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 2016, 2012, 1996

Monday, July 31, 2017

Game Stories:

Orioles take series with 10-6 win over Texas Rangers The Sun 7/30

Kevin Gausman pitches 8 2/3 scoreless innings in Orioles' 4-0 win over Rangers The Sun

7/29

Chris Tillman gives up eight runs in Orioles' series-opening 8-2 loss to Rangers The Sun

7/28

Orioles pile on offense, hold off Rangers MLB.com 7/30

Gausman goes 8 2/3 as O's shut out Rangers MLB.com 7/30

Cashner, Rangers handle O's; Beltre at 2,998 MLB.com 7/29

In final game before trade deadline, O’s win road trip finale MASNsports.com 7/30

Kevin Gausman with a gem as the O’s blank Texas (quotes added) MASNsports.com

7/29

Chris Tillman allows eight runs as Texas rolls (quotes added) MASNsports.com 7/28

Beltre gets 3,000th hit in Rangers' 10-6 loss to Orioles AP 7/30

Beltre (1-for-4) at 2,999 hits after Rangers' loss to Orioles AP 7/29

Beltre at 2,998 hits after 2 more in 8-2 Texas win over O's AP 7/28

Kevin Gausman Pitches A Gem In Orioles' 4-0 Win PressBoxOnline.com 7/30

Columns:

Four questions left for Orioles to answer before Monday's 4 p.m. trade deadline The Sun

7/31

Orioles witness history, face uncertain future The Sun 7/30

Orioles honored to be part of history as Adrián Beltré collects career hit No. 3,000

Sunday The Sun 7/30

'Big Bopper' Lee May, member of Orioles Hall of Fame, dies at 74 The Sun 7/30

Mark Trumbo scratched from Orioles lineup Sunday after tweaking back The Sun 7/30

A different reality ahead for Orioles under long-term control should club rebuild The Sun

7/30

Questions still aplenty as Orioles welcome addition of Jeremy Hellickson ahead of

deadline The Sun 7/29

Orioles' Showalter on informing Kim of trade: 'I didn't really like the way it happened'

The Sun 7/29

Reflecting on Hyun Soo Kim's tenure with the Orioles The Sun 7/29

Analyzing the Orioles' acquisition of pitcher Jeremy Hellickson for Hyun Soo Kim The

Sun 7/29

Varying speeds leading to better results for Orioles' Kevin Gausman The Sun 7/29

Orioles acquire right-hander Jeremy Hellickson from Phillies for Hyun Soo Kim, more

The Sun 7/28

Schmuck: Jeremy Hellickson deal proves Dan Duquette is one stubborn fellow The Sun

7/28

Orioles notes: Davis' return has been 'a grind;' Showalter looking forward to seeing

Santander The Sun 7/28

Ubaldo looking to stay hot in opener with KC MLB.com 7/31

Orioles in awe of Beltre's accomplishment MLB.com 7/30

Back injury takes Trumbo out of O's lineup MLB.com 7/30

Three-time All-Star slugger Lee May dies MLB.com 7/30

Mancini pads resume with another homer MLB.com 7/30

Hellickson deal fuels O's belief they can rally MLB.com 7/29

O's bolster rotation, acquire Phils' Hellickson MLB.com 7/29

Does Britton make it past today’s deadline? MASNsports.com 7/31

Orioles bring back Gentry (plus lineups) MASNsports.com 7/30

More from Duquette on Hellickson trade MASNsports.com 7/29

Givens giving Orioles more reasons to consider bigger role MASNsports.com 7/29

Orioles acquire Hellickson from Phillies MASNsports.com 7/29

More on Schoop’s RBIs, Castillo’s bat and trade deadline talk MASNsports.com 7/31

Adrian Beltre gets hit No. 3,000 (O’s lead 10-3) MASNsports.com 7/30

Pregame notes on Mark Trumbo, Jeremy Hellickson and more MASNsports.com 7/30

Notes and quotes after the Orioles’ shutout of Texas MASNsports.com 7/30

Chris Davis on Adrian Beltre (O’s blank Rangers 4-0) MASNsports.com 7/29

Showalter on the addition of Jeremy Hellickson MASNsports.com 7/29

Chris Davis, Chris Tillman talk adding Hellickson and losing Kim MASNsports.com

7/29

A look at the Orioles trade for Jeremy Hellickson MASNsports.com 7/29

Showalter on Beltre’s upcoming milestone hit (plus a game update) MASNsports.com

7/28

Showalter with a solid report on Santander’s first rehab game MASNsports.com 7/28

O’Day on trade talk: “More speculation than I’ve ever heard before” MASNsports.com

7/28

Jeremy Hellickson involved in minor car accident on way out of Philly AP 7/30

Orioles Overcome Adrian Beltre's 3,000th Hit For 10-6 Win PressBoxOnline.com 7/30

Buck Showalter Says Orioles Aren't Unnerved By Trade Deadline PressBoxOnline.com

7/30

Orioles Say They Haven't Given Up On 2017 Season PressBoxOnline.com 7/29

Baltimore Orioles Lose In Texas, Then Trade For Jeremy Hellickson

PressBoxOnline.com 7/29

Orioles host red-hot Royals AP 7/31

O’s trade Kim and Cleavinger to Phillies for Hellickson — my take on the ‘buy’ trade

BaltimoreBaseball.com 7/29

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bs-sp-orioles-rangers-recap-20170730-

story.html

Orioles take series with 10-6 win over Texas Rangers

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun

July 30, 2017

With the heart of their lineup humming and a strong start from left-hander Wade Miley, the

Orioles jumped out to a big lead early and held on late to top the Texas Rangers, 10-6, Sunday at

Globe Life Field.

The win earned them a series win and sent the Orioles into Monday's nonwaiver trade deadline at

50-54, 5.5 games out of a Wild Card playoff spot with 58 games to play.

Rookie Trey Mancini, who hit cleanup for the first time in his career after designated hitter Mark

Trumbo was scratched after tweaking his back Sunday morning, had three hits and an RBI, while

second baseman Jonathan Schoop added his club-high 24th home run and catcher Welington

Castillo homered while tying a season-high with 4 RBIs.

Most of the Orioles' damage came in the fourth and fifth innings. In the fourth, five straight

batters reached at one point in a four-run frame. An inning later, Schoop and Castillo homered to

chase Rangers starter Martín Perez and expand the Orioles lead beyond reach.

“You're playing a day game here and the ball's flying, you need to keep adding on,” manager

Buck Showalter said. “We knew that they were going to make a run at us. … Very

quietly,[Castillo] is hitting .280 with 10 home runs in not a whole lot of at-bats. That was a big

home run. Any run we can scratch across against them — you need margin of error in this place

against that team, against all major league teams.”

Schoop added an RBI single in the sixth inning. He, third baseman Manny Machado, and

Mancini all scored twice in the win.

Beltré belts 3,000: Play was briefly stopped in the fourth inning as both teams joined the

announced 32,437 fans on hand to congratulate Rangers third baseman Adrián Beltré on his

3,000th career hit, which came on a fourth-inning double off Miley.

Beltré achieved the milestone in his fourth attempt of the series, and was greeted on the field by

his teammates and family during a celebration that the Orioles were glad to take part in.

“As a fan of the game, what a career that guy has had,” Miley said. “I wasn't trying to let him get

a hit by any means, but at the same time, as a fan, if it had to happen, that guy is an unbelievable

player. That's who you want your kids to watch. That's the kind of respect I have for him. It's a

special moment for him, let him celebrate. However long they took, I felt like it went pretty

quick. Congrats to that guy. He's been fun to watch for the last 19 years, and hopefully he keeps

rapping out some more.”

A win for Wade: Miley pitched five innings of two-run ball, walking just one and striking out

five while allowing six hits, and improved to 5-9 on the season.

Miley didn't allow a hit until the third inning, and only really found trouble in the fourth, when a

one-out walk and Beltré's historic double put two men on for second baseman Rougned Odor to

drive home with a two-out single.

Two Rangers reached in Miley's fifth and final inning, but he stranded them. His ERA was down

to 5.60 by day's end.

“Better overall,” Miley said. “Still not great. I didn't throw a lot of strikes. Didn't get ahead of

guys like I wanted to, but at the same time, I was able to make some pitches in key situations and

we were able to score some runs. Obviously, that makes it a lot easier to pitch.”

Showalter’s assessment was rosier.

“I'll tell you, Miley was good,” he said. “To pitch five innings and hold that club to two runs, it

may not have always looked aesthetically pleasing but he never gave in and started just throwing.

We needed all of our bullets today, but fortunately we were short enough with everybody that

we'll have everybody back tomorrow.”

Six different pitchers — Darren O'Day, Brad Brach, Miguel Castro, Donnie Hart, Mychal

Givens, and Zach Britton — covered the remaining innings. O'Day, Castro, and Hart gave up

home runs as the lead shrunk from 10-2 to 10-6.

Orioles pitching combined to strike out 14 batters, their most since April 30.

Good baserunning: Having five straight men reach in their four-run third certainly helped, but

the onslaught was helped by good baserunning on every play. On Mancini's RBI single, Schoop

went first-to-third so he could score easily on the ensuing single by first baseman Chris Davis.

On that Davis single, Mancini did the same, and scored when Castillo rolled a ball into right

field.

Both runners advanced on a long fly ball out to left field by left fielder Joey Rickard, making

Tejada's forceout worth a run as well.

An inning later, Mancini again took an extra base on a Davis single before scoring on Castillo's

home run.

Machado making up ground: With a pair of doubles and a single, Machado's three-hit day raised

his batting average to .243 by the end of the game—his highest since April 8.

Machado is batting .281 since the All-Star break

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bs-sp-orioles-rangers-rail-0730-story.html

Kevin Gausman pitches 8 2/3 scoreless innings in Orioles' 4-

0 win over Rangers

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun

July 29, 2017

The Orioles used right-hander Kevin Gausman's best start of the season and the longest of his

career, plus an early offensive outburst, for a well-earned 4-0 victory over the Texas Rangers on

Saturday night before 44,658 fans at Globe Life Park.

Gausman pitched into the ninth inning for the first time in his career and was one out away from

a complete-game shutout when a two-out walk and a blooper into center field brought in closer

Zach Britton. Britton recorded the game’s final out to give Gausman the sterling line of 8 2/3

scoreless innings, eight strikeouts and three walks while allowing seven hits — all singles.

There was plenty of disappointment that the two-out pop-up fell and robbed him of a nine-inning

gem, but it quickly shifted to satisfaction that Gausman is back on track.

“He pitched so well,” catcher Caleb Joseph said. “That’s a big deal nowadays in the stat era — to

have a complete game by your name. There’s just not that many of them. I’d be interested to

know how many there were in the course of the season already. He was so close. He did a

tremendous job, locating the fastball. It all begins and ends with fastball command with Kevin.

He elevated when he needed to. He hit it down and away when he needed to. He threw a lot of

good sinkers in, took advantage of a pretty aggressive club over there, and I think that helped

kind of limit his pitch count. He was able to get up to [118] over nine innings? That’s pretty

good. That’s what you like. That’s what you want to see out of a horse you’re trying to ride.”

For the 26-year-old right-hander, who was the team's Opening Day starter but carried a 7.50

ERA into May and was still north of 6.00 in mid-June, Saturday marked his third straight quality

start and his fifth straight win, bringing him to 8-7 with a 5.37 ERA on the season.

Questions still aplenty as Orioles welcome addition of Jeremy Hellickson ahead of deadline

The only real trouble he had came early. A leadoff walk to designated hitter Shin-Soo Choo and

an infield single by shortstop Elvis Andrus elevated the stakes in the first inning, but a difficult

3-6-1 double play and a putout by shortstop Rubén Tejada from deep in the shortstop hole ended

the inning.

From there, Gausman cruised. After Choo singled with two outs in the fifth inning, Gausman

didn't allow another man to reach until he walked right fielder Nomar Mazara to open the ninth.

But third baseman Manny Machado fielded a difficult short-hop off the bat of his counterpart,

Adrián Beltré, to deny him his 3,000th hit and turn a crucial double play. Gausman issued a third

walk with two down before a bloop fell in center field to end his day.

“We've got to figure out a way to catch that ball,” manager Buck Showalter said.

Gausman said he might have wanted the complete game “a little too much” and got away from

his plans in the ninth inning, but he appreciated Showalter sticking with him past his planned

110-pitch limit.

“One thing I loved about Buck tonight was he gave me a lot of chances in that ninth inning to get

it,” Gausman said. “You walk the leadoff guy in the ninth inning, you're usually going to be out

of that game. But I think he saw something in me tonight. I was throwing the ball well, so he

stayed with the hot hand. Unfortunately, I was an out away, but it was a win and a quality start

and more importantly, we only had one guy who had to throw three pitches tonight out of the

’pen.”

Over his past three starts, Gausman has allowed one run on 16 hits with eight walks and 24

strikeouts in 20 2/3 innings. His game score of 80 tied a season and career high, most recently

done on July 2 against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Bombs away: After a relatively quiet night Friday, the Orioles offense had a few big swings

early to ensure it wouldn't be shut down again. Center fielder Adam Jones opened the game with

a double, but was stranded at second. In the second inning, rookie left fielder Trey Mancini hit a

towering home run an estimated 459 feet, according to Statcast, a drive that cleared the Orioles

bullpen. Catcher Caleb Joseph followed it up with a home run of his own that frame to give the

Orioles a 2-0 lead.

Mancini grounded into a force to score a third run with the bases loaded in the third inning, and

right fielder Seth Smith singled home another run with two outs to make it 4-0.

Showalter said it’s just as hard to hit in the Texas elements — it was 94 degrees at first pitch —

as it is to pitch, so the early runs were important.

“Usually you'll find a lot of stuff goes on the last two or three innings, then the tank really gets

challenged as you go on in those games,” Showalter said.

Elsewhere, first baseman Chris Davis reached base four times on three walks and a hit-by-pitch,

and second baseman Jonathan Schoop hit his team-high 27th double in the third inning to give

him an even 100 on his career.

Orioles' Showalter on informing Kim of trade: 'I didn't really like the way it happened'

Jones robs Gallo on strong defensive night: Gausman wasn't always fated for a shutout outing, at

least until Jones intervened. Rangers slugger Joey Gallo opened the third inning with a towering

fly ball to center field that Jones leapt and caught snow-cone style just over the wall for a

dramatic first out of the inning.

“When he hit it, I thought it was way gone,” Gausman said. “He hit it really high. The way that

Jonesy was kind of looking at it, I thought it was going to be way gone. Before I knew it, he went

up there and reached it. Luckily, he's got a lot of pine tar in that glove. I think it stuck in there.

That helped it. But like I said, this defense, you feel really confident any time there's weak

contact or a hard-hit ball.”

Showalter heaped particular praise on the team’s three double plays, including the first- and

ninth-inning double plays, plus another in the fourth inning featuring Machado and Schoop.

“Manny and Jon, my gosh,” Showalter said. “They turned a couple tonight. That last one — they

make them look [easy]. I hope everybody appreciates how hard that is. Those are hard. That's

one thing I think Manny does that nobody else does, the amount of velocity he can create on the

ball from a lot of different angles. Like they tell kids, don't try that at home.”

Another day, Adrián: Anticipation in the stadium was palpable for the possibility that Beltré

would reach 3,000 hits Saturday — the team announced over 8,000 fans bought tickets since the

end of Friday's game, which Beltré ended with 2,998 knocks.

But he went 1-for-4 with three groundouts, including the crucial one in the ninth inning, to leave

him with 2,999 hits.

Gausman and Joseph both said Beltré’s pursuit escalated the feel of the whole game.

“Early on, I could tell it was going to be a different type of atmosphere in the ballpark tonight,”

Gausman said. “I was trying to just not give it up to Beltré. It was a lot of fun — every time he

came up, everybody in the stadium was standing. That was pretty cool.”

“Sad part is we have to face him again tomorrow,” Joseph said.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bs-sp-orioles-rangers-rail-0729-

story.html#nt=oft07a-8gp2

Chris Tillman gives up eight runs in Orioles' series-opening

8-2 loss to Rangers

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun

July 28, 2017

Too many times this year as the Orioles have fallen further in the American League standings

and deeper into long-term uncertainty have performances like Friday's 8-2 loss to the Texas

Rangers come along to crush whatever hope they had left.

Right-hander Chris Tillman labored through 4 1/3 innings and left with eight runs on his account.

The offense wilted in the Texas heat, managing a pair of runs on six hits. And the Orioles lost

their third straight game to fall to 48-54 overall and 18-33 away from Camden Yards.

All of the team's problems were on display at Globe Life Park as the nonwaiver trade deadline

approaches Monday, and with two games left against a Rangers team they swept at Camden

Yards last week and are still battling for playoff positioning, each deficiency grows more

magnified.

“Honestly, we come every day here and we try to do our best, all the time,” catcher Welington

Castillo said. “We try to compete. We try to score as many runs as we can, and the pitchers try to

do their best. Stuff happens. I think just stuff happens. Everybody here is trying to do their best,

honestly. Even though we see the results are not there, the results that we want are not there, I

guarantee you everyone here is going out there and giving it their best.”

Even with two strong starts under his belt since the All-Star break, Tillman labored early and

didn't get into a groove until it was too late. He walked designated hitter Shin-Soo Choo to open

his evening, then saw him go to second on a single by shortstop Elvis Andrus. Both scored on the

first of three doubles by right fielder Nomar Mazara to stake the Rangers to an early 2-0 lead.

“His command wasn't there from the get-go,” manager Buck Showalter said. “He survived a

little bit with the changeup and slider. That was about it. I'm sure we'll look back through it and

see how many times he missed location with a fastball. That's something he's been doing a better

job with until tonight.”

After a scoreless second, Tillman again walked Choo to open the third before Andrus hit his 14th

homer of the year to left field to double the lead. Mazara doubled again and scored on a broken-

bat single by third baseman Adrian Beltre to make it 5-0.

Three more runs scored in the fifth inning, and Tillman ended up going 4 1/3 innings, allowing

eight runs on nine hits with a pair of walks and six strikeouts to bring his ERA to 7.65.

He fell to 1-6, and hasn't won since making his season debut May 7.

Tillman said it was odd to have his stuff come and go as it did Friday, and indicated there were

some physical limitations.

“My arm was good,” he said. “I had the full-body cramps going on, but other than that ... my arm

felt great. Physically, it felt good. Just cramping here and there.”

“That’s what he told me,” Castillo said. “I knew something was going on with him, he just didn’t

want to tell me. I know he was battling out there, it was really hot. I don't blame nobody. He’s

just trying to compete out there and do his best to give a chance to win to the team. I knew

there’s something going on with him but he didn’t tell me. It’s one of those days. It’s one of

those days when your whole body cramps or whatever it is. It’s like you don’t have it. You are

fighting your body to try to do your best and try to make pitches.”

Schoop still swinging

The Orioles never got much going off Rangers starter Andrew Cashner, with their first base

runner reaching second base in the fifth inning and their first run coming on a solo home run by

second baseman Jonathan Schoop in the sixth inning.

Orioles prospect Ryan Mountcastle's move to third base met with positive mindset at Bowie

Schoop has homered in consecutive games to bring his team-leading total to 23 on the season.

First baseman Chris Davis had a walk and a pair of base hits, with the second scoring a run in the

eighth inning. Castillo had two hits, and his third-inning single was his 500th career hit.

The chase for 3,000

Beltre's single in the third inning was the 2,997th of his career, and he moved one closer to 3,000

with a single in the fifth inning. Showalter brought in right-hander Mychal Givens to face him in

the eighth inning, and he popped up.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/245358472/orioles-spoil-adrian-beltres-3000th-hit/

Orioles pile on offense, hold off Rangers

By Sam Butler and Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com

July 30, 2017

ARLINGTON -- It's not often the fans on the losing end of a blowout go home happy, but it

probably happened Sunday at Globe Life Park. The Orioles' offense found its groove early and

cruised to a 10-6 win over the Rangers, but it was overshadowed by Rangers third baseman

Adrian Beltre recording his 3,000th career hit.

"When I hit the ball, luckily it got through [third baseman Manny] Machado," Beltre said. "After

that, it just felt like I was on a cloud while running. I was running, and I was thinking, 'I did it. I

did it.' I didn't believe I did it, but it's done. After that, it was just a cool moment. I saw my

teammates coming out, and obviously my family come out. It was amazing."

Beltre doubled down the left-field line with one out in the fourth off starter Wade Miley,

becoming the first Dominican-born player in Major League history -- and 31st player overall --

to reach the milestone. The game stopped as a massive banner unfurled in center field and a

facade on the outfield wall was revealed to honor his accomplishment.

"It's an honor to be here for it. You couldn't have drawn it better where we win and you get a

chance to see that," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "I think everybody in the game has a

lot of respect for him, not only statistically but the way he's handled his success over the years.

Not once has this guy embarrassed his family or his team or anybody. It's a lot like I talked about

[Derek] Jeter at the time. That's one of the bigger challenges, as big a challenge sometimes as

3,000 hits. I didn't realize he was the first Dominican player. That's surprising. That's quite a feat.

I know he's got to take a lot of national pride in that, too."

The Orioles hit a pair of homers -- one from Jonathan Schoop and another off the bat of

Welington Castillo -- and a barrage of singles to tag Rangers starter Martin Perez for eight runs

in 4 1/3 innings. The Rangers were held in check until Nomar Mazara and Rougned Odor

homered in the eighth, with Odor's two-run shot coming after his two-run single in the fourth and

solo homer in the sixth. Texas has dropped two straight and three of its last four games and is 5

1/2 games out of the American League Wild Card race.

"I think moments like this mark time for all of us," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "If you

saw our dugout, I think every clubhouse attendant, chef, doctor, they were all in the dugout. We

told them all you need to come out and watch every at-bat until he gets 3,000. It's important. You

need to mark this in your mind. You may never see this again."

Orioles closer Zach Britton -- pitching in back-to-back outings for the first time since April 13

and 14 -- picked up the save to extend his AL record to 57 consecutive saves.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Orioles jump in front during fourth: After Perez had handled the Orioles for three innings,

Baltimore figured him out in the fourth. Four straight batters reached base to lead off the inning -

- three hits and a walk -- and every one scored to give them a 4-0 lead for the second straight

game.

Schoop, Castillo blow it open: Similar to the fourth inning, the Orioles had five of their first six

batters in the fifth inning reach base and score. Schoop hit a two-run homer -- his 24th of the

season -- and Castillo's 10th of the year, a three-run shot, made it 9-2.

"He's become an all-around player," Machado said of Schoop, who is one homer shy of matching

last season's total. "It was always there but this year he's a little more focused, doing his tee

work, in the weight room. It's been awesome to watch and be on the same field as him."

QUOTABLE

"Just as a baseball fan, that's unbelievable. He's seen my first hit, he's seen all my firsts -- me,

personally -- in the big leagues. And to see No. 3,000 for me as a fan of his and a friend of his,

that's pretty special to be able to share that moment with him and see his family." -- Orioles

center fielder Adam Jones, on Beltre

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Beltre became the fourth player to accumulate 3,000 hits, 600 doubles and 450 home runs,

joining Hall of Famers Stan Musial, Hank Aaron and Carl Yastrzemski.

AFTER FURTHER REVIEW

Machado appeared to lead off the ninth with a triple after his curling ball down the right-field

line landed underneath a ballgirl's chair. Mazara fired to Beltre at third, but Machado ducked

away from the slide. Banister challenged the call, and after a review, the call was overturned and

Machado was ruled out. Banister improved to 25 of 43 on challenges this year with the

successful overturn.

WHAT'S NEXT

Orioles: The Orioles will return home to face the red-hot Royals, who have won nine of 10

games. Ubaldo Jimenez will take the mound first Monday night at 7:05 p.m. ET. The

inconsistent righty is coming off a quality outing against the Rays in which he went six innings

and allowed two runs on three hits. He also struck out a season-high nine batters.

Rangers: Lefty Cole Hamels starts the Rangers' final series of their nine-game homestand against

the Mariners on Monday at 7:05 p.m. CT. He'll be pitching on the two-year anniversary of the

day he was acquired by Texas from the Phillies.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/245190366/kevin-gausman-leads-orioes-win-vs-rangers/

Gausman goes 8 2/3 as O's shut out Rangers

By Sam Butler and Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com

July 30, 2017

ARLINGTON -- Adrian Beltre needed a pair of hits to enter the record books, but Kevin

Gausman kept him out, at least temporarily. Gausman held Beltre to one hit and the Rangers

scoreless over a career-high 8 2/3 innings to lead the Orioles to a 4-0 win on Saturday at Globe

Life Park.

Beltre finished the night 1-for-4, grounding out in all but one of his at-bats. He got career hit No.

2,999 in the fourth inning, but he'll have to wait until at least Sunday to get No. 3,000.

"Early on, I could tell it was going to be a different type of atmosphere in the ballpark tonight. I

was just trying to not give it up to Beltre," Gausman said. "It was a lot of fun. Every time he

came up, everybody in the stadium was standing. That was pretty cool."

After an up-and-down season, Gausman has turned in three consecutive quality starts, and he

took this one a step further. He held the Rangers to seven hits, walking three and striking out

eight.

"Comfortable pitching night for him, got us on the ground 11 times," Rangers manager Jeff

Banister said of Gausman. "I think he got three different double-play balls that erased any threat

that we had going, the eight strikeouts. … He seemed to be in control of what he wanted to do

tonight."

The 26-year-old right-hander is 4-0 over his last four starts, good for the second-most wins in the

American League this month.

"He's been solid for a while," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said of Gausman, who was the

O's best starter down the stretch last year. "I can't tell how tough it is to pitch in this heat, in this

ballpark with a full house and basically hold them to just about nothing."

Gausman was buoyed by second-inning solo homers from Trey Mancini and Caleb Joseph and

third-inning RBIs from Mancini and Seth Smith. Austin Bibens-Dirkx took the loss for Texas,

which has dropped to five games back in the AL Wild Card race, a game ahead of Baltimore.

Gausman got Beltre to ground into a double play on a nice play by third baseman Manny

Machado in the ninth, but after a walk to Mike Napoli and a bloop singe by Rougned Odor,

Showalter called for closer Zach Britton, who got Carlos Gomez on a groundout to extend his

AL-record streak to 56 straight save opportunities converted.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Beltre gets No. 2,999: Beltre grounded out in the first inning, thanks to Ruben Tejada's stellar

play deep in the hole at shortstop, but Beltre collected his 2,999th career hit when he led off the

fourth with another grounder in the same spot. This one just got past Tejada into left field,

putting Beltre within one hit of becoming the first Dominican player in Major League history --

and 31st player overall -- to join the 3,000-hits club.

"It was nice support from the fans," Beltre said. "It felt really nice. Unfortunately it didn't happen

today. It's probably better if we can do it tomorrow with a win."

Mancini, Joseph go deep: Mancini entered the game on an 0-for-7 cold spell, but he gave

Baltimore an early lead with a solo shot off Bibens-Dirkx in the second for his 17th homer of the

year. Joseph followed suit two batters later, launching his fifth homer.

"Left a couple of sliders up in the zone, home runs," Banister said of Bibens-Dirkx. "Mixed well,

I thought, and we made a little adjustment in the third inning and he was able to get through the

fifth for us."

Jones keeps the scoreboard clean: Joey Gallo led off the third inning with a towering fly ball to

center field. The ball looked like it was going to carry over the wall, but Adam Jones timed his

jump and robbed Gallo of his 26th homer of the season.

"When he hit it, I thought it was way gone. He hit it really high," Gausman said of Gallo's drive.

"The way that Jonesy was kind of looking at it, I thought it was going to be way gone. Before I

knew it, he went up there and reached it."

QUOTABLE

"He did a tremendous job locating the fastball. It all begins and ends with fastball command with

Kevin. He elevated when he needed to. He hit it down and away when he needed to. He threw a

lot of good sinkers in, took advantage of a pretty aggressive club over there." -- Joseph, on

Gausman

"I think they wanted to get over with more than me." -- Beltre, on the crowd as he went after hit

No. 3,000

UPON FURTHER REVIEW

Tejada hit a slow grounder down the first-base line with one out in the second. It started foul but

spun fair, and Rangers first baseman Napoli attempted to field it. He bobbled the ball, though,

and didn't make the tag as Tejada ran past him. The Rangers challenged the call, but it was

allowed to stand after review. Banister fell to 24-for-42 in challenges on the season.

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Beltre entered Saturday's game with a 62-game errorless streak, but it was snapped when he

misfired on a throw in the seventh inning. That was the longest streak without an error in his

career, and it was a record for a Rangers third baseman.

WHAT'S NEXT

Orioles: The Orioles will send Wade Miley to the mound for Sunday's 3:05 p.m. ET series finale

at Globe Life Park. Miley was stung by a five-run second inning against the Rays in his most

recent start, a six-inning outing during which he did not otherwise allow a hit. He has given up at

least five runs in three straight starts, including July 20 against the Rangers.

Rangers: Martin Perez starts Sunday's series finale against the Orioles at 2:05 p.m. CT. The left-

hander is 2-2 with a 4.70 ERA in five career starts against Baltimore.

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/245048394/rangers-back-andrew-cashner-in-rout-of-

orioles/?game_pk=491629

Cashner, Rangers handle O's; Beltre at 2,998

By Sam Butler and Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com

July 29, 2017

ARLINGTON -- Near the end of Friday night's game between the Rangers and Orioles, the only

drama was whether Adrian Beltre had a shot at collecting his 3,000th career hit.

Beltre had two hits, both RBI singles, while Andrew Cashner shut Baltimore down for seven

innings to propel Texas to an 8-2 win over Baltimore at Globe Life Park. Beltre needed four hits

to reach 3,000, and he got within two after hitting singles in back-to-back at-bats in the third and

fifth. Beltre finished 2-for-4 after popping out in the seventh.

"Our offense tonight was centered around a few guys," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "If

you back and look at [Nomar Mazara], Beltre, [Elvis Andrus], [Shin-Soo Choo] with the walks

and then [Carlos Gomez] late with the big two RBIs. I just felt like that our guys, those hard-hit

balls tonight -- we got the home run, we got some balls in the gap to where before, none of those

hard-hit balls that we had in Baltimore, they fell in."

The Rangers scored early and often, taking a 5-0 lead after three. Mazara (3-for-5, two RBIs) had

three extra-base hits, all doubles, and Cashner limited the Orioles to a solo homer from Jonathan

Schoop through seven. Texas has won five of its past seven games and remained 4 1/2 games out

of the American League Wild Card race.

"Very similar to what we've seen as a trend from him lately," Banister said of Cashner. "The

four-seam and two-seam attack with the fastball, it felt like he had a solid approach with the mix.

He was able to get the four-seam up in the zone, and you saw that he induced a number of

popups tonight. Really more, probably, than he's gotten any given game."

After holding Texas to one run on two hits in six innings in his last start against the Rangers on

July 17, Tillman was rocked Friday. He gave up eight runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings before

being lifted, raising his ERA to 7.65.

"It was inconsistent. I could never get in any kind of rhythm," said Tillman, who said he was

dealing with cramping in his arm, but physically felt fine. "Execute one pitch then try to throw

the same pitch the next pitch and it wasn't there. I just have to be more consistent in my delivery

and in my pitches and I think we'll see the results I had the last one."

Baltimore has lost three in a row and five of its past seven.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Rangers start out hot: In the previous matchup between these two pitchers, the Rangers scored

one run against Tillman. They topped that after three batters had come to the plate, as Choo

walked, Andrus singled and Mazara doubled them both in to spot Texas a 2-0 lead.

"You've usually got to get him early," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "There's a lot of

starting pitchers like that. Chris really just hasn't gotten on the horse after the first inning too

much. Because we have a history with him, we keep looking for that. Tonight, he wasn't able to

do it."

Pitching change doesn't fix things: Tillman had been touched for six runs in 4 1/3 innings and

exited in favor of Richard Bleier. He got Rougned Odor to ground out, but Gomez ripped a two-

run single in the next at-bat, extending the Rangers' lead to 8-0 and putting the game well out of

reach.

QUOTABLE

"High energy inside that dugout. A lot of energy from Adrian. It's fun to watch. A total buzz

inside the dugout when he's at the plate. Watch everybody's on the rail. They want to watch.

They want to see it. They want to be part of it." -- Banister, on the team watching Beltre's at-bats

"I think he had it for an inning and then another one doesn't have it. Physically, I see something

like when he's trying to run or jumping, grabbing his legs, so I have a pretty good idea about the

way he moves and the way he pitches. I just asked him between innings, 'Are you OK?' He said

yes. I got to trust him because he's the one who knows how he feels." -- Orioles catcher

Welington Castillo, on Tillman

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Gallo's single in the second had an exit velocity of 117.3 mph, according to Statcast™. That's the

hardest-hit ball of his career and the 11th-hardest hit ball by any player in the Majors this year.

WHAT'S NEXT

Orioles: Kevin Gausman will take the mound Saturday at 8:05 p.m. ET for the O's, aiming to

even the three-game series. Over Gausman's past 12 innings, he has allowed nine hits and struck

out 16. Six of those innings and eight of those strikeouts came in a win against the Rangers on

July 19.

Rangers: Austin Bibens-Dirkx (3-0, 4.53 ERA) starts for the first time Saturday at 7:05 p.m. CT

since June 30. He pitched in relief against Baltimore on July 18, allowing two runs in 2 1/3

innings.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/07/in-final-game-before-trade-deadline-os-

win-road-trip-finale.html

In final game before trade deadline, O’s win road trip finale

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

July 30, 2017

ARLINGTON, Texas - The Orioles built an eight-run lead, then saw that turn into a Zach Britton

save situation. They also watched the Texas Rangers celebrate Adrian Beltre’s 3,000th hit, but

they also won.

After losing the series opener on Friday night, they got 8 2/3 scoreless innings from Kevin

Gausman last night and a lot of offense today to beat the Rangers 10-6 and win this series.

It was their last game before Monday’s 4 p.m. trade deadline and, as of the game’s end, the only

deal the club has made was the Friday night acquisition of pitcher Jeremy Hellickson. But the

rumor mill is bound to be grinding over the next several hours.

“It’s all about the W,” third baseman Manny Machado said, after a three-hit game. “We are

trying to get on a roll and win some games. We are not really worried about who is going to get

traded or what is going to happen. That’s just something the front office can control. We just

play baseball, get outs, key at-bats, play inning by inning and do the small things to keep us

going.”

Added center fielder Adam Jones: “It’s always important to win. I, along with many other

players in here, firmly believe that we are still in this race. We have two months to go pretty

much and it’s going to be tough these next two months. But I believe if we play the game like we

played today, we should put ourselves in a good position.”

The Orioles built a 10-2 lead in the sixth, scoring four in the fourth, five in the fifth and one in

the sixth. Jonathan Schoop hit a two-run homer and Welington Castillo a three-run shot in the

fifth, when the Orioles turned a 4-2 lead into a 9-2 edge.

They had 13 hits and went 5-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Schoop drove in three and

has 22 RBIs his last 13 games. Schoop has 76 RBIs and has moved past New York’s Aaron

Judge for second in the American League in RBIs. Castillo drove in four - his third game of the

year with four or more RBIs.

“You play a day game here and the ball is flying, you’ve got to keep adding on. You’ve got to

keep adding on because we knew they were going to make a run,” manager Buck Showalter said.

“(Wade) Miley was good. I’ve got to tell you. Wade pitched five innings, held that club to two

runs. It may not look always aesthetically pleasing, but he never gave in and started just

throwing. We needed all our bullets today.”

That included Britton pitching on back-to-back days for the first time since April 13-14. With

two on and the Orioles leading 10-6 in the ninth, he struck out No. 3 hitter Nomar Mazara and

got Beltre to ground out to end it. Britton recorded a 10-pitch save with his velocity topping out

at 98 mph. If this turns out to be his last game with the team, as he remains the subject of trade

rumors, he would be leaving the Orioles on a high note.

“I told you all he was probably going to be better second time out. He feels good. He’ll be ready

to pitch tomorrow,” Showalter said.

The Orioles were effusive in their praise of and respect for Beltre this weekend. His double in the

fourth made him the 31st member of Major League Baseball’s 3,000-hit club. He is the first

player born in the Dominican Republic to get 3,000 hits and the first player to reach 3,000 in a

Texas uniform.

Here are some of the Orioles comments on Beltre:

Showalter: “It’s an honor to be here for it. You couldn’t have drawn it better, where we win and

you get a chance to see that. I think everybody in the game has a lot of respect for him, not only

statistically but the way he’s handled his success over the years. Not once has this guy

embarrassed his family or his team or anybody. I didn’t realize he was the first Dominican

player. That’s surprising. That’s quite a feat. I know he’s got to take a lot of national pride in

that, too.”

Machado: “It was amazing. As a baseball fan, you get to see that, it’s obviously a great

accomplishment. To get 3,000 hits, only 30 players that have done that. So to be a part of that

history was amazing. Obviously, he’s a friend and a teammate that I played with. Excited to see

him, as a Dominican player be the first to get to that milestone.”

Jones: “Just as a baseball fan, that’s unbelievable. He’s seen my first hit, he’s seen all my firsts -

me, personally - in the big leagues. And to see No. 3,000 for me as a fan of his and a friend of

his, that’s pretty special to be able to share that moment with him and see his family.”

Mark Trumbo was a late scratch today after he tweaked his back stretching in the weight room.

“I don’t know. He was stretching in the weight room, doing some squats and felt it,” Showalter

said. “I just hope it’s not an oblique. We’ll know tomorrow for sure.”

The Orioles now head home for a week-long homestand, and by 4 p.m. Monday, we’ll know if

this roster looks any different. Showalter has insisted all along his players have been focused on

winning and not too concerned over trade talk.

“I’m sure they have some private thoughts about it,” he said. “They talk among themselves. They

share each other’s ... this team shares their ups and down and what people are feeling. They feel

comfortable talking to each other about it. I haven’t had many people I needed to talk to.

Tomorrow will be a big day because we’re going to have to add Hellickson to the roster

tomorrow.”

The Orioles completed a 3-3 road trip and went 6-1 in the season series with Texas. By winning

for the eighth time in the last 13 games, they head home with a 50-54 record.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/07/kevin-gausman-with-a-gem-as-the-orioles-

blank-texas.html

Kevin Gausman with a gem as the O’s blank Texas (quotes

added)

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

July 29, 2017

ARLINGTON, Texas - Orioles right-hander Kevin Gausman produced a third straight strong

outing tonight. The Orioles backed him with early offense and they beat Texas 4-0 at Globe Life

Park.

Gausman came within one out of the Orioles’ first complete-game shutout since Miguel

Gonzalez against Cincinnati on Sept. 3, 2014. After Manny Machado turned a nifty double play

to deny Adrian Beltre his 3,000th hit in the ninth, Gausman issued a walk and gave up a bloop

single. With his pitch count at 118, manager Buck Showalter called on Zach Britton to get the

final out. He did against Carlos Gomez, who grounded to second to end the game.

So Gausman went a career-high 8 2/3 innings, and allowed seven hits with three walks and eight

strikeouts. He improved to 8-7 with a 5.37 ERA.

Over his last three starts, Gausman has allowed one run over 20 2/3 innings. He has thrown

back-to-back scoreless starts versus the Rays and Rangers, and has not allowed a run in four of

his past seven starts. In two starts this year against Texas he has given up one run over 14 2/3

innings.

The Rangers put the first two runners on base tonight but then he got a double play ball off the

bat of Nomar Mazara. In the third, Adam Jones robbed Joey Gallo of a leadoff homer with a leap

at the center field wall.

The Orioles had gone five games without hitting two or more homers. That changed in the

second inning tonight. Trey Mancini led off with a 459-foot blast to center field. He hit No. 17

for a 1-0 lead off Texas right-hander Austin Bibens-Dirkx. Two batters later, Caleb Joseph

connected to a similar spot in the ballpark. This one went 403 feet for his fifth homer and an

early 2-0 lead, which matched the club’s run total from last night.

In the next inning, the Orioles exceeded that total adding two more in the third. Jonathan Schoop

doubled to left-center with one out for his 100th career two-base hit. After walks to Chris Davis

and Mark Trumbo, Mancini’s grounder scored a third run and a Seth Smith single plated a

fourth. That gave Mancini a two-RBI night and 55 RBIs for the season and Smith drove in his

23rd run.

The game featured Texas third baseman Beltre pulling within one hit of becoming MLB’s 31st

member of the 3,000-hit club. He went 1-for-4 and his single to left in the fourth was hit No.

2,999. In his first crack at No. 3,000, he grounded to short on the first pitch he saw in the sixth.

Then Machado denied him in the ninth.

A huge crowd of 44,658 cheered him on with each pitch he saw. The Rangers announced they

sold 8,000 tickets since last night’s game ended with Beltre two hits away.

The Orioles avoided falling seven games under .500, which would have tied a season high. They

end a three-game losing streak and are 49-54. They were 1-8 their last nine games at Globe Life

Park until this victory.

In the series finale on Sunday afternoon, lefty Wade Miley (4-9, 5.69 ERA) faces Rangers left-

hander Martín Pérez (5-8, 4.67 ERA).

Postgame quotes

Gausman on wanting a complete game: “I think I wanted it a little too much, maybe I was trying

to guide the ball a little bit and one thing I loved about Buck tonight was he gave me a lot of

chances in that ninth inning to get it. I think I threw 118, maybe 119 pitches. You walk the

leadoff guy in the ninth inning, you’re usually going to be out of that game. But I think he saw

something in me tonight. I was throwing the ball well, so he stayed with the hot hand.

Unfortunately, I was an out away but it was a win and a quality start and, more importantly, we

only had one guy who had to throw three pitches tonight out of the pen.”

Gausman on what stood out to him about his pitching tonight: “Early on, I could tell it was going

to be a different type of atmosphere in the ballpark tonight. I was trying to just not give it up to

Beltre. It was a lot of fun - every time he came up, everybody in the stadium was standing. That

was pretty cool. I’ve been lucky to be part of some really cool things in baseball, but the biggest

thing was trying to be a stopper today and throw deep into the game and try to give those guys a

day off. But sometimes baseball happens like that.”

Gausman on pitching well his last three starts: “Just focusing more on every single pitch, not

trying to look at, ‘OK, I’m going to go out there and throw seven innings tonight.’ It’s kind of

more living pitch to pitch and trying to execute - execute my pitch and if I don’t forget about it,

on to the next one. I think that’s been working for me really well.”

Joseph on wanting a complete game: “Maybe more than he did. I’ve only had one. I think it was

with Miguel Gonzalez [in 2014]. As it gets closer and closer, it’s almost like a perfect game. Just

the way the games are pitched now, the way everything works, guys come out after 100 pitches

and six or seven innings. To get to the ninth, it’s almost like there’s something special building

and I thought it was that way. I would have really loved to have gotten that last one for him. He

pitched so well. That’s a big deal nowadays in the stat era to have a complete game by your

name. There’s just not that many of them.”

Manager Buck Showalter on how badly he wanted Gausman to finish: “I think everybody did.

Should have figured out a way to catch a pop up. Big double play. Manny (Machado) and Jon

(Schoop), my gosh, they turned a couple tonight. That last one. They make them look easy, I

hope everybody appreciates how hard that is. Those are hard. The one thing that Manny does that

nobody else does, is the amount of velocity he can create on the ball from a lot of different

angles. It’s like they tell the kids don’t try that at home. But he deserved to finish. Like to see

him get that last out but he was in the area. We had 110 on him tonight and you know, just trying

to create margin of error there with Zach (Britton) hadn’t pitched in a couple of days. It’s

unfortunate. We got to figure out a way to catch that ball.”

Showalter on creating early runs and playing good defense: “Just to create a margin of error.

Take the sting out of the way they jumped on us early. We go out and walk two again to start the

game. Kevin gets back with a big double play. The 3-6-1 double play is as hard as there is. What

did we have three double plays tonight and they were all textbook.”

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/07/chris-tillman-allows-eight-runs-as-texas-

rolls-in-series-opener.html

Chris Tillman allows eight runs as Texas rolls (quotes added)

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

July 28, 2017

ARLINGTON, Texas - When Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman faced the Texas Rangers in

Baltimore last week, he gave up two hits and one run over six innings. But it was very different

for Tillman and his team tonight.

After pitching to an ERA of 3.31 his past three starts, Tillman tonight got torched for nine hits

and eight runs over 4 1/3 innings as the Rangers hammered the Orioles 8-2 in front of 36,270 at

steamy Globe Life Park.

Tillman hasn’t won since his season debut on May 7. He falls to 1-6 with an ERA of 7.65. He

walked two and fanned six, throwing 101 pitches. The eight runs allowed is one shy of his career

high.

In losing four straight from July 17-20 in Baltimore, Texas was outscored 34-11. They almost

matched that four-game run total tonight. Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre had two RBI

singles in the win to move to within two career hits of 3,000.

Entering tonight with a first-inning ERA of 10.38, Tillman fell behind 2-0 three batters into this

game. He walked leadoff hitter Shin-Soo Choo on a 3-2 pitch and Elvis Andrus singled. Then

No. 3 hitter Nomar Mazara drove a 1-1 fastball into the gap in right-center to score both runners.

Mazara doubled three times tonight. Tillman threw 32 pitches in the last of the first.

Andrus hit a two-run homer to left in the third for a 4-0 lead that became 5-0 on Beltre’s first

RBI single of the night.

Texas knocked Tillman out during a three-run fifth to open an 8-0 lead. Beltre singled in another

run with career hit No. 2,998. Carlos Gomez delivered a two-run single off reliever Richard

Bleier, with both runs charged to Tillman.

Right-hander Andrew Cashner was blanking the Orioles on four singles through 5 2/3 innings

when Jonathan Schoop blasted his 23rd home run. Schoop, the team homer leader, hit a pitch

423 feet to left.

Schoop now has an RBI in 10 of the last 11 games. In that stretch, he is 16-for-44 with five

homers and 19 RBIs. He began the night third in the American League and tied for 10th in the

major leagues with 72 RBIs. Chris Davis singled in a run in the eighth to complete the scoring.

The Orioles fall to six games under the .500 mark - one shy of a season-low point of seven under

- at 48-54. They are 18-33 on the road and 1-7 in this park since 2015. The Orioles have lost

three in a row since taking the series opener Monday at Tropicana Field. The Rangers (50-52)

are 5-2 since they got swept in Baltimore.

In the second game of this series in oppressive Arlington, where tonight’s gametime temperature

was 99 degrees, right-hander Kevin Gausman (7-7, 5.79 ERA) faces right-hander Austin Bibens-

Dirkx (3-0, 4.53 ERA).

Postgame quotes

Manager Buck Showalter on Tillman’s continuing first inning issues: “It’s been the case with

him for a while. You’ve usually got to get him early. There’s a lot of starting pitchers like that.

Chris really just hasn’t gotten on the horse after the first inning too much. Because we have a

history with him, we keep looking for that. Tonight, he wasn’t able to do it.”

Showalter on another Schoop homer: “Jon has been a very consistent player and he’s finally kind

of graduated where you trust him in higher spots in the batting order. Jon hasn’t missed a beat

since the All-Star game. You always worry about young players when they get that type of

recognition, how it might affect them. Jon’s picked up right where he left off. We’re real proud

of him, he’s playing well on both sides of the ball and he’s playing like an All-Star is supposed

to.”

Tillman said he has had starts before where his command was shaky early but got locked in, but

tonight was not one: “It’s not that uncommon. For a second there I’d get it and then it would kind

of get away from me, a couple of bad pitches. Then get back on track and get away from me

again. Just inconsistent all around.”

Tillman was asked about shaking his arm during the start, was it bothering him?: “My arm was

good. I had the full-body cramps going on, but other than that, my arm felt great. Physically it

felt good, just cramping here and there.”

Catcher Welington Castillo on Tillman getting his command for a few batters and then losing it

again: “I know something was going on with him, he just didn’t want to tell me. I know he was

battling out there, it was really hot. I don’t blame nobody, he’s trying to compete out there and

do his best. I know there’s something going on with him but he didn’t tell me. It’s one of those

days, your whole body cramps or whatever it is. You are fighting your body to try to do your

best and try to make pitches.”

Castillo more on Tillman: “I think he had it for an inning and then another one doesn’t have it.

Physically, I see something like when he’s trying to run or jumping, grabbing his legs, so I have

a pretty good idea about the way he moves and the way he pitches. I just asked him between

innings, are you OK? He said yes. I got to trust him because he’s the one who knows how he

feels.”

Castillo on trade talk, has it been hard on the players?: “It’s hard but that’s part of the business. I

have stuff to do. I don’t worry about that. I just control what can I control. Honestly if you start

pay attention to the rumors and if your name is in the rumors you can’t control that. You just got

to come here everyday and prepare the best you can to win the games. If it happens, it happens.”

The trade: After tonight’s game, the Orioles announced the acquisiton of right-handed starting

pitcher Jeremy Hellickson from the Phillies. Hellickson was acquired for outfielder Hyun Soo

Kim, Double-A Bowie left-hander Garrett Cleavinger and international signing bonus slots.

Hellickson was scratched from tonight’s start. He’s 6-5 with a 4.73 ERA 1.255 WHIP in 20

starts and has struck out 65 batters in 112 1/3 innings. He is signed through the end of this year.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/recap?gameId=370730113

Beltre gets 3,000th hit in Rangers' 10-6 loss to Orioles

By Associated Press

July 30, 2017

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Adrian Beltre doubled for his 3,000th career hit Sunday, reaching the

milestone in the Texas Rangers' 10-6 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.

The Rangers already were down 4-0 when the 38-year-old third baseman, who went 1 for 5 in his

2,771st game, had a hard hit down the line past third base in the fourth inning.

Beltre became the first player from the Dominican Republic, and 31st overall, to join the 3,000-

hit club in the major leagues.

Jonathan Schoop and Welington Castillo homered in a five-run fifth for a 9-2 Orioles lead.

Castillo also had the last of three consecutive RBI singles off lefty Martin Perez (5-9) in the

fourth.

Wade Miley (5-9) went five innings and one of the four hits he allowed being to Beltre, who

grounded a 3-0 pitch that went past the bag and then ricocheted off the side wall into left field.

The Orioles lefty also got one of his five strikeouts when Beltre went down swinging in the

second inning.

Rougned Odor homered twice and drove in five runs for Texas. His two-run single in the fourth

scored Beltre, who reached on a wild pitch after striking out in the eighth before Odor's second

homer. Nomar Mazara also went deep.

Orioles closer Zach Britton came on with two on in the ninth, striking out Mazara and getting

Beltre on a grounder to end the game. Britton has converted an AL-record 57 consecutive save

opportunities, eight this season.

When Beltre got his 3,000th hit, a banner was unfurled high above straightaway center field

congratulating him. His teammates, who had crowded on the rail of the first-base dugout to be as

close as possible to the historic moment, flooded onto the field to celebrate with him.

Beltre's two daughters and 10-year-old son Adrian Jr. left their front-row seats near the dugout

they had shared with other family members and ran to right-center field. The kids helped unveil a

logo commemorating the accomplishment on the wall in front of the Rangers bullpen, then went

and hugged their father on the infield dirt.

Now in his 20th big league season, he is only the third player who is primarily a third baseman in

the 3,000-hit club, joining Hall of Famers George Brett and Wade Boggs.

The only other current active player in the 3,000-hit club is Miami Marlins outfielder Ichiro

Suzuki, who is tied with Hall of Fame player Craig Biggio for 22nd all-time at 3,060 hits.

Beltre is now tied for 30th place on the hits list with Roberto Clemente. Al Kaline (3,007) and

Boggs (3,010) are next up on the list.

It was Beltre's 605th career double, matching Paul Molitor for 14th all-time. That also matched

Mel Ott for 20th with 5,041 total bases; and Beltre's 454 homers are 38th on that list.

Along with his 3,000 hits, Beltre is a five-time Gold Glover. He had a career-best and franchise-

record 62-game streak without at error at third base before a throwing error Saturday night's

game.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Orioles: DH Mark Trumbo was scratched from the lineup after tweaking his back while

stretching in the weight room before the game.

Rangers: RHP A.J. Griffin (oblique strain) threw 40 pitches in two innings in his rehab start on

Saturday night at Triple-A Round Rock. He could rejoin the Rangers this week.

UP NEXT

Orioles: After finishing their season series 6-1 against Texas, the Orioles play their next seven

games at home. They play Kansas City on Monday.

Rangers: Two years to the day after being acquired by Texas in a trade, lefty Cole Hamels (5-1,

3.97) pitches in the series opener against Seattle and Felix Hernandez.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/recap?gameId=370729113

Beltre (1-for-4) at 2,999 hits after Rangers' loss to Orioles

By Associated Press

July 29, 2017

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Adrian Beltre knows he will make history with his next hit. So do all the

Texas Rangers fans.

Beltre went 1-for-4 to get within one hit of 3,000 for his career in a 4-0 loss to the Baltimore

Orioles on Saturday night, with two groundouts after his single in the fourth. He was retired in

the ninth when third baseman Manny Machado made a slick snag on his short-hopper before a

sidearm sling to second base to start a double play.

"I was just trying to get a pitch to hit. It felt really cool the way the fans were getting into it,"

Beltre said. "Trying to get it over with? Yes. But I wasn't anxious at all. Or maybe I was. I don't

know."

EDITOR'S PICKS

After being traded from the Phillies to the Orioles, pitcher Jeremy Hellickson was involved in a

car accident on his way to the airport to join his new team.

Beltre got loud cheers all night from the crowd of 44,658, including about 8,000 who bought

tickets after he got two hits in Friday night's series opener. Another big crowd is expected for a

hot Sunday afternoon as the Rangers' 38-year-old third baseman gets his next chance to become

the 31st major leaguer -- and the first Dominican Republic native -- in the 3,000-hit club.

The only other active player in the 3,000-hit club is Miami Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, who

is tied with Hall of Fame player Craig Biggio for 22nd all time, at 3,060.

All four of Beltre's at-bats came against Kevin Gausman (8-7), who went 8⅔ innings to win his

fifth consecutive decision in seven starts. The right-hander has allowed only one run over 33-

plus innings in those wins. He struck out eight and threw 118 pitches.

"I've been part of some real cool things in baseball," Gausman said. "From the first, I could tell

this was going to be a special night."

Zach Britton converted his AL-record 56th straight save chance and seventh this season. He

relieved with two on and got Carlos Gomez to ground out, ending the Orioles' sixth shutout this

season.

The Rangers, who had scored 28 runs in the previous three games, were held scoreless for the

fourth time.

Trey Mancini and Caleb Joseph both hit solo homers in the second off Austin Bibens-Dirkx (3-

1).

The closest Texas came to scoring was when young slugger Joey Gallo led off the third with a

towering shot to straightway center field. Adam Jones got back to the 8-foot wall, leaped and

extended his glove to catch the ball that looked like it would be Gallo's 26th homer.

After Orioles shortstop Ruben Tejada made an impressive backhanded stab deep in the hole and

then threw him out to end the first, Beltre hit another grounder to the left side to start the fourth.

That one got beyond the reach of Tejada and into the outfield. Beltre grounded out to short again

in the sixth.

"I don't think that he was necessarily over-anxious or anything like that," Banister said. "He's

typically an aggressive hitter, and I thought he had some good swings tonight."

Beltre, a five-time Gold Glove winner, had his career-best and franchise-record errorless streak

of 62 games at third base end with a throwing error in the seventh. The error came when Beltre

fielded a grounder by Machado and short-hopped the throw to first base. When Machado came

back up in the ninth, he hit a foul pop on which Beltre ran a long way to make a highlight catch

with his glove extended over his head.

"A tough play ... very close to being a terrific play. But he comes back with a good, solid

defense. That's who he is," Banister said. "He has a way of just moving on, a professional player,

big league player, future Hall of Famer."

IN HIS PLACE

Bibens-Dirkx, the 32-year-old rookie right-hander, started in place of righty Tyson Ross, who

went on the 10-day disabled list with a blister on the index finger of his pitching hand after his

start last Saturday. Bibens-Dirkx allowed four runs and six hits in five innings.

TOUCHED BUT NOT TAGGED

Tejada hit a dribbler down the first-base line in the second that somehow stayed in fair territory.

After bobbling the ball with his mitt, Mike Napoli grabbed the ball with his right hand and

reached back to try to tag the runner. Napoli's forearm appeared to hit Tejada in the rear but the

ball was away from the body. The out stood on replay review after Banister's challenge.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Orioles: RHP Jeremy Hellickson's vehicle got rear-ended when he was on the way to the airport

to join the Orioles after being traded from Philadelphia late Friday night. Manager Buck

Showalter said the pitcher was OK, but his girlfriend had to go to the emergency room.

Hellickson will now go to Baltimore instead of joining the team in Texas.

UP NEXT

Orioles: LHP Wade Miley (4-9) starts as Baltimore tries to close the season series 6-1 against

Texas.

Rangers: Lefty Martin Perez is scheduled to make his 20th start of the season. The Rangers have

scored one run total for Perez (5-8, 4.67) in his past two starts.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/recap?gameId=370728113

Beltre at 2,998 hits after 2 more in 8-2 Texas win over O's

By Associated Press

July 28, 2017

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Adrian Beltre wants to get to 3,000 hits as soon as possible. The Texas

Rangers third baseman could reach that rare milestone in his next game.

Beltre had two more hits Friday night, pushing his career total to 2,998 with two RBI singles in

the Rangers' 8-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

"I got closer, and I want to get it over with," Beltre said. "Hopefully I can get it done sooner than

later."

The 38-year-old third baseman, in his 20th major league season, will soon become only the 31st

player in the 3,000-hit club -- maybe Saturday night. He is 9 of 14 in the four games since the

Rangers returned home this week.

"High energy inside that dugout. A lot of energy from Adrian. It's fun to watch," manager Jeff

Banister said. "A total buzz inside the dugout when he's at the plate. Watch, everybody's on the

rail. They want to watch. They want to see it. They want to be part of it."

After grounding out in the first, Beltre shattered his bat on a bloop single to center in the third,

grounded a ball up the middle for a hit in the fifth, and had an infield popout in the seventh.

"You pull for him, but you'd rather it be against somebody else," Orioles manager Buck

Showalter said. "I think everybody in baseball is proud of the way he's handled himself through

the years."

Beltre, who won his fifth Gold Glove last season, has also played 62 consecutive games at third

base without an error -- a career best and the club record.

Ichiro Suzuki is the only current active player in the 3,000-hit club after reaching that milestone

last season.

Elvis Andrus homered and Nomar Mazara had three doubles. Mazara put the Rangers ahead to

stay when he drove in two runs in the first, then doubled again in the third and fifth innings --

scoring both times on singles by Beltre.

Andrew Cashner (6-8) allowed only a solo homer by Jonathan Schoop in his seven innings. The

Rangers right-hander struck out four and walked two.

Chris Tillman (1-6) allowed eight runs and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out six, but

trailed 2-0 before recording his first out of the game -- Shin-Soo Choo drew a leadoff walk

before Andrus singled and Mazara hit his first double. Tillman has allowed 17 runs in the first

inning of his 14 starts.

"A couple bad pitches get away from me, and then I get back on track, and then get away from

me again," Tillman said. "Just inconsistent all around."

ADDING A PITCHER

The Baltimore Orioles acquired RHP Jeremy Hellickson from the Philadelphia Phillies for OF

Hyun Soo Kim and a Double-A left-hander. The deal was announced after the game. Hellickson

is 6-5 with a 4.73 ERA in 20 starts for the Phillies this season.

BREAKING OUT

Mazara was mired in an 0-for-26 slump before going 7 for 12 the last three games. Banister said

Mazara was stubborn and stayed consistent with his process and approach. Mazara said he

watched a lot of video and everything was fine. "I just wasn't lucky enough to get a hit," he said.

SHORT HOPS

Schoop's 23rd homer of the season was his eighth in July ... Chris Davis had an RBI single in the

eighth for the other Orioles run.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Orioles: OF Anthony Santander (elbow/shoulder), a Rule 5 draft pick, had two doubles in his

first rehabilitation game for Double-A Bowie on Thursday night. Bowie's scheduled game Friday

night was rained out.

Rangers: C Robinson Chirinos was back in the lineup for the first time since spraining his left

ankle in a home-plate collision last Sunday at Tampa Bay. ... RHP Jake Diekman (colon) plans to

throw another bullpen session Saturday, two days after throwing 35 pitches. He hopes to make

his season debut by mid-August.

UP NEXT

Baltimore RHP Kevin Gausman is 4-0 in his last six starts, and the only run he allowed over 24

1/3 innings in the wins was scored by the Rangers on July 19.

RHP Austin Bibens-Dirkx (3-0, 4.53 ERA), the 32-year-old Rangers rookie, makes his first start

since June 30. He pitches in the spot of RHP Tyson Ross, who went on the 10-day disabled list

with a blister on the index finger of his pitching hand after his start Sunday in Tampa Bay.

https://www.pressboxonline.com/2017/07/30/kevin-gausman-pitches-a-gem-in-orioles-4-0-win

Kevin Gausman Pitches A Gem In Orioles' 4-0 Win

By: Rich Dubroff / PressBoxOnline.com

July 30, 2017

ARLINGTON, Tex. -- Kevin Gausman had never gotten an out in the ninth inning of a major

league game, much less finished the ninth. He badly wanted to do that.

Only a bloop base hit with two outs in the ninth stood in the way of the right-hander, whose re-

emergence over the past several weeks has been one of the most pleasing developments for the

Orioles, earning a rare complete game.

Gausman threw 118 pitches and limited the Texas Rangers to seven singles in the Orioles' 4-0

win before 44,638 at Globe Life Park on July 29.

With a chance for that first career nine-inning complete game, Gausman walked Texas first

baseman Mike Napoli with two outs in the ninth and allowed the bloop single to second baseman

Rougned Odor. Manager Buck Showalter called on Zach Britton to get the last out.

Showalter badly wanted Gausman to finish the game.

"I think everybody did. Should have figured out a way to catch a pop up," Showalter said. "But

he deserved to finish. Like to see him get that last out but he was in the area."

Gausman walked three and struck out eight.

Britton threw two pitches and on the second, center fielder Carlos Gomez grounded out to

second, and Britton had his seventh save.

"I think I wanted it a little too much, maybe I was trying to guide the ball a little bit, and one

thing I loved about Buck tonight was he gave me a lot of chances in that ninth inning to get it,"

Gausman said. "You walk the leadoff guy in the ninth inning, you're usually going to be out of

that game. But I think he saw something in me tonight. I was throwing the ball well, so he stayed

with the hot hand. Unfortunately, I was an out away but it was a win and a quality start."

Gausman had to face the hype of Texas third baseman Adrian Beltre, who began the game with

2,998 hits.

"Early on, I could tell it was going to be a different type of atmosphere in the ballpark tonight,"

Gausman said. "I was trying to just not give it up to Beltre. It was a lot of fun -- every time he

came up, everybody in the stadium was standing. That was pretty cool."

After Beltre grounded out to Orioles shortstop Ruben Tejeda in the first inning, he grounded past

Tejada in the fourth inning for his 2,999th hit.

Beltre grounded to Tejada in the sixth, and committed his first error the season when he threw

wildly to first base on a grounder by Orioles third baseman Manny Machado.

He hit into a double play in the ninth. Beltre, whose error ended a career-long 62-game errorless

streak, will try for hit No. 3,000 on July 30.

Gausman has won five of his last seven starts, and in his last three, he’s allowed just one run on

16 hits in 20 2/3 innings.

Texas never got a runner past second base.

The Orioles gave Gausman an early lead on home runs by left fielder Trey Mancini and catcher

Caleb Joseph in the second.

Joseph wanted the complete game.

"Maybe more than he did," Joseph said. "As it gets closer and closer, it’s almost like a perfect

game. Just the way the games are pitched now, the way everything works, guys come out after

100 pitches and six or seven innings. To get to the ninth, it’s almost like there’s something

special building, and I thought it was that way. I would have really loved to have gotten that last

one for him. He pitched so well. That’s a big deal nowadays in the stat era -- to have a complete

game by your name. There’s just not that many of them."

Adam Jones made a spectacular leaping catch on left fielder Joey Gallo’s fly ball to center

leading off the third. Positioned in front of the wall, Jones leaped, snared the ball as it was going

over the wall, and posed after he caught it.

"When he hit it, I thought it was way gone. He hit it really high," Gausman said. "The way that

Jonesy was kind of looking at it, I thought it was going to be way gone. Before I knew it, he went

up there and reached it. Luckily, he's got a lot of pine tar in that glove. I think it stuck in there."

The Orioles are 49-54 and broke a three-game losing streak.

COMING UP: Left-handers Wade Miley (4-9, 5.69) and Martin Perez (5-8, 4.67) are the

scheduled starters for July 30.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bs-sp-orioles-trade-deadline-questions-

20170731-story.html

Four questions left for Orioles to answer before Monday's 4

p.m. trade deadline

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun

July 31, 2017

By 4 p.m. Monday, all the questions that have loomed over the most blasé of recent Orioles

seasons will hopefully be answered.

The nonwaiver trade deadline will come and go, the Orioles will go on taking batting practice

and stretching, and they'll face one of the league's hottest teams — the Kansas City Royals — to

continue to maintain relevance in a crowded American League.

But what they'll look like when they get there is hardly simple.

Here are the four major questions the Orioles will have answered by 4 p.m., all the culmination

of weeks of trade speculation and up-and-down baseball that leaves them as the game's most

uncertain team at the deadline.

Is the market where they want it for their relievers?

Sunday's appearance for Orioles closer Zach Britton answered the last question on his return —

whether he can pitch back-to-back days — and buying teams will have all the information they're

going to get on the condition of the league's top closer from a season ago and how he can impact

their club.

When rumblings of trading Britton or even Brad Brach began, the precedent of the returns New

York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman got for Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller in

2016 were almost an aspirational standard. Any return seemed to have to be at that level.

But as the deadline neared, it has proved to almost be detrimental. With the Chicago Cubs

reportedly dealing for Detroit Tigers left-hander Justin Wilson, their business is presumably

finished in terms of adding relievers. That only leaves a handful of suitors for Britton. The most

widely speculated of which, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros and

Washington Nationals, have plenty of prospects to give.

The question is motivation. The Dodgers are pretty comfortable atop the National League and

probably have the biggest need. The Astros are clutching their top prospects tightly and would

view Britton as an expensive luxury, given he could make over $15 million next season. The

Nationals and Orioles have never made a trade and are still in a legal battle worth millions of

dollars a year.

If that doesn't create a market where the Orioles get a blue-chip prospect and a few other

promising young players, they might be keeping hold of their prized relief assets.

Did Mark Trumbo's Sunday injury change the equation on trading a bat?

Others mooted to be moved were the natural candidates in the last year of their contracts, most

notably outfielder Seth Smith and catcher Welington Castillo. Outfielder Hyun Soo Kim was

already victim to this, moving to the Philadelphia Phillies for pitcher Jeremy Hellickson.

But then outfielder-designated hitter Mark Trumbo tweaked his back while stretching before the

game Sunday, manager Buck Showalter said. After the game, he brought up the possibility that

he hopes it's not an oblique strain, which put that notion into the universe.

If Trumbo is out for any significant period of time, how expendable are either of them? Smith

has bounced back from a brutal June to bring his batting line up to .264/.344/.460. His weighted

runs created plus (wRC+), which calculates how many runs above or below the league average

of 100 a batter produces, is 112. Castillo homered for the 10th time Sunday and is up to a

.280/.318/.448 line.

Castillo's $7 million player option creates an uneasy situation for the team come October, but

both players might now be required for a stretch run. With Trumbo out, Smith could see more

time in the outfield, and Castillo could serve as designated hitter more often on days when Caleb

Joseph does the catching. Depriving the Orioles lineup of either in a situation without Trumbo

would undo a lot of the progress their bats have made of late.

Could they add another starter?

Hellickson's addition was the type of move a team that's looking to add, not subtract, would

make. And it was one that was necessary for a team that all too often has seen games out of reach

in the early innings because of deficient starting pitching.

Whom Hellickson replaces in the starting rotation isn't clear yet, but if one person is candidate to

cede a spot because of performance, what of the other strugglers? Could Hellickson not be the

only addition to the rotation?

If the Orioles pry away another starter to bolster their rotation, it would signal 2017 is in play in

the front office's mind. If they don't, Hellickson's deal will stand alone as an odd addition. And if

they subtract other assets, it might not be the worst idea to use some of the payroll relief to eat

some owed money to one of their struggling starters and cycle in some new arms to prepare them

for 2017.

However it happens, the rotation will look different come August.

What's the endgame for 2017?

This, of course, is the answer that all the rest of the answers will beget. By Monday afternoon,

the Orioles players will know if management believes a Kevin Gausman resurgence, a new

starting pitcher, an intact bullpen and a steadier, more productive offense can be a playoff team

in 2017.

That's obviously the players' preference. But there's also plenty of reasons for fans and analysts

to say it’s time to address the franchise’s future after seeing a farm system whose legitimate

improvement doesn't mask its real limitations, a team that doesn't spend money on foreign

amateur talent and an organization that simply doesn't have the starting pitching in the present

rotation or the high minors to contend soon.

Not much in the Orioles' Duquette-Showalter era has been done that doesn't fit under the "win

now" mantra, and the second wild-card spot has made everyone a believer, even a team four

games under .500. By Monday afternoon, how strongly the Orioles believe — and what exactly

they believe in — will be clearer.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bs-sp-orioles-rangers-trade-deadline-main-

20170730-story.html

Orioles witness history, face uncertain future

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun

July 30, 2017

At the end of a marathon game that was delayed by Adrian Beltre's 3,000th hit, Orioles players

were left with nothing to do but confront the team's future after Sunday's 10-6 win over the

Rangers at Globe Life Park.

For all the joy that came with Beltré making history in becoming the 31st player to reach the

milestone, the final image of the game was perhaps the most appropriate for where the Orioles

stand on July 30 — closer Zach Britton getting the last out.

Britton pitched back-to-back games for the first time since his two-month absence with a forearm

strain. It was a final showcase to the scouts for the World Series contenders considering paying

the ransom the Orioles hope to receive for a player who could be part of a revival in 2017 or

2018, or net them top prospects for beyond that.

That Britton earned two straight saves meant the Orioles won again, improving to 50-54 and

bringing them to Monday's nonwaiver trade deadline 5.5 games out of a playoff spot with three

teams between them and the second wild card.

Even with the uncertainty surrounding the team approaching the 4 p.m. deadline, that's where the

focus was on a sweltering Sunday in Texas.

"I along with many other players in here, firmly believe that we're still in this race," center

fielder Adam Jones. "We have two months to go — [58] games left. It's going to be tough, these

next two months, but I believe if we put our heads down and do what we need to do and play like

we did today, we should put ourselves in a good position."

Manager Buck Showalter took a plain view of where the team stood entering the trade deadline,

which he often calls a false one.

"It leaves us spending three hours and 40 minutes on the field winning a tough series, having a

.500 road trip, getting on the plane and getting back getting ready to play Kansas City," he said.

"Really. That's where everybody's focus is. I'm sure they have some private thoughts about it,

and they talk among themselves because they share. ... This team shares their ups and downs,

and what people are feeling. They feel comfortable talking to each other about it. I haven't had

many people I've needed to talk to."

Still, Showalter knew what he was doing inserting Britton into a four-run game with two outs in

the ninth inning, a night after a one-out save.

He never doubted Britton could pitch consecutive days. In fact, he reminded everyone after the

game that he believed Britton would be better on the second day, which he was. Such a look,

shown to the outside world, had value Sunday.

So fluid is the Orioles' situation with the likes of Britton and Brad Brach — who had a dominant

inning of work himself on Sunday — that even with known commodities, teams' perceptions and

valuations can change on a dime.

The players themselves are focused on the idea that a playoff race can, too. A miserable 24-hour

stretch earlier this week in Tampa Bay spoiled what could have been a good road trip, had they

not lost Tuesday night and Wednesday morning before getting Thursday off. But even so, the

muddled American League race, combined with Friday's acquisition of right-hander Jeremy

Hellickson to potentially stabilize their rotation, has them thinking about next month, not next

year or beyond.

"Keep winning," said Sunday’s winning starting pitcher, Wade Miley. "I haven't thought about it

one time. I know there's guys in there whose names are being tossed around, but you've got to go

out and play. That's what we get paid to do."

"It's all about the Ws," third baseman Manny Machado said. "We're trying to get on a roll. We're

trying to win some games. We're not really worried about who's going to get traded or what's

going to happen. Those are things only the front office can control. We can go out there and play

baseball, get outs, have key at-bats, play inning-by-inning and do the small things to keep us

going."

With that mindset, there's sure to be plenty of relief among the players. The idea of a teardown,

even a partial one, in an effort to gain future assets doesn't carry much weight inside the

clubhouse, though it has plenty merit outside it.

The ever-changing nature of the trade market and the Orioles' place in both it and the playoff

race means there could be a sense of a reprieve given by 4 p.m. Monday if the club stays intact

by then.

"It's not a bad thing,” Showalter said. It's just an unknown."

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bs-sp-orioles-rangers-adrian-beltre-20170730-

story.html#nt=oft03a-2gp3

Orioles honored to be part of history as Adrián Beltré

collects career hit No. 3,000 Sunday

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun

July 30, 2017

Ahead of this weekend’s series with the Texas Rangers, Orioles manager Buck Showalter said he

and his players have so much respect for third baseman Adrián Beltré that he posited if Beltré

didn't collect the four hits required to get him to 3,000 while they were in town, they'd all be

trying to watch it on TV when he ended up reaching that milestone.

It turns out they got a pretty good view.

With two hits Friday, one on Saturday, and a fourth-inning double off Wade Miley Sunday,

Beltré became the 31st player in major league history with 3,000 hits and the first ever

Dominican-born player to reach that mark.

“It's an honor to be here for it,” Showalter said. “You couldn't have drawn it up better where we

win and you get a chance to see that. I think everybody in the game has a lot of respect for him,

not only statistically, but the way he's handled his success over the years. Not once has this guy

embarrassed his family or his team or anything like that. It's a lot like how I talked about Jeter,

you know? That's as big a challenge sometimes as 3,000 hits. But take a good look at it. I didn't

realize he was the first Dominican player. That's surprising. That's a pretty big feat. I know he's

got to take a lot of national pride in that, too.”

The game was briefly delayed to fete him, with Beltré's Rangers teammates flooding out of the

dugout to congratulate him. His three children ran out to center field to unveil a placard on the

wall celebrating his 3,000 hits, and once the field cleared, Beltré hugged each of the Orioles'

position players, including former Texas teammates Chris Davis and Craig Gentry, on the field

as Miley took a few warmup tosses.

Center fielder Adam Jones, who began his career in Seattle with Beltre, even took a playful jab

to the gut after trying to touch his former teammate’s head, something the Hall of Fame-bound

third baseman is famously averse to.

“Just as a baseball fan, that's unbelievable,” Jones said. “He's seen my first hit. He's seen all my

firsts in the big leagues, as a player, and for me to see a lot of his hits and No. 3,000, for me as a

fan of his and a friend of his, that's pretty special to get to share that moment with him and see

his family.”

“Oh man, it was amazing,” added third baseman Manny Machado, who was Beltré’s teammate

for the Dominican Republic in this spring’s World Baseball Classic. “As a baseball fan, we get to

see that. It's obviously a great accomplishment. To get 3,000 hits, only 30 players had done that.

To be a part of that history was amazing, and obviously, he's a friend and a teammate that I

played with. I was excited to see him as a Dominican player to be the first to get to that

milestone.”

Miley said he wasn’t surprised that Beltré ended up swinging away at a 3-0 pitch, when hitters

typically take a walk.

“He got me the other day in Baltimore, swung 3-0,” he sadi. “I thought he was going to dive out

over, that's why I tried to go in. but he was ready for it. There's a reason why he's got 3,000 hits.”

Beltre, in turn, said he appreciated Miley challenging him with the three-ball count instead of

conceding a walk.

Showalter said at the beginning of the series that save for whoever the responsible pitcher was,

the Orioles would be happy to congratulate one of the game's statesmen for his achievement.

"You don't see too many players so universally respected," Showalter said. "Everything he does

on the field is sincere. He smiles easily, he cares what his teammates think, he's always got time

for everybody—and I haven't had it. I don't think there's anybody in the game who has more

universal respect from the opposition. He's been an entertainer in a lot of ways. I love watching

him play. And he was that way the first time I saw him in LA. Nothing has changed. You

probably want to take a good look, because there's not going to be too many 3,000 [hit] people.

... He always seems like he's playing his first game in Little League.”

His former teammate in Texas, first baseman Chris Davis, said ahead of Saturday's game that he

hoped he'd get it in the next few days.

“I think his relentlessness [stands out]," Davis said. "You've seen him hobbling down the first

base line, pulling up and clearly injured or hurt and continue to stay in the game the produce.

That’s is the kind of guy he is. He comes in every day ready to play. He’s a fun guy to be around.

He makes other people better and I’m happy for him. I’m excited and I hope he does get it while

we are here. That is a part of history. It will be something special."

Beltré became the second player to collect his 3,000th hit against the Orioles, with the first being

Baltimore native Al Kaline of the Detroit Tigers in 1972.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-lee-may-obit-0731-story.html

'Big Bopper' Lee May, member of Orioles Hall of Fame, dies

at 74

By Mike Klingaman / The Baltimore Sun

July 30, 2017

Lee May's first at-bat with the Orioles still sticks with Jim Palmer. On Opening Day, 1975,

Palmer warmed up in near-freezing weather in Detroit as May stepped to the plate in the first

inning.

Bang. The Orioles' new first baseman hit a three-run home run at Tiger Stadium. Palmer watched

the rocket go and settled in to pitch a 10-0 victory.

"It got a lot warmer when 'Mo' hit that ball into the upper deck," he said. “I wouldn’t be in the

Hall of Fame if we hadn’t had players like that.”

May, who played six years in Baltimore and helped the Orioles reach the 1979 World Series,

died Saturday of heart disease in a hospital near his home in Cincinnati. Nicknamed “The Big

Bopper,” he was 74.

The Orioles announced Sunday that they would hold a moment of silence before Monday’s game

at Camden Yards to honor May.

May was 31 and a three-time All-Star when acquired in a trade with the Houston Astros in

December, 1974. He replaced Boog Powell, a one-time American League Most Valuable Player,

and preceded Eddie Murray, who would reach the Hall of Fame.

But May proved just as valuable to the Orioles, hitting 123 home runs and quickly becoming a

clubhouse favorite.

"He was truly the leader of our team," catcher Rick Dempsey said. "You never worried about his

consistency; Lee was never too high, or too low. He didn't say much but when he did speak, he

didn't sugar-coat it.

“He wasn't afraid to say things to players who’d slacked off a bit. He could get on you in a way

that was funny, while also making a point. He did, for us, what Frank Robinson did in his day for

the Orioles."

Robinson had led the team to two World Series, including 1970 when Baltimore defeated

Cincinnati, four games to one. Then a slugger for the Reds, May kept the Orioles from sweeping

the Series with a three-run, game-winning home run for a 6-5 win in Game Four.

May's best year here was in 1976, when he hit 25 home runs, led the AL with 109 RBIs and was

named the Orioles' Most Valuable Player. May — who played 18 years in the majors — hit .267

with 354 home runs and 340 doubles in his career. The right-handed hitter drove in 1,244 runs.

For 11 straight seasons, the Birmingham, Alabama, native hit at least 20 home runs and drove in

80 runs.

“He had a tremendously quick bat, though a bit unorthodox in the way he waved it,” Palmer said.

“But a lot of great hitters have distinctive styles, and Mo could flat-out hit.

“He was a great influence off the field, too. He set a veteran tone and was a good role model for

(a young) Eddie Murray, teaching him how to be a professional.”

A designated hitter in his later years, May stayed with the Orioles through 1980. Once during

that season, manager Earl Weaver replaced his slumping DH with a pinch-hitter. May shrugged

off the snub and, without fanfare, grabbed a catcher’s glove and trotted out to the bullpen to

warm up a pitcher.

His actions spoke volumes, teammates said.

“I can’t think of a guy who has done what Lee May has done and received so little publicity,”

Brooks Robinson said upon May’s departure from the team.

May took his exit in stride.

“I’ve enjoyed the hell out of it in Baltimore,” he said, even later returning as hitting coach for the

1995 season. “We were in the World Series last year (1979) and, even though we didn’t win, we

were always close.”

He was inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame in 1998. May is survived by his wife, Terrye; two

daughters, Yelandra Daniels and Lisa Evans, both of Cincinnati; a son, Lee May, Jr., of Phoenix,

Ariz.; nine grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

A memorial service is planned for September, in Cincinnati.

“Lee loved his time with the Orioles,” Terrye May, his wife of 55 years, said Sunday. “I

remember him telling (pitcher) Mike Flanagan how he had hit balls so far, (live) bats flew out of

the stands.”

The Orioles presented her husband with a parting gift in 1980, she said: a toilet seat autographed

by his teammates.

“On the cover, they engraved a plaque that read: For stirring up all of that s— in the clubhouse,”

she said. “It’s hanging on the wall of our family room. “Of everything Lee got out of baseball, he

missed the camaraderie the most.”

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story.html

Mark Trumbo scratched from Orioles lineup Sunday after

tweaking back

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun

July 30, 2017

Orioles outfielder/designated hitter Mark Trumbo was scratched from the lineup for today's

matinee with the Texas Rangers after he "tweaked his back stretching in the weight room" this

morning, manager Buck Showalter said.

"Hopefully it's not a DL-able thing and he'll be around and ready to go," Showalter said. "That

was about an hour ago. [Head athletic trainer Richie Bancells] came in and said we should

probably scratch Trumbo today, so I did."

After the game, Showalter said Monday would be a pivotal day for Trumbo, especially

considering the Orioles will need a roster spot for new pitcher Jeremy Hellickson.

“I'm hoping that we can stay away from a DL with him,” Showalter said. “I just hope it's not an

oblique. We'll know tomorrow for sure.”

Trumbo, who was originally batting fourth and serving as the designated hitter, was replaced in

the lineup by outfielder Craig Gentry, who was added to the roster Sunday morning in the empty

roster spot left by the recently traded Hyun Soo Kim.

"We tried to get him here yesterday," Showalter said before the game. "We could have had him

yesterday, but we didn't. I'm glad I got him here. He wasn't going to play initially, but he is. You

always know that guy who wasn't in the lineup originally, he's good for two hits. Isn't that how it

works? I hope it does."

Gentry ended up fulfilling that prophecy, collecting two hits.

Trumbo had started every game this season for the Orioles, but has been in a funk since the All-

Star break. He has nine hits in 61 at-bats for a .148/.212/.311 with three home runs, and was

hitless in four straight games entering Friday.

On the season, Trumbo is batting .238 with a .706 OPS, hitting 17 home runs and driving in 50

runs.

Gentry, who was previously with Triple-A Norfolk, is batting .175 over two spells with the

Orioles this year.

Hellickson was scheduled to play catch at Camden Yards on Sunday and will probably have a

bullpen throwing session on Monday once the team returns to Baltimore, Showalter said.

Hellickson, who was scheduled to start Friday but was scratched ahead of the trade, didn't join

the team in Texas on Saturday as planned because he was rear-ended on the way to the airport.

The Orioles announced that Ubaldo Jiménez and Dylan Bundy were scheduled to start Monday

and Tuesday against the Kansas City Royals, but don't have a starter announced for Wednesday.

That would be right-hander Chris Tillman's spot in the rotation.

Showalter said Saturday he had not decided how the fit Hellickson into the rotation, and wouldn't

commit to either a five- or six-man rotation.

Showalter said infielder Ryan Flaherty, who is rehabbing a shoulder strain at Double-A Bowie,

has a ways to go before he's activated.

"He's going to have to get around the diamond, play short and third and a little outfield,"

Showalter said. "He's been out a long time. He's going to have to mix in a couple hits, too. He

will. He already has one, and just play defense around the diamond. We're starting out at first

and second."

Flaherty homered in his first at-bat for Bowie on today, and fellow rehab player Anthony

Santander homered as well.

Around the horn: The Orioles will hold a moment of silence before Monday’s game at Camden

Yards in honor of former first baseman Lee May, who passed away Saturday at age 74 in

Cincinnati. … Showalter said Tillman's full-body cramping on Friday in the Texas heat caused

the other two starting pitchers subjected to the conditions, Kevin Gausman and Wade Miley, to

hydrate better. ... Shortstop J.J. Hardy (fractured wrist) is "closer," Showalter said, with internal

plans being made for his rehab and eventual return.

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story.html

A different reality ahead for Orioles under long-term control

should club rebuild

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun

July 30, 2017

Amid a months-long groundswell for the Orioles to close their contending window ahead of its

natural conclusion at the end of the 2018 season, a considerable core of the club has been left to

wonder what it all means for the rest of the team.

From their highest-priced free agents such as sluggers Chris Davis and Mark Trumbo to backup

catcher Caleb Joseph and long-term foundation pieces Kevin Gausman and Jonathan Schoop, the

team's frustrating 2017 season has put players who will be around for years to come in a position

to ponder the team's future without forsaking the present.

Part of the idea of trading off players such as relievers Zach Britton and Brad Brach, or third

baseman Manny Machado ahead of their walk years next season would be to build toward a

future that still includes a decent part of the core. Same goes for this year’s expiring contracts of

catcher Welington Castillo and outfielder Seth Smith.

But that still leaves the players who would remain to confront an uncomfortable idea — a team

that's going in the wrong direction and sacrificing a chance, however remote, of maintaining its

run of contention for one down the road that isn’t guaranteed.

"It's tough, especially for guys like Darren [O’Day] and myself,” Davis said, “who are going to

be here for a few more years and who have been here for a long time and who have been around

the game long enough to kind of see the waves of players come and go, and even coming back

here [to Texas], looking over at the other side and only seeing a few faces that I played with over

there — it's a reminder that there has to be a sense of urgency to win."

The Orioles have more than just a few players' futures to consider ahead of the July 31

nonwaiver trade deadline, which they approach losing touch with both the American League East

and wild-card playoff races.

Their season has been disappointing on all levels, with their young building blocks, well-paid

veterans and pitchers trying to prove something in a walk year all underwhelming. The bright

spots have come mostly courtesy of All-Star Jonathan Schoop and rookie Trey Mancini.

But even with the likes of Machado and center fielder Adam Jones, plus Brach and Britton, and

starters Chris Tillman, Ubaldo Jiménez and Wade Miley all set to be free agents within the next

two seasons, there's plenty who won't be going anywhere and have to digest the potential change

in direction.

Davis has been on both sides of the equation in his career — the upstart rebuilding team and the

perennial contender. And he acknowledges just how tough of a season it has been for the Orioles,

whose attempt to play winning baseball since their league-leading 22-10 start has been

Sisyphean.

But having signed through 2022 thanks to a seven-year, $161 million contract signed ahead of

the 2016 season, Davis has to weigh both the short-term desire for the season to turn around with

the organization's long-term health. His preference seems clear.

"I think when you have the opportunity to put a winning product out on the field, year in and

year out, especially in this division, you want to do everything you can to keep that going,”

Davis said. "I've been very fortunate the entire time that I've been here to be a part of a winning

team, a playoff team, a successful team. And I don't think that this is the time to start talking

about rebuilding. Especially when you look at the process, and what it entails to really rebuild

and entire organization.

“It's a long process, and I think that the 14 years of losing and all the heartache and everything

that the fans endured, I think it's still fresh, somewhat. You don't forget that that easily. So yeah,

I think we need to continue to move in the right direction. It was refreshing to hear Dan

[Duquette] say that that's kind of their thought process right now, and I hope that thought process

stays the same."

For someone like Gausman, the whole experience is unique. The 2012 first-round draft pick is

under club control through 2020, and all he has known are playoff pushes and buying at the July

31 deadline; not selling. He understands other teams' interest in the team's most valuable pieces,

and said in time they can probably be replaced and the Orioles can contend again. But he's

prepared for anything.

"I feel confident that even if we lose some guys, we'll still be able to be a competitive team and a

playoff team," Gausman said. "It's tough to think about, and it's one of those things where you're

always surprised, no matter what. You can never try to figure out what they're thinking, so you

try not to think about it honestly."

No matter how far ahead some can look, though, there's still the very real prospect of the core

that grew into a contender together breaking apart. Joseph, who was drafted in 2008 and has

played with Britton for eight years of that, said those who will be around long beyond the

proverbial window for contention are beginning to brace for the finality of a possible trade.

"The 25-man roster is sometimes a revolving door, so you do lose players here and there. It does

happen,” Joseph said. “You have injuries and you have new players come in. You get kind of

used to it, but the permanency of a player possibly being gone is what kind of hits me for the

reality part of it. If you trade a player, they're not just going to spend 10 days on the DL and

come back, or they're not going to make an injury rehab and come back, or you're not going to

see them in September when the rosters expand. It could be a more permanent move, and that's

not something I'm particularly used to."

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story.html

Questions still aplenty as Orioles welcome addition of

Jeremy Hellickson ahead of deadline

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun

July 29, 2017

With two days left before the nonwaiver trade deadline and plenty of questions hanging about

the the Orioles’ path forward, the acquisition of right-hander Jeremy Hellickson late Friday night

has already been shrouded in that same uncertainty before he even reported to the club.

Manager Buck Showalter said Hellickson, who came to the Orioles on Friday for left fielder

Hyun Soo Kim and minor league pitcher Garrett Cleavinger, was en route to the airport to join

the Orioles in Texas when his car was rear-ended. Hellickson was in contact with pitching coach

Roger McDowell for most of the day and said he felt fine, but had to accompany his girlfriend to

the emergency room. The team hopes he can make it to Baltimore on Sunday to throw a bullpen

session and prepare for his pending Orioles debut, whenever it may be. The team hasn't added a

player to replace Kim.

As for how he’ll impact the club’s attempt to erase a large deficit in the wild-card standings, or

how he’ll fit into a rotation that ranks as the worst in the American League seems up in the air to

Showalter. So much hinges on the rest of the club’s potential deadline activity, including

possible trades of top relievers Zach Britton and Brad Brach or further efforts to bolster the

rotation.

“Well, we'll see,” Showalter said. “I know where he is statistically over there and where he was

last year. I know what he was like when he was with Tampa. We'll see. He's fastball-changeup,

added a cutter, curveball. Athletic. Holds runners. He's going to face a couple more hitters over

here. We'll see. We'll see.”

Executive vice president Dan Duquette did not respond to requests for comment about the trade

outside of a statement Friday night saying Hellickson was a “solid, dependable veteran major

league starter.”

Hellickson, a onetime AL Rookie of the Year with the Tampa Bay Rays who many of the

Orioles’ batters are familiar with, has a 4.73 ERA this year and will be an addition to a rotation

that entered Saturday with a 5.98 ERA. Whether he’ll take someone’s place or be inserted into a

six-man rotation wasn’t something Showalter was prepared to disclose before Saturday’s game.

“I'm not going to [commit] until Jeremy gets here and we see how the trading deadline and

everything works out,” Showalter said. “It makes no sense to talk about it and try to project this.

… I've got an idea of which way we're going to go, but if there's some whiplash issue or

something he feels, I just don't want to get ahead of ourselves and start moving a lot of other

people around and not knowing what Dan and the organization are going to do between now and

Monday and have to flip it again. I'm trying not to create a lot of discord within the pitchers.”

While the trade for Hellickson was met with some skepticism outside the organization, those

inside the clubhouse feel the move, even if it's temporary, aligns with the players’ idea that they

still have a shot to make a playoff run this season.

Showalter liked that outlook, though he stressed that plenty could happen before Monday and

didn’t indicate he knew whether it would be adding to the team or subtracting from it to

maximize the value of some of their top players on the trade market.

“I think regardless of what happens with player acquisition or whatever, that should always be

the case,” Showalter said. “But I appreciate the fact that they feel that way. That's another

positive that could come out of it. We'll see what the next couple of days bring. … From my

standpoint, we're all trying to compete and win. I'm sure so is Dan. I know our owner is.”

Veterans Chris Davis and Chris Tillman echoed that, and said the addition of a sturdy arm like

Hellickson's will be a welcome one.

"It's encouraging when you see a move like that, to know that we're not throwing in the towel,"

Davis said. "I don't think anybody expects us to do that, but to know that we're still committed to

this year, I think is encouraging."

Said Tillman: "I've seen him pitch quite a bit. A pretty good pitcher. The last I remember was

when he was with the Rays, and I feel like every time he went out, he ate up innings and did his

job. I like it. ... Any team could use someone like that. He's good. He's been good for a long time,

and I think not just us, but anybody. We're fortunate to have him, and I look forward to having

him."

Tillman said he hadn't thought much about how Hellickson would fit into the rotation, with

everyone but Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy approaching August struggling.

But despite the rotation woes, Tillman said there's still belief among the Orioles players that this

season isn't beyond them.

"As far as the clubhouse goes, we don't feel like we're out of it,” he said. “We feel like we've

been in this position before, and we've gotten it before. That's the way the guys in the clubhouse

feel. I don't know how everyone else feels.”

Davis agreed, citing how quickly things can change in a playoff race.

"I don't remember what the exact lead was that Boston lost in 2011, but there's history that shows

you that you can come back," Davis said. "We still have two months left. I think it's too easy to

sit back and say, 'Oh, we'll start planning for next year.' But for me, there's too much baseball left

to be played."

Outside of the clubhouse, those expectations for a playoff spot aren't as strong. FanGraphs'

playoff odds for the Orioles were 2.8 percent going into Saturday’s game, fourth lowest in the

American League. On Baseball Prospectus, those odds were 1.7 percent.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bs-sp-orioles-notes-0730-story.html

Orioles' Showalter on informing Kim of trade: 'I didn't

really like the way it happened'

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun

July 29, 2017

Orioles manager Buck Showalter said it was a difficult goodbye late Friday night when he

informed outfielder Hyun Soo Kim of his trade to the Philadelphia Phillies. News came from

back in Baltimore when Kim had already made his way to the team bus back to the hotel, and the

hectic nature of a postgame trade made for a fractured process unlike how Showalter typically

informs a player who is on the move.

"It was, and I didn't really like the way it happened," Showalter said. "I'd have liked to spend a

lot of time with him, but by the time I got word of it, I had to pull him off the bus, which I didn't

like. I spent some time with him. He's going to a place where he'll get a chance to play and re-

establish himself a little bit at the level he's capable of.

"It's tough. You go through, you remember where we were last spring when he first came into

this country and I think he had some really nice things to say, and I to him. He's a good

teammate. I wish we could have presented it in a way for him to say goodbye to his teammates. I

think he would have liked to. I know they would have liked to."

Kim was batting .232 with a .593 OPS in a limited role this year, a season after batting .302 with

an .801 OPS after a slow start in his first year with the club in 2016.

He was a popular figure in the Orioles clubhouse, as his teammates admired how he handled his

transition from South Korea and the difficulties of professional baseball.

"Hate to see Kimmy go, but I think he will fit in nicely over there," first baseman Chris Davis

said. "I hope he gets a chance to play every day. It's got to be tough coming from another country

and not speaking much English, to try to overcome all the adjustments that you have to make at

the big league level anyway. He really impressed me with just the way that he was able to put

together a professional at-bat. The other day, he came in the game and didn't have an at-bat in a

few weeks and I was just floored when he hit he ball down the left-field line — not at the result,

but the way the at-bat was going and the way he just hung in there. I hope he gets a chance to

play over there."

Even without much improvement from the starting rotation, the Orioles bullpen has been intact

with the same seven pitchers since Zach Britton's return on July 5. Showalter said that's a

testament to the versatility of those who are there, with Richard Bleier, Donnie Hart and Miguel

Castro able to give the team length, removing the need for roster moves.

"I told you about a month or so ago that we finally got the bullpen in order, the thing we've been

trying to do all year,” Showalter said. “We can withstand two or even three bad starts. You don't

want to — you want to fix that — but with Richard and Castro down there, and getting Zach

back, we can withstand things because we've got people who are capable of pitching multiple

innings, and more importantly, multiple hitters.

"Not just right-left, right-left. Donnie has shown he can get right-handed hitters out, too. Richard

has done that, and Castro's starting to show he can do that. We've got a lot more versatility down

there — something we've been trying to do for a while, and we've finally been able to do that."

Around the horn: Neither Ryan Flaherty (shoulder) nor Anthony Santander (elbow/shoulder) had

hits in the continuation of Thursday's game for Double-A Bowie, which was each player's first

rehabilitation appearance. Santander had two doubles before the game was suspended Thursday,

while Flaherty had one. Bowie had a doubleheader scheduled for Saturday. ... Bowie left-hander

Tanner Scott was placed on the seven-day disabled list Saturday. … Showalter weighed in on the

Orioles parting with 2015 third-round draft pick Garrett Cleavinger in the Jeremy Hellickson

trade. “Cleavinger is a good pitcher. It's tough to see him go, but that's the price you pay,”

Showalter said.

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20170729-story.html#nt=oft13a-6gp1

Reflecting on Hyun Soo Kim's tenure with the Orioles

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun

July 29, 2017

Hyun Soo Kim's departure from the Orioles as what proved to be a salary makeweight in the

team's deal with the Philadelphia Phillies to bring in right-hander Jeremy Hellickson marks an

ignominious end to a spell with the team that saw him idealized as the cure for the club's most

glaring offensive ills.

As a contact hitter with a keen eye for the strike zone, Kim's $7 million arrival from the Korean

Baseball Organization ahead of the 2016 season was what a particular subset of fans craved — a

steady presence in a lineup full of swing-and-miss sluggers who would take a walk and keep

things relatively stable.

His fulfillment of that prophecy last season was quixotic; that his ultimate downfall came

because of the emergence of another quintessential Orioles product — the overlooked pure hitter

Trey Mancini — is cruelly fitting. Kim was a misfit who would have fit perfectly, only his place

was never really his own.

Analyzing the Orioles' acquisition of pitcher Jeremy Hellickson for Hyun Soo Kim

My first dive into what he could contribute to the 2016 Orioles came before his first spring

training, when a combination of quotes from Dan Duquette and Buck Showalter plus his KBO-

adjusted Steamer projection via FanGraphs had him hitting 16 home runs while batting .273 with

a .758 OPS in his first season with the Orioles, created plenty of optimism.

It proved ambitious on the power side — his first home run came in late May. But that was at the

beginning of his time as a regular in the Orioles lineup. It was deserved and necessary, given

how the league caught up to Rule 5 draft pick Joey Rickard and how every ball Kim slapped

seemed to be finding grass. His batting average never dipped below .300 and was over .380

when Showalter put him in the lineup for good.

But it wasn't always looking that way. The initial plan for our 2016 preview section was a story

on the local Korean community's palpable excitement at the KBO hero joining the hometown

Orioles. But halfway through spring, it didn't look like there was much to be excited about. He

was put in a batting practice group with a bunch of natural sluggers and quickly lost his swing.

Guest coach Hee Seop Choi, the first South Korean hitter to make it big in America, knew Kim

wasn't being true to himself. That story morphed into one on the unknown when bringing Korean

players over and some of the challenges they faced, and Choi's perspective in there proved

prescient. Kim wasn't a power hitter. He was a "shoot hitter," as he called it.

By midseason, Kim proved to be the light-hearted man off the field that the Orioles heard about

when he was training in California two winters ago with vice president Brady Anderson, and

worked himself into the steady hitter they expected, too.

That Kim was vilified by a portion of the fan base after that spring was unfortunate. He was

fortunate to get the choice not to go to the minor leagues. His friend and peer from a talent

perspective, infielder Jae-gyun Hwang, spent three months in the minors this year before the San

Francisco Giants finally called him up and hasn't caught on in the majors.

The animus ultimately didn't last long. An overwhelming guilt over the Opening Day treatment

turned him into a fan favorite, and he carried that all through 2016. The team even made a

Korean-script jersey that has been ubiquitous both in Baltimore and at visiting parks.

Such was his success in his rookie year, batting .302 with an .801 OPS and a 119 wrC+, that

Showalter said at the winter meetings in December that Kim was probably capable of hitting

both left-handers and right-handers and playing right field, too.

A month later, Duquette traded for Seth Smith, who ultimately proved better at Kim's role. Two

months later, Mancini started playing the outfield so the team had a way to get his bat on the

roster. Kim started on Opening Day, getting the ovation down the orange carpet that many felt he

was owed after last year. But within weeks, Mancini started taking the at-bats against right-

handed pitching earmarked for Kim all winter.

Orioles acquire right-hander Jeremy Hellickson from Phillies for Hyun Soo Kim, more

Even when Mancini moved to first base for a month when Chris Davis strained his oblique, Kim

never seized a significant role. Kim never complained, but a few weeks ago, Showalter

acknowledged it was probably creating a crisis of confidence. Kim was still in the dugout after

every home run, throwing sunflower seeds and keeping things fun, but the problem was he was

always in the dugout.

It was almost an inevitability that his time was running short, but it was still a shock. The entire

Orioles clubhouse respected how Kim handled his situation, and now he'll go to the National

League, where he might find everyday at-bats in one form or another with the Phillies.

When his contract is up this fall, he could sign back in South Korea and return a hero. Or he

could sign with another major league club and capture the imagination of a city the way he did

here. Even if this year wasn't what he hoped, Kim did all he could have been expected to under

the unique circumstances laid out in Baltimore.

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story.html

Analyzing the Orioles' acquisition of pitcher Jeremy

Hellickson for Hyun Soo Kim

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun

July 29, 2017

Taken on its own merits, the Orioles' Friday night deal with the Philadelphia Phillies that sent

outfielder Hyun Soo Kim away and brought back right-hander Jeremy Hellickson simply doesn't

feel like a piece of business to be considered outside of a larger picture — albeit one that's not

clear yet.

At 48-54, the Orioles are 6½ games out of a playoff spot with seven teams above them in the

wild-card standings. Most indications have been they're trying to maximize the value of their top

relievers in hopes of netting a haul like the New York Yankees got last season for Andrew Miller

or Aroldis Chapman, something that can help remake the team for 2018 on the fly.

But adding Hellickson, a pending free agent, to a rotation with an ERA that has a 5.99 ERA in

102 games, seems to be a move directed solely at this year. With a 4.73 ERA this season,

Hellickson ranks only behind Dylan Bundy's 4.53 among Orioles starters, and his eight quality

starts trail only Bundy as well.

However, his fielding-independent pitching (FIP), which calculates ERA based on walks,

strikeouts, and home runs, all of which a pitcher can control, is 5.50. He has allowed a career-

high 1.8 home runs per nine innings and struck out a career low 5.2 per nine. All that's coming

with the lowest velocity of his career at age 30.

Yet the fact that he is averaging 5 2/3 innings per start is an asset to a rotation that's averaging

just over five innings per start means a bit more reliability for a group that's been short on it

lately.

Even so, it seems a marginal upgrade that doesn't fit with the idea of improving the team long

term while keeping it in contention today. The money exchanged balanced out the remaining

salary owed between him and Hyun Soo Kim and made it a wash. The roster flexibility gained,

considering Kim simply couldn't get on the field, could be a bonus. But otherwise, there's a

feeling that there's something else to be done here.

Absent it, the move seems similar to the Gerardo Parra trade in 2015 or the Scott Feldman deal

in 2013, where a clear area of need was addressed with something short of a major upgrade. It

signals that Duquette hasn't punted on 2017, even with the deficit building. But in truth, all the

move does is beg a question that by Monday afternoon there should be a clearer answer to: what,

exactly, are the Orioles getting after?

Trading a reliever like Zach Britton or Brad Brach wouldn't serve the same purpose as adding a

starter for the stretch run would. Even if Hellickson takes another starting pitcher's spot and they

use the opportunity to jettison a struggling member of their rotation and use Kim's roster spot on

a young player, no candidates exactly jump out inside the system.

The best guess at this point is that the Orioles are going to replay the Bud Norris decision of

2015, when the struggling right-hander in his walk year was designated for assignment with a

7.06 ERA come the end of July.

Swapping out a pitcher who has performed badly with one whose peripherals warn could do the

same would leave the Orioles in the same intriguing place they were before the deal: with a bevy

of assets, the skeleton of a playoff aspirant intact for 2018, and only a few days left to figure out

what to do with it all.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bs-sp-orioles-gausman-mainbar-20170728-

story.html

Varying speeds leading to better results for Orioles' Kevin

Gausman

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun

July 29, 2017

As Kevin Gausman tries to turn around his season and build on a handful of strong starts this

month, he's looking to a pitcher who has been an idol of his since before he was a professional.

Detroit Tigers ace Justin Verlander, Gausman said, has the uncanny ability to build up his

fastball over the course of a game, all the while keeping hitters off balance with a variety of

speeds that they never quite time out.

"He's one of those guys who the first couple innings is 92, 93 [mph], and by the seventh, eighth

inning is 98-99,” Gausman said. “That's one thing I've always thought would be great to be able

to do. Some days, it's a little easier to do than others. ... But obviously, changing speeds is what

you're trying to do as a pitcher. If you have one pitch and you can change it to three different

speeds — we'll just say 91, 95 and 99 [mph] — I think it definitely makes things a little harder

on these guys."

Manager Buck Showalter said a fastball could be four different pitches, or six if you mix in a

two-seam fastball at times. Caleb Joseph, who has caught Gausman's past two starts, said a range

as wide as Gausman has can be like 10 different pitches.

All agree that Gausman has found his stride of late by focusing more on commanding his fastball

rather than blowing it past people, and that has provided a blueprint for the final two months of

the season, beginning Saturday at the Texas Rangers.

"I look at my good starts that I've had, and that's one thing I've been able to do is throw a pitch

92 where I want to rather than 98 and not necessarily know exactly where it's going to go,"

Gausman said. "That's one thing I've been trying to do a lot more lately."

"It's still the best pitch in baseball, a well-located fastball," Showalter said. "It starts and stops

with that."

Especially when he pitched six innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts against these same

Rangers on July 19, and again Monday when he spun six scoreless innings against the Tampa

Bay Rays, Gausman's concerted effort to mix speeds has produced results.

According to Statcast data from BaseballSavant.com, Gausman's fastball averaged 94.5 mph

Monday, his lowest of the month. His hardest was 97.8 mph, his softest 89.8 mph, which was his

second-biggest gap of the month. His fastball averaged 95 mph the start before. And by

subtracting, he has coaxed more swinging strikes on it and induced weaker contact.

Joseph said it has been a "considerable" part of his turnaround.

"I think he's focused on doing that, taking some off the speed of the pitch," Joseph said. "I don't

think it's necessarily two-seam. It's just adding and subtracting with the four-seam. But to me, the

biggest reason for his success is the number of pitches that he locates. He's done a really nice job

of locating pitches, then you add in the fact that you have potentially a 10 mph difference on the

fastball and you locate it — that's like 10 different pitches. So I think some of it has to do with

taking some off the heater and focusing on locating the pitch, but mostly, it's just actual

execution of fastball location."

Combined with a better feel for his changeup-splitter combination, and with a slider to work off

the fastball, Gausman's July rate stats have been much better than previous months.

It's all skewed by the eight-run, three-inning outing against the Chicago Cubs where Gausman

allowed four home runs. But even with that, he's striking out 12.8 batters per nine innings and

walking 2.8 per nine innings this month, both the best of any month in the season. His FIP

(fielding-independent pitching), which calculates ERA based on home runs, strikeouts and

walks, is 3.85, a full run better than his actual ERA of 4.85 this month.

It all leaves his ERA at 5.79 in 22 starts, a far cry from where the Orioles expected their Opening

Day starter to be four months into the season.

Joseph, like Showalter, has seen all of the Orioles starters find such success by locating better at

one point or another. The hope for Gausman as he and the Orioles look to salvage their season is

that he sticks with it.

"I don't know if it's necessarily like trying to fool them by the speed difference versus just the

sold-out focus on locating a pitch," Joseph said. And if it means backing off a tick. ... I think

that's what a lot of pitchers these days are forgetting, is you can have multiple pitches with the

fastball, especially the way radar gun readings are now. Guys tend to look up there and it's more

of a max-effort type of game now. So when you have the ability to run the ball up there 100 mph

like Kevin does, you can back off, too."

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bs-sp-orioles-hellickson-trade-phillies-

20170728-story.html

Orioles acquire right-hander Jeremy Hellickson from

Phillies for Hyun Soo Kim, more

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun

July 28, 2017

The Orioles on Friday acquired right-hander Jeremy Hellickson from the Philadelphia Phillies in

an effort to bolster a rotation that has a 5.99 ERA.

In exchange, the Orioles sent outfielder Hyun Soo Kim, minor league reliever Garrett Cleavinger

and international signing bonus money to the Phillies. The Orioles also received cash back from

the Phillies.

Even as an 8-2 loss to the Texas Rangers dropped the Orioles to 48-54 and 6½ games out of a

wild-card spot, executive vice president Dan Duquette is adding to the club instead of tearing it

down, in hopes of reviving its slim playoff chances.

Hellickson, who had a 4.73 ERA in 112 1/3 innings with the Phillies, was scratched from his

scheduled start Friday night because of both the possibility of a trade and wet field conditions in

Philadelphia.

"Jeremy Hellickson is a solid, dependable, veteran major league starter who knows how to win in

the American League,” Duquette said in a statement. “He should provide some quality innings

for the Orioles."

A former top prospect of the Tampa Bay Rays, the 30-year-old Hellickson was named American

League Rookie of the Year in 2011. He was strong again in 2012, but two down years and an

escalating salary caused the Rays to move him to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2014. Hellickson

had a 4.62 ERA there before he was dealt to the Phillies ahead of the 2016 season.

He experienced a resurgence in Philadelphia, posting a 3.71 ERA with the cellar-dwelling

Phillies last season, and accepted the club's one-year qualifying offer worth $17.2 million to stay

for 2017.

To fix biggest weakness, Orioles might have to deal from greatest strength — their bullpen

He'll join an Orioles rotation that has failed to get firing in any meaningful way this year. Dylan

Bundy's 4.53 ERA leads the bunch, though he's being moved around in the rotation to keep his

innings down and his arm fresh in his first full year as a starter.

Wade Miley is 4-9 with a 5.69 ERA, while Opening Day starter Kevin Gausman takes the

mound Saturday looking to bring down his own 5.79 ERA. Behind them are Ubaldo Jiménez

(6.93 ERA) and Chris Tillman, whose ERA rose to 7.65 after allowing eight runs on nine hits in

Friday's loss.

Kim’s trade ends a tumultuous two years that saw the South Korean star transform from misfit to

mainstay with the Orioles in 2016 before he fell out of favor this year.

After signing a two-year, $7 million contract to join the Orioles from the Korean Baseball

Organization ahead of the 2016 season, the 29-year-old Kim badly struggled when he arrived at

his first spring training.

It took him weeks to get his first hit, and the club ultimately tried to have him start the season in

the minors. But Kim exercised his right of refusal and made the Opening Day roster, only to be

booed by some fans at Camden Yards.

Before long, he became a popular figure on the team, with his selective approach endearing him

to fans who thought the Orioles needed more on-base capability. Manager Buck Showalter eased

him into major league life and ultimately put him in the lineup as a regular against right-handed

pitching by the end of May.

He ended the year hitting .302 with an .801 OPS and was primed for a full year of that platoon

role in 2017, even opting not to play in the World Baseball Classic in order to better prepare for

the season.

But the late-spring transition of rookie Trey Mancini to the outfield, first as a right-handed

platoon bat and eventually as an everyday player, led to Kim being phased out. He went back to

playing sparingly, but unlike last season, didn't produce when he got in the lineup. He batted

.232/.305/.288 in 56 games.

Kim’s inclusion likely offsets some of the money owed to Hellickson, and both of the major

league components come off the books after this season.

Cleavinger, a third-round draft pick in 2015, had a 6.28 ERA this year at Double-A Bowie.

FoxSports.com first reported the Orioles' interest. FanRag Sports first reported the deal's

completion.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck-blog/bal-schmuck-hellickson-deal-proves-that-

dan-duquette-is-one-stubborn-fellow-20170728-story.html

Schmuck: Jeremy Hellickson deal proves Dan Duquette is

one stubborn fellow

By Peter Schmuck / The Baltimore Sun

July 28, 2017

Orioles baseball operations chief Dan Duquette was true to his word. He has been saying all

along that he intended to upgrade the Orioles pitching staff, and he did that late Friday night with

the acquisition of veteran starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson.

Give Duquette credit for not giving up on the 2017 season, but this deal — which sent South

Korean outfielder Hyun Soo Kim, minor league pitcher Garrett Cleavinger and international

signing bonus money to the Philadelphia Phillies — probably is too little too late.

The Orioles slipped to 6 1/2 games back in the crowded American League wild-card race with

Friday night’s unsightly loss to the Texas Rangers. They have lost three games in a row at a

point when they could have crept up on the AL East lead but instead have fallen back to 7½

behind the surging New York Yankees.

The starting rotation remains in crisis and Hellickson should help, but the Orioles have so many

struggling starters that it might be hard to decide which one of them to replace.

Two days still remain before the nonwaiver trade deadline, so there is time for Duquette to do

more. Trade speculation has largely centered on closer Zach Britton, who could deliver them

another major league player and/or some minor league talent.

If that were to happen, Duquette would be able to make the case that he succeeded in helping the

team for both the present and future.

Despite plenty of debate about the wisdom of either trading off veteran pieces or staying the

course to avoid the club’s first losing season since 2011, Duquette never really figured to cash in

his chips and focus on the long term.

He has said from the day he arrived in Baltimore that his goal is to have a winning team every

year and he never said anything publicly this season to indicate he was ready to alter that

approach.

Both Duquette and manager Buck Showalter are under contract through next season, so it was

illogical to think that they would embark on a long-range rebuilding program without some

commitment from ownership beyond the 2018 season.

It’s certainly not impossible for the Orioles to rebound over the final two months of the season.

They still have a talented — but inconsistent — offensive team and a deep bullpen, so

overcoming a 7 1/2-game deficit with 60 regular-season games left is not totally out of the

question.

To get to the playoffs, however, probably will require them to win the AL East, since there are

five teams ahead of them in the wild-card race. They have plenty of head-to-head games left

against the three teams above them in their division, but a comeback of that magnitude will

require the rotation to right itself at a time when three veteran starters continue to struggle

mightily.

Hellickson can only replace one of them.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bs-sp-orioles-notes-davis-santander-britton-

20170728-story.html

Orioles notes: Davis' return has been 'a grind;' Showalter

looking forward to seeing Santander

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun

July 28, 2017

Orioles first baseman Chris Davis, now healthy after dealing with a virus earlier this week during

the series at the Tampa Bay Rays, said "it's still kind of a grind right now" as he looks to find his

swing after a month out with an oblique strain.

"Obviously, the illness was ill-timed, but that's part of it," Davis said. "Guys battle injuries. Guys

battle sickness. You battle a number of different things throughout the season and you just try to

go out there and do what you can to make adjustments and just trust the process."

In his first 11 games after returning from the disabled list on July 14 at the outset of the second

half of the season, Davis batted .175 (7-for-40), albeit with three home runs. He struck out in 17

of his 45 plate appearances with four walks in that span, and said he's trying to scratch at-bats

together to try to get out of it.

"That's where I'm at right now," Davis said. "Whether it's working a walk, maybe just seeing a

bunch of pitches to try and get a guy out of the game or whatever, I want to do everything I can

to contribute and hopefully help us get a win."

Manager Buck Showalter indicated he's excited to finally see outfielder Anthony Santander

(elbow/shoulder), the club’s Rule 5 draft pick, when he arrives in Baltimore. Santander, 22, had

two doubles in his first rehabilitation game of the season in Double-A Bowie's suspended contest

Thursday night.

"Anytime you invest that much time and effort, the scouting, the selection, the rehab — we knew

we were going to have to rehab the surgery — and see the potential that you could get a payoff

there, that's always kind of uplifting," Showalter said.

Santander's rehab assignment began Thursday, and he's allowed 20 days on assignment before he

must be activated, unless there's another injury. Showalter said what the Orioles saw in spring

training and so far since he returned to health is "encouraging."

"We've said all along, he's an interesting guy," Showalter said. "He's one of those guys when you

watch the game, your eyes are kind of drawn to him. As an old scout said a long time ago, 'He

fills up the batter's box.' I like that statement."

Britton needs save opportunities

Even if the results haven’t been there for closer Zach Britton of late, Showalter said the team

needs to get him into save situations for the stuff the left-hander has flashed since returning from

a forearm strain earlier this month to resurface.

"That level, stuff-wise, he's the same," Showalter said. "We just haven't presented him with

enough opportunities. When he's pitching in these games — we've seen him in what, one save

situation? Really good. So, we've got to do a better job of simulating that for him."

Around the horn

Bowie was rained out again Friday, leaving Santander and infielder Ryan Flaherty (shoulder)

without a rehab game there again. Flaherty also had a double Thursday night before the game

was suspended. … Left-hander Chris Lee pitched four innings of relief without allowing an

earned run behind Mike Wright on Thursday for Triple-A Norfolk, and Showalter said the two

might stay paired together as Wright builds his innings back from a shoulder strain. Wright is

"supposed to go four [innings] next time, five the next time. But it also gives you a little glimpse

about something I've thought anyway, about Chris as a reliever, too. Some people think that's

where he might settle in. But we'll see." Lee has a 5.93 ERA this season. ... Showalter said it's a

matter of when, not if, Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre gets his 3,000th hit. Beltre entered

Friday's game with 2,996, and Showalter said the respect he commands around the game will

make it an occasion for even his opponents to relish once it happens.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/245337652/duffy-royals-aim-to-reverse-trends-vs-ubaldo-

os/?topicId=26688732

Ubaldo looking to stay hot in opener with KC

By Jeffrey Flanagan / MLB.com

July 31, 2017

As the Royals prepare to open a three-game set against the Orioles on Monday at Camden Yards,

they will seek to end two trends: First, the Royals have lost four straight there, and second, left-

hander Danny Duffy has never won there.

Duffy (7-6, 3.56 ERA) is 0-2 in four career outings at Camden Yards, but he has posted a 3.24

ERA in that park.

Duffy, however, is coming off a strong start against the Tigers on Tuesday, going 6 1/3 innings

and giving up one run in a 3-1 win. He will be opposed by right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez (4-7,

6.93), who is coming off his best start in almost a month. Jimenez gave up three hits and two

runs while striking out nine against the Rays on Wednesday.

It could be a big start for Jimenez as the Orioles have some rotation decisions to make with

Jeremy Hellickson -- who was acquired in Friday night's trade with the Phillies -- expected to be

added to the roster Monday. Hellickson could start as early as Wednesday, though the team

hasn't decided yet on who goes from the rotation.

Things to know about this game

• Orioles designated hitter Mark Trumbo was a late scratch from Sunday's lineup at Texas after

tweaking his back. The O's are hoping he's available Monday.

• Jimenez has stymied Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas, who is 5-for-31 (.161) against

him with 11 strikeouts.

• The Royals were reunited with veteran outfielder Melky Cabrera in Sunday's deal with the

White Sox ahead of Monday's non-waiver Trade Deadline. The Royals parted with Minor

League pitchers A.J. Puckett and Andre Davis.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/245469260/orioles-glad-to-see-adrian-beltres-3000th-hit/

Orioles in awe of Beltre's accomplishment

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com

July 30, 2017

ARLINGTON -- The Orioles weren't shy in admitting it: They were hoping to see history this

weekend at Globe Life Park. And they finally did in Sunday's series finale, as Adrian Beltre

became the 31st player in Major League history to reach the 3,000-hit mark with a fourth-inning

double.

Beltre's historic hit, which came off Orioles starter Wade Miley, stole the show, though the O's

did win the game, 10-6, and headed back to Baltimore with a series win and a neat part in

baseball lore.

"As a fan of the game, what a career that guy has had. I wasn't trying to let him get a hit, by any

means," Miley said. "But at the same time, as a fan, if it had to happen, that guy is an

unbelievable player, someone you want your kids to watch. That is the kind of respect I have for

him and just one of those things that is a special moment for him. Let him celebrate."

Miley and the rest of the Orioles took in the scene that followed, which included the Rangers

hanging a banner and Beltre's family running out to congratulate him.

"It was amazing," said Orioles third baseman Manny Machado, who used to watch YouTube

videos of Beltre when he was transitioning to third base. "As a baseball fan, you get to see that,

it's obviously a great accomplishment. To get 3,000 hits, only 30 players have done that. So to be

a part of that history was amazing. Obviously he's a friend and a teammate that I played with [in

the World Baseball Classic]. Excited to see him as a Dominican player be the first to get to that

milestone."

As soon as Beltre connected for the double, the crowd -- already on its feet -- exploded and the

Rangers dugout emptied. The Orioles who were on the field lined up by second base to give

Beltre congratulatory hugs while the rest of the team -- huddled in anticipation over the dugout

railing -- clapped from their spots.

"Just as a baseball fan, that's unbelievable," added Orioles center fielder Adam Jones, who was

one of the players who got to hug and congratulate Beltre on the field. "He's seen my first hit,

he's seen all my firsts -- me, personally -- in the big leagues. And to see No. 3,000 for me as a

fan of his and a friend of his, that's pretty special to be able to share that moment with him and

see his family."

So what stands out to opposing teams the most about Beltre?

"I think his relentlessness," said Orioles first baseman Chris Davis, who played with Beltre while

in Texas. "You've seen him hobbling down the first-base line, pulling up and clearly injured or

hurt, and continue to stay in the game and produce. That is the kind of guy he is. He comes in

every day ready to play. He's a fun guy to be around. He makes other people better and I'm

happy for him."

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/245356962/orioles-mark-trumbo-out-with-back-injury/

Back injury takes Trumbo out of O's lineup

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com

July 30, 2017

ARLINGTON -- Mark Trumbo was a late scratch from Sunday's series finale against the

Rangers as the Orioles designated hitter tweaked his back Sunday morning in the team weight

room.

"He's not playing today and hopefully it is not a DL thing," Orioles manager Buck Showalter

said before Sunday's game. "So I can put that one [trade rumor] to bed. That happened about an

hour ago. Richie [Bancells, head athletic trainer] came in and said we should scratch Trumbo

today, so I did. I understand people might jump to that [trade] conclusion."

Without Trumbo, the Orioles inserted Trey Mancini at DH and put Craig Gentry in right field.

Gentry was added to the roster in place of Hyun Soo Kim, who was traded to the Phillies as part

of the Jeremy Hellickson deal Friday night. The O's don't have to add Hellickson to the roster

until Monday.

On the rehab front, Showalter said Ryan Flaherty (right shoulder) needs more rehab at-bats and

they're encouraged with the progress of shortstop J.J. Hardy (right wrist), who is waiting to get

the last little bit of soreness out before he can begin baseball activities.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/245355650/all-star-slugger-lee-may-dies/

Three-time All-Star slugger Lee May dies

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com

July 30, 2017

The baseball family lost a valued member on Saturday when former Major League slugger Lee

May died at the age of 74 in Cincinnati.

A cause of death has not been revealed.

May, a first baseman and designated hitter known as "Big Bopper," launched 354 home runs in

18 seasons for the Reds (1965-71), Astros (1972-74), Orioles (1975-80) and Royals (1981-82).

He was an early member of the Big Red Machine and stepped up big time during the 1970 World

Series against the Orioles, batting .389 with two doubles, two home runs and eight RBIs in the

five-game series, won by Baltimore.

One of those homers was a go-ahead shot off reliever Eddie Watt in the eighth inning of Game 4

that denied the Orioles a four-game sweep. May also helped give Orioles future Hall of Fame

third baseman Brooks Robinson the nickname "Hoover" for his legendary defensive performance

in that Series.

May was a three-time All-Star, once in 1969 when he had 38 homers and 110 RBIs, again in

1971 when he hit 39 homers, and once again in 1972 when he drove in 98 runs for the Astros,

who had acquired him the previous offseason in a blockbuster eight-player trade that sent future

Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan from Houston to Cincinnati. The Reds also acquired

pitcher Jack Billingham, outfielders Cesar Geronimo and Ed Armbrister and third baseman

Denis Menke in that deal.

"We are deeply saddened to lose the Big Bopper," said Rick Walls, executive director of the

Reds Hall of Fame and Museum. "Lee May was a friend of the Hall and of everyone with whom

he came in contact. Our condolences go out to Lee's family during this difficult time. We will

always remember him for his contributions to the Reds, but also for his humor and genuine

kindness."

Traded by Houston to Baltimore after the 1974 season in a four-player swap that sent Enos

Cabell to the Astros, May led the American League with 109 RBIs in 1976. He batted .254 with

123 homers in six seasons with Baltimore and retired after the 1982 season with a career .267

batting average and 1,244 RBIs.

May was inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Reds Hall of Fame in 2006. He

is survived by his wife, Terrye, and three children, including Lee May Jr., a coach in the Red Sox

organization, according to the Orioles.

The Orioles said they will honor May in a ceremony prior to Monday's game against the Royals.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/245193012/trey-mancini-homers-as-orioles-beat-rangers/

Mancini pads resume with another homer

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com

July 30, 2017

ARLINGTON -- A night removed from trading outfielder Hyun Soo Kim, Orioles rookie Trey

Mancini continued to rake. Mancini, whose ascent relegated Kim to a bench role, homered and

drove in two runs in Saturday's 4-0 win over the Rangers.

Mancini's second-inning solo blast, followed two batters later by Caleb Joseph's solo shot, helped

move the O's move to six games behind the Kansas City Royals for the second American League

Wild Card spot.

Mancini also drove in a run in the third on a groundout and was the only Orioles player with a

multi-RBI effort off Rangers starter Austin Bibens-Dirkx.

"Big," Joseph said of how important the team's early runs were. "They came out and gave it to us

last night, and we just couldn't claw back. I'm not going to say we took the crowd out of it

because they are excited about their third baseman [Adrian Beltre] as they should be. But to get

[starter] Kevin [Gausman] some run support early has been good."

Mancini has been a feel-good story for the Orioles since this spring, though perhaps no one but

Mancini himself expected him to have this much success this soon. After a terrific Grapefruit

League campaign prompted the O's to put him on the Opening Day roster, Mancini had five

homers and 12 RBIs in his first 16 games. With chants of "Boom, Boom" when he came to the

plate, Mancini played his way into a more regular role over Kim, even earning starts against

some lefties.

The 25-year-old entered Saturday's game batting .324/374/.575 in 207 at-bats against righties

and .243/.278/.398 in 103 at-bats against lefties.

Mancini -- who is batting .296 overall -- now has 17 homers on the year, which is as many as

sluggers Mark Trumbo and Chris Davis.

Mancini ranks third among AL rookies in homers and RBIs (55) and should get consideration on

the AL Rookie of the Year Award ballot, though Yankees phenom Aaron Judge appears to be a

lock to win.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/245190254/jeremy-hellickson-adds-to-orioles-confidence/

Hellickson deal fuels O's belief they can rally

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com

July 29, 2017

ARLINGTON -- As the Orioles wait for newly acquired pitcher Jeremy Hellickson -- who is

expected to report on Monday -- to join them, Baltimore's clubhouse on Saturday afternoon

remained upbeat about the addition and not ready to concede the 2017 season just yet.

Hellickson, who was acquired in Friday night's trade with the Phillies, should give the Orioles a

more dependable option to eat some innings. While it's not exactly an all-in approach, the O's are

hoping the veteran righty takes some pressure off the bullpen and helps to stabilize an under-

performing rotation down the stretch.

"Six and a half [out of the American League Wild Card] is, I mean it can change quickly," said

Orioles first baseman Chris Davis. "I don't remember what the exact lead was Boston lost in

2011, but there is history that shows you that you can come back. We still have two months left.

I don't know, I think it is too easy to sit back and say, 'We'll start planning for next year.' But, to

me, there is too much baseball left to be played."

Added Friday night's starter Chris Tillman, "I know, as far as the clubhouse goes, we definitely

don't think we are out of it. We feel like we've been in this position before, we've gotten there

before."

Executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette didn't answer a call to discuss the

trade on Saturday, though Duquette did say in a text message Friday that Hellickson is "a solid,

dependable veteran Major League starter" -- and one the O's believe can give them some quality

innings.

"I think any team can use something like that," said Tillman. "He's good, he's been good for a

long time. And not just us but anybody, we are fortunate to have him and looking forward to

having him."

Hellickson was scratched from Friday's slated start while the Phillies worked out the deal. He got

into a minor car accident on his way to the airport on Saturday, causing his travel plans to be

pushed back to Sunday. Hellickson was OK, but his girlfriend was admitted to the emergency

room. The plan is for Hellickson to throw in Baltimore later on Sunday, and he is expected to be

in uniform for Monday's game against the Royals at Camden Yards.

Where he slots in is less clear.

"We're going to let everything clear a little bit, especially with as hectic as these next two days

will be [leading up to the Trade Deadline]," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "Until we get

our arms around him physically. I know he was working on one extra day's rest, hadn't pitched

since the 22nd. I'd like to get a light work day. …We've got a tentative idea, but until we know

how he's feeling, how everything else is. We talked to him a couple of times today, but we

haven't talked to him since they got out of the emergency room."

Showalter did say the Orioles plan on keeping Dylan Bundy starting on Tuesday, though there

could be some shuffling after that.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/245066430/orioles-trade-for-righty-jeremy-hellickson/

O's bolster rotation, acquire Phils' Hellickson

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com

July 29, 2017

ARLINGTON -- Are the Orioles buyers or sellers? That's been one of the biggest questions

surrounding this Baltimore club the past few weeks as rumors have swirled that numerous

players are available to be traded, and executive vice president of baseball operations Dan

Duquette saying last week that the O's are still trying to win this season.

On Friday, Duquette showed his hand, trading for Phillies starter Jeremy Hellickson in an effort

to boost an underperforming rotation. Hellickson -- who was scratched Friday due to inclement

weather and trade speculation -- gives a thin Orioles pitching staff another arm without

sacrificing any top prospects. The Orioles, who also received cash considerations in the deal,

sent outfielder Hyun Soo Kim, left-hander Garrett Cleavinger and international amateur signing

bonus pool space to the Phillies.

Hellickson is expected to be inserted immediately into the rotation upon his arrival, though who

he replaces is an interesting case. While Chris Tillman has the rotation's highest ERA, Ubaldo

Jimenez has been inconsistent in the final year of a four-year, $50 million deal.

"Hellickson is a solid, dependable veteran Major League starter who knows how to win in the

American League," Duquette wrote in a text to MLB.com. "[He] should provide some quality

innings for the O's."

The last-place Phillies had been trying to trade Hellickson, who will be a free agent following the

season, for quite some time. He is 6-5 with a 4.73 ERA in 20 starts. He's also owed more than $6

million for this season, though Philadelphia has been rumored to be willing to cover some of his

remaining salary to move him.

Friday's trade was more of a necessity for the healthy of the pitching staff, giving the O's some

much-needed rotational depth.The rotation, which saw Tillman give up eight runs in Friday's 8-2

loss to the Rangers, ranks at or near the bottom in nearly every statistical category. The only

starter with an ERA under 5.00 is Dylan Bundy (4.53) as Baltimore finds itself 6 1/2 games out

of the AL Wild Card race.

It's possible the O's also trade players, with their bullpen -- particularly closer Zach Britton and

setup man Brad Brach -- capable of returning a nice haul and bolstering the team's core talent

group sooner rather than later.

In Hellickson, the O's are hoping to gain some consistent innings without giving up anything

significant. Hellickson has averaged 30 starts per season every year but 2014, when he had an

elbow injury, and he's on pace to hit that mark again in '17.

The 30-year-old Hellickson is familiar with the AL East, having come up through the Rays'

system. In five seasons with Tampa Bay, Hellickson posted a 3.78 ERA.

Kim was a rarely-used bench player whose playing time was further diminished with the ascent

of rookie Trey Mancini. Like Hellickson, he will be a free agent at the end of the season.

Cleavinger -- ranked as the organization's 27th best prospect by MLBPipeline.com -- is a lefty

who was pitching for the club's Double-A affiliate.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2017/07/does-britton-make-it-past-todays-

deadline.html

Does Britton make it past today’s deadline?

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

July 31, 2017

The non-waiver trade deadline is 4 p.m. today, the last chance for teams to deal players without

first passing them through waivers.

Nothing has really changed with Zach Britton’s situation. There are numerous teams checking on

him and the Orioles want a hefty return. No one is certain whether he’s going to be traded. It

could go either way, depending on the offers.

Does any of this sound familiar?

How much more can be written about Britton?

The Dodgers, Astros and Cubs have been serious suitors. The Cubs, however, are getting left-

hander Justin Wilson from the Tigers. The Nationals want Britton, but it would be a hard sell to

ownership. There’s some bad blood.

Scouts shouldn’t question whether Britton is healthy. He hasn’t experienced any discomfort in

his left forearm/elbow since before coming off the disabled list. His fastball touched 98 mph

yesterday while he recorded the save in a 10-6 victory over the Rangers at Globe Life Park.

Britton also worked back-to-back days for the first time since April. 13-14. It’s true that he didn’t

go a full inning, facing only one batter Saturday night and two on Sunday, but manager Buck

Showalter was trying to get Kevin Gausman a complete-game shutout.

You could argue that showcasing Britton is more important, but the rotation has been a disaster

and Gausman finally has gotten on a roll with three consecutive quality starts. He crafted a gem

on Saturday and deserved the chance to finish up, falling an out short when the Orioles failed to

catch a popup behind shortstop while in the shift.

Gausman appreciated the gesture, especially after walking the leadoff hitter. Showalter stuck

with him.

The three outs recorded by Britton over the weekend came on a strikeout and two ground balls.

Anyone who watched him should have come away impressed.

Suggestions that Britton may not be fully recovered have got to irritate him. He feels back to

normal and is ready to take the ball whenever the phone rings. He doesn’t need to be protected

any more than usual, with Showalter always careful not to abuse his bullpen.

Showalter made it a point to tell reporters yesterday that Britton would be available Monday

night in the series opener against the Royals at Camden Yards.

Taking two of three games from the Rangers has left the Orioles four below .500, 5 1/2 games

back for the second wild card and 6 1/2 behind the first-place Yankees. Trading Britton or Brad

Brach obviously weakens a bullpen that’s trying to get Darren O’Day back on track.

O’Day surrendered another home run yesterday, the fourth in his last six appearances. The six

home runs this season are one short of matching his career high.

O’Day’s ERA increased to 4.91 in 36 2/3 innings.

Still no word on Jeremy Hellickson’s first start with the Orioles, with Wednesday’s spot in the

rotation listed as TBD. He should be available to the media this afternoon because he never made

it to Arlington.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2017/07/orioles-bring-back-gentry-plus-lineups.html

Orioles bring back Gentry (plus lineups)

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

July 30, 2017

The Orioles have selected the contract of Triple-A Norfolk outfielder Craig Gentry to fill out

their 25-man roster.

They were down to 24 players with outfielder Hyun Soo Kim traded to the Phillies. New pitcher

Jeremy Hellickson won’t report to the team until Monday.

The 40-man roster had a couple of openings before today’s transaction.

The Orioles are listing Ubaldo Jiménez, Dylan Bundy and TBD as starters for their series against

the Royals that begins on Monday at Camden Yards. Hellickson could take the last spot if he

isn’t flipped to another team.

May as well contribute to the rumors and speculation.

The Royals are listing Danny Duffy, Ian Kennedy and Jason Vargas.

Orioles Hall of Famer Lee May, passed away yesterday at age 74 in Cincinnati. May, nicknamed

“The Big Bopper,” played for the Orioles from 1975-1980 and hit 123 home runs. He led the

American League with 109 RBIs in 1975.

May gave Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson the nickname “Hoover” during the 1970 World

Series.

For the Orioles

Adam Jones CF

Manny Machado 3B

Jonathan Schoop 2B

Mark Trumbo DH

Chris Davis 1B

Trey Mancini LF

Welington Castillo C

Rubén Tejada SS

Joey Rickard RF

Wade Miley LHP

For the Rangers

Delino DeShields Jr. LF

Elvis Andrus SS

Nomar Mazara RF

Adrian Beltre 3B

Mike Napoli DH

Rougned Odor 2B

Carlos Gomez CF

Robinson Chirinos C

Joey Gallo 1B

Martin Perez LHP

Update: Trumbo has been scratched from today’s lineup, reportedly because of a back issue.

Here’s the new Orioles lineup:

For the Orioles

Adam Jones CF

Manny Machado 3B

Jonathan Schoop 2B

Trey Mancini DH

Chris Davis 1B

Welington Castillo C

Joey Rickard LF

Rubén Tejada SS

Craig Gentry RF

Wade Miley LHP

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2017/07/more-from-duquette-on-hellickson-

trade.html

More from Duquette on Hellickson trade

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

July 29, 2017

Last night’s trade with the Phillies that brought Jeremy Hellickson to the Orioles was born out of

need and frustration.

The Orioles need someone to give them a chance to win every five days and they’re frustrated

with a rotation that keeps providing early deficits and is lugging a 5.98 ERA.

Executive vice president Dan Duquette sent outfielder Hyun Soo Kim, Double-A Bowie left-

hander Garret Cleavinger and international signing bonus slots to the Phillies for a veteran starter

who can become a free agent following the season. A potential rental for a team struggling to

stay in fourth place.

Hellickson may not be a long-term solution, but the Orioles needed to address the present mess,

which thickened last night after Chris Tillman was charged with eight runs in 4 1/3 innings.

The loss left the Orioles six games below .500 again, 6 ½ out of the second wild card and 7 ½

out of first place. They’re only a half-game ahead of the last-place Blue Jays.

“We’d like to be competitive,” Duquette said this morning. “Nobody’s running away with the

American League. We’ve got our bullpen back. If we can get some stability to our starting

pitching, the rest of our team is intact.

“Hellickson has been a consistent performer and very competitive. He’s competed in the

American League East, so he’s already proven that he can do that. He’s been an effective,

reliable pitcher.”

The Orioles have been in scramble mode all season to find a guy who fits the description.

Tillman threw 101 pitches last night, only 56 for strikes, in 4 1/3 innings and was down 2-0 only

three batters into the game.

Hellickson is a fly ball pitcher with a 5.01 ERA and 1.543 WHIP in nine career games (eight

starts) at Camden Yards. However, he owns a career 3.98 ERA in eight major league seasons and

his current 4.73 ERA is the second-lowest on the Orioles staff.

Dylan Bundy is first with a 4.53 ERA, followed by Wade Miley (5.69), Kevin Gausman (5.79),

Ubaldo Jiménez (7.46) and Tillman (7.65). Can’t win that way.

The Orioles still could move one of their top relievers, with closer Zach Britton and Brad Brach

generating interest.

“We’re still talking to a number of clubs,” Duquette said. “There’s a lot of interest in our bullpen

pitchers.

“We’re always trying to tweak our roster, upgrade our roster. There are different times to do that.

But we want to be as competitive as we can all the time.”

The Orioles will reveal later today how Hellickson fits into the rotation. They have an extra

pitcher and are short a bench player.

“There are plenty of opportunities to stabilize our rotation,” Duquette said. “Hellickson’s proven

to be a real stable force. There’s plenty of opportunities to pitch well in our rotation.

“We’ve got a lot of guys in the rotation who can pitch better than they’re pitching, and

Hellickson’s shown that he can be a dependable pitcher.”

Asked whether someone could go on the disabled list to open a spot for Hellickson, Duquette

replied, “I don’t know that anybody is hurt.”

Kim barely got off the bench this season, appearing in 56 games and batting .232/.305/.288 in

141 plate appearances. He led the team last summer with a .302 average and .382 on-base

percentage.

“With the emergence of Trey Mancini as a reliable everyday left fielder, that cost Kim some at-

bats,” Duquette said. “The on-base capability that he showed last year and the ability to hit

velocity, he probably didn’t have enough at-bats to sustain that with the way Mancini played as

an everyday player.”

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2017/07/givens-giving-orioles-more-reasons-to-

consider-bigger-role.html

Givens giving Orioles more reasons to consider bigger role

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

July 29, 2017

If you’ve paid close attention to the rundown of available Orioles at the non-waiver trade

deadline, you’ve noticed how reliever Mychal Givens is nowhere to be found. He doesn’t enter

the conversation. The door to that room seems to be locked and bolted.

It would take a special offer to pry away Givens, who may be the closer-in-waiting as the Orioles

remain open to moving Zach Britton, Brad Brach and Darren O’Day. Britton and Brach can

become free agents following the 2018 season.

Someone would have to grossly overpay in prospects to acquire Givens, and that’s not

happening.

Givens has allowed only two earned runs in 27 2/3 innings over his last 23 appearances since

May 26, including two-thirds of a scoreless inning last night in an 8-2 loss to the Rangers. His

.067 ERA in that span before last night ranked as the third-lowest among major league relievers

with a minimum of 10 games.

Givens leads all Orioles relievers with 54 strikeouts. He’s also a good luck charm of sorts with a

17-2 record in the majors. Put him in a game and wait for good things to happen.

There’s no defined role for Givens, who’s worked the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, 10th

and 11th innings this season. But that may change in the coming years.

While the Orioles traded last night for Jeremy Hellickson, they continue to rely heavily on their

own pitchers. They won’t budge in the playoff race without the holdovers in the rotation

improving their performances. It’s a roll of the dice, but they don’t have any other choice.

They can’t trade for three starters.

Kevin Gausman is offering encouragement, and reminders of his second half last season, by

allowing one run and striking out 16 batters in 12 innings in his last two starts. The Rangers were

his first victim, held to one run and four hits in six innings.

The only run came on Joey Gallo’s solo shot in the fifth.

Gausman is 2-2 with a 3.58 ERA and 1.347 WHIP in six career games (five starts) against the

Rangers, and 0-2 with a 6.17 ERA and 1.714 WHIP in two starts in Arlington. He’s allowed

eight runs and 18 hits in 11 2/3 innings at Globe Life Park.

Elvis Andrus is 5-for-15 against Gausman. Rougned Odor is 4-for-11 with three doubles.

Mike Napoli is 1-for-10 with a double and six strikeouts.

The question now is how do the Orioles create a rotation spot for Hellickson? And which

position player replaces outfielder Hyun Soo Kim, who was sent to the Phillies?

Make that two questions.

I’m actually happy for Kim, who barely got off the bench here and never pouted, complained or

became a disruption. His work ethic was impressive. He just didn’t fit any longer, and I’m glad

that he’s got a chance to go someplace where he may find more at-bats.

Kim handled the booing on opening day 2016 and the reduction in playing time with class and

dignity. And no one can doubt his loyalty to the Orioles after he declined an invitation to play in

the World Baseball Classic so he’d have a full spring training.

Because we can’t function without at least one Hunter Harvey update per week, he’s tossed three

scoreless innings in two starts with the Gulf Coast League Orioles. He’s allowed three hits,

walked none and struck out two.

Harvey will make another start in the GCL before moving up to short-season Single-A

Aberdeen.

The Orioles aren’t banking on Harvey to enter their rotation in 2018, but they’ll keep an open

mind. He’s only 22, has been limited to 30 starts - not counting two this summer in the GCL -

and hasn’t pitched above the low Single-A level.

The plan calls for Harvey to make it through the summer without any setbacks, enjoy a “normal”

off-season, which includes placement on the 40-man roster to protect him in the Rule 5 draft, and

report to spring training ready to pitch for a full-season affiliate.

What happens from there is largely up to Harvey.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2017/07/orioles-acquire-hellickson-from-

phillies.html

Orioles acquire Hellickson from Phillies

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

July 29, 2017

The Orioles lost another game tonight, but they gained a veteran starter for their rotation.

Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson was acquired from the Phillies along with cash for outfielder

Hyun Soo Kim, Double-A Bowie left-hander Garrett Cleavinger and international signing bonus

slots.

Hellickson was scratched from tonight’s start. He’s 6-5 with a 4.73 ERA 1.255 WHIP in 20

starts and has struck out only 65 batters in 112 1/3 innings.

In eight major league seasons, Hellickson has gone 67-63 with a 3.98 ERA 1.251 WHIP in 194

games. He spent the first five seasons with the Rays, one with the Diamondbacks and the last

two with the Phillies.

Hellickson, 30, can become a free agent following the season. He’s making $17.2 million this

season after accepting the qualifying offer.

“Jeremy Hellickson is a solid, dependable, veteran major league starter who knows how to win

in the American League,” said executive vice president Dan Duquette. “He should provide some

quality innings for the Orioles.”

Kim left South Korea to sign a two-year, $7 million deal with the Orioles in December 2015. He

led the team with a .302 average and 382 on-base percentage in 95 games last season, but his

playing time has been severely reduced this summer - mainly due to the emergence of rookie

Trey Mancini - and he’s batting .232/.305/.288 in 56 games.

Cleavinger, 23, is 2-4 with a 6.28 ERA in 27 appearances with Bowie. A third-round pick in

2015 out of the University of Oregon, Cleavinger has gone 15-8 with a 3.79 ERA in 83 games.

The Orioles almost included Cleavinger in a package with Ubaldo Jiménez last summer that

would have netted outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. from the Padres, but the deal fell apart due to

financial reasons.

This is the second deal with Phillies general manager Matt Klentak, a former Orioles executive,

since March. The club also acquired pitcher Alec Asher toward the end of spring training for a

player to be named later or cash.

How Hellickson is slotted into the rotation remains to be seen, but there are multiple starters who

are struggling.

The Orioles lost to the Rangers tonight 8-2, with all eight runs charged to Chris Tillman in 4 1/3

innings. They’re 48-54 after a third consecutive defeat and 6 ½ games back for the second wild

card, but they remain in fourth place after the Blue Jays lost tonight.

Tillman’s ERA jumped to 7.65 tonight in 64 2/3 innings.

Hellickson made a pretty good impression on the Orioles by going 9-4 with a 3.38 ERA and

1.163 WHIP against them in 19 career appearances.

The Orioles are getting a starter who’s accustomed to pitching in the American League East. He

was 40-36 with a 3.78 ERA with the Rays.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/07/more-on-schoops-rbis-castillos-bat-and-

trade-deadline-talk.html

More on Schoop’s RBIs, Castillo’s bat and trade deadline

talk

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

July 31, 2017

ARLINGTON, Texas - Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop, who has been getting a lot of

notice for his bat, and catcher Welington Castillo, who has gotten much less, both had big games

Sunday in the Orioles’ 10-6 win at Texas.

Schoop’s RBI surge continued. He hit a two-run homer in the fifth and singled in a run an inning

later for a 2-for-4 three-RBI day. Over his last 13 games, Schoop has at least one RBI 11 times

and six times has produced multi-RBI games. Four times in the last 13 games, he has driven in

three or more runs.

In that 13-game span, Schoop is batting .365 (19-for-52) with six homers and 22 RBIs. Schoop

has now moved into second place in the American League with 76 RBIs, ahead of New York’s

Aaron Judge with 74. Only Seattle’s Nelson Cruz, with 79, has more RBIs than Schoop in the

AL.

Schoop’s close friend, third baseman Manny Machado has watched the kid progress with the bat

and turn into an All-Star this year.

“He works,” Machado said. “He works every day. He doesn’t stop every day. He’s working with

(hitting coach, Scott) Coolbaugh, he’s working with Bobby (Dickerson, third base coach). He’s

become an all-around player. It was always there but this year he’s a little more focused, doing

his tee work, in the weight room. It’s been awesome to watch and be on the same field as him.”

Meanwhile, Castillo singled in a run in the fourth and hit a three-run homer in the fifth. He is

batting .280/.318/.440 with 10 homers and 32 RBIs in 245 plate appearances.

“Very quietly, the guy’s hitting .280 with 10 home runs and not a whole lot of at-bats,” manager

Buck Showalter noted. “That was a big home run. Every run we could scratch across against

them - you need margin of error in this place against that team. We had to use all our bullets to

get there, to get 27 outs before they scored 10 runs.”

Trade deadline talk: Showalter was asked where a series win in Texas and a 3-3 road trip leaves

the Orioles in what was their final game before today’s trade deadline. That deadline hits at 4

p.m. Eastern time.

“It leaves us spending three hours and forty minutes on the field winning a tough series, having a

.500 road trip, getting on the plane and getting back to play Kansas City,” he said. “Really, that’s

where everybody’s focus is. I’m sure they have some private thoughts about it. They talk among

themselves. They share each other’s ... this team shares their ups and down and what people are

feeling. They feel comfortable talking to each other about it. I haven’t had many people I needed

to talk to. I know Trum (Mark Trumbo), with all the stuff that went on today when he came [out]

of the lineup. I’m hoping we can stay away from the DL with him. (Today) will be a big day

because we’re going to have to add (Jeremy) Hellickson to the roster.”

Machado agreed with his manager’s take that the Orioles players have been more focused on

winning in recent days than concerned about trade speculation.

“We are trying to get on a roll and win some games,” he said. “We are not really worried about

who is going to get traded or what is going to happen. That’s just something the front office can

control. We just play baseball, get outs, key at-bats, play inning by inning and do the small

things to keep us going.”

Said Sunday’s winning pitcher, Wade Miley: “Keep winning. I haven’t thought about it one

time. So there are guys in there, their names are being tossed around. But you just have to go out

play. That is what we get paid to do for whatever team it’s on.”

Beltre’s milestone hit: The Orioles spent the weekend in the midst of a lovefest for Texas third

baseman Adrian Beltre - and they happily took part. They seem to love him, too, amid much

admiration and respect for him. Beltre got career hit No. 3,000 yesterday with a fourth-inning

double on a 3-0 pitch. Miley joined Dave McNally as the only two O’s pitchers to give up a

3,000th hit while wearing the orange and black. Baltimorean Al Kaline got his 3,000th off

McNally in 1974 for the Tigers.

“As a fan of the game, what a career that guy has had,” Miley said. “I wasn’t trying to let him get

a hit by any means. But at the same time, as a fan, if it had to happen, that guy is an unbelievable

player. Someone you want your kids to watch. That is the kind of respect I have for him and just

one of those things that is a special moment for him. Let him celebrate. Congrats to that guy, and

like I said, he’s been fun to watch for the last 19 years, and hopefully he keeps rapping out some

more.”

Beltre became the 31st player to get 3,000 and 16th right-handed batter. He is the first

Dominican-born player to do so. He is the fourth player to record at least 3,000 hits, 600 doubles

and 450 homers, joining Hall of Famers Stan Musial, Hank Aaron and Carl Yastrzemski. He is

the first player to reach 3,000 in a Texas uniform.

So as I get ready to board a early morning flight home, the Orioles have made just the Hellickson

trade and the clock is ticking. Will they be active today before they play the Kansas City Royals

at home tonight?

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/07/adrian-beltre-still-waiting-on-3000-plus-a-

game-update.html

Adrian Beltre gets hit No. 3,000 (O’s lead 10-3)

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

July 30, 2017

ARLINGTON, Texas - On his fourth attempt to achieve history, Texas Rangers third baseman

Adrian Beltre got it done. He doubled to left in the fourth inning this afternoon off the Orioles

Wade Miley to become the 31st member of Major League Baseball’s 3,000 hits club.

Beltre, who had struck out on a 3-2 pitch in the second, fell behind 3-0 in the count and then

lined a two-bagger down the third-base line. He hit a 91 mph fastball and advanced Nomar

Mazara to third with one out. Both runners would later score on Rougned Odor’s single to cut the

Orioles lead to 4-2.

Beltre was mobbed by his teammates and his family greeted him on the field as he got a loud and

long standing ovation at Globe Life Park. Orioles players hugged and congratulated him as well.

He become the first Dominican-born player with 3,000 hits and the fifth born outside the United

States. He was the first player to get No. 3,000 on a double since the Orioles Rafael Palmeiro at

Seattle on July 15, 2005.

Until today, the Orioles had been the opponent just once in club history when a batter reached

the 3,000-hit milestone. Left-hander Dave McNally was the only O’s pitcher to ever give up a

3,000th hit while pitching for the club. It was McNally on the mound at Memorial Stadium on

Sept. 24, 1974 when he gave up No. 3,000 to Detroit’s Al Kaline, a Baltimore native. He

doubled off McNally for his milestone hit.

During the month of July, O’s second baseman Jonathan Schoop is hitting .330 (32-for-97) with

four doubles, eight home runs and 24 RBIs. His 24 RBIs during the month rank second in the

American League, while his 32 hits are sixth in the AL. Schoop’s eight home runs during July

are tied for second-most in the league.

Schoop ranks third in the AL and is tied for ninth in the majors with 73 RBIs. He trails only

Nelson Cruz (76) and Aaron Judge (74) for the AL lead. His 19 RBIs since the All-Star break

lead the league and are tied for first in the majors.

Closer Zach Britton converted his 56th consecutive save opportunity in Saturday’s win,

extending his AL consecutive saves converted record. He converted his 55th consecutive save

opportunity (Oct. 1, 2015-current) on July 23 against the Astros to establish a new American

League consecutive record, passing Tom Gordon (54 from April 19, 1998-May 31, 1999).

Britton ranks second on the all-time consecutive saves converted list, trailing only Eric Gagne

(84 from Aug. 28, 2002-July 3, 2004).

We have the starting pitchers for the first two games of the series that between the Orioles and

Kansas City begins Monday night at Camden Yards.

Tomorrow night, right-hander Ubaldo Jiménez (4-7, 6.93 ERA) gets the start for the Orioles

versus the Royals lefty Danny Duffy (7-6, 3.56 ERA). On Tuesday, right-hander Dylan Bundy

(9-8, 4.53 ERA) faces right-hander Ian Kennedy (4-6, 4.43 ERA).

The Orioles have not listed yet when Jeremy Hellickson will make his debut. Barring a change, it

obviously will not be before Wednesday at earliest.

Orioles lead in the fifth: The Orioles scored four runs in the fourth to break the scoreless tie. The

first four runners reached and scored for the 4-0 lead. Manny Machado lined a ball 108 mph to

left for a leadoff double. Schoop walked and then Trey Mancini’s single to right scored

Machado. Then RBI singles followed from Chris Davis and Welington Castillo that made it 3-0.

With one out and runners on second and third, Rubén Tejada reached on a 6-5 fielder’s choice to

score Davis for the fourth run. Castillo was cut down between second and third. The Orioles

came up with four runs on four hits in the inning.

Schoop, Castillo homer: The O’s added to what was a 4-2 lead when Schoop hit a two-run homer

in the fifth to make it 6-2. Schoop hit No. 24 and it was his third homer in four games and sixth

in the last 10. Later in the inning, Castillo hit his 10th, a three-run shot, to make it 9-2.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/07/pregame-notes-on-mark-trumbo-jeremy-

hellickson-and-more.html

Pregame notes on Mark Trumbo, Jeremy Hellickson and

more

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

July 30, 2017

ARLINGTON, Texas - Mark Trumbo was scratched from the original Orioles lineup today. He

was batting fourth as the designated hitter.

But manager Buck Showalter said during his pregame media session that it was injury related

and, no, Trumbo has not been traded.

“He tweaked his back stretching in the weight room,” Showalter said. “He’s not playing today

and hopefully it is not a DL thing. So I can put that one (rumor) to bed. That happened about an

hour ago. Richie (Bancells, head athletic trainer) came in and said we should scratch Trumbo

today, so I did. I understand people might jump to that conclusion.”

The Orioles earlier today added outfielder Craig Gentry to the roster again when they selected

his contract from Triple-A Norfolk. He was inserted into the lineup in right field and Trey

Mancini is now the DH. The Orioles roster was at 24 players with Hyun Soo Kim gone and

pitcher Jeremy Hellickson not activated yet.

“We tried to get him (Gentry) here yesterday,” Showalter said. “Glad we got him here. He

wasn’t going to play initially. You always know the guy that wasn’t in the lineup originally is

good for two hits, right?”

The Orioles have 72 hours from the time of the trade to activate Hellickson and that means they

could make a move as late as shortly after 11 p.m. Monday night. But essentially that means

Hellickson will have to get activated before Monday’s game begins.

Showalter said Hellickson is expected to play long toss today in Baltimore and throw a bullpen

session at Camden Yards tomorrow. Still no date listed for his Orioles debut. The O’s have Wade

Miley starting today, with Ubaldo Jiménez at home Monday against Kansas City and Dylan

Bundy on Tuesday.

Showalter said he did not expect Ryan Flaherty to get activated off the disabled list tomorrow.

Flaherty went 1-for-9 in his first two rehab games at Double-A Bowie and will play in their

home doubleheader today. In fact, he hit a two-run homer in Game 1 for the Baysox today. He

still needs to play games at several postions, Showalter said.

“He’s been out a long time. He’s going to have mix in a couple of hits too. He will.”

Showalter was asked if he feels his players have done a good job of dealing with all the

speculation over the trade deadline. He does.

“It doesn’t really surprise,” he said. “A couple of them, maybe at one point it did concern them,

but not anymore. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just an unknown.”

Showalter said Chris Tillman is fine after suffering body cramping during his start here on

Friday.

Orioles Hall of Famer Lee May passed away on Saturday at 74 in Cincinnati. May played for the

O’s from 1975-80 during an 18-year major league career that included time with Cincinnati

(1965-71), Houston (1972-74) and Kansas City (1981-82).

He batted .254 with 123 home runs in six seasons with the Birds as a DH and first baseman,

leading the American League with 109 RBIs in 1975. A three-time All-Star, May helped give

Orioles legend and National Baseball Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson his “Hoover” nickname

during the 1970 World Series. May was inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame in 1998. He is

survived by his wife, Terrye; three children - including Lee May Jr., a coach in the Red Sox

organization; and several grandchildren.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/07/notes-and-quotes-after-the-orioles-shutout-

of-texas.html

Notes and quotes after the Orioles’ shutout of Texas

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

July 30, 2017

ARLINGTON, Texas - The Orioles have played two very different games at Globe Life Park this

weekend: one where their starting pitcher Chris Tillman allowed eight runs and one where starter

Kevin Gausman allowed no runs in 8 2/3 innings.

A team that is the worst in the league in starting pitcher ERA seemed to much more enjoy

Gausman’s latest strong outing. It seems a long time ago now, but it wasn’t that far back. It was

the first game of the second half and the Cubs smoked four homers off Gausman, who gave up

eight runs over three innings that night. He looked terrible and it was a very disappointing to start

to the second half for him and the team.

Since that game, he has made three starts, going 3-0 with an ERA of 0.44. He has allowed one

run over 20 2/3 innings, throwing back-to-back scoreless starts versus the Rays and Rangers.

The Orioles have six shutouts this year and two have come on this road trip in the two games

started by Gausman. He had an ERA of 6.39 after that Cubs start and now it is down to 5.37.

With three scoreless starts over his past six games, Gausman is now the leader on this team in

scoreless starts of at least five innings:

4 - Gausman

2 - Dylan Bundy, Ubaldo Jiménez

1 - Tillman, Wade Miley

Gausman passed around some praise last night to his tight defense, which included Adam Jones

robbing a homer and Manny Machado starting momentum-stopping double plays.

“Then you’ve got Jonesy robbing (Joey Gallo),” Gausman said. “When he hit it, I thought it was

way gone. He hit it really high. The way that Jonesy was kind of looking at it, I thought it was

going to be way gone. Before I knew it, he went up there and reached it. Luckily, he’s got a lot

of pine tar in that glove. I think it stuck in there. That helped it. But like I said, this defense, you

feel really confident any time there’s weak contact or a hard-hit ball. Just all-around great

defense. But Manny and those guys, they make amazing plays every night. You feel really

confident every time you get a ground ball.”

Gausman was very pitch efficient, with a stretch of five straight innings using fewer pitches each

inning. He threw 17 in the fourth, 15 in the fifth, 10 in the sixth, nine in the seventh and eight

pitches in the eighth inning. He missed by an out of becoming the first O’s starter with a

complete-game shutout since Miguel Gonzalez versus Cincinnati on Sept. 3, 2014.

“He was so close,” catcher Caleb Joseph said. “He did a tremendous job locating the fastball. It

all begins and ends with fastball command with Kevin. He elevated when he needed to. He hit it

down and away when he needed to. He threw a lot of good sinkers in, took advantage of a pretty

aggressive club over there, and I think that helped kind of limit his pitch count. He was able to

get up to (118) over nine innings? That’s pretty good. That’s what you like. That’s what you

want to see out of a horse you’re trying to ride.”

Beltre closes in: Right now, former Orioles lefty Dave McNally stands alone. He is the only O’s

pitcher to ever give up a batter’s 3,000th hit while pitching for the club. It was McNally on the

mound at Memorial Stadium on Sept. 24, 1974 when he gave up No. 3,000th to Detroit’s Al

Kaline, a Baltimore native. He doubled off McNally for his milestone hit.

With three hits in this series, Texas third baseman Adrian Beltre is at 2.999 hits entering today’s

game. Beltre pulled within one hit with a fourth-inning single last night. With the crowd standing

and roaring, he had two more chances to get the milestone. But he grounded to short in the sixth

and bounced into a double play in the ninth. Beltre hit a one-hopper that Machado deftly turned

into a 5-4-3 double play.

Beltre has 126 career hits versus the Orioles. He has 1,110 hits with Texas, 949 with the Los

Angeles Dodgers, 751 with Seattle and 189 with Boston. The last player to collect 3,000 hits was

Ichiro Suzuki, then with Miami at Colorado on Aug. 7, 2016.

Per Elias Sports Bureau, most career hits while playing third base:

2,886 - Adrian Beltre

2.838 - Brooks Robinson

2,788 - Wade Boggs

Hot bats: A few O’s batters continue to swing pretty hot bats, even though the team has scored

just six runs in this series and 16 runs the last five games.

Joseph homered last night, hitting No. 5. Over his last 16 games, Joseph is batting .408 (20-for-

49) with three doubles, three homers and eight RBIs.

Jones led off the game with a double last night and is batting .392 (20-for-51) over his past 11

games with four homers and 11 RBIs.

Jonathan Schoop’s two-bagger in the third inning was his 100th career double. While Schoop

didn’t have an RBI last night, he has driven at least one run in 10 of his past 12 games. In that

span, Schoop is batting .354 (17-for-48) with five homers and 19 RBIs.

Trey Mancini bashed a 459-foot home run when he produced an exit velocity of 109 mph off an

Austin Bibens-Dirkx fastball in the second inning. Mancini has 10 RBIs his past 11 games.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/07/chris-davis-on-adrian-beltre-plus-os-get-

early-lead.html

Chris Davis on Adrian Beltre (O’s blank Rangers 4-0)

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

July 29, 2017

ARLINGTON, Texas - It has become very apparent in two days during this series at Globe Life

Park that Texas third baseman Adrian Beltre has a room full of admirers in the visiting

clubhouse. Beltre enters tonight’s game two hits shy of becoming the 31st player in the Major

League history to reach 3,000 hits.

He had two hits last night and is at 2998 to start this game. Beltre has gone 9-for-14 with a

homers, two doubles, 5 RBIs and 2 walks during this Rangers homestand to raise his season

average from .283 to .311. Beltre is batting .368 (7-for-19) in five games versus Baltimore in

2017.

In 20 career games against the O’s at Globe Life Park, he is batting .395/.410/.803/1.212 (30-for-

76) with four doubles, nine homers, 19 runs and 24 RBIs.

Orioles first baseman Chris Davis was Beltre’s teammate here in Texas briefly in 2011. He said

there is a lot to admire about the four-time All Star and five-time Gold Glove winner.

“I think his relentlessness,” Davis said. “You’ve seen him hobbling down the first base line,

pulling up and clearly injured or hurt and continue to stay in the game and then produce. That’s

the kind of guy he is. He comes in every day ready to play. He’s a fun guy to be around. He

makes other people better and I’m happy for him. I’m excited and I hope he does get it while we

are here. That is a part of history. It will be something special.”

O’s get early lead: The Orioles used the longball to take a 2-0 lead tonight. Trey Mancini led off

the second inning with a 459-foot homer to center field. He hit No. 17 for a 1-0 lead. Two batters

later, Caleb Joseph connected to a similar spot in the ballpark. This one went 403 feet for his

fifth homer and an early 2-0 lead. That matches the club’s run total from last night.

They then exceeded that total, adding two more in the third. Jonathan Schoop doubled to left-

center with one out for his 100th career two-base hit. After walks to Chris Davis and Mark

Trumbo, Mancini’s grounder scored a third run and a Seth Smith single plated a fourth. The

Orioles took a 4-0 lead in the top of the third.

Beltre’s night: He is 1-for-2 so far and came up with career hit No. 2,999 with a single to left in

the bottom of the fourth. But he was erased on a double play, and the Orioles lead 4-0 through

four. Gausman has allowed five singles on 62 pitches.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/07/showalter-on-the-addition-of-jeremy-

hellickson.html

Showalter on the addition of Jeremy Hellickson

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

July 29, 2017

ARLINGTON, Texas - Pitcher Jeremy Hellickson’s entry into the clubhouse with his new team

will have to wait a couple of days. On his way to the airport to fly to Texas, Hellickson and his

girlfriend were in a car accident that briefly sent her to the hospital.

“I think Jeremy is OK, but his girlfriend had to go to the emergency room,” manager Buck

Showalter said before tonight’s game. “I know Roger (McDowell) has talked to him a couple of

times. If everything stays...if she gets cleared, they’ll be in Baltimore tomorrow. No reason to

come here (to Texas) now. We’ve got a catcher set up tomorrow in Baltimore.”

Showalter expects Hellickson to have a bullpen session at Camden Yards on Sunday. He was

scheduled to pitch on an extra day’s rest Friday night but was scratched from that start, and then

his trade to the Orioles was announced after the game.

Showalter is not ready to announce when he expects Hellickson to make his Orioles debut and

also if a current member of the rotation is getting yanked from the starting five. He did say the

team will stay with the plan to start Dylan Bundy on Tuesday against Kansas City.

“We’re going to let everything clear a little bit, especially with as hectic as these next two days

will be, until we get our arms around him physically. I know he was working on one extra day’s

rest, hadn’t pitched since the 22nd. We’ve got a tentative idea but until we know how he’s

feeling, how everything else is (we’ll wait).”

When asked if the Orioles could use a six-man rotation, Showalter said, “All things are on the

table until we find out where he is physically. In talking to Chris (Tillman) some today, Chris

had some pretty good all-body cramping going on last night. He went through periods where he

was OK, but I think it bothered him most of his outing. Probably had something to do with the

command of his pitches,” he said of Tillman, who allowed eight runs over 4 1/3 innings last

night.

Later during his pregame media session a reporter asked Showalter if his preference is to remain

with a five-man rotation when Hellickson is added.

“You are trying to figure out the right way to ask these questions to get me to commit to

something, but I’m not going to,” he said. “Until Jeremy gets here and we kind of see how the

trade deadline and everything works out, it makes no sense to talk about it and try to project this.

I’ll let you guys speculate. Everybody has to do that this time of year because that’s what the

fans want. But I can’t speculate about something I don’t know about until the smoke clears

tomorrow, actually Monday. I’ll have a better idea, especially when we know where Jeremy is

from the car accident today.”

Showalter said it was hard to say goodbye to Hyun Soo Kim, and that with the news coming

after the game it came under somewhat awkward circumstances.

“Yeah, it was. And I didn’t really like the way it happened. I’d like to spend a lot of time with

him, but by the time I got word of it I had to pull him off the bus (heading back to the hotel).

Which I didn’t like. But spent some time with him. He’s going to a place where he is going to get

a chance to play. And re-establish himself a little bit about the level that he’s capable of.

“It’s tough. You remember where we were last spring when he first came into this country. He

had some really nice things to say. And I to him. He’s a good teammate. I wish we could have

presented it in a way for him to say goodbye to his teammates. I know they would have liked to

(have that chance).”

Showalter provided his reaction when told Orioles players Chris Davis and Tillman said today

they liked the additon of Hellickson and that the team was not punting yet on this season.

“I think regardless of what happens with player acquisitons, that should always be the case. I

appreciate the fact they feel that way. That’s another positive that could come out of it. See what

the next few days bring.”

So are the Orioles going to make more trades?

“I didn’t really know this deal was done until after the game,” Showalter said. I heard they were

talking about it. I hope, from my standpoint, we are all wanting to compete and win and I’m sure

so is Dan. And I know our owner is.”

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/07/chris-davis-chris-tillman-talk-adding-

hellickson-and-losing-kim.html

Chris Davis, Chris Tillman talk adding Hellickson and losing

Kim

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

July 29, 2017

ARLINGTON, Texas - Orioles first baseman Chris Davis feels the club’s acquisition of pitcher

Jeremy Hellickson is a good move for the team. But what if the Orioles also began to look

toward the future and dealt one of its key relievers? What if a team 6 ½ games out of the wild

card race started to look more toward the future than the present?

“For me, it is hard to look that far down the road,” Davis said. “Six and half is, I mean, it can

change quickly. I don’t remember what the exact lead was Boston lost in 2011, but there is

history that shows you that you can come back. We still have two months left. I don’t know, I

think it is too easy to sit back and say, ‘We’ll start planning for next year.’ But to me there is too

much baseball left to be played.”

Now the Orioles will add a pitcher they faced often when Hellickson was with Tampa Bay, while

they lose a teammate and friend as Hyun Soo Kim heads to Philadelphia.

“It’s a good move for us,” Davis said. “Hate to see Kimmie go, but I think he will fit in nicely

over there. I hope he gets a chance to play every day. It has to be tough coming from another

country and not speaking much English to try and overcome all the adjustments you have to

make at the big league level. He really impressed me with just the way he was able to put

together a professional at-bat.

“We know Jeremy, we’ve seen him. He’s got a track record for having success in this division.

He’s a solid, veteran pitcher and that is what we need right now.”

Davis was asked if he has any thought about how the Hellickson addition fits into the bigger

picture?

“I don’t think guys are really thinking about that,” he said. “I hope they’re not thinking about

that. I hope they are thinking about the task at hand tonight. It’s encouraging when you see a

move like that. We are not throwing in the towel. I don’t think anybody expects us to do that. To

know that we are still committed to this year, it’s encouraging,” Davis said.

Pitcher Chris Tillman, who took the loss last night, talked about the additon of Hellickson. But

he also indicated he is not sure if the club is more in buy or sell mode right now.

“I don’t know, to be honest with you,” Tillman said. “I know as far as the clubhouse goes we

definitely don’t think we are out of it. Feel like we’ve been in this position before, we’ve gotten

there before. I feel like, the guys in the clubhouse still feel [like that]. I don’t know how

everyone else feels.

“I’ve seen him pitch quite a bit, pretty good pitcher the last I remember when he was with the

Rays. I feel like every time he went out he ate up innings and did his job. He’s good, he’s been

good for a long time. We are fortunate to have him, so I like it,” he said

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/07/a-look-at-the-orioles-trade-for-jeremy-

hellickson.html

A look at the Orioles trade for Jeremy Hellickson

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

July 29, 2017

ARLINGTON, Texas - On a night when starter Chris Tillman gave up eight runs and his ERA

increased to 7.65, the Orioles added veteran right-handed starter Jeremy Hellickson in a trade

with Philadelphia.

Hellickson should provide some level of upgrade to the Orioles rotation, but the bar has not been

set high by a rotation with a combined ERA of 5.98 after last night.

Some fans became very nervous at news of the trade last night. The Orioles did not add a top

starter here, and they didn’t give up a lot to get him, in my opinion. Hyun Soo Kim was batting

.232 with a .305 OBP and could not get off the bench here. Lefty Garrett Cleavinger is a reliever

with a 6.28 ERA at the Double-A level. And while fans get frustrated that the club trades

international bonus slots, the Orioles at least didn’t give up something they planned to use.

Chance Sisco is still here, so are Tanner Scott, Hunter Harvey, Ryan Mountcastle, Austin Hays

and all the other top prospects. They didn’t mortgage their future to get Hellickson. If you

believe that they did, you are just reading this wrong.

We could still see a trade of a reliever, with Zach Britton and Brad Brach still being sought after

by contenders. The Orioles are not “buyers” because they traded Kim and Cleavinger.

Hellickson is not likely to be here beyond this season, but I guess there is always the chance he

likes it here and the Orioles offer him a deal to keep him beyond 2017. But they likely could

have just signed him as a free agent in a few months anyway. He is 6-5 with a 4.73 ERA in 20

starts this year. He went 12-10 with a 3.71 ERA last year, and that got him a salary of $17.2

million for this season when he accepted the Phillies’ qualifying offer.

He is not likely to make the difference for an Orioles team that is now 6 1/2 games out in the

wild card race. The Orioles are going the wrong way in this race. They won the opener of this

road trip Monday to provide some hope and promise. And then, as with most times this year

when something looked good, it didn’t last and it turned the wrong direction.

Maybe today we begin to find out some answers to questions like, “Who will Hellickson replace

on the roster and in the rotation?” and “Who will take Kim’s spot?” The answers to those

questions and what happens now through Monday at 4 p.m. probably is going to tell us a lot

more than anything that happened with that trade last night.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/07/showalter-on-beltres-upcoming-milestone-

hit-plus-a-game-update.html

Showalter on Beltre’s upcoming milestone hit (plus a game

update)

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

July 28, 2017

ARLINGTON, Texas - An Orioles pitcher could throw the pitch that leads to a milestone hit this

weekend. Texas third baseman Adrian Beltre has 2,996 hits and needs four to become the 31st

member of Major League Baseball’s 3,000-hit club.

Beltre is coming off a series against Miami where he went 7-for-10 with two walks in the three-

game series. The seven hits matched the second-most by a Ranger in a three-game series this

season. Beltre went 5-for-15 in the four-game series at Camden Yards last week and has been a

.340/.380/.618 (89-for-262) hitter against the Orioles with 18 homers, 19 doubles, 51 RBIs and

46 runs in 67 games since the start of 2009.

Among batters with 200 or more plate appearances versus Baltimore in that span, his .999 OPS

ranks fourth (Miguel Cabrera, 1.204; Kevin Youkilis, 1.080; Robinson Cano, 1.008) and the .340

average is fourth.

It is pretty clear that Orioles manager Buck Showalter holds Beltre in high regard.

“I’d be OK with him getting four tonight and us winning,” Showalter said this afternoon. “You

don’t see many players so universally respected and liked. And everything he does on the field is

sincere. He smiles easily, he cares what his teammates think and he’s always got time for

everybody. I haven’t managed him, but is there anyone in the game that has more universal

respect from the opposition?

“He’s been an entertainer in a lot of ways. I love watching him play. He was that way the first

time I saw him play in L.A. Nothing has changed. You might want to take a good look because

there are not going to be many 3,000 (-hit) people. He always seems like he’s playing his first

game in Little League. He’s fun to watch. He’s a great example for those that want to take on

that (type of leadership). That’s a pretty good blueprint right there.”

Beltre has a current 61-game errorless streak at third base, dating to Aug. 29, 2016, a club record

at the position and the longest such span of his career.

O’s behind quick: Chris Tillman had another shaky first inning tonight as the Orioles quickly fell

behind Texas 2-0. He walked leadoff hitter Shin-Soo Choo on a 3-2 pitch and Elvis Andrus

singled. Then No. 3 hitter Nomar Mazara drove a 1-1 fastball into the gap in right-center to score

both runners. Texas led 2-0 just three batters into the game.

It took Tillman 32 pitches to get out of the first down by two. He has now allowed 17 runs in the

first inning of his 14 starts, counting tonight. His first inning ERA was 10.38 to start this game.

Texas doubled the lead in the third on Andrus’ two-run homer to left off Tillman. He hit No. 14

off a 90 mph fastball.

Beltre got career hit No. 2,997 later in the inning and it scored a run to make it 5-0. He blooped a

single to center to score Mazara, who doubled for the second time in the game. Richard Bleier

was warming as the third inning ended with the Orioles behind 5-0.

Rangers KO Tillman: Texas knocked Tillman out during a three-run fifth to open an 8-0 lead.

Beltre singled in another run with career hit No. 2,998. Carlos Gomez delivered a two-run single

off Richard Bleier, with both runs charged to Tillman.

Tillman went 4 1/3 innings, allowing nine hits and eight runs with two walks and six strikeouts

on 101 pitches. The eight runs allowed is one off his career high.

No shutout: Jonathan Schoop got the Orioles on the board with a solo homer in the sixth. It was

No. 23 for Schoop and made it 8-1.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/07/buck-showalter-with-a-solid-report-on-

santanders-first-rehab-game.html

Showalter with a solid report on Santander’s first rehab

game

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

July 28, 2017

ARLINGTON, Texas - The rehab assignments at Double-A Bowie for utilityman Ryan Flaherty

and outfielder Anthony Santander got off to strong starts last night - at least for three innings.

Bowie took an early 9-0 lead over Akron before the game was suspended by rain. Due to be

completed today and then followed by another game, that got rained out, too.

But Orioles manager Buck Showalter got a positive report on Santander, a player the Orioles

took in the December Rule 5 draft who has been on the disabled list all year. He went 2-for-2

with a pair of doubles, scored twice and knocked in two runs.

“The guy they were facing last night was 87, 88 (mph). But that is encouraging about

Santander,” Showalter said. “We’ve said all along, he’s an interesting guy. He’s one of those

guys you watch in the game and your eyes are kind of drawn to him. An old scout said a long

time ago, ‘He fills up a batter’s box.’ I like that statement.”

Santander is expected to join the Orioles when his rehab assignment is up. That could last a full

20 days.

“He has to (join the Orioles),” Showalter said of a Rule 5 pick that cannot be optioned to the

minors. “He has, what, 20 days on the rehab? Sometime in the next 18 days. It’s exciting.

Anytime you invest that much time and effort - the scouting, the selection, the rehab. We knew

we would have to rehab the surgery and to see the potential where you can get a payback for it.

That is always uplifting.”

Santander has been on the DL since late March with a right forearm strain. Showalter seems

excited to get a look at him on the big league level a few weeks down the road.

Orioles closer Zach Britton has been scored on in two of his last three games, giving up two runs

in an inning last week against Texas and also allowing two runs over an inning Wednesday at

Tampa Bay.

Does Britton still have another level to go to with his stuff since his return early this month from

his second DL stint?

“He’s the same stuff-wise,” Showalter said. “We just haven’t presented him with enough

opportunities. We’ve seen him in one save situation. I think he has had about 18 outings now

since he was hurt. He’s ready to go. I think we’ll see it if we can get him into situations like that.

He feels good. You can tell he feels good.”

Right-hander Chris Tillman pitches the series opener for the Orioles here tonight. It seems his

stuff is trending up, bringing his ERA down. Tillman has an ERA of 3.31 over his past three

games, allowing six runs over 16 1/3 innings.

“I think he has kind of gotten over spring training and physically he’s not thinking about

anything other than competing,” Showalter said. “I just think he is in a good place physically.

His work days are going good. He’s taken some of the unknown out, ‘Is that going to hurt?’ “

Meanwhile, the skipper provided the latest positive report on right-hander Hunter Harvey, who is

now more than one year removed from his Tommy John surgery from last July 26. He has now

pitched twice in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, throwing a combined three scoreless

innings with no walks and two strikeouts.

“Encouraging,” Showalter said. “His arm strength (is there) and he doesn’t have any caution with

his breaking ball or changeup. I agree that when he gets done (for this season), he just goes home

and has a regular offseason. Talking to Dylan (Bundy, who came back from the same type

surgery), that was big for him to go home and start a normal offseason program. I’m excited

about Hunter.”

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/07/oday-on-trade-talk-more-speculation-than-

ive-ever-heard-before.html

O’Day on trade talk: “More speculation than I’ve ever heard

before”

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

July 28, 2017

ARLINGTON, Texas - As the non-waiver trade deadline approaches at 4 p.m. on Monday, we

could soon have a clearer indication of the thinking of Orioles management.

Are they looking to make trades to acquire prospects and build for the future? Are they looking

to add to the current team, despite its 48-53 record? Are they looking to do some of both or

maybe none of the above?

Orioles reliever Darren O’Day is one of the longest-tenured team members. He’s been an Oriole

since 2012. He said the trade deadline has a different feel this year with speculation that the club

could be sellers. He hasn’t seen that before in Baltimore

“I don’t think I’ve been here with the Orioles where the plans were not known,” O’Day said in

the visiting clubhouse this afternoon at Globe Life Park. “We’ve always been adders. I can’t

speak to what the front office’s plan is. But there is a lot of speculation. More speculation than

I’ve ever heard before. I mean, we can’t control that. It is people’s livelihood to speculate and try

to get scoops on other people. It is a little different this year for sure.”

O’Day said we should not forget there is a person with a family on the other end of each mention

of trade speculation.

“It is easy to forget that players are just paid people, too,” he said. “Families and important life

decisions can be affected. People forget when you get released you are getting fired and fired in

front of everybody. Traded is a little bit different. But it’s a public business and that is part of it.

But there is a human element here and it is human nature to want to know your future and where

you may spend the next few months or years.”

I asked O’Day if players reach out to team management to see if there is truth to any rumors or

speculation that they hear and read.

“No, I never have,” he said. “I can’t speak for other guys. But I’ve never spoken with

management on possible trades. But if front offices aren’t at least looking to see what they can

get for their players, they’re being negligent. I think is is part of the game and they are trying to

run a business. Part of that business is trading players and looking toward the future. Looking

three, four or five years down the road to have a sustainable model. So we understand that, but

you have to balance that with the human element and it is a big life change if you do get traded.”

With the Orioles seven games out in the American League East and 5 1/2 out for the second wild

card, the team’s chances to contend this year could be slipping away. O’Day said he would

understand if the team started looking more to the future now.

“That is their job. I don’t know what they are thinking. I have my opinions but I’m not

necessarily going to share them right now,” he said.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/20195255/new-baltimore-orioles-pitcher-jeremy-hellickson-

rear-ended-way-airport

Jeremy Hellickson involved in minor car accident on way

out of Philly

By Associated Press

July 30, 2017

Jeremy Hellickson got a trip from the NL East cellar to an AL East team still clinging to playoff

hopes, but the right-hander hit a bump in the road on his way out of Philadelphia.

The veteran pitcher, who was traded by the Phillies to the Orioles on Friday, has not yet arrived

in Baltimore, as he was rear-ended on his way to the airport.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter said that Hellickson is doing fine and has been in contact with

Baltimore's staff but had to go with his girlfriend to the emergency room following the car

accident.

EDITOR'S PICKS

Baltimore will need a miracle two-month surge to make the postseason, and the righty with an

ERA near 5.00 might not offer much help in the playoff chase.

Showalter said Hellickson will now go to Baltimore, instead of joining the team for the finale in

Texas on Sunday. The Orioles will start a seven-game homestand on Monday.

The 30-year-old is 6-5 with a 4.73 ERA and joins an Orioles pitching staff that has the second-

worst ERA in all of baseball, at 5.15.

https://www.pressboxonline.com/2017/07/30/orioles-overcome-adrian-beltres-3-000th-hit-for-

10-6-win

Orioles Overcome Adrian Beltre's 3,000th Hit For 10-6 Win

By Rich Dubroff / PressBoxOnline.com

July 30, 2017

ARLINGTON, Tex. -- For one day, for a few minutes, the Orioles turned their attention from

their desperate position and the uncertainty around the trade deadline to a truly great player’s

achievement.

In the fourth inning of the Orioles’ 10-6 win against the Texas Rangers before 32,437 at Globe

Life Park, Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre lined a double down the left field line for the

3,000th hit of his stellar career.

Beltre became the 31st player in major league history with 3,000 hits, and the first born in the

Dominican Republic.

After Beltre's milestone hit, his teammates mobbed him, and the Orioles applauded.

"It’s an honor to be here for it. You couldn’t have drawn it better where we win and you get a

chance to see that," manager Buck Showalter said. "I think everybody in the game has a lot of

respect for him, not only statistically but the way he’s handled his success over the years."

After a fourth-inning single for his 2,999th hit July 29, Beltre grounded out twice. He struck out

in the first inning July 30 against Orioles lefty starter Wade Miley.

Miley got plenty of run support in a four-run fourth and five-run fifth. Second baseman Jonathan

Schoop had a two-run home run, his 24th, and catcher Welington Castillo added a three-run shot,

his 10th.

The left-hander was excused after allowing two runs on four hits in five innings and throwing

105 pitches. The one that will be remembered was the one for Beltre's 3000th.

"As a fan of the game, what a career that guy has had," Miley said. "I wasn’t trying to let him get

a hit by any means. But at the same time as a fan, if it had to happen, that guy is an unbelievable

player. Someone you want your kids to watch."

While the Orioles wait out the 4 p.m. July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, they can fly home with

a modest two-game winning streak and a split of their six-game road trip to Tampa Bay and

Texas. They’re currently 50-54. Since the All-Star break, they’re 8-8.

With all sorts of rumors surrounding left-handed closer Zach Britton, Showalter used him as his

sixth reliever. He came in when Texas got two on with one out in the ninth.

It was the first time the left-hander got into back-to-back games since April 13 -14. Britton got

Beltre to hit into a fielder’s choice for the final out, and his eighth save.

"I told you all he was probably going to be better the second time out," Showalter said. "He feels

good. He’ll be ready to pitch tomorrow."

The uncertainty about Britton and some others will soon be over.

"It leaves us spending three hours and forty minutes on the field winning a tough series, having a

.500 road trip, getting on the plane and getting back to play Kansas City," Showalter said.

"Really, that’s where everybody’s focus is. I’m sure they have some private thoughts about it.

They talk among themselves...This team shares their ups and down and what people are feeling.

They feel comfortable talking to each other about it. I haven’t had many people I needed to talk

to."

Showalter is concerned about DH Mark Trumbo, who was scratched from the lineup with a back

injury. The Orioles hope Trumbo can avoid the 10-day disabled list.

"He was stretching in the weight room, doing some squats and felt it," Showalter said. "I just

hope it’s not an oblique. We’ll know tomorrow for sure."

Third baseman Manny Machado, who had three hits, said his mind isn’t on the chatter.

"We’re not really worried about who is going to get traded or what is going to happen," Machado

said. "That’s just something the front office can control."

Center fielder Adam Jones, the team’s senior player, believes that even though the team is still

under .500, they’re not out of contention.

"It’s always important to win. I, along with many other players in here, firmly believe that we are

still in this race," Jones said. "We have two months to go pretty much and it’s going to be tough

these next two months. But I believe if we play the game like we played today, we should put

ourselves in a good position."

COMING UP: The Orioles open a three-game series with Kansas City July 31. Right-hander

Ubaldo Jiménez (4-7, 6.93) will face left-hander Danny Duffy (7-6, 3.56).

https://www.pressboxonline.com/2017/07/30/buck-showalter-says-orioles-arent-unnerved-by-

trade-deadline

Buck Showalter Says Orioles Aren't Unnerved By Trade

Deadline

By Rich Dubroff / PressBoxOnline.com

July 30, 2017

ARLINGTON, Tex. -- In a day, the non-waiver trade deadline arrives. Orioles manager Buck

Showalter said that he won’t necessarily be relieved at 4 p.m. on July 31.

"It’s a false deadline. There’s going to be a trade made two days after it’s over," Showalter said.

"The only relief will come from the players taking a little sigh, probably. As much as we try to

act like that it’s not it…if it’s important to the players, it should be important to you."

Showalter predicts "there are going to be some really significant names change teams after the

trade deadline."

Left-hander Zach Britton and right-hander Brad Brach are the names most frequently mentioned

as trade possibilities. Outfielder Seth Smith and catcher Welington Castillo are also considered

attractive commodities.

Showalter said that he likes how his team is handling the chatter surrounding it.

"You continue to be proud of it. It doesn’t really surprise me," Showalter said. "It’s not a bad

thing. It’s just an unknown."

TRUMBO OUT: Mark Trumbo was in the original lineup, but he tweaked his back stretching in

the weight room and was scratched. Trumbo, who had been listed as the designated hitter, was

the only Oriole to play in each of the team’s first 103 games.

"Hopefully, it’s not a DL-able thing, and he’ll be around and ready to go," Showalter said.

GENTRY BACK: The Orioles selected the contract of outfielder Craig Gentry from Triple-A

Norfolk. He’ll replace Hyun Soo Kim, who was traded on July 28 to Philadelphia in the deal for

Jeremy Hellickson.

Gentry was not in the original lineup, but when Trumbo was hurt, he was inserted as the right

fielder.

Hellickson is expected to be added to the roster on July 31. The right-hander could start on

Aug. 2.

FLAHERTY CONTINUES TO REHAB: Infielder Ryan Flaherty, who is rehabbing at Double-A

Bowie, will continue the rehab from his right shoulder strain this week.

Flaherty, who was 1-for-9 in his first two games with the Baysox, was scheduled to play a

doubleheader at Bowie. He hit a two-run home run in the first game on July 30.

Showalter said that Flaherty needs to play all four infield positions and in the outfield before he’s

activated.

"He’s going have to get around the diamond," Showalter said. "He’s been out a long time."

Flaherty last played in a major league game on May 18.

Bowie is on the road this week. Flaherty could play for Single-A Frederick. The Keys are home

from July 31-Aug. 2.

LEE MAY DIES: Lee May, who played for the Orioles from 1975-80, died on July 29 at 73 in

Cincinnati.

May, who played first base and was the primary DH on the 1979 World Series team, led the

American League in RBIs with 109 in 1976.

He hit 123 home runs and drove in 487 runs in six seasons with the Orioles.

May, who was the team’s hitting coach in 1995, also played with Cincinnati, Kansas City in

Houston in an 18-year major league career.

He was inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame in 1998.

https://www.pressboxonline.com/2017/07/29/orioles-say-they-havent-given-up-on-2017-season

Orioles Say They Haven't Given Up On 2017 Season

By Rich Dubroff / PressBoxOnline.com

July 29, 2017

ARLINGTON, Tex. -- Jeremy Hellickson won’t report to the Orioles until July 31 because on

his way to the Philadelphia airport, he was involved in an automobile accident. The right-hander,

who was acquired from the Phillies in a July 28 trade is fine, but his girlfriend is in the

emergency room.

Manager Buck Showalter said the 30-year-old Hellickson would meet the team in Baltimore

after it returns from Texas. He’ll have a bullpen session July 30 at Oriole Park. Until the Orioles

get home, Showalter won’t reveal his plans for Hellickson.

"All things are on the table until we find out where he is physically," Showalter said. "I know

where he was statistically over there, and where he was last year. I know what he was like when

he was with Tampa. We’ll see. Fastball, changeup, added a cutter, curveball, athletic, holds

runners."

Showalter didn’t commit to using a six-man rotation, but pointed out that right-hander Chris

Tillman, who started on July 29 and allowed eight runs on nine hits, was suffering from body

cramps during his start.

The Orioles sent outfielder Hyun Soo Kim to Philadelphia along with Bowie left-hander Garrett

Cleavinger and international bonus signing slots.

Showalter was sorry to see Kim go. He didn’t learn of the trade’s completion until after the

Orioles’ 8-2 loss to Texas.

"I didn’t really like the way it happened. I’d like to spend a lot of time with him, but by the time

I got word of it I had to pull him off the bus," Showalter said. "Which I didn’t like."

Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Dan Duquette knew that Kim, who had a far

better 2016 than 2017 with the Orioles, was outplayed by a newcomer.

"The emergence of Trey Mancini as a highly capable everyday left fielder cost Kim the playing

time he enjoyed in 2016 when he was one [of] our most proficient on-base men," Duquette wrote

in a text message.

Showalter had nice things to say about Kim, who had a rocky start to his Orioles career.

"You remember where we were last spring when he first came into this country," Showalter said.

"He had some really nice things to say. And I to him. He’s a good teammate. I wish we could

have presented it in a way for him to say goodbye to his teammates. I know they would have

liked to."

First baseman Chris Davis was sorry to see Kim go, but is quite familiar with Hellickson against

whom he is 11-for-30 (.367) with 2 home runs and 9 RBIs.

"We know Jeremy, we’ve seen him. He’s got a track record for having success in this division,"

Davis said. "He’s a solid, veteran pitcher and that is what we need right now."

Davis believes the move showed faith in the team, which entered play on July 29 6 1/2 games

out of the wild-card.

"I mean, it can change quickly," Davis said. "There is history that shows you that you can come

back. We still have two months left. I don’t know, I think it is too easy to sit back and say 'We’ll

start planning for next year.' But to me there is too much baseball left to be played."

Tillman said the players were supportive of the Orioles being in buy-mode.

"I know as far as the clubhouse goes we definitely don’t think we are out of it," Tillman said.

"Feel like we’ve been in this position before, we’ve gotten there before. I feel like, the guys in

the clubhouse still feel [like that]. I don't know how everyone else feels."

With two days until the non-waiver trading deadline at 4 p.m. July 31, Showalter believes the

Orioles haven’t given up on contending in 2017.

"From my standpoint, we’re all wanting to compete and win. I'm sure so is Dan, and I know our

owner is," Showalter said.

https://www.pressboxonline.com/2017/07/29/baltimore-orioles-lose-in-texas-then-trade-for-

jeremy-hellickson

Baltimore Orioles Lose In Texas, Then Trade For Jeremy

Hellickson

By Rich Dubroff / PressBoxOnline.com

July 29, 2017

ARLINGTON, Tex. -- Nearly three days ahead of the non-waiver trade deadline, the Orioles

made a surprising move, acquiring right-handed starter Jeremy Hellickson from the Philadelphia

Phillies in exchange for outfielder Hyun Soo Kim, minor league left-hander Garrett Cleavinger

and international signing bonus slots.

The Phillies are also sending money to the Orioles. Hellickson is owed a little more than a third

of his $17.2 million salary for 2017.

“Jeremy Hellickson is a solid, dependable, veteran Major League starter who knows how to win

in the American League. He should provide some quality innings for the Orioles,” executive vice

president of baseball operations Dan Duquette wrote in a text message.

The Orioles need another starting pitcher, and though he’s not signed beyond this year,

Hellickson is a proven innings-eater. He was scratched from his scheduled July 28 start in

Philadelphia.

Hellickson is 6-5 with a 4.73 ERA this season, and in eight major league seasons with the

Phillies, Tampa Bay and Arizona, he’s 67-63 with a 3.98 ERA.

Kim, who had a fine first year in the U.S. in 2016, batting .302 with a .382 on-base percentage,

slumped badly this season. The South Korean hit just .232 with a home run and 10 RBIs.

Cleavinger, who was invited to the Orioles’ Sarasota, Fla. minicamp in January, was 2-4 with a

6.28 ERA with Double-A Bowie this season. He was the Orioles’ third round draft pick in 2015.

Meanwhile, the Orioles continue to try and make additional deals before 4 p.m. deadline on July

31.

It’s not known when Hellickson will pitch for the Orioles, who are certainly in need of improved

starting pitching.

Chris Tillman allowed eight runs on nine hits in 4.1 innings in the Orioles’ 8-2 loss to the Texas

Rangers before 36,270 at Globe Life Park July 28.

Most of the fans were presumably on hand to see Texas third baseman Adrian Beltre, who had

two hits and now has 2,998 in his glorious major league career.

Beltre is now 10-for-21 against the right-handed Tillman.

"It was inconsistent. I could never get in any kind of rhythm," Tillman said. "Execute one pitch

then try to throw the same pitch the next pitch and it wasn't there. I just have to be more

consistent in my delivery and in my pitches and I think we'll see the results I had the last one."

The Orioles, who at 48-54 have lost three straight, were behind quickly. Texas center fielder

Nomar Mazara, who had three doubles, drove in two runs with a double in the first inning.

Beltre, who followed him, grounded out to second for the first out. But Beltre was involved in

subsequent scoring. After shortstop Elvis Andrus hit a two-run home run in the third, Mazara

doubled, and after a Tillman wild pitch, scored on Beltre’s broken-bat flare to center.

In the fifth, Beltre singled up the middle, again scoring Mazara, who doubled and advanced to

third on Tillman’s second wild pitch.

"He wasn’t very good. His command wasn’t there from the get-go," manager Buck Showalter

said of Tillman. "He survived a little bit with a changeup and a slider, but that’s about it. I’m

sure we’ll look back through it and see how many times he missed location with a fastball.

That’s something he’s been doing a better job with -- until tonight."

Beltre popped to first in the seventh.

The Orioles were held in check by Texas right-hander Andrew Cashner, who allowed only

second baseman Jonathan Schoop’s 23rd home run of the season in the sixth, and five hits in

seven innings.

Orioles catcher Welington Castillo, whose name has been mentioned in trade chatter, had a

difficult night catching Tillman.

"It’s hard but that’s part of the business. I have stuff to do," Castillo said of the trade talks. "I

don’t worry about that. I just control what I can control. Honestly if you start to pay attention to

the rumors and if your name is in the rumors you can’t control that. You just got to come here

every day and prepare the best you can to win the games. If it happens, it happens."

NOTES: Infielder Ryan Flaherty and outfielder Anthony Santander have yet to play a full rehab

game for Double-A Bowie. Their first one was suspended in the fourth inning on July 27 by rain,

and the resumption of that one and the scheduled game of July 28, were rained out. The Baysox

will try and play two July 29. … RHPs Kevin Gausman (7-7, 5.79) and Austin Bibens-Dirkx (3-

0, 4.53).

http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/orioles-host-red-hot-royals-073117

Orioles host red-hot Royals

By Associated Press

July 31, 2017

BALTIMORE — The Kansas City Royals arrive at Camden Yards as one of the hottest teams in

baseball.

The Royals, who had a nine-game winning streak ended Saturday, are 9-1 in their last 10 games

as they start a three-game series with the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night.

Kansas City (55-48) bounced back Sunday, scoring four runs in the eighth inning for a 5-3

victory at Boston. Alcides Escobar’s two-run single tied the game, and Alex Gordon’s two-run

triple proved to be the difference.

“Just kind of typical of our success, you know, the big guys are getting on base and then Esky

and Gordy … come up with huge hits,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.

The Orioles are returning home after splitting six games on a road trip to Tampa Bay and Texas.

Baltimore (50-54) won the final two games of the trip, the last victory a 10-6 decision over the

Rangers on Sunday.

“We won a tough series,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter told MASN after the series finale in

Texas.

Even bigger for the Orioles might have been the fact that closer Zach Britton pitched in

consecutive games for the first time since mid-April.

The left-hander looked sharp Sunday after the bullpen struggled at times, recording the game’s

final two outs for his eighth save of the season.

“He’s fine (now),” Showalter said of Britton, who spent several weeks on the disabled list with a

strained forearm. “It’s exciting to see him throw the ball like that.”

For Kansas City on Monday, Danny Duffy (7-6, 3.56 ERA) will try to win a third consecutive

start. He allowed one run on six hits in 6 1/3 innings in a 3-1 victory at Detroit last Tuesday.

The left-hander has a 2-2 career mark with a 2.41 ERA against the Orioles.

Baltimore will counter with Ubaldo Jimenez (4-7, 6.93). The right-hander turned in one of his

best performances of the season in his last start. He allowed two runs on just three hits in six

innings but took the loss as the Rays beat the Orioles 5-1 last Wednesday.

Jimenez has a 5-5 career record with a 4.58 ERA versus the Royals.

The Orioles are expected to activate pitcher Jeremy Hellickson on Monday. They acquired him

in a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday, and he is scheduled to throw a bullpen session

Monday,

Baltimore called up outfielder Craig Gentry on Sunday as Hellickson was not yet on the roster,

so the team needs to make another move Monday. Gentry replaced Hyun Soo Kim, who was

traded to the Phillies in the Hellickson deal.

Another question for the Orioles on Monday could involve Mark Trumbo, a late scratch Sunday

in Texas after tweaking his back while lifting weights. The Orioles hope he is day-to-day.

Kansas City made its own deal on Sunday, bringing back outfielder Melky Cabrera — he played

there before — in a trade with the Chicago White Sox for minor league pitchers Andre Davis and

A.J. Puckett.

Cabrera will play in the outfield or be used as a designated hitter as the Royals fight for a playoff

berth.

“He’s going to help our team a lot,” Gordon said. “He’s having a great year. We all know his

personality — smiling, happy-go-lucky guy. Brings a lot of energy to the clubhouse.

“He’s going to be comfortable in this situation. We know what he can do.”

http://www.baltimorebaseball.com/2017/07/29/os-trade-kim-cleavinger-phillies-hellickson-

instant-take-buy-trade/

O’s trade Kim and Cleavinger to Phillies for Hellickson —

my take on the ‘buy’ trade

By Dan Connolly / BaltimoreBaseball.com

July 29, 2017

In their first deal before Monday’s non-waiver trade deadline, the Orioles decided to be buyers,

acquiring 30-year-old right-handed starter Jeremy Hellickson from the Philadelphia Phillies for

outfielder Hyun Soo Kim, Double-A reliever Garrett Cleavinger and international bonus money.

A pending free agent, Hellickson is 6-5 with a 4.73 ERA in 20 starts. He was scratched from

Friday’s start in anticipation of the trade. Hellickson was a free agent last year, when he was 12-

10 with a 3.71 ERA in 32 starts for the Phillies, but he decided to accept Philadelphia’s $17.2

million qualifying offer.

“Hellickson is a solid, dependable, veteran major league starter who knows how to win in the

AL, whose skill should provide some quality innings for the O’s,” Dan Duquette, Orioles

executive vice president, said.

The former Tampa Bay Ray – he was 40-36 with a 3.78 ERA from 2010 to 2014 there– hasn’t

been nearly as effective for the Phillies this season, allowing 111 hits (and 22 homers) in 112 1/3

innings while walking 30 and striking out 65.

Kim, who batted .302 for the Orioles last year but became a seldom-used bench option this

season – hitting just .232 with one homer in 125 at-bats – is also a free agent at season’s end.

Cleavinger, 23, was the Orioles’ third rounder in 2015 out of the University of Oregon. The lefty

appeared in 27 games for the Bowie Baysox, pitching to a 6.28 ERA and allowing 38 hits and 23

walks in 38 2/3 innings this year.

No word on how much the Orioles gave up in international bonus money – which they never

spend anyway — but since Kim was owed a couple million for the rest of this season and

Hellickson will still receive roughly $8 million on his 2017 deal, the money had to be bridged, at

least somewhat, for the trade to work.

My take:

On getting Hellickson: Well, Duquette said he wanted to improve the rotation, and he did.

Hellickson will take the ball every fifth day and doesn’t give in. He also throws strikes, which

will be a welcomed treat. The problem is he is a flyball pitcher and he’s not fared particularly

well in Camden Yards: a 5.01 ERA in 46 2/3 innings through nine career outings (eight starts) in

Baltimore. He has yielded nine home runs total in those games. So, he doesn’t look like a good

fit, at least for the ballpark. However, it doesn’t appear the Orioles gave up a lot for him – a

Double-A reliever and Kim, who wasn’t playing anyway. And it’d be almost impossible for

Hellickson to be a rotation downgrade.

On trading Kim: This is only a surprise in that I didn’t think there’d be a market for him. And

there may not have been. But he was part of a deal, and probably thrown in mainly to balance out

some of the money owed to Hellickson. Kim was a great story last year, but the Orioles buried

him this year after Trey Mancini emerged as an everyday player. So, the narrative is

disappointing – Kim was a great guy who fit in well and worked his tail off – but he wasn’t

gonna get much action for this team unless there was an injury.

On dealing Cleavinger: The Orioles had high hopes for the lefty, but it didn’t really materialize

and he’s been victimized by the big inning this year. His fastball topped at 93 mph, usually

sitting in the low 90s, and, besides a solid curveball, he didn’t have much else to baffle hitters.

Sure, he could be another one of those guys that got away, but with the emergence of Donnie

Hart and Richard Bleier and the presence of Tanner Scott at Double-A, Cleavinger sure looks

expendable at this moment.

On sending away international bonus money: There once was a time I railed on this. But I’m sort

of sick of that soapbox right now. The O’s aren’t spending money internationally – which I think

is a huge mistake – so they might as well try to gain some value from it. Again, I think the

Orioles’ lack of spending for at least mid-level amateurs in foreign countries is a mistake. But

that’s for another day – almost every day, really.

On being buyers: I’m not sure this precludes the team from selling off a coveted piece – such as

a top reliever — by Monday at 4 p.m. And Duquette did what he said he was going to do, try to

get a better starter. I, for one, think this season has sailed on the Orioles and adding pieces

doesn’t make a ton of sense. But adding a veteran via trade always makes the players within the

clubhouse feel like they still have a chance, so we’ll see.

Bottom line: It doesn’t look like a particularly important move to me, no matter what happens.

Hellickson, though he really doesn’t seem to be a Camden Yards kind of guy, appears to be a

better option than what the Orioles have been rolling out there a couple times a week. Kim was

expendable, simply because he didn’t play, and didn’t flourish in such limited opportunities.

Cleavinger seems like a flier, whose upside is Bleier. So, I don’t give this one thumbs up or

thumbs down. It’s more of a shrug-your-shoulders ‘huh?’ than a ‘meh’ to me. In fact, it’s

primary purpose, at least for now, is to tell us the Orioles are still playing for 2017, which I

haven’t exactly endorsed at 48-54 with 60 to play. I shake my head at that sentiment. Think it’s a

mistake. But I guess you have to appreciate the spunk. And wait for Monday.