ATLANTA - In both of the major league starts he's made to this point in his career, Nathan Karns has allowed three earned runs in just less than five innings. Last time out, pitching against the Orioles in his big league debut, Karns surrendered five hits, two home runs and two walks, and he struck out three over 4 1/3 innings. In today's 6-3 loss to the Braves, the 25-year-old right-hander surrendered seven hits, two home runs and one walk, and he struck out six over 4 2/3 frames. He also...

ATLANTA - With today's 6-3 loss to the Braves, the Nationals' record stands at 28-29. On June 2, the team many people picked to win the World Series has a sub-.500 record and sits a season-high 6 1/2 games back of the Braves in the National League East. "We deserve to be where we're at right now," Adam LaRoche said after today's loss. "We've played like crap, and still not in awful shape. It only goes so far, we're pretty deep into the season. We've got to get it going or else we...

The confidence that Orioles manager Buck Showalter demonstrated in pitcher Kevin Gausman didn't waver after two outings that left the rookie's ERA at 11.00. And today, Gausman repaid Showalter in a sense by holding the Tigers to one run over six innings in the Orioles' 4-2 victory at Camden Yards. "I thought he had a much better angle today," Showalter said. "Rick and he made a couple adjustments getting back to what he was doing in the spring, which is the good thing about having him....

Throwing a second variation of a changeup in a game for the first time, Kevin Gausman pitched six strong innings today allowing just one run in a no decision against the Tigers. He yielded only a Prince Fielder homer and five hits with no walks and four strikeouts. Gausman threw 96 pitches and was on the hook for a loss, but the Orioles rallied to beat Detroit 4-2. Looking to improve his changeup command, Gausman added a circle change to his repertoire today and felt that was an important...

Going into the 2013 season, one of the big questions surrounding the Orioles was Chris Davis at first base. In 26 games at first last year, Davis fielded at a .989 clip and committed four errors before Mark Reynolds became the Orioles' everyday first baseman. However, for the season overall, Davis hit .270 with 33 homers. I remember saying on Birds Watcher during spring training that the nightmare scenario for the Birds would be for Davis to struggle in the field to the point that the O's...

Kevin Gausman showed Orioles fans some of his vast potential today, allowing just one run over six innings, and the O's rallied for three runs in the seventh to beat Detroit 4-2 and take the series, two wins to one at Camden Yards. Today's attendance was 39,182 and the three-game series drew 124,376. Gausman gave up five hits and just the one run - on a Prince Fielder homer. He didn't walk a batter and fanned four. He threw 96 pitches, 63 for strikes, and lowered his ERA from 11.00 to...

ATLANTA - Zach Duke faced eight batters in relief of Nathan Karns this afternoon. Here's how those eight batters fared: RBI single, walk, fielder's choice, walk, walk, sacrifice bunt, intentional walk, two-run double. The Nationals trail 6-3 after six innings, after the Braves put up a run in the fifth and two in the sixth to open this game up a bit. The first run that came around on Duke was charged to Karns, but Duke gets stuck with the other two. His ERA now stands at 8.71 after...

Still think Kevin Gausman is overmatched and should be sent back to the minors? Gausman went six innings for the first time in three major league starts and held the potent Tigers attack to one run - on Prince Fielder's homer in the fourth. He allowed five hits, walked none and struck out four. Gausman's 96th and final pitch of the afternoon was a 97 mph fastball that Miguel Cabrera took for a called third strike. Gausman painted the black. And he made the orange proud today. Gausman threw...

ATLANTA - Nathan Karns has allowed six hits through his three innings of work thus far this afternoon and he's been working out of the stretch for the vast majority of his time on the mound. He's still managed to allow just three runs through three frames, however, and one of those runs was unearned. Karns, making just his second big league start, got Andrelton Simmons to shoot a ground ball to third base leading off the bottom of the first, but Ryan Zimmerman's throw to first was well...

Kevin Gausman has lowered his ERA from 11.00 to 8.25 today with three scoreless innings against the Detroit Tigers at Camden Yards. Gausman has allowed two hits - an infield single by Torii Hunter in the first and a bloop double by Ramon Santiago in the third on a ball that eluded a diving Adam Jones in center field. He's struck out two. Gausman served up three home runs in four innings in his last start in Washington, and was charged with seven runs and eight hits. He's keeping the ball...