World Champions 1983, 1970, 1966

American League Champions 1983, 1979, 1971, 1970, 1969, 1966 American League East Division Champions 2014, 1997, 1983, 1979, 1974, 1973, 1971, 1970, 1969

American League Wild Card 2012, 1996

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Columns:

Orioles swinging at more first pitches, but still finding success there The Sun 7/21

The strange importance of winning at Yankee Stadium The Sun 7/21

Analysis: Orioles facing decisions on their seven pending free agents as trade deadline

nears The Sun 7/20

Orioles sign 19-year-old Chinese infielder Gui Yuan 'Itchy' Xu to international free agent

deal The Sun 7/20

Orioles set to embark on defining period MLB.com 7/20

The Xu fits: O's, Chinese prospect make history MLB.com 7/20

Stewart homers in both games of Aberdeen's twin bill MLB.com 7/20

Orioles entering big series in Bronx MASNsports.com 7/21

A look at a pitcher who has made a huge impact for the Bowie Baysox MASNsports.com

7/21

Orioles-Yankees Preview SI.com 7/21

Orioles sign first-ever player from MLB's Chinese development program SI.com 7/20

Orioles fans with son named Camden add daughter named Yardley SI.com 7/20

Orioles sign 19-year-old Xu Guiyuan, 1st player from development centers ESPN.com

7/21

Cal Ripken Jr. gives 'a little bit of hope' to struggling Ian Desmond AP 7/21

Can Orioles win big series at Yankee Stadium? CSN Baltimore 7/21

How Cal Ripken, Jr. helped Desmond break out of slump CSN Baltimore 7/20

Two lifelong O's fans named their kids after their favorite team's stadium CSN Baltimore

7/20

Orioles sign Chinese infielder with fantastic nickname CSN Baltimore 7/20

Chen Seeks Celebratory Birthday Win Vs. Yankees CBS Baltimore 7/21

MLB Round Up With Jason Catania CBS Baltimore 7/20

Orioles sign 19-year-old Gui-Yuan 'Itchy' Xu to minor league deal FOX Sports 7/20

Nick Nite: Orioles' Class-A affiliate to wear 'Rugrats' uniforms FOX Sports 7/18

Orioles sign 'Itchy' Xu, first player from Chinese development program Sporting News

7/21

O’s fans name their kids Camden and Yardley The Washington Post 7/20

Orioles fans name children 'Camden' and 'Yardley' USA Today Sports 7/20

Orioles Fans Name Their Kids 'Camden' and 'Yardley' After Baltimore Stadium Bleacher

Report 7/20

Two Orioles fans have named their kids Camden and Yardley Yahoo Sports 7/20

Orioles' top Draft pick Stewart homers twice MiLB.com 7/20

Keys' Miranda untouchable for six frames MiLB.com 7/19

Baltimore Orioles – TeamReport Reuters 7/18

Orioles sign lefty pitchers Dana Eveland, Andy Oliver CBSSports.com 7/17

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baltimore-sports-blog/bal-orioles-swinging-at-more-first-

pitches-but-still-finding-success-there-20150720-story.html

Orioles swinging at more first pitches, but still finding

success there

Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun

July 21, 2015

With the Orioles laboring through a stretch where they’re averaging 3.4 runs per game and

struggling to hit with runners in scoring position, it’s worth looking at whether an old talk radio

bugaboo — going up hacking at the first pitch — is part of the problem.

This year’s edition of the Orioles, through 91 games, have swung at a higher rate of first pitches

than they have in decades, and more than all but three other major league teams this year.

There’s not a lot to suggest that’s the root of the offensive struggles, though.

The Orioles swing at 33.2 percent of first pitches, behind only the Washington Nationals (34.6

percent), Cincinnati Reds (33.9 percent) and Houston Astros (33.7 percent).

Around baseball, the league-average first-pitch swing rate is 28.9, putting three Orioles regulars

above the middle mark.

Center fielder Adam Jones swings at the first pitch he sees in 47.1 percent of his at-bats, second

behind only Oakland Athletics outfielder Billy Burns, who swings at 48.5 percent of his first

pitches.

Jimmy Paredes is sixth-highest among qualifiers with 45.8 percent, and Chris Davis is at No. 24

in baseball at 38.4 percent. Only the Nationals have more ranked that high, with four players

among the top 21.

As a team, the Orioles are swinging more early than ever before. Last year’s team swung at 28.1

percent of first pitches, 11th most in baseball and just above the league average of 27.4 percent.

The 2013 Orioles swung at 26.4 percent of first pitches, below league average and 19th-highest

in baseball. Over the last two decades, their first-pitch swing rate has been in the high-20s.

However, what the Orioles do to open at-bats doesn’t seem to be the problem with their recent

run-scoring woes.

The Orioles hit .346/.352/.563 with 19 home runs, 24 doubles, and 67 RBIs when putting the

first pitch in play. The league-average on first pitches is .334/.342/.533, and while those rates go

up as you get into hitters counts for both the Orioles and the rest of the league, the Orioles don't

get cheated early.

They also have a nearly identical OPS in at-bats when they swing at the first pitch (.734 in 1,054

at-bats) as they do when they take the first pitch (.735 in 1,995 at-bats). That equilibrium holds

true across the league, too.

Where their difficulties scoring runs might arise are in the on-base percentage in those situations.

Like the rest of the league, the Orioles have an OBP around 30 points higher when they don’t

swing at the first pitch than when they do. More baserunners equals more runs, but the Orioles

slug 30 points higher in at-bats where they swing at the first pitch than when they take.

That could be because the only fastball they get in a given at-bat might be the first pitch. The

Orioles see 56.1 percent fastballs, according to Fangraphs, fifth fewest in the league.

Manager Buck Showalter frequently talks about how players come out of advance meetings on

opposing pitchers armed with information about the starter’s pitch mix, but told to expect more

breaking balls than normal.

So if you find yourself in a fastball situation, whether there are runners in scoring position, and

whether it’s the first pitch you see in an at-bat or fifth, it might be best to swing. Considering the

Orioles’ predilection for chasing breaking balls late in counts, the first pitch might be the best

one they get.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-the-strange-importance-of-winning-at-

yankee-stadium-20150720-story.html

The strange importance of winning at Yankee Stadium

By Dan Connolly / The Baltimore Sun

July 21, 2015

The Orioles are four games back of the New York Yankees in the American League East as they

begin a three-game series at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night.

You can do the math. It’s a pretty big series, even for July.

Recent history suggests it’s always big for the Orioles when they go to the Bronx – it strangely

determines whether they’ll play in October.

File this under “surely a coincidence” but the Orioles have had a winning record against the

Yankees in New York just four times in the last 28 seasons dating back to 1987.

Those years? 2014, 2012, 1997 and 1989.

So the last three times the Orioles have made the playoffs, they've also had a winning record at

Yankee Stadium.

And, in three of the four seasons that the Orioles have made the playoffs in the last three

decades, they have escaped Yankee Stadium in the regular season with more wins than losses.

The only time the Orioles made the playoffs and didn’t win more than they lost at Yankee

Stadium in that span was 1996, when they were 3-4 in the regular season in the Bronx. And they

lost Game 1 of the 1996 American League Championship Series thanks, in part, to Jeffrey

Maier’s fan interference play. So maybe you just want to forget that year in New York

altogether.

In 1989, the Orioles didn’t make the playoffs, but it was one of their most memorable seasons,

battling the eventual division champion Toronto Blue Jays to the final weekend.

It seems strange that not once during all of those forgettable Orioles’ years that they didn’t win,

say, five of nine in New York. Just once.

This season, by the way, the Orioles and Yankees split their four-game series in May at Yankee

Stadium. So they have six remaining. And you know what happens if they win four of them.

Print the playoff tickets.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-free-agents-0721-20150720-

story.html#page=1

Analysis: Orioles facing decisions on their seven pending

free agents as trade deadline nears

By Dan Connolly / The Baltimore Sun

July 20, 2015

There are pockets of time throughout Orioles' history that, in retrospect, can be viewed as

watershed moments: The Frank Robinson trade in 1965, the Glenn Davis trade in 1991, the Erik

Bedard trade in 2008.

The July, 1996 non-deals of Bobby Bonilla and David Wells sent the Orioles on one path; the

fire sale of 2000, which yielded Melvin Mora and a raft-load of baseball driftwood, sent them on

another.

There's no gift of hindsight here, but the next few weeks and months have the feel of another

potential seismic shift. These Orioles are at a crossroads, and the destination could become

clearer by the end of this road trip. They play three at Yankee Stadium and three more at

Tropicana Field before heading home with less than a week remaining before the July 31

nonwaiver trade deadline.

To properly defend their American League East crown, this club could really use a rotation ace,

an everyday left fielder with on-base capabilities and a shutdown left-handed reliever.

Watch for rumors and you'll see major names connected to the Orioles in the next 10 days: Justin

Upton, Johnny Cueto, Cole Hamels, Jay Bruce, Carlos Gomez, etc. It's wonderful to dream, but

the reality is there has to be interest on both sides.

The sense within the organization and within the industry is that the Orioles have no chance of

landing a coveted trade chip because they have nothing to deal in comparison to other

contenders. They have no true centerpieces — young prospects with major upside that can

contribute now or relatively soon — to give a selling club, unless they parted with Manny

Machado, Jonathan Schoop or Kevin Gausman, which they won't.

Arm injuries have pushed top pitching prospects Dylan Bundy and Hunter Harvey to the back of

the shelf; other organizations might still gamble on them, but not as centerpieces to a Cueto deal,

for instance. Third base prospect Jomar Reyes and catcher Chance Sisco may one day be viewed

as centerpieces, but aren't there yet. Minor league pitchers Tyler Wilson, Mike Wright and

Mychal Givens are intriguing, but more so for a lesser deal.

And that's what most expect to happen with the Orioles this month or in August. Duquette will

make a move or moves to fill holes, but they'll be under-the-radar acquisitions: Think the 2015

version of Scott Feldman or Alejandro De Aza or Francisco Rodriguez.

Duquette has stressed several times that he will make this team better this summer, but better is

in the eye of the beholder. Remember, it took lefty Eduardo Rodriguez, the Orioles' No. 3

prospect last year, just to get excellent reliever Andrew Miller last July. This organization doesn't

have a Rodriguez-type in 2015.

Then there's the elephant in the clubhouse: The seven pending free agents that the Orioles have at

season's end. If the Orioles implode in the next week, the temptation to move some for younger

pieces will grow exponentially given the lack of perceived depth in this organization.

Three of those free agents, catcher Matt Wieters, slugger Chris Davis and left-hander Wei-Yin

Chen, likely will be made one-year qualifying offers of $16 million-plus this offseason. All are

represented by agent Scott Boras, who abhors the qualifying offer process, so one can assume

that each member of the trio would reject the offers and, if they sign elsewhere, the Orioles

would receive supplemental first-round picks in the 30-to-40 range next June as compensation.

The other four — pitchers Darren O'Day, Tommy Hunter and Bud Norris, and

infielder/outfielder Steve Pearce — would fetch varying levels of return if dealt this summer, but

won't be saddled with qualifying offers. The only incentive in keeping them in 2015 is to try and

win now.

Here's a list of the Orioles' pending free agents, ordered based on who is most likely to re-sign

with the team before next season. Call it slightly educated speculation.

And know this: There is a growing sense within the organization that the Orioles will keep none

of these guys — or one or two at most. If that's the case, the next few months will, indeed,

register as franchise-defining.

1. 1B/OF Steve Pearce

Stats: .227 average/.290 on-base/.392 slugging; seven homers, 24 RBIs, 176 at-bats

It may be surprising that Pearce, who is struggling after his breakout campaign in 2014, would be

atop this list. But there are several factors at play. The Orioles don't know if 24-year-old

Christian Walker is ready to start at first base if Davis doesn't return. Pearce is good insurance

there, or at various other positions. He's a Buck Showalter guy: Versatile, hard-working and he

never complains about playing time. The 32-year-old has been with five different organizations,

and has finally found a home with a manager he trusts. That security and familiarity may be

more important to him than a slightly higher paycheck. And that brings us to the most critical

thing here: Pearce, who makes $3.7 million this year, should be relatively affordable to extend.

Bottom line: A reasonable offer and Pearce likely comes back.

2. RHP Darren O'Day

Stats: 5-0, 1.04 ERA, 2 saves. 36 games 34 2/3 innings, 20 hits, 9 walks, 46 strikeouts

From afar, O'Day looks like a slam-dunk to return. The sidearmer has been one of the best set-up

men in baseball since joining the Orioles in 2012. He's the unquestioned bullpen leader, and, at

32, is getting better with age. He also makes his offseason home in the area; his wife, Liz, is a

Washington, D.C. correspondent with Fox News. But O'Day is a 2015 All-Star and the profile of

the late-inning non-closer is burgeoning thanks to the success of teams like the Orioles and the

Kansas City Royals. Translation: Free agent relievers are getting paid. Problem is the Orioles

usually don't give out three-year deals to relievers. They did that before the 2007 season with

Danys Baez ($19 million), Jamie Walker ($12 million) and Chad Bradford ($10.5 million) and

none lasted all three seasons with the club — such is the mercurial nature of relief pitching.

Since the Orioles have already received 3 1/2 great years from O'Day, they may assume the

down trend is coming. A good starting point comp is sidearmer Joe Smith, who signed a three-

year $15.75 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels two offseasons ago. Smith wasn't as

accomplished as O'Day, though Smith is 17 months younger. There haven't been any serious

attempts to extend O'Day and the Orioles don't seem to pay extra for clubhouse chemistry. So

this may be another example of the market outpricing what the Orioles believe is fair value.

Bottom line: There's no reason O'Day shouldn't be back, but if the Orioles wait too long, some

team is going to blow away their offer.

3. Catcher Matt Wieters

Stats: .258/.282/.443; 3 homers, 11 RBIs, 97 at-bats

The gut feeling is Wieters is gone. It's been a while — Brian Roberts before the 2009 season —

since the Orioles shelled out big money to a homegrown player within a season of free agency.

And the four-year, $40 million extension that Roberts agreed to, which ended up being an

organizational albatross, isn't close to what Wieters can command, even after missing a year due

to Tommy John surgery. Consider that catcher Brian McCann signed a five-year, $85 million

deal with the New York Yankees before the 2014 season and he was slightly older than the 29-

year-old Wieters will be when he signs a new deal. Wieters still must prove he is healthy and can

catch mostly every day. But if he does, there could be a pretty impressive bidding war for his

services, especially with Boras leading the negotiations. The one thing in the Orioles' favor is

that Wieters is not the kind to chase every last dollar. He's low-key, and focused on a

comfortable, winning environment. Plus, he has excellent relationships with Showalter, catching

instructor John Russell and backup Caleb Joseph. That means something to Wieters. But the

Atlanta Braves are searching for a long-term solution at catcher also. Wieters grew up in South

Carolina rooting for the Braves and currently lives in Atlanta, where he and his wife went to

college. His parents, who often drive to Baltimore for games, would have a shorter commute

from South Carolina. Since the Braves are trying to build a contender for their new stadium,

they'll be aggressive with the players they want, like they were with Wieters' buddy Nick

Markakis. Atlanta won't be the only team wooing Wieters, but it seems like a perfect fit.

Bottom line: The Orioles would love to have Wieters spend his full career in Baltimore, but it's

a stretch to see them spend what it will take to keep aggressive suitors at bay.

4. LHP Wei-Yin Chen

Stats: 4-5, 2.78, 17 games, 17 starts, 110 innings, 95 hits, 25 walks, 90 strikeouts

The case can be made that Chen is the most important of the Orioles' pending free agents. He's

the rotation's only lefty and has been the club's best pitcher this year. He turns 30 Tuesday and

should have plenty of good seasons remaining. Baltimore is the only big-league city he has

known, and he fits in exceptionally well with his teammates. But the free agent market for

starting pitching continues to be outrageous — remember, the Orioles paid $50 million for

Ubaldo Jimenez in 2014 — and the Boras-repped Chen should cash in. You also have to wonder

if some of the goodwill built over the years with Chen took a significant hit when the club sent

him to the minors earlier this year as part of its continual roster shuffle.

Bottom line: The Orioles got four years out of Chen for roughly $15.5 million. He'll no longer

be a bargain, so expect him to sign with the highest bidder.

5. 1B/RF Chris Davis

Stats: .238/.320/.463; 19 homers, 53 RBIs, 320 at-bats

Davis has said repeatedly that he'd like to remain an Oriole, but as his career has progressed here,

that possibility becomes less and less a reality. Now, it would be a surprise if he is in Baltimore

in 2016 and it wouldn't be shocking if he's dealt this month if the Orioles fell out of contention

since he could fetch a strong return. It's something that has been discussed internally, but the

sense from within is the team needs his power bat to contend. After his tremendous 53-homer

season in 2013, Davis has been criticized in Baltimore for alarming strikeout totals and low

average. But he's only 29 and is on pace for his fourth straight season of 26 or more homers.

There's not a team in baseball that couldn't use his power, and someone will pay dearly for it. His

free-agent value has probably spiked with his move to right field, proving that he can play

multiple positions adequately.

Bottom line: Two years ago he seemed like a club cornerstone. But if the Orioles really wanted

him back a deal already would have happened. He'll get a lot more money elsewhere.

6. RHP Tommy Hunter

Stats: 2-2, 4.08; 35 games, 39 2/3 innings, 40 hits, eight walks, 27 strikeouts

Fans have used him as a whipping boy at times in his four-plus seasons with the Orioles, but the

fact is he's a competent big-league set-up man. And finding one at his age (29) with his

experience (over 260 big league games, including 75 starts) and his command (34 walks in 186

2/3 innings since the 2013 season began) isn't easy. So a three-year deal is probably in his future.

He also could be traded this month or in August if the Orioles stumble.

Bottom line: He'll be missed when he's gone, but, statistically, the Orioles believe they can

replace him with someone much cheaper.

7. RHP Bud Norris

Stats: 2-9, 6.82 ERA, 15 games, 11 starts, 60 2/3 innings, 73 hits, 23 walks, 45 strikeouts

This has gone poorly for all involved in 2015. Norris won 15 games last year as a big part of the

division winner. But he's struggled since spring training and lost his rotation spot. Although his

power slider can be a bullpen asset, no one's happy with a $9 million mop-up man. The best-case

scenario for Norris is that the Orioles orchestrate a salary-dump trade before he becomes an

offseason decision.

Bottom line: He's gone, whether it's this month, next month or in the offseason.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-sign-19-year-old-chinese-infielder-

gui-yuan-itchy-xu-to-international-free-agent-deal-20150720-story.html

Orioles sign 19-year-old Chinese infielder Gui Yuan 'Itchy'

Xu to international free agent deal

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun

July 20, 2015

The Orioles signed 19-year-old Chinese infielder Gui Yuan “Itchy” Xu to an international free

agent deal for next season, the club announced Monday.

Xu (pronounced “SHOO”) is the first player signed by a major league team to come from the

MLB’s international developmental centers. Xu has been a member of MLB’s developmental

center in Wuxi, China, since 2010.

Xu, who is 6 feet, 188 pounds and throws left handed, received a $10,000 signing bonus,

according to MLB.com.

Major League Baseball opened its first development center in China in Wuxi in 2009. The

facility provides baseball training to middle- and high school-aged students in an academic

environment. Two other development center have been opened in China since.

“Xu has been working hard at the MLB Development Center and we hope he’ll be the first of

many future major league players from China,” Orioles executive vice president of baseball

operations Dan Duquette said in a statement. “He has excellent balance at the plate and very-

good left-handed power which we think will play well at Camden Yards.”

A native of Shenzhen, China, Xu is a two-time National Youth Baseball League Most Valuable

Player (2012 and 2014) as well as a two-time Taiwan Elite Camp All-Star (2013 and 2014). He

was originally recruited as a pitcher, but won the 2012 China National Youth Home Run Derby

in 2012 and earned Shenzhen Baseball League Best Hitter and Most Improved Player honors in

2011.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/137592030/orioles-set-to-embark-on-defining-period

Orioles set to embark on defining period Beginning with three-game set in Bronx, road trips down stretch will be pivotal

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com

July 20, 2015

BALTIMORE -- The Orioles enter Tuesday's series in New York four games behind the

American League East-leading Yankees and, despite a two-week slide, very much in control of

their own destiny -- that is, if they can continue to figure out ways to win away from Camden

Yards.

After losing Friday's series opener in Detroit, Baltimore posted back-to-back wins to take its first

road series since June 23-25 in Boston. It was a pivotal start to a daunting second half that

features several three-city road trips -- including one to the West Coast -- although manager

Buck Showalter won't publicly put that much emphasis on one three-game set in July.

"[The] season wasn't going to end if we won one or we got swept," Showalter said of his team,

which is 19-27 on the road. "I understand how people look at it in a minute-to-minute, day-to-

day mentality. Certainly we have some private moments where you get frustrated with it, but you

can't live in that world. You can't, and if that starts permeating your locker room, you're done."

Perhaps there wasn't internal panic for a club that went 3-11 before Saturday's win, but the

Orioles' second-half schedule is particularly brutal. After not playing out of the Eastern time

zone until June, the O's -- who will head to New York and Tampa Bay for three games a piece --

will play 16 of their final 32 road games in a different time zone.

They're currently in a stretch of 18 of 25 games away from Camden Yards, where they went 27-

18 in the first half.

"If you win series, I think you put yourselves in a good situation," center fielder Adam Jones said

as the Orioles packed their bags for the Bronx. "We hadn't won too many series going into the

break, so this is a good win. Now let's go to New York and do the same thing there."

The Orioles lost three of four games to the Yanks in early May, though they have played well at

Tropicana Field, taking both series from the Rays (though one counted as a "home" set). The

impetus of the O's this season has been waiting for them to get healthy. The additions of Matt

Wieters and Jonathan Schoop, who has been red hot since returning from the disabled list July 5,

could be a difference-maker down the stretch. So, too, could be Opening Day starter Chris

Tillman, who finally saw his ERA drop under 5.00 with Saturday's dominant eight-inning outing.

And while the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline draws near, Baltimore doesn't appear to be in

any sort of position to make an impact move, with its top two prospects (Dylan Bundy and

Hunter Harvey) both hurt, and a move involving a young member of its current roster (such as

Schoop or Manny Machado) highly unlikely.

By and large, it will be up to the current roster to get hot and stay healthy with just five off-days

remaining from now until the end of the season.

"We live in a world constantly reminding you of your failures," Showalter said. "That's just part

of the world they live in. I think they understand the answers to being competitive are in our

locker room. "[The players] aren't looking at anyone but the person standing beside them."

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/137560630/orioles-sign-prospect-xu-guiyuan-from-china

The Xu fits: O's, Chinese prospect make history 'Itchy Shoe' first to sign from Development Center in China

By Lindsay Berra / MLB.com

July 20, 2015

They call him Itchy. Or if the staff members of MLB's Development Center in Wuxi, Jiangsu,

China, are feeling particularly clever, they call him Itchy Shoe, because "shoe" is how his

surname is pronounced.

His real name is Xu Guiyuan, but in his first week at the MLB DC in July 2010, Xu named MLB

All-Star outfielder Ichiro Suzuki as his baseball idol, and coach Dave Palese ran with it. But

now, five years later, Itchy Shoe is running into history as the first player from MLB's three

development centers in China to sign with a Major League club. On Monday, the 19-year-old

outfielder/first baseman inked a deal with the Baltimore Orioles.

"Xu has been working hard at the MLB Development Center and we hope he'll be the first of

many future Major League players from China," said Orioles executive vice president of baseball

operations Dan Duquette. "He has excellent balance at the plate and very good left-handed

power, which we think will play well at Oriole Park at Camden Yards."

Rick Dell, MLB's director of game development in Asia, has been watching Xu play for several

years, and he agrees with Duquette.

"With Itchy, you have to like his hitting," Dell said. "He really swings the bat well and has been

doing a lot to continuously improve. He's a lefty hitter with a good swing and good bat speed."

Xu was a two-time China National Youth Baseball League Most Valuable Player -- in 2012 and

'14 -- as well as a two-time MLB Taiwan Elite Camp All-Star, in 2013 and '14. He also won the

2012 China National Youth Baseball League Home Run Derby and was the winner of the 2011

Shenzhen Baseball League Best Hitter Award and Most Improved Player honor.

For MLB, though, Xu's growth, improvement and success represents the success of their Chinese

development centers. China had a rich baseball history in the first half of the 20th century, with

Chinese teams traveling overseas to play, and American All-Star teams, including the likes of

Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, traveling to China for exhibition games. But during China's cultural

revolution, Mao Zedong banned baseball from 1966 through '76 as a symbol of Western

indulgence. Following Mao's death, baseball was slow to regain its footing in China, despite the

fact baseball, of all the sports, seems suited to Chinese culture.

"All the ethereal things about baseball -- no clock, the sacrifice, the journey around the bases that

starts and finishes at home -- it all resonates in Chinese culture," said MLB vice president Jim

Small, who oversees all of Asia. "I'm convinced that if baseball was around during Confucius'

time, he would have been a huge fan."

In 2000, MLB's international ownership committee decided it needed a strategy for developing

Chinese players, and in 2009, the first MLB DC was opened at the Dong Bei Tang School in

Wuxi, with 16 local players. In 2010, the DC's first full year of existence, the team played

approximately 130 games, which set the standard for years to come and is 100 games more than

those played by the highest level professional teams in China. Now, MLB has three DCs in

China, with the other two in Changzhou and Nanjing.

All are attached to academically strong high schools, with the goal of producing student athletes.

"Before we started the development centers, we discovered how much emphasis the Chinese

place on education," said Small. "We knew the philosophy of the DC had to be education first,

baseball second, or Chinese parents wouldn't let their sons attend."

To that end, MLB's Chinese student-athletes live in dormitories at the schools, attend classes

every day and study halls at night, and play baseball after school and on weekends.

Last year, six of eight graduating student athletes went on to play baseball at Chinese

universities. This year, there will be 22 graduates, 14 of whom have already committed to

Chinese universities. Several others are still waiting to hear back, and the vast majority of those

teens would never have had the opportunity to attend college if not for the DCs.

"Within the next three graduating classes, the byproduct of our development centers will be the

overall improvement of the level of college baseball in China," Dell said. "We haven't had any

Chinese players go on to American universities yet, but it will happen."

It was Dell who discovered Xu, as a 13-year-old left-handed pitcher playing high school baseball

in Shenzhen, just across the border from Hong Kong. When he came to the DC, it was obvious

his hitting was ahead of his pitching. The then-skinny kid switched to playing outfield and first

base, and he is now a 5-foot-11, 186-pounder with a body that, according to Dell, "has room to

mature."

Scouts love a frame that can support added muscle, and 15 of them from 10 Major League clubs

have visited the Chinese DCs, and the showcase days held in the fall and spring, since the ban on

signing Chinese players was lifted in August 2014.

"Teams have to make a concerted effort to come to China to see our players," Dell said. "It's a

very long trip, it's expensive and it requires a visa. You have to really care about going, and that

really validates what we're doing over here."

Xu's signing was the icing on the cake. For the time being, Xu will stay in China and train with

his team from the DC; currently, he is in Taiwan training with what Dell calls "The AAA squad,"

a group made up of the best players from all three DCs. Xu will likely go to Baltimore's Spring

Training facility in Sarasota, Fla., later in the summer to be introduced to the Orioles. Then, he

will return to China to finish his high school classes in the fall before reporting to the O's Spring

Training camp next February, where he will be evaluated and assigned to one of Baltimore's

Minor League affiliates.

Itchy, for his part, is a happy guy.

"Ichiro is a hitting god and I love hitting, and I want to work hard to be as good as he is," Xu

said. "I am excited to have a chance to go to MLB and play baseball, and I'm happy the Orioles

gave me this opportunity."

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/137613328/dj-stewart-homers-in-two-games-for-aberdeen

Stewart homers in both games of Aberdeen's twin bill Orioles' first-round pick cracks his second and third professional homers for Class A Short

Season squad

By Alex M. Smith / MLB.com

July 20, 2015

D.J. Stewart flipped a switch on Monday.

The Orioles' first-round Draft pick had not collected a hit since July 12 before going 3-for-7 with

two homers in Rookie League Aberdeen's doubleheader against Tri-City.

"It was definitely great to finally have some balls fall for me today," Stewart told MiLB.com.

"I've been going out, working every day on my game, just trying to find the rhythm I had in

college. I was off for about a month before I had to play again, and that little time off has taken

its toll on my swing. But my swing doesn't feel off -- I've been feeling better. I've been hitting

the ball hard and some balls haven't been falling."

Stewart hit .318/.500/.593 with 15 homers and 59 RBIs for Florida State this spring before

Baltimore took him No. 25 overall. He hit his first pro home run on July 6 and is batting

.164/.250/.382 for the IronBirds.

"I've been swinging the bat well but just hitting balls right at people," he said to MiLB.com.

"That's the thing with baseball -- you can get up and you can get down; sometimes the ball falls

in for you and sometimes it doesn't."

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/07/orioles-entering-big-series-in-bronx.html

Orioles entering big series in Bronx

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

July 21, 2015

If the Orioles are going to chip away at the Yankees' division lead, this is the week to do it.

And by "chipping," I mean taking chunks out of it.

The Orioles trail the Yankees by four games as they venture into the Bronx. They won two of

three games in April at Camden Yards, lost three of four in May at Yankee Stadium and won two

of three again in June at Camden Yards.

The Yankees are 27-17 at home this season and the Orioles are 19-27 on the road, though they

won two straight in Detroit before yesterday's off-day.

The Yankees have hit 120 home runs, tied with the Blue Jays for second in the majors, and the

Orioles are fifth with 113. The Orioles' 39 errors are the fewest in the American League and

second-fewest in the majors. The Yankees have committed 64 errors, the sixth-highest total in

the majors before yesterday.

Left-hander Wei-Yin Chen remains a prime example of why you don't judge a pitcher on his

won-loss record. He's 4-5 with a 2.78 ERA in 17 starts and has allowed two earned runs or fewer

in seven consecutive outings.

Chen has worked eight innings in three of his last five starts. In three July starts, he's allowed

seven runs (six earned) and 16 hits over 23 innings, with four walks and 14 strikeouts.

Chen is 3-4 with a 4.76 ERA in 11 career starts against the Yankees and 2-3 with a 4.15 ERA in

six starts at Yankee Stadium. He's faced them twice this season, surrendering two runs and four

hits over six innings on April 13 at Camden Yards, and one run and five hits over seven innings

on May 9 in the Bronx.

Jacoby Ellsbury is 7-for-19 with a double against Chen, and Stephen Drew is 4-for-13 with two

doubles. Alex Rodriguez is 3-for-16 with a home run and five strikeouts, and Mark Teixeira is 3-

for-14.

Yankees right-hander Nathan Eovaldi is 9-2 with a 4.50 ERA in 18 starts this season. He hasn't

completed six innings in three starts this month.

Eovaldi has totaled 10 2/3 innings in two starts against the Orioles this season, allowing five runs

and 14 hits with six walks and 12 strikeouts.

If you're crafting a lineup today, keep in mind that left-handers are batting .350 against Eovaldi

this season. Right-handers are hitting .272.

Matt Wieters figures to catch tonight following yesterday's off-day, but Caleb Joseph is 4-for-5

with a double and home run against Eovaldi. Should Wieters serve as the designated hitter?

Manny Machado and Jimmy Paredes are 1-for-3 with a home run against Eovaldi, and Travis

Snider is 2-for-5 with a double. Chris Davis is 1-for-6 with five strikeouts.

In case you missed it, Nick Markakis hit his first home run last night for the Braves and Jim

Johnson earned his seventh save. I don't have anything to add except it happened.

Down on the farm, Triple-A Norfolk first baseman Christian Walker homered and drove in three

runs last night in a 7-3 win over Pawtucket. Walker is 6-for-18 with three home runs and eight

RBIs in his last four games.

Infielder Rey Navarro is 20-for-58 with three home runs, seven RBIs and 10 runs scored in his

last 13 games.

Rule 5 pick Jason Garcia hasn't allowed a run in six innings over four appearances during his

injury rehab assignment at Double-A Bowie. He's permitted three hits, walked five and struck

out seven.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2015/07/a-look-at-a-pitcher-that-has-made-a-huge-

impact-for-the-bowie-baysox.html

A look at a pitcher who has made a huge impact for the

Bowie Baysox

Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

July 21, 2015

As the Double-A Bowie Baysox pursue their first division championship since 2008 and second

playoff berth in four years, their pitching staff is being led by a veteran right-hander who is

putting up very strong numbers on the field while also providing an example for younger

pitchers to follow.

Terry Doyle picked up his latest win on Sunday, allowing two earned runs or less for the 10th

time in 12 starts. He is 11-1 with an ERA of 2.08. In 95 innings he has allowed 81 hits with 11

walks, 79 strikeouts and a .229 average against.

Not bad for a guy who began the year in the bullpen. But he made a spot start May 10 and he's

been in the Bowie rotation ever since.

At 29, Doyle is probably not a threat to make any of those top prospects lists. And he doesn't

light up any radar guns. He throws a fastball between 88-90 mph along with a curve, slider and

changeup.

But on a Bowie pitching staff that lost Dylan Bundy and Branden Kline to injuries and saw Tim

Berry's struggles send him to the bullpen, Doyle has come up huge.

"He turns around losing streaks," Baysox manager Gary Kendall said. "He's been that important

and he's been a real good influence on our team and staff. He's got a great attitude and is a real

pro out there.

"He has tremendous touch and feel as a pitcher with the ability to throw any of his four pitches in

any count. He has been tremendously consistent, he's pitched deep into games and been a bullpen

saver."

Doyle has followed up a strong June with a strong July. In nine starts since June 1, he is 8-0 with

a 1.46 ERA. Over 61 2/3 innings he has allowed 47 hits with 10 walks and 50 strikeouts. The

Orioles minor league Pitcher of the Month for June, the Baysox have won his last 11 starts.

"I can't speak enough about what he has meant to this ballclub," Kendall said. "I know he is an

older guy and when you look around the league, it seems every team has one of those guys. He

certainly has the stuff to move to Triple-A, but he's a great fit on our ballclub.

"He does a nice job pitching down in the zone and doesn't leave many balls in the middle of the

plate. He's a good guy to play behind and he holds runners and is very quick to the plate, usually

1.2 (seconds)."

Doyle is playing in his seventh pro season and his first with the Orioles organization having

previously played in the Chicago (AL), Boston and Atlanta minor leagues. The Concord, Mass.

native was drafted by the White Sox in the 37th round of the 2008 draft out of Boston College

and has now thrown 852 career minor league innings. The Orioles acquired him as a minor

league free agent in November.

"He's helping guys like (Parker) Bridwell, (Ashur) Tolliver and Berry when they watch how he

executes pitches, how he thinks, how he reads swings. Just been so valuable to have him. He

prepares and that helps lead to his success and it is rubbing off on a lot of guys. He was a great

signing by our front office," Kendall said.

Doyle is the Eastern League leader in wins and has thrown two shutouts. He ranks fourth in

WHIP (0.97), and fifth in average against and ERA. The Baysox record for wins is 15 set by

Brad Bergesen in 2008 when he was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Year.

Doyle has that record in reach as he leads Bowie to wins, sets a good example for other pitchers

and works to help Bowie get back to the postseason.

Notes on Stewart and Miranda: Orioles first-round draft pick, Florida State outfielder DJ

Stewart, was batting just .125 in his first 13 games with short-season Single-A Aberdeen and

with just two extra-base hits. But in a doubleheader Monday, Stewart went 3-for-7 with a triple

and solo homers in each game of the twinbill. It was a nice breakout day for Stewart, who had

been in a 1-for-25 slump his previous seven games. Stewart hit his second and third homers for

Aberdeen on Monday.

Single-A Frederick left-hander Ariel Miranda has been named the Carolina League Pitcher of the

Week for the time period ending Sunday. The 26-year-old Cuban-born Miranda went 1-0 with an

ERA of 0.82 in two starts. Sunday he pitched six no-hit innings against Potomac, leaving the

game due to pitch count. In 11 innings in the two starts, Miranda allowed five hits and one run

with two walks and 13 strikeouts.

Signed by the Orioles on May 23, Miranda is 1-1 with a 4.09 ERA over five starts with Frederick

since joining the club on June 28. In 22 innings, he has allowed 10 runs on 16 hits to go with

eight walks and 24 strikeouts, and opponents are batting .200 against him.

Prior to joining the Orioles organization, Miranda pitched seven professional seasons in the

Cuban National Series, the country's top professional league. Beginning his pro career when he

was just 17 years old, Miranda went 22-25 with a 3.78 over 80 total games (64 starts). He is the

Keys third weekly honoree this year following pitcher David Hess and third baseman Drew

Dosch.

Meanwhile, both Frederick and Single-A Delmarva produced walk-off wins last night. The Keys

beat Potomac 6-5 on Jeff Kemp's two-out, two-run single. The lead changed hands five times in

the last four innings. This was Frederick's sixth walk-off win of 2015. The Keys are 45-50

overall and moved over .500 for the first time for the second half at 13-12.

Delmarva scored three in the ninth to beat Greensboro 3-2. Catcher Yermin Mercedes tied the

game with a two-run triple and then scored the winning run on Elier Leyva's sac fly. Garrett

Cortright pitched two perfect innings of relief to earn the win. Delmarva has won seven of nine

games and all four of its home series in the second half. The Shorebirds are 47-46 overall and

14-11 in the second half.

http://www.si.com/mlb/2014/04/06/ap-bba-orioles-yankees-preview

Orioles-Yankees Preview

SI.com

July 21, 2015

Although they weren't projected to be the aces of their respective staffs at the start of the season,

Wei-Yin Chen and Nathan Eovaldi are pitching that well of late.

While Chen seeks his sixth straight quality start for the Baltimore Orioles, Eovaldi will try to

extend his career-best winning streak for the New York Yankees on Tuesday night when the AL

East's top teams meet in the Bronx.

Opening day starter Chris Tillman has won five straight decisions after a six-game losing streak,

but Chen (4-5, 2.78 ERA) leads Baltimore's rotation in both ERA and quality starts with 12.

The left-hander, who turns 30 on Tuesday, has allowed two runs or less in his last seven outings

and has a 1.95 ERA during a string of five straight quality starts. He gave up two earned runs

over eight innings in a 3-2 home loss to Washington in his most recent outing July 12.

"Wei-Yin's been solid for us," manager Buck Showalter told MLB's official website. "After

having him for a while, we've got a pretty good idea what works for him and what doesn't."

After entering 2015 with a 2-4 record and a 5.44 ERA in nine career meetings with the Yankees,

Chen is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in two starts against them this year. He yielded just one run while

fanning seven over seven innings in a 6-2 win at Yankee Stadium on May 9.

New York (50-41), which leads Baltimore (46-45) by four games in the division, has won nine of

13 this month following Sunday's 2-1 home win over Seattle. The club took three of four from

the Orioles the last time they met at Yankee Stadium in May.

Eovaldi (9-2, 4.50) pitched the opener of that series, allowing three runs over 5 2-3 innings in a

4-3 win. He also gave up two runs over five innings at Camden Yards on April 15, but did not

factor into the decision in New York's 7-5 loss.

The right-hander now looks to take the team lead with his 10 victory after yielding three runs

over five innings in an 8-6 win at Boston on July 12. He has posted a 2.93 ERA while winning

his last four decisions.

Eovaldi might have to be careful with Caleb Joseph, who is 4 for 5 with a home run and a double

in the matchup. Jimmy Paredes has two walks and a homer off Eovaldi this season.

Joseph is also 15 for 28 (.536) with two home runs in the season series, while Paredes is 11 for

24 (.458) with two homers and Manny Machado is 15 for 39 (.385) with a pair.

Adam Jones went 3 for 5 with his 15th home run and Jonathan Schoop hit a three-run shot in

Sunday's 9-3 win at Detroit. Jones is 9 for 18 and has gone deep three times over his last four

games.

New York first baseman Mark Teixeira's only hit in five at-bats against Chen was a home run,

while Carlos Beltran has gone 0 for 6. Beltran had an RBI single Sunday after missing 12 games

with a strained oblique.

Teixeira went 3 for 4 with his 23rd home run - a go-ahead solo shot in the eighth inning. He went

5 for 11 when the Yankees dropped two of three at Baltimore in mid-June.

"Individual success means a whole lot more when your team is playing well," he said.

http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/07/20/baltimore-orioles-itchy-shoe-xu-guiyuan-first-chinese-

development-prospect

Orioles sign first-ever player from MLB's Chinese

development program

SI.com

July 20, 2015

The Baltimore Orioles on Monday signed 19-year-old Xu Guiyuan, the first player ever to come

out of the league's Chinese Development program, according to MLB.com. The financial terms

of the minor-league deal were not disclosed.

Xu, pronounced "shoe" and whose nickname is “Itchy,” is scheduled to remain in China where

he will train with the development program's top team. He is expected to arrive at the Orioles

spring training facility in Sarasota, Fla., later this summer, to be introduced to the team before

heading back to China to finish his high school classes.

Xu's signing is seen as an important step in the redevelopment of baseball in China, which was

banned by the late Mao Zedong from 1966 to 1976. Major League Baseball opened a

development center in China in 2009 where high school-aged players attend school, live in

dormitories and train for baseball on nights and weekends.

MLB's director of game development in Asia, Ricky Dell, discovered Xu as a 13-year-old

playing in Shenzhen, according to the MLB.com report.

"Teams have to make a concerted effort to come to China to see our players," Dell said. "It's a

very long trip, it's expensive and it requires a visa. You have to really care about going, and that

really validates what we're doing over here."

Xu says his baseball idol is 10-time All-Star Ichiro Suzuki.

"Ichiro is a hitting god and I love hitting, and I want to work hard to be as good as he is," Xu

said. "I am excited to have a chance to go to MLB and play baseball, and I'm happy the Orioles

gave me this opportunity."

http://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2015/07/20/baltimore-orioles-fans-camden-yardley-baby-

names

Orioles fans with son named Camden add daughter named

Yardley

By Dan Gartland / SI.com

July 20, 2015

Colleen and Tony Serra have pretty traditional names, but that’s not exactly true of their two

children.

The Serras are big Baltimore Orioles fans, so when they welcomed their first child in 2010 they

named him Camden, after Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The couple added a daughter last month

and decided to go with another ballpark-themed named. OPACY doesn’t really roll off the

tongue, so they went with Yardley.

“Obviously, when you pick names for your kids you’re trying to think of things that are

meaningful for both of you,” Colleen told The Washington Post. “We both grew up going to

games. [Camden Yards] holds a special place in our hearts and it’s a place that we’re going to

keep coming back to, so it just seemed fitting.”

Yardley also has a baseball middle name—Ruth—for Baltimore native George Herman “Babe”

Ruth.

It’s a good thing the O’s don’t play at Memorial Stadium anymore.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/13293457/baltimore-orioles-sign-xu-guiyuan-first-player-mlb-

china-development-centers

Orioles sign 19-year-old Xu Guiyuan, 1st player from

development centers

ESPN.com

July 21, 2015

In what Major League Baseball hopes is an indication of its advance into a sparsely covered

region of the world, the Baltimore Orioles signed the first prospect from one of MLB's China

development centers on Monday, according to an MLB.com report.

Xu Guiyuan, a 19-year-old outfielder/first baseman, signed a minor league contract tied to next

season, before which he'll report to Orioles spring training and be assigned to one of the team's

minor league affiliates.

"Xu has been working hard at the MLB Development Center, and we hope he'll be the first of

many future major league players from China," Orioles executive vice president of baseball

operations Dan Duquette said of the two-time China youth league MVP, according to MLB.com.

"He has excellent balance at the plate and very good left-handed power, which we think will play

well at Oriole Park at Camden Yards."

Xu emerged from the development center in Wuxi, a city in the Jiangsu province. That center is

one of three in the nation of well more than 1 billion people.

Called "Itchy" by staff members at the center, Xu says his baseball idol is Miami

Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki.

"Ichiro is a hitting god, and I love hitting, and I want to work hard to be as good as he is," Xu

said. "I am excited to have a chance to go to MLB and play baseball, and I'm happy the Orioles

gave me this opportunity."

The Orioles tweeted a photo of Xu's signing:

Rick Dell, MLB's director of game development for Asia and the evaluator who discovered Xu,

offered an appraisal similar to Duquette's.

"You have to like his hitting," Dell said. "He really swings the bat well and has been doing a lot

to continuously improve. He's a lefty hitter with a good swing and good bat speed."

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/13293413/cal-ripken-jr-gives-ian-desmond-washington-

nationals-pep-talk

Cal Ripken Jr. gives 'a little bit of hope' to struggling Ian

Desmond

Associated Press / ESPN.com

July 21, 2015

Washington Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond, who hasn't performed to expectations this season,

said a chance meeting with former Baltimore Oriolesstar and Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. might

have provided him a boost.

"The other day, I was walking to the park, and Cal Ripken was out there signing autographs in

the parking lot," Desmond said Monday. "He kind of grabbed me, and he said, 'Hey, back in '93,

through the first 80 games, I was hitting .199.' He said, 'I finished with a pretty good year. You're

going to be all right.' And that kind of gave me a little bit of hope. If he did it and grinded

through it, I can too."

Desmond hit a two-run homer offNew York Mets reliever Alex Torresin the eighth inning of

Monday night's 7-2 win. He went 2-for-4 at the plate to boost his batting average to .208, and he

now has eight home runs and 26 RBIs this season. However, those numbers fall short of his .263

career average and his highs of 25 home runs in 2012 and 91 RBIs in 2014.

A prolonged slump led manager Matt Williams to give Desmond a couple days off the past

month. The shortstop made six errors in eight games early in the season.

Williams said last month that he believed Desmond would turn things around.

"I don't think it's a problem," Williams said. "He works and works and works. He's told you

guys, and he's told everybody that he will be OK, and he's going to work out of it."

http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/orioles-talk/can-orioles-win-big-series-yankee-stadium

Can Orioles win big series at Yankee Stadium?

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Baltimore

July 21, 2015

Tonight's Game:

Baltimore Orioles (46-45) vs. New York Yankees (50-41), Yankee Stadium, Bronx, N.Y., 7:05

p.m.

Starting pitchers:

Wei-Yin Chen (4-5, 2.82) vs. Nathan Eovaldi (9-2, 4.50)

Keys to the Game:

The Orioles trail the Yankees by four games in the AL East. Can they make up ground in this

three-game series?

Can Chen continue his strong performances? He's allowed two runs or fewer in his past seven

starts.

News and Notes:

The Orioles and Yankees have split the first 10 games of their season series.

Eovaldi has allowed 14 hits in 10 2/3 innings to the Orioles this season.

Eovaldi has won four straight despite not pitching more than six innings.

Current Yankees hitters have a .226 average against Chen. Jacoby Ellsbury is 7-for-19 (.368)

against Chen.

http://www.csnwashington.com/baseball-washington-nationals/talk/how-cal-ripken-jr-helped-

ian-desmond-break-out-his-slump-baltimore-orioles

How Cal Ripken, Jr. helped Desmond break out of slump

By Chase Hughes / CSN Baltimore

July 20, 2015

Ian Desmond entered Monday's game hitless in his previous 17 at-bats, a streak that dated back

to July 10, a span of 10 days. But in the Nats' 7-2 win over the Mets on Monday night, Desmond

reached base twice: once on an infield single and then later with a two-run homer, his eighth of

the season and the 99th of his career.

Desmond has been struggling all season and with a .208 average after Monday knows he isn't out

of the woods quite yet. But the 29-year-old shortstop says he has been feeling better at the plate

in recent days and part of the reason may be due to some words of encouragement from

arguably the best to ever play his position.

Orioles legend Cal Ripken, Jr. was in Washington over the weekend as part of the broadcast

crew for TBS and the two ran into each other before one of the Nats' games against the Los

Angeles Dodgers.

Here is how Desmond described their interaction:

"It's funny, the other day I was walking to the park and Cal Ripken was out there signing

autographs in the parking lot. He kind of grabbed me and said 'you know, back in '93 through the

first 80 games I was hitting .199 and I finished with a pretty good year. You're going to be

alright.' That kind of gave me a little bit of hope. Alright, if he did it and grinded through it, then

I can too. That's kind of the mentality I already had, but it's nice to have that reassurance. You

never know where it's going to come from or who is going to be the person that lifts you up.

You've gotta keep your ears and eyes open all the time."

Ripken wasn't quite hitting .199 through Game 80, but he did go through some rough patches in

1993. He was batting .199 on May 28, the 47th game of the season. And he was hitting just .215

on July 6, his 83rd game.

Ripken finished that year with a .257 average, 24 homers and 90 RBI. He won a Silver Slugger

award and placed 19th in the AL MVP race.

Ripken was linked to the Nationals during their managerial search following the 2013 season

before the team hired Matt Williams for the job. Though he didn't end up coaching the Nationals,

it appears he may have made an impact on at least one of their players nonetheless.

http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/orioles-talk/two-lifelong-os-fans-named-their-kids-after-

their-favorite-teams-stadium

Two lifelong O's fans named their kids after their favorite

team's stadium

By Peter Hailey / CSN Baltimore

July 20, 2015

Most of the time, parents will say that they let their kids choose what sports teams they root for.

Sure, if mom or dad is a diehard fan of a certain franchise, they'll probably push their child

toward that organization. But in the end, it's still up to the youngster to decide who to devote

themselves to.

Colleen and Tony Serra's kids, however, don't have much of a choice: Camden and Yardley

Serra are probably going to have to be Orioles fans just like their parents, simply because their

names pretty much force them to.

In a profile about the couple, Colleen said the inspiration for naming their son Camden came

from the fact that she and her husband have been lifelong Orioles supporters. So when he was

born in October 2010, they didn't hesitate to name him after the stadium they've been to so many

times before.

"It just seemed fitting," she said.

And when their second kid, a baby girl, was born this past June, they named her Yardley, giving

their children one of the more unique name pairings you'll ever see.

"We are obviously obsessed with Camden Yards," she said.

Oh really? You don't say.

Now that the couple have used up names relating to the team's stadium, it'll be interesting to see

where they go next if they have more children. The Warehouse Serra, The Streak Serra, and Crab

Cakes Serra are our suggestions for future offspring, however, if they're in need of some ideas.

http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/orioles-talk/orioles-sign-chinese-infielder-fantastic-nickname

Orioles sign Chinese infielder with fantastic nickname

CSN Baltimore

July 20, 2015

In a Monday press release, the Orioles announced that they have signed Chinese infielder Gui

Yuan Xu to a minor league contract.

The best part? Learning that Xu's nickname is "Itchy."

Other pertinent information: Xu is 19 years old, stands 6-foot tall and weighs 188 pounds. He

hits and throws left-handed.

He's a two-time MVP in the China National Youth Baseball League and has been training at the

MLB Development Center in Jiangsu, China since 2010.

“Xu has been working hard at the MLB Development Center and we hope he'll be the first of

many future Major League players from China,” said Orioles Executive Vice President of

Baseball Operations Dan Duquette. “He has excellent balance at the plate and very good left-

handed power, which we think will play well at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.”

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2015/07/21/chen-seeks-celebratory-birthday-win-vs-yankees/

Chen Seeks Celebratory Birthday Win Vs. Yankees

CBS Baltimore

July 21, 2015

Although they weren’t projected to be the aces of their respective staffs at the start of the season,

Wei-Yin Chen and Nathan Eovaldi are pitching that well of late.

While Chen seeks his sixth straight quality start for the Baltimore Orioles, Eovaldi will try to

extend his career-best winning streak for the New York Yankees on Tuesday night when the AL

East’s top teams meet in the Bronx.

Opening day starter Chris Tillman has won five straight decisions after a six-game losing streak,

but Chen (4-5, 2.78 ERA) leads Baltimore’s rotation in both ERA and quality starts with 12.

The left-hander, who turns 30 on Tuesday, has allowed two runs or less in his last seven outings

and has a 1.95 ERA during a string of five straight quality starts. He gave up two earned runs

over eight innings in a 3-2 home loss to Washington in his most recent outing July 12.

“Wei-Yin’s been solid for us,” manager Buck Showalter told MLB’s official website. “After

having him for a while, we’ve got a pretty good idea what works for him and what doesn’t.”

After entering 2015 with a 2-4 record and a 5.44 ERA in nine career meetings with the Yankees,

Chen is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in two starts against them this year. He yielded just one run while

fanning seven over seven innings in a 6-2 win at Yankee Stadium on May 9.

New York (50-41), which leads Baltimore (46-45) by four games in the division, has won nine of

13 this month following Sunday’s 2-1 home win over Seattle. The club took three of four from

the Orioles the last time they met at Yankee Stadium in May.

Eovaldi (9-2, 4.50) pitched the opener of that series, allowing three runs over 5 2-3 innings in a

4-3 win. He also gave up two runs over five innings at Camden Yards on April 15, but did not

factor into the decision in New York’s 7-5 loss.

The right-hander now looks to take the team lead with his 10 victory after yielding three runs

over five innings in an 8-6 win at Boston on July 12. He has posted a 2.93 ERA while winning

his last four decisions.

Eovaldi might have to be careful with Caleb Joseph, who is 4 for 5 with a home run and a double

in the matchup. Jimmy Paredes has two walks and a homer off Eovaldi this season.

Joseph is also 15 for 28 (.536) with two home runs in the season series, while Paredes is 11 for

24 (.458) with two homers and Manny Machado is 15 for 39 (.385) with a pair.

Adam Jones went 3 for 5 with his 15th home run and Jonathan Schoop hit a three-run shot in

Sunday’s 9-3 win at Detroit. Jones is 9 for 18 and has gone deep three times over his last four

games.

New York first baseman Mark Teixeira’s only hit in five at-bats against Chen was a home run,

while Carlos Beltran has gone 0 for 6. Beltran had an RBI single Sunday after missing 12 games

with a strained oblique.

Teixeira went 3 for 4 with his 23rd home run – a go-ahead solo shot in the eighth inning. He

went 5 for 11 when the Yankees dropped two of three at Baltimore in mid-June.

“Individual success means a whole lot more when your team is playing well,” he said.

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2015/07/20/mlb-round-up-with-jason-catania/

MLB Round Up With Jason Catania

CBS Baltimore

July 20, 2015

Jason Catania from MLB.com joined the Scott Garceau Show, with Terry Ford, to discuss the

approaching MLB trade deadline. A lot of names are being brought up as potential trade bait, but

Jason says that does not mean there will necessarily be a lot of moving around at the deadline.

“There is going to be some activity. I don’t know if it’s going to be super heavy. I think we will

see some big names moves. We will probably see more hitters than pitchers. I don’t think there is

going to be major quantity of trades, but there will be some teams showing off weaknesses.”

Scott also asked Jason about what he thought about the Orioles as they get closer to the trade

deadline. “They’re in the same ballpark that they have been in the last several weeks. They have

gotten healthy; their pitching is starting to round into form. I don’t think the Orioles

are running away with the division, but I think that they are in the mix. I don’t if they are going

to make a major move either. Maybe sure up the outfield, maybe give the infield some depth”

Terry and Jason also agreed that if the Orioles were to make a big splash at the trade deadline,

they would likely have to give up Kevin Gausman. “Their farm system has been of the weaker

ones going forward. If one of Bundy or Harvey were healthy, you would maybe have a little

more leeway to make a move, but I think Gausman might be the most intriguing guy.

http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/orioles-sign-19-year-old-gui-yuan-itchy-xu-to-minor-

league-deal-072015

Orioles sign 19-year-old Gui-Yuan 'Itchy' Xu to minor

league deal

FOX Sports

July 20, 2015

I think we've found the best nickname in minor league baseball. And he hasn't played a game yet.

On Monday, the Baltimore Orioles announced the signing of 19-year-old Chinese infielder Gui-

Yuan "Itchy" Xu (pronounced SHOO) to an international free agent deal.

He was signed out of an MLB Development Center in China, as GM Dan Duquette noted in a

release, per Baltimore Sun:

“Xu has been working hard at the MLB Development Center and we hope he’ll be the first of

many future major league players from China,” Orioles executive vice president of baseball

operations Dan Duquette said in a statement. “He has excellent balance at the plate and very-

good left-handed power which we think will play well at Camden Yards.”

Xu will definitely be interesting to follow and is sure to be an Orioles fan favorite.

http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/rug-rats-nickeodeon-uniforms-frederick-keys-baltimore-

orioles-minor-league-affiliate-071815

Nick Nite: Orioles' Class-A affiliate to wear 'Rugrats'

uniforms

FOX Sports

July 18, 2015

Sick of all the "Star Wars" promotions at major-league and minor-league ballparks? Wish there

were more throwback nights featuring Nickelodeon cartoon characters from the '90s?

Then start making plans to head to Frederick, Md., for the Class-A clash between the Frederick

Keys (Orioles) and Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs).

The Keys will sport these special "Rugrats" uniforms for Nickelodeon Night:

http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/story/2015-07-21/orioles-free-agent-trades-signings-chinese-

development-itchy-xu

Orioles sign 'Itchy' Xu, first player from Chinese

development program

Kirstie Chiappelli / Sporting News

July 21, 2015

The Orioles signed Gui Yuan Xu, the first player to come from MLB's Chinese development

program, to an international free agent deal for next season.

Though the financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, Xu, nicknamed "Itchy", received a

$10,000 signing bonus.

Originally recruited as a pitcher, the 19-year-old outfielder and first baseman is expected to be

introduced to the team at the Orioles spring training facility in Sarasota, Fla., this summer before

going back to China to complete high school. Xu will then report to the Orioles spring training

camp next February and be assigned to one of Baltimore's minor league teams.

"Xu has been working hard at the MLB Development Center and we hope he'll be the first of

many future major league players from China," Orioles executive vice president of baseball

operations Dan Duquette said, via MLB.com. "He has excellent balance at the plate and very

good left-handed power, which we think will play well at Oriole Park at Camden Yards."

Xu, who idolizes seven-time All-Star Ichiro Suzuki, will stay in China to train with the

development program's top team for the time being, but is excited to try and reach the majors.

"Ichiro is a hitting god and I love hitting, and I want to work hard to be as good as he is," Xu

said. "I am excited to have a chance to go to MLB and play baseball, and I'm happy the Orioles

gave me this opportunity."

A native of Shenzhen, China, Xu was awarded National Youth Baseball League Most Valuable

Player award in 2012 and 2014. He was also a two-time Taiwan Elite Camp All-Star in 2013 and

2014. He also won the 2012 China National Youth Home Run Derby in 2012.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2015/07/20/os-fans-name-their-kids-

camden-and-yardley/

O’s fans name their kids Camden and Yardley

By Scott Allen / The Washington Post

July 20, 2015

Colleen and Tony Serra have attended every Orioles home opener together since 2010. When

they were deciding on a name for their first child in October of that year, they wanted something

that represented their shared love of baseball and Baltimore, where they met playing softball in

2009.

They named their boy Camden.

“Obviously, when you pick names for your kids you’re trying to think of things that are

meaningful for both of you,” Colleen said. “We both grew up going to games. [Camden Yards]

holds a special place in our hearts and it’s a place that we’re going to keep coming back to, so it

just seemed fitting.”

The couple got engaged at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. They married in 2013 and

held their wedding reception at the Camden Club inside the B&O Warehouse at Camden Yards.

When they had their second child, a girl, this June, they doubled-down on the ballpark theme and

named her Yardley.

Camden and Yardley.

“We are obviously obsessed with Camden Yards,” said Colleen, a Maryland graduate who said

Yardley would’ve been named Cole (after the field house) if she had been born a boy.

Just as they did with newborn Camden, the Serras stopped for a photo outside the gates at

Camden Yards with Yardley on their way home to Olney from the University of Maryland

Medical Center. Yardley, whose middle name is Ruth in honor of the Baltimore-born Sultan of

Swat, attended her first Orioles game 10 days later.

The Serras aren’t the first couple to name their babies after ballparks. There’s a Fenway

Parks and a Wrigley Fields. Last year, a young Orioles fan named Camden Yards attended a

game…at Camden Yards.

“If you’re from around here and you’re a baseball fan, you get it, but if you aren’t, and you don’t

say their names together, or if you say Yardley and Camden, then you might not put it together,”

Colleen said of the reaction she’s received to her kids’ names.

“Most of the people say, ‘Wow, that’s fitting for you guys,”’ Tony said. “They go together like

peas and carrots.”

Camden is a member of the Junior Orioles Dugout Club and the Serras go to about a dozen

Orioles games every year. Colleen’s parents are Nationals fans who keep trying to convince her

to “join the dark side.”

“They’re our National League team,” Colleen said. “We’re too invested in the Orioles.”

If the Serras become even more invested in the Orioles in the form of a sibling for Camden and

Yardley, Colleen said there’s a good chance his or her name will have a baseball theme.

“We’re going to have to be very strategic,” Colleen said. “It won’t be Eutaw. It won’t be Pickles.

That’s going to take some creative juices. Maybe Cooper for Cooperstown.”

“Eutaw could be the middle name,” Tony said.

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/07/orioes-fans-name-children-camden-yardley

Orioles fans name children 'Camden' and 'Yardley'

By Nick Schwartz / USA Today Sports

July 20, 2015

Baltimore Orioles superfans Colleen and Tony Serra love the O’s so much that they named their

two children after Camden Yards. The couple held their wedding reception at Camden Yards,

and named their first child “Camden” in 2010.

The family recently welcomed a baby girl, named “Yardley.” They could have gone with “Cal”

and “Ripken,” or perhaps “Sho” and “Walter.” Just saying.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2527219-orioles-fans-name-their-kids-camden-and-yardley-

after-baltimore-stadium

Orioles Fans Name Their Kids 'Camden' and 'Yardley' After

Baltimore Stadium

By Thomas Duffy / Bleacher Report

July 20, 2015

A pair of over the top super Baltimore Orioles fans named their first baby boy "Camden," after

Camden Yards.

Not too crazy, right?

Well, they took it to another level when child number two came along. The baby girl’s name is

“Yardley.”

On one hand, you have to respect the true depth of this family’sfanaticism. On the other, it would

be kind of funny to watch the kids grow up to be New York Yankees fans.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/two-orioles-fans-have-named-their-kids-

camden-and-yardley-235507003.html

Two Orioles fans have named their kids Camden and

Yardley

By Chris Cwik / Yahoo Sports

July 20, 2015

Being a baseball fanatic means loving your team even when things look rough. In extreme

situations, it means you name your first-born after the team you love.

Colleen and Tony Serra fit into the latter group. Both grew up loving the Baltimore Orioles, and

decided to name their son Camden, after the ballpark.

Their second child arrived in June, and they kept with the baseball theme. The couple named

their daughter Yardley, giving them Camden and Yardley.

The Serras told Scott Allen of the Washington Post that the Orioles' home park holds a lot of

meaning for them.

“Obviously, when you pick names for your kids you’re trying to think of things that are

meaningful for both of you,” Colleen said. “We both grew up going to games. [Camden Yards]

holds a special place in our hearts and it’s a place that we’re going to keep coming back to, so it

just seemed fitting.”

Baseball has been a big part of the couple's relationship. They got engaged in Cooperstown, and

had their wedding reception at the Camden Club at the park.

This isn't the first time some super fans have named their children after a ballpark. Both Fenway

Parks and Wrigley Fields exist. Heck, this isn't even the first instance of Orioles' fans going this

far. Last year, Camden Yards attended his first Orioles game ... at Camden Yards.

If Camden and Yardley get another sibling, the Serras said that child would likely also have a

baseball name.

“We’re going to have to be very strategic,” Colleen said. “It won’t be Eutaw. It won’t be Pickles.

That’s going to take some creative juices. Maybe Cooper for Cooperstown.”

Pickles is a popular sports bar in Baltimore. Eutaw is the street that runs through the concourse in

centerfield.

Thank goodness they've ruled out Pickles. You've already got a kid named Yardley, there's no

need to name another one of your children Pickles.

Not to sound like a curmudgeon, but whatever happened to Jim, Bob or Frank? We're naming

our kids things like Kale and Gluten now. No matter how you feel about Yardley, know that

there are much worse names out there.

http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20150720&content_id=137578452&fext=.jsp&vke

y=news_milb&sid=milb

Orioles' top Draft pick Stewart homers twice Aberdeen outfielder, ACC Player of the Year goes deep, snaps slump

By Danny Wild / MiLB.com

July 20, 2015

A month ago, D.J. Stewart said he cried when MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred read his name

as a first-round Orioles Draft pick. A month later, Stewart's emotions are a little different -- his

transition to professional baseball has been a frustrating one.

The Orioles' top pick was held to just six hits in his first 48 at-bats over 13 games and took the

field Monday morning with a .125 average. His last hit had come on July 12, more than a week

ago.

"I've been swinging the bat well but just hitting balls right at people," he said. "That's the thing

with baseball -- you can get up and you can get down; sometimes the ball falls in for you and

sometimes it doesn't."

But his efforts finally paid off on a hot, humid afternoon in Upstate New York -- the 21-year-old

outfielder homered in both ends of a doubleheader as Class A Short Season Aberdeen split its

twinbill with Tri-City on Monday at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium.

Stewart, the No. 25 overall selection in last month's Draft, went 2-for-3 with a one-out solo

homer in the sixth inning of Game 1 before adding his third career Minor League blast in the first

inning of Game 2, a two-out solo shot off ValleyCats starter Harold Arauz. The IronBirds

dropped the first contest, 7-2, before scoring twice in extra innings to earn a 3-1 victory in the

second.

"It was definitely great to finally have some balls fall for me today," Stewart said.

The big day for Stewart was his best since he connected on his first Minor League home run on

July 6 at Mahoning Valley, his only other multi-hit performance of the young season. He singled

in his Orioles debut July 2 but has struggled to find consistency ever since, owning a .228 on-

base percentage entering Monday. The outfielder said his struggles this summer may just be

some rust after not playing for a few weeks.

"I've been going out, working every day on my game, just trying to find the rhythm I had in

college," he said. "I was off for about a month before I had to play again, and that little time off

has taken its toll on my swing. But my swing doesn't feel off -- I've been feeling better. I've been

hitting the ball hard and some balls haven't been falling."

And there has been some good news -- Stewart, known for his plate discipline, has struck out just

eight times while drawing seven walks in his first 15 starts. He now has nine RBIs in 15 games.

Stewart, who got full slot value for the 25th overall pick, received a $2,064,500 signing bonus

from Baltimore after being named the 2014 ACC Player of the Year at Florida State, where he

hit .318 with 15 home runs, 59 RBIs, a .500 on-base percentage and 69 walks in his junior

season. He was considered MLB.com's No. 36 prospect in the 2015 Draft class.

"He has a chance to hit. I liked his selectivity," Orioles manager Buck Showalter told

the Baltimore Sun last week after taking in a game in Aberdeen. "Some guys are just taking

pitches because they are in take mode, but you can tell he recognizes pitches. He defended

himself well in the outfield. He's strong, a strong kid. He keeps his bat in the zone a long time."

His first home run Monday came off reliever Yeyfry Del Rosario. Aberdeen's lineup quickly got

a read on the right-hander's tendencies, and Stewart stepped to the plate with a plan.

"I was walking up to the plate and our two-hole hitter [Kirvin Moesquit] was coming back, and I

talked to him, asked him what he was throwing. He told me all off-speed stuff, changeups,"

Stewart said. "I went up there -- I'd watched him during warmups, throwing off speed -- and he

threw me an off-speed first pitch down. I put a good swing on it, got the barrel on it and it went

over the fence."

Stewart then gave Aberdeen a lead in the first inning of the second game, a run that held up until

the fifth.

"I came up, the first two guys got out, but they put good swings on him. I was watching the

pitcher, he was throwing a lot of pitches inside to those lefties," Stewart said. "Going up there

with that mindset, he went 3-1 and he tried to throw a fastball, high and in. I put a good swing on

it and it went out, too."

Stewart's father, Reggie Stewart, was the Padres' 13th-round pick in the 1991 Draft and hit .298

with 30 RBIs, 28 steals and 50 runs scored over three seasons in the Minors. Now, the elder

Stewart has a unique perspective when it comes to mentoring his son.

"My dad played in Minor League Baseball, I had friends who've played in the Minors and are

now in the bigs, guys like Addison Russell, Javier Baez -- I talked to those guys and they gave

me the inside scoop on Minor League Baseball," he said. "And I have my dad. But I'm finally

getting to do it myself. It's what I expected -- it's a grind. You come out every day and play

games and that's all I have to worry about -- it's been an absolute blast."

Stewart said his life has changed since he was bestowed with the "first-round pick" label last

month, but he's not letting the title or the expectations go to his head.

"Draft night was really emotional. I was with all my family, and the ups and downs and the

emotions of waiting to hear your name -- hopefully you hear it the first night, but you never

know," he said. "They have these projections, but you don't know until they call your name. It

was really emotional. The past month after Draft day, everything has settled down, I went back

to being who I am. Things changed and a lot more people started noticing who I was as a first-

round pick. But everything is the same, I'll continue to be D.J. Stewart."

http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20150719&content_id=137495684&fext=.jsp&vke

y=news_milb

Keys' Miranda untouchable for six frames Cuban left-hander holds P-Nats hitless in fifth Carolina League start

By Sam Dykstra / MiLB.com

July 19, 2015

When the Orioles announced they had signed Ariel Miranda in late May, general manager Dan

Duquette told The Baltimore Sun, "We are hoping he can help us maybe later this year or

sometime next year."

The Cuban left-hander took a big step toward making that happen Sunday night.

In just his sixth start in the Baltimore system, Miranda pitched six hitless innigs, striking out six

and walking two, to pitch Class A Advanced Frederick to a 6-0 blanking of Potomac at Nymeo

Field.

The Keys' no-hit bid didn't last much longer than that as Matt Taylor served up a single to

Nationals first baseman Grant DeBruin with two outs in the seventh. It turned out to be

Potomac's only hit of the evening.

It was the first professional win and longest outing yet for the 26-year-old southpaw, besting his

five-inning start a week ago against Salem.

"He was very calm and relaxed tonight," Keys pitching coach Kennie Steenstra said. "The entire

outing, he stayed within his delivery and was consistent with all of his pitches.

"I don't believe he even knew there was a no-hitter, he was that calm and collected the whole

way through. I didn't even see it until the fifth because we were talking about how long we were

going to go with him. To his credit, he kept doing what he was doing and was consistent in that

way all night."

Miranda needed only 84 pitches -- 51 strikes -- to get through Sunday's gem, thanks to a three-

pitch mix that earned plenty of praise from Steenstra.

"The very first day I saw him, the thing that stood out was his nice, loose arm," Steenstra said.

"The ball just comes out easy. It's 90-94 [mph], but it looks effortless. ... The thing we're trying

to concentrate on now is the changeup. He enjoys throwing his splitter so much that he wants to

throw it all the time with two strikes. But his changeup is very good, too, so we're trying to get

him to be a little more comfortable with it and make it another weapon he can use."

That's not to say there haven't been some bumps in the road. Aside from adapting to a new

country and a new culture, there have been other changes for the Cuba native, starting with his

delivery. During his seven seasons in Cuba's Serie Nacional -- including a 2013 campaign in

which he posted a 3.24 ERA with 80 strikeouts and 28 walks in 77 2/3 innings -- Miranda

survived by pitching up in the zone. The Orioles organization doesn't believe that'll cut it

stateside, so Steenstra & Co. have worked with the left-hander on staying back more in his

delivery and giving him a better angle at the lower half of the zone. Miranda was generally

receptive to the changes, but it took a rough outing on July 8 -- he surrendered five runs on five

hits and three walks in three innings -- for him to buy in completely.

"Sometimes a little failure will push you a little more," Steenstra said. "He wasn't exactly

hesitant before, but he really bought into what we've been teaching him since then."

And that brings it back to Duquette's comments in May. Miranda is 1-1 with a 4.09 ERA, 24

strikeouts and eight walks over 22 innings in the Carolina League. Those numbers three levels

from the game's biggest stage might not point to a Major League appearance this season, but

given Miranda's advanced age and the steps he's taken in his last few starts, Steenstra wouldn't

rule it out, either.

"That's for somebody else to decide," Steenstra said. "All I know is he's made great progress

here. And being an older guy, he'll be able to move a little quicker. He just has to get used to the

competition at each level. Not to say Cuba doesn't have good competition, but it's a little

different here in how to work counts, work certain pitches, that stuff. He's been great at adjusting

so far."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/18/bbo-orioles-teamreport-

idUSMTZEB7IOI057120150718

Baltimore Orioles - TeamReport

Reuters

July 18, 2015

DETROIT -- Ubaldo Jimenez did not quite have the sharpness he and the Baltimore Orioles

needed.

Jimenez took a 2.81 ERA into Friday night's game at Detroit and left 4 2/3 innings later with an

ERA of 3.29 after the Tigers pelted him for three home runs good for a total of six runs in

Baltimore's 7-3 loss at Comerica Park.

"It was a sticky, tough night," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said of Jimenez (7-5), who

allowed seven runs on seven hits with two walks. "Ubaldo was not very sharp.

"It happens to guys a lot coming out of the All-Star break. One of the good things that happened

was that a lot of our bullpen guys were able to get in some work."

"I had trouble with my breaking balls," Jimenez said. "My fastball was all right. My slider was

good. My split-finger was good sometimes."

"He got hurt on breaking balls," Showalter said. "Two split-fingers and a slider."

Detroit designated hitter Victor Martinez smacked a two-run home run in the first, shortstop Jose

Iglesias hit a three-run blow in the fourth and right fielder J.D. Martinez hit a solo shot, his 26th,

in the fifth.

"That one Iglesias hit, that wasn't a slider," Jimenez said. "It didn't break at all. The one Victor

hit I didn't think was a bad pitch. He just put a good swing on it.

"That's a good lineup they have."

It was a hard-luck night for right fielder Chris Davis, too.

He was robbed of a two-run home run in the third when J.D. Martinez leaped and hauled his fly

ball back from going over the fence. Davis also lined into a double play in the fifth, smoking a

ball that second baseman Ian Kinsler caught and snapped a throw to first that caught center

fielder Adam Jones too far off the base.

Davis also took a 3-2 pitch for a third strike that appeared to be a touch outside on the replay.

"We were a four-inch ball off the plate from bringing the tying run to the plate," Showalter said.

-----------------------------------------------

MLB Team Report - Baltimore Orioles - NOTES, QUOTES

RECORD: 44-45

STREAK: Lost three

NEXT: Orioles (RHP Chris Tillman, 6-7, 5.40 ERA) at Tigers (LHP David Price, 9-2, 2.38

ERA)

PLAYER NOTES:

--RHP Chris Tillman has never lost to the Detroit Tigers, a streak that will be on the line

Saturday when he pitches against them at Comerica Park. Tillman has beaten Detroit once in

each start against the Tigers over the last two seasons. He is 3-0 in six starts lifetime against

Detroit with a 3.58 ERA.

--RHP Ubaldo Jimenez wasn't his sharpest Friday night in Detroit, giving up three home runs

that accounted for six Tigers' runs in a 7-3 loss by Baltimore. "It was a sticky, tough night,"

manager Buck Showalter said of Jimenez (7-5), who allowed seven runs on seven hits with two

walks. "Ubaldo was not very sharp. It happens to guys a lot coming out of the All-Star break.

One of the good things that happened was that a lot of our bullpen guys were able to get in some

work." "I had trouble with my breaking balls," Jimenez said. "My fastball was all right. My

slider was good. My split-finger was good some times."

--RF Chris Davis hit into some tough outs Friday night, getting robbed of two hits by fine Detroit

defensive plays. Tigers' right fielder J. D. Martinez robbed him of a two-run home run in the

third when he leaped and hauled his fly ball back from going over the fence. Davis also lined

into a double play in the fifth, smoking a ball that second baseman Ian Kinsler caught and

snapped a throw to first that caught center fielder Adam Jones too far off the base. Davis also

took a 3-2 pitch for a third strike that appeared to be a touch outside on the replay.

--2B Jonathan Schoop drove in Baltimore's first run Friday night with a solid two-out single to

right in the second inning. Schoop went with an outside pitch and lined it to right after the

Orioles threatened to strand runners at third and first with nobody out.

--RHP Jonathan Hughes, Baltimore's second-round draft pick, turned down a chance to turn pro

Friday and elected to begin his college career at Georgia Tech. Hughes was the 68th overall pick,

so Baltimore will receive the 69th selection in the 2016 draft as compensation. Hughes is a 6-

foot-2, 184-pound pitcher who has reached 96 mph with his fastball. He is from Flowery Branch

(Ga.) high school. He was the highest unsigned Orioles pick since RHP Wade Townsend of Rice

passed on signing as the No. 8 overall pick in 2004.

--LHP Andy Oliver, 27, has signed a minor league deal with Baltimore to pitch out of the

bullpen on the Orioles Triple-A Norfolk farm club. Oliver, who pitched for Detroit briefly in

2010-11, had a 3.86 ERA for Tampa Bay's Triple-A Durham farm club before opting out of his

contract early in the July. "We always liked him, going back to his days with the Tigers,"

manager Buck Showalter said. "We tried to get him in a trade one time."

--LHP Dana Eveland, 31, a veteran situational lefty, has signed a minor league contract with

Baltimore. He will work in relief at Triple-A Norfolk. Eveland had a 5.40 ERA in 10 games for

Atlanta this season covering 3 1/3 innings. He pitched Triple-A ball in the Boston and Atlanta

organizations this year, going 2-0 with a 1.44 ERA in 25 innings spanning 17 games.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "We were four inches from bringing the tying run to the plate. But the sky is

not falling. Good times are ahead." -- Orioles manager Buck Showalter, after Friday's loss to

Detroit.

http://fantasynews.cbssports.com/fantasybaseball/update/25243716/orioles-sign-lefty-pitchers-

dana-eveland-andy-oliver

Orioles sign lefty pitchers Dana Eveland, Andy Oliver

By Ruben Palacios / CBSSports.com

July 17, 2015

The Orioles have signed a pair of left-handed pitchers in Dana Eveland and Andy Oliveron

Friday, according to the Baltimore Sun.

Eveland was last with the Braves organization this season. Atlanta designated him for

assignment at the start of July. He had a 5.40 ERA in 3 1/3 innings with the Braves this season.

Oliver was granted his release by the Rays in early July after opting out of his contract with their

Triple-A club. In 9 2/3 innings this season, Oliver posted a 6.52 ERA with eight walks and just

five strikeouts.

Eveland and Oliver will join the bullpen for Triple-A Norfolk.