It's mid-May, and the Orioles are 22-13 and have a 12-6 record against the American League East. What a beautiful sentence. As a pessimist, the part of the sentence that pops out immediately to me is "mid-May." I will never be the first to say that Team X is "for real" or that Team Y has a great shot for a pennant this season until I can declare so with certainty. Call me superstitious. However, to me, the Orioles carry more weight than any other team, and as a fan, I have to admit...

I'm not entirely sure how a guy can strike out the side on just 10 pitches in a save situation one night, looking absolutely locked-in and unhittable in the process, and then walk two, allow two hits and surrender a walk-off grand slam in a save situation the very next night. Henry Rodriguez entered both games with a one-run lead in the ninth inning. He was facing the same team. He was pitching in the same ballpark. He just delivered two vastly different performances, and showed again that...

According to weather.com, there's a 90 percent chance of rain today and an 80 percent chance tomorrow. The Orioles have games scheduled today and tomorrow against the New York Yankees at Camden Yards. Sounds like a conflict to me. The Orioles could use a break, since their next off-day isn't until May 24 and the revolving door that leads into the clubhouse hasn't stopped spinning in more than a week. Stu Pomeranz deserved to stay on the 25-man roster, but the Orioles needed another bench...

Ever since outfielder Brian Goodwin went down with a quad injury running to first base after a single April 9, many have wondered when the former Miami Dade College star would return to low Single-A Hagerstown. Goodwin was a prized 2011 draft selection by the Nationals and is still touted as a future leadoff hitter/center fielder with the speed and plus-plus tools to become and everyday major league contributor. In just five games, Goodwin showed he was ready to play well in the pros, able to...

Even though he doesn't seem to get much publicity and is not considered by the experts to be among the Orioles best pitching prospects, lefty Jake Pettit was off to a strong start in his first year at Double-A Bowie. But now he is on the disabled list. Pettit felt some elbow soreness after his most recent start on Friday, May 4 against Akron. He is 3-0 with an ERA of 3.90 in six Baysox starts. He had an ERA of just 1.57 through four starts, then gave up 10 earned runs in 9 1/3 his past two...

In the six games between the Nationals and Reds this season prior to today, Joey Votto had just one extra-base hit - a double back on April 15. Today, Votto has two home runs in as many at-bats. The 2010 National Leauge MVP has taken Edwin Jackson yard twice, but luckily for Jackson and the Nats, both longballs have been solo shots. Outside of Votto, the Reds haven't done all that much off Jackson, who allowed just three hits through four innings. The Nats lead the Reds 4-2 as we go to the...

Jake Arrieta admitted today that he's putting a lot of pressure on himself to turn in quality starts, which is hurting the cause. Today, he allowed seven runs and a career-high 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings, with two walks and six strikeouts. "I think I need to relax a little bit and trust myself, because I'm more than capable of making good pitches when I need to get guys out," he said. "It's just a matter of going out there and doing it and not trying to do too much. Certain times I try...

The Orioles didn't have any quit in them today, but they didn't have a comeback, either. Oh sure, they made it close, losing 9-8 to the Rays before 29,552 at Camden Yards after falling behind 7-1. They just couldn't get over the hump. Jake Arrieta put them in a big hole by allowing seven runs and 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings. His early departure further taxed a short bullpen. "I think it's the command of the fastball," manager Buck Showalter said. "I don't think it's real complicated....

Even on a day where they lost and saw a seven-game win streak against American League East opponents come to an end, the Orioles did some impressive things. They rallied from down 7-1 to within 7-6, but Tampa Bay had enough in the end to hold off the Orioles for a 9-8 win, denying the Birds their first three-game home sweep of the Rays since July 24-26, 2007. Matt Wieters hit a two-run homer and Nick Markakis drove in three runs during Orioles rallies in the sixth and seventh. But Tampa Bay...

The Orioles were down, 7-1, and appeared to have no chance against Rays starter James Shields, but the momentum swung dramatically. Three runs scored in the sixth and two more came across in the seventh, leaving the Orioles behind 7-6 as we headed to the top of the eighth. Troy Patton was cruising along, having retired all six batters he faced. He fanned Chris Gimenez leading off the eighth, giving the left-hander a career-high five strikeouts, but Elliot Johnson and Ben Zobrist hit...