The high Single-A Potomac Nationals have shown early that their starting pitching is going to keep them in games. Left-hander Robbie Ray has been consistent from the beginning sporting a 1.85 ERA, and leads the team with 41 strikeouts. Taylor Jordan has pitched the most innings so far at 36 1/3, going 2-1 with a 1.24 ERA. Taylor Hill is 3-1 in five starts, with a 2.43 ERA. And then there is the return of right-hander A.J. Cole. He was traded to the Oakland A's last offseason. After struggling...

PITTSBURGH - After missing yesterday's game with a sore right ankle/foot, Denard Span has returned to the Nationals lineup for this afternoon's series finale at PNC Park. Span nearly fell to the ground when he woke up yesterday morning, the pain in his lower ankle area having intensified overnight. He got a day of rest yesterday and woke up this morning feeling much better. He'll return to the leadoff spot and play center field. Jayson Werth will miss his third straight game with left...

Orioles starter Jason Hammel is the anti-Freddy Garcia when it comes to pitching against the Angels. Garcia owns them. Hammel is standing in the return aisle. Hammel is 0-3 with a 7.02 ERA in four career games (three starts) against the Angels, with 13 runs, 21 hits, 10 walks and nine strikeouts in 16 2/3 innings. Howie Kendrick is 4-for-7 with a double and three RBIs against Hammel. Jerome Williams is making his first start today for the Angels. He's 3-0 with a 3.00 ERA in three career...

PITTSBURGH - OK, so the Nationals stranded 11 runners, went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and gave up four runs on two Pirates homers off Stephen Strasburg in yesterday's win. But let's look at the positives. The Nats twice came from behind to tie yesterday's game. They put 15 runners on base, thanks to six hits, six walks and three hit batters. They got seven strong innings from Strasburg, who looked completely healthy and attacked the zone, needing just 95 pitches to get...

Maybe it will go unnoticed because of Freddy Garcia's intense flirtation with a no-hitter yesterday, the Orioles' inability to hold a two-run lead in the eighth inning and their rally in the 10th that produced a 5-4 victory. Maybe Steve Pearce's go-ahead single and Jim Johnson's save will be the lasting memories from that game. Or maybe someone out there will throw a little love in Tommy Hunter's direction. You know Hunter. He's the guy who fans wanted to run out of town after his...

PITTSBURGH - Standing in the batter's box with the score tied, Ryan Zimmerman on second and Adam LaRoche at first in the top of the ninth inning, Tyler Moore figured he'd need a base hit to drop somewhere for Zimmerman to come around with the go-ahead run. "I would have thought those were the last two guys who were going to steal," Moore said after the Nationals' 5-4 win. Moore certainly wasn't alone. Pirates left-hander Tony Watson, on to try and keep the game tied in the ninth,...

The latest outing for pitcher Tsuyoshi Wada was Saturday and it went well. The 32-year-old left-hander from Japan pitched six innings in extended spring training, allowing just three hits and one run on 76 pitches. Matt Merullo wasn't there to see that outing, but he has been in the dugout for Wada's other starts during extended spring training as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery last May 11. Merullo is among the staff members heading up the Orioles' extended spring program...

PITTSBURGH - The Nationals now have a 1.000 winning percentage after Davey Johnson-called team meetings this season. And his players are going to give him a little crap about it. Jordan Zimmermann approached Johnson following today's 5-4 win over the Pirates and shot a one-liner at his skipper. "Same time tomorrow?" Zimmermann quipped. Following his session with reporters, Johnson walked by Ian Desmond's locker. "Meeting of the year," Desmond said, his comment oozing with sarcasm....

It was an eventful day for the Orioles in Anaheim. Their starting pitcher took a no-hitter into the seventh. They took a 4-0 lead. They lost that 4-0 lead. They almost lost their win streak when leading after seven innings. But when it was over, they extended it by beating the Angels 5-4 in 10 innings. With Nolan Reimold on second base and two outs in the 10th, Steve Pearce singled to right and his third hit of the day broke a 4-4 tie. The Orioles were 0-for-10 on the game with runners in...

PITTSBURGH - Stephen Strasburg gave the Nationals seven solid if not spectacular innings, and we're still tied 4-4 heading to the ninth here in Pittsburgh. The Nats have gone 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and have left 10 on base. Seven of those 10 have been in innings 6-8. At least they're getting guys on and giving themselves chances to drive runners in, however. That's something that was lacking in a handful of the Nats' recent losses. They've also walked six times and...