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BALTIMORE ( CHEN ) MINNESOTA ( HUGHES ) |
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| 7.5un | 2 Final 4 |
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965 | BALTIMORE | -1.5,+140 | -1.5,+130 | 966 | MINNESOTA | +1.5,-160 | +1.5,-150 |
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All Games | 43-39 | +2.7 | 34-44 | 4.5 | 0.257 | 0.309 | 0.421 | 0.730 | 3.9 | 0.246 | 0.308 | 0.397 | 0.705 | Road Games | 15-22 | -5.9 | 15-20 | 4.0 | 0.244 | 0.298 | 0.382 | 0.680 | 4.0 | 0.255 | 0.331 | 0.404 | 0.735 | vs Right-handed Starters | 32-30 | +1.9 | 25-34 | 4.5 | 0.253 | 0.309 | 0.425 | 0.734 | 3.6 | 0.234 | 0.300 | 0.377 | 0.677 | Past 7 Games | 2-5 | -4.4 | 2-4 | 3.1 | 0.206 | 0.261 | 0.329 | 0.590 | 3.6 | 0.261 | 0.312 | 0.461 | 0.773 | Grass Games | 38-33 | +3.4 | 28-39 | 4.5 | 0.261 | 0.310 | 0.430 | 0.740 | 3.8 | 0.245 | 0.302 | 0.391 | 0.693 | Night Games | 24-27 | -5.5 | 20-29 | 4.2 | 0.250 | 0.304 | 0.406 | 0.710 | 3.8 | 0.239 | 0.298 | 0.394 | 0.692 |
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All Games | 4.5 | 0.257 | 0.309 | 82 | 2735 | 703 | 120 | 16 | 99 | 0.421 | 354 | 205 | 671 | 26 | 491 | 81 | 40 | 68 | 32 | Road Games | 4.0 | 0.244 | 0.298 | 37 | 1258 | 307 | 55 | 10 | 33 | 0.382 | 142 | 96 | 334 | 12 | 233 | 36 | 19 | 32 | 21 | Righty Starters | 4.5 | 0.253 | 0.309 | 62 | 2063 | 522 | 85 | 12 | 82 | 0.425 | 268 | 166 | 516 | 21 | 377 | 59 | 29 | 56 | 25 |
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All Games | 2.82 | 1.181 | 255.7 | 90 | 80 | 210 | 22 | 92 | 258 | 15-8 | 26 | 5 | 83.9% | Road Games | 2.54 | 1.115 | 127.4 | 37 | 36 | 93 | 8 | 49 | 125 | 5-5 | 10 | 1 | 90.9% |
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All Games | 43-39 | +12 | 35-39 | 4.1 | 0.250 | 0.300 | 0.391 | 0.691 | 4.1 | 0.270 | 0.319 | 0.414 | 0.733 | Home Games | 25-15 | +12.1 | 18-17 | 4.6 | 0.275 | 0.320 | 0.424 | 0.745 | 3.8 | 0.269 | 0.311 | 0.400 | 0.711 | vs Left-handed Starters | 18-11 | +10.6 | 16-11 | 5.4 | 0.268 | 0.322 | 0.430 | 0.751 | 3.7 | 0.257 | 0.307 | 0.391 | 0.697 | Past 7 Games | 3-4 | +0 | 2-4 | 3.9 | 0.265 | 0.306 | 0.416 | 0.722 | 3.9 | 0.260 | 0.335 | 0.342 | 0.677 | Grass Games | 43-39 | +12 | 35-39 | 4.1 | 0.250 | 0.300 | 0.391 | 0.691 | 4.1 | 0.270 | 0.319 | 0.414 | 0.733 | Night Games | 22-19 | +8.6 | 16-22 | 4.2 | 0.248 | 0.293 | 0.384 | 0.676 | 3.5 | 0.254 | 0.304 | 0.377 | 0.681 |
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All Games | 4.1 | 0.250 | 0.300 | 82 | 2736 | 684 | 144 | 22 | 66 | 0.391 | 321 | 195 | 595 | 37 | 479 | 84 | 46 | 82 | 49 | Home Games | 4.6 | 0.275 | 0.320 | 40 | 1310 | 360 | 69 | 8 | 37 | 0.424 | 176 | 88 | 264 | 16 | 231 | 48 | 24 | 45 | 14 | Lefty Starters | 5.4 | 0.268 | 0.322 | 29 | 1003 | 269 | 51 | 6 | 33 | 0.430 | 148 | 79 | 194 | 7 | 172 | 33 | 17 | 29 | 19 |
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All Games | 3.77 | 1.322 | 243.6 | 118 | 102 | 245 | 26 | 77 | 161 | 12-13 | 29 | 5 | 85.3% | Home Games | 3.71 | 1.294 | 121.3 | 60 | 50 | 123 | 13 | 34 | 89 | 6-5 | 15 | 1 | 93.8% |
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6/23/2015 | JIMENEZ(R) | @ BOSTON | KELLY(R) | 6-4 | W | 105 | 9 ov | O | 11 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 6/24/2015 | NORRIS(R) | @ BOSTON | BUCHHOLZ(R) | 1-5 | L | 130 | 8.5 un | U | 8 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 6/25/2015 | GONZALEZ(R) | @ BOSTON | RODRIGUEZ(L) | 8-6 | W | 120 | 8.5 un | O | 14 | 9 | 0 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 6/26/2015 | CHEN(L) | CLEVELAND | KLUBER(R) | 4-3 | W | +100 | 7.5 un | U | 10 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 6/28/2015 | JIMENEZ(R) | CLEVELAND | BAUER(R) | 4-0 | W | -130 | 8.5 un | U | 6 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 6/28/2015 | TILLMAN(R) | CLEVELAND | MURATA(R) | 8-0 | W | -135 | 9 un | U | 8 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 6/29/2015 | NORRIS(R) | TEXAS | RODRIGUEZ(L) | 1-8 | L | -130 | 9 un | P | 9 | 9 | 1 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 6/30/2015 | GONZALEZ(R) | TEXAS | LEWIS(R) | 6-8 | L | -140 | 8.5 ov | O | 7 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 7/1/2015 | CHEN(L) | TEXAS | MARTINEZ(R) | 4-2 | W | -175 | 8.5 un | U | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 7/2/2015 | GAUSMAN(R) | TEXAS | GALLARDO(R) | 0-2 | L | -110 | 8.5 un | U | 3 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 7/3/2015 | JIMENEZ(R) | @ CHI WHITE SOX | DANKS(L) | 0-1 | L | -155 | 8 un | U | 5 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 7/4/2015 | TILLMAN(R) | @ CHI WHITE SOX | SAMARDZIJA(R) | 2-3 | L | 100 | 8 ov | U | 4 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 10 | 0 | 7/5/2015 | GONZALEZ(R) | @ CHI WHITE SOX | RODON(L) | 9-1 | W | -110 | 8.5 ov | O | 10 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 7/6/2015 | CHEN(L) | @ MINNESOTA | HUGHES(R) | | 7/7/2015 | GAUSMAN(R) | @ MINNESOTA | GIBSON(R) | | 7/8/2015 | JIMENEZ(R) | @ MINNESOTA | MILONE(L) | | 7/10/2015 | TILLMAN(R) | WASHINGTON | ROARK(R) | | 7/11/2015 | GONZALEZ(R) | WASHINGTON | ZIMMERMANN(R) | | 7/12/2015 | CHEN(L) | WASHINGTON | FISTER(R) | |
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6/22/2015 | MILONE(L) | CHI WHITE SOX | DANKS(L) | 13-2 | W | -130 | 9 un | O | 15 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 10 | 3 | 6/23/2015 | PELFREY(R) | CHI WHITE SOX | SAMARDZIJA(R) | 2-6 | L | +100 | 8 un | P | 9 | 6 | 1 | 15 | 11 | 0 | 6/24/2015 | HUGHES(R) | CHI WHITE SOX | SALE(L) | 6-1 | W | +120 | 7 ev | P | 10 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 6/26/2015 | MAY(R) | @ MILWAUKEE | LOHSE(R) | 4-10 | L | 125 | 7.5 un | O | 7 | 4 | 1 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 6/27/2015 | GIBSON(R) | @ MILWAUKEE | GARZA(R) | 5-2 | W | 125 | 8 un | U | 7 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 6/28/2015 | MILONE(L) | @ MILWAUKEE | FIERS(R) | 3-5 | L | 150 | 8 un | P | 7 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 6/29/2015 | PELFREY(R) | @ CINCINNATI | LEAKE(R) | 7-11 | L | 150 | 7.5 ov | O | 9 | 4 | 0 | 17 | 11 | 0 | 6/30/2015 | HUGHES(R) | @ CINCINNATI | DESCLAFANI(R) | 8-5 | W | 115 | 8 un | O | 15 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 7/1/2015 | MAY(R) | @ CINCINNATI | CUETO(R) | 1-2 | L | 180 | 7 un | U | 4 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 7/2/2015 | GIBSON(R) | @ KANSAS CITY | YOUNG(R) | 2-0 | W | 145 | 7.5 un | U | 10 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 7/3/2015 | MILONE(L) | @ KANSAS CITY | GUTHRIE(R) | 2-3 | L | 125 | 7.5 un | U | 5 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 7/4/2015 | PELFREY(R) | @ KANSAS CITY | BLANTON(R) | 5-3 | W | 145 | 8 ov | P | 13 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 7/5/2015 | SANTANA(R) | @ KANSAS CITY | DUFFY(L) | 2-3 | L | 140 | 8.5 un | U | 7 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 7/6/2015 | HUGHES(R) | BALTIMORE | CHEN(L) | | 7/7/2015 | GIBSON(R) | BALTIMORE | GAUSMAN(R) | | 7/8/2015 | MILONE(L) | BALTIMORE | JIMENEZ(R) | | 7/9/2015 | PELFREY(R) | DETROIT | PRICE(L) | | 7/10/2015 | SANTANA(R) | DETROIT | VERLANDER(R) | | 7/11/2015 | HUGHES(R) | DETROIT | SIMON(R) | | 7/12/2015 | GIBSON(R) | DETROIT | RYAN(L) | |
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| | | BALTIMORE: BALTIMORE (AP) - For the first time in 17 years, the Baltimore Orioles open a new baseball season as defending AL East champions.
The Orioles can only hope for better results than in 1998, when they followed a wire-to-wire run to the division crown with a 79-83 flop - launching a franchise-record run of 14 straight losing seasons.
Although Baltimore lost slugger Nelson Cruz, Gold Glove right fielder Nick Markakis and setup man Andrew Miller from a club that last year went 96-66 and advanced to the AL Championship Series, manager Buck Showalter has no intention of disappointing a fan base that has embraced a team coming off its second playoff appearance in three seasons.
''They come to Camden to watch us win,'' Showalter said. ''There's no more passionate, sincere group of fans than we have. Nothing would kick me in the chest more than for us to regress. I want to keep going forward.''
Baltimore made only one significant offseason acquisition, picking up outfielder Travis Snider in a trade with Pittsburgh. The big question is, do the Orioles still have enough good players to stay atop the AL East?
''It definitely stinks to lose Markakis, what he brought to the clubhouse, and Cruz, what he brought to the field. But we've got to move on,'' said Steve Pearce, who's coming off the best year of his career. ''You look around the locker room and there's a lot of talent here. All our pitching's returned, so we still have a really good team.''
The Orioles are counting on third baseman Manny Machado and catcher Matt Wieters to bounce back from injury-shortened seasons and for first baseman Chris Davis to regain the form he showed in 2013 before slumping miserably last year.
None of the three were available in the postseason, when the Orioles swept Detroit in the division playoff before being bounced in four games by the Kansas City Royals.
Davis' absence will extend into opening day, on April 6 in Tampa Bay, when he concludes his 25-game suspension for using a banned amphetamine. Wieters is expected to start the season in the disabled list as he continues his recovery from elbow ligament surgery, but at least Machado appears on target to make up for lost time.
The offense will be a work in progress, but the Orioles hope they won't need heavy hitting to back a starting rotation that remains entirely intact. Chris Tillman, Wei-Yin Chen, Bud Norris and Miguel Gonzalez combined to go 54-29 last year, and the foursome could get some help from right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez, who's looked good in spring training after stumbling in his Orioles debut last year.
The bullpen will be anchored by Zach Britton, who had 37 saves in 41 tries during his first season as a closer.
Some things to know about the 2015 Orioles:
TOP OF THE LINEUP: Alejandro De Aza is expected to take over for Markakis as the leadoff hitter. De Aza is faster than Markakis and had a .341 on-base percentage after being obtained from the White Sox before the trade deadline.
''I will just let the game dictate what to do,'' he said.
What De Aza needs to do is get on base ahead of Machado, Davis and cleanup hitter Adam Jones.
DAVIS SEEKS A FRESH START: Slowed by a muscle strain near his rib cage, frustrated by defensive shifts and embarrassed by his suspension, Davis is raring to go in 2015.
''I'm in such a different situation this year than I was last year, having been off for a month and a half more than these guys,'' Davis said.
He says his teammates have forgiven him for using Adderall, which led to his untimely suspension.
''The guys are just ready to move on and focus on what we need to accomplish this year,'' Davis said.
SNIDER STEPS IN: With Markakis gone, Snider will attempt to fill the void in right field.
He hit .264 with 13 homers, 15 doubles and 38 RBIs in 140 games with Pittsburgh last season.
''I'm not here to replace Nick Markakis, but to be another man on this roster and to come out here every single day with the goal of getting better,'' Snider said.
MACHADO CONFIDENT: After playing only 82 games last year, Machado is ready to go after knee surgery.
''I feel great,'' the 2013 All-Star said. ''I'm doing everything. I'm stealing bases and hitting the ball well, playing good defense, doing everything I've got to do to get ready for the year.'' | | MINNESOTA: MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Paul Molitor was hired as Minnesota's new manager, bringing Hall of Fame membership and renowned intelligence and intuition to a team seeking a fresh start.
The Twins brought back one of their most popular players ever, Torii Hunter, to help solidify an unsettled outfield, mentor a fledgling team and hit a few home runs. They have collected plenty of promising young hitters, either slated for the opening day lineup or waiting in the minor league wings.
None of that will matter much if the starting pitching continues to wobble the way it has the last four seasons.
Phil Hughes had by most measures a career year, his first away from the New York Yankees, but his ability to match that is low on the list of 2015 goals. Ricky Nolasco needs to rebound from a terrible first season with the Twins. Ervin Santana must show he's worth that $55 million, four-year contract. Kyle Gibson has to reduce the times (five of 31 starts in 2014) he goes three innings or less and gives up six runs or more. The fifth spot winner, Trevor May, Tommy Milone or Mike Pelfrey, needs to keep it.
''We'd put up a couple good starts and somebody would get hurt or we'd take a step backward,'' said Hughes, whose 2014 season has been one of the few true success stories of the rotation since it unraveled in 2011. ''Every good team I've been on, it seems like the rotation gets on a roll.''
New pitching coach Neil Allen will have more impact on the staff than Molitor, but after 13 years under manager Ron Gardenhire the clubhouse has been naturally buzzing with excitement about the new boss.
''He's one of the smartest baseball people I've ever been around,'' first baseman Joe Mauer said.
As for Hunter? His presence was desired for more energy and stronger camaraderie.
''If there's no tension between players and you're comfortable with everyone, you're going to play better,'' closer Glen Perkins said. ''So that's chemistry, I guess. I think we've held it together as much as we can, as much as we've struggled.''
Here are some key angles to know about the Twins in 2015:
MAUER IMPROVEMENT
Mauer, soon to turn 32, will make $23 million each of the next four years. Injuries have limited him to an average of 116 games from 2011-14. His batting average hit a career-low .277 last season, and he had a career-most 96 strikeouts despite time lost to an oblique muscle injury.
The Twins haven't lost faith in their franchise player, the homegrown guy who was the first overall draft pick in 2001. Playing for Molitor, whom he grew up admiring as an alumnus of the same St. Paul high school, ought to help.
''He's healthy. I think he's anxious to prove that last year was just an aberration,'' general manager Terry Ryan said.
LINEUP FLEXIBILITY
Molitor has been touting his options at the top and in the middle of the order, with a team that quietly scored the third-most runs in the majors after the All-Star break last year and added an accomplished hitter in Hunter.
One decision is whether to bat Mauer third, where he was most of his career until Gardenhire began to bat him second often over the last two seasons.
With Hunter, Kennys Vargas, Trevor Plouffe and Oswaldo Arcia, Molitor has power to play with in the heart of the order. The downsides are Arcia's inconsistency, leadoff man Danny Santana being the only player with a 2014 average above .290 and an unsettled situation in center field.
''It's a small sample, our track record from last year, but it's something you can use as a foundation to see potentially how your offense can work. We're going to have depth, I think, all the way down to the bottom,'' Molitor said.
BULLPEN SHUFFLE
The Twins could return as few as three relievers to their roles from last season: Perkins, Casey Fien and Brian Duensing. Blaine Boyer and Tim Stauffer, from San Diego, were signed. At least one of the losers in the fifth starter competition was headed for the seven-man bullpen. Rule 5 draft pick J.R. Graham, who must be returned to Atlanta if he's not on the 25-man roster, has been pushing for a spot, too.
Reliever use will be one area in which Molitor's strategy could differ from that of Gardenhire.
''I want to get them out of a one-inning mentality. Not that they all have it, or don't want to pitch more. But we've talked a lot about some of those guys, trying to get two innings out of them here, if we can,'' Molitor said. |
| | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PA SPORTSTICKER AL PREVIEW (BALTIMORE-MINNESOTA) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Orioles-Twins Preview* =======================
By JON PALMIERI STATS Editor
Baltimore (42-39) at Minnesota (43-38), 8:10 p.m. EDT
The Baltimore Orioles finally got the breakout offensive game they desperately needed.
A matchup with Phil Hughes could make it difficult for them to continue in that direction.
A pair of second-place teams open a three-game series at Target Field on Monday night as the Orioles and Minnesota Twins meet for the first time this season.
Things turned around quickly for Baltimore (43-39), which followed a 16-4 run with five losses in six games before a 9-1 win over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.
Manny Machado's two-run homer in the eighth inning of Saturday's 3-2 loss prevented the Orioles from being shut out in three consecutive games for the first time since 1957. They totaled 13 runs, batted .195 and struck out 50 times during the 1-5 stretch.
There were no such problems Sunday as Baltimore cruised behind three hits from Steve Pearce. Jonathan Schoop provided an immediate boost to the struggling offense, homering in his first at-bat in nearly three months following his recovery from a sprained right knee.
"The nerves were all there," Schoop said. "I was a little bit excited, but I feel really good."
Adam Jones had a pair doubles and scored twice after entering Sunday in a 5-for-36 slump.
"It gives you confidence and you have more room to work with," winning pitcher Miguel Gonzalez said about the run support. "We did a good job hitting, and our defense was great."
Chris Davis was robbed of a home run for the second straight day, but knocked in two to give him a team-leading 51 RBIs. He's batting .333 with four homers and 18 RBIs in his last 11 games against the Twins.
Hughes (7-6, 4.27 ERA) takes the mound after his start was pushed back a day to accommodate Ervin Santana's return Sunday.
The right-hander won his third straight outing Tuesday, allowing four runs and eight hits over 6 2-3 innings in an 8-5 victory at Cincinnati. It was a rare struggle for Hughes, who had compiled a 2.43 ERA in his previous four appearances before facing the Reds.
"You always gain confidence when things are going right and you're winning games," Hughes said. "It's high right now. I hope it continues."
The right-hander is 8-5 with a 4.83 ERA in 19 starts against the Orioles, but went 2-0 with a 1.26 ERA in two meetings last season, his first with the Twins.
Machado is 6 for 13 against Hughes, but Jones and Matt Wieters are a combined 15 for 83 (.181).
Minnesota returns home after completing a 4-6 road trip with Sunday's 3-2 loss to Kansas City.
The Twins didn't do much offensively in the second half of the trek, scoring 12 runs and going 6 for 40 (.150) with runners in scoring position in the final five games.
Brian Dozier and Torii Hunter combined to go 5 for 38 in those contests, but both have performed well lately against the Orioles.
Hunter is batting .386 with four home runs, 12 RBIs and a 1.129 OPS in his last 14 meetings. Dozier is batting .361 with 10 runs during a nine-game hitting streak in the series.
Dozier is 5 for 11 with a homer off Wei-Yin Chen (4-4, 2.84), who looks to continue an impressive string of outings.
He is 3-1 with a 2.45 ERA in his last six starts, allowing two earned runs or less in five straight. The left-hander surrendered a pair of solo homers, two other hits and a walk in eight innings Wednesday in a 4-2 victory over Texas.
Chen is 2-1 with a 2.65 ERA in three starts at Target Field.
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| Last Updated: 9/21/2024 12:21:53 AM EST. |
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