Maybe it was a combination too good for Tampa Bay to pass up. A pitcher who can be slow to the plate with runners on base and a catcher that, well, is not Matt Wieters. Tampa Bay took advantage of that to steal four bases in the top of the first inning today against Brian Matusz. It looked like they had a fifth in the top of the second but Johnny Damon was called out. While today's short start of just 1 1/3 innings could raise concerns about Matusz and topics like fastball velocity could...

I've repeated that sentence so many times, I felt like writing it in a headline. I'm both Doug and Wendy Whiner. It's actually the bottom of the third. Somebody please slow down the pace so I can get caught up. The Rays were kind enough to run into another out. They did, however, increase their lead to 5-2. Alfredo Simon has thrown 22 pitches in 1 2/3 innings. He needs to keep going or Chris Jakubauskas will have to replace him and manager Buck Showalter will be scrambling for Tuesday...

Wade Davis didn't want Brian Matusz to have all the frustration. Davis gave up back-to-back home runs to Adam Jones and Vladimir Guerrero in the bottom of the first inning, reducing Tampa Bay's lead to 3-2. Jones has nine homers to trail team-leader Mark Reynolds by three. Guerrero has six, the most recent coming May 22 against Washington. The Orioles also hit back-to-back homers on April 27 in Boston. Jones followed Luke Scott's blast that night. Meanwhile, Matusz has walked the first...

Left-hander Brian Matusz fell behind, 1-0, just four pitches into his third start with the Orioles. Johnny Damon launched a 1-2 slider onto the flagcourt in right field, his 27th career leadoff home run. The ball traveled an estimated 392 feet. Damon has reached base in 37 consecutive games to tie the Rays record set by Ben Grieve in 2001. Ben Zobrist and Justin Ruggiano followed with singles - Zobrist on a changeup, Ruggiano on an 88 mph fastball - and Evan Longoria's sacrifice fly...

The term June swoon does not apply to Mark Reynolds. After starting June hitless in five at-bats in the month's first two games, he is 8-for-24 with five homers and 11 RBIs. His June OPS is 1.244 after he picked up his first two-homer game as an Oriole last night. It was his 10th career two-homer game. After picking up five hits, three of them homers, over the last three games, Reynolds is now batting .205. This is his highest average since he was at .212 on April 19. The month has also...

Orioles lefty Zach Britton said it was not unexpected news. He was told today by manager Buck Showalter that his next start will likely be Friday in Washington and not Tuesday in Toronto. Britton has already pitched 82 innings and the club knew at some point Britton would pitch too many innings this year if he continued to go every fifth day. He pitched 153 innings last year between the minors and majors. "Obviously I don't want to skip starts, but I know they are doing it for a good...

Left-hander Zach Britton was scheduled to start Tuesday night's series opener in Toronto, but he's being pushed back to Friday or Saturday in Washington. Chris Jakubauskas will take Britton's turn. Jakubauskas will be followed in the rotation by Jake Arrieta on Wednesday and Jeremy Guthrie on Thursday. Britton isn't injured. The Orioles want to control his innings so he doesn't reach his limit before September. They want him to pitch during the final month of the season. Manager Buck...

For Ryan Adams, the last few weeks have been a bit of a mixed bag. He's been through the excitement of getting his first call to the major leagues. But also, for the first time in his life, he has not played much. "It's just kind of part of it when you get called up," Adams said in the Orioles' clubhouse. "(Robert) Andino's been playing really well and it's most about the experience and learning for me right now anyway. I've been here trying to work hard and enjoy every moment and...

For the Orioles: J.J. Hardy SS Nick Markakis RF Adam Jones CF Vladimir Guerrero DH Luke Scott 1B Mark Reynolds 3B Felix Pie LF Ryan Adams 2B Craig Tatum C Brian Matusz LHP For the Rays: Damon DH Zobrist RF Ruggiano LF Longoria 3B Upton CF Rodriguez 2B Kotchman 1B Johnson SS Shoppach C Davis RHP

On the night the Orioles selected his brother Dylan in the first-round of the draft, Bobby Bundy picked up his sixth win for the Single-A Frederick Keys with another strong outing last Monday. But after walking just 13 batters in 62 2/3 innings in his first 11 starts, Bundy struggled with his control last night and took the loss as Lynchburg beat Frederick 3-2 in front of 6,752 at Harry Grove Stadium. "I was really trying to keep the ball down. I had a couple of calls that could have gone...