Baltimore Sports Blitz
Matt Vensel and fellow Sun reporters discuss the Ravens, O's and Baltimore sports.
Ravens QB Joe Flacco had a quicker trigger in 2012

Ravens QB Joe Flacco had a quicker trigger in 2012

It came down to a matter of split seconds, but Joe Flacco got the ball out of his hands a little faster last season.

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Right Back @ You: Kevin Cowherd and Matt Vensel on Kevin Gausman and the Baltimore Orioles

Right Back @ You: Cowherd and Vensel on the O's

Baltimore Sun reporter and blogger Matt Vensel and columnist Kevin Cowherd answer reader questions on the Orioles

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Baltimore Orioles don denim, denim and more denim for their road trip to Canada

O's don denim, denim and more denim for road trip

Fresh off two wins over the New York Yankees, center fielder Adam Jones and the Orioles decided to have a little fun with fashion for their late-night trip to Canada, where they play the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday.

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Kevin Gausman could be a special treat for Orioles fans

Gausman could be a special treat for Orioles fans

Kevin Gausman made Orioles director of pitching development Rick Peterson look like a modern-day Nostradamus.

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'You don't replace' Boldin, but Tandon Doss will try

'You don't replace' Boldin, but Tandon Doss will try

"You don't replace Anquan" Boldin. Those are the words of Tandon Doss, the man who is expected to be one of the leading combatants in the offseason royal rumble to replace the veteran receiver who was traded to the San Francisco 49ers.

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Five Baltimore Orioles stats that stand out this week

Five Baltimore Orioles stats that stand out this week

Each Wednesday, blogger Matt Vensel will highlight five statistics that really mean something for the Orioles.

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Brooks Robinson or Mike Schmidt: Who is the greatest third baseman in history?

Is Brooks the greatest third baseman in history?

Leading up to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Citi Field in New York this summer, the New York Daily News is running a weekly poll to pick the best player at each position.

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The temptation of adding Kevin Gausman is too great for the Orioles to pass up

Temptation of adding Gausman too great for O's to pass up

The Orioles snapped a six-game losing streak by beating the New York Yankees on Tuesday night. And then there was more good news for Orioles fans when news broke that Kevin Gausman was getting the call.

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My twelve must-follows for Ravens fans on Twitter

My twelve must-follows for Ravens fans on Twitter

I am a big believer that you can tell a lot about a person based on whom they choose to follow on Twitter.

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For starters, Dan Duquette hasn't had same magic touch

For starters, Duquette hasn't had same magic touch

If you believe that the Orioles’ unexpected run to the postseason in 2012 was something of magic, then the most dazzling trick the organization pulled off was consistently pulling productive starters out of their sleeves.

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Buck Showalter, Orioles facing biggest test of young season

Showalter, Orioles facing biggest test of young season

Rarely will you see Buck Showalter as agitated as he appeared after the Orioles’ 6-4 extra-inning loss to the New York Yankees last night at Camden Yards.

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Talking Orioles with Birds Watcher's Amanda Redman

Talking Orioles with Birds Watcher's Amanda Redman

The Baltimore sports scene is blessed with a bunch of talented bloggers who bring their unique perspective to the conversation. Each week, I hope to chat with one of them in a regular feature called Blogger on Blogger. This week, I exchanged emails with Amanda Redman, who blogs about the Orioles for the Birds Watcher blog.

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Will Arthur Jones stand out in defensive line crowd?

Will Arthur Jones stand out in defensive line crowd?

The Ravens have bolstered the talent and depth on their defensive line this offseason with the additions of Chris Canty and Marcus Spears and the selection of big nose tackle Brandon Williams in last month’s NFL draft.

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Fans say the Orioles have baseball's best uniforms

Fans say the Orioles have baseball's best uniforms

The slumping Orioles have lost five in a row, but on Monday, they came away with a win off the diamond.

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Is it too soon for Orioles fans to start panicking?

Is it too soon for Orioles fans to start panicking?

Less than two weeks ago, the Orioles were tied for first place in the American League East. Despite subpar starting pitching, they were winning games -- more than 60 percent of them -- because Manny Machado, Adam Jones and Chris Davis were pounding the ball and the Baltimore bullpen continued to be a stabilizing force.

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The Sun Remembers May 19-25

The Sun Remembers May 19-25

May 23, 1991: Mired in last place, the Orioles fire manager Frank Robinson and promote Johnny Oates, 45, the team's first base coach and a former Baltimore player. Oates will manage nearly four years here (291 wins and 270 losses) before going to Texas, where he is named 1996 American League Manager of the Year.

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Right Back @ You: Matt Vensel on the Orioles

Right Back @ You: Matt Vensel on the Orioles

Baltimore Sun blogger Matt Vensel answers reader questions on the Orioles in his video mailbag.

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Ravens to have NFL's huskiest front seven in 2013?

Ravens to have NFL's huskiest front seven in 2013?

At 1,992 pounds, the projected front seven of the Baltimore defense will weigh just under a ton, which is about the same as a tiny smart car, a large walrus or the Johnny Unitas statue outside M&T Bank Stadium.

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Five for Friday: Greatest Triple Crown winners in history

Five for Friday: Greatest Triple Crown winners in history

In anticipation of the 2013 Preakness, Baltimore Sun blogger and reporter Matt Vensel in this week's Five for Friday lists the five greatest Triple Crown winners in horse racing history.

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Broken tackles an issue for Ravens defense in 2012

Broken tackles an issue for Ravens defense in 2012

The Ravens could have as many as seven or eight new starters on defense when the 2013 season begins. You can produce a number of statistics that suggest why they may have felt compelled to overhaul their defense.

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Five Baltimore Orioles stats that stand out this week

Five Baltimore Orioles stats that stand out this week

Each Wednesday, blogger Matt Vensel will highlight five statistics that really mean something for the Orioles.

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Drawn penalties a hidden impact of Ravens wide receivers Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones

Flags a hidden impact of Torrey Smith, Jacoby Jones

The impact of Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones was obvious every time that one of the speedy outside wide receivers ran past flat-footed defenders and under a long, arching throw from Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco.

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Ravens trying to get a grip on the Pistol offense?

Ravens trying to get a grip on the Pistol offense?

Unless you are a football junkie, you probably don’t know or don’t care that the Kansas City Chiefs hired Chris Ault, the man who invented the Pistol offense and coached Colin Kaepernick at Nevada, to a consulting gig.

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Talking Orioles with Roar From 34's Matt Taylor

Talking Orioles with Roar From 34's Matt Taylor

The Baltimore sports scene is blessed with a bunch of talented bloggers who bring their unique perspective to the conversation. Each week, I hope to chat with one of them in a regular feature called Blogger on Blogger. This week, I exchanged emails with Matt Taylor, who blogs about the Orioles for Roar From 34.

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The Sun Remembers May 12-18

The Sun Remembers May 12-18

May 15, 2004: In sultry heat and on a bone-dry track, Smarty Jones wins the Preakness by a record 111/2 lengths before an announced record crowd of 112,668 at Pimlico Race Course. The victory gives Smarty Jones two legs up in his quest to win the Triple Crown. He'll fail.

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Five for Friday: Best closers in Orioles history

Five for Friday: Best closers in Orioles history

If Orioles closer Jim Johnson converts his next save opportunity, he will stretch his regular-season save streak to 35 consecutive successful save opportunities and move him out of a tie with Randy Myers for the longest streak in franchise history. With all of his success over the past season and a half, Johnson has entered our conversation about the best closers in Orioles history. In this week's Five for Friday, blogger and reporter Matt Vensel listed his five top O's closers (in chronological order).

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Ravens could use two tight ends more often in 2013

Ravens could use two tight ends more often in 2013

The Ravens offense will be different without wide receiver Anquan Boldin, whose strong hands and bulky frame allowed him to snatch the majority of the passes in his area and, in turn, endear himself to Joe Flacco.

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Right Back @ You: Selig and Vensel on the Orioles

Right Back @ You: Selig and Vensel on the Orioles

Baltimore Sun blogger Matt Vensel and Orioles editor Dave Selig answer reader questions in this video mailbag.

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A.Q. Shipley adds to Ravens' competition at center

A.Q. Shipley adds to Ravens' competition at center

The Ravens on Thursday morning added another young body to the competition to replace retired center Matt Birk, trading a conditional 2014 draft pick to the Indianapolis Colts for 26-year-old center A.Q. Shipley.

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Flacco vs. Roethlisberger is finally worth debating

Flacco vs. Roethlisberger is finally worth debating

I clicked onto the Ravens website this morning and saw “Flacco vs. Big Ben” splashed across my screen.

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Minor leaguer steals home on Jake Arrieta [VIDEO]

Minor leaguer steals home on Jake Arrieta [VIDEO]

Right-hander Jake Arrieta, who was sent down after four excruciatingly erratic starts with the Orioles, pitched well in his first two starts for Triple-A Norfolk. Last night, his third start with the Tides did not go quite as well.

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Five Baltimore Orioles stats that stand out this week

Five Baltimore Orioles stats that stand out this week

Each Wednesday, blogger Matt Vensel will highlight five statistics that really mean something for the Orioles.

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RGIII getting married, but can he top Joe Flacco's wedding pictures?

RGIII getting married, but can he top Joe Flacco's wedding pictures?

The DC Sports Bog is reporting that Robert Griffin III will get married to Rebecca Liddicoat on July 6 in Virginia, and found the information on The Knot, where the couple registered. A corresponding registry at Bed, Bath and Beyond has the same date, according to the DC Sports Bog, a blog for the Washington Post.

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ABOUT THE BLOGGERS


Matt Vensel joined The Baltimore Sun in February 2011 after three years at b free daily, where he covered the highs and lows of Baltimore sports. Vensel is a 2005 graduate of Penn State and has a master's in professional writing from Towson University.

Kevin Cowherd is a sports columnist for The Baltimore Sun who writes about everything from the Ravens, to the Baltimore Grand Prix. He has worked for The Evening Sun and The Baltimore Sun since 1981.

Aaron Wilson joined The Baltimore Sun in August 2012 after 11 years at the Carroll County Times. He's entering his 12th year on the Ravens' beat. He has previously covered the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans. Wilson attended East Carolina University.