The Sports Xchange
MLB Team Report – Baltimore Orioles – INSIDE PITCH
The Orioles trotted out a new order Sunday afternoon, and the change fit the offense well.
With uber-hot J.J. Hardy batting third against Tampa Bay ace lefty Matt Moore, the Orioles put up 10 runs to escape with one victory in the three-game set with the Rays. Baltimore dealt Moore just his second loss of the season and his second in as many starts, rattling out 12 hits en route to nine runs — eight of them earned.
Hardy was 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and two runs batted in, hitting in the heart of the order for the first time this season.
With Hardy, Adam Jones and Manny Machado, in particular, swinging well, the Orioles have a potent order against left-handed pitching. While the numbers still indicate the club is better against righties than against lefties, manager Buck Showalter is able to stack his lineup with righties in the heart of the order to attack opposing aces — like Tampa Bay’s Moore and David Price.
Hardy is a key to the order. Having him hitting third while in a white-hot streak — he enters Monday 15-for-30 with three homers, four doubles and seven RBIs in eight June games — was a nice short-term kick Sunday. But his real value comes as a No. 6 or No. 7 hitter in the O’s lineup, contributing some pop and a veteran presence in the lower-third of the offense.
Jones and Machado have been incredibly consistent in 2013. Hardy, not so much. But the Orioles would absolutely trade his sub-par April for his so-far-scalding June. Boosting his average 32 points in an eight-game stretch may not land the shortstop in the All-Star game, but it could prove crucial to keeping the Orioles in the thick of things in the American League East.
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MLB Team Report – Baltimore Orioles – NOTES, QUOTES
RECORD: 35-28
STREAK: Won one
PAST 10 GAMES: 6-4
NEXT: Angels (Jered Weaver, 1-1, 3.13) at Orioles (Freddy Garcia, 2-3, 4.70)
PLAYER NOTES:
–1B Chris Davis went 0-for-12 in the Orioles’ three-game series against the Rays at Tropicana Field, dropping his average from .357 to .338. This weekend was the first time Davis was held hitless for three straight games since July 23-25, 2012. It also was a far cry from his performance in Baltimore’s season-opening series against Tampa Bay, when he went 7-for-11 with three doubles, three homers and 11 RBIs.
–RHP Freddy Garcia will get the nod Monday against the Angels after a disappointing outing in Houston on Wednesday. Garcia took the loss as he allowed six runs on seven hits and two walks with two strikeouts in three innings against the Astros, his worst loss of the season. More bizarre than his shaky performance against the struggling Astros was that it came on the heels of an excellent stretch in which he went 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA in three previous starts.
–RHP Chris Tillman continued his excellent, albeit unexplainable, stretch on the road Sunday against Tampa Bay. Tillman has not allowed more than three runs in any of his last 11 starts away from home, the longest active streak in the majors. He has won three decisions in a row, tying his longest streak of the season, and is now one win shy of his career-long streak. Tillman said the key for him Sunday was not changing his game plan even when he was granted a huge, early lead against the Rays. Manager Buck Showalter was pleased with Tillman’s outing but wasn’t ready to say he’s “turned a corner” quite yet.
–CF Adam Jones tied his season-high Sunday with three hits and fell a triple short of the cycle. He has recorded three hits in half of his six games at Tropicana Field this season and is batting .365 (19-for-52) with three homers, four doubles and 10 RBIs in 12 games against the Rays this year. He also has scored 28 runs against the Rays since the start of the 2011 season, the most by any opposing player.
–RHP Jim Johnson put together six scoreless appearances since blowing his fourth save of the season May 26 against Toronto. He’s gone a perfect 6-for-6 in save opportunities since then while allowing only three hits, improving to 21-for-26 in save opportunities on the year. Johnson was unexpectedly called upon Sunday to record the final out, as the Rays chipped away at the Orioles’ eight-run lead and pulled within striking distance in the ninth. Johnson came in and gave up a hit but ultimately recorded the save and lowered his ERA to 4.30.
–RHP Pedro Strop was activated from the disabled list, where he had been since May 24 with a lower back strain. He joined the Orioles in Houston and threw a simulated game June 4 before being activated.
–LHP Mike Belfiore was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk. He is 1-0 with a 3.12 ERA in 8 2/3 innings over five games with the Orioles this season.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “I think we were still pretty confident in our offense even though we hadn’t scored many runs the last two days. They’ve got a good staff over there, especially good starting pitching. We knew it was going to be tough, but it’s always nice to be able to get a good lead, and (Orioles starter Chris) Tillman was able to make it stand up.” — C Matt Wieters after a win over Tampa Bay on Sunday.
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MLB Team Report – Baltimore Orioles – ROSTER REPORT
MEDICAL WATCH:
–RHP Steve Johnson (strained left oblique) went on the 15-day disabled list June 6. An MRI on June 8 confirmed there was a strain, but that it was only minor tear.
–RHP Pedro Strop (lower back strain) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to May 24. He threw off the mound May 28. On May 29, he threw a bullpen session and took ground balls in the infield. He joined the Orioles in Houston and threw a simulated game June 4. He was activated June 8.
–LHP Tsuyoshi Wada (left elbow surgery in May 2012) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 22 and was transferred to the 60-day disabled list April 4. Wada threw three innings in an extended spring training game in Sarasota, Fla., on April 18 and four innings April 23. He’s working on building up innings and expanding the number of pitches he throws per outing. He pitched three innings in a rehab start with Triple-A Norfolk on May 16. He pitched four innings in a rehab start with Norfolk on May 21 and five innings May 26.
–LHP Wei-Yin Chen (strained right oblique) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to May 13. He won’t be able to throw for at least a week but reported to the club’s spring training complex in Sarasota, Fla., on May 22 to begin his rehab. He threw 25 times June 4 in his first throwing session since straining his oblique.
–2B Brian Roberts (ruptured tendon in right knee) went on the 15-day disabled list April 5, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on May 18. He had surgery May 9 in Dallas. He began hitting off a tee in late May in Sarasota, Fla., and took batting practice June 4, but there is still no timetable for his return.
–OF Nolan Reimold (right hamstring strain) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to May 12. He could begin swinging a bat in the near future but likely won’t be ready to come off the disabled list on May 28.
–DH Wilson Betemit (torn posterior cruciate ligament in right knee) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 26, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on April 12. He began jogging in a pool May 17. He took batting practice June 4.
ROTATION:
RHP Jason Hammel
RHP Chris Tillman
RHP Freddy Garcia
RHP Miguel Gonzalez
RHP Kevin Gausman
BULLPEN:
RHP Jim Johnson (closer)
RHP Darren O’Day
LHP Brian Matusz
LHP Troy Patton
RHP Tommy Hunter
LHP T.J. McFarland
RHP Pedro Strop
CATCHERS:
Matt Wieters
Taylor Teagarden
INFIELDERS:
1B Chris Davis
2B Alexi Casilla
SS J.J. Hardy
3B Manny Machado
INF Ryan Flaherty
INF Danny Valencia
OUTFIELDERS:
LF Nate McLouth
CF Adam Jones
RF Nick Markakis
OF Chris Dickerson
OF/1B Steve Pearce
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