Serie

There are many obstacles along the path to becoming a ninja warrior. One must dash up the steps, slanted at 50 degrees, to reach the platform above, or perhaps run along the 14-foot curved wall - all without falling into the pool of water below. "If your foot skims the water, you're done," said 30-year-old Tony Torres. Torres, will be one of hundreds trying to land a spot on the TV show "American Ninja Warrior," which holds tryouts Friday and Saturday at Rash Field in the Inner Harbor.

With a win tonight on national television, the Orioles can win their fourth straight series at Yankee Stadium for the first time since May 14, 1976 through May 22, 1977. No player on the Orioles' current 25-man roster was born then, so that's a long time. A win tonight would be significant because it would give the Orioles series wins in Boston and New York before heading home for a nine-game homestand against the Rays, Dodgers and Blue Jays. An interesting stat to pass along from the Elias Sports Bureau: Last night's 5-3 win over the Yankees was their 96th straight regular-season win when leading after seven innings dating back to August 2011.

Last summer, Anna Estremsky competed in the first-ever Youth Angler of the Year contest hosted by the Maryland Saltwater Sportfishing Association. In the association's seasonal magazine, Tidelines, Anna was pictured with a 37-pound rockfish and the caption "Way to go, Anna!" Her parents, Gary and Sherry, left an open copy of the magazine on a coffee table in their Edgewater home. Anna liked the picture, and she liked the fish, but she felt bad because the magazine also listed the contest's standings, and she was in last place.

Johns Hopkins commands a 68-40-1 advantage in this contentious series and has won the past four games in College Park. But Maryland has won the last two meetings and three of the last four. The No. 15 Blue Jays (6-4) are struggling, having lost their last two games and three of their last four. Sophomore attackman Well Stanwick (22 goals and 16 assists) will demand a certain amount of attention, but he could use some help from a first midfield that totaled six goals and one assists in last four contests.

BOSTON - Over the past two nights, the Orioles recaptured those late-inning heroics of last season at Fenway Park. One night after a five-run ninth-inning rally led them to victory, the Orioles came from behind against the Red Sox again Thursday, winning 3-2 in a game that played out much like so many of last year's close wins. This victory sealed the Orioles' fifth straight series win at Fenway Park, a streak that dates back to July 7-10, 2011. “It means a lot,” said Orioles center fielder Adam Jones, who drove in two runs, including the game-winner in the seventh.

BOSTON -- Orioles manager Buck Showalter said in the first days of spring training that he wanted to float the designated hitter spot among different players. After seeing his DH's open the season 1-for-26 with a .038 batting average, the lowest in the American League, Showalter has placed Nick Markakis in that spot for the Orioles' series finale in Boston on Thursday. The move also allows Showalter to get left-handed hitting outfielder Chris Dickerson, who joined the team Wednesday from Triple-A Norfolk, into the lineup against Boston right-hander Alfredo Aceves.

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair told a Baltimore audience Tuesday night that the world's challenges have never been greater, nor come with such speed, and he advocated intervention in struggling countries by powers such as Great Britain and the United States. "I don't think there's been a more difficult time to be a political leader than now," Blair, who left office in 2007, told an audience of 2,800 at Loyola University Maryland. He described challenges posed by globalization and ever-evolving technology and said that "often the best short-term politics is in collision with the best long-term policy.

The Deputy State Fire Marshal is calling for the public's help as officials work to solve a series of suspected arsons in the Cambridge area of Dorchester County. The latest fire occurred 10:17 p.m. Friday, April 5, and involved a two-story, vacant home at 812 Fairmount Avenue, according to the State Fire Marshal's Office. Officials said three other fires occurred on March 20 and March 26. The first fire March 20, at 11:44 p.m., occurred at 617 High Street and involved a vacant two-story single family dwelling.

Reigning national champion Loyola owns a commanding 13-2 advantage in this Eastern College Athletic Conference series and swept Fairfield in two games last season, including a 14-7 thumping in the championship final of the conference tournament. The Stags have never won on the Greyhounds' home turf. Fairfield (6-4 overall and 2-1 in the league) has won three of its last four contests, but is trying to bounce back from an 8-7 loss to conference foe Bellarmine last Saturday. Junior attackman Jordan Greenfield leads the offense in goals with 22 and points with 29. No. 10 Loyola (8-2)

The Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen's Association will host the first event of its youth fishing seminar series on Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Alltackle retail showroom in Annapolis. The event, one of eight that MSSA will host this year for young fishermen and their parents, will feature lessons on knots and fish handling from Captain Randy Dean and his son, Ryan. Pizza and beverages will be served. In recent years, MSSA has hosted a handful of events that have allowed children and parents to learn about fishing together.