John Lackey looks to be back in top pitching shape. Lackey pitched eight solid innings and Bobby Abreu provided the offense with two home runs as the Los Angeles Angels beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-2 on Thursday night. The right-hander, who had a loss and a no-decision in his last two starts, got the run support he needed this time from Abreu's 14th career multihomer game and his first as an...
For a second straight game, Jonathan Papelbon unexpectedly found himself in position to become Boston's career saves leader. Less than 24 hours earlier, Papelbon was victimized by the greatest comeback in Baltimore Orioles history. On Wednesday, after the Red Sox staged an improbable rally of their own, Papelbon got his coveted save.
It's about as close as it gets to a sure thing in baseball: Jon Lester and Jonathan Papelbon pitching for Boston against the Baltimore Orioles. Lester threw seven shutout innings, Papelbon earned a milestone save and the Red Sox extended their dominance of the Orioles with a 4-0 victory Monday night.
Desperate for a victory against their neighbors to the north, the Washington Nationals got just what they needed from their most reliable pitcher and most productive slugger. John Lannan took a four-hitter into the eighth inning, Adam Dunn hit a colossal home run, and the Nationals defeated the Baltimore Orioles 5-3 on Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.
Nolan Reimold took a swing, and the ball soared off his bat into the sky. The ball was too high for Reimold to follow its path, so he looked at Washington left fielder Josh Willingham to try to get a read on the distance. Willingham couldn't track it either; he threw his arms up in bewilderment as he waited for it to land.
Brad Bergesen struggled with the humidity and his command. His mechanics were spotty, his breaking ball ineffective. And yet, the rookie right-hander was still plenty good enough to beat the Washington Nationals. Bergesen allowed four hits in six innings to win his fourth straight decision, Melvin Mora had four RBIs, and the Baltimore Orioles used an eight-run sixth to cruise to an 11-1 victory...
Hanley Ramirez and the rest of the Florida Marlins' sluggers allowed Sean West to relax a little on the mound with a big lead. Ramirez hit a grand slam, Cody Ross and Dan Uggla each homered, and West scattered four hits over six scoreless innings as the Marlins cruised past the Baltimore Orioles 11-3 on Thursday night.
Ricky Nolasco's two-week stint in the minors appears to have helped him regain his 2008 form. Hanley Ramirez and Cody Ross both drove in two runs and Nolasco had his fourth straight strong outing since being recalled from the minors as Florida beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-2 on Wednesday night, the Marlins' fourth straight victory.
The Florida Marlins squandered a late five-run lead but still managed to reach the .500 mark for the first time since mid-May. Jorge Cantu singled home Emilio Bonifacio with no outs in the 12th inning Tuesday night to give the Marlins a 7-6 victory over Baltimore that snapped the Orioles' five-game winning streak.