After a recent hitting tear, Delmarva Shorebirds first baseman Tyler Townsend has moved to Frederick. He will join the Keys for their game tonight vs. Myrtle Beach. In 30 games for the Shorebirds, Townsend, last year's third-round draft pick, hit .342 (40-117) with three home runs and 26 RBIs. Townsend's bat, like the weather, heated up this month. In 21 games, he batted .354 with three home runs and 21 RBIs. He also totaled 10 doubles. As of July 24, he leads the Orioles minor league...

Jeremy Guthrie is complicating the non-waiver trade deadline process. His value is going through the roof after last night's start, when he made one bad pitch - resulting in Joe Mauer's two-run homer - in seven innings to post his first victory since May 25. Guthrie has allowed three runs in 13 1/3 innings, with one walk and 12 strikeouts, in his last two starts. Scouts are hanging around Camden Yards as if the club is giving away free food and lap dances. Contenders covet pitching, and...

Did you ever notice that Luke Scott seldom hits what some might call a "cheap homer." One of those balls where the outfielder leaps at the wall and it just goes over his glove. No, he usually hits the kind where the outfielder doesn't need to bother running out near the wall, because the ball is sailing well over it. Like his two-run blast off Minnesota's Anthony Slama last night. He turned around a 94-MPH fastball on a 1-1 count, driving it 394 feet to right field. It gave the O's a...

Brian Roberts is back and the Orioles won. Jeremy Guthrie's pitching and Luke Scott's clutch homer had a lot to do with that, but Roberts was back on the field for the O's for the first time since April 9th in their 3-2 win over Minnesota. He went 0 for 4 with two ground outs, a strikeout and a line out to the outfield. He had a few routines plays in the field. Here are his post-game comments. How did it go? "It was good, it was fun to be back out there, be with the guys and play the...

Second baseman Brian Roberts saw 24 pitches in his four at-bats tonight, and his seven-pitch battle with Twins starter Brian Duensing in the first inning seemed to set the tone for the Orioles' hitters. "That's Brian," interim manager Juan Samuel said. "Brian has been doing that for so long and he knows what needs to be done when you're the leadoff guy, and he's one of the best. He saw so many pitches, he gave our guys a chance to see what the pitcher had. That's the job of a leadoff...

Jeremy Guthrie, who was the first AL pitcher to suffer 10 losses this year, ended a nine-start winless drought, as the Orioles beat Minnesota 3-2 Friday night. Guthrie gave up six hits and two runs over seven innings, throwing 99 pitches as he gained his fourth win of the year and first since May 25 vs. Oakland. In four career starts vs. Minnesota, Guthrie is 3-0, 2.96. Jeremy Guthrie talks with the media about his start in the O's 3-2 win over the Twins Guthrie took a shutout to the...

Tonight's attendance: 19.013. Season total: 1,095,630. Brian Roberts is 0-for-4 in his first game since April 9, but he's run the count full three times. I'm giving him points, though they won't show up on his average. It's just nice to see a hitter work the count and put a little pressure on the pitcher. Jeremy Guthrie allowed two runs and six hits in seven innings, with no walks and six strikeouts. Interim manager Juan Samuel removed him after 99 pitches. Guthrie is making himself...

The Orioles entered the sixth inning leading by a run and exited it the same way. Just with a different score. After Joe Mauer's two-run homer in the top of the sixth off Jeremy Guthrie gave Minnesota a 2-1 lead, Luke Scott crushed a pitch for a two-run homer in the last of the sixth for a 3-2 O's lead. Scott hit a 1-1 pitch from Anthony Slama (yes, his real name) out to the left of the big scoreboard in right field. It was a 394-foot shot that didn't take long to leave the Yard. This...

A second baseman left the game with an injury, but it wasn't Brian Roberts. Orlando Hudson was removed in the bottom of the third. We're still waiting for official word, but it might be an oblique injury. Roberts has grounded out twice and struck out. He ran the count full again in the fifth inning before going down swinging. Twins left-hander Brian Duensing has induced nine ground balls through five innings. Ty Wigginton hit his first triple since Aug. 16, 2008. Plate umpire Gary...

Brian Roberts just took his first swings as an Oriole since the home opener, when he exited with a strained abdominal muscle. It's easy to forget the injury because it's been so long ago. I would have guessed "back" and failed to advance to the bonus round. Leading off the bottom of the first inning, Roberts ran the count full against Twins left-hander Brian Duensing and fouled off a pitch before bouncing to second. Roberts saw seven pitches from Duensing. Way to work the count. Roberts...