Jeremy Guthrie needs to play the role of stopper today and end this losing streak at two games. I guess two games constitute a streak. Guthrie is 7-4 with a 2.92 ERA over his last 11 starts dating back to July 23. Only three other pitchers have won more games since that date: Roy Halladay (10), Ervin Santana (nine) and Trevor Cahill (eight). Guthrie has won his last two road starts - his first back-to-back road victories this year - and hasn't allowed an earned run spanning 15 1/3 innings....

Well, O's starters couldn't put up great numbers every night. Kevin Millwood and Chris Tillman have allowed 11 ER over 11 innings the last two games. After a stretch where O's starters recorded quality starts in nine of ten games, missing only when Brian Matusz left a game early after a line drive off his left arm, O's starters now have just one quality start over the past six games. Their ERA is 6.46 over that time. Probably just a bump in the road and let's see if Jeremy Guthrie can...

The Orioles outhit the Blue Jays, 16-5. Chris Tillman walked only one batter over six innings. So why aren't they celebrating a win? Because, as a reader pointed out earlier today, Tillman didn't need to worry about walks. The Jays come out swinging like Hugh Hefner in a smoking jacket. Unfortunately, they also connect. Jose Bautista homered twice, giving him 52 on the year and more explaining to do, and Vernon Wells also took Tillman deep. That's three more home runs on the season for a...

Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman missed a couple of games with a rib strain, but before he went down with that injury, I had a chance to talk to the Nats' silver slugger about the season and what lies ahead for the Nationals in 2011. He explained why he has been so consistent at the plate and continues to make the case for resigning slugger Adam Dunn. Zimmerman says hitting .300 is certainly a goal each year, but feels being consistent at the plate is the key every year to reaching that...

The team with the most homers in the Majors used the longball to beat the Orioles tonight. Despite being outhit 16-5, Toronto hit three homers in a 6-4 win over the Orioles in game one of the three-game series. Jim Hunter asks Buck Showalter about the Birds' 6-4 loss to Toronto The Orioles are 0-7 in Toronto on the year and have lost 12 in a row and 21 of their last 23 games at Rogers Centre. The O's pulled to within two runs on Corey Patterson's pinch-hit, RBI double in the ninth and...

Now that's the typical Toronto offense, or at least their 2010 version. They have two hits off Chris Tillman tonight, the Orioles have seven hits, but the Jays have a 3-1 lead on the O's in the last of the fifth at Rogers Centre. Jose Bautista, who hit a solo homer in the first last night, did so again tonight on a 2-1 pitch from Tillman. It was his Major League leading 51st homer of the year. He has hit 32 at home and 27 since the All-Star break. Vernon Wells hit a two-run shot, his...

Miguel Batista -- author, musician, poet and pitcher -- spent his Friday afternoon speaking to youth at the Chelsea School in Silver Spring, Maryland. Founded in 1976, the Chelsea School is a college preparatory school serving students in grades 5-12 with language-based learning disabilities from the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Batista spoke to the students about his journey to the big leagues and his unique appreciation for education, but colored his presentation with plenty of funny...

For the Orioles: 2B Brian roberts RF Nick Markakis CF Adam Jones 3B Ty Wigginton DH Jake Fox LF Nolan Reimold C Craig Tatum 1B Brandon Snyder SS Cesar Izuris RHP Chris Tillman For the Blue Jays: LF Dewayne Wise SS Yunel Escobar RF Jose Bautista CF Vernon Wells 1B Lyle Overbay 2B Aaron Hill DH Adam Lind C John Buck 3B Edwin Encarnacion LHP Brett Cecil

In addition to all O's fans and the local media, the national media has certainly taken notice of the club's turnaround under Buck Showalter. Some of those media members were the same ones praising the club last winter, saying they were a team on the rise. ESPN's Jayson Stark was on MASN's and 105.7 the Fan's Scott Garceau Show on Thursday and talked about the improvement under Buck. Here are his comments: "I don't think this is an accident. It's really incredible, the way it...

The Orioles have lost 11 consecutive games in Toronto, and 20 of their last 22. They're 0-6 at Rogers Centre this year. The last time they were winless in a season road series of six games or more was 2003 in Oakland. It won't be easy tonight. A few more notes of potential interest: The Orioles are 12-3 in series openers under manager Buck Showalter. Chris Tillman has posted a 0.64 ERA - one earned run in 14 innings - in his last two road starts (July 10 at Texas and Sept. 12 at Detroit)....