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...

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.