Joe Saunders pitches O's to playoff matchup against the Yankees!

Buck Showalter decided to hand the baseball off to Joe Saunders on friday night against the Texas Rangers even though his stats were not good at the ballpark in Arlington. His decision was the right call as Saunders went 5 2/3 innings striking out 4 Rangers while only allowing a first inning run.

The O's would get him a run in the first on a JJ Hardy base hit after Nate McLouth stole second base. They would add on in the 6th with a sac fly off the bat of Adam Jones and that is all the team would need. The O's would add rbi's from McLouth in the 7th, Machado in the 9th  and McLouth again in the 9th.

McLouth finished the game 1 for 4 with 1 run scored and 2 rbi's. He also stole a base. Jim Johnson would come on in the 9th to wrap it up moving the O's in the best of five match-up with division rival the New York Yankees with game 1 on Sunday.

Orioles sweep Boston out of Baltimore!

The Baltimore Orioles are on the verge for the teams first postseason birth since 1997 but had to get through Boston first. Last Season the O's spoiled the Red Sox chances to head to the playoff behind Robert Andino. This season the Red Sox had the chance to be spoiler but the O's had other ideas in store.

The Baltimore Orioles swept Boston on Sunday to move their record to 92-67 on the Season. They are currently tied in the American League East with the New York Yankees. The O's hit 3 solo homeruns including shots from Nate McLouth, JJ Hardy and Chris Davis. That is all that Joe Saunders would need to win his 3 game for the O's.

The O's will travel to Tampa to take on the Rays while the Red Sox could help the O's as they take on the Yankees in the remaining 3 games of the Season. Both teams will be fighting to win the division with a good chance the other team getting a wild card spot. The O's need a Angels loss or a O's win to lock up a wildcard spot!

O's bats can't wake up!

The Baltimore Orioles headed out west to play a series against the Seattle Mariners followed by a series against the Los Angeles Angels before the All-Star Break. A break that can't get here fast enough for the boys in orange & black. The problem over the course of the last couple weeks has been the teams lack of hitting in the clutch and now all of a sudden its just hits in general.

The O's managed to get 3 hits off the Mariners including 1 of those being a 3 run home-run off the bat of Chris Davis. Davis also had a second hit gaining 2 of 3 hits with the third hit coming of the newly acquired bat of Jim Thome. Jason Hammel started for the O's and had a solid outing going in the 7th after a strike-out Matt Wieters attempted a strike them out throw them out double play but Robert Andino dropped the ball. The catch would have cleared the bases with 2 outs. Instead it was 1 out and a runner at second. The Mariners were able to load the bases before Casper Wells cleared them on a bases clearing double.

The O's would fall to the Mariners 6-3 as the slide continues. Over the the course of the last 7 games the O's have 47 hits in 218 at bats with a team batting average of .215. The one bright spot Wilson Betemit who is 11 for 27 over that stretch. Other then him the rest of the team is not hitting including Mark Reynolds who is 0 for 15, Brian Roberts 1 for 22, Robert Andino 1 for 13 and JJ Hardy who is 4 for 30.

The O's are in need of the All-Star break and it can't get here fast enough! The question entering the break will the O's still be over .500?