Perhaps no other night better represented the embarrassment of a season gone horribly wrong than Saturday at Camden Yards.

On a night when bobbleheads of Brian Matusz — the young pitcher currently trying to find himself in the minor leagues — were handed out to the 19,396 fans in attendance, the Orioles appeared on their way to wasting an encouraging outing by 23-year-old Chris Tillman.

Toronto starter Brandon Morrow had retired 15 straight to begin the game and held a 2-1 lead with two runners on and two outs in the sixth.

After harmlessly grounding out twice in his first two visits to the plate, center fielder Adam Jones stepped to the plate with a chance to tie the game or put his team ahead. Jones ripped a low-and-away fastball onto the flag court, pumping his fist as he rounded first base to give the Orioles a 4-2 lead. The 26-year-old added a run-scoring single in the eighth as the Orioles completed a 6-2 win, giving them an opportunity to go for their first series win since late June on Sunday.

But instead of talking about his best single-season home run total (20) or four runs batted in after the game, Jones wanted to credit the maligned Tillman’s effort in picking up his first victory since May 11.

“I rarely show emotion on home runs, but Tillman battled his tail off and it was to take the lead,” Jones said. “A big home run for the team and for myself, but more importantly, it was for Tillman. We were behind him, and he went out in the seventh and had a really good inning.”

A polarizing figure because of his fearlessness in speaking his mind, whether sounding off on Twitter or controversially encouraging Orioles fans to rough up visiting Yankees fans back in spring training, Jones leaves himself open for criticism. His Twitter profile mantra (“Me being me. Like it or NOT“) welcomes it, in fact.

Many love him while others hold disdain for the outfielder, evident by his interaction with followers on the social media site. Even on Saturday night, a spectator could be heard in front of the press box mocking, “Watch out for that low-and-away pitch!” only a second or two before Jones smacked the opposite-field home run that put the Orioles in front.

Though sometimes abrasive in his comments to the media, Jones is the position player most consistently available to talk after the many losses that commonly send players into hiding. It’s rarely warm and fuzzy — a 14-35 stretch will do that to even the friendliest players — but the center fielder helps the media do their jobs.

What you see is what you get with Jones. And that is a pretty darn good ballplayer.

Jones is quietly putting together a strong season that’s been lost in the collapse of the young starting pitching and everything else that has gone wrong for the Orioles in 2011. As many dwell on the declining power and patience of Nick Markakis, the lack of progress offensively for Matt Wieters, and the grim health of Brian Roberts, Jones continues to make strides in his fourth season with the Orioles.

With 20 home runs and an .829 OPS, the center fielder continues to produce — even if few teammates are doing their expected share. Though still not as patient at the plate as you’d like (only 22 walks in 460 plate appearances), Jones has improved his ability to lay off the low-and-away breaking pitches that plagued him over his first few seasons with the Orioles.

The San Diego native is on pace to hit 29 home runs, drive in 102 runs, and collect 63 extra-base hits, head and shoulders above his previous single-season highs.

Though still prone to defensive lapses despite his many highlight-reel plays in center field, Jones has been the “rock” on which manager Buck Showalter has relied through an otherwise miserable season riddled with injuries and poor performances.

“He’s got so much want-to in everything he does,” Showalter said. “But I’m proud of him, the way he approaches it every day. There’s not a day he’s not ready to play for the most part, and that’s a challenge when you’re playing every day in center field in the American League East.”

Despite the Orioles’ abysmal 4-17 record against the two big boys in the division, Jones has come to play against the Yankees and Red Sox, posting an .843 OPS against New York and a .944 clip against Boston.

As the organization ponders what to do after a season that started with such promise has morphed into a 14th straight losing campaign, locking up Jones long-term has to be something to strongly consider this offseason.

Under team control through 2013, Jones has to be frustrated with the losing and the negativity surrounding the organization. The closer he gets to free agency, the more difficult it will be to keep him in Baltimore.

In a season from hell that might be more disappointing than any of the previous 13 losing seasons, Jones has been one of the very few bright spots. The losses continue, but he continues to go about his business every day.

“I could be doing other stuff [in life],” Jones said. “I get the opportunity to come and play major league baseball. I’m just trying to relish the opportunity and take advantage of it.”

With so many of his teammates having not taken advantage of opportunities, Jones’ success is a rare breath of fresh air in an otherwise suffocating summer of baseball.

Visit the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault to hear from Adam Jones, Chris Tillman, and Buck Showalter following the Orioles’ 6-2 win over Toronto on Saturday night.

BALTIMORE – The Orioles begin a 10 game homestand Friday night with the first three contests coming against the Toronto Blue Jays. Tommy Hunter, acquired from Texas in the Koji Uehara trade, will be making his first start as a member of the Orioles.

Prior to the game, Buck Showalter met with the media and shared many interesting tidbits.

On Cesar Izturis coming off the DL: “It’s been a long road for Izzy. I’m proud of him to get back. Happy to get him back, as much as a person as a player. He’s ready to go. We’ll move him around a little bit.”

On the J.J. Hardy injury front: “J.J.’s got an upper ankle that’s bothering him. In fact it feels pretty good today. It’s kind of strange because he’ll go through periods when he doesn’t feel it at all early on in the day, and then the game starts and it got a little worse last night as the game went on. He can’t tell any one play or anything he did where he felt it. It just got a little progressively worse. We kind of lose sight that the doctors have other patients as important as our guys. So Dr. Wilkins will be here shortly, and he’s had a full day here to look at J.J. I would imagine we’ll get an MRI done tomorrow morning.”

On Arrieta’s elbow concerns: “He has an appointment on the 10th (of August). He won’t be pitching between now and the 10th. A lot depends on what Dr. Yocum says.”

On Tillman getting an extended look in rotation. “I hope so. I hope so. I hope he pitches well enough to do that. If he could put together (a start) like the first couple innings that he had, that would be there. It’s there for him if he’ll seize the opportunity. Very much like Simon.”

On being surprised at Mark Connor’s decision to return to the Texas Rangers organization: “No. Not at all. He’s very well thought of over there, and that job description fits him very well where he is in his life. He’s very familiar with all the pitching people, and they with him. It didn’t surprise me at all. I know they had called Andy about it.”

On that note, here are tonight’s lineups:

Baltimore:

SS: Robert Andino
RF: Nick Markakis
CF: Adam Jones
DH: Vladimir Guerrero
3B: Mark Reynolds
C: Matt Wieters
1B: Chris Davis
LF: Nolan Reimold
2B: Cesar Izturis

SP: Tommy Hunter

TORONTO

SS: Yunel Escobar
LF: Eric Thames
RF: Jose Bautista
1B: Adam Lind
DH: Edwin Encarnacion
CF: Colby Rasmus
2B: Aaron Hill
C: J.P. Arencibia
3B: Brett Lawrie

SP: Brad Mills

AAA

Toledo Mud Hens (44-54) – 7

Norfolk Tide (36-61) – 1

WP- Fu-Te Ni ( 5-0, 3.20 ERA)

LP- Rick Vanden Hurk ( 5-12, 4.88 ERA)

The Toledo Mud Hens belted two home runs off of Norfolk Tides starting pitcher Rick Vanden Hurk and those two blasts proved to be the only runs the Detroit Tigers Triple-A affiliate needed to defeat the struggling Tides. The lone run for the Baltimore Orioles Triple-A squad came off the bat of Ryan Adams as he slammed a solo shot in the 1st inning.  

On a positive note for the Netherlands hurler, Vanden Hurk retired 13 out of the next 14 batters after allowing the 1st inning two-run home run to Ryan Strieby of the Mud Hens

The two teams are back in action Wednesday night as Chris Tillman (3-2, 4.12 ERA) takes the mound for the Tides.

AA

Harrisburg Senators (56-39) – 5

Bowie Baysox (51-43) – 4

WP- Rafael Martin (2-1, 0.54 ERA)

LP- Wynn Pelzer (4-7, 4.17 ERA)

With one swing of the bat, Bowie Baysox shortstop Pedro Florimon smashed the teams first grandslam of the year, however it could not overcome the timely hitting of the Washington Nationals Double-A affiliate Harrisburg Senators. Falling one-run short, Florimon’s game-tying shot over the right-center field fence in the sixth inning was the only offensive production they could muster througout the night as the Senators regained the lead in the bottom of the 8th.

Washington Nationals future phenom, Bryce Harper, went hitless in 4 at-bats Tuesday night with one strikeout.

Zach Britton (0-1, 3.00 ERA) takes the hill for the Baysox Wednesday afternoon to wrap the series up at Harrisburg.

A

Frederick Keys (57-37) – 7

Salem Red Sox (41-53) – 1

WP- Jacob Pettit (2-0, 0.75 ERA)

LP- Drake Britton (1-9, 7.35 ERA)

The Frederick Keys continued to roll over the Boston Red Sox Single-A affiliate as they won their 6th consecutive game behind the bat of catcher Justin Dalles as he homered in the thrid inning. With four Keys players recording 2-hits, including 2010 first-round draft pick Manny Machado, the team reached a season-high 20-games over .500 with their win last night.

The Keys look for the four-game sweep Wednesday as Nathan Moreau (10-6, 3.80 ERA) takes the bump for the Keys. Moreau is also seeking his league-high 11th win.

A

Brooklyn Cyclons (17-14) – 12

Aberdeen IronBirds (9-23) – 5

WP- Todd Weldon (2-0, 1.86 ERA)

LP- Jake Cowen (0-4, 4.46 ERA)

The Aberdeen IronBirds set a new team record last night, but were unable to get in the win column as they fall to the Brooklyn Cyclons, the New York Mets affiliate. With nine stolen bases in the game, the IronBirds were dominated offensively throughout the night by the Cyclons, who scored three runs both in the 7th and 8th innings.

The Orioles 4th round pick in the 2011 draft, Kyle Simon, made his professional debut, pitching a scoreless ninth inning for Aberdeen.

Trent Howard (1-1, 5.56 ERA) will look to get the IronBirds back on their winning ways Wednesday night against the Cyclones at Ripken Stadium.

“You’re either rebuilding for something special, or you’re on the verge of something special. To be in between is foolish.”

- Billy Beane

What a brilliant statement and philosophy.

In 2008 and 2009, it could have been argued that Andy MacPhail and the Orioles were rebuilding for something special. Fans pictured a 2011 season during which the O’s would contend for the pennant with a myriad of young, talented players that were going to both grow up and learn how to win together.

Where are they now? What are the Orioles doing at this point in time with regards to Beane’s statement?

Are the Orioles on the verge of something special? They have Hardy, Markakis, Jones, Wieters, Roberts, Reynolds, Reimold, Pie, and Andino signed up for at least the next two seasons. Matusz, Tillman, Bergesen, Britton, and Arrieta are going to be around for a while unless one or more of them are traded in the near future.

A core exists in Baltimore. The core that I just outlined consists of young players with different degrees of talent. Each and every name that I threw out there can have a role on a championship contending team.

However, at this point, it can reasonably be established that the current core of players cannot compete for championships without outside help.

Right now in 2011, the core, to a degree, is what it is. It’s solid, and the pitching will determine if the core becomes “good,” but even a good core will not compete by itself in the AL East.

Unfortunately for the Orioles, there is no legitimate superstar offensive player on the team. And at this point, it doesn’t appear that there is an ace among the current crop of young pitchers.

In order for the Orioles to be on the verge of something special, they are going to need to go out and bring outside, legitimate talent to Baltimore. And quite frankly, MacPhail doesn’t have much time to do so. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the young, cheap core that he has assembled will not be young and cheap forever. They will start to get older, more expensive, and closer to free agency as time goes on.

Putting hypotheticals aside, in their current state, are the Orioles on the verge of something special? I think an overwhelming majority would agree that the O’s are definitely not on the verge of something special.

Despite rumors to the contrary and the wishes of many, the Orioles will play the remaining 74 games of the 2011 season.

Over the Orioles’ current stretch of losing 21 of their last 27 games that’s left them 18 games behind first-place Boston, I’ve constantly thought back to the spring of 2009. Former manager Dave Trembley made proclamations of the cavalry being on its way, labeling Brian Matusz, Chris Tillman, and Jake Arrieta as “three legitimate top-of-the-rotation talents.” He gushed over the development of wunderkind catching prospect Matt Wieters, coming off a historically-great minor league season in 2008.

The Orioles were coming off their first last-place finish since 1988, but with young pitching and the club’s best prospect since Ben McDonald, fans finally had hope that didn’t center around aging veterans, middle-of-the-road starters, or reclamation projects. The fortunes of 2011 or 2012 looked more promising than at any other point since the Orioles’ last winning season in 1997.

Questions remained, but there was real hope.

Light at the end of the tunnel.

Over two years later, Matusz and Tillman find themselves languishing in the minor leagues — along with Zach Britton as a result of a service-time decision — and Arrieta tries to fight off elbow inflammation while posting a mediocre 4.90 earned run average. The group has more closely resembled the Mets’ failed “Generation K” of the mid-1990s than the Atlanta Braves’ staff of the early 1990s.

Matusz, Tillman, Arrieta, Britton, and Brad Bergesen have pitched to a combined 5.05 ERA in 340 2/3 major league innings this season.

Wieters was just named to his first All-Star Game and has displayed excellent defense, but anyone in the organization would be lying if they weren’t disappointed with the catcher’s slow development offensively. Though far from a draft bust, the Orioles didn’t give Wieters a $6 million signing bonus in 2007 for great defense and slightly above-average offense.

Instead of getting better after a 34-23 finish under Buck Showalter in 2010, the Orioles entered the All-Star break with the second-worst record they’ve had over the last 14 seasons. Only last year’s team — on a historically-terrible pace over the season’s first four months — was worse.

As many have pointed out, morale is at an all-time low, which is no simple feat for a fan base seemingly hitting rock bottom as often as a basketball dribbled against a hardwood floor.

Dreams of a .500 season and avoiding a 14th straight losing season are all but dead, but the Orioles have issues to resolve and questions to answer in the second half. Much will hinge on the ability of the young pitching to get up off the mat and start fighting back to salvage the remains of this season — and beyond.

None of these will turn around a lost season, but here’s my list of what needs to happen in the second half:

1. Decide what to do with Hardy

Shortstop J.J. Hardy has clearly been one of the bright spots in a very deflating season. Emerging as the leadoff hitter in the absence of Brian Roberts, Hardy (13 home runs, .836 OPS) has provided the Orioles with their best all-around play at shortstop since the early stages of Miguel Tejada’s first tenure in Baltimore.

However, Hardy is set to become a free agent after the season and represents the Orioles’ most valuable trade chip. Despite his stated desire to remain in Baltimore, it’s hard to envision the 28-year-old signing a reasonable two- or three-year contract when he can simply wait until the off-season when several teams will be after his services.

On the other hand, the oft-injured Hardy may find it too big a risk to play out the rest of the season and has cooled considerably in July (6-for-40) after a blistering June. Hardy’s injury history has to weigh on the mind of Andy MacPhail or any other general manager looking to lock up the shortstop long-term.

One factor that shouldn’t be overemphasized is 19-year-old prospect Manny Machado. As the Orioles have painfully learned with the collapse of their young pitching, you can’t look too far ahead in lieu of helpful short-term options. The youngest player in the Carolina League at Single-A Frederick, Machado should have two more years of development before becoming a realistic option in Baltimore.

If the Orioles are unable to extend Hardy prior to the July 31 deadline, they could simply elect to have him play out the season and take the risk that he might leave as a free agent, which would then bring draft compensation. With that in mind, if Hardy’s interest in signing an extension is lukewarm, the club shouldn’t be willing to just give him away for spare parts at the deadline, either.

2. Clear out the dead weight

Despite a brilliant career, Vladimir Guerrero’s time as a middle-of-the-order hitter has come to an end. Showing little power since the first half of last season with Texas, Guerrero ranks seventh (.700) in OPS among Baltimore regulars and has been little more than a singles hitter despite manning the cleanup spot all season.

Showalter said he would consider dropping Guerrero in the order following the All-Star break — Mark Reynolds would be my choice in the cleanup spot — but the club must look to move Guerrero as soon as possible in a dignified way. Considering his pedigree and how admired he is in the clubhouse, it’s a delicate situation for the organization to handle.

Paying a large portion of his remaining salary may allow the Orioles to fetch a long reliever for the future Hall of Famer, but a 36-year-old who can’t run, play the field, or hit for power isn’t exactly an attractive option for even the most desperate contenders.

Assuming he returns from the disabled list, Luke Scott would become the regular designated hitter after Guerrero’s departure, completely freeing up left field and protecting Scott’s injured shoulder.

The same argument about Guerrero can be made for Derrek Lee (.666 OPS), but the veteran has at least provided good defense at first base. If Lee is able to be moved — in a similar Aug. 31 waiver deadline deal — the Orioles could elect to give Scott extended time at first or give a starting audition to Brandon Snyder to see if he can stick as a bench player in the future.

Continued on next page >>>

The Baltimore Orioles are now two games into the second half of the 2011 season. On Wednesday’s edition of “The Morning Reaction” on AM1570 WNST, Drew Forrester and I gave our grades for Orioles players during the first half of the season.

CATCHERS:

Matt Wieters-Glenn Clark B+, Drew Forrester B
Jake Fox-Glenn D, Drew D
Craig Tatum-Glenn C-, Drew B

INFIELDERS:

Derrek Lee-Glenn D+, Drew D
Brian Roberts-Glenn D, Drew D
JJ Hardy-Glenn A-, Drew A
Mark Reynolds-Glenn B-, Drew C-
Robert Andino-Glenn C+, Drew C
Blake Davis-Glenn C, Drew B-
Cesar Izturis-Glenn D, Drew D
Ryan Adams-Glenn C, Drew D
Brandon Snyder-Glenn C-, Drew C-

OUTFIELDERS/DESIGNATED HITTERS:

Luke Scott-Glenn D, Drew D
Adam Jones-Glenn B-, Drew B+
Nick Markakis-Glenn B-, Drew C-
Nolan Reimold-Glenn C+, Drew C-
Felix Pie-Glenn F, Drew D-
Vladimir Guerrero-Glenn D+, Drew D+

STARTING PITCHERS:

Jeremy Guthrie-Glenn C+, Drew C+
Jake Arrieta-Glenn B-, Drew C
Zach Britton-Glenn B, Drew B
Brian Matusz-Glenn D, Drew F
Chris Tillman-Glenn D, Drew D
Brad Bergesen-Glenn D+, Drew C-
Chris Jakubauskas-Glenn C-, Drew D

RELIEF PITCHERS:

Koji Uehara-Glenn B, Drew B+
Jim Johnson-Glenn B+, Drew B-
Pedro Viola-Glenn C, Drew C
Kevin Gregg-Glenn C-, Drew C+
Alfredo Simon-Glenn C-, Drew C-
Jeremy Accardo-Glenn D, Drew D
Mike Gonzalez-Glenn D, Drew D
Josh Rupe-Glenn D, Drew D
Jason Berken-Glenn C, Drew C-
Clay Rapada-Glenn D-, Drew B-
Troy Patton-Glenn D, Drew F

MANAGER:

Buck Showalter-Glenn C-, Drew B+

If you missed the breakdown of our midseason grades on Wednesday’s edition of “The Morning Reaction”, hit the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault at WNST.net!

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983…

-G

FREDERICK, Md. — With the Orioles wallowing in last place on the heels of a 3-6 road trip, I took the trip west on I-70 to take a peek at the newly-promoted Manny Machado in his Frederick Keys debut on Thursday night.

The 18-year-old shortstop didn’t disappoint.

In his second at-bat in high Single-A baseball, the Orioles’ top minor league prospect homered deep over the left-field wall to highlight a 1 for 4 night as the Keys fell to Winston-Salem, 2-1.

The unreasonable comparisons to Alex Rodriguez have been made since before Machado was taken with the third overall pick 12 months ago, but the Miami native looked a lot like the current Yankees third baseman as the majestic drive didn’t even spark a movement from left fielder Nick Ciolli, who watched it sail far over the wall with everyone else.

“I was just trying to be patient and trying to get a pitch to drive,” Machado said. “[Winston-Salem starter Cameron Bayne] gave me a fastball, and I put a little hop into it.”

Despite being the youngest player in the Carolina League, Machado showed the same patience at the plate he displayed when walking 23 times in 145 at-bats in Delmarva. His third-inning shot came on a 2-1 fastball from Dash starter Cameron Bayne.

“He’s got a pretty good idea at the plate,” Frederick manager Orlando Gomez said. “For a young player, he has a plan. He goes to home plate, he has a plan. He likes to look for certain pitches, situations, everything. That’s why he’s No. 1.”

Machado has struggled to regain his timing since missing a month with a left knee injury while with the Shorebirds. In 13 games this month, the young shortstop was hitting just .182 before going to the South Atlantic League All-Star game earlier this week.

The 2010 first-round pick was hitting .276 overall with six home runs, 24 runs batted in, and a .376 on-base percentage with the Shorebirds at the time of the promotion.

“I’ve struggled a little bit the last couple weeks, but I feel my swing getting back,” Machado said. “Hopefully, I can continue my progress up here and continue hitting.”

Defensively, Machado showed a strong throwing arm on a couple routine grounders, but was otherwise unchallenged by the Winston-Salem hitters. Many have speculated whether the 6-foot-2 infielder will eventually slide over to third base because of his size, but he’s looked relatively smooth in his limited minor league experience.

Machado joins fellow Keys infielder Jonathan Schoop, who is climbing up the prospect watch list with a combined .313 average for Delmarva and Frederick that includes eight homers, 41 RBI, and a .487 slugging percentage entering Thursday. Projected to eventually be a third baseman, the 19-year-old Schoop started at second base and was 1 for 4 with a single.

In a bit of good news for an organization short on positional talent in the minor leagues, Machado and Schoop were selected to represent the Orioles in the 2011 Futures Game in Phoenix as part of the All-Star Game festivities on July 10. The two join the likes of current Orioles Zach Britton, Brian Matusz, and Chris Tillman to participate in the game.

“I was hoping to get the call,” Machado said. “That was one of my goals this year. I’m pretty happy about that. I’m excited.”

At just 18 years old and already playing in Frederick, it’s clear Machado isn’t the only one excited.

There’s little point in belaboring an awful day of baseball for the Orioles in a 9-6 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday to conclude a 5-4 homestand.

Fielding miscues, baserunning mistakes, and missed opportunities at the plate were disheartening enough but pale in comparison to the growing concern over starting pitcher Brian Matusz.

The hideous final line included 1 1/3 innings pitched, four earned runs, five hits, four walks, no strikeouts, and a home run allowed in the shortest outing of his career not including a one-inning stint cut short after being hit by a line drive against Toronto last Sept. 13.

However, the numbers only begin to explain why manager Buck Showalter and the Orioles are concerned with Matusz, who was making his third start of the season after missing the first two months of the season with an intercostal strain. As was the case in his first two starts, Matusz only threw his fastball in the 86-88 miles per hour range. Unlike the first two starts, however, the lefty was all over the place with his command, looking uncomfortable from the start.

“From the get-go, I didn’t get a good feel warming up in the bullpen,” Matusz said. “It’s just one of those days where you’ve got to be able to battle without your good stuff. They were able to find some holes and get some things going early, and I was just unable to get on track today.”

Statistically speaking, Matusz was effective enough in his first two starts since being activated from the disabled list on June 1. He entered Sunday’s game with a career-high seven-game winning streak dating back to last August after picking up his first victory of the season against Oakland on Monday.

The story was much different against the Rays as Matusz was visibly frustrated throughout his brief outing in which he left the game trailing 3-0 with the bases loaded and one out in the second inning. His body language suggested a pitcher searching for answers and feeling uncomfortable on the mound.

In fairness, Matusz’ start to the 2011 season has been anything but smooth. A wart on his finger and a line drive to the forearm interrupted his spring training routine before he was ultimately placed on the disabled list on Opening Night. However, with a few extended spring training outings, three minor league rehab starts, and three starts with the Orioles, it’s reasonable to think there should be improvement with his stuff by now, right?

“There should.” Showalter said. “Yeah. He’s telling us he feels fine. Just not a whole lot coming out right now.”

Matusz claimed he was “100 percent healthy” when asked after the game, but only the 24-year-old really knows the truth at this point. Whatever the case, it’s clear the Orioles manager was unhappy with the pitcher’s performance on the mound, including his inability to hold runners.

The Rays stole four bases in the first inning alone with Matusz’s slow delivery to the plate barely giving backup catcher Craig Tatum a chance to throw out runners. Improving his ability to hold runners is a topic the club has discussed with Matusz, but Showalter questioned whether the message is getting through.

“He keeps telling us he can read them,” Showalter said. “It’s been a challenge for him. Maybe we’ll be able to get his attention a little bit more.”

Matusz’s struggles Sunday are certain to grab everyone’s attention, especially with the news that Zach Britton’s next start will be pushed back to Friday in an effort to limit his innings, so he’s available to pitch in September.

The Orioles need Matusz to be healthy and effective if they want to continue to hover around the .500 mark as the summer advances. As terrific as Britton has been, he’s likely to experience growing pains as teams see him more than once, and he’ll likely be shut down at the 175- to 180-inning mark after pitching 153 1/3 innings in the minor leagues last season.

Jake Arrieta leads the club with eight wins, but his command issues makes him an uncertainty to pitch deep into games with any consistency.

And Chris Tillman and Brad Bergesen continue to work through their respective issues at Triple-A Norfolk.

Entering the season, Matusz and Jeremy Guthrie were assumed to be the two “sure things” in the Baltimore starting rotation.

Showalter wouldn’t commit to saying with certainty that Matusz would make his next scheduled start. He had yet to talk with the young pitcher when the manager spoke to the media following the game.

Judging from his comments, you can bet Showalter will be asking — with conviction — whether Matusz is truly alright.

“I’m fine confidence-wise,” Matusz said. “I know I have the stuff and what it takes to get outs and be successful. It’s just a matter of getting locked in and getting on a roll.”

For now, the Orioles can only take the pitcher at his word, but the eyeball test was troubling in a frustrating day in all regards at Camden Yards.

It’s a testament to Matusz that a small sample size of diminished velocity and one horrid start raises such concern, but it also speaks to just how important the left-hander is to the present — and future — state of the Orioles. He needs to get himself on track as quickly as possible for the club to have its best chance to remain competitive over the season’s final 100 games.

“He didn’t have his stuff working for him,” Luke Scott said. “He had an off-day. Usually Brian is crisp with his pitches and his location. He just didn’t have a good feel. That happens, that happens in this game.”

Not a good feel at all.

I suppose one of the true benefits of doing these daily “bullet blogs” is that a three-day weekend usually offers up a host of stories and topics to re-cap when beginning a new – and abbreviated week.

That’s right …. just 4 days until we kick off another Saturday/Sunday combination !!!!

In looking back over the Memorial Day weekend, as well as to the week ahead, there are numerous noteworthy subjects to cover. I’ll get to many of them during this afternoon’s show.

In the meantime, here’s a handful for your enjoyment and response:
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Remember This Guy ???
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When yesterday’s news regarding Jim Tressel’s resignation started seeping thru social media and every known sports-related news source, one distinct impression resonated in my mind:

The man simply ran out of places to take cover and people to hide behind …..

Of course, suggesting that Tressel is a living example of Warden Samuel Norton of Shawshank Redemption fame is an inequitable and stretched comparison. However, some similarities exist, to include, preaching the good book and operating by another guide, and orchestrating a supposed transparent system for one’s selfishly clandestine desires.

Speaking of books …. I’m pretty certain the final edition on Jim Tressel’s career is far from reaching the depths of his true influence on an era at THE Ohio State University.
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Junior Goes Down In Fumes
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To say Dale Earnhardt Jr. needs a win is a huge understatement. Its been a long time for the namesake of a legend. To be exact …. Junior has gone nearly three years since his last visit to victory lane, on June 15, 2008.

In Sunday’s Coca Cola 600, it appeared the drought was coming to an end. What happened? Well, it would’ve helped if the folks at Coke preferred a 599 mile race, as Junior ran out of gas on the last turn of the final lap.

If you’re a casual viewer or constant critic, you’re probably wondering “HOW IN THE HELL DOES A GUY RUN OUT OF GAS ???” Well, you can throw your rational thinking cap away on this one …..

NASCAR has a revamped points system that heavily rewards victories. Combine such a reality with the complicated art of computing gas mileage to the fraction of a lap, especially at high speeds, and a hunger to win and you’ll find that some guys are better off taking a risk.

After all, he still finished in 7th place.
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Many Happy Returns? I hope so …..
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Today will mark the first time I have ever been on-air for my birthday. Yes, I’m actually one of those screwballs who looks forward to this day … or any day that emphasizes on ME.

I have been acting like this for 44 years and counting …..

Indeed, I share this day with some distinct individuals, to include Clint Eastwood (81 yrs), Joe Namath (68), Brooke Shields (45), Jenn Aparicio and my dad – who is celebrating his 68th birthday.

I’m quite blessed with a beautiful family, fantastic friends and a career that I cherish. Thus, I don’t want for anything. But, I’m also not above pandering for gifts. Ideas would include, Three Olives Cherry Vodka, unused gifts cards of any variety, key lime pie and suggestive pics of Jen Aniston.
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Scratching My Head
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As a custom, I try to refrain from criticizing sports executives and coaches for their professional decisions. They know more than me, YOU and the next guy.

That said, they can be wrong in their decision making. And, I don’t think anyone who gets paid to do something is beyond reproach.

I’ll be blunt …. penciling in a leadoff hitter (Felix Pie) who has NO WALKS in more than 60 plate appearances sounds like a recipe for losing baseball to me. I’m also a bit perplexed by the demotion of Chris Tillman. One of the final appealing qualities to Tillman’s prospects is he had one minor league option remaining.

Translation: if the Orioles spend the off-season peddling Tillman’s services to bidders, every big league executive will know Andy MacPhail is in a tough spot …..
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A Lack Of Class
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Well, you didn’t think I would finish this up without citing some reference to the true meaning of Memorial Day, did you? I never take the sacrifices of our true heroes for granted …..

Thus, I was a little disturbed to see Sarah Palin exploiting the significance of Memorial Day with her publicity stunt and bus visit to Ft. McHenry. This is not a political blog or statement …. and I’m a registered Republican.

Leave the holiday (especially at our monuments) to our nation’s fallen; who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms. Just my two cents …..

Have a GREAT Tuesday, and remember …. I will be collecting birthday gifts between 2pm and 6pm at the WNST studios !!!!

One of the funny things about being a sports fan is the opportunity to check your perspective at the door. At the beginnings and endings of every season it seems that we are able to see things mostly logically, and are able to understand that you simply can’t win them all and that the teams who find success may not always be the most talented but in the end prove themselves to be up to the task when it counts most. None of that historical perspective though is likely to keep fans from jubilation over every good win and outright panic when things go badly. It’s an exercise in madness.

In baseball for example, there’s a long standing and tried and true theory that with few historical exceptions every team can be expected to win and lose at least 50 games, and what teams do in the other 62 games will ultimately decide their fates. Given the ease with which that philosophy has been universally accepted; maybe it’s time, for the sake of our mental health as fans, to expand on those expectations.

Within those 50 anticipated wins and losses surely it’d be wise to expect a few to come in the very late stages of games; ones that were all but won only to unravel or all but lost only to see an improbable victory somehow come to pass dramatically. We should expect (even hope) for the closer to blow a few saves along the way, if for no other reason simply to get them out of the way. After all who wants to go into the postseason with a closer who has YET to blow a save? Sooner or later these things are bound to happen, and in some cases maybe it’s best to get them out of the way early.

In every season though, we as fans should learn to expect a couple of specific types of disappointments without resorting to outright panic. Maybe 5 games given away over the season by your closer should be seen as an acceptable number. While your at it, throw in 5-7 more games where the offense never gets going and maybe 10 or more where the pitcher throws well and gets no support, or where the offense explodes but the pitching allows the opposition to do the same. Maybe, again for the sake of maintaining our sanity, we should establish acceptable benchmarks for these types of anomalies so that we don’t spin into full-fledged panic with each and every instance.

Additionally we should expect to rain on a couple of other teams bullpens along the way, or spoil great efforts from their pitchers without expecting that these instances in any way signal a reversal of fortune or provide an indication of the talent at hand. Maybe we have to learn to simply accept a shutout performance from a guy like Brad Bergeson without proclaiming his spot in the rotation saved or expecting him to come back with a similar level of effectiveness the next time out.

That said, the Orioles’ efforts in both Monday and Wednesday nights’ games were frustrating but my no means an indication that the sky is falling around this team. Thursday’s effort (or lack thereof) however might be another story altogether. If adversity is an expectation at some point during a 26-week season, than dealing with that adversity would seemingly become essential to teams maintaining their own sanity and trying to stay on course for a successful season.

For all of the reasons over which to be concerned with this Orioles team, their apparent inability to bounce back from adversity may be the most glaring, and also the most difficult to overcome.

There were plenty of reasons to be encouraged over Monday’s loss to the Red Sox, end result notwithstanding. The 5-run meltdown that set the stage for the Red Sox’ comeback was glaring, but if not for Chris Tillman’s ability to pitch himself out of  trouble, and some flashy early leather in support of his efforts, the O’s would have likely seen that one out of hand early, leaving them safe at least from the dramatic 9^th inning heartbreak they ultimately were subjected to.

On Wednesday the O’s limited one of the best offensive teams in baseball to a single (unearned) run over 14 innings. Zach Britton appeared no worse for the wear despite the disappointing wasted effort that came before it; he’ll need a similar resolve going forward it appears safe to concede at this point. The O’s offense was summarily stifled by Bartolo Colon who may have been considered washed up prior to this season, but based on his stat lines so far, the O’s are clearly not the only team that has been befuddled by the renewed version of Colon. If not for an improbable run against the game’s best ever closer, it simply would have been a disappointing 1-0 loss against a hot pitcher in a game without their 1^st and 3^rd hitters. Instead it was a stinging heartbreak that O’s fans won’t likely be able to let go of anytime soon.

For all of the frustration that the O’s have managed to heap on themselves and their fans this week, the most disappointing outcome so far was their 13-2 trouncing by the Yankees on Thursday. After calling out the Yankees to begin the season Buck and his O’s stand at 0-6 against the team from the Bronx so far, with a pair of blowouts and a pair of late inning heartbreaks to show for their efforts. By virtue of their 2 cancellations against New York so far, Mother Nature seems to be the only “player” offering any encouragement to the O’s against the Yanks.

On Thursday, amidst a myriad of interesting and arguably “cute” roster machinations the O’s needed something from Brad Bergeson. They didn’t need him to back up his best performance in recent memory, although they surely would have taken it. What they did need though were innings. They needed Bergeson to go out and gut through 6 innings or more no matter what kind of “stuff” he took to the mound. They needed badly to rest a bullpen that had been called on 13 times (14 if you count Guthrie) in the previous 2 games. They got none of that.

What the Orioles got on Thursday was a gutless and apparently (outside of possibly Adam Jones) disinterested effort against team that they thought they had no reasonable chance at beating anyway. What the Orioles got was an effort similar to the way that they meandered through their early 8-game losing streak, and an outcome similar to every other Yankees outcome this season.

The Orioles and success will somehow (improbable as it may seem now) cross paths again this season. History not only suggests it, history outright declares it. Unfortunately history also mandates more hardships on the horizon for the O’s and every other team in baseball, maybe more for the O’s than most…but nevertheless, struggles lie ahead for everyone at some point. If these O’s really hope to turn any sort of proverbial page this season, they’d better start dealing with such adversity better than early indicators seem to suggest that they have and will. If indeed the O’s expect us to take an interest in their efforts, it surely won’t happen until they show some interest in their own efforts.