Russ Ortiz

The Baltimore Orioles appear to be the front-runners to sign free-agent starting pitcher Russ Ortiz, according to Ortiz's agent, John Boggs. "We're talking with them," said Boggs, adding that pitching coach Leo Mazzone carries "a lot of weight" with Ortiz. "I would say at this point that they are probably the front-runner." The Arizona Diamondbacks released Ortiz last week after a season and a half of ineffectiveness.

Russ Ortiz recorded his 20th victory in style, pitching a three-hitter and driving in the only run as the Atlanta Braves defeated Florida, 1-0, Friday night to knock the Marlins out of the lead in the wild-card race. The Philadelphia Phillies moved a half-game ahead of Florida with a 7-3 victory over Cincinnati. Ortiz (20-7) reached 20 wins for the first time in his career and gave Atlanta its first 20-game winner since Tom Glavine in 2000.

Ramon Ortiz is always smiling. "Always," he said. Whether he's indoors or outdoors, sitting among his teammates or walking alone out of the Dodgers' clubhouse, Ortiz wears the carefree grin of a frat-house drunkard. Raising his arms to the clear Arizona sky above his head, he explained why. "I'm with God," he said. The former Angel is born again in more ways than one, as his once-dead career has reemerged this spring from baseball's graveyard — or, more literally, Fresno — probably earning the 36-year-old a place on the Dodgers' opening-day roster.

Acquired in a trade with San Francisco in December, Russ Ortiz has fit smoothly into the Atlanta rotation -- just like almost every other Braves starter over the last dozen years. So much so, it almost seems routine to Manager Bobby Cox. "Russ pitched his normal game again -- just a duplicate of all the other ones," Cox said Sunday after Ortiz pitched Atlanta to a 12-6 victory over the Colorado Rockies.

The defensive projections are frightening. Nearly two weeks into the season, the Dodgers are on pace to make 176 errors — more than twice the 83 they committed last year. They made two more errors during a 9-0 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Saturday at Dodger Stadium, giving them 12 in 11 games. They entered the game with a .974 fielding percentage, already third-worst in the National League. The Dodgers have made two errors in a game five times. "I don't think it's a concern, because I know we're better than that," Manager Joe Torre said.

Everything in the World Series is magnified because that's what happens when there are two teams left and only one prize. So Russ Ortiz is definitely under the microscope. The San Francisco Giant right-hander had one of the worst performances of a starter in World Series history Sunday night in the Angels' exhausting 11-10 victory in Game 2 before 44,584 at Edison Field. "It was a little surprising," Giant right fielder Reggie Sanders said.

Although other visitors often complain about the blaring music, loud fans and low-flying jets, Russ Ortiz really likes playing at Shea Stadium. On Tuesday night, he had even more fun. Ortiz pitched a shutout into the seventh inning and hit a two-run double that sent the San Francisco Giants past the New York Mets, 5-1, in a matchup of division leaders. "The first time I came here, I loved it," Ortiz said. "Every time I've come back, I've enjoyed it.

Russ Ortiz worked into the ninth inning to become the second 16-game winner in the major leagues and the Atlanta Braves hit four home runs in a 7-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals Friday night at St. Louis. Ortiz (16-5) gave up two runs and five hits in eight-plus innings, joining Roy Halladay of the Toronto Blue Jays with 16 victories. Ortiz needs two more wins to match his career high in 1999 with the Giants.

Russ Ortiz has a reputation as one of the quietest players in the San Francisco Giants' clubhouse. His pitching is coming through loud and clear. The right-hander did not give up an earned run in 6 2/3 innings en route to his fifth consecutive victory Saturday as the Giants defeated the Houston Astros, 3-1, at San Francisco. "He's just a very quiet guy who goes about his business, and when he's pitched the way he's pitched, your confidence grows," said J.T.

What do you want from the kid? Maybe you want him to be the brash rookie, cocky and glaring. Maybe you want him to be like that goofy Nuke Laloosh character in the film "Bull Durham," half a grin, spouting cliches. Russ Ortiz is barely 24, as baby-faced as the day he left Montclair Prep. He should be polishing his stuff in triple-A ball. He should be tucked safely in the bullpen, a work-in-progress. But injuries have forced the San Francisco Giants to push Ortiz into the starting rotation.