The tarp remains on the field today at Camden Yards as a light rains falls, the kind that sent fans scurrying and cut short the annual "State of the Orioles" event for season-ticket holders. No word on whether the game will be delayed at the start. Update: It's delayed at the start. The Orioles already have endured 12 games delayed by inclement weather or the threat of it. I'm not certain how to categorize the one in D.C. Now that Mike Wright is back at Triple-A Norfolk, the Orioles must...

Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette painted the Orioles today during at Q&A session with season ticket holders as a team that's trying to improve its starting pitching and make a playoff run in 2017. Duquette, sitting on top of the visiting dugout with manager Buck Showalter during the annual "State of the Orioles," seemed to challenge reports that the Orioles are in sell mode. He wasn't going to make a concession speech this afternoon. It felt more like a rally. "I still...

PHOENIX - Good afternoon from Chase Field, where after last night's wild 6-5 loss, the Nationals return to action and attempt to beat a quality Diamondbacks club that is handing the ball to a rookie for his major league debut. Left-hander Anthony Banda gets the call-up from Triple-A, filling the vacancy created when Taijuan Walker was placed on the paternity leave list. Banda's numbers at Reno (5.08 ERA, 1.426 WHIP) were not impressive, but he is regarded as a top pitching prospect (88th in...

Rubén Tejada continues to play shortstop for the Orioles and he continues to rake. Tejada, in tonight's lineup again, has 12 hits in his last 28 at-bats for a .429 average. Welington Castillo is catching. Seth Smith is in right field. Chris Davis is 4-for-30 with a double, three home runs, eight RBIs and 13 strikeouts since coming off the disabled list. Manny Machado is batting .333 (23-for-69) in 17 games this month. For the Orioles Adam Jones CF Manny Machado 3B Jonathan Schoop 2B Chris...

PHOENIX - Max Scherzer has made his share of history over the years. He's one of only 30 pitchers to throw multiple no-hitters. He's one of only 18 pitchers to win multiple Cy Young Awards. He's one of only four pitchers ever to strike out 20 batters in a nine-inning game. But the history Scherzer made Friday night in a 6-5 loss to the Diamondbacks was perhaps the most shocking thing he's ever done in the major leagues. Because you simply don't expect one of the best pitchers in the game...

The Houston Astros began last night leading the American League in runs scored, averaging 5.87 per game, and with a 33-11 road record. They built a big early lead and improved on both stats in Friday's 8-7 win over the Orioles. Houston entered this series scoring a major league-best 7.14 runs per game on the road. When compared to previous full season totals, that number would rank fourth best in big league history. The Orioles found out about that offense as Houston banged out 16 hits and hit...

PHOENIX - After two wholly unexpected innings at Chase Field tonight, the notion of Dusty Baker facing a tough pitching decision for the bottom of the ninth seemed nothing more than wishful thinking. The Nationals trailed the Diamondbacks by five runs, all five scoring against Max Scherzer, three of them via a historic spurt in the bottom of the first. What were the odds the Nationals manager would need to decide whether or not to use his closer at the end of the night? Well, actually that...

The Orioles have lost four games since the All-Star break and they've fallen behind 8-0, 7-0, 6-0 and 5-0. My advice is to stop doing it. The plan clearly isn't working. Putting Ubaldo Jiménez back in the bullpen isn't really a solution for the reasons previously stated. He needs extra time to get loose, he tends to struggle in his first inning and he requires extended rest between outings. And there isn't a spot for him with Miguel Castro earning an extended stay. Jayson Aquino would be...

PHOENIX - Asked this afternoon what, if anything, has made Max Scherzer an even better pitcher in 2017 than he was when he won the Cy Young Award in 2016, Nationals manager Dusty Baker noted the right-hander's ability to reduce the number of home runs he has surrendered. You can probably guess what happened next. Or maybe not, given how improbable it still was. Scherzer served up three home runs to the first three batters he faced at Chase Field, three towering shots by David Peralta, A.J....

Orioles right-hander Ubaldo Jiménez was a pitch away from a scoreless first inning tonight. If he gets that pitch, maybe his night would have been different. Ultimately he was unable to make that pitch and Houston scored three off him in the first and two more in the second on its way to an 8-7 win at Oriole Park tonight. But the Astros needed to hold off a furious rally in the ninth by the Orioles to wrap this one up. Down 8-2 heading to the last of the ninth, the Orioles pulled within a...