PITTSBURGH - Through three innings, Stephen Strasburg has looked strong and healthy. He's been attacking hitters, throwing his fastball 94-96 mph and not showing any signs of the irritation in his forearm that led him to shake his throwing arm consistently during his last outing. Strasburg and the Nationals also trail 2-1 after three innings. After setting down six straight hitters, with two swinging strikeouts in that span, Strasburg allowed a Clint Barmes bloop single leading off the...

The Orioles will wait until Monday to have one of their physicians read the MRI taken this morning on Chris Davis' right knee, but it appears that the first baseman will avoid the disabled list. An Angels physician reviewed the MRI today, but executive vice president Dan Duquette said the Orioles aren't able to "effectively read the MRI until Monday." "But the information we have is that Chris is feeling much better today and he's day-to-day," Duquette added. "It sounds like he's not...

Manny Machado's 11-game hitting streak ended last night, which largely went unnoticed because of Chris Davis' knee, Miguel Gonzalez's blister and a shutout loss to the Angels. Well, Machado has started a new one. His home run with one out in the top of the first inning today gave the Orioles a quick 1-0 lead. Machado has seven doubles, a triple and two home runs in his last 13 games. The Orioles are 9-3 in games following a loss this season. They lost last night. Just saying... Tsuyoshi...

PITTSBURGH - Davey Johnson held a closed-door team meeting this afternoon in the visitors' clubhouse at PNC Park. Before he did so, however, the 70-year-old Johnson went into the batting cage in the tunnel - sans batting gloves, as always - and took about 40 swings, more than he had in decades and so many that he left the cage with a blister on his left hand. "I wanted to see if it was that hard to still hit a baseball," Johnson deadpanned. The Nationals, picked by many as a World Series...

Today, Freddy Garcia starts for the Orioles and when he does, he will become the eight different pitcher to start for the team this year. At this point last season, the Orioles had made no rotation changes and were still working with the five-man rotation that began 2012 with the team. Then the order, beginning with opening day, was Jake Arrieta, Tommy Hunter, Jason Hammel, Brian Matusz and Wei-Yin Chen. Through this date last season, that group had made all the starts for the club. Today,...

Steve Pearce is starting at first base today while the Orioles wait for the results of Chris Davis' MRI. Chris Snyder is making his first start behind the plate for the Orioles. Nolan Reimold is batting fifth and serving as the designated hitter. For the Orioles Nate McLouth LF Manny Machado 3B Nick Markakis RF Adam Jones CF Nolan Reimold DH J.J. Hardy SS Steve Pearce 1B Ryan Flaherty 2B Chris Snyder C Freddy Garcia RHP For the Angels Erick Aybar SS Mike Trout CF Albert Pujols 1B Mark...

The Orioles have designated pitcher Zach Clark (UMBC) for assignment to make room for today's starter, Freddy Garcia, on the 25- and 40-man rosters. Garcia was 4-0 with a 2.67 ERA in five starts for Triple-A Norfolk this season. He was named International League Player of the Week for the week ending April 28 after going 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA in 16 innings. Garcia's 152 career victories rank ninth among active pitchers, and he has the most wins for any Venezuelan-born pitcher in baseball...

The Orioles today announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Freddy Garcia from Triple-A Norfolk. To make room for him on the 25- and 40-man rosters, right-hander Zach Clark has been designated for assignment. Garcia, 36, has gone 4-0 with a 2.67 ERA (33.2IP, 10ER) in five starts for the Tides this season. He was named International League Player of the Week for the week ending April 28 (2-0, 1.69 ERA, 16.0IP, 10H, 3ER, 9K). The veteran right-hander is 152-101 with a 4.15...

The Orioles haven't posted their lineup or announced today's roster moves. And still no word on Chris Davis' MRI results. Will pitcher Zach Clark be optioned to make room for starter Freddy Garcia on the 25-man roster? Could the Orioles place last night's starter, Miguel Gonzalez, on the disabled list with a blister on his right thumb? They're off Monday and have two more off-days the following week, so they could skip him anyway. Room also must be made for Garcia on the 40-man...

PITTSBURGH - A day after fouling a ball off his right ankle, Denard Span is out of the Nationals' lineup. Danny Espinosa will move into the leadoff spot for this afternoon's 4:05 p.m. game against the Pirates, and Roger Bernadina will play center with Span out. Span had a bandage on his right ankle, directly above the top of his foot, after last night's game. He played all nine innings last night but looked to be favoring the ankle a bit after the game. Jayson Werth will miss his second...