VIERA, Fla. - Even prior to yesterday, the Nationals had a great deal of competition for the final couple of spots in their bullpen. The signing of left-handed reliever Michael Gonzalez to a minor league deal only adds to that competition. With Rafael Soriano, Tyler Clippard, Drew Storen, Jerry Blevins and Craig Stammen having a lock on five of the Nats' relief jobs (as long as they stay healthy in spring), that seemingly leaves two slots available in the opening day bullpen. And going...

TAMPA - Brock Huntzinger struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth, giving the Orioles' bullpen seven scoreless innings in a 3-2 victory over the Yankees. David Lough and Ryan Flaherty each had two hits for the Orioles. Afterward, manager Buck Showalter commented on the pitchers used in tonight's game, starting with left-hander Wei-Yin Chen. "He was OK," Showalter said. "He wasn't as crisp. I thought he was pretty crisp last time out. He'll get better. That's why they call it...

ORIOLES QUICK WRAP Score: Orioles 3, Yankees 2 Recap: Wei-Yin Chen allowed two runs and five hits in the second inning, including a solo homer by Francisco Cervelli, but four of the hits were soft singles. The Orioles took the lead in the bottom of the seventh on RBIs by Quintin Berry and Julio Borbon. Need to know: David Lough is a candidate to lead off, and he collected a single and triple in his first two at-bats while starting off an inning. He scored the Orioles' first run and is now...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles like the nightlife. I'm not sure whether they boogie. It's back-to-back night games on the road. What could be better? Chris Tillman gets the start against the Twins in Fort Myers, and he could be pushed to three innings after working two in his debut Friday against the Rays. Zach Britton and Steve Johnson also will pitch. The clubhouse opens to the media at 9:45 a.m. Johan Santana will be made available to reporters before or after his workout. Eddie Gamboa...

If I had a nickel for every time a fan brought up Jonathan Schoop over the last few days, I'd at least have a nice collection of nickels and would be well on my way to a purchase of a cup of coffee. But coins aside, the kid has some of you fans quite excited. Nothing wrong with that. Hey, if you can't get excited during spring training, when can you? So can Schoop win the second base job? According to Buck Showalter, he's every bit the contender for that spot that Jemile Weeks and Ryan...

TAMPA - The Yankees observed a moment of silence tonight for Monica Pence Barlow, just as the Red Sox did Sunday in Fort Myers. I would expect the Twins to do the same Wednesday night at their facility in Fort Myers. The Orioles began the game with back-to-back singles by David Lough and Jemile Weeks, but former Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts fielded Delmon Young's grounder and started a 4-6-3 double play. Earlier today, Roberts met with the Baltimore media in the Yankees dugout and...

TAMPA - Orioles manager Buck Showalter expects outfielder Henry Urrutia to be available in a couple of days. Urrutia has been bothered by inflammation in his right shoulder, but told reporters today that he felt much better. Showalter estimated that reliever Edgmer Escalona will be shut down for three weeks due to inflammation in his right shoulder. Escalona had an MRI after Saturday's game in Port Charlotte, when he allowed five runs in one inning. "He saw two different doctors,"...

Not that we're counting or anything, but 26 days until opening day! We know you're anticipating the return of baseball in D.C. While we wait, we're holding a giveaway. Enter to win an autographed Drew Storen baseball (pictured above) and a prize pack! When prompted, be sure to share this giveaway on Facebook and Twitter for possible bonus entries. Good luck, Nats nation! (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js =...

Not that we're counting or anything, but 26 days until opening day! We know you're anticipating the return of Baltimore baseball. While we wait, we're holding a giveaway. Enter to win an autographed Darren O'Day baseball (pictured above) and a prize pack! When prompted, be sure to share this giveaway on Facebook and Twitter for possible bonus entries. Good luck, Birdland! (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js =...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - You've heard, and will continue to hear, that spring training results mean absolutely nothing and that these games are more of a chance for players and managers to work on specific things and get practice in various situations. If you need evidence of that, look to the bottom of the eighth inning of today's 8-4 Nationals loss to the Braves, when Nats reliever Luis Ayala loaded the bases in a tie game and manager Matt Williams didn't hesitate to pull an unorthodox...