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Tag: Baltimore Orioles

  • Masahiro Tanaka Will Get Another Start On Saturday

    The New York Yankees were so pleased with Japanese sensation Masahiro Tanaka’s performance last Sunday, that they are giving the right-hander another start this Saturday at Fenway Park against the Red Sox. Tanaka allowed just a single run on five hits in 5 1/3 innings in a 5-2 victory over the Blue Jays.

    The Yanks shut the rookie down in July with a partially torn ligament in his right elbow. Instead of going ahead with Tommy John surgery, which would have sidelined Tanaka for 12-16 months, doctors instead recommended rehab with a “wait and see” plan.

    Tanaka reported feeling good after his Sunday start. “From where I am right now, I should be able to have a good offseason of training on what I want to do and I should be good to go next season,” Tanaka said through his translator.

    Tanaka experienced only general soreness after throwing 70 pitches on Sunday. Manager Joe Giradi said about Tanaka, “He was all smiles today, which was good.”

    Before being sidelined with the injury, the 25-year-old pitcher was everything the Yankees could have asked for after signing a $175 million contract last winter. In his first 14 starts, Tanaka was sensational, going 11-1 with a 1.99 ERA.

    It looks like the Yankees will most likely fail to make the post season for the second year in a row. They are currently three games out of the Wild Card with only six games left to play.

    Tanaka will need to come back strong next season if the Yanks want to get back to playing October baseball. Their rotation for next spring is very much in flux. CC Sabathia will be coming off knee surgery, Ivan Nova may not pitch at all next year as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, and Hiroki Kuroda may opt to retire instead of signing another one-year deal with the team.

    The Yankees are set to face the Baltimore Orioles tonight at Yankee Stadium at 7:05 ET. The Orioles have already clinched the AL East, while the Yanks are hoping for a miracle.

  • Orioles Trade Strop, Arrieta to Cubs

    Orioles Trade Strop, Arrieta to Cubs

    The Baltimore Orioles today announced a major trade deal with the Chicago Cubs. According to an MLB.com report, the Orioles have received pitcher Scott Feldman and catcher Steve Clevenger, who was optioned to the Triple-A Orioles affiliate Norfolk Tides. In return, the Cubs received pitchers Jake Arrieta and Pedro Strop, along with $338,100 in international signing slot bonuses.

    “He’s a proven veteran starting pitcher, and he should help stabilize our rotation in the second half of the season,” said Dan Duquette, VP of operations at the Orioles. “We are going to be able to make another addition to our rotation hopefully in another week when [Wei-Yin] Chen rejoins the club, so I think at this stage, let’s see what Feldman and Chen do for us,”

    Feldman will make his debut as an Oriole on Wednesday night against the Chicago White Sox. The right-hander is a veteran who pitched for the Texas Rangers for seven years before joining the Cubs this year. Feldman has gone 7-6 with a 3.46 ERA so far this season with the Cubs.

    Both Strop and Arrieta have had disappointing starts to their season. Strop has gone 0-3 with a 7.25 ERA, and Arrieta currently holds a 1-2 record with a 7.23 ERA this season.

    “It’s kind of sad to leave an organization I’ve been with since I was drafted,” said Arrieta. “A lot of special moments and great relationships that I’ve formed when I was with the Orioles, and that’s what I’ll miss the most. But there’s opportunity for me in Chicago, and I’m going to try to make the most of it.

    “I wouldn’t say [it’s] a completely fresh start. But I’ve learned a lot and continue to grow as a player and a person. My numbers haven’t been what everybody expected, what I expected, but there’s so much room for me to grow, and I know that’s what Chicago wants from me. They want me to have an opportunity and be able to continue to progress and reach my potential.”

    (via MLB.com)

  • Josh Hamilton Hit 4 Home Runs In One Game

    Josh Hamilton Hit 4 Home Runs In One Game

    Last night Josh Hamilton became the 18th player in the 137 year history of Major League Baseball to hit 4 home runs in a single game. He hit two-run homers in the first, third and seventh innings and added another in the eighth. He also doubled to take his night to 5 for 5 with 8 RBI’s. In doing this he also set the American League record for number of overall bases in a game with 18. Not too shabby for a guy with a past littered with drugs and alcohol.

    Hamilton has some serious demons. He battles addiction nearly every day, it’s one of the scariest parts about who he is as a person and as an athlete. Many around baseball see him as a risk, but he is one of the most talented players in the game. He does have the tendency to relapse because he is human, he admitted that he drank again over the winter. But he wants to be a better person, he wants to make his fans proud, and if they give him a chance, he will show up and give them a show. Last night is a perfect example.

    Hamilton hit the home runs and basically showed up the entire franchise of the Baltimore Orioles with his exhibition of dominance. This has not been a good year for the Orioles in terms of embarrassing stories. At 19-11 they are 1 game back from having the best record in baseball, but they also lost to a community college team in spring training. Add this to the mix and i’m sure that they aren’t too proud, but if they make the playoffs for the first time since the whole Jeffery Maier, Indians futility of the 1996-1997 seasons, they will look back on all of this and laugh.

    Thanks to Keith Allison for the picture.