Sure, it's nice having a guy who was hitting .364/.405/.636 through the season's first 10 games back in the lineup after more than seven weeks on the disabled list. Ryan Zimmerman returned last night, slugged two doubles, hit another ball to the warning track in right-center and didn't look like he'd missed a beat after fracturing his right thumb less than two weeks into the season, knocking him from the Nationals lineup for an extended period. But beyond what Zimmerman himself brings to...

I didn't want to have to echo someone else's sentiments this morning, but I do find myself in agreement with MASNsports.com's Pete Kerzel. While I concur with Kerzel when he says he understands why the Nationals are turning Ryan Zimmerman into a utility man - since that appears to be what they have an urgent need for - I, too, feel it's more than a little strange. Last week, I floated the thought of moving Zimmerman to second base. I'm still not completely convinced that it's a bad idea,...

As the Orioles continue their inconsistent season, which between short-term winning and losing streaks has left them with a fragile record of 29-27, their most valuable player through 56 games continues to shine. Nelson Cruz was a late signing for the O's, having only inked a deal in the last week of February. At the time, the one-year deal worth a reported $8 million was touted as being an absolute bargain for the O's. Now, almost a third of the way through the season, it's become evident...

ARLINGTON, Texas - Bud Norris has faced the Rangers once in his major league career. Nick Martinez has never pitched against the Orioles. Not a lot of history in tonight's matchup at Globe Life Park. Norris is 1-4 with a 4.71 ERA in six road starts this season. In his only outing against the Rangers on March 31, 2013, he picked up the win in Houston after allowing two runs over 5 2/3 innings. Norris hasn't pitched since May 28 because manager Buck Showalter decided to tweak his rotation...

During the last Orioles homestand we had two more MASNSports.com live chats. We had another one with outfielder Adam Jones and one with first baseman Chris Davis. The players are generous to come in for a period of time that is usually at least a half hour or so and answer fan questions that come our way through social media. They come up to our nifty looking web studio on the fifth floor of the warehouse at Camden Yards and we get a chance to hear from the players in a non-clubhouse...

ARLINGTON, Texas - It began as an uneventful homecoming tonight for Nelson Cruz at Glove Life Park. He received a warm ovation before his first at-bat and went hitless in four trips to the plate before getting another chance in the eighth. The Orioles already had scored three runs to break a 2-2 tie. Cruz tacked on three more with his 21st home run of the season. He won't soon forget his return to Arlington. "It feels good. It's just different," he said. "It was kind of weird. It was...

ARLINGTON, Texas - Orioles manager Buck Showalter said he almost removed Nelson Cruz from tonight's game due to leg cramps that surfaced around the fourth inning. Good thing he chose to stick with Cruz, who made a slow trot around the bases after his three-run homer in the eighth contributed mightily to the Orioles' 8-3 victory over the Rangers at Globe Life Park. Showalter wondered before the game whether Cruz would be amped up facing his former team for the first time. "It was just the...

Caleb Joseph picked a good time for his first major league extra-base hit. Nelson Cruz picked a good time to hit another homer. They were both part of a six-run explosion in the top of the eighth tonight as the Orioles beat Texas 8-3 in the opener of a three-game series. Moments after a homer by Robinson Chirinos off Brian Matusz tied the game 2-2 in the last of the seventh, the Orioles untied it with their second six-run inning in two games. The first big hit came off the bat of Joseph. His...

If Ryan Zimmerman dreamed about getting back on the field with his teammates and helping out with the bat and in the field, Tuesday might have been one sequence that actually came true. In a 7-0 victory over division rival Phillies, the new Nationals left fielder clubbed a pair of doubles good for an RBI, making two nice catches to help the Nationals secure the win. He had missed 44 games with a right thumb fracture and spent four days on a minor league rehabilitation assignment with high...

ARLINGTON, Texas - Show of hands if you were sitting at home tonight yelling for Orioles manager Buck Showalter to send up a pinch-hitter for Caleb Joseph in the eighth inning. A bar, your car or a friend's house also count. The point is, you questioned why he was batting with runners on first and second and one out in a tie game. Now you wonder whether an apology will suffice. Joseph lined a double into right-center field off Texas reliever Alexi Ogando to score Delmon Young and give the...