The Nationals were a strike away from putting an end to their two-game funk and giving Stephen Strasburg his third win of the season. Instead, we keep playing. Rafael Soriano blew his third save of the season, and second in as many chances, with Gregor Blanco's RBI triple with two outs in the bottom of the ninth plating Andres Torres and knotting this game, 2-2. Soriano left a two-strike pitch a little up and over the middle of the plate, and Blanco - the former Syracuse Chief - struck it...

Remember that stat I passed along last night about the Yankees being 19-0 when they score first? Well ... That was quite a dramatic mood shift at Camden Yards last night. The Orioles win in 10 innings on Nate McLouth's walk-off home run, and news breaks that last year's top draft pick, Kevin Gausman, was going to make his major league debut Thursday night in Toronto. No blown saves, no more losing streak, no more angst over Thursday's starter. It's a shame that Gausman will be wearing...

After talking to manager Buck Showalter about the two candidates for Thursday's start that he passed along earlier today, I wondered whether he had just talked himself out of both of them. Jake Arrieta's career numbers in Toronto were a concern. T.J. McFarland's lack of experience and the possible repercussions of a failed start were a concern. Showalter always adds "among others" when listing candidates. Well, Kevin Gausman was one of the "others," and he's getting the start on...

After he pitched a 1-2-3 10th inning tonight and then became the winning pitcher on Nate McLouth's walk-off homer leading off the 10th, Jim Johnson was ready to talk more about other players than his one-inning outing. "There are a lot of good things to talk about than a guy that pitched in the 10th inning tonight," Johnson said after the O's 3-2 win over the Yankees. "Look at the guys that pitched before me. (Miguel Gonzalez) pitched a heck of a game, Tommy (Hunter) did what he did,...

The Kevin Gausman era for the Orioles is about to begin. An industry source confirmed tonight for MASNsports.com that Gausman is likely to make the start for the Orioles on Thursday at Toronto. The club's top pick last year is 2-4 with an ERA of 3.11 in eight starts this year for Double-A Bowie. He is coming off a start Friday at Trenton where he allowed four hits and one run over six innings. He walked one and fanned a season-high 10 in that game. On the season, he has pitched 46 1/3...

With tonight's game heading to the bottom of the 10th inning and the Yankees bringing in left-hander Vidal Nuno, did Orioles manager Buck Showalter consider pinch-hitting for Nate Mclouth, who was leading off? "I thought he would hit a home run," Showalter said, grinning. McLouth did exactly that, of course, delivering the second walk-off home run of his career in a 3-2 victory over the Yankees. "Yeah, I considered it," Showalter said. "You'd have to make two moves if you do. And we...

After notching just three hits all of last night, the Nationals have three hits and two runs through their first inning tonight. The Nats have handed Stephen Strasburg an early 2-0 lead over the Giants, with Ryan Zimmerman and Ian Desmond both tallying RBI doubles off Giants right-hander Matt Cain. Denard Span got it all started with a hot-shot single up the middle and, after moving into scoring position on a Bryce Harper sacrifice bunt, he came around on Zimmerman's double to the...

One batter, one swing, one win. That was all it took in the last of the 10th as Nate McLouth homered on a 1-1 pitch from lefty Vidal Nuno to give the Orioles a 3-2 win over the Yankees in walk-off fashion to end their six-game losing streak. It's McLouth's second career walk-off homer. The first was on April 20, 2010 for Atlanta. It was McLouth's fourth homer of the year. Jim Johnson pitched the top of the 10th, recording a 1-2-3 inning to get the win. Tommy Hunter pitched two scoreless...

With a staff led by pitchers Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez, who thrive on strikeouts, the Nats often force their opponents to whiff when they come to the plate. But did you know that when the Nationals record a strikeout, you have the power to support the D.C. chapter of the RBI League? Each time the Nats record a K, you can tweet with the @Nationals' Twitter handle and the hashtag #whiff. By doing so, you'll record another vote for the D.C. RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities)...

Center fielder Chris Dickerson isn't the only Oriole going deep tonight. Miguel Gonzalez has become the third consecutive Orioles starter to complete six innings. He's held the Yankees to two runs and four hits, with no walks and five strikeouts. Gonzalez has thrown 80 pitches, 54 for strikes. No one is warming in the Orioles' bullpen, so he'll return for the seventh with the score tied 2-2. Gonzalez has set down nine Yankees in a row since Travis Hafner's RBI single in the fourth...