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...

You ready for something remarkable? The Nationals, a team loaded with talent and built up by expectations of a deep playoff run, have not won more than two consecutive games in over a month. It's pretty tough for a team not to run off a simple three-game winning streak at some point over an extended stretch. The lowly Marlins put together three wins in a row a couple of weeks ago. Bo Porter's Astros had a six-game winning streak recently. The Nats, however, continue to be stuck in neutral,...

Last season, Manny Machado, Mike Trout and Bryce Harper made a big splash during their rookie campaigns. This season, these boys have proven they're here to stay. Now the question is, which of these promising young players would you want on your team? Would you take Harper's hustle and athleticism, Trout's speed and power, or Machado's glove and consistency? With the Angels making an appearance at Camden Yards this week, we decided to ask fans to compare two of MLB's rising stars:...

The lineups will be coming to you earlier than normal on a Wednesday, with the Orioles scheduled to play a 12:35 p.m. game against the Angels. Do the Orioles lead the majors in day games? Their body clocks must be out of whack. Jason Hammel is making his sixth start at Camden Yards. He's 1-3 with a 7.33 ERA at home, allowing 22 earned runs in 27 innings. His last start here ended with an ejection after back-to-back-to-back home runs by the Tigers. He's not looking to relive that...

He didn't hit any homers or rip any doubles in the gap, but Manny Machado once again had a huge impact on an Orioles win last night. There were too many defensive plays to mention, but let's just the say the kid is playing third base at a level not seen in these part since a man wore No. 5 over there. I didn't think I'd ever say that. But yes, Machado is playing third base at a Broooks Robinson level. "That is what we preach about with Bobby (Dickerson) and Buck (Showalter). Defense...

A week after designating right-hander Henry Rodriguez for assignment, the Nationals have traded the flame-throwing but inconsistent 26-year-old to the Cubs for minor league right-hander Ian Dickson. Dickson's numbers are far from impressive; the 22-year-old has posted a 6.88 ERA in 11 games (35 1/3 innings) for high Single-A Kane County this season. A 35th-round pick of the Cubs back in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft out of Lafayette College, Dickson has struck out 8.2 batters per nine...

The Washington Nationals today acquired right-handed pitcher Ian Dickson from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for right-handed pitcher Henry Rodriguez. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Dickson went 2-2 with one save and posted 8.2 strikeouts per 9.0 innings (32 K/35.1 IP) in 11 games/three starts this season with Kane County of the Single-A Midwest League. The 22-year-old is 5-5 with one save and a 6.06 ERA in 26...