After winning the Most Valuable Oriole award for 2013, Chris Davis spent some time thanking the players around him who he said helped him have such a big year. "I realize how fortunate I am, not only to be wearing this uniform but to be around the people I am," Davis said. "I wouldn't even have gotten close to where I was this year without Manny Machado, Adam Jones, Nate McLouth, Brian Roberts, Nick Markakis, Matt Wieters, J.J. Hardy. I could go on and on all day. It's a special group of...

The Orioles expected to face John Lackey today, but they'll get rookie right-hander Allen Webster instead after the Red Sox clinched home field advantage in the playoffs yesterday following Oakland's loss. Webster is 1-2 with a 9.55 ERA in seven games (six starts), with 37 hits, 15 walks, 21 strikeouts and seven home runs in 27 1/3 innings. The Orioles and Yankees are tied for third place in the American League East with identical 84-77 records. Yes, this game matters. Buck Showalter said...

In maybe the least surprising news of the day, Chris Davis has been voted 2013 Most Valuable Oriole by the local media. Davis enters today's season finale leading the majors with 53 homers, 96 extra-base hits and 138 RBIs. His home run and extra-base hit totals are club records. He also ranks in the top three in the American League in slugging percentage, OPS, runs and doubles. He is only the third player in major league history to rack up at least 50 homers and 40 doubles in a season,...

The Orioles today announced that Chris Davis has been voted winner of the 2013 Louis M. Hatter Most Valuable Oriole Award by members of the local media who cover the team on a regular basis. He will be recognized for his accomplishments in an on-field ceremony prior to today's season finale against the Boston Red Sox. Davis has compiled one of the greatest offensive seasons in major league history. Entering today's finale, he had a club-record and MLB-leading 53 home runs and 96 extra-base...

One of the most pleasant surprises of 2013 was the emergence of Tanner Roark. Just one season ago, he was battling in the minors, fighting through a 17-loss campaign. But in 2013, on the recommendation of Nationals pitching coordinator Spin Williams, manager Davey Johnson was convinced Roark could make a difference at the back end of a rotation that was having a rough go staying consistent. Dan Haren had a difficult first half, allowing too many home runs and starter Ross Detwiler had been out...

PHOENIX - By no means is it a secret. General manager Mike Rizzo knows it. Nationals players know it. At this point, fans surely know it. Randy Knorr is interested in the Washington Nationals' managerial job that will open up once Davey Johnson steps aside at the conclusion of today's game. The cat was never really in the bag. But it's certainly out now. "Yeah, I think a lot of people are interested in it," Knorr said a couple days ago. "It's a great team. You just look at the players...

Darren O'Day is a pitcher with peace of mind these days. He's not happy the Orioles won't be in the playoffs, but he is very happy that the medical issue he was dealing with recently got resolved. O'Day pitched just twice between Aug. 28 and Sept. 19 as he was dealing with some issues in the index and middle fingers on his right hand. For a time, he was concerned this could be something serious possibly requiring surgery. But that did not turn out to be the case and a relieved O'Day...

PHOENIX - The first half of Dan Haren's season was awful. He had a 6.15 ERA and led the majors in home runs allowed through 15 starts. But man, did Haren turn things around in a pretty big way. After throwing seven scoreless innings in tonight's 2-0 Nationals win, Haren's ERA over his final 15 starts of the season is a strong 3.29, he has a 1.05 WHIP and he allowed just nine homers through 87 2/3 innings. In his mind, the strong finish in no way overcomes the first three months, but he...

Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis is still in learning mode after eight seasons in the majors. Markakis told me yesterday that it's his failure to make adjustments, not his health, that's contributed to his career-low 10 home runs and 23 doubles in 631 at-bats. The three surgeries last year and the neck injury in spring training didn't drain his power. "I just didn't feel comfortable at the plate this year," he said before collecting two singles, grounding into a double play and...

PHOENIX - Tonight's 2-0 Nationals win had some special significance to manager Davey Johnson as his managerial career comes towards its end. It guaranteed that Johnson will finish with a lifetime record of at least 300 games over .500. That stat took particular meaning for Johnson in recent days, as silly as it might sound to some, but his players were able to deliver for him here in Arizona, picking up back-to-back wins over the Diamondbacks to push Johnson to 302 games over .500 in his...