When I was earning my doctorate, a professor wished to explain the difference between us research-based toxicologists and the resident physicians who were sitting in on our lectures. She told us the difference between our groups is that physicians look for horses while researchers go on safari for zebras. What she meant was that for physicians to do the job they do, they need to diagnose based on what is most probable. For researchers, our own nature is to press the boundary and to find the...

Manager: Kirk Gibson, fifth year Record: 53-71 Last 10 games: 4-6 Who to watch: C Miguel Montero (.256/.339/.401, 20 doubles, 12 HR, 63 RBIs); 2B Aaron Hill (.245/.284/.376, 22 doubles, 10 HR, 55 RBIs); RHP Chase Anderson (7-4, 3.16 ERA, 1.30 WHIP); LHP Vidal Nuno (0-3, 3.92 ERA, 1.13 WHIP) Season series vs. Nats: 1-2, 9 runs scored, 12 runs allowed Pitching probables Aug. 18: Vidal Nuno vs. Jordan Zimmermann, 7 p.m., MASN HD Aug. 19: Chase Anderson vs. Stephen Strasburg, 7 p.m., MASN HD Aug....

If Washington baseball fans know the value of anything, it's patience. Fans who were abandoned by two big league franchises and endured 34 years without a team of their own, then witnessed and seven seasons of futility, must feel thrilled to have the Nationals making a run for their second division title in three years. If that's not enough, the leader of this year's pitching staff, Doug Fister, who came in a trade from Detroit, is helping D.C. baseball lovers feel a measure of revenge for...

At the end of each season, members of the media who cover the Orioles on a regular basis will reflect on the campaign and turn in votes for the Most Valuable Oriole of the year. It's typically a pretty clear-cut race, but can provide some good debate among the masses. What normally isn't discussed is the opposite end of the spectrum. I can't for the life of me remember more discussion or chatter about who the "Least Valuable Oriole" would be than I've seen this season, and that's for a...

Manager: Robin Ventura, third year Record: 59-65 Last 10 games: 4-6 Who to watch: 1B Jose Abreu (.305/.362/.596, 29 doubles, 31 HR, 89 RBIs); 3B Conor Gillaspie (.311/.363/.456, 29 doubles, 5 HR, 46 RBIs); LHP Chris Sale (10-2, 2.01 ERA, 0.89 WHIP); LHP Jose Quintana (6-9, 3.14 ERA, 1.23 WHIP) Season series vs. O's: 1-2, 12 runs scored, 13 runs against Pitching probables Aug. 18: Chris Sale vs. Bud Norris, 8 p.m., MASN2 HD Aug. 19: Jose Quintana vs. Chris Tillman, 8 p.m., MASN2 HD Aug. 20:...

The Nationals have now won six games in a row, their longest winning streak of the season. Oh, and they're now 16 games over .500, also a season best. Oh, and they have the best record in the National League. Oh, and they now have four games against a Diamondbacks team that is currently 18 games under .500. Things are looking up in the nation's capital. There's plenty to talk about with this team right now, from another comeback win last night to Jayson Werth's attempts to get past a...

Pinch-hitter Scott Hairston came up in the eleventh and delivered the game-winning, walk-off winner. He drove a pitch to deep left field that scored Jayson Werth from third base on a sac fly, lifting the Nationals to an 11-inning thrilling 6-5 win over the Pirates. Hairston knew it was so late in the game that a lefty-righty matchup wasn't the only way he could pinch-hit. "I figured the pitching spot was up third," Hairston told reporters. "I don't think we had anybody else on the bench....

Earlier this week, Drew Storen noted that to win a pennant, you need to not only win the games where things go smoothly, you need to win the ugly games, too. This one would certainly qualify in the latter category. But it sure was fun to watch nonetheless. The Nationals made two errors in the sixth inning, allowing two Pirates runs to score. Rafael Soriano blew a save in the top of the ninth, surrendering three runs to turn a 4-2 lead into a 5-4 Pittsburgh advantage. The ugly aspects could be...

During a season where the Orioles have had several position player prospects - like Christian Walker, Mike Yastrzemski and Dariel Alvarez - garner attention and earn promotions, two young kids at Single-A Delmarva have just continued to crank out the hits and put up big seasons of their own. Shorebirds catcher Chance Sisco and third baseman Drew Dosch rank among the top hitters this season in the South Atlantic League. Sisco has proven his strong first impression last year wasn't a fluke....

The Nationals are going for their second straight three-game series sweep Sunday against the Pirates, after taking three in New York against the Mets earlier this week. If the Nationals win the game, it would be their first season series win over the Bucs. The Nationals lost the first three games against the Pirates this season in late May and have bounced back to win three in a row. Doug Fister did not allow a baserunner until the third after walking Ike Davis. Davis went to second on a wild...