It's safe to say at this point that this year's Nationals are pretty good at baseball. They've been a thrill to watch, especially the last couple of weeks. Close games turned nail-biters turned walk-off wins - that's a few of the ways the 2014 Nats will be remembered. And the good news is there's several ways to commemorate a good season of well-played baseball. Today, I'll share one of my favorite ways to commemorate a season with you - keeping score. I didn't actively keep score on a...

As the end of August approaches and the Orioles continue to hold onto a seven-game division lead, the September call-ups this year will be of increased importance. When September arrives, the Orioles' roster can expand from the current 25-man group to the entire 40-man roster, with additions providing reinforcements down the stretch. Some of these key additions are having strong seasons with the Triple-A Norfolk Tides, who are currently sitting in second place in the International League...

The 2013 Boston Red Sox won the World Series and new Orioles pitcher Andrew Miller helped them get there. He just couldn't pitch when they did make the postseason. On July 6, 2013, Miller went down in a game against the Los Angeles Angels, injuring his left foot on a comebacker to the mound. Surgery was needed to repair ligament damage. His season was over after he went 1-2 with a 2.64 ERA over 30 2/3 innings. Now he is with another team that has designs of going deep into the playoffs. This...

Unless there's been a late change, Orioles third baseman Manny Machado will undergo surgery this morning in Los Angeles to repair a torn ligament in his right knee. I wonder whether Dr. Neal ElAttrache can zip his own lip. I'm going to eliminate the drama and promise that the surgery will be deemed a success. Machado won't lose the leg, so don't lose any sleep over it. The update also will include mention of how Machado should be ready for spring training, which is why he's having the...

After winning with five home runs last night, the Orioles had just one extra-base hit, a double, tonight. They had to grind out a 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. "That is the best way to describe it," said catcher Caleb Joseph, who contributed a two-run single. "You are going to grind these games out. Most AL East games are that way. Coming off last night, we had a great game and you want to repeat it, but the pace of the game kind of slows your excitement down a little bit. "But Wei-Yin...

The Orioles won tonight, the Yankees lost and the Blue Jays are losing to the Red Sox 11-4 in the 11th inning. I could close this entry now and wish everyone a peaceful night, but I may as well continue with some quotes from manager Buck Showalter. The Orioles lead the Yankees by seven games in the American League East and are poised to expand their lead to 10 over the Jays. They're 20 games above .500 at 75-55, and 10-4 vs. Tampa Bay this season. Wei-Yin Chen didn't make it through the...

It was a night where neither starter completed five innings and the game moved along at a snail's pace. But given the opportunity to produce big hits, the bottom of the Orioles lineup took advantage. Caleb Joseph - batting eighth - came up with a clutch two-run single, and Jonathan Schoop - the No. 9 batter - added an RBI hit of his own as the Orioles beat Tampa Bay 4-2 at Camden Yards. With the win, the Orioles get back to 20 games over the .500 mark at 75-55. They have won 14 of their last...

PHILADELPHIA - In a game that was seemingly filled with close, questionable calls, the Phillies got the benefit of the doubt on a few key ones, and they escaped with a hard-fought 4-3 win. The Nationals battled back from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game in the top of the eighth on Asdrubal Cabrera's solo homer. But the Phillies won a challenge in the bottom of the eighth, when Kevin Frandsen's foot was ruled to be just off first base and Ben Revere was called safe upon review, and then they...

Due to the pace of tonight's game at Camden Yards, it has now been reclassified as a mini-series. We had two crew chief reviews in the first three innings. We've had only one run score despite six hits by the Rays. We've decided that a pillow and blanket might be needed later. I had a beef and broccoli stir fry for dinner, but that's not official. The umpires want to take another look at it. The Rays might have scored more than one run off Wei-Yin Chen in the top of the first, but...

A pair of southpaws doing battle tonight in Philadelphia. Cole Hamels was off to smooth start with two quick outs in the first. Against Anthony Rendon, a grounder to third base was fielded by Andres Blanco, who threw to first for the out. But first base umpire Gary Cederstrom ruled that first baseman Darin Ruf drifted off the bag and called Rendon safe. Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg requested a video review. The video replay in New York overturned the call and Rendon was out. Nationals...