Steve Pearce

After the Orioles' 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night, manager Buck Showalter evoked former Orioles skipper Earl Weaver, who was alwas a fan of the three-run homer. “I was thinking Earl would be real happy about the scenario tonight,” Showalter said. “Good pitching, good defense and a guy hits a three-run homer. I was hoping it would hold up. I'd like to have another one.” While rookie right-hander Miguel Gonzalez stole the spotlight with seven innings of one-run, three-hit ball, outfielder Steve Pearce provided all the Orioles' offense, hitting a three-run homer off left-handerC.J.

Each Wednesday, blogger Matt Vensel will highlight five statistics that really mean something for the Orioles. five -- consecutive quality starts for Chris Tillman. Right-hander Chris Tillman pitched seven strong innings Tuesday night, allowing four hits and one earned run to give the Orioles his fifth straight quality start (closer Jim Johnson could not secure the win for him, though). Over Tillman's past five starts, he has a 1.87 ERA and opponents are batting .195 against him. He recorded three wins and the Orioles won four of those five games.

The Orioles have outrighted outfielder Steve Pearce to Triple-A Norfolk, the team announced today. Pearce spent two separate stints with the Orioles last season, hitting .254/.321/.437 in 28 games with the big league club. He also spent time with the Houston Astros and New York Yankees last season. The Orioles signed Pearce to a major-league contract just before last month's deadline to tender contracts to arbitration eligible players. So the move could be an indicator that the Orioles need Pearce's 40-man roster spot to make an upcoming move.

So closer Jim Johnson finally blew a save in the regular season . How long has it been? The last time he blew one Manny Machado and Nate McLouth weren't Orioles. You've got to go all the way  back to July 27, 2012 - not counting the one Game 3 of the ALDS - for a blown save by JJ. Here's a silver lining for you: Even when Johnson blows one, it's rarely ugly. He gave up four singles that were beat into the ground on Tuesday. It's not like they got a lot of lift off a guy who has made his living getting grounders.

And outfielder Steve Pearce is back in Baltimore. With this season the way it has gone, did you expect anything less? Pearce, 29, was with the Orioles for about two months this year and had a couple big games. But he was waived at the end of July and claimed by the Houston Astros and then waived by the Astros and claimed by the New York Yankees, who actually had him in their minors earlier this year before selling him to the Orioles on June 2. The Yankees claimed him from the Astros on Aug. 27 and then waived him this week - and now he is back with the Orioles, who claimed him today.

SARASOTA, Fla. - In a battle that came down to the final day of spring training games and was compared by one of the candidates to "two heavyweights battling against each other," Steve Pearce beat Conor Jackson for the final spot on the Orioles' 25-man Opening Day roster. Pearce, a first baseman-outfielder who changed organizations five times last season, was told he made the team before the Orioles' 7-1 win over the New York Mets in their Grapefruit League finale. "It was tough," Pearce said.

The Orioles are looking to take the rubber match of this three-game series against the Rays at Tropicana Field.  The teams are tied for first place in the AL East with identical 30-23 records. Newcomer Steve Pearce, who arrived in Tampa Bay around 8 p.m. yesterday, will immediately jump into the lineup, starting in right field and hitting eighth. Pearce seems to know a few guys in the clubhouse. He played with Ronny Paulino in Pittsburgh and attended South Carolina with Steve Tolleson.

OK, how nutty is this season going? Consider outfielder-infielder Steve Pearce, whom the Orioles bought for minimal cash from the New York Yankees on June 2. He exercised an opt-out clause in his contract. Had he stayed withTriple-AScranton/Wilkes-Barre, Pearce would be in the middle of a 13-game road trip. The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre team has been playing basically on the road all year, using the Rochester park as a home field at times because their park is under construction.

What would a day of Orioles baseball be without a roster move? Well, we don't know yet, because the club made another move before today's 4:05 p.m. game, acquiring outfielder-first baseman Steve Pearce from the Yankees for cash considerations. Pearce, who was playing for the Yankees' Triple-A club in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, is expected to be available for Sunday's series finale. "I know him a little bit from spring training," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "Our people thought he has the potential to help us [at]

Orioles acquire Pearce again Always on the prowl for bench help, no matter how late in the season, the Orioles added outfielder Steve Pearce to the 40-man roster for the second time in 2012. He was claimed on waivers from the New York Yankees on Saturday; the Orioles also purchased his contract from the Yankees on June 2 and Pearce spent nearly two months with the club before he was claimed on waivers by the Houston Astros on July 28. The 29-year-old Pearce has appeared in 28 games for the Orioles in 2012, hitting .254 with three homers.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Orioles earned a good win in Anaheim on Saturday afternoon. I'll admit that given the huge momentum swing that took place in the late innings at Angel Stadium, I thought it would surely end in an Orioles loss. Having covered this team since last year, I should know better than that. But when you struggle that much with runners in scoring position and you can't take advantage of the start that Freddy Garcia gave them - especially on the road in front of a crowd that grew louder with the Angels' comeback - I just thought the Angels had the Orioles number on Saturday.

The four-run lead that Orioles right-hander Freddy Garcia took into the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday seemed safe enough, especially given the relative ease in which Garcia had held the Angels hitless through the game's first six frames. “We were on cruise control,” first baseman Steve Pearce said. “And then, boom.” The calm suddenly turned chaotic as the Orioles blew their lead and lost momentum until Pearce - who was 3-for-4 starting at first base in place of the injured Chris Davis - slapped a game-winning single with two outs in the 10th inning to give the Orioles a 5-4 win over the Angels in front of an announced crowd of 32,136 at Angel Stadium.

ANAHEIM, Calif. --Orioles first baseman Chris Davis sat out Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Angels after injuring his right knee the night before, but the team is optimistic that its top run producer will avoid a stint on the disabled list. Davis said that an MRI on the knee Saturday was read by Angels team doctors and showed patellar tendinosis in his knee. Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette said Orioles doctors will read the MRI on Monday, but that he considered Davis day to day. “It sounds like he's feeling a lot better today,” Duquette said.

Wei-Yin Chen said he was “speechless” after throwing eight shutout innings Friday. He has now faced the Oakland A's three times, and is 3-0 with a 0.44 ERA in  20 2/3 innings against them. He was truly dominant on Friday. The A's hitters were completely lost. Watching Chen pitch in a chilly Oakland Coliseum, with all that extra space in foul territory and the ball not traveling well, he just looks tailor-made for this place. He throws strikes, the hitters swing and make plenty of contact.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Orioles rode eight strong innings from Wei-Yin Chen and a key hit from Steve Pearce to a 3-0 win over the Oakland Athletics on Friday night . Here's what some of the key figures had to say about the victory: Pearce on being able to contribute: “It was huge. Personally it feels great to do that, but when you can do something for yourself and help the club, it feels awesome.” Pearce on the tight contest: “It was a tough game. (A's starter Tommy Milone)

Orioles designated hitter Steve Pearce entered Thursday night hitless in his first 13 at-bats this season. Certainly, it's not the way the 30-year-old wanted to start the year, but it is not without explanation. Pearce has made five starts in 2013 - two against reigning American League Cy Young Award winner David Price (including Thursday), one against former Cy Young winner CC Sabathia , one against current AL ERA leader Clay Buchholz and one against Minnesota lefty Pedro Hernandez . Not an easy group to begin a season.

Steve Pearce has a wish for his old Orioles teammates. "Hopefully, they can win the [American League] wild card," said Pearce, whom the Orioles waived in July and is now with the New York Yankees. "I really tried not to look back and think about that. [Baltimore] was a great experience, great team, great coaches. But baseball had different plans for me. I'm with the Yankees now, and that's where my focus is. I wish those guys the best of luck, but not against us. " The 29-year-old Pearce has had an incredibly busy and bizarre 2012 season.

Orioles designated hitter Steve Pearce entered Thursday night hitless in his first 13 at-bats this season. Certainly, it's not the way the 30-year-old wanted to start the year, but it is not without explanation. Pearce has made five starts in 2013 - two against reigning American League Cy Young Award winner David Price (including Thursday), one against former Cy Young winner CC Sabathia , one against current AL ERA leader Clay Buchholz and one against Minnesota lefty Pedro Hernandez . Not an easy group to begin a season.

Right-hander Steve Johnson (lat) threw four innings and 70 pitches in Fort Myers, Fla., as part of an extended spring game. Assuming he feels good during a side session this weekend, Johnson will make his 2013 pro debut next week in Charlotte for the Triple-A Norfolk Tides, the club anticipates. Orioles manager Buck Showalter said Johnson, a St. Paul's graduate who was 4-0 with a 2.11 ERA for the Orioles last year, will start in his first outing of this season. Tsuyoshi Wada (elbow)

Orioles minor league outfielder/first baseman Conor Jackson - who was the final cut in major league spring training this season - has abruptly retired, Triple-A Norfolk announced today. Jackson, who signed a minor league deal this offseason, had a spectacular spring, hitting .302/.327/.528 with three homers and six RBIs in 22 games with the Orioles. In the final days of spring training, the Orioles chose Steve Pearce over Jackson for the final spot on the Opening Day 25-man roster.