Here is a good question: Is it time to start worrying about the Orioles' lack of offense? For a while the club was bashing homers but now the homers and runs scored have slowed a bit. Over the last 10 games, the Orioles have scored just 30 runs and eight times in those ten games they have scored three runs or less. They actually won four games in a row scoring 3, 2, 3 and 5 runs but lost last night 5-2 and picked up just five hits in 31 at-bats against Oakland pitching. The team has just 68...

Adam LaRoche is doing his best to keep the Nationals in this one, but they've still got some work to do. The Nats trail 3-2 as we go to seventh, thanks to a solid outing by Ross Detwiler and the one guy who has provided consistent offense for this team in 2012 - LaRoche. The first baseman's two-run homer in the sixth inning has gotten the Nats back to within a run, but with Clayton Kershaw still on the hill, they'll have to battle it out against the tough lefty to try and even this game...

I can only assume that the MASN cameras must have focused on Brady Anderson's name inscribed on the glove of Orioles left-hander Brian Matusz. Or perhaps the announcers talked about it. I'm not quite sure, but I've received a ton of inquiries about it. I wouldn't have noticed it from my seat in the press box, and the media isn't allowed to poke through the players' lockers. I could only take your words for it until finally approaching Matusz yesterday afternoon. "Hey Brian, I've got a...

After giving up three runs in the second inning tonight and taking the loss in the Orioles' 5-2 defeat against Oakland, Orioles starter Jake Arrieta criticized himself for allowing the early big inning to the A's. "I fell behind (Eric)Sogard there. Really wasn't able to make pitches down in the zone to him," Arrieta said after allowing four runs over 5 2/3 and throwing 105 pitches. "The walk to (Kila) Ka'aihue, a four-pitch walk. Mental mistakes there, no reason I should have a...

The Nationals opened their series in Los Angeles against Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers with phenom Bryce Harper arriving for Saturday night. Kershaw crashed that good feeling early and often, as the Dodgers hung on for a 3-2 win over the Nationals at Dodger Stadium. Kershaw set the tone early by striking out the side in the first inning, sandwiched around an error that got Steve Lombardozzi on base. Kershaw (2-0) notched his 12th straight win at home, going eight innings, allowing just...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter gave a figurative tip of the cap to Oakland starter Brandon McCarthy following a 5-2 loss at Camden Yards. He also talked about his own starter, Jake Arrieta, who didn't make it through the sixth inning. "We didn't do much off McCarthy," Showalter said. "I think that was a big part of it. Jake almost got through six innings. He never really got in sync rhythm-wise. His command wasn't what it's capable of, but he kept us in the ballgame. I thought the two...

Adam Jones is clearly not a fan of the fan that ran on the field here at Camden Yards tonight. A male fan ran on the field during the seventh inning stretch, removed his orange T-shirt and darted through the outfield. He veered to the infield after juking a policeman, rounded third base and dived across the plate. After hopping to his feet in a further attempt to elude police, he was tackled from behind by plate umpire Jeff Kellogg. Jones clearly approved of the umpire's actions. "That...

The Orioles run of excellent starting pitching ended tonight as Oakland scored three early runs off Jake Arrieta and went on to a 5-2 win over the Orioles in front of 18,297 on a chilly night at Camden Yards. After watching their starters pitch to an ERA of 0.71 during a four-game win streak, allowing just two earned runs over the last 25 1/3 innings, Arrieta allowed four runs on four hits tonight over 5 2/3 innings. He takes the loss to fall to 1-2 with an ERA of 4.45. Arrieta had an ERA of...

Kevin Gregg made his first appearance tonight since April 18 in Chicago, his introduction greeted with boos from what remained of an announced crowd of 18,297. By the third out, they were applauding Gregg, who struck out the first two batters he faced in the ninth inning and induced a fly ball to shallow right field. Gregg threw 10 pitches, seven for strikes, and lowered his ERA from 9.64 to 7.94. Gregg has turned in two straight scoreless outings since allowing six of seven Blue Jays to...

Jake Arrieta threw 70 pitches through the third inning tonight, giving the impression that he wouldn't stick around much longer and the Orioles would make some feeble attempt to retrieve Jason Berken before he unpacked his bags in Norfolk. Arrieta needed 15 pitches to complete the fourth and nine to get through the fifth. The A's were doing him a favor by no longer making him work. Well, they worked him over a bit in the sixth, and he's out of the game. Josh Reddick homered with one out...