You've probably figured out that the Orioles have struggled in Oakland in past years. Here are a few more examples: The Orioles have posted consecutive quality starts in Oakland for the first time since April 16-18, 2010 when they posted three straight - Kevin Millwood, Jeremy Guthrie and Brian Matusz. The Orioles have won three straight in Oakland, dating back to Sept. 16, 2012, for the first time since Aug. 15-17, 2005. The Orioles haven't won four straight in Oakland since May 23-Sept....

The Nationals are starting to play better ball, and the Braves are starting to come back down to earth. Atlanta got whooped by the Tigers 10-0 last night, with Detroit starter Anibal Sanchez striking out 17 Braves hitters in eight innings of work. After the game, Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez was so frustrated with his team that this was the entirety of his press conference: "(Sanchez) was pretty good, and we weren't. And that's about it, boys. That's all I've got for you." The Braves...

The day after the Orioles optioned pitcher Jake Arrieta to Triple-A Norfolk, manager Buck Showalter sought out catcher Matt Wieters to discuss the right-hander and bounce ideas about what went wrong. "Very frustrating for Matt," Showalter said. "He's as good as there is at putting fingers down. Most of us are looking at how we're failing him." Arrieta didn't fail last night. Making his first start for Triple-A Norfolk, he tossed six scoreless innings and didn't walk a batter. Arrieta...

On the first pitch he ever saw in the Eastern League last April, Manny Machado homered off a Harrisburg pitcher. Last night, on the first pitch he ever saw playing at Bowie's Prince George's Stadium, Henry Urrutia homered off a Harrisburg pitcher. Now, that was Machado's first game - the 2012 Double-A season opener - and Urrutia was playing his sixth game, but first at home. Still, it was an impressive home debut last night for the 26-year-old Cuban outfielder the Orioles signed to a bonus...

Wei-Yin Chen became the first Orioles starter to go seven innings this season and took it one step beyond that, pitching them to a 3-0 win over the Oakland A's tonight in game two of the series. After going 3-16 the last five years at Oakland, the Birds are 2-0 there in 2013. Chen went eight superb innings, a career high, allowing just two hits with two walks and five strikeouts. He threw 106 pitches in improving to 2-2 with an ERA of 2.53 after his fourth straight quality start. It was...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter is rooting for one of his starters to go seven innings just so he doesn't have to address the topic during every postgame media session. It's a hot topic among reporters. Probably a few fans, too. Wei-Yin Chen has come pretty close, going 5 2/3, 6 1/3, six and six innings this season. He's turned in three straight quality starts. He's allowed three runs or fewer in all four. At the risk of slowing his roll, I'll point out that Chen allowed one baserunner...

How good was Jordan Zimmermann tonight? He was facing a Reds team that had scored the second-most runs in the National League coming into the game, and he held them scoreless. Six of his nine innings lasted just 10 or fewer pitches. He faced 30 batters and threw just 32 balls. You can do the math. That's impressive stuff. "I felt great. This is the best I've felt in a long time," Zimmermann said after his first career compete-game shutout. "A really good slider tonight and a good...

Tonight was Davey Johnson's 268th game as manager of the Nationals. In his mind, the previous 267 starting pitching performances simply don't compare to the one put together by Jordan Zimmermann tonight in a 1-0 win over the Reds. "Since I've been here, that's the best-pitched game I've seen," Johnson said. "Low pitch count, really went after 'em. Never had any qualms at all about letting him hit (in the bottom of the eighth). Even if there was a runner on third and nobody out, I'd...

Catcher Kurt Suzuki loves being a part of a game like Friday night. He worked with his pitcher, Jordan Zimmermann, as the right-hander allowed a leadoff single by Xavier Paul in the third inning and nothing else in a 1-0 complete-game shutout for the Nationals. Suzuki had a feeling early on that Zimmermann could do this. It was Zimmermann's second complete game of the year, matching his effort April 15 at Miami. "You can kind of tell," Suzuki said. "It was similar to the game in Miami....

The Orioles have a red-hot hitter sitting on their bench tonight. Nate McLouth is 4-for-8 with two doubles, three RBIs, three walks, five runs scored and three stolen bases in his last two games. He's 8-for-18 with two doubles, four walks, eight runs scored and four stolen bases in his last five games. McLouth has really thrived atop the order, but he's not in tonight's lineup against the Oakland Athletics. Nick Markakis is batting first. Nolan Reimold is starting in left field. Manager...