Orioles manager Buck Showalter watched from the home dugout at Prince George's Stadium last night as Jim Johnson pitched one inning for Double-A Bowie. Showalter arrived in the fourth inning and got a good seat. Johnson entered the game in the top of the sixth and served up a home run to Thomas Neal on a high changeup. Johnson retired the other three batters he faced, striking out the last one. He threw 20 pitches after totaling 12 the previous night. "I felt like I had better release on my...

Players aren't required to report to the ballpark today until noon. I saw Matt Wieters and Cesar Izturis eating breakfast with third base coach Gary Allenson. It's a little slow around here. I forgot to mention last night that Adam Jones won't start today. Manager Buck Showalter wants to rest him for a few days, including tomorrow, when we have an open date on the schedule before the six-game road trip that begins Tuesday in Chicago and continues into Anaheim. Jones is 0-for-16 since his...

There are many things to like about Buck Showalter in his short time as O's manager. Among them, right now, is the fact that he has not labeled anyone as the Orioles closer. It's been frustrating at times this year when the O's seemed to use a pitcher in the ninth, because he had the label as "closer." With Alfredo Simon's recent struggles, that job is open again and if Showalter is in no hurry for one man to claim it, or get that title, that's fine with me. Let him go to the player...

Orioles reliever Jim Johnson gave up a solo home run tonight to Richmond's Thomas Neal in his latest injury-rehab inning at Double-A Bowie. He threw 20 pitches, 12 for strikes. Johnson struck out a batter to end the inning. I'm told that his fastball sat in the 93-94 mph range. Johnson also threw his slider, changeup and curveball tonight. So what's next? The Orioles want him to work out the next two days and pitch again on Tuesday and Wednesday. But you already knew that because you...

Before he could get to post-game interviews, Josh Bell was heading out of the Orioles clubhouse to take care of some business. He was looking to get the two baseballs he hit for his first two Major League homers today in the O's 8-6 win over Texas. Two fans sitting near each other in right field had the baseballs. Now each has a Bell bat and ball and he autographed each. Now, where do those baseballs go? "Not sure yet. Probably, somewhere with Mom." Bell knew what to do with them when...

Or maybe it was The Josh Bell Show today. That's the term manager Buck Showalter used while meeting with reporters following today's 8-6 victory over the Rangers. "Great to see a smile on his face," Showalter said. "I'll tell you what, he's had some good at-bats. When he collides with the ball, good things happen." Bell almost hit a third home run, but settled for a single. "We were all yelling, 'Get up.' I knew it was going to be close. We were certainly pulling for him,"...

Koji Uehara picked up his first save in the United States. Manager Buck Showalter used left-hander Michael Gonzalez in the eighth inning. Gonzalez gave up a run on doubles by David Murphy and Mitch Moreland before recording back-to-back strikeouts. Uehara induced a fly ball to right field from Elvis Andrus on an 84 mph splitter after falling behind, 1-0. Michael Young also flied to right on a 1-0 count, this time chasing an 86 mph fastball. Josh Hamilton took an 88 mph fastball for a strike,...

The Orioles used a stunning display of power over the third and fourth innings today to beat Texas and Cliff Lee 8-6 in front of 23,041 at Camden Yards. Josh Bell homered twice for his first two Major League homers while Ty Wigginton and Luke Scott went back-to-back for the Orioles, who are 6-1 in their last seven games vs. the AL West leaders. It was a four-homer day for the O's, who can take this series with a win on Sunday afternoon. Here are more notes on Bell and today's power...

Another note or two on the Orioles home run outburst today after just watching Josh Bell single off the top of the fence in right, just missing his third homer of the day. Coming into this game, the O's had hit just one in their last five games and they hit four homers total over the last nine games. Then, they hit four today over the first four innings vs. a pitcher that had given up just nine all year. This is the O's 5th game this year with four or more homers: 5 Homers: May 1 vs....

Josh Bell became the fourth Orioles rookie to hit his first two major league home runs on the same day. Jim Fuller did it on Sept. 25, 1973. Curt Blefary did it April 17, 1965. And Boog Powell did it May 2, 1962. Cliff Lee hasn't left a start before completing 6 1/3 innings this season. The Rangers' bullpen is quiet again, so he'll continue despite allowing seven runs and nine hits, and throwing 90 pitches, through the fifth. Update: Bell came within a few feet of homering for the third...