Playing a position known more for offensive contributions from players who often lack the defensive skills to play elsewhere, Adam LaRoche has become a unique commodity for his glove work. While no slouch at the plate, as his .385 weighted on-base average (wOBA) and 148 weighted runs created plus (wRC+) - ranking second and third among National League first basemen, respectively - can attest, it's LaRoche's ability to deftly corral balls screaming off of opponents' bats or out of teammates'...

Can the Orioles play a nine-inning game tonight? These guys must get paid by the hour. I guess it doesn't matter, as long as they keep expanding their lead in the American League East. It's up to three games. I stated yesterday that relievers Brad Brach and T.J. McFarland wouldn't be available. I batted .500. Manager Buck Showalter crossed me up by using McFarland in the final two innings. Tommy Hunter warmed as the Orioles broke open the game in the 11th, and he sat down while McFarland...

Chris Davis hit 33 homers in 2012 and 53 in 2013. But going into the 11th inning last night, some Orioles fans probably considered him among the most unlikely O's to homer at that point. But he did just that. When Orioles fans probably least expected it, there it was. Davis with a two-run bomb to right-center and the floodgates opened. The Orioles hit three homers and scored six times in the 11th inning to stun the Nationals 8-2 at Nats Park. The club continues on a roll and is now a...

WASHINGTON - The Orioles tied the club record tonight by scoring six runs in an extra inning, the fourth time it's happened, according to STATS. It felt like just another night of baseball for this group. Or an episode of "Survivor." Chris Davis broke a 2-for-38 slump with a two-run homer in the top of the 11th off Nationals reliever Craig Stammen, and the Orioles piled on to take an 8-2 victory before 35,126. "I said earlier today I feel like for the last month I've been one swing away,"...

Nationals reliever Craig Stammen said his fastball was fine, but he never was able to command his slider and that contributed to a rough 11th inning. The Orioles slammed two of their three homers in that extra frame off of Stammen as the Nats fell 8-2. "I made some good pitches with my fastball, but my slider was just so bad that it didn't really matter what happened," Stammen said. "But I felt confident, I felt I put it behind me, but it just didn't work out." Chris Davis' two-run...

This really was a tremendous ballgame for 10 innings. Then the Orioles broke things open in a big way in the top of the 11th. Chris Davis' two-run homer started a six-run rally in the 11th, with Craig Stammen allowing five of the six runs, as the O's took the first game of the Battle of the Beltways 8-2. Stephen Strasburg allowed just two runs (both coming in on a Nelson Cruz fourth-inning homer) in seven innings, Anthony Rendon had a two-run shot that tied the game in the sixth, and Tyler...

This time, struggling first baseman Chris Davis came through. Then several of his teammates did as well. The Orioles exploded for three homers and six runs in the top of the 11th tonight to break open a tense, extra-inning game and beat Washington 8-2 at Nats Park. Davis found himself at the plate with Nelson Cruz on first and no outs in the 11th with the game tied at two. Davis was 0-for-4 for the game and had just two hits over his previous 38 at-bats. But he picked a good time to snap...

WASHINGTON - The Orioles and Nationals starters each went seven innings tonight, a two-run home run smudging their respective lines. Chris Tillman was lifted for a pinch-hitter, Delmon Young, after Jonathan Schoop led off the top of the eighth with a single off Nats reliever Tyler Clippard. Kevin Frandsen had pinch-hit for Stephen Strasburg with two outs in the bottom of the seventh after Wilson Ramos' single. Tilllman registered his fifth quality start in his last six outings, giving up two...

There have been discussions recently about the Nationals and Houston Astros working together on a shared spring training site. According to a Houston Chronicle article, Astros owner Jim Crane confirmed there have been more than talks and a proposed site in West Palm Beach, Fla., could be set to open in as early as 2017. Approval from state and local authorities is still needed for the sight to be confirmed. The Nationals/Expos organization has played at Space Coast Stadium since 2003. The...

WASHINGTON - Orioles manager Buck Showalter must fill out his lineup card without a designated hitter during the interleague series at Nationals Park. "It's only for two days," he said. Then, he couldn't resist having a little fun at the expense of his starting pitcher. "Of course, we get to watch Chris Tillman offensively tonight. I know that's what a lot of people are coming here for," Showalter said, trying to suppress the grin on his face. "That's another reason why we want...