ST. LOUIS - It's safe to say this is not how Edwin Jackson envisioned his return to St. Louis going. Facing the team he helped to a World Series title last season, Jackson went just 1 1/3 innings tonight, allowing nine runs (eight earned) on seven hits. He walked four and struck out none, and leaves with the Nationals trailing 9-1. Those of you who were still wrapping up dinner during the early innings, you missed a bit of action. It was clear from the start that Jackson just wasn't there....

The Orioles hit two more home runs in the first inning tonight, giving them a franchise-record 122 at home this season. That's only part of the story. Chris Davis hit a two-run homer to wipe out the Red Sox's 1-0 lead. The Orioles loaded the bases with two outs against Boston starter Aaron Cook, and Ryan Flaherty launched his first career grand slam. Orioles 6, Red Sox 1. Cook threw 30 pitches in the first inning. Alfredo Aceves began warming in the bullpen before Flaherty's...

ST. LOUIS - It's hard to believe - from my perspective, at least - but tomorrow will mark the start of the last regular season turn through the Nationals' rotation. Jordan Zimmermann will take the ball for the Nats tomorrow and then not pitch again until the postseason. As I mentioned earlier, the rotation alignment for the final four games of the regular season will depend on when the Nationals are able to clinch the division title. Manager Davey Johnson will have options when it comes to...

The Orioles are having a very good September with a winning percentage of .640 this month. That is exceeded only by August when the Orioles played .667 ball. Not bad to have your two best months be the last two. The Orioles went 18-9 in August and are 16-9 in September. The win percentage for the two months combined is .654 at 34-18. The Orioles team batting average is .267 and the team OPS is .792 this month. The Orioles are averaging 5.36 runs per game in September with 40 homers. The team...

Nolan Reimold has been at Camden Yards for the past few days, though he wasn't visible to the media until he strolled through the clubhouse this afternoon and plopped down on Chris Tillman's chair. Reimold is in town to get checked by a team physician and hang out for a little while. He's progressing well from surgery to remove a herniated disc and fuse the vertebrae, but he's not close to playing again. He couldn't suddenly be activated from the disabled list and become part of a playoff...

A player with the penchant for some big hits this year is ready tonight to replace the Orioles All-Star catcher for a big game vs. Boston. With Matt Wieters not with the team this evening after the birth of his first child early this morning, Taylor Teagarden will start behind the plate for the Orioles against the Red Sox. "I'm excited about every time I get in there. It's a great opportunity for me and I'm excited to be in there," Teagarden said. He has made 14 starts this season and...

On Saturday, September 29, Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson will be the sixth and final Oriole honored as part of the Orioles Legends Celebration Series. A larger-than-life bronze sculpture of Robinson will be revealed in a ceremony in the Legends Area beyond center field beginning at 5:15 p.m. All gates open at 5:00 p.m., and all fans in attendance will receive a replica of the sculpture. Robinson will also be honored in an on-field ceremony and will throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to...

As a "thank you" to fans for their support throughout the 2012 season, the Orioles will hold their annual Fan Appreciation Celebration during their last series of the season when they host the Boston Red Sox for three games, Friday, September 28 through Sunday, September 30 at Oriole Park. The three day celebration includes many opportunities for the Orioles to give back to their fans. Celebrations on Friday, September 28 include randomly selecting a fan to throw out the first pitch,...

After playing the last two games with a painful ingrown finger nail on the middle finger of his throwing hand, Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy had it removed after Wednesday's game. It got so bad that he admits he wasn't sure he could make accurate throws during that game with Toronto and he had to adjust how he fielded the ball. "It was tough," Hardy said. "I went in to see if I could throw in the batting cage (before that game) and I was throwing it in the top of the net and all over the...

As I wrote in my last blog entry, Matt Wieters is expected to rejoin the team for Saturday's game. He won't be here tonight, according to manager Buck Showalter. Wieters still hadn't gotten any sleep by 3 p.m. today. He's past the 24-hour mark, which is fine if you're hosting a telethon, but not if you're a major league catcher. "He's got his priorities where they need to be," said manager Buck Showalter, who has exchanged a few text messages with Wieters today. "He's still at the...