Potomac defeats Winston-Salem 2-1 to win Carolina League championship series 3-1 from Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge. Bill Rhinehart and Tyler Moore with RBIs and Marcos Frias didn't allow an earned run as the P-Nats stunned the Dash, a team that had won 12 out of 20 meetings between the clubs during the regular season. Frias went five innings, allowing just four hits and one run with no walks and four punch outs. Joe Testa pitched two and two-thirds innings not allowing a base hit for...

That 34-pitch second inning looked like it would force Kevin Millwood to make an early exit tonight. He wasn't sharp and the Yankees were poised for that one big inning that would knock him out. Not so fast. Millwood has cleared seven innings and holds a 2-1 lead. Jim Johnson was warming in the seventh as Millwood escaped a two-on, two-out jam created by walks to pinch-hitter Jorge Posada and Curtis Granderson. Manager Buck Showalter almost certainly will go to his bullpen in the eighth...

Adam Jones tied his career high for home runs while breaking a tie. Jones' solo shot over the center field fence gave the Orioles a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth. He's hit 19 homers this season, moving him one behind Ty Wigginton for second place on the team. Kevin Millwood has settled down and retired eight of nine batters. He threw 19 pitches over the last two innings after needing 50 to get through the first two. Doesn't bode well for Troy Patton. I hope he brought a magazine.

With runners on first and second and none out in the O's second inning, Adam Jones hit a grounder to first. Mark Teixeira fielded the ball and threw to Derek Jeter covering the bag at second. Replays showed that the ball quickly popped out of Jeter's glove, but an out was ruled by second base ump Paul Nauert. I guess he was ruling that the ball was coming out of the glove as Jeter was reaching in to get it. Didn't look that way to me. The O's still had a chance with runners on first...

Alex Rodriguez has given the Yankees a 1-0 lead with a 412-foot shot into the Orioles' bullpen leading off the second inning. Rodriguez is 11-for-31 with three homers and five RBIs lifetime against Millwood. Millwood has surrendered a career-high 28 homers this year. He entered the night tied for the sixth-most in the majors. Robinson Cano followed with a single. You'll recall that he began the game hitting .441 against the Orioles this season, and .625 at Camden Yards. Millwood walked...

Left-hander Troy Patton is back with the Orioles, for the third time, but still waiting to get into his first game. He was with the club for just one day, on July 21st, then returned from August 1-8 and was recalled on September 7th. "I'm just waiting, they keep telling me to be ready. I've never been in this situation. But I'm here. So, that's the biggest thing, I'm here and I'll wait my turn." Patton is trying to stay game ready by throwing bullpen sessions, but doesn't want to...

He wasn't on Baseball America's list of the O's top 30 prospects in the pre-season, but he will be now. Joe Mahoney is at Camden Yards tonight to receive his Brooks Robinson O's Minor League Player of the Year award. "Great honor. To get the call was definitely a good day. It means a lot. The Orioles are a great organization and for them to give me this award speaks a lot about the year I've had. "I've come a long way and been working hard. Trying to be the future first baseman...

Brian Matusz threw his bullpen session today and said his left arm felt "real good." Matusz is still scheduled to start Monday night in Boston. "I'm good to go," he said. Arrieta played long toss today, but still has no idea whether he'll make another start for the Orioles. "I aired it out and I feel great. If it's up to me, I'll pitch," he said. "I know everybody wants to take precautions. I think some of the views are, what's another 14 innings going to do? But at the same...

Zach Britton is at Camden Yards tonight. But to get an award and not pitch in a game, like he had hoped. Britton was named the winner today of the O's Jim Palmer award, which goes to their Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Britton went 10-7, 2.70 between Bowie and Norfolk and was hoping he'd pitch for the Orioles this month as a September callup. "This experience of not coming up here in September is going to light a fire under my butt and push me to try and win a spot in spring...

Manager Buck Showalter's plans for the rotation should become more clear after today, and especially after left-hander Brian Matusz's bullpen session. Matusz is slated to start Monday in Boston. Jake Arrieta's turn falls on Tuesday, but he could be shut down. Arrieta still hadn't been told anything as he headed to the field to play catch this afternoon. Showalter, pitching coach Rick Kranitz and president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail met earlier today to discuss the rotation,...