The Orioles entered last night with the lowest error total in the majors with 46 and the highest fielding percentage at .989. The Athletics, their opponent the past four games, led the majors with 99 errors, had the lowest fielding percentage at .978, and were so challenged to catch a fly ball, they should have worked with a safety net. The emphasis on defense is as much a Baltimore tradition as crab cakes, Natty Boh and humidity that soaks your shorts. It's not suggested here, it's demanded,...

The Orioles rallied for two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning tonight and brought Manny Machado to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs. Pretty much how they'd draw it up, except the ending needed a rewrite. Machado grounded out against Mets closer Jeurys Familia, and the Orioles' winning streak ended at four games with a 5-3 loss before 34,068 at Camden Yards. The Orioles have lost nine straight games to the Mets. Kevin Gausman turned in a quality start by definition, allowing...

As we've all heard countless times, Major League Baseball's trade season doesn't end in July. The non-waiver trade deadline is, of course, at the end of July. However, trades can still be made until the waiver trade deadline at the end of August (which means that players can be traded so long as they pass through waivers). So with the Orioles now playing better (or so it seems) in the wake of the West Coast trip, I would submit that the waiver trade deadline is of supreme importance for this...

In the leadoff spot for the first time this year, Jayson Werth flew out to right to start the game. After striking out Danny Espinosa, Rockies starter David Hale walked Bryce Harper. Yunel Escobar then tangled with Hale in an eight-pitch battle, finally making the right-hander pay with a two-run homer drilled to right-center field. It was Escobar's ninth home run of the season. The Rockies answered quicky in the bottom of the frame. Jose Reyes legged out an infield single on a slow bouncer to...

The Nationals limp into Denver after being booted out of L.A. and San Francisco on this disastrous 10-game road trip. The numbers are terrible: .179 team batting average over a six-game losing streak, which includes three shutouts, and starting pitchers unable to pitch out of the fifth inning in four of the six defeats. Time to throw them all out of the window. With 45 games remaining and trailing the first place Mets by 4 1/2 games, these Nats must begin their turnaround tonight against the...

The Orioles are putting the tarp on the field and the start of tonight's game will be delayed due to the threat of inclement weather. In other words, dark clouds have rolled in and it's expected to rain. Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy would like the black clouds that follow him to home plate to finally disperse. Hardy batted .226 in 59 games in the first half of the season. He's batting .226 in 28 games in the second half. Hardy craves consistency, but not in this form. Going into tonight's...

After a day off to regroup, the Nationals open the final series of their 10-game road trip against the Rockies tonight. Washington comes in losers of their past six, hitting .179 and averaging just two runs per game as a team over the slide. In the absence of Denard Span, Nationals manager Matt Williams continues searching for a leadoff hitter. Left fielder Jayson Werth tops Williams' batting order against Rockies right-hander David Hale tonight. Werth was featured in the leadoff spot for 38...

Steve Pearce took live batting practice today in Sarasota and the Orioles will check on Wednesday to make sure the tightness in his oblique doesn't resurface. They want to reach the point where he's ready to go on an injury rehab assignment. Triple-A Norfolk pitcher Tyler Wilson, also on the disabled list with a strained oblique, threw off flat ground today from 75 feet. He's been feeling a little better each day. Manager Buck Showalter said the Orioles will keep all three catchers - Matt...

The stage was set for five-year-old Hailey Dawson. She set in the infield grass at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, her brother Zach Dawson by her side. Her favorite player Manny Machado stood by home plate, glove in hand, ready to catch Hailey's ceremonial first pitch. Hailey was born with Poland syndrome, a disease in which affected individuals are born with missing or abnormal muscles on one side of the chest wall, and many affected are born with abnormalities of the hand, which may involve...

As time moves on, we hear less and less about those baseball players who went into the service in World War II. As time moves on, fewer and fewer of them are still alive. Their sacrifice was neither more or less than the millions who went to serve their country. However, for sports fans, it is another story surrounding the game - a story far beyond hits and errors. John Klima's book, "The Game Must Go On," uniquely gives a perspective on ballplayers and their war efforts through central...