Orioles manager Buck Showalter was waiting this afternoon to gather more information on Zach Britton's throwing session, which took place on flat ground and on the bullpen mound. Showalter noted how Britton's sprained ankle is feeling better today. "He did some things he couldn't do yesterday," Showalter said. "I'll get where we are with it after we get through here. I know it's better. Like I said, did some things he didn't feel comfortable with yesterday, so I'm hoping we go in...

KANSAS CITY - They marched into St. Louis and swept the Cardinals. Now they've marched into Kansas City and taken two of three from the Royals, coming within a blown save of another sweep of the defending World Series champs. Wasn't this supposed to be the most daunting road trip the Nationals had ever faced? Not to this point. With a 13-2 drubbing of the Royals this afternoon, the Nats added yet another impressive victory to their growing list, their fifth win in six days in Missouri. Next...

Orioles closer Zach Britton threw on flat ground again today, simulating his delivery and far exceeding soft-toss velocity. He headed to the bullpen, attracting a crowd, and threw five pitches off the front of the mound and five on top of it. It's doubtful that Britton is available tonight while recovering from a sprained left ankle, but he's avoiding the disabled list. "I guess you wouldn't call it a regular 'pen," Britton said. "Did a little bit of everything. Feels pretty...

When Manny Machado took his position at shortstop last night, not only was he replacing J.J. Hardy, but he was once again forming a double-play combination with his good friend, second baseman Jonathan Schoop. The two have played a few major league games together as a DP combo, but also many on the farm. Fans in places like Frederick and Bowie have seen how good that duo can be playing together up the middle. They were the DP combination that led Single-A Frederick to a Carolina League title in...

Mother's Day is Sunday, and the holiday will be marked in many traditional ways - breakfasts in bed, hand-drawn greeting cards, bouquets of flowers and family dinners. But Mark Melonas will celebrate Mother's Day by marking - rather re-marking - one of the most significant achievements in Orioles history on the site where Memorial Stadium used to be. Melonas, a woodworker who lives in Ednor Gardens, near where the old stadium stood until 2002, is inviting Orioles fans to join him for a...

KANSAS CITY - If anyone was worried the Nationals might suffer from a hangover in the wake of last night's gut-punch loss to the Royals, they wasted no time alleviating those fears this afternoon. Six-run first innings have a way of easing the pain. And then four more runs in the third finish the job. The Nats burst out of the gate in today's series finale, knocking Kris Medlen all around Kauffman Stadium and taking advantage of some more sloppy Kansas City defense. Bryce Harper, who had been...

Manny Machado remains at shortstop and Ryan Flaherty stays at third base for tonight's game against the Yankees at Camden Yards. Nolan Reimold gets the start in left field, with Joey Rickard in right. Rickard is 6-for-41 since back-to-back three-hit games against the Blue Jays, his average falling from .350 to .267. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Mark Trumbo's 33 hits and 22 RBIs are the most by a player in his first 25 games with the Orioles. For the Orioles Joey Rickard RF Manny...

KANSAS CITY - The Nationals are getting their leadoff man back at last. Now they hope he helps complete a lineup that has sorely missed him for the last month. Ben Revere has completed his rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse and will meet the Nationals in Chicago tonight, manager Dusty Baker said. The club won't decide for sure when to activate the center fielder off the disabled until he is checked out in person, but there's a good chance he'll be in the lineup for Thursday night's...

KANSAS CITY - Hello one last time from Kauffman Stadium, where the Nationals will try to bounce back from their gut-punch of a loss last night, win today's matinee against the Royals and thus take the interleague series. The clubhouse mood was really low after last night's 7-6 loss, as low as it has been at any point so far in this young season. Obviously that was an especially tough loss, with Jonathan Papelbon blowing a two-run lead in the bottom of the ninth, but in the big picture this...

Ryan Zimmerman had what you might call a poor April. Of course, he's not the only one on the team that did, but after two disappointing and injury-prone seasons, there is some worry that maybe he isn't a very good hitter anymore. However, it's not time to worry about Zimmerman, at least not yet. Actually, March and April doldrums are not unfamiliar to the Nats' all-time leader in Wins Above Replacement. A career .283/.348/.474 hitter - he has only managed to hit .257/.323/.427 over his...