Kevin Gausman and Chris Tillman are coming at today's doubleheader from opposite directions. Gausman hasn't won since Sept. 30, 2015. Tillman hasn't lost since April 14. It's not entirely Gausman's fault, of course, but he's 0-5 with a 4.37 ERA and 1.353 WHIP in 12 starts over 68 innings. In his last two starts, he's allowed 10 runs and 16 hits in eight innings. The Orioles predicted over the winter that Gausman would take the next big step in his career, that he would establish himself...

Happy Saturday, Orioles fans. Welcome to this week's edition of Yard Work. In this week's episode, Steve Melewski and I talk about the return of Manny Machado. Machado wrapped up his four-game suspension as a result of his actions in the Orioles' bench-clearing brawl back on June 7, and the Orioles posted a 2-2 record in his absence. The offense didn't seem to skip a beat, but having a guy who is hitting well above .300 return to action is never a bad thing. Meanwhile, both Yovani Gallardo...

The Orioles' four-run rally tonight in the sixth inning not only gave the team the lead but led to another special moment for lefty reliever Ashur Tolliver. A pitcher that finally got to the majors this year after being drafted in 2009, Tolliver got his first major league win in his fifth big league appearance. In the postgame clubhouse, he was asked if the game ball will find its way to a special place. It will indeed. "You know what? I have a son on the way coming in the next two weeks,"...

Yovani Gallardo surrendered two runs tonight within his first four pitches. Matt Moore didn't allow a baserunner until one out in the fifth inning. The Rays held the advantage into the middle innings before the Orioles ripped it from their grasp. Adam Jones homered with one out in the bottom of the sixth to ignite a four-run rally that proved decisive, as the Orioles opened the series with a 6-3 victory over the Rays before a sellout crowd of 44,956 at Camden Yards. The Orioles loaded the...

The Tampa Bay Rays didn't look like a last-place team when they took an early 3-0 lead tonight. The Orioles did look like a first-place team as they later rallied to win. For the Orioles tonight, they were no-hit early but that was no problem later. Tampa Bay lefty Matt Moore retired the first 13 batters he faced before the Orioles got to him to rally for a 6-3 win in the opener of a four-game series in front of 44,956 at Camden Yards. That is the second sellout of the year. O's reliever...

MILWAUKEE - The Nationals desperately need a Max Scherzer-like outing from Max Scherzer to halt a five-game skid and in the early going at Miller Park, the right-hander was pretty much all or nothing. A weird first inning saw Scherzer strike out the side, walk the bases loaded and surrender a two-run single to Aaron Hill on a 1-2 pitch. The result: a 2-0 Brewers lead. The Nats haven't been able to get anything going offensively against Brewers righty Kyle Davies. Bryce Harper hustled a bloop...

The Orioles are back at full strength tonight, with Manny Machado in the lineup after completing his four-game suspension. It would seem to be cause for celebration. However, manager Buck Showalter didn't want to leave the impression that the club couldn't function without its All-Star third baseman. "We try very hard not to have that type of feeling when any of our guys, for the most part, when someone's not there," Showalter said. "What's the saying? The greatest thing that parents can...

MILWAUKEE - Stephen Strasburg strode into the Nationals clubhouse at Miller Park about three hours before Friday's game, sweat glistening off his face after he threw a lighter-than-usual bullpen session, a necessary hurdle before rejoining the rotation after being scratched from his scheduled Monday start. Strasburg said he felt fine after an upper back strain forced him out of a marquee matchup against Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw on Monday night, and sounded encouraged that he'd make his...

The Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays begin a four-game, three-day series at Camden Yards tonight. The Orioles start the night in first place in the American League East at 41-30, leading Boston by 1 1/2 games. Tampa Bay - a playoff team in 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2013 - finds itself in last place right now. The Rays are 31-39 and have lost seven in a row. Right before this losing streak, they had won nine of 11 games. But they are currently struggling, having scored just 15 runs during the seven...

Manny Machado's suspension is over. He returns to the Orioles lineup tonight, batting third and playing third base. After missing the last four games, he says he feels refreshed and ready to help his team win. "Yeah, I feel real good," Machado said this afternoon in the Orioles clubhouse. "Obviously the days off really helped, not going to lie. You take a pounding on your body and I haven't had some days off since the offseason. It was pretty good to stay off my legs a bit. "At the same...