Well, not in the big leagues, but he'll take the ball tonight at home for Triple-A Norfolk vs. Buffalo. Arrieta is 3-0, 0.82 over his last three starts and in 22 innings has allowed just two earned runs with 16 hits and 23 strikeouts. After his last start, he told me he felt 100 percent ready for the Majors. Arrieta leads the International League in ERA and is tied for first with 71 innings. Opponent batters have hit just .183 against him and he is fifth in the league with 62...

O's right-hander Brad Bergesen last pitched in relief during the 2008 season, once for Bowie and once for Frederick. But he will be in the bullpen tonight here at Camden Yards vs. Boston. With Orioles' starters, including Bergesen, having pitched just 9 1/3 innings combined over the last three games, Bergesen is in the pen tonight. As for how long he stays, there, the O's are not saying for certain right now. "I am going to the bullpen for tonight. I'm going to skip at least one...

Michael Gonzalez's bullpen session in Sarasota today didn't go well, and he's been instructed to rest the next two days and try again on Tuesday. Interim manager Juan Samuel was told that Gonzalez's velocity is still down and the left-hander couldn't hit his spots. "That's what I was informed by our pitching coach. His session wasn't that good," Samuel said. Gonzalez is scheduled to throw Tuesday, rest two more days and take the mound again on Friday. I'm not feeling real good...

For the Orioles: Corey Patterson LF Miguel Tejada 3B Nick Markakis RF Ty Wigginton 1B Matt Wieters C Adam Jones CF Garrett Atkins DH Julio Lugo 2B Cesar Izturis SS Jeremy Guthrie RHP For the Red Sox: Scutaro SS Pedroia 2B Ortiz DH Youkilis 3B Martinez 1B Drew RF Varitek C Reddick CF Hall LF Lester LHP Brad Bergesen's name is listed among the relievers on the magnetic board outside the clubhouse, but one of his teammates might be playing a joke on the media. Another young pitcher pointed it...

Injured second baseman Brian Roberts sat out today's extended spring training games in Sarasota after receiving treatment on his sore back. The Orioles played two games against Tampa Bay, winning them both, but Roberts pushed back his debut for the second straight day. No games are scheduled tomorrow, so Roberts will have to wait until Monday if he's deemed ready. "Hopefully, whatever is bothering him will clear up by then," said Gary Kendall, the Orioles' extended spring training...

I woke up this morning convinced that the day would move at a much slower pace than yesterday. We're back on a standard schedule. Get out of bed, check the blog comments and file my first entry. Arrive at the ballpark around 3 p.m., fire up the laptop and check the blog comments. Enter the clubhouse at 3:35 p.m. and copy the lineup. Run up to the press box and post the lineup. Go back down to the clubhouse and talk to a few players. Head for the interview room at 4 p.m. for the manager's...

Here is the final part of my series of interviews with Jim Callis of Baseball America. Today he discusses the O's drafts under Joe Jordan and the dollars the Orioles have spent on the draft. He gives Jordan solid marks for his drafts. "They've been good. I know some Baltimore fans, at least from the emails I get, are a little impatient, saying Matt Wieters isn't all he was cracked up to be and Brian Matusz is struggling. But those were two very good picks. They were guys that didn't...

Manager Jim Riggleman decided to go with Tyler Clippard in the seventh inning and then Drew Storen in the eighth of the Nationals 4-2 losing streak ending win over the hot Cincinnati Reds at Nationals Park. Similar to Cristian Guzman leading off and Nyjer Morgan batting second, this change paid dividends for the Nats quickly. Riggleman said he thought he might use Clippard for two innings, but after the Nats rallied for two runs to take the lead in the bottom of the seventh and the pitching...

I passed Andy MacPhail on the stairs as I returned to the press box. He wasn't waiting in the manager's office. That's probably a good sign. Wait, we're not doing that anymore. Never mind. The Orioles were shut out for the fifth time this season. It only seems like 15. They've tallied eight runs in their last seven games. It only seems like one. They've been blanked or held to one run six times in the last nine games. Clay Buchholz became the fourth pitcher to throw a complete game...

Tonight's attendance: 30,070. If you could read Juan Samuel's mind right now, you'd be blushing. The Orioles turned a 3-6-1 double play in the eighth inning, with reliever Frank Mata covering first base. They executed it perfectly. Too bad Mata lost track of the outs. Mata tossed the ball toward the mound, then realized his mistake and chased after it. The bases were empty, so no harm done, but it was another mental lapse. A MASN camera showed Samuel in the dugout, staring at the field...