Few people in this world are as unique as my mother, now 74. Often, I marvel at her peerless insights into human nature. Other times, her devil-may-care unpredictability makes me want to scream. Davey Johnson, the Nationals' excellent skipper, is a lot like my mother. Here are seven ways they are alike: Unpredictability: My mother's behavior and schedule are impossible to pin down. She could be anywhere at any time. For my sons' birthday parties, she might show up before, during or after...

I've convinced myself that I suffer from a very mild case of seasonal depression. For as long as I can remember, "back to school" has always been the worst phrase in the English language. I'm 24 and haven't been in a classroom since 2010, but there's something about the end of summer that brings me down just a bit. From the first moment I hear the smooth tones of Joe Angel and Fred Manfra broadcasting from spring training in Sarasota, I can almost feel the Baltimore humidity back in my...

It's amazing enough that the Orioles have won a club record of 13 straight one-run games, but how about this note: Jim Johnson has gotten a save in 12 of those 13 wins. Moments after Nate McLouth hit a dramatic two-run homer to give the Orioles a 4-3 lead in the last of the eighth yesterday, there he was on the mound again. Again, trying to protect the slimmest of leads and again doing it beautifully. There were a lot of heroes in another dramatic O's win last night, but at the end, there...

The Orioles are 3 1/2 games behind the Yankees in the American League East. They head to the Bronx after Thursday afternoon's tilt with the White Sox. You see where I'm going here? It's gone from interesting to really, really interesting. Manager Buck Showalter and his players aren't thinking about the wild card. They're focused only on the division lead. Oh yeah, and Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira is expected to miss the weekend series with a calf injury. Very...

The Orioles won their 70th game tonight, one more than the entire 2011 season. They also improved to 45-18 in games decided by two runs or fewer, and tied their season high by moving 13 games above .500. Buck Showalter's record improved to 173-173 since he took over as manager on Aug. 3, 2010. Tonight provided another example of how different players seem to step up and produce in the clutch, a key to any playoff run. Lew Ford hits his first major league home run in five years, and Nate...

The Orioles announced after tonight's game that they have optioned right-hander Jake Arrieta to Triple-A Norfolk. Arrieta did not make an appearance with the Orioles after being recalled on Sunday. He went 3-9 with a 6.13 ERA (101.1IP, 69ER) in 18 starts with the Orioles earlier this season. He went 3-4 with a 4.91 ERA (44.0IP, 24ER) in eight starts with the Tides.

Lew Ford and Nate McLouth were teammates at Triple-A Norfolk this summer. They didn't envision hitting home runs on the same night at Camden Yards. It's been that kind of a season. Ford led off the bottom of the second inning with a home run, his first with the Orioles. He also singled in the sixth. And McLouth's two-run shot in the eighth erased the White Sox's 3-2 lead. "I kind of thought about that tonight after he hit his. I was like, 'This is two of the guys who just came up and...

Jake Arrieta's latest stint with the Orioles was a brief one, as the right-hander was optioned back to Triple-A Norfolk to make room for Joe Saunders after the game. Arrieta didn't pitch for the club after being called up prior to Sunday's rainout. He's eligible to return to the Orioles on Sept. 4. He'll start for the Tides within the next three days.

Yes, it has been awhile since Wei-Yin Chen pitched for the Orioles. Before tonight, his last outing was Aug. 19 in Detroit, when he gave up five runs and seven hits over five innings. That day he gave up five runs in the first inning. Over his last three starts, Chen has pitched to an ERA of 7.47. Good for an airline, not an ERA. Over 15 2/3 innings in those outings, he gave up 25 hits including four homers, and a batting average against of .362. Buck Showalter is clearly aware of this Chen...

Wei-Yin Chen allowed 19 runs in the first inning before tonight, the most of any inning. He retired the White Sox in order, getting two fly balls and striking out Adam Dunn. Maybe that's a good sign. The Orioles tried to give him a lead in the bottom of the first, getting a leadoff single by Nick Markakis and a two-out single by Matt Wieters. Markakis was thrown out at the plate after a pitch from left-hander Francisco Liriano bounced away from catcher A.J. Pierzynski. Markakis began the...