A win tonight would put the Orioles back at .500 for the first time since May 26, right before that horrific West Coast trip. David Price is quite a hurdle, but the Orioles weren't supposed to clear Jeremy Hellickson last night. They didn't fall on their faces. They didn't even skin a knee. Manager Buck Showalter can break out his right-handed lineup against Price, and that has to include J.J. Hardy atop the order. Right? Felix Pie and Robert Andino used to be the leadoff options, but Pie...

Nick Markakis hadn't collected an extra-base hit since May 15 until hitting a grand slam and a two-run double tonight and setting a career high with six RBIs. Nick Markakis talks about his six-RBI night in the Orioles' 7-0 win over the Rays "I guess you could say it was a relief for me, but it was a relief for the whole team," he said. "We got a big hit in a big situation and we had great pitching and great defense. You play good defense and you pitch, most of the times you win the...

The Orioles posted their fifth shutout of the year and their second on this homestand. The three hits allowed were the fewest this season. The Orioles improved to 17-3 at home when scoring four runs or more. Overall, they're 24-8 when scoring four or more. The winning streak has reached four games, and the Orioles are only one below .500. Let's hear from manager Buck Showalter: Buck Showalter meets with the media following the Birds' 5th shutout of the season On Nick...

The first Ladies Night event for the 2011 season is scheduled for Thursday, June 16 when the Nationals host the St. Louis Cardinals. The pregame happy hour ticket includes player appearances, drink specials, an exclusive gift, games, prizes, demonstrations, samples, music and entertainment. The $40 price also includes an outfield reserved seat and a $10 concession credit. Fans can purchase tickets at nationals.com/ladiesnight. If you can't make it, there's another Ladies Night...

Tampa Bay pitcher Jeremy Hellickson was 3-0 with a 1.25 ERA lifetime against the Orioles before tonight. They were batting .205 against him. Hellickson allowed five earned runs in May. He was nothing short of dominant. Then he showed up at Camden Yards for tonight's game. The Orioles scored five runs off him in the first two innings, on J.J. Hardy's leadoff homer and Nick Markakis' grand slam. He exited after 5 2/3 innings with the Orioles leading, 5-0. Jake Arrieta was cruising until...

Nick Markakis collected his first extra-base hit since May 15. And yes, he did it in grand fashion. Markakis homered onto the flag court in right field with the bases loaded and two outs in the second inning, his first extra-base hit in 89 at-bats. The last one also came against the Rays, and it also was a home run - in the fifth inning at Tropicana Field. Markakis has three career grand slams, the most recent one coming on April 17, 2009 in Boston. That's the skinny on Markakis. (See what...

Is there any reason to drop J.J. Hardy from the leadoff spot? Maybe when Brian Roberts is activated from the disabled list. Otherwise... Hardy has made two career starts as a leadoff hitter. He's homered in the first inning in both games. If that isn't a pattern, I don't know what qualifies. Hardy jumped on a 1-0 pitch from Tampa Bay's Jeremy Hellickson tonight and drove it an estimated 388 feet into the left field seats. Three nights ago, he homered on an 0-1 pitch from Oakland starter...

Update: Tonight's Orioles-Rays game has been delayed due to rain. No word on official start time. Orioles scouting director Joe Jordan said today he has not begun contract negotiations yet with top pick, pitcher Dylan Bundy. But he will have dinner with the Bundy family next week and the process should begin soon. Jordan has heard and seen the reports about Bundy seeking $30 million. He knows that won't happen and that in the end the player won't get anywhere close to that. "He is a very...

Orioles scouting director Joe Jordan said he could not yet give us the names, but that the club has come to terms with some of its draft picks already. "We have actually come to terms, I'm not going to give the names yet, but we've come to terms with at least two of our top 10 round picks. We are really, really close on a couple of other guys. There are three players in our top 10 still playing, so no work has been done on them. I expect that to happen in the next few days," Jordan said...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter said the reason he returned shortstop J.J. Hardy to the leadoff spot is "two-fold." Hardy's put together good at-bats, which will be needed against red-hot Rays pitcher Jeremy Hellickson, and Felix Pie seems more comfortable batting lower in the order. First baseman Derrek Lee is eligible to return to the Orioles on Sunday, but he's still expected to join them in Toronto for the series that begins Tuesday. Lee was extremely close to his grandfather, and he's...