Alan Mills

Playing better than expectedRoberto Alomar: Everything he does is for the purpose of winning -- advancing runners, stealing bases in critical situations, making defensive plays.Brady Anderson: He might take a run at 60 homers; think anyone expected that?Rocky Coppinger: Since being promoted from the minors, he has given the rotation a tremendous jolt of aggressiveness.Roger McDowell: Has slumped lately, but for two months, he carried the bullpen. They would be out of the race if it weren't for him.Rafael Palmeiro: Could reach 100 RBIs by early August and finish the year with 40 doubles and 40 homers.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- They say everything is big in Texas. That includes big losses and big blown leads, Orioles style.The Orioles, four outs away from beating the Rangers last night and taking two games in the three-game series, gave up three runs in the bottom of the eighth and lost, 6-5. Juan Gonzalez's three-run double off Alan Mills with two outs turned a two-run deficit into victory."

The Minnesota Twins won't win the American League Central. They probably won't compete for the AL wild-card spot.But for the first time in several years, the Twins have some hope for the future, and it lies in their starting pitching. Minnesota right-hander Frankie Rodriguez became only the second pitcher to beat the Orioles yesterday, allowing just three hits and a run in 7 2/3 innings."He made some good pitches when he needed to," said Orioles second baseman Roberto Alomar. "He pitched a great game."

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- It was apparent when first baseman Rafael Palmeiro walked into camp almost two weeks ago that he'd worked out during the off-season. His shirts seemed to stretch a little bit more across his chest and shoulders.Palmeiro lifted weights and so as not to bulk up too much, he mixed in some stretching exercises; he feels as if he's increased his strength. He launched a tape-measure homer in the first inning of the 3-1 exhibition win over the New York Mets yesterday, a tremendous shot that cleared the bleachers beyond the right-field wall.

Alan MillsProjected role for the Orioles: Mills is coming off shoulder surgery and, whenever he's healthy, he'll compete for one of three spots open in the bullpen. Mills has been throwing off a mound and appears to be making progress, although he hasn't attempted to throw any breaking pitches.Number crunching: Mills walked 18 in 23 innings last year, and was hit hard -- six doubles and four homers, for 25 RBIs.Where he has been this off-season: He spent a couple of months in Baltimore, rehabilitating his shoulder, and the rest of the time in Florida.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Outfielder Bobby Bonilla doesn't have to be here, but he arrived at the Orioles' training camp yesterday, more than a week ahead of schedule, after spending much of his off-season playing winter ball in Puerto Rico.Is this guy fired up about 1996, or what?"I'm excited every baseball season," said Bonilla, who -- entering his first full year as an Oriole -- is one of the reasons expectations in Baltimore are at a 13-year high.Bonilla is trying not to get caught up in that.

There was no imaginable reason the Orioles would want to keep Alan Mills for 1996, and every reason to believe they'd dump him. At least that's what Mills figured.The pitcher had a terrible season and underwent shoulder surgery, and teams rarely invite back damaged goods. As the December deadline for teams to tender contracts approached, Mills assumed he wouldn't hear from the Orioles. "I thought there was no way I'd be back," he said.But the third week of December, a fat envelope arrived in the mail -- a 1996 Orioles contract.

Orioles manager Davey Johnson had talked about the idea of using a bullpen by committee, a system he had run successfully in Cincinnati. But in the end, club officials convinced Johnson he simply would not have the bullpen depth with the Orioles that he had enjoyed in Cincinnati.In Cincinnati, he had solid pitchers such as Jeff Brantley, Mike Jackson and Hector Carrasco; here he had only Jesse Orosco and a lot of question marks.So, the Orioles decided to sign an established closer -- Randy Myers, who agreed to a two-year, $6.3 million deal yesterday.

The Orioles' roster kept changing yesterday.Catcher Matt Nokes was released, pitcher Gene Harris arrived from the Philadelphia Phillies in the Andy Van Slyke trade and catcher Greg Zaun was recalled from Triple-A Rochester.Zaun's arrival yesterday shocked his new teammates."What's Zaun doing here?" one said.Zaun walked into the clubhouse wearing a backpack and lugging a garment bag over his shoulder. He dropped his baggage and began shaking hands like a politician -- or like a minor-leaguer getting his first major-league call-up.