thursday, june 1, 2017 - major league...
TRANSCRIPT
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
Thursday, June 1, 2017
Game Stories:
Adam Jones returns to lineup with five-RBI night, sparks Orioles' 10-4 win over Yankees
The Sun 5/31
Jones, Davis lead O's big breakout vs. Yanks MLB.com 5/31
Offense comes alive and O’s take series with 10-4 win (updated) MASNsports.com 5/31
O’s game blog: Gausman faces Tanaka in series finale (O’s win 10-4) MASNsports.com
5/31
Adam Jones has homer, 5 RBIs in return as O's drop Yanks Associated Press 5/31
Orioles Bats Wake Up, Take Series From Yankees PressBoxOnline.com 6/1
Columns:
Orioles observations: Gausman struggles to shut down Yankees after being handed
another big lead The Sun 5/31
Orioles' Welington Castillo went to emergency room after ball hit groin, placed on
disabled list The Sun 5/31
Orioles minor leaguer Robert Andino suspended 50 games for amphetamine use The Sun
5/31
Orioles notes: Seth Smith slump not related to eye problem; Mike Wright happy to be
'home' The Sun 5/31
Hopefully, the Orioles and Red Sox are ready to put their feud in the rear view mirror
The Sun 6/1
Orioles observations: Gausman the third time through, Wright's role, and opt-out
decisions The Sun 6/1
Injuries, suspensions, opt-outs and tonight’s game MASNsports.com 6/1
Welington Castillo goes on disabled list (O’s lead 9-4) MASNsports.com 5/31
Feeling a draft: The Orioles have four of the top 100 selections MASNsports.com 6/1
Miley, O's renew rivalry with Red Sox at home MLB.com 6/1
Manny holds slim 3B lead on All-Star ballot MLB.com 5/31
What's wrong with Manny Machado? ESPN.com 6/1
Orioles Not Faring Well In Early All-Star Voting Results PressBoxOnline.com 6/1
Will The Tension Simmer Or Rise Between Orioles And Red Sox? CBS Baltimore 6/1
Robert Andino suspended 50 games for testing positive for Amphetamine NBC Sports
5/31
Orioles' Manny Machado: Staying put on lineup card CBS Sports 6/1
Orioles' Seth Smith: Rides pine versus lefty Thursday CBS Sports 6/1
Orioles' Trey Mancini: Making big-league adjustments CBS Sports 6/1
Orioles' Hyun Soo Kim: Losing ground to rookie outfielder CBS Sports 6/1
Orioles' Mychal Givens: Adjusting to more late inning work CBS Sports 6/1
Myriad Orioles Thoughts: Jones’ spark; beating the East; Wright’s inning; opting-out
decisions BaltimoreBaseball.com 6/1
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-yankees-mainbar-20170531-
story.html
Adam Jones returns to lineup with five-RBI night, sparks
Orioles' 10-4 win over Yankees
Eduardo A. Encina/ The Sun
May 31, 2017
Adam Jones’ absence from the Orioles’ starting lineup for four games was noticeable, and when
the team’s starting center fielder finally returned for the series finale against the New York
Yankees, he didn’t waste time making his presence felt.
The Orioles handled Jones with care — allowing him three days off to nurse a sore left ankle and
hip and then scratching him from Tuesday night’s game as a precaution because of a forecast that
called for rain throughout — as the lineup managed just three runs a game without him.
Jones was quick to make up for lost time, and there’s no coincidence that his return coincided
with a revival of the team’s middle-of-the-order bats behind him for the Orioles' largest offensive
output in more than two weeks.
From the No. 2 spot in the order — a place he’s settled into this season — Jones served as the
Orioles’ offensive catalyst, driving in five runs in a 10-4 win over Yankees at Camden Yards.
Jones provided the biggest hit of the game, a three-run homer off Yankees starter Masahiro
Tanaka in the fourth, one inning after lacing an RBI double off the left-center-field wall to open
the scoring for the Orioles. He added a run-scoring infield single in the eighth.
The victory gave the Orioles (27-24) a series win over the first-place Yankees (30-20) after
returning home reeling from a season-high seven-game losing streak.
"I think it was good that we got the series win," Jones said. "We haven't been playing as well of
late. The last three weeks haven't been too fun. But it was a good series win. Glad I was able to
come back out there, add some more energy, and the guys followed suit. So, good series win."
After Jones put the Orioles on the board in the third, cleanup hitter Mark Trumbo followed with
a two-run double on an opposite-field line drive over right fielder Aaron Judge’s head.
Struggling first baseman Chris Davis then got in on the act with an RBI single to put the Orioles
up 4-0.
"Adam is a big part of our team," manager Buck Showalter said. "That's obvious. But we've had
some stretches without people like all clubs do. Our guys have found a way. But it's a lot easier
with him there. You could tell he was pretty fresh. ... Adam is always on. The way he approaches
competition, he doesn't have a day like, 'What's wrong with Adam today?' You don't have to
worry about the mood."
Even though No. 3 hitter Manny Machado's struggles continued Wednesday — he was 0-for-5
with two strikeouts — Trumbo and Davis combined for five RBIs on the night after Davis' two-
run homer in the eighth put the Orioles up 9-3.
"Yeah, I think he definitely gave us a jolt," Trumbo said. "It’s reflective in the score, but it’s
inspiring to see a guy go up there and get the job done like that."
The Orioles’ nine runs were their most since a 13-11 win May 16 in Detroit.
Jones capped a two-out rally in the fourth — J.J. Hardy doubled and Seth Smith walked — with
a three-run homer off Tanaka, his third home run in his past six games, to put the Orioles up 7-1.
Both hits came on first-pitch deliveries from Tanaka. Jones jumped on an 85-mph slider over the
heart of the plate and laced it to left-center in the third, then hit a first-pitch sinker located nearly
at the same spot for the home run to right-center.
Four of Jones’ nine homers have come on the first pitch.
"I mean I think just, sometimes, I do inject some energy in the guys just the way I play and the
style," Jones said. "Been out some days, but came back and the guys just fed off the energy.
Obviously we feed off the energy of the starting pitcher, and [Kevin] Gausman went out there
and worked his tail off. I know he wanted to go out there and go longer, but we appreciate his
efforts, and he kept us in the game, and we were able to go out there and put some runs up
against Tanaka."
Nine of the Orioles 10 runs on the night -- and four of Jones' five RBIs -- were driven in with
two outs in the inning.
“I was put in a situation by Seth Smith," Jones said, referring to the table-setting before his
homer. "He got a single and then he got a walk to allow me to come up with men in scoring
position. So, you eliminate those, I’m not coming up in that situation. So, thank Seth Smith for
giving me an opportunity three times actually, the last inning also, he battled and battled and
battled with two outs to get me another at-bat. So, it’s just feeding off of the guy in front of you.
He had some great at-bats. It was just, like I said, fun having guys on base. That’s where you’re
making money.”
Jones’ absence was felt his first two games in Houston, with Joey Rickard the team’s only other
option in center field. And Rickard struggled in center, misplaying a first-inning line drive that
sailed over his head for a double on Saturday, when failed to come up with a ball cleanly that
cost another run.
And offensively, with the Orioles floundering through their worst stretch of the season, Jones’
return to the lineup gave the club an offensive spark. And his aggressiveness at the plate spoke
volumes about the need to keep swinging.
Around this time last season, Showalter placed Jones atop the batting order in an effort to inject
life into struggling the lineup and to get him going.
After Jones was moved to the leadoff spot May 27 last season, he had a .282 average and a .791
OPS over the next 108 games.
It might have been the best move Showalter made — and undoubtedly the most unconventional
— in his lineup all season.
Going into this season, Showalter was determined to drop Jones into a spot where he’s better
suited, and heading into this year, there seemed to be better options. He’s settled into the No. 2
hole, and the Orioles are 26-19 in the 45 games in which Jones bats second.
And obviously it was just one game, but there was no question that the lineup lacked life without
him in it, and it broke out in his first game back.
The series win was the Orioles' 11th straight against the Yankees at Camden Yards dating to
September 2013, and they've won 32 of 47 over that span.
“We’ve gotten better as a franchise over the last four years," Jones said. "We’ve gotten better
against them the last four years and we’ve been a pretty good team over the last five years. Sixth
this year.”
http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/233676422/adam-jones-orioles-end-slump-rout-yankees/
Jones, Davis lead O's big breakout vs. Yanks
By Brittany Ghiroli and Bryan Hoch / MLB.com
May 31, 2017
BALTIMORE -- Adam Jones homered and drove in five runs, Chris Davis added a two-run shot
and plated three and the Orioles' struggling bats broke out in a big way on Wednesday night for a
10-4 victory over the Yankees at Camden Yards.
The win, Baltimore's fifth in its last 19 games, dropped first-place New York to 13-12 on the
road this season as the Orioles' lineup supported a solid effort by starter Kevin Gausman. The
Yankees have lost 11 straight series in Baltimore.
"We feed off the energy of the starting pitcher, and Gausman went out there and worked his tail
off," Jones said. "I know he wanted to go out there and go longer, but we appreciate his efforts,
and he kept us in the game, and we were able to go out there and put some runs up against
[Yankees starter Masahiro] Tanaka."
The O's sent eight men to the plate in a four-run third inning, with both Jones and Davis driving
in runs -- along with Mark Trumbo (two-run double) -- to give Baltimore an early lead. Tanaka
allowed Jones' three-run shot an inning later.
The Yankees' ace was charged with seven earned runs and nine hits over 5 2/3 innings, and he
has allowed 22 earned runs in 17 2/3 innings over his last four starts (11.20 ERA).
• Tanaka takes step backward
"It's tough, obviously," Tanaka said through an interpreter. "The games that I've been pitching,
we've been losing. It's tough. I've just got to keep on fighting."
Gausman went 5 1/3 innings and was able to escape several jams, as New York finished 1-for-12
with runners in scoring position, stranding 11. Coming off his first back-to-back quality starts all
season, the right-hander allowed eight hits and five walks but only surrendered three runs (two
earned).
"One thing I was just trying to do was make quality pitches, and [I] kind of put myself in some
tough situations and had to pitch out of it," Gausman said. "But luckily I did, and my defense
made some great plays for me."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Welcome back: Returning to the lineup for the first time since Friday, Jones immediately made
his presence felt. He got the scoring started with a well-struck RBI double off Tanaka in the
third, and he hit his ninth homer of the year in the fourth. The O's center fielder, who had been
dealing with hip and ankle issues, was a catalyst for the rest of the lineup.
"I think sometimes I do inject some energy in the guys, just the way I play and the style," Jones
said. "I've been out some days, but I came back and the guys just fed off the energy." More >
One step too many: Aaron Judge's first reaction was to come in on Trumbo's third-inning line
drive, and despite a last-second leap, the 6-foot-7 right fielder was unable to corral the slugger's
sizzling laser. Statcast™ had the ball at 105.8 mph off Trumbo's bat, and what could have been
the third out of the inning instead landed for a two-run double.
"I've got to make that play in that situation," Judge said. "Tanaka is out there battling in a tough
situation. I took a couple of steps in. I've got to know that the guy that hit 40-something home
runs last year is going to really impact the baseball. I just didn't make the play."
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Davis' two-run blast in the seventh inning put him in sole possession of seventh place on the
Orioles' all-time home run list, with 210. He passed Brady Anderson.
WHAT'S NEXT
Yankees: CC Sabathia (5-2, 4.42 ERA) will be on the mound Thursday as the Yankees open a
four-game series against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre at 7:07 p.m. ET. Sabathia has won three
straight starts, permitting a total of four runs (three earned) in 18 innings.
Orioles: Baltimore will remain home and take on Boston for a four-game series that starts
Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. ET. Wade Miley, who is 1-3 with a 3.02 ERA, will get the ball
opposite Red Sox lefty -- and former O's farmhand -- Eduardo Rodriguez.
http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2017/05/offense-comes-alive-and-orioles-take-
series-with-10-4-win.html
Offense comes alive and O’s take series with 10-4 win
(updated)
By Roch Kubatko/ MASNsports.com
May 31, 2017
The Orioles know how to take a lead. It’s holding a lead - and that’s really the most important
part of the game - that tends to challenge them.
They can raise blood pressure like a salt-based diet.
Kevin Gausman lasted only 5 1/3 innings tonight, throwing 106 pitches before manager Buck
Showalter turned to his bullpen, but the Orioles navigated through the tense moments and never
trailed in a 10-4 victory over the Yankees before an announced crowd of 22,983 at Camden
Yards.
The Orioles worked over Masahiro Tanaka for four runs in the third inning, grabbed a 7-1 lead
and flexed some muscle late to win for only the fifth time in the last 19 games. They took the
series, improved to 27-24 and moved within 3 1/2 games of first place in the American League
East.
Chris Davis’ two-run homer off Giovanny Gallegos in the bottom of the seventh extended the
lead to 9-3 after Mychal Givens brought a sense of calm by retiring all five batters he faced -
stranding two runners along the way. Darren O’Day allowed a run in the eighth after back-to-
back singles to begin the inning and Mike Wright struck out two in the ninth.
Adam Jones returned to the lineup after a four-game absence and had an RBI double, three-run
homer and run-scoring infield hit. Guess it was wise to keep him off the wet field last night.
Jones’ infield single in the eighth inning also gave him 1,500 hits with the Orioles.
Seth Smith was 2-for-26 with nine strikeouts in his last eight games, but he had a leadoff single
in the first and singled again in the third to juice the rally. Jones followed with his double, Mark
Trumbo lined a ball over Aaron Judge’s head in right field to score two more and Davis
delivered an RBI single.
Judge froze on Manny Machado’s ball and made a futile attempt at the end. It wasn’t pretty, but
he’s paid mainly to destroy them. Catching them is a bonus.
Smith added an infield single in the eighth for his first three-hit game since going 4-for-4 on May
4.
J.J. Hardy doubled with two outs in the fourth inning, Smith walked and Jones jumped on the
next pitch - he’s been known to swing at the first one - and gave the Orioles a 7-1 lead.
Hardy singled in the third inning and produced his fourth two-hit game in his last eight starts.
Trumbo’s second double of the night was followed by Davis’ 210th home run as an Oriole to
give him sole possession of seventh place on the all-time list. He was tied with Brady Anderson.
Machado remained on the curb during the hit parade, going 0-for-5 with two strikeouts to lower
his average to .205.
Gausman allowed three runs (two earned) and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings, with five walks and
four strikeouts. He’s struggled this season with sizeable margins in his favor and Showalter
brought in Givens with two on and one out in the sixth. Givens got a called third strike and a fly
ball to preserve a 7-3 lead and retired the side in order in the seventh.
Judge scored an unearned run in the fourth on Jonathan Schoop’s throwing error while
attempting to complete a double play, and the Yankees got within 7-3 in the fifth after Aaron
Hicks delivered an RBI double and scored on Matt Holliday’s bloop single into center field.
Gausman left the bases loaded in the first inning and didn’t allow a run despite four of the first
five Yankees reaching on a pair of singles and walks. He retired eight in a row, but fell short of a
third consecutive quality start.
Givens warmed in the fifth as the Yankees forced Gausman to throw 25 pitches. Gausman threw
22 in the first and fourth innings. He wasn’t going to get real deep in this game.
Chase Headley walked to load the bases with two outs in the fifth, but Ronald Torreyes grounded
into a force to get Gausman back in the dugout without handing the ball to his manager. That
happened in the next inning.
Big leads just haven’t been safe with the Orioles over the first two months of the season. You
know there’s going to be drama and tension.
Tonight ended with a much-needed win as the Red Sox come to town for a four-game series.
Update: The Orioles have won 11 straight home series against the Yankees, going 24-9.
Jones’ five RBIs tied a career high.
Showalter on satisfaction of winning series: “If you look at it that way, which I will. Half full,
half empty. It’s a good team playing well with good pitching, not many holes right now. It’s a
tough row and our guys found a way tonight.”
Showalter on Jones’ return sparking team: “Adam is a big part of our team. That’s obvious. But
we’ve had some stretches without people like all clubs do. Our guys have found a way. But it’s a
lot easier with him there. You could tell he was pretty fresh.”
More Showalter on Jones: “Adam is always on. The way he approaches competition, he doesn’t
have a day like, ‘What’s wrong with Adam today?’ You don’t have to worry about the mood.
He’s got things in life that affect you emotionally and mentally, but when they get through
playing that song (anthem), he’s always firing.
“Some of the challenges for him, I’d much rather he be challenged by holding back here and
there as opposed to push people forward. That’s not a lot of fun for teammates and coaches and
managers.”
Showalter on Davis’ approach tonight: “A couple of them he hit balls where they were shifted to,
but just in between the seam. A step here or there. We know what Chris is capable of. I’d like to
say, yes, this means that and this means this, but we’re going to see four real good pitchers in the
next four days.
“I thought Chris contributed defensively as much as he did offensively. He’s been consistent
with that through thick and thin.”
Showalter on Gausman: “When he gets that fastball where he wants to, down and away. I
thought he didn’t break. Sometimes, with that lead, you can get some anxiety and try to rush
through it. Getting through that fifth inning, he made a couple big pitches. But they’re so good
offensively that you never feel that you can put it in cruise control.”
Showalter on Givens: “Mike probably had the biggest innings other than Gaus starting. That was
a good consistent outing for Mike. We needed that tonight. Try to keep our feet on the ground for
the next series physically with our pitching.
“Mike Wright was impressive, came in and threw the ball well. (We’ll) talk and see if he’s still
going to be available tomorrow in long relief, because Ubaldo (Jiménez) is still not available.”
Jones on how it felt to be back: “It felt fine. It felt good. I think it was good that we got the series
win. We haven’t been playing as well of late. The last three weeks haven’t been too fun. But it
was a good series win. Glad I was able to come back out there, add some more energy, and the
guys followed suit. So, good series win.”
Jones on getting offense from multiple sources: “Great. I mean I think just, sometimes, I do
inject some energy in the guys just the way I play and the style. Been out some days, but came
back and the guys just fed off the energy. Obviously, we feed off the energy of the starting
pitcher, and Gausman went out there and worked his tail off. I know he wanted to go out there
and go longer, but we appreciate his efforts, and he kept us in the game, and we were able to go
out there and put some runs up against Tanaka.”
Jones on 11 straight home series wins versus Yankees: “We’ve gotten better as a franchise over
the last four years. We’ve gotten better against them the last four years and we’ve been a pretty
good team over the last five years. Sixth this year.”
Jones on whether scoring all but one run with two outs showed offense clicking: “Big time. I was
put in a situation by Seth Smith. He got a single and then he got a walk to allow me to come up
with men in scoring position. So you eliminate those, I’m not coming up in that situation. So
thank Seth Smith for giving me an opportunity three times, actually.
“The last inning also, he battled and battled and battled with two outs to get me another at-bat.
So it’s just feeding off of the guy in front of you. He had some great at-bats. It was just, like I
said, fun having guys on base. That’s where you’re making money.”
Jones on the division: “We play these guys 19 times, we play everybody in our division 19 times,
I think. First off, we get up for every game, but our division is important and our division is
tough, so it’s always good to have good games against them.”
Jones on whether missing four games freshened him up: “I believe it does. A rest here and there
is good.”
Gausman on how he threw: “Good. I had a good feel for all my pitches for strikes and for chase.
Too many two-strike hits. Fastballs I was trying to go up and just left them down. They put some
good swings together and laid off some really tough pitches, so they definitely gave me a
handful.”
Gausman on getting out of tough jams: “Obviously, they’re swinging the bats really well,
especially after yesterday. I felt like they were hacking yesterday and so that was one thing I was
just trying to do was make quality pitches, and kind of put myself in some tough situations and
had to pitch out of it. But luckily I did, and my defense made some great plays for me, also. So
anytime you have those guys fielding the ball the way that they have, really ever since I’ve been
here, it gives you the confidence to kind of go after guys.”
Gausman on whether he struggles out of the stretch: “I felt like tonight I got a lot of groundball
double plays. But we just kind of didn’t (turn them), whether the guy was running too fast or the
ball was too slow. I got the ground balls, when there was a guy on first base a good bit tonight.
And that’s really all you look at. “
Gausman on satisfaction of winning series: “Yeah, absolutely. Especially we’ve got Boston
coming in and they’re playing really well right now, too. Some obviously important games this
week. Always good to beat the Yankees at home, that’s for sure.”
http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/05/os-game-blog-gausman-faces-tanaka-in-
series-finale.html
O’s game blog: Gausman faces Tanaka in series finale (O’s
win 10-4)
By Steve Melewski/ MASNsports.com
May 31, 2017
The Orioles face Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka (5-4, 5.86 ERA) tonight in the third and
final game of this series between AL East rivals. Tonight’s game will start at 7:15 p.m. after a
very short rain delay.
Tanaka has had a wild last three starts. Before he pitched on Friday against Oakland and threw
very well, he had back-to-back terrible starts versus Houston and Tampa Bay. In those two
games he gave up 16 hits and 14 runs and allowed a staggering seven home runs in just 4 2/3
combined innings. His ERA in the two starts jumped from 4.36 to 6.56.
So in his bounce-back outing on Friday, Tanaka pitched 7 1/3 scoreless on five hits with no
walks and a career-high 13 strikeouts. He had a career-high 25 swings and misses on 111 pitches
against the A’s. Tanaka got swings and misses on 10 of his 28 split-finger fastballs and on 15 of
38 sliders.
But his ERA is still much higher than usual and he is 2-2 with a 6.41 ERA in five road starts. He
has allowed 13 homers in 55 1/3 innings but seven came in those two starts that preceeded his
last one.
In the first inning this year he has an ERA of 11.70 and has given up five homers in 10 innings
and a batting average of .409. In one start last year against the Orioles he pitched eight scoreless.
In six career starts, Tanaka is 1-1 with a 2.74 ERA, a 1.008 WHIP and 9.5 strikeouts per nine
innings against Baltimore.
The Orioles turn to right-hander Kevin Gausman (2-4, 6.17 ERA) in the series finale. They feel
Gausman may be turning a corner with three quality starts in his last four games.
His ERA is 4.30 in those four games, but that includes the start in Kansas City where he allowed
five runs in 3 1/3. In the other three games his ERA is 2.75. Lefty batters are hitting .250 against
Gausman, right-handers are batting .370 and he allows a batting average against of .276 when
pitching with runners in scoring position.
Gausman is 6-3 with a 2.59 ERA in 19 career appearances against New York. This year he has
allowed nine earned runs in 10 2/3 with two no-decisions versus the Yankees. In his career at
Oriole Park against New York, he has gone 3-1 with a 2.11 ERA.
The Orioles are 26-24 through 50 games, including records of 16-8 at home and 18-11 versus the
AL East. The Orioles went 15-8 in April. They end May tonight with a record of 11-16 for the
month to far.
New York (30-19) is 9-10 since a 21-9 start through May 8. The Yankees are 13-11 on the road
and 13-9 within the division. They went 15-8 in April and are 15-11 in May.
O’s win, take series: The Orioles hammered the Yankees tonight 10-4 at Camden Yards, to take
two of three in this series and move to within 3 ½ games of first in the AL East.
Coming into this game, the Orioles had scored 15 runs total with a team average of .199 their
past seven games. But tonight, Adam Jones doubled, homered and drove in five runs as the
Orioles had 14 hits and scored 10 or more runs for the first time since posting 13 on May 16 at
Detroit. Chris Davis homered and drove in three and Mark Trumbo added two RBIs. The Orioles
went 7-for-13 with runners in scoring position.
The Orioles have now won 11 straight home series against the Yankees, dating to September of
2013. They are 24-9 at home versus New York since then. The Orioles host Boston to start a
four-game series on Thursday night.
http://www.espn.co.uk/mlb/recap?gameId=370531101
Adam Jones has homer, 5 RBIs in return as O's drop Yanks
By Associated Press
May 31, 2017
BALTIMORE -- After missing four straight games with a hip injury, Adam Jones finally
returned to the Baltimore Orioles' starting lineup.
It was hard to determine who was happier: Jones, his teammates or manager Buck Showalter.
Jones homered and drove in five runs, Chris Davis added a two-run shot and the Orioles beat
Masahiro Tanaka and the New York Yankees 10-4 on Wednesday night.
Jones contributed an RBI double to a four-run third inning, hit a three-run homer in the fourth
and drove in a run with an infield hit in the eighth.
"A rest here and there is good," Jones said. "Glad I was able to come back out there, add some
more energy, and the guys followed suit. So, good series win."
Baltimore took two of three from the AL East leaders after coming in with a seven-game losing
streak. The Yankees have lost 11 straight series in Baltimore -- the second-longest road skid in
franchise history behind a 12-series drought at Oakland from 1985-91.
Jones led the way, going 3 for 5 and scoring twice.
"It's a lot easier with him there," Showalter said. "You could tell he was pretty fresh."
Tanaka (5-5) lost his fourth straight start, extending the longest such streak of his career. The
right-hander gave up seven runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings.
"I just thought he was in a lot of bad counts tonight," manager Joe Girardi said. "His slider was
not sharp tonight. He managed to get through a few innings and then he made some mistakes
after that."
The Yankees had 11 hits but stranded 11 and went 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position.
Kevin Gausman (3-4) allowed two earned runs and eight hits over 5 1/3 innings, walking five
and striking out four. He twice escaped bases-loaded, two-out jams to earn his second win since
April 13 and provide hope for a starting rotation that was 1-9 since May 8.
"I thought he didn't break," Showalter said.
The Orioles took charge in the third. After Jones' run-scoring hit, Mark Trumbo hit a two-run
double and Davis added an RBI single .
Jones' fourth-inning homer on Tanaka's first offering made it 7-1. It was the 14th long ball
allowed by Tanaka in 11 starts, including eight in his last four appearances.
"It was a tough outing," Tanaka said through an interpreter. "I was not able to get first-pitch
strikes. To Adam Jones, those were the times you might have to throw balls first instead of just
throwing aggressively for strikes."
Davis hit his 11th home run with a man on in the seventh to cap his first multi-hit game since
May 16.
MILESTONE
Tanaka's four strikeouts gave him 501, making him the eighth Japanese pitcher to reach 500 .
Only four other pitchers have reached 500 Ks with the Yankees in their first four major league
seasons: Andy Pettitte, Lefty Gomez, Orlando Hernandez and Mel Stottlemyre.
ROSTER MOVES
Yankees: Recalled RHP Giovanny Gallegos from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. ... RHP
Bryan Mitchell was optioned to the same minor league club after Tuesday's game.
Orioles: Recalled RHP Mike Wright from Triple-A Norfolk. ... Optioned RHP Logan Verrett to
Norfolk.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Yankees: SS Didi Gregorius was held out after being hit in the right hand by a pitch Tuesday
night. X-rays were negative, but there was some swelling. Gregorius was available off the bench.
. CF Jacoby Ellsbury took batting practice Wednesday and is edging closer to coming off the
seven-day concussion DL, Girardi said. ... 1B Greg Bird (ankle bruise) will begin his rehab
assignment Thursday night with Class-A Tampa.
Orioles: C Welington Castillo was placed on the 10-day DL with a testicular injury that occurred
when the baseball that hit Gregorius ricocheted downward and struck Castillo in the groin.
UP NEXT
Yankees: CC Sabathia (5-2, 4.42 ERA) seeks his 16th career win against the Blue Jays when
New York launches a four-game series in Toronto on Thursday night.
Orioles: The Boston Red Sox come to town for a four-game series. The contentious rivalry
between AL East foes ramped up this season when an aggressive slide into second base by
Orioles 3B Manny Machado in late April led to dangerously inside pitches, harsh words and a
warning from MLB officials to stop the feuding.
https://www.pressboxonline.com/2017/06/01/orioles-bats-wake-up-take-series-from-yankees
Orioles Bats Wake Up, Take Series From Yankees
By Rich Dubroff/ PressBoxOnline.com
June 1, 2017
BALTIMORE -- For one night, the Orioles' bats awakened.
Chris Davis tried a new stance, and the first baseman had two hits and a two-run home run.
Adam Jones returned after missing four games with hip and ankle soreness, and the center fielder
drove in five runs, equaling a career high.
Even though Manny Machado's slump continued -- he was 0-for-5 and is now hitless in his last
18 at-bats -- the Orioles scored more runs than they had in any home game this season as they
topped the Yankees, 10-4, before 22,983 at Oriole Park May 31.
After beginning the season with a 22-10 record, the Orioles lost 13 of 16 before winning two of
three against the Yankees.
Eight of the Orioles' 14 hits were for extra-bases -- six doubles and the home runs from Davis
and Jones.
The Orioles have defeated the Yankees in 11 straight series in Baltimore since the start of the
2014 season. They trail New York by 3.5 games in the American League East.
"It felt fine. It felt good. I think it was good that we got the series win," Jones said. "We haven't
been playing as well of late. The last three weeks haven't been too fun. But it was a good series
win. Glad I was able to come back out there, add some more energy, and the guys followed suit.
So, good series win.
"Sometimes, I do inject some energy in the guys just the way I play and the style. Been out some
days but came back and the guys just fed off the energy."
Manager Buck Showalter was pleased to get Jones back.
"Adam is always on," Showalter said. "The way he approaches competition, he doesn't have a
day like, 'What's wrong with Adam today?' You don't have to worry about the mood."
Davis, who was stuck in a 4-for-46 rut, had his first multi-hit game since May 16.
"A couple of them he hit balls where they were shifted ... but just in between the seam,"
Showalter said. "A step here or there. We know what Chris is capable of."
GAUSMAN'S NIGHT: Right-hander Kevin Gausman had a big lead but wasn't able to complete
six innings.
Gausman allowed three runs, one unearned, on eight hits in 5.1 innings.
With a 7-1 lead, he gave up two runs and left the bases loaded in the fifth, and he departed with
one out in the sixth and two on.
"I had a good feel for all my pitches for strikes and for chase," Gausman said. "Too many two-
strike hits. Fastballs I was trying to go up and just left them down. They put some good swings
together and laid off some really tough pitches, so they definitely gave me a handful."
Fortunately for the right-hander, Mychal Givens retired the two batters he faced in the sixth.
Givens also pitched a 1-2-3 seventh.
CASTILLO INJURED: Catcher Welington Castillo was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a
testicular injury he suffered May 30.
Castillo was injured in the ninth inning when a pitch that hit New York's Didi Gregorius hit him
in the groin.
"Castillo spent a lot of time in the emergency room last night," Showalter said. "He's got a
hematoma there in his groin that we're going to monitor. We'll see how it progresses."
The Orioles selected the contract of catcher Francisco Pena from Triple-A Norfolk.
Castillo is batting .317 with four home runs and 17 RBIs in 29 games. He was on the disabled
list from May 1-16 with right shoulder tendinitis.
Pena batted .571 with two home runs and two RBIs in three games with the Orioles.
With Ryan Flaherty on the 10-day disabled list, the Orioles felt they needed to add a catcher
since they had no emergency help if Caleb Joseph gets injured.
Castillo's incident occurred exactly one year after Joseph's scary testicular injury, which resulted
in surgery.
WRIGHT UP, VERRETT DOWN: After right-hander Logan Verrett pitched three innings in
relief of Chris Tillman May 31, the Orioles decided they needed a long man, and they recalled
right-hander Mike Wright from Norfolk and sent Verrett to the Tides.
Verrett is 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA in three games. Wright, who was with the Orioles for a day last
month but didn't pitch, was 3-4 with a 4.19 ERA in 10 starts for Norfolk.
Wright worked a scoreless ninth.
"I thought it was important that he come in and get outs before we had to get Brad [Brach] going
more than anything," Showalter said. "People say, 'That's a 10-4 game.' That's a 2-1 game in his
mind, the way guys are pitching. If he ends up throwing 30, 40 pitches and we have to get Brad
in, guess what happens to him tomorrow?
"They know. I think there's a certain amount of pressure involved in that game even though some
people don't think so or wouldn't think so."
ANDINO SUSPENDED: Orioles minor league infielder Robert Andino, who was with Norfolk,
has been suspended 50 games without pay for use of amphetamines.
Andino, who played with the Orioles from 2009-2012, signed a minor league contract with the
team just before spring training. He was batting .234 with six home runs and 23 RBIs in 49
games with Norfolk.
The Orioles considered adding Andino when Flaherty was placed on the 10-day disabled list but
opted for Paul Janish instead.
Minor league outfielder Johnny Dixon, who was with the Orioles' Dominican Summer League
team, was suspended for 72 games for use of Stanozolol, a performance-enhancing substance.
COMING UP: The Orioles open a four-game series with Boston June 1. Left-handers Wade
Miley (1-3, 3.02) and Eduardo Rodriguez (4-1, 2.77) are the scheduled starters.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-yankees-observations-20170531-
story.html
Orioles observations: Gausman struggles to shut down
Yankees after being handed another big lead
By Peter Schmuck/The Sun
May 31, 2017
The Orioles gave Kevin Gausman all sorts of run support Wednesday night on the way to a 10-4
victory over the New York Yankees, but the young right-hander continues to have trouble
shutting down opponents when he gets a big lead.
He was staked to a 7-1 advantage when Adam Jones hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning,
but allowed two runs in the fifth and was removed from the game with two on and one out in the
sixth.
“I thought he bent but didn’t break," manager Buck Showalter said. “Sometimes with that lead,
you can get some anxiety and try to rush through it. Getting through that fifth inning, he made a
couple big pitches, but they’re so good offensively that you never feel like you can put it in
cruise control.”
It wasn’t a disaster, but he was up to his eyeballs in base runners in the middle innings after
working out of a bases-loaded jam in the first. He then retired eight straight batters while the
heart of the Orioles lineup was hammering away at Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka.
“Obviously, they’re swinging the bat really well, especially after yesterday," Gausman said.
“One thing I was trying to do was make quality pitches. I kind of put myself in some tough
situations and had to pitch out of it, and luckily I did and my defense made some great plays for
me also.”
Orioles observations: Gausman the third time through, Wright's role, and opt-out decisions
Tanaka allowed four runs in the third inning and surrendered the two-out homer to Jones in the
fourth, but pitched into the sixth as the Yankees made a valiant attempt to get him off the hook.
Gausman, who has surrendered several big leads over the past month, lasted 5 1/3 innings and
allowed three runs (two earned) on eight hits and five walks. Though he kept everyone in
suspense in the middle innings, he still reduced his ERA from 6.17 to 5.92.
Reliever Mychal Givens came on in relief in the sixth and retired five straight batters. Darren
O’Day and recent call-up Mike Wright finished the game as the Orioles won their 11th
consecutive home series against the Yankees.
“Mychal probably had the biggest innings other than the guy starting,’’ Showalter said. “That
was a good consistent outing for Mike. We needed that tonight, trying to keep our feet on the
ground for the next series physically with our pitching.”
Adam returns: Obviously, Jones was rested and ready after missing four games recovering from
a sore left ankle and hip. He put the Orioles on the scoreboard in the third inning with a line-
drive double to left-center and broke the game open in the fourth with a three-run home run to
right-center. The home run was his ninth of the season, and he increased his RBI total to 26 by
driving in a run on an infield single in the eighth, tying Mark Trumbo for the team lead.
Crushing blow: First baseman Chris Davis, who drove in a run with a single in the third inning,
removed some suspense from the late innings when he launched a two-run homer off reliever
Giovanny Gallegos in the bottom of the seventh. It was his team-leading 11th homer and the
210th of his Orioles career, moving him into sole possession of seventh place on the club’s all-
time list, passing Brady Anderson.
Trumbo plates a pair: Trumbo added his 25th and 26th RBIs of the season in the four-run third
inning with a two-run double to right. He has driven in runs in three of his past four games and
has scored a run in each of his past four games. He also doubled in the seventh and scored on
Davis’ homer.
Hardy’s hitting: J.J. Hardy was batting .194 nine games ago, but he has been stringing together
some hits over the past couple of weeks. He singled and doubled, respectively, in his first two at-
bats Wednesday night and his 2-for-4 performance raised his average to .220. The double was
his 10th hit in his previous 27 at-bats (.370). Though he hasn’t hit for the average he would like,
he has delivered some important run-scoring hits and his ratio of one RBI per 10 at-bats is only
slightly worse than his career ratio of 8.4.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-catcher-welington-castillo-went-to-
emergency-room-after-ball-hit-groin-dl-possible-20170531-story.html
Orioles' Welington Castillo went to emergency room after
ball hit groin, placed on disabled list
By Jon Meoli/ The Sun
May 31, 2017
Orioles catcher Welington Castillo required a hospital trip Tuesday night into Wednesday
morning and landed on the disabled list with a testicular injury after a pitch that hit New York
Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius deflected down into his groin area, manager Buck Showalter
said.
“Castillo spent a lot of time in the emergency room last night, postgame, with the obvious
contusion, whatever you want to call it, that he had last night that everybody knows about,”
Showalter said before the game.
“He’s got a hematoma there in his groin that we’re going to monitor and see how it progresses.
But we wouldn’t use him tonight to catch, and now, we’re trying to decide whether we’re going
to DL him or not. So we’ve got the possibilities in place, and we’re going to make a decision
here shortly.”
With Castillo not able to catch Wednesday and Caleb Joseph starting, plus the absence of
emergency catcher Ryan Flaherty (shoulder), a move to add a catcher was required.
Francisco Peña, who was up with the team for two weeks earlier this month before being
designated for assignment on May 17, was added to an open spot on the 40-man roster.
Showalter said the angle of the ball into that area was what made the impact worse for Castillo,
comparing it to the angle of the foul ball that caught Joseph in the groin last year and required
him to sit out a month with a testicular injury.
Orioles' Manny Machado leads AL third basemen in first All-Star Game fan balloting update
Both injuries occurred in the ninth inning of games on May 30, one year apart.
“Most of the time, if you look at the ones that really are the problem are the angles, when you get
a different angle, like the ball that Gregorius got hit by,” Showalter said. “Looking back at
Caleb’s, it was very similar with the angle.”
In Castillo, the Orioles are losing their most consistent hitter for the second time this season.
Castillo missed 13 games earlier this month with shoulder tendinitis. He’s batting .317/.339/.467
with four home runs, the steadiest line of any regular on the club.
Joseph, who entered Wednesday batting .253/.271/.422 with a pair of home runs and 10 RBIs,
thrives with regular time, which he could get if Castillo needs to sit out. He hit .333 with an .881
OPS during Castillo’s two-week absence earlier this month.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-triple-a-norfolk-infielder-robert-andino-
suspended-50-games-for-amphetamine-use-20170531-story.html
Orioles minor leaguer Robert Andino suspended 50 games
for amphetamine use
Eduardo A. Encina/ The Sun
May 31, 2017
Two Orioles minor leaguers, including Triple-A infielder Robert Andino, were suspended for
violating the minor league drug prevention and treatment program, Major League Baseball
announced Wednesday.
Andino, who rejoined the Orioles organization this past offseason on a minor league deal, was
suspended for 50 games without pay effective immediately for testing positive for using
amphetamine, a banned stimulant.
He was hitting .234/.282/.375 with six homers and 23 RBIs in 49 games with Norfolk, making
30 starts at second base and 15 at shortstop.
Orioles manager Buck Showalter recently mentioned Andino as a call-up possibility to provide
help when utility infielder Ryan Flaherty went on the disabled list. Flaherty is expected to miss
another two to three weeks with a right shoulder strain, and his place on the 25-man roster is
currently being held by infielder Paul Janish.
Also, outfielder Johnny Dixon, which is currently on the Orioles’ Dominican Summer League
roster, has received a 72-game suspension without pay for testing positive for the performance-
enhancing substance Stanozolol . His suspension will begin at the beginning of the Dominican
Summer League season.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-notes-seth-smith-slump-not-related-
to-eye-issue-mike-wright-happy-to-be-home-20170531-story.html
Orioles notes: Seth Smith slump not related to eye problem;
Mike Wright happy to be 'home'
By Jon Meoli/ The Sun
May 31, 2017
For most of the first two months of the season, Orioles outfielder Seth Smith was providing the
steady approach and daily production against right-handed pitching the team expected. But that
has fallen off of late.
Since Smith started having vision problems May 18 in Detroit after he fouled a ball off the
ground and it bounced into his face just below his eyes, his production has dipped drastically.
He was batting .310/.392/.524 after that game, when he hit a home run in the next at-bat after the
foul ball. But his vision deteriorated as that game went on. Since then, he entered Wednesday
with three hits in 30 at-bats, with 10 of his 29 strikeouts coming in that nine-game span. He
broke through Wednesday with a 3-for-4 night with two runs scored.
“No,” he said. “Just a straight-line no.
"It’s not weird, it’s baseball. You get in them and you try to get out of them as fast as possible.
Some things change from day to day with the mechanical, trying to get yourself in a place where
you can pick up pitches and get good swings off of them when you pick up those pitches. It’s
kind of a thing we’re all trying to do. It comes and goes, and stays and stays away.”
Orioles' Welington Castillo went to emergency room after ball hit groin, placed on disabled list
Manager Buck Showalter said he hadn’t heard anything about the eye carrying over, either.
“It hasn’t appeared on the training report, and [head athletic trainer Richie Bancells] or Seth
haven’t brought it up,” Showalter said. “I haven’t really thought of it — I probably have, but I
felt like somebody would have brought it up.”
Wright back: Right-hander Mike Wright, who was set to start Thursday for Triple-A Norfolk,
instead joined the Orioles to replace reliever Logan Verrett after the team used him for three
innings of relief Tuesday.
“It’s nice to finally see this clubhouse again,” said Wright, who was up with the team briefly in
Boston this month as well. “I feel like I’m back home.”
Wright pitched the mop-up ninth inning Wednesday for the Orioles,
yielding one hit and no runs with two strikeouts.
Wright has pitched into the sixth inning in each of his past seven starts, and hasn’t allowed more
than three earned runs in any of them, giving him a 4.19 ERA on the year.
“Honestly, I feel better than even the numbers look,” he said. “That’s a positive sign and I’d like
to continue that here.”
Verrett won’t report to Norfolk until Friday, Showalter said, as he’ll go home to Waco, Texas, to
see his wife and new baby.
Around the horn: WWE superstar James Ellsworth, who is from the Baltimore area, was a guest
of the team and center fielder Adam Jones before Wednesday’s game. … Showalter said he
wanted to get outfielder Hyun Soo Kim into a game, but it’s outweighed by wanting rookie Trey
Mancini to see a high caliber of pitchers. Kim has started 17 of the team’s first 51 games, just
two more than he had at this point last season.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck-blog/bal-hopefully-the-orioles-and-red-sox-are-
ready-to-put-their-feud-in-the-rear-view-mirror-20170601-story.html
Hopefully, the Orioles and Red Sox are ready to put their
feud in the rear view mirror
By Peter Schmuck/ The Sun
June 1, 2017
Baseball grudges die hard, as we all saw earlier this week in San Francisco, but the Orioles and
Red Sox need to put their month-old feud behind them.
There are more important things for both teams to worry about than settling an old score.
The four-game series that opens tonight at Camden Yards is certainly huge for an Orioles team
that has been slumping lately and just got off the mat to win a series against the New York
Yankees.
The Sox are finally playing well and have passed the O's in the standings. They need to keep
winning and the Orioles have shown a penchant for beating their AL East rivals this year. Their
record inside the division is 19-11.
The Red Sox will be playing without Dustin Pedroia, who is back on the disabled list because of
an injury unrelated to the hard slide by Manny Machado that touched off all that unpleasantness
in late April and early May. They also are just getting their starting rotation back up to speed,
with David Price set to make his second start this weekend after coming off a lengthy stay on the
disabled list.
Still, while everyone probably agrees that it's time to move forward, there is always the
possibility that a legitimately errant pitch finds a hitter on one of these two teams and reignites
bad feelings or leads to an unnecessary ejection that affects the competitive chemistry of what
should be an entertaining series.
If you want to know how easy it would be for that to happen, remember how Kevin Gausman
was thrown out of a game in Fenway Park for hitting Xander Bogaerts with a 75-mile-per-hour
breaking ball. Stuff like that happens when tensions are high, and in that case, even the umpires
got caught up in it.
There's also the influence of the media and the fans on situations such as this. Every inside pitch
is going to evoke a response in the stands, which often does have an effect on the emotions on
the field.
The Orioles don't need any more of that nonsense and -- you would think -- neither do the Red
Sox, though the gratuitous purpose pitch by Sox ace Chris Sale in Boston leaves room to wonder
if cooler heads have prevailed in the Boston clubhouse.
We won't have to wait long to find out.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-observations-gausman-the-third-
time-through-wright-s-future-as-a-reliever-and-decisions-on-o-20170531-story.html
Orioles observations: Gausman the third time through,
Wright's role, and opt-out decisions
Eduardo A. Encina/ The Sun
June 1, 2017
Orioles right-hander Kevin Gausman is at his best when he’s able to locate his fastball –
particularly down and away – and use his arsenal of secondary pitches off that. And while
Gausman battled through a 22-pitch first inning Wednesday night, he found his command in the
Orioles’ 10-4 series-clinching win over the New York Yankees at Camden Yards.
Orioles manager Buck Showalter put it well in saying that Gausman bent but didn’t break against
a dangerous lineup, escaping some tough situations that had him close to another blown lead.
“I had a good feel for all my pitches for strikes and for chase,” Gausman said. “Fastballs I was
trying to go up and just left them down. They put some good swings together and laid off some
really tough pitches, so they definitely gave me a handful.”
Gausman has something to build on after Wednesday’s win, but he also continues to struggle the
third time through the order. The third time through Wednesday the Yankees went 4-for-8 with
two doubles, two singles, two RBIs and a walk. For the season, opponents are hitting .400 (28-
for-80) against Gausman in his third time through the order, and 14 of those hits are for extra
bases – nine doubles and five homers.
Gausman allowed two runs in the fifth inning, giving up hits to four of the first five batters he
faced, most of those hits coming the third time through. And three of those hits came on first
pitches, two on fastballs.
Right-hander Mike Wright allowed a two-out double to Aaron Judge but struck out two in a
scoreless ninth inning.
His performance meant that interim closer Brad Brach could be saved for another day, which is
important with four games against Boston starting Thursday night. And because Wright threw
just 17 pitches, he remains available in the coming days; otherwise, he might have been shuttled
back to Norfolk after the game.
“People say, ‘That’s a 10-4 game,’ ” Showalter said. “That’s a 2-1 game in his mind, the way
guys are pitching. If he ends up throwing 30, 40 pitches and we have to get Brad in, guess what
happens to him tomorrow? They know. I think there’s a certain amount of pressure involved in
that game even though some people don’t think so or wouldn’t think so.”
It will be interesting to see whether Wright has an extended stay. The Orioles have insisted on
developing him as a starter, but there’s always been a belief among some in the organization that
he should be a reliever.
“That’s always been in everybody’s mind, including mine, that if it didn’t work out, that is where
we felt like he could fall, but because of the premium and the need, we ask everybody to go
down the starting role first,” Showalter said. “The first topic when you’re talking about him as a
pitcher, you want him to see if he can handle starting. That’s pretty good tonight. I got a text
from one of our scouts that reminds me of that all the time. As soon as the game ended, I looked
at my phone.”
The Orioles will have to make decisions on two players at Triple-A Norfolk who have June 1
opt-out clauses: outfielder Pedro Alvarez and right-handed reliever Edwin Jackson.
Alvarez has 12 homers in 206 at-bats, but he's hitting just .233/.296/.456 and the organization’s
experiment to try him in the outfield hasn’t been productive.
He’s put up power numbers, but there is a reason Alvarez remained unsigned in March: he’s
basically a left-handed platoon designated hitter. So it will be interesting to see whether he truly
tries to find opportunities elsewhere.
Right now, there doesn't seem to be much of a market for him. The Orioles could use his power
bat, but they don't need another player with defensive liabilities.
Jackson has a 3.26 ERA for the Tides pitching mainly in multiple-inning relief. Reviews of
Jackson in Norfolk are positive, and he fits the long-relief mold better than say, Ubaldo Jimenez,
because he can pitch multiple innings regularly without long layoffs.
Basically, he could fill Vance Worley’s long-relief role of last season, but it would be difficult
for the club to carry two non-optionable long relievers – Jackson and Jimenez. Bullpen flexibility
was one of the reasons the team didn’t bring back Worley.
Usually, a club has 48 hours to add a player to the roster before an opt-out.
http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2017/06/injuries-suspensions-opt-outs-and-tonights-
game.html
Injuries, suspensions, opt-outs and tonight’s game
By Roch Kubatko/MASNsports.com
June 1, 2017
The Orioles crammed a lot of news into a few hours yesterday, if a 14-minute rain delay to start
the game also falls into that category.
It’s old news, for sure. Seems to rain here every day. The official mascot should be moss.
Catcher Welington Castillo was placed on the disabled list, and it’s - you pick the word - that his
testicular injury occurred exactly one year after the one sustained by catcher Caleb Joseph.
“An eerie coincidence” is three words. So is “a painful reminder.”
If I’m an Orioles catcher and my name’s in the lineup on May 30, 2018, I’m announcing my
retirement and entering broadcasting. Maybe I fake my own death.
I remember when it also happened to Charles Johnson at Camden Yards. And getting the
awkward updates at his locker after he returned from the hospital. I’m pretty sure that I asked
one day whether we could just talk about his hamstring.
Castillo may be ready in fewer than 10 days and the Orioles considered creative ways to carry
three catchers for a brief period. They couldn’t execute it.
Manager Buck Showalter wanted to stay with seven relievers. The Orioles could have optioned
outfielder Joey Rickard, but then he’d be lost for 10 days and they’re facing three left-handed
starters in the Red Sox series that begins tonight at Camden Yards.
Designating Paul Janish for assignment would leave the Orioles without a utility infielder. They
could get by for one night if there’s an injury and rush a replacement to Baltimore, but it just
made more sense to put Castillo on the disabled list and select Francisco Peña’s contract.
Peña eventually will be designated again and decide whether to accept another outright
assignment if he clears waivers.
The Orioles added Mike Wright to their bullpen yesterday and optioned reliever Logan Verrett.
Fresh arms are always right around the corner.
Wright has been working on his sinker, but he didn’t want to talk about his repertoire, playfully
dismissing a question about it at his locker.
“I’m not going to give away any information, you know?” he said. “I just feel good. How’s
that?”
Wright laughed. We laughed. Interview ended.
Wright worked a scoreless ninth inning, allowing a double and striking out two. I saw one
fastball at 98 mph. There may have been others, but I wasn’t locked into the radar readings.
“I thought it was important that he come in and get outs before we had to get Brad (Brach) going
more than anything,” Showalter said. “People say, ‘That’s a 10-4 game.’ That’s a 2-1 game in his
mind, the way guys are pitching. If he ends up throwing 30, 40 pitches and we have to get Brad
in, guess what happens to him tomorrow? They know.
“I think there’s a certain amount of pressure involved in that game even though some people
don’t think so or wouldn’t think so.”
I also reported yesterday that veteran infielder Robert Andino was suspended 50 games after
testing positive for an amphetamine. The Orioles had to know what was coming and maybe it
influenced their roster decisions, though Janish is regarded as the better defensive player.
Major League Baseball announces the suspensions, not the Orioles, but I’m still counting it as
their news because he’s in the organization. Let’s not quibble.
I get the press releases emailed to me that include a headline about minor league player
suspensions and I scroll it on my phone while hoping that it doesn’t involve an Oriole. Mostly
it’s for selfish reasons - extra work and all - but I also like Andino and wish it hadn’t happened.
As it turned out, the release named two Orioles minor leaguers. I’ll confess that I never heard of
outfielder Johnny Dixon, who was on the Dominican Summer League team’s roster. He was
suspended 72 games after testing positive for metabolites of Stanozolol.
Sounds more like a Netflix series.
Dixon, 20, has batted .248/.311/.355 with 18 doubles, three triples, eight home runs and 69 RBIs
in 179 games in two seasons in the Dominican Summer League.
Executive vice president Dan Duquette intended to speak last night with agent Scott Boras
regarding Pedro Álvarez’s opt-out clause, which the veteran infielder/outfielder can exercise
today.
Álvarez is on fire, with nine home runs and 29 RBIs in May. He hit a three-run shot last night.
I’ve heard that the Orioles expect Álvarez to leave. They don’t have an obvious spot for a left-
handed designated hitter on a four-man bench. Hyun Soo Kim doesn’t play much, but he can’t be
optioned and they trust him in the outfield.
Pitcher Edwin Jackson’s opt-out clause also was reported as being today, but I’m told it’s June
15. Let’s just go with “this month.”
The Orioles placed first baseman and former top catching prospect Jesus Montero on Norfolk’s
roster yesterday. He’s done serving his 50-game suspension. So is pitcher Mario Alcantara, now
on Single-A Frederick’s roster.
The Orioles are preparing for their 10th game against the Red Sox this season - let’s see whether
they can play nice - and Wade Miley still is sitting on one career start versus the division rivals.
It occurred on Sept. 12, 2016 and flashbacks could bring blood-curdling screams in the night.
Miley lasted only 1 1/3 innings and allowed six runs and eight hits in a 12-2 loss at Fenway Park.
It also was my birthday, which had absolutely nothing to do with his outing.
He wasn’t distracted while trying to figure out the perfect gift.
Miley led the American League with 31 walks heading into last night’s games and is averaging
5.2 per nine innings. He’s gone five innings in three of his last four starts and in five of 10.
Miley’s posted a 3.02 ERA in 53 2/3 innings, but also a 1.509 WHIP.
Chris Young is 5-for-12 with two doubles lifetime against him.
Showalter may stack his lineup with left-handers tonight against Red Sox southpaw and former
Orioles farmhand Eduardo Rodriguez. Left-handers are hitting .289 against him this season and
.273 in his career. Right-handers are hitting .190 this season and .232 lifetime.
Mark Trumbo is 0-for-14 with five strikeouts against Rodriguez, who’s reeled off seven quality
starts in a row and is 4-1 with a 2.77 ERA and 1.019 WHIP in 10 games over 55 1/3 innings.
Manny Machado, Adam Jones and Chris Davis each are 4-for-19. Machado has two doubles,
Jones has a double and home run and Davis has struck out eight times.
Jonathan Schoop is 2-for-13 with a double and five strikeouts. Trey Mancini is 1-for-5 with a
home run.
Rodriguez faced the Orioles on April 23 at Camden Yards and held them to one hit over six
scoreless innings. He walked five and struck out seven.
http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2017/05/welington-castillo-goes-on-disabled-
list.html
Welington Castillo goes on disabled list (O’s lead 9-4)
By Roch Kubatko/ MASNsports.com
May 31, 2017
The Orioles have placed catcher Welington Castillo on the 10-day disabled list with a testicular
injury and selected catcher Francisco Peña’s contract from Triple-A Norfolk. The 40-man roster
is full.
Castillo spent much of last night in the emergency room after being hit in the groin by a pitch
that first struck Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius and caromed.
“Most of the times, the ones that are really a problem are the angle, when you get a different
angle,” manager Buck Showalter said earlier today. “He’s got a hematoma there in his groin that
we’re going to monitor and see how it progresses. Wouldn’t use him tonight to catch.”
Castillo’s injury, while painful, isn’t nearly as severe as the one sustained last season by Caleb
Joseph, who required surgery and spent a month on the disabled list. Castillo was hit in the same
spot exactly one year later.
The Orioles considered going with three catchers and removing another player because Castillo
may not need 10 days, but they decided to put him on the disabled list.
Ryan Flaherty has been the emergency catcher, but his absence due to a strained right shoulder
also prompted the Orioles to make a roster move.
“That’s another thing that would have probably kept us from maybe DLing Casi,” Showalter
said. “You going to ask me who the emergency third is now? I’ve got one. I’m not sure if he
knows it.”
I’m going to guess infielder Paul Janish.
Castillo is batting .317/.339/.467 with six doubles, four home runs and 17 RBIs in 29 games.
Top position prospect Chance Sisco remains at Norfolk. The reports on him at the plate and
behind it are improving and the Orioles don’t want to disturb him.
Catcher Audry Perez is off the disabled list and transferred from Double-A Bowie to Norfolk.
The Orioles recalled Mike Wright earlier today and optioned Logan Verrett, who’s been told to
wait until Friday to report to Norfolk.
Verrett was given permission to fly home to Waco, Texas and see his baby. He recently came off
the paternity list.
“That’s one good thing about it, that he’s able to do that,” Showalter said.
Wright is 3-4 with a 4.19 ERA in 10 starts with the Tides. He was optioned on May 2, but the
Orioles put him back on the shuttle.
It was headed in the right direction.
“It’s nice to finally see this clubhouse again. I feel like I’m back home,” he said.
“I feel really well right now. The numbers look pretty good, but honestly, I feel better than even
the numbers look, so that’s a positive sign and hopefully I can continue it here.”
Verrett threw three innings last night and wasn’t going to be available for a few days. The
Orioles wanted a fresh reliever and Wright was rested.
“Michael’s our best option in a lot of ways,” Showalter said. “One, he was getting ready to start,
so he can provide some length if the opposing team would cooperate. You know how that goes.
This guy’s a long reliever. Well, not if he can’t get anybody out, right? He becomes a short
reliever.”
Adam Jones remains in the lineup tonight after being scratched the past two days. Trey Mancini
is in left field, with Hyun Soo Kim again a spectator.
“I was thinking about playing Kim tonight,” Showalter said. “I keep trying to figure out a way to
get Kim in there, but it’s hard.
“There’s a part of it with Trey, I want him to see (Lance) McCullers and I want him to see
(Dallas) Keuchel and I want him to see (Masahiro) Tanaka. I want him to see these guys. At
some point, he needs to be exposed to it and say, ‘OK, there’s a real good pitch and here’s what
I’ve got to do differently,’ because good hitters figure that out and they can’t do it sitting on the
bench.”
Veteran Triple-A infielder Robert Andino has been suspended 50 games without pay after testing
positive for an amphetamine, a stimulant in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and
Treatment Program.
Andino, 33, is batting .234/.282/.375 with seven doubles, a triple, six home runs and 23 RBIs in
49 games.
Orioles minor league outfielder Johnny Dixon has been suspended 72 games without pay for
testing positive for metabolites of Stanozolol, a performance-enhancing substance. Dixon, 20, is
on the roster of the Dominican Summer League team.
Update: The Orioles took a 4-0 lead in the third inning on an RBI double from Jones, a two-run
double from Mark Trumbo and Chris Davis’ RBI single. Trumbo’s ball froze right fielder Aaron
Judge, who leaped at the last instant and missed the ball.
The Yankees scored an unearned run off Kevin Gausman in the fourth on Jonathan Schoop’s
throwing error.
Update II: Jones’ three-run homer gave the Orioles a 7-1 lead in the fourth inning, but the
Yankees scored twice in the fifth and chased Gausman with one out in the sixth. He threw 106
pitches.
Mychal Givens will try to strand two runners.
Update III: Givens retired all five batters he faced and Davis hit a two-run homer in the seventh
to extend the lead to 9-3.
Davis has 210 home runs as an Oriole to give him sole possession of seventh place.
Update IV: Darren O’Day gave up a run in the eighth after back-to-back singles to start the
inning. He struck out Aaron Hicks to strand a runner on third base and keep a 9-4 lead.
http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/06/feeling-a-draft-the-orioles-have-four-of-
the-top-100-selections.html
Feeling a draft: The Orioles have four of the top 100
selections
By Steve Melewski/ MASNsports.com
June 1, 2017
After he heads out to scout an NCAA regional tournament this weekend, Orioles scouting
director Gary Rajsich will head to the warehouse at Camden Yards for about a week’s worth of
meetings leading up to another First-Year Player Draft.
This will be Rajsich’s sixth draft with the Orioles. He took right-hander Kevin Gausman with his
initial first-round pick (No. 4 overall) in 2012 and right-hander Cody Sedlock (No. 27 overall)
with his top pick last June. He has taken pitchers with four of his previous top five selections.
The only exception was outfielder DJ Stewart taken 25th overall in 2015.
The 2017 draft will be held from Monday, June 12 through Wednesday, June 14. The first
night’s selections will be made through the second round and competitive balance round B. On
June 13, rounds three through 10 will be held and the next day the draft concludes with rounds
11-40. Minnesota has the overall No. 1 pick for the first time since 2001.
The Orioles had four top 100 selections in 2013 and 2016 and they have four this year with picks
at No. 21, 60, 74 and 98. The Orioles have 11 picks over the first 10 rounds and a pool allotment
of $6,846,700 to sign their top 10 round selections.
So how good does the top 100 look this year?
“I would say pitching, high school and college and high school position players would be the
strength of the draft,” Rajsich said. “Out of that top 100, there is kind of a premium on college
position players because there are just not too many of them.
“We are mostly worried about clubs with multiple picks before our second pick. That is always a
concern. Because a lot of good players will be gone between our first and second picks.”
The allotted slot amount to sign the No. 21 pick is $2,892,400. Do the Orioles figure to get a
player for about that signing bonus amount?
“We are always open for it to be higher or lower,” Rajsich said. “We expect to be around the slot
but it depends on who is there and what their situation is. And what we are trying to do after that
pick. There are a lot of variables there. We try to allow for difference scenarios.”
Rajsich said he and his staff have not yet compiled a short list of players to focus on that they
might select 21st. But that paring down of talent will happen very soon in their draft room.
With the major league team in win-now mode, especially with some key players due to hit free
agency after 2018, does that impact this draft for Baltimore?
“Not really,” he said. “We are still going to go with the same philosophy we’ve always gone
with. To take the next best guy available. I know we took a lot of pitchers last year but we felt
we needed to strengthen the pitching depth in the organization. Last year we took 27 pitchers out
of 40. We addressed that and some outfield depth last year. So, we’re just trying to go to the
strength of the draft and fill needs we have. We want to strengthen our system overall.”
From 2006 through 2012, the Orioles first selection was No. 9 or higher. For the last six years of
that run they picked between third and fifth every year. But since 2013 their highest picks have
been No. 22 (Hunter Harvey), No. 90 (Brian Gonzalez), No. 25 (Stewart) and No. 27 (Sedlock).
In his latest mock draft for MLBPipeline.com, Jim Callis projected the Orioles would take
Missouri right-handed pitcher Tanner Houck, but also listed several college hitters he feels
should be on their radar along with North Carolina prep shortstop Greg Jones. Baseball
America’s latest mock had the Orioles selecting UCLA right-hander Griffin Canning. The
Orioles were earlier said to have interest in University of North Carolina shortstop Logan
Warmoth.
Teams can bring some players in to their stadium right before the draft for workouts and
meetings. The players have to pay their own way but the team selecting them could reimburse
them later for expenses. The Orioles will do this to take a close-up look at some potential
draftees.
“We will have a workout. It’s by invitation only. It’s not an open tryout. We will bring in less
than a dozen guys to get our eyes on them and get a feel for them with our staff here.”
Rajsich said the Orioles put a premium on a player’s makeup, which involves things like attitude
and character.
“Makeup for me is just as important as talent. You have to have both,” he said.
http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/233577250/red-sox-os-renew-rivalry-in-
baltimore/?topicId=26688732
Miley, O's renew rivalry with Red Sox at home
By Ian Browne / MLB.com
June 1, 2017
Red Sox-Orioles, which has turned into a heated rivalry this season, resumes on Thursday night
when the American League East foes open a four-game series at Camden Yards.
It will be the fourth series between the clubs already this season, and the Birds have taken five of
the first nine games.
Eduardo Rodriguez, once a top Orioles prospect, draws the assignment in the opener for the Red
Sox. He has thrived at Camden Yards, going 3-1 with a 1.34 ERA in six starts. The lefty has
been on fire of late, and he will try to notch his eighth consecutive quality start.
"It's just a matter of his abilities coming together," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "This has
always been an extremely talented young guy. We've talked about his maturity. We've talked
about his progression. It's been on display here for a good number of starts consecutively. He's in
a very good place. It's good to see him put it together."
Lefty Wade Miley, who pitched for the Red Sox in 2015, takes the ball for Baltimore.
Though Miley has done a nice job minimizing the damage this season, the Orioles would like to
see him go deeper into games. He's gone fewer than six innings in five of his last six starts,
including a five-inning performance in a 5-2 loss to the Astros his last time out.
The previous Red Sox-Orioles meetings this season have included subplots galore.
O's manager Buck Showalter called the Red Sox out on April 11 for making too much of a flu
that had spread around the team. Manny Machado slid into Dustin Pedroia's surgically repaired
left knee on April 21, forcing the second baseman out of the lineup for a few days. Two days
later, Matt Barnes threw at Machado and was suspended.
When the teams met at Fenway from May 1-4, Dylan Bundy hit Mookie Betts on the left leg
with a fastball and Chris Sale threw a pitch behind Machado, prompting the star third baseman to
go on a verbal tirade directed at the lefty in his postgame interview.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred had a conference call with both teams during that last series,
and he essentially told them to cool it.
The hope of both teams is that baseball will be the focal point for this go-around.
The Red Sox and Orioles are currently trying to catch the Yankees in the American League East.
Three things to know about this game
• With the left-handed Miley pitching the opener, the Red Sox will have Sam Travis in the lineup
at first base. Outfielder Chris Young will also start in place of either Andrew Benintendi or
Jackie Bradley Jr. Pablo Sandoval, who is starting against righties only for now, will be on the
bench.
• Whenever Betts plays at Camden Yards, the fans sitting in the outfield stands should be ready.
The outfielder has 10 homers in 92 at-bats in Baltimore.
• Miley has a 3.02 ERA across 10 starts this season despite walking more batters (31 in 53
innings) than any other AL starter. He has struggled to hit the strike zone with much frequency --
only 38.9 percent of his pitches have been within the zone, the lowest rate in the Majors among
starters.
http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/233541626/manny-machado-in-lead-at-3b-on-all-star-
ballot/
Manny holds slim 3B lead on All-Star ballot
By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com
May 31, 2017
BALTIMORE -- Manny Machado and new Oriole Welington Castillo highlighted the first
American League update of this year's Esurance MLB All-Star Game ballot.
Machado, a three-time All-Star, leads the AL third-base vote (369,069), and he is trying to hold
off a pair of players who would be first-time All Stars -- Minnesota's Miguel Sano (363,607) and
Cleveland's Jose Ramirez (351,814). Machado, the fan-elected starter in 2016, would join Hall of
Famers Brooks Robinson and Cal Ripken Jr. as the only Orioles third basemen to earn multiple
fan-elected starts.
Castillo, who went on the disabled list with a groin injury Wednesday, is second among AL
catchers (339,902 votes), behind Kansas City's Salvador Perez (420,268). Jonathan Schoop
rounded out the position players for the O's, sitting in fifth place among second basemen.
Fans may cast votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- on computers, tablets and
smartphones -- exclusively online using the 2017 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot until
Thursday, June 29, at 11:59 p.m. ET. On smartphones and tablets, fans can also access the ballot
via the MLB.com At Bat and MLB.com Ballpark mobile apps. Vote up to five times in any 24-
hour period for a maximum of 35 ballots cast.
Following the announcement of the 2017 All-Star starters, reserves and pitchers, fans should
return to MLB.com and cast their 2017 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote for the final
player on each league's All-Star roster. Then on Tuesday, July 11, while watching the 2017 All-
Star Game presented by MasterCard live on FOX, fans may visit MLB.com to submit their
choices for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet with the 2017
MLB All-Star Game MVP Vote.
The 88th Midsummer Classic, at Marlins Park in Miami, will be televised nationally by FOX
Sports; in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS; and worldwide by partners in more than 160
countries. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide exclusive national radio
coverage, while MLB Network, MLB.com and SiriusXM will have comprehensive All-Star
Week coverage. For more information about MLB All-Star Week and to purchase tickets, please
visit AllStarGame.com and follow @AllStarGame on social media.
http://www.espn.com/blog/baltimore-orioles/post/_/id/1548/what-is-wrong-with-manny-
machado
What's wrong with Manny Machado?
By Eddie Matz/ ESPN.com
June 1, 2017
Last season around this time, Manny Machado looked like one of the best players in baseball,
and Bryce Harper looked lost. A year later, it’s as if Machado and Harper are starring in another
reboot of Disney’s "Freaky Friday."
Through the end of May, Harper, the Washington Nationals slugger, is one off the National
League lead in homers and is among the top six in RBIs, runs, walks, slugging percentage and
OPS. He's looking a whole lot like the guy who in 2015 became the youngest unanimous MVP
ever. Meanwhile, just up the road in Baltimore, Machado’s scuffling like he has never scuffled
before.
Through the first two months of the season, Machado's .205 batting average ranked 80th out of
86 qualified American League hitters. His .286 on-base percentage was in the bottom 10, and his
.691 OPS was just outside the bottom 20. On Tuesday against the Yankees, he struck out four
times, just his second golden sombrero ever and his first since the 2014 season. After walking 16
times in April, he drew just six walks in May and struck out 31 times, which is seven more than
any other month in his career. All this comes on the heels of a standout 2016 campaign in which
he hit .294 with 37 homers and finished inside the top five in the AL MVP voting for the second
consecutive season.
All of which raises the "Freaky Friday" question: What in the world is going on?
"Right now, he's pressing," said an American League scout who watches Machado on a regular
basis. "He’s trying to do a little bit too much."
It doesn’t help that the O’s offense is underachieving, scoring 4.5 runs per game, and the team is
losing, posting a 5-14 record since May 10. Nor does it help that the guys hitting behind him
aren’t producing as they have in the past: Chris Davis is on pace for 250-plus K's, and Mark
Trumbo is on pace for half as many homers as last season, when he hit 47. It also doesn't help
that the guy in front of him has been banged up; Adam Jones just missed four games with hip
and shoulder issues. And it doesn't help that Machado himself isn’t accustomed to prolonged
slumps out of the gate.
A three-time All-Star and former first-round pick, Machado came out white hot last season when
he hit .344 in April and won AL Player of the Month honors. The year before that, he started off
cold before going on an absolute tear in late April, during which he raised his average 120 points
in three weeks. This year? Not so much.
"He’s never dealt with this before," the scout said. "It can get in your head."
Machado’s struggles are also at the forefront of opposing hurlers’ minds.
"These are the best pitchers in the world," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said Tuesday when
asked about Machado's slump. "They're going to step on your neck when you're down, because
they know that you have done and will do damage again."
In Machado’s case, stepping on his neck means upping the dosage of the pitch that has been
giving him fits. A career .253 hitter against sliders, he’s batting just .171 against that pitch this
season. In related news, he’s seeing more sliders than ever before: 22 percent, up from 17
percent each of the past two seasons. The only problem is that he’s not really seeing them.
"He’s not picking up the spin on the ball," the scout said of Machado, whose swing-and-miss rate
on sliders this season is 46 percent, way up from his 33 percent career mark coming into 2017.
The slider isn’t the only pitch he’s having trouble seeing. After hitting .345 against fastballs last
year, Machado is down to .179 this season, the third-worst mark in the majors.
Despite the problems, he still has been able to produce. Machado has 25 RBIs and 10 home runs,
one off the team lead in both categories. Perhaps most important for Baltimore, Machado, the
former Platinum Glove winner, has been his usual stellar self at third base, something that’s
hardly lost on his skipper.
"I'm really impressed with the way he's handling some of his challenges this year," Showalter
said of Machado, who was accused of a dirty slide against the Red Sox at Camden Yards in late
April and then became the focus of an intense beanball saga that followed him to Fenway in
early May.
During that four-game series, Machado homered three times and looked as though he was on the
verge of turning the corner. But he has struggled since and has also been dealing with a sore
finger that kept him out of the lineup for a recent game against the Tigers. With Boston returning
to Charm City on Thursday for a four-game series with major AL East implications, the odds of
Machado finding himself on the bench again are roughly equivalent to the odds of broccoli
retaining heat -- which are roughly equivalent to the odds of Machado's funk lasting much
longer.
"We all know he’s a better hitter than that," the scout said. "He’ll get back to it."
Given Machado's recent success against Boston, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him snap out of
it this weekend.
Maybe even on Freaky Friday.
https://www.pressboxonline.com/2017/06/01/orioles-not-faring-well-in-early-all-star-voting-
results
Orioles Not Faring Well In Early All-Star Voting Results
By Rich Dubroff/ PressBoxOnline.com
June 1, 2017
BALTIMORE -- For the past five years, the Orioles have had at least two representatives on the
American League All-Star team. However, in the early results of fan balloting for the 2017
game, which will be held in Miami's Marlins Park July 11, third baseman Manny Machado is the
only Oriole leading at his position, and his advantage is a narrow one.
Machado leads the Minnesota Twins' Miguel Sano by less than 6,000 votes.
The other Orioles who are among the leaders are: catcher Welington Castillo, who was placed on
the 10-day disabled list for the second time this season May 31 with a groin injury, is second;
Jonathan Schoop, is fifth among second basemen; and Adam Jones is seventh among outfielders.
Machado has been selected for the All-Star Game three times and was a starter in 2016, while
Jones is a five-time All-Star. Neither Castillo nor Schoop has been an All-Star.
Chris Davis (first base), J.J. Hardy (shortstop) and Mark Trumbo (outfield) have all been All-
Stars with the Orioles, but were not among the leaders. Davis was the overall vote leader in
2013, the year he led the major leagues in home runs and RBIs.
Last year, right-handed reliever Brad Brach and left-hander closer Zach Britton were named to
the All-Star team. In 2015, another member of the bullpen, right-hander Darren O'Day, was
selected.
This year, right-hander Dylan Bundy, who is 6-3 with a 2.89 ERA, has a chance for his first All-
Star Game selection.
From 2002-2011, the Orioles had multiple selections in just one season, when second baseman
Brian Roberts, third baseman Melvin Mora, shortstop Miguel Tejada and left-handed reliever
B.J. Ryan were selected in 2005.
In 2010, perhaps the most unusual Orioles All-Star in history was chosen. Infielder Ty
Wigginton, who batted .252 with 14 homers and 45 RBIs in the season's first half, was the team's
representative.
Wigginton, who had 256 hits in two seasons with the Orioles, was an All-Star, but right fielder
Nick Markakis, whose 1,547 hits rank seventh in team history, never made an All-Star team in
his nine seasons in Baltimore.
While the ranks of Orioles' All-Star representatives contain numerous selections for Cal Ripken
Jr., Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Eddie Murray, Jim Palmer and Boog Powell, there are
other players in Wigginton's category
Less-heralded Orioles such as reliever Don Aase (1986), catcher Terry Kennedy (1987) and
Tony Batista (2002), who succeeded Ripken at third base, were All-Star selections during their
time in Baltimore.
Castillo, who signed a $6 million contract for 2017 with an $8 million player option for 2018, is
likely in his only season with the Orioles. His first All-Star selection could only enhance his
attractiveness to potential suitors.
Schoop has an uphill battle for his first All-Star nod. He trails the New York Yankees' Starlin
Castro, Houston Astros' Jose Altuve, Cleveland Indians' Jason Kipnis and Seattle Mariners'
Robinson Cano.
It will be interesting to see the effect Machado's slump, should it continue, has on his voting
totals.
The next voting update will be released June 6.
http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2017/06/01/will-the-tension-simmer-or-rise-between-orioles-and-
red-sox/
Will The Tension Simmer Or Rise Between Orioles And Red
Sox?
By Gracenote/ CBS Baltimore
June 1, 2017
The Boston Red Sox breezed past the Baltimore Orioles into second place in the American
League East on the strength of eight wins in the last 10 games. The Red Sox look to continue
their success at the expense of the Orioles on Thursday when the contentious rivals begin a four-
game series at Camden Yards.
The Red Sox and Orioles engaged in a testy series last month after Manny Machado’s aggressive
slide into second base led to dangerous pitching and a warning from Major League Baseball
officials. Machado and the Orioles are in quite the funk, with the former going 0-for-18 with 10
strikeouts in his last four games while the latter had lost eight of nine before posting a 10-4
triumph over the New York Yankees on Wednesday. Adam Jones belted a three-run homer and
drove in five runs during that contest in his return from a four-game absence due to a sore hip. A
knee injury sidelined Pablo Sandoval for over a month before he returned to the lineup and
highlighted a three-hit performance with an RBI single as part of a four-run sixth inning in
Wednesday’s 4-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH Eduardo Rodriguez (4-1, 2.77 ERA) vs. Orioles LH Wade
Miley (1-3, 3.02)
Rodriguez won his third straight outing in impressive fashion, scattering five hits over six
innings in a 3-0 victory over Seattle. The 24-year-old has ventured at least six frames in seven
straight starts, allowing 11 runs and posting a 2.25 ERA in that span. Rodriguez began that
stretch by permitting just one hit and overcoming five walks by striking out seven in a 6-2 win
over Baltimore on April 23.
Miley sustained back-to-back losses on Saturday after allowing four runs on eight hits in five
innings of a 5-2 setback at Houston. The 30-year-old continues to struggle with his control,
issuing 12 walks in his last four outings to increase his season total to 31 in just 53 2/3 innings.
Miley was shelled in his lone career outing versus Boston, yielding six runs on eight hits in 1 1/3
innings en route to a 12-2 setback on Sept. 12.
WALK-OFFS
1. Boston SS Xander Bogaerts is 12-for-32 with nine runs scored against Baltimore this season.
2. Orioles 1B Chris Davis has nine hits in nine games versus the Red Sox.
3. Boston OF Andrew Benintendi is 1-for-18 with four strikeouts in his last five games.
PREDICTION: Orioles 4, Red Sox 3
http://mlb.nbcsports.com/2017/05/31/robert-andino-suspended-50-games-for-testing-positive-
for-amphetamine/
Robert Andino suspended 50 games for testing positive for
Amphetamine
By Bill Baer/ NBC Sports
May 31, 2017
Orioles minor league infielder Robert Andino has been suspended 50 games for testing positive
for Amphetamine, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo reports.
Andino, 33, has spent his 2017 season with Triple-A Norfolk. He’s currently hitting
.234/.282/.375 in 206 plate appearances. For a couple of years back in 2011-12, Andino was a
regular on the Orioles’ 25-man roster. While he didn’t hit much, his versatility was often of value
to the team.
Andino played in 13 games at the majors with the Marlins last season, his first MLB action since
2013. Now with a looming 50-game suspension, Andino’s path back to the majors has gotten
tougher.
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/teams/page/BAL/baltimore-orioles
Orioles' Manny Machado: Staying put on lineup card
By RotoWire Staff/ CBS Sports
June 1, 2017
Manager Buck Showalter said that he has no intentions of removing Machado (.205/.286/.405)
from the third spot in the batting order, BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.
Machado has spiraled into a funk unlike any in his career. The superstar's entire slash line, his
21.9 percent strikeout rate and Machado's .220 BABIP are all significantly worse than his career
averages. "It's frustrating for him. If you think it's frustrating for somebody else, triple it (for
Machado)," Showalter said. "Sometimes, you can want it too much. It's a long process." The
skipper made sure to point out that the third baseman, despite his enormous struggles, leads the
team in RBI (25) and is tied for first with 10 home runs. Hitting third will continue giving
Machado plenty of opportunities to rack up counting stats.
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/teams/page/BAL/baltimore-orioles
Orioles' Seth Smith: Rides pine versus lefty Thursday By RotoWire Staff / CBS Sports
June 1, 2017
Smith is not in the lineup Thursday against the Red Sox.
As usual, Smith will head to the bench for a day off with the Red Sox sending a left-handed
starter to the mound. Mark Trumbo will slide into the outfield to replace him while Joey Rickard
picks up a start to fill out the outfield. Smith will likely get back into the lineup Friday, but with
Chris Sale and David Price tabbed for Saturday' and Sunday's games, Smith may see limited
playing time over the weekend.
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/teams/page/BAL/baltimore-orioles
Orioles' Trey Mancini: Making big-league adjustments
By RotoWire Staff/ CBS Sports
June 1, 2017
Mancini made an adjustment to his offensive approach in May after recognizing opposing
pitchers began attacking him low in the zone, SB Nation reports.
The breakdown on Mancini's report is fairly simple. Early in the season, pitchers worked the
inner-half of the plate against the Rookie of the Year candidate -- that didn't work. By the end of
April, pitchers were attacking low and away, even running some pitches out of the zone enticing
Mancini to chase. The 25-year-old slid into a 2-for-24 slump (which included 12 strikeouts) and
ended the campaign's first month with a .216 average. He adjusted and -- even while his
opponents continued working low and away -- Mancini pumped out a .345/.398/.479 slash line
over 73 at-bats in May. Sure, he has a brutal 27.2 strikeout rate, but that's to be expected with
many young hitters. What's unexpected for a rookie is the ability to outsmart opposing pitchers
by quickly recognizing and adjusting to new scouting reports. Mancini is proving that he can do
just that, while at the same time illustrating what makes him one of the most attractive targets in
keeper formats
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/teams/page/BAL/baltimore-orioles
Orioles' Hyun Soo Kim: Losing ground to rookie outfielder
By RotoWire Staff/ CBS Sports
June 1, 2017
Kim is hitting .246 in 61 at-bats with three extra-base hits and three RBI this season.
After batting .302 last season, Kim has lost most of his playing time to rookie Trey Mancini, and
the lack of consistent at-bats has led Kim's stats to drop to .246/.333/.328 on the season. As a
left-handed hitter, he continues to draw some starts against right-handed pitching over the right-
handed bat of Mancini, but it doesn't appear Kim will gain back his playing time unless he can
start hitting better.
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/teams/page/BAL/baltimore-orioles
Orioles' Mychal Givens: Adjusting to more late inning work
By RotoWire Staff /CBS Sports
June 1, 2017
Givens has allowed seven runs in 12.2 innings since May 6.
When closer Zach Britton (forearm) went on the disabled list May 6, Givens was set to take on
more of a role as a late innings guy in the bullpen. Since then, he has allowed seven runs, but
three of them came May 10 in Detroit when he struggled with his control and walked three in
one inning of work. Other than his one bad outing, the former second round pick has stayed
consistent in his new role and will look to hold on to it until the Orioles' All-Star closer returns
later this season.
http://www.baltimorebaseball.com/2017/06/01/myriad-orioles-thoughts-jones-spark-beating-
east-wrights-inning-opting-decisions/
Myriad Orioles Thoughts: Jones’ spark; beating the East;
Wright’s inning; opting-out decisions
By Dan Connolly/ BaltimoreBaseball.com
June 1, 2017
Orioles center fielder Adam Jones sort of blew off the obvious angle after Wednesday’s 10-4 win
against the New York Yankees, saying he tries to bring energy to his team every day.
And, to an extent, that’s true.
But the Orioles have been struggling, Jones had missed four games with hip and ankle injuries
and they definitely needed a boost in order to win another series against the division rival
Yankees.
And Jones provided it, driving in five runs on three hits: a RBI double, a three-run homer and a
RBI single that served as his 1,500th hit in an Orioles uniform.
“The last three weeks haven’t been too fun. But it was a good series win,” Jones said. “Glad I
was able to come back out there, add some more energy, and the guys followed suit. So, good
series win.”
Jones is not one to take days off. He hates being on the bench. But he turns 32 in August, and
he’s constantly beating up his body in an attempt to make plays.
He understands that he could use some time here and there. It’s something Orioles manager Buck
Showalter said he wants to do more of in 2017, but really hadn’t until the injuries forced his
hand. On Tuesday, Jones could have played, but Showalter kept him out of the lineup because it
was rainy and the outfield was slick and the manager didn’t want to risk a setback for his star
center fielder.
So, Jones had four games off and returns with three hits and five RBIs. Can’t imagine that’s a
coincidence. For a guy in his 30s, the occasional respite isn’t a bad thing.
“I believe it does (help),” he said. “A rest here and there is good.”
For all the complaining about how the Orioles are spiraling downward and how they are flawed
in nearly every aspect of the game – except defense – it’s probably worth pointing this out:
The Orioles took two of three from the first-place New York Yankees this week – the 11th
straight series the Orioles have captured against them at Camden Yards. The streak goes back to
September 2013.
“We’ve gotten better as a franchise over the last four years,” Jones said. “We’ve gotten better
against them the last four years and we’ve been a pretty good team over the last five years. Sixth
this year.”
The Orioles are an impressive 19-11 against the AL East this season.
They are 8-13 against everybody else and finish May with a disappointing 12-16 record, but why
pick nits?
Seriously, it’s more important to beat on the other teams in your division for obvious reasons.
And, given that the Yankees appear to be a formidable opponent that may not go away, winning
two of three has some significance.
The Orioles are now 5-4 in the first nine games between the teams this year with 10 more to play
— three at home and seven at Yankee Stadium.
It may not matter, but last year Toronto and the Orioles tied with identical overall records. The
Blue Jays, though, held the tiebreaker because they won the head-to-head series. So, they hosted
the one-game AL Wild Card contest. And you know how that ended up.
The Orioles, incidentally, are now 17-8 at home and 10-16 on the road.
I’ve been suggesting it for years. And I’m just one in a long line of people that have been saying
it: Mike Wright’s career could really take off as a reliever.
He has a big arm. He can dominate in short stretches. And he’s had trouble getting through
lineups multiple times in the big leagues.
With the Orioles up 10-4 in the ninth, Wright came in for one inning of work in his season debut.
He allowed a two-out double to Aaron Judge, but otherwise had a clean inning with two
strikeouts, including fanning Chase Headley to end the game.
Obviously, if you can find good starting pitchers, you give them every opportunity to flourish.
That makes sense. But if it isn’t working out, maybe you look to another avenue.
“That’s always been in everybody’s mind, including mine, that if it didn’t work out, that is where
we felt like he could fall, but because of the premium and the need, we ask everybody to go
down the starting role first,” Showalter said. “That was pretty good tonight. I got a text from one
of our scouts that reminds me of (Wright as a reliever) all the time. As soon as the game ended, I
looked at my phone.”
Decision time on Alvarez, Jackson?
Two veterans at Triple-A Norfolk, designated hitter Pedro Alvarez and right-hander Edwin
Jackson, can opt out of their minor league contracts Wednesday.
Alvarez is expected to opt-out, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Jackson did, too.
The Orioles would have 48 hours to add them to the 25-man roster. If not, they would become
free agents.
Both are sticky situations.
Alvarez, 30, has hit just .223 in 52 games for the Tides and his transition to the outfield didn’t go
smoothly. But he has 12 homers, including six in his last 10 games, a period in which he has hit
.326 and drove in 13 runs.
There’s no obvious spot for him on the Orioles, though, given his defensive limitations and his
lefty bat. The Orioles would like to keep him as insurance in the minors, but may have to allow
him to test the market. And Alvarez may only get looks from American League clubs, so I’s
possible he could stay in the organization.
To make room for Alvarez in the big leagues, the Orioles would have to send down Joey
Rickard, DFA or trade Hyun Soo Kim or DFA Paul Janish, leaving them without a utility
infielder. None of those three scenarios is palatable.
As for the 33-year-old Jackson, he could fill the much-needed long relief role that Vance Worley
held last year. But the Orioles have used that spot to bring fresh arms back and forth from
Norfolk.
Jackson, who has a 3.26 ERA in 11 games for the Tides, is without options. So, once he is
promoted, he either stays in Baltimore or is placed on waivers before he can be sent down.