Before tonight, Mark Reynolds was 6-for-52 with 26 strikeouts lifetime with the bases loaded. Make it 7-for-53 with 26 strikeouts. And one home run. Reynolds received a huge ovation as he circled the bases and disappeared into the dugout. It doesn't happen often around here. He's hitting .190, and he struck out for the 57th time this season, but none of that matters at the moment. Jim Johnson needed six pitches to get through the seventh after replacing starter Jake Arrieta, but manager...

The Orioles wanted to stretch out Jason Berken at Triple-A Norfolk to make him a more effective long reliever and give them the option of starting him if the need arises later this summer. Berken threw 84 pitches over 5 2/3 innings tonight, so the plan with Berken most definitely has not changed. Berken allowed two runs and five hits, with one walk and five strikeouts, and he left with Norfolk trailing Rochester, 2-1. The 5 2/3 innings matches Berken's total in his first two starts with the...

There has been a lot of talk over the past few years regarding the Nationals building up their minor league system by stocking it with pitchers. After all, pitching has taken a front seat in the major leagues the past few seasons and you can never have enough good pitchers as bargaining chips when you are looking for a certain position player to get you over the hump. But then there are those pure athletes or can't-miss prospects on the offensive side you have to take a look at. The Nationals...

With the First-Year Player Draft now less than 48 hours away, is it becoming more likely that the Orioles take a college pitcher rather than Dylan Bundy, the high school right-hander that so many mock drafts have linked the club with? The answer is: Quite possibly. In a tweet tonight, Baseball America's Jim Callis said his best projection now has Bundy going with the third pick to Arizona after Pittsburgh, picking first, takes Gerrit Cole of UCLA and Seattle nabs Rice infielder Anthony...

Orioles farm clubs have a combined record of 106-114 beginning play tonight after going 2-2 last night. Single-A Frederick has the best record at 32-22 and is leading its division by 2 1/2 games in the Carolina League North. Here are some O's minor league leaders through Friday's games. Homer leaders: 9 - Josh Bell (Norfolk) and Tyler Townsend (Frederick) 8 - Ronnie Welty (Bowie) 7 - Jonathan Schoop (Delmarva) and Brandon Snyder (Norfolk) RBI leaders: 46 - Kipp Schutz (Frederick) 33 -...

The Washington Nationals today placed left-handed pitcher Doug Slaten (left elbow ulnar neuritis) on the 15-Day Disabled List and recalled right-handed pitcher Craig Stammen from Syracuse of the Triple-A International League. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Stammen went 5-3 with a 3.84 ERA in 10 starts with Syracuse, posting a 4.0/1 (52 SO/13 BB) strikeout-to-walk ratio in 63.1 International League innings pitched...

Jake Arrieta threw 11 of his 15 pitches for strikes in the first inning. Unfortunately, one of them landed on the flag court. Former Oriole Corey Patterson homered in his first career at-bat against Arrieta, giving Toronto a quick 1-0 lead. Arrieta is coming off the shortest outing of his career, when he lasted only 2 1/3 innings in a 4-3 loss in Seattle. He allowed four runs and four hits, with four walks and three strikeouts, and threw 68 pitches before leaving the game. Eight of the 17...

The Orioles today announced that they have reinstated first baseman Derrek Lee from the 15-day disabled list. Lee was placed on the DL on May 19, retroactive to May 17, with a strained left oblique. To make room for Lee on the 25-man roster, left-hander Pedro Viola has been optioned to Double-A Bowie. Lee has batted .231 (36-156) with six doubles, four home runs and 14 RBI in 40 games for the Orioles. Viola appeared in one game for the Orioles, May 30 at Seattle, and struck out two in 1.2...

If the Orioles are to get their struggling offense going tonight here at Camden Yards, they'll have to do it against left-hander Ricky Romero, who is pitching very well right now. Over his last four starts, Romero is 3-0 with an ERA of 1.21 and a .194 batting average against. He has needed just 13.9 pitches per inning in that stretch. Romero is 5-4 with an ERA of 2.88 overall that is 10th best in the American League on the season and is 3-2 with an ERA of 3.60 in eight career starts against...

Robert Andino is making another start at second base, which keeps Ryan Adams glued to the bench Adams has made three starts since the Orioles purchased his contract, and he's 2-for-12 after batting .303 with Triple-A Norfolk. Andino is the leadoff hitter when Felix Pie isn't in the lineup, and Showalter is going with the better defensive player at second. Showalter is hoping that Adams is learning a thing or two from the dugout. "As much as you tell him, it's kind of up to him just a...