SAN DIEGO - It's almost time for the long-awaited rematch between Ubaldo Jimenez and Erik Johnson. Giving the public what it demands. Jimenez got back into the rotation Wednesday night and held the Padres to two runs and four hits over six innings in a 7-2 victory at Camden Yards. He also walked four batters, struck out seven and threw 104 pitches while lowering his ERA from 7.34 to 6.97. Jimenez has avoided a return trip to the bullpen and he's opposing Johnson again tonight at Petco Park in...

The Nationals and Orioles usually have story lines that run on parallel tracks and this year is no different. Each is a first-place team. Each has a sizable lead with a crumbling contender behind them. The defending National League East champion New York Mets have a dysfunctional offense and now, after an 11-4 loss to the Nationals on Monday night, their rotation could be falling apart. The Boston Red Sox, a first-place team in the American League East on June 1, have a list of problems that...

We never know which game to circle on the calendar as a key game or 'the' key game during themarathon 162-game schedule, but clearly last night's game was 'a' key game for both the WashingtonNationals and the New York Mets. Time will tell whether or not last night was 'the' key game. The key game in the 2012 season was the doubleheader game where the Nats came back to beat theirdivision rival after losing a heartbreaking game the night before and the first game of the doubleheader.The...

Every so often, I hear legends -- faint whispers upon the breeze -- of Orioles squads that would steal bases. Brian Roberts, Brady Anderson, Al Bumbry: These speedsters could constantly threaten to break for the open bag, and many times they made good on that threat. But they have come and gone, and the team has sorely missed their presence, especially as of late. For the third straight season, the Orioles rank last in the majors in stolen bases. On a more advanced basis, they don't fare much...

The high Single-A Potomac Nationals welcomed promoted players from low Single-A and continued their winning ways to begin the second half of the Carolina League season. Fresh up from Hagerstown, Victor Robles and Max Schrock combined for four hits in a 5-1 victory over Winston-Salem. Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon needed just 10 pitches in his rehab from an intercostal injury to retire three batters in the top of the first on a flyout, strikeout and groundout. He was back in the Nationals'...

SAN DIEGO - No matter how the two-game series in San Diego unfolds for the Orioles, with the opener played tonight, they've already scored a huge win. To the point where they should feel pangs of guilt. Nah, forget it. This is a business. The Padres knew what they were doing on the day they traded reliever Brad Brach to the Orioles for minor league pitcher Devin Jones. Mark down Nov. 25, 2013 as a date when Dan Duquette did some of his finest work as Orioles executive vice president. Brach for...

The Nationals have seen their share of players take the field for much-hyped, big league debuts during their first 12 seasons of existence. Stephen Strasburg's inaugural appearance in 2010, of course, tops the list, but Bryce Harper's arrival in 2012 stands right alongside it. And more than just die-hard fans recognized the significance of the first games in the careers of top prospects like Jordan Zimmermann, Anthony Rendon, Trea Turner, Ian Desmond, Drew Storen and (once-upon-a-time) Ryan...

They were down four runs already to their chief division rivals, their starting pitcher getting rocked and an imposing flamethrower on the mound for the opposition who had pitched his way out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the bottom of the first. Given the way things had been going for the Nationals over the last week or so, you could forgive them if they were a bit demoralized at this particular moment, trailing Noah Syndergaard and the Mets in uninspired fashion. To listen to them describe...

Even though he was hitting just .230 at Single-A Delmarva, the Orioles recently promoted their 2015 first-round draft pick, outfielder DJ Stewart to Single-A Frederick. The 25th overall pick last June, Stewart is trying to find the form that saw him hit .351 and .318 his last two seasons at Florida State. He was named the 2014 ACC Player of the Year. But the left-handed-hitting left fielder hit just .218 last year at short season Single-A Aberdeen in his pro debut. In 62 games this season with...

Down four runs early to Noah Syndergaard, with the Mets lineup all over Joe Ross, the Nationals found themselves in a precarious position in the middle of the third inning tonight, in danger of letting their chief division rivals draw even closer in the standings. And then came the bottom of the third, at which point a Nationals lineup that spent the last week searching for any hit it could possibly get with a man in scoring position finally decided enough was enough. Beginning with a five-run...