The Orioles' bullpen gave up six runs in the seventh inning. That equals the total it allowed in the previous nine games spanning 18 innings. Alfredo Simon, who hadn't pitched since Aug. 24, has surrendered home runs in five of his last eight outings. Mark Hendrickson hadn't pitched since Aug. 22, and it's strange that I didn't notice the layoff. That's what happens when your starters are going deep in games. Heck, Rick VandenHurk moved his locker after Jim Johnson returned and I...

Well, the Orioles won't beat Jon Lester tonight. I don't think they ever will. After torching him for five early runs, they could not score any more off him and now, in the top of the seventh, the O's bullpen had a meltdown and now Boston has a 9-5 lead. Mark Hendrickson, who had not pitched since August 22nd, worked a scoreless sixth in relief of Jake Arrieta, but he gave up a two-run homer in the 7th to tie the game. After a walk, he was replaced by Alfredo Simon, who is still...

Tonight's attendance: 16,210. It's loud here, and only because the Red Sox have taken a 9-5 lead. Mark Hendrickson is charged with three runs in the seventh, and Alfredo Simon served up three more on Adrian Beltre's homer. Simon hasn't pitched since Aug. 24, when he gave up a run and three hits in one inning against the White Sox. Manager Buck Showalter told reporters a few days ago that Simon was fine physically, and the right-hander threw after last night's game to stay sharp. He's...

A victory tonight would give the Orioles their first five-game winning streak since June 17-21, 2009. Jake Arrieta has allowed three runs and six hits in five innings. He hasn't walked a batter, but he's sitting on 95 pitches. Mark Hendrickson has been warming up for a while. David Ortiz is leading off the sixth. We're facing a pitching change. Down on the farm, Triple-A Norfolk's Tim Bascom is shutting out Gwinnett on three hits through five innings. Blake Davis is playing shortstop...

The Orioles scored five runs tonight on six hits in the first two innings vs. Jon Lester. He threw 57 pitches. Usually, that's about six innings worth for him vs. the Orioles. Until tonight, the Orioles had never scored this many runs in one game off Lester. His previous worst outing vs. Baltimore was on August 13, 2006 when they got four runs in five innings vs. Lester. That is the only previous time in 15 career starts vs. the O's that they had scored more than three runs off...

The Orioles must be taking advantage of the soft spot in Jon Lester's start. They scored four runs on four hits, a hit batter and a wild pitch in the bottom of the first to take a 4-1 lead. As you know, the Orioles have tallied more than three runs against Lester only once in his 12 victories against them. In three previous starts against the Orioles this season, the left-hander has surrendered only one earned run and has owned them so convincingly, he should carry a sales receipt in his...

There have been a few transactions today on the O's farm. With the three callups from Norfolk now in Baltimore, the Tides today added Miguel Abreu, Buck Britton and Phillip Britton from Frederick. The Keys have added 18-year-old shortstop Jonathan Schoop from Bluefield, where he hit .316-2-16 in 39 games after batting .250-3-16 in 17 Gulf Coast League games. In his last four games with Bluefield, Schoop went 9 for 15 with two homers and 7 RBI. Schoop, from Curacao, played in the O's...

For a guy that was designated for assignment by the Orioles April 3rd, Robert Andino has had quite a season - still with the O's organization. Back in April, he cleared waivers and was out-righted to Triple-A. With Norfolk, the 26-year-old Andino hit .264-13-76 with 72 runs and 16 steals and he was batting .305 since the All-Star break. Now, he's gone from DFA'd and off the roster to back on the roster and the team, joining the club today as part of the September callups. "In this game...

He was considered a Rookie of the Year candidate late into last season. Nolan Reimold must have figured this year would go a lot differently for him than it has. But today, for the first time since May 11, he is back with the Orioles. "I didn't play well so I got sent down and then I kept not playing well, so I had to stay down there until I got it right. I've been swinging it well lately. I'm glad to get the callup and I'm excited to be back up here. "Of course, I thought there was...

Brandon Snyder has been pointing to this day for a long time. He's always wanted to play pro ball and dreamed of the day he'd be in the Major Leagues. Today he walked into the O's clubhouse and was on the O's roster for the first time after getting a September callup. "It's so surreal. Ever since I was five years old coming up with my grandfather watching games driving down 95. Coming in the clubhouse, I come here every off season to work out. It doesn't seem like I'm actually...