VIERA, Fla. - It's hard to believe any pitching coach or manager would look at the sheer force behind the unorthodox delivery employed by Nationals lefty reliever Michael Gonzalez and whisper to a young hurler, "Just do what he does." That's because what Gonzalez does is so unusual, such a tangle of arms and legs in perpetual and powerful motion, that it hardly seems possible that it's successful. But there was Gonzalez on Friday in his first Grapefruit League game of the spring, taking...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles right-hander Steve Johnson is seemingly among a long list of pitchers pitching well at spring camp and fighting for one of the club's last roster spots with opening day approaching. The 26-year-old Baltimore native is trying to put 2013 in his rear-view mirror. He had four stints with the Orioles, but also two DL trips and injuries were a factor as he pitched to a 7.47 ERA over 15 2/3 innings. For the playoff-bound 2012 O's, Johnson pitched some big games late in the...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Pitcher Hunter Harvey, the Orioles' first-round draft pick last June, now has one exhibition game outing in the books. The 19-year-old right-hander pitched two innings on Thursday against Tampa Bay. He threw 40 pitches and gave up one run and had three strikeouts. "It felt good to throw to hitters and get back to a live game," Harvey said. "They've said I may add an inning every outing and I will probably throw three innings on Tuesday." Harvey went 0-1 with a 1.78 ERA...

LAKELAND, Fla. - Starting pitcher Taylor Jordan struggled with his command and said he wasn't helped by an umpire's strike zone that forced him to elevate pitches. The result was three-inning outing and four runs allowed, not exactly the kind of production a guy challenging for the final spot in the Nationals rotation can hang his hat on. Reliever Luis Ayala looked like he was throwing batting practice, as the Tigers hung five runs on him in 2/3 of an inning, inflating his spring ERA after...

LAKELAND, Fla. - On a day when he watched his mound staff get battered for 22 hits and 12 runs, Nationals manager Matt Williams got a dose of good pitching news. Right-hander Doug Fister, who has been sidelined since March 2 with inflammation in his pitching elbow, threw a bullpen session without any problems this morning in Viera. While the Nationals will wait to see how Fister feels tomorrow before plotting out next steps, this morning's bullpen represented a step in the right direction for...

FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Orioles had enough pitching to play the 10th inning today, but the Twins were running short due to split-squad games. They also were playing the Rays in Port Charlotte. Former Orioles farmhand Brandon Waring homered off Orioles left-hander Troy Patton with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to account for the 2-2 tie. Patton walked the leadoff hitter and got a double play. Patton has pitched twice for the Orioles this spring and allowed two home runs in two...

NATIONALS QUICK WRAP Score: Tigers 12, Nationals 6 Recap: Detroit scored four runs in the third inning off starter Taylor Jordan and came back with five more in the fourth against reliever Luis Ayala, who got only two outs. Tyler Moore and Scott Hairston homered for the Nats. Need to know: Today's contest is the first of three games between the Nats and Tigers in a four-day span, one of those little Grapefruit League scheduling quirks. A trip to Jupiter tomorrow never looked so good. ...

ORIOLES QUICK WRAP Score: Orioles 2, Twins 2 Recap: Wei-Yin Chen has turned in two straight impressive starts, holding the Twins to one run and three hits over four innings today. He threw 41 of his 61 pitches for strikes. Tommy Hunter replaced Chen and retired the Twins in order with a strikeout. T.J. McFarland tossed three scoreless innings, allowing only one hit. Henry Urrutia hit his first spring home run to break a 1-1 tie. Urrutia, Steve Clevenger and Jonathan Schoop had two hits....

FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Orioles loaded the bases with no outs in the second inning against Twins starter Mike Pelfrey, but they scored only once on Quintin Berry's sacrifice fly to the warning track in right field. Steve Clevenger led off with a single, making him 8-for-17 this spring. Nolan Reimold walked and Jonathan Schoop lined a single into left field, making him 10-for-21. Is that good? Reimold held up on a ground ball down the third base line, perhaps assuming it would go foul, and...

LAKELAND, Fla. - Joker Marchant Stadium is one of the Grapefruit League's gems. From its retro styling on the ediface to the variety of smells (from barbecue to burgers to grilled corn on the cob) permeating the concourse to the ever-present olde English D-clad fans, the place just oozes baseball. The fans are some of the most knowledgeable around, too, and right now, they're none too pleased after watching Miguel Cabrera - yes, the former Triple Crown winner and one of the game's greatest...