Tonight the Orioles play their second game in a stretch of 11 of 14 against first-place teams Chicago and New York. Last night's 4-3 win got the Orioles off to a good start. Right after that stretch ends on Sept. 9 against the Yankees at Camden Yards, the O's then play six straight against Tampa Bay and Oakland, two other playoff contenders. In other words, if they are still in the race for a playoff spot by mid-September, they will have earned it. After that they end the regular season...

"There are no Cinderellas in baseball. Those pumpkins don't play in this league." - Orioles manager Buck Showalter Veteran left-hander Randy Wolf is headed to Baltimore and is expected to throw here before signing a contract. The Athletics were among the teams that held serious interest in Wolf, but the Orioles apparently have won out. Wolf could pitch in relief or be used as a starter, Showalter said. It sounds like Wolf will be a bullpen guy unless a starter goes down with an...

Growing up in Falls Church, Va., before he would go to Virginia Tech and later become an Angels' first-round draft pick, Joe Saunders would come to Baltimore to watch his favorite team, the Orioles, play. Now, after Sunday's trade from Arizona, Saunders is an Oriole, and he will make his first O's start tomorrow night at Camden Yards. He won't need a ticket to get in this time. "They had Cal here. They had Brady Anderson, Chris Hoiles, Mickey Tettleton, Raffy Palmeiro, Mike Mussina, a...

In a move that would add depth to the rotation and maybe provide a second left-hander to the bullpen, the Orioles are nearing an agreement with pitcher Randy Wolf, according to an industry source. Wolf, in his 14th major league season, was 3-10 with a 5.69 ERA in 25 appearances (24 starts) with the Brewers before they let him go. He allowed 179 hits in 142 1/3 innings, most in the National League, and posted a 1.574 WHIP. The Orioles just traded for left-hander Joe Saunders, who will start on...

The Nationals will get a jolt to their lineup as they look to snap a four-game losing streak tonight. Both Ian Desmond and Michael Morse will return after missing almost the entirety of the Nats' recent three-game series with the Phillies due to injuries. Desmond (strained right hamstring) technically appeared in Sunday's game when he was announced as a pinch-hitter, but that was just a ploy by manager Davey Johnson to get the Phillies to bring in a right-handed reliever. Desmond was then...

Another right-handed lineup tonight for the Orioles, which means Lew Ford is the designated hitter, Robert Andino is the second baseman and Matt Wieters is the cleanup hitter. For the Orioles: Nick Markakis RF J.J. Hardy SS Adam Jones CF Matt Wieters C Lew Ford DH Mark Reynolds 1B Nate McLouth LF Manny Machado 3B Robert Andino 2B Chris Tillman RHP Tillman has allowed seven runs and 14 hits over 7 2/3 innings in two career starts against the White Sox. He's walked five and struck out three....

As the Orioles get ready to add Joe Saunders to their rotation, the good news is that the rotation is pitching pretty well right now. Unlike many times this year, there is no clear-cut candidate currently not pitching well to be replaced in the rotation. In fact, since Aug. 4, the Orioles have played 21 games and gotten 13 quality starts (six innings or more, allowing three earned runs or less) in that time. They are 12-1 in those 13 games. One stat that has held firm most of this year is...

The Orioles today announced that LHP Joe Saunders has been added to the 25-man roster. Saunders was acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for RHP Matt Lindstrom on Sunday. He will wear No. 48.

The Nationals gained more of a buffer on the Braves without even stepping on a field yesterday, as the Padres shut out Atlanta 3-0 to make Washington's lead in the National League East a full five games and six in the loss column. Don't look now, but the Braves have dropped seven of their last 10 contests. I wonder if they're starting to get as antsy down in Atlanta as some are getting here in the DMV. The Nationals arrived in Miami yesterday after having their travel adjusted due to...

After Sunday's 10-7 loss to Frederick, the high Single-A Potomac Nationals are now three games back, behind Wilmington with seven games to play. Tonight, the P-Nats (29-33) begin a four-game set at Carolina (29-34). The final three games are at Wilmington (33-31). So, if the P-Nats can stay within three games of the Blue Rocks, they will have a chance at the second-half division title. Wilmington has six games remaining, all at home. The Blue Rocks face Myrtle Beach tonight. The Pelicans...