Orioles manager Buck Showalter was proud of starter Jake Arrieta. He was proud of the way his undermanned bullpen battled. He was proud of the at-bats Robert Andino and Mark Reynolds gave the club. If only he could reverse the final score. Mark Teixeira blooped a two-out double down the left field line against Kevin Gregg in the top of the 10th inning, and Nick Swisher followed with a long home run to right field. "He made a really good pitch (to Teixeira)," Showalter said. "Kevin threw...

Manager Buck Showalter must have known that third baseman Mark Reynolds would respond tonight with a big game. Reynolds walked in his first two plate appearances and doubled into left-center field with two outs in the fifth to score two runs and give the Orioles a 4-3 lead. That's pretty big. It's not three-homer big, but it's sizable. Reynolds didn't have an RBI before tonight. Unless my scorecard is wrong - and that happens - Reynolds didn't have a ball hit to him until catching...

FLUSHING, N.Y. - How did Stephen Strasburg react to the Nationals' decision to let him throw a career-high 108 pitches and finish off the sixth inning of today's game despite having the go-ahead runner on base? Is that a real question? He welcomed the heck out of it. Stephen Strasburg talks about going six innings in the Nats' 4-0 win "I just want to be another guy in the clubhouse," Strasburg said. "It's not like I've never thrown over 100 pitches in my life. It's just something...

Single-A Delmarva's Dylan Bundy retired all nine batters he faced again tonight, this time dominating the Kannapolis lineup over three innings. He struck out six, including five in a row, and has fanned 12 of the 18 batters he's faced for the Shorebirds. In spring training, we call these simulated games. It sure isn't batting practice. The Orioles are off Thursday, but manager Buck Showalter has arranged a field trip of sorts for at least nine of his players. Showalter has made...

Dylan Bundy's second pro start for the Orioles went about as well as the first one. In fact, just as he did in that outing last Friday night, Bundy tonight retired all nine batters he faced for Single-A Delmarva over three perfect innings, this time at Kannapolis, again with six strikeouts. He has pitched six perfect innings with 12 strikeouts over his first two outings. Bundy struck out the first batter he faced in this game and then the last five to come up against him. Bundy's line...

FLUSHING, N.Y. - Nationals closer Drew Storen had surgery to remove a small bone fragment from his elbow today, according to an industry source. The procedure was not considered major, and Storen is expected to return sometime during the middle of the season, likely before the All-Star break. Storen battled elbow issues in spring training, and was shut down when he started feeling tightness in the joint of his throwing elbow. He started picking up his rehab program last week, and while he...

The rain delay lasted 20 minutes. Jake Arrieta has warmed up and allowed a leadoff double to Derek Jeter and a two-run homer to Curtis Granderson. Six pitches into the game, the Orioles are losing, 2-0. The temperature here is 53 degrees, and it's not expected to go up. I checked. Arrieta is scheduled to pitch the series-opener in Chicago on Monday, going on normal rest, with Wei-Yin Chen being held back until Tuesday. That's what manager Buck Showalter meant by using the off-day on...

FLUSHING, N.Y. - For the first time in his professional career, Stephen Strasburg topped the 100-pitch mark today. To the bulk of the baseball world, that's a fairly major storyline. The Nationals, for the first time, really took the reins off their workhorse, their No. 1 starter, and let him throw 108 pitches over six innings in a 4-0 win over the Mets. Strasburg has been handled delicately since being taken with the No. 1 pick in 2009, his innings and pitch totals carefully monitored and...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter spoke briefly to third baseman Mark Reynolds this afternoon and wrote his name in the lineup. Showalter has noted that Reynolds, struggling in the field with two errors and at the plate with a .143 average, no homers and no RBIs, worked hard over the winter and deserves more of an opportunity. He also doesn't want to move Reynolds to first base or use any player as the primary designated hitter and lose the flexibility at that spot. Asked if he considered...

The Orioles signed 33-year-old right-hander Joel Pineiro to a minor league contract today. Orioles vice president Dan Duquette said they intend to get him soon into Triple-A Norfolk's rotation and he provides more depth for the major league club. He could eventually be a long reliever working out of the Orioles bullpen. "We agreed to terms with Joel Pineiro on a Triple-A contract," Duquette said a few minutes ago. "He's a winning major league pitcher. Has a good sinker and excellent...