The Orioles' starting pitchers failed to produce a quality start and gave up nine runs and 24 hits over 16 2/3 innings in the Boston series. The O's batters produced just seven runs in three games. Not hard to look at those numbers and understand how the Orioles lost two of three to the Red Sox. Even with that, they went to the last inning down a run last night in a 4-3 game. The hitters, who produced just a .216 average and four extra-base hits in the series, went down quickly against Koji...

The Orioles will play a game in Detroit today if the weather cooperates and they're able to stay awake. Having a night game at Camden Yards and a 1:08 p.m. game the following day in Detroit made no sense to me, and I didn't get the sense that manager Buck Showalter was enamored with it. I guess it couldn't be adjusted. It got a whole lot worse for the Orioles due to the delay in getting their charter to BWI, which pushed back their departure on bus from Camden Yards until 1:15 a.m. They...

It was kind of a bend, but don't break night for Wei-Yin Chen against Boston tonight. He gave up a career-high 12 hits but Boston never got more than a run in any inning against him. They got to him for four runs over 5 2/3 innings to beat the Orioles 4-3 tonight in the series finale. Chen was asked about facing Boston's tough lineup that has the knack for fouling off pitches and extending innings against a starting pitcher. "That is something you need to overcome as a pitcher," Chen...

It's not getting any easier for the Orioles. They dropped two of three to the Red Sox and may not leave Camden Yards until 1 a.m. because of a flight issue, which puts their arrival in Detroit around 4 a.m. They have a 1:08 p.m. game against the Tigers. Manager Buck Showalter tried to make light of it, just as he put a positive spin on Wei-Yin Chen's performance tonight. Chen allowed four runs and 12 hits, including 11 singles, in 5 2/3 innings in the Orioles' 4-3 loss to the Red...

The Orioles are celebrating the diamond anniversary of their arrival in Baltimore, an occasion the team is marking with a special 60th anniversary website and promotional days at the ballpark in August. If it were up to me, the season-long celebration would have started on Monday with an opening day parade, a nod to the celebratory atmosphere that pervaded Baltimore on April 15, 1954. I enjoy learning about Orioles history, and the story of the 1954 parade is one of my favorites that I've...

Four of Washington's minor league affiliates started their respective 2014 campaigns Thursday night. There are interesting prospects to follow throughout the Nationals organization, so we decided to take a look at five players we'll be following closely this season on MiLB.tv or on trips to minor league parks. Matt Purke: Taken 14th overall by the Texas Rangers in 2009, Purke didn't sign, choosing instead to attend Texas Christian University where the left-hander put together an impressive...

Wei-Yin Chen gave up a career-high 12 hits and the Orioles fell behind early tonight and never caught up in a 4-3 loss to Boston. The Red Sox took two of three in the season opening series at Camden Yards. Chen went 5 2/3 innings, allowing four runs with no walks and five strikeouts to take the loss. He threw 98 pitches, 66 for strikes. Chen now has an ERA of 5.24 in his career against Boston. The Orioles did not get a quality start in this series where O's starters pitched to an ERA of...

Oriole left-hander Wei-Yin Chen allowed a career-high 12 hits tonight in 5 2/3 innings. Eleven of them were singles. That's not easy to do. The Orioles are down 4-2 after Jackie Bradley Jr. drove in Will Middlebrooks with an RBI single with two outs in the sixth. Middlebrooks doubled for the only extra-base hit off Chen. Chen didn't walk a batter and struck out five. He threw 98 pitches, 66 for strikes. He's going to carry a 6.35 ERA into his next start in New York. He better use two...

Orioles left-hander Wei-Yin Chen got through the top of the first inning tonight without allowing a run despite singles by Jonny Gomes and David Ortiz. Dustin Pedroia lined to right field, a significant out considering that he's 11-for-20 lifetime against Chen. Mike Napoli, who was 3-for-10 with two home runs, grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. Nick Markakis singled leading off the bottom of the first, just as he did last night. Adam Jones walked with two outs, but Nelson Cruz grounded into...

The Orioles and Red Sox play the finale of their three-game, season opening series tonight at Camden Yards. After the Orioles won the opener 2-1, Boston won last night 6-2. The Orioles are 25-14 against Boston since the start of the 2012 season and are 36-27 against the Red Sox since Buck Showalter took over as manager. The Orioles have won 11 of the last 14 series between these teams since Sept. 9, 2011 and look to add to that if they win tonight. Wei-Yin Chen makes his season debut. The...