It is looking unlikely, but Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis still has hopes to return to the active roster before the All-Star break. The Orioles will send Markakis to short-season Single-A Aberdeen next Monday and Tuesday, and to Double-A Bowie Wednesday through Friday. He may not play in games there, but will continue to receive treatment from the medical staffs at those two affiliates while spending some time working with Terry Crowley and Mike Bordick. Orioles doctors will examine...

Left-hander Ross Detwiler, (4-3, 3.09 ERA) will take the mound tonight, looking to beat the division-rival Braves. Atlanta is second in the NL East, 3 1/2 games behind the Nats. For Atlanta, righty Randall Delgado will take the mound. He's 4-8 with a 4.52 ERA on the season. The Nationals are hoping their bats will stay hot at Turner Field. In their last series, a four-game set in Colorado, the Nats scored a total of 35 runs. For the Nats: LF Steve Lombardozzi CF Bryce Harper 3B Ryan...

Robert Andino and Wilson Betemit will handle the infield corners tonight for the Orioles. Betemit is moving to first base after committing his 12th error last night, and his 10th at third base. Andino will start at third tonight. Xavier Avery remains in the lineup in left field. Mark Reynolds is on the bench. For the Orioles: Brian Roberts 2B Xavier Avery LF J.J. Hardy SS Adam Jones CF Wilson Betemit 1B Chris Davis DH Matt Wieters C Ryan Flaherty RF Robert Andino 3B Jake Arrieta RHP As...

The Orioles reached contract agreements with three draft picks today, coming to terms with second-round pick Branden Kline, a pitcher from the University of Virginia, along with fourth-rounder first baseman Christian Walker and seventh-round pick pitcher Matt Price. Both Walker and Price played at the University of South Carolina. Kline, from Thomas Johnson High in Frederick, Md., went 7-3 with a 3.56 ERA this year at UVa, pitching as a starter after being named all-ACC in 2011 as the...

In Baltimore, one of the quirky perks reserved for favorite sports sons is the notion that they're on a first-name basis with the fan base. Say "Brooks," "Cal" or "Boog," and pretty much any Orioles fan will know exactly who you're talking about. No explanation - or last name - is necessary. Same with Earl Weaver, who spent his entire major league managerial career at the helm of the Orioles in two stints and amassed an impressive .583 winning percentage along with the 1970 World...

Five Harrisburg Senators have been invited to play for the Western Division in the Eastern League All-Star Game, known as the Baseballtown All-Star Classic. The game will be July 11 at FirstEnergy Stadium in Reading, Pa., beginning at 7:05 p.m. The Nationals' Double-A representatives include two pitchers, one infielder and two outfielders. Right-handed pitchers Kevin Pucetas and left-hander Danny Rosenbaum have been invited. Pucetas has a 6-3 record with a 2.63 ERA in 19 games with five...

The Nationals did not win the game, but they did get a key ninth-inning play from an important player that could open the door to a surge before the All-Star break. The Rockies ended up beating the Nationals 11-10 in 11 innings Thursday, but it would not have been that way had it not been for Bryce Harper. Throughout the series against Colorado, Harper wasn't getting much to hit or, he felt, many calls. "The whole series they were pitching me out and up," Harper said. "They didn't throw...

In sports, anything can happen on any given night. There are no certainties. Still, you have to wonder if the Nationals feel like they let an opportunity slip away by winning just two out of their four games against the Rockies, a team with the third-worst record in baseball. Of the four starting pitchers the Rockies sent to the mound during this series, one was making his major league debut and the other three all had ERAs over 5.50. Counter that with the four starters the Nationals sent...

The Orioles' loss to Cleveland Thursday night continued a recent slide that has fueled pessimism for some fans. At this exact time of year in 1957, as the O's faced the same team on the diamond, the opposite scenario played out during Baltimore's first non-losing season since moving from St. Louis in 1954. Back then, there was plenty of reason for optimism in June, thanks to some remarkable work by the O's pitching staff. The '57 Birds took three of four from the Indians during a series...

During his conference call with reporters after becoming the fourth-overall pick in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft, Kevin Gausman invoked the name of another former LSU pitcher selected by the Orioles in the first round. Ben McDonald was the first overall pick in 1989 and spent seven seasons with the Orioles. He's been watching Gausman closely while serving as an analyst on LSU broadcasts, dissecting both the kid's delivery and his character. He's invited Gausman to his Baton Rouge home....