The Orioles are giving tonight's start to right-hander Luis Ortiz, who's been recalled from Triple-A Norfolk to face the Red Sox in the opener of a three-game series at Camden Yards. Reliever Evan Phillips has been optioned to Norfolk in the corresponding roster move. Phillips, who was recalled Saturday, worked two-thirds of an inning last night and surrendered one run and three hits in a 12-3 loss to the Blue Jays. He also allowed an inherited runner to score and has a 7.71 ERA. Ortiz is...

Nationals catcher Yan Gomes has not been able to get in a consistent groove at the plate this season, slashing .229/.302/.621 in 44 games. But in the last 15 games, he has made a steady climb, hitting .250 with 13 hits, four walks and eight RBIs. Manager Davey Martinez said saw an uptick in Gomes' success with the bat during the last road swing, but knows the importance of the former Indians backstop has been his work with the pitching staff. "We say he is struggling, but he is actually...

Last season at this time, the Orioles were gearing up to trade the likes of Manny Machado, Zack Britton, Kevin Gausman and Jonathan Schoop. This year, the question is whether likely All-Star Trey Mancini is next on the list to be traded as the Orioles continue to stockpile prospects in the second year of a rebuild. "We're not looking to part with Trey,'' Orioles general manager Mike Elias says. "That said, we are open to anything. We do have our sights set on the future. "If we end up...

For the first time in several years, the July 2 date coming up will be meaningful for Orioles fans. That is the start of a new signing period for international amateur players that can be signed when they turn 16. After years of signing a few international players, the Orioles are now making a major commitment moving forward to tapping into talent in places like the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. In an interview in May, executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias said this July 2...

Whether it's low-, mid- or high-leverage game situations, it doesn't matter, right-hander Trevor Rosenthal is simply looking for positive outings. After the way the season started for him, where he had lost confidence in his ability to throw strikes, Thursday's clean ninth inning was a big step. The Arizona Diamondbacks won the rain-delayed opener over the Nationals 5-0, scoring all their runs before the end of the fourth inning. The game included a 63-minute rain delay and left-hander Matt...

Trey Mancini understands both sides of the issue and he resides directly in the center of it. The Orioles should make a long-term commitment to their best player and build around him. Or they should consider any trade proposals because they'd be selling high and the return could aid a process that isn't happening overnight. "They can take several courses of action," Mancini said yesterday while standing at his locker before batting practice. "I know they're going to do whatever they...

The Nationals offense had extreme difficulty solving veteran right-hander Zack Greinke, who carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning Thursday night as the Diamondbacks opened the series with a rain-delayed 5-0 shutout. Jarrod Dyson smacked a two-run shot and Alex Avila added a solo homer as the D-backs went after right-hander Erick Fedde, building a 5-0 lead over four innings. Greinke (8-2) retired the first 10 batters he faced, mixing his fastball and slider. He hit Adam Eaton with a pitch...

The recent run of solid Orioles pitching that hit a brick wall in the middle innings last night hit the same wall tonight. Hit it real hard. And the elusive series win remains that. With the game tied 2-2, the Blue Jays scored seven runs on seven hits in the sixth inning on their way to a 12-3 win over the Orioles. It was the biggest inning of the year by Toronto batters and worst allowed by Baltimore pitchers. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. started it with a solo homer off Baltimore starter Gabriel Ynoa....

The Orioles begin to feel better about their rotation and bullpen and inevitably are thrown a curve. They're caught looking at another predicament. They won't get Alex Cobb back in the mix because he's set to undergo season-ending hip surgery this week. Andrew Cashner has been scratched from Friday night's series opener against the Red Sox due to a blister on his right middle finger. Five straight quality starts on the last road trip, as well as the good vibes attached to them, won't carry...

The Orioles can win a series for the first time since April 22-24 if they beat the Toronto Blue Jays tonight. The clubs have split the first two games of this series, with the O's winning 4-2 Tuesday and Toronto 8-6 last night. Tonight's game is set to start at approximately 7:35 p.m. after a brief rain shower hit Camden Yards before the original scheduled first pitch time of 7:05 p.m. The Orioles (21-46) are 0-12-1 in their past 13 series. They have lost five of seven, nine of 13 and 17 of...