Orioles manager Buck Showalter confirmed this afternoon that Chris Tillman will pitch Game 2 of Friday night's doubleheader against the Rays after Kevin Gausman takes the mound for the opener. However, he can't provide an exact date for Bud Norris' next outing. "Tillman will throw Friday night, second game," Showalter said. "We can push Bud back as far as (July 1) if we want to. Just don't think Friday is a good option. A little tentative, but better." Asked whether Saturday was a...

The Orioles' Nelson Cruz seems on his way to ending Boston's David Ortiz's three-year run as the starting designated hitter for the American League All-Star team. Cruz, an All-Star in 2009 and again last year, has a sizable lead in the fan voting released Sunday. Cruz has 2,457,349 votes to 1,652,470 for Ortiz. With 23 homers, Cruz ranks second in the majors in that category to Toronto's Edwin Encarnacion, who has 24 homers. It seems there is a good chance Cruz will be asked to take part in...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter has chosen Chris Tillman to start Game 2 of Friday's doubleheader against the Rays at Camden Yards. Tillman and Bud Norris threw bullpen sessions this afternoon. Norris' groin injury continues to improve, but Showalter said the right-hander was "still a little tentative." Norris, who had been slated to start Game 2, can be pushed back as far at Tuesday. The discomfort is more pronounced when Norris pitches from the stretch rather than the windup. For now, the...

Manny Machado had his appeal hearing today and it was on his home field, so to speak. Machado, his agent and Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette met for about an hour with Joe Garagiola Jr., Major League Baseball's senior vice president in charge of standards and on-field operations, at the Camden Yards Warehouse. Machado said he feels his case is strong in his attempt to get a five-game suspension reduced. He does not know when he will hear the results of today's hearing. Why does...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter made some adjustments to his lineup tonight for the series finale against the White Sox, starting Ryan Flaherty at second base and putting Nick Hundley behind the plate. Steve Pearce continues to bat second and start in left field. For the Orioles Nick Markakis RF Steve Pearce LF Adam Jones CF Chris Davis 1B Nelson Cruz DH J.J. Hardy SS Manny Machado 3B Ryan Flaherty 2B Nick Hundley C Ubaldo Jimenez RHP For the White Sox Adam Eaton CF Gordon Beckham 2B Conor...

The Nationals have recently done an excellent job of getting off to good starts on road trips against first place teams. Two weeks ago, after winning a series in San Diego, the Nationals took on a then 42-21 San Francisco team and won three straight games. This week, facing a 47-30 Milwaukee team, the Nationals won the first two games of the series and held the Brewers to two runs in those games. On Tuesday night, the Nationals won what felt like one of their more significant gut-check...

Coming off Tuesday's 16-inning win in Milwaukee, the Nationals certainly didn't have a quiet morning leading up to this afternoon's series finale at Miller Park. The Nats needed seven relievers to cover 10 innings in last night's victory, so a move to add an arm to the bullpen was a near-certainty. So Washington called up right-handed pitching prospect Taylor Hill from Triple-A Syracuse and designated reserve infielder Greg Dobbs for assignment. Manager Matt Williams discussed the...

Taylor Hill's breakthrough with Triple=A Syracuse and the Nationals' need for length in their bullpen following last night's 16-inning game has landed the 25-year-old in the major leagues for the first time. Hill is having a tremendous first full season at Triple-A, tying for the International League lead with a 1.92 ERA, leading the IL with 93 2/3 innings and ranking second with a 0.99 WHIP. Stingy, indeed. Now he finds himself in a Nationals uniform, filling a long-relief role. "It's...

When Ubaldo Jimenez makes his 16th Orioles start tonight, fans will be watching early on to see how his control is. Jimenez has walked five or more in three straight starts, with 16 walks over 14 innings in that stretch. The right-hander has often walked a lot of batters during his career, but his walk rate as an Oriole is the worst of his career. He is averaging 5.6 walks per every nine innings. Last year for Cleveland, he averaged 3.9 per nine. Jimenez is 0-4 over his last eight starts,...

MILWAUKEE - The Nationals have officially called up right-handed pitching prospect Taylor Hill from Triple-A Syracuse, and designated infielder Greg Dobbs for assignment to make room on the 40- and 25-man rosters. The Nats have 10 days to release, trade or outright Dobbs to the minors. Hill, 25, will be making his first appearance in the majors and will be available in relief today. On top of those two roster moves, the Nats reinstated utility man Jeff Kobernus from the 60-day disabled list...