Starters

(NOTE: To download Liam's full cheat sheet for all of Saturday's races, click here . Following is his analysis on the Preakness Stakes.)   There are always lots of hard luck stories in the Kentucky Derby, and some of those hard luck horses come to the Preakness looking to set the record straight. Several of those guys are here to take on Orb. And a handful more Derby grumblers are skipping the Preakness to set their sights on the Belmont. However, recent history shows that the Derby winner tends to back up the Derby win and beat most if not all of those Derby finishers again.

Baltimore schools chief Andrés Alonso went to Annapolis last year seeking approval for a bold $2 billion plan to replace many of the city system's crumbling buildings. The idea didn't even make it out of committee. Prospects still looked bleak in January when the Senate president described the financial package as "ridiculous. " But by the end of the legislative session in April, a $1 billion version of the proposal had cleared both chambers by overwhelming margins. The plan - signed into law Thursday by Gov. Martin O'Malley - went from ridiculous to reality because of hard work by scores of people in both Baltimore and Annapolis, and a host of political forces were in play.

LOUISVILLE, KY. - This year, Doug O'Neill and his assistants sat in the office at a barn in the far corner of the Churchill Downs backside. Few reporters dropped by, and O'Neill was not asked repeatedly to relive the running of the Kentucky Derby a day before. Last year's winning trainer, with I'll Have Another, O'Neill instead convened with his robust team to discuss plans for the 138th Preakness Stakes, scheduled for May 18 at Pimlico. Their Derby horse, Goldencents, finished 17th.

One of the colts entered in Saturday's 138th running of the Preakness Stakes can lay claim to a distinction not shared by seven others:  He's actually finished ahead of the expected favorite Orb in a race. Titletown Five, one of three Preakness entries trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, and Orb were both entered in a seven-furlong, maiden special weight race for 2-year-olds at Saratoga last Aug. 18. Maiden special weights are for horses that have never won a race in their career.

One of the nastier side effects of the evolution of the closer in baseball is the change in the mental philosophy of starting pitchers. Call it the six-inning syndrome.Instead of being prepared physically and mentally to go the distance, starters too often settle for completing two-thirds of the job. That's one of the reasons for the fixation with the 100-pitch mark, the point at which starting pitchers are expected to cease being effective."If I can get my team into the seventh or eighth inning with a chance to win, I've done my job," has become a commonplace quote.

The Ravens won't put out an official list of inactives tonight before their preseason finale against the St. Louis Rams, but most of their starters will not play. Quarterback Joe Flacco , running back Ray Rice , center Matt Birk , linebackers Ray Lewis and Jameel McClain and safeties Ed Reed and Bernard Pollard are on the lengthy list of Ravens' starters who are not expected to suit up tonight. Not only does head coach John Harbaugh not want to risk any injuries to starters with the Sept.

Six starters practiced fully Friday and are listed as probable for Sunday night's contest against the New England Patriots. Cornerback Lardarius Webb (knee), strong safety Bernard Pollard (bruised ribs), inside linebacker Jameel McClain (knee) and defensive end Pernell McPhee (right knee) were upgraded from limited to full participation Friday. Left tackle Michael Oher (ankle) and outside linebacker Paul Kruger (back spasms) practiced fully for the second consecutive day. Offensive tackle Jah Reid returned to practice after being sidelined since August when he re-aggravated a strained right calf.

Five players on Broadneck's undefeated football team have been suspended for at least one game after alleged violations of the Anne Arundel County conduct code for student athletes.One of the players said some of the suspensions were for the remainder of the season. The violations occurred before and during the school's homecoming dance Saturday."This whole thing is very unfortunate, and we have a conference at school [today]," said Ken Eslin, who confirmed that his son, junior quarterback Ryan Eslin, has been suspended for at least one game.

He doesn't have the best pitching staff in the American League, but Cleveland manager Mike Hargrove is doing his part to develop durable starters.With veteran Dennis Martinez as his resident example, and a highly flammable bullpen as his nightly nightmare, Hargrove has resorted to the only tactic available to him. He's pushing his starting pitchers to the limit, and sometimes beyond.The statistics haven't always been pretty, but the results have been good enough to get the Indians to the top of the AL Central Division.

DETROIT -- Having passed the one-third mark of the season, Orioles manager Johnny Oates has indicated he will be a little more cautious with his starting pitchers.A question was raised after Rick Sutcliffe left Wednesday night's 3-1 win over the Boston Red Sox after seven innings and 103 pitches. Oates had given the veteran right-hander every chance to finish what he started in his previous 13 starts."We'll be watching them [the starters] a little closer now," said Oates. "We want to keep them sharp, and I'd like to stay away from those 135- to 140-pitch games."

The Orioles played one of their better all-around games of the young season Sunday, using three homers and strong pitching to shut out the Minnesota Twins, 6-0, while capturing their ninth series victory in 12 opportunities. And yet the Orioles fly out of Minnesota for an extended homestand with the potential of losing their most consistent starting pitcher - Taiwanese lefty Wei-Yin Chen - for a few weeks. “I don't even want to think about it,” said Orioles first baseman Chris Davis.

An eighth Preakness starter has been named, and he will bring jockey Rosie Napravnik back to the state where her career began to ride for the first time in its premier race. Mylute, fifth at the Kentucky Derby, will run in the 138 th Preakness on Saturday. Trainer Tom Amoss informed Maryland Jockey Club officials of his decision after the colt went to the track Saturday morning. Napravnik is a blossoming star on the national stage, having appeared on “60 Minutes” and in The New York Times Magazine in the wake of signing an endorsement deal with Snickers.

Kevin Krigger walked the shed row this morning at Pimlico, wearing sunglasses and leading Goldencents, the 17th finisher at the Kentucky Derby, around Barn D. The colt had arrived at 1:30 in the morning, a few hours later than planned, on a van from New York, where he had flown earlier in the day from Louisville. Two of trainer Doug O'Neill's assistants -- Jack Sisterson and Tyler Cerin -- drove from Kentucky and were here to meet the horse. That was all planned. Krigger's presence came as a surprise.

When Orioles right-hander Freddy Garcia was left without a job just a week before the regular season began this year, there was no doubt in his mind that he would pitch in the major leagues in 2013 if he was given the chance. Garcia - a 15-year major league veteran who won the World Series with the Chicago White Sox in 2005 and is the winningest Venezuelan-born pitcher in baseball history (152 career wins) - didn't need to prove anything after the San Diego Padres released him in late March.

While auditions continue for the fifth slot in the Orioles starting rotation, the question that was debated throughout the team's largely inactive offseason suddenly seems relevant again. Can last year's formula produce a new and improved product in 2013? This might seem like a strange time to bring it up, since the Orioles are off to a solid start and entered Tuesday tied for the seventh-best record of the 30 major league teams while playing one of the game's toughest April schedules.

As expected, most of today's pregame interview session with Orioles manager Buck Showalter revolved around right-hander Jake Arrieta, who was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk this afternoon. Arrieta will join the starting rotation in Norfolk -- there's no talk of moving him to a relief role because the Orioles still believe his arsenal of pitches is best utilized as a starter -- and Showalter said he mentioned some things to Arrieta privately that he'd like for him to work on. Showalter expressed that he still has faith that Arrieta can help the Orioles get to the playoffs, but “when will be up to him.” He added that he believes Arrieta's issues are entirely mental.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- So far, so good. No warts on any pitching hands. No career- threatening neck and shoulder injuries. No line drives caroming off foreheads.The Orioles' starting pitchers are cruising through a spring season as uneventful and effective as last year was calamitous."I'd say we're due," said former pitching coach Mike Flanagan, temporarily in uniform these days as a spring instructor.Sure, it's way too early to get excited. Grapefruit League innings pitched against obscure opponents wearing offensive linemen's numbers are hardly a meaningful barometer.

DETROIT -- Having passed the one-third mark of the season, '' Orioles manager Johnny Oates has indicated he'll be a little more cautious with his starting pitchers.A question was raised after Rick Sutcliffe left Wednesday night's 3-1 win over the Boston Red Sox after seven innings and 103 pitches. Oates had given the veteran right-hander every chance to finish what he started in his previous 13 starts."We'll be watching them [the starters] a little closer now," said Oates. "We want to keep them sharp, and I'd like to stay away from those 135- to 140-pitch games."

Top pitching prospect Dylan Bundy, who has only thrown soft toss since being shelved since March due to tightness in his right forearm/elbow, will throw Monday from 75 to 90 feet in Sarasota, Fla., according to Orioles manager Buck Showalter. He has yet to pitch in a pro game this season, but is expected to get on a mound toward the end of next week. Bundy apparently suffered forearm spasms because of the way he was placing the ball in and out of his glove - and the Orioles have worked with him to change that routine.

After playing Saturday's doubleheader against the Los Angeles Dodgers -- and with both Jason Hammel and Wei-Yin Chen starting -- the Orioles will likely need a starter to pitch in Wednesday's afternoon game against the Toronto Blue Jays. Orioles manager Buck Showalter said he's evaluating all of his options, which include bringing up a pitcher from the minor leagues to make a spot start or using someone out of the bullpen if they are rested. “Last night, it was just a matter of, 'OK, here's our options.