Matt Albers has retired all four batters he's faced today since replacing starter Andrew Miller in the sixth inning. He's gotten two ground balls and struck out two.Albers has allowed no runs or hits, walked one and struck out seven in 4 1/3 innings against the Orioles this season. His ERA this summer is down to 2.29, and I doubt that many Red Sox

Red Sox left-hander Andrew Miller has littered the bases in this game, but the Orioles can't clean up. Miller didn't allow a hit until catcher Craig Tatum bounced a single up the middle with one out in the fifth. Tatum came within a foot or so of dropping a double down the left field line earlier in the at-bat. Miller walked a batter in the first. He walked the bases loaded in the second. He walked a batter in the third. He hasn't exactly been sharp - unless you consider a stick of butter...

You have to wonder, if, as this game goes on, the Orioles will be able to make Red Sox starting pitcher Andrew Miller pay for his wildness. Miller had walked nine batters without a strikeout over 7 2/3 in his last two starts, one of which was against the Orioles. He walked the bases loaded with one out today in the last of the second, but Craig Tatum came up and inexplicably swung at the first pitch. He later grounded into an inning-ending double play on a 2-2 pitch that was out of the strike...

It's only 95 degrees at Camden Yards. I hope my box score and game notes don't blow out of the press box. Jake Arrieta struck out Kevin Youkilis looking at a 94 mph fastball to end the first inning. So far, manager Buck Showalter only plans to shut down Zach Britton later in the season, once the left-hander gets to around 175 innings. The other starters aren't facing the same restrictions. "Right now, innings-wise, Zach's the only one that would fit into that mode," Showalter said. "I...

Orioles pitcher Jake Arrieta will take the mound this afternoon against Boston looking to pitch the Orioles to a series win over the AL East leaders. After a stretch where he has given up 14 earned runs over 14 1/3 innings his past three starts, Arrieta has been working on some slight mechanical adjustments with his windup with pitching coach Rick Adair. Manager Buck Showalter said there is a clear reason why Adair approached Arrieta with the adjustment. "Fastball command," Showalter said....

Nationals No. 1 prospect Bryce Harper is not in the starting lineup for the Harrisburg Senators' afternoon game today at home versus Bowie. Harper was a late game defensive replacement in left field, and walked in his only plate appearance. Harper has been scuffling recently at the plate, going 1-for-25 since July 6. He is batting .171 for the Senators, with no extra-base hits. He has six hits in his first 35 at-bats over 10 games at the Double-A level. Harper has struck out eight times and...

I'll admit that they're scarce today. There wasn't much news coming out of manager Buck Showalter's pregame session with the media. Showalter indicated that reliever Jim Johnson could get a few starts late in the season, depending on the composition of the rotation past the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline and the Aug. 31 deadline for teams to set their playoff rosters. Johnson hasn't thrown enough pitches and innings in his relief appearances to immediately take on a starter's...

Matt Wieters is serving as the designated hitter and batting fourth in today's sweltering heat. For the Orioles: J.J. Hardy SS Nick Markakis RF Adam Jones CF Matt Wieters DH Derrek Lee 1B Mark Reynolds 3B Nolan Reimold LF Robert Andino 2B Craig Tatum C Jake Arrieta RHP

One of the Washington Nationals' greatest strengths is their community outreach. While chasing the Wild Card would be a nice feat for 2011, it's essential that players remember that who you are off the field is just as important as who you are on the field. Why? Because the second a player signs with a club and puts on the uniform, they become a face of an organization. Due to a large slew of weekend homestands this season, the Nationals haven't been able to participate in as many local...

For a change it had to be nice for the Orioles fans in the crowd of 32,314 to watch those in red walk out of Camden Yards unhappy. If this were hockey, my three stars from the Orioles 6-2 win Tuesday night over Boston would be Matt Wieters (third star), Jim Johnson (second star) and Jeremy Guthrie (first star). Wieters scored two runs and his clutch, two-out RBI hit in the third gave the Orioles a 3-0 lead. In the seventh, he threw out Marco Scutaro trying to steal second. He was trying to...