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Paul Shuey is going for his first save since 2002 with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Ramon Hernandez hadn't homered since June 2 against the Angels' Hector Carrasco. He hit one tonight off Carrasco.
Wild stuff.
Brian Burres is icing his arm right now - starting at his ankles and working his way up. What a performance.
Brian Burres really showed me something in the seventh inning.
I thought he was done after the sixth, when the Angels scored twice, but he got three easy outs in the seventh, striking out Jose Molina on a changeup. Earlier in the at-bat, he flashed that 87 mph fastball.
Burres retired the last five batters he faced after walking Vladimir Guererro.
Chad Bradford was warming in the eighth, but he sat down.
Melvin Mora's looping single with two outs in the fourth inning has given the Orioles a 1-0 lead.
Brian Burres has allowed only one hit, and it naturally came from Chone Figgins in the first inning. Figgins has 52 hits this month. He was batting .160 at the beginning of June. His average stood at .322 before tonight.
Remember how the Orioles brought him back to life in Anaheim? He should still be thanking them.
We were told Thursday night that the stats from the suspended game wouldn't become official until after it's completion on July 27, but Elias has posted them. It's confusing to see that the Orioles are playing their 79th game, but Nick Markakis had appeared in 79 games before tonight.
The Orioles placed Steve Trachsel on the 15-day disabled list today with a strained gluteus muscle - and I know the obvious joke but have chosen to ignore it - and recalled left-hander Kurt Birkins from Triple-A Norfolk.
Birkins is expected to arrive before the game and give the Orioles a much-needed long man, with Rob Bell unavailable after going 4 1/3 innings last night.
Trachsel was bothered by the injury during his last start in Arizona, and it apparently affected his preparation for last night's start, when he allowed five runs and nine hits in 1 2/3 innings.
Approached by reporters a short time ago, Trachsel said he had no idea that he was going on the DL.
"A little bit of a surprise," he said. "I haven't even seen a doctor yet."
Trachsel had one more turn before the All-Star break, so the Orioles will need someone to start Wednesday's game in Chicago. I brought up Garrett Olson's name to manager Dave Trembley, and he smiled and shook his head.
"Where do you guys come up with these things? You do your homework," he said.
Yes, the Orioles are giving serious consideration to Olson, who allowed two hits and struck out 10 over seven scoreless innings last night against Pawtucket. Bell also is a possibility, though the Orioles like him as a long man.
Meanwhile, Trembley had Ramon Hernandez and Paul Bako performing some catching drills before batting practice.
Here's the lineup:
Brian Roberts - 2B
Brandon Fahey - SS
Kevin Millar - 1B
Ramon Hernandez - C
Aubrey Huff - DH
Melvin Mora - 3B
Jay Gibbons - LF
Jay Payton - RF
Corey Patterson - CF
Brian Burres - P
Nick Markakis is getting a rare night off. No injury, just a rest.
Reliever Scott Williamson is limping and has his left ankle tapped. He's supposed to be examined by team orthopedist Dr. Andrew Cosgarea later today. He's considered day-to-day until told otherwise. X-rays taken last night were negative, but as we've learned by now, that means nothing.
He could have a family of four living in his ankle, and I'm not sure an X-ray would show them. Bring on the MRI!
Danys Baez threw a side session in the bullpen today. His ERA went up a point.
Kidding. I really like the guy and he's working hard. Pretend I never typed that.
How much longer can Garrett Olson stay in Triple-A?
Olson tossed seven scoreless innings last night against Pawtucket, allowing two hits and striking out 10. He has 94 strikeouts in an International League-leading 104 innings.
I didn't want the Orioles to rush him, but I say it's time to take a look.
I also say it's time for Steve Trachsel to string together a few good outings, either to help the Orioles or make it easier to trade him. Whatever. But he's really scuffling now, with 15 runs allowed in his last three starts covering 10 1/3 innings.
X-rays taken on Scott Williamson's left foot after last night's game were negative, but I have a funny feeling the Orioles will give him lots of time to fully recover before using him again.
Anyone questioning whether Danys Baez really was injured when the Orioles put him on the disabled list should be convinced now that he's nearing a rehab assignment in the minors, but still not feeling 100 percent. He's supposed to throw his first bullpen session today since leaving the active roster.
Anyone out there want to close for this team?
Aubrey Huff needs a single to hit for the cycle. Melvin Mora needs a triple.
The smart money's on Huff. He got the hardest one out of the way.
Rob Bell hasn't won a game in the majors since April 14, 2005, against the Orioles, when he was pitching for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Huff was one of his teammates.
Scott Williamson is warming up, so this could be Bell's last inning. He's retired 13 of the 15 batters he faced.
Anyone know a good rain dance? Or at least a quick one?
Once again, the Orioles will be begging the umpires to stop play, but it won't be because of the weather.
Steve Trachsel threw 42 pitches in 1 2/3 innings. He allowed hits to nine of the 12 batters he faced, and left with a 5-0 deficit.
Trachsel has surrendered 15 runs in his last three starts totaling 10 1/3 innings.
How's that trade value now?
In case you missed Andy MacPhail's hour-long appearance on The Anita Marks Show, here are a few quick hits:
He doesn't believe there are any grounds for the Orioles to protest last night's game.
He doesn't expect negotiations with first-round draft pick Matt Wieters to "percolate" until about two weeks before the Aug. 15 deadline for signing the catcher, knowing that adviser Scott Boras isn't in a hurry to get a deal done.
MacPhail doesn't have much of a past relationship with Boras, since the small-market Twins weren't usually in the running for his high-priced clients. But he was the Cubs' president when they signed Greg Maddux.
MacPhail drafted one Boras client in the first round while serving as the Twins' general manager - catcher Jason Varitek, who didn't sign. The Twins had two first-round picks that year and knew they could secure Torii Hunter, so they figured Varitek was worth the gamble.
Brian Roberts - 2B
Chris Gomez - SS
Nick Markakis - RF
Ramon Hernandez - C
Aubrey Huff - 1B
Melvin Mora - 3B
Jay Gibbons - DH
Jay Payton - LF
Corey Patterson - CF
Steve Trachsel - P
The Orioles haven't heard from the league office regarding Mora's comments last night that the umpiring crew showed favoritism toward the Yankees, and they don't expect any repercussions.
No winner has been declared from last night's Orioles-Yankees game because of the downpour that halted play, finally, with two outs in the eighth inning and the visitors leading, 8-6. But there's good news for the locals:
Michael Phelps placed first in three events.
When the groundscrew worked on the mound during one delay, they didn't bother bringing any rakes or sand. They were just checking the chlorine level.
For those of you wondering why Kevin Millar was trying to steal second and whether he ran on his own or sombody missed a sign, manager Dave Trembley offers this explanation. Warning: You might have to read between the lines to figure it out.
"It would have looked good if he had made it," Trembley said, "and when he didn't, it looked like somebody wasn't on the same page. And that's about as direct as I can put it."
It'll be interesting to find out whether the commissioner's office takes action against Melvin Mora, who basically suggested last night that the umpires showed favoritism toward the Yankees for letting Derek Jeter bat in the eighth before halting play. I also wonder if Tim Tschida will get a phone call after Mora accused the third base ump of cursing at him.
"Three times," Mora said.
Players who left last night's game before it was suspended can't re-enter it on July 27, but anyone added to the roster is eligible to participate.
On another note, new president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail will be in studio today from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on The Anita Marks Show on ESPN Radio 1300 and MASN. WJFK is streaming, if you don't have television or radio access.
And so was Camden Yards last night - between the bases.
Tonight's game has been suspended and will resume on July 27 at 7:05 p.m., before the regularly scheduled game. It'll be a pseudo-doubleheader. Free baseball! Or at least a few innings.
The Yankees still will be batting in the eighth with an 8-6 lead. Players who left the game can't be used. And none of the statistics count until it's over.
Melvin Mora was, indeed, ejected for arguing with third base umpire Tim Tschida that play should have been halted before Derek Jeter's at-bat. Unless the Orioles add a position player from the minors, Ramon Hernandez will play first base and Chris Gomez will move to third.
"I just asked him, 'You don't think it's too wet? He started yelling at me and cursed," Mora said. "I was like, 'You don't have to curse at me because I ask a question.' He was upset. I said, 'This is worse than when you stopped the game when we were winning. Why don't you stop it now? I can't even see the ball.' He was cursing and cursing and cursing. I was like, 'OK, this is not good.'"
Mora said he talked to Tschida "way before" Jeter's at-bat.
"He just tried to make Jeter hit so they can score one run so they can get out of here. That's what I think," Mora said.
The commissioner's office is going to love this.
"Before Jeter came to the plate, I said the rain is a little heavy, so it's kind of hard to see. It's a mess. He just cursed and said something really bad that made me go back to my position. I saw Chris Ray walking around the mound. This is not good," Mora said.
"We shouldn't have started that game if they knew the rain is coming back in less than 10 minutes."
Chris Ray said he's never pitched in conditions like this before.
"I was just trying not to throw the ball to the backstop," he said. "I was getting the ball back on the mound and water was just pouring off my hands. I was just trying to deal with it. They weren’t making any moves, they weren’t calling the game, and I was trying to get the ball over the plate."
Manager Dave Trembley said Scott Williamson was available to pitch and would have been used if the game continued tonight.
Instead, he got to practice his backstroke in the bullpen.
So what's your favorite rain-related song?
I'm told if the rain doesn't stop now, the game will be suspended with the Yankees leading 8-6, and it'll be completed at a later date.
Melvin Mora got into a heated argument with third base umpire Tim Tschida and plate umpire Jim Joyce. We can only assume he thought play should have been halted before Derek Jeter's two-run single.
If Mora had been thrown out -- and we don't believe it happened -- Chris Gomez probably would have moved to third base and Ramon Hernandez would have played first.
And Lenn Sakata would have caught.
Sam Perlozzo would have been ripped to shreds for using John Parrish in the eighth and not removing him sooner, and then bringing in Chris Ray. I wonder if Dave Trembley gets a free pass tonight.
There has to be a reason why Scott Williamson remains in the bullpen. He hasn't pitched since facing two batters, and retiring them both, on Saturday.
Williamson keeps insisting that he can pitch on consecutive days. Or at least consecutive weeks. Trade the guy if there are any takers and bring up somebody else. I see no reason to keep him on the roster if he's not being used much.
"Don't Stop Believing" is playing on the PA system during the rain delay. I'm afraid that I'm about to get whacked.
Or resume my life, but be really paranoid.
Or go into the Witness Protection Program.
Kevin Millar had one triple since 2003 before his three-bagger -- and no, that's not a nickname for my last date -- scored Nick Markakis in the seventh.
I'm not sure why Freddie Bynum was sent into the game to pinch-run for him. Unless you're trying to execute a squeeze play -- and no, that's not a move I put on my last date -- what's the point?
OK, onto the massive confusion: We couldn't figure out if this would have been an official game if the rain had continued. Official scorer Jim Henneman says it was official and the Orioles would have won, 6-4.
Meanwhile, the rain stopped as soon as the tarp went on the field. Head groundskeeper Nicole Sherry is more talented than I realized. I have no idea how she did that, but nicely done!
...I didn't feel real good about that bases-loaded matchup between Paul Shuey and Alex Rodriguez. I feared the ball was going to land in the bullpen. I just wasn't sure which bullpen. But Shuey got the double play and was chest-bumping players in the dugout.
The radar shows a major storm is heading this way. But I don't see the groundscrew scrambling to get in position behind the tarp, and I trust them.
Or maybe they're just real calm under pressure.
Tonight's attendance: 40,737.
Daniel Cabrera's line: 6 1/3 innings, six hits, four runs, two walks, two strikeouts. He threw 95 pitches, 55 for strikes.
Without having the chance to ask, I'll assume there was a missed sign when Kevin Millar was thrown out at second. I can't imagine he was running on his own. And he glanced toward the plate halfway to the bag.
Melvin Mora is a good player. He just doesn't always make good decisions.
That's as nicely as I can put it.
And he'd probably say the same about me. My friends and family certainly would.
Daniel Cabrera's velocity is outstanding so far. His fastball keeps hitting 96 mph. That wouldn't mean much if he wasn't throwing strikes, but he is so far.
He only threw seven pitches in the first inning.
Matt Wieters update: The Orioles haven't started negotiations with him. I just checked.
Dave Trembley had a unique fine system when he managed in the minors. If a player messed up, he'd owe Trembley a Diet Pepsi.
"It was usually a two-liter," Brandon Fahey said. "In his office, he had a refrigerator and it was full of them."
For those of you who need to add another floppy hat to your wardrobe, the first 25,000 fans 21-and-over attending tomorrow night's game will receive one. It's orange. It'll go with practically anything.
Seriously, is there any way possible to look cool while wearing a floppy hat? It's sort of like riding in the back of a pickup truck.
Manager Dave Trembley envisions a day, like many fans, when the starting rotation will include Erik Bedard, Daniel Cabrera and Adam Loewen for a full season. That was the plan this year until Loewen's elbow injury. Here's looking ahead to '08.
"That’s kind of the rotation from the old Oriole days, those kinds of arms," Trembley said. "I think you build a winning team around starting pitching, and then defense. It certainly looks like those are the kinds of guys who are going to be the cornerstone of the rebuilding process of this organization. And when you look and the quickness or rapidness of all those guys’ development, the future looks real good."
Trembley told reporters that he called Bedard into his office today and lectured him on the importance of talking to the press after games. Trembley apologized to the assembled media and said it wouldn't happen again.
And none of us put him up to it. Honest.
We're still too busy running Eddie Murray out of town.
Or was it Eddie Money.
No wonder that guy doesn't play Merriweather anymore.
Yankees manager Joe Torre is so desperate to turn things around, he called off batting practice today and told his players they didn't have to report to the ballpark until 6 p.m.
That's late.
Orioles manager Dave Trembley was given the chance to push back his batting practice until later, using the time normally reserved for the visiting team, but he declined. He wants to keep the Orioles in the same routine -- same stretch, same hitting, etc.
He has Fahey, Brian Roberts and Corey Patterson performing bunting drills before BP.
Trembley also said he won't adjust the rotation because of the All-Star break. "Why change things when things are going well?" he said.
Here's the lineup:
Brian Roberts - 2B
Brandon Fahey - SS
Nick Markakis - RF
Kevin Millar - 1B
Aubrey Huff - DH
Melvin Mora - 3B
Jay Gibbons - LF
Paul Bako - C
Jay Payton - CF
Daniel Cabrera - P
I can't believe that Curt Schilling has now resorted to faking a shoulder injury. Will this guy ever learn?
The Yankees are 4-13 in one-run games, which is so un-Yankee like. The Orioles are 7-15, if you were wondering.
There's major panic in the Bronx. One member of the New York media ventured over to the Orioles' clubhouse yesterday and said, "So you think it's bad in here. You should be on the other side."
Being in third place and three games below .500 is unacceptable in New York, as you can imagine. Here? We'd be celebrating right now, given all that has happened. We'd be checking the wild-card standings. But the Bronx bar has been raised a little higher.
The New York media is convinced that manager Joe Torre and general manager Brian Cashman would have been fired by now if owner George Steinbrenner was his old self, and not Larry David's portrayal in Seinfeld. I still believe the Yankees will make their move in the second half, but reporters already are asking Torre if the club will be sellers instead of buyers at the break.
Torre jokingly asked one reporter who broached the subject where he was hearing that the Yankees could be sellers, and warned him to be careful because "people tend to do what they read." It's obvious he doesn't want anyone in the organization to raise the white flag this soon.
If the Orioles don't get the sweep tonight, everyone should bury their disappointment and remember that taking two of three, especially without Miguel Tejada in the lineup, is beyond acceptable.
But I really, really want the sweep, and not just because it would be nice to see Daniel Cabrera start to resemble Erik Bedard - at least on the mound.
I'd have to think that Bedard solidified his place on the All-Star team. I wish Jeremy Guthrie could join him, but there's no way two pitchers make it, and he understands this. Guthrie told me yesterday that, while it would be a tremendous honor, he's not counting on it because he's a relative unknown, and rookies rarely get the recognition.
I hope he's wrong, but I'm inclined to agree.
As for Bedard's disappearing act after last night's game, I'm just glad it didn't happen DURING it. Bedard took care of the most important business - shutting out the Yankees over seven innings.
My suggestion to the Orioles: Bring him into the interview room after the manager finishes. He obviously grew tired of waiting for us last night, but our routine has changed since MASN got involved. We can't duck into the manager's office and dart across the hall to the clubhouse. It takes longer to get to the players now that we're herded into a separate room and kept there. By the time we're allowed inside the clubhouse, a few players have already dressed and headed to their cars. And nobody's in a bigger rush than Bedard.
You have to love Aubrey Huff's sense of humor.
He finally homers for the first time since May 9, and upon returning to the dugout, he asks hitting coach Terry Crowley if somebody could get him the ball.
"My swing’s been kind of messed up this year, my pull swing," he said. "I’m getting a lot of hits the other way, up the middle. But something about the home run swing, it’s just not really coming this year. I can’t really explain it.
"I don’t really worry about stuff too much. Obviously I want to do well and I’ve been working hard every day going in the cage early and trying to figure it out. But at the end of the day, if it’s not happening, it’s not happening. Why worry about it?"
Asked if the homer was more meaningful coming off Roger Clemens, Huff said, "Not so much who it was. I’d like to hit a home run there against anybody. But especially against the Yankees here, when probably 60 percent of their crowd’s out there in our own stadium. When I played in Tampa, I thought that was just in Tampa, but apparently that’s everywhere."
I won't rip Erik Bedard for this, because I know how upset that makes some of you, but he rolled out again tonight without talking to reporters. It would have been nice to get his take on out-dueling Clemens.
No matter. He pitched one heck of a game and showed a lot of guts - and an uncanny sense of calm, as he always does. It's tough to rattle this guy unless he's surrounded by reporters at his locker.
If Bobby Abreu had reached with two outs, Chris Ray was coming in. But I credit manager Dave Trembley - I'll drop the "interim" tag for now - for laying off Ray unless it was absolutely necessary to bring him in.
I'm distracting myself during the Yankees' rally - which I'm sure won't change the outcome - to inform you that J.R. House will be the starting catcher for the International League in the Triple-A All-Star Game.
Norfolk closer Cory Doyne, who's 21-of-22 in save opportunities, also has been selected.
For the first time in 201 consecutive starts, Roger Clemens didn't record a strikeout. You can look it up.
Here's a snippet of what Andy MacPhail said in explaining why he most likely will abstain from interviewing any managerial candidates until early August.
"What I’d really like to do now is, I have so much on my plate that I’ve got to learn, let’s watch Dave manage for a while," MacPhail said. "I was really impressed with the energy and enthusiasm the team played with last night, I liked the idea we were aggressive on the basepaths, we tried to make things happen, he shared the load in the bullpen. So I was pleased.
"Before we take this team in a direction and you try to customize a fit, a manager, for it, it’s incumbent upon me to try to collect as much information and help us make the decision as to which way we go, and then custom-fit the manager to whichever way that is."
Makes sense to me.
And here's more:
"I’ll do my due diligence, but I won’t be doing interviews here for, I would imagine, at least the trade deadline, so you guys (reporters) can stand down from any kind of search because there is no search that’s going to take place for a while," MacPhail said.
"We’re going to let Dave manage and we’re going to see how things go. There’s no race here. It’s getting the right guy. That’s what the object is."
During Tuesday's pre-game meeting with players, MacPhail told them a little story about another interim manager in Minnesota who ended up keeping the job for quite a while - and winning two World Series titles.
"I talked to them briefly and told them the last time I was in this spot, we had an interim manager by the name of Tom Kelly, and it was so clear that the energy and enthusiasm levels had picked up," MacPhail said.
"It wasn’t’ really somebody I thought was in the top two at the time, but a lot of these decisions become self-evident over time. If you give it time, they will become self-evident over time. So let’s give it time. God knows there are other things I need to learn and do, so there’s no hurry.
"Who knows how the future goes? Things change. So what I think now doesn’t mean it’s locked in stone, but I would be very surprised if there were any interviews until we get to August."
Locked in stone? Maybe he meant etched in stone. Whatever. You get his point.
The Orioles have recalled infielder Brandon Fahey from Triple-A Norfolk and optioned Jon Knott, who made one start after rejoining the team.
Fahey was batting .227 with seven doubles, six triples, two home runs and 24 RBIs in 76 games with the Tides. He had a .296 on-base percentage and a .315 slugging percentage.
Doesn't sound good, but he was heating up. Over his last 10 games, Fahey was batting .359 with three doubles and two triples.
Interim manager Dave Trembley said he expects Fahey to play shortstop and second base, not the outfield.
Also, new president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said he'll continue to evaluate Trembley through the non-waiver trade deadline on July 31, so the manager search will come to an abrupt stop. The one candidate to replace Trembley, Joe Girardi, turned down the Orioles. Nobody else is being interviewed.
