On Buck Showalter's first night as manager, the Orioles did a few things they have not done much since the All-Star break. Or too often at any point this season. They got solid starting pitching. They got a couple of clutch hits. And, they won. The O's scored four times in the sixth to back Jeremy Guthrie for a 6-3 win over the LA Angels in front of 16,723 on Showalter's first day in the dugout. The O's were down 2-1 heading to the last of sixth after Howie Kendrick's two-run homer...

Remove Jeremy Guthrie after seven innings or send him back out for the eighth? That was the decision facing new manager Buck Showalter, and he chose to pull Guthrie after 92 pitches and bring in left-hander Michael Gonzalez with the top of the order coming up. Showalter wanted Gonzalez to face the two switch-hitters and a left-hander. Gonzalez responded by getting two quick outs, allowing a single to Bobby Abreu and inducing a grounder from Torii Hunter, who represented the potential tying...

It's clear that under Buck Showalter the Orioles will get more clutch hits. Just kidding, but they did get two big ones in the sixth to score four and lead the Angels, 5-2. Luke Scott hit the first homer of the Showalter era, a 422-foot, two-run blast to right center for a 3-2 lead. He homers for the second game in a row and the 7th time in 15 games since coming off the DL on July 19. Scott was just three for 23 over his last six games coming into tonight. But he also entered play with...

The Orioles scored four times in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 5-2 lead. Luke Scott greeted reliever Francisco Rodriguez with a two-run bomb to right field, and Josh Bell collected his first major league RBIs with a two-run double to left after Felix Pie singled and Matt Wieters was walked intentionally. Wieters scored all the way from first base, which won't happen very often. Speed isn't counted among his tools. Bell lined the ball to the opposite field. Maybe he'll relax...

Did you know that Angels starter Trevor Bell is the grandson of Bob Bell, the original Bozo the Clown for WGN-TV in Chicago from 1960 until 1984? You can't make this stuff up. You can, however, make up your own joke. Both teams were shut out through four innings, but Howie Kendrick just ripped a two-run homer to left field with no outs in the fifth. Kendrick got hold of a 96 mph fastball. Luke Scott had the only extra-base hit before Kendrick's homer, a two-out double in the fourth. Adam...

For now, Delmarva Shorebirds right-hander Matt Hobgood is avoiding the disabled list. Hobgood, last June's first-round O's pick, left his last start on Saturday night at Lexington after just nine pitches due to lower back spasms. He is reporting some improvement. For now the O's will monitor his progress, but a date for his return to the Shorebirds rotation has not been set. That was according to a club official. In tonight's Delmarva Shorebirds game notes, they list Hobgood to start...

Buck Showalter received a nice ovation as he jogged to home plate for the exchange of lineup cards, and again as he returned to the bench. The crowd's too small for an ear-piercing welcome, but he was warmly received. Standing at the plate with his arms folded, Showalter bears a striking resemblance to Earl Weaver. That's especially true if you're looking down at the field. The comparison might not ring as true if your seat's in the first row. The Showalter Era began with Jeremy Guthrie...

During a pre-game interview with reporters, that word accountability came up again with Ty Wigginton. He was asked if that was a part of Buck Showalter's message to the players and if it is needed on this team. "I think so. I know, every time I step out on the baseball field, I want to be accountable for my actions. Whether it's an error or a positive. I think that's the whole key to helping yourself get better as a Major League player." Wigginton agreed that one thing Showalter...

Going back to Chris Tillman's start today for Triple-A Norfolk, he allowed all four runs and six hits in the first inning. He blanked Indianapolis on three hits over the next four innings. That's still not a roll, but it's encouraging that he settled down. Here's the Angels lineup: Aybar SS Izturis 2B Abreu LF Hunter RF Matsui DH Callaspo 3B Kendrick 1B Napoli C Bourjos CF Bell RHP Bourjos is the son of former Orioles farmhand and current scout Chris Bourjos. The Angels have won 10 of...

The Washington Nationals today optioned right-handed pitcher Yunesky Maya to the club's rookie-level Gulf Coast League affiliate. Nationals Senior Vice President and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Maya, 28, recently signed a Major League contract with the Nationals, after a stellar career in Cuba. He went 13-4 with seven complete games and a 2.22 ERA last season with the Pinar Del Rio Vegueros of the Cuban National Series (Cuba's equivalent of Major League Baseball) en...