Baltimore Orioles On Eight-Game Losing Streak

By David
Kaye

After surging into the month of June on a six-game winning streak, the Orioles have lost eight in a row and thirteen out of their last fifteen.

As the club embarks on a six-game West cost swing to San Diego and Arizona the chance of the O's snapping their losing streak does not seem bright.

Once they end interleague play they return to Camden Yards to face the Yankees and Angels before traveling to Chicago and Texas to close out the first half of the season.

During their nine-game home stand the Orioles went 1-8, while being outscored 53-29. Their porous pitching staff permitted twenty-one Diamondback runners to pass home plate this weekend as they were embarassed in front of their home fans for yet another time.

Outspoken designated hitter Kevin Millar called his teams play ''brutal'' and reiterated that ''we've just got to find a way to stop the bleeding now.'' With a restructed bullpen that has failed miserably to live up to expectations it will be difficult for the O's to wright the ship.

Watson extends streak to IL-record 43 games

Congratulations to Brandon Watson. A job well done.

06/17/2007 6:22 PM ET

By Marissa Rega / Special to MLB.com

Clippers leadoff batter singles in sixth to surpass 95-year-old record

Brandon Watson established a new International League record by hitting safely in his 43rd straight game as Columbus fell to Ottawa, 9-8, in 11 innings Sunday.

"It's unbelievable. I don't have any words for it," the 25-year-old center fielder said. "I believe that I've been fortunate to surpass such a record."

The 25-year-old center fielder flied out in the first inning and lined out in the third before ripping a single in the sixth to break the 95-year-old record set by Rochester's Jack Lelivelt.

"[Ottawa starter J.D. Durbin] threw a slider, and I just stayed on it enough to get it up the middle," Watson explained. "Today was a little tougher because it was the day to break the record."

Watson struck out in his second at-bat in the sixth and again in the eighth before being replaced in the ninth. He is batting .360 (63-for-175) with six doubles, a triple, 19 runs scored and 10 RBIs during the streak that began May 1.

End Of The Line For Third Baseman Sean Burroughs

By David
Kaye

First round draft picks in 1998 include World Series winner Jeff Weaver who was selected 14th overall by the Detroit Tigers, Brad Lidge who was taken 17th overall by the Houston Astros and appeared in the 2005 Fall Classic as the teams closer, and J.D. Drew who was picked fifth overall by the St.Louis Cardinals and who had the opportunity to sign a 5-year, $70 million contract with the Boston Red Sox during the off- season.

Other notable players include Pat Burrell, Mark Mulder, Corey Patterson, Felipe Lopez and Austin Keanrs. The one underlying theme about each player mentioned is that they're current major leaguers who are enjoying successful careers.

Sean Burroughs was the ninth overall pick in the '98 draft by the San Diego Padres and this past week he was released by the Seattle Mariners. Seattle was his third stop in the last two years and unless he miraculously turns around his career baseball will never see the once promising prospect dawn the galore of a big league uniform.

Instead of making the shrewd decision by accepting a scholarship from the University of Southern California, Burroughs signed with the Padres straight out of High School. In his first big league season in 2004 he batted .298 with two homers and 47 runs batted in. While his defense was always his strength during his three seasons in the majors, he struggled with the bat.

In 440 career games Sean managed to belt three home runs and drive in 65 runs. At the rate Yankees' third baseman Alex Rodriguez is slugging he will have 65 RBI's before July's all-star game.

Given numerous opportunities to succeed, he was never able to mature into a big time player and live up to expectations.