Game Preview Boston (60-42) at Orioles (44-58) Friday night featured more of the same for the Orioles. Another loss since the All-Star break. Another close loss and another defeat vs. Boston. They'll try and break into the win column vs. the Sox tonight in game two of the series at Camden Yards at 7:05 p.m. when David Hernandez (3-2, 3.20) pitches vs. Boston's Josh Beckett (12-4, 3.44). Kevin Youkilis hit a two-run homer off Jeremy Guthrie in the 7th inning to lead Boston to a 6-5 win...

So the Orioles are considering Brian Matusz to make Tuesday's start in Detroit in the place of the injured Brad Bergesen. I don't have a vote, but in this blog I do. I sign off big time on that move. And, it's not just because I've seen him pitch three or four times in person this year and his stuff has looked great. It's because his maturity and poise appear off the charts as well. Matusz can handle it. Plus, his pitches sure look Major League quality. In seven starts at Bowie,...

RHP David Hernandez (3-2, 3.20) tonight will make his 8th start of this year, his 3rd at home and his 2nd in a row vs. the Boston Red Sox. Hernandez is coming off back-to-back very strong starts at Yankee Stadium (one run, six innings) and Fenway Park (one run, seven innings). In those two games he pitched 13 innings, allowing eight hits and two runs for a 1.38 ERA. Over his last four starts, he is 2-0, 2.45. The four starts were all on the road at Los Angeles, Seattle, New York and...

O's top draft pick Matt Hobgood made his third start at Bluefield tonight. For the third time in a row, he gave up runs. In two innings vs. Johnson City, the right-hander allowed six hits and three runs (two earned). In five innings on the year, he has allowed nine hits and four earned runs for an ERA of 7.20. He was scheduled to throw about 50 pitches. Hobgood pitched on eight days rest tonight, but I'm told he is fine physically. The club just wanted to give him longer between starts...

Watching David Hernandez struggle to keep his pitch count down tonight vs. Boston, it is easy to understand why the Orioles did not want Chris Tillman's second start to come vs. the Red Sox. Hernandez, making his 8th start, certainly struggled with his command, but the Sox are just a relentless bunch in that lineup and work the count so well. The O's made a wise choice to have Tillman's second start come Monday vs. Detroit on the road. That is no picnic, but I like his chances better that...

Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis hit solo homers to back the seven innings of scoreless pitching of Josh Beckett as the Red Sox blanked the Orioles 4-0 Saturday night. The crowd of 49,384 was the 4th largest in Camden Yards history and second sellout of the season. Beckett, now 13-4, 3.27, gave up six hits in his seven shutout frames with two walks and five strikeouts. He threw 107 pitches and is 6-2 in 12 career starts vs. Baltimore. He is the Major League's first 13-game winner. Over...

Five days after holding the Red Sox to one run over seven innings at Fenway Park, O's right-hander David Hernandez was not able to duplicate that outing vs. Boston. "They made me work tonight. I made it hard on myself not throwing strikes early in the count. I had to use my fastball to try and get by," Hernandez said. He struggled with command early on and needed 50 pitches to get through the first two innings. On the night he gave up seven hits and two runs over 4 1/3 innings, throwing...

O's hurler David Hernandez took the loss, giving up seven hits and two runs over 4 1/3 innings. He had four strikeouts and walks which helped elevate his pitch count. He had thrown 50 pitches after two innings and 92 after four. He finished with 102 pitches, just 57 for strikes. Hernandez had pitched to an ERA of 1.38 in his previous two outings at New York and Boston. The O's fall to 2-9 on the year vs. Boston, including a mark of 1-4 in Baltimore. They are 14-26 vs. the AL East and...

Game Preview Boston (61-42) at Orioles (44-59) After posting 6-5 and 4-0 wins over the Orioles this weekend, the Boston Red Sox can do something today no team has been able to do all year. That is sweep the Orioles three straight in Baltimore. The O's have been swept in three game series five times this year, but all came on the road. In April the O's lost four straight at Boston. The last time the Sox swept a three-game series at Baltimore was April 7-9, 2006. After the Birds had...

Even though he didn't arrive at New Britain until after 8 p.m. last night, Steve Johnson is scheduled to take the ball and make his first Bowie Baysox start today. Johnson and Bowie take on New Britain today at 1:35 p.m. Johnson went 1-1, 1.69 in two starts at Double-A Chatanooga before Thursday's trade to the Orioles. At two levels this year in the Dodgers system, he made a combined 18 starts, going 9-5, 3.61. Josh Bell is now also with Bowie.