The Orioles announced today that they released veteran reliever Kevin Gregg and outrighted minor league second baseman Ryan Adams to Triple-A Norfolk after he cleared waivers. No surprises here. Gregg is hoping to catch on with another team and the Orioles couldn't come up with a trade partner over the winter or during the season. He figured to be cut loose after they designated him for assignment Tuesday. Gregg went 3-2 with a 4.74 ERA in 40 appearances for the Orioles this season. He...

ATLANTA - Greetings from Atlanta, where I'm all set up after an interesting journey through an airport which always seems to confuse the heck out of me. The weather is absolutely gorgeous down here, not anywhere close to the record temperatures that affected Stephen Strasburg and the Nationals so much when they last visited in late June. We're set up for three straight days in the mid-80s with what should be clear skies the whole weekend. It looks like the Nationals have gotten some good...

As the Nationals continue to whittle away their magic number for clinching the National League East, it seems like an appropriate time to take a closer look at how the postseason will work in 2012. Major League Baseball has done some tinkering with the format, changes necessitated by the addition this season of an extra wild card team in each league. Here's the basics you'll want to know (but for reasons I'll explain later, I'd caution against marking them in ink on your...

Are the struggles of Orioles reliever Pedro Strop now a thing of the past? He thinks they may be. Strop put together back-to-back scoreless innings against Tampa Bay on Tuesday and Wednesday, and thinks he may now be back on track. Strop said he made a slight mechanical adjustment, said he is mentally tough and thinks the combination of the two will help to keep him pitching well. "For some reason, I was struggling with my command a little bit. But you cannot let that take you out of your...

Let's start with this: The Orioles' run of 14 losing seasons is over. The O's 14th-inning victory Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays was their 81st of the 2012 season, ensuring that they can do no worse than a .500 record. If you follow the team closely, you know the numbers and therefore understand how appropriate it was for the Orioles to secure a non-losing fashion in the manner they did. Here's a refresher: the Orioles are 27-7 in one-run games, 64-0 when they lead after the seventh...

Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez will be looking to join an exclusive club this weekend in Atlanta. He's set to take the mound Sunday bidding for his 20th win of the season. If he gets it, he'll not only be the first 20-game winner in the major leagues this year, he'll be the first player in a Washington uniform to do it in 59 years. With a win in Atlanta or another of his final starts this season, Gonzalez will join a club that includes Walter Johnson, who won at least 20 a dozen times...

With the Nationals maintaining first place in the National League East and beginning a big division match-up tonight in Atlanta, the Nats have to feel good about having an 8 1/2-game lead over the Braves. Even if the Braves sweep the Nationals this weekend, the Nats will still have a 5 1/2-game lead. The wild card race has become very exciting with St. Louis and Atlanta still leading, but Milwaukee and Philadelphia joining Pittsburgh in the battle for the final slot. Oh, did I mention Arizona...

The Orioles have ended their streak of 14 consecutive losing seasons. When do they begin talks with manager Buck Showalter on a new contract? Showalter has one year remaining on a deal he signed in August 2010. At this point, neither side has broached the subject. It's a back-burner issue, just as Showalter wants to keep it. Showalter has no interest in going down that road with his team tied with the Yankees for first place in the American League East in the middle of September. He'll...

Yesterday sure made for an interesting off-day. We had Nationals third base coach Bo Porter, who lives in the Houston area, interviewing for the Astros' managerial job. Porter is highly thought of within the Nationals organization and is considered a candidate to eventually replace Davey Johnson once Johnson decides to step out of the managerial role. Porter missed out on two past managerial openings after interviewing for the position; he was up for the Pirates job in 2010 and the Marlins...

Think you've got all of your back-to-school clothes? Think again, Orioles fans. They say you shouldn't wear white after Labor Day. Fortunately, with Birdland in the midst of an historic season, you won't fret about missing out on that dapper, white outfit. From now on, it's orange all the way. The Orioles have issued a challenge to all elementary, middle and high schools in the state of Maryland to "Go Orange" and demonstrate their support for the Orioles. Schools are encouraged to...