I mentioned yesterday that second baseman Brian Roberts, limited to four games because of a herniated disk and an assortment of setbacks that include pneumonia, back tightness and a stomach ailment, has started to take batting practice again in Sarasota. You can decide whether this is an encouraging development or another cruel tease. "We've gotten him up to these situations before and there's been an episode, but his progressions are picking up," said president of baseball operations...

The Orioles have had minor league no-hitters pitched this year by Norfolk's Chris Tillman in April and on Wednesday night by Nate Moreau in his Frederick Keys debut. Friday night, the Aberdeen IronBirds took a no-hitter into the last of the eighth of their game at Hudson Valley, but settled for a one-hitter and 5-0 win over the Renegades. Aberdeen starter Justin Moore, a 20-year-old right-hander, pitched six no-hit innings to get it started. He walked three and fanned two. Then Jason Gurka...

Nationals starter Luis Atilano got to the fourth inning Friday pretty much unscathed. He allowed a first inning hit batter and then a single. A ground out by Ike Davis scored the Mets first run and they led 1-0. But in the fourth, trouble brewed as the first three men got on base. David Wright led off the inning with a double and Atilano struggled with control to the next two hitters, walking both Davis and Jason Bay. With the bases loaded and nobody out, it looked as if Atilano might be...

Michael Gonzalez gave up a home run in his second straight injury rehab game, this time in Double-A Bowie. Gonzalez retired the first Akron batter he faced to end the fifth inning, but he served up a two-out homer in the sixth and came out of the game. He recorded two outs on fly balls and one on a grounder. Gonzalez surrendered a two-run homer against Brooklyn in his most recent appearance with short-season Single-A Aberdeen. Update: Felix Pie went 1-for-4 with a triple, walk and two...

What was it Brad Bergesen said in that article I posted earlier today. Something about Rick Kranitz saying he really liked his arm angle during his last start. Tonight Bergesen had a good arm angle and good results. But moments after he left the game he and the O's suffered a tough break. Bergesen gave up a two-out double to Marco Scutaro in a 2-2 tie game in the last of the eighth. The O's then went to the bullpen for Will Ohman and he faced pinch-hitter Daniel Nava. He lifted a high...

Just because Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg has switched oceans, that does not prevent fans of his native San Diego from keeping up with the young pitching phenom. Today, Strasburg makes his sixth big league start, first time against the New York Mets, once again before a nationally televised audience. (Programming Note: The game has been selected to be televised by Fox, as part of Major League Baseball's national television agreement with Fox to televise a Saturday afternoon...

I hate to even invoke that name in any discussion, ever. But what happened in Boston in the bottom of the second tonight did remind one of that kid who played almost as big a role as Derek Jeter or any Yankee in helping New York beat the O's in the ALCS in 1996. When J.D. Drew homered to left center in the second, a fan seemed to reach over the top of the Green Monster and deflect the ball off the very top of the wall. The umpires ruled home run and Boston leads the game 1-0. Unlike Maier,...

Nationals starter Craig Stammen is searching for two wins in a row today as he faces the New York Mets in the series finale on the Fourth of July at Nats Park. Stammen (2-2) had a tremendous return to the hill Tuesday in Atlanta, going 7 1/3 innings, allowing five hits, two runs, two walks and striking out four batters. He also allowed only three hits through his first seven innings. In reaching the eighth inning, it marked the longest outing for Stammen since April 19 against the...

Remember the great Brian Matusz debate last season? President of baseball operations Andy MacPhail kept insisting that Matusz wouldn't make his major league debut in 2009, that the left-hander would eventually be shut down after Double-A Bowie completed its season. You know the rest. Brad Bergesen took a Billy Butler line drive off his left shin on July 30, Orioles scouts insisted that Matusz was ready, and MacPhail finally relented. Zach Britton isn't getting the same early treatment....

Despite last night's dismal O's performance and blowout loss, the club has won five of its last seven games. But that was against the Marlins, Nats and A's. Tonight they begin a ten-game road trip vs. Boston (47-32), Detroit (41-36) and Texas (47-31). Let's see how the O's fare vs. these winning teams. Play anything like they did last night and they will get smoked on this trip. The Orioles are 8-25 vs. the AL East this year. That includes a 5-4 record vs. tonight's opponent, the...