ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter will have another decision to make on Thursday regarding his lineup. Does he keep Nate McLouth in the leadoff spot against Tampa Bay right-hander Roberto Hernandez or does he go back to Nick Markakis? "It's based on pitchers, but also based on our guys' skills, where they are in the season," Showalter said earlier today. "A lot of it has to do with presenting as good of a challenge as we can not only for the starter, but for the...

Gio Gonzalez finished third in the National League Cy Young voting last season. The Nationals left-hander led the majors with 21 wins, posted a sub-3.00 ERA, worked nearly 200 innings and struck out 9.3 batters per nine innings, best in the NL among starting pitchers. It was a heck of a season, and quite a statement in Gonzalez' first season in D.C. after coming to the Nats in a trade with the Athletics. But as Gonzalez prepares to take the mound tonight for his first start of 2013, where...

Davey Johnson has said for months now that he feels he has two No. 1 catchers. From his perspective, how better to use those two guys than to alternate them on a daily basis, giving them equal playing time? After going with Wilson Ramos behind the plate on opening day, Johnson wrote Kurt Suzuki's name into today's lineup as his starting catcher. Those two will continue to trade off days for the foreseeable future. "That's a tribute because I like them both," Johnson said. "They're both...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Nate McLouth didn't know that he was batting first tonight until told by a reporter before the pregame stretch. He hadn't checked the lineup card hanging in the hallway that leads into the clubhouse. Nick Markakis led off on opening day against Tampa Bay left-hander David Price. McLouth is leading off against Rays right-hander Jeremy Hellickson. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? "There's multiple guys capable of doing that, of leading off," McLouth said. "He's...

With high expectations, and a Nationals bullpen filled with so many good pitchers, will there be enough work to go around? On opening day, Stephen Strasburg went seven innings and then Tyler Clippard took care of the eighth. Rafael Soriano arrived in the ninth and got three straight outs for his first save as a National. Manager Davey Johnson still has his left-handed long man Zach Duke and righties Drew Storen, Craig Stammen, Ryan Mattheus and Henry Rodriguez available to go in game two....

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles have a new leadoff hitter tonight. Nate McLouth will bat first against the Tampa Bay Rays, with Nick Markakis moving down to third. Manny Machado will bat second again, as he did on opening day. Nolan Reimold will serve as the designated hitter. 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 Nolan Reimold DH Brian Roberts 2B Wei-Yin Chen LHP Since allowing five earned runs...

The Washington Nationals announced today that Blues Traveler (June 8), Thompson Square (July 6), Gavin DeGraw (August 31) and Montgomery Gentry (September 21) will comprise the lineup for the 2013 NatsLive Free Postgame Concert Series following select Nationals home games throughout the summer. "We are thrilled to be opening the NatsLive Concert Series for the Washington Nationals this year!" said John Popper, lead singer for Blues Traveler. "My visit to Nationals Park last season to...

The Nationals will trot pretty much the same lineup out for tonight's 7:05 p.m. game against the Marlins at Nationals Park. The only changes are the battery, with Kurt Suzuki catching left-hander Gio Gonzalez. Here's the Nationals lineup: CF Denard Span RF Jayson Werth LF Bryce Harper 3B Ryan Zimmerman 1B Adam LaRoche SS Ian Desmond 2B Danny Espinosa C Kurt Suzuki LHP Gio Gonzalez For the Marlins: LF Juan Pierre 2B Donovan Solano RF Giancarlo Stanton 3B Placido Polanco CF Justin...

The O's reward for winning a game started by 2012 AL Cy Young Award winner David Price is a game against right-hander Jeremy Hellickson. He is 6-3 with a 2.30 ERA in 12 career games against Baltimore. Such is life against the Rays' talented pitching staff. Hellickson faced the Orioles a whopping six times last season, going 2-2 with a 2.38 ERA over 34 innings. Hey, at least they got a good look at the guy. In six career home starts against Baltimore, he is 4-2 with a 1.58 ERA at Tropicana...

After being named a Carolina League postseason All-Star in 2010 and earning a spot in the Eastern League midseason All-Star game in 2011, Orioles outfield prospect Xavier Avery had a rather wild 2012 season. It started with him playing his first season at the Triple-A level on opening day and by May he was already in Baltimore for one of four stints in the majors last season. He spent time in May, June, July and September with the O's. He flashed some nice skills with the Orioles after his...