BOWIE, Md. - So far, the Eastern League Championship Series has mirrored the EL semifinal series for the Double-A Bowie Baysox. And the Baysox would be fine if that trend continued. In their series with Altoona, Bowie lost the opener 8-7 before running off three straight wins to advance. In the ELCS with Reading, Bowie lost the opener on Tuesday night 3-1 and then bounced back with a blowout 10-3 win last night at Reading. Tonight, the series shifts to Prince George's Stadium for the pivotal...

Manager: Kevin Cash (1st season) Record: 70-75 Last 10 games: 3-7 Who to watch: 2B Logan Forsythe (.283 with 16 HR, 60 RBIs), 3B Evan Longoria (19 HR, 68 RBIs), RHP Erasmo Ramirez (10-5, 3.75 ERA), RHP Jake Odorizzi (8-8, 3.26 ERA), RHP Brad Boxberger (3.81 ERA, 34 saves) Season series vs. Orioles: 7-8 Pitching probables: Sept. 17: RHP Chris Tillman vs. LHP Matt Moore, 7:10 p.m., MASN2 Sept. 18: LHP Wei-Yin Chen vs. LHP Drew Smyly, 7:10 p.m., MASN2 Sept. 19: RHP Kevin Gausman vs. RHP Erasmo...

Waking up in Baltimore a year ago today felt very much like Christmas morning for Orioles fans. Instead of racing to the tree to see what Santa had left us the night before, we raced to our phones and computers to check the standings to see if what we witnessed the night before really did happen. Was that champagne celebration real? Did Adam Jones really pie that fan? It was all very real and I'll never forget the way I felt all day knowing that the O's were American League East...

The very fact that Bryce Harper's legitimacy as National League Most Valuable Player is up for debate is an absurdity. The MVP award is an individual award meant to be handed out to the best player in a league at the end of the season, but too many people get caught up in the word "value" and end up trying to give it some meaning beyond simply being the best. The problem for opponents of Harper is if you debate the merits of Harper as MVP on baseball terms, you lose. Harper is the first...

There is a saying in baseball that goes like this: You are never as good as you look when you are winning or as bad as you look when you are losing. Maybe that applies right now to Orioles right-hander Mike Wright. He burst on the scene in May with back-to-back scoreless starting outings, but now he looks very, very hittable. It was clear that Wright took his latest loss hard last night. In the clubhouse postgame Wright said: "I felt good all my starts. That is what is really tough. I feel...

PHILADELPHIA - If the Nationals come up short - which is likely - in their bid to overtake the Mets the for the division crown, they will eventually sit back, probably cursing, and wonder why so many important players were repeatedly struck by the injury bug this year. Jayson Werth missed the first six games of the year rehabbing from offseason shoulder surgery. Just when it seemed he was turning the corner, an errant fastball fractured his wrist in San Diego in mid-May, robbing the 13-year...

PHILADELPHIA - Is the heart still beating? Five days ago, the Nationals gave everyone the feeling it was time to kick dirt on the grave after dropping their fifth straight, leaving them a season-worst 9 1/2 games out of first place. But with their pride questioned, the Nats showed a pulse in a 5-0 shutout win, led by ace Max Scherzer on Sunday. And tonight's 12-2 drubbing of the Phillies finished a sweep, powered by four homers apiece from Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth during the...

The schedule has 17 games remaining on it. Ten of those games are away from Camden Yards and they're played in succession, an off-day on Sept. 24 the only interruption. The Orioles need to develop their road rage before it's too late. A 29-45 record outside of Baltimore has undermined the Orioles' efforts to repeat as division champions or grab one of the wild card spots. They could be toast by the time they return home on Sept. 28 for a four-game series against the Blue Jays. They're faced...

To say the least, Orioles right-hander Mike Wright was pretty upset about his poor start. He feels good out there physically but is just not getting the results right now. Tonight, he gave up six hits and six runs in three-plus innings as the Orioles lost 10-1 to Boston. Dustin Pedroia hit two homers tonight, the first off Wright plating two runs in the third. It was a pitch that was nowhere near its intended target. "The home run I gave up to Pedroia was a belt-high slider. I could have hit...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter didn't commit to Mike Wright making another start following tonight's 10-1 loss to the Red Sox at Camden Yards. It may happen. Tyler Wilson could replace him. And Showalter updated Miguel Gonzalez's throwing progression. Your guess is as good as mine. It's obvious that Wright hurt his chances tonight by lasting three innings plus two batters. He was charged with six runs, the last two scoring after Jorge Rondon replaced him. Here's Showalter: On Wright:...