A substantial amount of heart is a key ingredient in any baseball season. Teams have to have it to withstand the rigors of a six-month marathon. Fans have to have it - in abundance - to navigate the highs and lows of any campaign. Players need it, too, so they can ride the roller coaster of streaks and slumps but still prosper. So heart is vitally important, on and off the field. In fact, it was one of the key themes to the 1955 Broadway play "Damn Yankees," and gave the musical comedy a...

It was a wild weekend in Atlanta. Not so much for the actual baseball content, as the Nationals dropped another series to the Braves, setting their season record against the division leaders at 4-12. Rather, after Bryce Harper was hit by pitches twice Friday night, the Nationals - at least their top starting pitcher - decided enough was enough. Harper, a player who will forevermore wear a target on his back with the Braves, was hit twice Friday night by two different pitchers, the second time...

I think it'll be a long time before people forget last August and September at the yard. I would submit that those games were about as much fun for Orioles fans as we've ever seen. Granted, that was only the third playoff season for the Birds since they moved into Camden Yards in 1992, but in both 1996 and 1997, there wasn't the potential for the Orioles' fate to be decided in the last days of the season, as happened last year - and also potentially this year. They were far ahead of the...

CHICAGO - Why do I have a feeling the Nationals are plenty happy to be out of Atlanta and done with trips to Turner Field for the rest of the season? The Braves have absolutely dominated the Nats this season, and if that wasn't already evident just by watching the games, you can look down at the game logs and see that yesterday's 2-1 Braves win boosts their record in the season series between these teams to 12-4. Yeah, that would qualify as domination. The strange thing, however, is that...

I'm sure Orioles players might tell us their playoff push began 123 games ago. They may even say it began weeks before that under the hot Florida sun on the back fields in Sarasota. But the playoff push really heats up tonight. The Orioles still have nine games remaining with Boston - and they'll see the Red Sox soon enough - but starting tonight they play back-to-back series with the two teams ahead of them for a pair of American League wild card spots. They host Tampa Bay for three...

Though the Orioles can't expand their roster until Sept. 1, I've been asked to speculate on possible call-ups. As you know, I often take requests. Coming up next, I'll play "Free Bird." No one can offer up a list of call-ups without taking into account how the Orioles' needs may change if they acquire a player from outside the organization. And how a few players that I mention could make it here before Sept. 1. And how the 40-man roster can factor into the decisions. And how manager...

While the Orioles got the series win over the Rockies, we gave fans their own chance to win. MASN's Social Media Weekend, styled by Hair Cuttery, gave our loyal fans opportunities to win through our different social media outlets. By following us on Twitter, Facebook, mobile and Instagram, fans at Camden Yards were given the chance to win seat upgrades and autographed gear. Before Saturday's game, our mobile followers were invited to a photo session with Darren O'Day. In front of a bright...

ATLANTA - Bryce Harper got a villain's welcome in Atlanta this weekend. He got hit by two pitches in the first game of the series. He heard fans applaud after those two plunkings, even the one that came on a pitch near his head. He got booed every time he came to the plate or recorded an out in the field. But all that didn't seem to affect Harper's view of the Braves' fan base in general. "I love these fans. I really do," Harper said after today's 2-1 Nationals loss. "These people...

ATLANTA - In many ways, today's 2-1 Nationals loss was a microcosm of their season to this point. The Nats got pretty solid starting pitching, as Gio Gonzalez allowed two runs over seven innings. They gave themselves chances to do damage offensively, putting 12 runners on base and getting 13 at-bats with runners in scoring position. And yet, they drove in a single run and ended up on the losing end of another tight ballgame. The Nats couldn't capitalize on putting the first two runners on...

After they combined for seven hits, two homers and four RBIs today, Adam Jones talked about the combination of Chris Davis batting third with him fourth in the O's batting order. "I like the combination of me and Chris," Jones said. "If it's four and five (in the order), we've done the same damage. Me and him following each other, we both make each other better. We both drive the ball, we are both athletic to score on doubles. Whatever has been working with me and him, it's a pretty...