The Orioles lost 1-0 in extra innings to the Angels on Thursday. They mustered a measly five hits in 13 innings. Their division lead is down to 1 1/2 games with the Blue Jays having won six straight and nine of their last 10. And yet I went to bed with a smile on my face last night. Are we having fun yet? I don't know about you, but I sure am. It's August and the Orioles are in first place in the American League East. This hasn't happened since 1997 when the O's went wire to wire. What's...

Teams across baseball loaded up on pitching and the final day before the non-waiver deadline didn't disappoint with big-name players going everywhere. Here's a breakdown: * Oakland: The Athletics added lefty John Lester to a rotation that already has Jeff Samardzija, Jason Hammel, Scott Kazmir and Sonny Gray and this should help them correct a trend: Since 2000, they've been to the postseason seven times, but have advanced past the first round just once. A platoon of Jonny Gomes and Sam...

Throughout most of the season, the Nationals' bullpen has been one of the team's strong suits. Nats relievers have taken slim leads and held their opponents at bay, and when the Nats have trailed in ballgames, the guys out in the 'pen have done a tremendous job of keeping the deficit where it is, allowing the position players a chance to come back in the late innings. Of late, however, the bullpen has slipped a little bit. Dating back to June 14, Jerry Blevins has seen his ERA jump from...

Zach Walters was 166 games into his professional career after Arizona drafted him in the ninth round of the 2010 Draft out of the University of San Diego when the Nationals acquired him from the Diamondbacks in a July 2011 trade that sent veteran right-hander Jason Marquis to Arizona. "Zach Walters (is a) switch-hitting shortstop that we had seen as an amateur in the college ranks that we really liked," Nats general manager Mike Rizzo explained in a radio interview that summer. "He's...

Manager: Lloyd McClendon, first year Record: 56-52 Last 10 games: 4-6 Who to watch: 2B Robinson Cano (.328/.389/.453, 25 doubles, 7 HR, 59 RBIs); 3B Kyle Seager (.281/.348/.486, 25 doubles, 16 HR, 67 RBIs); RHP Hisashi Iwakuma (9-5, 3.06 ERA, 0.99 WHIP); LHP James Paxton (2-0, 2.25 ERA, 0.67 WHIP) Season series vs. O's: 1-3, 7 runs scored, 12 runs allowed Pitching probables Aug. 1: Roenis Elias vs. Wei-Yin Chen, 7 p.m., MASN2 HD Aug. 2: James Paxton vs. Miguel Gonzalez, 7 p.m., MASN2 HD Aug....

Right-hander Brad Brach has been pitching very well for the Orioles and that continued at Camden Yards last night. In the Orioles 1-0 loss in 13 innings to the Angels, Brach pitched scoreless eighth and ninth innings on just 21 pitches. He retired all six batters he faced with three strikeouts. "When you go out there in a tie game, you just want to get the outs as quick as you can and get the team back in to hit," Brach said. "That is all I was focused on, to put up zeroes for the...

There were 12 pitchers used between the two teams tonight but Ryan Webb certainly was disappointed to be the only one that was scored on. He gave up an RBI single to Albert Pujols in the top of the 13th inning of the Angels' 1-0 win over the Orioles. "You never want to be the one to give it up," Webb said. "A game like that, 12 or 13 innings without giving up a run. It (stinks). You can't walk the leadoff guy, especially with those guys coming up. I went out and did it in four pitches....

The Orioles will introduce reliever Andrew Miller to the Baltimore media today and make a roster move to accommodate his arrival from the Red Sox. They could go in a few directions. Brad Brach, T.J. McFarland and Ryan Webb have options. McFarland could be expendable with three other relievers in the bullpen, but we know how much manager Buck Showalter values his contributions, his ability to "defend himself" against left-handed and right-handed hitters, his work as the long man behind the...

Though the Orioles played 13 innings tonight in a 1-0 loss to the Angels, they won't need to call up a fresh reliever for Friday night's series opener against the Mariners. Andrew Miller will join the team, with a corresponding roster move pending. Bud Norris tossed seven scoreless innings and didn't get a decision. The bullpen followed with five scoreless innings before the Angels pushed across a run against Ryan Webb in the 13th. Angels left-hander Tyler Skaggs didn't allow a hit in 4...

Left-hander Gio Gonzalez was looking to build off a seven-inning, one-run performance Saturday at Cincinnati. He took a hard luck 1-0 loss, but still managed to pitch well, allowing the Reds only four hits and striking out eight. But in his first game back at Nats Park since July 20, Gonzalez struggled against the Phillies, giving up five runs in 3 2/3 innings in a 10-4 Nationals loss. He allowed eight hits and recorded only 11 outs. In the five-run fourth inning, the Phillies were able to get...