The Orioles haven't announced the transaction, but left-hander Pedro Viola will join the team in Atlanta and be officially recalled from Double-A Bowie. Viola will replace Brian Matusz on the 25-man roster. This is a short-term move. Viola will give the Orioles an extra southpaw in the bullpen to counter the Braves' left-handed hitters, but he's not expected to stay long. Viola made one appearance with the Orioles this season, retiring all five Seattle Mariners that he faced. He joined...

There is something about Atlantic Coast Conference third basemen and the Nationals. The team grabbed a guy by the name of Ryan Zimmerman from Virginia in 2005 and now have signed

Things can change fast in baseball. A struggling team or player can turn things around with one good night or one good series. The Orioles need that in the worst way right now. Most of Oriole Nation seems to be predicting doom and gloom for the 10-game road trip against the Braves, Rangers and Red Sox that begins tonight at Atlanta. Here are some daunting stats as the road trip begins: * The Orioles have lost six of their last eight games and are 5-12 over the last 17. Since winning...

After Brian Matusz's terrible outing last night and his subsequent demotion to Triple-A Norfolk, the Orioles' future is looking very unclear. Going into the season, before Matusz's injury, he was one of the players with the fewest question marks. But now, who knows what will happen? A polished college pitcher who sailed through the minors the first time, we know he has the talent. Hopefully he can figure out what he needs to and get back to Baltimore. But what if he doesn't? It's a...

In taking stock of the recent struggles of the Orioles' starting rotation, I took a look at some of the recent stats and found that the O's starters were struggling really for the entire month of June. In the last six games, all at home, O's starters pitched to an ERA of 9.21 and they didn't have one starter go longer than 5 2/3 innings. The Orioles have just one quality start over the last 13 games and a starting pitcher ERA in that time of 6.58. But you can go back through the entire...

The Gulf Coast League Nationals roster includes several draft picks from this season's first-year haul. But Nationals director of player development Doug Harris is particularly excited about how the franchise's baseball academy in the Dominican Republic is now graduating several players to the GCL Nationals and the New York-Penn League Auburn Doubledays. Harris said the GCL squad has a couple of Dominican players that have really caught his eye. "The exciting part here is we have three...

Well, so much for finishing the homestand on a high note. The Orioles tied their season high by hitting into four double plays last night, and the Cardinals completed their first road sweep of the season. Brian Matusz was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk after the game, a move that couldn't have come as much of a surprise. Manager Buck Showalter wanted Matusz to work through his issues here, but he needed to see some results. Fastball command and velocity aren't where they need to be, and the...

Brian Matusz expressed confidence tonight that he'll regain his effectiveness once he's at Triple-A Norfolk. He sounds like he's in a good frame of mind. "Absolutely," he said. "It's going to be tough. I'm not getting it done up here. It's not fair for the team. Every fifth day I go out there and make starts like this. It's just motivation for me to get down there and work with Mike Griffin, the pitching coach, and get myself back to regular form. Brian Matusz speaks to the media...

The Orioles announced after tonight's game that they have optioned LHP Brian Matusz to Triple-A Norfolk. Matusz has gone 1-4 with an 8.77 ERA (25.2IP, 25ER) in six starts for the Orioles this season. A corresponding roster move will be announced tomorrow.

The Orioles optioned left-hander Brian Matusz to Triple-A Norfolk after tonight's game. A corresponding move will be announced tomorrow. Matusz is 1-4 with an 8.77 ERA in six starts since coming off the disabled list. He allowed eight runs and nine hits in 3 1/3 innings tonight in the Orioles' 9-6 loss to the Cardinals. Manager Buck Showalter said he's not angry with Matusz. "I just know he's capable of better," Showalter said. Showalter also said that Norfolk will be a "better...