The Orioles drafted a high school right-hander with their first-round pick in 2011 and the next year, he began his first full pro season in the South Atlantic League. It appears that will happen again with another young right-hander they drafted 22nd overall out of the high school ranks last June. Dylan Bundy was on the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds opening day roster two years ago and Hunter Harvey is expected to begin the 2014 season pitching at Perdue Stadium. Harvey, who turned 19 in...

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - On a broad level, in the grand scheme of things, today's 5-4 Nationals win means absolutely nothing. But for new manager Matt Williams, it was still nice to see his team do some of the minor things necessary to win games in the regular season, even though this was just the Nats' first game of spring. Williams said he enjoyed his first game as Nats skipper, in which his team trailed 4-1 after five innings but scored twice in the seventh, once in the eighth and once in...

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - After two long weeks of workouts on the minor league fields focusing on fundamentals and just taking batting practice, do you think Nationals players were excited to actually take part in a game and face a real opponent? "Yes. Yes. Yes," outfielder Nate McLouth said, smiling. "Those workout days kind of drag a little bit, but they're necessary, obviously. It was so good to get out there and kind of get in the flow, get in our routine a little bit. ... It was fun....

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - Left-hander Nick Additon retired the side in order in the eighth inning, Tim Alderson survived a one-out walk in the ninth and the Orioles opened their Grapefruit League schedule with a 4-2 win over the Rays at Charlotte Sports Park. Francisco Peguero, Steve Clevenger and Alex Gonzalez each had two hits. Jemile Weeks reached base twice and scored two runs, and Gonzalez had two RBIs. Manager Buck Showalter described Chris Tillman as being "sharp" today. "There were...

NATIONALS QUICK WRAP SCORE: Nationals 5, Mets 4 Recap: The Mets put up four runs on Christian Garcia in the fifth to take a 4-1 lead, but the Nats chipped away in the late innings and took the lead in the top of the ninth on Michael Taylor's RBI triple to center. Need to know: The two young Nats starters who threw today, Taylor Jordan and A.J. Cole, each impressed with two scoreless innings. And there were no apparent injuries. So that's a good thing. On deck: Saturday, home vs. Braves,...

The Nationals' accelerated development program will have all participants in camp this weekend as they continue to work toward March 4 and their first game against the Astros. There were 30 to 40 players in camp this week. The rest of the players will complete the roster by Saturday. What is it like for these advanced prospects each day while the major league players work out nearby in the complex? Low Single-A Hagerstown Suns manager Patrick Anderson took me through what a typical day is...

PORT ST. LUCIE - After being set down in order in their first 12 trips to the plate today, the Nationals got something going in the fifth inning when Wilson Ramos smoked an RBI double off the wall in left-center. The long fly ball plated Ian Desmond, who had reached on a fielder's choice and stole second base. Adam LaRoche led off the inning with a single before being retired on the Desmond fielder's choice. Ramos didn't just show off his power, he also showed off his wheels when advancing...

ORIOLES QUICK WRAP Score: Orioles 4, Rays 2 Recap: Chris Tillman retired six of the seven batters he faced and struck out three while focusing mostly on his fastball command. Leadoff hitter Jemile Weeks reached base twice and scored two runs in the first two innings, as the Orioles led from start to finish. Need to know: Eddie Gamboa struck out two while retiring the side in order in the sixth, and he managed to mix in a low-90s fastball with his low-60s knuckleball. On deck: Saturday,...

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - Jemile Weeks made a leaping catch at second base in the Orioles' first intrasquad game. He singled, walked, and moved up a base on a fly ball into right-center field in the second game. In two innings of today's exhibition opener against the Rays, Weeks has doubled, walked, stolen a base and scored two runs. Is this guy trying to tell us something? "It is a confidence-builder," Weeks said earlier today. "It's good to get out there and let them see some of your...

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Taylor Jordan has gotten the Nationals' slate of spring training games off to a good start. The 25-year-old right-hander has completed two scoreless innings against the Mets, allowing just a first-inning leadoff single to left by Chris Young. Jordan struck out the left-handed-hitting Ike Davis looking to end the first inning on what looked like a good changeup on the inner half of the plate, and he then got Wilmer Flores swinging to end the second. Flores tried to...