Adam Jones returns to the Orioles lineup tonight after missing the last two games in New York with a sore right shoulder. Nolan Reimold remains atop the order, as manager Buck Showalter loads up the lineup with right-handed bats against Royals left-hander Danny Duffy. Dariel Alvarez is playing right field and Steve Pearce is starting at first base. Matt Wieters is out of the lineup again tonight. He also was on the bench Wednesday night while the Yankees started left-hander CC...

The Washington Nationals recalled right-handed pitcher Taylor Jordan from Triple-A Syracuse on Friday. President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Jordan, 26, finished his Triple-A season with a 5-6 record and a 2.95 ERA in 19 starts for the Syracuse Chiefs. The right-hander struck out 61 International League batters, walked 21, and held opponents to a .235 batting average against. He allowed just four home runs in 103.2 innings of work. Jordan has...

Left-hander Richard Bleier stepped up well at Triple-A after his promotion this season. With the Syracuse Chiefs, he made his first start July 27. Bleier went 6-2 with a 2.75 ERA in 11 starts (12 games). He struck out 25 and walked seven, allowing only 75 hits in 68 2/3 innings. At Double-A Harrisburg, Bleier was 8-3 with a 2.45 ERA in 15 starts (16 games). He had 40 strikeouts and nine walks in 103 innings. Minor league pitching coordinator Paul Menhart says Bleier is unique in that he knows...

The Nationals go into the final days with at best a slim chance to make the postseason by overtaking the Mets in the National League East. But will the play of the underachieving Nationals be a factor in the NL Most Valuable Player voting and cost right fielder Bryce Harper votes - or even a chance at winning the award? As a rule, the voting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America leans toward the MVP coming from a team that makes the playoffs - or at least contends. The last 16 AL and...

Have you ever celebrated a birthday at the ballpark? I'll be part of a celebration for my niece's birthday this evening at Camden Yards. She's turning 12 and decided that she wants to go to the baseball game with her family to mark the occasion. Smart girl. Happy birthday, Emily! My father surprised me with a birthday trip to the ballpark on the day I turned 17. Camden Yards was about to open its gates for the first time and the team held a dress rehearsal in the form of an exhibition game...

The reports from general manager Mike Rizzo and assistant general manager and vice president of scouting operations Kris Kline after they selected Erick Fedde out of UNLV with the 18th overall pick of the 2014 Draft were glowing to say the least. "He's a plus-stuff guy," Rizzo told reporters. "We've scouted him intensely over the last three years. He's got two plus plus pitches and his third pitch, the changeup, is on the come. We think that's going to be an above-average pitch. Big...

After a day off in Miami to regroup, the Nationals prepare to take on the Marlins with just 23 games remaining in the season. While the Nats were resting, the Mets were extending their commanding lead in the National League East to 7 1/2 games after beating the Braves 7-2. What has made these last five losses - two to the Cardinals, three to the Mets - tough to swallow is that the Nationals held the lead heading into the seventh in four of the five games and were tied in the other. However,...

For Orioles first baseman Chris Davis, this season began with fans frustrated and some angry at him. That was because he hit just .196 last year, and then he was suspended and missed the playoffs. He had some repair work to do with the fans. When he struggled at times early this year, some fans got frustrated by that and his high-strikeout totals. But now, as he is blasting his way through a big second half, it seems some of those same fans now insist that Davis be re-signed to a huge contract...

They've come back. The Royals are making their first visit to Camden Yards tonight since Game 2 of last year's American League Championship Series. Did you miss them? The hurt and anger may linger for many of you. The Orioles swept the Tigers in the Division Series and couldn't win another game, losing all four to Kansas City by a total of six runs. They couldn't catch a break and the Royals caught everything. Case in point: The Royals scored four runs in the top of the third inning of Game...

The Double-A Bowie Baysox bounced back from last night's tough loss to win 7-0 tonight at Altoona. The win evens their Eastern League playoff series at one victory each in the best-of-five series. It was an important win for Bowie to not fall behind 0-2 in the series and also to rebound from last night when the Baysox led 7-0 in the second inning, but lost 8-7. Baysox outfielder Mike Yastrzemski's solo homer in the first inning gave Bowie the lead. In the fifth, the lead grew to 3-0 on an...