Yankees

The Yankees have claimed infielder Matt Antonelli off waivers from the Orioles. Antonelli, a first-round pick by the Padres in 2006, was designated for assignment Sunday to make room for outfielder Xavier Avery on the club's 40-man roster. He was one of Dan Duquette's first signees as Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations, signed Nov. 21 as part of Duquette's effort to improve the club's on-base capabilities. Antonelli, who was in major league camp with the Orioles this spring competing for the utility position spot evenually won by Rule 5 pick Ryan Flaherty, was hitting .204/.357/.280 in 29 games at Triple-A Norfolk at the time of his designation.

The Yankees have claimed infielder Matt Antonelli off waivers from the Orioles. Antonelli, a first-round pick by the Padres in 2006, was designated for assignment Sunday to make room for outfielder Xavier Avery on the club's 40-man roster. He was one of Dan Duquette's first signees as Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations, signed Nov. 21 as part of Duquette's effort to improve the club's on-base capabilities. Antonelli, who was in major league camp with the Orioles this spring competing for the utility position spot evenually won by Rule 5 pick Ryan Flaherty, was hitting .204/.357/.280 in 29 games at Triple-A Norfolk at the time of his designation.

The mistake-prone Jeremy Guthrie from last season had been noticeably absent through four starts, but he reappeared Wednesday night in time to wipe out the Orioles' hopes of building on an all-too modest winning streak. Guthrie was hammered for seven runs over 4 2/3 innings, while his counterpart and former Cleveland Indians teammate CC Sabathia scattered 11 hits over 7 2/3 innings in the New York Yankees' 8-3 victory in front of an announced 17,248 at Camden Yards. The loss, pretty much a formality after the Yankees built a 5-0 lead off Guthrie by the top of the second inning, dropped the Orioles to 4-17 and ended their brief foray with winning at two games.

The Orioles might still be above the New York Yankees in the American League East standings, but they can't seem to solve the Bronx Bombers head-to-head at Camden Yards. The Orioles dropped an 8-5 decision to the Yankees on Monday night under dreary skies and steady showers, their fourth loss to New York this year at Camden Yards. In a game riddled with costly walks and an untimely fielding error, the battle-tested Yankees made the Orioles pay for their miscues. “If you make defensive mistakes against any club at this level, it challenges you if you do it consistently,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said.

Today was a busy news afternoon in Birdland. A day after his worse outing of the spring, the Orioles designated left-hander Dana Eveland for assignment. They also added infielder Zelous Wheeler to the 40-man roster and optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk. Oh, and shortstop J.J. Hardy, who missed his third game Thursday with a bum shoulder, seems OK and said he should play Friday. Oh, and the Orioles are playing a game tonight. The O's face the Yankees under the lights at Steinbrenner Field.

How it happened: Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie experienced an unpleasant rewind to the 2009 season, when he led the American League in losses and home runs allowed. On this night, Guthrie lasted just 4 2/3 innings, allowing seven runs (six earned) on six hits, a walk and a hit batsman. New York had scored six runs before the Orioles got their first, in the bottom of the third inning. Yankees starter CC Sabathia didn't have his best stuff, giving up three earned runs on 11 hits and two walks, but he was effective enough to last 7 2/3 innings and preserve the large lead with which he was presented.

NEW YORK — The Yankees have the right guy going to the mound. No question about that. But did CC Sabathia learn anything watching Josh Beckett? More to the point, can he become Josh Beckett? The Yankees aren't quite to the point where they need outright miracles, but after suffering a third straight pounding at the hands of the white-hot Rangers, they do need Sabathia to work magic in Game 5. Nothing is tougher for a baseball team that is trying to do something unprecedented or unexpected than to get its fourth victory in a playoff series.

Orioles rookie left-hander Wei-Yin Chen had passed all the early tests, facing good major league teams, pitching well, showing poise and not once getting saddled with a loss in his first six big league starts. Tuesday, however, presented a different challenge. Chen wouldn't just be pitching against the mighty New York Yankees, but he would be seeing them for the second time -- his first repeat performance against an opponent. Like the rest of this early season for the Taiwan native, Chen had little trouble, throwing seven strong innings in the Orioles' 5-2 victory.

It might be too soon to proclaim that the Orioles have returned to respectability in the American League East, but it's not too soon to take notice of the rapidly changing landscape in baseball's toughest division. The Orioles have held their own against the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox during the early weeks of the season - 9-5 after Saturday's victory at Fenway Park - and are off to a very encouraging start. The only team looking down on them in the standings is Tampa Bay, as the Rays continue to defy the conventional wisdom that you have to pay to play in this neighborhood.

For years, Orioles fans have had an almost primitive response to being outnumbered in their own stadium by thousands of visiting fans who root, root, root for the Red Sox or Yankees. To the home fans, it is as if invaders are threatening the castle. Later this month, the Orioles will host the Yankees and Red Sox. Yankees fans will sport "Jeter" jerseys, and Boston backers will wear "Ortiz" jerseys and chant "Let's go Red Sox!" Feeling protective of their territory, Orioles fans will want to remind them that this is Camden Yards, hon, not Fenway Park.

NEW YORK - On Opening Day at Camden Yards, Oriolesstarter Jake Arrieta talked about setting the tone for the season with a quality start. A month later at Yankee Stadium, it was Arrieta continuing to follow the lead of his rotation-mates, throwing eight shutout innings in a 5-0 win over the New York Yankees in what has become an impressive and, frankly, unexpected run of starting pitching.    Surprising, apparently, to everyone but those wearing orange and black. “Those guys have great stuff and great ability,” said Orioles catcher Matt Wieters, whose fourth-inning homer gave his team all the offense it would need.

By the end of Tuesday night, Orioles manager Buck Showalter had reached the 1,000-win milestone, left-hander Brian Matusz had sidestepped club infamy and designated hitter Nick Johnson had finally exhaled in a 7-1 victory over the New York Yankees. It was literally a time for popping the champagne corks and offering a toast -- which was done in the visitors' clubhouse after the game as a tribute to Showalter, who became the 58th big league manager to win 1,000 games in his career.

NEW YORK - As smoothly as this early season has started for the Orioles, they know they'll never be considered serious threats in the American League East if they can't beat the New York Yankees. On Monday, in their first trip to new Yankee Stadium this season, the red-hot Orioles once again received an outstanding pitching performance from Jason Hammel, but couldn't score for him in a 2-1 defeat - their third loss by two runs or fewer to the Bronx Bombers this season.

Orioles right-hander Jason Hammel says he's a much different pitcher from the one who last faced the New York Yankees in 2008. Through four starts this season, Hammel - acquired in the February trade that sent No. 1 starter Jeremy Guthrie to the Colorado Rockies - has been a surprising success story. He takes a 3-0 record and 1.73 ERA into the Bronx for Monday's series opener, looking to give the Orioles his fourth quality start of the season. Hammel, who entered the season with a career 4.99 ERA, said he has grown mentally since he was demoted to the Rockies' bullpen at the end of last season.

What if the Orioles we have watched for the past few games (even the two games they should have taken from the Yankees) are the Orioles we have to watch all season? Remember 1989? Why not? Bill Burnham, Baltimore