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Wednesday, June 7, 2017 Game Stories:

After using long ball to get to extra innings, Orioles manufacture 6-5 win in 10th

The Sun

6/6

Trumbo sends O's to walk-off win in 10th

MLB.com 6/7

Schoop, Trumbo give Orioles 6-5 comeback win over Pirates Associated Press 6/6

Walk-off win: Mark Trumbo’s single wins it in the 10th

MASNsports.com 6/6

Trumbo single gives Orioles 6-5 win in 10 innings (with quotes) MASNsports.com 6/6

Orioles come back from three down to walk off against the Pirates in extra innings

Associated Press 6/6

Columns:

Orioles to add veteran right-hander Edwin Jackson to major league roster today, source

says The Sun 6/7

Orioles' Kevin Gausman sees 'odd start' spoiled by long, unlucky second inning The Sun

6/6

Orioles observations: Jones runs Orioles into position for walk-off victory The Sun 6/6

Orioles notes: Joey Rickard building routine in platoon role; Welington Castillo's return

looming The Sun 6/6

Orioles add infielder Rubén Tejada from Norfolk, designate Paul Janish for assignment

The Sun 6/6

Orioles top pick Cody Sedlock finding importance of fastball at High-A Frederick The

Sun 6/6

Schoop (2 HRs) continues to be #ASGWorthy MLB.com 6/7

Orioles selecting Jackson’s contract (and other notes) MASNsports.com 6/7

Showalter on Tejada, Flaherty, Castillo and more (we’re tied) MASNsports.com 6/6

Castillo could be activated on Saturday (plus other notes) MASNsports.com 6/6

Scouting makeup in the draft (Chris Davis on Homers for Hearts) MASNsports.com 6/7

O’s game blog: O’s and Pirates begin two-game series MASNsports.com 6/6

Behind potent lineup, O's aim for sweep of Pirates CBSsports.com 6/7

Is it coincidence or confidence that has the Orioles winning lots of extra-inning games?

BaltimoreBaseball.com 6/7

Mullins’ return highlights week in O’s minors BaltimoreBaseball.com 6/6

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-pirates-mainbar-20170606-

story.html

After using long ball to get to extra innings, Orioles

manufacture 6-5 win in 10th

By Eduardo A. Encina/ The Sun

June 6, 2017

The Orioles beat the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night in 10 innings on Mark Trumbo’s walk-

off single, but it was their four home runs before that hit that allowed the Orioles to get into extra

innings. And while the victory was earned by executing station-to-station small ball, the game

was a perfect example of the nuances of relying on power.

The calendar has turned to June – with warmer temperatures bringing the promise of balls

carrying out in the Baltimore summer heat – and while the Orioles are starting to pile up their

power resume, they have been struggling to take the most advantage of their home run-hitting

ability.

The Orioles hit four homers for the second time in five games and have 11 in five June games,

but they've driven in just 15 runs from those long balls.

Trumbo’s single came after center fielder Adam Jones, who hit a one-out single in the 10th,

tagged up into scoring position on Manny Machado’s flyout to the left-field warning track,

which allowed Jones to easily beat Andrew McCutchen's throw home on Trumbo’s single to

center.

The Orioles’ fifth walk-off win of the season showed their resilience, but there’s no denying that

the Orioles are still built on power and that their success will hinge on scoring a large portion of

runs with the long ball.

The long ball allowed the Orioles to rally from a 4-1 deficit, but they could only chip away at the

lead. After the Orioles' first three runs came on solo homers, second baseman Jonathan Schoop’s

two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth off Pirates left-hander Tony Watson – Schoop’s second

homer of the night – sent the game to extra innings. Schoop’s ninth-inning homer came after

Chris Davis opened the inning with a single to right.

“It's hard to [come back] if nobody's on base,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “The one

that really got us in there was when somebody was on base in front of Jon. Chris' base hit off the

left-hander [Watson] was big. That guy's had a heck of year. … So I look kind of what set that

up because the other ones were solos. They were good – they got us back in it.”

This was the month last year when the Orioles set a major league record by hitting 56 homers.

But this year, eight of their 11 June home runs, including each of the last six before Schoop’s

game-tying shot, have been solo shots.

So it was reassuring to see Schoop take advantage with a man on base in the ninth.

“It's kind of all the way through baseball,” Showalter said. “It's a bloop and a hit by pitch and all

of a sudden it's life in the big leagues. First thing that hit me when I got in the big leagues was

how quickly leads can go because of power all the way through lineups, including theirs. I don't

care what team you're talking about, that potential is always there. That's why guys who can

pitch effectively in last three innings are so valuable.”

Schoop leads the Orioles with three homers this month, including two of their three with men on

base.

“To be honest, always when I step in there I want to put a charge in the ball,” Schoop said. “I

want to drive the ball somewhere. I want to hit the ball hard somewhere. So, I was thinking that

at-bat, minimize the ground-ball double play and I wanted to look for a good pitch to hit it hard

somewhere.”

The Orioles offense packed little punch for most of the game. Seth Smith’s leadoff homer in the

bottom of the first was the team's only scoring until back-to-back homers from Davis and Schoop

to open the seventh.

Throughout the season, the Orioles have struggled to make the most out of the long ball, with 48

of their 80 of their home runs, or 60 percent, having come with the bases empty.

The team’s dependence on the home run isn’t new. It’s a well-known part of the Orioles’

identity. Last season, 51.88 percent of their runs were scored on homers, and this year, 48.9

percent have scored by home run (122 of 249).

“That’s kind of one constant with this team,” Orioles starting pitcher Kevin Gausman said. “I’ve

said it from day one. We’re always just a couple swings away, and really one away if we have

guys on base.”

Last weekend against Boston, they hit four homers against Red Sox left-hander Eduardo

Rodriguez on Thursday in a 7-5 win, but didn’t score more than three runs in any of their next

three games, two of them pitched by the front-line duo of David Price and Chris Sale.

On Tuesday, Smith hit his second leadoff homer in four games in the bottom of the first inning,

taking a 1-1 sinker into the center-field bleachers, but the Orioles did little else against Pirates

right-hander Ivan Nova for the next five innings. After Adam Jones followed Smith with a bunt

single, the Orioles didn’t manage another hit until Jones’ one-out single in the sixth.

In the following inning, Davis hit his 13th homer on the first pitch he saw from Nova, an 83-mph

changeup, sending it onto the flag court in right field. And as a show of how quickly the Orioles

can turn a game, Schoop hit a 0-1 curveball two pitches later into the left-field stands for his

ninth homer.

Schoop’s first homer chased Nova from the game, and the Pirates announced later that he left the

game with left knee inflammation.

“Nova, he threw really good,” Schoop said. “He pounded the strike zone and mixed his pitches.

Then me and Chris got him. I think after that we kept battling and got the victory. It was a good

one.”

Other than their four homers, the Orioles had just five base runners before heading into extra

innings – four singles and a walk – and only one of them, Davis after Schoop’s second homer,

moved beyond first base.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/234790786/mark-trumbos-rbi-sends-orioles-over-pirates/

Trumbo sends O's to walk-off win in 10th

By Brittany Ghiroli and Mandy Bell / MLB.com

June 7, 2017

BALTIMORE -- Mark Trumbo's walk-off single propelled the Orioles in Tuesday's 6-5, 10-

inning win over the Pirates at Oriole Park.

Backed by Jonathan Schoop's two homers, Baltimore rallied from a three-run deficit for its fifth

walk-off win of the year. After Adam Jones' one-out single, Manny Machado came dangerously

close to ending things with a fly ball to the warning track. Jones, who hustled to tag up and get to

second on the play, raced home on Trumbo's ensuing center-field single off of Pirates reliever

Wade LeBlanc.

"Huge play. As much as my approach changes if he's not there," Trumbo said of Jones racing to

second on Machado's ball. "It was a heads up play and that's why he's really good."

Schoop forced extras as Pirates closer Tony Watson was charged with his fourth blown save on

the year. Chris Davis singled to start off the ninth and Schoop -- who followed Davis with a

homer in the seventh -- launched a two-run blast to tie the game at 5.

Chris Davis launches a solo homer to right, and Jonathan Schoop follows it with a home run of

his own to bring the Orioles within a run

"It's the third blown save in two weeks," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "The changeup was

up and Schoop put a big swing on it. He put a big swing on a pitch earlier -- I think it was a

breaking ball from [Pirates starter Ivan Nova] that we hung. Wade has had a lot more success

against right-handers than left-handers and those guys have been reverse split guys. They just

beat us. They beat us. We went with our strengths and they came back and won late."

Nova, who entered the day ranked fifth in the National League in ERA, went six innings for the

12th consecutive start and handcuffed the Orioles for most of the evening before exiting due to

left knee inflammation. After a first-inning homer by Seth Smith, Nova allowed just two more

hits until the seventh when back-to-back blasts from Davis and Schoop ended the 87-pitch

outing.

"I missed two pitches," Nova said. "Not two because the first one was a changeup. I thought it

was a good pitch. The guy put the barrel on the ball. The other one was a really high curve. I

don't know how he got that ball. I thought it was a foul ball, but it stayed in play. No [the knee

didn't cause the home runs]. I missed the pitch."

The Pirates put the first four batters on in the second against Orioles starter Kevin Gausman,

with Machado's errant throw on Josh Bell's infield hit compounding matters. Andrew McCutchen

singled in a run, John Jaso doubled in Bell and the third score came on Jordy Mercer's

groundout.

"I think that's a theme for me, really, this whole season is giving up way too many two-strike

hits. I threw some great pitches to get to that point, but obviously, they also did a really good job

with some fastballs up and just kind of didn't hit them hard, but just kind of hit them where guys

weren't," said Gausman, who went 6 2/3 innings, of the second. "Right there, you've just got to

try to minimize as much as you can."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Schoop forces extras: The O's second baseman, who turned in his fifth career multi-homer game

and first of the year, continues to be a consistent force in Baltimore's lineup. Schoop now has 10

homers on the year and a team-leading 31 RBIs.

"Jon watches how people are pitching him and what he's doing wrong and he makes adjustments

to patterns and what they're doing," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "I think that's a sign

[of maturity] is that he takes things that are going on with him and makes some adjustments to

them and tries to do something else different." More >

Deep Freese: The Pirates third baseman had just one extra-base hit in 10 games coming into

Tuesday before he unloaded on Gausman's 3-1 four-seamer. Fresh off his first three-RBI game

since June 26, 2016, on Sunday, Freese went 2-for-5 with two runs scored Tuesday night.

"I think he's trending up," Hurdle said. "The swings have been crust. Dave works hard on staying

inside the ball and driving the ball the other way. We saw some of that in New York. We saw

some more of it tonight."

WHAT'S NEXT

Pirates: The Bucs will send Chad Kuhl to the mound Wednesday night in the final game of the

two-game set against the Orioles. Kuhl is coming off one of his better outings of the year after

holding the Diamondbacks to just two runs on three hits through five innings last time out. First

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

Orioles: The Orioles will send Wade Miley to the mound for Wednesday's series finale against

the Pirates. The lefty went seven strong innings and picked up the win on Thursday night against

Boston, walking just one batter in a much-improved command game. Miley's season ERA

dropped to 2.82.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/recap?gameId=370606101

Schoop, Trumbo give Orioles 6-5 comeback win over Pirates

By Associated Press

June 6, 2017

BALTIMORE -- With a power-laden lineup that thrives on the long ball, the Baltimore Orioles

are built to come back from almost any deficit.

That ability was displayed amply against the Pittsburgh Pirates, who had a seemingly secure lead

before being victimized by Baltimore's firepower Tuesday night.

Jonathan Schoop tied it in the ninth inning with his second homer of the game and Mark Trumbo

singled home a run in the 10th to rally the Orioles to a 6-5 victory.

Baltimore trailed 4-1 after six innings and 5-3 in the ninth. Schoop's two-run drive off closer

Tony Watson knotted it at 5, setting the stage for Trumbo's big hit.

Adam Jones singled with one out in the 10th against Wade LeBlanc (3-1) and took second when

Manny Machado hit a fly ball to the warning track in left. Trumbo then lined a single to center,

and Jones easily beat Andrew McCutchen's throw to the plate.

Although a single won it, the four home runs that preceded it were pivotal.

"That's kind of one constant with this team," Orioles starter Kevin Gausman said. "We're always

just a couple swings away, and really one away if we have guys on base."

Pirates starter Ivan Nova gave up three runs and five hits in six-plus innings. He yielded a solo

homer to Seth Smith to begin the game, then departed with left knee inflammation after allowing

back-to-back shots to Chris Davis and Schoop to start the seventh.

"They have a really heavy hitting lineup, especially with the big right handers. You have to be

really careful with them," Nova said.

Nova was poised to earn his ninth career win against Baltimore -- his most against any team --

until Schoop connected in the ninth to provide Watson with his fourth blown save.

"We didn't have much going," Trumbo acknowledged. "It happened pretty quick, and when you

do it against these top relievers it's rare."

Davis opened the ninth with a single before Schoop teed off on an 0-1 pitch.

"The changeup was up and Schoop put a big swing on it," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said.

Brad Brach (1-1) worked the 10th for the Orioles, who improved to 8-1 in extra innings.

Gausman allowed four runs and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings. It was the fifth straight start in which

he gave up at least eight hits.

TEJADA ARRIVES

A wild three-day ride for Ruben Tejada ended in the Orioles clubhouse. Baltimore obtained the

utility infielder from the New York Yankees for cash considerations on Sunday, assigned him to

Triple-A Norfolk, then selected his contract Tuesday -- making him part of the big league club.

"I'm really happy for this opportunity," Tejada said in front of his new locker. The Orioles

designated INF Paul Janish for assignment.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Pirates: LHP Antonio Bastardo (left quad strain) pitched two innings in relief for Triple-A

Indianapolis on Monday without allowing a run. ... RHP Jamieson Taillon will make his next

rehab start Wednesday, pitching for Indianapolis against Toledo. Taillon had surgery May 8 to

treat testicular cancer. ... C Chris Stewart (left hamstring pull) started baseball activity on

Tuesday.

Orioles: C Welington Castillo (testicular injury) took batting practice and could come off the DL

on Saturday after the minimum 10-day stay. Though the Orioles wanted Castillo to catch in a

minor league game, they might have to settle for him participating in a simulated game, manager

Buck Showalter said. ... INF Ryan Flaherty (shoulder) will see Dr. James Andrews on Friday,

hoping to get clearance to begin a throwing program.

UP NEXT

Pirates: RHP Chad Kuhl (1-5, 6.02 ERA) tries to snap a five-game losing streak in the series

finale Wednesday. Kuhl's only win in 11 starts this season came on April 8 against Atlanta.

Orioles: LHP Wade Miley (2-3, 2.82 ERA) makes his seventh career start against the Pirates.

He's 2-2 with a 3.11 ERA but hasn't beaten them since 2013.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/06/walk-off-win-trumbo-single-wins-it-in-the-

10th.html

Walk-off win: Mark Trumbo’s single wins it in the 10th

By Steve Melewski/ MASNsports.com

June 6, 2017

They used some dramatic home runs to get back in the game, but a measly single to center won it

for the Orioles tonight in the series opener with Pittsburgh.

Mark Trumbo’s RBI single to center with two outs scored Adam Jones in the last of the 10th as

the Orioles rallied to beat Pittsburgh 6-5 at Camden Yards.

Jones came up with a one-out single in the 10th for his third hit. He then alertly tagged up and

advanced to second when Manny Machado flew out to the left field wall. Trumbo then singled

on a 1-0 pitch from Wade LeBlanc to end the game.

It’s the Orioles’ fifth walk-off win of the year and was Trumbo’s eighth career walk-off hit and

third of this season. The Orioles improved to 30-26 for the season, to 20-10 at home and to 5-2 in

interleague games. They are 8-1 in extra-inning games.

The Orioles went to the last of the ninth down 5-3 and the first two batters tied the game off lefty

Tony Watson, who was looking for his 11th save. Chris Davis singled to right and Jonathan

Schoop blasted a 423-foot, game-tying, two-run homer to center. It was his second home run of

the night and second in three innings. That tied it 5-5.

The Orioles hit four homers on the night, three after the seventh inning. They have hit 44 homers

in their last 26 games.

Leading by one run in the top of the ninth, Pittsburgh extended the lead to 5-3 on Josh Harrison’s

RBI triple off Darren O’Day.

Earlier, down 4-1 against right-hander Ivan Nova, the Orioles hit back-to-back home runs to pull

within a run in the last of the seventh. On the first pitch of the inning, Davis homered onto the

flag court. He hit No. 13 on a changeup. It was his third homer in six games. Schoop followed

with a drive down the left-field line for No. 9, his first of the night. Schoop hit an 0-1 curveball

to pull the Orioles within 4-3.

The Orioles have hit back-to-back homers four times this season. Schoop has been involved in

all four, one with Hyun Soo Kim and twice previously with Trey Mancini.

The Orioles had taken a 1-0 lead off Nova when Seth Smith hit their third leadoff homer of the

year and his second. He drilled a Nova fastball 419 feet to straighaway center for his sixth of the

year. It was Smith’s fourth career leadoff homer.

But we’ve seen it often this year, an Orioles lead that didn’t last long. This 1-0 lead did not.

Pittsburgh scored three times in the top of the second off Kevin Gausman. David Freese and Josh

Bell singled to start the inning. Machado’s throw went past first on Bell’s infield single,

advancing Freese to third.

Andrew McCutchen singled to right on an 0-2 pitch - a 97 mph fastball - to tie it 1-1. An RBI

double to left center by John Jaso on a 1-2 fastball gave the Bucs the 2-1 lead. With one out,

Jordy Mercer’s RBI groundout made it 3-1.

Gausman settled in for a few scoreless innings before Freese’s solo homer to right in the sixth

made it 4-1. He hit No. 6 on a 95 mph fastball on a 3-1 pitch.

Gausman was headed for a loss before the last of the ninth. He gave up four runs and eight hits

over 6 2/3 innings. He threw 113 pitches and has a season ERA of 5.86.

In the second game of this two-game series on Wednesday night, lefty Wade Miley (2-3, 2.82

ERA) faces right-hander Chad Kuhl (1-5, 6.02 ERA).

Trumbo on Jones tagging up in the 10th and his approach there: “Just get a base hit. No need to

take a huge swing. That was a huge play. My approach changes if he’s not there. It was a heads-

up play and that’s why he’s really good.”

Trumbo has seen growth in Schoop’s offensive game: “Oh, no doubt. He is really coming into

his own. The walks, especially. His plate discipline has improved to the point where he’s taking

pitches he may have made outs on before. And the ones he’s getting to hit - look at his doubles,

look at his home runs. He’s a monster player and he’s only getting better.”

Jones on tagging up on Machado’s deep drive to left: “If it gets out, then Manny won’t pass me,

and I just trot around the bases. If he catches it, then I’m able to tag. I tried to do it earlier on a

fly ball he hit. Just knowing who’s out there. (Adam) Frazier - good player, but he’s a middle

infielder. I’ve seen [him] in spring training. It’s just different. Different being in the outfield, so

it was just something I had seen. I picked up early in the game. It was, all right if you get a

chance to go, get yourself in scoring position for Trumbo and Davis. I thought they were going

to walk Trumbo, but they pitched to him, and he was able to come through with it.”

Gausman was disappointed to give up run-scoring hits when ahead in the count: “Yeah, you

know, I think that’s a theme for me, really, this whole season is giving up way too many two-

strike hits. I threw some great pitches to get to that point, but obviously, they also did a really

good job with some fastballs up and just kind of didn’t hit them hard, but just kind of hit them

where guys weren’t. Right there, you’ve just got to try to minimize as much as you can.”

Schoop, were you thinking home run in the ninth?: “To be honest, always when I step in there I

want to put a charge in the ball. I wanna drive the ball somewhere. I want to hit the ball hard

somewhere. So, I was thinking that at-bat, minimize the groundball double play and I wanted to

look for a good pitch to hit it hard somewhere.”

Schoop’s take on Jones’ tag play: “It was big. That won us the game there. Tagging up on first

and scored. It was big. Jones is a real good baserunner and a real good player. That’s why he’s

the captain. He does everything right.”

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2017/06/trumbo-single-gives-orioles-6-5-win-in-10-

innings.html

Trumbo single gives Orioles 6-5 win in 10 innings (with

quotes) By Roch Kubatko/ MASNsports.com

June 6, 2017

The Orioles continue to cash in on free baseball.

Mark Trumbo singled to center field off Pirates reliever Wade LeBlanc with two outs in the 10th

inning to score Adam Jones and give the Orioles a 6-5 win before an announced crowd of 26,724

at Camden Yards.

Jones singled with one out and hustled to second base on Manny Machado’s fly ball to the left

field fence. Trumbo followed with his eighth career walk-off hit, and the fifth for the Orioles this

season.

The Orioles improved to 30-26 overall and 8-1 in extra innings.

Jonathan Schoop tied the game 5-5 in the bottom of the ninth inning with a two-run shot to

center field off left-hander Tony Watson. Chris Davis led off with a single and Schoop produced

his fifth career multi-homer game.

The Pirates had extended their lead to 5-3 in the top half on Darren O’Day’s two-out walk to

Adam Frazier and Josh Harrison’s triple to left-center field.

Brad Brach retired the side in order in the top of the 10th and earned the win.

Pirates starter Ivan Nova was in control until serving up back-to-back home runs to Davis and

Schoop in the seventh inning and leaving with inflammation in his left knee. Schoop has been

involved all four times the Orioles have hit back-to-back home runs this season. His shot to left

field tonight came off the final pitch thrown by Nova over six-plus innings.

Kevin Gausman retired the side in order tonight on 13 pitches in the top of the first inning, let the

first four batters reach base in the second and lost his lead.

It’s become a pattern with Gausman that leaves the club searching for answers.

Gausman allowed four runs and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings, with one walk, five strikeouts and a

home run. Donnie Hart replaced him after 113 pitches, including 70 for strikes.

Gausman threw 33 pitches in the second inning while the Pirates took a 3-1 lead on Andrew

McCutchen’s RBI single, John Jaso’s RBI double and Jordy Mercer’s soft bouncer to second.

Machado committed a throwing error on Josh Bell’s infield hit, but all three runs were earned.

David Freese homered with one out in the sixth inning to increase the lead to 4-1.

Gausman had allowed just two earned runs in each of his last three starts since giving up five

over 3 1/3 innings in a May 14 loss in Kansas City. However, he’s registered only four quality

starts in 13 outings this season.

Seth Smith hit his second leadoff home run of the season and the fourth of his career to stake

Gausman to a quick 1-0 lead. The Orioles have three leadoff homers on the year, including one

from Joey Rickard.

Smith’s ball slammed off the batter’s eye in center field, traveling an estimated 419 feet

according to Statcast.

Jones followed with a bunt single, giving Nova a dose of power and small ball within two hitters.

The guy must have been completely perplexed. It just didn’t show.

Machado grounded into a double play and Nova retired seven in a row before Frazier committed

an error that allowed Smith to reach second base with two outs in the third inning. Frazier

reached down for Smith’s sinking liner in left field and the ball ricocheted off the heel of his

glove.

Trumbo walked with one out in the fourth inning - only the seventh free pass issued by Nova in

12 starts - but Jones’ bunt single would be the Orioles’ last hit until he singled with one out in the

sixth.

The three home runs were the most off Nova since the Rays connected four times in four innings

on April 19, 2014.

During the Pirates’ three-run second inning, Gausman got ahead of Bell 1-2, McCutchen 0-2 and

Jaso 0-2. Bell followed Freese’s leadoff single with an infield hit, McCutchen singled to center

field to score Freese and Jaso doubled to left-center field to score Bell.

Hart loaded the bases in the seventh with a hit batter and a walk, but he escaped the jam. The

Orioles reduced the lead to 4-3 in the bottom half and brought the potential go-ahead run to the

plate after Caleb Joseph’s two-out single, but Felipe Rivero struck out Rickard, who was batting

for Smith.

Mychal Givens struck out the side in the eighth, mixing in a walk, and his fastball topped out at

99 mph. The heat is back.

Here’s manager Buck Showalter:

On Jones hustling to second base: “It’s either a home run or he’s going to catch it. You take a

little gamble in case it goes off the wall or something with that much hang time. That’s another

example of a baseball-player play that analytics won’t ever evaluate. It’s separating and

evaluating really good players like Adam, so many little things he does. That’s another example

of it. Anticipating plays and figuring out some way to go 90 feet. A lot of things happened there.

“Nova’s good. He’s, what, fifth in the National League in ERA? You can see why (pitching

coach) Ray Searage has a great reputation. You can tell that he’s a different pitcher than we saw

in New York.”

On Schoop having team-leading 11 RBIs in seventh inning or later: “What you see is Jon takes

information in from his previous at-bats and applies them later in the game. It’s a learning curve.

Jon’s not one of those guys anymore who, what’s the definition of not being completely sane?

It’s just having the same things happen. Jon watches how people are pitching him and what he’s

doing wrong and he makes adjustments to patterns and what they’re doing.

“It’s one of the challenges of playing a team you see hardly ever. It seems like we saw them 20

times in spring. I was kidding our guys, most of our guys have seen all of their pitchers in the

bullpen. It’s that group that went to Bradenton all the time. But I think that’s a sign is that he

takes things that are going on with him and makes some adjustments to them and tries to do

something else different.”

On Gausman’s second inning: “You know, I’d say rough, statistically. I’ll say this: He gets a

chopper anywhere else and it sneaks through the infield, then he gets a broken-bat flare the other

way off the end of the bat, then McCutchen fights a ball off and may have broken his bat in right.

I think he gave up one hard-hit ball that inning. So, I kind of take that with a grain of salt. But

it’s what happened after that. He kept us engaged in the game.”

On team’s power making it possible to come back: “On paper, but it’s hard to do that if nobody’s

on base. The one that really got us in there was when somebody’s on base in front of Jon. Chris’

base hit off the left-hander was big. That guy’s had a heck of a year. They’ve got three guys

down there, if you look at them statistically, they’re pretty impressive. So, I look kind of what set

that up, because the other ones were solos.

“They were good, they got us back in it and we were fortunate that Darren and Brad and Mychal

had all had three days off. Mychal had a big inning, too. You talk about power getting you back

in the game, but it’s also somebody getting on base before somebody does that.”

On how damaging team can be with this power: “What comes first, kind of like the chicken and

the egg? It’s part of it. It’s kind of all the way through baseball. It’s a bloop and a hit-by-pitch

and all of a sudden it’s life in the big leagues. First thing that hit me when I got to the big leagues

was how quickly leads can go, because there’s power all the way through lineups, including

theirs. I don’t care what team you’re talking about, that potential is always there. That’s why

guys who can pitch effectively in the last three innings are so valuable.”

On so many hits off Gausman being soft: “I was looking at the stats and stuff on him today and

it’s just not reflective of what he’s capable of doing. You look at the hits to innings and then you

see some of what happens. It takes a strong constitution to grind through that and not give in and

say, ‘Wow.’ They’re human beings, they go, ‘Gosh, what do I have to do here?’ “I tell them,

‘You’ve got to stay true and keep grinding and the baseball gods will be kind to you.’

“Go back to first inning, they hit some balls hard that we caught. There was some balls hit harder

in the first inning than when he gave up the runs.”

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/baltimore-orioles/orioles-come-back-three-down-walk-pirates-

extra-innings

Orioles come back from three down to walk off against the

Pirates in extra innings

By Associated Press

June 6, 2017

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Jonathan Schoop tied it in the ninth inning with his second home run of

the game and Mark Trumbo singled home a run in the 10th to rally the Baltimore Orioles past the

Pittsburgh Pirates 6-5 on Tuesday night.

Baltimore trailed 4-1 after six innings and 5-3 in the ninth before coming back. Schoop's two-run

drive off closer Tony Watson knotted it at 5, setting the stage for Trumbo's big hit.

Adam Jones singled with one out in the 10th against Wade LeBlanc (3-1) and took second when

Manny Machado hit a fly ball to the warning track in left. Trumbo then lined a single to center,

and Jones easily beat Andrew McCutchen's throw to the plate.

Brad Brach (1-1) worked the 10th for the Orioles, who improved to 8-1 in extra innings.

Pirates starter Ivan Nova gave up three runs and five hits in six-plus innings. He yielded a solo

homer to Seth Smith to begin the game, then departed with left knee inflammation after allowing

back-to-back shots to Chris Davis and Schoop to start the seventh.

Nova was poised to earn his ninth career win against Baltimore -- his most against any team --

until Schoop connected in the ninth to provide Watson with his fourth blown save.

Kevin Gausman allowed four runs and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings for Baltimore. It was the fifth

straight start in which he gave up at least eight hits.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-to-add-veteran-right-hander-edwin-

jackson-to-major-league-roster-on-wednesday-source-says-20170606-story.html

Orioles to add veteran right-hander Edwin Jackson to major

league roster today, source says

By Eduardo A. Encina/ The Sun

June 7, 2017

The Orioles will add veteran right-hander Edwin Jackson to their major league roster today,

according to an industry source.

Jackson, 33, was signed to a minor league contract April 5 and has been pitching for Triple-A

Norfolk since early May. He has a 3.10 ERA over 12 appearances spanning 20 1/3 innings,

pitching mainly in relief.

Jackson initially had an opt-out in his minor league contract that he could exercise Thursday, but

he agreed to extend his stay at Norfolk. Starting Monday at 11:59 p.m., he had 24 hours to

exercise his opt-out and then the Orioles had 48 hours after that to either add him to their 25-man

major league roster or release him from his contract, allowing him to become a free agent.

The club is expected to add Jackson to its 25-man roster before tonight's game. The Orioles must

make a corresponding 25-man move to make space for Jackson. There was one available spot on

the organizational 40-man roster for Jackson, created Sunday when left-handed reliever Paul Fry

cleared waivers and was outrighted to Norfolk.

Jackson was with the Tides for their game in Gwinnett, Ga. on Tuesday night and was told he

was being added to the major league roster later that night. He is slated to fly to Baltimore

Wednesday morning and be available for Wednesday night's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

His deal with the Orioles will include a base salary of $850,000 for making the major league

roster with the potential to earn an additional $1.6 million in performance bonuses.

Eleven of Jackson’s 12 appearances at Norfolk were in relief and he had a 3.12 ERA in 17 1/3

relief innings. His past three outings have been scoreless, and he’s been used in a variety of relief

roles over that span – pitching 1 2/3 scoreless innings last Monday, recording three scoreless

frames two days later and posting a three-up, three-down ninth-inning save in his most recent

appearance Saturday.

Though his time in the Orioles organization has been brief, Jackson won many supporters in both

Norfolk and Baltimore, especially because of his experience, and his ability to eat innings and

pitch regularly out of the bullpen.

With the Orioles, Jackson will likely help fill a long-relief role, at least initially. Though he's

pitched mainly in relief over the past three seasons, Jackson made 13 starts for San Diego last

season.

The Orioles will be Jackson’s 12th major league team, and he will have pitched in the majors in

each of the past 15 seasons. Owning a career 93-144 record and 4.65 ERA at the major league

level, Jackson spent most of his career as a starting pitcher – he threw a no-hitter for the Arizona

Diamondbacks in 2010 – but has worked mostly out of the bullpen for the past three seasons.

His most recent major league experience came last season in San Diego, where went 5-6 with a

5.89 ERA in 13 starts for the Padres.

In his first year of full-time relief work in 2015, Jackson had a 3.07 ERA in 55 2/3 relief innings

with the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves. While pitching with the Braves – where he had a

2.92 ERA over 24 2/3 innings – Jackson worked under current Orioles pitching coach Roger

McDowell.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-kevin-gausman-sees-odd-start-

spoiled-by-long-unlucky-second-inning-20170606-story.html

Orioles' Kevin Gausman sees 'odd start' spoiled by long,

unlucky second inning

By Jon Meoli/ The Sun

June 6, 2017

The second inning started with a pair of infield dribblers and ended with a three-run frame that

bloated Kevin Gausman’s pitch count early in the game.

On either side of it, he was the pitcher the Orioles have longed for all season. In total, it was

another in a head-scratching line of starts from the Orioles’ Opening Day starter in an eventual 6-

5, walk-off win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

“That was a very odd start,” Gausman said. “It’s one of those things where I felt like I threw the

ball great and threw some really good pitches when I needed to and where I wanted to.

Unfortunately, sometimes, they just get the better of you.”

Said manager Buck Showalter: “I was looking at the stats and stuff on him today, and it’s just

not reflective of what he’s capable of doing. You look at the hits-to-innings [ratio] and you see

some of those happenstances. It takes a strong constitution to keep grinding through that and not

say, ‘Wow.’ … Every once in a while, they’re human beings, they go, ‘Gosh, what do I got to do

here?’

“These guys, I tell them all the time, you’ve got to keep grinding and stay true and keep pushing

and the baseball gods will be kind to you. If you go back to the first inning, they hit some balls

hard that we caught. There were harder balls hit in the first inning than there were the one when

he gave up the runs.”

After a snappy first inning, even with that hard contact, Gausman was victimized by a pair of

seeing-eye hits — one by third baseman David Freese that eluded second baseman Jonathan

Schoop up the middle, and another that was too slow off the bat of designated hitter Josh Bell for

third baseman Manny Machado to turn into an out on the infield grass.

According to MLB’s Statcast data, similar batted balls are hits just 7 and 8 percent of the time,

respectively.

But in a season that has been a seemingly endless barrage of bad luck and batted balls finding

grass for Gausman, Tuesday night’s start was no different.

After those two singles — and an error on a throw by Machado to enable Freese to go to third

base — the Pirates started connecting for some actual hard contact. Center fielder Andrew

McCutchen singled home Freese, and first baseman John Jaso scored Bell. A third run scored on

a jammed groundout by shortstop Jordy Mercer, a particularly poor piece of contact that

extended the Orioles’ deficit to 3-1 nonetheless.

“He gets a chopper anywhere else and it sneaks through the infield, then he gets a broken-bat

flare the other way off the end of the bat, then McCutchen fights a ball off and may have broken

his bat in right,” Showalter said. “I think he gave up one hard-hit ball that inning. So I kind of

take that with a grain of salt. But it’s what happened after that. He kept us engaged in the game.”

He allowed just four men to reach, including a home run by Freese, for the remainder of his start.

But that second inning essentially spoiled Gausman’s night. He threw 33 of his 113 pitches in

that frame, and allowed half of the eight hits he’d cede on the day. And in some ways, it was a

microcosm of his season.

Entering Tuesday, Gausman had allowed a .356 batting average on balls in play — putting him

second in the major leagues behind reigning Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello. The league

average is typically .300, and Gausman’s highest in any year he started more than half of his

major league appearances was last year’s .308.

Some of it is due to hard contact — his 89.1 mph average exit velocity entering Tuesday’s game

was 15th highest in the majors for pitchers with at least 500 pitches thrown this season. Some of

it is due to simple luck. However it happened, Gausman’s unfortunate second inning cost him

dearly.

He left in the seventh inning having allowed four runs on eight hits with five strikeouts and just

one walk in 6 2/3 innings, bringing his ERA to 5.86. He said he saw a thread through this start

and all the previous ones this season.

“Obviously, my strikeouts are down this year and I think that’s the thing,” Gausman said. “Guys

know that when I get to two strikes, I’m going to be pretty tough on them. Like in that second

inning, I threw every pitch where I wanted to throw it. That’s one of those things where you’ve

just got to roll with it and try to stick it out and hope that it stops.”

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-pirates-observations-20170606-

story.html

Orioles observations: Jones runs Orioles into position for

walk-off victory

By Jon Meoli/ The Sun

June 6, 2017

Orioles center fielder Adam Jones was rewarded for an astute piece of base-running Tuesday

night, scoring the winning run after tagging up to second base on a fly ball that almost everyone

at Camden Yards believed would be a home run.

He held on first base to take second after a flyout to the fence by third baseman Manny

Machado, and that allowed him to score on a two-out single by designated hitter Mark Trumbo,

giving the Orioles a 6-5 comeback victory in 10 innings over the Pittsburgh Pirates before an

announced 26,724.

"It’s either a home run or he’s going to catch it," manager Buck Showalter said. "You take a little

gamble in case it goes off the wall or something with that much hang time. That’s another

example of a baseball player play that analytics won’t ever evaluate. It’s separating and

evaluating really good players like Adam, so many little things he does. That’s another example

of it."

Jones said he took advantage of the fact that left fielder Adam Frazier is an infielder by trade,

and said it was "the right situation" to tag from first.

"You've got a deep fly ball that's either a home run or a flyout," Jones said. "He's jumping at the

wall, so as soon as I see him catch it, I just run. Jump, come down, then make a good throw to

second base, it's not an easy play, even for us outfielders. It was just instinct, trying to play the

game and trying to get in scoring position."

Trumbo, who is responsible for three of the Orioles' five walk-off hits this season, said Jones'

being on second base instead of first simplified the at-bat for him.

"Huge play, as much as my approach changes if he’s not there," Trumbo said. "It’s a heads-up

play, and that’s why he’s really good."

The Orioles forced extra innings in their last hacks at the Pirates when first baseman Chris Davis

singled and scored on a two-run home run by second baseman Jonathan Schoop, his second

homer of the game.

Davis and Schoop homered in consecutive at-bats in the seventh inning to cut into an early 4-1

deficit the visitors from Pittsburgh built off Orioles starter Kevin Gausman.

A three-run second inning during which the Pirates collected four of their eight hits and required

33 pitches from Gausman was the main blemish in a day that, otherwise, included plenty of

efficient innings for the embattled young starter.

He had thrown 50 pitches by the end of that second inning, but used 63 more to get into the

seventh inning. He ended the day allowing four runs on eight hits with five strikeouts and a walk

in 6 2/3 innings, bringing his ERA to 5.86.

Left-hander Donnie Hart relieved him after a two-out single in the seventh and put two runners

on before leaving the bases loaded. Mychal Givens struck out three in the eighth, and Darren

O’Day allowed a run in the ninth. Closer Brad Brach pitched a clean 10th inning, earning his

first victory of the season.

Top-heavy

In the first six innings of Tuesday’s game, the only Orioles to do much of anything were those at

the top of the order, right fielder Seth Smith and Jones.

In the first inning, Smith homered on Pirates starter Ivan Nova’s third pitch of the game, then

Jones dropped down a bunt for a base hit, but was erased on a double play.

Smith reached on an error by Frazier in the third inning, and Jones singled in the sixth inning. In

between, the only Orioles player to reach base was Trumbo, who walked in the fourth.

Seventh heaven

With that all as prologue, things were particularly dire at the seventh-inning stretch. That

changed over the course of three pitches, when Davis and Schoop homered in back-to-back at-

bats to open the inning and chase Nova, who left with the trainer after the home run by Schoop.

Joseph keeps throwing

After a leadoff single in the sixth inning by John Jaso, Caleb Joseph showed off the arm that has

helped him become one of the game’s top defensive backstops by throwing him out on an

attempted steal.

Joseph has caught six of 14 attempts at stolen bases against him this season.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-notes-joey-rickard-building-

routine-in-platoon-role-welington-castillo-return-looming-20170606-story.html

Orioles notes: Joey Rickard building routine in platoon role;

Welington Castillo's return looming

By Jon Meoli/ The Sun

June 6, 2017

Orioles outfielder Joey Rickard, back on the bench Tuesday night as his platoon role continues

into the third month of the season, said he’s growing more and more comfortable with what’s

being asked of him in his second major league season.

“Coming off the bench is definitely a challenge in some ways, but I’m just getting more familiar

with my role and doing what I can late in games, at the beginning of games, and just having an

idea of what the game calls for,” Rickard said. “And I have an idea now of when I’m going to

pinch-run or when I’m going to go in for defense. It makes it a little easier.”

It was around this time last season that Rickard went from an everyday player to one who

primarily played against left-handed pitching, and he did it for about eight weeks before a

season-ending thumb injury.

Manager Buck Showalter speculated that the adjustment wouldn’t be ongoing if he had been

healthy, but said he likes Rickard’s presence this year.

“I think Joey figures it sure beats the alternative,” Showalter said. “He knows he’s got options

and all that other stuff, so he’s got to continue to be somebody out there who you want to keep

on the club and contribute. It seems like every time he has a couple games where it may not have

been his best foot forward, he’s got right back to a real impactful game again. Joey is a little

unconventional with some things, but the end product is usually pretty good. He’s always

engaged.”

Orioles' Kevin Gausman sees 'odd start' spoiled by long, unlucky second inning

Rickard is hitting .262/.295/.345 with a home run and five RBIs with four stolen bases in five

tries. And just as last season, most of his success is coming against left-handed pitching, which

he’s hitting .275 with a .707 OPS against.

He’s had to adjust to not seeing as many right-handed pitchers, and coming off the bench when

the team faces such pitchers, but it’s been a positive process, he said.

“I kind of got things a little last year, but every game is a new situation that comes about so you

kind of get more familiar as it’s going on,” he said. “But this year, it’s definitely helped me out a

lot.”

Tuesday, and Showalter said he might not go on a rehabilitation assignment before he’s eligible

to be activated from the 10-day disabled list with a testicular injury Saturday.

“He’s doing good,” Showalter said. “The problem is the minor league schedule doesn’t

cooperate with us. The closest is [Double-A Bowie in] Trenton [N.J.] when we’re in New York.

It’s 71 miles from stadium to stadium. We may just do a [simulated] game with him and catch

some BP with hitters in there. We’ll see. It’s kind of up in the air if he’ll go out or not.

“There’s a chance he won’t and just start playing for us on Saturday. But if today’s a good day

for him, I feel real comfortable with him having a couple days with us there in Washington and

New York. Early [batting practice] that first day in New York, we’ll probably do some

simulation things for him unless he goes to Trenton."

Around the horn: Closer Zach Britton (forearm) took a flat-mound bullpen session Monday for

the first time, continuing his rehab in Sarasota, Fla. … Left-hander Alexander Wells, outfielder

Jake Ring and infielder Chris Clare were selected as Delmarva’s entrants in the Low-A South

Atlantic League All-Star Game. ... The Orioles lost their annual Battle of the Birds golf

tournament to the Ravens on Monday for the first time in Showalter’s tenure. Showalter was not

happy about it.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-add-infielder-ruben-tejada-from-

norfolk-designate-paul-janish-for-assignment-20170606-story.html

Orioles add infielder Rubén Tejada from Norfolk, designate

Paul Janish for assignment

Jon Meoli/ The Sun

June 6, 2017

The Orioles on Tuesday added Rubén Tejada from Triple-A Norfolk, two days after acquiring

the 27-year-old utility infielder from the New York Yankees.

He took the roster spot of Paul Janish, who was designated for assignment, the team announced.

“We’re hoping Paul clears [waivers] and continues with us down in Norfolk,” manager Buck

Showalter said. “[Tejada] was available and had an out in his contract, and people thought he

was a guy we wanted to add. ... We’re just trying to put our best foot forward, not that Paul

wasn’t. Just had some people that really thought Rubén would be a good addition. I talked to

[New York Mets manager] Terry Collins some about him.”

Orioles to add veteran right-hander Edwin Jackson to major league roster today, source says

Tejada, a veteran of seven major league seasons after debuting with the New York Mets in 2010,

has played shortstop, third base and second base in the big leagues, most recently with the St.

Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants in 2016.

A career .252 hitter with a .647 OPS in the majors, Tejada had spent all of 2017 with Triple-A

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the Yankees organization before the Orioles sent cash their way for his

services Sunday night.

“I’m really happy because it’s an opportunity to come back to the big leagues and do my stuff

with a new team,” Tejada said. “It’s a really good opportunity to come back, play hard,

concentrate and win. I want to win here and I will stay focused all the time.”

Tejada takes the place of Janish, who came up May 21 to be the utility infielder when Ryan

Flaherty went on the disabled list with a shoulder strain. Janish appeared in three games in that

span, going hitless in five at-bats before being designated for assignment Tuesday.

Showalter said Flaherty hasn’t begun throwing after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection,

adding that the team is being “very cautious with him.

“He’s going to see Dr. [Mike] Jacobs on Friday and hopefully get cleared to throw,” Showalter

said.

The team has seven days to pass Janish through waivers or trade him, and if he clears waivers, he

can decide whether to stay with the organization at Norfolk.

With Janish coming off the roster, along with the spot cleared when left-hander Paul Fry was

outrighted Sunday, the Orioles have one open spot on the 40-man roster.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-top-pick-cody-sedlock-finding-

importance-of-fastball-at-high-a-frederick-20170606-story.html

Orioles top pick Cody Sedlock finding importance of fastball

at High-A Frederick

Jon Meoli/ The Sun

June 6, 2017

No matter whether the man on the mound is a first-round draft pick with the world in front of

him or an undrafted pitcher there to fill a roster spot, the message anywhere in the low minors

from the coaching staff is all about fastball command.

Cody Sedlock, the Orioles’ first-round pick in last year’s draft, managed to pitch well even

though he did not have his fastball command in the first half of a doubleheader Monday for

High-A Frederick.

“Today, my fastball command really wasn’t that good,” Sedlock said. “But it’s one of those

things where I limited my mistakes on the fastball, and one thing I learned throughout the season

is just to simplify everything, and if you have confidence in your fastball, good things are going

to happen. … With my fastball, sometimes it can move an inch and sometimes it can move eight

inches. It’s one of those things where I’ve just got to get a feel for it and keep throwing it and

good things happen.”

Sedlock’s first inning was his most effective with the fastball all day, though three of the five hits

he allowed came in that frame, all on fastballs. His first 13 pitches were fastballs, and the

Potomac Nationals loaded the bases on three one-out singles to create a minor jam. However, he

went to his changeup and coaxed a double-play ball to get out of the inning.

His two-seamer sat 92-93 mph in that first inning, and he went back to it heavily in the second

inning as well. Once he started mixing his offerings more in the third inning, things improved for

him. He broke out his curveball and got his first strikeout on it to lead off the third, and also got

swinging strikes on his changeup in that inning.

Sedlock, Akin and Hays, high 2016 Orioles draft picks, unlocking potential with Keys

“You always want to go through the lineup one time with mainly fastballs, maybe mix in a

couple changeups, and second time through is when they’ve seen you,” Sedlock said. “That’s

when you start mixing in your secondary pitches. I’m blessed to be able to throw my secondary

pitches for strikes, so it’s good to have that for the second time through the order.”

But too often, he struggled to locate his fastball in the zone. Three of his four walks were of the

four-pitch variety, and even if the damage wasn’t coming on the board, he alternated between

missing low arm side with his fastball and missing glove side. On the day, 26 of the 54 fastballs

he threw were strikes.

But even with his primary pitch sitting 89-91 mph in the later innings of his outing, Sedlock

avoided damage until the sixth inning. Third baseman Kelvin Gutierrez found the right-center

field gap past a diving Ademar Rifaela for a leadoff triple in the sixth inning, and scored on a

single by first baseman Ian Sagdal.

That would be Sedlock’s final batter, and Sagdal came around to score against reliever Luis

Gonzalez. Sedlock was charged with allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits with four walks

and three strikeouts in five innings, bringing his ERA to 5.80 on the season.

The outing provides an interesting snapshot of where Sedlock is, one season out of the team

selecting him in the first round out of Illinois. He at times showed a good changeup and a good

curveball, with the changeup being more consistent and the curveball at times showing tight

break.

The fastball, mostly of the two-seam variety after he found such success with the pitch as a

junior at Illinois, didn’t get a single swinging strike all game — all six he had were on off-speed

pitches. And his delivery, which has some deception, is violent to the point of concerning for

some scouts.

Before the start, Orioles director of player development Brian Graham said Sedlock has shown

everything that a first-round pick should in his first full season, but has not done it consistently.

Sedlock pulled his ERA down with the outing, and it’ll be a challenge to continue bringing it

down after a stretch in late April and May when he allowed 29 earned runs on 41 hits in 21 2/3

innings over five starts.

“I was just trying to do too much with everything instead of just focusing on the glove and

hitting my spots,” he said. “There were a lot of things going on in my head, trying to get hitters

out that way instead of trusting my stuff. … It was real up, then real down. It’s just one of those

things where it’s just part of the experience, and I know my bad month is going to make me

stronger. I’m just trying to find myself as a pitcher. I’m excited for the future and excited for the

rest of the season wherever it takes us.”

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/234842222/jonathan-schoop-hits-two-homers-in-orioles-

win/

Schoop (2 HRs) continues to be #ASGWorthy

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com

June 7, 2017

BALTIMORE -- Jonathan Schoop seems to be in the middle of everything for the Orioles

offense.

The second baseman homered twice in Baltimore's 6-5, 10-inning walk-off win over the Pirates

Tuesday night, extending his team lead in RBIs to 31.

"He's really coming into his own," Orioles designated hitter Mark Trumbo said. "The walks,

especially -- his plate discipline is improving to where he's taking pitches that he may have made

outs on before. The ones he's getting to hit, look at his doubles, look at his home runs. He's a

monster player. And he's only getting better."

Schoop started things off with a solo shot as part of a back-to-back homer barrage off of Pirates

starter Ivan Nova in the seventh. He has been part of all four of the Orioles' back-to-back home

runs this season.

Schoop then delivered a game-tying blast in the ninth to force extras, scoring Chris Davis -- who

homered earlier -- and giving Schoop his team-leading 12th RBI in the seventh inning or later.

"What you see is Jon takes information from his previous at-bats and applies it later in the game.

It's a learning curve," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "Jon watches how people are

pitching him and what he's doing wrong and he makes adjustments to patterns and what they're

doing. ... I think that's a sign [of maturity], that he takes things that are going on with him and

makes some adjustments to them and tries to do something else different."

Schoop has done a great job adjusting this season, hitting in multiple places in the order and

giving the O's one of their most consistent at-bats. He has 27 extra-base hits already, entering

Tuesday tied for second in baseball among second basemen in that category. Schoop, who also

posted a career-high 26-game on-base streak earlier this year, now has 10 homers on the season.

"I think since last season I started to make adjustments [quicker] -- sometimes during at-bats," he

said. "I feel I'm getting better at it, but still have some [things] to work on to get better."

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2017/06/orioles-selecting-jacksons-contract-and-

other-notes.html

Orioles selecting Jackson’s contract (and other notes)

By Roch Kubatko/MASNsports.com

June 7, 2017

Another day passed without Edwin Jackson having his contract selected from Triple-A Norfolk,

but he’s heading to Baltimore later today. The club is adding him to the bullpen, according to a

source.

It’s been a process.

Jackson was in Gwinnett last night and didn’t pitch in a 4-3 victory. Tyler Wilson worked the

first six innings, left-hander Lucas Luetge earned the win with a scoreless seventh and Jimmy

Yacabonis covered the last two innings for his seventh save while lowering his ERA to 0.90.

The Orioles will be Jackson’s 12th major league team. But who’s counting?

There are people in the organization who are convinced that Jackson is ready to contribute and

creating a spot for him shouldn’t be an issue. It wasn’t unanimous, but the Orioles reached a

point where they no longer could wait.

The risk was that another team would offer Jackson a major league deal and he’d be allowed to

leave. He already extended his opt-out date a few extra days.

Jackson has a 3.10 ERA in 12 appearances with Norfolk covering 20 1/3 innings. He’s

surrendered seven runs and 20 hits, walked 10 batters and struck out 17.

Jackson hasn’t allowed a run or walked a batter in his last three appearances over 5 2/3 innings.

He hasn’t pitched since Saturday.

It became obvious on Sunday that Jackson’s return to the majors was nearing. The Orioles

outrighted left-hander Paul Fry to open a spot on the 40-man roster. They didn’t do it on a whim.

The Orioles are gauging trade interest in Ubaldo Jiménez, but that’s nothing new. They almost

had a deal with the Padres last summer that would have brought outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. to

Baltimore, but it fell through for monetary reasons and he was sent to the Blue Jays.

There are optionable relievers in the bullpen, but removing Jiménez obviously would solve a

couple of issues.

Manager Buck Showalter can’t shy away from using Jiménez and run the risk of burning out

other relievers. He knows that it takes Jiménez longer to get loose, but the game doesn’t always

allow for an extended warmup. And Jiménez can be a slow starter, even in his current role.

Jiménez warmed in the seventh inning last night, but Donnie Hart escaped a bases-loaded jam.

Pedro Álvarez was in Norfolk’s lineup again last night and had a double and RBI. Still no major

league offer for him despite the hot bat.

Reliever Darren O’Day had allowed one run in his last eight appearances before issuing a two-

out walk last night in the eighth inning and getting burned by Josh Harrison’s triple.

O’Day is back to feeling good after having what’s been described as a tired shoulder.

“You can tell he is,” Showalter said recently. “He hit 90 mph (Friday) night, which is about as

good as you’re going to see. But with Darren, if he’s able to finish pitches, and that was a

challenge early where he just felt like he didn’t have that extension that he needs, healthy people

pitch better. But some people fight through them that aren’t DL-able injuries. Darren’s that type

of guy. But it really allows us to spread the load around and keep everybody healthy.

“We don’t have any pitchers in the league leaders in appearances and that’s by design. We just

can’t put our guys in harm’s way.”

As for tonight’s game at Camden Yards, Wade Miley is 1-2 with a 6.98 ERA in four career starts

against the Pirates, including a 1.500 WHIP in 19 1/3 innings. He’s allowed 16 runs (15 earned)

and 23 hits in 19 1/3 innings.

Miley has a recent past with the Pirates, facing them on June 29, 2016 with the Mariners and

surrendering five runs and seven hits in four innings in an 8-1 loss in Seattle.

Andrew McCutchen is only 2-for-14 (.143) with a double against Miley and Harrison is 2-for-13

(.154) with a double. David Freese is 4-for-12 (.333) with a home run and Jordy Mercer is 4-for-

9 (.444) with a double.

The Orioles haven’t faced Pirates right-hander Chad Kuhl, a ninth-round pick in 2013 out of the

University of Delaware. He’s 1-5 with a 6.02 ERA in 11 starts, including a 1.581 WHIP in 49

1/3 innings. He hasn’t gone more than five innings in his last eight starts.

Left-handers are batting .343 against Kuhl this year and .320 in his two seasons in the majors.

He’s kept right-handers at a .240 average this year and in his career.

Perhaps Hyun Soo Kim gets the start in left field tonight, with Seth Smith in right and Mark

Trumbo serving as the designated hitter.

Kuhl is 1-3 with a 7.71 ERA and 1.893 WHIP in seven home starts this season and 0-2 with a

3.80 ERA and 1.172 WHIP in four road starts.

Adam Jones is a career .322 hitter (19-for-59) in 14 games against the Pirates.

The Sun first reported that the Orioles were selecting Jackson’s contract.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2017/06/showalter-on-tejada-flaherty-castillo-and-

more.html

Showalter on Tejada, Flaherty, Castillo and more (we’re

tied)

By Roch Kubatko/ MASNsports.com

June 6, 2017

The only transaction for the Orioles today involved infielder Rubén Tejada, who had his contract

selected from Triple-A Norfolk. Tejada replaced Paul Janish, who was designated for

assignment.

“We’re hoping Paul clears and continues with us down in Norfolk,” said manager Buck

Showalter.

The Orioles acquired Tejada from the Yankees on Thursday for cash considerations.

“He was available and had an out in his contract, and people thought he was a guy we wanted to

add,” Showalter said.

Dr. Michael Jacobs will examine Ryan Flaherty on Friday before it’s determined whether the

infielder can begin to throw. In the meantime, the Orioles kept checking on available utility

players.

“Just trying to put our best foot forward,” Showalter said. “Not that Paul wasn’t. Just had some

people who really thought Rubén would be a good addition.”

Showalter said he sought input from Mets manager Terry Collins. And coach Einar Diaz, also a

native of Panama, has known Tejada for many years.

I mentioned earlier today that catcher Welington Castillo took early batting practice and may not

need an injury rehab assignment.

“The problem is the minor league schedule doesn’t cooperate with us at a time when he could

potentially play somewhere,” Showalter said. “The closest is Trenton while we’re in New York,

which is 71 miles from stadium to stadium, I saw.

“We may just do a sim game with him, have him catch BP with some hitters in there and see if ...

It’s kind of up in the air whether he’ll go out or not. There’s a chance he won’t and just start

playing for us on Saturday. But if it’s a good day for him today, I feel real comfortable with

having a couple of days with us there in Washington and New York.

“Early BP the first day in New York, probably do some simulation things with him, unless he

goes to Trenton. That’s about the only option we have with him.”

Showalter said there hasn’t been a setback with Flaherty, who seemed poised to start throwing by

early this week.

“I actually texted Brian (Graham) today about how he’s feeling,” Showalter said. “He’s a little

frustrated because he’s ready to go. He wants to go and they’re being very cautious with it, but

you’ve got to get this thing done the right time. It could be something that could really head

toward surgery if you don’t get it healed right the first time, so they want to make sure that

happens.

“I guess instead of throwing this week, they decided to let Dr. Jacobs clear him. As soon as that

happens, he’ll be moving quickly. I just hope Mike feels comfortable clearing him.”

Showalter will become a grandfather for the first time later this month. Daughter Allie is due in a

few weeks and Showalter is expected to leave the team.

People keep asking Showalter what his grandson is going to call him.

“Like he’s already able to perceive it this quickly?” Showalter asked.

“Anybody in here a grandparent? What do they call you? What about G-Daddy?

“I don’t think G-Daddy is going to make the cut.”

Update: Seth Smith hit his second leadoff home run of the season, a 419-foot shot off Ivan Nova

that struck the batter’s eye in center field, to give the Orioles a quick 1-0 lead.

Smith has four career leadoff home runs.

Update II: The first four batters reached against Kevin Gausman in the top of the second inning

and the Pirates took a 3-1 lead. Gausman threw 13 pitches in the first inning and 33 in the

second.

Manny Machado committed a throwing error on Josh Bell’s infield hit, but all three runs were

earned. Andrew McCutchen had an RBI single, John Jaso followed with an RBI double and

McCutchen scored on Jordy Mercer’s one-hopper to second baseman Jonathan Schoop.

Update III: David Freese homered off Gausman with one out in the sixth to increase the lead to

4-1. Gausman has thrown 98 pitches in six innings and the Orioles don’t have a hit since Adam

Jones’ bunt single in the first.

Update IV: Chris Davis and Schoop hit back-to-back home runs to open the bottom of the

seventh inning and reduce the lead to 4-3. Nova walked off the mound with the Pirates’ athletic

trainer.

The Orioles have gone back-to-back four times this season and Schoop has been involved in all

four.

Gausman allowed four runs and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings, with one walk and five strikeouts. He

threw 113 pitches, 70 for strikes.

Update V: Davis singled off left-hander Tony Watson to lead off the bottom of the ninth and

Schoop followed with a two-run shot to center field to tie the game. Schoop has five career

multi-homer games.

Darren O’Day allowed a run in the top of the ninth on a two-out walk to Adam Frazier and Josh

Harrison’s triple.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2017/06/castillo-could-be-activated-on-saturday-

plus-other-notes.html

Castillo could be activated on Saturday (plus other notes)

By Roch Kubatko/ MASNsports.com

June 6, 2017

The Orioles may skip the injury rehab assignment for catcher Welington Castillo and activate

him from the disabled list on Saturday while the club is in New York.

The minor league schedule isn’t cooperating with the Orioles. Manager Buck Showalter said the

Orioles would need to send Castillo to Trenton if they wanted to delay returning him to their

lineup.

Castillo took batting practice today before the rest of his teammates were on the field. The

Orioles may set up simulated games on Thursday and Friday, allowing Castillo to catch, and

return him to the active roster on Saturday.

Castillo will accompany the team to D.C. and New York unless there’s a sudden change in plans.

The Orioles placed Castillo on the 10-day disabled list on May 31 after he sustained a testicular

injury the previous night that required a trip to the hospital. Surgery wasn’t needed and he’s been

participating in some baseball activities.

Infielder Ryan Flaherty will be examined by a team doctor on Friday before the Orioles clear

him to start throwing.

Flaherty remains at the Ed Smith Stadium complex and is eager to throw, but the Orioles remain

cautious with him due to a recurrence of the shoulder discomfort that surfaced in spring training.

Closer Zach Britton threw off a flat mound as part of his progression.

Showalter said the Orioles are hoping that infielder Paul Janish clears waivers and stays in the

organization after they designated him for assignment earlier today to create a spot for infielder

Rubén Tejada.

Alec Asher opposes Joe Ross in Thursday’s makeup game in D.C.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/06/scouting-makeup-in-the-draft-plus-chris-

davis-on-homers-for-hearts.html

Scouting makeup in the draft (Chris Davis on Homers for

Hearts)

By Steve Melewski/ MASNsports.com

June 7, 2017

Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft, consisting of 40 rounds, will be held over three

days beginning on Monday, June 12.

The first two rounds of the draft, through competitive balance round B (where the Orioles have a

pick) will be held beginning Monday at 7 p.m. Eastern time. Rounds three through 10 will be

held starting at 1 p.m. on June 13. On June 14, the draft resumes at noon with rounds 11 through

40.

The Orioles select 21st overall in round one. It is their highest selection since they took pitcher

Kevin Gausman fourth overall in 2012. They have three other top 100 picks with selections at

Nos. 60, 74 and 98. The Orioles will have 11 picks in the top 10 rounds. The last time they held

the 21st pick in the draft, they took outfielder Larry Bigbie out of Ball State in 1999.

The Orioles are looking for talent, of course, in selecting players, but more than just baseball

skill is considered. A player’s makeup - his character and attitude - are also important.

“Makeup for me is just as important as talent,” Orioles scouting director Gary Rajsich said. “You

have to have both. It is more difficult to know that about the college guys, but at the same time,

you’ve watched them over a longer period.”

Rajsich said he expects his area scouts to try to get to know the players personally and get a real

feel for them. But he said that is easier to do with high school talent.

“That is part of the job, yes, they should do that,” Rajsich said. “But there are some college

programs that don’t let scouts get near their players. They may have one day for that in the

spring and our scouts have to do all their signability work then and that makes it tough. But high

school players, they are free to get to know them as much as they want. That is one of the most

important parts of the job: getting to know the signability and makeup.”

The signability is essentially the amount of a signing bonus a player is hoping to get from a pro

team. Tougher-to-sign players can fall in the draft.

The Orioles have held some draft meetings this week to pare down the number of players they

will consider for that 21st pick. Most of the potential picks at No. 21 will be players pretty well

scouted by the club.

“Most of them are guys we have known about,” Rajsich said. “We generally have between four

to seven (in person) looks at these guys throughout the spring. And in most cases, the area scout

has seen him over more than one year.”

Last year, the Orioles signed a large amount of their draft picks, coming to terms with 34 of 41

selections. They signed 24 of their first 25 picks. They drafted 27 pitchers and signed 23.

Homers for hearts: If you ever wanted to take a shot at hitting a home run at Camden Yards, here

is your chance - and it is for a great cause.

Orioles first baseman Chris Davis and his wife Jill will host “Crush’s Homers for Hearts,” a

charity home run derby event at Oriole Park on Thursday, July 13, from 5-9 p.m. It will benefit

the Pediatric Heart Program of the University of Maryland Children’s Hospital at the University

of Maryland Medical Center.

Participants will enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete in a home run derby

challenge in foursomes on the field at Oriole Park. Along with taking part in the home run derby,

participants will also have the opportunity to watch a private Orioles team workout prior to the

event, warm up on the field with Orioles strength and conditioning coaches, enjoy

complimentary food and beverages, and take pictures with Chris and Jill Davis.

“You can go on the field and take your shot at a home run like the players,” Jill Davis said. “I

think it is going to be really fun. I think I’m going to help with the kids maybe, the T-ball

challenge. That is more up my alley.

“We’ve always been passionate about helping children. Especially helping children battling

illnesses at a young age. I’m a nurse and have a daughter now and that has always been close to

my heart.

“We want to do anything we can to help. We met with the hospital board and we decided that

focusing on the children’s heart program at the hospital is going to be the most beneficial. We’ve

learned a lot about that and are behind it 100 percent.”

The Davises have worked with Casey Cares in the past and will again. They hope this event

continues for many years.

Chris Davis has also announced that he will be donating $1,000 to the the Pediatric Heart

Program for each home run he hits during the 2017 regular season.

“We are grateful for the commitment by Chris and Jill Davis and partnership of the Orioles to

our pediatric heart program,” said Dr. Mohan Suntha, president and chief executive officer of the

University of Maryland Medical Center, home of the University of Maryland Children’s

Hospital. “This event presents an important opportunity to continue advancing research and care

for our smallest and most vulnerable patients in the most complex area of pediatric heart

disease.”

The Davises have visited the University of Maryland Children’s Hospital a few times and that

only served to further motivate them to help the kids and families there.

“Once we met the staff and got to know the parents and kids, it is hard not to fall in love with

them,” Chris Davis said. “They have such positive and energetic attitudes. Some of them are

battling some very serious things. It puts things in perspective. We enjoy spending time with

those kids. Our hope is that Crush’s Homers for Hearts continues to grow each year and becomes

a cornerstone in the program’s fundraising efforts.”

For more information about sponsorship packages or foursome participation for this event, may

contact Nichole Komninos (nicholekomninos@umm.edu) at the University of Maryland

Children’s Hospital. This event is private and exclusive to the participants, patients and sponsors.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/06/os-game-blog-os-and-pirates-begin-two-

game-series.html

O’s game blog: O’s and Pirates begin two-game series

By Steve Melewski/ MASNsports.com

June 6, 2017

The Orioles are 4-2 against National League teams this year, going 2-1 against both Washington

and Cincinnati. Their next three games are versus NL teams, starting with a two-game series that

begins tonight with Pittsburgh.

This series will end a nine-game homestand. The Orioles are 4-3 on the stand, going 2-1 against

the Yankees and 2-2 against the Red Sox.

The Orioles went 14-6 in interleague games last season. The 14 wins were the most in club

history. Since interleague play began in 1997, the Orioles are 179-190. Pittsburgh is 68-51 in

interleague games since 2011.

The Orioles are 29-26 and the Pirates are 26-31. Pittsburgh is 12-9 over its last 21 games. The

Pirates have gone 26 games since being charged with more than one error.

Right-hander Kevin Gausman (3-4, 5.92 ERA) makes his 13th start for the Orioles. He has

pitched better lately. After recording one quality start his first seven games (counting one early

ejection), he has three over his past five. In four of those five games, Gausman gave up two

earned runs or fewer. In his past three starts he has allowed six runs over 18 innings for a 3.00

ERA.

If the season ended today, the 26-year-old Gausman would post career worsts in ERA, WHIP

(1.837), hits/9 innings (12.7) and walks/9 innings (4.1).

Ironically, the team won a lower percentage of his starts last year, when he posted a 3.61 ERA,

but that was often about a lack of run support. The O’s went 14-16 in his 2016 starts and are 6-6

this season.

In 12 career interleague games (11 starts), he is 3-6 with a 5.31 ERA, a 1.534 WHIP and a .297

average against.

Former Yankee right-hander Ivan Nova (5-4, 2.92 ERA) has had a strong year for the Pirates,

with two complete games and one shutout. He ranks fifth in the National League in ERA and

sixth in innings. Most impressive of all may be allowing just six walks over 77 innings. His

season high for any game is two, and six times in 11 starts he has not walked one batter.

Over his last three starts he has been particularly pitch-efficient. In those 22 2/3 innings, Nova

has averaged 11.8 pitches per inning.

In two starts last year against the Orioles, he went 2-0 with a 4.50 ERA. In 17 career games (16

starts) against Baltimore he is 8-4 with a 5.01 ERA and 1.330 WHIP.

While the Orioles start this series tonight, the top two teams in the American League East

standings begin a series at Yankee Stadium, with New York hosting Boston. The Yankees are in

first place by two games over Boston and by 3 1/2 over the Orioles. While the Orioles have

played those teams 22 times, going 7-6 versus the Red Sox and 5-4 against the Yankees, New

York and Boston have played just twice, with the Yankees winning both games.

Delmarva’s All-Stars: The Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds will send pitcher Alexander Wells,

outfielder Jake Ring and infielder Chris Clare to the 58th South Atlantic League All-Star game

June 20 in Columbia, S.C.

Ring will start for the North division in center field. Clare will serve as a utility infielder. Wells

was one of 11 pitchers named.

The Orioles minor league Player of the Month for April, Ring is batting .326, fifth in the league.

He is leading the Sally League in RBIs (38), doubles (19), extra-base hits (31), slugging (.609)

and total bases (112), and ranks in the top five in several other offensive categories. Ring is a

31st-round pick out of Missouri from the 2016 draft.

A native of Newcastle, Australia, Wells is an All-Star for the second straight year. He was a New

York-Penn League all-star in 2016 for short-season Single-A Aberdeen. In 10 starts, he is 4-2

with a 1.74 ERA through 10 starts, with eight walks and 40 strikeouts through 51 2/3. He ranks

third in the league in ERA and leads his team in WHIP at 1.03, and with six quality starts.

A 21st-round pick from High Point last June, Clare is batting .274 with a team-best .377 on-base

percentage. He has six doubles, two triples, a homer, 26 runs and 25 RBIs.

Meanwhile, Single-A Frederick pitcher Keegan Akin is the Carolina League Pitcher of the

Week. On Sunday he pitched six scoreless innings of two-hit ball against Potomac. He fanned

seven without a walk. In 10 starts, he is 4-4 with a 5.16 ERA.

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/behind-potent-lineup-os-aim-for-sweep-of-pirates/

Behind potent lineup, O's aim for sweep of Pirates

By STATS/ CBSsports.com

June 7, 2017

BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles will look to continue their power surge and complete a

two-game series sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday at Camden Yards.

Jonathan Schoop hit two of the Orioles' four home runs in a 6-5, 10-inning victory over

Pittsburgh in the series opener Tuesday.

"This is a good team," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said of Baltimore. "The Orioles have found

a way to win a lot of games over the years. They're a perennial contender. Offensively, they

provide you with some challenges. They swing big and play pretty solid defense."

With the series opener, Baltimore began a stretch of 20 consecutive games in as many days. The

Orioles were supposed to have an off day Thursday, but instead they must travel to Washington

to play a makeup game against the first-place Nationals.

Baltimore began the lengthy stretch with a good start.

"I tell them, you've got to stay true and keep grinding and the baseball gods will be kind to you,"

Orioles manager Buck Showalter said.

Baltimore left-hander Wade Miley (2-3, 2.82 ERA) will take the mound against the Pirates in the

series finale. He has been one of the team's most productive starters this season.

Miley picked up his second win of the season Thursday against the Boston Red Sox when he

allowed just one run on five hits over seven innings. He also showed better command, issuing

just one walk while striking out three in 109 pitches.

Miley has pitched with added confidence, knowing the Orioles' powerful lineup is capable of

putting up runs and providing a cushion.

"Everybody knows what this offense is capable of doing," Miley said. "It definitely takes a lot of

pressure off the pitching staff, but we still have to go out and do our jobs. That's when you get on

a roll, when the pitchers are pitching good and we're swinging the bats like we're swinging right

now. I mean, the opportunity is there."

Miley, who is 2-2 with a 3.11 ERA in six career starts against Pittsburgh, may change the way

Hurdle approaches the series finale. On Monday, Josh Bell served as the designated hitter, but

Hurdle might use another player at that spot.

"Left-hander on the mound could mean something different," Hurdle said. "Miley seems to be on

a little bit of a roll right now."

Pittsburgh's Chad Kuhl (1-5, 6.02 ERA) has struggled over 11 starts this season, and he will try

to recover against Baltimore. Kuhl showed better command in his previous outing, Wednesday

against the Arizona Diamondbacks, when he allowed two runs on three hits over five innings.

That was an encouraging sign for the young right-hander.

"In previous games, I was throwing hard just to throw hard, just to try to get it by him and try to

beat him instead of just doing what I do best, and that's a good-angled fastball," said Kuhl, who

will be making his first career start against the Orioles.

One of the keys for Pittsburgh in the second game of the series is keeping the ball in Camden

Yards. The Pirates struggled with that task in the opener, and it proved costly.

On Wednesday, Pittsburgh likely will be without catcher Francisco Cervelli, who took a ball off

his mask in the ninth inning Tuesday and was forced to leave the game. Cervelli was tested for a

concussion, and his status was uncertain.

http://www.baltimorebaseball.com/2017/06/07/coincidence-confidence-orioles-winning-lots-

extra-inning-games/

Is it coincidence or confidence that has the Orioles winning

lots of extra-inning games?

By Dan Connolly/ BaltimoreBaseball.com

June 7, 2017

Back in 2012, I had a discussion with then Orioles catcher Matt Wieters about the club’s

ridiculous string of extra-inning games.

That team played 18 regular-season contests that lasted beyond regulation, and the Orioles

posted a ridiculous 16-2 record on their way to their first playoff appearance in 15 years.

The craziest part is that they were actually 0-2 in extra-inning games to begin the year – both

losses to the Yankees – and then won 16 straight.

Throughout that streak, many argued it was unsustainable, that it was simply coincidence. And

the Orioles just kept winning in extras. The streak finally came to an end in the playoffs, when

they lost two straight, again to the Yankees.

That conversation with Wieters re-entered my mind when thinking about what the Orioles have

done in additional frames so far this season.

They have played 56 games, and nine have gone beyond nine innings.

The Orioles are 8-1 in those contests after last night – the only loss coming to, you guessed it, the

Yankees in 10 innings on April 28.

Tuesday night, the Orioles did it again, a 6-5, 10-inning victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at

Camden Yards. The Orioles won on a single by Mark Trumbo (pictured above, celebrating) that

scored Adam Jones, who had wisely tagged and reached second base on a fly ball during the

previous play. The 10th-inning heroics were set up in the bottom of the ninth on a two-run homer

by Jonathan Schoop – his second longball of the game.

The Orioles have now played in, and won, more extra-inning games than they did all of last year,

when they were 6-2. The only team in the majors to have played more extra-inning games in

2017 is Pittsburgh, which is 5-5.

So, is it pure coincidence, or are there reasons why a team plays a lot of extra-inning games and

why they win (or lose) a lot of them?

I asked that question to Wieters in 2012, and like most queries, Wieters contemplated it before

answering.

His take was that it probably was a coincidence that they played beyond regulation so often. But

those 2012 Orioles had a good bullpen and plenty of home run hitters. So, they were never truly

out of a game, and that probably led to several ties.

The other part, though?

Wieters thought there was a reason – besides the Orioles’ penchant for power – that made them

so successful in extra-innings: Once the streak started, and they began winning game after game

in extras, their confidence built.

There was a certain calmness in the dugout, he said, during those games that came as much from

familiarity as success. That year, the Orioles played in seven games 13 innings or longer, and

won all of them, including one that went 17 in Boston and another that lasted 18 in Seattle.

As those games dragged on, Wieters said the club believed they were going to win because they

had so often. And so maybe their minds were more focused or their bodies were more

accustomed to playing longer. They also had that good bullpen which could outlast opponents,

and a strong tactical manager in Buck Showalter, which is helpful as more maneuvering is

needed as the innings pile up.

Wieters couldn’t pinpoint one specific reason for the 16-2 mark – he’s a catcher not an analyst.

But he believed the 2012 Orioles were more prepared for extra innings than their counterparts.

And maybe the same thing is happening now. Maybe these Orioles are developing a

psychological or physical advantage with all these early-season, extra-inning contests. Or maybe

it’s just a freakish stat and it will even out as the season progresses.

One other thing to keep in mind – at least way back in your mind – is that in the three previous

times the Orioles have made the postseason under Showalter, their extra-inning records have

been 16-2 (2012), 14-6 (2014) and 6-2 (2016). In the years they haven’t reached the playoffs

during a full season with Showalter, their extra-inning records were 8-8 (2011), 8-7 (2013) and

6-5 (2015).

Coincidence? Confidence? A little bit of both?

http://www.baltimorebaseball.com/2017/06/06/mullins-return-highlights-week-os-minors/

Mullins’ return highlights week in O’s minors

By Dean Jones/ BaltimoreBaseball.com

June 6, 2017

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

Just don’t tell my wife I said that. She would tell you that’s the Christmas season.

Of course, I know Christmas, her birthday, my two sons’ birthdays, our anniversary and my

birthday mean a lot more on a personal level than any of the other 359 days in a year. And the

day when pitchers and catchers report, Opening Day, the start of the World Series and several

other days on the baseball calendar also come with a lot of fun and excitement.

But my job here at BaltimoreBaseball.com is to tell our readers how the organization’s top

prospects are performing. And each June, several dozen other possibilities enter the discussion as

short-season Single-A Aberdeen and the Rookie-level teams start playing.

Plus, the 2017 Major League Baseball first-year player draft will take place next week. The first

two rounds will happen Monday night, starting at 7 p.m. Round 3 through 10 will begin at 1 p.m.

Tuesday, and the final 30 rounds will start at noon Wednesday.

Because of that, we’ll interrupt our regular “Dean Jones Report” schedule for one week.

While we won’t publish the weekly update next Tuesday, we’ll have tons of MLB draft coverage

here on BaltimoreBaseball.com. On Monday morning, you can expect a preview of players with

local ties that could be selected during the three-day event. And of course, we’ll tell you all about

the Orioles’ first-round selection as soon as we know it.

This is a good spot to plug our coverage from last year’s draft. If you missed my piece on all 41

picks from 2016, you can catch up right here. I’m going to do a similar piece this year.

But, for now, let’s jump into this week’s update.

If you’re joining us for the first time, the “Dean Jones Report” is my look at the recent

performances of the 12 Orioles minor leaguers who have earned a spot on my “Dean’s Dozen”

list. I’ll categorize each player as a rising stock (“bullish”) or a falling stock (“bearish”) based on

how he has played over the past week.

After those 12 players, you’ll see several others from within the organization who are either

“hot” or “not” since our last update (or longer). This week, a pair of left-handed pitching

prospects make the cut in the “surging” category, while another lefty is “falling.”

Finally, I’ll list the upcoming schedule for each of the Orioles’ full-season affiliates. Only one

team – Low-A Delmarva – will be home this weekend.