The Orioles will activate first baseman Chris Davis from the disabled list before today's game against the Astros. He's in the lineup batting third. Five reserves are listed on the lineup card, so we're waiting for a corresponding roster move. David Lough is in left field. Steve Clevenger is catching again today and Nelson Cruz is at designated hitter. No Matt Wieters, who's one of the listed reserves. For the Orioles Nick Markakis RF Manny Machado 3B Chris Davis 1B Adam Jones CF Nelson...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter grabbed a late flight to Dallas following Friday night's game, attended his son Nathan's graduation from Texas Christian University yesterday afternoon and flew back into Baltimore for last night's 10-inning win over the Astros. For a brief moment, Showalter forgot that he'd have to sleep fast, to borrow one of his favorite expressions. The Orioles are playing a day game. Oh well. Sleep's overrated anyway. Steve Clevenger probably won't catch after...

Jinx alert, here comes the mention of streaks. The Orioles have won five games in a row and they've all been games decided by one or two runs. They have now won nine straight games decided by one or two runs. Their record in one- and two-run games is 13-6. Here is a real good streak note: Orioles starting pitchers have gone 12 straight games allowing three or fewer earned runs with an ERA of 3.04 in that stretch. That is impressive. If mention of streaks makes you nervous, what are you...

OAKLAND - This was a tough one. The Nationals led 3-1 entering the bottom of the ninth inning, with their closer on the hill who had delivered 25 consecutive scoreless innings. Tanner Roark had thrown 7 2/3 stellar innings, and the Nats were on their way to securing at least one game of a tough three-game set against the A's. Instead, they left O.Co Coliseum with a 4-3, 10-inning loss. Rafael Soriano surrendered two runs in the ninth, then Drew Storen allowed the game-winning run in the...

OAKLAND - Just as it looked like the Nationals were starting to get healthier, they'll lose one of their most productive hitters for at least 15 days. Manager Matt Williams announced after tonight's 4-3 walk-off loss to the A's that Adam LaRoche will have to be placed on the 15-day DL with a right quad strain. LaRoche underwent an MRI earlier today, and after examination of the test results, the Nats have decided to shut their first baseman down for the time being. "It's high quad, hip...

Anyone questioning whether shortstop J.J. Hardy has recovered from his earlier hamstring injury is invited to check the video of the 10th inning. Hardy reached on an infield hit with one out and scored from first base on Steve Clevenger's double to right field, giving the Orioles a dramatic 5-4 victory over the Astros and a five-game winning streak. "I'm going as fast as I can and then I'm just going to pick up Bobby (Dickerson) as I get to third and let him make the decision, and that's...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter joked that he had a choice of talking to first baseman Chris Davis or meeting with reporters following tonight's 5-4, 10-inning win over the Astros. He chose the scribes. Davis, back from his rehab game at Double-A Bowie, would have to wait a few minutes. The Orioles will wait until Sunday morning to decide whether to activate Davis from the disabled list or have him serve as the designated hitter at Bowie. "We're not going to make that decision tonight, but I...

The tarp is coming off the field at Camden Yards and tonight's game is expected to resume at approximately 10:55 p.m. We have a light rain falling. We can live with it. In the event that the rain had decided to stick around until some ungodly hour, the game would have been suspended and resumed on Sunday. The score no longer reverts back to the eighth inning. The Astros wouldn't have been awarded a win. The delay started at 10:01 p.m. and the remaining fans are watching the Cardinals-Pirates...

BOWIE, Md. - After playing nine innings at first base and getting four at-bats tonight for Double-A Bowie in its 7-6 loss to New Britain, Chris Davis feels he's ready to return to the Orioles. Out since April 26 with strained left oblique, Davis went 1-for-4 with a single in the eighth inning. He can be activated by the Orioles for Sunday's game and said he feels ready to rejoin the team. "I think so, but we'll find out," he said tonight in the Baysox clubhouse. "I'm going to go back and...

A's ace Sonny Gray has allowed three earned runs in a game only twice this year. He surrendered that many in an inning when the Nationals jumped all over the American League ERA leader with three runs in the third. With one out, Danny Espinosa launched his fifth homer of the season to right-center for a 1-0 Nats lead. Zach Walters and Denard Span followed with singles to right before Kevin Frandsen doubled to center to score both runners and up the advantage to 3-0. In that one frame,...