BRADENTON, Fla. - The Orioles made three roster moves before today's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, optioning outfielder Xavier Avery and pitchers Zach Clark and Mike Belfiore to Triple-A Norfolk. They will report to the Twin Lakes Park complex until the Tides' season starts. Avery went 2-for-11 with two RBIs in 12 games. He never had a chance to make the 25-man roster with an abundance of outfielders in camp. Clark (UMBC) allowed three runs and six hits in seven innings, and manager...

The Orioles today announced that they have optioned right-hander Zach Clark, left-hander Mike Belfiore and outfielder Xavier Avery to Triple-A Norfolk. With these assignments, the Orioles now have 53 players at major league spring training, including 16 non-roster invitees.

VIERA, Fla. - Gio Gonzalez will actually get a chance to put on a Team USA jersey. For a while there, Team USA looked like it might get bounced from the World Baseball Classic early, failing to make it out of pool play and leaving Gonzalez without an opportunity to pitch in the tournament. Instead, the Americans made a late comeback against Team Canada yesterday, securing a spot in the second round and giving Gonzalez a chance to take the hill for his country. The Nationals left-hander will...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles are keeping their regulars at the Ed Smith Stadium complex while they travel to Bradenton to play the Pittsburgh Pirates. Alexi Casilla is leading off again and playing shortstop, with Yamaico Navarro getting the start at second base. Conor Jackson will play first base instead of the outfield. Steve Pearce is the designated hitter. Taylor Teagarden originally was supposed to start today, but he appeared in yesterday's game against the Pirates and will make the...

It was the top of the second inning of the United States-Canada game Sunday in the World Baseball Classic. Adam Jones came up with runners on first and second and none out, with the USA and Canada in a 0-0 tie. He dropped a sac bunt advancing both runners. Jones did not have one sac bunt last season and has just six in his 786-game major league career. This bunt was the one heard round the Twitter world. Within seconds, reaction was swift and many could not believe Jones dropped a bunt. Jon...

With left-hander Ross Detwiler throwing not one, but four scoreless innings this week for Team USA, you have to admire how far the 26-year-old has come in a year and a half, and how crucial his pitching is to the Nationals' rotation. Detwiler allowed just one hit in those four innings. Manager Joe Torre had enough confidence in the southpaw to go out and let him finish the ninth frame for the save. Detwiler has shown with international experience in the Taiwan series last year and now the...

SARASOTA, Fla. - I've gotten out of bed the last two mornings, it's been dark and chilly, and I've felt as though I should be walking to the bus stop. I need that hour back. The Orioles should want their lives back. They're making a third trip to Bradenton, where they'll pretend that they haven't memorized the Pittsburgh Pirates' entire camp roster. They'll get another look at reliever Erik Cordier, the poor soul who couldn't throw a strike against them Friday night, though he did...

With Team USA two innings and a few outs away from losing today, and getting eliminated from the World Baseball Classic, Orioles center fielder Adam Jones delivered what could turn out to be a tourney-saving hit. Jones' two-run double to left-center off Canada pitcher Jimmy Henderson in the top of the eighth turned a 3-2 USA deficit into a 4-3 lead and was one of the biggest hits of the tournament. Shane Victorino followed with an RBI single as Team USA moved in front 5-3 heading to the last...

LAKELAND, Fla. - Even pitchers entering their 11th major league season come into spring training looking to add to their repertoire. Dan Haren is by far the most accomplished pitcher in the Nationals' rotation, with 119 career wins and three All-Star Games on his resume. He holds the fifth-best strikeout-to-walk ratio in major league history. But that doesn't mean that he isn't trying to add a new wrinkle or give hitters a different look. That's why he's made working the inside part of...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter took the windy conditions into account today while critiquing starter Miguel Gonzalez. "We counted five outs he got that the conditions changed," Showalter said following a 5-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. "Five outs - you know, a couple foul balls that would have been caught that were blown out." Gonzalez was victimized by Nate McLouth's error in the second on a fly ball that shifted a few times before falling inside the left field...