World Champions 1983, 1970, 1966
American League Champions 1983, 1979, 1971, 1970, 1969, 1966 American League East Division Champions 2014, 1997, 1983, 1979, 1974, 1973, 1971, 1970, 1969
American League Wild Card 2012, 1996
Monday, July 11, 2016
Game stories:
Orioles go into the break with a win as Tillman pitches well again The Sun 7/10
Tillman's 7 solid, Davis' HR lead O's past Angels MLB.com 7/10
Tillman with seven strong innings, Davis and Hardy homer in win MASNsports.com
7/10
Tillman earns 12th win as Orioles beat Angels 4-2 AP 7/10
Orioles End First Half With Chris Tillman's 12th Win CSN Mid-Atlantic 7/10
Columns:
Showalter confident in the roster he has right now The Sun 7/10
Orioles enter the All-Star break in an unexpected position The Sun 7/10
Orioles closer Zach Britton notches 100th career save The Sun 7/10
Trumbo is No. 1 seed in tonight's Home Run Derby MLB.com 7/11/16
O's prospect Sisco homers for U.S. Team MLB.com 7/10
Britton caps perfect first half with 100th save MLB.com 7/10
Dan Duquette on the Orioles’ All-Stars MASNsports.com 7/11
Showalter on Kim’s injury and a 4-2 win MASNsports.com 7/10
Orioles outright David Hale (O’s lead 4-2) MASNsports.com 7/10
Showalter on Joseph: “We’re lucky to have him” (updated) MASNsports.com 7/10
Darren O’Day provides an injury update MASNsports.com 7/10
Davis on the first half, Duquette on the rotation, Brach on All-Star nod MASNsports.com
7/11
Kim on his injury, Tillman on the win and more clubhouse quotes MASNsports.com 7/10
Manny Machado key to Orioles' ascent ESPN.com 7/10
Kim Leaves Game With A Strained Right Hamstring CSN Mid-Atlantic 7/10
Showalter Still Has Faith In Caleb Joseph CSN Mid-Atlantic 7/10
Orioles Prospect Chance Sisco Impresses In Futures Game CBS Baltimore 7/11
O’s thoughts: Humble Tillman snubbed; Britton’s surge; first-half, first-place
BaltimoreBaseball.com 7/11
Kim’s hoping to avoid DL; his absence would be a blow to power-centric offense
BaltimoreBaseball.com 7/10
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bal-orioles-go-into-the-break-with-a-win-as-tillman-
pitches-well-again-20160710-story.html
Orioles go into the break with a win as Tillman pitches well
again
By Peter Schmuck / The Sun
July 10, 2016
The Orioles lead the Red Sox and Blue Jays by two games heading into the All-Star break.
Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman did not make the American League All-Star team this year,
but he will head into the midseason break as one of only six pitchers in the majors with 12
victories.
He held the Los Angeles Angels to just three hits over seven innings as the O’s took the series
with a 4-2 victory before 32,963 on warm and humid Sunday afternoon at Camden Yards.
Tillman clearly bruised his All-Star credentials with a recent three-start slump during which he
allowed 14 earned runs over 14 2/3 innings, but came back to pitch well in his final two starts of
the non-mathematical first half, giving up just two runs on eight hits over 14 innings.
He gave up a first-inning RBI double to Angels slugger Mike Trout and then never looked back,
allowing just two singles over the next six innings in a 106-pitch performance that featured 61
strikes. The Orioles are now 16-3 in his 2016 starts and both he and the club headed into the
break with some much-needed momentum.
“I don’t worry too much about the personal stuff,’’ Tillman said, “but I think we had a pretty
solid first half. We need to keep playing good baseball to get to where we want to be at the end
of this deal.”
Tillman denied any disappointment over being left off the All-Star team and manager Buck
Showalter said he selfishly was glad Tillman would get the full break to rest up for the second
half.
“I know there’s one thing that Chris wants to really go to, and that’s the last game of the World
Series,’’ Showalter said. “That’s what he’s really interested in.”
What offensive help Tillman needed came in the fourth inning, when Mark Trumbo led off with
a single off Angels starter Tim Lincecum and Chris Davis blasted his 22nd home run of the
season. The Orioles added another run in the sixth when a pop fly by Pedro Alvarez dropped in
shallow left field and J.J. Hardy sent Lincecum packing with a sharp single to center.
The Angels narrowed that two-run lead with a run off All-Star setup man Brad Brach, but the
runner got into scoring position on a two-base error by Trumbo, so the run did not affect Brach’s
sub-1.00 ERA.
Hardy would drive in another run, in the eighth inning, with his third homer of the year and first
since April 12.
Alvarez finished with three hits for the fifth time this season and Adam Jones also delivered
three hits.
Closer Zach Britton completed a near-perfect first half with a scoreless ninth inning to record his
27th save in 27 opportunities.
It was the Orioles' second straight series victory over a Los Angeles team and it kept them two
games ahead of the Red Sox and Blue Jays in the American League East standings. They have
won four of five games since snapping out of a five-game losing streak at Dodger Stadium.
Their season will resume on the road Friday night against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Angels get a replay run: The first run of the game scored on that long double by Trout, but it
didn’t get up on the scoreboard until Angels manager Mike Scioscia challenged an out call at the
plate. Kole Calhoun came all the way around from first base and was originally ruled out on a
close play after strong and accurate throws by Mark Trumbo and Jonathan Schoop, but the replay
showed that Calhoun’s foot crossed the plate before Matt Wieters applied the tag.
Kim comes up sore: Hyun Soo Kim was removed from the game after the first inning with a
strained right hamstring. He grounded out to second base in his first at-bat and looked slow
running the play out. Joey Rickard replaced him in left field at the start of the second inning.
Lincecum solid: Two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum struggled in his previous
three starts for the Angels, pitched well through five innings on Sunday, giving up just the two-
run homer to Chris Davis in the fourth. He looked like he would get through six after striking out
the first two batters in the inning, but left the game after the Orioles tacked on a run against him.
http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/189085530/chris-davis-homers-chris-tillman-beats-angels/
Tillman's 7 solid, Davis' HR lead O's past Angels
By Jeff Seidel and Ben Raby / Special to MLB.com
July 10, 2016
BALTIMORE -- Chris Davis and J.J. Hardy both homered and starter Chris Tillman threw seven
solid innings, as the Orioles sealed a series win with a 4-2 victory over the Angels in the teams'
first-half finale on Sunday at Camden Yards.
Davis homered in the fourth off Angels starter Tim Lincecum (1-3) after Mark Trumbo singled,
giving the Orioles a 2-1 lead. Hardy added an RBI single in the sixth after a Pedro Alvarez bloop
double fell in between shortstop Andrelton Simmons and left fielder Ji-Man Choi.
Albert Pujols made it 3-2 with a sacrifice fly -- scoring an unearned run -- off All-Star reliever
Brad Brach in the eighth, but Hardy added a solo shot in the bottom of the inning to restore the
O's two-run lead. All-Star closer Zach Britton came on in the ninth and earned his 27th save in
27 chances, which means the Orioles take a two-game lead in the American League East into the
break.
Tillman (12-2) allowed one run on three hits in his seven innings, with the Angels' only run off
him coming on an RBI double by Mike Trout in the first.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Lincecum encouraged by latest start: Lincecum pitched into the sixth inning for the first time
in his last four starts and was encouraged after the outing, despite allowing nine hits and three
three runs over 5 2/3 innings.
"I felt like I challenged guys pretty well. I was controlling both sides of the plate with my
fastball," said Lincecum, who threw 102 pitches including 65 strikes. "A couple of breaking balls
up here and there put me in jams early on in the innings, but I made some pitches when I had to
and the defense made some plays behind me."
Bird Power: The Orioles relied heavily on power throughout the first half of the season, and it
showed on Sunday. Davis crushed a two-run homer to left in the fourth inning that gave the
Orioles their first lead of the game. That was the O's slugger's first homer since July 2 and No. 22
of the season. The Orioles finished the first half with a team-record 136 homers.
"[Lincecum] made some really good pitches on me my first at-bat," Davis said. "The pitch I hit
out was just out over the plate and was actually pretty close to the same pitch he struck me out
with my first at-bat. The difference was that on my first at-bat [it] was down."
Britton's milestone: Britton recorded his 100th save in the victory and is now 27-for-27 in save
situations this season, as he heads off to the All-Star Game in San Diego. The left-hander has
developed into one of baseball's top closers since he took the job early in the 2014 season, a year
where he came into Spring Training not even sure about his spot on the club.
"That's a nice little number, but like I said, I think it's more of a credit to how well Darren
[O'Day] and Brad [Brach] have thrown in front of me, and a lot of other guys, too, to put me in a
situation to be successful," Britton said. "It's a group effort."
Fielding gaffe costs Angels: After making a pair of basket catches this weekend, Simmons
could not get to the Alvarez fly ball in shallow left field with two outs in the sixth inning.
Simmons was backtracking for the catch, but pulled up at the last moment when he heard Choi
yell out.
Choi said postgame that he yelled for Simmons to take it. The ball dropped in for a base hit, and
with Alvarez racing towards second, Simmons committed a throwing error that allowed Alvarez
to take third. One pitch later, Alvarez scored on a single by Hardy to give Baltimore a 3-1 lead.
"Just a little inexperience, I think, out there with Ji-Man," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.
"Andrelton had it and at the last second thought he heard a voice from Ji-Man, and an outfielder
knows that when an infielder is settling under a ball, let him get it. Ji-Man, it wasn't his ball, he
couldn't get to it."
QUOTABLE
"That's the best we've seen Tim, and that's a pretty good lineup that you've got to work hard to
get through. He made very few mistakes. I thought he executed his pitches well and should have
been through six innings." -- Scioscia, on Lincecum's start against the Orioles
"We're just trying to do everything to make sure we're as good as we're capable of being. You
want to seek your level. I just talked to them before we split up for four days. Make good
decisions the next four days. Remember the pact we made with each other when we left [Spring
Training]. Nobody's counting, bring what you bring." -- O's manager Buck Showalter, on the
Orioles and what they accomplished in the first half
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Trout, who will participate in Monday's T-Mobile Home Run Derby and start Tuesday's All-Star
Game, ranks second in the Majors hitting .338 (25-for-74) after falling behind in the count 0-2
(among hitters with at least 50 at-bats).
UNDER REVIEW
The Angels took an early lead on Trout's double, sending an 0-2 offering from Tillman off the
right-field wall. Kole Calhoun scored from first base, although he was originally called out at the
plate. The call was overturned on a manager's challenge that took two minutes and 49 seconds to
complete.
WHAT'S NEXT
Angels: The Angels begin a six-game homestand out of the All-Star break Friday at 7:05 p.m.
PT with the first of three against the White Sox. Manager Mike Scioscia has not yet announced
his starting rotation for the weekend series.
Home team: The Orioles head out on the road again after the All-Star break, and Yovani
Gallardo (3-1, 5.82) will get the start when they open their three-game series at the Rays on
Friday at 7:10 p.m. ET. Showalter put Gallardo ahead of Chris Tillman -- who starts Saturday --
to give each an extra day of rest coming out of the break.
http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2016/07/tillman-with-seven-strong-innings-davis-
and-hardy-homer-in-win.html
Tillman with seven strong innings, Davis and Hardy homer
in win
By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com
July 10, 2016
Chris Tillman may not have made the All-Star team, but he reminded us today why he was
clearly deserving of consideration. Even if he did walk a few more than he wanted to.
Tillman pitched seven strong innings as the Orioles beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-2 in front of
32,963 at Camden Yards. The O’s hit the All-Star break with a record of 51-36 and a two-game
lead atop the American League East.
The righty allowed three hits and one run. He walked five and struck out five and is now 12-2
with a 3.41 ERA. The Orioles are 16-3 in his 19 starts.
At home this season, Tillman improves to 8-0 with an ERA of 3.23 and the Orioles are 12-0 in
his outings at Camden Yards in 2016. He has pitched seven innings or more four times in his last
seven starts and seven times this season. Zach Britton pitched the ninth today to record his 27th
save in 27 chances. It was the lefty’s 100th career save.
Down 1-0 on Mike Trout’s RBI double in the first, the Orioles took the lead on a Chris Davis
two-run homer to left in the last of the fourth. Davis hit an 88 mph fastball on a 2-1 pitch from
Tim Lincecum. It was his 22nd homer, and the blast traveled 441 feet. Davis has hit six homers
his last 14 games.
It was his 183rd homer as an Oriole. Davis moved out of a tie with Ken Singleton and into eighth
place on the club’s all-time list.
The O’s made it 3-1 in the sixth with a gift run. With two outs, a Pedro Alvarez bloop to left fell
in and then shortstop Andrelton Simmons threw wildly past second as Alvarez advanced to third.
The bloop should have been caught, and proved costly to Los Angeles when J.J. Hardy followed
with an RBI single for a 3-1 lead. A two-base error in right field by Mark Trumbo led to an
unearned run for the Angels in the eighth to make it 3-2. Hardy’s solo homer in the eighth, which
came right after Alvarez was picked off first base, made it a 4-2 game.
The Orioles closed out the first with a half with a 33-14 (.702) home record. They avoided their
second series home loss by winning today, and are 11-1-3 in 15 home series. The O’s have won
seven of eight and 16 of their last 20 games at Camden Yards.
Five Orioles will head to San Diego for the All-Star Game while the rest of the team takes a
break. The season resumes Friday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. against the Tampa Bay Rays.
http://espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=360710101
Tillman earns 12th win as Orioles beat Angels 4-2
Associated Press
July 10, 2016
BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles cruised into the All-Star break with a performance that
typified their play for much of the first half of the season.
Baltimore got another solid start from Chris Tillman, and the Orioles added two more homers to
their major league-leading total in a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.
The Orioles reached the break atop the AL East with a 51-36 record, including 33-14 at home.
"We're just trying to do everything to make sure we're as good as we're capable of being,"
manager Buck Showalter said.
Tillman pitched seven innings of three-hit ball, and Chris Davis and J.J. Hardy homered to help
Baltimore capture the deciding matchup of the three-game series.
The Orioles have 137 home runs, the most they've ever hit before the break.
"There are always things that you can work on, but I like the position that we're in right now,"
Davis said. "Obviously, finishing off the first half with two wins at home is good to build some
momentum going into the second half of the season."
Tillman (12-2) didn't have a perfect inning until the seventh. But the right-hander allowed only
one runner past second base and offset his season-high five walks with five strikeouts.
"The end result was good," Tillman said. "We came out on top. It was a grind. It was a grind
from the get-go. I was missing with all my pitches early. Fortunately, we were able to kind of get
in somewhat of a rhythm and mix some pitches and get out of innings."
Brad Brach worked the eighth and Zach Britton got three outs for his 27th save in 27
opportunities.
Angels starter Tim Lincecum (1-3) gave up three runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings. The 32-
year-old was making his fifth start since signing with the Angels on May 20.
Lincecum kept the Orioles in check with the exception of an opposite-field, two-run shot in the
fourth inning by Davis that made it 2-1.
"The best we've seen him," manager Mike Scioscia said. "He made very few mistakes."
Lincecum was pleased with his outing, especially after giving five runs in 4 2/3 innings in his
previous start at Tampa Bay.
"I thought I challenged guys pretty well," the right-hander said. "Made some pitches when I had
to and my defense played real well, too."
Well, not exactly.
Los Angeles fell into a 3-1 hole in the sixth after a two-out popup by Pedro Alvarez dropped
between shortstop Andrelton Simmons and left fielder Ji-Man Choi. Simmons exacerbated the
miscue by throwing wildly to second base. Hardy followed with an RBI single.
"There was a mix up in communication," Scioscia said.
Mike Trout and Albert Pujols had RBI for the Angels, who reached the break in last place for the
first time since 1999.
Pujols got Los Angeles to 3-2 with a sacrifice fly in the eighth, but Hardy countered with a solo
shot off Huston Street in the bottom half. It was his first homer since April 12.
Angels third baseman Yunel Escobar was ejected in the seventh inning while in the field.
REPLAY REVERSAL
Los Angeles got a first-inning run when a call at the plate was reversed after a replay review.
Kole Calhoun was initially ruled out on a double by Trout before manager Mike Scioscia
challenged the call.
The lead stood up until Davis hit his 22nd home run after Mark Trumbo's leadoff single.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Angels: 1B C.J. Cron was in the clubhouse Sunday, his broken left hand in a soft cast. The injury
occurred Friday when he was hit by a pitch. He is scheduled to see a specialist on Monday.
Orioles: LF Hyun Soo Kim strained his right hamstring running out a first-inning grounder and
was removed from the game.
UP NEXT
Angels: Los Angeles comes out of the All-Star break on Friday with a matchup against the
visiting Chicago White Sox.
Orioles: Yovani Gallardo will start against Tampa Bay on Friday as Baltimore launches the
second half with a seven-game road trip.
http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/baltimore-orioles/orioles-end-first-half-chris-tillmans-12th-win
Orioles End First Half With Chris Tillman's 12th Win
By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic
July 10, 2016
BALTIMORE—The Orioles scattered for a few days. Five go off for the All-Star Game. Others
went to their offseason homes or vacation spots. A few will just rest.
They end the first half with a two-game lead in the American League East, and with a stellar 33-
14 record at home.
In a fascinating first half of the season with starting pitching often vexing the Orioles, the one
constant has been Chris Tillman. .
Tillman wasn’t named to the American League All-Star team. That’s fine because he wouldn’t
have been able to pitch anyway.
The Orioles were happier that Tillman was available to pitch in the last game before the break,
and he ends it was a stellar 12-2 record.
Tillman allowed one run on three hits and though he did walk five, the Orioles came through
with a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels before 32,963 at Oriole Park on Sunday.
After walking Kole Calhoun with one out in the first, Mike Trout hit a drive to right that Mark
Trumbo threw to Jonathan Schoop at second. Schoop’s throw home was caught by Matt Wieters,
who tagged Calhoun.
Home plate umpire Tim Timmons called Calhoun out, but after a two minute, 40 second review,
the call was overturned.
Tillman walked Yunel Escobar and Calhoun to start the third, but he struck out Trout and got
Albert Pujols to ground out to short, starting a double play to end the third.
“The end result was good. We came out on top. It was a grind. It was a grind from the get-go. I
was missing with all my pitches early. Fortunately, we were able to kind of get in somewhat of a
rhythm and mix some pitches and get out of innings. To come out on top was good,” Tillman
said.
Tim Lincecum (1-3), who was signed by the Angels (37-51) last month, allowed three runs to the
Orioles (51-36). Chris Davis hit an opposite field two-run home run in the fourth, and in the
sixth, Pedro Alvarez’s pop to short looked as if it was going to be caught by shortstop Andrelton
Simmons, but he backed away at the last minute and it dropped.
Alvarez wound up on third after Simmons threw wildly on the relay, and J.J. Hardy’s single
scored Alvarez.
Brad Brach, on his way to the All-Star Game, gave up an unearned run in the eighth. Calhoun’s
line drive to right was misplayed by Trumbo, and he got to third on a two-base error. Pujols’ fly
ball scored Calhoun.
Hardy added his third home run of the season in the eighth. It was his first home run since he hit
two in Boston on Apr. 12.
Zach Britton, who is also going to San Diego, picked up his 27th save with a scoreless ninth. It
was the 100th save of his career.
"That's a nice little number,” Britton said I think it's more of a credit to well Darren [O’Day] and
Brad have thrown in front of me , and a lot of other guys too, to put me in a situation to be
successful.”
Because Tillman pitched Sunday he was ineligible for the All-Star Game, but he’ll take the time
off.
“It was not disappointing. The American League is a good league. There are a lot of good
pitchers. A lot of guys that deserve it. We’ve got five guys going, so that makes everyone in this
clubhouse happy. We’re well represented. I’m not disappointed at all,” Tillman said.
Showalter kept emphasizing the Orioles have 75 games to play.
“It's obvious what's ahead of us. A lot of challenges. But we have a chance to play meaningful
games every day. They were in April, OK? So, they've earned that and they want it. They want
to be in that cooker. That’s the difference between them and a lot of people. They want to play.
They want to be in the arena, not watching outside in. Everybody would like to be in it, but they
don't have the ability that they have. They want that. Have to cross a lot of roads to get there,
though. A lot of roads,” Showalter said.
NOTES: Hyun Soo Kim left the game after the first inning with a strained right hamstring. He
said it would be tested on Monday and hoped he wouldn’t miss any time. … RHP Jason Garcia
was optioned to Bowie. ... Yovani Gallardo (3-1, 5.82) faces Chris Archer (4-12, 4.66) on Friday
night at Tampa Bay when the Orioles resume play. … Escobar was ejected in the bottom of the
seventh inning by Timmons. … The Orioles’ 33 home wins are the most by any team in baseball.
Their 14 losses are tied for the fewest.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-schmuck-column-0711-20160710-
column.html
Showalter confident in the roster he has right now
By Peter Schmuck / The Sun
July 10, 2016
The Orioles have found a way to win games, and Buck Showalter said they don't need help from
the outside.
It takes more than a half-season to disprove your doubters, and Orioles manager Buck Showalter
doesn't spend a lot of time paying attention to them anyway.
So, he wasn't a ton of help when Sunday's game was over and he was peppered with questions
about the degree to which the first-place Orioles had met his preseason expectations.
"I didn't come in with any preconceived notions,'' he said. "I know this sounds clich?, but I just
wanted to do everything to make sure we're as good as we're capable of being. That's the thing,
to seek your level and not have anything distract you."
The Orioles have done that so far, overcoming a sketchy starting rotation to spend all but 15 days
of this season on top of the American League East standings. Whether they can stay up there
much longer with both the Red Sox and Blue Jays surging into the break remains an open
question, but Showalter has not changed his opinion of the team since it opened the season with
the first of three seven-game winning streaks.
"I just talked to them before we split up for four days,'' Showalter said. "Make good decisions the
next four days. Remember the pact we made with each other when we left Sarasota. Nobody's
counting, bring what you bring."
For the most part, the Orioles have done that. They've hung together through some key injuries
and they've won 51 games against all conventional logic. They've done it with only one full-time,
healthy starter – Chris Tillman – who has won more games than he's lost.
"Our guys don't dwell on conventionality," Showalter said. "…We don't always follow a script,
(but) there are some constants we want to maintain if we want to get where we want to go."
Those are obvious. The Orioles have gotten this far on a dynamic mix of raw power, highlight-
film defense and terrific late-inning relief. That has – so far – outweighed the deficiencies in the
starting rotation and fueled the us-against-the-world clubhouse chemistry that Showalter has so
successfully exploited throughout the past 4 ? seasons.
Everyone knew the O's would hit a lot of home runs. How could they not with the re-signing of
Chris Davis, the arrival of current major league home run leader Mark Trumbo, the consistent
presence of team leader Adam Jones and the continuing maturation of power-hitting infielders
Manny Machado and Jonathan Schoop?
But legitimate World Series contenders don't usually live on home runs alone, something that the
sporadic offense of the 2015 team learned the hard way. The Orioles still score a high percentage
of their runs while they are trotting around the bases, but they finally added some more on-base
potential to the equation.
No one imagined it on Opening Day, but Korean star Hyun Soo Kim knew what he was doing
when he refused the club's request that he accept a minor league assignment after struggling
horribly at the plate during spring training. He has been a steady on-base presence since he
started cracking the lineup regularly, but his status is now unclear after he pulled a hamstring on
Sunday.
Apparently, Dan Duquette also knew what he was doing when he and his scouting staff plucked
Joey Rickard off the Tampa Bay Rays' unprotected list during the Rule 5 Draft last December.
Both Rickard and Kim have contributed significantly to a more cohesive offensive attack.
The volatility in the starting rotation has created some instability in the bullpen, where the
Orioles have been mixing and matching middle and long relievers all season, but the pen has
been watertight in the late innings – even in the absence of injured set-up man Darren O'Day.
The late relief has been so good, in fact, that premier middle guy Brad Brach and his 0.91 ERA
joined Zach Britton and his league-leading 27 saves on the All-Star team.
Which brings us back to Showalter's original premise and the obvious follow-up to his
contention that he came into this season only wanting to make sure his players got the
opportunity to be as good as they are capable of being.
Well?
"We've got another level,'' he said. "We always think we've got another level. Help is right here,
this group. We are not coveting other people's players. They don't want to hear me talk about
what somebody is doing in Norfolk or Bowie. They don't want to hear about some guy [on
another team] that we're interested in. I don't want them to hear the manager talk about that. I tell
Dan [Duquette] to tell me at the 11th hour and we'll talk about the fit. Every answer we need to
have is in here."
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-angels-0711-20160710-story.html
Orioles enter the All-Star break in an unexpected position
Eduardo A. Encina / The Sun
July 10, 2016
The Orioles' final game before the All-Star break was a reminder of just how important strong
starting pitching is, and how it could end up being the main factor in determining just how far
these Orioles ultimately go in 2016.
Backed by seven innings of one-run ball by right-hander Chris Tillman – who went into the
break with 12-2 record – the Orioles' 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim gave
them a 51-36 record at the break. They hold the best record of any Orioles team through 87
games since 1997, when the club opened the season 55-32.
The Orioles lead the American League East – a position few experts thought they'd be before the
season began – leading the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays by two games. They will send
five players to Tuesday's All-Star Game in San Diego, and a few more players appeared worthy
enough to join them.
When the All-Star festivities are complete, the team will regroup for a workout in Tampa Bay on
Thursday night at Tropicana Field, where they will began their second half Friday.
"I don't know if we even had halfway goals to be honest with you," said first baseman Chris
Davis, who hit a two-run homer in Sunday's win. "I think it's always just kind of an overall goal:
Where are you at the end of the year? I think we played well. I think there have been times that
we've really shown we are a complete team and then there have been times when we've
struggled. But I think the last couple of games, there, were good of us to kind of bear down and
try to get away with two wins going into the break."
The Orioles closed the first half of the season with the type of wins they might need to pull out
often down the stretch. Typically outslugging teams, the Orioles grinded out two wins against the
Angels this weekend. On Saturday, their 3-2 win was just their ninth in 31 games when scoring
three runs or fewer this season. And on Sunday, the homer-happy Orioles hit two home runs, but
also scored the eventual game-winning run following a rare sacrifice bunt.
This year's Orioles are one of the best offensive teams in club history. They enter the break
leading the majors with 137 homers, including a major-league high 28 by Mark Trumbo. Five
Orioles starters – Trumbo, Davis (22), Manny Machado (19), Adam Jones (17) and Jonathan
Schoop (14) – have hit 14 or more homers over the break. They also are tied for the second-best
batting average in the American League; their .272 mark is tied with the Kansas City Royals and
trails only Boston's .292 average.
"I don't know if anything's terribly surprising," Trumbo said earlier this week. "I mean, if you
look at what we had in spring training, I was impressed up and down with the physical skills of
everyone. Obviously, you need to have some continuity out there and play the type of baseball
that you need to to be in this shape. But I think this team's by far one of the most talented, skills-
wise, that I've been on. And if everyone kind of does their part, I think it shows in the standings
and overall with the type of seasons that these guys are having."
Now for the ugly part: The Orioles starting pitchers own a collective ERA of 5.15, which ranks
14th out of 15 American League clubs. The Orioles' 34 quality starts – 11 of them belong to
Tillman – rank tied for last in the AL. No other starter has more than eight quality starts, and
while the Orioles are 16-3 in games Tillman starts, they are just 35-33 in games started by others.
"We've got to throw the ball a little better," said Tillman, who is 8-0 with a 3.23 ERA in 12 starts
at home this season. "Get the ball to the bullpen with a lead. Those guys are good, real good. As
long as you set them up the right way, you'll come out on top most times, I think. Every game,
there's not one thing. There are a few things that stick out for us. We've just got to keep playing
good baseball."
They boast the best home record in the AL (33-14) – going 11-1-3 in series at Camden Yards,
including a 6-0-1 against AL East competition. But the Orioles' road record is four games under
.500, and they finished their last road trip 4-5 despite earning two series wins. When the Orioles
open the second half, it will be in the midst of a stretch of 16 of 19 games on the road.
"If we win more games than anybody in our division, whether it's home or away, whatever,"
Showalter said. "… It's hard to win on the road. The American League East is tough. I'm glad
Toronto and all our teams are still engaged. They're going to play each other a lot. It's not going
to be just us that's going to have to beat some people in our division. It's always going to be
something. There's never been a perfect team or a perfect season or any team that thinks they
have had one at the end of the year."
Before his players went separate ways following Sunday's win, Showalter reminded them of the
pact he said the team made to itself nearly five months ago when it first assembled in Sarasota,
Fla., for spring training. The focus is not on being in first place at the All-Star break, but on
winning the final game of the postseason.
"It's obvious what's ahead of us, a lot of challenges," Showalter. "But we have a chance to play
meaningful games every day. They were in April, OK? So, they've earned that and they want it.
They want to be in that [pressure] cooker. That's the difference between them and a lot of people.
They want to play. They want to be in the arena, not watching outside in. Everybody would like
to be in it, but they don't have the ability that they have. They want that. Have to cross a lot of
roads to get there, though. A lot of roads."
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bal-orioles-closer-zach-britton-notches-100th-
career-save-20160710-story.html
Orioles closer Zach Britton notches 100th career save
By Jake Lourim / The Sun
July 10, 2016
Zach Britton is 27-for-27 on save chances this season and he now has 100 career saves.
In what’s become a formality when he enters games, Zach Britton came in for the ninth inning
Sunday at Camden Yards and closed down a 4-2 win for the Orioles. He is now a perfect 27-for-
27 in save chances this year.
Britton, who took over the Orioles’ closer role in early 2014, now has 100 career saves, tied with
Stu Miller for fourth place in club history.
“That’s a nice little number, but like I said, I think it’s more of a credit to the last few years, how
well Darren [O’Day] and Brad [Brach] have thrown in front of me, and a lot of other guys too, to
put me in a situation to be successful,” Britton said.
Britton’s latest outing came after starter Chris Tillman pitched seven innings of one-run ball and
Brach followed by allowing an unearned run in the eighth. Britton gave up a leadoff single to the
Los Angeles Angels’ Andrelton Simmons but retired the next three hitters.
He now leads the big leagues in saves and boasts a 0.72 ERA and 0.82 WHIP with 43 strikeouts
in 37 2/3 innings.
“There’s a real professional, competitive approach about it,” manager Buck Showalter said of
Britton and Brach. “I talk to pitchers all the time about your presentation to hitters, and they
present a very confident front to guys. It’s been fun to watch guys like Brad and Zach and
Jonathan [Schoop] and Manny [Machado]. You see them kind of take their experiences and play
up to their ability.”
http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/188552574/orioles-mark-trumbo-to-enter-home-run-derby/
Trumbo is No. 1 seed in tonight's Home Run Derby
By Manny Randhawa / MLB.com
July 11, 2016
Orioles outfielder Mark Trumbo will take part in the 2016 T-Mobile Home Run Derby on
tonight at San Diego's Petco Park (8 p.m. ET on ESPN and simulcast on MLB.com), leading into
Tuesday's 87th All-Star Game presented by MasterCard (7:30 p.m. ET on FOX).
Trumbo currently leads the Majors with 28 home runs, just six shy of his career-high of 34 set in
2013 while with the Angels.
The other participants in this year's competition are defending champion Todd Frazier of the
White Sox, the Marlins' Giancarlo Stanton, the Rockies' Carlos Gonzalez, the Mariners'
Robinson Cano, the Padres' Wil Myers, Dodgers rookie Corey Seager and the Reds' Adam
Duvall.
The players were seeded one through eight based on home run totals through Wednesday. As the
top seed, Trumbo will take on No. 8 Seager in the first round, with the winner of that matchup
facing the winner of No. 4 Cano and No. 5 Stanton in the semifinals.
On the other side of the bracket, No. 3 seed Duvall faces No. 6 Myers and No. 2 Frazier meets
No. 7 Gonzalez in the first round.
The winners of those two matchups will meet in the other semifinal. Then the last two sluggers
standing hack for the home run derby title.
The rules of the competition, which was modified beginning with last year's Derby, are as
follows:
• Single-elimination tournament in which the winner of each matchup advances and the loser of
each matchup is eliminated.
• If the second batter hits more home runs than the first batter in any matchup, he will be
declared the winner and not attempt to hit additional home runs.
• Four minutes per batter for each round. Clock starts with the release of the first pitch. In the
first round and semifinals, each batter is entitled to one 45-second "time out." In the finals, each
batter is entitled to two 45-second "time-outs."
• Thirty seconds of bonus time will be awarded for two home runs that each equal or exceed 440
feet.
• Ties in any round will be broken by a 60-second swing-off with no stoppage of time or
additional time added. If a tie remains after the swing-off, batters will engage in successive
three-swing swing-offs until there is a winner.
Trumbo previously participated in the Home Run Derby in 2012 at Kansas City's Kauffman
Stadium, hitting a total of 13 homers -- seven in Round 1 and six in Round 2. The Blue Jays' Jose
Bautista beat Trumbo in Round 2 to advance and leave him with a third-place finish.
Only two Orioles have won the Derby since it started in 1985: Cal Ripken Jr. (1991) in Toronto
and Miguel Tejada (2004) in Houston. Trumbo's teammate Manny Machado hit 12 last year in
the opening round, but the Dodgers' Joc Pederson edged him out.
Trumbo has hit some mammoth homers so far this season, including his longest -- a Statcast-
projected 458-foot shot on June 2 against Rick Porcello of the Red Sox. He was the first player
in the Majors to reach the 20-homer mark and has already eclipsed his total from last season.
More numbers on Trumbo's homers this season, courtesy of Statcast™:
Longest HR of 2016: 458 feet, June 2 (sixth inning) vs. Red Sox, off Porcello
Hardest-hit HR of 2016: 114.8 mph, June 2 (fourth inning) vs. Red Sox, off Porcello
Average HR distance in 2016: 411 feet
http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/189173282/os-prospect-chance-sisco-homers-for-us-team/
O's prospect Sisco homers for U.S. Team
By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com
July 10, 2016
SAN DIEGO -- Catcher Chance Sisco grew up in Corona, Calif., just 100 miles north of Petco
Park. Because of the proximity, he had at least 50 family members and friends in attendance on
Sunday to see him start behind the plate for the U.S. Team in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures
Game.
"I'm very excited to be here. My hometown is only an hour north of here," Cisco said after the
U.S. lost to the World Team, 11-3. "I was excited to play in front of a bunch of family and
friends."
The Sisco group was rewarded when their favorite son -- and the No. 3 prospect in the Orioles
system according to MLBPipeline.com -- homered with one out in the fourth inning off World
reliever Francisco Rios from the Blue Jays organization.
"I just got a fastball up in the zone and tried to put the barrel on it," Sisco said about his long
drive to left-center on a full count, which at the time gave the U.S. a three-run lead. "I didn't
think it was going out. Maybe it would be a double. But when I saw it go over the wall, it was
awesome."
Sisco is batting .307 this year with a .397 on-base percentage and .795 OPS for Double-A Bowie
in the Eastern League. Those numbers gave him the opportunity to go from here to the Eastern
League All-Star Game in Akron, Ohio, on Wednesday.
Cisco flied out to center in his first at-bat to end the second inning and then teed off in the fourth
against the right-handed Rios. He was replaced defensively in the top of the sixth.
Sisco has hit only one home run this season and 13 in his 1,282 plate appearances over the
course of four Minor League seasons, so power is not his most important product.
"I mean, I'm not really a power hitter," he said with a chuckle. "I usually hit gap to gap. A lot of
doubles [18 so far this season]. That's what I've done my whole career. The home runs will come
at some point, I think. I don't try to hit home runs. I just let them happen."
Sisco was a second-round pick by the Orioles in the 2013 Draft out of Corona's Santiago High
School and is just trying to make a mark in an Orioles organization that's replete with catchers
from the top down. Matt Wieters and Caleb Joseph are ensconced at the big league level.
Chance Sisco talks about hitting a home run in the Futures Game with his family in attendance
But Sisco said he can't worry about all that.
"My season has been going good. We're just trying to get some wins," he said. "I've been playing
well, just trying to stay healthy and stay consistent."
http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/189154200/orioles-zach-britton-records-save-no-100/
Britton caps perfect first half with 100th save Orioles' closer heads to All-Star Game with 27 saves
By Jeff Seidel / Special to MLB.com
July 10, 2016
BALTIMORE -- Zach Britton truly achieved perfection in the first half of the Orioles' season.
The All-Star ended the first half in style by registering his 27th save in 27 chances -- the 100th of
his career -- as the Orioles headed into the break with a 4-2 victory over the Angels on Sunday
afternoon.
Britton took over as closer early in 2014 after Tommy Hunter struggled in the job when taking
over for Jim Johnson. The left-hander has fared nicely since the start, and he's now making his
second consecutive All-Star appearance. Britton heads to San Diego with a 2-1 record and an
0.72 ERA, having struck out 43 with 10 walks in 37 2/3 innings.
The 100 saves ties Britton with Stu Miller for fourth place on the team's all-time save list. The
left-hander also has not allowed a run in the last nine games he's appeared in.
"[One hundred] is a nice little number but like I said, I think it's more of a credit to how well
Darren [O'Day] and Brad [Brach] have thrown in front of me, and a lot of other guys, too, to put
me in a situation to be successful," Britton said. "It's a group effort."
Britton had 37 saves in 41 chances in 2014 and 36 in 40 opportunities last year. The left-hander
said that he learned to change a few things, probably on his focus when he's in certain situations.
"I feel like I haven't really given in this year, and I think that's one thing I wanted," Britton said.
"I looked back on some of the saves I blew last year, and I felt like at times maybe I gave in
when I was behind on the count. I feel like I've been pretty much making them swing at the
pitches I want them to swing at."
Catcher Matt Wieters has worked with Britton a lot during his role as the team's closer and said
that the more he throws, the better he can become.
And that's bad news for opposing hitters.
"I think, with any closer, the more success that they have, it gives them more information to
draw back on," Wieters said. "He's always been comfortable in that role but at the same time,
each time he goes out there and sees different swings or sees different things, he's really good at
kind of trying to read what the hitters are trying to do to him, which is big."
The Orioles optioned right-hander Jason Garcia back to Double-A Bowie after Sunday's game.
He was called up this weekend and was with the team for two games but did not pitch.
http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/07/dan-duquette-on-the-orioles-all-stars.html
Dan Duquette on the Orioles’ All-Stars
By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com
July 11, 2016
It’s become a point of pride in the Orioles’ organization, the way they stack up among other
teams in All-Star selections since the 2012 season. Add five more to the ledger this year.
Manny Machado is starting at third base for the American League, and the reserves include
outfielder Mark Trumbo and catcher Matt Wieters. The bullpen includes closer Zach Britton and
do-everything reliever Brad Brach.
The Orioles have fielded 20 All-Stars over the past five seasons, ranking first in the American
League and second in the majors behind the Cardinals (23). In that span, 12 different players
have been named All-Stars, tied for second-most in the majors behind the Cardinals (15).
“We could have had more, but since 2012 we’re really proud of the fact that the Orioles have had
more All-Stars than any other team in the American League,” said executive vice president Dan
Duquette.
“We’ve had players have good years and they’ve’ done a good job representing the Orioles at the
All-Star Game. It’s nice to see the league recognize the performance of the team. Britton,
Wieters and Manny have been on a couple All-Star teams each. Brach, it’s obviously his first.
We’re proud of all our guys, but we’re proud that the league is recognizing our players on a team
that has been better than any other team in the American League since 2012.”
You can look it up, too. The Orioles have 405 wins in that span to lead the AL and rank fourth in
the majors.
Duquette had to smile at Brach’s inclusion after acquiring the right-hander from the Padres on
Nov. 25, 2013 for minor league pitcher Devin Jones. Did anyone make a big deal out of this
deal?
Brach is 6-1 with a 0.91 ERA in 40 appearances this season, with five earned runs and 26 hits in
49 1/3 inning. He’s walked 15 (one intentional) and stuck out 58. He’s also stranded 18 of 19
inherited runners.
Brach got into trouble yesterday when Trumbo committed a two-base error on Kole Calhoun’s
leadoff single. Brach struck out Mike Trout on three pitches, induced a sacrifice fly from Albert
Pujols, walked Daniel Nava and retired Ji-man Choi on a long fly ball.
The inning really could have gotten away from him, a game might have been lost, but the Orioles
emerged victorious again while Brach again lowered his ERA.
“He earned the honor,” Duquette said. “He’s worked so hard to develop into one of the top
pitchers in the league. He’s improved each year he’s been with us. He had a decent year in ‘14,
he had a good year in 2015 and he’s really put it all together in 2016. He trained hard in the
offseason, he works diligently on his conditioning in-season and it doesn’t surprise me that he’s
having success because he’s really prepared to be successful.
“Brach’s (18-5) since he came to us. He’s really got some good numbers, but you can see the
improvement every year. He’s having a really strong year.”
Trumbo is strong like bull, as he’ll demonstrate tonight in the Home Run Derby. He’s the No. 1
seed, an honor bestowed upon the man who leads the majors with 28 homers.
Duquette also traded for Trumbo, giving up backup catcher Steve Clevenger while also getting
left-hander C.J. Riefenhauser from the Mariners on Dec. 2. Riefenhauser is pitching for Triple-A
Iowa in the Cubs system.
Trumbo singled and walked twice yesterday. He’s batting .288/.341/.582 with 16 doubles, 28
home runs and 68 RBIs in 87 games.
“Obviously, he enjoys being around our club,” Duquette said. “He’s having a good year. He’s
hitting better, he’s getting on base more with us than he did with the other clubs. He had a great
year in ‘12 and it looks like he might do even better this year than he did in ‘12. He’s been a real
solid contributor to the club in the middle of the lineup. He’s got some marquee value leading the
league in home runs.”
Trumbo batted .250/.299/.469 in 460 games with the Angels and .243/.295/.446 in 134 games
with the Diamondbacks. He’s been a better hitter than advertised, going to all fields and finding
the gaps as much as the seats.
“I think the depth of the lineup helps,” Duquette said. “He’s shown pretty good patience at the
plate. Certainly, clubs have to plan to get out a number of hitters in our lineup. They can’t just
focus on one, so sometimes when there’s a stronger surrounding cast, it helps individual players
perform better.
“He worked hard and he’s having a good year. I think he’s hitting the ball a little bit more
consistently with us than he did with some other clubs that he’s been with.”
http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/07/showalter-on-kims-injury-and-a-4-2-
win.html
Showalter on Kim’s injury and a 4-2 win
By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com
July 10, 2016
The Orioles go into the All-Star break with a 51-36 record, a two-game lead in the American
League East and the hope that outfielder Hyun Soo Kim’s right hamstring strain isn’t serious.
Kim sustained the injury about halfway up the first base line as he grounded out in the bottom of
the first inning. Joey Rickard replaced him in left field.
“Strained right hamstring and we’ll see,” said manager Buck Showalter following a 4-2 win over
the Angels before 32,963 at Camden Yards. “Through the interpreter (Danny Lee) he was talking
that he did this the last two days before the All-Star break in Korea. Said a couple days later he
was fine, so we’ll see.
“I said the morale of that story is don’t play him the day before the All-Star break. I wish I had
known about it.
“He’s got 4 ½ days. We’ll see. It’s kind of good he’s had some history with it, so he has an idea,
but we’ll see.”
Showalter assumed that Kim hurt the hamstring going to first base. Head athletic trainer Richie
Bancells told Showalter that something was wrong.
“I’m trying to find out,” Showalter said. “He was halfway down the line. I thought, initially,
usually those things happen coming out of the box early in the game when there’s some moisture
in the dirt, but I think he was halfway down the line.
“I was actually looking at the play at second. Richie’s the one who had to tell me. I didn’t even
know because in today’s game, you’re looking at the legality of slides because you’ve got to be
on top of it.”
Chris Tillman improved to 12-2 with a 3.41 ERA in 19 starts. He’s posted 11 quality starts and is
now 8-0 with a 3.23 ERA in 12 home outings.
“Good, good,” Showalter said. “What did he end up with, five walks? They were all early and
after that ... I think he was running a little bit on empty at the end and it’s fortunate we made
some good defensive plays behind him.
“I know he doesn’t like the five walks. I was surprised his pitch count was as low as it was with
the five walks, but Chris is 12-2 now? Pretty good. What have you done for me lately? Duplicate
it.
“It’s been fun to watch him just mature and become the professional that he is. It’s been fun to
watch. It’s also been fun to have him on our side.”
Showalter was asked if he’s more impressed by Tillman’s 12 wins or being 10 games above
.500.
“I have to think about it,” Showalter replied. “Probably neither surprises me. Not with Chris.
He’s been pitching that well. If he didn’t have a couple hiccups there he’d have been flying out
to San Diego, too. I’m kind of glad he isn’t. We’re going to give him an extra day coming out of
the break. He and Yovani (Gallardo) and also (Kevin) Gausman. We’ve got 75 games left.
Gausman will pitch the first game in New York (on July 18).
“I know there’s one thing Chris wants to really go to and that’s the last game of the World
Series. That’s what he’s interested in.”
Zach Britton recorded his 27th save and the 100th of his career. He’s tied Stu Miller for fourth
place on the club’s all-time list.
Britton lowered his ERA to 0.72 in 37 2/3 innings. Brad Brach gave up an unearned run in the
eighth following Mark Trumbo’s two-base error, and lowered his ERA to 0.91 in 49 1/3 innings.
“Not only resiliency, but they just don’t ... somebody gets a hit off them, a swinging bunt or
walks a guy, OK next guy, let’s go,” Showalter said. “There’s a real professional competitive
approach about it. I talk to pitchers all the time about your presentation to hitters and they present
a very confident front to guys. It’s been fun to watch guys like Brad and Zach and Jonathan and
Manny. You see them kind of take their experiences and play up to their abilities.”
The Orioles optioned reliever Jason Garcia to Double-A Bowie after the game. He spent two
days with the club and didn’t get a chance to pitch.
Chris Davis’ two-run homer in the fourth inning gave him 183 to surpass Ken Singleton for
eighth place on the Orioles’ all-time list. Brady Anderson is seventh with 209.
Shortstop J.J. Hardy hit his first home run since April 12 in Boston. He needs three more for 100
as an Oriole.
Hardy is batting .407/.429/.667 (11-for-27) during his seven-game hitting streak.
Jonathan Schoop extended his hitting streak to nine games. He’s batting .351/.400/.486 (13-for-
37) in that span. He’s hitting .414/.457/.655 with nine doubles, four home runs, 15 RBIs and 23
runs scored in his last 21 games.
Pedro Alvarez tied his season high with three hits today. He’s batting .340/.370/.620 (17-for-50)
in his last 14 games, with two doubles, four home runs, 10 RBIs and 10 runs scored.
Trumbo is batting .345/.397/.759 (20-for-58) in his last 14 games, with three doubles, seven
home runs, 16 RBIs, five walks and 14 runs scored.
Adam Jones is batting .308/.341/.436 (12-for-39) in his last eight games, with a double, home
run, three RBIs and five runs scored. He’s hitting .341/.381/.516 (31-for-91) in his last 20 games.
Here’s more from Showalter:
On the first half:
“We’re just trying to do everything to make sure we’re as good as we’re capable of being. You
want to seek your level. I just talked to them before we split up for four days. Make good
decisions the next four days. Remember the pact we made with each other when we left Sarasota.
Nobody’s counting, bring what you bring.
“Our guys don’t dwell on conventionality. This has got to be done on the team to do this, you’ve
got to walk 80 times to do this. Starters have to go 7 innings every night. Who says you do? We
don’t always follow a script. There are some constants we want to do if we want to get where we
want to go.
“We’ve got another level. We always think we’ve got another level. Help is right here in this
group. We’re not coveting other people’s players. They don’t want to hear me talk about what
somebody is doing in Norfolk or Bowie. They don’t want to hear about some guy that we’re
interested (in). I don’t want them to hear the manager talk about that. Every answer we need to
have is in here.
“It’s obvious what’s ahead of us. A lot of challenges. But we have a chance to play meaningful
games every day. They were in April, OK? So, they’ve earned that and they want it. They want
to be in that cooker. That’s the difference between them and a lot of people. They want to play.
They want to be in the arena, not watching outside in. Everybody would like to be in it, but they
don’t have the ability that they have. They want that. Have to cross a lot of roads to get there,
though. A lot of roads.”
On being 33-14 at home, but only 18-22 on the road:
“Somebody said it’s akin to it’s always something. If we win more games than anybody in our
division, whether it’s home or away ... It’s hard to win on the road. The American League East is
tough.
“I’m glad Toronto and all our teams are still engaged. They’re going to play each other a lot. It’s
not going to be just us that’s going to have to beat people in our division. It’s always going to be
something. There’s never been a perfect team or a perfect season or any team that thinks they
have had one at the end of the year.”
http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/07/orioles-outright-david-hale.html
Orioles outright David Hale (O’s lead 4-2)
By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com
July 10, 2016
The Orioles scored a big insurance run today in the bottom of the sixth inning, and Chris Tillman
has overcome command issues to work through the seventh.
Pedro Alvarez reached with two outs on a gift double, his pop up falling into shallow left field.
He hustled to second base with the Angels slow to recover and continued to third on shortstop
Andrelton Simmons’ throwing error.
Simmons was basically lost on the play.
J.J. Hardy followed with a single up the middle to plate Alvarez, give the Orioles a 3-1 lead and
end Tim Lincecum’s afternoon.
Tillman has allowed one run and three hits in seven innings, with a season-high five walks and
five strikeouts. His pitch count stands at 106.
The righty is trying to improve his record to 12-2 before heading home for the All-Star break.
Brad Brach was warming in the bullpen, sat down and is up again in the bottom of the seventh.
Meanwhile, the Orioles announced today that they outrighted right-hander David Hale to Triple-
A Norfolk.
Hale is 1-4 with a 5.11 ERA in 10 starts with the Tides.
By outrighting Hale, the Orioles have created an opening on their 40-man roster. They’re
expected to make some adjustments to the 25-man roster during the break.
Manager Buck Showalter wants another left-hander in the bullpen besides closer Zach Britton.
Reliever Mychal Givens may need to go on paternity leave. We’ll find out whether Hyun Soo
Kim’s hamstring strain forces him on the disabled list. And the rotation currently has four
starters, with the possibility of going down to three with Ubaldo Jimenez’s removal.
Update: The Angels shaved the lead to 3-2 in the eighth on Albert Pujols’ sacrifice fly off Brad
Brach after Kole Calhoun’s leadoff single and Mark Trumbo’s two-base error while attempting a
sliding catch.
The run was unearned and Brach’s ERA is down to 0.91 in 49 1/3 innings.
Tillman’s ERA is down to 3.41 in 113 1/3 innings.
Update II: Hardy homered in the eighth inning, his first since wrapping two fly balls around the
Pesky Pole at Fenway Park on April 12. Orioles 4, Angels 2
http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/07/showalter-on-joseph-were-lucky-to-have-
him.html
Showalter on Joseph: “We’re lucky to have him” (updated)
By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com
July 10, 2016
Orioles relievers Brad Brach and Zach Britton, outfielder Mark Trumbo and third baseman
Manny Machado received their All-Star Game jerseys today on the field, holding up the yellow
and brown Padres throwbacks and pretending the color scheme wasn’t hideous.
Catcher Matt Wieters was in the bullpen.
With Wieters catching this afternoon, Caleb Joseph figures to go into the All-Star break still in
search of his first RBI. He’s batting .160 with two doubles in 26 games, his injury not the only
source of pain.
Joseph threw out another runner yesterday attempting to steal. His defense keeps him in the
majors.
“I think everybody would like to have both ends,” said manager Buck Showalter. “That’s why
guys like Matt and Salvador Perez go to the All-Star Game. But everybody starts out looking at
catch, throw, receive, put down good fingers, and Caleb does a great job with that. And we know
he’s capable of swinging the bat better.
“I think one of the strengths in our organization right now is our catching throughout. We’re
pretty deep there. He’s going to hit better. He’s got a track record of doing that. He had a lot of
at-bats on rehab, too.
“I think Caleb’s one of the top-ranked framers, all that stuff they do. Calls a great game. We’re
lucky to have him. I think it bodes well for us the last 75 games because we know he’s going to
hit better, too, as he goes. He’s drove in some big runs for us since he’s been here. I know he’s
frustrated with it right now because the first question every day to him is about some statistic. He
doesn’t have to look at it. He knows.”
Reliever Mychal Givens is in the bullpen again today. Still no baby, still no flight to Tampa to
join his wife, who’s due on Monday.
It may work out where Givens won’t need to go on paternity leave. Also, he’s a Tampa native
and the Orioles open the second half against the Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla.
“I’m hoping in a perfect world she would have the baby Monday and see you in Tampa,”
Showalter said. “They’re having it in Florida. It’s got a chance to work out conveniently, but the
most important thing is to have a healthy baby and everything’s all right there. I don’t want to
look at it too selfishly here.
“I think they would induce labor on Friday if it doesn’t happen, so then we’d have to bring up
somebody. I’ve got some ideas about that.”
Orioles first-round pick Cody Sedlock tossed three scoreless innings yesterday in his
professional debut at short-season Single-A Aberdeen. He allowed one hit, walked a batter and
struck out four.
Showalter said the reports were “really good.”
“I just read them,” he said. “He looked like a first-rounder. He’s got a lot of innings this year. I
don’t know how long they’ll continue to pitch him. I don’t know if he’ll go to instructional
league.
“He’s only 20 years old. That’s another good thing about him. Most college juniors are 21. He
gets to play most of next year at 21.”
Parker Bridwell, rehabbing from a broken rib, followed with two scoreless innings.
“He did real well last night,” Showalter said. “We actually talked about him with this two-day
move we made with (Jason) Garcia, but he had just thrown a couple times in the Gulf Coast
League.”
The Orioles are deciding Bridwell’s next move and whether he’s going to start or work out of the
bullpen.
“Parker Bridwell is interesting,” Showalter said. “There’s a lot to like about Parker. He’s
fearless, he certainly looks the part. We always get asked about him.
“I’ll tell you who’s pitching well again is Bobby Bundy. His last three or four outings, it looks
like he’s all the way back. He’s interesting. It’s good to see. He’s come a long way. He’s had a
lot of challenges, very much like Dylan.”
Update: Kole Calhoun walked with one out in the first inning and scored on Mike Trout’s double
to right. Calhoun was called out at the plate, but it was reversed upon challenge.
Trout took third on Jonathan Schoop’s relay, but he was stranded. Albert Pujols lined to
shortstop and Jefry Marte grounded to short.
http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/07/darren-oday-provides-an-injury-update.html
Darren O’Day provides an injury update
By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com
July 10, 2016
Orioles reliever Darren O’Day threw on flat ground again this morning, his second session in
three days. He’s headed to Sarasota to continue rehabbing and will rejoin the club over the
weekend at Tropicana Field.
O’Day has been on the disabled list since June 3 with a strained right hamstring. He’s trying to
remain patient, and that includes his occasional interviews, which brought some gems today.
How did the sessions go and where are you now?
“I’m on the disabled list. I’ll be back when I’m back and I’m working to get back as soon as I
can.”
How does the leg feel?
“It feels great. I’ve had some good days in a row, so once I make some progress I’ll let you guys
know.”
Is there a timeline to get back on the mound?
“Our head trainer Richie Bancells is doing the timeline. He doesn’t let me know for a good
reason, so you’d have to interview Richie.”
What do you hope to accomplish in Sarasota?
“To give the athletic trainers here in Baltimore four days off.”
Are they holding you back in a good way?
“I don’t know. Early on, I was pushing it a lot and then Richie’s kind of taken over in terms of
the pace, so I honestly don’t know when I’m getting on a mound or what I’m doing. Since he’s
been driving the bus, it’s been feeling better.”
Are you at peace with that?
“Yeah. Richie’s been doing this for a long time, so I put my trust in him.”
Have you had an injury like this in the past?
“Yeah, I did the same thing in 2007 in A ball. That was 20-something days, so this one’s a little
longer.”
http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2016/07/davis-on-the-first-half-duquette-on-the-
rotation-brach-on-all-star-nod.html
Davis on the first half, Duquette on the rotation, Brach on
All-Star nod
By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com
July 11, 2016
The Orioles reach the All-Star break leading the American League East by two games. They are
51-36 and ahead of the pace of the 2014 Orioles that won 96 games and the American League
East title.
“I think we’ve played well,” first baseman Chris Davis said. “There have been times when we’ve
really shown we’re a complete team and there have been times we struggled. I think the last
couple of games, they were good for us to bear down and get away with two wins going into the
break.”
The Orioles ended the first half with back-to-back wins over the Angels to improve to 33-14 at
Camden Yards, where they are 7-1 in their past eight games and 16-4 in their last 20.
Duquette on the rotation: Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette was a guest on my
radio show Sunday on 105.7 FM the Fan, the Orioles flagship radio station in Baltimore. We
spent more than a few minutes on the Orioles starting rotation. I asked Duquette if the rotation’s
struggles threaten to derail what could be a very good season.
“We are going to have to get more consistent starting pitching to accomplish what we want to
accomplish, there is no question about that,” he said. “Having said that we have a couple of
veteran pitchers on the staff that have pitched to a higher level in other years of their career.
(Yovani) Gallardo is one and (Ubaldo) Jimenez is another. I expect them to pitch better the
second half of the year. It’s in the book, they’ve done that, just about every single year of their
career.”
Is there some help for the rotation on the farm?
“That is a possibility,” Duquette said. “I was looking at Joe Gunkel’s numbers the other day. He
is a year younger than Tyler Wilson at the same development level in the minors and he
performed better in the minors than Tyler Wilson has. I think there is a hope he can make a
contribution similar to what Wilson has done.
“He has good control and he’s come up with a good split-finger pitch. Very competitive kid,
local kid from Hershey, Pennsylvania and some of our fans up there have followed him.
“Ariel Miranda has good stuff. A left-hander and another guy with a split-finger and looked good
in his debut. Jayson Aquino came in and threw strikes. There are some pitchers there that may be
able to help us. I think perhaps the most consistent starter out of that group could possibly be
Gunkel.
“Beyond that, our scouts are out watching the other Major League clubs every day. There are
about 15 clubs chasing a few pitchers, so that is going be tough for anybody to acquire some
talent. But we’ve had some discussions with some teams and who knows, we may be able to add
to the club by the trade route.”
Brach is an All-Star: This is a special time for Orioles reliever Brad Brach. He is set to take part
in his first All-Star Game after a brilliant first half where he went 6-1 with an ERA of 0.91 and a
.155 batting average against. Over 49 1/3 innings he has walked 14 and fanned 58.
“It’s crazy, just having some of the guys come up to me and say ‘You can say you were an All-
Star forever. It doesn’t matter how you do the rest of your career, you’ll be known as an All-
Star,’” Brach said. “It is very humbling and I’m just really honored to be a part of the game.”
Last July, it was Darren O’Day representing the Orioles in his first All-Star Game and now
Brach is doing the same.
“Darren was talking about it the other day,” Brach said. “When he got in the line for the first
time, you stand there and you just hear all the names they are announcing. You’re on the team
with those guys and that is when it hit him. It’s going to be an amazing experience and I’m just
going to try and soak it all in.”
The All-Star nod this year takes on even more meaning for Brach with the game in San Diego.
That was the team that drafted him in the 42nd round in 2008 and where he got his big league
chance. That was also the team that traded him to the Orioles for minor league pitcher Devin
Jones in November of 2013.
“It’s awesome,” Brach said. “Going back to where I had the start to my career it’s extra special.
Petco Park is a special place for my family because that is where it all started and that is where
my first few years were.”
Sisco homers in Futures Game: Orioles catching prospect Chance Sisco has hit one home run
this year in 251 at-bats for the Double-A Bowie Baysox. But last night he homered in his second
at-bat in the All-Star Futures Game at San Diego’s Petco Park.
Sisco flied out to center in his first at-bat to end the second inning and then homered in the fourth
against right-hander Francisco Rios of the Toronto Blue Jays. He was replaced defensively in the
top of the sixth.
Sisco told MLB.com: “I just got a fastball up in the zone and tried to put the barrel on it. I didn’t
think it was going out. Maybe it would be a double. But when I saw it go over the wall, it was
awesome.”
The O’s No. 3 prospect heading into this season according to Baseball America said he had
about 50 family and friends in the stands. He grew up in Corona, Calif., which is just about 100
miles north of Petco Park.
http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2016/07/kim-on-his-injury-tillman-on-the-win-and-
more-clubhouse-quotes.html
Kim on his injury, Tillman on the win and more clubhouse
quotes
By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com
July 10, 2016
Orioles outfielder Hyun Soo Kim suffered a strained right hamstring today and left the game in
the second inning of the O’s 4-2 win over the Angels.
The injury happened when Kim was running to first base on a groundout to second in the first
inning.
“I felt a stinging pain as I was running,” Kim said, through interpreter Danny Lee. “I talked to
the trainer and decided to leave the game upon agreement. I hope that I don’t miss any games.
But I will be going through some tests tomorrow. So possibly there will be some good results
from it so I don’t have to miss any games.”
Today notwithstanding, Kim has had a strong first half for the Orioles, batting .329/.410/.454
with three homers and 11 RBIs in 46 games.
“Going through the first half it was very exciting for both the team and me. But ending the first
half like this with a possible injury was not a pleasing thing. So I’ll focus on getting back on the
field with healthy status,” he said.
Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman made 12 starts at home in the first half and the O’s went 12-0
in those games. With today’s win, the Birds went 16-3 in his starts. Today, he walked five but
allowed just three hits and one run and improved to 12-2 with an ERA of 3.41.
Chris-Tillman_Closeup-Tall.gif
“The end result was good and we came out on top,” Tillman said. “But it was a grind from the
get-go. I was kind of missing with all my pitches early. Fortunately, I was able to get into
somewhat of a rhythm and make some pitches. Came out on top, was good.”
He has had a bounce-back season in 2016.
“I mean, I am a team guy and don’t look too much at the personal stuff. I think we had a pretty
solid first half. We need to keep playing good baseball to get to where we want to be,” he said.
Tillman looked to be a near-lock for the All-Star game before a three-start stretch where he
allowed 14 runs over 14 2/3 innings. He has given up just two runs over 14 innings his past two
outings. But he is not on the All-Star team.
“No, it’s not disappointing,” Tillman said. “The American League is a good league and there are
a lot of guys that deserve it. We’ve got five guys going and that make everyone in this clubhouse
happy to be well represented at the All-Star game. Not disappointed at all.”
More clubhouse quotes:
Chris Davis on the first half for him and the team: “Yeah. I like the position that we are in
right now. Finishing the quote-unquote first half with two wins at home is good to build some
momentum for the second half.”
Davis on what he would like to improve on: “I mean, obviously the strikeouts. To me, that is
something I’m always working on. If I’m trying to take the positive out of it, I’ve had so many
seven or eight-pitch at-bats where I just couldn’t get it done. There have been too many
situations with runners in scoring position or even on first base where I could get them over, but
haven’t gotten the job done. That is something I need to continue to work on.”
Davis on Tillman not being an All-Star: “It is so hard, nowadays. Pitchers, really, they have
the upper hand right now. You look at the high strikeout rates and guys going six or seven
innings early in the season and padding their numbers, it is tough to single one guy out. I think
today was a good chance to see what he can do. That is a good lineup over there and I’m proud
of the way Chris has thrown the ball.”
Davis on possible loss of Kim: “That has been our forte the last few years, having someone step
up in big spots. I’m sure we’ll have someone that can fill in for him. I thought Nolan (Reimold)
had a pretty good first half. Joey (Rickard) got off to a huge start. But you are not going to
replace a guy like Kim.”
Zach Britton on getting his 100th career save: “It is just a whole number, right? I think it is a
credit to the guys that have thrown in front of me for a few years, Darren (O’Day) and Brad
(Brach). They’ve put me in some situations to be successful. It is a sum of the parts and not one
person.”
Britton on Tillman’s first half: “Huge. He should be going with us to San Diego, if you look at
what he’s done. It is hard to find five better starters than what he has done for a first-place team.
I knew working out with him in the offseason that he wanted to get back to what he had done the
previous years. There was no doubt he was going to do it.”
http://espn.go.com/blog/baltimore-orioles/post/_/id/1079/manny-machado-at-epicenter-of-
orioles-ascent
Manny Machado key to Orioles' ascent
By Eddie Matz / ESPN.com
July 10, 2016
BALTIMORE -- The All-Star break is here and believe it or not, following a 4-2 win against the
Los Angeles Angels, the Baltimore Orioles are still in first place. Last time they led the division
at the break, in 2014, they went on to win the pennant. While it remains to be seen how 2016 will
play out, it’s safe to say that nobody expected them to be where they are now. Anyone who says
differently (including me) is lying. Either that or they wear tight pants, a baseball hat, and lots of
black and orange to work every day. Speaking of people on Peter Angelos' payroll, it’s time to
dish out some hardware. Present some prizes. Bestow some baubles. Give some gold. You get
the point. Without further ado, I humbly submit for your consideration the Orioles midseason
awards:
MVP: Manny Machado. With all due respect to current MLB home run leader Mark Trumbo,
who has contributed to the most essential part of the O’s first-half success (their big bats), the
MVP cannot go to him. Because when you have the best player in baseball -- and for my money,
that’s Manny Machado -- it’s kind of an unwritten rule that he has to be the MVP of his own
team. Unless he’s in a major slump, which Machado is not and has not been all year. Quite the
opposite, in fact: Since going 4-for-4 way back on April 10, Machado’s average hasn’t dipped
below .300 all season. April’s player of the month in the American League, Machado's .957 OPS
leads the team and ranks fifth in the AL, and his 35 multi-hit games are tied for third. In other
words, he’s really good at the whole hitting-the-ball thing. But what makes him the Birds’ no-
brainer MVP? The whole catching-the-ball thing. After the O's lost J.J. Hardy for six weeks to a
broken foot, Machado slid over to shortstop and, despite having spent the past four years playing
third base almost exclusively, he essentially said, “Ain’t no big thang.” Just how valuable has
Machado been in the field? Despite splitting time between third (39 games) and short (44
games), he ranks in the top five in the AL in runs saved at both positions. That’s just crazy.
Cy Young: Zad Brachton. Don’t recognize the name? That’s what I’m calling the two-headed
bullpen monster that is Zach Britton and Brad Brach. I know it seems like a cop-out, but that’s
how dominant these two have been. Both are All-Stars. Both have a 1.3 fWAR. Both have sub-
1.00 ERAs. Their K rates are identical (10.6 per nine innings). Brach’s WHIP is 0.81, Britton’s is
0.82. Heck, they’re practically twins (except for the fact that one is a lefty and one is a righty).
But the biggest similarity of all: Without either of them, the Orioles -- whose bullpen has done
some world-class heavy lifting these first three months -- would be up the creek without a
paddle. Or a boat. Or water. That’s how important Zad Brachton has been.
Cy Old: Ubaldo Jimenez. To be clear, this isn’t about being an ancient hurler, but rather an
ineffective one. As in, the opposite of Cy Young. OK, now that we’ve got that out of the way,
let’s focus on the fact that Jimenez has been far and away Baltimore’s worst pitcher this year.
His 7.38 ERA is the highest in the majors by nearly a full run (min. 80 innings). He has gone
from starter to reliever and back to starter again because the pitching-poor Orioles don’t have
any other options. Unless a four-man rotation is a viable option. While that wouldn’t be a
popular decision among O’s starters, judging by the repeated boos at Camden Yards during
Jimenez’ last start, the good people of Charm City would be just fine with it.
Rookie of the Half-Year: Hyun Soo Kim. In early April, when The Joey Rickard Hype Machine
was on the verge of exploding from overuse and Kim was on the verge of being sent to the
minors, the odds of him winning the O’s ROHY were roughly equivalent to the odds of Iceland
winning a big international soccer match over England (wait, what?). Three months later, the 28-
year-old outfielder has become a fixture in the two-hole for Buck Showalter’s heavy-hitting club.
Among players with at least 170 plate appearances, the lefty-swinger, who started getting semi-
regular playing time in late May, ranks fifth in the AL in average (.329) and sixth in on-base
percentage (.410). On a free-swinging Birds squad, Kim’s plate discipline has been a revelation -
- he has a chance to become the first O’s regular since Rafael Palmeiro in 2004 to post more
walks than strikeouts.
Comeback Player of the Half-Year: Matt Wieters. With apologies to Chris Tillman, who has
rebounded from a blech 2015 to cement his status as the ace of the O’s staff (take if for what it’s
worth), this one is all Wieters. Last November, he surprised everyone by taking Baltimore’s one-
year, $15.8 million qualifying offer instead of signing a big-money, long-term contract
elsewhere. Maybe that’s because there was no big-money, long-term contract elsewhere. After
all, the switch-hitting catcher was coming off a partial season in which he returned from Tommy
John surgery and looked like a shell of himself, both with the lumber and the leather. But here
we are at the break, and Wieters has been rock solid on both sides of the ball. Not to mention,
he’s an All-Star. While none of his numbers jump off the page, that qualifying offer -- which at
the time felt to Orioles fans like a very expensive pair of handcuffs -- now seems like one of the
team’s best moves last offseason.
http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/baltimore-orioles/kim-leaves-game-strained-right-hamstring
Kim Leaves Game With A Strained Right Hamstring
By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic
July 10, 2016
BALTIMORE—Orioles outfielder Hyun Soo Kim left the game after the first inning on Sunday
with a strained right hamstring.
Kim grounded out to first in his at-bat. He was replaced in left field by Joey Rickard.
Kim has been healthy all season, and he’s batting .329 with three home runs and 11 RBIs.
The Orioles outfield has been remarkably healthy this season. Only Adam Jones has missed time
with a rib cage injury early in the season.
If the Orioles had to put Kim on the disabled list, they have one left-handed hitting outfielder,
Henry Urrutia on the 40-man roster. Urrutia is currently at Bowie, where he’s hitting .306.
Mike Yastrzemski is at Norfolk, but he’s only hitting .239 with the Tides and isn’t on the 40-man
roster.
http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/baltimore-orioles/showalter-still-has-faith-caleb-joseph
Showalter Still Has Faith In Caleb Joseph
By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic
July 10, 2016
BALTIMORE—It hasn’t been a terrific first half of the season for Caleb Joseph. He missed a
month after testicular surgery, and doesn’t have an RBI in 75 at-bats.
Last year, he had 49 RBIs in 320 at-bats. The Orioles have no complaints on his defense
“I think everybody would like to have both ends,” said manager Buck Showalter. “That’s why
guys like Matt [Wieters] and [Kansas City Royals catcher] Salvador Perez go to the All-Star
Game. But everybody starts out looking at catch, throw, receive, put down good fingers, and
Caleb does a great job with that. And we know he’s capable of swinging the bat better.
Showalter believes Joseph will hit better post All-Star break.
“He’s going to hit better. He’s got a track record of doing that. He had a lot of at-bats on rehab,
too,” Showalter said.
“I think Caleb’s one of the top-ranked framers, all that stuff they do. Calls a great game. We’re
lucky to have him. I think it bodes well for us the last 75 games because we know he’s going to
hit better, too, as he goes. He’s drove in some big runs for us since he’s been here. I know he’s
frustrated with it right now because the first question every day to him is about some statistic. He
doesn’t have to look at it. He knows.”
http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2016/07/11/orioles-prospect-chance-sisco-impresses-in-futures-
game/
Orioles Prospect Chance Sisco Impresses In Futures Game
CBS Baltimore
July 11, 2016
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — The All-Star Futures Game, which showcases the MLB stars of the
future, took place yesterday in San Diego. 21-year-old Double-A catcher Chance Sisco
represented the Orioles and played for Team USA.
He’s a lefty-hitting catcher, which is a rare and valuable thing. Sisco also made waves after
hitting a bomb of a home run off Blue Jays prospect Francisco Rios. Sisco has apparently only
notched one home run in 71 games for Class AA Bowie this year and just hit six all last season.
This year in Bowie, Sisco is batting .307/.397/.398 in 71 Baysox games with 18 doubles, one
triple, one homer and 28 RBIs. He ranks fourth in the Eastern League in batting average and
third in OBP. Sisco was also rated No. 85 yesterday on Baseball America’s mid-season top 100
prospects report.
Current All-Star players like Zach Britton and Manny Machado, as well as Jonathan Schoop,
Chris Tillman, and more have all played in this game for the Orioles.
Congrats, Sisco!
http://www.baltimorebaseball.com/2016/07/11/myriad-os-thoughts-tillman-star-brittons-surge-
first-place-os/
Myriad O’s thoughts: Humble Tillman snubbed; Britton’s
surge; first-half, first-place
By Dan Connolly / BaltimoreBaseball.com
July 11, 2016
Among the professional athletes I’ve covered, Chris Tillman is way up on the list when it comes
to not being concerned about how he is viewed by anyone other than his teammates.
He never, ever boasts about his own accomplishments. In fact, he usually downplays everything
he has done.
So let’s boast for him.
Tillman deserved to be in the 2016 All Star Game, though he says he’s not disappointed that he
was passed over.
“The American League is a good league. There are a lot of good pitchers. A lot of guys that
deserve it,” Tillman said. “We’ve got five guys going, so that makes everyone in this clubhouse
happy. We’re well represented. I’m not disappointed at all.”
If AL manager Ned Yost had chosen Tillman, it would have been his second selection. He also
made it in 2013, when he was 11-3 with a 3.95 ERA in 19 starts.
This year he is 12-2 with a 3.41 ERA in 19 starts after Sunday’s victory against the Los Angeles
Angels. So he’s even better than he was the last time he got the nod. And his importance to the
beleaguered Orioles staff is immeasurable. The Orioles are 16-3 when he starts and 35-33 when
anyone else does.
“I worked out with him in the offseason. I know how much he put into it, and we know that he’s
performed at the level of the guys that are going (to the All Star Game),” said Orioles All Star
closer Zach Britton. “It’s nice to get recognized, and he definitely deserves it. I would think you
would even say more so than he did when he made it in 2013 … He’s definitely pitched like
we’re a first-place team. He’s the highlight guy of our rotation and we’ve pretty much ridden his
back to where we are now.”
On Sunday afternoon, while Tillman was pitching, it was announced that Cleveland’s Danny
Salazar was being scratched from the All Star team due elbow soreness and would be replaced
by Chicago’s Jose Quintana, who is 7-8 with a 3.21 ERA in 18 starts for a middling White Sox
club.
Sure, the Orioles already have five All Stars. And that’s plenty. But that’s also one fewer than
the Boston Red Sox, and the Orioles are leading the East.
Tillman probably would have been a slam-dunk, but he hit a rough patch in June, allowing 14
earned runs in a three-game stretch. But he’s bounced back with two effective outings to finish
the first half.
Because he pitched Sunday, that also hurt his chances to be selected – something Orioles
manager Buck Showalter alluded to. But Showalter added something that I’m sure would
resonate with Tillman.
“I know there is one thing Chris wants to really go to and that’s the last game of the World
Series,” Showalter said. “That’s what he’s interested in.”
I get all that. And I’m sure Tillman could use the rest, too. So it may be a good thing for the 2016
Orioles that he’s not an All Star.
But that doesn’t mean it’s any less of a snub.
Britton’s amazing surge
Britton picked up his 27th save in 27 save opportunities with a scoreless inning Sunday. And
that’s impressive enough.
But it was the 28-year-old’s 100th career save – incredible considering the converted starter took
over the closer’s role in May 2014.
He had 37 saves that year, 36 in 2015 and now 27 so far this season.
“That’s a nice little number but, I think it’s more of a credit to how well Darren (O’Day) and
Brad (Brach) have thrown in front of me, and a lot of other guys too, to put me in a situation to
be successful,” Britton said. “It’s a group effort.”
The humility thing is contagious in the Orioles’ clubhouse and that’s a good thing. But I only see
one guy out there on the mound in the ninth inning with the game on the line for the Orioles.
It’s pretty crazy how Britton has seized the job and, almost immediately, became one of the best
in the game at shutting the door on the opposition.
He’s one of only five men who have saved 100 games for the Orioles, joining Gregg Olson
(160), Jim Johnson (122), Tippy Martinez (105) and Stu Miller (100). That’s pretty good
company.
First place is first place
There’s obviously another half of baseball to go.
But the Orioles (51-36) are in first in the AL East, two games ahead of the Boston Red Sox and
Toronto Blue Jays.
That’s not much of a margin. But it’s better than the alternative.
“It’s obvious what’s ahead of us. A lot of challenges. But we have a chance to play meaningful
games every day. They were in April, OK? So, they’ve earned that and they want it. They want
to be in that cooker,” Showalter said of his players. “That’s the difference between them and a
lot of people. They want to play. They want to be in the arena, not watching outside-in.
Everybody would like to be in it, but they don’t have the ability that they have. They want that.
Have to cross a lot of roads to get there, though. A lot of roads.”
And, when you think about it, this wasn’t an easy road. They’ve had injuries, they’ve had losing
streaks, they’ve had terrible starting pitching and awful free-swinging for stretches. And they are
leading their division at the break.
“I don’t know if we even had halfway goals to be honest with you. I think it’s always just kind of
an overall goal: Where are you at the end of the year?” Orioles first baseman Chris Davis said. “I
think we played well. I think there have been times that we’ve really shown we are a complete
team and then there have been times when we’ve struggled.”
Lincecum pitches at Camden Yards for first time
The Orioles faced right-hander Tim Lincecum on Sunday for just the second time in his heralded
career, touching him up for nine hits and three runs in 5 2/3 innings (one run, though, was set up
by the Angels’ spotty defense).
It was the just the fifth start of the season for the two-time Cy Young Award winner, who began
the year late due to left hip surgery last September.
Lincecum had a showcase in May and the Orioles attended. They obviously needed starting
pitching, but they knew at the time – and were right – that Lincecum preferred to stay on the
West Coast.
Lincecum was a long-time star with the San Francisco Giants, who drafted him with the 10th
overall pick in 2006.
That draft always haunts the Orioles, who had the ninth pick in 2006 and selected New Jersey
high school slugger Billy Rowell, who didn’t get higher than Double-A Bowie. The 11th pick in
the draft was another Cy Young winner, Max Scherzer.
Oh well, the Orioles are in first place at the 2016 All Star Break, right?
http://www.baltimorebaseball.com/2016/07/10/kim/
Kim’s hoping to avoid DL; his absence would be a blow to
power-centric offense
By Dan Connolly / BaltimoreBaseball.com
July 10, 2016
The Orioles aren’t sure how long they will be without left fielder Hyun Soo Kim, who strained
his right hamstring running to first base on a groundout Sunday. But they are hopeful the injury
is minor and he can be ready for the beginning of the second half, which starts Friday at Tampa
Bay.
“He’s got 4 ½ days. We’ll see,” said Orioles manager Buck Showalter. “It’s kind of good he’s
had some history with it, so he has an idea. But we’ll see.”
If Kim has to go on the 15-day disabled list, the clock would start Monday, so he could return by
July 26.
Showalter said Kim’s interpreter, Danny Lee, told him that Kim had a similar experience before
an All Star Break in Korea.
“Through the interpreter, he was talking that he did this the last two days before the All Star
Break in Korea. Said a couple days later he was fine,” Showalter said. “I said, ‘The moral of that
story is don’t play him the day before the All Star Break.’ I wish I had known about it.”
Kim’s lone at-bat Sunday was in the first, when he grounded out and felt the pain as he ran down
the first base line. He was replaced in the field in the top of the second by Joey Rickard.
“I felt a stinging pain as I was running. I talked to the trainer and decided to leave the game upon
agreement,” Kim, through his interpreter, told MASN post-game. “I hope that I don’t miss any
games. But I will be going through some tests (Monday). So, possibly, there will be some good
results from it, so I don’t have to miss any games.”
Given how he started the season – refusing a club request to start the year in the minors after a
rough spring training – it’s a testament to the 28-year-old’s ability to hit that any prolonged
absence will be missed. That’s a pretty remarkable change from the start of the year.
After playing sparingly in April, Kim has become the club’s best hitter for average, batting .329
with a team-best .410 on-base percentage. He’s the starting left fielder against right-handed
pitching while Rickard and Nolan Reimold often start versus left-handers.
There’s no question that someone will have to step up if Kim is placed on the disabled list, but
that may not be an easy task since the Orioles have a dearth of contact hitters on the roster.
Kim has been able to bring a different skill set to the Orioles’ free-swinging, powerful lineup. So
a DL stay for Kim would be another hurdle the club will have to leap as it attempts to stay in first
place.
“That’s kind of been our forte the last few years, having guys step up in big spots, so I’m sure
we’ll have someone who can fill in for him,” first baseman Chris Davis said. “I thought Nolan
had a pretty good first half and Joey obviously got off to a huge start and has had some good at-
bats lately. But you’re not going to replace a guy like Kim-my.”