It has been a homestand where Orioles pitchers have simply given up too many homers. And it happened again tonight. Oakland homered three times in the first five innings and five times in the game to beat the Orioles 10-3 at Camden Yards. The A's (8-8) have won two of three in this series. The Orioles (5-7) are 1-5 on this homestand and have lost six of seven since their 4-1 start. O's pitchers began this game leading the majors in homers allowed with 27. They've given up 23 in the six games...

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde had the plan set up in his mind, with little chance that he'd stray from it. Dan Straily would make his first start since last September, with rookie Josh Rogers backing him up. Use the veteran right-hander against an Athletics lineup heavy in right-handed hitters before turning to the young lefty. The leash on Straily would be shorter than usual due to his inactivity since late in spring training, the Marlins releasing him on March 25 and the Orioles signing him...

PHILADELPHIA - Matt Adams knows the situation here. He's not going to be regular playing at first base as long as Ryan Zimmerman is healthy. So the big slugger knows he's going to have to get himself into a rhythm at the plate even when he's only getting one at-bat a night as a pinch-hitter. "It's tough coming from spring training when you're playing every other day," he said. "You're getting pretty steady at-bats. And then you come in, and I knew I was going to be Zim's backup. He's...

After splitting the first two games of a four-game series, the Orioles host Oakland again tonight at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Birds won 12-4 Monday and lost 13-2 last night. Since starting the year 4-1, the Orioles have lost five of six games and been outscored 51-28. Meanwhile, the Baltimore offense, held to seven hits last night, has produced four runs or less in six of the past seven games. The O's bullpen ranks 14th in the American League with an ERA of 7.87. O's pitchers have...

While the rest of his teammates were inside the clubhouse today or headed to the ballpark, Orioles first baseman Chris Davis grabbed a bat and met up again with hitting coach Don Long for an early batting session on the field. Davis hit off a tee again, but without the slow-motion camera set up behind him. He's working on staying shorter to the ball, tweaking his swing while trying to change the direction of his season and career. The lineup doesn't include Davis again tonight, more unusual...

April 15 is Jackie Robinson Day in Major League Baseball, and the last member of the Orioles to regularly don No. 42 couldn't be prouder to see every player in the big leagues wearing the jersey number of the man who broke the color barrier in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Former O's catcher Lenny Webster is now 54 and living Orlando. He played for the Orioles from 1997 to 1999, and Baltimore was the only stop where he wore No. 42 during a 12-year major league career. It wasn't by...

PHILADELPHIA - Though they've listed him as their starter for Saturday's game against the Pirates, the Nationals aren't 100 percent sure yet Max Scherzer will be able to pitch as scheduled because he's still feeling the effects of a comebacker off his lower right leg in his last outing. Scherzer would normally have thrown off a bullpen mound today in advance of his next start. But with his ankle wrapped, he walked out to the field at Citizens Bank Park this afternoon and only threw off flat...

The Orioles are discussing a couple of ways to give struggling reliever Richard Bleier a "reset," including his placement on the 10-day injured list. Manager Brandon Hyde said Bleier is being "checked" today by the medical staff and the Orioles will make a decision on him. It could happen later this afternoon or the following day. Bleier endured another difficult outing last night, charged with four runs in 1 1/3 innings and raising his ERA to 14.54 with a 2.077 WHIP over four appearances....

He was optioned out to Triple-A Norfolk on the last day of spring training. But 24-year-old lefty Josh Rogers officially rejoined the Orioles today. He was recalled from the Tides and takes the roster spot of pitcher Alex Cobb, who went on the injured list Tuesday. So it happened pretty fast and Rogers is back already. "I didn't really know (when I would come back)," he said this afternoon in the Orioles clubhouse. "I definitely wasn't expecting it this early. I text Alex and Cash (Andrew...

PHILADELPHIA - If you thought last night's game had some fireworks, you may want to tune in again tonight for the series finale between the Nationals and Phillies. Because if these two lineups were able to produce against Stephen Strasburg and Aaron Nola the way they did, imagine what could happen against Jeremy Hellickson and Nick Pivetta. No offense to those two right-handers, but they don't have the track record of last night's starters. And both have been beaten up by these respective...