Chris Tillman retired the first eight Tampa Bay Rays this afternoon before walking No. 9 hitter Yunel Escobar. You can guess what happened next. Desmond Jennings ran the count full and doubled to left, giving the Rays a 1-0 lead at Camden Yards. Tillman retired the side in order in the top of the first, getting a fly ball, pop-up and grounder. The first two batters, Jennings and Matt Joyce, each worked him for seven pitches. He breezed through the second before issuing the free pass to...

After a couple days out of town, I'm back in action. Who missed me? Thanks to the MASNsports.com crew for filling in for me recently. Looks like I missed a couple impressive pitching performances. Anyway, enough about me and on to the stuff that matters. Bryce Harper is out of the Nationals lineup again today, missing his second straight contest with a bruised left knee. Ian Desmond will also sit out today, but his absence is merely due to a scheduled day off. This will be the first game...

To win today and end a four-game losing streak, the Orioles will have to win a game started by Tampa Bay lefty Matt Moore. Moore is 7-0 with an ERA of 2.44 through eight starts. He is tied for the American League wins lead with Yu Darvish of Texas. Moore ranks fifth in the league in ERA and has the best batting average against of any AL starter at .172. The one area when he looks human is the walk total. He has walked 25 in 48 innings and that is tied for third most in the AL. Here is a...

The Tampa Bay Rays last swept a three-game series in Baltimore from May 6-8, 2011. The Rays will attempt a sweep today and if they succeed, the Orioles' losing streak would reach five games. Twice over the last four losses, the Orioles have lost when they took the lead to the ninth inning. That happened once all of last year when the Orioles were 75-1 when leading after eight innings. In fact, in losing those two games this week, the Orioles, at 18-3, now lead the American League in losses...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter said Freddy Garcia remains the scheduled starter for Monday's series opener against the New York Yankees at Camden Yards. Jake Arrieta also was a consideration, but Garcia apparently will pitch on normal rest. "Freddy's scheduled right now," Showalter said. Garcia has allowed eight runs and 12 hits in 9 2/3 innings over his last two starts after taking a perfect game into the seventh inning in his Orioles debut in Anaheim. Miguel Gonzalez will come off...

Saturday's loss at San Diego was tough all around for the Nationals. Any time a team falls 2-1, there are several moments in the game they would love to rewind and try again. But baseball can be a cruel game, and just like any sport, the opportunity was there. Starter Jordan Zimmermann was blaming himself afterward. One for a home run ball early and the other for his bad throw to check a runner hanging off of first base. But the Nationals would not have been in a tie ball game in the...

The Orioles today announced that they have recalled infielder/outfielder Danny Valencia from Triple-A Norfolk. Valencia, 28, is batting .306/.339/.600 with 14 doubles, 11 home runs and 35 RBI in 40 games for the Tides this season, including seven home runs in his last 10 games and a line of .324/.381/.838 with six home runs in 37 at-bats against left-handed pitching. He has hit .316/.359/.472 in 326 plate appearances against southpaws in his major league career. Valencia batted...

The goal of any player in Triple-A is to play well enough to force the big league team to bring him to the major leagues. Danny Valencia has certainly done that. He's been having a very solid year with Triple-A Norfolk and now, after a recent batting tear, he is back in the big leagues, joining the Orioles today. Valencia is in today's starting lineup, batting seventh as the DH. "Everybody wants to do well," he said this morning in the Orioles clubhouse. "I was able to get off to a good...

Danny Valencia will serve as the designated hitter today, as the Orioles try to avoid being swept by the Tampa Bay Rays at Camden Yards. Valencia is wearing No. 35. Steve Pearce is playing left field and Chris Snyder is catcher. Matt Wieters gets the day off despite being 6-for-11 with two home runs lifetime against Tampa Bay left-hander Matt Moore. Yamaico Navarro gets his third consecutive start at second base. For the Orioles Nick Markakis RF Manny Machado 3B Adam Jones CF Chris Davis...

Orioles starters have gone more than five innings only once in the last seven games. That starter is on the mound today. Chris Tillman held the Padres to one run over seven innings Tuesday night, allowing four hits, walking two and striking out seven. The Orioles lost 3-2 when Jim Johnson blew the save - the beginning of a four-game losing streak that they will try to stamp out this afternoon. Tillman has to play the role of stopper today. He's registered five straight quality starts in a...