Royals

Today, @Yankees 1:05 p.m., MASN Tomorrow, Tigers 3:05 p.m., MASN/Ch. 13 Tuesday, Tigers 7:05 p.m., MASN Wednesday, Tigers 7:05 p.m., MASN Thursday, Royals 7:05 p.m., MASN [Radio: All games on 105.7 FM]

Today, @Royals 8:10 p.m., MASN2 Tomorrow, @Royals 8:10 p.m., MASN2 Thursday, @Angels 10:05 p.m., MASN2 Friday, @Angels 10:05 p.m., MASN2 Saturday, @Angels 9:05 p.m., MASN2 [Radio: All games on 105.7 FM]

Today, Athletics 7:05 p.m., MASN Tomorrow, Athletics 7:35 p.m., Ch. 13, MASN2 Sunday, Athletics 1:35 p.m., Ch. 13, MASN Monday, @Royals 7:10 p.m., MASN Tuesday, @Royals 8:10 p.m., MASN2 [Radio: All games on 105.7 FM]

Today, Tigers 7:05 p.m., MASN Tomorrow, Tigers 7:05 p.m., MASN Thursday, Royals 7:05 p.m., MASN Friday, Royals 7:05 p.m., MASN Saturday, Royals 7:05 p.m., MASN [Radio: All games on 105.7 FM]

Huff homer? With two on and two out in the first inning, Aubrey Huff drilled a ball to deep right-center field that bounced high into the air after appearing to hit the top of the wall, but video replays were inconclusive. It was initially ruled a three-run homer, which would have been Huff's first this season, but the umpires changed the call, making it a two-run ground-rule double. Huff, who entered the game batting .220, went 2-for-4 and scored a run. No doubter Nick Markakis hit his first career grand slam in the eighth inning on the 11th pitch of his at-bat against Royals reliever Todd Wellemeyer.

Trachsel in control It is again worth mentioning that Steve Trachsel started the season as the Orioles' fifth starter and was expected to be one of the weak links if the rotation. He had another strong outing last night, allowing five hits and one run in a complete game. It was only the Orioles' second complete game of the season and the 20th complete game of the pitcher's career. He is 4-3 with a 3.39 ERA this year. Hernandez is grand Catcher Ramon Hernandez entered last night's game in a 5-for-36 slump that dropped his average to .239.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Rewarded for a ninth-inning comeback, the Orioles came out on the right side of dueling milestones last night when right fielder Albert Belle clubbed the 350th home run of his career to account for a 10-inning, 5-3 win over the Kansas City Royals before 12,171 at Kauffman Stadium.Winners of five of seven, the Orioles could point to numerous elements that contributed to their third win of the season when trailing after eight innings.Brady Anderson accounted for the Orioles' first two runs on bases-emptyhomers, Al Reyes and Jim Corsi provided 10 outs after starter Jason Johnson's removal in the sixth inning and pinch hitter Derrick May extended the game with a two-out, two-strike RBI single in the ninth inning.

The Maryland Mania staged a coming-out party at UMBC Stadium last night, winning an exhibition game with the lower-rated Northern Virginia Royals, 3-1.Play was ragged at times, but the Mania, with only a couple of scrimmages played, revealed a pair of quick forwards and a midfield that at times was suffocating."

Jeffrey Hammonds has hit balls much harder, launched them much farther. But never has one looked better to him than the grounder that squirted through the left side of the infield last night.Hammonds' single with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth capped a remarkable rally for the Orioles, who got up off the floor to defeat the Kansas City Royals, 4-3.The Orioles sent eight batters to the plate. Hammonds was the last.Did he ever imagine the game would come back to him?

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- So this is a contender?With runners at first and second base and no one out in last night's third inning against the Kansas City Royals, Orioles second baseman Jeff Reboulet cleanly fields a ground ball, charges at the trailing runner, then inexplicably flips to first base to get the hitter instead. Both runners reach scoring position.In the fifth inning, B. J. Surhoff stands on second base following a leadoff double. Cal Ripken grounds sharply to third. Surhoff, usually one of the most heads-up Orioles, runs into Terry Pendleton's tag at third base before Ripken is thrown out for a bizarre double play.

When he failed to get a run in with the bases loaded and one out in the fifth, Orioles first baseman Aubrey Huff crouched down and threatened to pound his fist into the ground. Two innings later, after his bid for a three-run homer died on the right-field warning track, the normally stoic Nick Markakis angrily kicked at the dirt. And after Adam Jones grounded out to end a game the Orioles probably should have never lost, the center fielder exchanged words with first base umpire Wally Bell and tossed his helmet toward the dugout.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Koji Uehara is aware of it. So are his teammates, his manager and his opponents. The 34-year-old Japanese rookie has been outstanding early in his eight starts this season, but the book on the right-hander is simple: Wait him out, and he can be figured out. That's what the Kansas City Royals did Sunday, bumbling through much of their 7-4 win over the Orioles before getting to Uehara for three runs in the sixth and the Orioles bullpen...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Orioles closer George Sherrill walked slowly past starter Rich Hill's locker after the club's 3-2 win over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night and turned. "Welcome back to the show," Sherrill deadpanned to Hill. "It's that easy, huh?" All Hill could do was smile. That's likely what Hill will be doing for the next several days. "It was satisfying in a lot of ways," said Hill, who in his first big league start since May 2, 2008, held the Royals to seven hits and two runs in 5 2/3 innings for his first win in 13 months.

A recap of the Orioles' 5-2 victory over the Royals last night: Coming to the rescue The Orioles' bullpen needed a break. Daniel Cabrera needed a victory. Both missions were accomplished. Looking for his first win since May 20, Cabrera shook off a home run by the first batter of the game, David DeJesus, and turned in a sterling performance. He retired 14 straight batters before DeJesus singled in the eighth. He threw 77 pitches through seven innings and 85 through eight. The bullpen didn't stir until Jim Johnson started throwing in the ninth.

A recap of the Orioles' 7-5 victory over the Royals last night: GOT HIM The Orioles and starter Radhames Liz fell behind 1-0 three batters into the game, and it took only one big swing. Alex Gordon hit his 11th home run, and it traveled 425 feet over the flag court in right field. Gordon became the fourth player this season to put a ball onto Eutaw Street and the third opposing player, joining Jason Giambi (twice) and Lance Berkman. Nick Markakis is the only Orioles representative. Forty-five homers have landed on Eutaw since the ballpark opened in 1992.

It happened to George Sherrill last year, too. In back-to-back August games against the Chicago White Sox, Sherrill surrendered home runs. Of course, last year, he was a setup man for the Seattle Mariners. He's been a closer for a total of three months, long enough to realize that allowing game-tying or game-winning home runs as a closer "makes headlines." Again, Sherrill was one strike away from securing an Orioles victory. And again, it was a strike that he never got, thanks to a slider that caught way too much of the plate.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- If the Orioles had been shut out in the first game of the series here, as they were in yesterday finale, a 4-0 loss to the Kansas City Royals, there might have been reason for concern. Certainly, there would have been questions as to whether their scuffling offense was the primary factor in the two-hit, eight-inning masterpiece thrown by Royals right-hander Brian Bannister. After winning three straight against Kansas City to give themselves a chance to even up a challenging 10-game road trip on its final day, the Orioles viewed yesterday's loss as fair payment for heading back in the right direction.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- It was more of a hint than a directive, but the message was sent. Orioles veteran starter Steve Trachsel needed to give the Orioles a chance to win last night after failing to accomplish that task in three of his past four starts or his rotation and roster spot would be in jeopardy. Trachsel responded, and so did the Orioles' bats, in a 7-4 win against Kansas City, the Orioles' 11th straight victory over the Royals. "I've had bad performances in more than two games in a row. I've had five or six consecutive," Trachsel, 37, said.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Orioles manager Dave Trembley called it the best he has ever seen Daniel Cabrera pitch. Statistically, Cabrera's complete-game, three-hitter against the Kansas City Royals last night -- which gave the Orioles a 4-1 win and ended their five-game losing streak -- was on par with Cabrera's memorable one-hitter at Yankee Stadium in 2006. But the enigmatic right-hander, who is enjoying the best ride of his five-year career, won't get caught up in superlatives or comparisons.

A recap of the Orioles' 4-1 win over the Royals last night: Royal treatment Last night's win against Kansas City was, incredibly, the Orioles' 10th straight victory against the Royals. The Orioles won all seven of their matchups last season and took two of three in a July 2006 series at Kauffman Stadium. The last time the Royals won against Baltimore was July 25, 2006, when Mark Redman earned the 7-5 victory. Kris Benson started for the Orioles and Kurt Birkins was saddled with the loss.