Kevin Youkilis

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- While first base remains a question mark for the Orioles, the team has not made pushes toward acquiring veterans Justin Morneau and Kevin Youkilis. The Twins have been gauging trade interest in Morneau, who will receive $14 million in 2013 in the final year of his contract. The Orioles have had no serious discussions about trading for Morneau and would be unwilling to take on his salary unless Minnesota paid a significant chunk. Also, the Orioles have had no dialogue with the representatives for Youkilis, who is now at free agent.

We're almost a month into the season, and it seems an appropriate time for another trip "Around the AL East. " Here's a look at a main storyline for each opponent in the Orioles' division as well as a look at who's hot and who's not on each club:   BOSTON RED SOX (16-7) I'm not about to brag, because my preseason predictions overall don't look so great . But I did go on record saying that, in the AL East, “each of the five teams could conceivably win the division - or finish last.” Many people thought the Red Sox were the team least equipped to contend for the division title, but that sure hasn't looked the case through four weeks of baseball.

The Red Sox had won seven straight games before losing the series finale, 4-3, to the Los Angeles Angels. They have a six-game lead over the Texas Rangers in the American League wild-card race. Boston entered Thursday night third in the AL in runs and second behind the New York Yankees in home runs. The Red Sox's team ERA was third in the league. Shortstop Alex Gonzalez, acquired from the Cincinnati Reds in a post-trade-deadline deal, is batting .290 with four homers and 14 RBIs in 29 games.

NEW YORK -- After going through an early-season 1-for-18 slump, third baseman Manny Machado is starting to find his comfort zone in the No. 2 spot in the Orioles batting order. Since hitting the game-winning home run in the team's 8-5 comeback win in Boston on Wednesday night, Machado is 6-for-12, including a three-hit game Thursday and two hits Friday against the New York Yankees. His game Friday will be remembered for hitting into a triple play that ended the eighth, but Orioles manager Buck Showalter said before Saturday's game that he's proud of the way Machado has put some early struggles behind him in his first full big league season.

Players must adjust Ron Fritz Baltimore Sun It's too early to tell. Bobby Valentine certainly has the experience, and he convinced ownership he's the guy. Now he needs to work on the players. They clearly preferred the country-club atmosphere under Terry Francona. But after the late-season collapse and missing the playoffs last year, the players lost their country-club membership. Thanks to their pitiful performance and clubhouse shenanigans, someone had to go. What second baseman Dustin Pedroia said after Valentine criticized Kevin Youkilis was stunning: "I really don't know what Bobby's trying to do, but that's not the way we go about our stuff around here.

Look out for the Phillies and Red Sox in the next few weeks. With the exception of Kevin Youkilis , they're starting to get their injured players back and seem poised to put themselves in better position entering September. … The Red Sox have Carlos Delgado trying to get ready in a hurry at Triple-A Pawtucket. It's fair to say he's motivated — he'll make $20,000 a month in the minors and could make $3 million if he joins the Red Sox. … The Rays aren't as worried as you'd think about Jeff Niemann and Wade Davis , who went on the DL with strained shoulders.

Fifth starter candidate Chris Tillman gave up three runs in the first inning of his second exhibition start but said afterward that the results were not indicative of the quality of his performance in the Orioles' 6-5 split-squad loss to the Boston Red Sox at City of Palms Park. "I felt great in that first inning," Tillman said. "We made some minor adjustments in my last side session, and what better time to try them? ? I went out there with a game plan. I went out there to work on some things.

This is a frustrating time for Rafael Soriano and the glut of free-agent relievers. The market froze after the Tigers gave Joaquin Benoit $16.5 million over three years, with agents seeking bigger contracts for those with better credentials. Teams aren't budging as the large supply includes Kevin Gregg, Kerry Wood, Jesse Crain, Arthur Rhodes, Brian Fuentes, Frank Francisco, Matt Guerrier, Bobby Jenks, Hideki Okajima and another 10 guys you would like to have but are relatively interchangeable.

Zack Greinke , who has two years left on his deal with the Royals, is talking like he's getting the itch to move to a contender. He's unlikely to ask for a trade, but the Royals could decide to deal him at some point after this season, as did the Padres for Jake Peavy last year and the Astros for Roy Oswalt last week. … Indians catching phenom Carlos Santana is out for the season after tearing up his left knee in a collision with the Red Sox's Ryan Kalish on Monday night.

NEW YORK -- After going through an early-season 1-for-18 slump, third baseman Manny Machado is starting to find his comfort zone in the No. 2 spot in the Orioles batting order. Since hitting the game-winning home run in the team's 8-5 comeback win in Boston on Wednesday night, Machado is 6-for-12, including a three-hit game Thursday and two hits Friday against the New York Yankees. His game Friday will be remembered for hitting into a triple play that ended the eighth, but Orioles manager Buck Showalter said before Saturday's game that he's proud of the way Machado has put some early struggles behind him in his first full big league season.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- While first base remains a question mark for the Orioles, the team has not made pushes toward acquiring veterans Justin Morneau and Kevin Youkilis. The Twins have been gauging trade interest in Morneau, who will receive $14 million in 2013 in the final year of his contract. The Orioles have had no serious discussions about trading for Morneau and would be unwilling to take on his salary unless Minnesota paid a significant chunk. Also, the Orioles have had no dialogue with the representatives for Youkilis, who is now at free agent.

During all the mounting losses, the short outings, the brutal beatings from the opposition that left-hander Brian Matusz endured last season, the Orioles faithful remained fairly kind, with only a smattering of boos for his worst performances. Matusz was, after all, considered a key to the club's future after a solid 2010, and the fan base was just waiting to embrace him again. So when he walked off the Camden Yards field Tuesday after throwing a two-hit gem in a 4-1 win against the Boston Red Sox, the announced crowd of 25,171 -- at least those there to cheer the Orioles -- showed its appreciation with a loud and long standing ovation.

Players must adjust Ron Fritz Baltimore Sun It's too early to tell. Bobby Valentine certainly has the experience, and he convinced ownership he's the guy. Now he needs to work on the players. They clearly preferred the country-club atmosphere under Terry Francona. But after the late-season collapse and missing the playoffs last year, the players lost their country-club membership. Thanks to their pitiful performance and clubhouse shenanigans, someone had to go. What second baseman Dustin Pedroia said after Valentine criticized Kevin Youkilis was stunning: "I really don't know what Bobby's trying to do, but that's not the way we go about our stuff around here.

There was no on-field animosity that carried over from earlier this month, but that's not to say the Orioles didn't feel the effects of their ejection-marred previous series with the Boston Red Sox. With closer Kevin Gregg serving the first game of a three-game ban after his fight with the also-suspended David Ortiz and Koji Uehara unavailable after pitching three straight days, Orioles manager Buck Showalter reached deep into his bullpen late...

As a general rule, baseball players tend to fight about as well as hockey players knit. That's why bench-clearing brawls are usually pretty dull affairs. There's a lot of cussing and grunting and groaning. There's a lot of pushing and shoving. Maybe you'll see a haymaker or two whistle harmlessly through the air, but that's pretty much the extent of the action. On the other hand, the Orioles are in such a death spiral right now that another melee with the Boston Red Sox, who come into Camden Yards on Monday for a three-game series, might actually be the high point of the season for O's fans.

The Orioles quietly packed their belongings late Sunday afternoon and dispersed to various parts of the country, carrying more baggage into the All-Star break than they could have possibly imagined. After an ejection-marred 8-6 loss to the Boston Red Sox, the Orioles' losing streak stands at seven games. They've won just six of their past 27 contests after a four-game winning streak had brought them within a game of .500 on June 10. They went just 1-9 on their first-half-ending road trip, their worst stretch away from Camden Yards in almost two years, and were outscored 75-33 in the process.

The Orioles kept preaching it, even with their team average and total runs hovering around the basement of the American League. Just a matter of time, the Orioles said, before their slumbering bats would wake up. The alarm sounded Saturday night in the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox and Daisuke Matsuzaka, when the Orioles scored a season-high six runs on their way to a 12-9 victory before a crowd of 35,164 The Orioles scored...

Predicted finish, records Red Sox Yankees Blue Jays Rays Orioles 94-68 92-71 81-81 78-84 70-92 Pennants, wild cards since 1995: 10, 12. Average payroll: $111.8 million (First of six divisions). Managers with World Series rings: Terry Francona ('04, '07), Joe Girardi ('09). Players with MVP awards: Dustin Pedroia ('08), Alex Rodriguez ('03, '05, '07)

A contentious four-game series with the Boston Red Sox ended Sunday with four more ejections, Michael Gonzalez 's not denying that he threw a purpose pitch behind David Ortiz , and Buck Showalter and Jeremy Guthrie criticizing the umpiring crew. "I've said it before: Sometimes those who are in control of the game — I know the umpires have to control it — show a lack of feel by not understanding what is going on," said Guthrie, who hit Kevin Youkilis with a changeup to load the bases with two outs in the fourth inning, resulting in plate umpire Marty Foster 's warning both benches.

Predicted finish, records Red Sox Yankees Blue Jays Rays Orioles 94-68 92-71 81-81 78-84 70-92 Pennants, wild cards since 1995: 10, 12. Average payroll: $111.8 million (First of six divisions). Managers with World Series rings: Terry Francona ('04, '07), Joe Girardi ('09). Players with MVP awards: Dustin Pedroia ('08), Alex Rodriguez ('03, '05, '07)