I'm staring at my laptop screen right now and wondering if I should just slam it shut and go back to bed. The Orioles are making me want to pull the covers over my head. Maybe I'll bring a blanket to the press box. They went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position last night and are 9-for-61 in their last seven games. They couldn't score after loading the bases with no outs. They stranded eight more runners. The rotation has turned in one quality start in the last 12 games. I'm not a...

One more note on the starters: They're 3-8 with a 5.99 ERA and have failed to complete seven innings in the last 16 games since Jake Arrieta did it on June 10. Chris Jakubauskas fell to 2-1 with a 5.68 ERA after allowing five runs and seven hits in five innings. He noted that the Cardinals were "a little bit more aggressive." They also were four runs better. Chris Jakubauskas meets with the media about picking up his first loss as an O's starter "I noticed it in the first inning," he...

You can't talk about tonight's 5-1 loss to the Cardinals without focusing on the bases-loaded, no-out situation in the fifth inning that yielded no runs, and another non-quality start from the rotation. "We had a shot at them there in the fifth," manager Buck Showalter said. "That was a big momentum swing." Was it quality pitching from Cardinals right-hander Chris Carpenter or the Orioles' hitters pressing at the plate? Maybe a little of both? Buck Showalter meets with the media to...

The Orioles have failed to follow up their series victory over Cincinnati with more momentum as they have now lost the first two games of the series with St. Louis. Chris Carpenter pitched a complete-game, seven-hitter on 132 pitches as the Cardinals beat the Orioles 5-1. He is now 3-7 with an ERA of 4.00. The Orioles fell behind in the second inning for the second night in a row and they failed to get clutch hits for the second straight night. After going 0-for-7 with runners in scoring...

Each time Brad Bergesen begins to warm in the Orioles' bullpen, Chris Jakubauskas makes a big pitch to end an inning and stay in the game. He's not especially sharp tonight, but he's stubborn. The Orioles had a chance to wipe out a four-run deficit, or at least take a big chunk out of it, after loading the bases with no outs in the bottom of the fifth. Felix Pie and Blake Davis singled, and J.J. Hardy reached on an infield hit. Chris Carpenter was teetering. The Orioles couldn't topple...

Nick Markakis' hitting streak has reached a career-high 18 games. Markakis doubled off Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter with two outs in the bottom of the third inning to reduce their deficit to 4-1. The run is unearned because Carpenter was charged with an error on a sharp ground ball by J.J. Hardy that deflected off the pitcher's foot and bounced to third base. It sure looked like a hit to the rest of us, but so far it hasn't been changed. Update: It's been changed. Credit Hardy...

So far, the St. Louis Cardinals are enjoying their first-ever trip to Baltimore. They won 6-2 last night by taking a 3-0 lead in the second inning and they took a 2-0 lead tonight in inning two. Colby Rasmus hit a two-run homer off Chris Jakubauskas to start the St. Louis scoring. It was his second homer of the series, his third in four games and his eighth on the year. Skip Schumaker's RBI single in the third extended their lead to 3-0 and a sac fly by Lance Berkman made it 4-0. It could...

That was a nice eight-pitch top of the first inning for Orioles right-hander Chris Jakubauskas. Pop up, strikeout. fly ball. It can be a pretty simple game. Throw strikes and work quickly. Command your fastball and good things usually will happen. Lance Berkman stepped to the plate in the top of the second, which must have brought disturbing flashbacks for both men. Jakubauskas' only major league start in 2010 ended after a Berkman line drive slammed off his head. Jakubauskas was pitching...

The Orioles public relations staff put out some interesting notes on J.J Hardy today. Did you know his nine homers in June is one off the major league lead for the month. Prince Fielder, Paul Konerko and Carlos Pena have hit 10 to lead MLB in June homers. If Hardy hits one more this month, he will tie Miguel Tejada's team record for most homers in a month by an Orioles' shortstop. Tejada hit 10 in August of 2007. Hardy, who has hit five homers over his last 11 games, has now homered in...

Right-handed reliever Alfredo Simon returns to the Orioles active roster for tonight's game with St. Louis. He was out since June 13 with a right hamstring strain. Simon said he feels great. He pitched two scoreless innings for Double-A Bowie on Sunday after spending some time rehabbing the hamstring in Florida. "I just was working in Sarasota and now I'm ready to go," Simon said. "I just pitched two innings in Bowie and feel ready to go." Simon last pitched for the Orioles on June 12...