Orioles lefty Zach Britton is the best of the rookie pitchers playing key roles among teams in the American League East, but if April is any indication, Britton's biggest competition for the AL's Rookie of the Year award is going to come from the Mariners' Michael Pineda. Like Britton, Pineda, 21, wasn't expected to be in the majors so soon. Britton is in the big leagues because of injuries in the Orioles' rotation.Pineda told the Mariners in spring training that he was going to pitch...

The Orioles are in search of their 11th win of the season after not winning their 11th game in 2010 until May 13. They're 4-4 in series-opening games this year and 18-8 since Buck Showalter took over as manager Aug. 3. Adam Jones has hit safely in nine of his last 12 games, raising his average from .189 to .231. Derrek Lee has batted .297 with four multi-hit games and a .333 on-base percentage since the start of the last homestand, raising his average to .247. Over the last three games, the...

Where were you 23 years ago tonight? On April 29, 1988, shortly after 11 p.m. on the East Coast, the long nightmare that had become a season-opening 21-game losing streak by the Orioles ended (though it remains a record). Future Oriole and native Marylander Harold Baines rolled over on an offering from reliever Dave Schmidt, weakly grounding a ball to second base, where Pete Stanicek gobbled it up and tossed to Eddie Murray at first base. That completed a 9-0 Orioles victory over the White...

It's no mystery to anyone that reliever Mike Gonzalez has had his share of struggles as a member of the Baltimore Orioles. When Gonzalez signed with the team before last season, I thought it was a decent signing at the time despite the money involved. Baltimore needed bullpen help after yet another lackluster season in 2009 and I thought that Gonzalez fit the bill. The southpaw reliever had a solid track record in the National League with Pittsburgh and Atlanta, so one would think he...

There is just something about a ballplayer who styles the flat-brim. Pardon the obvious and shameless pun, but a player who wears his ballcap flat-brim style is tipping the hat to an older school of baseball while at the same time showing defiance in the face of modern standards and comfort in ballplayer headwear. It is true that a new baseball cap is not conformed to the shape of the wearer's head so it is necessary to bend the bill a little bit. Give it some flex. So in a way, flat-brim...

The Washington Nationals today reinstated shortstop Ian Desmond from the Paternity Leave List and optioned outfielder Roger Bernadina to Syracuse of the Triple-A International League. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Desmond, 25, rejoins the Nationals after missing the previous two games. Desmond is batting .205 (16-for-78) with four doubles, two home runs and eight RBI in 20 games this season with Washington. He...

Last night's 6-2 loss to the Red Sox has to be hung on the bullpen. Brad Bergesen allowed two runs over six innings in his best start of the season, but Jim Johnson and Michael Gonzalez were charged with two runs apiece, and Jason Berken let two inherited runners score. The offense managed only two runs and four hits, but I wasn't expecting fireworks with Jon Lester on the mound. Gonzalez was booed as he left it. The heat's no longer on Kevin Gregg. Not that fans have embraced Gonzalez in...

Just two days after his wife gave birth to their new baby boy, Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond returned to the lineup and ignited the offense in the Nationals' 4-3 win over the New York Mets on Thursday night. Desmond slammed a triple in the fourth and later scored. In the fifth, Desmond blasted a solo home run over the fence in left-center for his third homer of the season. "It was nice to be back," Desmond said. "(I was) watching the games the last two days and it seemed like the team...

I'll start with Brad Bergesen: Brad Bergesen meets with the media in the locker room after the Orioles 6-2 loss to Boston "Tonight, I felt like I kept us in the ballgame," he said. "I was facing a tough lineup like that and you know (Jon) Lester, his career against the Orioles, I knew just every pitch mattered tonight. I think the biggest thing for me was the sixth inning, getting in that jam and being able to get out of it. It was huge for me. I was very fortunate to be able to get...

Left-hander Michael Gonzalez allowed an inherited runner to score tonight, and he was charged with two runs of his own to raise his ERA to 13.50. Michael Gonzalez talks about how good he felt on the mound even though he had a tough night against the Red Sox "I feel bad about giving up that run of J.J.'s. I didn't want to give up (Johnson's) run. That's what I feel bad about," he said. "The results, seriously, I don't feel bad or frustrated whatsoever. What I wanted was to go out...