Coming off a stellar performance in the World Baseball Classic, the Orioles seemed very optimistic about Pedro Strop heading into the 2013 season. Buck Showalter leaned heavily on him through much of 2012, until Strop struggled with pitch location in September and into the postseason. In Strop's final 11 regular season outings, he surrendered six earned runs over 7 1/3 innings pitched, issued eight walks and struck out seven. Opponents were hitting .371 against him with a .444 BABIP (Batting...

Losing two home games against the Chicago Cubs is disheartening and, after the excellent game Friday night, it was as if a switch just flipped and the progress of the prior week vanished in the flash of a Stephen Strasburg meltdown. There wasn't much to like on Saturday and Sunday unless you are a ticket rep for the Nationals. They are selling ducats like snow cones in 100-degree heat. Sky-high expectations bring in the fans and despite the cool weather and the failure of the real Nationals...

The Nationals kick off a 10-game West Coast road trip with a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, with the MASN broadcast beginning at 9:30 p.m. Eastern time with "Nats Xtra" pregame. Jordan Zimmermann pitches for the Nationals and will be opposed by the Dodgers' Josh Beckett. The two right-handers have had distinctly different seasons: Zimmermann is 6-1 with a 1.59 ERA, while Beckett is 0-4 with a 5.13 ERA. Steve Lombardozzi will make his second straight start in left field for the...

As productive as the Nationals bench was last season - with Chad Tracy, Roger Bernadina, Tyler Moore and Steve Lombardozzi coming through with countless pinch-hits in clutch spots and getting significant playing time in the place of a few injured starters - that group has been pretty quiet through the first six weeks of the 2013 campaign. In 51 pinch-hit opportunities this season, Nationals hitters have gone just 7-of-48 with two extra-base hits and three walks. That's good for a .146 batting...

Orioles pitcher Wei-Yin Chen is expected to be placed on the disabled list Tuesday with a strained right oblique. Chen underwent an MRI earlier today in Baltimore. "Chen is a DL candidate," said executive vice president Dan Duquette. "It's a right oblique strain, and these things take a little time to heal. So, it looks that way. We'll decide tomorrow. But he looks like a DL candidate." Duquette estimated that it would take "more than a couple weeks" for Chen to return. "We'll...

The Orioles today announced that they have optioned LHP Mike Belfiore to Triple-A Norfolk. Belfiore, 24, was recalled prior to Sunday's game but did not pitch. Belfiore was 1-0 with a 5.52 ERA (14.2IP, 9ER) and 17 strikeouts in 10 games for the Tides. In 2012, with Double-A Bowie, Belfiore was 5-1 with a 2.85 ERA (47.1IP, 15ER) in 28 games. A corresponding roster move will be announced tomorrow.

One player has been on fire since his return from the Washington Nationals. The other threw eight of the nine innings of a no-hitter. This week the Eastern League took notice. The Double-A Eastern League announced that right-hander Paul Demny has been named Pitcher of the Week and third baseman Anthony Rendon is the Player of the Week for May 6 -12. Rendon used his time with the Nationals as a springboard to his return to Double-A Harrisburg. The 22-year old Rendon batted .500 (12-for-24)...

At Double-A Bowie, there is help for Henry. As Cuban outfielder

Jair Jurrjens made today's start for Triple-A Norfolk and has allowed five runs and seven hits in six innings, with no walks and five strikeouts. Former Orioles farmhand Mike Constanzo, part of the Miguel Tejada trade with the Houston Astros, homered off Jurrjens as the Syracuse Chiefs' designated hitter today. The Orioles are down to three starters with Miguel Gonzalez on the disabled list and Wei-Yin Chen being re-evaluated today after leaving yesterday's start with a strained right...

As the umpiring issues involving Fielden Culbreth and Angel Hernandez continue to rage, and as Major League Baseball continues to look into expanded replay, it would be nice if the umpires would stand up and admit mistakes after controversial calls. That would go a long way in restoring their credibility with the players and fans. Instead, after missing a home-run call in Cleveland, and then refusing to change it after watching it on replay, Hernandez basically blew off the pool reporter...