justin masterson

Despite a gloomy forecast that calls for rain throughout the day today, it looks like the Orioles and Red Sox will start their 11:05 a.m. Patriots' Day game on time this morning.

Major league teams obsess throughout the month of July about the deadline for making trades without passing players through waivers, then some of them sacrifice their best young talent for the prospect of some instant postseason gratification.

The fireworks started early as the Orioles crushed a season-high six homers in their most dominating performance of the season,

With six walks in 5 2/3 innings during the Orioles' 5-3 loss Friday, Orioles right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez took over the major league lead in walks with 51 in 81 2/3 innings pitched.

Left-hander Troy Patton, the Orioles' fifth reliever, gave up two runs and three hits in the 13th, sending the club to its first loss in five extra-inning games this season with an 8-7 loss to the Indians.

Right-handed reliever Brad Brach hadn't pitched four innings in a game since college, and he hadn't thrown more than two innings in a major league game in his career.

Of the Rays, Orioles, Yankees and Indians, none of them have been able to pull away from the pack.

And when Indians ace Justin Masterson was forced from Monday¿s series opener in the second inning with soreness on the left side of his rib cage, the door of opportunity swung wide open as the Orioles stormed through with a 7-2 win in front of an announced 15,020 at Progressive Field

Through six innings Wednesday night, Cleveland Indians left-hander Scott Kazmir looked like the pitcher that posted an ERA of 3.77 or less for four straight seasons for Tampa Bay in the mid-2000s.

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

Making just his fourth start this month, Casilla hit his first homer of the season ¿ and his first since last August ¿ a three-run shot off Cleveland right-hander Justin Masterson in the seventh inning to give the Orioles a 6-3 win over the Indians.

It quickly became the talk of the clubhouse when Orioles second baseman Alexi Casilla delayed his postgame media session until the club could get coach Einar Diaz to act as interpreter to help translate Casilla's thoughts about his game-winning three-run home run

Right-hander Justin Masterson pitched masterfully, the Orioles made a key baserunning error and the Indians snapped the Orioles¿ five-game winning streak with a 3-1 victory.

Struggling left-hander Brian Matusz has been sent down to Triple A Norfolk, the Orioles announced Sunday.

Or is it an injured and undermanned upstart that simply hit its peak and now is beginning to slide back to reality after a disappointing homestand that culminated with a 6-2 loss to the previously scuffling Cleveland Indians?

It has been a busy weekend already, but the Orioles made a couple more roster moves on Sunday morning, optioning outfielder Xavier Avery to Triple-A Norfolk to finish making room for the arrival of newly acquired DH Jim Thome and the recall of reliever Miguel Gonzalez. The O's already had optioned pitcher Tommy Hunter to Norfolk on Saturday night.