ARLINGTON, Texas - Adam Jones swung at the first pitch tonight from Rangers left-hander Cole Hamels, a 90-mph fastball, and grounded to short to end the top of the first inning. No sense milking the at-bat, Jones' first since April 6. Elvis Andrus made a nice backhanded stop and throw, getting Jones by the closest of margins. The Orioles considered a challenge, but declined it. Manny Machado flied to right field, as Hamels needed only seven pitches to retire the side in order. He's collected...

The Nationals have had some good offense from guys like Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy and Anthony Rendon to race out to a 7-1 record to begin 2016. But catcher Wilson Ramos has really started to generate hits from the sixth spot in the lineup. This is a good early sign for the Venezuelan backstop. Prior to last year's .229 average, Ramos had hit .272 and .267 in back-to-back seasons. In Thursday's 6-2 win over the Braves, Ramos connected for his first homer of the season and later added a RBI...

Stephen Strasburg was so sick Wednesday he had to postpone his scheduled start. He still was not feeling that great Thursday, but gutted it out, told his skipper he was good to go and went 7 2/3 innings as the Nationals completed a four-game sweep of the Braves with a 6-2 victory. Strasburg said that the temperature change from spring training in Florida to the cold early April days in D.C. has affected him before. "It just seems like every year we get back from Florida and you get into that...

ARLINGTON, Texas - With the weather warmer and more batting practice sessions behind him, Adam Jones has returned to the Orioles' lineup and a more comfortable element. Leaning on a railing and watching games in a hooded sweatshirt isn't his idea of fun. "He's ready," said manager Buck Showalter. "We're ready to get him out of the clubhouse and out of the dugout. Clubbies ask me all the time, 'When's Adam going to play again?' He's like a caged lion." Jones has been limited to two...

As the Orioles begin a four-game series tonight against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park, is their bullpen already getting used too much? Well, the fact that O's starters have pitched more than five innings just once in eight games tells you the answer is yes. But the bullpen still is in pretty decent shape heading into this series. The O's have Tyler Wilson, T.J. McFarland and Dylan Bundy to thank for that. Over the last two games that trio has pitched a combined 6 2/3 out of seven...

A pair of former No. 1 overall selections shone in the same game again as the Nationals beat the Braves 6-2 to complete a four-game sweep. Bryce Harper, taken with the first pick in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, continues to place his name in the baseball history books before he turns 24. Harper slammed his 100th career home run in the bottom of the third, a grand slam off of Julio Teheran, to lift the Nationals to a 4-1 lead. At 23 years and 181 days old, Harper becomes the eighth-youngest...

ARLINGTON, Texas - It wasn't until yesterday evening, shortly before first pitch, that the Orioles confirmed their starter for Friday night. The TBA designation was replaced by a name. It also wasn't until yesterday that Vance Worley found out the Orioles chose him for the assignment. Worley will stay on turn against the Rangers at Globe Life Park, making his second start of the season after breaking camp as an extra reliever. "I threw a 'pen and that put me pretty much ready for yesterday...

Bryce Harper's 100th career homer was as grand as they come. Harper launched his first major league grand slam this afternoon, blasting a 1-0 fastball from Julio Teheran in the bottom of the third off the façade of the second deck in right-center at Nationals Park. That blast gave the Nationals a 4-1 lead over the Braves, a worthy development in its own right. That it also happened to bring Harper to the century mark for his career only sweetened the moment. The crowd saluted Harper with a...

ARLINGTON, Texas - The Orioles' lineup finally includes center fielder Adam Jones. Jones is starting tonight for the first time since April 6. He's been used as a defensive replacement twice while receiving treatment for soreness in his rib area. Jones took early batting practice again this afternoon at Globe Life Park, along with Ryan Flaherty and Caleb Joseph, and later played catch in the outfield while manager Buck Showalter briefly spoke to him. Jones was launching balls into the empty...

He was the hottest hitter on the roster all spring, arguably the hottest hitter in the Grapefruit League. But Michael A. Taylor is finding out now what so many have found out before him: Hitting in April isn't the same as hitting in March. Taylor enters play today sporting a .138 batting average (4-for-29), with a .133 on-base percentage that's actually lower (something possible only when you've got a sacrifice fly but zero walks). It's a far cry from his performance this spring, when he...