Against a Toronto team averaging 7.4 runs per game against the Orioles this year, Miguel Gonzalez stepped up big time tonight. He shut out Toronto on 75 pitches through his first seven innings, and gave up just one unearned run and three hits over 7 2/3 innings in the Orioles' 6-1 win. "Just being aggressive in the zone the whole time and not trying to do too much," Gonzalez said of his pitch efficiency. "My last outing wasn't the greatest, but this time around I worked hard and it paid...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter didn't offer much detail on Hunter Harvey's MRI today, but he said the young pitching prospect should be able to avoid elbow surgery. Team orthopedist Dr. Michael Jacobs examined Harvey, and the results of his MRI, after the right-hander flew into Baltimore. Harvey lasted only two innings in Sunday's extended spring training start before leaving the game with elbow stiffness. Harvey will be shut down for what appears to be an extended period. "How do you put...

Given a chance to gain a win and begin to erase the memory of last night's poor performance, the Orioles accepted the challenge tonight. Miguel Gonzalez led the way. Gonzalez buzzed through the Toronto lineup without allowing a run over the first seven innings on just 75 pitches. He pitched the Orioles to a 6-1 win and a series victory tonight in front of 24,654 at Camden Yards. He was replaced in the eighth but went 7 2/3 innings, allowing just three hits and one unearned run. He walked three...

Sometimes you just need your teammates to pick you up. That's exactly what Nationals rookie Michael A. Taylor did for Bryce Harper in the ninth inning of today's intense 9-6 win over the Diamondbacks. Harper, arguably the game's most explosive player right now, blew up in the wrong kind of way on a controversial check-swing strike three call in the seventh. Home plate umpire Rob Drake was having no part of Harper's tempestuous argument and sent the 22-year-old to the showers. It appeared to...

For six weeks, baseball's new pick-up-the-pace rules have been in place, and while the average time of game has been cut by nine minutes, the real question is this: Has anyone really noticed the quicker pace? "We don't want our players thinking about it,'' Nationals manager Matt Williams said. "But, there haven't been any issues.'' Toronto outfielder Jose Bautista agreed: "There's been no adjustments.'' And Orioles manager Buck Showalter wondered if a family of four who attends a...

For six weeks, baseball's new pick-up-the-pace rules have been in place, and while the average time of game has been cut by nine minutes, the real question is this: Has anyone really noticed the quicker pace? "We don't want our players thinking about it,'' Nationals manager Matt Williams said. "But, there haven't been any issues.'' Toronto outfielder Jose Bautista agreed: "There's been no adjustments.'' And Orioles manager Buck Showalter wondered if a family of four who attends a...

The game time temperature at Camden Yards tonight was 66 degrees, 20 fewer than last night. The Orioles came out hot, anyway. Caleb Joseph had a two-run double in the second inning and scored on Manny Machado's double. Machado scored on Alejandro De Aza's double. If Blue Jays starter Aaron Sanchez is forced to leave the game, it may be due to a case of double vision. De Aza moved to third base on a wild pitch and scored on Jimmy Paredes' infield hit to complete a five-run inning. Paredes...

The Orioles can begin to erase the bad feelings about last night's 10-2 loss to Toronto with a win tonight, which would give them their first series win this year against the Blue Jays. The Orioles are 2-6 versus Toronto, 0-2 in two series, and have been outscored 59-40 on the season series. The O's staff has an ERA of 7.17. Toronto batters are hitting .295 with an OPS of .886 against the Orioles with 27 doubles and 12 homers in the eight games. The Orioles are 4-3-1 this season in series...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter is eager to evaluate pitcher Jason Garcia once the Rule 5 pick comes off the disabled list with a fully healed right shoulder. Garcia has tendinitis in the shoulder, which likely explains his drop in velocity. "I think we're going to be pleasantly surprised when he gets through this period," Showalter said. "I think he needs this physically as much as anything." Catcher Matt Wieters is scheduled to catch nine innings again on Thursday at extended spring...

When he got added to the Orioles' 40-man roster in November, you had to figure Mike Wright's chance to pitch in the big leagues would come at some point during this 2015 season. Well, the time is now. Ranked as the club's No. 8 propsect according to Baseball America, Wright got his first call to the major leagues today. It comes a day after he was scheduled to start for Triple-A Norfolk but was scratched. "It's exciting," he said. "It's really exciting. It is what I've dreamed of my...