Rio Ruiz stays at third base this afternoon and Pat Valaika is the second baseman for the Orioles' home opener against the Red Sox and left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez. Trey Mancini is batting second, playing first base and set to receive the loudest and most prolonged ovation of the day. Maikel Franco is the designated hitter again and Ryan Mountcastle stays in the cleanup spot. Cedric Mullins, who remains in center field and atop the order, has a 10-game hitting streak dating to last...

On the night, the Orioles had just four hits. They went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position. They struck out 17 times. Their starting pitcher didn't get through five innings. They lost one-run leads in the eighth and 10th innings. But they won the game. It is not often we could see all that happen for the Orioles during a close game in the Bronx, yet they pull out a win. They beat New York 4-3 in 11 innings and begin play today alone atop the American League East at 4-2. In time, we will...

There are a couple of ways to think about the Nationals' season-opening series. You can take the optimistic view and point out that in spite of their severely depleted roster, the Nats showed themselves to be pretty much on par with the Braves and very easily could've won the three-game series or even swept it. Or you can take the pessimistic view and lament the fact that the series was indeed right there for the taking, and the Nats instead gave it to the Braves by blowing an early lead in...

Opening day in the traditional sense isn't happening this afternoon at Camden Yards. However, gates are opening to fans, players will be introduced and the sounds of baseball will mix with real, live crowd reactions. The dugout chatter won't ricochet off the empty seats. The ballpark can be filled to 25 percent capacity, around 11,000 fans, as the Orioles play their first home series. Matt Harvey makes his second career start in Baltimore, unable to work out in his new surroundings due to the...

On a night they didn't get much offense or a deep start from their No. 1, John Means, the Orioles did get a big win at Yankee Stadium. It was very, very hard-earned. A win that moved them alone into first-place at 4-2 atop the American League East as they head to Baltimore for the home opener tomorrow. A win that ended on a 9-2 double play when right fielder Anthony Santander threw out the tie run at the plate. With the game tied 3-3 in the 11th inning the Orioles took the lead on a pinch-hit...

Needing a good start from Stephen Strasburg to have a chance at winning their season-opening series against the Braves despite a roster missing nine key veterans, the Nationals got more than that. Strasburg was great, tossing six innings of one-hit ball this afternoon. What they didn't get, however, was a run of their own. Or scoreless work from their bullpen. And because of it, a three-game series that was right there for the taking slipped from their hands. Pablo Sandoval's two-run homer...

It's too early in the new season to focus on trends that we are seeing on the field. But for the Orioles, the last three games have just featured too many strikeouts. They actually fanned 15 times when winning 11-3 Sunday at Boston. And then in two losses in New York there have been 27 strikeouts. Through five games the O's strikeout rate of 31.4 percent is tied with Seattle's for the most in the American League. "I'm going to give credit to Gerrit Cole last night," O's manager Brandon...

Maikel Franco is the designated hitter tonight and Rio Ruiz is at third base, as the Orioles try to avoid a sweep at Yankee Stadium. Ramón Urías is the second baseman. Cedric Mullins stays in center field and atop the order. Mullins is only the third Orioles player to record at least 11 hits in his first five games of the season, joining Adam Jones (12 in 2013) and Eddie Murray (12 in 1982). Left-hander John Means started on opening day in Boston and tossed seven scoreless innings with...

Who's ready for some more baseball? With the opener of today's doubleheader in the books, the Nationals and Braves will get right back at it with another seven-inning game on South Capitol Street. And because of the events of Game 1, in which Erick Fedde lasted only 1 2/3 innings, the Nats really could use a quality (and long) start from Stephen Strasburg. The veteran right-hander built his arm up as much as needed during spring training, even with that brief calf injury scare in mid-March....

The Orioles pitched one shutout last year during the shortened 60-game season. Thanks to lefty John Means, they matched that total on opening day. Tonight the left-hander will try to pitch Baltimore to a win in the final game of the series at Yankee Stadium. New York has posted 7-0 and 7-2 wins to begin the series. They've won 12 in a row over the Birds at Yankee Stadium and could sweep the series tonight. The Orioles were an out away from back-to-back shutouts when Rio Ruiz hit a two-run...