The Orioles are preparing to spend a week in Chicago, with Thursday's off-day separating series against the White Sox and Cubs. My Southwest flight this morning must be packed because I'm in the B group and I used early bird check-in. The struggle is real. The Orioles lost two of three at U.S. Cellular Field last season. They haven't swept the White Sox in a three-game series in Chicago since 1989. Why not? The White Sox haven't swept the Orioles in a three-game series in Chicago since...

For one inning at least, the Orioles broke out of their offensive doldrums in Cleveland, as the longball returned to their offense. They used those runs and a strong outing from Kevin Gausman to beat Cleveland 4-1 today at Progressive Field. The Orioles avoided a three-game sweep as they improved to 70-52. They had not lost three in a row since dropping four straight from May 27-30. A Jason Kipnis bloop RBI single in the fourth had given Cleveland a 1-0 lead, but the O's came to bat down by...

Steve Pearce started today at first base despite dragging a 5-for-44 slump into the game. Manager Buck Showalter wanted to get Pearce more at-bats, especially with Chris Davis mired in a lengthy slump. He also knew that right-handers were hitting .317 against Indians starter Danny Salazar. And with the Orioles struggling to score runs and their offense stuck in neutral, it was worth a shot. Former Oriole Chris Dickerson robbed Pearce of an extra-base hit last night. Pearce lined to center...

Jayson Werth is out of the lineup for the sixth straight game as the Nationals look to sweep the Pirates. Werth hasn't played since last Sunday because of an AC joint sprain in his right shoulder. Michael A. Taylor starts in right field with Bryce Harper in left. Asdrubal Cabrera is also back in the lineup, batting second and playing second base after sitting on Saturday. Nats right-hander Doug Fister faces Pirates right-hander Edinson Volquez in perhaps the best pitching match-up of the...

Ubaldo Jimenez walked two batters in the first inning last night and fell behind 3-0 on Carlos Santana's long home run to center field. Kevin Gausman walked two Indians in the first inning today and escaped the jam, getting a popup and ground ball with two runners in scoring position. Bad things usually happen when you walk batters. Steve Pearce lined to center field in the first inning, leaving him in a 5-for-45 slump, but he's hit the ball hard in his last two at-bats. Maybe that's a...

The Orioles went to Cleveland having won eight of their last 10 games and eight consecutive series. But they need to win this afternoon to avoid being swept by the Indians. The Orioles have been swept in a three-game series once this year, May 12-14 at home against the Tigers. The last time they got swept in Cleveland was April 15-17, 2011. They are looking for some offense today after going 11-for-71 (.155) with just one run scored over the first two games in Cleveland. The Orioles have two...

The Orioles are 8-11 on Sundays this season, but 5-4 on the road. So, I'm saying there's a chance. The Orioles are 23-17 in series finales this year, including 13-7 on the road. They're 10-4 in their last 14 series finales and have won four of the last five. The Orioles have been held to one run in the last two games, their lowest output in a two-game span since also totaling one run June 7-8, 2013 against the Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla. Boog Powell is celebrating his 73rd birthday...

Asked last night how he views his team at this point in the season, with 121 games in the books and a six-game lead over the Braves in the National League East, Nationals manager Matt Williams used the word "tenacious." That word choice seems apt given the comeback that the Nats put together last night. Down 3-0 after seven innings, facing a tough Pirates bullpen, the Nats got on the board in the eighth when Kevin Frandsen drove in Michael Taylor with a bloop to right. An Anthony Rendon...

Ignore the earlier Orioles lineup from baseballpress.com that I passed along this morning. It was a duplicate of last night's batting order. The Orioles posted today's lineup and it's quite different. Steve Pearce is batting second and playing first base. Chris Davis is batting seventh and starting at third base. Delmon Young is in left field and Nick Hundley is behind the plate. For the Orioles Nick Markakis RF Steve Pearce 1B Adam Jones CF Nelson Cruz DH Delmon Young LF J.J. Hardy...

The Orioles need a win today to avoid being swept in a three-game series in Cleveland for the first time since April 15-17, 2011. The Orioles are 7-1 after being shut out this season, their only loss coming on May 18 in Kansas City. David Lough is batting second again today. Chris Davis is fifth. Caleb Joseph is catching a day game following a night game, with manager Buck Showalter continuing to pair him with Kevin Gausman. The Indians recalled Danny Salazar from Triple-A Columbus to make...