VIERA, Fla. - Danny Espinosa makes his first start of the exhibition today against the Cardinals at Space Coast Stadium. Today's game will be televised on MASN HD beginning at 1 p.m. He's been a focus of the early part of spring training as he continues to work on hitting exclusively from the right side of the plate. Espinosa has been a switch-hitter since his youth and has very little experience facing right-handed pitching from the right side of the plate. Espinosa has been spending...

SARASOTA, Fla. - There's no sign of catcher Caleb Joseph in camp this morning. Could this mean his son, Walker Everett, is finally reporting today? Walker was due March 1, but there's no fine for being late. Joseph hasn't been able to travel with the team. He's appeared in one game, striking out in both at-bats. The Orioles are home today, but Steve Clevenger is behind the plate. Infielder Paul Janish said he probably won't start throwing until the middle of next week instead of this...

SARASOTA, Fla. - J.J. Hardy is batting second again today for the Orioles in their game against the Red Sox's split-squad team at Ed Smith Stadium. Hardy and Steve Pearce are 2-for-5 this spring. Small sample sizes, but nice starts. Alejandro De Aza, who's leading off again today, is 1-for-9 with a home run. Steve Clevenger is behind the plate. Everth Cabrera is batting ninth. The bullpen includes Wesley Wright, Dylan Bundy, Hunter Harvey, Eddie Gamboa, Pat McCoy, Oliver Drake and Chaz...

VIERA, Fla. - Dan Uggla is very familiar with Champions Stadium, just not the visitors clubhouse. Uggla played for the Braves for four seasons, meaning he was part of several spring trainings at the stadium down the street from Disney World. Coincidentally, his first Grapefruit League game in a Nationals uniform came against his old team. Uggla smoked a line drive single to right field in his first at-bat and scored on a Tyler Moore two-run homer. Most of the Braves fans applauded their former...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Bud Norris makes his spring debut today, as the Orioles return home for a 1:05 p.m. game against the Red Sox. The Orioles will face their second knuckleballer in two days, going from Toronto's R.A. Dickey to Boston's Steven Wright. No, not that Steven Wright. "I used to work in a fire hydrant factory. You couldn't park anywhere near the place." "A lot of people are afraid of heights. Not me. I'm afraid of widths." "What's another word for Thesaurus?" "It's a small...

Is strength of schedule important in baseball? Even if it is, how do you quantify it? For me, yes, there is some importance to it, but the quantifying part is the difficult part. Strength of schedule can have some significance with an unbalanced schedule as it relates to getting one of the two wild card berths. Since all teams play more than 50 percent of their games within their division, it stands to reason that if you are in a very tough division, you are at a disadvantage against a team...

DUNEDIN, Fla. - The Orioles lost today for the third time in five exhibition games, falling to the Blue Jays 5-4 at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. It was hardly worth waiting through a 1 hour, 40 minute rain delay, but at least there's the long drive home in heavy traffic. Manager Buck Showalter said no roster cuts are imminent. He also said Brian Graham, Rick Peterson and a few other instructors were heading over to minor league camp today. Alan Mills, Mike Griffin and Scott McGregor are...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - One of the few roster questions the Nationals are facing this spring is what to do with Tyler Moore. The 28-year-old is out of minor league options, meaning he either needs to make the 25-man opening day roster or be subjected to the waiver wire on his way to the minors - and it's doubtful he'd pass through unclaimed. Moore, who has recognized his situation as "critical," has responded early for the Nats. After today's 9-8 Grapefruit League victory over the Braves,...

Weather got you down? Tired of snow, ice and cold? I can empathize. In fact, I've had to make due for the past two storms with a snow shovel that's about to give up the ghost. Home Depot and Lowe's act as if it's never snowed in Baltimore in March. And all those bulbs and fertilizer don't exactly do a good job of moving the white stuff. But spring is coming. I promise. And I'll bet I can make you feel like Orioles season is just a little bit closer. Dempsey's Brew Pub and Restaurant at...

ORIOLES QUICK WRAP Score: Blue Jays 5, Orioles 4 Recap: Steve Johnson, making his spring debut, committed a throwing error on Devon Travis' comebacker in the eighth inning that let the go-ahead run score. A walk and single ignited the rally. Mike Wright waited through a 1 hour, 40 minute rain delay to make his spring debut and allowed a two-run homer to Chris Colabello in the second. He gave up four hits and struck out two. Tim Berry allowed a run in the third on a single, two walks and a hit...