Well, it has now probably gone beyond frustrating. Maybe it's reaching the exasperation point for the fans, the players and Jake Arrieta himself. His inconsistency was on display again today against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He retired the game's first six batters on 23 pitches. At that point, ESPN's Buster Olney posted this on Twitter: "You watch Jake Arrieta dominate hitters the way he did in the first inning against LAD and you understand why O's think he's capable of more" But just...

Over his previous two outings coming into today's start against the Nationals, Mets right-hander Dillon Gee had allowed 12 earned runs and 17 hits over 7 2/3 innings. This afternoon, Gee has looked like a completely different guy. The Nationals have been held scoreless through five innings, managing just three hits off Gee and putting only one runner into scoring position thus far. Gee has struck out six Nationals, this after he'd put up eight Ks through his first three starts of 2013...

Orioles starter Jake Arrieta struck out the first two Dodgers batters he faced in the first inning and got the final out on a routine ground ball to second. Fourteen pitches, 11 for strikes. The Orioles gave him a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first on Nate McLouth's leadoff single, a wild pitch by emergency Dodgers starter Stephen Fife, Nick Markakis' RBI single and J.J. Hardy's two-run single. Fife had hit Adam Jones with a pitch and allowed a single to Chris Davis to load the bases...

The Orioles have taken a roundabout way to get there, but their offense through 17 games has been solid. Here is what I mean by roundabout: They began the year scoring 34 runs in the first five games. A stretch producing just 29 runs over nine games followed and now they have scored 23 runs over the last three games. So over an eight-game stretch - at the start of the year and the last three games - they are scoring 7.1 runs per game. In the nine games in between they averaged just 3.2. But...

Orioles pitching prospect Dylan Bundy will throw from 75-90 feet on Monday as he begins a progression that should lead him back to the mound. Bundy has been shut down with tightness in his right elbow, but he's been pain-free and symptom-free for a while, according to manager Buck Showalter. "They've just been doing some stuff to make sure it doesn't occur again, hopefully," Showalter said. "He's going to be on the mound mid to the end of next week, I think." Steve Johnson threw a...

Matt Wieters has now thrown out seven of 10 potential base stealers and his 70 percent success rate leads the American League. Joe Mauer of Minnesota has gotten 60 percent (3-of-5) and no one else is close to that pair in the AL. Wieters has made improvements in this area and said he feels the speed of getting the throw off is probably the biggest factor in throwing out a runner. "I always think getting rid of the ball is the biggest factor. Get rid of it quick and then make an accurate...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter had Matt Wieters catch Game 1 of yesterday's doubleheader so the two-time Gold Glove winner could return to the lineup this afternoon. Day game after a day game. Nolan Reimold is the designated hitter. His right hamstring is fine. 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 Nolan Reimold DH Jake Arrieta RHP For the Dodgers Carl Crawford LF Mark Ellis...

It's official: Anthony Rendon now finds himself on the Nationals' big league roster. The Nats have placed Ryan Zimmerman on the 15-day disabled list with a left hamstring strain this morning. The DL stint will be retroactive to April 18. Taking Zimmerman's spot on the roster - and in the Nationals' lineup - will be Rendon, the organization's top prospect according to Baseball America. The 22-year-old Rendon, who was the Nats' No. 1 pick (sixth overall) in the 2011 first-year player's...

The next time you hear from me this morning, I'll be posting the lineups for the series finale between the Orioles and Los Angeles Dodgers at Camden Yards. The Orioles will be facing right-hander Chad Billingsley, and their exposure to him is limited. Nate McLouth is 5-for-16. J.J. Hardy is 2-for-10 with a home run. Chris Dickerson is 1-for-3 with a double. Alexi Casilla is 0-for-2 with a walk. McLouth figures to be in left field today. Reimold could serve as the designated hitter, assuming...

Entering last night's game, Adam Jones had just three at-bats in his big league career serving as the designated hitter. Now he can add four more to that. Batting fourth as the DH, Jones went 1-for-4 with an RBI double in the 6-1 win over the Dodgers. Through 17 games, he is batting .352 with seven doubles, two homers, 14 RBIs and a .905 OPS. When an everyday player gets moved to DH for a game it can be a unique adjustment dealing with some down time and it was for Jones last night. "I'm...