...The O's will: *Finish with a record of 67-95, topping last year's win total by three. *End the second-half of the season as they ended the first, with a four-game sweep. The O's won four straight at Texas from July 8-11 right before the All-Star game. *Have their seventh series sweep of the year of three or more games. *Finish the year with a .500 record combined at 36-36 in games vs. AL Central and Western division foes. *Finish the second-half with a winning record of 38-36. *End...

On a night when he had some of his best stuff of the season and produced a career-high nine strikeouts, Brian Matusz continued the O's starting pitching roll tonight in a 2-1 win over Detroit. He gave up just two hits and one run over six innings, throwing 100 pitches to finish his year at 10-12, 4.30. Over his final eight starts, the 23-year-old lefty went 6-0, 1.57 and tied his career-high with a six-game win streak. "All my pitches were working today. I was using them all in different...

Brian Matusz fell behind, 1-0, on Brandon Inge's home run in the second inning before clamping down on the Tigers and turning over the game to the bullpen after the sixth. Matusz went 6-0 with a 1.57 ERA in his last eight starts, allowing eight earned runs and 29 hits in 46 innings. "We've had two games in a row where a young starter gave up a home run early to go down and came back and pitched effectively, and that's impressive," manager Buck Showalter said. "I thought he was as crisp...

For the Orioles it was a case of another night and another outstanding performance from a starting pitcher. Brian Matusz had the honors on Saturday night, allowing just one run over six innings as the Orioles tamed the Tigers 2-1, in front of 35,332 at Camden Yards to take the first three games of this series. Matusz gave up just two hits and one was a solo homer by Brandon Inge in the 2nd. He improved to 10-12, 4.30 and won for the sixth time over his last eight starts. The O's three...

Jim Johnson retired the Tigers in order in the eighth inning - with a lot of help from his friends. The Orioles put on an amazing defensive display, beginning with Cesar Izturis' diving backhanded stop and throw to retire leadoff hitter Will Rhymes. Nick Markakis followed with a diving catch near the right field line to rob Austin Jackson and again bring the crowd to its feet. Johnson struck out Alex Avila to end the inning and preserve a 2-1 lead. The teams have combined for five hits,...

Tigers starter Armando Galarraga retired the first 10 batters he faced and checked to make sure umpire Jim Joyce wasn't working the bases tonight. His bid for perfection ended with one Nick Markakis swing in the fourth inning. Markakis drove a Galarraga fastball an estimated 344 feet to the flag court in right field to tie the game. Markakis, who placed third in the MVO voting, has 12 homers and 59 RBIs. Orioles left-hander Brian Matusz surrendered a bases-empty shot to Brandon Inge in the...

Luke Scott received a nice ovation before the game while accepting his award as Most Valuable Oriole. And it was obvious from the way he smiled and thanked reporters at his locker that the honor meant a great deal to him. "Good choice," manager Buck Showalter said. "And there are some other people you could make a case for, too, but Luke, I think he's starting to grasp that he doesn't have to defend a foul ball and he's OK with passing the baton a little bit. He gives us a lot of...

At the end of April, Luke Scott was batting just .194 with only two homers. Who knew then he would end the year being named winner of the Louis M. Hatter Most Valuable Oriole award. "For me, it's a tremendous honor. It has been a year of a lot of adversity but it's been a year of a lot of victory for myself and us as a group. We had the opportunity to cash it in and go through the motions the rest of the year. It says a lot about this group of guys in this clubhouse. The character that...

We are sending along best wishes tonight for Orioles long time umpires attendant Ernie Tyler, who became ill earlier today at the ballpark and was hospitalized. Ernie, who celebrated his 86th birthday in April, is currently stable and staying overnight at University of Maryland Medical Center for observation. His sons Jimmy and Freddy are with him. An O's official said doctors have not determined yet what caused Ernie to feel ill. Tyler began his 50 years of service to the Orioles in 1960...

As Andy MacPhail spoke to reporters at Camden Yards today he again mentioned the club's interest in acquiring a middle of the lineup bat. I asked him if now that some of the young pitchers have made the Major Leagues and had some success, if the club is more open to trading some of its young pitching to get a bat. "We always have to be open to whatever we think makes us better and we have to look at it on an individual basis. No grand pronouncements about whose not available, who is...