Orioles manager Buck Showalter was alerted to shortstop J.J. Hardy's back spasms during batting practice this afternoon and made the decision to remove him from the lineup. Hardy said he could have played, but he was reduced to spectator in the Orioles' 8-4 win over the Rockies at Camden Yards. "He felt it a little bit yesterday, but they did some treatment and everything and it loosened up and was no problem for the most part," Showalter said. "He wanted to play today. He wanted to go....

High Single-A Potomac Nationals left-hander Sammy Solis was a little wild, but allowed only two hits in 4 2/3 innings Saturday. The P-Nats rolled at Wilmington, 7-1. The P-Nats are 75-47 overall and 33-20 in the second half. Solis, another one of the Nationals' top pitching prospects coming off Tommy John surgery, walked four and struck out four in the no-decision. David Fischer (4-0) came on to go 3 1/3 frames to get the win. Shortstop Adrian Sanchez had a single, double and a triple. The...

Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy, who was a late scratch from tonight's starting lineup due to back spasms, provided an update on that after tonight's game. "Today right before BP, I was getting my glove ready and got up out of my chair and my low back started to spasm on me," Hardy said. "Went in to get some treatment and it has loosened up a lot since." Does he think he can play on Sunday in the series finale? "Yeah, I think so," he said. "I feel like I probably could have played...

The Orioles came up with their biggest inning of the year tonight as they posted an 8-4 win over the Colorado Rockies to end a four-game losing streak. The O's sent 12 batters to the plate and knocked out Rockies starter Chad Bettis during their seven-run, six-hit bottom of the third to open an 8-1 lead. The inning featured RBI singles by Nick Marakakis and Adam Jones, a run scored on an error and two-run doubles from Brian Roberts and Manny Machado. The error on shortstop Troy Tulowitzki...

Bud Norris had a seven-run lead tonight, a chance to give the Orioles a quality start and a reason to rest the bullpen. Norris is now sitting on the bench after slamming his glove on it, the lead is down to four runs and manager Buck Showalter has used two relievers as we enter the bottom of the sixth. Norris was charged with four runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings, with three walks, five strikeouts and a hit batter. He threw 95 pitches, 64 for strikes. The Rockies scored twice in the sixth...

ATLANTA - Not only has Tanner Roark come on and delivered four scoreless innings in relief of Stephen Strasburg after Strasburg was ejected in the second inning, but Roark has delivered with the bat, as well. Quite a night for the rookie right-hander. Up for his second career major league at-bat with two outs in the top of the fifth, Roark smoked an RBI double to left-center, scoring Tyler Moore from first and boosting the Nationals' lead to 5-2. It was obviously the first career hit and...

Before having a big game last night at Harry Grove Stadium, Cuban outfielder Dariel Alvarez was a guest on the Frederick Keys radio network's pregame show. Through his interpreter, O's minor league coach Ramon Sambo, Alvarez took a few questions from Keys broadcaster Adam Pohl. The 24-year-old Alvarez talked about playing baseball in the United States. Has it been about what he expected? "It has been hard, like I expected it to be. I'm facing the pitching I thought I would, but you just...

ATLANTA - Well, there we go. Stephen Strasburg drilled Justin Upton with a first-pitch 97 mph fastball in the backside in the bottom of the first inning, prompting warnings to be issued to both the Nationals and Braves by home plate umpire Marvin Hudson. The plunking came immediately after Jason Heyward hit a solo shot to right-center on a 3-2 Strasburg pitch. Upton stepped in, turned his back to the Strasburg heater and took it off the left buttocks. The Braves starting left fielder then...

Orioles pitcher Bud Norris has allowed 17 runs in the first inning this season, including one tonight to fall behind the Rockies 1-0 at Camden Yards. Norris is fortunate that he only surrendered one run after allowing two hits and walking two batters. Troy Tulowitzki grounded into a 6-4-3 double play after Dexter Fowler walked and took third on Corey Dickerson's single. Norris walked two batters in each of his first three starts with the Orioles. He's already matched that total...

After taking the loss in relief on Wednesday at Arizona, Bud Norris returns to a starting role tonight as he faces Colorado at Camden Yards. Norris is 2-1 with a 3.12 ERA for the Orioles and they've won each of his three starts. In his only Camden Yards start, one day after he got traded from Houston, he beat the Astros with six innings of four-hit, two-run ball. In four career starts against the Rockies, he is 0-1 with a 7.20 ERA. He has an ERA of 2.57 in two starts at Houston and 17.54 ERA...