Denard Span is no Michael Morse. Morse had the kung-fu warm-up cut - immortalized in his bobblehead - and there was his A-Ha walk-up music. Span had large shoes to fill on many levels. It did not get easier when Morse ripped up the Cactus League for nine home runs and a .357 batting average in spring training. It was reminiscent of the 2011 spring when he had his breakout season, hitting .303 with 31 home runs. There were more than a few call-ins to radio shows bemoaning the loss of Morse and...

For Orioles left-hander Zach Britton to have success tonight, he needs to keep the ball on the ground. He needs that sinker to be working. He needs to do a better job with Michael Saunders. Activated from the disabled list this afternoon, Saunders drove Britton's second pitch of the game into the right field seats to give the Mariners a 1-0 lead over the Orioles. The Mariners have hit three leadoff home runs this season. Saunders just collected the first of his career. Britton threw a 91...

ATLANTA - Stephen Strasburg's stat line will show that he allowed just two earned runs over six innings against the Braves tonight. It'll go down as a quality start. It's hard to believe Strasburg will consider this outing of much quality, though. The Nationals right-hander allowed six hits and four walks tonight. He put the leadoff hitter on in five of his six innings pitched. He got into an animated discussion with pitching coach Steve McCatty during a fifth-inning mound visit....

ATLANTA - Adam LaRoche's hitless streak is over. And you have to wonder how much of that is due to Chipper Jones. LaRoche snapped an 0-for-26 skid with a single to left in the second inning tonight. This comes just hours after LaRoche sat down and studied tape with his good buddy and former Braves star Chipper Jones. The Nationals first baseman's leadoff single started a two-run inning, as the Nats strung together four straight singles off Braves righty Julio Teheran and grabbed a 2-1...

When Zach Britton pitches in Seattle tonight, it will be interesting to track how many groundouts and how many flyouts he gets. It's not a secret that Britton has a power sinker, and when it is on, opposing batters hit on top of the ball and the groundouts start to mount. Britton went 1-0 with a 1.98 ERA in three starts for Triple-A Norfolk. Over 13 2/3 innings, he gave up 13 hits with seven walks and five strikeouts. But here is an amazing stat: He recorded 29 groundouts and just one out in...

Veteran pitcher Freddy Garcia has decided to remain in the Orioles organization beyond his five starts at Triple-A Norfolk. Garcia could have opted out of his contract after Sunday's start, but he has agreed to stay through May 14. Garcia is 4-0 with a 2.67 ERA in five starts, with two walks and 21 strikeouts in 33 2/3 innings. Earlier today, he was named the International League's Pitcher of the Week after going 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA, no walks and nine strikeouts. Executive vice president...

"Bryce Begins," a one-hour film documenting Harper's journey from a teenager through the present day, will debut Tuesday, April 30 at 9:00pm ET on ESPN. A collaboration between Major League Baseball Productions and 3 Penny Films, "Bryce Begins" features extensive behind the scenes access with Harper and his family and rare footage from the years leading up to his Major League debut. The film also features new interviews with Harper, his father Ron Harper, Nationals General Manager Mike...

What were you doing when you were 19? Chances are you weren't roaming the outfields of major league ballparks like Bryce Harper was. Harper, the young Nationals phenom, skyrocketed to superstardom during his rookie season. His accomplishments include earning a trip to the All-Star Game and winning the 2012 National League Rookie of the Year Award. His play helped the Nats win the NL East for the first time since the franchise returned to Washington D.C., in 2005. ESPN will air a one-hour...

ATLANTA - With Wilson Ramos getting activated from the disabled list today and Kurt Suzuki having gotten a heavy workload recently, it wouldn't have been unreasonable to expect Ramos to get the start tonight against the Braves. Instead, it's Suzuki behind the plate again. Nationals manager Davey Johnson explained his decision to sit Ramos, saying he's taking a better-safe-than-sorry approach with his catcher after his recent left hamstring injury. "I treat hamstrings anything but...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter is sticking with his right-handed lineup tonight against Mariners left-hander Joe Saunders, which puts Nate McLouth on the bench. Nolan Reimold is starting in left field and Steve Pearce is serving as the designated hitter. For the Orioles Nick Markakis RF Manny Machado 3B Adam Jones CF Chris Davis 1B Matt Wieters C J.J. Hardy SS Steve Pearce DH Nolan Reimold LF Alexi Casilla 2B Zach Britton LHP Wieters is 2-for-2 with a home run lifetime against Saunders, who...