BOSTON - Orioles manager Buck Showalter, wanting an extra left-handed bat for his lineup tonight, is starting Chris Dickerson in right field and using Nick Markakis as his designated hitter in the series finale against the Boston Red Sox. Alexi Casilla is starting at second base. For the Orioles Nate McLouth LF Manny Machado 3B Nick Markakis DH Adam Jones CF Chris Davis 1B Matt Wieters C J.J. Hardy SS Chris Dickerson RF Alexi Casilla 2B Chris Tillman RHP For the Red Sox Jacoby Ellsbury...

BOSTON - Manny Machado's three-run homer in the ninth inning last night did more than break a 5-5 tie. It also put the young third baseman in select company in franchise history. Machado became only the second Oriole to homer at Fenway Park before his 21st birthday. The first may surprise you. According to Elias, pitcher Jim Palmer also homered at age 20, which led me to check out the box score on baseball-reference.com and place a call to the Hall of Famer. Palmer hit a two-run shot off...

As we all know by now, Orioles first baseman Chris Davis is enjoying a torrid - as well as historic - start to the 2013 season. Over the past few seasons, he has become not only a star, but an endearing presence to the Orioles fan base - not only because of his freakish power and 6-foot-3physique, but his ever-improving ability at the plate. The baseball world saw that during the first four games of the season and that brought Davis and the Orioles a lot of positive attention. It seemed that...

When I moved to D.C. in 2005, I learned all I needed to know about the Nationals (at the time) rather quickly. It was the middle of August, the team was decent and they were on the verge of a winning season. Truth be told, I only went to a couple games before August turned into September. Then Ryan Zimmerman made his major league debut on Sept. 1. My memory's fading and I honestly can't recall whether or not I was physically at that game, but I do know I spent an awful lot of time at RFK...

When the Nationals take the field around 7:05 p.m. tonight aiming for a sweep of the White Sox, they'll give the ball to Dan Haren, their 32-year-old right-hander, who will be making his Nationals Park debut. Haren got smacked around pretty good in his first start as a National last Friday against the Reds, allowing six runs on nine hits over just four innings. The veteran righty served up a whopping four home runs, although two of them just cleared the Great American Ballpark fence and...

A lot had to happen last night before Manny Machado could stun about 30,000 Red Sox fans and delight who knows how many Orioles fans looking on from the homefront and places beyond. Chris Davis had to hit a massive center field homer. Ryan Flaherty had to get his first base hit of the year when he was down to his last strike on a 2-2 pitch. Nolan Reimold and Nate McLouth had to work walks and McLouth, especially, took a few close pitches to get on base. But after the tying run scored on a wild...

BOSTON - You see the way Tommy Hunter can overpower hitters. He replaces starter Jake Arrieta after the rain delay last night and immediately strikes out Mike Napoli and Will Middlebrooks. You see the way Hunter can frustrate himself and a fan base that no longer has Kevin Gregg to kick around. He pumps fastballs at Daniel Nava and Jarrod Saltalamacchia and watches the two players circle the bases, their back-to-back home runs giving the Red Sox a 5-3 lead. All of it happened in the same...

BOSTON - Orioles starter Jake Arrieta watched the ninth-inning rally tonight on one of the televisions in the visiting clubhouse at Fenway Park. "We were freaking out pretty good," he said. The Chris Davis leadoff homer. The two-out single by Ryan Flaherty. The back-to-back walks to Nolan Reimold and Nate McLouth. The wild pitch from Red Sox closer Joel Hanrahan that tied the game. The three-run homer by Manny Machado, his first of the season, that untied it. "It really didn't matter...

BOSTON - Orioles manager Buck Showalter spent about seven minutes with reporters following tonight's 8-5 victory over the Boston Red Sox. Here's a sampling: "Chris (Davis) gave us a little hope there, but our guys battled. A really nasty night to play. It's very easy to give in, but it was a battle and I'm real proud of them. Their bullpen is something. To be able to string together an inning like that... Jake (Arrieta) kept us in the game. A little frustrating for him. He had good stuff...

The umpires might have hit a traffic jam on their way to the stadium this afternoon, causing a 16-minute delay, but there are plenty of guys in the Nationals clubhouse who can relate. Ian Desmond is one of them. "I've got no problem with it. I've been stuck in traffic many a time here in D.C.," Desmond said. "I'm surprised they got here as fast as they did. It's always an adventure." White Sox starter Gavin Floyd had a bit of an adventure in the middle innings tonight. After putting...