Baltimore not making it easy for AL East

Baseball Betting Lines

08/17/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baltimore Orioles will not be making an appearance in the 2007 postseason. The team is currently seven games below .500, 15 1/2 games out of first place and in the beginning stages of a rebuilding process.

However, despite their disappointing season, the Orioles may be one of the most dangerous teams in the American League East race.

At this point in the season, the AL East is a two-team battle between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. Both teams have had to face the Orioles in the past seven days and each came away losers. Baltimore took two out of three games from the Red Sox last weekend, before taking the better part of a three-game set from the Yankees earlier this week.

The Orioles dominated the Yankees, outscoring New York by a 24-10 margin over the three games. Baltimore bounced back from Monday's series opening loss to capture a 12-0 victory on Tuesday night. Starting pitcher Daniel Cabrera stifled the Yankees at the plate, tossing a two-hit shutout over 6 2/3 innings. The offense collected 13 hits on the night, including a grand slam from Aubrey Huff in the third inning.

Baltimore got right back to work on Wednesday, taking a 6-3 win in the series finale. Left-hander Erik Bedard set the tone by tossing seven innings of scoreless, although a blown save by Jamie Walker in the ninth cost the Baltimore ace a win.

Huff followed up Tuesday's efforts with another game-saving performance. The slugger went 2-for-4 at the plate, including a two-run homer in the 10th that accounted for the three-run victory.

ORIOLES SIGN TOP PICK WIETERS

The Orioles took another big step in the rebuilding process on Wednesday, signing first-round pick Matt Wieters. Baltimore and Wieters came down to the wire in terms of the contract, inking the deal just minutes before Wednesday's deadline. Wieters, a switch-hitting catcher from Georgia Tech, received a $6 million signing bonus from the Orioles.

Baltimore worked feverishly on a deal that would land Wieters before the deadline. Although it was rumored that the two sides were far away from an agreement, Wieters and agent Scott Boras agreed to come down from the proposed $11 million bonus they were asking for. Both sides then agreed to meet halfway in order to avoid a messy situation down the road.

Had the two sides been unable to come to a deal, Wieters would have headed back to college and the Orioles would have been given a compensatory pick in the 2008 draft.

Baltimore's president of player operations, Andy McPhail, is ecstatic that both sides were able to come to a fair deal for both Wieters and the Orioles.

"Our offer was very generous," MacPhail said. "I think you have to determine what's fair and appropriate to what's going on in the market."

Wieters jumped up the draft board after an explosive junior season that saw him bat .358 with 10 home runs and 59 RBI. The Orioles will have to wait on results from Wieters' physical before sending him to a minor-league affiliate for the remainder of the season.

HOUSE EARNS SHOT IN THE BIGS

With the Orioles all but eliminated from postseason play, the team has begun to reach into its farm system for talent. The Orioles are hoping to give some of their younger players big-league experience before re-evaluating them in spring training. Most of the players who are being called up are expected to make long-term contributions to Baltimore in the near future. However, that's probably not the case for catcher J.R. House.

House is a career minor leaguer who missed his chance at a longtime gig in the bigs due to injuries. Drafted in 1999 by the Pirates, House made a name for himself by cruising through the Pittsburgh farm system. However, injuries to his shoulder and elbow sidetracked his development, so much so that at one point House briefly returned to college in an attempt to revive his football career.

His time in college was short-lived, though, and House decided to give baseball another chance. His path eventually led him to the Orioles' organization, where he signed a minor-league contract with Triple-A Norfolk prior to spring training. House was successful in Norfolk this season, batting .295 with 10 home runs and 63 RBI.

House knows that this may be his last chance at the big time, and is doing everything he can to prolong his stay.

"It worked out, so it's a good thing," he said. "I could be sent down tomorrow. I don't know. If I see my name in the lineup card, I'm happy. I know I got to play that day. But I'll just take it in and continue to work."

INJURY NEWS

Designated hitter Jay Gibbons will miss the rest of the season after agreeing to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery. The procedure, which was performed on Tuesday, was deemed a success, but Gibbons will now have to undergo five months of excessive rehabilitation to ensure his return for spring training.

"That's why I'm having (the surgery) now," Gibbons said. "I was trying to push it for the end of the season just so we wouldn't have to talk about this, but the doctors I talked to told me, 'Absolutely not. If you have this at the end of the season, you're looking at getting back going during Spring Training.' At this point, every day is crucial."

Gibbons hurt his shoulder in early May but tried to play through the pain. However, the shoulder became so bad that Baltimore was forced to keep him out of the outfield and move him into a permanent DH role. Unfortunately, the injury also hindered Gibbons at the plate, forcing him to hit a career low .230 with just six home runs and 28 RBI.

Manager Dave Trembley stood by Gibbons as long as he could, but in the end decided it was too much for the veteran to handle.

"I don't want him to blow his arm out. I didn't want to be the guy that ended his career," added Trembley. "Gibby's a tough guy. He's strong, he's tough and he didn't want anyone to know. And to his credit, he's not using that as an excuse."

WHO'S HOT

First baseman Kevin Millar has been a tough out this season, having reached base safely in 44 straight games. Millar has worked the count all season, compiling 90 hits, 55 walks, and just 63 strikeouts in 100 games. He has been on a tear in the month of August, going 8-for-20 at the plate over his last five games to bring his average to .271 on the year.

WHO'S NOT

Outfielder Jay Payton has struggled through the month of August, collecting just six hits in 40 total at-bats. He has gone 5-for-29 at the plate over his last 10 games, bringing his average to a mediocre .258 on the season.

ON DECK

The Orioles will travel to the Rogers Centre for a three-game set against the Toronto Blue Jays beginning Friday. Left-hander Garret Olson (1-1, 4.60) will take the mound for Baltimore against A.J. Burnett (6-6, 4.09) in Friday night's opener. Steve Trachsel (5-7, 4.85) and Jays rookie Jesse Litsch (4-5, 3.54) will face off in Saturday's contest before Jeremy Guthrie (7-4, 3.50) and Toronto ace Roy Halladay (14-5, 3.99) meet up in Sunday's series finale.