So that homestand went OK, right? The Orioles went 9-2 over the last 11 games at Camden Yards. If the Yankees had any hope of catching the Orioles, most of it should be gone by now. The Orioles took three of four from Minnesota and swept three from Cincinnati. They outscored their opponents 67-38 on the homestand and scored nine runs or more four times. Nick Hundley capped the Orioles' six-run first inning last night with a three-run homer to left. The O's catcher talked about the club's...

Tonight, the Orioles concluded a 9-2 homestand, the first time they've gone 9-2 or better on a homestand of at least 11 games since going 10-2 from June 22 to July 1, 1979. Although Jonathan Schoop didn't send one to the bullpen, the second baseman homered for the third game in a row in the Orioles' 9-7 win over Cincinnati tonight. How good of a run is he on right now? "It's really good, especially when we win, too," Schoop said. "If you hit a home run and we lose, if you go 0-for-4...

Orioles reliever Darren O'Day can relate to how right fielder Nick Markakis felt in 2012. Markakis, in turn, can relate to how catcher Matt Wieters and third baseman Manny Machado feel in 2014. It's a connection they wish had never started and didn't stretch this far. Wieters and Machado underwent season-ending surgeries this year, making them spectators in the playoffs. Assuming that the Orioles don't suffer a monumental collapse, of course. Markakis has been there, done that. Anyone...

The Orioles' magic number is down to 15. I'll keep going. Three straight winning seasons, which hasn't happened in Baltimore since 1992-94. They're 25 games above .500 and have won nine of 11 following tonight's 9-7 victory over the Reds. The sweep at Wrigley Field seems so long ago and so unimportant. Here's Orioles manager Buck Showalter, who took a question about J.J. Hardy's latest clutch hit and turned it into a defensive roll call: "Clutch hit and defensively. Probably the...

Well, that was some homestand. The Orioles beat the Cincinnati Reds 9-7 tonight in a game that felt like they won twice. They took a 6-0 lead in the first inning, got tied up 7-7 in the seventh and then pulled out the 9-7 victory. J.J. Hardy's two-out two-run single in the seventh snapped the 7-7 tie and provided the winning margin. Hardy is batting .385 this year with runners in scoring position and two outs. Earlier, the Orioles bashed three more homers and Chris Tillman extended his...

I'm trying to resist posting that the Reds sprung a Leake in the first inning. I'm trying... The Orioles scored six runs off Reds starter Mike Leake, with Nelson Cruz and Nick Hundley hitting home runs, and players circling the bases as kids are allowed to do as a postgame promotion. Leake faced nine batters and threw 34 pitches. Forget his shoulder. He needed to ice his neck after watching his pitches sail into the night. All the runs scored with two outs. To recap: Nick Markakis led...

First baseman Christian Walker and right-handed pitcher Tyler Wilson were named the Orioles minor league Player and Pitcher of the Year today. Walker is the Brooks Robinson Award winner and Wilson is the Jim Palmer Award winner. Those players appeared at a press conference before tonight's game, along with Elrod Hendricks Community Service Award winner Mark Blackmar, Ryan Minor and Delmarva coaches who won the Cal Ripken Sr. Player Development Award, and Jim Richardson who won the Jim Russo...

Updating what I've heard about the 2015 schedule, the Orioles definitely will open against the Rays at Tropicana Field. That's the word coming out of St. Petersburg, Tampa and the surrounding areas. See you there. The home opener is April 10 against the Blue Jays. The Orioles begin tonight trailing the Angels by two games for the best record in the American League. The Athletics are 4 1/2 back. Should fans here divert their attention from the Yankees and start paying closer attention to...

The Orioles need a win tonight at Camden Yards to complete a three-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds and a 9-2 homestand. Also, a win tonight would clinch a third straight winning season for the Orioles (81-57) for the first time since 1992-94. The last time the Orioles were 25 games over .500 was Oct. 2, 2012. Chris Tillman (11-5, 3.36 ERA) pitches against right-hander Mike Leake (10-11, 3.38 ERA). Tillman is a pitcher on a roll right now. He heads into this start with a streak of 16...

The Orioles today announced they have extended the working agreements with five minor league affiliates. The club signed four-year agreements through the 2018 season with Triple-A Norfolk, Double-A Bowie, and Class-A Frederick and two-year agreements through the 2016 season with Class-A Delmarva and Short-Season Class-A Aberdeen. "We have been very pleased with our arrangements with these clubs over the years and look forward to continuing those relationships," said Vice President of...