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Humber makes strong return in Game 1 win
MINNEAPOLIS — In his first full season in the Major Leagues, right-hander Philip Humber has learned that it is just as much a mental grind as a physical one — if not more so — over the course of 162 games.
So while getting hit just above his right eye with a line drive and missing two weeks as a result was far from ideal, the time off may turn out to be just what Humber needed to get back to the way he pitched in the first half of the season.
In his first start since Aug. 18, Humber delivered his best outing of the second half as the White Sox picked up a 2-1 victory over the Twins in the first game of a split doubleheader on Monday.
“It feels like it’s been a year since I had a win,” Humber said. “The guys did a great job getting those runs early, and I just kind of got a lot of ground balls. It was a great feeling to have some success.”
With the win, the White Sox snapped a four-game losing streak and remained 8 1/2 games back of the first-place Tigers in the American League Central. Chicago has won four in a row at Target Field, its first four-game streak in Minnesota since May 23-July 1, 2004.
Humber tossed seven scoreless innings, giving up just six hits as he struck out six and did not walk a batter. While he allowed all of his baserunners over his last five frames, Humber allowed more than one batter to reach base just twice — in the third and seventh innings.
He did not have a good feel for his curveball, so Humber and White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski focused more on the slider, giving the Twins a different look than expected.
“He’s developed a really good slider. He didn’t have that pitch when he was with us,” said Luke Hughes, who played with Humber in the Twins’ system. “So he’s kind of stepped it up a little for sure. We talked about it at lunch today. That pitch has made him successful, and he’s had a great year.”
It was Humber’s first scoreless outing of seven innings or more, and his first win, since July 2 at Wrigley Field, when he held the Cubs without a run on just five hits over seven frames. Humber has gone seven or more scoreless innings three times this season, with the other instance being April 25 at Yankee Stadium.
Humber had his last start cut short after 1 1/3 innings when he was struck just above his right eye with a line drive off the bat of Kosuke Fukudome. In his previous six starts, Humber had gone 0-4 with a 7.16 ERA, giving up 22 earned runs in 27 2/3 innings.
In his first start since coming off the disabled list, Humber looked more like the pitcher that went 8-4 with a 2.57 ERA in 15 starts before the All-Star break.
“He seemed like he got it back,” said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. “All the time off and things, it seemed like he was stronger again.”
Humber will now look to build on this strong start over the final month of the season.
“I hope so, it’s a lot more fun getting them out than it is struggling to hold them,” Humber said. “Hopefully, just build off that and use that confidence into my next couple of starts.”
After being retired in order by Twins right-hander Anthony Swarzak in the first inning, the White Sox scored one run each in the second and third. Pierzynski led off with a double in the second and scored on Alejandro De Aza’s fielder’s choice.
In the third, Juan Pierre singled with one out, and Alexei Ramirez drove him in with a double down the left-field line.
Swarzak allowed just two runs on seven hits over eight innings of work, but he took the loss as the Twins could not provide any run support. Eight innings matched a career high for Swarzak, who struck out four batters without a walk.
Things got interesting in the ninth, when Sergio Santos came in after Matt Thornton got the first out of the inning, but Santos struggled and was removed in favor of Chris Sale. Santos allowed a walk, single and sacrifice fly, cutting the lead to one run, but Sale got the strikeout to end the ballgame.
Santos struggled for the second straight outing, but Guillen said he would stick with the right-hander in the closer’s role.
“It was more a gut feeling than anything. I wanted the matchup with Repko [against Sale],” Guillen said. “The last thing we wanted to do was lose a game like that.
“If we’ve got the same opportunity for Santos [in Game 2], he’s going to be back on the mound.”
Jordan Schelling is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
White Sox notebook, 9/5
Right-hander Axelrod joins White Sox bullpen
By Jordan Schelling / MLB.com
Axelrod, 26, made 26 appearances (24 starts) between Double-A Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte this season, going 9-3 with a 2.69 ERA. He allowed 45 earned runs over 150 2/3 innings.
Signed by the White Sox as a free agent on Aug. 2, 2009, Axelrod was named to the Southern League midseason All-Star team after going 3-2 with a 3.34 ERA with the Barons. Axelrod was even better for the Knights, posting a 6-1 record with a 2.27 ERA in 15 starts.
Pena has been on the 15-day DL since May 29 with right elbow tendinitis. In 17 relief appearances before going on the DL, Pena went 1-1 with a 6.20 ERA, allowing 14 earned runs in 20 1/3 innings of work.
Struggling Dunn gets rare start in opener
MINNEAPOLIS — For just the third time in nine games, designated hitter Adam Dunn was in the White Sox lineup for Game 1 of Monday’s doubleheader.
White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said it was a product of the doubleheader and the need for everyone to play, as well as to “see what we can get out of him.”
“Hopefully, he’ll come out and help the ballclub to win the game,” Guillen said.
Dunn has struggled throughout his disappointing season, batting just .163 with 11 home runs and 40 RBIs entering Monday. Over the last two years with the Nationals, Dunn hit 76 home runs while driving in 208 runs, and his batting average was 100 points higher.
White Sox center fielder Alex Rios also has struggled, batting .220 with eight home runs and 34 RBIs entering Monday. Rios’ numbers are down from 2010, when he batted .284 with 21 homers and 88 RBIs.
Guillen said he believed Dunn and Rios owed it to themselves to do whatever is needed in the offseason to improve in 2012.
“Everybody learns by mistakes,” Guillen said. “In the offseason, when you get older, you’ve got to work a little bit more, a little bit harder to try to get better.
“I don’t think they should feel guilty about how much money they made without contributing. They want to, they were ready. But I think when the years go by and you’re getting older, you have to take care of yourself a lot better.”
Guillen also was asked if he thought the respective performances of Dunn and Rios were “embarrassing enough” for them to put in the extra work needed to improve next season.
While he could not answer for how Dunn or Rios felt, Guillen made it clear how he felt.
“They should be embarrassed,” Guillen said. “I think they feel bad about the way they played this year.”
In the 2-1 Game 1 victory, Dunn went 0-for-3 with a strikeout. Rios went 3-for-5 with two runs scored in the 4-0 victory in Game 2.
Guillen attributes struggles to poor start
MINNEAPOLIS — Manager Ozzie Guillen attributed his team’s struggles this season to its poor start, when the White Sox dropped to 11 games under .500 in early May.
After a loss on May 6, the White Sox were 11-22 and sat in last place in the American League Central, 11 games behind first-place Cleveland.
So what can the White Sox do next season to improve in the first month?
“I guess, talk to the Commissioner and say, ‘The White Sox are not going to show up in April,'” Guillen joked. “In the past, I feel like we might not play enough guys [in Spring Training]. Now we did it opposite, but we didn’t play good in Spring Training either.”
The White Sox went 11-20 this spring, finishing 14th out of 15 teams in Cactus League play. They also had the worst record of an AL team in Spring Training.
But Guillen said he does not plan to change much next year.
“I will do the same stuff,” he said. “I think everybody was fine, because I think everybody liked it. Everybody was ready to go.”
White Sox not concerned with short turnaround
MINNEAPOLIS — With their series finale Sunday in Detroit moved to a night game, the White Sox had a quick turnaround going into Monday’s doubleheader against the Twins.
They arrived in the Twin Cities in the early-morning hours, less than 12 hours before the scheduled start of Game 1 at Target Field. Even with the short night, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen was not worried about his team going into the twin bill.
“Most of the players, they have a lot of short nights,” Guillen said. “I think everybody should be fine. And I expect them to go out there and play the game.”
Jordan Schelling is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Reyes, Tatum, Reynolds lift Orioles to sweep
MINNEAPOLIS — Less than 24 hours later, it did not get much easier for the Orioles to deal with the news of the death of former Orioles pitcher, executive and broadcaster Mike Flanagan.
But with that still weighing heavily on their minds on Thursday, the series finale at Target Field provided a good escape, as the Orioles completed a sweep of a struggling Twins squad with a 6-1 victory.
“Today was a tough day for everybody,” said Orioles manager Buck Showalter. “I think it was almost a little bit of a haven for everybody to get out there on the field and play a game as quickly as we had to.
“I’m sure there will be some reflective moments from here to Baltimore, especially when we get closer to the ballpark where we’re so used to seeing Mike every day.”
But even with all the club dealt with off the field over the four days in Minnesota, it still put together an impressive series on the field.
For once, the Orioles caught a team that was down and kept it down, while bouncing back from some struggles of their own.
When the O’s arrived at Target Field on Monday, they had lost five in a row, while the Twins had lost three of four heading into the series. As the Orioles left on Thursday, they had their first four-game winning streak since June 6-10, and the Twins had dropped nine of their past 11 home games.
“We didn’t see [Joe] Mauer for a couple days, and [Justin] Morneau’s not quite where he’s going to be,” said Showalter. “We were fortunate, but we took advantage of it. There have been a few times this year we haven’t been able to do that.”
The sweep was the first for the Orioles against the Twins since the club relocated from Washington to Minnesota in 1961.
The Orioles last completed a four-game sweep at Texas on July 8-11, 2010, and the O’s last won at least four straight on the road Aug. 27-Sept. 7, 2010, when they won three at Angel Stadium and two in New York.
“You have to have the mentality of going out there and playing hard,” said Twins right fielder Michael Cuddyer. “There is no such thing as ‘Woe is me’ in baseball. The Orioles didn’t care. They came out here and kicked our butts for four games. So nobody is going to feel sorry for you.”
Orioles lefty Jo-Jo Reyes went six innings, allowing one run on five hits and four walks while striking out three batters. It was the first start since July 8 that Reyes did not allow a home run.
After battling back spasms leading up to the start, Reyes said he did not feel as well physically as usual, but he still managed to deliver a solid outing.
“I thought the sixth inning was big,” Showalter said. “I thought he had the stuff to get a little deeper, but it was a good finish to a challenging road trip for us in a lot of ways.”
The Orioles held the Twins to just one run per game over the four-game series, the first time they’ve held an opponent to one or fewer runs over four consecutive games since the first four games of the season.
While the Orioles’ pitching staff has struggled throughout the season, it was impressive at Target Field, posting a 1.00 ERA with 32 strikeouts.
“The whole team wants to finish strong,” Reyes said. “We’re not going to put our heads between our legs and throw in the season. I think that there are some guys that want to finish strong.”
Lefty Francisco Liriano lasted just two innings for the Twins before leaving with a strained left shoulder, but the Orioles offense was kept quiet for the first five innings, scoring just once on five hits.
In the sixth, a two-run double by catcher Craig Tatum off reliever Anthony Swarzak broke things open, scoring Nolan Reimold and Ryan Adams. With his 29th home run of the season in the seventh, a three-run shot, Mark Reynolds then put the game out of reach.
The Orioles finished the series batting .308, with 15 of their 45 hits going for extra bases. Reynolds’ home run was the 150th of his career, as he went 7-for-17 over four games with two homers, a triple and seven RBIs.
“I’m feeling good,” Reynolds said. “I had a rough stretch there the last week or two. Get a couple knocks here and there and kind of get some confidence going up a little bit, and hopefully it’ll keep snowballing for me and I’ll finish strong.”
Jordan Schelling is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Orioles notebook, 8/25
Guthrie felt special connection to Flanagan
By Jordan Schelling / MLB.com
“Since the day I was given No. 46, I’ve had thousands of people tell me that was the number of their favorite pitcher for the Orioles when they were growing up,” Guthrie said. “So from Day 1, I think I’ve been reminded of the legacy and of the work that Mike did not only as a player, but also as a member of the community in Baltimore.
“It’s always been special, and now I think it takes on even a new level. He’s not going to be forgotten soon, that’s for sure.”
After thinking about it overnight, Guthrie is considering hanging up his No. 46 for the rest of the season in honor of Flanagan.
Guthrie is looking for input from a number of people, including fans.
“Obviously, there’s a lot of emotions flying around right now … but it’s a response that doesn’t surprise me from Jeremy,” said Orioles manager Buck Showalter. “We’ll see. I’m not going to really weigh in on whether [he should do it]. It’s a nice gesture.”
Jones sits out finale with soreness
MINNEAPOLIS — After leaving games early on consecutive nights, center fielder Adam Jones was out of the Orioles lineup for Thursday’s series finale with the Twins.
Jones left Tuesday’s game after just one inning and was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation. On Wednesday night, Jones left after six innings with soreness in his neck, shoulder and chest.
“Hopefully, today will be good for him, and he’ll get back in there tomorrow,” said manager Buck Showalter. “I’ve got some options with him off the bench.”
The soreness Jones experienced on Wednesday and was still dealing with on Thursday morning likely was related to what forced him out of the game on Tuesday, when he had trouble catching his breath.
“Sometimes things like that could bring on the symptoms and some of the stuff he had,” Showalter said. “He felt great in BP yesterday, so I’ll take that as a positive.”
Guerrero returns in finale vs. Twins
MINNEAPOLIS — Orioles designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero was back in the lineup on Thursday afternoon after missing Wednesday’s game with a left wrist contusion.
Guerrero, who was hit on the underside of his wrist by a ball during batting practice, was held out of the lineup as a precaution.
In the clubhouse after Wednesday’s game, Guerrero had his wrist heavily wrapped and iced, but said he was fine.
“It was a little puffy [on Wednesday],” said Orioles manager Buck Showalter. “We probably could’ve pushed the envelope on him [on Wednesday], but with the quick turnaround with the day game and [lefty Francisco] Liriano pitching [on Thursday], we wanted to be careful.
“So far so good, but we’ve got some options if he gets in there and can’t go.”
Showalter said Guerrero was intent on playing on Wednesday, despite the injury, but the manager decided otherwise, making him a late scratch from the lineup.
“He was all taped up and ready to go and trying to play yesterday,” Showalter said. “I just stopped him and said, ‘Let’s be smart with this.'”
Flanagan family issues statement for fans
MINNEAPOLIS — The Flanagan family issued a statement on Thursday regarding the death of former Orioles pitcher, executive and broadcaster Mike Flanagan.
The statement read:
“We thank you for your support and kind words at this difficult time. Thank you for respecting our privacy as we grieve.
“A private memorial will be held at a later date.”
–The Flanagan Family
Pie clears waivers, faces decision
MINNEAPOLIS — Felix Pie cleared waivers on Thursday, and the Orioles left fielder was outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk.
Pie now has the option to become a free agent, which would mean forfeiting what is left of his $985,000 salary for 2011. He can also accept his assignment and report to the Tides, but he must make his decision by Saturday morning.
“It’s good for us, not particularly good for him right now,” said Orioles manager Buck Showalter. “But it may work out real well in the long haul for both of us.
“[Pie] and his agent and his family will make a decision, what’s best for him in his career. We hope it includes us.”
The Orioles designated Pie for assignment on Tuesday in an effort to get him some at-bats in the Minors and perhaps solve his offensive struggles.
Pie has batted just .220 this season, while slugging .280 with a .264 on-base percentage. All three numbers are well below Pie’s career numbers. The former Cubs top prospect has also struggled defensively and on the basepaths.
Jordan Schelling is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Andino’s hands-on grab highlights victory
By Jordan Schelling / MLB.com
Just before he reached the tarp, Andino appeared to have overrun the ball just a bit, so he reached up and made a barehanded grab over his shoulder. As impressive as the catch was, Andino made it look like it was no big deal, as if he had planned it that way.
“Oh, it was great,” Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie said. “It surprised me. He was running over there and running over there, and I thought it was out of play at first. Then I could kind of tell he overran it, as he started reaching back. It was just a real athletic play.”
As he walked back to the infield, Andino had a big smile on his face.
“He said he overran it and couldn’t get his glove back in time,” Orioles first baseman Mark Reynolds said. “It was pretty cool.”
Said Reynolds when asked if he would have made a similar play: “Oh no, I’ve got to use my glove as much as I can.”
Jordan Schelling is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Longtime Oriole Flanagan dead at 59
By Jon Star and Jordan Schelling / MLB.com
MINNEAPOLIS — Over his 15 seasons with the Orioles, lefty Mike Flanagan was a fan favorite and one of the best starting pitchers in club history. But it was his impact on the organization off the field that made the news of his death Wednesday so hard to take.
“I always marveled at the way he treated everybody regardless of their background,” O’s manager Buck Showalter said. “Whether it was a guy that never played in the big leagues or whatever. The Orioles have lost a real source of wisdom. It’s just hard to imagine not getting to see him now and then.”
Baltimore County (Md.) police responded to a 911 call placed at 4:26 p.m. ET Wednesday afternoon after a body was found on the property of Flanagan, the former Orioles pitcher, broadcaster and front-office executive. That body was later identified as the former Oriole, the Baltimore Sun originally reported.
On Thursday, the Maryland medical examiner ruled Flanagan’s death a suicide.
Flanagan was 59. He is survived by his wife, Alex, and daughters Kerry, Kathryn and Kendall.
Flanagan’s family released a statement on Thursday that read:
“We thank you for your support and kind words at this difficult time. Thank you for respecting our privacy as we grieve.
“A private memorial will be held at a later date.”
“I am so sorry to hear about Mike’s passing,” Hall of Famer Cal Ripken said in a statement to Mid-Atlantic Sports Network. “He was a good friend and teammate and our thoughts are with Alex and his family. Mike was an Oriole through and through and he’ll be sorely missed by family, friends and fans. This is a sad day.”
The emergency call notified authorities of a death in the 15000 block of York Road in Sparks, Md., according to police spokeswoman Elise Armacost. Initial reports revealed that the body was discovered on a trail on the grounds. Sparks is located about 18 miles north of the site of the Orioles’ former ballpark, Memorial Stadium.
“It is with deep sadness that I learned of the death of my friend Mike Flanagan,” Orioles managing partner Peter Angelos said in a statement. “In over a quarter century with the organization, Flanny became an integral part of the Orioles family, for his accomplishments both on and off the field.
“His loss will be felt deeply and profoundly by all of us with the ballclub and by Orioles fans everywhere who admired him. On behalf of the club, I extend my condolences to his wife Alex and daughters Kerry, Kathryn and Kendall.”
Flanagan, selected in the seventh round of the 1973 Draft, spent 18 years in the Majors — 15 with the Orioles, with whom he compiled a 141-116 record, a 3.89 ERA and 1,297 strikeouts. Flanagan earned the 1979 American League Cy Young Award after posting a 23-9 record, 3.09 ERA and 190 strikeouts, leading Baltimore to the AL pennant before falling to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series in seven games. The left-hander went 1-1 in 15 innings with 13 strikeouts in the Fall Classic.
“He was fantastic that year,” said former O’s teammate and current YES broadcaster Ken Singleton, who played with Flanagan from 1975-84 and hit 35 home runs in ’79. “The first time I ever met Mike’s dad, he thanked me for hitting all the home runs [15] in the games his son pitched. It just so happened I think I was hitting one every fourth or fifth day, and he was on the mound.”
Flanagan later returned to the World Series in 1983, making one start as the Orioles eventually took the Series, 4-1, and provided him with his lone ring. Flanagan went 12-4 with a 3.30 ERA in 20 starts that season.
“He was a good pitcher, an even better teammate,” said Singleton, whose home is close to Flanagan’s in Sparks. “His locker was only a couple down from mine at Memorial Stadium. I played with him for 10 years. He’s a good man. He’s one of the best pitchers the Orioles ever had.”
Flanagan spent three-plus seasons with the Blue Jays from 1987-90 before returning to Baltimore in ’91 and spending the final two seasons of his career as a reliever. In ’91, Flanagan was part of a four-pitcher no-hitter, which stands as the last no-hitter thrown by the franchise.
Flanagan retired following the 1992 season with a career record of 167-143 and 3.90 ERA. He struck out 1,491 batters in 526 games.
“He was one of our family,” said Hall of Fame right-hander Jim Palmer, a former teammate of Flanagan’s and his fellow color commentator on Orioles telecasts. “Great friend, great competitor.
“He was like a breath of fresh air with his humor and insight and all those things. He was just a terrific guy.”
Current A’s manager Bob Melvin, another former teammate, said he was shocked to hear of the news of Flanagan’s death.
“I think the world of him,” Melvin said. “I was teammates with him just the one year in Baltimore, but we’ve had a friendship since. He struck Travis Fryman out to end Memorial Stadium’s history, and I was catching, and he had a photo of it blown up years later, framed, and gave it to me.
“He was a man’s man, and the ultimate baseball guy’s guy. He was a leader, just someone you really looked up to and respected. … That’s just unbelievable, completely shocking.”
Following his retirement, Flanagan was a common presence around the Orioles’ organization, serving as a broadcaster from 1996-97 and 1999-2002 before moving into the front office on Dec. 4, 2002, when he took the position of vice president for baseball operations, working alongside vice president Jim Beattie, giving Baltimore de facto dual general managers. In 2005, Flanagan was named executive vice president for baseball operations, a position he held until 2008.
Flanagan, whose grandfather Ed Sr. and father Ed Jr. both played in the Red Sox organization, was voted into the Orioles Hall of Fame in 1994.
During his time in the Orioles’ front office, Flanagan claimed right-hander Jeremy Guthrie off waivers from the Indians in 2007. They shared a special bond — and a uniform number — since then, which shows the impact Flanagan had on the Baltimore organization.
“Since the day I was given No. 46, I’ve had thousands of people tell me that was the number of their favorite pitcher for the Orioles when they were growing up,” Guthrie said. “So from Day 1, I think I’ve been reminded of the legacy and of the work that Mike did not only as a player, but also as a member of the community in Baltimore.
“It’s always been special and now I think it takes on even a new level. He’s not going to be forgotten soon, that’s for sure.”
Jon Star is a reporter for MLB.com. Jordan Schelling is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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