Before finding out if the Orioles can end a 15-game losing streak in Toronto tonight, here are some random news, notes and takes. * The Orioles have struggled so much to score runs this year that it's tough to lose when they do put up some runs. They are now 24-11 on the season when scoring four runs or more. However, they have lost the last three games in which they scored more than four runs, putting up five, six and five runs, respectively, in those games. No great outburst, but they...

Here is something that is confusing to me: If the Orioles were not planning to play Ryan Adams much at all, why did they call him up from Triple-A? He has played some, but Adams has been on the team for 22 games now and has made just five starts at second base. A caller to my radio show last night said his theory was that Buck Showalter had major concerns about Adams on defense. To me, if that was the case, and I am not saying it is at all, why not just leave him in the minors until his...

MASNsports.com's Ben Goessling reported Tuesday night that Washington Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche will, in fact, need season-ending surgery to repair a partially torn labrum in his left shoulder. The left-handed slugger had hit just .172/.288/.258 for the Nationals in 177 plate appearances before the club made the move to shut down the first baseman late last month. After an attempt to rehab the shoulder over the past few weeks, the club decided to have LaRoche undergo surgery in...

The Nationals showed resiliency with a gutty seventh inning rally against the first place St. Louis Cardinals. Down 6-2, the Nats put six runs on the board on four hits, three walks, one intentional and one hit by pitch. The six-run outburst matched the most runs the Nationals had scored in an inning this season. The Nationals had also scored six runs in an inning versus the Cardinals on April 20, against the Marlins, May 15 and the Orioles, May 20. Laynce Nix faced 11 pitches from St. Louis...

Koji Uehara threw 11 pitches while retiring the side in order in the bottom of the 10th. He induced a pop up and struck out two batters, including Jose Bautista. How many times have we seen Uehara replaced after one inning despite being in cruise control? Manager Buck Showalter sent out Uehara for the 11th inning, and the game ended on the right-hander's second pitch. Adam Lind hit a walk-off homer. Gary Thorne talks with Buck Showalter about the homers allowed by the bullpen in the O's...

If you wondered whether Felix Pie was going to spend last night's game in manager Buck Showalter's doghouse, your answer arrived in the eighth inning when he pinch-ran for left fielder Luke Scott. Putting Pie on the basepaths again? Showalter did it, and Pie raced from first to third on reliever Casey Janssen's errant pickoff throw. Pie was stranded, but at least he got off the bench. Showalter talked to Pie about the outfielder's ill-advised stolen-base attempt on Sunday - I'm sure the...

The Orioles got five scoreless innings out of Chris Jakubauskas in his first start since April 2010. Tonight, he's charged with four runs in 5 1/3 innings, and he leaves with two runners on base and the Blue Jays threatening to build on a 4-1 lead. Jakubauskas allowed seven hits, walked four, struck out two, threw a wild pitch and hit a batter. He threw 101 pitches, 57 for strikes. One run probably should have been unearned, since it scored on Robert Andino's throwing error. Catcher Matt...

Double-A Bowie pitcher Dan Klein, the Orioles' third-round pick in last year's First-Year Player Draft, will have his right shoulder examined later this week by renowned orthopedic specialist Dr. Lewis Yocum. Klein underwent an MRI yesterday in Baltimore that didn't show anything conclusive, according to a team official. Klein still has soreness in the shoulder, which prevented him from throwing over the weekend while the Baysox were on the road. Klein was officially placed on the...

Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond will go tonight but center fielder Roger Bernadina did not start. However, Rick Ankiel left the game in the second inning, Bernadina pinch hit and took over in center. We are awaiting word on the reason for Ankiel leaving the game. Nationals manager Jim Riggleman said they are going to watch Desmond carefully tonight to see how his sore left thigh reacts. "Desmond has had two days off now," Riggleman said. "I am sure he feels a little better. But I...

In case you missed O's Xtra on MASN2, here are manager Buck Showalter's comments about Mark Connor's resignation as pitching coach: "Mark called me yesterday about noon and we sat down for about an hour or so and talked. For personal reasons, he just didn't feel like he could continue to do what was needed for a pitching coach with the Baltimore Orioles and what our players needed. He's driving home to Knoxville. I spoke to him this afternoon. We'll see when the smoke clears in a couple...