It's probably going to be an unpopular opinion, but I admire Kevin Millwood. Yes, I admire a pitcher with a 3-15 record, a new career high in losses and ERA of 5.38. The pitcher that leads the American League in losses. I remember that he pitched the first two months of this season without a win, despite a 3.89 ERA. That was the lowest ERA for a starter who opened the season with 11 straight winless decisions since Rick Langford had a 2.62 to open the 1978 season with Oakland. He...

I've got a busy morning ahead of me, which includes a three-hour stint on "Wall to Wall Baseball" with Tom Davis and Dave Johnson. The first hour, beginning at 11 a.m., will air on MASN. You can catch the entire show on ESPN Radio 1300. Or you can sleep late. Depends what you did last night. Do you get the feeling that Orioles manager Buck Showalter is looking at life from both sides now (see if that song sticks in your head for a while.) Showalter has seen the good. A lot more than he...

In his first major league start, Danny Espinosa showed the organization just a glimpse of his talent and potential. The highly touted September call-up went 2-for-4 and drove in two runs. One of those was a monster home run to deep right field. Bench coach John McLaren, filling in as manager during Jim Riggleman's suspension, called it a "missile." It came on a 1-1 pitch from Pirates starter Zach Duke, a changeup middle away. "It's one of those sweet feelings; you don't even feel the...

It would be hard to blame Luke Scott for this loss or the lack of offense vs. Matt Garza in Tampa's 4-1 win tonight. He reached base all three times he was up vs. Garza with a single and two walks. Perhaps Garza tread lightly with him after he homered off him twice in that July game vs. the Rays. Here is what Scott about the Garza and this game: "Garza had good stuff and has a plus arm. For the most part he stayed out of the middle of the plate. He's got a power arm but he finessed...

Tonight's attendance: 13,507. Welcome to the first three-game losing streak under manager Buck Showalter. "(Matt) Garza's got good stuff, but there's some things we've got to do better," Showalter said. "We missed the cutoff man, cost us a run. And a couple other things we'll correct." How about that 5-32 record against AL East opponents besides the Red Sox? Kevin Millwood lost his 15th game, which leads the majors. This is the first time he failed to complete six innings since...

No one got hit. But the Orioles didn't get many hits either, off Matt Garza. This time they didn't hit four homers off him like they did back on July 20th. Garza gave up just one run and five hits over 5 2/3 pitching Tampa Bay to a 4-1 win over the Orioles in the opener of the weekend series. Buck Showalter meets with the media following the O's 4-1 loss to Tampa Bay Garza, now 14-7, 3.46, walked and fanned three, throwing 98 pitches. He has allowed one earned run or less in six of his...

It's one thing to tick off the opposing team. It's quite another to rile your own manager. Matt Garza was upset that Rays manager Joe Maddon removed him from tonight's game with two on and two outs in the sixth. He had just issued his second walk of the inning, losing Corey Patterson on four pitches, but still held a 4-1 lead. Garza began to walk off the mound before Maddon reached it, showing up his manager in the process. Maddon took the ball from him, turned and shouted something at his...

Greetings from Pittsburgh, where the Nationals are attempting to climb out of an early seven run deficit. After putting up four runs in the sixth inning and knocking Pirates' starter Zach Duke out of the game, they've closed the gap to just three runs. September call-up Danny Espinosa put the team ahead with his first major league home run back in the third inning. Dunn, Maxwell and Espinosa drove in additional runs in the sixth putting the Nats back in striking distance. Livan Hernandez...

The O's trail Tampa and Matt Garza 4-1 through five innings. No one has shoved anything down anyone's throat that I have seen, but I have noticed the O's not getting any clutch hits off Garza. At least, so far. They had runners on second with just one out in the 3rd and 5th and failed to score. They got two hits and a walk in the 4th and scored just one run. The O's are 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position through five. Garza, who pitched a no-hitter July 26 vs. Detroit, had an...

This game is getting away from the Orioles. The Rays scored twice in the third inning and twice in the fourth to stake Matt Garza to a 4-0 lead. If you still feel good about this one, I admire your loyalty. Or you're still at Happy Hour. Either way, props to you. Just root and drink responsibly. Rick VandenHurk was warming in the bullpen, but he sat down after Kevin Millwood struck out Carl Crawford to end the fourth. Millwood has allowed six hits, walked three and thrown 73...