The Orioles announced after tonight's game that they have optioned right-hander Kevin Gausman to the GCL Orioles. Gausman, 23, is 7-6 with a 3.84 ERA (82.0IP, 35ER) in 15 starts for the Orioles this season.

Since he was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays on July 31, left-hander Drew Smyly had pitched to an ERA of 1.55 over four starts and 0.76 over his last three. The Orioles saw why tonight. Smyly gave up one run and two hits over seven innings as Tampa Bay beat the Orioles 3-1 at Camden Yards. He walked one and fanned six, throwing 87 pitches. Smyly pitched a two-hit shutout on 105 pitches against Toronto in his last start and had allowed just nine hits in 23 2/3 innings in those last three starts...

You've no doubt heard the old expression, "Nobody loves the umps." (Check out this clip from "I Love Lucy" with Bob Hope.) Well, that's not necessarily true. After a visit from the men in blue earlier today, a bunch of kids at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center think the oft-criticized arbiters are some of their favorite people. Scott Barry, Laz Diaz, Pat Holberg and Jeff Nelson - the crew assigned to tonight's Rays-Orioles game at Camden Yards - spent part of Wednesday at the hospital...

The Nationals were not slowed by Wednesday's delayed first pitch. The Phillies honored their local Little League World Series team during pregame. The first pitch was expected at 7:35 p.m., but instead came at 7:44 p.m. Denard Span didn't waste any time with a single against Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick to lead off the game. Anthony Rendon followed with a double that rattled around the left field corner. Span raced all the way around from first base to score and the Nationals lead...

Orioles starter Kevin Gausman will need to become more economical with his pitches tonight if he's going to exceed the five innings he logged in his previous start. Gausman threw 34 in the first inning while surrendering two runs to the Rays. It got weird. Maybe the umpires will review whether the game actually should have started. Gausman struck out leadoff hitter Desmond Jennings on three pitches, but Ben Zobrist doubled off the out-of-town scoreboard in right field. Zobrist is 6-for-10...

Adam LaRoche's night off Tuesday because of a tightness in his back was nothing new for the veteran first baseman. He's battled back issues for five or six years now, and knows the triggers that cause him trouble. Inactivity is a problem, and this time, the 2½-hour bus ride from Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia on Sunday evening apparently was the culprit. "I felt it for a couple days, just a little bit of stiffness, and then the bus ride just really got me," LaRoche said before...

Catcher Steve Clevenger returned to the Orioles today for his third stint with the club this season. The 28-year-old Baltimore native has batted .305/.366/.389 with two home runs and 30 RBIs in 64 games for the Triple-A Norfolk Tides this season. He hit .240/.296/.373 in 26 games for the Orioles earlier this year. Clevenger said he was surprised by the timing of the call-up, which came a few days before the rosters can be expanded to as many as 40 players. "Yeah, kind of caught me by...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter passed along the update today on Manny Machado's knee surgery. It was a success. Go figure. "Manny's surgery went real well. That was good to hear," Showalter said. "Started at 9 o'clock (our) time, 6 o'clock their time. You always want that first surgery. Brady (Anderson) was telling me last night he'd want the second one. Let (the surgeon) kind of get in the flow a little bit. Make sure he got plenty of sleep the night before. "He didn't want the...

Orioles reliever Darren O'Day is pretty fired up about tonight - and not just for the chance for the Orioles to win another game and get closer to their goal of making the playoffs. It's Darren O'Day T-shirt night at the Yard and all fans that come through the turnstiles will get one. Several Orioles were wearing theirs in the clubhouse before tonight's game. "Pretty excited, I never expected to have a T-shirt night," O'Day said this afternoon. "I'm more excited about this little...

As expected, Orioles third baseman Manny Machado underwent successful surgery today to repair a slightly torn ligament in his right knee. Machado will remain in Los Angeles for the next three weeks before flying to Sarasota or meeting up with the Orioles. Manager Buck Showalter said Dr. Neal ElAttrache didn't find anything unexpected in the knee and the timetable remains the same. Machado should be full-go at the start of spring training. The surgery was done at 9 a.m. Eastern time. Wei-Yin...