I celebrated my birthday in the Frank Robinson Suite at Camden Yards last weekend. It was an atypical setting for my family - you usually need binoculars to locate us in the upper reaches of the stadium - but this was a milestone occasion. I'm not afraid to tell you that I turned 40 this month. In baseball terms, I'd be in the twilight of my career; regardless, Jesse Orosco would still call me kid in the clubhouse. Age is relative. The surprise trip to Camden Yards culminated three days of...

In two of the last three seasons, the Orioles have made a trip to the postseason, thanks in part to a players, including Nate McLouth, Miguel Gonzalez and Steve Pearce, coming to Baltimore looking for a second chance to establish their careers. This season, the Orioles hope to win again following similar resurging story lines. Three players - Ubaldo Jimenez, Everth Cabrera and Travis Snider - who have come to Baltimore to re-establish themselves are likely to play key roles as the Orioles take...

Left-hander Sammy Solis is reporting to Double-A Harrisburg, according to Nationals assistant general manager and vice president of player development and pro scouting Doug Harris. Solis will begin the season in the bullpen. He appeared in only five games, all starts, in 2014. He has made 37 starts since 2010 for the Nationals, and has battled through Tommy John surgery, shoulder fatigue, back problems and elbow discomfort over the years. Solis, who has been working in Florida at the Nationals...

Just days into spring training, the Nationals found out center fielder Denard Span wouldn't be available for the start of the season after undergoing right core muscle surgery. Immediately, Nationals manager Matt Williams began searching for Span's temporary replacement in the field and at the top of the order. Rookie Michael A. Taylor quickly emerged as the top candidate. He led the Nats in home runs (four) in spring, while batting .323 and playing flawless defense in center field. Williams...

If you're interested in early trends, the Orioles are 5-0 when leading after the seventh inning and 5-0 when leading after the eighth. They're 0-4 when trailing after the seventh inning and 0-4 when trailing after the eighth. The Orioles are 5-0 when they score first and 0-4 when their opponent scores first. You're welcome. The Orioles are 1-0 when Ubaldo Jimenez follows up a strong spring training by tossing seven scoreless innings. Jimenez held the Blue Jays to one hit, walked one batter...

For the first time this season, the Nationals have won back-to-back games after beating the Phillies 5-2. Right-hander Doug Fister pitched at his normal rapid pace, allowing two runs, one earned, on four hits with four walks and four strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. "Guys were playing defense," said Fister. "That's the name of my game. I have to go out there and trust those guys and say, 'Here, hit it.' That's what we were doing well and guys were playing defense behind me." Speed was the...

The Nationals took down the Phillies 5-2 in their return to D.C. with the help of 2 1/3 scoreless innings from the bullpen. Matt Thornton, Aaron Barrett and Drew Storen came in to hold the Phillies without a run on just one hit for the final seven outs. In the seventh, with the bases loaded and the Nationals ahead 5-2, Thornton was able to force the often dangerous Chase Utley to line out to center field to end the threat. "It's a three-run lead and I'm trying to make sure that I don't let...

So far, the Orioles offense is ahead of their pitching. Going into last night's games, the Orioles ranked fourth in the American League in batting at .270, were sixth in runs scored with 47 and first in homers with 15. The Orioles have scored five runs or more in seven of their first nine games and they scored 35 runs during their 3-3 homestand, batting .309 with 63 hits, including 11 homers at Camden Yards. But the bullpen has been scored upon in every game this year and that nine-game streak...

Third baseman Yunel Escobar wasted no time getting the Nationals on the scoreboard as he launched the first offering from Phillies starter Cole Hamels deep over the center field wall for a solo homer. It was Escobar's first home run this season and his fifth to start a game in his career. Moments earlier, Escobar made a spectacular over-the-shoulder, basket-style catch on a foul pop-up from Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis. It was one of two stellar defensive plays to help starter Doug Fister...

Venezuelan left-handed reliever Felipe Rivero was activated Thursday by the Nationals, occupying an important role. He joins Matt Thornton as the only two southpaws in the Nationals bullpen. Rivero got the news from Triple-A Syracuse. Manager Billy Gardner told him after the road trip yesterday. Rivero arrived in a four-player trade with the Tampa Bay Rays prior to spring training in 2014. He made 14 starts with three teams in the Nationals' system last season. "Real surprised, didn't...