Number nine hitter Cesar Izturis made sure the Orioles did not blow a bases loaded chance in the top of the second at Texas. Tejada, Scott and Jones all singled. Up came Garrett Atkins with one out and the sacks full. He took a called third strike that might have been a ball outside, but he was punched out. With two outs up came Cesar. batting .206 on the year and with just four hits over his last 41 at bats. But he came up with a looping, clutch, two-out, two-run single to center for a...

Nolan Reimold is making another start at first base tonight with Triple-A Norfolk. He served as the Tides' designated hitter last night and also has started in left field. Reimold is 2-for-17 with a home run, two RBIs, two walks and five strikeouts in five games since being optioned. The Orioles want him to get acclimated to first base, but the No. 1 priority is supposed to be regaining his stroke. Hopefully, he can do that while learning a new position. Michael Aubrey is playing left field...

Nats right-handed starter Luis Atilano (3-0, 3.90) faces Mets right-hander John Maine (1-3, 6.13) in the finale of the two-game set tonight at Nats Park. Atilano is coming off a start against the Colorado Rockies in which he allowed back-to-back homers. He did not have the best control with four walks in five innings and was often behind in the count. A lot of times it was because the sinker was not catching the lower half of the plate. I asked Luis how he adjusts when his sinker...

Food Network star and paid Smithfield spokeswoman Paula Deen visited Nationals Park on Wednesday afternoon to raise awareness about hunger in our communities. Deen joined Sean and Jessica Burnett, John Lannan, Maryanne Gerry and Rachel Dunn to help the Nationals, Harris Teeter and Smithfield donate 100,000 servings of ham to the Capital Area Food Bank. "From my standpoint, I just have this love of feeding people," Deen said. "I can't stand the thought of anybody being hungry. So it's...

For the Orioles: LF Corey Patterson 2B Ty Wigginton RF Nick Markakis 3B Miguel Tejada DH Luke Scott C Matt Wieters CF Adam Jones 1B Garrett Atkins SS Cesar Izturis RHP Jeremy Guthrie For the Rangers: SS Elvis Andrus 3B Michael Young 2B Ian Kinsler DH Vladimir Guerrero LF Josh Hamilton RF Nelson Cruz 1B Justin Smoak C Matt Treanor CF Julio Borbon RHP Rich Harden

Last summer, the Orioles and the ESPN Zone teamed up to bring you the first annual Orioles Cook-Off with Brian Roberts, Jeremy Guthrie and (winner) Gregg Zaun. For this year's Second Annual Orioles Cook-Off, Brad Bergesen, Kevin Millwood, and Luke Scott will battle for the title of the best chef in Birdland. On Wednesday, May 26 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. the trio of Orioles teammates will trade their gloves for oven mitts at the ESPN Zone during the second annual cook-off event to again...

Ty Wigginton is batting .389 during a nine-game hitting streak, including three doubles, two homers, six RBIs and five runs scored. Will he start at second base again tonight or slide over to first, with Garrett Atkins taking a seat? Atkins hasn't homered in a career-high 44 games (since Sept. 11, 2009). He hasn't homered in his last 138 at-bats, eight shy of his longest drought (146 from July 1 to Aug. 13, 2005). Orioles first basemen are last in the majors in slugging (.275), on-base...

Chris Tillman pitches for Triple-A Norfolk when it hosts Pawtucket. Tillman is 3-4, 3.83 on the year. But over his last five starts, he is 3-1, 2.57 and has walked just five and fanned 26 over 35 innings. Norfolk is 16-24 after getting blanked 6-0 by the Pawsox last night. The Tides have lost six of seven. Michael Aubrey is batting .441 (15 for 34) over his last 11 games with two homers and 5 RBI. Josh Bell has 21 RBI his last 28 games. Nolan Reimold is 2 for 17 with a homer since...

The 30-year old switch-hitting second baseman Chase Lambin from Houston, Texas is having his best season as a minor leaguer for the Syracuse Chiefs. Lambin is batting .311 through 33 games with 8 doubles, 2 triples, 5 homers and 18 RBI. He says having Stephen Strasburg in Syracuse has changed the feeling in the stadium and the clubhouse. "When Strasburg pitches there is a whole other buzz to the stadium. It is fun to play in that environment. With a big hit the crowd reacts with a loud...

If you noticed that it took me until early this afternoon to approve the comments, and some questions went unanswered, I have an explanation to go along with my apology. I'm in Sarasota. No, really. I filed the morning entry from my gate at BWI before boarding my 7:32 a.m. Airtran flight, with its connection in Atlanta. The Sarasota Chamber of Commerce should be proud. I must love this place. I also have work to do. I hustled to the rental car counter and drove straight to Ed Smith...