Then-27-year-old 2001 first-round pick Gavin Floyd downplayed the significance of facing a then-21-year-old Stephen Strasburg when the two first-round picks met for the first time during the Nats' 2009 No. 1 overall selection's rookie campaign in 2010. "It's the last thing you need to worry about, is the opposing pitcher," Floyd told MLB.com before the game in the nation's capital, "You're facing their lineup, not the opposing pitcher." The match-up brought the best out of the White...

Led by several 2012 Orioles draft picks, the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds are 10-5 and off to their best 15-game start since 2005. Delmarva is in first place in the South Atlantic League's Northern Division with a season-best, four-game win streak. Creede Simpson, a 25th-round pick last June out of Auburn, is batting .395 with two homers, 13 RBIs and an OPS of 1.097 after hitting .234 in 62 games last year with short-season Single-A Aberdeen. Simpson is third in the league in batting, fourth...

As a fan of Orioles history, I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to visit Camden Yards on Saturday night to hear Hall of Famers Jim Palmer, Brooks Robinson and Frank Robinson, and others celebrate the baseball life of the late Earl of Baltimore. At some point during the evening, I'll amble out beyond the bullpens and pay my respects at Earl Weaver's statue. I imagine it will be a popular stop for O's fans that evening. I have a second, less popular ballpark locale in mind to visit...

If you don't happen to have anything planned for tonight, I suggest you find a seat on your sofa or local bar stool around 7:05 p.m., and flip on MASN2 HD. Tonight's pitching matchup in New York is a really good one: Stephen Strasburg against Matt Harvey. The 24-year-old Harvey might have just 13 career starts under his belt, but he's already making quite an impression in the big leagues. Harvey has started this season 3-0 with a filthy 0.82 ERA in his three starts. He's gone 22 innings,...

OK, you don't see that every night: a walk-off grand slam. But Matt Wieters hit one to beat Tampa Bay in the last of the 10th last night. It was the first by an Oriole since Harold Baines hit one against the White Sox on May 4, 1999. Wieters said he could not remember ever ending a game that way, even going back to Little League. Now we see if that momentum can carry over for the Orioles. In baseball, sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't. But an O's offense that had scored three runs...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter doesn't typically spend 12 minutes on one topic while chatting with the media before games. Then again, the subject isn't usually one of his former teammates and players who just happens to be visiting Camden Yards this weekend. Don Mattingly is coming to Baltimore, and he's bringing the Los Angeles Dodgers with him. He'll always have Showalter's respect. Showalter can't say enough about Mattingly, as you're about to read. They were teammates in the...

When Steve Pearce came up to bat with a man on second, no outs and the Orioles down 5-4 in the seventh inning Thursday, he didn't figure he'd hit a home run. He didn't think he'd even get that chance. "I thought I was going to be bunting in that situation to get the runner over to third. I was surprised that Buck let me swing away right there. Initially I was just trying to move the runner, get him over. Worked the count real well and got a pitch to hammer and I got it," Pearce said of...

The Tampa Bay Rays had five players in the infield as Matt Wieters stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the 10th inning. What's the best way to beat a five-man infield? Deposit the ball into the right field seats. Wieters flipped his bat and enjoyed the moment, his walk-off grand slam giving the Orioles a dramatic 10-6 win over the Rays. It was a rare on-field display of emotion from Wieters, who's batting .342 with 13 HRs lifetime against Tampa Bay. "I...

Matt Wieters tried to jog his memory bank going back to Little League to remember if he'd ever hit a walk-off grand slam before. "I don't think a grand slam. So, anytime you get a walk-off and get to celebrate with your teammates it's a good day," Wieters said after his slam gave the Orioles a 10-6, 10-inning win over Tampa. It was the Orioles first walk-off slam since May 4, 1999 when Harold Baines hit one against the Chicago White Sox. Wieters was up at the plate, in a good spot with...

Not a bad way to extend a 16-game extra innings regular season win streak to 17. Matt Wieters hit a grand slam with no outs in the last of the 10th as the Orioles beat Tampa Bay 10-6 to win the series. Wieters went 2-for-5 on the night. Nick Markakis led off the tenth with a single and singles by Manny Machado, on a bunt and Adam Jones, off the wall, followed. Then Wieters blasted one out to right center for the walk-off win. Last season, Tampa Bay left-hander David Price gave up just one...