More on Markakis (Gonzalez only goes 4 2/3)

Nick Markakis led off today's game for the Orioles by grounding a ball into center field for a single. And so it continues. Markakis extended his hitting streak to 12 games. He's hit safely in 15 of his last 16. Markakis leads the Orioles with 37 hits, six more than runner-up Nelson Cruz. Before today, he ranked second with a .310 average and 15 runs, fourth with a .367 on-base percentage and third with a .790 OPS. Markakis has collected only two home runs, in both ends of Thursday's doubleheader against the Pirates, but that number is tied for third on the team. The Orioles led the majors in home runs last season despite Markakis' power outage. They rank 23rd in the majors this season with 21, but they're tied with the Yankees for fifth in batting average at .265. Markakis has 1,407 career hits, 19 behind Paul Blair for eighth place on the Orioles' all-time list. The elephant in the room, of course, is Markakis' $15 million salary this season and the club's $17.5 million option for 2015. That's a hefty sum, no matter how long his hitting streak grows. Miguel Gonzalez has allowed one hit and struck out two today in two scoreless innings. Down on the farm, Triple-A Norfolk's Suk-min Yoon allowed eight runs and 11 hits in three-plus innings today. The Tides trail Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 16-1 in the sixth. Update: The scoreless tie went poof in the third on Trevor Plouffe's two-out, two-run double. The failure to turn a double play on former Oriole Pedro Florimon proved costly. The Twins put runners on second and third with no outs in the fourth and didn't score. Gonzalez got back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning. That was clutch. Gonzalez has thrown 61 pitches in four innings. Update II: Gonzalez turned in his second-shortest outing this season, allowing three runs in 4 2/3 innings, the last scoring on a bases-loaded walk to Kurt Suzuki. Gonzalez lasted only 3 1/3 innings in his first start in Detroit. Gonzalez walked four today, all in the fifth inning, and struck out seven. He departed after 94 pitches. Another bullpen day for the Orioles, who are off on Monday. Their relievers may need the break.