Orioles left-hander Brian Matusz is in a local hospital tonight due to an illness that kept him away from Camden Yards. Matusz apparently has come down with a virus that's working its way through the clubhouse. Hitting coach Jim Presley left the ballpark this afternoon with the same symptoms, leaving his responsibilities to coach Einar Diaz. Manager Buck Showalter isn't certain whether Matusz will be available to pitch Saturday night. "We've got this bug going around. It's taken about two...

The Orioles had a tough night on offense and in the field, but a good night on the mound. But it did not produce a victory as the Toronto Blue Jays used a pair of unearned runs to post a 2-0 win in front of 22,327 at Camden Yards. The Orioles lose the opener of this six-game homestand to fall to 4-6. Toronto took a 2-0 lead in the fourth and the rally was aided by shaky O's defense. Jonathan Schoop made two throwing errors in the inning and the O's failed to turn a potential 3-6-1...

Orioles starter Chris Tillman has retired 11 Blue Jays in a row tonight since third baseman Jonathan Schoop committed his second throwing error in the top of the fourth inning. Tillman got a called third strike on Colby Rasmus to end the seventh with the Orioles still trailing 2-0. Tillman has allowed two unearned runs and two hits, walked one and struck out five. He's thrown 92 pitches, 54 for strikes. Dealing. No one is warming in the Orioles bullpen. I saw one guy stand up and stretch...

Tanner Roark's night has taken a turn for the worse in the second inning. The Braves lead the Nationals 4-0, a three-run homer by shortstop Ramiro Pena capping off a four-run second. Pena is in the lineup because regular shortstop Andrelton Simmons is out with a wrist injury. Atlanta took a 1-0 lead when Justin Upton singled, Dan Uggla was hit by a pitch and Evan Gattis followed with a run-scoring single to center. Pena worked the count to 2-2 before crushing a pitch from Roark into the right...

Chris Davis hasn't hit a home run this season, but he's got the right opponent to break the streak. Davis has belted 16 homers against the Blue Jays since the start of the 2012 season, and Adam Jones has 14. No other major league player has collected as many as 10 against Toronto during that span. Davis and Jones each have hit at least seven homers against the Jays over the past two seasons. According to the Society for American Baseball Research, they're the second pair of teammates in...

Injured right-hander Doug Fister threw 35 pitches during a bullpen session in Atlanta this afternoon and came through without any issues from his strained right lat or the right elbow that troubled him during spring training. "It was really impressive," said Nationals manager Matt Williams. "He threw it where he wanted to, he had good life, he felt good after. So we'll progress from there, but it's a really encouraging sign." While Fister threw mostly fastballs and changeups, he also...

The Orioles are 3-0 this year when the opposing starter has been Jon Lester, Justin Verlander or Masahiro Tanaka. So how difficult can it be to beat Dustin McGowan? Actually, it doesn't work that way and the O's will have to earn a win tonight if they get one. But McGowan is 0-3 with a 6.99 career ERA against the Orioles in 13 games, six as a starter. Chris Tillman starts for the Orioles. He is 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA through two starts. Over his last 24 starts dating to June 4, Tillman is 13-5...

Chris Davis was a rookie and top prospect once. So he can relate to Jonathan Schoop as the Orioles' 22-year-old infielder begins to settle in as a big league player. "I think he's starting to find it a little bit," Davis said. "The first few games he was swinging at a lot of pitches. The more he's up here, the more he gets a chance to understand what they are trying to do to him. "From what I've seen so far, his work ethic hasn't changed, which is good. He's kept his approach. I...

The Orioles are 3-0 this season when the opposing starter works seven or more innings. Those starters? Jon Lester, Justin Verlander and Masahiro Tanaka. The Orioles batted .354 in the three games at Yankee Stadium to raise their team average from .229 to 274. They were 12-for-32 (.375) with runners in scoring position to raise their average from .231 to 296. Matt Wieters has hit safely in his first eight games, the third straight year that an Oriole has hit in eight or more games to open a...

Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy will not be in the starting lineup tonight for the fifth game in a row and for the sixth time in seven games. He's been out due to lower back spasms and stiffness. After being hopeful of playing the last few games, Hardy hopes this time he really is one day away from rejoining the lineup. "I've made a bunch of big strides the past couple days," he said this afternoon in the Orioles clubhouse. "I came in today early and took some ground balls and took some...