On a day when he appeared in discomfort several times throughout the game, Brian Roberts still went 3 for 5 with 2 RBI as the Orioles, behind Brian Matusz, beat the Yankees 4-3 in New York. The O's got several clutch performances on a day where they knocked off the AL East leaders and the team with baseball's best record. After a Roberts single gave the O's a 4-3 lead in the top of the seventh, the Baltimore pen kept New York off the board in the final three frames. Matt Albers pitched a...

I won't detail all 50, but the Orioles covered a few of them in the sixth inning. They didn't slip out the back, but they definitely should have made a new plan. A leadoff walk. A wild pitch. The catcher's failure to block a ball in the dirt. The failure to catch a fly ball in shallow left field. That'll do it. Brian Matusz walked Nick Swisher to begin the sixth, putting his 3-1 lead in immediate jeopardy. Mark Teixeira singled and a wild pitch move up both runners. Matt Wieters...

Brian Roberts just gave the Orioles a 2-1 lead with a two-out single in the fifth that scored Cesar Izturis from second base. I thought we'd have a close play at the plate, but Alex Rodriguez cut off Marcus Thames' throw from left field and gunned down Roberts at second for the final out. Roberts is clearly in pain, wincing and staying bent over as a teammate brought his glove. He made a cautious slide into second, as if trying to lessen the impact of slamming into the bag. The back might...

A funny thing happened to the Bowie Baysox on the way to the playoffs. They may not make it. Trailing Harrisburg by one game for a playoff berth, they are trailing Richmond 4-3 in the last of the 8th in their final game of the regular season. With three more outs left, if they lose, they are eliminated from the race. Mr. clutch, Joel Guzman is 3 for 4 today with 2 RBI and Brandon Waring has a solo homer, his 22nd. Caleb Joseph has two doubles. Richmond scored four in the 4th. Now I'm ...

The Orioles have put runners on the corners with one out in the second inning and no outs in the third and settled for a 1-0 lead. Good, but not nearly good enough. Corey Patterson popped up and Cesar Izturis struck out to end the rally in the second. Josh Bell scored on Felix Pie's double play grounder in the third, moving the Orioles ahead but eliminating the potential for a much bigger inning against A.J. Burnett. Matt Wieters walked with one out in the fourth and was erased on Ty...

For the Orioles: 2B Brian Roberts LF Felix Pie RF Nick Markakis DH Luke Scott C Matt Wieters 1B Ty Wigginton CF Corey Patterson SS Cesar Izturis 3B Josh Bell LHP Brian Matusz For the Yankees: SS Derek Jeter RF Nick Swisher 1B Mark Teixeira 3B Alex Rodriguez 2B Robinson Cano LF Marcus Thames DH Jorge Posada C Francisco Cervelli CF Brett Gardner RHP A.J. Burnett

To celebrate the 15th anniversary of 2,131, I think we should all run a lap around our houses at exactly the same time. If you're stuck at work, I'm sure your boss will understand if you circle the building. As I've written in the past, I attended the two games that allowed Cal Ripken to tie and break Lou Gehrig's unbreakable record. I was still working for The Sun, though I wasn't on the Orioles beat. My editors asked me to help out, and I did so with great enthusiasm. I had to write a...

Somes notes on the Yankees and Orioles as the teams begin a three-game series today at New York. *The Yankees are 86-51 and own baseball's best record. They are 30-19 in the second half and 29-21 vs. AL East clubs. *Toronto's 7-3 win Sunday ended New York's eight-game win streak. The Yankiees are 14-5 over their last 19 games. *They are 48-23 at home and are 16-4-3 in 23 home series this year. They are 105-47 (.691) since the start of last year at home and are 6-1 on their current...

It seems hard to believe, but it was 15 years ago today that Cal Ripken broke a record they said would never be broken. He played in consecutive game number 2,131, surpassing Lou Gehrig's 56-year-old record. The two-day celebration of 2130 and 2131 at Camden Yards was amazing and was voted Most Memorable Moment in baseball history by a fan vote. Ripken threw out the first pitch on Sunday in Baltimore and later remembered that special time and those special two days. "It was a...

The 2010 Arizona Fall League begins Tuesday, October 12. This year's team with players from the Nationals organization is the Scottsdale Scorpions. The best of the Nats, Orioles, Rockies, D-backs and Giants are represented on Scottsdale's roster. The Scorpions open at home October 12 against the Peoria Saguaros. There are six weeks in the season that spans October 12 through November 18. There are six teams in the league: two based in Peoria, Surprise, Phoenix (last year's Nats...