As Chris Davis puts the finishing touches on a tremendous season, he does so knowing he is under team control and will be an Oriole through the 2015 season. But he said today if the club chooses to explore a contract extension with him this offseason, he is open to that. "I would love to stay in Baltimore," Davis said. "This has been like a second home for me. This has been a place where I've really felt like I've been accepted, been loved and really appreciated. That's rare in this...

ST. LOUIS - This Cardinals lineup is no picnic for opposing pitchers, especially pitchers named Jordan Zimmermann. Zimmermann entered today's start with a 9.12 ERA in five career regular season outings against the Cardinals. And that doesn't include his start in Game 2 of the National League Division Series last year, in which Zimmermann lasted just three innings and allowed five runs on seven hits. It also, of course, doesn't include Zimmermann's absolutely dominant inning of relief work...

Wondering whether the Orioles would drastically change their lineup after being eliminated from the wild card race? You better believe it. Jason Pridie has his contract selected from Triple-A Norfolk and he's in center field tonight. Adam Jones had started every game last season and all 157 this year. The last time he was absent from the lineup was Sept. 25, 2011. Jones has played in 322 consecutive games. Jonathan Schoop will make his major league debut, starting at second base. Steve...

Orioles pitcher Bud Norris will make his first start tonight since Sept. 8 against the White Sox. He was skipped in the rotation because of a sore right elbow. Norris made one relief appearance, allowing a run in the 18th inning in Friday night's 5-4 loss to the Rays at Tropicana Field. In his last start, he surrendered four runs and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings. Norris is 4-1 with a 4.50 ERA in eight starts with the Orioles, and is 2-1 with a 7.40 ERA in four starts at Camden Yards, with 17...

ST. LOUIS - Jordan Zimmermann will have one shot at reaching the 20-win mark this season. That shot comes this afternoon in St. Louis. Tigers righty Max Scherzer put himself in a situation (with significant help from his teammates in terms of run support) where he had five cracks at notching his 20th win before he finally hit that mark. That's what getting to getting to 19 wins by Aug. 24 will do for you. Zimmermann notched his 19th win his last time out, and with today being his final start...

I am getting reports that fall instructional league is off to a good start. As you would imagine, the camp emphasizes fundamentals and different individual aspects tailored to each player's specific needs. Second baseman

ST. LOUIS - Jordan Zimmermann will be seeking his 20th victory of the season when the Nationals meet the Cardinals in a 1:45 p.m. game this afternoon. He'll be trying to give the Nationals back-to-back 20-game winners, after Gio Gonzalez went 21-8 in 2012. The only other 20-game winner in franchise history was Ross Grimsley, who notched 20 wins in 1978. The Nats will stick with pretty much the same lineup against Cardsinals rookie right-hander Shelby Miller, who is trying for his 15th win....

The questions will come up a lot over the next few days and weeks: Was the 2013 season a failure for the Orioles, and should fans be disappointed? The answers to those questions will be yes and yes for many of you, I would expect. After making the playoffs and winning 93 games last season, a playoff berth was a fair and realistic expectation for the 2013 Orioles, and they didn't make it. But where does that leave the Orioles as fans begin to look to the future? One writer believes they're...

This is a tale of two teams. One has an average age of 27.8 and the other 31.8. One has a solid young core composed of a 20-year-old former Rookie of the Year outfielder with back-to-back 20-homer seasons, a young pitching staff with three top-of-the rotation starters who are finishing the season with a 3.50 ERA or lower, a converted third baseman playing second who has slashed line drives all over the park since being recalled, and veterans in a third baseman that always seems to be an .800...

With last night's loss, the Orioles are officially out of the 2013 playoff picture. Would it be wrong to call that a relief? We've suspected this day was coming for a while. Last Friday's epic 18-inning loss to the Rays basically sealed the deal. That game had all the markings of a last stand and the Orioles, to their credit, did what they do: They fought hard. They simply didn't have an extra gear this time around. To finally know that they won't be revisiting the postseason is indeed...