It sure does look like the Orioles will regret letting Gavin Floyd off the hook. Jason Berken gave up another run in the eighth on Alex Rios' single up the middle that scored Juan Pierre, who singled and advanced on a sac bunt. White Sox 3, Orioles 2. Manager Buck Showalter was rewarded the last time he let Berken return for a second inning after the right-hander struggled, but not on this night. Berken stands to be the loser if the Orioles don't rally. Berken is charged with two runs and...

The Orioles keep letting Gavin Floyd off the hook, and you wonder if it's going to bite them in the back pocket. Ty Wigginton ran into the final out of the third inning after pausing between second and third base. Adam Jones and Felix Pie singled to open the fourth, but the Orioles couldn't build on their 2-1 lead. Matt Wieters got ahead, 2-0, and grounded into a double play, and Cesar Izturis tapped to the mound. Floyd allowed three earned runs in 33 2/3 innings in July. His ERA has...

The reader that calls himself "eagleeye" had an interesting question earlier today. He wanted to know how Joe Mahoney's great start with Double-A Bowie compared to Matt Wieters torrid start when he tore it up at Bowie in 2008. An interesting question and, after a little research, here are the numbers for Mahoney and Wieters in their first 24 games at Bowie. Wieters in 2008: .333-3-11......13 runs.....6 doubles.....419 OBP......519 slugging.......938 OPS. Mahoney in 2010: .413-7-20....21...

Making his second start for Triple-A Norfolk, right-hander Rick VankenHurk allowed five runs (three earned) and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings against Louisville. He walked two, struck out one and hit a batter. VandenHurk threw 91 pitches, 57 for strikes. Obtained from the Marlins in the Will Ohman trade, VandenHurk had allowed one earned run in each of his last five starts before tonight. Nolan Reimold (left field) and Brandon Snyder (first base) committed errors for the Tides. The Orioles...

Well, this isn't the only time that Kevin Millwood has escaped the first inning without the opposition scoring, but it sure feels that way. Millwood had given up at least two runs in the opening frame in 11 of his last 12 starts - and a total of 34 runs. He kept dumping the team in an early hole. He kept getting beat because of it. Not tonight. Millwood walked the leadoff hitter, Juan Pierre, but he retired Omar Vizquel on a pop up, Alex Rios on a fly ball and Paul Konerko on a grounder to...

Jim Johnson made another one-inning start with the Gulf Coast League Orioles today, walking one batter in a 5-0 win over the GCL Rays. Johnson only faced three batters. The leadoff hitter, Deshun Dixon, reached on an error and was eliminated on a double play. Craige Lyerly walked and stole second, but catcher Riley Hornback threw him out attempting to steal third. Hornback was a 12th-round pick this year out of San Jacinto Junior College. Johnson is expected to report to Double-A Bowie on...

The education of Josh Bell continues. He's learning on the job now in the Major Leagues, while at the same time, trying to impress Buck Showalter enough to play himself into a spot in the Orioles future. All of this with just 81 Triple-A games under his belt. Bell went 0 for 4 last night. After producing five hits in his first 19 big league at bats, now he is just two for his last 19 trips. For sure, that's way too small a sample size to form any real opinion about his shot to be the...

Josh Bell is in the lineup again tonight, giving him another opportunity to make a favorable impression on his new manager. "We think he's eventually going to be here, what I'm told," Buck Showalter said. "It's just a matter of, does he fit in our plans for the start of next year?" The Orioles really need to figure it out before the free-agent market opens. They might have to find another short-term solution if he isn't ready. Another example of Showalter's attention to detail: The...

Manager Buck Showalter isn't concerned about the defensive lapses that we've seen from Brian Roberts since the second baseman's return from the disabled list. "Of all the things we have to worry about, that's not one I put at the top of the list. He's solid," Showalter said. "When you've had periods of time off, people think it's just a pure hitting thing. There's a tempo that everybody plays at. That's not something that I've given much thought to." Showalter would love to...

For the Orioles: Brian Roberts 2B Nick Markakis RF Ty Wigginton 1B Luke Scott DH Adam Jones CF Felix Pie LF Matt Wieters C Cesar Izturis SS Josh Bell 3B Kevin Millwood RHP For the White Sox: Pierre LF Vizquel 3B Rios CF Konerko 1B Quentin RF Kotsay DH Ramirez SS Pierzynski C Beckham 2B Floyd RHP