Brian Matusz picked up just his second win since April 18 and the O's scored nine runs in the first four innings in a 9-7 win over the Angels Wednesday night as they are now 2-0 for new manager Buck Showalter. Felix Pie, who had just one RBI over his past 18 games, had three hits, including a triple and 3 RBI. Luke Scott hit his 20th homer, a two-run shot and Adam Jones went 3 for 4 and scored three runs. Ty Wigginton added a two-run single. Scott has homered in three straight games. The...

We're trying to figure out why Josh Bell left the game in the top of the eighth. Ty Wigginton replaced Bell at third base, and Jake Fox took over at first. Shortstop Cesar Izturis is the only infielder at his original position. Bell struck out in the seventh. He didn't appear to sustain an injury. I can't imagine that he's being punished for loafing on his way back to the bench. We'll find out later. Koji Uehara struck out the side in the eighth and pumped his fist as he left the...

Julio Lugo has replaced Brian Roberts at second base. Don't say I didn't warn you. Roberts has a left shin contusion, according to a club spokesman. I thought the ball hit Roberts on the side of the foot, but I'm not a doctor. Matt Albers will try to hold a 9-1 lead. Update: David Hernandez will try to hold a 9-4 lead. Albers recorded only one out and allowed two singles and two doubles. Left fielder Felix Pie didn't touch the ball while Brian Matusz was in the game, despite the...

The tarp is on the field and the rain is coming down hard. Don't say I didn't warn you. Update: Now the tarp's off the field and play is expected to resume at 9:40 p.m. Tonight's attendance: 13,467. Brian Matusz was done for the night, no matter the weather. He allowed one run and seven hits over six innings, walked none and struck out three. He threw 93 pitches. On a night when he didn't need much offensive support, the Orioles gave him nine runs. He won't complain. I'm told that...

The game is in a rain delay with the O's leading 9-1 and batting in the last of the sixth. If it is called off at this point, the Orioles will win. Feel free to post some questions here during the delay which came at 9:16. Questions on any O's topic, majors or minors. Update: Could be one of the shortest delays ever. As of 9:27, they have taken the tarp off, the rain has stopped and they are raking the dirt areas. Now the word is play will resume at about 9:40. If you add any...

The Angels have collected six hits off Orioles left-hander Brian Matusz through four innings. Half of them haven't left the infield. The only run scored on a broken-bat grounder by Mike Napoli in the fourth. Howie Kendrick doubled and moved to third on a grounder. Matusz hasn't walked a batter, which is encouraging when you consider that he issued 13 in his last four starts covering 13 innings. He's struck out two and thrown 61 pitches. Big nights for Adam Jones and Felix Pie, who are a...

Here is a stat for you. In the last six games before Buck Showalter took over as manager, Felix Pie went 4 for 22 at bat. Now, in 12 innings with Showalter here, he is 4 for 5. That is through tonight's third inning. After going 2 for 3 with a double and two runs scored last night, and several nice catches in left field, tonight, Pie is 2 for 2 already. He ripped an RBI triple to right in the second and added an RBI single to right in the third. Then he stole a base. Here are some more...

Angels catcher Jeff Mathis nailed Brian Roberts on the left foot with a pickoff throw in the first inning, but the Orioles' leadoff hitter stayed in the game. Roberts is in obvious pain, but at least it's not his back. Head athletic trainer Richie Bancells and manager Buck Showalter checked on Roberts, who was limping as he took a stroll on the basepaths. The way Roberts was squatting and bending at the waist, you had to wonder whether his back was the issue. But the ball hit Roberts on the...

It's not surprising that we're learning more about new manager Buck Showalter with each passing day. Showalter already has established that he's not ready to anoint a closer and he doesn't care about saves. He also doesn't want his relievers warming up if they're not going to pitch. We tend to forget that a reliever might not enter a game for three or four days, but if he's up every night, he's still taxing his arm. I've heard bullpen guys complain about past managers burning them...

The deals are not completely done, but the Orioles expect fifth-round draft pick, Connor Narron, a high school infielder from Goldsboro, North Carolina and ninth-round pick, prep pitcher Parker Bridwell from Hereford, Texas, in Baltimore this Thursday and Friday for physicals. If all goes well, they could soon officially sign and report to the Gulf Coast League Orioles as early as next week. "We are hopeful that we are within five or six days tops (of the pair reporting to that club)," O's...