Baseball is a game dominated by numbers: match-ups between pitchers and batters, forgettable and memorable streaks, and win-loss records, especially during the dog days of August. But statistics are only one facet of the national pastime; they help frame and shape the game, but they don't define it. Though we're caught between old-school stats and the sabermetric revolution - where there seems to be a number to explain everything, however convoluted the reasoning behind the figure - nothing...

Nationals prospect Wilmer Difo is riding a six-game hitting streak and continues to impress at low Single-A Hagerstown. He is batting .407 (11-for-27) in those six games. He had three hits at West Virginia and four hits against Kannapolis just in the last week. Difo hit a two-run shot to break a 4-4 tie in that Kannapolis game, and the Suns ended up winning 9-4. Hagerstown director of broadcasting/media relations Eli Pearlstein said Saturday's performance by Difo was the best he has seen this...

As an out-of-town fan living in Arizona, I always make it a point to come back into Baltimore for an Orioles game at least once a year. The opportunity to come to Camden Yards, where I saw so many games growing up and spent a great deal of my childhood, is always a treat and a chance I don't pass up. There was little debate as to when I'd be coming back for a game this season once I saw what was planned for the O's 60th anniversary celebration. Getting back in August, when the heat in the...

Manager: Joe Girardi, seventh year Record: 61-56 Last 10 games: 6-4 Who to watch: LF Brett Gardner (.279/.355/.455, 18 doubles, 6 triples, 15 HR, 50 RBIs, 73 R); 1B Mark Teixeira (.230/.332/.444, 19 HR, 52 RBIs); CF Jacoby Ellsbury (.280/.348/.412, 24 doubles, 10 HR, 52 RBIs, 30 SB); RHP Shane Greene (3-1, 2.89 ERA, 1.21 WHIP) Season series vs. O's: 3-6, 25 runs scored, 44 runs against Pitching probables Aug. 11: Chris Capuano vs. Bud Norris, 7 p.m., MASN HD Aug. 12: Shane Greene vs. Wei-Yin...

NEW YORK - Good morning from the Big Apple. It's an off-day for the Nationals, which is much-needed for a handful of reasons. First, the schedule: This is the Nats' first day off since July 24, 18 days ago. After this, there will be 16 more games before the next off-day, so the Nats will savor this one. Second, the recent grind: The Nats played 13 innings Thursday, traveled to Atlanta after that game, sat through a rain delay Friday night and tried to grind out of a seven-run hole, sat...

In the big picture, the Orioles had a good weekend. They rolled off a seventh straight series win. They opened a six-game lead atop the division, their largest since 1997, on Saturday. They are just one game behind the Angels for the second-best record in the majors. But some frustrations seemed to surface for fans again on Sunday. One was seeing the team go 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position. Another was seeing Chris Davis leave all those runners on base. Davis has batted seventh twice...

During yesterday's pregame session with manager Buck Showalter, a reporter asked whether the Orioles will expand their roster next month to the full 40 players permitted by Major League Baseball, or at least an amount close to it. The Orioles won't get anywhere near that total. Showalter hasn't laid out an exact figure, but he'd be comfortable staying in the five-to-seven range of additions. He doesn't want a clubhouse and dugout filled with guys who are only taking up space. "First of...

The Nationals will leave Atlanta with their lead down to 3 1/2 games in the National League East. Gio Gonzalez was a victim of a high pitch count. He was unable to make it out of the fifth inning as he allowed two runs on 111 pitches. Jerry Blevins allowed the other run of the night in the eighth inning. Shortstop Ian Desmond provided the Nats with their lone run of the night, courtesy of a solo home run in the fourth inning. Here's what manager Matt Williams said to reporters following the...

Stop me if you've heard this before. The Nationals and Braves have played three innings and remain in a scoreless game. Gio Gonzalez settled down after a 29-pitch first inning when he loaded the bases to strikeout the side in the second inning. Overall, Gonzalez has seven strikeouts through the first three innings. The Nats offense has been held in check by Braves starter Alex Wood. Wood has allowed just two hits through three innings. Update: Just as I finished typing that last...

Kevin Gausman had a streak of three straight quality starts end this afternoon. He was struggling almost from the start, allowing two runs and four hits in the first inning as the Orioles lost 8-3 to St. Louis. "From the first inning on, it was kind of a battle of keeping my pitch count down," Gausman said. "I did a good job of bouncing back in the second inning. That first inning was a rough one. "It kind of seemed like wherever they hit the ball, we didn't have a guy there. Sometimes...