SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles are using two starters for today's game against the Tigers in Lakeland, one of the longest trips on the spring training schedule. Not many roads, but lots of miles. I'll say that the Tigers feed the media quite well, and we mostly use our stomachs to judge the camps. But there may be a revolt if they don't find more seats in their press box for visiting reporters. I won't sit on anyone's lap. Not this time. Chris Tillman will take the mound first, followed by...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles made a minor league trade tonight, acquiring switch-hitting first baseman Mike McDade from the Rangers for future considerations. The Orioles will assign McDade to Double-A Bowie, according to a team official. McDade, 25, appeared in one exhibition game with the Rangers this spring and received one at-bat. The Blue Jays selected him in the sixth round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft out of Silverado High School in Las Vegas. McDade is a career .261/.319/.407...

At just 17, the Orioles felt Dominican-born prospect Jomar Reyes had progressed enough this time last year to bypass playing in the Dominican Summer League and move right to the minor leagues in the United States. That decision proved to be the right one. Reyes played third base for the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Orioles and performed well in 2014. Over 53 games, he batted .285 with 10 doubles, two triples, four homers and 29 RBIs. He had a .333 OBP, a .425 slugging percentage and a .758...

VIERA, Fla. - Two day after Nationals manager Matt Williams announced Max Scherzer will start opening day, the prized right-hander turned in a nine-strikeout gem in 1-0 loss to the Cardinals on Wednesday. St. Louis managed just three hits in six innings against Scherzer, his longest outing of the spring. "I'm happy with that," said Scherzer. "No walks. Nine strikeouts. That happens. That was a result of me just executing pitches today. I really felt like I did a good job of generating...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles had scored 65 runs in their last eight games before being held to two this afternoon in a 5-2 loss to the Blue Jays at Ed Smith Stadium. Rule 5 pick Jason Garcia escaped a bases-loaded jam in the top of the ninth by striking out Munesori Kawasaki after falling behind 3-0, but Aaron Loup retired the Orioles in order in the bottom half. Wei-Yin Chen worked five innings, throwing 62 pitches, and had enough left in the tank to continue. However, manager Buck Showalter...

ORIOLES QUICK WRAP Score: Blue Jays 5, Orioles 2 Recap: Wei-Yin Chen joined Ubaldo Jimenez as the only Orioles to go five innings in a Grapefruit League game. He threw 62 pitches, 39 for strikes. Chen allowed two runs (one earned) and four hits, with no walks and one strikeout. Former Oriole Steve Tolleson hit a solo homer off Chen in the third. Caleb Joseph had an RBI double in the second after Blue Jays starter Daniel Norris hit Nolan Reimold with a pitch. Delmon Young homered in the seventh....

NATIONALS QUICK WRAP Score: Cardinals 1, Nationals 0 Recap: Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer was spectacular, allowing just four baserunners while striking out a whopping nine Cardinals in six innings. St. Louis threatened only in the fifth when catcher Yadier Molina singled and John Jay doubled. But Scherzer struck out Cardinals starter Michael Wacha to end threat. Need to know: Nats second baseman Yunel Escobar grounded out three times and is now 1-for-5 in his two exhibition games. Tough...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Logan Verrett tossed another scoreless inning yesterday, retiring the Pirates in order in the bottom of the ninth. Jason Garcia is scheduled to pitch today against the Blue Jays in his fourth spring training appearance. One Rule 5 right-hander following another for the Orioles. Can they keep both pitchers in a bullpen that's already crowded? Can they hold onto at least one? Let's start with the least likely scenario, that a contender can carry two Rule 5...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Chris Davis will serve as the designated hitter today in the new Orioles lineup against the Blue Jays. Steve Pearce remains at first base and Jimmy Paredes goes to the bench. Manager Buck Showalter said he didn't want Davis sitting for two straight days, and the veteran isn't going to Lakeland on Thursday. Could the Orioles also be shielding Paredes from the bevy of scouts at Ed Smith Stadium? Draw your own conclusions. Scouts already have gotten plenty of looks at Paredes,...

JUPITER, Fla. - Nationals manager Matt Williams is concerned Anthony Rendon will not be ready for the beginning of the season after revealing that his third baseman underwent a second MRI exam on his sprained left MCL yesterday. Rendon has not played since injuring the knee while making a brilliant stop against the Braves on March 9. The Mets come to Nationals Park in just 13 days for the official start of the 2015 season. Williams' optimism for Rendon's availability is fading quickly. "I...