CLEARWATER, Fla. - Now that we've gotten all the dramatic stuff out of the way ... Outside of the fastball to Chase Utley that nailed the Phillies second baseman in the left ankle, Stephen Strasburg was pretty pleased with his stuff and his outing overall. Strasburg allowed two runs on five hits over 3 2/3 innings, striking out six and walking one. He threw 67 pitches, 40 for strikes, battling through a stiff wind. The right-handed grooved through his first two innings of work, striking out...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Today's game between the Orioles and Team Spain lasted 3 hours, 40 minutes. Jim Johnson was only responsible for part of it. Johnson, making his first appearance this spring, allowed an unearned run and one hit in the eighth inning. His appearance was brief compared to many others on this blustery day. "I got a couple fastballs up," he said. "Other than that, I'm a lot better than where I was at this point last year." Johnson was slowed in camp last spring because of...

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Stephen Strasburg hit Chase Utley on the left ankle. Roy Halladay threw behind Tyler Moore. Strasburg said he had no reason to hit Utley. Halladay said the pitch to Moore slipped. Then Halladay smiled. What was set up to be another quiet Grapefruit League game between the Phillies regulars and a Nationals lineup made up primarily of minor leaguers turned a bit more interesting in the third and fourth innings this afternoon. Strasburg and Halladay already shared their...

CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Nationals and Phillies have had some interesting interactions over the years. John Lannan hit Chase Utley with a pitch in a 2007 start, breaking Utley's hand. Lannan was ejected from that game, which was his first major league start. Last season, Bryce Harper was drilled in the back by Cole Hamels, who acknowledged after the game that he hit Harper intentionally. Harper responded by stealing home later in that inning. Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo responded by...

SARASOTA, Fla. - This game is moving too quickly for me to track. Seriously though, Niuman Romero had an RBI single in the fifth and Zach Britton gave up another run in the sixth - his third of the day in two innings. Adrian Marin bounced an RBI single into left field with the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the sixth, and Buck Britton had a sacrifice fly. Orioles 10, Team Spain 4. Zach Britton allowed four hits, walked a batter and struck out one. He also threw three wild...

The Orioles will conduct an open tryout to find ballgirls and ballboys for the 2013 season at Oriole Park at Camden Yards at noon this Saturday, March 9.The judges will include members of the Orioles' front office, MASN broadcaster Jim Hunter and former Orioles catcher Chris Hoiles, as well as Reagan Warfield of MIX 106.5 and Greg Carpenter of LITE 101.9. Outgoing and athletic men and women ages 18 and older who are interested in serving as ballboys and ballgirls for the Orioles during the...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Zach Britton allowed two runs and two hits, with one walk, in the top of the fifth inning. The good news: He won't face Team Spain during the regular season. The Orioles lead 7-3 in the bottom of the fifth inning. Jake Arrieta said he took a step forward today after allowing one unearned run in three innings. "Sometimes throughout the week before a start, a light bulb will go off, whether it's something small mechanically in the bullpen or something you are doing on a...

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Davey Johnson tried to give Stephen Strasburg four full innings of work this afternoon, but after Strasburg gave up a two-out single and a walk in the fourth, "Captain Hook" came trotting out of the dugout to get his right-handed starter. Strasburg finishes his third spring outing having allowed two runs on five hits. He walked one, struck out six, hit a batter and threw one wild pitch in 3 2/3 innings. The Nationals' ace threw 67 pitches, 40 strikes this...

SARASOTA, Fla. - We're going to be here a while. The Orioles sent eight batters to the plate in the bottom of the first inning and took a 3-0 lead over Team Spain, which removed its starter, former Orioles farmhand, Richard Salazar, with one out in the second. Russ Canzler belted a three-run homer after Yamaico Navarro singled and Steve Pearce walked. Danny Valencia had an infield hit and Trayvon Robinson walked before LJ Hoes ripped a ground ball to the right side that deflected off...

CLEARWATER, Fla. - When Nationals manager Davey Johnson saw John Lannan in a Phillies uniform during warm-ups on the field at Bright House Field late this morning, he had a message for his former starter. "You look like (expletive) in that uniform," Johnson told Lannan. Lannan's response to reporters a little bit later, while chatting in the Phillies clubhouse: "He's gonna have to get used to that. He's gonna see me a couple times." After spending the first eight years of his major...