Orioles pitcher Jason Hammel has requested an MRI on his right knee Wednesday after feeling a sharp pain tonight that he's hoping won't lead to another surgery or the end of his season. Hammel said he felt the knee grab on the second pitch thrown to Evan Longoria, who walked with two outs in the fourth inning. He threw one pitch to Matt Joyce, unable to apply any pressure to the right knee, before leaving the game. "It felt exactly as it did in the game against Detroit," said Hammel, who...

It wasn't exactly the way the Orioles drew it up, as their starter left the game in the fourth, but they used six pitchers and a huge game at the plate by J.J. Hardy to beat Tampa Bay 9-2 in Game 1 of a big three-game series at Camden Yards. Pending the outcome of the Yankees-Red Sox game in Boston, the Orioles trail the first-place Bronx Bombers by a half-game. Instant update: The Red Sox walked off with a 4-3 win over the Yankees, meaning the O's and Yankees are tied for first place in...

Some O's and Rays notes as this game moves to the fifth inning with the Orioles leading Tampa Bay 3-1. Steve Johnson came on to pitch in the top of the fourth tonight when Jason Hammel left with a right knee injury. Johnson is 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA over seven big league games, including two starts, this year. In 21 innings, he has allowed just 14 hits with six walks with 27 strikeouts and a batting average against of only .192. Impressive, as he has done that amid irregular work. He has...

For the second straight night, a Nationals starter is getting the job done against the Mets despite having some command issues. Last night, Gio Gonzalez walked five and was frustrated by his inability to locate his pitches, but he still worked six innings and allowed just a single run. Tonight, Jordan Zimmermann has walked three through four innings and has needed 83 pitches to get to this point, but he's thrown four scoreless frames. The Nats lead the Mets 1-0 thanks to Ryan Zimmerman's...

The Orioles continue to be health challenged, this time losing Jason Hammel to a right knee injury in the fourth inning. Hammel retired the first two batters before walking Evan Longoria. He threw one pitch to Matt Joyce and hopped off the mound. Manager Buck Showalter, pitching coach Rick Adair and head athletic trainer Richie Bancells came out of the dugout, and Hammel came out of the game without attempting a warmup pitch. Though it appeared that his left leg buckled, the Orioles announced...

The Orioles no longer lead the majors in errors and they don't have sole possession of second place in that dubious race. The Rockies lead the field with 112, followed by the Padres and Orioles with 100. The Rays committed their 98th tonight, tying them with the Giants and costing them a run. Right fielder Matt Joyce mishandled Matt Wieters' two-out bloop single down the line in the bottom of the first inning, allowing Adam Jones to score from first base and giving the Orioles a 1-0 lead....

Could this series between the Orioles and Tampa Bay be low-scoring? It certainly was the last time these teams played when there were three straight shutouts. Tampa Bay won the series opener 2-0 on Aug. 3 and then the O's posted 4-0 and 1-0 wins. Over three games, the Orioles outscored the Rays 5-2. The Rays' pitching staff leads the majors in ERA (3.22) and opponent average (.230) and leads the American League in strikeouts (1,170). Only one pitching staff in the last 25 years has led the...

The Orioles tried to trade Kevin Gregg over the winter and in spring training. He was available at the non-waiver deadline. They couldn't strike a deal, continued to use him sporadically and finally had to designate him for assignment today to create room on the 40-man roster. Signed to a two-year, $10 million contract with a $6 million team option for 2013, Gregg failed to hold onto the closer's job after converting 22 of 29 save opportunities last season. He never had a defined role this...

The Nationals continue to shine on the field as one of the top teams in baseball. The postseason accolades will come in due time, but as the season pushes forward into fall, it's the voice of the Nationals - Charlie Slowes - who finds himself in his own awards race. Slowes is among 41 veteran broadcasters chosen as candidates for the 2013 Ford C. Frick Award, which is presented annually by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y., for excellence in baseball...

It is not only players that come up from the minor leagues in September. Teams add some coaches, as well, and today Ron Johnson, the manager at Triple-A Norfolk, and Tides pitching coach Mike Griffin joined the Orioles. Manager Buck Showalter thought so much of their work this year that he had that duo join him at the podium for his pregame press conference today. Showalter has said several times how much he appreciated the job Johnson and his staff did this year as Norfolk went 74-70,...