Dan Haren's 2013 season is starting to directly mirror his 2012 campaign. Awful start to the season, DL stint in June/July, really strong finish. It was that strong finish last season (Haren pitched to a 2.76 ERA over his final seven starts with 34 strikeouts to five walks) that convinced the Nationals that Haren still had plenty of left in the tank and led to them giving him a one-year, $13 million deal this offseason. The way Haren has pitched the last month (he's the owner of a 2.43...

Tsuyoshi Wada is scheduled to make his next start for Triple-A Norfolk on Monday afternoon against Rochester. He hasn't allowed a run in his last two outings, walking two and striking out 17 in 11 2/3 innings, and the reports on him indicate that his stuff is good enough now to get out major league hitters. Tides pitching coach Mike Griffin is in total agreement. "I'm really happy with what he's doing right now. Oh my goodness," Griffin said yesterday. "Where he was when he first got...

There was a blown save, but not a blown game. After San Francisco tied the game at 2-2 off Jim Johnson in the last of the ninth, the Orioles scored three times in the top of the 10th to beat the Giants 5-2 in the series opener. A Hunter Pence RBI single tied it in the ninth as Johnson issued a single, a walk and a single to the first three batters he faced, suffering his seventh blown save. But, then he kept the game tied, pitching out of further trouble as the game moved to the 10th. With...

Chris Tillman retired 14 straight batters tonight before Brandon Belt homered with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, reducing the Orioles' lead to 2-1 over the Giants. Tillman threw seven consecutive four-seam fastballs to Belt, who launched the last one to right-center field. Earlier in the at-bat, Belt actually tried to bunt for a hit. Tillman has allowed 24 homers in 138 innings. He's now surrendered 12 runs in the sixth this season, tying his highest total for any inning (also the...

When you look at the numbers, the about-face really is remarkable. In his first 15 starts of the season, Dan Haren posted a 6.15 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and was averaging 2.09 home runs per nine innings. He went on the DL with right shoulder inflammation, got a cortisone shot, and took some time to get right mentally. In his last six starts for the Nationals, Haren has pitched to a 2.43 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and has allowed 0.49 home runs per nine innings. "This is definitely more like it," Haren said...

They are two sluggers and both are known for hitting a lot of home runs and also for striking out a lot. One bats left-handed and one right-handed. Could either Adam Dunn or Mark Reynolds help the O's at the DH position? Should the club pursue one of these sluggers for the stretch run? Reports say Dunn has cleared waivers meaning he could be traded after the July 31 deadline. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com suggested the Orioles or Rangers could be interested in pursuing Dunn. Presumably any...

The Nationals were finally able to solve their old teammate, John Lannan, in a 9-2 win at Nationals Park. The Nationals pounded out 12 hits, nine of them off of Lannan, including a two-run homer by Anthony Rendon, a solo shot by Ryan Zimmerman and two hits and an RBI courtesy Adam LaRoche. Lannan had gone 1-0 with a 1.38 ERA in two starts in Philadelphia this season versus the Nationals, surrendering only two earned runs in those 13 innings. Facing the left-hander, manager Davey Johnson put...

The happy moments have been few and far between for the Nationals lately, but tonight was a chance to revel in an offensive explosion and another stellar outing from a well-liked guy who has completely turned his season around in the last month. The Nats pounded out nine runs on 12 hits in tonight's 9-2 win over the Phillies, and they got seven innings of two-run ball from Dan Haren, who has a 2.43 ERA in six starts off the DL. "Well that's more like it. I can sleep now," Davey Johnson...

Orioles center fielder Adam Jones continues to love life on the West Coast, producing an RBI single in the first inning tonight in San Francisco. Jones extended his hitting streak to seven games with a two-out single up the middle that scored Manny Machado. He's 13-for-25 with three doubles, a home run, six RBIs and six runs scored. Jones had a nine-game hitting streak on April 20-28. Tonight's RBI is his 80th this season. Machado doubled with one out, his 41st this season. He's also hit...

One day of Social Media Weekend is in the books. We rewarded fans for their social media usage Friday, providing people who tweeted at us and tagged their Instagram photos with signed gear, seat upgrades and more. And we're at it again Saturday. Check out what's on deck by looking at the schedule below. Even if you can't make it to Nats Park, we're offering chances to win some great prizes for all of our social media followers. You can enter to win lunch with Gio Gonzalez here....