PITTSBURGH - Ross Detwiler didn't get smacked all over PNC Park tonight. He allowed three runs and six hits over five innings. Far from a terrible outing, but not good enough for a win. Part of that falls on Detwiler, part of it falls on the Nationals' offense, which managed very little off A.J. Burnett, Mark Melancon and Jason Grilli in the Nats' 3-1 loss. "I mean, a loss is a loss, no matter what it is," Detwiler said. "I think (my) last three were losses. It's kind of tough to take...

Chris Davis came out of tonight's game against the Angels with a right knee injury after landing awkwardly on first base while trying to beat out a slow ground ball in the top of the fifth inning. Davis immediately veered into foul territory, and he barely applied any pressure to his right leg. He was grimacing as he limped to the dugout, and Ryan Flaherty replaced him at first base in the bottom half of the inning. This is Flaherty's fourth major league inning at first base. Steve Pearce...

PITTSBURGH - The Nationals struck out 14 times in tonight's 3-1 loss to the Pirates. Seven of those 14 were looking. They scored one run, marking the 11th time in 13 games that they've had three or fewer runners cross the plate. They're currently sixth-worst in the majors in runs scored. This is a Nationals club that feels it has the talent to be one of the top offensive teams in the league. It's just not happening right now. "I think we're kind of hitting rock bottom," Johnson said....

The torn hamstring stunted first baseman Chris Marrero's season before it really ever got started in 2012. His shoulder and hamstring slowed him down for much of the time and he never was able to feel 100 percent healthy for long periods of time last season. Following 127 games for Triple-A Syracuse in 2011, he had to fight back from injury in 2012. Marrero ended up playing only 37 contests with the Chiefs last season. So it certainly had to be refreshing for Marrero to work his way through...

Orioles starter Miguel Gonzalez needed only five pitches to retire the Angels in order in the first inning. Mark Trumbo needed only one pitch to remind Gonzalez that he owns their match-up. It's a small sample size, but Trumbo is 2-for-2 with two home runs lifetime against Gonzalez. He lined a 92-mph fastball over the left field fence in the second inning tonight to give the Angels a 1-0 lead. Gonzalez threw 11 pitches in the inning. He's thrown 16 so far, 13 for strikes. Gonzalez has...

PITTSBURGH - Get ready for some offensive numbers that will wow you. They might also make you shake your head in disgust. Over 24 career games against the Nationals, Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen is now batting .455 with 11 home runs and 22 RBIs. McCutchen has gone 2-for-2 tonight with a solo home run and a single, accounting for the lone Pirates run off Ross Detwiler and two-thirds of Pittsburgh's hits on the evening. It was really enjoyable watching McCutchen take cuts in the...

If the Orioles win just one of the next three games against the Los Angeles Angels, they will have a winning road trip at 6-5. Two wins will make that 7-4 and three would produce a pretty impressive 8-3. When Miguel Gonzalez takes the mound for the Orioles tonight in Anaheim, he will try to get past the sixth inning without struggling at that point, as he has his last two starts. On April 23 at home against Toronto, Gonzalez took a shutout on 59 pitches into the sixth inning and then got the...

PITTSBURGH - After going without seeing live pitching for 13 days while sidelined with a strained left hamstring, Ryan Zimmerman made a one-day rehab appearance with high Single-A Potomac on Thursday, getting three at-bats and playing six innings in the field. It wasn't a lengthy rehab assignment, by any means, but Zimmerman thinks he accomplished all he needed to during that one day with the P-Nats in order for him to be game ready tonight. He was activated off the disabled list this...

Nate McLouth is sitting again tonight against a left-hander. Nolan Reimold is starting in left field and leading off against Angels southpaw Jason Vargas, and Steve Pearce is serving as the Orioles' designated hitter. For the Orioles: Nolan Reimold LF Manny Machado 3B Nick Markakis RF Adam Jones CF Chris Davis 1B Matt Wieters C J.J. Hardy SS Steve Pearce DH Alexi Casilla 2B Miguel Gonzalez RHP Note: Jair Jurrjens took a shutout into the eighth inning tonight at Triple-A Norfolk....

PITTSBURGH - Tonight's game will mark the third in the last four days that Jayson Werth has needed to sit out due to injury. Werth will likely miss the Nationals' next two games, as well. Manager Davey Johnson said that Werth's tight right hamstring will probably keep him out of the Nationals lineup through the end of the three-game series against the Pirates that starts tonight. The Nationals have an off-day on Monday, so if Werth doesn't play at all this weekend, he could go into...