Boog Powell held the Orioles record for most RBIs before the All-Star break with 86, set during the 1969 season. He did it in 94 games. Chris Davis tied Powell's record last night and passed him tonight, upping his RBI total to 88. The Orioles are playing their 94th game. Davis drilled an opposite-field two-run homer in the second inning after Adam Jones doubled, tying the game 2-2. Edwin Encarnacion responded with his 24th home run with two outs in the third to give Toronto a 3-2...

A notoriously slow starter, Adam LaRoche followed that career-long trend this season. Boy, did he ever. Through his first 25 games this season, LaRoche hit a miniscule .129/.204/.247 with three homers and eight RBIs. Yes, his slugging percentage was well below his career batting average, and he was barely reaching base 20 percent of his plate appearances. In LaRoche's 63 games since, however, the Nationals' first baseman has gotten back on track. Over his last 251 plate appearances,...

The last time the Orioles saw the Toronto Blue Jays, they were getting trounced by them June 23 at Rogers Centre by a 13-5 score. That completed a three-game sweep by a Blue Jays team that also recorded its 11th straight win that day. Things are different with the Jays as they hit Baltimore this weekend. Since that 11-game winning streak, Toronto has gone 6-11. The Blue Jays are last in the AL East at 44-47. Toronto is averaging just 3.7 runs per game during this most recent 17-game run. The...

It's finally stopped raining at Camden Yards and the tarp is off the field. For how long is a different matter. If tonight's game is postponed - and I'm saying if - they won't play a doubleheader on Saturday. That much is a certainty. But let's just assume that they get this one in tonight. Chris Dickerson's left shoulder feels much better today. He's going to hit in the cage, and the Orioles believe he will dodge the disabled list. "That seems to have been minor in nature," said...

Orioles hitting coach Jim Presley came to the defense of one of his key players this week when the topic turned to walks and Adam Jones' lack of them. Jones has drawn just 10 walks in 93 games and is on pace to have just 17 by the end of this year. He drew 34 walks last year when he had an OBP of .334. His current OBP is .312. "You know what, he's never walked a lot anyway," Presley said. "If you take away his aggressiveness, he's not as good a hitter as he is. He just has to learn when...

The Nationals open their final series before the All-Star break tonight in Miami, with Stephen Strasburg taking on Nathan Eovaldi in a battle of young, talented right-handers. Eovaldi, acquired by Miami last season in the Hanley Ramirez trade, has made just four starts with the Marlins this season since coming up from the minors. The 23-year-old has gone 1-0 with a 2.55 ERA, 13 strikeouts and nine walks in 24 2/3 innings. Strasburg has a 2.45 ERA over 106 1/3 innings this season, but is just...

The Orioles today announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Jairo Asencio from Triple-A Norfolk. To make room for him on the 40-man roster, right-hander Jair Jurrjens has been designated for assignment. Asencio, 30, is 4-0 with an International League-leading 20 saves and a 2.15 ERA (37.2IP, 9ER) in 34 appearances with Triple-A Norfolk this season. He was named an International League All-Star and has struck out 41, walked seven and has made 27 scoreless appearances among...

The Orioles have selected the contract of reliever Jairo Asencio from Triple-A Norfolk. He's listed on the lineup sheet and will wear No. 63. Asencio isn't on the 40-man roster, so a corresponding move is pending. Asencio, 30, was 4-0 with a 2.15 ERA and 20 saves with Norfolk. The Orioles acquired him from the Brewers on March 25. As for tonight's lineup, second baseman Brian Roberts has been elevated to the leadoff spot. Nick Markakis is batting third and Nate McLouth eighth. For the...

The Orioles have traded infielder Russ Canzler to the Pittsburgh Pirates for pitcher Tim Alderson, who will be assigned to Triple-A Norfolk. Alderson, 24, was the 22nd overall pick by the Giants in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft. He was 3-1 with a 2.79 ERA in 22 relief appearances for Triple-A Indianapolis this season, and 1-0 with a 1.32 ERA in seven games with Double-A Altoona. Alderson, a right-hander, is listed at 6-foot-6 and 217 lbs. Baseball America ranked him as the Giants'...

Right-handed pitcher Zach Clark is taking his knuckleball to the Single-A Frederick Keys, and he'll start Saturday night at Harry Grove Stadium. This will be the fifth team in the O's organization that Clark will have pitched for this year following time at Triple-A Norfolk, a relief appearance May 1 with the Orioles and stints with Double-A Bowie and the Gulf Coast League Orioles. Clark joined Bowie in early May to begin converting to throwing a knuckleball. He went 1-4 with an 8.63 ERA in...