Coming off a series where they scored four total runs, hit .184 as a team and went 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position, the Orioles begin a series at Fenway Park in Boston tonight. Maybe in a park famous for offense the Orioles will find some. Some fans have said of the O's offense that they are just this bad and no one should be surprised. I don't buy that for a second. While no one, me included, expected huge numbers from the offense, it would just be nice to see some of the...

Most of Nick Markakis' at-bats this season have come in the third slot in the order, where he's hitting .260 (13-for-50) with three doubles, one triple, two RBIs and a .737 OPS. Markakis is 2-for-8 in the second slot, both hits being doubles. Looking at a larger sample size - his entire major league career - Markakis is batting .327 with a .955 OPS in 130 games as the No. 2 hitter, and .285 with an .812 OPS in 357 games as the No. 3 hitter. By the way, he's 5-for-9 with a home run as the...

Last night, Jordan Zimmermann made his Major League debut and Joel Hanrahan recorded his first save of the season in front of just a few dedicated fans. If you were watching on MASN or listening to the radio, you probably saw a few dozen people gathered near the two dugouts. You may have been thinking, "those people are crazy." And, well, we probably were. But there is perhaps nothing better than winning a game after a long rain delay. The crowds clear out and everyone moves in close...

The Nationals are offering a great opportunity for premium ticket holders to ask General Manager Mike Rizzo and the front office staff questions in a panel discussion for 30 minutes before Saturday home games. They are calling it the "Inside Pitch Live" Speaker Series. From the release: The Washington Nationals have launched "Inside Pitch Live," a new speaker series which will take place in the PNC Diamond Club before the start of all Saturday home games. Nationals General Manager Mike...

Now that the Orioles understand the team with the worst record after 16 games doesn't get the first pick in the NFL draft, they can proceed with their three-game series in Boston. Don't get too excited. Brian Matusz doesn't pitch until tomorrow. I'm trying to figure out ways the Orioles can support manager Dave Trembley and find a solution "player personnel-wise" to their assortment of issues. The offense is spinning its tires in the mud. Who can give it a push? Focusing within the...

When the Red Sox lost 3-0 to Texas on Thursday night, the Sox fell to 6-10 on the year and 2-5 on their current ten-game homestand. The Sox are off to their worst 16-game start since the 1996 team was 3-13. Here is an amazingly bad Red Sox stat. Their catchers have combined to throw out one runner all year in 37 attempts. That is not wrong, I checked it three times. Victor Martinez has thrown out just 1 of 26 base stealers and Jason Varitek is 0 for 11. (Matt Wieters has thrown out 5 of...

Leave early: While taking the Metro to Thursday's game provided a nice discount on tickets, taking the Metro this weekend might take some extra time. Fans are encouraged to add at least 60 minutes to their travel time for all weekend games against the Dodgers. Metro will be conducting weekend track maintenance on the Green, Blue, Orange and Red Lines. That work will likely cause delays for fans trying to get to Nationals Park. Visit wmata.com to check delays and...

After last week's image stumped quite a few of you, I won't say this week's 'Where in the Yard?' is easy, but I hope you'll have a better time identifying this week's picture from from the Yard. The many of you who routinely prove how well you know your O's already know how it's done. But if you're joining us for the first time, take a look at the photo below and see if you can figure out what we're looking at and where it's located in or around Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Submit...

Don't forget that new Orioles 1B Garrett Atkins will be the first in the hot seat for a Q&A at the ESPN Zone coming up soon on Wednesday, April 28 from noon to 1:00 p.m. But in addition to Atkins' appearance in Baltimore, mark your calendars for an autograph session with O's outfielder Nolan Reimold scheduled for Saturday, May 1. Reimold will sign autographs and meet with fans from noon to 1:00 p.m. for Customer Appreciation Day at the Slavie Federal Savings Bank at 1614 E....

Brad Bergesen will make his first start for Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday. Alfredo Simon is moving to the bullpen. Check Steve Melewski's blog for his interview with Tides pitching coach Mike Griffin, who discusses Bergesen, Jake Arrieta and Chris Tillman. I wondered whether Brandon Erbe was in danger of losing his rotation spot. He gave up five runs and seven hits over five innings today in an 8-3 loss to Gwinnett, and is 0-3 with a 7.98 ERA in three starts. He's never pitched above Double-A...