Orioles pitching is going through a bit of a tough stretch here. The Tigers have scored 15 runs on 20 hits and and hit seven homers over the last two days. Over the last 10 games - a stretch that began with that four-game series at Toronto - the O's pitching staff has given up 61 runs with a team ERA of 5.95. The Orioles have allowed six runs or more six times in those 10 contests. As for the O's starting pitchers, they have just two quality starts with an ERA of 5.80 in the 10 games,...

ATLANTA - There are a lot of differences between life at Double-A and here in the majors. You stay at plush hotels in the big leagues, compared to Holiday Inns and motels at stops on minor league road trips. You have to pack and carry your bags in the minors, while your baseball bags are packed for you and your luggage is delivered to your hotel room in the bigs. You get fresh, tasty, healthy food options at every stop in the majors, while such options are sometimes lacking in the minor...

ATLANTA - Sitting on the bench watching his team play without him is an unfamiliar position for Bryce Harper. Harper is used to being on the field, sprinting around the bases, diving for balls and doing everything he can to help his team win. Now Harper finds himself on the 15-day disabled list after the bursitis in his left knee failed to clear up in the five days the Nationals played without him but still kept him on the active roster. The Nats relented and put Harper on the DL yesterday,...

Pedro Strop will accompany the Orioles to Houston and pitch in a simulated game Tuesday. Strop, on the disabled list with a strained lower back, has thrown two bullpen sessions and performed a drill off a mound over the past four days. He will throw another bullpen session following the simulated game before the Orioles decide whether to send him on an injury-rehab assignment. Taylor Teagarden caught eight innings last night in his second injury-rehab game at Triple-A Norfolk. He will serve...

In a lineup that features Manny Machado, Chris Davis and Adam Jones, Nick Markakis can get overlooked. Not by anyone in the Orioles clubhouse, but by the rest of us. While others grab deserved headlines, Markakis just keeps showing up and cranking out hits. And doing that while batting both first and third in the batting order. In 56 games, he is batting .306 with seven homers, 33 RBIs, a .448 slugging percentage and .805 OPS. Over his last 22 games, he is batting .370 with eight doubles,...

ATLANTA - Danny Espinosa, who is just 2-for-15 (.133) since returning to action Wednesday, is in the Nationals lineup this afternoon to face the pitcher who broke his wrist. Espinosa suffered the injury when he was hit by a Paul Maholm pitch earlier this season, and now the Nats second baseman faces the Braves veteran left-hander for the first time since. Tyler Moore is in right today with a lefty on the mound and rookie Nathan Karns will make his second career start. Jhonatan Solano is...

As you were told yesterday, Chris Snyder is behind the plate today for Kevin Gausman's third major league start. Snyder and Gausman watched video together yesterday while preparing for the start. Chris Dickerson is the designated hitter again today and Ryan Flaherty remains at second base. For the Orioles Nate McLouth LF Manny Machado 3B Nick Markakis RF Adam Jones CF Chris Davis 1B Chris Dickerson DH J.J. Hardy SS Ryan Flaherty 2B Chris Snyder C Kevin Gausman RHP Nick Markakis is...

ATLANTA - You can pass a share of the blame a number of different ways for last night's 2-1 Nationals loss to the Braves, if you're the blaming type. You can blame the Nationals hitters for scratching out just five hits and going 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position. You can blame Ian Desmond, Roger Bernadina and Danny Espinosa for failing to get the go-ahead run across despite having runners at second and third with none out against Craig Kimbrel in the top of the ninth. You can blame...

Right-hander Nathan Karns gets his second major league start for the Nationals today in Atlanta. After yesterday's excruciating 2-1, 10-inning setback against the Braves, a solid outing and a win are huge to the psyche of a banged-up team. His opening start was solid, as he went 4 1/3 innings, allowing three runs. He kept his team in the game and the Nats eventually won. Really, that is all he needs to do today. But, of course, he would like more than that. Nationals pitching coach Steve...

ATLANTA - The description of Stephen Strasburg's injury that Davey Johnson provided earlier today was a little vague, so we got an update on Strasburg's condition following tonight's game from Nationals head trainer Lee Kuntz. Kuntz clarified that an MRI earlier today revealed that Strasburg has a Grade 1 strain to his right lat, down low, near where the muscle meets the oblique. According to Kuntz, the injury is not actually to Strasburg's oblique, which was the initial diagnosis. As...