The purists tell me that interleague play doesn't belong in baseball. If they're fans of the National League, they despise the use of the designated hitter, and if they root for a team in the American League, vise versa. Personally, I've never understood the disdain on either side. In fact, interleague rivalry week is one of my favorite parts of the long baseball season. What makes a true sports rivalry? Some people argue that because the Orioles and Nationals don't play in the same...

We have an interesting matchup tonight with the Orioles sending Kevin Gausman to the mound and the Nationals countering with Nathan Karns. It's Double-A Bowie vs. Double-A Harrisburg. Gausman, 22, will be making his second major league start. Karns, 25, will be making his major league debut. What's the record for fewest combined major league starts among two pitchers in the same game? Somebody get Elias on the phone. Gausman will try to give the Orioles their second consecutive quality...

Is it a question that evokes much discussion and debate. How much seasoning on the farm does a young pitcher need, and when is he ready to make the jump to the majors and have success there? Are players like Chris Sale and maybe now Kevin Gausman, who pitches tonight, showing that if you have enough talent that you just don't need all those minor league innings? The Orioles have had high hopes for several young pitchers the last few years and let's take a look right now at three of them in...

It's tough to win games when you score two runs and go 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Yet again, the Nationals' offense was unable to get the job done, failing to capitalize on their eight hits (four of which were for extra bases) in today's 6-2 loss to the Orioles. "That's been kinda our M.O.," manager Davey Johnson said. "But we're showing signs of coming out of it, hopefully." Those signs were evident yesterday, when the Nats put up 10 hits on the Phillies, scored six...

The Nationals were desperate to get something out of the fifth starter slot this week following the news left-hander Ross Detwiler has been placed on the disabled list with a right oblique strain. The franchise has decided to reach into their system and select Baseball America's No. 5 Nationals prospect to get a shot in the bigs. Manager Davey Johnson revealed after Monday's game that the 2012 Nationals minor league Pitcher of the Year, right-hander Nathan Karns, will be called up from...

Needing a guy to start tomorrow in place of the injured Ross Detwiler and without many attractive options at the Triple-A level, the Nationals have decided to call up right-hander Nathan Karns from Double-A Harrisburg. Karns will make his major league debut at Nationals Park against the Orioles tomorrow night. To make room for him on the active roster, left-hander Xavier Cedeno, who was called up today, will be sent back to Triple-A Syracuse. Karns, who is already on the Nats' 40-man roster,...

WASHINGTON - Orioles pitcher Jason Hammel has been searching for his fastball command. Today, he found it. "The fastball command that I've been searching for has been getting closer and closer and closer, and today it was finally there," he said after holding the Nationals to two runs over eight innings and striking out eight in the Orioles' 6-2 victory. "A small adjustment I made with my slider added a lot more depth and a lot of swings and misses with that one. Stayed aggressive...

WASHINGTON - The Orioles' bullpen needed a break today, and starter Jason Hammel provided one by going eight innings in a 6-2 victory over the Nationals. "It reminded me a little of the Atlanta outing last year," said manager Buck Showalter. "A lot of strikes. Throwing zeros up after you score some runs. He was good. He was the difference today. We all would have signed up in blood for that today. "What are those things where you hold the bats like they do at the wedding chapel? I'm...

After a four-game series where O's pitchers gave up 29 runs and O's starters failed to go six innings once, the Orioles needed Jason Hammel to go deep in today's game. Hammel did just that, pitching eight very solid innings as the Orioles beat the Nationals 6-2 in Game 1 of a four-game home-and-home series. The game attracted a sellout of 41,260 at Nats Park. Hammel allowed eight hits and two runs with no walks and eight strikeouts. He improves to 7-2 with an ERA of 4.98 and threw 107...

Both the Orioles and Nationals have blown plenty of chances with runners in scoring position today. The difference in the ballgame so far is that the Nats have done almost nothing with their opportunities, and while the O's have stranded their share of runners, they've been productive enough when scoring chances have presented themselves. Midway through the eighth, the Nats trail their neighbors to the north 6-2. For the afternoon, the Nats are 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position....