Dan Connolly
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July 21, 2017 at 11:34 pm
Ubaldo Jimenez delivers another early clunker — and O’s can’t quite rebound
The Orioles put together a nice little rally in the ninth Friday night against the Houston Astros. Five runs — including a Jonathan Schoop three-run homer – in an eventual 8-7 loss. But, really, hope for a victory died in the first inning. And was buried in the second. Ubaldo Jimenez again...
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July 20, 2017 at 7:00 am
Myriad Orioles Thoughts: Watching the Dodgers’ system; Harvey debuts; Jones leads offense
Despite a modest, three-game winning streak, the Orioles most obvious path this month is to remain sellers at the non-waiver trade deadline. To that end, Joe McIlvaine, the Orioles’ senior advisor of player personnel and one of the top special assistants to executive vice president Dan Duquette, has been watching the Triple-A...
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July 19, 2017 at 11:10 pm
Gausman didn’t just throw well — he pitched
Maybe this was the Real Kevin Gausman. Maybe it wasn’t. Gausman’s mind-numbing, head-shaking season continued Wednesday with an excellent effort against the Texas Rangers in a 10-2 Orioles’ victory. The enigmatic 26-year-old allowed just one run – on a solo homer by Joey Gallo – in six impressive innings. He allowed four...
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July 18, 2017 at 11:56 pm
Myriad O’s Thoughts: Davis’ importance to lineup; Bundy’s ability to adjust; Jackson’s 12
We all know the negatives that inherently come with Orioles slugger Chris Davis. The huge strikeout numbers, the stretches of games where he looks like he’s not sure what that stick in his hand is supposed to do. But then he has a game like Tuesday’s against his old club, the Texas...
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July 17, 2017 at 7:00 am
Plenty of questions about the Orioles’ broken rotation, but there are no obvious fixes
I think I wrote plenty Sunday night on just how bad the Orioles’ rotation has been so far this season. A quick recap: The Orioles now have a 6.02 rotation ERA, worst in the majors and it would be, by far, worst in club history for a full year (5.51 ERA in...
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July 16, 2017 at 5:09 pm
O’s rotation on pace to easily be worst in club history — bottom 10 in MLB in last 100 years
You know the Orioles rotation is bad. Really, seriously, horrendously bad. You don’t need me to tell you that. But I was curious how bad. And the answer is mind-boggling. I’ve covered this team for 17 seasons. Only once in that entire time have the Orioles had a rotation ERA that was...
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at 7:00 am
My thoughts on the Kevin Gausman Conundrum: Minors, bullpen or status quo (and pray)?
I knew what the answer would be when I asked the question Saturday. Maybe that’s the product of covering one manager for a long time. Would right-hander Kevin Gausman benefit from a stint in the minor leagues? “You can get a lot of opinions on the answer to that question,” Orioles manager...
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July 15, 2017 at 11:17 pm
On night Jake Arrieta returns to Camden Yards mound, Orioles’ rotation gets pummeled again
My plan was to write a little more about Jake Arrieta’s return to Camden Yards on Saturday night. Arrieta, the 2015 National League Cy Young Award winner whom the Orioles traded away in 2013, did his part to continue the narrative. He lasted 6 2/3 innings and gave up two runs (one...
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at 7:00 am
Arrieta’s back — pitching in Baltimore for first time since one of worst trades in club history
It’s been four years since the Orioles traded away pitchers Jake Arrieta and Pedro Strop (and international bonus slots, of course) to the Chicago Cubs for pitcher Scott Feldman and catcher Steve Clevenger. Without a doubt, that July 2, 2013 trade was the worst in the Dan Duquette regime and, frankly, one...
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at 12:43 am
Near comeback aside, the Orioles loss Friday was typical: Starting pitching let them down
It was absolutely, positively the worst thing that could have happened to the Orioles in their first game back from the All-Star Break. And then, suddenly, it wasn’t. And then, well, it was again. The Orioles’ 9-8 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Friday night was 2017 Orioles baseball in a snapshot....
