Down to their final four outs, the Orioles offense came to life and one big swing was the key. But closer Jim Johnson allowed an unearned run in the top of the ninth as the Yankees beat the Orioles in a wild 6-5 game tonight at Camden Yards. With the game tied at 5-5, No. 8 hitter Brendan Ryan led off the ninth with a single off Johnson and Johnson's throwing error to second on a bunt by Chris Stewart put two runners on. A sac bunt by Curtis Granderson advanced the runners and Ryan scored the...

Is there still a reason to platoon Danny Valencia? Valencia's three-run homer off Yankees set-up man David Robertson in the eighth inning tied the game 5-5, but Jim Johnson allowed the go-ahead run in the ninth on a wild pitch. The Rays have won. The Indians are beating the White Sox 14-2. The Orioles are in danger of slipping further back in the wild card race. Losing three straight to the Yankees would be crushing. Valencia had four hits last night, the last coming against Robertson....

Orioles left-hander Wei-Yin retired the first two Yankees in the first inning tonight, allowed two singles and got the final out. Chen gave up a leadoff single to Eduardo Nunez and Mark Reynolds' two-run homer in the second inning, then struck out the next three batters. That's the good and the bad. Here's just the bad: Alex Rodriguez led off the third with a walk, Alfonso Soriano doubled, Robinson Cano walked and pitching coach Bill Castro strolled to the mound. Vernon Wells grounded...

The tarp is coming off the field at Camden Yards. We're playing baseball tonight. The Orioles announced an approximate start time of 8:20 p.m. Wei-Yin Chen will oppose Phil Hughes. Had the game been postponed because of rain, the teams would have played Monday and filled the open dates on both schedules. The dugouts were filling with water earlier, and I came close to doing a little fly fishing. Otherwise, why put on the rubber pants? (Insert age joke here) The ceremony for Yankees...

With a victory tonight, the Orioles would clinch their first season series win over the Yankees since 1997. Prior to that year, they hadn't won a season series against New York since 1982. Chris Davis needs one more home run to reach 50 and tie Brady Anderson's single-season club record set in 1996. Also, Davis would become the third player in major league history with 50 homers and 40 doubles in a season, joining Babe Ruth (59 homers/44 doubles in 152 games in 1921) and Albert Belle (52...

For the Orioles, a door is ajar. The Tampa Bay Rays have left it open. Losers of 13 of their last 17 games, the Rays have allowed other clubs, including the Orioles, to remain very much alive to gain the second American League wild card. Tampa Bay currently holds that spot, but is just one game ahead of New York, and 1 1/2 games up on Cleveland and the Orioles, and two games ahead of Kansas City. Brian Roberts today talked about the O's missing some chances, but still having some with 17...

Orioles reliever Darren O'Day underwent more tests today in an attempt to determine the cause of soreness and tingling in the index and middle fingers on his pitching hand. O'Day won't fly with the team to Toronto later tonight, according to manager Buck Showalter, and may visit hand specialist Dr. Brian A Schofield in Sarasota. Showalter hadn't confirmed O'Day's condition until this afternoon while meeting with reporters. He touched on the subject about halfway through his 30-minute...

Tanner Roark worked six strong innings to improve to 6-0 on the season and the Nationals crushed four more homers en route to a 7-2 win. The victory locks up a four-game sweep of the Mets, in which the Nats outscored their division rivals 25-5. The Nats will close their season series with the Mets with a 12-7 record. They hit 13 home runs in this series to the Mets' zero. This is the second-most homers hit by the Nats in a single series in team history. They hit 15 from Sept. 3-6 last year...

Orioles pitcher Bud Norris, who is being skipped one turn through the rotation due to right elbow discomfort, doesn't feel the issue is serious and said he expects to miss just the one start. "Yeah, hope so," Norris said this afternoon. "Just been doing my treatment and have seen some progress. Anytime you get back on the mound, it has the opportunity to flare back up, but hopefully this extra five days, or whatever it turns out to be, will give me a chance to calm it done. "I really...

Nick Markakis is back in right field tonight for the Orioles after the birth of his third son, Toby, yesterday afternoon. Markakis was used as a pinch-hitter last night. Wilson Betemit is serving as the designated hitter. He's hitless in nine at-bats since coming off the disabled list. For the Orioles Nate McLouth LF Manny Machado 3B Chris Davis 1B Adam Jones CF Nick Markakis RF Wilson Betemit DH J.J. Hardy SS Matt Wieters C Brian Roberts 2B Wei-Yin Chen LHP Thanks for all the...