If you're wondering again where I've disappeared to, I'm including a photo that should give you a clue. I'll be interested to see how many of the baseball nuts on this blog are well-traveled enough to identify the exact location where this photo was taken. No Googling. Honor system.

I've been on vacation out West for the past week, but I'll be back in the saddle for the Orioles' next home series. I think I picked the right time to enjoy some well-deserved R&R;, since I'm not sure my heart could have taken some of those ridiculous losses.

I'm not at today's game, of course, but I've got to ask a question. When you allow 10 baserunners in 3 2/3 innings and top off the fourth by giving up a three-run homer to center field...is that good???

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 2:14 PM | Permalink
Categories: Schmuck being Schmuck
        

Listen, I know the Orioles are a so-so team with all sorts of flaws, but I cannot explain how they find a different way to lose ignominiously just about every week. I've been around a long time, and the kind of loss they suffered on Tuesday night at Safeco Field happens to every team about once or twice every year. Trouble is, that's the fourth or fifth already this year (I'd be more specific, but I just can't bear to go back and check) that the O's have suffered such a discouraging late-inning setback.

I think if you go back to this time last year, you'll find an almost identical post. I vaguely remember saying the same thing as the O's were immolating during the first half of the 2010 season. And here we go again. The Orioles lost that game to the Red Sox a couple of weeks ago after leading by six runs heading into the late innings. Most teams will not do that once this year. But they already had lost a game in which they held a 5-0 lead over the Yankees.

Maybe it isn't fair to throw in the 15-inning game against the Yankees in which they simply choked on several extra-inning scoring opportunities, but I'm going to anyway. Now, Jeremy Guthrie -- the victim of the famous Mother's Day Meltdown of a few years ago, melted down all by himself.

He committed the error that kept the eighth inning alive, then allowed a single and a game-winning three-run home run. Can't remember seeing that particular combination of events in my three decades or so of baseball coverage, but I'm sure something like that has happened once or twice. The fact that it is happening once or twice a week really does test the limits of credulity.

Seriously, that kind of thing is hard to do, but it seems to be the one thing the Orioles are really good at.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 2:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (81)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Though the three-game sweep in Oakland was certainly galling, I'm not ready to give up on this road trip. The Mariners are starting to play better -- and Erik Bedard is pitching well again -- but I was concerned going into Oakland because the A's were pitching very well, had two left-handers going, and were getting the soft part of the Orioles rotation (until Sunday).

I'm guessing the O's will pitch much better at Safeco Field and I'm guessing the Orioles can't hit a whole lot worse than they did in Oakland, so I'm going to go out over my skis and predict they take the final two games of the series.

Of course, everyone is waiting to see how Brian Matusz looks in his 2011 debut. I doubt he'll throw more than five or six innings at best, but I'm willing to bet he'll pitch well enough to win if the O's can score four runs for him.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 12:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (19)
Categories: Just baseball
        

If you haven't already read it on the Web site, here's my Sunday column on the Orioles and their recent unsuccessful attempts to break through the .500 level. Just click right here, then let me know what you think.

And, if that isn't enough Schmuck for you, here's a link to my "News item" column that was in Saturday's print edition.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 6:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (87)
Categories: Just baseball
        

The Orioles are off on their first West Coast road trip and that means they'll be playing their first Pacific Daylight Time night game of the year tonight at Overstock.com Coliseum. Hopefully, they won't be so busy laughing at that ridiculous name that they're unable to pick up where they left off at their fifth straight victory on Thursday afternoon.

The O's continue to swing the bat inconsistently, so this series could be very problematic. The A's have a very strong young pitching staff that is pitching very well right now, as evidenced by their major league-leading 2.87 ERA. The fact that they are 24-27 while holding the opposition to less than three earned runs per game is also a testament to their soft offensive attack, so it'll be interesting to see how the two clubs match up.

It's a very large ballpark, which advantages fly ball pitchers and teams with speedy outfielders, so manager Buck Showalter will have a decision to make in left field. Does he go with the fleet Felix Pie or the suddenly red-hot Nolan Reimold?

If it's a straight righty/lefty platoon, you would think he'd go with Reimold against left-hander Gio Gonzalez (5-2, 2.20 ERA), but I wouldn't be surprised if he goes with the guy who can cover the most ground out there with Chris Tillman on the mound.

This could be a good ballpark for Tillman because of all the foul territory, since he does not have a nasty finishing pitch and opposing hitters often push up his pitch count fouling balls off late in the count. We'll know soon enough.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 7:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (68)
Categories: Just baseball
        

All you need to know about the streaky nature of this Orioles team is that they've won five straight since that 17-5 embarrassment against the Nationals. Now, if they want to break through the .500 mark, they're going to have to win on the road behind Chris Tillman and Brad Bergesen.

Tall order, considering the Oakland A's -- despite their sub-.500 record -- have some very good young pitching and the Orioles continue to search for offensive consistency. There's also the time difference and the fact that they are coming off a grueling 12-inning game in 90-degree heat and a coast-to-coast flight, but I'll let them make their own excuses.

For now, they're flying as high as they have in awhile, so you might as well enjoy it while it lasts.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 5:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (54)
Categories: Just baseball
        

If nothing else, the Orioles are certainly enigmatic. They score six runs in the early innings against the Red Sox last week and stage one of the great collapses of the past decade. They come back against Mariano Rivera in the ninth inning and then can't get one run over the next six innings -- even though they loaded the bases twice and had runners in scoring position in almost every one of them.

So, what happens, they go back to not scoring very much and win the last two games, including last night's heart-stopping walkoff win over the Royals on Adam Jones' tremendous two-run shot to center field.

Who knows where things go from here, but you can't argue that they lack entertainment value, whether it's an uplifting third win in a row or a horror movie like that game at Fenway Park. Either way, the O's remain viable in the AL East, partly because the rest of the division has politely refrained from running away from them.

Going into the last road trip, it looked like the Orioles had bought enough time to finally get healthy, but the loss of Derrek Lee and the news yesterday that Brian Roberts is out indefinitely with concussion symptoms makes you wonder just how long they can keep their heads close to being above water.

The return of Brian Matusz should help. The starting rotation has hit some speed bumps over the past couple of weeks, but if Matusz can fill out the core four and Chris Tillman can somehow keep sneaking through five innings without giving up more than a run or two, they'll remain competitive. It doesn't hurt that the schedule has softened up considerably.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 9:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (124)
Categories: Just baseball, Just baseball
        

Ravens player rep Derrick Mason was asked after Tuesday's unsanctioned players workout at Johnny Unitas Stadium whether he agreed with Ray Lewis's controversial contention that a lengthy NFL labor stoppage might cause an increase in street crime.

If you didn't see the ESPN interview, here's what Lewis said: "Do this research. If we don't have a season. Watch how much evil, which we call crime, how much crime picks up, if you take away our game...There's nothing else to do."

Mason tried not to cast himself in opposition to Lewis when he was asked for his reaction, but he obviously could not help himself.

"I respect anybody's opinion,'' he said. "Ray's a passionate guy, and of anybody I respect him as a football player and a person. But I'm not naive or arrogant enough to think what I do is going to affect John Doe or Mary Sue when they are at home or out there walking the street. I'm not going to be that arrogant.

"My life and what I do doesn't necessarily affect someone else on an everyday basis. They might get disappointed because we're not playing on Sunday, but for them to go out and change their whole lifestyle based on what I do. That's pure arrogance, I think. I'm not going to think that. But you respect everybody's opinion. If he felt that way, he felt that way for a reason."

Associated Press file photo

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (32)
Categories: Just football
        

Could the early part of this season get any stranger? The Orioles, for their part, just endured one of the more frustrating and discouraging weeks of the past three years, and yet the five teams in the AL East remain separated by just four games. Amazing.

While some goof was predicting that the world would end yesterday, the Orioles were making it look like the end of the baseball world as we know it with that ugly collapse in Boston, that series of missed opportunities on Wednesday night, and a two-game 30-run barrage on Thursday and Friday. They also lost Brian Roberts and Derrek Lee to injuries. So what are they doing within a good week of first place?

Be as cynical as you want. They are four games under .500 and -- obviously -- the big dogs in the division have been in a holding pattern for seven weeks. Can't really credit the O's for being tremendously competitive, but you also can't deny that there's a different feeling about the team this year. How could there not be, since they were 14-30 and 17.5 games out of first place a year ago today.

Ever since Brian Matusz and J.J. Hardy went down during the first week of the season, they have needed to buy time to get healthy. Now, with Hardy in the lineup and Matusz on the way back, they still need to buy another week or two. Then we'll get to see if they can compete with a healthy starting rotation and, O's fans can only hope, a healthy and more productive offensive lineup.

I'm still skeptical, but at least the season isn't already over.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (129)
Categories: Just baseball
        

While a lot of you were enjoying a bounce-back performance from the Orioles this afternoon, I was over at Pimlico getting my Preak on. Unfortunately for the sport of horse racing, Animal Kingdom was unable to capture the second jewel of the Triple Crown, so we'll have to settle for a rubber match with Preakness winner Shackleford at the Belmont in three weeks. In the meantime, you can check out a couple of my columns from the past 24 hours to get your Preak on. Here's my column on Animal Kingdom and Maryland-based trainer Graham Motion.

If that's not enough horse Schmuck for you, here's my column from today's print edition on just what the Preakness means to Baltimore. Check it out.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 12:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: News of the day
        

The Orioles pitching staff has been the victim of non-support for much of the young season, but there is no excuse for what has happened the past two nights. The Yankees and Nationals have combined to score 26 runs in a total of 15 innings, and the Nats still have three innings to pile on some more runs.

This is the same Nationals offense that had scored a total of 12 runs in its last five games, but Jake Arrieta struggled from the outset and gave up six runs in 3 2/3 innings and reliever Jason Berken gave up six more in just one inning of work.

It was a disturbing turn for a team that already had suffered a series of painful losses this week to the Red Sox and Yanks. Jeremy Guthrie will try to restore order Saturday afternoon, but who knows what he'll have to offer after having his pitching schedule disrupted by the need for him to pitch in relief late Wednesday night.

Not-so-fun fact: Friday night's game marked the ninth time in franchise history that the Orioles have allowed at least 13 runs in back-to-back games. The record is three straight, set Aug. 10-12, 1993.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 9:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (73)
Categories: Just baseball, Just baseball
        

The New York Yankees did everything but try to forfeit last night's marathon game at Camden Yards, but the Orioles refused to let them go back to their team hotel without another galling victory.

Every time Yankees newbie relief pitcher Hector Noesi got in trouble in extra innings, an Orioles hitter bailed him out. Every time there was an opportunity to drive in the winning run -- and there were eight runners on base for the Orioles in the 10th, 11th and 12th innings -- the O's looked like they were in the batting cage seeing who could swing the hardest.

Earth to Orioles: When a guy is in your ballpark making his major league debut in extra innings, the pressure is all on him, especially when he falls behind on the count with the bases loaded.

Laid side-by-side with Monday's collapse, it's pretty easy to see that this team lacks basic plate instincts. They should be a game over .500 right now instead a three games under and they have no one to blame but themselves.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (118)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Bartolo Colon was in complete control of Wednesday night's game. He had pitched shutout eight innings and allowed just three hits. He had walked one and struck out seven. He had thrown only 87 pitches -- an amazing 61 of them for strikes.

So, why did manager Joe Girardi go to Mariano Rivera to pitch the ninth inning?

Because he has Mariano Rivera to pitch the ninth inning, of course, so it's almost impossible to second-guess the decision to bring him into a one-run save situation. Except maybe this time.

This was one of those games in which the Orioles were happier to see the closer come into the game than the other team. They've actually had some success against Rivera and they had some again, scoring a run in the ninth to hand him his third blown save of the season. It also was his eighth career blown save against the O's.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 9:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (39)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Clearly, my ability to read Buck Showalter's mind was left in serious question when he posted a lineup on Tuesday night that featured Adam Jones in the No. 3 hole replacing injured Derrek Lee.

I suppose I should be repentant, but I'm going to hold out for a different result because I know that the lineup that was posted was never going to take the field. It was a temporary lineup that was going to be rewritten if the Orioles completed one or more of the pending roster moves that were contingent on the game being played.

Showalter addressed the situation after the game, saying that he had not decided on a permanent No. 3 hitter to replace Lee because he isn't 100 percent sure he's going to have to replace Lee for an extended period. I appreciated him getting me off the hook.

It still remains to be seen what he eventually decides, because it's pretty likely that Lee will go on the disabled list today. He seemed to indicate that he would move more toward a matchup system rather than a set lineup in Lee's absense.

Guess that means you'll have to weigh in on just what you think he should do with the No. 3 hole.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 9:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (75)
Categories: Just baseball
        

With Derrek Lee out of the lineup for at least the next few days, it's probably fair to assume that manager Buck Showalter will take the opportunity to move Nick Markakis back into the No. 3 hole tonight.

If that seems like an obvious move, the decision on who to hit second is not. Do you go with J.J. Hardy, who has seemed very comfortable at the bottom of the order? Or do you move Adam Jones up into the second slot to take better advantage of his speed?

I suppose it's possible that Showalter could also use Felix Pie as the No. 2 hitter if he moves Luke Scott in from left field to fill in at first base for awhile, though I'm guessing that Hardy is the first choice.

What would you do?

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 1:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (72)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Since I'll be in Boston for the next couple days filling in for Dan Connolly and Jeff Zrebiec, you probably should check out Orioles Insider for any entries from me. I'm going to be pretty focused on the nuts and bolts, which we put in the overall Orioles blog.

Meanwhile, keep a good thought, because the Weather Channel says that the next two games could be in danger. There is about a 50 percent chance of rain and thundershowers tonight for the matchup between Chris Tillman and Daisuke Matsuzaka, and an even higher probability for tomorrow night's game, when Zach Britton makes his Fenway Park debut.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 10:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (93)
Categories: Just baseball
        

The Orioles were pretty low after they got swept by the Rays over the weekend, but they battled back to win all three games against the Mariners, overcoming two last-inning leads in the opener and the finale to climb within two games of .500.

Manager Buck Showalter has downplayed any individual impact, but it's pretty obvious that J.J. Hardy has lifted the club with his impressive all-around performance during his first series back from a month on the disabled list.

Hardy homered and had four hits in the opener, then made his mark in the second game with his glove. His two-run single in the bottom of the 12th on Thursday night was the coup de grace.

"It was nice,'' he said. "I wasn't around for a few weeks. To come back and see the way the guys are playing. It's a good feeling. I just wish (the games) would have been a little bit quicker. I'm still getting my legs under me and I don't want to go extra innings every night, but it was a great series."

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 10:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (217)
Categories: Just baseball
        

When Chris Tillman took the mound on Wednesday night against Cy Young Award winner Felix Hernandez, it was tempting to label the game a reverse lock. King Felix figured to overpower the struggling O's lineup and Tillman has been dealing with command issues that forced manager Buck Showalter to revise his pitching plans to have Brad Bergesen in a backstop role if he came up short.

Instead, Tillman delivered his best performance since he pitched six hitless innings against the Tampa Bay Rays in his first start of the season. And the Orioles offense frustrated Hernandez with a series of extended at-bats that ran up his pitch count. Adam Jones did the rest with a 4-for-4 performance that included a two-run triple that accounted for the margin of victory.

"You probably would have signed up in blood for that many innings (from Tillman) in the situation our bullpen was in,'' Showalter said.

Jones is 7 for 10 in the series with three extra-base hits and five RBI and he picked the right time to get on a roll. His mother, Andrea Bradley, has been in this week and has been enjoying every minute from her perch behind home plate.

"I was kidding his mom tonight,'' said Showalter. "I wanted to see if she'd like to stay a little longer -- like four more months."

It was a complete team effort which also featured an impressive defensive show by shortstop J.J. Hardy (upper left) in his second start since returning from the disabled list. Robert Andino started at third base to give Mark Reynolds a night off and also played well.

Associated Press file photo

"Defense is very important in this game,'' Andino said. "You never know when it's going to make the difference.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 10:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (73)
Categories: Just baseball
        

If you haven't already, take a look at my third consecutive column on the Maryland basketball situation. For this installment, I went over to College Park and talked with fans about their perceptions of new coach Mark Turgeon. Of course, you could wait until tomorrow and read it in the print edition, but who wants to get up that early. Check it out right here.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 9:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Shameless plug
        

It doesn’t really matter who is on the mound. The pitcher could be a hot hand like James Shields or a struggling 7.98-ERA guy like Kyle Davies or a former Orioles journeyman like Bruce Chen. They all look like Greg Maddux to this sulking, slumping, sleepwalking O’s lineup.

On national television Saturday, it was a young starter named Jeremy Hellickson who struggled with his command, walked five guys and had baserunners all over the place, but somehow pitched five shutout innings and enjoyed generous run support on the way to his third victory of the year.

That might not be so galling if it was an unusual occurrence, but it was the fifth time in the last six games that the O’s have scored three runs or fewer. Through the first 32 games of the regular season, they have averaged 3.9 runs per game and have scored more than five runs in a game only four times. Meager as it is, that scoring average is still better than last year’s, but a big day by Rays starter Wade Davis tomorrow and they could be almost exactly even with last year’s pace.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 4:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (194)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Buck Showalter just completed his morning news briefing, and he reported that Brian Matusz pitched two innings in an extended spring training game at the Sarasota complex. Matusz threw 12 pitches in each inning and will make his next mound appearance on Wednesday.

The timetable for his return to Baltimore is uncertain. Showalter said his first five-inning outing is scheduled for May 21, and he could make that start here if the club's bullpen is in shape to go long that day. More likely, Matusz would return to the O's rotation on May 26 and be available to pitch about six innings.

Luke Scott is scheduled for an MRI on Monday to determine the cause of persistent soreness in his right shoulder. Scott continues to play regularly and he lashed a double off the right field scoreboard on Friday night, so the injury does not appear to be debilitating.

The standings remain fairly tight from top to bottom in the AL East, which seems fortuitous for the Orioles in light of the injuries to Brian Matusz and J.J. Hardy and the offensive struggles of the club through the first five weeks of the season.

"If I said I haven't noticed that, I wouldn't be being completely honest,'' Showalter said. "I'm more concerned with what we're doing, but to (be close to getting) J.J. and Brian back, (Alfredo) Simon and possibly (Justin Duchscherer)...to have two starting pitchers and your shortstop out for a period of time, in some ways we're fortunate to still be engaged."

No major changes in the lineup today, but Showalter said that he has considered shaking it up a bit to snap the club out of its offensive doldrums. Nick Markakis continues to struggle and continues to work very hard in the video room and batting cage to get back in a groove, but Showalter acknowledged that his right fielder is pretty frustrated right now.

"He knows he's close,'' Showalter said.

Associated Press file photo

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 11:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Just baseball
        

To their credit, the Orioles are not making any excuses about their inability to mount a consistent offensive attack. They were beaten by a very hot pitcher on Friday night, but they also have made some not-so-hot pitchers look pretty good during the first five weeks of the season.

Manager Buck Showalter stopped short of saying that he was worried that the low run production might begin to get into the minds of the young pitchers, but he admitted to being concerned about the soft offense.

"I'm concerned that we are not playing up to our capability,'' he said. "I'm confident that will change, but we didn't put up much resistance tonight."

Third baseman Mark Reynolds also acknowledged the obvious.

"That's kind of the way baseball is,'' he said. "It's a streaky game. It seems like when everybody goes good, the whole team goes good and when somebody has an off night, everybody has an off night. We haven't got that mix where guys are picking other guys up."

Still, Reynolds said that the Orioles are still in a position to make some good things happen when they settle into a good offensive chemistry.

"We're one good week or two of playing good from being where we need to be,'' he said. "There's no panic. We've just got to keep plugging along and try to win every game we can."

Adam Jones agreed.

"It's hitting,'' he said. "It's not the easiest thing to do. You get a little frustrated, but that's how it is in baseball. You can't get too down on yourself."

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 10:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (28)
Categories: Just baseball
        

It would be hard to fault the Orioles lineup for succumbing so easily to Tampa Bay Rays pitcher James Shields if Friday night's offensive shutdown was some kind of isolated incident, but it was another in a string of weak performances that have pushed the club three games under .500.

Shields came into the game with a 2.14 ERA and he's a quality starter, but this is the same lineup that let struggling Kyle Davies off the hook over and over again and looked bewitched by former O's (or name just about any other team) journeyman Bruce Chen.

Something appears to be systemically wrong with this offense. Not only do the Orioles struggle to score runs, they seem to make it amazingly easy for the opposing pitcher to prevent them from doing so. Maybe they'll break out on Saturday afternoon against Jeremy Hellickson (2-2, 4.31), but I'm not holding my breath.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 10:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Just baseball
        

Orioles pitcher Alfredo Simon clearly was pleased with his five-inning performance for the Bowie Baysox on Thursday and said he's ready to pitch whenever the club needs him at the major league level.

"I feel great,'' he said. "I thought all of my pitches were good -- my slider, curve and splitter. My command of my pitches...I felt great with that. I'll just keep working hard to get ready as soon as they want me in Baltimore."

That probably won't be for awhile. President of baseball operations Andy MacPhail was in attendance at Prince Georges Stadium and indicated that Simon was still a few weeks away from being available to the major league club.

Simon said he was not nervous when he took the mound for the first time in front of a significant crowd since the New Years shooting incident that led to his imprisonment. His legal situation remains unsettled, but he said that was not on his mind on Thursday.

"Not nervous,'' he said. I have played baseball all my life, so it's not any different...When I went out the first time, I threw the first pitch for a strike and I had command of every pitch I throw. When I pitch, I don't put a lot of things on my mind. I just want to play baseball. I try to put it behind me and do the best I can."

He said he is ready, but left the decision on when he pitches and whether he pitches as as starter or reliever in the hands of the Orioles.

"They make that decision,'' he said. "I'm going to do whatever they think is better for me. I'm ready to pitch. When they decide I'm ready, I'm ready."

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 2:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (61)
Categories: Just baseball, Just baseball
        

Alfredo Simon has completed five innings and thrown 81 pitches, so it's probably fair to assume that he won't be coming back out for the sixth since he has reached his pitch count. He gave up four runs (three earned) on six hits. He struck out five and didn't' walk anyone, but did hit a batter and threw a couple of wild pitches.

He is expected to meet with the media after the game, but will address his legal situation only in a prepared statement. Club officials have said he will only answer questions about his performance and pitching status.

It's an unusual situation, since he has been allowed to pitch while he is on baseball's restricted list. He'll make some more minor league appearances, but the Orioles eventually will have to decide what to do with him. Since he hasn't been charged with a crime, the club could put him back on the roster and bring him back to the major leagues, pending some further development in the Dominican Republic.

He was throwing his fastball 95 mile per hour with some command, so -- under normal circumstances -- there might be a place for him on the Orioles pitching staff.

Posted by Peter Schmuck at 12:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Just baseball, Just baseball