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| Garrett Olson allowed three runs on nine hits over five innings in Friday's 5-3 win over the Nationals, with no walks and three strikeouts. |
Our View: Olsen remains unbeaten at 3-0. He has 18 strikeouts and seven walks over 23.1 innings. He is worth a look in AL-only leagues if still available. |
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| George Sherrill nailed down his 16th save of the season in Friday's 5-3 win over Washington. He did not allow a hit or walk in the ninth inning. |
Our View: Six of his saves have come over seven appearances in May. He has only allowed six hits over that span as well. |
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| Melvin Mora missed two straight games due to a sore right shoulder, but fared well in his return on Friday, as he went 1-for-3 with an RBI, his 22nd of the season. |
Our View: He returned to action without a problem, and is safe to return to your lineups. |
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| Melvin Mora returned to the Orioles' lineup on Friday, according to the AP. His sore right shoulder responded well enough to throwing drills, and Manager Dave Trembley thought he was fully recovered, but cautioned to reporters to have erasers handy in case he gets scratched for his third-straight game. |
Our View: He has basically had four days to rest the ailment, and should be safe to return to your lineups if his can play tonight's game without any problems. |
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| Ramon Hernandez is expected back in the Orioles' lineup tonight against Washington, according to the Baltimore Sun. |
Our View: He has missed five games due to a sore left wrist, and was believed to be battling the pain for a couple of weeks. He should remain on your bench until he proves he can be effective, as he holds a poor .215 batting average over 32 games. |
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| Chris Tillman was terrific for Double-A Bowie on Thursday, throwing six scoreless innings for his fourth win. He allowed three hits, two walks and struck out nine. |
Our View: The 20-year-old continues to impress, as he is dominating Double-A hitters. His ERA is down to 2.41 with more than a strikeout per inning through eight starts. His control is still an issue, but Tillman has incredible upside. |
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| Jay Payton hit a grand slam home run to left field scoring Freddie Bynum, Guillermo Quiroz and Brian Roberts in the seventh inning of Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Red Sox. |
Our View: Payton finished the day with one hit in five at-bats but had five RBI. |
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| George Sherrill registered a league high 15th save on Wednesday afternoon as the Orioles beat John Lester and the Red Sox, 6-3. |
Our View: His league leading 15th save wasn't easy, though. Sherrill gave up two hits that sandwiched a double play before finally getting Alex Cora to foul out to left field. |
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| Daniel Cabrera allowed three runs on 10 hits, walked none and struck out three in winning his fourth game against one loss. Cabrera worked a strong seven innings, made pitches when he needed them and stranded a boat load of runners. |
Our View: One can't count the number of times Cabrera has put together two strong outings. But one also can't count on Cabrera until he shows he can put at least a half a season together. Cabrera came in 1-9 with a 7.84 ERA in 11 career starts against Boston. He had lost seven straight to the Red Sox since 2005. |
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| Updating a previous report, Melvin Mora received a cortisone shot in his right shoulder on Wednesday, the Baltimore Sun reports. The Orioles are off on Thursday. |
Our View: Cortisone shots often take a couple days to recover from, but Mora could be ready by Friday. We have to wonder if his injury is more than just a bruise, though. |
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| Updating a previous report, Ramon Hernandez has been pulled from Wednesday's lineup because he felt more soreness in his left wrist while swinging a bat in pre-game warm-ups, the Baltimore Sun reports. Guillermo Quiroz will start in his place. |
Our View: The O's are off on Thursday, and hopefully the rest will work wonder for Hernandez. He has been dealing with this pain for a couple weeks, which is not a good sign. |
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| Melvin Mora is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Red Sox, the Baltimore Sun reports. Aubrey Huff is starting at third base. Mora is day-to-day due to a sore right shoulder. |
Our View: The O's are off on Thursday, and we imagine Mora could return for the weekend. |
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| Ramon Hernandez is listed as the starter for Wednesday's tilt against the Red Sox, according to the Baltimore Sun. The backstop hasn't played since May 9 due to a sore left wrist. |
Our View: Hernandez isn't quite out of the woods yet, as this injury has plagued him for a couple weeks. Fantasy owners can feel free to use him, for now. |
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| Jim Hoey underwent right shoulder surgery in early May and will miss the remainder of the season, the Baltimore Sun reports. |
Our View: Details? Anyone? Details? The Sun balks at providing any more information, but we imagine a rotator cuff or labrum was involved. Anyway, so much for the promising Hoey ever making a case to be a closer down the road. |
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| Due to Monday's off-day, the Orioles will take the opportunity to skip Steve Trachsel in the rotation. Jeremy Guthrie started on Tuesday, and he'll be followed by Daniel Cabrera, Garrett Olson, and Brian Burres, the Baltimore Sun notes. |
Our View: Trachsel pitched much better his last time out, but we don't believe the veteran is long for this rotation. The Orioles are probably just waiting for another young arm to step up and claim the spot. |
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| Melvin Mora is day-to-day after taking a ground ball to the right shoulder prior to Tuesday's tilt with the Red Sox. "I got hit in the same spot I got hit in spring training," he informs the Baltimore Sun. "It hurt. It gave me a headache." Aubrey Huff took Mora's spot at third base on Tuesday night. |
Our View: We imagine Melvin is questionable for an early afternoon tilt on Wednesday, but it doesn't sound like he'll be down too long. |
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| Nolan Reimold went 2-for-5 with his fifth homer of the season for Double-A Bowie on Tuesday. |
Our View: The former second-round pick is hitting .259-5-15 for Bowie, but he has also shown vastly improved plate discipline compared to last season. Bowie is no sure thing to be a regular in the majors, but the 24-year-old has shown the production in the minors to at least be a fourth outfielder. |
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| The Orioles got nice pitching, but they needed the offense to hold off the Boston Red Sox tonight for a 5-4 win. DH Luke Scott led the way, going 3-for-4 at the plate with his second home run of the season, taking Josh Beckett deep in the 3rd inning with two runners on base and two outs on the board. Scott left with three RBIs and two runs scored. |
Our View: Times have been rough for Scott since entering May, going 4-for-22 with one walk and eight strikeouts coming into tonight. This may signal a brighter day or two ahead. |
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| The Baltimore Orioles fought to a rewarding 5-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox this evening, giving RHP Jeremy Guthrie his second win of the season. Guthrie pitched six innings, surrendering three runs (two earned) on eight hits with just one walk and seven strikeouts. |
Our View: Guthrie closed the book on April with consecutive losses, but he now owns two wins in three starts in May with a no-decision (laced with three walks versus six strikeouts) in between. |
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| Updating an earlier report, the Orioles are also without catcher Ramon Hernandez this evening as they face the Boston Red Sox, according to the Associated Press. |
Our View: Hernandez is nursing a sprained left wrist. He received a cortisone shot to relieve inflammation and the team reports the wrist has bothered him for a couple of weeks. However, the team does not anticipate placing him on the disabled list. |
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| The Orioles report RHP Chris Ray and LHP Adam Lowewen is tentatively scheduled to throw a full bullpen session next weekend, according to the Baltimore Sun. |
Our View: Both pitchers are rehabbing in the minors and will be completing their bullpen sessions in St. Petersburgh, Florida. Ray continues to work towards a return from Tommy John surgery. Loewen had a screw inserted into his left elbow in June to repair a stress fracture and appears to be recovering well. The club hopes both will return before we reach the All-Star break. We will update as news becomes available. |
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| The Orioles and Red Sox are under way, but Baltimore has a couple of lineup surprises for us to review. For starters, 3B Melvin Mora has been pulled from the evening's lineup after a batting practice accident, taking a line drive to the right shoulder (we will update with injury news should we learn it is needed). |
Our View: Also, Jay Payton is playing left field and Luke Scott has been moved into the DH spot. |
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| Brian Roberts left Saturday's game with a bruised left foot and was held out of the lineup Sunday in Kansas City. Luis Hernandez started in his place. |
Our View: With the team having no game on the schedule today, the O's second baseman will get that extra nine-innings of recovery, and is by all reports -- expected to be available on Tuesday when Baltimore hosts Boston. |
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| Bob McCrory has been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk, according to the Baltimore Sun. The team also purchased the contract of veteran infielder Alex Cintron. |
Our View: McCrory got rocked for four earned runs on two hits over a mere 2/3 of an inning of work this season, with four walks. He held no fantasy value prior to his demotion. |
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| Ramon Hernandez missed his second straight game on Sunday due to his sore left wrist, according to the Baltimore Sun. Hernandez is concerned, and said he has been dealing with wrist pain, which increases significantly when he turns his hand while swinging a bat, for around two weeks. He tried to play through the ailment, but decided before Saturday night's game that it hurt too much to grip a bat. He said he expects to see a doctor today in Baltimore. Hernandez added, "I've got to check it out, because you know that's the hand I had surgery on in 2005."
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Our View: Hernandez is listed as day-to-day and said he hopes to avoid the DL. Manager Dave Trembley said he expects to have Hernandez available for tomorrow's game against Boston. We will keep you posted on his status. |
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| Brian Burres lost his third decision in as many starts on Sunday. The southpaw allowed nine hits and four runs over six innings against the Royals. Burres walked two, struck out one, and mixed in a balk. The Orioles backed him with two hits and no runs. |
Our View: We're still mildly impressed by Burres' work this year. He is only useful in AL-only leagues, but he has hung in there after a very rough finish in 2007. |
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| Infielder Luis Hernandez will start in place of Brian Roberts on Sunday against the Royals. Roberts is day-to-day due to a sore left foot, the Baltimore Sun reports. |
Our View: The Orioles are off on Monday, which makes this a pretty obvious decision for the club. Roberts should be back on Tuesday. |
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| The Orioles called up Alex Cintron on Sunday, the Baltimore Sun confirms. He was batting .288 over 16 games at Triple-A Norfolk. |
Our View: Cintron will battle Freddy Bynum for the right to be the everyday shortstop. We'll let you know if the Orioles name a top guy, as AL-only leaguers will want to know. |
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| Ramon Hernandez did not play on Saturday due to soreness in his left wrist, the Baltimore Sun reports. Guillermo Quiroz started in his place. Hernandez is day-to-day. |
Our View: Don't be too surprised if Hernandez also sits on Sunday, as the Orioles are off on Monday and that would provide a nice three-day rest. |
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| Jake Arrieta won his third game of the season for High-A Frederick after allowing two runs on five hits in six innings. He struck out eight batters. |
Our View: The fifth-round pick from 2007 was a proven college pitcher at TCU, so his success in the low minors should be no big surprise. Still, he deserves some props for a 2.01 ERA and 53/22 K/BB ratio in 44.2 innings. |
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| Baltimore closer George Sherrill picked up his 13th save of the season, putting the Kansas City Royals to bed in the ninth, 6-5. Sherrill pitched the ninth inning, allowing one hit and one walked seasoned, allowing one earned run to score, with two strike outs. |
Our View: While Sherrill is getting the saves, he has been anything but relieving. His 4.41 ERA is all too stressful for fantasy owners while his propensity for walks is a recipe for disaster. |
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| The Baltimore Orioles continue to surprise, tonight pulling a 6-5 win over the Kansas Royals. 1B Kevin Millar was the weapon of choice in the victory, going 3-for-4 at the plate with his fifth home run of the season to total three RBIs and two runs scored on the night. |
Our View: Millar's home run is the first of the month after hitting four through April. |
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| 2007 first-round draft choice Matt Wieters went 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs for High-A Frederick on Friday. He has seven home runs this season. |
Our View: If Orioles fans need reason to be optimistic about the future, look no further than Wieters. He continues to crush the ball, hitting .355-7-21 through 107 at-bats. There are few better fantasy prospects in the low minors. |
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| Chris Tillman allowed only one hit in six shutout innings for Double-A Bowie to improve his record to 3-0 on Friday. He walked three batters and struck out six. |
Our View: Tillman, one of the prospects acquired from Seattle for Erik Bedard, has been extremely impressive this season. The 20-year-old has a 2.87 ERA and nearly a strikeout per inning. Walks are still a problem for him, but his success relative to age solidifies his status as an outstanding pitching prospect. We could see him in the majors by next season. |
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| George Sherrill worked the ninth for his 12th save in 14 opportunities this year. |
Our View: One of Sherrill's blown saves came in Oakland when he entered the game with the bases loaded with one out. He proceeded to get the next two hitters on ground balls outs, but the game tying run that scored resulted in a blown save. One of the worst rules in baseball. |
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| Steve Trachsel , who was winless in his last five starts, gave up two runs and five hits in 5.1 innings as the O's beat the Royals for the 11th straight time. |
Our View: Trachsel had lasted just three innings in each of his previous two starts, allowing 11 runs and 12 hits with seven walks in six innings. |
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| Nick Markakis produced all the offense the Orioles needed on Thursday night as he hit a 3-run home run in a 4-1 victory over the Royals. |
Our View: Since Markakis also scored twice, he was involved in all the scoring on the night. He has struggled with consistency early on, but there is little reason to think that he won't finish as a top-15 outfielder when all is said and done. |
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| Daniel Cabrera threw a complete game three hitter to improve to 4-0 in his career against the Orioles. Cabrera struck out seven and walked one in his fifth career complete game. |
Our View: Is this the start of the long awaited breakout for one of the most talented arms in the game? This marks six straight quality starts for Cabrera who has allowed two or fewer runs in five of those outings. If he is somehow still on waivers pick him up and take a shot. |
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| Freddie Bynum was recalled by the Orioles and he will start at shortstop for the foreseeable future over Luis Hernandez, according to MLB.com. "To be honest with you," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said, "there have been a lot of plays that could've been made and should've been made that weren't made. So we gotta try something different. That's it." |
Our View: The Orioles have gotten abysmal offense from Hernandez and Brian Fahey at shortstop, so the hope is that Bynum can bring a spark with his speed. Jump all over him if he is on waivers in your AL Only league. |
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| Nick Markakis had three hits and a run scored for the Orioles on Wednesday and is now hitting .270 on the season. |
Our View: Markakis has been in a slump that has dropped his average from .324 to .270 over his last 13 games during which time he has only four RBI. He is too good not to rebound, so ride out the rough play and wait for better days. |
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| Jeremy Guthrie picked up the no-decision on Wednesday as he allowed four runs over 5.2 innings to the A's. Guthrie struck out six while allowing eight base runners. |
Our View: Guthrie had gone six straight starts allowing three or less runs, and this was the fourth straight time he has put up at least five K. Look for him to continue to post solid but unremarkable numbers. |
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| Adam Jones was given the day off on Wednesday simply to receive a day off, according to MLB.com. Brian Roberts was also given the day off. "It didn't matter if they were 3-for-3 or 4-for-4 [Tuesday] night," said manager Dave Trembley. "They were not going to start today." |
Our View: Jones has satisfied the Orioles with his work so far, but his fantasy owners were hoping for more from Jones than a .233-2-10-11-3 line through 116 AB. Jones posses 20/20 potential, but until he learns to control the strike zone a bit better, his average will likely lag behind his other numbers. |
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| Brian Roberts will get the day off as the Orioles wrap up a three-game set against the Athletics in Oakland on Wednesday. |
Our View: Eider Torres is starting at second base and leading off for the Birds. |
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| The Orioles' fourth loss in a row -- the longest streak of the season, came after left-hander Brian Burres allowed eight hits and lasted just 5.1 innings, this according to the Washington Post. What he lacked in style, Burres made up for with grit, allowing four runs (three unearned) though it was clear early on that he lacked his sharpest stuff. Still, he left the game with his team trailing by two. Unsightly as his outing was, Burres gave his team a chance to win. |
Our View: Surprisingly, the O's refuse to go away, and with timely hitting and young arms that don't seem to know they are supposed to be losing. Baltimore is 16-17, four games behind the Red Sox in the AL East. |
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| Jim Johnson understood the simple formula he needed to follow to earn opportunities to pitch, notes the Washington Post. So, as the long reliever, Johnson has excelled. He did not allow an earned run until Monday night's 3-2 loss to the Oakland Athletics. He surrendered the game-winning run in the bottom of the 10th, ending his 17-inning scoreless streak. |
Our View: Baltimore skipper Dave Trembley said he would have no problem putting Johnson in tight late-game situations. The pitcher already has shown his versatility. A starter in the minor leagues, Johnson has been used both in long relief and late in close games. Johnson is a candidate to replace Matt Chico if he fails in his Friday start against Florida. |
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| Aubrey Huff went 1-for-4 with an RBI single on Tuesday against the A's. He extended his hitting streak to 10 games. |
Our View: Huff is having a decent year thus far and is borderline useful in mixed leagues. He's not going to win any fantasy titles, but he's not bad as a short-term injury replacement. |
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| Luke Scott was out of the lineup for the fourth time in five games on Monday due a bout with the flu, according to the Washington Post. |
Our View: He is also battling a batting slump, as he only registered three hits over his last 31 at-bats. The team off to rest from the flu could help the "mental" part of his game. |
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| Adam Loewen's exam by Dr. James Andrews revealed no structural damage in Loewen's pitching arm, according to the Washington Post. Managed Dave Trembley and team president Andy McPhail were relieved that Loewen isn't expected to miss more than eight weeks. McPhail said, "Obviously, we're pleased that there isn't anything that is demonstrably wrong. That's good news. We'll get Adam started in Sarasota and get him back on track." Trembley added, "I'm glad for him and I'm glad for our team and the organization because he's a central figure in what we're trying to do here and he's one of the guys that we're trying to do it with."
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Our View: Loewen is headed to the team's spring training facility in Sarasota, Florida, where he will spend two or three weeks on a throwing program.
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| The Orioles need to make a call regarding struggling starter Steve Trachsel, according to the Baltimore Sun. The 37-year old is 1-4 with a 7.42 ERA and 1.95 WHIP over 26.2 innings, with 19 walks. Trachsel said, "I'm not real happy. I don't know what else to say. I just haven't been getting the job done lately."
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Our View: It won't be easy to simply drop him from the rotation.The Orioles lack any experienced starters to turn to in the minors. The young guns they thought were ready (Garrett Olson, Jim Johnson, Matt Albers), are already with the team. Adding someone who is still "green" in Triple-A, such as Hayden Penn or Radhames Liz, could hinder development and likely wouldn't solve the problem, which also taxes the bullpen, as Trachsel is averaging just over four innings per start.
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| Adam Loewen will get his ailing elbow checked out by Dr. James Andrews today, according to the Baltimore Sun. This is an important step in determining when Loewen can return to the mound. Andrews inserted a screw into Loewen's left elbow in June to repair a stress fracture. It has continued to give Loewen problems, leading to the club's decision last month to place him on the DL. A bone scan, magnetic resonance imaging and CT scan taken on the ailing area have not revealed any new problems, so Loewen and the club are optimistic about today's examination. Manager Dave Trembley said, "I think it would be good for everybody. I think he felt a lot better about the situation when the bone scan came back the way that it did. I'm sure he's probably anxious to get going on a throwing program again and see what he has to do in order to get back out there again."
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Our View: The team will be in no hurry to rush him back to the diamond. He held a 7.85 ERA and 1.91 WHIP over four starts before landing on the DL. |
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| Freddie Bynum, who is on an injury rehab assignment at Double-A Bowie, said he is pain-free and hopes to rejoin the Orioles after Bowie returns from a four-game series in New Britain that begins tonight, according to the Baltimore Sun. He is recovering from right knee surgery.
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Our View: The team said the utility man will get most of his work at shortstop when he returns. |
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| Melvin Mora went 3-for-5 with a solo homer and three runs in Sunday's loss to the Angels. |
Our View: The 36-year-old third baseman has been on the decline for a few seasons, but he's still useful in AL-only formats. We're actually surprised Melvin has swatted four homers thus far. |
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| Luke Scott went 1-for-3 and registered the Orioles' lone RBI in Saturday's 3-1 loss to the Angels. |
Our View: That was his first hit over his last six games, and his first RBI since April 18. He is hitting .286, but has failed to make a strong impact with the Orioles so far. |
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| Daniel Cabrera was dealt his first loss of the season on Saturday, as the Orioles fell to the Angels 3-1. Cabrera allowed three runs on six hits over 7.1 innings, with two walks and six strikeouts. |
Our View: Cabrera is now 2-1 for the season, with a 4.06 ERA. It was a quality start for him today, but received poor run support. |
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| The Orioles purchased the contract of Lance Cormier from Triple-A Norfolk Friday. He's posted a 0.96 ERA in nine games with Norfolk this season. |
Our View: Cormier pitched in relief at Triple-A, but he's also been a starter in the past. It's possible he could get a spot start somewhere down the road. |
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| The Orioles placed Randor Bierd on the DL Friday with a shoulder impingement. The Rule 5 pick boasts a 2.03 ERA in nine games this year. Lance Cormier had his contract purchased from Triple-A Norfolk to replace him on the roster. |
Our View: Bierd has pretty much already earned a roster spot for the entire season. It's not clear when he'll ready for activation. |
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| Adam Jones went 1-for-3 and hit a two-run homer in Thursday's 4-2 loss to Tampa Bay. |
Our View: Jones has two homers and 10 RBI over 28 games. He has failed to make a big impact so far this season, but he still has loads of potential, and you could be rewarded for your patience if you can afford to hold him on your roster. |
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| Brian Burres dropped to 3-2 in Thursday's 4-2 loss to Tampa Bay. He surrendered four runs on six hits over six innings, with three walks and six strikeouts. |
Our View: Burres has been enjoying a solid campaign as he held a 2.49 ERA and 1.22 WHIP prior to today's loss. His six strikeouts today were his highest of the season. His fantasy stock remains on the rise, and he is worth a look if you need help at the position. |
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