Orioles left fielder Nate McLouth is 2-for-2 at the plate today and 0-for-1 in arguments. McLouth singled again leading off the bottom of the third inning, and he appeared to get his 23rd stolen base of the season, which would have tied his career high. However, second base umpire Joe West ruled that McLouth's foot came off the bag as he came out of his slide, and shortstop Erick Aybar applied the tag. McLouth and manager Buck Showalter applied pressure to West, both of them disputing the...

The Nationals have announced they've officially selected the contract of right-hander Ross Ohlendorf from Triple-A Syracuse, and they'll hand the ball to the 30-year-old tonight out in Colorado. To make room for Ohlendorf on the 25-man roster, the Nats optioned right-hander Nathan Karns to Double-A Harrisburg. Karns went 0-1 with a 7.50 ERA in three starts with the Nats. To make room for Ohlendorf on the 40-man roster, which is currently full, the Nats have transferred right-hander...

The Washington Nationals selected right-handed pitcher Ross Ohlendorf from Syracuse of the Triple-A International League and optioned right-handed pitcher Nathan Karns to Harrisburg of the Double-A Eastern League. Additionally, the Nationals transferred right-handed pitcher Christian Garcia to the 60-Day Disabled List. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements. Ohlendorf, who is scheduled to make his Nationals debut tonight...

The Orioles, in a continued effort to support Major League Baseball in the PEOPLE Magazine Tribute for Heroes program, are asking fans to vote for one of three finalists to represent the Baltimore Orioles at the 2013 MLB All-Star Game. The three fan-nominated finalists for the Orioles include Melissa Garcia, Rob Jones and Jessie Lopez. Fans are encouraged to visit www.TributeForHeroes.com to vote on their favorite stories through June 30. Melissa Garcia of Baltimore, Maryland, enlisted in...

Wada mess. OK, I couldn't resist. Left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada's injury rehab assignment ends this weekend and he can't be optioned to Triple-A Norfolk without his consent. It's part of his contract. Wada was torched last night for eight runs (seven earned) in 1 1/3 innings. He's totaled only 24 1/3 innings in six starts with the Tides, allowing 33 hits and posting an 8.14 ERA. He's not ready for major league hitters. The Orioles will try to convince Wada to remain with Norfolk past...

Orioles left-hander Wei-Yin Chen will throw off a half mound on Thursday in Sarasota, and off a full mound on Saturday if he doesn't experience any setbacks in his recovery from a strained oblique. Chen could be in Baltimore by the weekend or early next week, as the Orioles monitor his progress and determine when he's ready to go on an injury rehab assignment. He would likely pitch in a simulated game before joining an affiliate. Brian Roberts took batting practice in the indoor cage...

When Miguel Gonzalez gave up just one run over eight innings last night, it was the Orioles' latest good outing from a starting pitcher. The starters have been inconsistent most of the year. Don't look now, but they have been on a recent nine-game roll. Over those nine games - beginning with Kevin Gausman's outing where he allowed one run in six innings June 2 against Detroit - O's starters have produced seven quality starts over the last nine games. In those seven games, the starters...

Although Alexi Casilla says his right index finger is doing much better, the second baseman remains out of the Orioles lineup for a third straight game. The finger, which Casilla jammed attempting to steal second against Tampa Bay on Sunday, isn't as swollen and is no longer bandaged. He feels more flexibility in his hand and can almost make a fist. Casilla threw today and said it went OK, but it's unclear whether he'll be available off the bench for anything beyond pinch running. So Ryan...

Before the start of the 2013 baseball season, the Washington Nationals and Jordan Zimmermann were at a crossroads. The Nationals would have liked to have extended him in the same manner they did Gio Gonzalez before his 21-win season. If Zimmermann had been paying attention to that and to the money that right-handed aces such as Zack Greinke, Matt Cain, Felix Hernandez, and Justin Verlander were commanding, then he was smart to turn aside the Nationals' advances to commit to a long-term...

There's only one item on the agenda today and it's a pretty simple one. It takes the form of a question: Is it harder to talk about the Orioles now than it was when they were losing? It is, a little bit, for me. When they were losing, I loved digging in on what ifs and maybes because the rest of the world treated Birdland as an afterthought or a joke. I loved uncovering new angles. I loved placing long bets and playing the long game. I didn't love the baseball a lot of the time, but I...