Orioles

All along, they had been so relaxed. So when it came time for Team O'Neill's horse to make his charge -- a historic one -- the colt moved forward almost nonchalantly. I'll Have Another glided past Bodemeister to win the 137th running of the Preakness Stakes on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course, setting up a chance at the first Triple Crown since 1978. The California-based horse is the 12th to win the first two legs of the Triple Crown since Affirmed edged Alydar in all three races.

The size of the crowd at Camden Yards on Friday night even surprised Orioles manager Buck Showalter. Some of it could have been attributed to the beginning of the Memorial Day weekend. The postgame fireworks promotion probably brought a few out as well. The sudden excitement over the first-place Orioles also had to have some effect. Whatever brought the fans out to Camden Yards for the Orioles series opener against the Kansas City Royals, it filled the ballpark with a rare buzz for late-May.

Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts knew the significance of Wednesday's date. It marked the one-year anniversary of Roberts' last game, when his headfirst slide at Fenway Park triggered a second wave of concussion symptoms May 16, 2011. Roberts said Wednesday that he has thought about the date - and about being out of the game for a full year - but that it helps that he feels closer than ever to a return. Roberts, who averaged 152 games a year from 2004 through 2009, has played in just 98 games since the beginning of the 2010 season.

The hit that turned the tables on the Orioles on Saturday evening was one that reliever Darren O'Day had never seen in his two-decade-long baseball career. It opened the door for a young Kansas City Royals team that needed just that opportunity against an Orioles team it couldn't beat in three previous meetings this season, each decided by two runs or fewer. With the Royals trailing by a run in the seventh inning, first baseman Eric Hosmer's leadoff slow roller off O'Day teetered along the third base line in front of the bag, between O'Day and third baseman Wilson Betemit, who were looming over it waiting for the ball to turn foul.

Forced into retirement after the worst season in club history, the goofy, grinning cartoon bird logo has been dusted off, altered slightly and will be returning next season to Orioles hats for the first time since 1988. The Orioles officially unveiled their 2012 uniforms and caps on their website Tuesday morning with two notable changes: a switch in hat logos from the ornithologically correct bird to the cartoon one and the inclusion of an orange jersey, which will be worn during all Saturday home games next season.

Orioles center fielder Adam Jones said this afternoon that he had no news to tell reporters about a potential long-term extension. The deal is expected to be six years in length and worth in the mid-$80 million range. “I wish I could tell you more, but there's nothing to tell because there is nothing being done right now,” Jones said. “I wish I had bells and whistles to tell you. Trust me, I do. But I don't.” Asked whether negotiations between Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette and Jones' agent, Nez Balelo of CAA, were ongoing, Jones said, “My agent's in town.

Just over a year ago, on Sept. 27, 2010, the Orioles were leading the Tampa Bay Rays, 4-0, in the ninth inning of a largely meaningless road game when second baseman Brian Roberts came to the plate. He felt prepared for the at-bat, and believed reliever Joaquin Benoit would throw him a changeup. With the count 2-2, the right-hander did. Roberts still swung and missed. "Sometimes the pitcher could tell you what's coming and you still wouldn't execute your plan right," he says, clearly still miffed.

Right-hander Jason Hammel had fluid drained from his sore right knee this week and says he believes he is improving - certainly enough to make Friday's scheduled start and stay on the active roster. "I really feel like just getting me out there every fifth day is going to help the team," said Hammel, who is 5-1 with a 3.12 ERA. "Obviously, I don't want to kill the [bullpen], but I think missing me for a couple of weeks right now is probably not in the best interest of myself or the team.

The last time the Orioles met the Red Sox, they played baseball's version of the Boston Marathon - a 17-inning game at Fenway Park that completed Baltimore's first sweep of Boston since 1994. And the last time the Red Sox came to Camden Yards, they left with their season shattered, sending them prematurely into an offseason of upheaval. Its pretty clear that the Orioles have had the Red Sox's number of late, beating Boston in seven of their last eight entering Monday. But these Red Sox arrived at Camden Yards surging, winners of eight of their last 10 games as they try to work their way out of the early-season American League East cellar.

NEW YORK -- The latest collapse by the Orioles' bullpen turned ugly last night.With closer Armando Benitez as the erratic centerpiece, the Orioles fumbled a 9-5 decision to the New York Yankees, lowlighted by a wild brawl that spilled dangerously into the visitors' dugout at Yankee Stadium.Protecting a 5-4 lead, Benitez allowed a game-winning three-run home run to Yankees center fielder Bernie Williams on his fourth pitch in the eighth inning. On his fifth pitch, Benitez hit first baseman Tino Martinez between the shoulder blades.

Thursday's off day - which halted a span of 20 games in 20 days for the Orioles - was a needed respite for everyone on the club. But perhaps nobody appreciated it more than J.J. Hardy, who also had Wednesday off because manager Buck Showalter said his shortstop was dealing with a "barky" right shoulder. Truthfully, Hardy said Saturday, his shoulder has been screaming and howling for the past couple weeks - hurting so much that he considered receiving a cortisone shot similar to the one he had in March when the problem first arose.

Adam Jones is officially the owner of the largest contract in Orioles history and is the second-highest-paid center fielder in the big leagues. Jones agreed to a six-year, $85.5 million contract extension Saturday, which will keep him in an Orioles uniform through 2018. According to an industry source, the contract has performance escalators that could make it worth $91.5 million total. The annual average value will be $14.25 million - also a team record. Jones, who is making $6.15 million this season, will receive a $2 million signing bonus now. He then will receive: $8.5 million in 2013 (which would have been his final year of arbitration)

The Orioles likely will soon announce an extension with center fielder Adam Jones. Nick Markakis got his extension in 2009 - and is locked up through 2014 and has a team option for 2015. J.J. Hardyreceived his last year - and is also signed through 2014. So what about catcher Matt Wieters, who arguably could be considered the club's franchise player? When does he get an extension? “I'm not worried about that now,” Wieters said. “I'm happy for Adam when it gets done, but at the same time we're worried about playing right now.” Truth is, even though Wieters has emerged as one of the club's leaders, he's still far away from free agency.

As a serious fan of the last place Red Sox, I have been appalled to see the size of the crowds at Orioles' games (16,000 or fewer during their recent series with the Sox). It's downright disrespectful to provide a good, young and first place team who are playing attractive baseball with so little local support. And so many of the sparse crowd are Red Sox fans that the Boston TV commentators actually referred to Camden Yards as "Fenway South. " It's not enough to make me root for the Orioles, but they really do deserve better.

On the threshold of becoming the highest-paid player in the history of the Orioles, center fielder Adam Jones stood at his locker Friday and said he isn't thinking about a contract extension until it becomes official. “Not the slightest [bit] antsy,” said Jones, who is eligible for free agency after the 2013 season. “It's an exciting moment, humbling. But if it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, I'm not going to be disappointed. If it does, it was meant to be. Jones' agent, Nez Balelo, and Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette have been negotiating an extension believed to be for six years and worth roughly $85 million.

Amid all the buzz about Adam Jones' possible contract extension today, there's still a game tonight at Camden Yards. The Orioles are hosting the Royals for the first game of this weekend's three-game series. There's still very little that's official regarding Jones, but expect something to happen soon. Anyway, here's what's going on. -- Infielder Mark Reynolds (oblique strain) and outfielder Endy Chavez (intercostal strain) played in an extended spring training game today and will report to Double-A Bowie to begin minor league rehab assignments tomorrow.

Orioles' wunderkind Dylan Bundy is moving on up. In a highly anticipated move, the Orioles announced Wednesday that the 19-year-old right-hander has been promoted from Low-A Delmarva to High-A Frederick and will start Saturday against Salem at 6 p.m. at Harry Grove Stadium. Bundy was originally scheduled for one more five-inning stint at Delmarva so he could continue to work on his off-speed offerings, but instead will go five innings for the Keys. “He looked like he could benefit from another challenge and still work on things,” Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette said.

Not a whole lot of news from Buck Showalter's pre-game news conference today. Here are some highlights: Showalter believes Nolan Reimold's second epidural injection in the bulging disk in his neck is scheduled for Friday. A timetable for his return is still unknown. “We don't really know until we see how this responds,” Showalter said. “I'm hoping this does the trick. That's what we are hoping. There's always that potential [for a third epidural].”  Catcher Taylor Teagarden is seeing Dr. Andrew Dossett at 3 p.m. Thursday for a second opinion on the back problems that have sidelined him since the spring.

The Orioles have agreed to terms with well-traveled left-handed reliever J.C. Romero on a minor league deal, the club announced Thursday afternoon. Romero, 35, will be with his fourth organization since the beginning of the 2011 season. He was released by the Cardinals on May 14 after compiling a 10.13 ERA in eight relief innings. He had allowed nine runs in 3 1/3 innings in his past three outings before his release. He will report to the Orioles' Triple-A team in Norfolk.