The Orioles have put some together some rather stunning pitching stats this season at Tropicana Field. It is the place where they gave up just three runs total in sweeping a three-game, season-opening series. It is a place where they are 6-1 this year and have outscored the Rays there 30-11. The Orioles' team ERA at the Trop is 1.60 on the season and the ERA of the starting pitchers there is 1.47. Tampa Bay batters have just 36 hits in the seven games and are batting just .168 against...

The Orioles are sticking with a familiar lineup tonight against Tampa Bay right-hander Wade Davis. For the Orioles: J.J. Hardy SS Nick Markakis RF Adam Jones CF Vladimir Guerrero DH Matt Wieters C Mark Reynolds 1B Robert Andino 3B Nolan Reimold LF Ryan Adams 2B Alfredo Simon RHP For the Rays: Desmond Jennings LF Johnny Damon DH Evan Longoria 3B Matt Joyce RF B.J. Upton CF Casey Kotchman 1B Sean Rodriguez 2B John Jaso C Reid Brignac SS Wade Davis RHP

It doesn't seem like Calvin Maduro has been retired only five years. The way the former Orioles right-hander has been keeping busy, he's hardly had time to reflect on the fact that he hasn't thrown a pitch in anger since 2006, when he went 1-5 and worked mostly in relief for the O's Double-A affiliate in Bowie. "That sounded old," Maduro chuckled when asked if he felt like he belonged signing postcards and posing for photos as part of the Orioles Alumni autograph series after a recent...

Just about a month ago, some Orioles fans were jumping off the Zach Britton bandwagon. Now some of the same fans are probably looking to get back on. Britton began this year pitching very well and now it seems he is ending his season in the same fashion. Thanks to that seventh-inning rally Friday night, the Orioles' young gun lefty outdueled one of the top young lefties in the game in David Price. I know some fans jumped off the Britton bandwagon because I heard them do so in recent weeks...

Jim Johnson retired all six batters he faced last night after replacing Zach Britton in the seventh inning. I'll say it again: He's got to be in the top three voting for Most Valuable Oriole. His name will appear on my ballot. I talked to one reporter who said he'd choose Mark Reynolds over Johnson for third place behind Adam Jones and J.J. Hardy. I can't omit Johnson, who leads American League relievers in innings pitched and lowered his ERA last night to 2.58. We can continue to...

Orioles fans can dream of a future when a pitcher like Zach Britton goes toe to toe with Tampa Bay ace David Price and the Orioles escape with the victory. They can dream of it or just go back and watch the tape of tonight's game. Britton settled down after giving up two runs in the first inning and J.J. Hardy came up with a huge two-run single in the seventh as the Orioles and Britton rallied to beat Price and Tampa Bay, 3-2 tonight. The Orioles are now 7-6 on the year against the Rays and...

Nationals left-hander Ross Detwiler had been on the best roll of his young career coming in to Friday's series home opener against the New York Mets. He had won two of his last three decisions and allowed just five earned runs in those three games. But Friday was a different story entirely, in what Detwiler described as "definitely" his worst outing of the season. He lasted just 48 pitches in three innings, the big blow a David Wright three-run homer in the first inning that changed the...

Triple-A Norfolk center fielder Felix Pie left tonight's game in the top of the fourth inning with a strained hamstring. My guess is he'll be listed as day-to-day. Pie grounded to short to end the bottom of the third, making him 0-for-2 and leaving his average at .250. Tyler Henson moved to center as Pie's replacement, Brandon Snyder went from first base to left field, and Adam Donachie took over as the first baseman and leadoff hitter - something you're not likely to see happen again with...

The Orioles scored six runs Thursday against Toronto. They may not get to that total tonight facing Tampa's David Price. He is a pitcher on a roll right now. Price has an ERA of 1.45 over his last four starts and has allowed a batting average of just .173 in those starts. He went 3-2 with an ERA of 2.13 in six August starts. He is coming off an outing where he set a Tampa single-game record with 14 strikeouts. He pitched seven shutout innings of three-hit ball Sunday at Toronto with the 14...