Zach Britton and Jake Arrieta left their respective games tonight almost at the exact same time. Neither one was feeling good about the results. Britton retired nine of 10 batters before Casper Wells tripled to lead off the sixth and scored on Mike Carp's single. Left fielder Nate McLouth initially was charged with an error after falling and letting the ball roll past him, but Wells is now credited with a three-bagger. Kevin Gregg replaced Britton, and Carp eventually scored after Wilson...

If you view the glass as half full, Zach Britton didn't allow an earned run in the first inning. If you view it as half empty, the Orioles are losing, 3-0. The Orioles must have been using a dribble glass. Britton committed an error when he failed to pick up leadoff hitter Dustin Ackley's weak ground ball in front of the mound. He struck out the next two batters before Jesus Montero reached on an infield hit on a sharp ground ball that deflected off third baseman Wilson Betemit's glove....

If you were asked which O's pitcher has the best ground-to-air out ratio you'd probably guess Jim Johnson and you'd be right. He has a ratio of 2.70:1 of ground-to-air outs. But many fans and reporters might not guess who ranks second on the club. It is Pedro Strop. The 27-year-old right-hander has had a great year out of the O's bullpen, going 4-2 with three saves and a 1.29 ERA. Strop has recorded 13 consecutive scoreless appearances over a total of 12 1/3 innings. If it seems like he...

The Orioles may not be parting ways with veteran outfielder Endy Chavez. Discussions are taking place that could allow the Orioles to keep Chavez in the organization. He would have to accept an assignment to Triple-A Norfolk if he clears waivers and isn't traded. Chavez apparently is open to the idea of resuming his career in the minors and perhaps being a September call-up. And the Orioles would like to have him around if it can be worked out. "They brought it up to me today, some things...

Zach Britton takes the mound for the Orioles tonight, making his fifth big league start of the 2012 season. One has been really good, but the other three have ranged from mediocre to bad. Britton pitched six scoreless innings against Cleveland on July 22 but over his past two outings he has given up 13 runs, all earned, over 8 1/3 innings as his ERA jumped from 3.60 to 8.35. With the O's in a playoff chase, how patient can they be with Britton and is this a big start for him...

Jayson Werth is out of the Nationals lineup for tonight's game against the Astros, this after he had complained about some tightness in his legs during last night's contest. Manager Davey Johnson pulled Werth in the eighth inning last night after his veteran outfielder had made it known that his legs were bothering him a bit. Since coming off the disabled list last Thursday, Werth is batting .438 (7-for-16) with an RBI and five walks in five games. Werth was on the DL for nearly three...

Manager Buck Showalter is going back to his left-handed lineup tonight, with Wilson Betemit at third base and Nate McLouth in left field. Omar Quintanilla gets another start at second base, while Ryan Flaherty takes another seat on the bench. For the Orioles: Nick Markakis RF J.J.Hardy SS Chris Davis DH Adam Jones CF Matt Wieters C Wilson Betemit 3B Nate McLouth LF Mark Reynolds 1B Omar Quintanilla 2B Zach Britton LHP For the Mariners: Dustin Ackley 2B Trayvon Robinson LF Michael...

For some time now, manager Davey Johnson and pitching coach Steve McCatty have been trying to get Nationals pitchers to throw more fastballs. Work off that pitch, they say. Establish the fastball, throw it for strikes, get ahead in counts and then mix in your off-speed stuff. It's a tried-and-true formula, one that forces hitters to put the ball in play, keeps pitch counts low and, when executed properly, gets the pitcher and his teammates off the mound quickly and back on offense. For...

Right-hander Yunesky Maya has had experience with the Nationals in the past, and was sent to Triple-A Syracuse to start the season to build on his command and control on the mound. Maya is 9-8 with a 3.54 ERA in 22 starts and has really turned it on since July 22, winning three straight games. In the last three starts, Maya has shown he can deliver on a consistent basis, allowing just three earned runs in the past 21 2/3 innings. In six of his last 10 starts, the Cuban right-hander has...

Baseball American's annual survey of American and National League managers turned up a few interesting choices involving the Orioles. Adam Jones was voted the AL's Best Defensive Outfielder ahead of the Angels' Mike Trout and the Tigers' Austin Jackson. Jones won a Gold Glove in 2009. Trout is going to be named Rookie of the Year, and perhaps Most Valuable Player, in 2012. May as well toss in a Gold Glove, too. Matt Wieters was chosen as Best Defensive Catcher, with the Twins' Joe...