Gonzalez traded to Rangers, Tatum catching tonight (more)
Gonzalez traded to Rangers, Tatum catching tonight (more)
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The Orioles traded left-hander Michael Gonzalez to the Texas Rangers today for a player to be named later. They just sent out a press release. The Orioles recalled left-hander Zach Phillips from Triple-A Norfolk to take Gonzalez's place on the 25-man roster. Gonzalez, 33, went 2-2 with one save and a 4.27 ERA in 49 appearances this season. He hasn't allowed a run in 13 straight outings, surrendering five hits, walking one and striking out 15 over 12 1/3 innings. Gonzalez went 1-3 with one...
Potomac fights to within one win of another postseason berth
Potomac fights to within one win of another postseason berth
Byron Kerr
Nationals
It is almost September. Must be time for another P-Nats postseason push. The Single-A Potomac Nationals are putting together the finishing touches on another second half surge as they attempt to return to the Carolina League postseason and defend their Mills Cup championship. Following Tuesday's thrilling 5-4 win in 10 innings at Lynchburg, the P-Nats are now one win away from clinching a berth in the postseason. The Frederick Keys already secured the first-half division crown. If the...
Rachel Levitin: Inflated expectations on home team's new mascot?
Rachel Levitin: Inflated expectations on home team's new mascot?
Josh Land
Nationals
These days, there appears to be a solid distinction in the way baseball fans - in Washington, D.C., especially - view the game. They watch the game and pick its intricacies apart with either a conservative, progressive or moderate lens. Nation's capital puns aside, it's a dichotomy that gets the Nationals' fan base riled up inside the ballpark, via Twitter or in the blogosphere. The baseball conservatives are traditionalists who tend to abide by the unwritten rule book. They say that fans...
Daniel Moroz: Longball at center of Hardy's renaissance
Daniel Moroz: Longball at center of Hardy's renaissance
Josh Land
Orioles
J.J. Hardy is having a very good offensive season. He is, in fact, having the best offensive season of his career. And that's coming entirely from one factor. Not more walks (he's doing worse than his career numbers) or fewer strike-outs (he's doing worse than his career numbers) or more hits when he puts the ball into play (he's doing worse than his career numbers). It's the longball. Hardy's 26 home runs already tie a career high (in only 102 games, no less), and there's a good...
Another look at Adams' big hit and GCL pitchers move to Aberdeen
Another look at Adams' big hit and GCL pitchers move to Aberdeen
Steve Melewski
Orioles
You have to feel good for a player that has played in 512 minor league games for six different teams and piled up 1,966 at-bats when he gets to the major leagues, and then has success. That is happening now, finally, for Ryan Adams, the Orioles' second-round pick in 2006 out of a New Orleans area high school. He's been everywhere from Bluefield, W.Va., to Baltimore, and last night he was in the right spot at the right time. His 10th-inning single gave the Orioles a 6-5 win over Toronto....
Phillips to be recalled
Phillips to be recalled
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The Orioles are prepared to make a move to expand their roster by recalling left-hander
Ryan Adams on his game-winning hit in the 10th
Ryan Adams on his game-winning hit in the 10th
Steve Melewski
Orioles
After he was retired on a pop up to second base with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth inning, Orioles second baseman Ryan Adams was hoping for another chance in a key spot. It came two innings later. His RBI single off the right-field warning track capped the Orioles' two-run last of the 10th as they rallied to beat Toronto 6-5 tonight. It is the first walk-off hit of Adams' brief big league career. Ryan Adams gets a pie in the face after his game-winning hit in the O's 6-5...
Showalter speaks after 6-5, 10-inning win
Showalter speaks after 6-5, 10-inning win
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Talk about riding a roller coaster of emotions. The Orioles should be dizzy from the last two innings of tonight's game, which ended with a 6-5 victory on Ryan Adams' walk-off single in the 10th. Kevin Gregg blew the save in the ninth by allowing the tying run, but the Blue Jays left the bases loaded. "I try to dwell on some of the positives," manager Buck Showalter said. "A lot of guys would have let that inning get real big and away from him, and he held them to one run. He's had some...
O's blow lead, but not game and beat Toronto in 10 innings
O's blow lead, but not game and beat Toronto in 10 innings
Steve Melewski
Orioles
It seemed like a game the Orioles were going to give away, but they took it back with a victory on Tuesday night against Toronto. After they suffered a blown save in the ninth and Toronto tied the game 4-4, the Jays went ahead 5-4 in the top of the 10th. But the Orioles came up with two runs in the last of the 10th to pull out a comeback, 6-5 victory in the series opener. Brian Tallet walked Matt Wieters and Mark Reynolds to start the 10th. With one out, a Jake Fox RBI single tied the game...
Gregg blows save in bizarre fashion (O's win, 6-5)
Gregg blows save in bizarre fashion (O's win, 6-5)
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The Orioles could have given closer Kevin Gregg a bigger margin for error in the bottom of the eighth after loading the bases with one out, but their failure to score meant the right-hander would have to protect a one-run lead. He couldn't do it. And it almost defies explanation. Gregg hadn't allowed a run in his last three appearances since the meltdown in Anaheim, when he failed to retire a batter for the second time in four outings. Gregg gave up a single to J.P Arencibia on the first...