Matt Williams and Aaron Barrett first crossed paths in the Arizona Fall League in 2012. Williams, in his first managing gig at any level of the game, and Barrett, then 24 and coming off a strong campaign split between low and high Single-A in the Nationals' system, were both members of a Salt River Rafters roster that made it to the AFL Championship game that fall. After a dominant season on the mound as a 24-year-old in the low minors that season, Barrett embraced the opportunity to test...

The opening weeks of the 2014 season are offering Orioles fans a contrast in team hitting styles that will continue into this weekend's series with Toronto. Orioles batters do not see a lot of pitches; their opponents do. One approach is not inherently better than the other despite assumptions to that effect. I'm therefore working to accept this team as the largely free-swinging bunch that it is even if its lack of patience at the plate occasionally tests my patience. The 3.68 pitches per...

ATLANTA - I'm going to rattle off some numbers for you this morning. I know it's early and some of you might not like numbers at this hour, but if you're a Nationals fan, I have a feeling you'll enjoy most of what I'm about to pass along. Through their first nine games of the season, the Nats have seven wins, tied with the Brewers for the most in the majors. They have a run differential of plus-22, also tied with Milwaukee for tops in the big leagues. If it seems like the Nats' bats...

The Orioles return home tonight after a 3-3 road trip through Detroit and New York. They may have shortstop J.J. Hardy in the lineup, depending on whether his back responded favorably to yesterday's workout. David Lough could return to left field against Blue Jays right-hander Dustin McGowan. But does manager Buck Showalter sit Delmon Young, who went 6-for-11 with a double, home run and three RBIs in the last two games at Yankee Stadium? Young isn't just raking against lefties. The Orioles...

The Orioles are in a stretch where they play 16 consecutive games against American League East opponents. Tonight is the fourth game of that stretch that will see them open the year with 19 of 22 against the AL East. They will face Toronto six times over the next 13 games, starting with tonight's homestand-opening contest at Camden Yards. One of the many reasons it was good to see the team break out of its seven-game offensive funk was simply the fact that the schedule is so division-heavy...

With the bullpen thin, the Nationals needed a strong outing from their starter Thursday, and Stephen Strasburg came through. Strasburg held the Marlins to one run on three hits in 6 2/3 innings, striking out 12 and walking one. That kept the Nats up 2-1 until they put up a five-spot in the eighth inning to pull away for a sweep-clinching 7-1 victory. It also made it so manager Matt Williams could get through the game with the few relievers he had fully available. Jerry Blevins tossed one...

Shortstop Ian Desmond was able to put the game away with a grand slam in the eighth inning Thursday as the Nationals beat the Marlins 7-1 to sweep the three-game set. "I had been scuffling all day," Desmond said. "I knew that going in, they had been putting some quality at bats off of us late in the games. They made it interesting yesterday, back and forth. "Just really wanted to get one there. Kind of been a little bit sped up. Constantly trying to make adjustments the last few days and...

Right-hander Stephen Strasburg allowed a single to begin the game by Marlins left fielder Christian Yelich, who promptly stole second and went to third on an error by Nate McLouth. Yelich tried to come home when Derek Dietrich hit a comebacker that Strasburg fielded. He threw home and got Yelich in a rundown to record the first out of the inning. The Marlins did not go on to score. That was the only hit the Marlins were able to register in the first three innings. Strasburg retired eight...

Manager Matt Williams said Thursday that right-hander Tanner Roark is available out of the bullpen if Stephen Strasburg can't make it through six innings against the Marlins today in the series finale. "Well, if we have to, we have the ability to go to Tanner (Roark), if we have to," Williams said. "We hope that that is not the case. If we do, he would be available potentially for us long, if it gets to that. The best-laid plans are if that doesn't happen. "I think (Rafael) Soriano is...

The first impressions of expanded replay are that it will be overall inconsequential. In most cases, a manager's challenge will either be denied by the replay command center in New York or will have little outcome on the game. But there are exceptions. Nobody knows better than Giants manager Bruce Bochy, who in one game used his challenge early only to see a blown call cost his team a run later in the game, when he was out of challenges. After the Mets' Juan Lagares was called out trying...