carl crawford

With the signing of Masahiro Tanaka, it looks like everyone in the American League East can join hands and sing in protest to those mighty, free-spending New York Yankees.

For Orioles fans, the only thing more painful than watching an October without their favorite team this season was probably seeing the Red Sox win the World Series.

The Orioles won both games of the doubleheader, getting a career-high four RBIs from Manny Machado in a 6-1 nightcap win that followed their 7-5 victory in the early game.

And the Orioles managed to do that, breaking a tie on Nolan Reimold¿s two-run eighth-inning double off Dodgers reliever Ronald Belisario, capping a three-RBI afternoon for Reimold in the Orioles¿ 7-5 win.

A year ago Friday, Robert Andino etched his name into Orioles lore with a ninth-inning sinking liner to left that escaped the glove of Boston¿s Carl Crawford, plated Nolan Reimold with the game-winner, extinguished the Red Sox¿s playoff hopes and helped send that franchise into an unforeseen spiral.

The Orioles (64-54) lost just their fourth game in 12 against the Red Sox this season. With the loss, the O's remained six games back of New York. They also stayed within the two AL wild-card spots.

For five innings Wednesday night, the Orioles were held hitless against Boston Red Sox starter Aaron Cook, able to hit just one ball out of the infield. But given the opposite directions these two teams have been going, it wasn¿t surprising how quickly the game turned.

Mark Reynolds had his 15th career multi-homer game as the Orioles continued their recent dominance of the Red Sox, taking their seventh game out of 10 this season, 7-1 at Camden Yards.

Here's an educated guess: Adam Jones will sign an extension with the Orioles of five or six years in length worth $80 million to $90 million.

Robert Andino and the Orioles are not stopping to look back at last year's walk-off win over the Red Sox in the regular-season finale. As the team faces Boston for the first time since Andino's big hit, it says its focus is on 2012.

This weekend, while the Orioles were in Anaheim, Calif., playing the Los Angeles Angels, executive vice president Dan Duquette met with Jones' agent, Nez Balelo, who is based primarily out of Los Angeles.

Orioles: Will momentum from last year's astonishing season finale carry the Orioles forward?

Jim Johnson continues making a push to be the Orioles' closer

New York Mets switch-hitter is a proven midseason acquisition for playoff contenders, and he's really hot right now

Orioles: Orioles playing waiting game with unsigned draft picks. Club has had talks with top choice Dylan Bundy; things not progressing well with second-round selection Jason Esposito.

Chicago White Sox's Phil Humber leads the list of players having All-Star seasons who are unlikely to make the team

I can¿t say that the Orioles have been a disappointment this season. Outside of their recent road trip, a lousy one for sure, they are who we thought were, so I¿ll let them off the hook. But a few individuals have struggled, including Nick Markakis, who was named to one writer¿s ¿All-Disappointment Team.¿