Nate Karns expressed confidence this afternoon that his stay on the 10-day injured list won't linger and his placement is only a precautionary measure due to some tightness in his right forearm. The Orioles called up reliever Evan Phillips as Karns' replacement in the bullpen and on the 25-man roster. Phillips was given the news around 11 p.m. Karns threw 10 pitches last night while retiring the side in order in the ninth inning, and another decrease in fastball velocity prompted the...

You do not have to want to be a screenwriter to enjoy "Adventures in the Screen Trade." This is a fun read, and if you do want to be a screenwriter, you can get to that in the latter chapters. Two-thirds of this book are wonderful stories about dealing with Hollywood studio big wigs, the ego-filled attempts to deal with the stars and figuring out how to get your next job - even if you are one if not the top screenwriters in Hollywood. You'll learn about the stars who jacked up the pay scale...

The answers to questions regarding the top five surprising teams in the early going on the season: Q: What is fueling the Tigers' first-place run in the American League Central? A: Pitching and defense. "This is about throwing the ball over the plate and catching it,'' Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said to the Detroit Free Press. "But we can't get too high on this stuff. There's a long way to go.'' The Tigers get a big test starting tonight when they play Cleveland in a series they'll...

PHILADELPHIA - The Nationals are working to finalize what will be a minor league contract with veteran right-hander Bud Norris, though the deal is not yet done, according to general manager Mike Rizzo. It's their latest attempt to patch together a viable bullpen after a disastrous start to the season. Norris will report to the Nationals' spring training headquarters in West Palm Beach and be evaluated by club officials before they determine a course of action, Rizzo said. If he checks out...

PHILADELPHIA - Though they lost 4-3, the Nationals played a clean, pretty crisp game last night. No, it wasn't perfect, but neither was it anything like some of their other games to date that featured all manner of dysfunction. So Davey Martinez will be looking for a similar performance tonight. And yet, the Nationals need not only to play well but also to win, lest they fall to 4-6 overall and a full four games behind the Phillies in the standings. Yeah, these games matter, even in early...

Jonathan Villar attacked Marco Estrada's reverse splits last night by batting from the right side against a right-handed pitcher, hardly a new tactic in baseball but one that doesn't surface on a regular basis. Villar struck out and flied out in his first two at-bats, coming to the plate twice in the first two innings. But he followed Cedric Mullins' triple in the fourth with a home run to center field, contact made from the left side. A single in the eighth left Villar 2-for-5 with four...

The comeback attempt of pitcher Nate Karns has stalled. The Orioles placed Karns on the 10-day injured list this afternoon with a strained right forearm and recalled reliever Evan Phillips from Triple-A Norfolk. Phillips will be in the bullpen for tonight's game against the Athletics at Camden Yards. Karns was the first free agent signed by the Orioles to a major league deal since the new regime moved in and he broke camp with them after missing the 2018 season with an elbow injury. He...

As they scored their most runs since Aug. 28 of last year, the Orioles improved to 5-5 and ended a four-game losing streak last night. They hit three triples and two homers in a 12-4 win over Oakland. Six players had multi-hit games and four players drove in two or more runs. It was the eighth time in Orioles history that the club had three triples in a game and the first time since April 29, 1993 in an 11-0 win over Minnesota. Then the triples were hit by Cal Ripken Jr., Mike Devereaux and...

So the Orioles ended a four-game losing streak with last night's 12-4 win over Oakland. They are 5-5 through 10 games. That start is more impressive when you consider a few things, such as: * The Orioles have played the Yankees six times.* They have played six of 10 games on the road.* They have played seven games versus teams that won 97 or more last year.* They have played nine games versus the American League East.* Their bullpen ERA was 7.97 through nine games.* They have used an opener...

PHILADELPHIA - Brian Dozier has been in the big leagues for eight years, and during that time he's hit 173 homers, been an All-Star and three times received MVP votes. So he's not the type to panic over a season-opening slump. And yet when he stepped to the plate in the top of the ninth Monday night, Dozier couldn't avoid the giant picture of his face on the Citizens Bank Park scoreboard and the number .071 residing next to it. "Playing a number of years, you know you can have a bad week or...