While pitchers like Chris Tillman and Brian Matusz attract most of the attention in the O's minor leagues, having great seasons, others are emerging with strong seasons, but sometimes get overshadowed by the top hurlers. Two pitchers that fit in that category are Pat Egan and Nate Moreau. Egan, a 24-year-old right-hander began this season at Delmarva, is now at Frederick, but also made a brief and successful stop at Double-A Bowie. Pitching mostly in relief, his combined stats at three...

The news this week that the Orioles are moving their spring training home to Sarasota starting next year, will help the Major League O's in many ways. The facilities will be better and spring training travel much easier. The O's will even likely now see some of their AL East rivals for spring games. But it will help the O's minor leagues in many ways as well. The O's minor leaguers have already been in Sarasota at Twin Lakes Park. Now the Major League camp will be about 10 miles away...

Brian Roberts has left the game with a strained abdominal muscle. The injury occurred when Roberts stole second base. He scored the Orioles' first run, but you could tell that he was hurting. Roberts also was shaken up last night while diving into second, but only because he took a knee in the back of his neck. The herniated disk doesn't seem to be an issue, unless it leads to sore necks and stomach muscles. If only I could find comfort in that statement. Julio Lugo has replaced Roberts...

Brooks Robinson and Boog Powell used to look like they had played together forever when they patrolled the corner infield spots for the Orioles. Today, when they talked with reporters after throwing out ceremonial first pitches at Camden Yards, it was like no time had passed since they had last taken the field. They praised each other, traded quips and handled questions as smoothly as Brooks used to handle ground balls or Boog a throw in the dirt. "It was wonderful," Brooks said. ...

Game Preview Orioles (41-53) at Boston (55-39) The last time the Orioles played the Red Sox the series ended with two wild games. In the middle game of three, the O's went to the last of the 7th down 10-1 and rallied to beat the Sox 11-10. It was the greatest comeback ever in O's history. But the next day, the Birds took a 5-1 lead to the 9th and lost 6-5 in 11 innings. Boston scored four in the 9th to tie the game. Tonight the clubs begin a three-game series at 7:10 p.m at Fenway...

RHP Brad Bergesen (6-4, 3.51) tonight makes his 18th start of this season, his 8th on the road and his 2nd start of 2009 vs. Boston. As well as he has pitched this year, Bergesen tonight is looking for his first career road win. Bergesen, 2009: Home: 6-1, 2.82 and team is 8-2 Road: 0-3, 4.57 and team is 1-6 Bergesen took the loss over the weekend vs. the White Sox when he allowed six straight hits in the 5th inning following an error. On the night he gave up 10 hits and four runs (two...

It's looking like, for now, Jason Berken and Rich Hill will stay in the O's rotation. Will that be for just one more turn through or more, we don't know. Such was reported in a Baltimore Sun story earlier tonight. Moments ago on the MASN telecast, O's president Andy MacPhail was asked about Chris Tillman. "We haven't finalized anything yet," MacPhail said. "Most of the pitchers Tillman was with last year at Bowie are here like Berken, Bergesen and Hernandez. We should see Tillman...

The bottom four batters in the Red Sox lineup combined to drive in all three runs tonight as Boston beat the Orioles 3-1, to snap a five-game losing streak. The O's loaded the bases with one out in the ninth vs. Jon Papelbon. But he fanned Luke Scott for the second out and struck out Melvin Mora on a 3-2 pitch to record his 25th save. Jason Varitek had an RBI single and Jed Lowrie a sac fly as Boston took a 2-1 lead in the 4th. An inning later, an RBI groundout by J.D. Drew made it a 3-1...

I've always wondered how Adam Jones can blow a bubble and catch a baseball simultaneously. He does it all the time. I can't unwrap a piece of gum and walk in a straight line. It's mildly amusing when Jones does it. He's left wide open to criticism when it doesn't work. Jones couldn't make a running grab of John Buck's long fly ball to center with two outs in the first. His bubble didn't pop, but the ball popped out of his glove, allowing two more runs to score off Brad Bergesen and...

Since the O's scored 21 runs on 37 hits in the three-game series at Chicago to start this trip, the O's have struggled on offense. In the last four games of this trip, they have scored just 10 runs on 31 hits with only seven extra-base hits. The O's were 0 for 6 tonight with runners in scoring position and are 3 for 29 over the last four games with RISP. The O's loaded the bases in the 9th vs. Jonathan Papelbon, but he fanned Luke Scott and Melvin Mora to end the game. Papelbon is now...