This morning, I wrote that it might be time for Nationals manager Davey Johnson to start giving his starters a little bit of a longer leash, letting them work deeper into games when their low pitch counts and level of effectiveness dictate that another inning or two is a possibility. Doing so would, in turn, take some pressure off a struggling Nats bullpen. But Johnson said this morning that he isn't planning on loosening that leash on his starters just yet, instead sticking with his...

NEW YORK - Nate McLouth is back atop the order today after sitting out last night's 5-2 loss to the New York Yankees. Nolan Reimold is serving as the designated hitter after starting in left field last night. Orioles DHs are 1-for-33. Reimold, at 1-for-13, has the only hit. For the Orioles Nate McLouth LF Manny Machado 3B Nick Markakis RF Adam Jones CF Chris Davis 1B Matt Wieters C J.J. Hardy SS Ryan Flaherty 2B Nolan Reimold DH Jason Hammel RHP For the Yankees Brett Gardner CF Robinson...

Will the real Orioles offense please stand up? Over the first five games, it looked like a juggernaut and over the last five games, it has looked feeble at times. The real offense certainly lies somewhere in the middle, not as good as the group that got out of the gates so fast or the one we've seen in recent days. The Orioles scored twice as much in those first five games and had exactly twice as many extra-base hits. After scoring five runs or more in each of those opening five contests,...

One night after a disappointing extra-inning loss to the Braves, the Nationals are sticking with their regular lineup. Stephen Strasburg gets the start with Wilson Ramos behind the plate. The Braves have Ramiro Pena at shortstop after he hit the go-ahead homer in the 10th on Friday. For the Nationals: CF Denard Span RF Jayson Werth LF Bryce Harper 3B Ryan Zimmerman 1B Adam LaRoche SS Ian Desmond 2B Danny Espinosa C Wilson Ramos RHP Stephen Strasburg For the Braves: CF B.J. Upton RF Jason...

Here's a strange note: Last night's blown 4-0 lead and eventual 6-4 loss to the Braves came six months to the day after the Nationals blew a 6-0 lead and lost 9-7 to the Cardinals in Game 5 of the National League Division Series. Ironically enough, Drew Storen's first save opportunity since that crushing postseason loss came last night. This one also ended in a blown save and a Nats loss, although Storen wasn't on the mound when it ended this time. I thought Ryan Zimmerman's point last...

NEW YORK - A loss like the one that the Orioles experienced last night should be dissected and discarded. It's over and done. We've picked it apart - the drop, the triple play, the walks. Now it should be buried before it stinks up the joint. But first... I'm going to repeat that Adam Jones didn't commit the three-run error because of a bubble. My head explodes with more force than his gum whenever it's suggested as a reason. It always looks bad when a misplay occurs while a bubble is...

Nationals starting pitchers have gotten off to a strong start to 2013, putting up a 3.09 ERA collectively with six quality starts in 10 games. Nationals relievers, however, have had some issues through the season's first 10 contests. The guys in the Nats' bullpen have posted a 6.34 ERA over 32 2/3 innings. Tonight, three Nationals relievers combined to surrender five runs over three frames, turning a 4-1 lead into a 6-4 loss in 10 innings. This isn't what most people expected, given the...

On a night when they gave up three runs on one error and three outs on one grounder, it was going to be hard to win. And it was for the Orioles Friday night at Yankee Stadium. That loss felt a little like some pre-2012 Orioles defeats at Yankee Stadium. The Orioles' defense, which was among the best in the American League late last year, has now been directly involved in at least three of the club's five losses during a 5-5 start. There was the lost ball in the sun last Sunday against...

It was all playing out early on for Ross Detwiler and the Nationals. Staked to a 4-0 lead, Detwiler went after the Braves and lasted seven innings, allowing only a Chris Johnson solo shot. So, it was a shock for the Nationals to lose that early advantage and allow six runs in four innings, ending in a 6-4, 10-inning setback to the Braves. "Det was great, challenging the guys, going right at them," said third baseman Ryan Zimmerman. "I think he threw like three off-speed pitches through the...

Thanks to Ross Detwiler's seven strong innings and a few big swings of the bat from Bryce Harper, Denard Span and Jayson Werth, the Nationals held a 4-1 lead over the Braves after seven innings. Then, things fell apart. Tyler Clippard failed to get through the eighth, allowing a run on a hit and three walks. Drew Storen got out of a jam he inherited from Clippard in the eighth, but then allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits with a walk in the ninth. And in the 10th, Craig Stammen...