For the first weekend of interleague baseball, the Orioles were scheduled in Washington D.C. for the first of their home and home series against the Nationals. It was a coincidence of the schedule but it was wonderful to be in the nation's capital over Memorial Day weekend. MASN combined its game crews and Jim Palmer and I got to share the booth with Nats announcers Bob Carpenter and Rob Dibble. It was interesting and a lot of fun to hear the Nats' perspective from Bob and Rob while...

Even with the Orioles on a west coast road trip, the Warehouse at Camden Yards has been a buzz of activity as Joe Jordan and his staff go through the final preparations for the 2009 First-Year Player Draft. This will be Jordan's fifth draft as the Orioles director of scouting. In a third floor conference room, reports on hundreds and hundreds of players fill the large table. A draft board goes through updates and changes. Empty food containers fill waste baskets. And the scouts on...

When Major League Baseball made interleague play part of the schedule in 1997, there was genuine excitement and interest in the games between American and National league teams. But now, in its 13th season, interleague games just don't have the flair they once had. I remember how highly anticipated the Orioles' first interleague series was in 1997. The O's went to Atlanta to take on the Braves in a three-game weekend series. The O's were in first place in the AL East and the Braves...

I'm sure you've noticed by now that MASNsports.com has received a face lift in the wake of the new baseball season. We've made a lot of changes - but hopefully ones that will make things easier and more enjoyable for you, the readers. Along with the new look, we've updated the system we use to publish entries, which won't mean a lot of changes to the articles from your side, but if you're looking for your answer in the comments section of this week's 'Where in the Yard?' you won't...

After a scoring change, credit Carl Crawford with a game-winning double. Here are some post-game quotes from Kevin Millwood to round out your evening: "Physically, I felt really good, felt like I was throwing the ball where I wanted to for the most part," he said. "Late, I started to get the ball up a little bit. It was decent, but to throw that many pitches and only get 15 outs, I've got to do a little better than that." Millwood said he was "a little disappointed" to only go...

I mentioned last night that Will Ohman and Mike Gonzalez were the only Orioles standing at their lockers after reporters entered the clubhouse. For the sake of accuracy, Ohman was sitting down. The media flocked to Gonzalez, of course, since he blew the save. Nobody wants to talk to the guy who retired both batters he faced in the seventh inning. Yawn. I was smart enough to interview Ohman before the game, though it mostly was due to a running joke we shared throughout spring training. Ohman...

Two players stood at their lockers as reporters were allowed inside the clubhouse: Will Ohman and Mike Gonzalez. Gonzalez, wearing an ice pack on his left shoulder, didn't hide in the trainers room or the players lounge. He knew that the media wanted him and he took the heat. "I felt really good. I felt the best I felt all spring. Just didn't go my way," he said. "My stuff was good, arm action was good. Just missed a couple pitches, left a couple pitches up. You got bases loaded,...

In suffering the blown save in the last of the 9th in Tampa's 4-3 win over the Orioles Tuesday, four of the five batters he faced reached vs. Mike Gonzalez. He threw 15 pitches, seven for strikes and gave up two runs in 1/3 of an inning. Up until the 9th, the O's pen worked three scoreless innings and Tampa was 1 for 9 vs. the pen. The Orioles fall to 35-22 all-time in openers. They lost on Opening Day for just the 3rd time in the last 11 games. They are 8-9 when opening on the road, now...

Manager Dave Trembley had the game lined up just as he wanted. Matt Albers covered the sixth inning and cleaned up Kevin Millwood's mess. Will Ohman played the role of lefty specialist to perfection. Set-up man Jim Johnson retired the side in order in the eighth to protect a one-run lead. Enter the closer. Exit the victory. So it didn't go exactly as planned. "That's the way it is. That's how it will be. There's nobody else who's going to close it. That's (Mike) Gonzalez. He's...

The bottom of the ninth set up nicely for new O's closer Mike Gonzalez. Tampa had the bottom of the lineup coming up. But Gonzalez gave up a two-run single to Carl Crawford with the bases loaded and one out as Tampa stole the game from the Birds 4-3 on Opening Night at the Trop. The O's offense had to rely on three solo homers on the night. The Birds just could not get the clutch hit to break this game before the ninth. They went 1 for 12 tonight with runners in scoring position, but...