jake mcgee

There aren't very many starting catching jobs for former Orioles backstop Welington Castillo.

Looking at the key additions, key losses and outlooks for the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays.

How important is the 14th overall pick? And how much should the Orioles be committed to keeping that selection in the upcoming draft?

Who has the best bullpen in the AL East? And who has the best late-inning combo in the division?

The Orioles have played so well away from Camden Yards this season, but on Saturday they dropped their second straight game this weekend at Tropicana Field under strange circumstances.

The only thing in the way of the Orioles and their first American League East title since 1997 on Friday was a final stretch of 23 regular-season games against teams in their division.

Based on his performance in the Orioles' 3-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday at Camden Yards, the club can't be happy about facing left-hander Drew Smyly a lot over the next four-plus seasons.

It took four pitches in Saturday's 5-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays to recognize it might be that kind of afternoon for Orioles left-hander Wei-Yin Chen.

The Orioles have had their fair share of offensive struggles recently, scoring five runs or fewer in each of their past five games.

In a battle of minor league pitchers promoted for the afternoon game of Friday's day-night doubleheader, the Tampa Bay Rays' Alex Colome bested the Orioles' Kevin Gausman.

The Orioles rallied from a three-run deficit to tie the game in the eighth inning Monday night before left-hander Brian Matusz allowed a game-winning two-run homer to Jerry Sands, handing the Orioles a 5-4 loss -- their third defeat in the past four games -- in front of an announced 10,576 at Tropicana Field.

Left-hander Wei-Yin Chen gave up six runs and 10 hits over 3 2/3 innings in the Orioles' 7-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays at Ed Smith Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.

On Friday night (and Saturday morning), the Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays combined for the longest game, time-wise, in both franchises' histories, a six hour, 54-minute, 18-inning ordeal that ended on David DeJesus' single to right that gave the celebrating Rays a 5-4 win.

Winning 16 straight extra-inning games last season, the Orioles managed to write chapter after chapter of unforgettable endings. But Thursday night's first extra-inning game of the season, a 10-inning 10-6 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, might have topped them all.

If there was one big question hanging over the Orioles lineup through the first 2 ½ weeks of the new season, it was when the club's offensive production would begin to even out after being dominated early on by the home plate heroics of Chris Davis and Adam Jones.

Each Wednesday, Baltimore Sun blogger Matt Vensel will highlight five statistics that really mean something for the Baltimore Orioles.

The Orioles chased David Price from the game in the seventh inning, then orchestrated a two-out, five-run rally against reliever Jake McGee for a 7-4 Opening Day win against the Rays, a team they outlasted to earn an American League wild-card berth last season.

Orioles' Jason Hammel allows three runs in six innings in his first Opening Day start.

The Orioles entered Tuesday's season opener against the Tampa Bay Rays with the right approach at the plate. Showing patience in the batter's boxes, the Orioles ran up Rays starter David Price's pitch count to 60 pitches through three innings and 100 through six.

Down the stretch is a new daily Orioles Insider blog that will set up the coming night for the O's and their American League competition as the push for the postseason intensifies.

Orioles pitcher Tommy Hunter pitched well against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday, falling just one out short of a quality start. But he made two fatal mistakes, a pair of solo home runs that proved to be the difference in a 2-0 Orioles¿ in front of an announced crowd of 18,410 at Tropicana Field.