play at first base to rob him

of a single.

It was the first time Machado had started at shortstop in his Major League career. He responded

by playing flawless defense and hitting a pair of singles.

Still, any excitement about being back at his natural position was tempered by the 6-3 loss to

Tampa Bay -- Baltimore's 11th setback in the past 12 games.

"It came back pretty easy," Machado said. "I've been playing that my whole life. I didn't play

third base until I got up here. It just came natural. I was out there just trying to make the plays,

and as the game went on, I just started feeling more comfortable out there."

Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said Machado typically moves to shortstop from third base

on an infield shift. With regular shortstop J.J. Hardy on the disabled list with a left groin strain, it

provided the perfect opportunity for Machado to get back to his old position -- even if it is short

term.

"Manny was really energized by the opportunity," Showalter said. "I can tell you he was excited

about it for the right reasons. Something where we were trying to give a little bit different look

tonight. I thought he handled himself well. He made a really good play over there in the hole and

started a good double play with [Jonathan Schoop]. I think about all the things those two guys

have been through together, and to get an opportunity to play up the middle together tonight. I

thought he handled himself well. He had some really good at-bats, too."

Machado also moved to shortstop in the 12th inning against the Twins on Aug. 23. He made a

critical error that eventually helped the go-ahead run score. That miscue also played into

Showalter giving him another opportunity at short.

Machado's move to short was not the only strategy Showalter used to try and breathe new life

into his team. All three catchers were in the lineup as Matt Wieters played first, Steve

Clevenger was the DH and Caleb Joseph took over his regular spot behind the plate.

None of the moves, however, were particularly effective, as Baltimore didn't manage a run off

Rays starter Chris Archer through his six innings. An RBI single by Adam Jones off Matt

Andriese ended a string of 19 consecutive scoreless innings. Clevenger also hit a two-run single.

"We're just one hit, one out away," Machado said. "It's going to come. It's going to come. We're

just going to focus, pitch by pitch. I think that's where we're going right now. Just stay in the

moment, don't try to do too much … battle every out, just live in the moment, live by that pitch,

see how the results come out."

For Wieters, it provided another opportunity to be in the lineup. He underwent Tommy John

surgery last season and the Orioles have been careful not to overwork him behind the plate.

Wieters has taken some reps at first base and already made two appearances there this season

(June 16 and Aug. 1). As a result, it was not that big of adjustment, and he made several solid

plays at first, including a nice scoop on a throw by Machado.

"When I DH between catching, one the the things I kind of miss is being out there on the field

and being able to really play the full nine innings," Wieters said. "I'm excited to play defense as

well as offense. We know we have a month-plus to play some good baseball and turn it around."

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/146602452/miguel-gonzalez-receives-cortisone-shot

Gonzalez gets cortisone shot in shoulder

By Todd Karpovich / MLB.com

September 1, 2015

BALTIMORE -- Orioles right-hander Miguel Gonzalez received a cortisone shot in his right

shoulder on Monday as Baltimore lost, 6-3, to the Rays. He will undergo an MRI Tuesday,

manager Buck Showalter said.

"He had an injection in his shoulder, which is a two-or-three-day thing to recover from,"

Showalter said. "I think we'll have a pretty good idea of what we're dealing with tomorrow. We

want to make sure we get a couple pictures, make sure there's no damage that we don't know

about before we proceed with the next step."

Gonzalez (9-11, 4.85 ERA) allowed four runs on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings and took the loss

Sunday against the Rangers. He has lost five consecutive games and has not earned a win since

July 25.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/146602452/miguel-gonzalez-receives-cortisone-shot

Tillman looks to help O's bounce back

By Todd Karpovich / MLB.com

August 31, 2015

The Orioles are still looking to get back in the thick of the Wild Card playoff race after a tough

stretch of losses. To help reinvigorate the lineup, manager Buck Showalter moved Manny

Machado to third base and started Matt Wieters at first. It would not be a stretch for him to

continue to come up with more creative ideas over the course of the series.

However, it is certain that Chris Tillman will take the mound as he tries to bounce back from two

straight losses. The Rays, meanwhile, are looking to stay ahead of Baltimore in both the

American League East and the Wild Card chase. Left-hander Drew Smyly is 2-0 with a 1.00

ERA in six career appearances against the Orioles, and he will look to maintain that streak

against their struggling lineup.

Things to know about this game

• Smyly is looking to get back in form after being shut down May 5 with a partial labrum tear in

the left shoulder. He has gone 1-1 in three starts since coming off the DL on Aug. 16. In his last

appearance against the Twins, he allowed four runs on eight hits over just 4 1/3 innings. It was

the most hits he gave up since being traded to the Rays in 2014 (13 starts).

• Wieters likes the idea of playing first base because it gives him an opportunity to be in the

lineup and also play defense. Wieters underwent Tommy John surgery last year, and the Orioles

have been careful not to overwork him behind the plate.

"When I DH between catching, one the the things I kind of miss is being out there on the field

and being able to really play the full nine innings," Wieters said. "I'm excited to play defense as

well as offense."

• Rays manager Kevin Cash said the club would be bringing up "four or five" players from

Triple-A Durham when rosters expand Sept. 1. However, he did not disclose the names of those

players. The Orioles will also likely add a few players, including right-hander Steve Johnson,

who has battled back from shoulder injuries.

http://m.mlb.com/cutfour/2015/08/31/146441798

Adam Jones struck a pose after making this catch, probably

invented a new baseball-themed dance

By Gemma Kaneko / MLB.com

August 31, 2015

Anyone who's ever been to a wedding or a middle-school dance knows about the cultural

phenomenon that is the instructions dance. It's a dance made for people who want to move

around to music but have no interest in learning actual steps. All you have to do is listen to what

the singer tells you.

Instructions dances can happen at any time. If you're at school, at work or in the middle of

playing a baseball game, you must bow to the power of the dance.

At least, that's what I'm going to assume Adam Jones was doing in the fifth inning of Sunday's

Orioles-Rangers gameafter he caught a line drive off the bat of Mitch Moreland. Obviously,

Jones has just heard the "pose for the camera" part of Beyoncé's "Get Me Bodied."

Now he's supposed to do an old-school dance:

Perfect.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/09/orioles-adding-oliver-drake-to-expanded-

roster.html

Orioles adding Oliver Drake to expanded roster (updated)

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

September 1, 2015

One day after deciding to select the contract of right-hander Steve Johnson from Triple-A

Norfolk, the Orioles also are leaning toward recalling reliever Oliver Drake, according to an

official. He's expected in Baltimore for the Rays series this week.

Drake, who pitched at the Naval Academy, is 1-2 with a 0.82 ERA and 0.89 WHIP and 23 saves

in 42 games with Norfolk. He's allowed only four runs and 23 hits in 44 innings, with 16 walks

and 66 strikeouts.

The Orioles were tempted to keep Drake with the Tides as the club made its final push toward a

playoff berth, but they're also trying to save their season. They've lost 11 of 12 games and are

only two ahead of the last-place Red Sox in the American League East.

Drake underwent labrum surgery three years ago, returned to the 40-man roster over the winter

and positioned himself as a favorite to be named the organization's minor league Pitcher of the

Year.

Johnson was placed on the taxi squad yesterday and will have his contract selected today. Also,

reliever Chaz Roe will come off the disabled list on Wednesday to provide another bullpen arm.

More players will be added from Norfolk later in the month. There also have been discussions

regarding a few players at Double-A Bowie.

Tides outfielder Dariel Alvarez would have been a September call-up, but he already had his

contract selected over the weekend.

Drake allowed three runs in 7 2/3 innings with the Orioles this summer in his first exposure to

the majors.

I asked director of player development Brian Graham earlier this week about Drake's

breakthrough season in the International League.

"The quality of his strikes has really improved," Graham said. "He's been able to throw his split-

finger ahead in the count and behind in the count. When you throw that split-finger for a strike,

you have a chance to get a lot of outs. His numbers are off the charts for the Triple-A level. They

really are."

Update: Norfolk skipper Ron Johnson has been named the International League Manager of the

Year. Alvarez and Drake were named IL All-Stars.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/09/ripkens-return-serving-as-much-needed-

distraction-for-orioles.html

Ripken's return serving as much-needed distraction for

Orioles

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com\

September 1, 2015

The Orioles will turn back the clock tonight. Not to 2012 or 2014. We're not talking playoffs.

Not to the Winter Meetings or the start of spring training or opening day. Those ships have sailed

as the Orioles take on water.

They're going back to 1995 to reminisce with Cal Ripken Jr. about the night he broke Lou

Gehrig's consecutive-games streak. The actual date is Sept. 6, but the Orioles will be in Toronto,

so Ripken has been invited tonight to throw out the ceremonial first pitch and choose whether he

wants to start at shortstop or third base.

The last part may not be accurate. I'm still working to get confirmation.

Fans also can be transported to that historic night by watching a video tribute on the big screen.

Don't be late.

Catcher Steve Clevenger grew up in Pigtown and attended 2,131. He was 9, so the memories are

a bit fuzzy.

"I don't remember too much," he said. "At the time, I was too young to realize what it really

meant and everything like that. It was a great feat for Cal. Now I look back on it and just think

about how many consecutive games that is in a row, how tough that really is to grasp. It's an

unbelievable achievement by him and to play that many games in a row and being on some

winning teams.

"It was me and my cousins. We had some cheap seats all the way up in the nosebleed section.

We used to go to games when we were kids and we got down there and kind of snuck in with

some cheap tickets.

"I always played ball, but that was one of the games I got to go to that I actually remember."

Ripken removed himself from the lineup with The Streak at 2,632.

"I don't think that record's going to be broken," Clevenger said. "That's a lot of games to play in a

row. It's an unbelievable feat that he accomplished and I just don't think it will be broken."

Third baseman Manny Machado has played every game this season, and his streak of 131 in a

row is the longest active in the majors.

No one said it would be easy to play in 162, let alone challenge Ripken.

"It's hard because of the schedule and because of the grind," said manager Buck Showalter. "And

I think the start times, the discipline it requires to basically sacrifice a lot of your time to be in

here and work on things. The work that goes on after a game. The sleep habits, the eating habits.

All the things that have to go on. It's a challenge.

"I was looking at the number of people we have here who haven't even had 200 at-bats yet this

year. And I think sometimes because they're here and playing, you don't realize how much of the

season we've played without them, which is a tribute that nobody's really talked about because

it's just part of the gig. But you're talking about five, six, seven of our guys."

Chris Tillman is making his 25th start tonight, as the Orioles try to break a five-game losing

streak. He was 6-7 with a 5.40 ERA in the first half, but he's 3-2 with a 2.96 ERA in the second.

There are always two sides. Tillman was 2-0 with a 1.31 ERA in five July starts, but he was 1-2

with a 5.73 ERA in four starts last month.

Tillman is 1-2 with a 3.20 ERA in four starts against the Rays this season, with 10 runs (nine

earned) and 18 hits in 25 1/3 innings. Evan Longoria is the biggest thorn in Tillman's side with a

career .372 (16-for-43) average with four doubles and six home runs.

It's not as much of a thorn as it is a railroad spike.

John Jaso is 4-for-19 with two doubles against Tillman, James Loney is 4-for-30 with a home

run and Kevin Kiermaier is 2-for-14.

Kiermaier left last night's game with a mild sprain of his right ankle and is day-to-day. He stuck

around long enough to rob Machado of a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first.

Rays left-hander Drew Smyly, making his seventh start of the year, is 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA in six

career games (three starts) against the Orioles. He's allowed three runs and struck out 29 batters

in 27 innings. Smyly has allowed two runs in 15 innings over three games (two starts) at Camden

Yards.

Chris Davis is 2-for-11 with two home runs against Smyly, Adam Jones is 2-for-12 with a home

run, Steve Pearce is 1-for-8 with three strikeouts and Jonathan Schoop is 0-for-6 with three

strikeouts.

Gerardo Parra was 2-for-25 in his last six games before his single last night in the seventh inning.

The Orioles scheduled an MRI today for pitcher Miguel Gonzalez, whose disappointing 2015

season may have gotten worse.

This team is desperate for some good news. Dylan Bundy receiving clearance yesterday from Dr.

James Andrews to start a throwing program was a step in the right direction, but the Orioles

continued to fall as day turned to night.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/08/buck-showalter-on-miguel-gonzalez-wei-

yin-chen-and-a-6-3-loss.html

Buck Showalter on Miguel Gonzalez, Wei-Yin Chen and a 6-

3 loss

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

August 31, 2015

The Orioles lost their fifth consecutive game tonight and their 11th in the last 12. Returning to

their home ballpark didn't reverse their slide.

The Rays posted a 6-3 win at Camden Yards to drop the Orioles five games below .500 for the

first time since June 6. The Orioles (63-68) have been held to three runs or fewer in 11 of their

last 12 games and they're 0-60 when trailing after the eighth inning.

On top of that, we learned tonight that Miguel Gonzalez received a cortisone injection in his

right shoulder and will undergo an MRI on Tuesday. His elbow also is sore, which explains why

manager Buck Showalter mentioned discomfort in "a couple places."

"He had an injection in his shoulder, which is a two- or three-day thing to recover from,"

Showalter said after tonight's game. "I think we'll have a pretty good idea of what we're dealing

with tomorrow. We want to make sure we get a couple pictures, make sure there's not any

damage that we don't know about before we proceed with the next step."

The Orioles fell behind 6-0 tonight and were scoreless for 19 consecutive innings before Adam

Jones' RBI single in the seventh. They ran up Chris Archer's pitch count, but couldn't take full

advantage.

Left-hander Wei-Yin Chen lasted only 4 2/3 innings and allowed five runs and nine hits. The

Rays homered twice off him.

"We did some good things geting some people out there," said Showalter, whose club went 3-

for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11. "It seems like we're always a hit away.

Had trouble grouping a whole lot together other than one inning. That's part of it. It doesn't

always work out like you'd like to have it drawn up every night.

"Wei-Yin started out pretty good there. He had some depth there to his breaking ball, but it

seems like every time he made a mistake with his fastball location, he paid for it. But we talked

about the challenge of pitching when you're not real sure what you're going to have to work with,

but that doesn't change physically how you go about pitching. You've got to get people out. I

thougth we'd make a run at them. We did, but we were just a hit away with some situations with

some people out there. But we didn't take advantage.

"I was impressed with the at-bats. We had (Archer) over 100 pitches in the fifth inning. We had a

lot better quality at-bats than we've been having. We just couldn't finish off those innings. When

he went back out there or the sixth at 100-plus, you think you're going to benefit from that, but

we weren't able to keep him at bay and we created a margin we couldn't overcome."

Archer shut out the Orioles on four hits over six innings and improved to 12-10 with a 2.78 ERA.

"He's a real good pitcher," Showalter said. "I thought we were as good as he was tonight. We just

couldn't get that last hit. I was really proud of the at-bats our guys had off him. Obviously, his

stuff is real good, but we've competed real well against him over the years. That's hard to do. But

you know you're going to have to have a pretty well-pitched game because what opportunities

you get off him, you better make use of it. But like I said, I was happy about the at-bats off him.

"We got some deep counts and really were selective off him. Plus slider, that velocity, a real

athletic guy. That's why he's one of the best pitchers in the American League, but we had our

opportunities against him."

Chen was "OK," Showalter said. Not good enough.

"It wasn't as good as he's capable," Showalter said. "I thought the way he started out, I thought

we were going to have a really good outing from him, which we needed. He's a couple pitches

away from it. I thought the two-seamer he was trying to go down and away, they jerked across

the plate that they hit out of the ballpark was a pitch he'd like to have back."

Manny Machado made his first major league start at shortstop and looked comfortable in the

field. He had a great backhanded stop deep in the hole and fired to first for the out, with Matt

Wieters making the scoop.

"Manny was really energized by the opportunity," Showalter said. "I can tell you he was excited

about it for the right reasons. Something where we were trying to give a little bit different look

tonight. I thought he handled himself well. He made a really good play over there in the hole and

started a good double play with Jon (Schoop). I think about all the things those two guys have

been through together and to get an opportunity to play up the middle together tonight. I thought

he handled himself well. He had some really good at-bats, too.

"It's frustrating for our guys to see all the things that go on behind the scenes that you all aren't

privy to. How frustrating it is for them, the things they're trying to do to get it righted and not get

a return for it. I feel for the want-to. Believe me, it's a constant theme of our guys trying to get it

going, and I still feel when they do, somebody's going to pay."

Machado will move back to third base on Tuesday and Paul Janish will start at shortstop against

Rays left-hander Drew Smyly.

Showalter found encouragement in the improved at-bats tonight. A tiny victory for a team

starved for wins.

"Much better," he said. "It didn't show up on the scoreboard, but that's the only things we judge it

by at the end. Our guys know that. They talked about some things today, like they do every day.

If I told you everything that goes on from 11 o'clock in the morning to the first pitch, that's what

everybody does. We don't have a corner on it. We're trying to do something that 29 other clubs

are trying to do. It's a challenge."

The Orioles will select Steve Johnson's contract from Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday and decide

later whether to put Gonzalez on the disabled list. They can avoid it with the expanded roster.

"If you DL him, you bring some other people into play that haven't been down for 10 days,"

Showalter said. "There's a lot of moving legalities with the roster management that we have to

stay on top of."

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/08/gonzalez-to-undergo-mri-in-the-

morning.html

Gonzalez to undergo MRI in the morning

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

August 31, 2015

The Orioles are dealing with an injury to their rotation while also trying to halt a losing streak

that's reached five games.

Miguel Gonzalez received a cortisone injection in his right shoulder today and will undergo an

MRI on Tuesday after complaining of soreness following yesterday's start in Texas. His elbow

also is bothering him.

Earlier today, manager Buck Showalter said Gonzalez was sore in a couple of places.

Gonzalez's turn in the rotation can be skipped due to Thursday's open date on the schedule.

Gonzalez is 9-11 with a 4.85 ERA in 25 starts. He's 2-5 with a 6.04 ERA in nine starts in the

second half and hasn't worked more than 5 1/3 innings in 11 of his last 14 outings.

The Orioles placed Gonzalez on the 15-day disabled list on June 10 with a strained right groin.

They could DL him again this week despite the expanded rosters if they want to recall a player

who hasn't been down in the minors for the minimum 10 days.

Steve Johnson will have his contract selected from Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday and reliever

Chaz Roe will come off the DL on Wednesday. Those are the only planned additions as of

tonight.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/08/britton-on-arrieta-maybe-the-change-of-

scenery-was-what-he-needed.html

Britton on Arrieta: "Maybe the change of scenery was what

he needed"

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

August 31, 2015

Pitcher Steve Johnson is on the Orioles' taxi squad today and will have his contract selected from

Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday.

With an off-day on Thursday, the Orioles could skip Miguel Gonzalez's next turn after he

showed up today with soreness in "a couple of places," according to manager Buck Showalter.

The break in the schedule comes at a convenient time. The Orioles don't have many starter

options, even with rosters expanding.

"We'll see how that shakes things out," Showalter said. "I know Richie (Bancells) is concerned

about it a little bit. We'll see how that works out."

Showalter met in his office with executive vice president Dan Duquette before speaking to the

media.

"Dan and I were talking about call-ups and some different stuff tomorrow," Showalter said.

The latest trade deadline arrives at midnight. Players acquired beyond it can't be included on a

postseason roster.

"(Duquette) didn't mention anything to me today or hasn't about some impending transactions

that affects one of our players being traded," Showalter said. "He doesn't have to. He normally

does."

Showalter stated yesterday that he wasn't anticipating a deal and his opinion today remains the

same.

"I haven't heard anything at all, and I haven't heard anything that would make me change my

thought," he said.

Showalter didn't have much information on Dylan Bundy beyond how Dr. James Andrews

cleared him to start a throwing program.

"I hadn't heard any particulars about what they found," Showalter said.

Tyler Wilson remains scheduled to throw a four-inning simulated game on Tuesday and Mike

Wright will start that night for Norfolk while continuing his injury rehab assignment.

Showalter said he didn't watch former Oriole Jake Arrieta's no-hitter last night, but he heard the

details.

"I don't think it surprises anybody the way Jake's been pitching. Special," Showalter said. "I'm

proud of and happy for him. He's a good young man. He has really done well."

"I don't think it surprised anybody. He's come into his own. He's a good one. I'm happy for him

individually. I'm glad he's over in the National League and we don't play the Cubs this year."

Orioles closer Zach Britton remains good friends with Arrieta and called him after the no-hitter

over the Dodgers became official.

"I watched the ninth when he struck out the side to get it and that was pretty cool," Britton said.

"I told him it was almost like he was walking toward the dugout like he was in his own little

world there, which was crazy. He said it was awesome. I'm happy for him.

"You knew it could do it. And for him, maybe the change of scenery was what he needed. His

stuff was always there. It was just a matter of somebody being able to let him relax a little bit and

trust his stuff more than anything, and he's definitely done that the last two years in Chicago."

Arrieta was 20-25 with a 5.46 ERA in 69 career games with the Orioles, including 63 starts.

Since being traded to the Cubs along with reliever Pedro Strop, he's gone 31-13 with a 2.48 ERA

in 61 starts.

"I think us in here, you wish he had a chance to work with Dom (Chiti) and Dave (Wallace).

Really do," Britton said.

"We think maybe those guys could have helped him a little bit. Just from our experience with

them, they allow you to relax and trust your stuff, and I think that's what Jake needed.

Unfortunately, they didn't get to work with these guys, but you're happy for him for what he's

doing in Chicago."

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/08/notes-on-bundy-gonzalez-trade-deadline-

lineup-and-more.html

Notes on Bundy, Gonzalez, trade deadline, lineup and more

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

August 31, 2015

Dylan Bundy has been cleared to start a throwing program following today's examination by

renowned orthopedist Dr. James Andrews.

Bundy is on the disabled list with right shoulder tendinitis.

Miguel Gonzalez, who's failed to work more than 5 1/3 innings in 11 of his last 14 starts, showed

up today sore in "a couple of places," according to manager Buck Showalter.

Showalter said head athletic trainer Richie Bancells is "a little concerned," and Gonzalez could

miss his next start.

"We'll see how that shakes out," Showalter said.

Showalter doesn't expect the Orioles to make any trades before the midnight deadline. He added

that executive vice president Dan Duquette hasn't given any indication that a deal is pending, and

certainly not one that impacts a player currently on the roster.

Tonight's lineup includes all three catchers. Showalter said they have good numbers against Rays

starter Chris Archer, which contributed to his decision.

It's clear that Showalter also is trying to shake up the team after 10 losses in the last 11 games.

"Sometimes you're in need of a different look, to take away from Groundhog Day," he said.

"We're trying to win," Showalter added, "and we think this gives us the best chance."

Single-A Delmarva catcher Jonah Heim has been activated from the disabled list, and catcher

Steel Russell has been promoted to high SIngle-A Frederick.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/08/manny-machado-starting-at-shortstop.html

Manny Machado starting at shortstop

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

August 31, 2015

Manny Machado is making his first major league start and second appearance at shortstop

tonight, as the Orioles open a three-game series against the Rays at Camden Yards.

Ryan Flaherty is starting at third base. Also, all three catchers are in the lineup.

Caleb Joseph is behind the plate, Matt Wieters is playing first base and Steve Clevenger is

serving as the designated hitter.

Chris Davis is in right field and rookie Dariel Alvarez is on the bench.

Left-hander Wei-Yin Chen has held opponents to a .160 average (20-for-125) with runners in

scoring position this season, which leads all qualifying starting pitchers in the majors.

For the Orioles Manny Machado SS

Gerardo Parra LF

Adam Jones CF

Chris Davis RF

Matt Wieters 1B

Steve Clevenger DH

Jonathan Schoop 2B

Caleb Joseph C

Ryan Flaherty 3B

Wei-Yin Chen LHP

For the Rays Brandon Guyer RF

Joey Butler LF

Evan Longoria 3B

Logan Forsythe 2B

Asdrubal Cabrera SS

Tim Beckham DH

James Loney 1B

Kevin Kiermaier CF

Rene Rivera C

Chris Archer RHP

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2015/09/steve-johnson-on-his-return-bowie-is-in-

the-playoffs-and-the-os-lose-again.html

Steve Johnson on his return, Bowie is in the playoffs and O's

lose again

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

September 1, 2015

Right-hander Steve Johnson was back in the Orioles clubhouse yesterday. He has had a very

strong season with Triple-A Norfolk and is expected to be added by the Orioles as rosters can be

expanded today.

Johnson went 4-1 with a 2.30 ERA in 32 appearances with the Tides, with 16 walks and 67

strikeouts over 54 2/3 innings. He held left-handed batters to a .197 average and right-handed

hitters to a .237 average.

Johnson, whose last major league appearance came on Sept. 27, 2013, underwent surgery last

Sept. 24 to shave a bone spur behind his right shoulder. Now he is looking to re-establish that he

can pitch - and pitch well - in the big leagues.

"Of course," he said. "The last year or so was really frustrating for me with injuries and not

pitching well. Proving I can be back here would mean a lot. You know if you pitch well long

enough, you'll get that call. I want to pitch here. That is the main thing and why I signed back

(with the Orioles in the winter). They've liked me when I've pitched well and they know what I

can do up here. Just have to go out and do it."

Since June 1, Johnson has gone 3-0 with an 0.91 ERA in 16 Triple-A games. He has recorded 31

strikeouts while issuing just six walks during that span, over which he's held International

League batters to a .158 average.

"Last year, I kind of lost my fastball a little bit," Johnson said. "That sneaky fastball with

command is my main pitch. Kind of got it back now and am throwing that with my off-speed

pitches and I've just been in a nice groove."

Baysox are playoff-bound: The Orioles could have as many as three minor league affiliates

make the playoffs. After last night, Double-A Bowie is in.

The Baysox clinched their sixth playoff berth in the franchise's 23-year history and first since

2012 with a 7-4 comeback win over the Altoona Curve. The Baysox rallied for four runs in the

bottom of the eighth inning for the win after falling behind 4-3 in the top of the eighth.

Trey Mancini hit a solo homer in the win, his 20th between Single-A Frederick and Bowie.

During the rally in the eighth inning, Drew Dosch singled in two runs and Glynn Davis knocked

in another run. The Baysox now set their sights on winning a division title. With a magic number

of three to do that, Bowie is closing in on its first division crown since 2008.

Triple-A Norfolk lost at home 3-1 to Charlotte last night. The Tides have lost 10 of 13 games,

but second-place Gwinnett also lost. So Norfolk still leads its division by three games with eight

left, with a magic number of six to clinch first place.

Short season Single-A Aberdeen lost 5-2 in 13 innings to Vermont. At 35-34, the IronBirds are 1

1/2 games back of co-leaders Hudson Valley and Staten Island in their division.

Another loss for the Orioles: Heading into September last year, the Orioles were running away

with the American League East. They led the division by nine games. Today they are in fourth

place, 11 games out of first place and just two games ahead of last-place Boston.

With five losses in a row and 11 in the last 12 games, the Orioles have fallen to 63-68. They have

been as many as six games under .500 this year and they would reach that low-water mark with a

loss tonight.

The Orioles have scored just 10 runs during the five straight losses, three runs or less in 11 of the

last 12 games and just 28 runs their past 13 losses.

Orioles players have said there is still time left and that one win or one big hit could turn things.

And while there is maybe some truth to that, the bigger reality right now is the Orioles are much

closer to last place then the playoffs right now.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2015/08/machado-on-playing-shortstop-chen-on-

his-outing-after-os-loss-to-tampa-bay.html

Machado on playing shortstop, Chen on his outing after O's

loss to Tampa Bay

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

August 31, 2015

When he took the field tonight, playing shortstop for the first time in the majors, Manny

Machado said he tried to take it as just another game. When he batted in the last of first inning,

however, more frustration set in for Machado and the Orioles. Rays Center fielder Kevin

Kiermaier robbed him of a homer as Tampa Bay went on to a 6-3 win over the Orioles.

"Oh, man, that's just icing on the cake," Machado said he thought at the time. "That is how things

are going around here. This is how it's going to start? But that is the beauty of baseball. As many

plays as I make at third and short and get taken out, it is part of the game."

Machado tonight made his first start at short since Aug. 8, 2012 when he was with Double-A

Bowie. How did it go for him?

"Good," Machado said. "Think the reason why we did it was to try and change something up and

get a win out of it. We played good baseball, we just didn't hit clutch. Think we are getting

somewhere. Just glad that we are going through this now instead of later on down the road where

we need to be winning games. Feel like we are just one hit, one out away and it's going to come.

"Buck came up to me and showed me a lineup and said, 'What do you think about it?' I see his

point. Nothing is going for us right now and we are just trying to figure something out."

It didn't take long for Machado to feel comfortable again at short.

"It came back pretty easy," he said. "I've been playing there my whole life. I had never played

third base until I came up here. It just came naturally. I was just trying to make the plays and as

the game went on I was more comfortable out there."

Even though the Orioles did not score in the first six innings off Chris Archer, Machado said he

felt there were some good signs early in the game.

"Archer, though four innings, had 80- or 90-some pitches," Machado said. "That tells you we are

seeing the ball. We are having quality at-bats. You know, we didn't come clutch. We had a

couple of situations - myself, runners on first and second - and it just didn't happen. Like I said,

we are one pitch away. We have to live in the moment. Don't try to do too much, just get on base

and let the guy behind you pick you up."

Wei-Yin Chen took the loss tonight, allowing nine hits and five runs over 4 2/3 innings to fall to

8-7 with a ERA of 3.36. Chen had allowed three earned runs or less in 16 of his last 17 starts

before tonight.

"I think it was my command (that was off tonight)," he said through interpreter Louis Chao.

"You have to pitch to the corners. They are major league hitters and if you keep pitching down

the middle, you will get hit. I think maybe my mechanics were a little bit off. I just didn't

perform well."

The Rays hit two homers off Chen tonight and he has allowed eight against them this year over

27 1/3 innings in five starts.

"I don't know. I have allowed quite a few home runs this year. I try not to, but sometimes things

just don't work out," he said.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2015/08/os-game-blog-the-orioles-are-26-24-

against-the-al-east-as-tampa-bay-series-begins.html

O's game blog: Orioles are 26-24 against the AL East as

Tampa Bay series begins

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

August 31, 2015

The Orioles (63-67) have played 130 games, with 32 remaining in the 2015 season. They begin a

brief homestand tonight that consists of one three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays. It

begins a stretch where 26 of the remaining 32 games are within the American League East.

The O's have a winning record in the division this year at 26-24, including a 13-8 mark at home

and a 7-5 record against Tampa Bay (64-66). The Orioles are 13-17 versus the AL Central and

15-18 against the AL West. The last time the Orioles played a division opponent, it was also

Tampa Bay and they won two of three from July 24-26 on the road.

Wei-Yin Chen (8-6, 3.17 ERA) makes his 26th start tonight and faces Rays right-hander Chris

Archer (11-10, 2.88 ERA).

Over his past four starts, Chen is 3-0 with an ERA of 2.42. He is 4-0 over his last seven starts

since July 26 and the Orioles are 6-1 during that span. He has allowed three earned runs or fewer

in 16 of his last 17 starts. He gave up two earned runs or less 11 times in that span.

Chen has held opponents to a .160 batting average (20-for-125) with runners in scoring position

this season, which leads all qualifying starting pitchers in the major leagues. In four starts this

year against Tampa Bay, he is 1-1 with a 3.97 ERA. Chen has given up six homers to the Rays

this year, which is half of the total allowed by the entire O's staff in the season series. He is 4-5

with a 3.42 ERA in 17 career starts against the Rays.

The Orioles enter tonight's game ranking fourth in the majors with 169 home runs. They trail the

Toronto Blue Jays (184), Houston Astros (176) and New York Yankees (171).

The Orioles have scored just seven runs their past four games and three or less in 10 of their last

11 games, all losses. They scored just four runs on 15 hits in getting swept three straight at

Texas.

Over his last nine games, Chris Davis is 4-for-33 with 18 strikeouts. Manny Machado is 4-for-25

his past six games. Adam Jones is 3-for-21 over six games. Matt Wieters is 4-for-29 over nine

games and has not driven in a run his past 13 games.

Archer has had a unique run in his past three starts. On Aug. 15, he gave up eight runs in 5 1/3

innings against Texas. He followed that throwing a 98-pitch, one-hit shutout against Houston. In

his last start, he allowed nine hits and four runs in six innings against the Twins.

On the year, left-handed batters hit .218 off Archer and right-handed hitters bat just .208. He has

fanned 10 or more in a game nine times to tie the club record David Price set last year.

But Archer has struggled against the Orioles. In three starts this season, he is 0-2 with an ERA of

4.08 against Baltimore. In eight career games against the Orioles, he is 1-4 with a 5.06 ERA. In

two career starts at Camden Yards, he is 0-2 with an 8.31 ERA.

On the farm today, catcher Steel Russell, the son of John Russell, the Orioles' bench coach, has

been promoted to Single-A Frederick from Single-A Delmarva, while Delmarva activated

catcher Jonah Heim from disabled list.

Double-A Bowie tonight can become the first of what could turn out to be three Orioles minor

league teams clinching playoff spots this year. The Baysox host Altoona to begin their final

home series of the regular season and their magic number to clinch a postseason berth is one.

With a win tonight or losses by Akron and Richmond, the Baysox will clinch a spot in the

Eastern League playoffs for the sixth time in their 23 seasons.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2015/08/adam-jones-on-the-fans-im-glad-they-are-

a-little-angry-plus-wieters-and-johnson-quotes.html

Adam Jones on fans: "I'm glad they are a little angry" (plus

Wieters, Johnson quotes)

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

August 31, 2015

Orioles outfielder Adam Jones said if the fans are upset about his team, which has lost 10 of its

last 11 games, that is understood and fine by him. He was asked if it is hard for the team to keep

the intensity level high with all the recent losing.

"No, we're professionals man," Jones said. "We get paid a lot of money to play this wonderful

game. We're getting beat right now and does it look pretty to the fans? No. The fans want us to

succeed. The last few years have been very good in Birdland and so I understand the

expectations.

"I'm glad they are a little angry. If you are passionate about something, that means you care.

They care about our well-being on the field and the results. It's good they are behind us and a

little bit upset.

"We're grown men. (We have to) figure out a way. There are no excuses. Have to figure out a

way to win. Manufacture runs, play good defense, play overall good baseball and at the end of

the day, try to get our closer in to secure a win for us."

Jones was asked about an Orioles offense that has scored three or fewer runs in 10 of the past 11

games.

"Hey, we hit a wall. It happens," he said. "It's not the first time or the last time. We've done it

before and right afterwards you guys come back saying what a great team are. You all need to

keep an even keel also instead of always harping on negative things. We're playing bad. Hey,

we'll turn it around.

"If you keep that positive mindset, positive things happen. Once you continuously dwell on it,

players don't like that, players don't respect that. It makes us always be in a bad mood and we

don't like that. We want to have a good environment around here. As you've seen for the last four

or five years, our environment in the clubhouse has been one of the best."

While Manny Machado will start at shortstop tonight for the Orioles, Matt Wieters gets the start

at first base. This will be Wieters' third career start at first and second this year. He started there

on Aug. 1 against Detroit.

"I've gotten a few games over there this year," he said. "Just like anybody, you have to go out

there and make plays. I played a good bit there my freshman year in college. I've always taken a

few ground balls over there. It's about the only other position I can go to besides catching.

"I don't think anyone expects me to be a Gold Glove over at first, but be able to catch the ball

and throw the ball. If Buck thinks that is the best lineup, I'm happy to go over there."

Someone told Wieters this could add to his baseball resume.

"I'm not too big of a resume kind of guy. Not being able to catch 140 games this year, it's nice to

be in the lineup and contribute in other ways," he said.

Wieters was asked about the mood of the team right now.

"We're good," he said. "We know we have a month-plus to be able to play some good baseball

and turn it around. We're looking forward to the challenge tonight with (facing Chris) Archer."

Baltimorean Steve Johnson is in the clubhouse today. He's on the taxi squad for now and

expected to be officially added tomorrow when the 25-man roster can expand to up to 40 players.

At Triple-A Norfolk, Johnson went 4-1 with a 2.30 ERA in 32 appearances, with 16 walks and

67 strikeouts over 54 2/3 innings. He has allowed just one earned run in 17 1/3 innings over his

past 10 games.

"I was hoping for a September call-up and had been pitching well, so glad it happened," Johnson

said. "Just finally healthy and worked on my delivery in spring training after the surgery. Finally

got in a groove and just tried to stay with it. Had a little setback with my oblique in June, but

once I came back I've felt great and been throwing my fastball, controlling it and throwing a lot

of strikes."

Johnson, whose last major league appearance came on Sept. 27, 2013, underwent surgery last

Sept. 24 to shave a bone spur behind his right shoulder.

http://www.si.com/mlb/2014/04/13/ap-bba-rays-orioles-preview

Rays-Orioles Preview

SI.com

September 1, 2015

Buck Showalter's Baltimore Orioles were five games over .500 and on the cusp of the AL's final

playoff spot less than two weeks ago.

Whatever managerial moves he's made since - creative, necessary or otherwise - simply haven't

been able to provide a spark.

Fading Baltimore looks to avoid a sixth straight defeat when it hosts the Tampa Bay Rays on

Tuesday night.

The defending AL East champions picked up their 62nd win by beating the New York Mets on

Aug. 19 and sat just one-half game out of the second wild-card spot. Baltimore (63-68) has

dropped 11 of 12 since that victory while scoring three runs or fewer in each defeat.

Showalter platooned Paul Janish and Ryan Flaherty at shortstop for the first seven of those

contests after J.J. Hardy went on the disabled list with a groin strain, but the duo has hit a

combined .250.

Showalter elected to move Gold Glove-winning third baseman Manny Machado to short for the

first time in his major league career Monday while starting all three catchers - Caleb Joseph

behind the plate, Matt Wieters at first and Steve Clevenger at designated hitter.

Machado had two hits and Clevenger had a two-run single, but the Orioles fell 6-3 to the Rays

(65-66). Baltimore now would have to leap over five teams in the wild-card race to sneak into

the playoffs.

"We did some good things getting some people out there," Showalter said. "It seems like we're

always a hit away."

Tampa Bay also has plenty of work ahead to catch Texas for the second wild-card spot, but it

began a nine-game trip with its second straight victory after losing five of six.

Evan Longoria, Asdrubal Cabrera and Tim Beckham homered, and Logan Forsythe added three

hits for the Rays, who have won three of four meetings at Camden Yards this season.

"If we play hard and put some wins together, you never know what could happen in a month,"

Cabrera said.

Drew Smyly (1-2, 3.82 ERA) takes the mound after going 1-1 with a 5.14 ERA in three starts

since spending over three months on the disabled list with left shoulder soreness.

The left-hander has lasted fewer than five innings in two of those outings, including Thursday

when he allowed each run in Tampa Bay's 5-4 win over Minnesota. Smyly, who made three

starts before being injured, threw a season-high 100 pitches while walking two.

Smyly made all three of his career starts against the Orioles last season, going 1-0 with a 1.42

ERA. Chris Davis is 2 for 11 against him - both hits leaving the yard - but has gone 2 for 18 with

10 strikeouts over his last five games.

Chris Tillman (9-9, 4.58) gets the call for Baltimore looking to avoid a third straight defeat. He's

allowed seven runs in 12 2-3 innings over the last two after going unbeaten in his previous 12.

"Any time you lose it's disappointing," Tillman said after Thursday's 5-3 loss at Kansas City.

"Made some mistakes that they were able to hit the ball hard and drive."

Tillman is 3-1 with a 1.78 ERA in his last five home starts. He's lost twice in four outings against

the Rays this season, but he allowed two runs or fewer while going into the seventh three times.

Rays centerfielder Kevin Kiermaier robbed Machado of a leadoff home run in the first Monday,

but he left in the third with a mild right ankle sprain that could keep him out of this contest.

http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/08/31/ap-bba-orioles-machado-shortstop

Machado gets 1st major league start at SS for struggling O's

Associated Press / SI.com

August 31, 2015

BALTIMORE (AP) Manny Machado will start at shortstop for the first time in his major league

career when the Orioles host Tampa Bay on Monday night.

Machado played shortstop in the minors, but has been at third base since making his debut with

Baltimore in 2012. He won a Gold Glove at third in 2013.

Manager Buck Showalter made the switch in an effort to shake up a club that has lost 10 of 11

games.

Showalter says: ''Sometimes you're in need of a little different look.''

J.J. Hardy has been a mainstay at shortstop for Baltimore, but he is on the disabled list with a

groin strain.

It's uncertain if Machado will stay at shortstop until Hardy returns.

Showalter says: ''We're trying to win and this gives us the best chance tonight.''

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/13555350/miguel-gonzalez-miss-least-one-start-elbow-

shoulder-soreness

O's Miguel Gonzalez to have MRIs on sore right elbow,

shoulder

ESPN.com news services

September 1, 2015

Baltimore Orioles pitcher Miguel Gonzalez will have an MRI on both his right elbow and

shoulder Tuesday and will miss at least one start.

The 31-year-old Gonzalez, who posted the best ERA of any Baltimore starter in 2014 and helped

the Orioles reach the AL Championship Series before they were swept by the Kansas City

Royals, experienced soreness during Sunday's game against Texas.

He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2009, and he hopes that this latest incident is just minor

inflammation.

"You've got to stay positive," Gonzalez told the Baltimore Sun. "I mean, I had Tommy John six

years ago and I know what it takes, the process and all that. Hopefully, we don't have to do

anything like that. Hopefully it is minor and just rehab it, work hard and move on. ...

"Knowing that it happened in 2009, I know how it felt. And it's not as bad as it was before. So

that's a positive."

Gonzalez, who is 9-11 with a 4.85 ERA this season, will miss his next scheduled start this

weekend against Toronto. He hasn't pitched six full innings in 11 of his past 14 starts.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/13552641/manny-machado-shifted-shortstop-baltimore-

orioles-look-halt-slide

Orioles' Manny Machado starts at shortstop for first time as

pro

By Eddie Matz / ESPN.com

August 31, 2015

BALTIMORE -- Manny Machado made his first career start at shortstop Monday night in

the Orioles' series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays after 419 games at third base.

Machado, a third baseman who won a Gold Glove in 2013, made an excellent play in the sixth

inning of the Orioles' 6-3 loss, ranging far to his right to make a backhand pickup in the hole

before making an off-balance, one-hop throw that retired Rene Rivera.

The Orioles, who entered having lost 10 of their last 11 games while averaging just 2.7 runs over

that stretch, fell six games out of the second American League wild-card spot with the loss.

Machado, 23, was drafted as a shortstop with the third overall pick in 2010, and he played 203

minor league games at the position. But when he made his major league debut in August 2012, it

was as a third baseman because the Orioles already had Gold Glover J.J. Hardy at shortstop.

Until Monday, every major league game that Machado started had been at third base.

A three-time All-Star, Machado won his first Gold Glove following the 2013 season, when his

35 defensive runs saved led all AL fielders.

That year, he also received the Platinum Glove, an award given to the one player in each league

considered to be the premier fielder.

Machado made his professional shortstop debut eight days ago in Baltimore during a 4-3 extra-

innings loss to the Twins. He played one inning there after Hardy was removed for a pinch

runner. In Machado's first chance, he committed an error that led to the winning run. Hardy,

who'd been dealing with a sore back, was placed on the 15-day disabled list next day. He is

eligible to return Tuesday.

Veteran Paul Janish was called up from Triple-A Norfolk to add infield depth and has started

four of the team's last six games at shortstop. A career .215 hitter known for his fielding, Janish

has four hits in 13 at-bats since being promoted.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/blog/orioles-talk/can-orioles-finally-score-some-runs-tillman

Can the Orioles finally score some runs for Tillman?

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic

September 1, 2015

Tonight's Game:

Tampa Bay Rays (65-66) vs. Baltimore Orioles (63-68), Oriole Park at Camden Yards,

Baltimore, 7:05 p.m.

Starting pitchers:

Drew Smyly (1-2, 3.82) vs. Chris Tillman (9-9, 4.58)

Keys to the Game:

Will the Orioles put together some strong performances? They've lost 11 of 12 and slipped out of

the playoff conversation.

Will the Orioles bat support Tillman? They've scored more than three runs just once in the past

12 games.

News and Notes:

Miguel Gonzalez will have an MRI on his right shoulder.

The Orioles will purchase Steve Johnson's contract as the roster limits expand to 40 today.

Smyly has allowed just three runs in 19 innings against the Orioles.

Current Orioles are batting just .160 against Smyly.

Evan Longoria is 16-for-34 (.372) with six home runs against Tillman.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/blog/orioles-talk/steve-johnson-about-experience-big-leagues-

again

Steve Johnson about to experience big leagues again

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic

August 31, 2015

BALTIMORE – Steve Johnson is ready for his first major appearance in nearly two years.

Johnson is spending Monday night on the taxi squad and will be added to the active roster on

Tuesday when rosters are expanded.

Johnson’s contract will be purchased from Triple-A Norfolk. He was 4-1 with a 2.30 ERA in 32

starts with the Tides.

In 21 appearances with the Orioles in 2012 and 2013, Johnson is 5-1 with a 3.67 ERA.

He’s had a variety of injuries since then, and the Orioles are hoping he can recapture what made

him effective in 2012 when he was 4-0 with a 2.11 ERA.

“I wasn’t really expecting it yesterday. It really surprised me a little bit. I was hoping for a

September callup. I was pitching well. I’m glad it happened,” Johnson said.

Last September, Johnson had bone chips removed from his left shoulder.

“I’m finally healthy. I worked on the delivery in spring training after the surgery. Finally, got in

a groove and just tried to stay with it. I had a little setback in June with my oblique, but once I

came back, I felt great,” Johnson said.

In 2014, Johnson didn’t win a game in 16 starts at three levels.

“Last year was really frustrating for me with injuries. I didn’t pitch well. Coming back and

establishing myself and proving that I can be back here, that would mean a lot,” Johnson said.

Johnson could have signed elsewhere, but chose a minor league contract with the Orioles.

“It was a little frustrating, but you know if you pitch well enough, long enough, they’ll

eventually call your name if they like me,” Johnson said. “It finally happened, and I’m pretty

happy about it.”

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/blog/orioles-talk/orioles-concerned-about-miguel-gonzalezs-

health

Orioles concerned about Miguel Gonzalez's health

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic

August 31, 2015

BALTIMORE—After another subpar outing, the Orioles are concerned about Miguel Gonzalez.

Gonzalez, who lost for the fifth straight time on Sunday, will be looked at carefully.

“Miguel’s come in a little sore today in a couple of places,” manager Buck Showalter said.

“We’ll see how that shakes things out. I know [trainer Richie Bancells] is concerned about a

little bit. We’ll see how that works out. “

Because the Orioles have an off day on Thursday, Gonzalez’s turn might not have to come up

until Sept. 8.

Steve Johnson, who will be added to the team on Tuesday, is a possibility to start. Tyler Wilson,

who hasn’t pitched since early this month because of an oblique injury, will throw a four-inning

simulated game for Norfolk on Tuesday. Mike Wright, who is on the disabled list with a strained

left calf, will pitch for the Tides on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Dylan Bundy was cleared to start a throwing program by Dr. James Andrews.

“I haven’t heard any particulars about what they found,” Showalter said.

Meanwhile, Showalter reiterated that he doesn’t expect any trades between now and midnight.

He and executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette discussed additions to the

roster for Tuesday.

“[Dan] didn’t mention anything to me today or hasn’t about some impending transactions that

affects one of our players being traded. He doesn’t have to. He normally does,” Showalter said.

“I haven’t heard anything at all, and I haven’t heard anything that would make me change my

thought.”

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/blog/orioles-talk/why-os-are-trying-shake-things-machado-ss

Why O's are trying to shake things up with Machado at SS

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic

August 31, 2015

BALTIMORE – Manny Machado gets his first major league start at shortstop on Monday night.

With the Orioles losing 10 of 11, manager Buck Showalter is eager to try something difference.

“Every once in a while you’re in need of a different look,” Showalter said.

Showalter first contemplated the change flying home from Kansas City on Sunday, and then

decided to go through with it.

“He’s been playing shortstop all year, half the games in the shifts. He really has. He’s got as

many putouts at shortstop as he’s got at third base,” Showalter said. “So I know it’s different. I

know he’s pretty excited about it.”

Machado who played shortstop until he was converted to third base in Aug. 2012, is there

because J.J. Hardy is on the disabled list with a sore left groin. Showalter hopes Hardy returns

next week.

Eight days ago, Machado played short in the 12th inning against Minnesota for the first time in

the majors and made a critical error that led to the losing run.

“I think that was great. Not great, but I think that could be a good thing, too. And it wasn’t

routine. It wasn’t a real easy play, I’m not so sure anybody else would have made it. We assume

that,” Showalter said.

Machado was the Gold Glove third baseman in 2013, and after two knee surgeries is back

playing at the award winning level. After the error, Showalter was eager to get him another shot

at shortstop.

“Oh yeah, almost did it. I think not only Manny but some people need a little … blank in the

giddy up. I think everybody needs a little something different now and then. If you’re scared get

a bigger dog on your porch. How do you find out if Steve Pearce can play second base? You run

him out there,” Showalter said.

Ryan Flaherty is the Orioles’ third baseman. All three catchers are in the lineup. Caleb Joseph is

catching, Matt Wieters is at first and Steve Clevenger is the designated hitter. Chris Davis is in

right field against Tampa Bay starter Chris Archer.

“What plays into it is Manny’s capable of being a really good shortstop and Ryan’s played well

at third. Maybe a little bit better there than (third). I like Ryan at all places. But Ryan has had a

little success off Archer too. And we’re looking for any way to mount some offense against a

pitcher that good,” Showalter said.

While Machado has played the shortstop position in the shift this year, he hasn’t had a player to

his right.

“That’s a good way to look at it. Maybe if it’s someone that he hasn’t been comfortable with, or

if this guy’s never played shortstop. Manny’s played more games at shortstop (in his life) than he

has third base.

“Like a lot of things I try not to knee-jerk on. Because you’re usually emotional – not emotional

but in a different mental state of mind – (after the losing streak) and you don’t want to make

some rash (decision). There’s a time for rash and there’s a time for what’s the word, spontaneity.

I can do that,” Showalter said.

“We’re trying to win and we think this gives us the best chance tonight. We’ll see what

tomorrow brings,” Showalter said.

http://www.pressboxonline.com/2015/09/01/august-wrap-up-who-were-the-orioles-biggest-stars-

and-disappointments

August Wrap-Up: Who Were The Orioles' Biggest Stars And

Disappointments?

By Paul Folkemer / PressBoxOnline.com

September 1, 2015

For the Orioles, the month of August couldn't end fast enough. The Birds all but eliminated

themselves from postseason contention by going 11-18 in August, their worst single-month mark

since July of 2011, when they went 7-20. The Birds' brutal August included a 1-11 record during

their final 12 games of the month, sending them freefalling into September in fourth place in the

American League East.

Which players were the biggest culprits in the Orioles' August collapse, and which were among

the few bright spots?

POSITION PLAYERS

BIGGEST STAR: Although first baseman Chris Davis was one of many O's hitters who went

cold near the end of August, it was more than offset by his outstanding production earlier during

the month. All told, Davis led the Orioles with 10 home runs, 22 RBIs and a .942 OPS in August,

serving as a one-man wrecking crew during the first few weeks before ending the month in a 4-

for-37 slump.

Runners-up: Catcher Caleb Joseph and second baseman Jonathan Schoop managed to stay hot

throughout August. Joseph batted .271 with an .844 OPS, four homers and 15 RBIs during 21

games, continuing to cement his likely role as the Orioles' 2016 starting catcher. Schoop,

meanwhile, made the most of his first full, healthy month of 2015. He batted .321/.339/.447/.816

with three homers and 15 RBIs during 29 games.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: Considering the Orioles' woeful offensive performance at the

end of August -- scoring three runs or fewer during 11 of their last 12 games -- there are plenty

of candidates to consider for this dubious title. But no position player had a worse month than

shortstop J.J. Hardy. Not only did he bat .157 (11-for-70) with a .375 OPS, but his month was cut

short by a groin injury that landed him on the 15-day disabled list Aug. 24. On the plus side,

Hardy continued to play strong defense at short.

Runner-up: It was only a few months ago designated hitter Jimmy Paredes was the hot new

sensation in the O's lineup, batting .326 with an .875 OPS through June 28. But his production

has gone into a freefall since then. Paredes was 5-for-38 (.132) with a .364 OPS in August, and

by the end of the month he found himself glued to the bench in favor of hot-hitting Steve

Clevenger. During a rare defensive appearance, Paredes also committed a game-losing error at

third base against the Minnesota Twins Aug. 23.

PITCHERS

BIGGEST STAR: Amidst a rotation that has suffered from mediocrity nearly all season, lefty

Wei-Yin Chen has been the Birds' most reliable starter. Such was the case in August, when Chen

went 3-1 with a 3.79 ERA while the Orioles' other four regular starters combined for a 3-13

record and a 5.81 ERA. Chen delivered quality starts in four of his six outings in August -- but,

like most of his teammates, he saved his worst performance for last, giving up five runs in 4.2

innings during his final start Aug. 31.

Runners-up: The Orioles' bullpen has done a nice job all season long, with closer Zach Britton

and setup man Darren O'Day getting most of the attention. But three less-heralded relievers --

left-hander Brian Matusz and righties Brad Brach and Mychal Givens -- quietly did strong work

in August. The three combined for a 1.83 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 39.1 innings.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: Right-hander Miguel Gonzalez, after three strong seasons to

begin his O's career, has turned into a liability in the Orioles' rotation since returning from the

disabled list June 25. During six August starts, Gonzalez went 0-4, allowing three earned runs or

more each time. Only once did he work more than 5.1 innings. He finished with a 6.82 ERA

during the month, and he reported shoulder soreness after his last start Aug. 30.

Runners-up: Gonzalez wasn't the only O's starter who struggled in August. Righty Ubaldo

Jimenez, who appeared to be on his way to a bounce back season after a strong first half, fell off

the table in August. During six starts, he stumbled to a 6.35 ERA, working fewer than six innings

during five of his outings. Opposing hitters raked Jimenez, who allowed 10.59 hits per nine

innings, worst of any O's starter besides Gonzalez.

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2015/09/01/cal-ripken-jr-on-the-20th-anniversary-of-2131/

Cal Ripken Jr On The 20th Anniversary Of 2131

CBS Baltimore

September 1, 2015

Cal Ripken, Jr. is an Orioles and Baltimore legend who holds the MLB record for the most

consecutive games played (2,632).

Cal joined Ken and Steve to talk about the anniversary of 2,131, throwing out the first pitch

tonight and the struggle of the Orioles lately.

Steve asked Cal what memory stands out to him most from the 2131 game. Cal noted that seeing

his dad in the stadium stands out the most. “The one memory I think about all the time was

looking up and seeing my dad. I’ve watched a couple of interviews. George Michael interviewed

my dad back in ’95 and I hadn’t really seen my dad on interview in all that time. I’ve used this

time to go back and listen to them a little bit. It almost seems like it brings him back to me for

this moment. Looking up in the skybox and seeing dad and the communication that went through

our eyes was pretty special.”

Ken asked Cal about the tremendous ovation he received from the fans before the game and the

ensuing lap that he took around the field. Cal said of the moment, “I remember [Rafael Palmeiro]

mentioning it to me because the ovation kept going on and on and on. I was sensitized, I might

have said ‘We got to get this game started.’ I think Raffi said, ‘The only way we get this game

started is if you take a lap.’ And I said, ‘There’s no way I’m running around this ballpark.’ Then

when I came out for the curtain call one time, I think the last time, Bobby [Bonilla] and Rafael

came out and physically pushed me down the line. That started the lap and, again, I wasn’t sure

about what I was doing when I did it, but all of the sudden it made that celebration much more

intimate. I guess about a quarter of the way around the ballpark, I decided I didn’t care if the

game started again.”

Many players keep souvenirs from big moments in their careers and Steve asks Cal if there was

anything from that game that held on to. Cal responded, “I think I have everything from every

minute that I ever played. So, it might not be in the most organized fashion, that I can find it

readily but yeah, I have a lot of special mementos from that night. I remember presenting the

jersey I was wearing to my kids because I wanted to show them the shirt that was underneath that

they gave me in the morning. So that was something that I thought of. It wasn’t a formal

presentation by any means but we have those memories and some of the things that help spur

those memories. Let’s put it this way, I don’t sleep with them as I remember my life but I have a

bunch of mementos.”

Cal went on to discuss the role that he played in helping to save the game of baseball after the

1994 strike, the recent links to managing or working in the front office for a major league team,

and Manny Machado’s move to short stop in last night’s game.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/08/31/manny-machado-is-making-his-first-career-start-at-

shortstop/

Manny Machado is making his first career start at shortstop

By Aaron Gleeman / NBCSports.com

August 31, 2015

As a minor leaguer Manny Machado was an elite shortstop prospect, but because the Orioles

had J.J. Hardy there when he arrived in 2012 they shifted Machado to third base and he’s stayed

there ever since.

Machado has developed into an MVP-caliber third baseman and not surprisingly his excellent

defense there has been a huge part of his overall value, but tonight for the first time in his career

the Orioles are starting him at shortstop.

Hardy was placed on the disabled list with a groin injury last week and manager Buck Showalter

has decided he’d rather use Machado at a position he hasn’t played since 2012 than continue to

use Ryan Flaherty and Paul Janish at shortstop fill-ins. Or at least that’s the case for one night.

Machado showing that he can be an above-average defensive shortstop would increase his

already massive long-term value even further, although with Hardy signed through 2017 it’s

likely just a short-term fix for the Orioles unless it leads to an offseason trade.

http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2015/09/01/orioles-attendance-continues-to-pick-

up.html

Orioles attendance continues to pick up

By Ryan Sharrow / Baltimore Business Journal

September 1, 2015

Baltimore Orioles attendance continues to rise from a drop-off early in the season amid civil

unrest in the city.

The Orioles have drawn 1,933,545 fans through the Aug. 23 homestand, an increase of 1 percent

compared with the same period last season, according to data compiled by SportsBusiness

Journal. The 63 games have drawn an average of 30,691 people, or 67.8 percent toward Oriole

Park at Camden Yards' capacity.

The slight increase is up from a 0.1 percent decline through the 46 home games of this season

and is a sharp turnaround from the 10.1 percent drop the team had seen during the first 23 games

of 2015.

The attendance figures include three May home games that were played in Tampa due to the

civil unrest in Baltimore. Those three games drew an average crowd of just more than 13,000

fans. The figures do not include a home game played versus the Chicago White Sox in April

without fans.

The Orioles drew a total of 2,464,473 fans to Camden Yards last season. The 2015 season will

end Oct. 4 against the New York Yankees.

The team is 11 games outside of first place in the American League East and 5.5 games behind a

Wild Card spot.

Across Major League Baseball, attendance through Aug. 25 was at 57.9 million, up 1.1 percent

compared with the same point last season.

The neighboring Washington Nationals are averaging 32,047 fans, an increase of 5.1 percent

over last year.

http://www.baltimoremagazine.net/2015/9/1/a-conversation-with-cal-ripken-jr

A Conversation with Cal We talk to the Iron Man about what his record-breaking feat feels like 20 years later.

By Jess Mayhugh / Baltimore Magazine

September 1, 2015

Cal Ripken Jr. woke up with a fever. He figured it was due to the exhaustion of the past couple

of weeks. His mind had been turned on a lot and he was spending night after night at the ballpark

to sign autographs—sometimes until 3 a.m.—long after the media had packed away their

cameras.

That day, the media would be there in droves. After all, it was September 6, 1995, the day he was

set to break Lou Gehrig’s record of consecutive games played in a Major League Baseball

uniform. But before the spotlight turned on, it was time to get his daughter, Rachel, to her first

day of pre-first at St. Paul’s School for Girls.

“I took her to school, then came back home to try and get some sleep. I didn’t do too well at

that,” says Cal, as he sits in the clubhouse of Oriole Park at Camden Yards, leaning back with his

palm resting under his chin, 20 years later. “Sleep was a little bit hard for me that last week.”

In fact, he admits he was emotional long before the day the warehouse banner numbers flipped to

2131. For weeks, the Orioles events crew had made it a daily routine to flip the number and play

the music in the middle of the fifth, when the game became official.

“The first time I was at shortstop and I heard the music—I think it was John Tesh—and the

number changed, it gave me goose bumps,” he says. “Then everyone on the field and in the

stands just became conditioned to look at that warehouse in the fifth.”

Like those weeks leading up to it, the day of September 6 flew by. “Before I knew it, I was back

at the ballpark,” he says. “We did our best to keep the media out of the locker room—I didn’t

want my teammates to be impacted—but I think the team was really excited. Sure, there was a

little ribbing in the locker room. I don’t remember who the culprits were, but I knew I felt it and

was sensitive to it.”

When he needed a break, Cal said his “go-to guy” was longtime trainer Richie Bancells, whom

he’d known since 1978. “I never wanted to be in the training room for treatment, but I wanted to

be there to talk to Richie. He was always there for me.”

As game-time approached, the park took on a playoff atmosphere, as nearly 50,000 fans filed in,

camera flashbulbs danced around the crowd, and President Clinton took his seat in Orioles owner

Peter Angelos’s skybox (with Secret Service agents perched on the stadium rooftop).

By the time the ceremonious middle-of-the-fifth came around, the O’s were already beating the

California Angels 2-0 (including a kismet dinger by Cal in the fourth, which the President called

alongside Jon Miller in the booth). As had happened every game for weeks, the music swelled,

the crowd’s cheers were deafening, and the banner unfurled from “0” to “1.” Hundreds of black

and orange balloons lilted through the air and what followed might be the longest standing

ovation for any athlete in history. Twenty-two minutes, to be exact.

“It was really, really long,” Cal says with a laugh. “I was embarrassed because you don’t stop a

game in the middle. Pitchers are warming up; players have a rhythm. So I was like, ‘I’ll celebrate

afterward as much as you guys want, but let’s get this game going.’”

But his teammates, namely Rafael Palmeiro and Bobby Bonilla, weren’t having it, and after Cal

did a couple of hat tips to the crowd, the pair physically pushed him out of the dugout and onto

the field for his famed lap. As the Orioles event staff scrambled to find a song to play (they went

with Whitney Houston’s “One Moment in Time”), Ripken still wasn’t too enthused.

“At first I was thinking, ‘Let’s get this game going,’ but then, as I’m going around, I’m like

‘Wow, this is really cool,’” he says, his voice gaining speed, as he stands in front of an

illustration of the stadium. “I’m recognizing a lot of people, not just faces but names, recognizing

more people, oh man that dude just fell down, and then all of a sudden about here [he gestures

toward the outfield bleachers], I don’t care if we start this game ever again. I got slower and

slower as I came down this way. It was almost like—I couldn’t care less about starting the game

again. A celebration of 50,000 turned one-on-one.”

Certain moments—like the one he mentioned of the fan reaching out so far that he fell from the

bleachers—stick out more than others. He remembers seeing his agent, Ron Shapiro, by the third

baseline. And noticing a sign that read “The House That Cal Built.” Then there was an exchange

with Angels Hall of Famer Rod Carew, whom Cal had long admired.

“I wish I could tell you what words were said,” he says of the moment with Carew. “I just

remember being blown away by the fact that it even happened.”

And, of course, once he rounded back to home, he remembers hugging and kissing his wife,

Kelly, and his kids, Ryan, 2, and Rachel, 5, who said “Ew!” when she kissed her dad’s sweaty

forehead. He took off his jersey to reveal a homemade T-shirt that said “2,130+ Hugs and Kisses

for Daddy.” Then he looked up to the skybox, where his parents, Cal Sr. and Vi, stood, clapping

proudly.

“There was one moment when I caught Dad’s eye. Nothing was said, but 1,000 bits of

information were traveling back and forth between us.”

Like many nights before, Cal stayed at the ballpark long after the game ended, this time doing an

interview with Bob Costas in the weight room around 2:30 a.m. The next day, thankfully, the O’s

had off and “once the adrenaline slipped away,” he, more or less, caught up on sleep.

The team then traveled to Cleveland, where Cal was excited to see his former teammate and

good friend Eddie Murray. Instead of the managers trading lineup cards before the game—as is

typical—Cal and Murray did the honors. Cal got an extra firm “atta boy” handshake from the

crew chief and a standing ovation in Jacobs Field.

“After that, for the most part, things kind of went back to normal,” he says. “The playoffs started

the way they always had.”

Cal Ripken Jr. is doing math in his head. “So, my last year as a player was 2001, so now we’re in

2015 and now I’m thinking, ‘Man, I’ve been out of the game for a long time,’” he says, smiling

and shaking his head.

As with any anniversary, some moments feel like yesterday, he explains, while others seem more

like a lifetime ago. He admits that he has a box of mementos hidden away somewhere (“I’m a

hoarder”), but that he hasn’t looked at it in a while.

He belly laughs when asked if he ever got sick of himself—the Streak Week parades, the milk

ads, the Iron Man nickname, the September 1995 cover of this magazine.

“You know, you have to maintain perspective,” he says. “You’re a sportsman, not an entertainer.

The people that look at themselves as a form of entertainment might get sick of themselves after

a while. But that particular time didn’t make my head bigger or make me think I’m more

important.”

In true Cal form, he begins to divert his answer away from himself.

“It was more about accepting what the meaning was. This was a time, after the ’94 labor issues,

when people weren’t happy with baseball. Comparing the streak back to an era of Lou Gehrig, an

era of Ken Burns-like baseball, you got this nostalgic feeling. That’s how I understood it and

how I wrapped by head around it.”

Something else he took away from the 2131 era really had nothing to do with baseball. It was

this idea that, suddenly, streaks were cool.

“Perfect attendance in school—which I never had, by the way—was a big source of pride for

kids,” he says. “I was hearing about nurses or teachers or people working in plants having never

missed a day. And then there was [umpire attendant] Ernie Tyler, who only ended his streak to

come to my Hall of Fame ceremony, which he was so excited about.”

In Cal’s mind, his 2007 Hall of Fame induction and the 1983 World Series stand up there with

2131. At the Hall of Fame ceremony, there was a sea of orange and number eights staring back at

him. To try and repay the fans, he remembers driving in a van through Cooperstown, popping

out to surprise folks in Orioles gear, shaking their hands, and jumping back in.

He comes back to the fans a lot. Like it was just last season, he recounts a game at Memorial

Stadium in 1989 when he was ejected in the first inning for arguing balls and strikes.

“I heard later that a family traveled [to see the game]. They were sitting in the second or third

row,” he says. “After I got ejected, they said the kids cried the whole rest of the game. Maybe

I’m uber-sensitive, but those kind of stories chew me up.” (At least the story has a happy ending.

Apparently, a nearby season-ticket holder gave them tickets for the next day.)

He says this was a lesson that his dad taught him, that it is your responsibility to your teammates

and your responsibility to the fans to come out each and every day.

“I’ve gotten asked before, ‘Does it make you feel bad that people will only remember you from

the streak, not the great player you were?’ And I’ve never understood that,” he says. “It’s not like

I came to the big leagues telling Earl Weaver, ‘You’ve got to play me.’ I earned the place to

play. The manager has the ultimate choice, and if he chooses you, you always play.”

He takes a long pause and admits, with a slight glint in his blue eyes, that a recent Father’s Day

had him thinking a lot about his dad, who died in 1999.

“Dad was funny. He would always say, ‘You can’t play tomorrow’s game. You can’t replay

yesterday’s game. You might as well play the game today.’”

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/25285926/manny-machado-gets-first-mlb-start-

at-shortstop

Orioles' Manny Machado gets first MLB start at shortstop

By Matt Snyder / CBSSports.com

August 31, 2015

The Orioles have lost 10 of their last 11 games and shortstop J.J. Hardy is hurt, so they're going

with a bit of a new look Monday night. Gold glove third baseman Manny Machado is starting at

shortstop for the first time in his MLB career.

Machado, 23, is pretty widely known as the best defensive third baseman in baseball -- despite

heavy competition from the likes of Josh Donaldson, Adrian Beltre, Mike Moustakas and more.

He won the AL platinum glove in 2013, given to the best fielder in each league regardless of

position.

Shortstop isn't foreign to Machado. He's only played one inning there in the majors (on Aug. 23

of this season), but 203 of his 207 minor-league games were played at shortstop. Though he's tall

at 6-foot-3, he's plenty agile for the position and should handle it quite well. He's such an

incredible defender that he could probably play anywhere and be just fine, save for probably

catcher.

Manager Buck Showalter's lineup for the reeling Orioles Monday has more quirks than just

Machado at short. He's starting three catchers, with Caleb Joseph being the one behind the plate,

Matt Wieters playing first base and Steve Clevenger at the DH spot, moving Chris Davis to right

field.

They have fallen all the way to 5 1/2 games back of the second wild card spot in the AL, with

four teams to leapfrog before even getting to the Rangers, who currently hold that spot.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/31/bbo-orioles-playerwatch-

idUSMTZEB8VYHXS9C20150831

Baltimore Orioles - PlayerWatch

Reuters

August 31, 2015

RF Dariel Alvarez, who made his debut with the Orioles on Friday, is providing a little spark in

the clubhouse. Manager Buck Showalter made sure to focus on Alvarez's two-hit game Saturday,

which included the newcomer's first career hit. "With some of our struggles recently, you try not

to take that joy. Just because we're not hitting, he doesn't need to come in here and give us an

unhappy face," Showalter said. Alvarez also had one of the three Baltimore hits Sunday.

CF Adam Jones was the only Baltimore player to have hits in all three games of the series

against Texas. Jones, who went just 4-for-25 on the road trip, doubled Sunday to extend his

modest hitting streak to three games. He took little consolation in that, though, as the team's

offensive struggles continued. "The game's frustrating in general," he said. "Only sport that you

can fail a lot and still be considered good."

RHP Miguel Gonzalez lost a third consecutive start, and he is 0-5 in his past seven starts. In eight

of his past 10 starts, Gonzalez hasn't pitched more than six innings, and he exited Sunday's start

at Texas after allowing four runs in 5 1/3 innings. "We all know that this game isn't easy,"

Gonzalez said. "Mentally, you've got to be tough and not think about what's going on.

Sometimes your results are not the way you want them to be, but you've got to keep making

pitches."