One theme that helped the Nationals stay in, and then eventually win, the series against the Minnesota Twins was the bullpen getting the job done. In Game 1 and Game 3, the Nationals went to their bullpen 13 separate times. On Saturday, the Nationals used everyone in the bullpen but Xavier Cedeno. After Gio Gonzalez pitched through six innings, manager Davey Johnson employed, in order, Fernando Abad, Drew Storen, Tyler Clippard, Rafael Soriano, Erik Davis, Ian Krol and Craig Stammen. The...

The Nationals were allowed to have 26 players on their active roster today because of the doubleheader, but now that the two games today are over and done with, a cut needed to be made. The guy to go down will be Tyler Moore. After calling up first baseman Chris Marrero earlier today, the Nats decided to option Moore to Triple-A Syracuse after tonight's 5-4 win over the Twins. Despite having a very impressive rookie campaign last year, when he hit 10 homers and slugged .513, Moore has...

In the midst of selecting 41 players in 40 rounds over three days of the First-Year Player Draft, Orioles scouting director Gary Rajsich also made himself available for an interview after each day, which was much appreciated as we all got a better understanding of what the Orioles did and why they did it. Here is the Q and A we did Sunday to wrap up three days of the O's draft selections. How did you feel about the three days of the draft? "Well, after reviewing what we had done the first...

TAMPA - No matter how many times I think it's going to be different, 5 a.m. always arrives early. You can set your watch by it. The Orioles completed their 3-3 road trip and begin a three-game series tonight against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Near Disneyland But Not the Disney World Resort. Freddy Garcia has already worked himself into a lather because he's facing the Angels. He's practically foaming at the forehead. Garcia is 16-3 with a 2.66 ERA in 29 career starts against the...

In what very well could be his last start with the Nationals for a little while, Nathan Karns got hit pretty hard in just three innings of work. Karns allowed four runs on five hits over his three frames. He walked three, hit a batter, allowed a home run and struck out two. He needed 74 pitches to get through three innings and retired just nine of the 18 hitters that he faced. With Ross Detwiler and Stephen Strasburg looking like they're on the verge of returning to the Nats' rotation...

After sitting out the first half of today's doubleheader with a sore ankle, Denard Span returns to the Nationals' lineup for the nightcap. Span will be back in center field and atop the batting order as the Nats look to sweep the doubleheader and take 2-of-3 from the Twins, Span's former team. Also in the Nats' lineup for Game 2 of the doubleheader are Roger Bernadina, who will play left field and hit second, and Jhonatan Solano, who will be behind the plate and hit eighth. Nathan Karns...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - It easily could have gone unnoticed after all the runs and extra-base hits today, but Alexi Casilla's tag at second base on Desmond Jennings' stolen base attempt in the second inning received the proper attention following the Orioles' 10-7 win over the Rays. "I thought Lexi played real well at second base for us today," said manager Buck Showalter. "What a tag he made. They're going to show, and rightfully, (Matt Joyce's) catch on those gem things they show, but...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles scored one run and totaled one extra-base hit over the first two games of their series at Tropicana Field. Today, they had seven doubles and a home run, and matched their season high with 10 runs. Baseball is a funny game. "When you figure it out, let me know," said manager Buck Showalter after the Orioles' 10-7 win over the Rays. "Guys are grinding it. They're frustrated. Everybody looks for that perfection of consistency, which is hard to find. We're...

Not liking the overall mindset and offensive approach he was seeing from his team lately, Davey Johnson did something before today's game that he hates doing: He held a team meeting. According to those in the room for the chat, it wasn't anything too serious. The meeting lasted just a few minutes, Johnson was upbeat throughout and he gave the team a simple message. "It was more just story time," Jordan Zimmermann said with a smile. So what was said? "He was just trying to get us...

After the offense was shut down by Tampa Bay pitching in the first two games of this series, the Orioles made sure that didn't happen for a third straight day. And they did so against a pitcher in Matt Moore, who was 8-1 with a 2.95 ERA. Held to one run on six hits with just one extra-base hit for two games, the Orioles scored eight runs over the first three innings this afternoon in a 10-7 win over Tampa Bay. The Orioles are 35-28, now 14-14 against the AL East, and went 3-3 on this road...