The Orioles enter the weekend with a 21-14 record, in a three-way tie for first place in the American League East with the Red Sox and Yankees. If you've followed baseball long enough, you've likely developed the reserved reflex that is so common to the sport. It's the one that produces programmed responses to good news, led by the many variations of "it's early." We're not supposed to get excited about individual efforts yet because of sample size, and as for teams, well, "It's a...

If you just look at the stat sheet, you can't help but be impressed by Double-A Bowie outfielder Henry Urrutia. The Cuban defector signed by the Orioles last July is swinging a good bat for the Baysox during his first 15 games in the Orioles organization. The 26-year-old Urrutia is batting .317 with eight doubles, two homers, 15 RBIs, a .550 slugging percentage and .929 OPS. Urrutia is 7-for-19 (.368) with runners in scoring position and has six multi-hit games. But the Orioles realize that,...

In explaining the Nationals' willingness in recent years to part with top pitching prospects like Tom Milone, Brad Peacock and A.J. Cole (who was eventually reacquired), Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo told reporters in early 2012 that there was enough pitching in the system for him to feel comfortable making the type of deal that brought then 26-year-old left-hander Gio Gonzalez back from the Oakland A's. "I like our depth," Rizzo said. "We've got another wave of prospects coming,...

The Orioles' future plans for left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada remain up in the air. I hope my flight to Minnesota this morning does the same. We know that Wada will make another start today at extended spring training. Then he's expected to go on an injury-rehab assignment, which can last up to 30 days for a pitcher. Then what? Wada can't be optioned to the minors without his approval. It's part of the two-year, $8.15 million contract he signed on Dec. 14, 2011. Up to this point, the Orioles...

Matt Wieters didn't throw any pitches tonight, but he took responsibility for one that went over the left field wall in the top of the fourth. Alex Gordon and Eric Hosmer hit two-run homers in that frame to beat Freddy Garcia and the Orioles 6-2 at Camden Yards. "The ball Hosmer hit, you can put that one on me," Wieters said. "That was the wrong pitch at the wrong time. It was a pitch that kind of was a power pitch for him and the ball to Gordon was just a little bit up. I think...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter confirmed tonight that Steve Johnson will be recalled and start Saturday night against the Twins in Minnesota. Johnson will be making his fifth major league start. He was 4-0 with a 2.11 ERA in 12 games last year, including four starts, with 18 walks and 46 strikeouts in 38 1/3 innings. Johnson has made three starts for Triple-A Norfolk this season, including two on his injury-rehab assignment. He's allowed eight runs and 17 hits in 16 1/3 innings, with four...

Orioles starter Freddy Garcia gave up just five hits tonight, but four of them came consecutively in the top of the fourth and two were homers as the Kansas City Royals beat the Orioles 6-2 to salvage the final game of a three-game series. Winning pitcher Jeremy Guthrie was facing the Orioles for the first time and extended his consecutive unbeaten starts streak to 18. He is 10-0 since his last loss, which came last Aug. 8. Guthrie, an Oriole from 2007 through 2011, went six innings, allowing...

This little two-game series between the Nationals and Tigers was billed by some as a potential World Series preview. It's just two games in May, of course. But the Nationals played two pretty smooth ballgames the last two days, picking up wins over the reigning American League champions in each despite a comeback effort today by Detroit. The Nats held a 5-1 lead after two innings, but Matt Tuiasosopo's pinch-hit, three-run homer in the sixth made things interesting. In the end, the Nats...

J.J. Hardy shattered his bat tonight and drove in a run. Another sign that his season-long slump is ending. Oh, sure, there's the three home runs in his last four games before tonight, but it's also a positive development when the cheapies are on his side. Hardy is 8-for-19 with six RBIs in his last six games. Former Oriole Jeremy Guthrie's scoreless innings streak ended at 18, but the run is unearned because of shortstop Alcides Escobar's third error in two nights. It allowed Adam...

MLB Network ran a story before the Tigers-Nationals series began on the matchup as a possible World Series preview. On paper, both teams have very strong starting pitching and power bats in their lineup. The Nationals were able to win both games of the short two-game series, taking the finale Thursday, 5-4. The Tigers' Victor Martinez was only able to pinch-hit in each game because of the use of pitchers in the batting lineup under National League rules. Jayson Werth was out with a sore...