Seth Smith hit his second career leadoff home run tonight to give the Mariners a quick 1-0 lead over the Orioles. Smith lined Miguel Gonzalez's fourth pitch onto the flag court in right field. Gonzalez struck out the next two batters to bring former Orioles outfielder Nelson Cruz to the plate. Fans cheered loudly for Cruz, some of them standing. A few yelled "Cruuuz." It's a sparse crowd tonight, but it made a lot of noise before Cruz lined an 0-2 pitch into center field for a...

Tonight, the Orioles host Seattle in Game 1 of a three-game series to end a nine-game homestand. The Orioles are 16-19 for the season, 3-3 on the homestand and 9-7 at Camden Yards for the season. They are 14-15 in games against an American League East opponent and 2-4 when playing outside the division. Like the Orioles, the Mariners are three games under .500 at 17-20. They just completed a 6-3 homestand, which ended with a four-game series split against Boston. The Mariners' starting pitchers...

Nationals manager Matt Williams will be without Jayson Werth for a while after the left fielder was officially placed on the 15-day disabled list due to the fastball he took off his left wrist in the second inning of Friday's win in San Diego. "He's got a contusion," Williams said. "It's gonna be sore, it's gonna be swollen. It's still swollen. So we have to get that taken care of before he can even start back. Three days down already. Not really ready for a few more to even get back to...

Chris Tillman said his lower back feels much better and he expects to start Thursday afternoon against the Mariners. How much better is it? "Good, great, fantastic, swell," he said. Tillman played catch this afternoon to make sure the spasms didn't return. "I'll see how it feels and go from there, but as far as I'm concerned, I feel good," he said. Tillman said he could have pitched tonight or Wednesday, but manager Buck Showalter wanted to give him extra rest. "The way I feel now,...

When he steps into the batter's box at Camden Yards tonight as an ex-Oriole, what kind of reception does Nelson Cruz expect from the fans? "Love, hopefully," he said this afternoon in the Seattle Mariners dugout. "Maybe the first at-bat will be different, but after that it's another game. You have to move on. "I have good memories. I had a great time and we accomplished something special. It's one of my top (memorable seasons). To come to a new team, new fans and win a (American League...

Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper was named the National League Player of the Week on Monday for the second time in a row. Harper went 12-for-23 (.522), with a .656 on-base percentage and a 1.087 slugging percentage. He had two doubles, one triple, two stolen bases, three homers and nine RBIs as the Nationals went 5-2 vs. Arizona and San Diego. In May, Harper is hitting a blistering .411 clip, with a .529 OBP and a .982 slugging percentage. He is only the 10th player to take home the award...

Orioles pitcher Bud Norris is scheduled to start Friday night for Triple-A Norfolk. Norris went on the disabled list yesterday, retroactive to May 11, with bronchitis. Norris is eligible to come off the disabled list on May 26. Asked whether the right-hander will go back into the rotation, manager Buck Showalter said that's the plan "all things being equal." Catcher Matt Wieters will begin his injury rehab assignment Tuesday at Double-A Bowie after joining the Orioles this weekend in Miami....

The Nationals open a quick two-game series against the New York Yankees tonight. Both teams arrive 22-17, but the Nats are on a better streak, winning 15 of their last 19 games and going 5-2 on their recent road trip. The Yankees have lost five of their last six games. Left-hander Gio Gonzalez (3-2, 4.25 ERA) gets the start for the Nationals while New York sends right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (3-1, 4.14) to the hill. For the Nationals:Denard Span CF Ian Desmond SS Yunel Escobar 3B Bryce Harper RF...

The Nationals open a quick two-game series against the New York Yankees. Both teams arrive 22-17 but the Nats are on a better streak, winning 15 of their last 19 games, going 5-2 on their recent road trip. The Yankees have lost five of their last six games. Left-hander Gip Gonzalez (3-2, 4.25 ERA) gets the start for the Nationals while New York sends right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (3-1, 4.14) to the hill. Here is the lineups for each team:

Steve Pearce is batting fifth and starting at second base tonight as the Orioles open a three-game series against the Mariners at Camden Yards to conclude their homestand. Travis Snider is in left field and Alejandro De Aza is in right. Jimmy Paredes is batting second again as the designated hitter. For the Orioles Manny Machado 3B Jimmy Paredes DH Adam Jones CF Chris Davis 1B Steve Pearce 2B Travis Snider LF J.J. Hardy SS Alejandro De Aza RF Caleb Joseph C Miguel Gonzalez RHP Orioles pitchers...