Good news this week for Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs first baseman Chris Marrero, who has been slowed the last month as he recovers from an offseason torn hamstring. Manager Tony Beasley said Marrero has made big progress the last few weeks. "He has been running the bases," Beasley said. "He will run them again (today). He has been taking batting practice. He is feeling pretty good right now. We anticipate him back in probably (five) days or so. He will probably go and get some A-Bs...

The Orioles were respectable in extra innings last season, going 8-8. This season they are a remarkable, AL-best 12-2. The Orioles lost their first two extra-inning games of the season, and have now run off a win streak of 12 in a row. They have not lost in extras for nearly four months, since April 11. Last night's win took 14 innings and nearly five hours, making the Orioles 5-0 this year in games that last at least 13 innings. It probably won't surprise you to learn that the real key to...

The Baltimore Orioles have been confounding sabermetricians and national pundits all year. The Orioles currently sit eight games over .500 and are tied for the second wild card spot, even though they have been outscored this year. And not just outscored, but outscored badly. The Orioles' current run differential is currently -55 (447-502), which is awful. It is one of the worst run differentials in baseball and should not belong to a team in a legitimate playoff hunt. Bill James developed...

Ryan Flaherty sat at his locker yesterday afternoon, a smile on his face, and talked to a small group of reporters about his favorite NFL team (he's from Maine, so cut him some slack) and how much he looks forward to Sundays in the fall. He asked about the Ravens, another team he roots for, and we agreed that their rivalry with the Steelers is the best in football. It was a nice, relaxed chat, different from the usual baseball talk or quick exchange of pleasantries, before the clubhouse...

These streaks are getting pretty serious for the Orioles. They have now won 11 consecutive games decided by one run and 12 consecutive extra-innings games. The Orioles lost in extra innings on back-to-back nights at home to New York on April 10 and 11. They have not lost in extra innings since, going 5-0 in games that went to the 13th inning or later, like last night's 8-7 win over Seattle in 14 innings. A lot has been made of the Orioles -54 run differential on the year. But in extra-inning...

Tyler Clippard owes Roger Bernadina a big, juicy steak. Or 12. If not for Bernadina's dazzling defense, we'd be talking about how Clippard had blown four saves since the All-Star break, including two in as many nights. Instead, Clippard gets his 23rd save of the season thanks to a scoreless 12th inning. Looks pretty nice in the box score. I know Mike Trout's home run-robbing grab at Camden Yards earlier this season was just an insane play. There have been a few other ridiculous outfield...

The Orioles are 5-0 in games that last 13 innings or more, which borders on the ridiculous. Asked if he's ever seen anything like this, manager Buck Showalter replied, "I'd have to look back through it. I'm a pretty old guy. I doubt it. "You know, it's not a team that's sitting there going, 'Woe is me. Let's get this over.' They grind it. They put in so much effort. Like a basketball team. It takes so much intensity to get back into that game that sometimes it's tough to get over...

Anthony Rendon made his first start for high Single-A Potomac since early April, going 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs in the Nationals' 5-1 victory at Myrtle Beach. Right-hander Alex Meyer was meticulous in his execution again on the mound, improving to 2-0. The Kentucky star went six innings, allowing just two hits, with five strikeouts, one walk and one run surrendered on a groundout. The news not as comfortable for right-hander Chien-Ming Wang in his fifth rehab start for Double-A...

The Orioles' 14-inning win tonight was followed by a flurry of roster activity. Left-hander Zach Britton was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk after the game. Britton is 1-1 with an 8.10 ERA in five starts for the Orioles this season. Steve Johnson will be recalled from Norfolk and make his first major league start tomorrow night against the Mariners. Tommy Hunter, who was scheduled to start and warmed up in the 14th, will be available in relief. Also, infielder Ryan Flaherty left the ballpark...

It was another impressive win by the Orioles, even if it took 14 innings. In a game where the Orioles trailed twice by five runs, they beat the Mariners 8-7 in 14 on Tuesday night to improve to 59-51. The Orioles have now won 12 straight extra-inning games. In the bottom of the 14th, Omar Quintanilla led off with an infield single and moved to second on a Nick Markakis single, which was his fourth hit. The runners moved up a base on a J.J. Hardy bunt and then Chris Davis was walked...