Norris brilliant in O's 4-0 blanking of Bosox

Kevin Gausman

The last three games have been an “up, down, and back up” story for the Baltimore Orioles. Kevin Gausman came up from Norfolk to give the O’s starting rotation an “up”on Saturday with a strong start. He will remain in the rotation.

I remember first seeing Gausman while I was broadcasting a baseball game maybe a dozen years ago. He was just a little guy back then and following his older brother Brian who was a closer for the NMSU baseball team. The Gausmans were attending a three game NMSU series with Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles. Gausman's father Clair, who is a NCAA football referee, brought some hot dogs for us in the broadcast booth. Gausman went on to LSU before joining the O’s.


Bud Norris

Sunday Ubaldo Jimenz had his worst outing of the year surrendering walk after walk while mixing in extra base hits as the O’s went down big to the Oakland A's. The Sunday game culminated with an attempted two pitch beaning incident. The targeting of the O’s third baseman Manny Machado triggered a furious reaction. Machado flung his bat at the Oakland A’s after his swing and may face a suspension.




Adam Jones

Cooler heads prevailed on Monday when the O’s all-star third baseman issued an apology to everyone involved. However, the bean balling A's hopeful Fernando Abad, who also got tossed out of the game, was silent. Amazingly, all the media attention was on Machado for a relatively harmless throwing of his bat, while Abad seemed to get a free pass on his targeting of the pitch at Machado. No apology was forthcoming from Abad though he is likely facing a suspension.

Context of the incident tells the story. With an 11-1 lead, there was no reason for Abad to be taking a cheap shot at the recently operated on leg of Machado with his fastball. Of course Machado over-reacted, but the A’s pitcher clearly provoked the entire incident.

Last night was the Bud Norris and Adam Jones show. Norris surrendered just three hits and no runs in eight innings of work before Tommy Hunter, fresh off the DL finished the deal in the ninth. Adam Jones went 3-4 with a homer in the first inning to set the tone, and the bullpen, minus Hunter, got the night off. The O’s won easily (4-0 )over a struggling defending champion Boston Red Sox squad that is just 13-18 on the road this year.

Toronto kept up their winning ways with another win over Minnesota and remains atop the AL East with a 5.5 game lead over the O’s. The O's face Boston again tonight at Camden.