Manager: Ron Gardenhire, 13th year Record: 12-14 Last 10 games: 4-6 Who to watch: DH Josmil Pinto (.219/.370/.438, 5 HR, 10 RBIs); 3B Trevor Plouffe (.277/.383/.436, 13 XBH, 19 RBIs); RF Chris Colabello (.290/.343/.470, 12 XBH, 27 RBI); RHP Ricky Nolasco (2-2, 6.67 ERA) Season series vs. O's (2013): 3-3, 29 runs scored, 37 runs allowed Pitching probables May 2: Ricky Nolasco vs. Ubaldo Jimenez, 8 p.m., MASN2 HD May 3: Kevin Correia vs. Wei-Yin Chen, 2 p.m., MASN2 HD May 4: Phil Hughes vs....

No need to wonder when Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis is going to hit his first home run. Or his second. Today's doubleheader took care of both questions. Markakis has homered in both ends, his solo shot tying Game 2, 5-5, in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Pirates took a 5-4 lead in the top half on Starling Marte's RBI single off Ryan Webb, who replaced left-hander Troy Patton. But the Orioles have tied the game for the second time tonight. Jane, how do you stop this crazy...

Orioles starter Chris Tillman has made it through four innings tonight in Game 2. No one is warming in the bullpen, so Tillman will return for the fifth with his pitch count at 94, including 58 strikes. He's allowed two runs and four hits, walked three and struck out seven. Tillman has struck out six of the last 12 Pirates that he's faced. Tillman threw 49 pitches in the top of the first inning tonight. According to Elias, the last Oriole to throw 49 or more pitches in an inning also was...

How many innings will Orioles starter Chris Tillman work tonight in Game 2 of a doubleheader? Tillman threw 49 pitches in the top of the first, issuing two-out bases-loaded walks to Neil Walker and Starling Marte. The Pirates fouled off 16 pitches in the inning. Gaby Sanchez worked Tillman for 13 pitches before popping up to second base for the second out. Just as it appeared that Tillman might get away without allowing a run - a major accomplishment - he lost the plate against Walker and...

Chris Tillman gets the start in the second game of this doubleheader as the Orioles go for the sweep. The right-hander is 3-1 with a 3.38 ERA in five starts. He has not pitched since last Wednesday at Toronto when he gave up seven runs and nine hits over 5 2/3 innings, but still got the win. That start raised his ERA from 1.71 to 3.38. Left-handed batters are hitting .276 off Tillman, who yields an average of .192 to right-handed batters and .231 when pitching with runners in scoring...

The rain has let up and the tarp finally is coming off the field. Approximate start time for Game 2 is 8:55 p.m. Orioles manager Buck Showalter had a few minutes to meet with reporters before rushing back into the clubhouse to prepare for the nightcap. One of his favorites, Steve Pearce, went 3-for-4 with two RBIs in his first at-bats since April 13. Pearce has six career three-hit games on his resume. "Stevie gave us a real lift," Showalter said. "Made a couple nice plays at first, too....

Bud Norris didn't have a 1-2-3 inning and he allowed 10 baserunners in fewer than six innings, but he made some key pitches when he needed to and got the win in Game 1 of today's doubleheader. Norris gave up seven hits and one run over 5 1/3 innings in the 5-1 win over Pittsburgh and is now 2-2 with a 3.94 ERA. Pittsburgh batters went just 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position against him (and 1-for-14 for the game). Was Norris going to one key pitch when he got into jams? "It was a...

The Orioles today announced that they have reinstated left-hander Troy Patton from the Restricted List and outrighted right-hander Josh Stinson to Triple-A Norfolk. Patton, 28, went 2-0 with a 3.70 ERA (56.0IP, 23ER) in a career-high 56 appearances for the Orioles in 2013. He made four rehab appearances with Triple-A Norfolk, posting a 3.86 ERA (4.2IP, 2ER). Stinson, 26, posted a 7.15 ERA (11.1IP, 9ER) in seven appearances for the Orioles this season.

The Orioles reinstated left-hander Troy Patton from the restricted list and outrighted reliever Josh Stinson to Triple-A Norfolk. Stinson already has cleared waivers. Patton, 28, went 2-0 with a 3.70 ERA in a career-high 56 appearances for the Orioles in 2013. He made four rehab appearances with Norfolk on his rehab assignment, allowing two earned runs in 4 2/3 innings. Patton served a 25-game suspension for amphetamine use. Stinson, 26, allowed nine earned runs on 16 hits and six walks...

He didn't hit any homers or strike out Adrian Gonzalez with a splitter, but Steve Pearce did a pretty good job filling in for Chris Davis at first base today. Pearce, playing his first game since the Orioles re-signed him Tuesday, went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and made some nice plays in the field as the O's beat Pittsburgh 5-1 in Game 1 of a doubleheader. Shut down through four innings against Bucs right-hander Charlie Morton, the O's broke through with three in the fifth and one in the...