2010 Redskins Training Camp, Day 2 (Friday 07-30-10)

1.    Defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth failed his conditioning test and was not allowed to practice for the second consecutive day.  I saw Haynesworth in a sweat-drenched shirt sitting in his car as the morning practice began.  He did not look particularly happy.  Head strength and conditioning coach Ray Wright explained the specifics of the test Haynesworth must pass: Two 300-yard shuttles in 25-yard increments; the first set must be done in 70 seconds or less; the second must be done in 73 seconds or less; you can’t take more than a 3 ½-minute break between sets.  Executive vice president/head coach Mike Shanahan said he would not be answering any more Haynesworth questions until he passes the test.

2.    The Skins announced the signing of rookie left tackle Trent Willams (reported six-year, $60-million deal with more than more than $36.5 million guaranteed).  Williams told me he received word of the deal at 4:30 a.m. and did not sleep on Thursday night (he had to be at Redskins Park at 6 a.m.). 

3.    The first-teamers on offense and defense remained the same as Day 1’s, save for Williams over Will Robinson at left tackle.

4.    Shanahan told me Joey Galloway and Roydell Williams are co-starters at the X receiver (split end) spot right now.  That says quite a bit about Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas.

5.    The offense looked much better on Friday than on Thursday thanks in part to better weather. 


Nationals beat Philadelphia 8-1 on Friday night.

1.    The Nats improved to 45-58 overall and 25-43 since starting 20-15.

2.    Craig Stammen (one run in 6 1/3 innings) outdueled Roy Oswalt (five runs (four earned) in six innings) in his Phillies debut.
     a.    Stammen allowed five hits (including a solo homer to center fielder Jayson Werth), a walk and five strikeouts.
     b.    Stammen improved to 3-4 with a 5.24 ERA over 18 starts this season.

3.    Relievers Tyler Clippard and Collin Balester combined for 2 2/3 scoreless innings.
     a.    Counting Miguel Batista's five-inning spot start on Tuesday night, Nats relievers have thrown 19 1/3 scoreless innings over the past four games.

4.    Second baseman/first baseman Adam Kennedy had a double, three singles, an RBI, a stolen base and two runs.  He’s batting .353 in July after batting .188 in June.  Kennedy now is 12-for-12 on steals this season.

5.    Right fielder Roger Bernadina had two doubles, a walk, two RBI and an outfield assist, throwing out Oswalt at first base after what looked like a single in the third inning. 

6.    Center fielder Nyjer Morgan had a triple, a walk and two runs.  He was caught stealing for an MLB-leading 14th time (he broke way too early and Oswalt himself threw Morgan out at second base) and now is 28-for-42 on steals this season.

7.    Left fielder Josh Willingham had a two-run double, a walk and a run.


Nationals on Friday agree to trade infielder Cristian Guzman to Texas for pitching prospects Ryan Tatusko and Tanner Roark.

The trade was expected to be approved by the league office by Saturday.  The 32-year-old Guzman is a 10-and-5 player - 10 years in the majors and five years with the same club - and needed to approve the trade.  He played most of the year at second base after playing his first 11 seasons in the majors at shortstop.  Guzman was an original member of the Nats and made the National League All-Star team in 2008.


Orioles lose at Kansas City 7-5 on Friday night.

1.    The O’s fell to 32-71 overall and 17-32 under interim manager Juan Samuel (sam-WEHL).

2.    Closer Alfredo Simon (see-MOHN) gave up a walk-off three-run homer to left fielder Alex Gordon. 
     a.    Simon (see-MOHN) recorded two outs but then allowed a walk, a single and the homer.
     b.    Simon (see-MOHN) now is 15-for-18 on saves with a 4.18 ERA.

3.    Jake Arrieta allowed three runs in 4 1/3 innings on six hits, five walks, a wild pitch and four strikeouts.  He threw 102 pitches.  Arrieta now has a 5.47 ERA over 10 MLB starts.

4.    The O’s went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

5.    Center fielder Adam Jones went 1-for-2 on steals and now is 4-for-10 on steals this season.  He did have a walk and a run.

6.    Positives from the loss:
     a.    Third baseman Ty Wigginton had two RBI doubles, a single and a run.
     b.    Right fielder Nick Markakis had two singles, a walk and three runs.
     c.    Second baseman Brian Roberts had two singles and a stolen base.


Wizards announce the re-signing of free-agent swingman Josh Howard on Friday afternoon.

The 30-year-old Howard was acquired from Dallas in the Caron Butler trade last February.  Howard averaged 17.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game in three games before suffering a torn ACL in his left knee.  The Wiz predictably did not pick up his $11.8 million option and reportedly signed him to a one-year, incentive-laden deal.  The Wiz do not anticipate Howard being ready for the start of the regular season according to The Washington Post.

2010 Redskins Training Camp, Day 1 (Thursday 07-29-10)

1.    Defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth failed his conditioning test and was not allowed to practice.  He will continue to take the test each day until he passes.  Haynesworth worked briefly with defensive coordinator Jim Haslett and defensive line coach Jacob Burney after Thursday's lone practice.  Also I saw Haynesworth inside Redskins Park, and he seemed cordial with his teammates.

2.    The first-team offense included receiver Joey Galloway over Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas.

3.    Will Robinson practiced with the first team in place of rookie left tackle Trent Williams, meaning Stephon (STEH-fahn) Heyer is at best the second-team right tackle.

4.    The first-team defense included Maake Kemoeatu at nose tackle, Adam Carriker and Kedric (KEH-drick) Golston as the defensive ends (Phillip Daniels was with the second team), Lorenzo Alexander over Andre Carter at outside linebacker and Kareem Moore over Reed Doughty and Chris Horton at safety.

5.    The defense far outshined the offense, in part because of a sloppy field due to sporadic showers.

6.    Running back Clinton Portis was his usual me-against-the-world self, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  But he raised more than a few eyebrows with these comments: "I never was worried about the concussion.  I think it was more me worrying about: Do I really want to put up with the B.S. that was coming along with it ...the B.S. that came along with being around here?  Once Coach Shanahan came in and cleared that up, and let us know he was going to do his best to take care of all that and just let us go out and play football, it was a blessing."

7.    I spoke to cornerback Carlos Rogers, who finally signed his tender.  He was very complimentary of Haslett and former Skins d.c. Gregg Williams, conveniently leaving out former Skins d.c. Greg Blache (BLAHSH), who benched Rogers twice over the last two seasons.


Nationals beat Atlanta 5-3 on Thursday afternoon.

1. The Nats improved to 44-58 overall and 24-43 since starting 20-15.

2. Scott Olsen, making his first start since May 21 due to tightness in his surgically repaired left shoulder, allowed three runs (two earned) in six innings on five hits (including a two-run homer), two walks and a strikeout.
     a. Excluding his final start before going on the disabled list, Olsen has allowed two earned runs or less in six consecutive starts.
     b. Olsen improved to 3-2 with a 3.67 ERA.

3. Relievers Sean Burnett, Drew Storen and Matt Capps each tossed a scoreless inning.
     a. Counting Miguel Batista's five-inning spot start on Tuesday night, Nats relievers have thrown 16 2/3 scoreless innings over the past three games.

4. First baseman Adam Dunn had a solo homer, a double and two runs.  He’s tied for fifth in MLB with 24 homers and is 10th in MLB with a .563 slugging percentage.

5. Shortstop Ian Desmond had a solo homer, a double and two runs.  But he committed his MLB-leading 24th error.

6. Catcher Will Nieves (nee-EH-vehs) had a two-run single, though he’s only batting .187 this season.

7. Center fielder Nyjer Morgan had a single and a stolen base.  He now is 28-for-41 on steals this season, including 11-for-his-last-12.

8. The Nats won despite totaling just seven hits and one walk and going 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
     a. Second baseman Adam Kennedy, third baseman Ryan Zimmerman and left fielder Josh Willingham went a combined 0-for-11.


Nationals announce on Thursday night they’ve traded closer Matt Capps to Minnesota for top catching prospect Wilson Ramos (RAH-mohs) and minor-league reliever Joe Testa.

The 26-year-old Capps, the Nats’ lone All-Star this season, went 26-for-30 on saves with a 2.74 ERA in his first season with the team.

The 22-year-old Ramos entered 2010 rated as the Twins’ No. 2 prospect according to industry-insider Baseball America.  Ramos made his MLB debut in May and batted .296 (8-for-26) with three doubles and one RBI in seven games.  His arrival further adds further doubt to the future of catcher Jesus Flores, who has missed the entire season while recovering from shoulder surgery and various setbacks.


Nationals on Thursday place rookie starter Stephen Strasburg on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation, retroactive to July 22.

Strasburg was scratched from Tuesday night’s 3-0 win over Atlanta.  He could return to the rotation as soon as August 6, but at this point he also could be shutdown for the season.  Strasburg is expected to be limited to 150-160 innings this season.  He has thrown 54 1/3 innings in the majors and 55 1/3 innings in the minors this year.


Orioles win at Kansas City 6-5 in 11 innings on Thursday night.

1.    The O’s improved to 32-70 overall and 17-31 under interim manager Juan Samuel (sam-WEHL).

2.    The O’s improved to 3-11 since the All-Star break.

3.    The O’s snapped a five-game losing streak.

4.    Five relievers – Mark Hendrickson, Matt Albers, Michael Gonzalez, David Hernandez and Alfredo Simon (see-MOHN) – combined for 7 2/3 scoreless innings.

5.    The O’s, who are last in the American League in walks, totaled eight walks.

6.    Third baseman Ty Wigginton had a single and two run-scoring sacrifice flies.

7.    Second baseman Brian Roberts had a double, a single and two runs.

8.    Designated hitter Corey Patterson had a game-tying eighth-inning solo homer, a single, a walk, a stolen base and two RBI.  He now is 18-for-21 on steals this season.

9.    Right fielder Nick Markakis hit a solo homer and now has seven homers this season.  He has hit at least 16 homers in each of his four previous seasons.  Markakis also had an outfield assist.

10.    Negatives from the win:
     a.    Rookie Brian Matusz allowed five runs in 3 1/3 innings. 
          i.    Matusz has allowed a combined 18 runs over 13 innings over his last four starts.
          ii.   Matusz now has a 5.46 ERA over 21 starts this season.
     b.    The O’s totaled just eight hits and went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
     c.    Center fielder Adam Jones went 0-for-6 and committed his sixth error of the season.


Orioles announce on Thursday the hiring of Buck Showalter as manager.

The 54-year-old Showalter, known for his meticulous preparation, will take over beginning Tuesday, when the O’s begin a seven-game homestand.  He becomes the Birds' 10th manager since principal owner Peter Angelos took over in August 1993.  Showalter had been working as an analyst for ESPN.  He has an 882-833 record with the Yankees (1992-1995), Arizona (1998-2000) and Texas (2003-2006) and has twice been named American League Manager of the Year (1994 and 2004).   

Orioles announce on Thursday afternoon they've traded third baseman Miguel Tejada and cash to San Diego for minor league pitcher Wynn Pelzer.

The 24-year-old Pelzer has been pitching for the Double-A San Antonio Missions this year.  He was a ninth-round selection by the Padres out of the University of South Carolina in the 2007 First Year Player Draft.  Pelzer was named the seventh-best prospect in the San Diego organization prior to the 2010 season by Baseball America.

The 36-year-old Tejada was batting .269 with seven homers in 97 games for the O’s.  His 15 errors are tied for third-worst in MLB.

Nationals lose to Atlanta 3-1 on Wednesday night.

1.    The Nats fell to 43-58 overall and 23-43 since starting 20-15.

2.    Livan Hernandez, off tossing his second complete game of the season, had his shortest outing of the season.
     a.    Hernandez allowed three runs in 4 1/3 innings on six hits, two walks and three strikeouts.
     b.    Hernandez was pulled after throwing jut 85 pitches.
     c.    Hernandez fell to 7-7 with a 3.22 ERA over 21 starts this season.

3.    The Braves pulled off a first-inning double steal in which right fielder Jason Heyward stole home.  MASN analyst Ray Knight said shortstop Ian Desmond didn’t get the ball to first baseman Adam Dunn quickly enough.

4.    The Nats totaled just seven hits and one walk and struck out nine times.
     a.    Dunn went 0-for-4 and now is 4-for-33 over his last 10 games.
     b.    Left fielder Willie Harris went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and now is batting .184 this season.

5.    Starter Tim Hudson allowed one run in 7 2/3 innings and improved to 11-5 with a 2.40 ERA.

6.    Positives from the loss:
     a.    Relievers Doug Slaten (1/3 of an inning), Tyler Clippard (1 1/3 innings) and Joel (joh-EHL) Peralta (three innings) combined for 4 2/3 scoreless innings.
          i.    Counting Miguel Batista's five-inning spot start on Tuesday night, Nats relievers have thrown 13 2/3 scoreless innings over the past two games.
     b.    Right fielder Mike Morse had an RBI single and is 29-for-80 (.363) since returning from the disabled list on May 16.
     c.    Center fielder Nyjer Morgan had two singles.


Orioles lose at Toronto 5-0 on Wednesday night to complete a three-game sweep.

1.    The O’s fell to 31-70 overall and 16-31 under interim manager Juan Samuel (sam-WEHL).

2.    The O’s fell to 2-11 since the All-Star break.

3.    The O’s fell to 0-12 against the Blue Jays this season.

4.    The O’s totaled just three hits and went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position.
     a.    The Blue Jays’ starting pitcher, soft-tossing lefty Brad Mills, was making just his third MLB start and first of the season.  He allowed two hits over seven innings.

5.    Reliever Will Ohman allowed three runs in 1/3 of an inning, giving up a three-run homer to first baseman Lyle Overbay.

6.    Reliever Koji Uehara (oo-eh-HAH-ruh) allowed one run in 2/3 of an inning.

7.    A positive from the loss was Jeremy Guthrie, who allowed one run (unearned thanks to an error by left fielder Corey Patterson) in seven innings.
     a.    Guthrie has allowed three earned runs over 20 2/3 innings in his three starts since the All-Star break.
     b.    Guthrie fell to 4-11 with a 4.23 ERA over 21 starts this season.


Capitals announce the acquisition of left wing D.J. King from St. Louis in exchange for prospect Stefan Della Rovere (steh-FAHN DEHL-uh roh-VEHR) on Wednesday afternoon.

The 26-year-old King will be the Caps' first true enforcer since Donald Brashear left the team via free agency last summer.  King played in just 12 games last season due to a broken finger, but he got into five fights.  He’s under contract through the 2011-12 season.

Della Rovere (DEHL-uh roh-VEHR) was the Caps’ seventh-round selection in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.


The 2010 Preseason All-ACC Football Team is announced on Wednesday.

Maryland, which was picked to finish last in the Atlantic Division, had two players on the team.  Junior Torrey Smith, who set ACC single-season kickoff return yardage records in each of the last two seasons, was named to the team at two positions - specialist and wide receiver.  Smith was a second-team All-ACC choice at both positions last year.  Also honored for the Terps was senior linebacker Alex Wujciak (WOH-jack).  He ranks first in the NCAA FBS in career tackles per game (10.6) among active players.  Wujciak (WOH-jack) was named second team All-ACC in 2008 and first team after last year’s 131-tackle performance.

Virginia Tech, which was picked to win the conference title, had one player on the team – sophomore running back Ryan Williams.  He was the ACC Rookie of the Year and a first-team running back pick on the All-ACC team last season.  Williams’s 21 rushing touchdowns tied an NCAA record for a freshman, and he became the first freshman in ACC history to lead the league in rushing and scoring.

Virginia, which was picked to finish last in the Coastal Division, did not have a player on the team.

Nationals beat Atlanta 3-0 on Tuesday night.

1.    The Nats improved to 43-57 overall and 23-42 since starting 20-15.

2.    Rookie pitcher Stephen Strasburg was scratched from his scheduled start after struggling to loosen up.  A variety of tests revealed right shoulder inflammation and soreness but no structural damage.  He’s considered day-to-day.

3.    Relievers Miguel Batista (five innings), Sean Burnett (two innings), Drew Storen (one inning) and Matt Capps (one inning) combined on a five-hitter.  They combined for 10 strikeouts and just one walk.

4.    Shortstop Ian Desmond had two hits (including a two-run single) and a stolen base.  He’s 9-for-12 on steals this season.

5.    Center fielder Nyjer Morgan had a single, two stolen bases and a run.  He now is 27-for-40 on steals this season, including 10-for-his-last-11.

6.    Left fielder Josh Willingham had a single and a stolen base.  He’s 8-for-8 on steals this season.

7.    The Nats won despite totaling just six hits and no walks, striking out 10 times and going 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position.  


Orioles lose at Toronto 8-2 on Tuesday night.

1.    The O’s fell to 31-69 overall and 16-30 under interim manager Juan Samuel (sam-WEHL).

2.    The O’s fell to 2-10 since the All-Star break.

3.    The O’s fell to 0-11 against the Blue Jays this season.

4.    Kevin Millwood allowed six runs (five earned) in 5 1/3 innings on 10 hits, four walks and five strikeouts. 
     a.    Millwood gave up a three-run homer to right fielder (and former Oriole) Jose Bautista in the first inning.  Millwood now has allowed a combined 30 earned runs in the first innings of his past 11 starts.  He allowed no runs in the first innings of his first nine starts of the season.
     b.    Millwood fell to 2-10 with a 5.96 ERA over 20 starts this season.

5.    Closer Alfredo Simon (see-MOHN) allowed a two-run homer to Bautista in the eighth inning.  He finished with four hits, a walk, five RBI, three runs and an outfield assist.  Bautista leads the majors with 30 homers.

6.    The O’s went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and struck out 10 times.

7.    Positives from the loss:
     a.    Reliever Michael Gonzalez tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
     b.    Center fielder Adam Jones had a double and two singles.
     c.    Right fielder Nick Markakis had an RBI double and a single.  He’s second in MLB with 33 doubles.  But he was thrown out at third base by Bautista while tagging up on designated hitter Luke Scott’s run-scoring sacrifice fly in the eighth inning.
     d.    Third baseman Miguel Tejada had two singles and a run.


Capitals announce the re-signing of forward Tomas Fleischman (TOH-mahs FLYSH-mihn) to a one-year contract on Tuesday night.

The 26-year-old Fleischman (FLYSH-mihn) had been scheduled for an arbitration hearing on Wednesday.  He set career highs in goals (23), assists (28), points (51) and plus-minus rating (plus-9) in 2009-10.  Fleischman (FLYSH-mihn) scored eight goals in the 10 games that left wing Alex Ovechkin missed…A negative for Fleischman (FLYSH-mihn) was his postseason performance.  He had an assist but did not score a goal in the Caps’ seven-game upset loss to Montreal in the Eastern Conference quarters.  Fleischmann (FLYSH-mihn) was a healthy scratch for Game 7.

Also on Tuesday, Pittsburgh forward Max Talbot (TAL-biht) ripped Ovechkin on WXDX-FM.  This occurred prior to Tuesday’s press conference promoting the Caps and Penguins meeting in the 2011 NHL Winter Classic on New Year’s Day at Heinz Field.

Orioles lose at Toronto 9-5 on Monday night.

1.    The O’s fell to 31-68 overall and 16-29 under interim manager Juan Samuel (sam-WEHL).

2.    The O’s fell to 2-9 since the All-Star break.

3.    The O’s fell to 0-10 against the Blue Jays this season.

4.    Brad Bergesen allowed eight runs in five innings on 10 hits (including three homers), a walk and a strikeout.  He fell to 3-9 with a 6.95 ERA over 18 games (16 starts) and seems in danger of a third demotion to Triple-A Norfolk this season.
     a.    If you take away Jeremy Guthrie's two outings since the All-Star break, the Birds' rotation has worked just 41 1/3 innings in nine games, allowing 49 earned runs (10.67 ERA) and 64 hits.

5.    The O’s went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

6.    Center fielder Adam Jones and left fielder Felix Pie (pee-AY) went a combined 1-for-9 with six strikeouts.

7.    Another base-running mistake: First baseman Jake Fox was thrown out at second base while trying to stretch a single into a double with the O’s trailing 8-5 with one out in the eighth inning.  He also struck out twice.  Fox did finish with a double and a single.

8.    Positives from the loss:
     a.    Catcher Matt Wieters hit two homers: A two-run bomb in the sixth inning and a solo blast in the eighth.  He also had two walks.
     b.    Designated hitter Luke Scott, off being named American League Player of the Week, had a two-run homer, a walk and two runs.  He’s 14-for-31 with five homers since returning from the disabled list on July 19.  Scott now leads the Birds with 17 homers.
     c.    Second baseman Brian Roberts had a double and a single.
     d.    Reliever Matt Albers allowed one run in three innings, recording four strikeouts.


2010 ACC Football Kickoff: Virginia Tech is picked to win the conference title in the preseason media poll released on Monday afternoon.

The Hokies were picked to win the ACC off going 10-3 in 2009-10.  They won their final five games, including a 37-14 ripping of Tennessee in the Chick-fil-A Bowl…Hokies tailback Ryan Williams and quarterback Tyrod Taylor finished second and third, respectively, in the voting for ACC Preseason Player of the Year.  Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder finished first.

Maryland was picked to finish last in the Atlantic Division.  The Terrapins went 2-10 in 2009-10, losing their last seven games.  Their final record was their worst since going 0-9-0 in 1967.

Virginia was picked to finish last in the Coastal Division.  The Cavaliers went 3-9 in 2009-10, their worst season since 1982.  Head coach Al Groh was fired and replaced by Mike London.

Nationals lose to Milwaukee 8-3 on Sunday afternoon to complete a three-game sweep.

1.    The Nats fell to 42-57 overall and 22-42 since starting 20-15.

2.    The Nats concluded a 3-7 road trip.

3.    Starter Ross Detwiler allowed five runs (all unearned) in 3 2/3 innings on three hits (including a two-run homer), three walks, a wild pitch and four strikeouts in his first MLB appearance of 2010.
     a.    Detwiler was the sixth overall pick of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft.

4.    The Nats committed two errors and now have committed an MLB-worst 80 this season.
     a.    Shortstop Ian Desmond committed his MLB-leading 23rd error, a throwing error during the Brewers’ three-run fourth inning.  He also went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and now is batting .247 this season.
     b.    Third baseman Willie Harris misplayed a groundball during the Brewers’ two-run first inning.  He also went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and now is batting .188 this season.
     c.    The Nats had committed just three errors in nine games since the all-star break.

5.    Reliever Joel (joh-EHL) Peralta allowed a three-run homer in the seventh inning in his worst outing for the Nats (three runs in two innings).  His ERA rose to 2.16.

6.    The Nats struck out 10 times, failed to work a walk and went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

7.    Catcher Ivan Rodriguez went 0-for-4 and now is batting .167 in July.

8.    Positives from the loss:
     a.    Center fielder Nyjer Morgan had two hits (including an RBI single), a stolen base and a run.  He now is 25-for-38 on steals this season.
     b.    Second baseman Adam Kennedy had two singles, a stolen base and a run.  He now is 11-for-11 on steals this season.
     c.    First baseman Adam Dunn had two hits, including an RBI single.  He’s seventh in MLB with a .565 slugging percentage and ninth in MLB with a .935 OPS.  But he struck out twice and has the second-worst strikeout total in MLB (122).
     d.    Reliever Miguel Batista tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings to lower his ERA to 4.50.
     e.    Closer Matt Capps tossed a scoreless inning to lower his ERA to 2.86.


Orioles lose to Minnesota 10-4 on Sunday afternoon.

1.    The O’s fell to 31-67 and 16-28 under interim manager Juan Samuel (sam-WEHL).

2.    The O’s concluded a 2-8 homestand.

3.    Rookie Jake Arrieta allowed five runs in four innings on seven hits (including a grand slam), four walks and no strikeouts.  He fell to 3-3 with a 5.40 ERA over nine MLB starts.

4.    The Birds’ bullpen continues to be overworked, and it showed.
     a.    Birds’ starters have pitched 50 innings in 10 games since the All-Star break.  Birds’ relievers have thrown 44 innings.
     b.    Mark Hendrickson allowed four runs in three innings.  He gave up two solo homers.
     c.    David Hernandez allowed a solo homer in his one inning of work.
     d.    Hendrickson, Hernandez and Koji Uehara (KOH-jee oo-eh-HAH-ruh) (scoreless inning) combined to allow 12 hits in five innings.

5.    The O’s went 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

6.    Positives from the loss:
     a.    Uehara (oo-eh-HAH-ruh) lowered his ERA to 2.35.
     b.    First baseman Luke Scott had two doubles, a walk and a run.  He now is 13-for-27 since returning from the disabled list on July 19.
     c.    Left fielder Corey Patterson had a double, a single and a run.
     d.    Center fielder Felix Pie (pee-AY) had two singles and a run.


Former Expos outfielder Andre Dawson and former Orioles broadcaster Jon Miller are inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday afternoon.

Dawson played for the Expos (who of course became the Nationals in 2005) from 1976 through 1986.  He won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 1977 and the NL Most Valuable Player award in 1987 with the Cubs.  Dawson is one of only three players to hit 400 homers and steal 300 bases.  He endured 12 knee surgeries during his 21-season career.

Miller, widely considered the best baseball broadcaster of his generation, broadcasted Orioles games from 1983 through 1996.