Put very simply, we are not used to this. Orioles fans are in no way emotionally prepared to be over .500 and in the playoff hunt this late in the season. The Orioles have spent 109 days over .500 this year. For the sake of context, last year the Orioles spent a grand total of 14 days over .500. This level of play has completely frayed the nerves of some Orioles fans, and if you don't believe me then you haven't been paying attention. Before last week's five game win-streak, there were...

A manager has something to do with winning, but whatever that is, it can't be measured and it is not certain how much it matters. Only that it does. If the average person were given the finest ingredients in the world they could not produce a dish as excellent as a master chef, and that is what Davey Johnson is as a manager. Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo gave Johnson the ingredients, but Johnson has worked them into a dish that has produced a 58-39 record 97 games into the...

It is one of those topics that might come up on a sports talk show and make for interesting conversation, even though the odds of it happening are very, very low. One of those topics came up on my radio show last night on 105.7 FM The Fan in Baltimore. A caller thought the Orioles should be sellers at the trade deadline and one big chip that they should trade is closer Jim Johnson. Keep in mind this was a caller suggestion and is not being rumored about by anyone and there has been no talk of...

So much has gone right recently. Since the Nationals' disastrous 11-10 extra-inning loss to the Braves (one that some seemed to feel would instantly end the Nats' season), Davey Johnson's bunch has won five of its last six games. In that six-game span, there aren't many flaws to pick at. But one negative jumps off the stat sheet at you. Over Henry Rodriguez's last two appearances, he's faced five batters. The result: a hit, four walks and two runs scored. Yesterday, he came into a...

Miguel Gonzalez gave up one run in his first start with the Orioles, three in his second and two in his third. He came within an out of three quality starts in three tries. Tonight, he didn't come close. "I didn't have my stuff tonight," he said. "I was trying to do my best, but it didn't work out." Gonzalez hit three Rays in 2 2/3 innings and nearly drilled a fourth in the helmet. "The ball was just slipping," he said. "I didn't have a good grip. It was just a battle." The...

As the curtain finally came down on the third inning tonight, Orioles manager Buck Showalter sat in the dugout with pitching coach Rick Adair and tried to formulate a plan for getting through the rest of the game without burning out his bullpen. Starter Miguel Gonzalez lasted only 2 2/3 innings. The baton would be passed multiple times until the two teams reached the finish line. So what's the state of the bullpen following the Orioles' 10-1 loss to the Rays before 19,582 at Camden...

The Orioles entered tonight having allowed three runs or less for seven consecutive games and their starters had recorded seven straight quality starts. They didn't come close to extending either streak to eight. Tampa Bay scored five runs in the first inning on its way to a 10-1 romp over the Orioles as the Rays take the first two games of this series and they can complete a three-game sweep tomorrow afternoon. Miguel Gonzalez took the loss, falling to 2-2 with an ERA of 4.28. He struggled...

Rays catcher Jose Lobaton hit his first major league home run tonight, a three-run shot off Orioles reliever Matt Lindstrom in the top of the fifth inning to increase Tampa Bay's lead to 10-1. Kevin Gregg is warming in the bullpen. If I'm Orioles manager Buck Showalter, I'm warming up my car and getting the heck out of here. According to Elias, Orioles right-hander Miguel Gonzalez is the first major league pitcher to allow leadoff home runs in his first two home starts since the Rockies'...

You've heard of pitchers who struggle in the first inning? Miguel Gonzalez struggles with the first batter. Gonzalez served up a home run to the leadoff hitter tonight for the second time in four starts. Tampa Bay's Desmond Jennings found the left field seats on the first pitch thrown by Gonzalez - one fewer pitch than it took for Detroit's Austin Jackson to give the Tigers a quick lead back on July 15 at Camden Yards. Gonzalez's troubles didn't stop there. They just got worse. He...

The last two nights the Orioles have a total of two runs on 11 hits and have gone 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. With their team average down to .239, its lowest mark since Opening Day, all the Orioles have to do tonight is beat Tampa Bay's David Price, who is first in the American League in wins and fourth in ERA. Matt Wieters has had some some success against the lefty, going 7-for-21 for a .333 average. "He's got a good arm and is a good pitcher," Wieters said. "The key for...