Whether Orioles manager Buck Showalter makes subtle changes, major changes or no changes to his lineup today, the Orioles will for sure see some tough pitching in the next two games. Tonight, the Orioles are due to face Seattle's Michael Pineda, the 22-year-old rookie right-hander that is gaining attention with his blazing fastball and impressive stats. Then, Wednesday night, they face the reigning American League Cy Young winner in Felix Hernandez. Doesn't sound like a formula to get out...

If you're looking for offense, you may want to avoid Camden Yards for the next few nights. If, on the other hand, you're a connoisseur of quality pitching, the ballpark is just the place for you. There were two no-hitters in baseball last week. With the Orioles and Mariners squaring off, you might see two in the same game. The Birds currently rank 25th of 30 major league teams with a .233 team average and have scored three runs or fewer in six of the past seven games. The Mariners rank 27th...

A roster move is coming today, with shortstop J.J. Hardy being activated from the disabled list and playing for the first time since April 9. You remember Hardy, right? He only batted once in that April 9 game before leaving with a strained left oblique. He hasn't gotten three at-bats against major league pitching since April 6. Hardy might be the most valuable .200 hitter in baseball. The Orioles haven't been quite right since he disappeared, though his absence opened the door for...

Over the weekend, I drove up to Asheville to watch the Delmarva Shorebirds, (ow Single-A affiliate of the Orioles, take on the Asheville Tourists in a matchup of two of the better teams in the South Atlantic League. My original intent was to see the Orioles' 2010 first-round pick and wunderkind shortstop Manny Machado play. But a knee injury last week meant that the only Machado action I saw was him crutching his way from the Shorebirds' dugout to the clubhouse. As consolation, I was...

Luke Scott will continue to play through the pain in his right shoulder, as he's done since the beginning of the season, and as he's done since it intensified over the last three weeks. An MRI taken earlier today revealed a tear in Scott's right labrum, but he won't go on the disabled list. He'll just deal with it. The tear doesn't affect Scott's swing, but he notices it when he makes throws from the outfield. "It's disappointing and a tough pill to swallow," he said. "The...

Good news from the offensive side of the ball in the minor leagues as outfielders Archie Gilbert and Bryce Harper have been named Player of the Week in their respective leagues for the week of May 2-8. This is the first such honor in Single-A Hagerstown for Harper, who was the 2010 Golden Spikes Award winner for best amateur player in the country. Gilbert is a two-time minor league All-star and was Texas League player if the week for almost the same seven days last season (May 3, 2010). From...

An MRI taken on Luke Scott's right shoulder revealed that the outfielder has been playing with a tear in his labrum. President of baseball operations Andy MacPhail doesn't believe that Scott will need to go on the disabled list, but surgery might be an option after the season. "It doesn't really impact his swing at all," MacPhail said. "I think it occasionally bothers him when he throws, which he feels like he can play through and he'll just have to manage it. It doesn't necessarily...

Even without Manny Machado, the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds are still winning. They are 3-0 since a knee injury last Thursday sent him to the disabled list. Catcher Michael Ohlman led the Shorebirds to their latest win on Sunday at Asheville going 4-for-4 with Delmarva's first grand slam since August 2008 when Tyler Henson hit one. Ohlman connected in the sixth inning as part of a career-best, five-RBI day. Over his last six games, the 20-year-old Ohlman, an 11th-round pick in 2009 out of...

A couple weeks ago when the Giants were in town, I got to talking with Orioles Buzz guest blogger Anthony Amobi of Oriole Post. Pitchers Tim Lincecum and Brian Wilson of the world champion San Francisco squad were the topics of conversation. We threw around ideas of what it would be like to hang out with those guys, even if just for a few minutes. I wondered, "Gee, I bet that Lincecum fella is a hoot to be around." As for Brian Wilson, well, I still haven't figured that one out, but I'm...

When you think of the Orioles and Mother's Day, which game comes to mind? There are two most likely answers that reflect very different eras of baseball in Baltimore. First, there's the miserable Mother's Day of four years ago when the Orioles, leading by five runs with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning at Fenway Park, surrendered six runs to squander the victory and a series win against the rival Red Sox. It was the first of many bullpen meltdowns during the 2007 season, none...