SARASOTA, Fla. - Nate McLouth is leading off and playing center field in Adam Jones' absence, and Brian Roberts is batting second for today's game against the Philadelphia Phillies. Conor Jackson is serving as the designated hitter. He's getting extended playing time and manager Buck Showalter has been impressed by him. Nolan Reimold remains out of the lineup while dealing with a sore right shoulder. For the Orioles: Nate McLouth CF Brian Roberts 2B Chris Davis 1B Matt Wieters C Conor...

It was about this time last season everything changed for Zach Duke. Last season, he struggled in Houston Astros camp and was eventually released. Two days later, he was picked up by the Nationals. After battling to regain his consistency and break on his best pitches, he worked his way back to the majors. Oh, he did work all right. Duke went 15-5 with a 3.51 ERA at Triple-A Syracuse. The left-hander made 26 starts, and had two complete games and a shutout over 164 1/3 innings. He had 91...

VIERA, Fla. - Yesterday, it was the Cardinals loading up their lineup with regulars, giving Gio Gonzalez a tough test on the road while the Nationals' batting order was filled mostly with backups and minor leaguers. The script will be flipped this afternoon at Space Coast Stadium, as the Nationals should have nearly all their starters in their lineup against the Cardinals and left-hander Jaime Garcia. Ryan Zimmerman will make his spring debut as the Nationals' DH today, and Bryce Harper,...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Michael Weiner, the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, is making the rounds again this spring, and he's scheduled to stop by the Ed Smith Stadium complex this morning. This is an annual visit, which closes the clubhouse to the media. Players won't be available until after today's 1:05 p.m. game against the Philadelphia Phillies. Chris Tillman will make his second start. He allowed one hit, walked two batters and struck out one in 1 2/3...

JUPITER, Fla. - Gio Gonzalez didn't seem to think a strikeout-less outing was anything abnormal for him, given the circumstances today. Neither did his manager, Davey Johnson. Johnson attributed some of Gonzalez's issues with a lack of command of his secondary pitches to the conditions. It was a cool (by Florida standards) and breezy day in Jupiter today, leaving Gonzalez's hands dry and the ball a little slick. "He really didn't have a good feel for the ball because it was a little...

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - The Orioles lost their second exhibition game of 2013, falling to the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 at Charlotte Sports Park. The Orioles brought only one projected starter, third baseman Manny Machado. Don't judge them too harshly. Tommy Hunter recovered from the Sean Rodriguez home run and Ben Zobrist single to retire the last six batters he faced. Left-hander Troy Patton retired the side in order in the seventh, striking out two batters. He had allowed three runs and six...

JUPITER, Fla. - While reporters were talking to Gio Gonzalez about his outing, Anthony Rendon ripped a double to center. Rendon now has two home runs and three doubles in seven games and is batting .438. Decent, I guess. Nathan Karns labored a bit through a scoreless fourth inning and Ryan Perry followed with three shutout innings of his own. Drew Storen is now on to work the eighth with the Nats leading 6-2. It's incredibly rare, even in spring, to see a pitching line next to Gonzalez's...

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - Tommy Hunter entered the game in the bottom of the fifth inning, and the first batter he faced, Sean Rodriguez, lined a home run to right field. Tampa Bay 4, Orioles 0. Rodriguez was 0-for-12 this spring before the homer. Alexi Casilla reached on an infield hit in the top of the sixth, but he was thrown out trying to steal second base. Manny Machado tripled to center field with two outs. Update: Machado scored on Jason Pridie's single into right field. Machado is...

JUPITER, Fla. - Davey Johnson has stated unequivocally that Anthony Rendon has no shot of making the Nationals' opening day roster. Rendon doesn't seem to be letting that bit of news affect him in the least. The 22-year-old infielder just crushed his second home run of the spring, a long fly to dead center that bounced high off the batter's eye. It was a two-run shot, giving the Nationals a 4-1 lead heading to the third. Rendon now is 6-for-14 this spring and four of his hits have been...

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - Wei-Yin Chen worked two scoreless innings today in his Grapefruit League debut, allowing two singles on ground balls up the middle. Chen threw 23 pitches, 17 for strikes. Left-hander Brian Matusz began to warm in the Orioles' bullpen as Chen took the mound for the second inning. Tampa Bay's Ben Zobrist singled to center field leading off the bottom of the first, and Yunel Escobar did the same with two outs. In between, Kelly Johnson and Evan Longoria flew out to deep...