Jonathan Schoop is starting at second base for the third consecutive day, a first since his knee injury, as the Orioles conclude their series in Detroit. Chris Parmelee is batting ninth again. Travis Snider is in left field. The Orioles are trying to win their first series in July. They've failed in their first four attempts. For the Orioles Manny Machado 3B Jimmy Paredes DH Adam Jones CF Chris Davis RF Matt Wieters C J.J. Hardy SS Travis Snider LF Jonathan Schoop 2B Chris Parmelee 1B Miguel...

Yesterday's improbable late-inning homer by Matt den Dekker, followed by a more expected yet scintillating performance from Clayton Kershaw, sets up a rubber match showdown this afternoon between Nationals ace Max Scherzer and Dodgers right-hander Zack Greinke, the National League's All-Star starter. "We've got one of our best going (today) against one of their best and we got a chance to take the series," Nationals manager Matt Williams said. Kershaw, the three-time NL Cy Young winner,...

As I was rummaging through my mailbag again last night to make sure I didn't miss anything, I found another question stuck to the bottom. It was pretty gross, but I managed to peel it open. How long will the Orioles continue to keep Chris Tillman in the rotation? Indefinitely. Tillman is 5-0 with three no-decisions in his last eight starts. He shut out the Tigers last night on one hit over eight innings, retiring the final 23 batters that he faced. His ERA is down to 4.96, its lowest since his...

Maybe we should not get carried away over one game. Then again, what a game it was. In desperate need of a win, Chris Tillman pitched the Orioles past the Tigers last night in a 3-0 victory. He pitched with a 1-0 lead for most of his night and retired the last 23 Tigers batters he faced in an exceptional performance. Tillman has been pitching better in recent starts and it all seemed to come together for him last night. He commanded all his pitches and his all-important fastball command was...

Detroit's Comerica Park was the scene of a dramatic pitcher's duel tonight. David Price was very good, but the Orioles' Chris Tillman was better. Tillman gave up a single to Ian Kinsler to lead off the game and then allowed no runs or hits after that, pitching the Orioles to a 3-0 win over Detroit. Tillman retired the last 23 batters he faced after issuing a one-out walk in the first. Tillman fanned eight with just the one walk over eight very strong innings, throwing 105 pitches, 70 for...

Third baseman Anthony Rendon went 2-for-2 with a double and a run scored and designated hitter Jayson Werth went 1-for-2 with two RBIs and a walk in rehab assignments with the high Single-A Potomac Nationals on Saturday night. The P-Nats fell to Myrtle Beach 7-5, thanks to a five-run Pelicans sixth inning that erased a 4-2 lNationals lead. Rendon, who is on the 15-day disabled list with a left quad strain, was making his first rehab appearance, while Werth, on the DL recovering from a fractured...

After completing the first game of the series with a late-inning win in dramatic fashion, the Nationals ran into a buzzsaw in the second as the Dodgers won 4-2. Reigning National League MVP Clayton Kershaw struck out a season-best 14 batters without a allowing a run or a walk. The Nationals managed only three hits against the dominant left-hander. "Unfortunately, I've seen that way too much," Nationals manager Matt Williams said. "He's a pretty good pitcher. He establishes strikes and then...

So, for the Orioles, is the bigger issue right now the pitching or the hitting? Both have their share of issues. The offense has scored three runs or fewer in six of its last seven games and nine of its last 11. The O's have scored just 19 runs in their last nine losses. As for the pitchers, the starting rotation has not been good enough. After Ubaldo Jimenez's outing last night, O's starters have given up six runs or more in three of the last six games. For the year, the O's rotation ERA...

A win tonight for the Orioles would move them within four games of the first-place Yankees in the American League East. Baby steps. The Mariners defeated the Yankees 4-3 this afternoon. The Rays trail by 3 1/2 games after defeating the Blue Jays, who currently are tied with the Orioles at 4 1/2 games back. The Orioles' roster didn't undergo any changes heading into tonight's game in Detroit, but another move is on the horizon after manager Buck Showalter confirmed to reporters that Kevin...

Three consecutive singles to start the second inning from Adrian Gonzalez, Andre Ethier and Yasiel Puig resulted in the Dodgers' first run against Nationals starter Doug Fister. Fister has yielded one run on five hits with one walk and one strikeout through three innings. Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw has struck out four of the first seven batters he has faced. Clint Robinson collected the Nationals' lone hit on a single up the middle in the second. Update: Fister ran into difficulty with...