J.J. Hardy, who hasn't played since being scratched from Sunday's lineup with a sprained left thumb, is batting sixth tonight as the Orioles shortstop for the series opener in Cleveland. Ryan Flaherty is starting at third base. Chris Davis continues to bat second. The Orioles are a season-high 19 games above .500, their highest margin since ending the 2012 season with a 93-69 record. The Orioles lead the American League East by 7 1/2 games, their largest margin since Sept. 13,...

The Nationals will kick off their 10-game homestand tonight with a game against the Pirates. Right-hander Tanner Roark will face the Pirates' Charlie Morton. First baseman Adam LaRoche is 3-for-5 against Morton in his career with a home run and four RBIs. For the Pirates SS Josh Harrison RF Gregory Polanco C Russell Martin 2B Neil Walker CF Starling Marte LF Travis Snider 1B Ike Davis 3B Pedro Alvarez RHP Charlie Morton For the Nationals CF Denard Span 2B Asdrubal Cabrera 3B Anthony...

For the first time since May of 2013 when he was in the Cleveland organization, 27-year-old infielder Cord Phelps is back in the major leagues. When Manny Machado went on the disabled list Wednesday, Phelps was the choice of the Orioles to take his roster spot. "Anytime you get told you are going to the big leagues it is a pretty cool feeling, so I'm excited and happy to be here," Phelps said upon arriving at Camden Yards. The Orioles claimed him off waivers from Cleveland on Nov. 25. He...

Dylan Bundy, placed on Single-A Frederick's disabled list yesterday with a strained right latissimus dorsi, said his injury occurred Sunday as he ran in the outfield following a routine throwing session. Bundy underwent an MRI yesterday in Baltimore that revealed the strain, which may end his minor league season. "It's definitely a weird injury," Bundy said today during a phone interview. "I had just thrown some long toss and my flat ground and was going to do some condition drills. I...

It's not the only MLB rankings out there, but it's always interesting to see what others think of the Nationals. Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports has the Nationals at No. 5 on his latest team rankings. The first three teams are American League squads in Oakland, the L.A. Angels and the Orioles. The Dodgers are in fourth place. The next closest National League club is the Brewers at No. 7. * The Nationals looked like a machine this week in New York. Each game featured the power of the lineup...

Manager: Clint Hurdle, fourth year Record: 64-57 Last 10 games: 5-5 Who to watch: 2B Neil Walker (.277/.347/.456, 16 HR, 50 RBIs); UT Josh Harrison (.313/.351/.503, 25 doubles, 10 HR, 38 RBIs, 17 SB); RHP Edinson Volquez (10-7, 3.67 ERA, 1.27 WHIP); RHP Charlie Morton (5-11, 3.62 ERA, 1.23 WHIP) Season series vs. Nats: 3-1, 12 runs scored, 11 runs allowed Pitching probables Aug. 15: Charlie Morton vs. Tanner Roark, 7 p.m., MASN HD Aug. 16: Jeff Locke vs. Gio Gonzalez, 7 p.m., MASN HD Aug. 17:...

The Nationals swept the New York Mets with Thursday's win, but on Wednesday night, the Nats came close to blowing a late lead to their National League East rivals. Jordan Zimmermann and the first two members of the Nationals' "A" 'pen, Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard, handed a 3-1 lead to closer Rafael Soriano, but the veteran right-hander struggled with his command after a couple of days off waiting for a save opportunity. A 2-2 fastball up in the zone to Mets catcher Travis d'Arnaud...

Old is a relative term, and growing old is a relative experience. Nevertheless, there are certain mile markers for this baseball fan that indicate I have accumulated some wear on the tires. First, it was being older than most of the players I root for. Next, it was bringing my son to a baseball game. Now it's watching one of the game's legends retire at age 40 and realizing that I've watched his entire career as an adult. I may feel like a kid again when I am at the Yard, but I am not in...

Manager: Terry Francona, second year Record: 60-60 Last 10 games: 5-5 Who to watch: LF Michael Brantley (.325/.383/.517, 32 doubles, 17 HR, 78 RBIs, 77 R, 13 SB); C Carlos Santana (.226/.365/.425, 20 HR, 56 RBIs); 3B Lonnie Chisenhall (.292/.358/.460, 23 doubles, 11 HR, 46 RBIs); RHP Corey Kluber (13-6, 2.46 ERA, 1.07 WHIP) Season series vs. O's: 2-2, 23 runs scored, 19 runs against Pitching probables Aug. 15: Corey Kluber vs. Wei-Yin Chen, 7 p.m., MASN2 HD Aug. 16: Carlos Carrasco vs. Ubaldo...

I'm not sure whether the following piece of information will please readers or make you guys want to slam down your laptop screens and run away. So I guess I'll issue a quick warning: if you're the superstitious type, if you're the type to get annoyed by some positive news about your baseball team's chances of making the postseason, you might want to stop reading now. Just take a little break from the blog. Go catch up on some world news or check out some home decor tips for a bit and...