ATLANTA - I still smell like beer. I've showered twice, shampooed, shampooed, conditioned, conditioned. It just doesn't seem to go away. What a night the Nationals got to enjoy in Atlanta. They clinched their second National League East title in the last three years, did it with a whopping 12 games left in the season and did it on their top rival's field. I feel privileged to have been in the clubhouse as a part of our MASN team conducting interviews with so many of the guys who...

With the division title in hand and an opportunity to rest key players heading into the postseason, the Orioles will select the contract of first baseman Christian Walker from Triple-A Norfolk and add him to their expanded roster. Walker should be at Camden Yards before tonight's game. It's a relatively short flight from Sarasota, where he's been part of the taxi squad at the Ed Smith Stadium complex. Manager Buck Showalter told reporters last night that the club likely would add another...

The Nationals are the 2014 National League East division champions. Tonight, it's likely that manager Matt Williams will give several regulars the day off. The Braves had scheduled right-hander Alex Wood. Here's a possible starting scenario for the Nationals tonight: Starting pitcher - right-hander Blake Treinen Catcher - Sandy Leon First base - Tyler Moore Second base - Asdrubal Cabrera Shortstop - Danny Espinosa Third base - Kevin Frandsen Left field - Scott Hairston Center field -...

Well, that answers that. The Nationals are officially the National League East champions for the second time in three years after clinching that spot at Turner Field in Atlanta on Tuesday night. What a ride it's been thus far. To think that just two years ago, a perennial cellar-dweller clinched its first division title and has continued to make its visible imprint upon the major league landscape since then. Sure, the success of the 2014 squad can be attributed to many within the current...

The Orioles are the 2014 American League East champions - it has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? As I sit here writing - some 10,201 miles away from the wild scenes of celebration last night at Camden Yards - I can't help but think how appropriate the following quote is with respect to the Orioles' 2014 season, a season that has seen the team win just its ninth division title in 60 years and its first since 1997. "Everyone is handed adversity in life. No one's journey is easy. It's how...

Well, what a special night at Camden Yards and what a special team. It was a night 17 years in the making, and the Orioles and their fans can claim supremacy again in the American League East. It was pretty much perfect, wasn't it? The Orioles players deserve credit for so many reasons. For overcoming injuries and adversity. For playing so hard and bringing their best every night. For taking charge of this division out of the All-Star break which began with a tough West Coast trip. For...

There will be another game tonight at Camden Yards, another lineup to post and more matchups to dissect. The regular season hasn't ended. It just felt that way last night. Bud Norris opposes J.A. Happ, and this game also counts in the standings. The Orioles are vying for home-field advantage. There's still a carrot dangling in front of them before they sink their teeth into the American League Division Series on Oct. 2. Manager Buck Showalter may rest some of his regulars, especially with...

The party started in the outfield at Camden Yards, spilled onto the infield, moved to the clubhouse and returned to the field. Players sprayed champagne and beer. Adam Jones pied pretty much everyone in sight and finally got a taste of his own confection. It was pure bedlam, as you'd expect after the Orioles won their division for the first time since 1997 and clinched with a win at home for the first time in 45 years. "We're going to party like it's 1969," said executive vice...

ATLANTA - It took many hard-fought nights, many comebacks, many sacrifices and many hours of work. And tonight, it all paid off in the form of a 2014 National League East championship. For the second time in three seasons, the Nationals have won the NL East, and they've done it with 12 games still remaining in the regular season. A dominant second half combined with a sliding Braves team allowed the Nats to clinch the division here at Turner Field with tonight's 3-0 win. The Nats spilled...

I've got plenty of quotes to pass along from my champagne-soaked recorder. Here's a sampling from manager Buck Showalter, who truly loved every minute of the time he spent on the field - exchanging hugs with players, coaches and family members, and waving to fans as they kept chanting his name. "You get older, you want to get a good angle and a good seat and see good people get a return for what they put into it and what they're trying to achieve," Showalter said. "And this is a huge...