Another note or two on the Orioles home run outburst today after just watching Josh Bell single off the top of the fence in right, just missing his third homer of the day. Coming into this game, the O's had hit just one in their last five games and they hit four homers total over the last nine games. Then, they hit four today over the first four innings vs. a pitcher that had given up just nine all year. This is the O's 5th game this year with four or more homers: 5 Homers: May 1 vs....

Josh Bell became the fourth Orioles rookie to hit his first two major league home runs on the same day. Jim Fuller did it on Sept. 25, 1973. Curt Blefary did it April 17, 1965. And Boog Powell did it May 2, 1962. Cliff Lee hasn't left a start before completing 6 1/3 innings this season. The Rangers' bullpen is quiet again, so he'll continue despite allowing seven runs and nine hits, and throwing 90 pitches, through the fifth. Update: Bell came within a few feet of homering for the third...

The Orioles put on a power display with three homers in the last of the fourth today vs 2008 AL Cy Young winner Cliff Lee and have a 7-2 lead on Lee after four innings. Here is the amazing stat. Lee has now given up 13 homers all year and seven have come off the bat of an Oriole. Lee in 2010: *7 homers allowed in 20 1/3 innings vs. the Orioles. *6 homers allowed in 152 2/3 innings vs. everyone else. Josh Bell, who was just 3 for 16 over his previous five games, put on his own one-man power...

I can't keep up (that's what I said). Josh Bell just clubbed a three-run homer to center field, his second today and the second of his major league career. He's up to five RBIs. The Orioles have hit three home runs in the fourth inning, and four this afternoon. Cliff Lee gave up three home runs to the Orioles during his July 10 debut with the Texas Rangers in Arlington. In his next seven starts, he served up a grand total of one. The Orioles have hit four today at Camden Yards. You...

The Orioles are trying to retrieve Josh Bell's home run ball. They hope it's the first of many. Bell homered for the first time in 75 major league at-bats, bringing home Felix Pie in the second inning and giving the Orioles a 2-0 lead. Pie led off with a single and Craig Tatum struck out looking - because it's the thing to do in this series - before Bell stepped to the plate. The ball traveled 394 feet to center field. The Orioles would like for it to carry a little further - into his...

Nick Markakis sat down to breakfast this morning, looked at his plate, and Jeff Nelson called him out on strikes. How is that possible? Maybe it didn't really happen, but Markakis struck out looking to end the bottom of the first inning. Mark Carlson's working behind the plate today, and he gave Cliff Lee the outside corner on an 87 mph cutter. Markakis froze in quiet protest, but didn't put up an argument. That's four straight at-bats for Markakis that ended with a called third strike....

Well, it wasn't exactly a grilling by the Baltimore baseball writers, but top pick Manny Machado did speak with those writers today for the first time since signing his 5.25 million dollar contract with the Orioles. It was a telephone press conference with Machado in Florida answering a few questions from reporters at Camden Yards. Here is how it went. Q: What was signing night like for you and did you feel certain a deal would get done? "Well, that night was just going crazy, with my...

The Orioles put Bowie starting pitcher Chorye Spoone on the disabled list Friday due to a tired shoulder, but they have not necessarily shut him down for the rest of the season. The DL move came one day after Spoone's outing Thursday at Trenton, where he allowed a career-high eight walks and hit three batters over a 3 2/3 innings outing. "There is nothing physically wrong with his shoulder, it's just a little tired. We will have him skip one start but he may not be done for the year,"...

Manager Buck Showalter may accompany director of player development John Stockstill to Bowie tonight to watch Jim Johnson pitch. Johnson could be activated after throwing Tuesday and Wednesday for the Baysox, or the Orioles could wait until Sept. 1. A decision is pending. Johnson is on the 60-day disabled list, so room must be created for him on the 40-man roster. David Hernandez is expected to start playing catch on Sept. 1. There's still a chance that he'll be shut down for the rest of...

O's manager Buck Showalter said today the Orioles have not made a final decision yet on whether pitching prospect Zach Britton will be a September callup. Britton is 9-6, 2.70 this year between Double-A and Triple-A. He's now pitched 136 2/3 innings after pitching 140 last year and a career-high 147 1/3 the year before at Delmarva. How many innings Britton has left to pitch is for sure a big factor in that decision. "It's more, what's his career high (in innings). You look at that...