After winning a series against one red-hot American League East team over the weekend, the Orioles begin a series against another one tonight in Boston. The Orioles won the last two on the road versus Tampa Bay to take that series. The Rays entered the series with the Orioles with the majors best record since April 11 at 21-7. Boston completed a three-game road sweep of the Yankees last night and has now won six of its last eight and is 9-5 over its previous 14 games. Since beginning the year...

After throwing six strong innings yesterday against the division-leading Rays and earning his third win in his last four starts, Jake Arrieta could have given himself a nice big pat on the back. He'd allowed just two runs on four hits to one of the hottest teams in baseball. He'd struck out seven Rays, earned his third straight quality start and picked up his fifth win, tying him for the Orioles' team lead. Following a day like that, I'd say Arrieta would have been well within his right...

The only regret Ken Dixon has about his baseball life is the way it ended: with a mysterious shoulder ailment that short-circuited what was shaping up to be a promising major league career. Dixon went 26-28 from 1984-87 with the Orioles before being traded to Seattle in the December 1987 deal that brought pitcher Mike Morgan to Baltimore. The right-hander was primarily used as a starter, though he also pitched in relief, recording five saves in his final season as an Oriole. What brought his...

Single-A Hagerstown Suns prospect Randolph Oduber has remained very consistent through the first seven weeks of the season, appearing as the designated hitter or in the outfield on a stocked roster. The "Groovin' Aruban", as fans and broadcasters like to call him, burst on the scene last year with an eye-opening .366 average in 39 games in the Gulf Coast League in 2010, crushing four homers with 30 RBIs, stealing 18 bases and earning Most Valuable Player honors. The 22-year-old left-handed...

It took much longer than I expected, but I finally made it home last night. Actually, it was past midnight, so I made it home this morning. I'll be heading to Frederick later today to watch Brian Matusz pitch in his first injury rehab game. The memories will come flooding back. And hopefully, that's the only flooding that takes place, since the forecast includes storms the next five days. I wonder if the Orioles have a backup plan in case Matusz's start gets washed away. The last time I...

Former Nationals general manager Jim Bowden was well-known for his ability to buy really cheap talent and sell it as gold. Not sell it to opposing franchises in transactions, mind you, but to the fan base. Year after year, fans were convinced that Bowden had found a good group of diamonds in the rough, and that given the right opportunity in Washington, we could help tap into their true talent. It wasn't until Bowden was gone that we realized he had us looking through rose-colored glasses....

Double-A Harrisburg Senators right-hander Brad Peacock had one of those gem outings Friday night. Peacock shut down the Richmond Squirrels, going seven innings, scattering five hits, allowing one run and striking out 14 batters in a 5-2 victory. A Miami, Fla., native, Peacock struck out at least one batter in every inning. He struck out the final five batters he faced in the sixth and seventh innings. Nationals director of player development Doug Harris said the 23-year old Peacock has taken...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - I'm having my own rain delay at the Tampa airport. My 6:55 p.m. flight is now scheduled to leave at 9:30 p.m. for weather-related reasons back in Baltimore. A storm is headed that way if it hasn't already arrived. I'm told that air traffic control could lift the delay, reduce it or extend it. I'm also told the bar's still open at Chili's Too that's a short walk from my gate. Here are some quotes from shortstop J.J. Hardy, whose grand slam broke open today's...

Jake Arrieta continued his solid season this afternoon for the Orioles, giving up just two runs over six innings against Tampa Bay. Orioles' starting pitching continued the roll that has seen the starters work to an ERA of 1.64 over the last six games. Arrieta seems to crank out six innings and two or three runs allowed each time out. He started today with some overpowering, mid 90s heat early on and later worked in that curve and sharp-breaking slider. To me, he has picked up where he left...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - I'm racing out of here to drop off my rental car and catch my flight back to Baltimore, but I wanted to pass along a little postgame Buck Showalter for you. On Jake Arrieta: "He had great stuff early. Hopefully, he'll get to a point where he can kind of maximize his pitches a little bit more and get deeper. He had a great fastball today." On J.J. Hardy's grand slam: "You're going to need it against any club and especially here in their ballpark. There were a lot...