The Orioles' offense just keeps humming along. Leading the major leagues in runs scored this month, the Orioles beat Tampa Bay 12-5 today with 17 hits and three more home runs. In completing their first-ever four-game sweep of Tampa Bay, the Orioles scored 31 runs on 50 hits with nine homers since Friday. "This was a fun series," Adam Jones said after going 4-for-4 to raise his average to .265. "I think offensively we did a lot, scoring a lot of runs. We just passed the baton and fed off...

The Orioles have optioned left-hander Ashur Tolliver to Triple-A Norfolk and most likely will replace him Tuesday night with lefty T.J. McFarland, whose 10 days in the minors are set to expire. Tolliver allowed three earned runs in 4 2/3 innings. He's going on paternity leave soon becasue his wife is due on July 7 and manager Buck Showalter didn't want him on the West Coast. Vance Worley will make one more appearance on his injury rehab assignment, pitching Tuesday night at Single-A...

The Orioles today announced that they have optioned LHP Ashur Tolliver to Triple-A Norfolk following this afternoon's game. Tolliver, 28, went 1-0 with a 5.79 ERA (3 ER/4.2 IP) and five strikeouts in five games with the Orioles this season. He earned his first career Major League win on June 24 vs. Tampa Bay, tossing 0.2 scoreless inning.

If you would've told me early last November that Matt Wieters would be playing at an All-Star level in 2016, I would have been mildly surprised. If you had told me he'd be doing it for the Orioles, I'd have been very surprised. I was in the camp that firmly believed Wieters would not be back in Baltimore this season, having taken his talents elsewhere in free agency. It's not that I didn't want Wieters back, but I just didn't think it was something the Orioles would be able to accomplish...

When Chris Davis hit a grand slam four batters into the bottom of the first inning of today's game, it looked like the Orioles might enjoy a blowout and easy win this afternoon over the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays made an effort to keep it close, but in the end the O's had too much power. The Rays pulled with a run in the fifth before the O's pulled away again to post a 12-5 victory this afternoon in front of 38,611 fans at Camden Yards. The Orioles are a season-high 15 games over .500 at 45-30...

MILWAUKEE - Tanner Roark is through three scoreless innings against the Brewers. Now if only the offense could do something to help the right-hander. Roark has allowed one hit - Jonathan Lucroy's leadoff single in the second - walked one and struck out three. Jonathan Villar drew a leadoff walk in the first, but was erased trying to steal on a strong throw from catcher Jose Lobaton. The Nationals are still searching for their first hit. Ben Revere's sharp two-out grounder to second could have...

Right-hander Stephen Strasburg has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with an upper back strain. The Nationals announced a corresponding move will be made on Monday. The Nationals will need a spot start on Tuesday. It is a good possibility that right-hander Austin Voth will get the call for his first major league start. He will have to be placed on the 40-man roster to get that spot. The 24-year-old Voth has distinguished himself with Triple-A Syracuse. He has a 4-3 record with a 2.99 ERA...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter wanted to get Chris Davis off his feet today and provided a couple of choices. Sitting out the game may have brought some appeal against Rays left-hander Drew Smyly, but Davis chose to serve as the designated hitter. Good call. Davis hit a grand slam in the first inning to give the Orioles a 4-0 lead and send the Camden Yards crowd into a frenzy. Adam Jones walked, Joey Rickard singled and Manny Machado reached on an infield hit, with Rays third baseman Tim...

The Orioles have beaten the Tampa Bay Rays by scores of 6-3, 5-0 and 8-6 and today look to complete their first-ever four-game sweep of the Rays when the teams conclude this series at Camden Yards. Here is a unique note from Saturday's first game: Kevin Gausman improved his record to 1-5 and right-hander Matt Andriese fell to 6-1 in the Orioles' 5-0 win. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it marked just the third time in Major League history that a starting pitcher who entered the game 0-5...

MILWAUKEE - When the Nationals scratched right-hander Stephen Strasburg from today's start with a recurrence of his upper back strain and decided to start righty Tanner Roark instead, it threw their rotation for this week's key home series against the Mets into disarray. Instead of starting Roark, then right-handers Joe Ross and Max Scherzer against their division rivals, the Nats are now reassessing their options. They haven't yet announced starters for the series, which begins Monday night...