Losing games is frustrating enough, but racking up close losses provides a whole other level of angst. The Orioles fell to 22-41 with Saturday's 5-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. They have lost by two runs and one run in this series. During their 14-game losing streak, the Orioles went 0-7 in games decided by two runs or fewer. They are 1-2 in such games since the losing streak ended, with both losses this weekend at Tropicana Field. The Orioles are now 4-10 in one-run games. Austin Wynns hit...

Trey Mancini might wind up playing in his first All-Star Game later this summer. And his third full-season in the major leagues is turning out to be a very good one. But Mancini has never forgotten his minor league roots. During this homestand he has walked through the clubhouse wearing a Delmarva Shorebirds T-shirt, and he was recently part of a group of Orioles that talked with Delmarva players via Skype. He's taken note of how well the Shorebirds have played this year. Tuesday night...

As the Orioles are looking for some solid starting pitching - they don't have a quality start over their last 11 games - John Means provided an encouraging outing on Sunday at Boston. Means went five innings, allowing four hits and one run with one walk and three strikeouts in Boston's 4-0 win. He took the loss and is now 1-2 but has a 1.98 ERA over five outings. In 13 2/3 innings on the season, he has walked four and fanned 13. Means threw 82 pitches Sunday, averaging 91.5 mph on his 50...

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - In a game where Dylan Bundy gave up six runs and the Orioles made six errors and lost an eight-run lead, they still won today. A Baltimore split squad beat the Tampa Bay Rays 17-15 at Charlotte Sports Park in the wildest game of spring training to date. It was every bit as crazy as the score might suggest. The game did feature two long home runs by O's prospects Ryan Mountcastle and Austin Hays, and four homers in all for the Orioles. Rio Ruiz had a three-run shot and...

The individual who replaces Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette or is given a different title already will have relayed his or her vision of the rebuilding process to John and Louis Angelos. There won't be a more important point in discussions. It starts right there. Interviews are underway and it's possible that the Orioles make two hires, including a president of baseball operations. The wheels, as they say, are in motion, and the Orioles really do need to get moving because...

Today's let's take a look at some of the Orioles minor leaguers that had the most productive seasons in 2018. Presenting one man's version of the Orioles' minor league All-Stars for this year. This is not a listing simply of the best prospects, but the players who produced the best at each position. In some cases it's clear cut and in some it's not. 1B Aderlin Rodriguez: Rodriguez hit two homers and drove in seven runs on the final day of the season for Double-A Bowie to cap off a third...

BOSTON - An examination on Hunter Harvey's right elbow Monday in Baltimore didn't reveal any structural damage, with his latest bout of discomfort related to tendinitis. Harvey will remain shut down after his latest round of flat ground sessions in Sarasota were halted on Sept. 18. He's basically been prescribed rest. The Orioles no longer are sending Harvey to the Arizona Fall League, where he was supposed to pitch for the Glendale Desert Dogs. Harvey underwent an MRI on Aug. 22 that...

If you were to ask an Orioles fan which lefty reliever had the best season of any of the southpaws on the O's farm this season, that fan could make a very strong case for Tyler Erwin, who had an outstanding year for Single-A Frederick. The Orioles are sending Erwin to the Arizona Fall League, which begins next month. He'll play for the Glendale Desert Dogs. In 50 games for the Keys, Erwin, who turned 24 in August, went 4-4 with 18 saves and a 1.58 ERA. Over 68 1/3 innings, he allowed 45 hits...

Fans, reporters and even baseball executives can debate the stats in the game - advanced, traditional or any others. There is probably no one stat that summarizes a player's contribution in a nice and neat number, although Wins Above Replacement and others attempt to do that. It at least gives us a framework for some level of a comparison. But for an admitted somewhat simplistic look at Orioles players and comparing their offense from 2017 to 2018, we could look at OPS+. It provides a...

Some days there is no reason to complain that a lot of the Orioles offense comes from the longball. Like last night, when they hit four homers in the marathon 7-3 win over the Yankees in 14 innings. All of last year the Orioles won two games at Yankee Stadium. This year they have two wins there nine days into the season. Manny Machado hit two solo homers - both shots over 400 feet - for his first two homers of the season. It was his 15th career multi-homer game and he went 4-for-5. Chris Davis...