BOSTON - Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy left tonight's game after the sixth inning with a strained right hamstring. He's listed as day to day. Hardy apparently suffered the injury while running the bases in the top of the fifth. He singled with two outs and tried to score from first on David Lough's ground rule double. Hardy had to go back to third base. Steve Lombardozzi pinch-hit for Hardy in the top of the seventh and is playing second base. Jonathan Schoop moved to third base and Ryan...

BOSTON - Before tonight, Red Sox starter Jake Peavy had allowed four earned runs in 18 2/3 innings this season. The Orioles scored five against him tonight in only 5 2/3 innings. Peavy issued an intentional walk to Chris Davis with Ryan Flaherty at third base and two outs in the sixth. Adam Jones followed with an RBI single to left field to increase the Orioles' lead to 5-0 and end Peavy's night. Jones already had two hits. Now he's produced his first three-hit game of the season. I'm...

The Nationals had a busy week, so many players took to Twitter to talk about it. We've put it all together for you here. Sandy Leon started the week with his first career home run. Jerry Blevins and Aaron Barret thought it deserved a couple of Twitter shoutouts. @sandyleon41 congrats on first homer!— Jerry Blevins (@JerryBlevins_13) April 15, 2014 Congrats mi Hermano!! @sandyleon41 #FirstMLBHR— Aaron Barrett (@aaronbarrett30) April 15, 2014 Ian Desmond and Bryce Harper show...

BOSTON - Nelson Cruz continued his assault on Red Sox pitching this season, and the Orioles jumped out to a 3-0 lead tonight against Jake Peavy in the top of the first inning. Cruz hit his third home run of the season, a solo shot that produced his 12th RBI and his eighth against the Red Sox. The Orioles had gone four straight games without a home run. Cruz delivered their 10th of the season. Did I jinx them earlier by mentioning the streak? Chris Davis followed with a walk, extending his...

The Nationals' comeback to beat the Cardinals 3-2 on a Denard Span sacrifice fly in the ninth gave them their sixth come-from-behind win this season. They split the four-game set with St. Louis, improving to 5-1 in series finales. The Nats left 17 men on base, but managed to come away with the victory. Span spoke about his at-bat against right-hander Seth Maness in the ninth with the bases loaded, one out and the game tied 2-2. The Cards played an extra man in the infield for Span's...

We know Ubaldo Jimenez has been a slow starter during his career, and we know that he struggled early last season and then went on to have a very good year. Despite that information, it would calm some of the O's fan base a bit if he pitched well tonight at Fenway Park. When Jimenez was so good last year after the All-Star break, he gave up just three homers in 84 innings over 13 starts. In three Orioles starts, he's already given up four homers over 16 innings. Last season, he allowed two...

BOSTON - Orioles third baseman Manny Machado has normal soreness today "in the right places," according to manager Buck Showalter, following yesterday's extended spring training game in Sarasota. Machado will play seven innings at third base on Monday and serve as the designated hitter on Tuesday. He could begin his minor league injury rehab assignment later in the week, with the affiliate still undetermined. "I think when he gets that nine-inning game under his belt in extended spring,...

As I dry myself off here in the press box ... Matt Williams might not love the Nationals' 2-for-12 line with runners in scoring position today or the fact that they stranded 17 runners, but he did love the way his team kept getting runners on and giving itself chances to come back and beat the Cardinals. That's exactly what happened in this afternoon's 3-2 walk-off win. The Nats scored twice in the seventh to even the score, then loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth, and Denard...

BOSTON - The temperature in Boston is supposed to climb into the mid-60s on Monday. And as the weather heats up, Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy hopes to do the same. Hardy is 10-for-41 with no home runs and three RBIs heading into tonight's game against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. A career .219 hitter in March/April, he's grown somewhat accustomed to slow starts. The spasms in Hardy's lower back have subsided, but he's still not completely healed. "It sucks because this spring was probably...

BOSTON - Jonathan Schoop is starting at second base tonight for the Orioles, and Ryan Flaherty gets the nod at third base. Nelson Cruz is batting second as the designated hitter. David Lough is in left field. For the Orioles Nick Markakis RF Nelson Cruz DH Chris Davis 1B Adam Jones CF Matt Wieters C J.J. Hardy SS David Lough LF Jonathan Schoop 2B Ryan Flaherty 3B Ubaldo Jimenez RHP For the Red Sox Grady Sizemore CF Dustin Pedroia 2B David Ortiz DH Mike Napoli 1B Jonny Gomes LF Daniel Nava...