Some thoughts before I board my flight to Los Angeles, where the Nationals and Dodgers open a three-game series late tonight... * If you like marquee pitching matchups, they don't get a whole lot better than tonight's showdown at Dodger Stadium. Yes, it's Stephen Strasburg vs. Clayton Kershaw. How good are these two guys? Let us count the ways. Strasburg is 10-0 this season, Kershaw is 10-1. Strasburg has 118 strikeouts and only 24 walks this season. Kershaw has 133 strikeouts and - good...

I was amused yesterday when I received a question on Twitter regarding the Orioles' travel roster for tonight's game against the Rangers. It does feel like a spring training road game. Manager Buck Showalter left some personnel back in Baltimore, including assistant hitting coach Mark Quinn and an extra athletic trainer and strength and conditioning coach. Most of the starting pitchers avoided the trip because they obviously wouldn't be needed and why drag them along? The same goes for...

Just over a week ago, the Orioles began a four-game series in Toronto. That would be followed by a three-game series in Boston and three more at home against Toronto. The Orioles began this stretch leading the American League East by 1 ½ games and they ended it with a one-game lead. They went 5-5 against their two closest pursuers in the division. Considering they were 3-5 after getting pounded at home on Friday night 13-3, the Orioles did a nice job to take the last two games against...

What was shaping up to be an impressive weekend to start the Nationals' first West Coast trip of the season instead ended on a sour note, with back-to-back losses in San Diego resulting in a four-game split at Petco Park. Another shaky start by Gio Gonzalez this afternoon turned into a 6-3 loss to the Padres, the Nationals' second straight after two strong wins to begin the long weekend series. Gonzalez gave up six runs (five earned) over 5 1/3 innings that got progressively laborious as his...

After they lost three of four last weekend to Toronto and lost again on Friday night, it was big for the Orioles to win the last two games. They took the series from Toronto and emerged 5-5 over the last 10 against Boston and Toronto. The Orioles beat the Blue Jays 11-6 today in front of 39,024 fans at Camden Yards. They began this 10-game stretch in first place and will end it that way. The Orioles have lost just one home series in 12 this year, going 9-1-2. They have a .500 record or better...

Chris Tillman had one bad inning. It elevated his pitch count and got him out of this game sooner than he wanted. But the Orioles' offense had a few good innings and that was more than enough. The O's took the final two games of this series, beating Toronto today 11-6 at Camden Yards as Matt Wieters went 4-for-5 with a two-run homer and Jonathan Schoop went 3-for-5 with a two-run homer. The Orioles' offense produced a season-high 19 hits in 41 at-bats. Their 11 runs were two off the season...

While Chris Tillman tries to navigate through today's start at Camden Yards - he threw 38 pitches in a four-run second inning and is up to 99 through the fifth while holding an 8-4 lead - Kevin Gausman prepares for his assignment Monday night in Texas. The dreaded one-game road trip. According to STATS, this will mark the Orioles' first one-game trip wedged in between home games since June 25, 1967, when they visited the old Washington Senators. The Orioles are 3-2 in these games, with all of...

The Nationals are about to get a serious helping of southpaws, including one of the best baseball has seen in decades. Beginning with today's series finale in San Diego, the Nationals are scheduled to face four consecutive left-handed starters: the Padres' Drew Pomeranz, then the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw, Scott Kazmir and Julio Urias. Kershaw, owner of a mere 1.87 ERA over the last four seasons and a 133-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio this season, looms large Monday night at Dodger Stadium....

The Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays play the third and deciding game of a three-game series this afternoon at Camden Yards. They have split the first two games with Toronto winning 13-3 Friday night when Michael Saunders hit three homers with eight RBIs. The O's won 4-2 Saturday afternoon as Yovani Gallardo allowed two runs over five innings and the O's bullpen pitched four scoreless innings. The Orioles (39-28) are 3-5 in their past eight games. Over a longer stretch they have won eight of 13...

Orioles reliever Darren O'Day, on the disabled list since June 3 with a right hamstring strain, did some throwing on the field today at Camden Yards, but not yet on a mound. Manger Buck Showalter was asked if he has a timetable yet for O'Day's return. "We can see one developing," Showalter said. "You know he has played catch and thrown but today was the first day where he simulated his delivery on flat ground and felt good. That is a good sign. So hopefully we are headed that way, but...