Detroit

The Orioles completed their 10-game homestand Thursday night with seven wins. It didn't end the way they wanted - with a sweep of the Boston Red Sox - but rather with a sobering 6-3 loss. But think about where the Orioles are as they embark on a six-game trip to Detroit and Texas. Despite the loss, they are tied with the Tampa Bay Rays for the American League wild-card spots. They are six games back of the division-leading New York Yankees (they trailed by 10 games this time a month ago)

DETROIT -- Orioles manager Buck Showalter said before Friday's game that he wasn't quite sure who would be his starter Saturday night against the Tigers here at Comerica Park. But all signs point to left-hander Zach Britton, who joined the team in Detroit Friday, getting the nod. A move to recall Britton from Triple-A Norfolk wouldn't be made until before Saturday's game, when Showalter could gauge whether rookie right-hander Steve Johnson is still an option to start. Johnson, recalled earlier this week to provide depth to the bullpen, threw two innings in the Orioles' 6-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night.

Chicago's growing. Atlanta is too. New York added nearly 60,000 new residents. But not Baltimore. At a time when cities across the country are gaining population and young people are flocking to urban centers, Baltimore remains stuck in a decades-long decline. According to estimates released Thursday by theU.S. Census Bureau, the city lost about 1,500 people from April 2010 to July 2011.

Pat Boyle , a former Calvert Hall football standout who went on to play at Temple, has signed as an undrafted free agent with the Detroit Lions . The 6-foot-5 left tackle was part of the winningest four-year class in Temple history. He played in at least seven games each of his four years with the Owls. He helped open holes for running back Bernard Pierce, whom the Ravens drafted in the third round Friday . In high school, Boyle was also an All-Metro track and field selection who ranked among the best in the state in the shot put. His twin brother Sean also plays on the offensive line for Temple.

Former NBA player Oliver J. Miller was sentenced Friday to a year in the Anne Arundel County jail for pistol-whipping his girlfriend's brother in Arnold. Miller, 41, who was living with his girlfriend in Edgewater, pleaded guilty last fall to first-degree assault and carrying a handgun. "I apologize for the wrong I've done," Miller told Anne Arundel Circuit Judge Paul A. Hackner. He said he is "just a man protecting the people I love. " The allegations stemmed from a family argument at a cookout April 17 at a friend's home.

What are the rules for how long I am allowed to camp out at the table after paying? That's a question posted on the Chowhound boards. The question specifically concerned a single diner in an uncrowded restaurant. "It depends," the responses, which you can read here , say. ( Eater/Board Wrap ) And, of course, it does. But I had just been thinking about this, because a friend who works in a high-end restaurant had recently told me about an egregious case of table squatting From the point when the table had been completely cleared, except for water glasses, and the bill had been paid, the six diners stayed for...2 hours.

The Orioles were jolted back to reality Wednesday night when a defensive miscue led to two early runs, their pitching couldn't keep the ball in the yard and their offense was handled by Detroit Tigers ace Justin Verlander. The sight of legions of empty seats at Camden Yards added to the home opener hangover. Alex Avila had three hits and drove in five runs, Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez hit back-to-back homers off Josh Rupe in the fifth and Verlander was in control throughout as the Orioles were beaten, 7-3, by the Tigers before an announced 12,451.

Orioles home opener chat with Matt Vensel

Orioles home opener chat with Matt Vensel

Charlie Sheen is not winning in the nation's capital. After selling out within a matter of minutes in both Chicago and Detroit, tickets for the controversial actor's "My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not an Option" show are still available in 17 other cities, including Washington. Sheen's show is mostly an approximately 80-minute spoken-word performance. The tour begins in Detroit on April 2 and wraps in Seattle on May 3. Sheen will appear April 19 at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington.