For the Orioles, it is the case for the defense and it is a strong one. The Orioles have made just 11 errors all year, the fewest in the American League and behind only Arizona, with 10 for the fewest in baseball. While an error total alone only tells part of the defensive story, the Orioles have made just two errors over their last 17 games and just four in their last 24 games. Chris Davis said momentum in any game can turn on defense. "I think it is big for any team trying to make the...

For the third time this season, Steve Pearce is starting back-to-back games for the Orioles. After going 1-for-3 last night with an RBI single that put the O's ahead 2-1 in the eighth, Pearce is back in the lineup at DH today and batting ninth. "Yeah, definitely (excited to start again)," Pearce said. "My goal is to get to the plate, I want to hit. It's one of those things, where if you hit, you are playing." Pearce has been hitting. Over his last three starts he is 5-for-10 with a...

Steve Pearce will serve as the designated hitter again today for the Orioles after delivering a tie-breaking single in the eighth inning last night. Matt Wieters will catch a day game following a night game. For the Orioles Nate McLouth LF Manny Machado 3B Nick Markakis RF Adam Jones CF Chris Davis 1B Matt Wieters C J.J. Hardy SS Ryan Flaherty 2B Steve Pearce DH Freddy Garcia RHP For the Padres Cabrera SS Venable RF Headley 3B Quentin DH Alonso 1B Gyorko 2B Blanks LF Amarista...

The 40-game mark, the quarter pole, has traditionally been one of the first real mile markers of the baseball season. It's the point at which we can no longer say, "Yeah, but it's early." By 40 games in, there's a sense of things. A lot will still happen, but the season is no longer a series of maybes. As the Orioles close in on that mark for 2013, it's safe to say they're off to a hell of a start. Here they stand at 23-16 with a 14-9 mark away from Camden Yards. They've scored 192...

I've got some good news and I've got some bad news. Let's start with the positive stuff, shall we? There's a decent chance the Nationals won't have to face Clayton Kershaw again this season. After what we saw from Kershaw last night, I'm sure the Nats' hitters are good with that. If the Nats do see the 2011 National League Cy Young Award winner again during the regular season, it'll be in one of three games at Nats Park from July 19-21, meaning they have at least two months of...

The Orioles' four full-season affiliates went 4-0 last night, as the four clubs combined to score 34 runs. Triple-A Norfolk beat Lehigh Valley 12-7 improving to 27-12 on the year with its 16th win in 19 games. Danny Valencia hit two homers and leads the club with nine. The Tides scored seven runs in the eighth inning to come from 7-5 behind. Valencia and Russ Canzler each extended their hitting streaks to nine games. Through 13 games in May, Norfolk leads the International League with a .308...

Freddy Garcia is starting today for the Orioles against the San Diego Padres, the team that let him go in spring training. Jason Hammel is starting Friday night against the Tampa Bay Rays, Jair Jurrjens will have his contract selected and start on Saturday, and Chris Tillman will close the series on Sunday. It's assumed that Garcia will take the ball Monday against the New York Yankees at Camden Yards. Don't make any assumptions about Kevin Gausman being in the mix for Tuesday, when the...

It's not often you can put up a crooked number against Clayton Kershaw. The Dodgers left-hander came into today with a 1.62 ERA on the season, having allowed more than two earned runs in just two of his eight starts in 2013. The Nationals had a chance to get to Kershaw early on in tonight's game, when they loaded the bases with two outs. Kershaw had already thrown 25 pitches in the first inning by the time Tyler Moore stepped into the batter's box with the sacks packed and two down. The...

After the longest regular season saves streak in Orioles history had come to an end tonight, Jim Johnson said it was pretty simple. It was matter of not executing pitches in the top of the ninth when San Diego scored twice against him to come back and beat the Orioles 3-2. "It was location," Johnson said. "As soon as I got off the field, I went and looked (at the video). Pitches were in different spots than they are normally at. It's about execution. At this level, the talent is too good....

It's not often that manager Buck Showalter sits in the dugout and watches closer Jim Johnson blow a save. Johnson hadn't squandered a lead in the regular season since last July, but the Padres scored twice against him tonight to win 3-2. "They hit some balls hard," Showalter said. "The first ground ball would be about the only one. ... Big double play ball on a ball hit hard and we had a chance to get out of it. You've got to tip your hat to them. They pitched real well tonight. You can...