The Orioles just announced that they're going to select the contract of Double-A Bowie shortstop Manny Machado before tomorrow night's game against the Royals at Camden Yards. How's that for a surprise? The Orioles stated in the press release that Machado, the third-overall pick in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, will be making his major league debut. However, he won't necessarily start tomorrow. And he's not going to unseat J.J. Hardy at shortstop. Machado, 20, is batting...

Manager Buck Showalter didn't give any assurances that Steve Johnson will remain in the Orioles' rotation. You will have to read between the lines. "Let us get through (tonight)," Showalter said. "We've got a lot of moving parts right now. He certainly presented himself well tonight." You decide. "Stevie was good, huh?" Showalter said. "That was fun to watch. I tried to watch it as a manager trying to win a game, but also a fan of those type of situations." Showalter went to his...

As Steve Johnson walked off the mound tonight after the top of the sixth inning, he had no idea whether he would come back out for the seventh. Manager Buck Showalter considered it - the sentimental side nudging at him - but he didn't want Johnson having another "up" and reliever Troy Patton perhaps entering an inning that wasn't clean. The night was a huge success anyway. No need to add to it. Johnson picked up his first major league win exactly 23 years after his father, Dave, did the...

Several Single-A Auburn Doubleday players have had great starts to their seasons with five of them being rewarded with invites to the New York-Penn League All-Star Game. The game is August 14 at Mahoning Valley. The five invitees are right fielder Wander Ramos, left fielder Estarlin Martinez, first baseman Shawn Pleffner, shortstop Wes Schill and catcher Craig Manuel, according to Auburn manager Gary Cathcart. Pleffner, a 26th rounder in 2011 and born in Washington, D.C., is hitting .322 in...

Matt Wieters caught 14 innings last night. In the heat. In August. His body is screaming for rest, but not tonight. Not with Steve Johnson making his first major league start. Wieters called the pitches for Johnson and made certain that the rookie would have lots of run support, too. He's 2-for-4 with two doubles and five RBIs, as the Orioles have taken a 9-2 lead over the Mariners at Camden Yards. In the last two nights, Wieters is 5-for-10 with three doubles, two home runs and seven RBIs....

Baltimorean Steve Johnson was more than up for the challenge. For Johnson, 23 years to the day after his dad got his first major league win, he got his first. The hometown kid did well tonight as the Orioles beat Seattle 9-2 to sweep the three-game series. Making his second major league appearance but first start, Johnson pitched six innings, allowing five hits and two runs with two walks and nine strikeouts. He threw 97 pitches, 67 for strikes. Johnson struck out the side in the first...

We've had a sacrifice bunt which scored a runner from first and left the bunter standing on third base. We've had a leaping catch against the wall in left-center which was one of the best grabs you'll see all season. We've had a sacrifice fly called back because the pitcher was called for a balk, scoring a run. We've had two extra-inning games in consecutive nights played between the best team in the majors and the worst team in the majors. Now, we have Gio Gonzalez crushing a two-run,...

Steve Johnson threw 12 pitches in the top of the first inning tonight, all of them for strikes. He struck out the first two Mariners, gave up a soft single on an 0-2 pitch and struck out the cleanup hitter. Who is the last Orioles pitcher to strike out the side in the first inning in his first major league start? Get Elias on the phone. Johnson disposed of Dustin Ackley and Michael Saunders on six pitches. Jesus Montero looped a single into right field, just in front of a charging Nick...

Barring a last-second change of heart, it appears that the Orioles are prepared to move pitcher Dylan Bundy from Single-A Frederick to Double-A Bowie after he pitches for the Keys tonight at home against Lynchburg. Bundy is 5-3 with a 2.57 ERA over 10 Keys starts. In 49 innings he has allowed 41 hits with 15 walks and 56 strikeouts. But over his last three starts, he has allowed just one earned run over 16 1/3 innings, lowering his ERA on the season from 3.58 to 2.57. He looks ready to move...

The Orioles are 64-36 against the Mariners at Camden Yards since it opened in 1992. The Orioles are on pace to win 87 games in Buck Showalter's second full season as manager, which would be an 18-game improvement over last year's 69-93 record. In 2004, Showalter's second full year in Texas, he led the Rangers to an 18-game improvement and was named the American League's Manager of the Year. Showalter led the Diamondbacks to a 35-game improvement in his second year in Arizona in 1999. The...