Chris Davis has returned to the Orioles lineup today. Nelson Cruz is on the bench. Cruz is in a 1-for-28 slump. He struck out three times last night. Delmon Young is batting cleanup. He has one at-bat in the fourth spot this season. Manny Machado has four multi-hit games in his last six games, going 11-for-29 (.379). He's totaled six hits in his last two games. Over their last 12 games, Orioles relievers have posted a 1.67 ERA in 37 2/3 innings. Brad Brach has a 1.23 ERA in his last 13...

You have to wonder how much longer the Orioles can count on their pitching to carry them. They are not scoring many runs but have continued to win and lead the American League East by 2 1/2 games with Toronto's loss last night. In the last 20 games, 12 times the Orioles have scored three or fewer runs. They are batting just .213 in those games and scoring 3.2 runs per game. Yet they are 12-8 in that stretch due to strong pitching. Maybe that goes to show that pitching is every bit as...

Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon had three hits, including a double and a three-run shot, with four RBIs in an 11-0 shutout of the Phillies Saturday night. Rendon needed a triple in one of his final two at-bats to hit for the cycle, but grounded out and flew out. "I heard people in the stands, 'Get the triple, get the triple.' I didn't want to. That means I've got to run more," Rendon smiled. "So I can just stop at second base." Rendon was happy to be able to get just one base...

Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph said he'd like to have one pitch back tonight. It was a changeup on a 1-1 count from Miguel Gonzalez to Robinson Cano with two men on in the fifth inning. The game was tied 1-1 at the time and runners were on second and third. Cano hit his 29th career homer off O's pitching to break the game open and Seattle went on to earn a 6-3 win. "It cost us the game," Joseph said. "We had a base open there and he's a dangerous hitter. We've done the best we can to...

Now that the Orioles' streak of one-run games has ended at seven, they can concentrate on increasing their lead in the American League East. The important stuff. They must be tired of playing the American League West. Not that they're thrilled with Monday's makeup game in D.C., or how they're forced to play at night before boarding their flight to Toronto. Would an afternoon game have killed the Nats? Anyway, Chris Tillman will try to win his second home game this afternoon. He's 1-5...

The Orioles need to get their offense cranked up. They've scored three runs or fewer in six of their last eight games, and four or fewer in 12 of 13 games. The pitching has been outstanding, but that's too much pressure to put on the arms every single night. Miguel Gonzalez's streak of quality starts ended at four. Here's a sampling from manager Buck Showalter following a 6-3 loss to the Mariners before 36,508 at Camden Yards: On Gonzalez "OK. Really made one mistake. Obviously, he's...

Nationals fans can't possibly find much wrong with tonight's ballgame. The Nats pounded out 14 hits, pushed across 11 runs and shut out the Phillies, earning a nice 11-0 win. Jordan Zimmermann worked seven scoreless, Anthony Rendon drove in four and came up a triple away from the cycle and Asdrubal Cabrera had two hits - including a triple - in the win. Here's manager Matt Williams after the game. On Rendon and Denard Span combining to give the Nats a lead two batters into the bottom of...

Orioles fans have seen it before - Robinson Cano with a big home run at Camden Yards. This time it was a three-run shot in the fifth inning tonight that lifted the Seattle Mariners to a 6-3 win over the Orioles. The Orioles fall to 61-48, but with Toronto's 8-2 loss to Houston, they maintain their 2 1/2 game lead on the Blue Jays atop the American League East. Seattle came up in the fifth of a 1-1 tie against Miguel Gonzalez. Austin Jackson singled with one out and went to third on Dustin...

Dustin Ackley homered onto the flag court in right field with one out in the top of the third to draw Seattle even with the Orioles at 1-1. Miguel Gonzalez followed his 11-pitch first inning with 30 pitches in the second, leaving the bases loaded. He wishes he hadn't thrown Ackley that two-seam fastball in the third. The Orioles stranded two runners in the bottom of the second after J.J. Hardy reached on an infield hit and Jonathan Schoop walked. James Paxton has thrown 46 pitches in two...

Friday night, manager Matt Williams repeated a famous line by actress Susan Sarandon, playing Annie Savoy in the movie "Bull Durham," where she said, 'Hit 'em where they ain't.' The Nationals had only seven hits in Friday's 2-1 loss to the Phillies, their sixth loss in the past nine games. On Saturday, the Nationals started the game by listening to Sarandon's character with a pair of base hits in the bottom of the first against Phillies right-hander A.J. Burnett. Denard Span singled...