ORIOLES QUICK WRAP Score: Orioles 4, Pirates 2 Recap: Bud Norris became the second Orioles starter to complete five innings, joining Chris Tillman. Andrew McCutchen homered off Norris in the first inning for the only run off the right-hander. Nelson Cruz doubled twice and drove in a run, and Rule 5 pick Michael Almanzar lifted a sacrifice fly to score Jemile Weeks and break a 1-1 tie in the seventh. Henry Urrutia had an RBI grounder and Chad Tracy had a sacrifice fly in the eighth. Need to...

BRADENTON, Fla. - Orioles pitcher Bud Norris has produced much better results tonight in his fourth start of the spring than in his previous outing in Tampa. Norris has held the Pirates to one run and two hits over four innings, with one walk and five strikeouts. He's thrown 60 pitches, 37 for strikes. Andrew McCutchen hit a two-out, opposite field home run off Norris in the first. Norris proceeded to strike out three of the next four batters. Jose Tabata led off the third inning with a...

BRADENTON, Fla. - The Orioles haven't received an update on third baseman Manny Machado's knee exam today in Los Angeles. Manager Buck Showalter has stated that it's up to the team to determine when Machado can start playing in games. Official word won't come from Dr. Neal ElAttrache's office. Showalter said the Orioles could wait until the March 29 exhibition game in Norfolk to decide whether Machado is on the opening day roster or goes on the disabled list. They would likely use him...

In the ongoing search to add young talent to the organization, the Orioles added two international prospects Jan. 30 when they signed 16-year-old third baseman Jomar Reyes and purchased 17-year-old first baseman Carlos Diaz from the Mexico City Reds. They are two big kids that the Orioles believe show good power potential. Diaz, a lefty batter and first baseman from Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 200 lbs. Reyes, a right-handed hitter and third baseman from Santo...

I don't know if you follow us on Facebook or not, but we have been counting down the days until opening day through pictures, like the one to the right. Seeing these pictures makes me even more excited for opening day. Just 10 more days! While we're counting down, the Orioles are still in the process of making cuts and getting their roster whittled down for the start of the regular season. Although there was a lot of rain in Florida this week, Buck Showalter and the rest of the O's staff...

VIERA, Fla. - Reporters didn't get a chance to meet with Matt Williams pregame today, but we did chat with the Nationals skipper following today's 8-1 win over the Tigers. Here are some topics covered in that session, covering everything from Stephen Strasburg to Bryce Harper to Zach Walters: On if he needs to see anything else from Strasburg before opening day: "No, I think he's right on track. He pitched around an early misplay, which is great. And certainly Denard (Span) is going to...

VIERA, Fla. - Stephen Strasburg sure looked regular season-ready during today's 8-1 Nationals win over the Tigers, throwing five scoreless innings, striking out five, working around an error in the first, getting two double play balls and contributing to a runner being cut down on the bases. Solid day overall. Anything really left to accomplish at this point for the Nats' ace before he gets the ball on opening day? "Definitely just building arm strength and staying where I'm at,"...

There are 10 days left until regular season baseball and just eight days until the Nationals take on the Tigers at Nats Park! Baseball in D.C. is so close I can taste it. Before the season can officially start, the Nats still have to whittle down their roster and figure out their starting rotation. In surprising news, Matt Williams announced that Ross Detwiler will start his season in the bullpen. Ross Ohlendorf was among the Nats' cuts this week, so it looks like the final spot in the...

NATIONALS QUICK WRAP Score: Nationals 8, Tigers 1 Recap: Stephen Strasburg threw five scoreless innings and looked very sharp in the process. Ian Desmond smoked his third homer of spring, and Ryan Zimmerman added an RBI triple. The Nats added three more runs in the ninth after Anthony Rendon singled and Jose Lobaton doubled. Need to know: Strasburg struck out five, and now has allowed just one earned run in 14 spring innings. The Nats' opening day starter looks like he's ready for games...

VIERA, Fla. - The replay of Reds pitcher Aroldis Chapman getting hit in the face with a line drive was shown on the Nationals' clubhouse TVs several times Thursday. Each time, players reacted in stunned silence. Some looked away. Others closed their eyes. But each realized the accident could happen in any game. Chapman, the Reds' closer, was hit in the face with a drive by Kansas City's Salvador Perez in the Cactus League on Wednesday night. Chapman was carried off on a stretcher. The game...