Some notes to ponder as the O's and Angels play this afternoon in the final game of the series and the Orioles six-game road trip to Chicago and LA. *The Orioles today are looking for their fifth series sweep of the year. They swept three from Boston at home at the end of Aprill and took three from the Nats in June. They swept four at Texas right before the All-Star break and took three from this Angel team August 3-5 in Buck Showalter's first games as manager. The Orioles have been swept...

Vikings quarterback Brett Favre threw two interceptions last night. Save it for the playoffs, Brett. Nice outing by Jim Johnson last night in his first major league action since April 30. Hard to believe it's been that long. Manager Buck Showalter found an opportune time to take Johnson for a test-drive, in the ninth inning with the Orioles holding a 5-0 lead. The first batter reached on an infield hit, but Johnson didn't allow another baserunner. Most impressive to me, his fastball was...

Who would have thought that it would be August 28th this year before Kevin Millwood got his first win of the season vs. an American League team? But he beat the Los Angeles Angels tonight for his third win. He is 2-1 in four starts vs. the National League this year and was 0-13, 5.36 in 21 starts vs. AL clubs. But Millwood allowed six hits over eight innings as the O's beat the Angels 5-0 and they've taken the first two in this series. Millwood is now 3-14, 5.34. He walked just one and...

With a new look to the lineup, strange plays, two ejections and over 30,000 fans on hand to watch, the Nationals collected their 100th win at Nationals Park on Saturday night by defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 14-5. Moreover, the 14 runs scored tonight were the highest single-game total in DC since baseball returned in 2005. That's a lot of good news following a tough week in NatsTown. This season, the Nats are inching closer and closer to a .500 record at the new ballpark with their...

Nationals left-hander Ross Detwiler had a solid rehab start for Potomac Saturday, which came back to beat Frederick with three runs in the ninth inning, 6-4 at Harry Grove Stadium. Detwiler yielded two hits, one a solo shot by Ronnie Welty, but struck out four batters over the three frames. The P-Nats now have a game and half lead in the Northern Division with 10 games to play. Mr. Everything Tyler Moore did it again, smacking a clutch RBI double to tie the game in the ninth inning. ...

Triple-A Norfolk rallied from 4-0 down to beat Gwinnett 5-4. It gives the Tides their first four-game win streak of the year. They had won three in a row eight times, but never got to four. Rhyne Hughes and Brandon Snyder homered and Lou Montanez went 2 for 4 with 2 RBI. Montanez is 12 for 31 (.387) during a seven-game batting streak. New Britain scored an unearned run in the last of the ninth to beat Bowie 6-5. The Baysox are a game and a half out of an Eastern League playoff berth after...

Josh Bell has always hit better from the left side of the plate. The splits are so uneven that many fans have suggested that he give up switch-hitting. Team officials have chosen to wait, but they're aware of the discrepancy. So explain how Bell's three major league home runs have come against left-handers. Bell just took Scott Kazmir deep with Cesar Izturis on base, giving the Orioles a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning. He went to the opposite field with an 0-2 count. Kazmir has lost six of...

On Saturday, the Nationals hosted their second and final blood drive of the season in partnership with Inova Health System. Several hundred fans turned out for the drive to donate blood to 15 local hospitals in Washington D.C. and Virginia. Only 37 percent of people in the United States are eligible to donate blood and of those, fewer than 5 percent donate on a regular basis and hospitals are always in need of more blood donations. "Whenever people can do it, there is always a big need...

Still no Adam Jones in the lineup. This is the fourth straight game without him. Julio Lugo 2B Nick Markakis RF Ty Wigginton 1B Luke Scott DH Jake Fox LF Felix Pie CF Crag Tatum C Cesar Izturis SS Josh Bell 3B Kevin Millwood RHP Here's the Angels lineup: Bobby Abreu LF Howie Kendrick 2B Alberto Callaspo 3B Torii Hunter RF Hideki Matsui DH Mike Napoli 1B Erick Aybar SS Bobby Wilson C Peter Bourjos CF Scott Kazmir LHP

If you're going to get your first professional hit, make it a home run. Don't fool around. First-round pick Manny Machado was 0-for-5 as a pro before launching a two-run homer in the sixth inning today for the Gulf Coast League Orioles. He had flied out to center field twice this morning after going 0-for-3 yesterday in his debut. He grounded to the pitcher in his last at-bat today. If you're going to start out 1-for-7 as a pro, make that one hit a home run. Machado will work out with...