Orioles manager Buck Showalter has talked often about how competitive Wei-Yin Chen is on the mound. It may be hard at times for fans or reporters to notice that side of him, but Matt Wieters said his teammates do. "He has that competitive spirit out there," Wieters said. "Anytime we've needed a big win or big game, he's stepped up for us and given us a good outing and chance to win. He doesn't get too caught in the moment, but also seems to know when it's a key time to step up." Like...

Manager Buck Showalter had his pick of impact players to talk about following today's 6-1 victory over the Athletics. Left-hander Wei-Yin Chen seemed like a good starting point. "The breaking ball and the changeup have really gotten better since the spring," Showalter said. "He and Rick (Adair) have done a great job with it. That's made his fastball that much better. I've had some really good pitchers and on nights when they're carrying really good stuff, there always seems to be deep...

It was not just another Sunday at Camden Yards. Wei-Yin Chen set a major league record for strikeouts by a Taiwenese-born pitcher, Matt Wieters returned to the lineup and hit a key homer, Omar Quintanilla had a big day at the plate and Adam Jones continued his recent run production increase. All that happened as the Orioles beat Oakland 6-1 in front of 19,698 to avoid a three-game sweep and improve to 53-49 on the year. The A's fall to 12-3 since the All-Star break and lose for just the...

Lew Ford is playing in his first major league game since September 2007, and he's become an instant favorite of fans here who love drawing out the sound of his first name whenever he does anything - hits, runs the bases, catches a fly ball, throws out a runner, comes close to throwing out a runner, towels off his face in the dugout. Wei-Yin Chen set the record today for most strikeouts by a Taiwanese player in the majors with 12, and he received two standing ovations - once when the message...

Of all the Orioles I've covered over the years, few of them spoke as little as Eddie Murray. You can debate the reasons - run-ins with and distrust of the media, the fact that he didn't crave the spotlight, the fact that there were other players willing to take center stage. But the fact remains that Murray wasn't talkative when the media approached. The routine was, well, routine. Reporter: "Hey, Eddie - got a minute?" Murray: "No, thank you." And that was that. That's not to say...

The Nationals have signed reliever Mike MacDougal to a minor league contract, according to the transactions page on the team's Web site. MacDougal, 35, has been assigned to Triple-A Syracuse. He started the season with the Dodgers, recording a 7.94 ERA in seven major league appearances. This is the righty's second go-round with the Nats; he appeared in 52 games with Washington in 2009, posting a 3.60 ERA and notching 20 saves in 21 chances. MacDougal will give the Nationals some relief...

Don't look now but Adam Jones' run production is on the rise. Again. Jones got the Orioles started today with an RBI double to left-center in the third for a 1-0 lead and then he scored moments later when Matt Wieters homered in the same general area to end a 1-for-31 drought. Jones now has nine extra-base hits with four doubles, a triple and four homers over his last 14 games. He has 12 RBIs over his last 13 games with four multi-RBI games in that stretch. Coming into today, over his last...

Orioles catcher Matt Wieters missed two games with a sore right biceps. He's been missing a lot of pitches, too. Not today. Wieters, mired in a 1-for-31 slump, hit a three-run homer off Oakland left-hander Travis Blackley in the bottom of the third inning to give the Orioles a 4-0 lead. Wieters had struck out in 15 of his last 30 at-bats before today. He hadn't homered since July 5 in Anaheim, when he posted his last multi-RBI game by collecting four against the Angels. Southpaws tend to...

A few moments ago, Brian Roberts told reporters at Camden Yards that he is opting to have surgery on the labral tear in his right hip. He played last night in Aberdeen, going 0-for-4 with a walk, but decided this was the best course of action. Here is Roberts' opening statement to reporters along with the questions and answers that followed: "After playing last night and giving it a go with my hip, we're going to proceed with surgery. It just hasn't responded the way we were hoping it...

Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts has decided to undergo season-ending surgery to repair a labral tear in his right hip. Roberts played in one rehab game last night at short-season Single-A Aberdeen. He was scheduled to play again tonight and perhaps be activated tomorrow in New York, but the persistent discomfort in his hip led to today's decision. One doctor recommended surgery, but a second suggested that Roberts attempt to rehab and continue playing. A cortisone injection hasn't...