Mark Trumbo needed to clear the Petco Park fences with 16 swings tonight in order to advance to the second round of the Home Run Derby in San Diego. He took it upon himself to deliver jaw-dropping shots for good (tape) measure. Trumbo, the major league leader with 28 and the No.1 seed, eliminated Dodgers rookie Corey Seager by hitting his 16th with eight seconds to spare. He homered on eight consecutive pitches after using his timeout with 1:15 remaining. What a show. Ten of Trumbo's 16 home...

Manny Machado will play a familiar position and bat in a familiar spot in Tuesday night's All-Star Game in San Diego. Machado, voted as the starting third baseman in the American League, will bat third behind Astros second baseman Jose Altuve and Angels center fielder Mike Trout. Machado has hit third for the Orioles in 41 games this season, registering a slash line of .322/.353/.529. White Sox left-hander Chris Sale has been chosen as the AL's starting pitcher. Here are the...

Once one of baseball's top young starting pitching prospects, Orioles left-hander Zach Britton is now one of baseball's best ninth-inning pitchers. He leads the American League with 27 saves in 27 chances and tonight takes the field in San Diego as part of his second straight All-Star team. Britton has remarkable numbers. He is 2-1 with an 0.72 ERA. Over 37 2/3 innings, he has walked 10 and fanned 43, giving up a .160 average against. When he has pitched with runners in scoring position, he...

As the baseball season resumes, it's no secret what contending teams in the American League East need: Starting pitching. Toronto is getting things going. The Blue Jays' offense is exploding - even with Jose Bautista on the disabled list - and they have best rotation with the fewest questions, especially if Marcus Stroman, 25, has turned it around. Boston's best pitcher, David Price, had an inconsistent first half - good stuff, no execution - and the Red Sox rotation has no depth. The...

Nationals pitching prospect right-hander Reynaldo Lopez contributed well in his outing for the World Futures team at the All-Star Futures Game in San Diego on Sunday. The World Futures dismantled the U.S. Futures 11-3, as 19-year-old Eloy Jimenez from the Dominican Republic had a double and a home run with four RBIs. The 22-year-old Lopez recorded three outs, bridging the sixth and seventh innings, consistently hitting 99 and 100 miles per hour with his fastball. Lopez forced a grounder to...

It's become a point of pride in the Orioles' organization, the way they stack up among other teams in All-Star selections since the 2012 season. Add five more to the ledger this year. Manny Machado is starting at third base for the American League, and the reserves include outfielder Mark Trumbo and catcher Matt Wieters. The bullpen includes closer Zach Britton and do-everything reliever Brad Brach. The Orioles have fielded 20 All-Stars over the past five seasons, ranking first in the...

The Orioles reach the All-Star break leading the American League East by two games. They are 51-36 and ahead of the pace of the 2014 Orioles that won 96 games and the American League East title. "I think we've played well," first baseman Chris Davis said. "There have been times when we've really shown we're a complete team and there have been times we struggled. I think the last couple of games, they were good for us to bear down and get away with two wins going into the break." The...

Orioles outfielder Hyun Soo Kim suffered a strained right hamstring today and left the game in the second inning of the O's 4-2 win over the Angels. The injury happened when Kim was running to first base on a groundout to second in the first inning. "I felt a stinging pain as I was running," Kim said, through interpreter Danny Lee. "I talked to the trainer and decided to leave the game upon agreement. I hope that I don't miss any games. But I will be going through some tests tomorrow. So...

The Orioles today announced that they have optioned RHP Jason Garcia to Double-A Bowie. Garcia, 23, was recalled from Double-A Bowie on July 9 and did not appear in a game for the Orioles this season.

The Orioles go into the All-Star break with a 51-36 record, a two-game lead in the American League East and the hope that outfielder Hyun Soo Kim's right hamstring strain isn't serious. Kim sustained the injury about halfway up the first base line as he grounded out in the bottom of the first inning. Joey Rickard replaced him in left field. "Strained right hamstring and we'll see," said manager Buck Showalter following a 4-2 win over the Angels before 32,963 at Camden Yards. "Through the...