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...

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...