Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman is making only his second career start tonight at Kauffman Stadium, the first coming three years ago. He can be forgiven for blocking out that memory. Tillman allowed eight runs and 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings, and his ERA ballooned to 7.16. Doubts remained whether he would become an established major leaguer. It was so long ago, Josh Rupe relieved him in the fourth and Melky Cabrera homered off Clay Rapada in the eighth. Tillman is making his ninth start of the...

The Washington Nationals today selected the contract of first baseman Greg Dobbs, optioned catcher Sandy Leon to Syracuse of the Triple-A International League and recalled outfielder Eury Perez from Syracuse and placed him on the 60-Day Disabled List (left toe fracture). Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. The left-handed hitting Dobbs is a career .262 (542-for-2069) with 105 doubles, 46 home runs and 272 RBI in 938 games spanning 11...

Tommy Hunter didn't leave Buck Showalter much choice. He simply was struggling so much and everyone could see it. He scores high on Buck's want-to meter but he was simply giving up too many hits and runs, and before it started costing the Orioles games, Showalter made the move. For now, Hunter is no longer the O's closer. Through all his struggles, they only cost the Orioles one game and that was Tuesday's loss to Detroit when he gave up two homers in the ninth. Hunter has suffered three...

It is amazing the amount of talent that is building up from rookie-level to low Single-A for the Nationals this season. A good amount of the players that helped guide the Gulf Coast Nationals to a 52-9 record and a league championship now play for the Hagerstown Suns. So far, the success this team had at the GCL level is translating to the South Atlantic League. Sixteen of the players on the current roster played for the GCL Nats, 10 of them pitchers. The Suns are managed by Patrick Anderson....

Ian Desmond is one of three Nationals to play in all 40 games so far this season. Unlike right fielder Jayson Werth (.304/.391/.453) and second/third baseman Anthony Rendon (.282/.312/.479), the other two Nats to play in all 40, the 28-year-old shortstop has struggled at the plate (.226/.275/.368), while committing a major league-leading 10 errors. With the primary backup at short, Danny Espinosa, pressed into everyday action with Ryan Zimmerman on the disabled list, Nats skipper Matt Williams...

The Orioles are in Kansas City, and while there are plenty of current storylines to consider, I can't help but think of Sam Horn. It happens to me whenever the O's play at Kaufman Stadium. Horn is one of my favorite former Orioles, and he simply had a way of producing against the Royals. Horn's O's debut came at Kansas City on April 9, 1990. He went 4-for-5 with a pair of three-run home runs, including one into the stadium fountain. His eighth-inning homer erased a 6-3 deficit in a game...

Manager: Terry Collins, fourth year Record: 19-21 Last 10 games: 4-6 Who to watch: 2B Daniel Murphy (.317/.364/.460, 16 XBH, 17 RBIs, 9 SB); 3B David Wright (.282/.326/.376, 2 HR, 25 RBIs); LHP Jon Niese (2-2, 2.17 ERA, 1.07 WHIP); RHP Bartolo Colon (2-5, 5.84 ERA) Season series vs. Nats: 0-3, 10 runs scored, 22 runs allowed Pitching probables May 16: Jon Niese vs. Tanner Roark, 7 p.m., MASN HD May 17: Bartolo Colon vs. Gio Gonzalez, 4 p.m., MASN HD May 18: Zack Wheeler vs. Jordan Zimmermann,...

It ain't easy being a late-inning reliever. Say you're Tyler Clippard. You blow a one-run lead in the eighth inning, everyone notices. Fans boo you, reporters are waiting for you at your locker after the game and you feel like you let your team down. If you're Tyler Clippard and you pitch a scoreless eighth, keeping a one-run eighth-inning lead intact, not nearly as many people take notice. That's your job, after all. Fans likely don't give you a standing ovation as you come off the mound,...

Reporters have come to expect it. During his pregame press conferences, Orioles manager Buck Showalter will often drift from the topic of his own team to mention something about the Orioles minor leagues. It happened again earlier this week. "They've really had some good pitching in Delmarva lately," Showalter said. "You know who's had a really good year down there? (Jimmy) Yacabonis. He's an interesting guy, leading that league in saves. Dean Albany, who has quite a good track record of...

The Orioles made another roster move yesterday, optioning Kevin Gausman to Triple-A Norfolk and recalling reliever Evan Meek. If you're catching a whiff of fumes, it's just the shuttle going back and forth again. The Orioles don't have a true long reliever again after optioning left-hander T.J. McFarland, but on any given night, manager Buck Showalter could call upon Meek or left-hander Troy Patton to go multiple innings. Maybe Tommy Hunter, as well, now that he's not closing. It might only...