NEW YORK - Tanner Roark didn't know what to expect when he headed down to the bullpen early yesterday afternoon at Citi Field, other than to make sure he was ready in case he was needed to pitch the Nationals' first-half finale against the Mets. Only four days after throwing 99 pitches in a win over the Brewers, Roark knew he wouldn't be starting another game until next weekend at the earliest. So he made himself available to pitch in relief for this one, not sure if or when or how he would...

NEW YORK - The situations weren't identical, they never are from one season to the next. Rosters change, injuries happen, guys who had good years come back with bad years and vice versa. But if nothing else, there was a sense of familiarity when the Nationals arrived in Queens on Thursday for the opener of a key July series against the team directly behind them in the National League East standings. They led the Mets by four games, with four games to play at Citi Field. Not quite one year ago...

Chris Tillman may not have made the All-Star team, but he reminded us today why he was clearly deserving of consideration. Even if he did walk a few more than he wanted to. Tillman pitched seven strong innings as the Orioles beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-2 in front of 32,963 at Camden Yards. The O's hit the All-Star break with a record of 51-36 and a two-game lead atop the American League East. The righty allowed three hits and one run. He walked five and struck out five and is now 12-2 with a...

Dewayne Staats is the TV voice of the Rays. He has done play by play for the Astros, Cubs and Yankees in a career of some 40 years. A smile, a kind word and professionalism are always there. We have been friends for so many years that have flown by in this never-ending game of baseball. This book is about his time in the game: the memories, the people and the lessons. In this book, you will visit with Harry Caray, Tony Kubek, Joe Madden and so many more with whom Staats shares a baseball...

The Orioles scored a big insurance run today in the bottom of the sixth inning, and Chris Tillman has overcome command issues to work through the seventh. Pedro Alvarez reached with two outs on a gift double, his pop up falling into shallow left field. He hustled to second base with the Angels slow to recover and continued to third on shortstop Andrelton Simmons' throwing error. Simmons was basically lost on the play. J.J. Hardy followed with a single up the middle to plate Alvarez, give the...

NEW YORK - Daniel Murphy supplied the big blast once again, but this time it was Gio Gonzalez and a surprise member of the bullpen pitching the Nationals to victory over the Mets. Gonzalez held the depleted New York lineup in check for 5 2/3 innings before handing things off to none other than Tanner Roark, who in his first relief appearance of the season tossed another 2 1/3 innings of perfect ball to help lead the Nationals to a 3-2 win at Citi Field. Murphy's two-run homer in the top of the...

Orioles left fielder Hyun Soo Kim exited today's game after the bottom of the first inning with an apparent leg injury, his first major league ailment. No explanation has been given for his removal. Update: Kim left the game with a strained right hamstring. Kim grounded to Angels' second baseman Gregorio Petit as Adam Jones advanced to second. Jones led off with a single. Jones was stranded on third base to end the inning and Joey Rickard headed out to left field as Chris Tillman began his...

If the Nationals are playing the Mets, Daniel Murphy must be driving in runs. It has been occurring with such regularity, astrophysicists are nearly ready to declare it a new law of the universe. When Murphy stepped to the plate in the top of the first this afternoon with a man on base, the question wasn't whether he would drive in the runner. It was how he would do it. How does a two-run homer off the second deck in right field at Citi Field sound to everyone? With that blast off left-hander...

Orioles relievers Brad Brach and Zach Britton, outfielder Mark Trumbo and third baseman Manny Machado received their All-Star Game jerseys today on the field, holding up the yellow and brown Padres throwbacks and pretending the color scheme wasn't hideous. Catcher Matt Wieters was in the bullpen. With Wieters catching this afternoon, Caleb Joseph figures to go into the All-Star break still in search of his first RBI. He's batting .160 with two doubles in 26 games, his injury not the only...

Orioles reliever Darren O'Day threw on flat ground again this morning, his second session in three days. He's headed to Sarasota to continue rehabbing and will rejoin the club over the weekend at Tropicana Field. O'Day has been on the disabled list since June 3 with a strained right hamstring. He's trying to remain patient, and that includes his occasional interviews, which brought some gems today. How did the sessions go and where are you now? "I'm on the disabled list. I'll be back...