SAN FRANCISCO - There's been a lot of attention put on Matt Williams' decision to take Jordan Zimmermann out in the ninth inning of Game 2 of the National League Division Series in favor of Drew Storen. Williams' plan didn't go as he had hoped, the Nationals' 1-0 lead evaporated, and they ended up losing 2-1 in 18 innings. Some fans and media members also spent part of Friday night and Saturday morning discussing Stephen Strasburg's outing, in which he went five innings and allowed two...

A week ago when I wrote in this space, I questioned whether or not Buck Showalter had prepared his team properly for a postseason run. I didn't doubt, so much as wonder if the team was ready after a long layoff between clinching the American League East and starting the playoffs. Never could I have imagined that a week later, I'd be looking forward to the AL Championship Series starting in Baltimore after watching the Orioles slay what Adam Jones referred to as the "three-headed monster" of...

We've all heard that baseball is a game of inches. It's a seemingly small measurement that can make the difference between a ball and a strike, a hit and an out or even a win and a loss. Such measurements are also apparently important to Giants pitcher Tim Hudson, who questioned the Nationals' collective manhood before the start of the National League Division Series, suggesting that the Nats might not have the fortitude to win in the postseason. Rather than proving him wrong, though, the...

SAN FRANCISCO - Greetings from California! It's quite the change of pace out here on the West Coast, and the Nationals are hoping that can translate to victory in this must-win game Game 3 of the National League Division Series. Today marks our first time seeing AT&T Park. So follow along here and on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat as we show you behind-the-scenes looks of the ballpark as the Nats get ready for Game 3 of the National League Division Series! 12:35 p.m. - Bobby -...

DETROIT - May as well sip mimosas this morning with the leftovers. There's plenty of champagne left. In case you missed my update late last night, the Orioles have home-field advantage through the rest of the postseason after the Royals swept the Angels in the American League Division Series. Orioles and Royals in the Championship Series. How many experts picked that one? Game 1 of the ALCS is scheduled for Friday at Camden Yards, followed by Game 2 on Saturday. The Royals will host Games...

So now we get ready for Game 1 of the American League Championship Series. The Orioles will host the Kansas City Royals in the first two games on Friday and Saturday at Camden Yards. Both teams completed three-game sweeps yesterday against teams with bigger payrolls and bigger names. But Miguel Cabrera, Mike Trout and their teams are done now. During the regular season, the Royals took four of seven from the Orioles, outscoring them 26-18. But these teams have not met since May 18. Kansas...

DETROIT - As Orioles manager Buck Showalter sat down in the interview room following today's 2-1 victory over the Tigers, a reporter offered congratulations on his first series win. "Really?" Showalter replied in mock surprise. "I got one in Albany." He got a much bigger one in Detroit. The Orioles swept the Tigers in the American League Division Series, enabling Showalter to reach his first Championship Series. "They're all relevant," Showalter said. "It feels good. It means we...

DETROIT - The Orioles did the obligatory champagne and beer celebration today after completing their sweep of the Tigers in the American League Division Series with a 2-1 victory at Comerica Park. However, it was muted compared to the craziness at Camden Yards after they clinched the division. Players hustled into the food room to fill their plates and watch the Royals and Angels in the other ALDS. The Orioles will host Game 1 of the Championship Series on Friday if Kansas City, up 2-0 in...

The Tigers won 90 games to take the American League Central and were seeking their fourth straight appearance in the AL Championship Series. So to call being swept in the AL Division Series a letdown doesn't quite capture what first-year manager Brad Ausmus was feeling after Sunday's 2-1 loss to the Orioles. "It's disappointing. You feel like you let the fans down and you feel like you let the organization down. You feel like you let the Ilitches down," Ausmus told reporters at Comerica...

SAN FRANCISCO - Postseason losses can be tough to deal with. Postseason losses in 18-inning games can be brutal. Postseason losses that put you down 0-2 in a five-game series can be torturous. But the Nationals say they're moving on from last night's 2-1 loss to the Giants, a loss that left them another defeat away from elimination. They hopped on busses for the airport after 1:30 a.m. on the east coast, boarded their cross-country flight to San Francisco and arrived around 5:30 a.m....