Even if you had faith that Ross Ohlendorf was going to follow up his last three starts at Triple-A Syracuse - in which he allowed just three earned runs and struck out 27 over 17 1/3 innings - and pitch pretty well tonight, you probably couldn't have imagined this. Pitching in Coors Field against a Rockies team with the third-highest batting average in the majors and third-most home runs of any big league squad, Ohlendorf held the Rockies to just two hits and one run over six fantastic...

There is no question that fans have a right to boo. They pay good money to attend the games at Camden Yards and that is a way to show their displeasure with a player's performance. That doesn't mean I have to like it. As he struggled on the mound and was hearing a chorus of boos when he left it yesterday, I was feeling for Pedro Strop. He pitched very poorly and his performance directly contributed to a loss. He wasn't the only reason the Orioles lost. I believe Jason Hammel was...

I didn't plan on writing about Pedro Strop this morning as yesterday's game moved past the middle innings. But then, you know, stuff happened. I was surprised that starter Jason Hammel returned for the seventh inning. My ears were ringing from all the loud outs. It was a gutsy performance on a day when Hammel's command wavered, and I thought that trying to squeeze one more inning out of him was risky. However, it was clear that manager Buck Showalter wanted to avoid using a few of his...

You might not know Vincent Rainey's name, but you know him - well, you know him if you've ever watched a spring training game on MASN, caught a broadcast on the radio or taken in a Grapefruit League contest at Space Coast Stadium. He's the beer guy with the phrase and unique delivery that pays dividends. In the middle of an inning, you'll hear him - above the din of the crowd, the chatter on the field, the fire engines screaming from the nearby station. "Ice ... cold ... beer," he...

I had seen Ross Ohlendorf messing with an old-school wind-up when he threw back in spring, but forgot just how awesome it was until he fired his first pitch to Dexter Fowler tonight. I love the arms rocking back and forth and the slow turn on the rubber. Feels like I'm watching a game in the early 1900s. Ohlendorf is off to a fantastic start to his Nationals debut, throwing three scoreless innings thus far out at Coors Field. The veteran right-hander has retired nine of the 10 hitters he's...

Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos, who has already landed on the disabled list twice this season due to a hamstring strain, suffered a setback in his rehab and likely won't be returning before the All-Star break, according to MASN's Julie Alexandria, who is with the team in Colorado. Manager Davey Johnson told reporters that Ramos pulled up doing first-to-third drills while at the Nationals' minor league complex in Viera, Fla. Ramos had reported to Viera last Wednesday night and had been...

The Nationals send right-hander Ross Ohlendorf to the mound at Coors Field tonight, hoping the veteran can square the series at a game apiece in his Washington debut. In three career starts in the Mile High City, Ohlendorf is 1-1 with a 6.94 ERA, having only lasted a combined 11 2/3 innings and yielding four homers in the thin Denver air. Maybe Ohlendorf can use his Princeton education to come up with a game plan to keep the ball in the park. He hasn't pitched in the majors since last...

Without revealing the names, Orioles manager Buck Showalter said he had two or three relievers that he wasn't going to use today. Pedro Strop wasn't on that list. Strop allowed two inherited runners to score and four of his own in the Orioles' 9-5 loss to the Angels before 25,964 at Camden Yards. The seventh inning unraveled after Strop, inheriting two runners from starter Jason Hammel with no outs, leaping for Hank Conger's high chopper and failed to make a play. If he doesn't touch...

High Single-A Potomac Nationals right-hander Taylor Hill has performed well in his last two starts, following his two roughest starts of the season. On back-to-back starts, May 24 and 29, Hill allowed a combined 20 hits and 14 runs in nine innings of work. But, on June 3 and 9, Hill rebounded to go 14 2/3 innings and gave up only one earned run. He struck out 12 and walked five in a pair of no decisions. The highlight of the two starts was Hill's 8 2/3 innings on June 3 at Myrtle Beach. The...

In the quiet of the Orioles clubhouse after today's game, I interviewed Pedro Strop for the "O's Xtra" postgame show on MASN. Here are his comments after he allowed four runs and three hits today in just one-third of an inning to take the loss for the Orioles. Q: You could not hold the lead today. What is your take on the outing? Strop: "Not good. Only thing I can say. I couldn't do the job." Q: Do you think it was location or stuff or a combination? Strop: "I would say location....