Orioles right-hander Kevin Gausman pitched a gem. Manny Machado hit a blast. Those were the highlights this afternoon as the two former Orioles first-round picks led the club to a 7-1 win over the Rays at Oriole Park. Using a fastball that nearly hit 100 mph and a, at times, swing-and-miss splitter, Gausman threw seven scoreless innings, allowing only two singles. No Rays runner reached third against him. He walked two and fanned nine to tie a season high in strikeouts and come within one of a...

The Orioles' top draft pick from 2016, right-handed pitcher Cody Sedlock, went on the disabled list for the Single-A Frederick Keys on Saturday with a right elbow flexor strain. The No. 27 overall selection last year, Sedlock is 4-4 with 6.46 ERA. He got off to a great start for the Keys, pitching to an ERA of 1.64 over his first four starts, but has allowed five runs or more in six of his past nine starts. Earlier today, O's executive vice president Dan Duquette was my guest on 105.7 The...

Jonathan Schoop saw his infield coach in the parking lot this morning and became suspicious. Why was Bobby Dickerson arriving at this time? Why did Schoop need to stop inside manager Buck Showalter's office, per Dickerson's instructions, as if he were about to be reprimanded? This is how Schoop found out that he was chosen to his first All-Star Game, the only Orioles representative unless they have someone included in the fan's Final Vote. Schoop, 25, will be a reserve on the American League...

The Orioles are prepared to make a roster move today with reliever Jimmy Yacabonis in the clubhouse. They could option Alec Asher to Triple-A Norfolk after he threw 32 pitches yesterday and allowed five runs in 1 2/3 innings. Update: The Orioles have made that roster move official. As for the lineup, Joey Rickard remains the left fielder and has moved down to ninth in the order. Seth Smith is in right field and leading off. Caleb Joseph is catching and Rubén Tejada gets another start at...

The Orioles are adjusting their bullpen once again. Right-hander Jimmy Yacabonis has returned to the team and right-hander Alec Asher has been optioned back to Triple-A Norfolk. Asher will pitch as a starter for the Tides. The 25-year-old Yacabonis was with the Orioles briefly last month. His contract was purchased and he was added to the 25-man and 40-man rosters on June 11. He got into three games before being optioned back to Norfolk on June 15 after the game. He posted a 10.80 ERA in those...

The Rays have not swept three from the Orioles in Baltimore since May 17-19, 2013. After their comeback win Friday and blowout win Saturday, the Rays can sweep the Orioles today. Even if the Orioles get the victory, they are going to hit the season's 81-game midpoint today with a losing record. They are 39-41 heading into this series finale and Tampa Bay is 43-40. The Orioles were a strike away from a win Friday that would have moved them into third place ahead of the Rays, but now they trail...

ST. LOUIS - The focus of Saturday night's 2-1 loss to the Cardinals wound up being the final at-bat of the game, when Adrian Sanchez was rung up by Manny Gonzalez on a 3-2 pitch outside the strike zone to strand the bases loaded. But there's more worth dissecting from the game, so let's take a look back at some other developments ... * Gio Gonzalez pitched the best game of his season. Which is saying something, given how well the left-hander has pitched all season. Gonzalez was as sharp as...

ST. LOUIS - Throughout a childhood spent learning the game in Venezuela, throughout a decade in the minors that included lengthy stops at every level of the Nationals farm system, throughout the better part of his first two nights as a major leaguer, Adrian Sanchez had ample time to think about the first at-bat of his career. Maybe it would come in a blowout. Maybe he'd actually get a chance to start a game. Maybe he'd be summoned to bat with the bases loaded and two out in the ninth inning...

It has gotten this bad for the Orioles rotation. The one pitcher that could almost always be counted on is now struggling himself. Just 6 2/3 innings short of his 2016 season total now, Dylan Bundy allowed a season-high three homers in yesterday's 10-3 loss to Tampa Bay. Bundy gave up a trio of homers of over 400 feet each to tie his career high as he allowed five runs over four innings. He beat the Rays a week ago yesterday allowing three runs over seven innings at Tropicana Field. But this...

ST. LOUIS - The Nationals, owners of the majors' most productive lineup throughout the first half of the season, haven't exactly played the part so far this weekend. Held to one run in Friday night's blowout loss to the Cardinals, the Nationals did it again tonight. They avoided their first shutout of 2017 thanks to a two-out rally in the ninth, but they couldn't complete that rally and wound up wasting Gio Gonzalez's stellar start in a 2-1 loss at Busch Stadium. Gonzalez was brilliant,...