Finally, this crowd had something to cheer about. More than 45,000 fans waited for a reason to explode all game yesterday. The Cardinals took a lead in the top of the first, piled on in the second and then never looked back. The largest crowd in Nationals Park history never got a chance to let loose. They sure did in the second inning today, when Adam LaRoche ripped a solo homer to center to give the Nationals a 1-0 lead. LaRoche fouled off three straight 3-2 pitches and then roped a 92 mph...

The Nationals hope they get a chance to have Gio Gonzalez pitch here Friday. That would mean they won Game 4 of the best-of-five National League Division Series. And that would be just fine with the cool, calm and confident Gonzalez. He has been that way since he arrived in D.C., and he is certainly not going to change now. Always smiling, always giving credit to his catcher and his defense, never taking credit for anything he did. And he won 21 games in a Cy Young-esque first season for the...

NEW YORK - Orioles manager Buck Showalter didn't overhaul his lineup or do any tweaking for Game 4 of the American League Division Series. Meanwhile, Derek Jeter will serve as the Yankees' designated hitter tonight. Alex Rodriguez moves down to fifth in the order. For the Orioles: Nate McLouth LF J.J. Hardy SS Chris Davis RF Adam Jones CF Matt Wieters C Jim Thome DH Mark Reynolds 1B Ryan Flaherty 2B Manny Machado 3B Joe Saunders LHP For the Yankees: Derek Jeter DH Ichiro Suzuki LF Mark...

It was an interesting decision that Buck Showalter made to start Joe Saunders over Chris Tillman tonight in Game 4 at New York. I will guess that the combination of Saunders pitching so well down the stretch, his strong outing on Friday at Texas and the Yankees' performance this year vs. left-handed pitching all factored into the decision. Tillman, you have to figure, will be ready to come into the game on short notice in this must-win situation for the Orioles. This year, the Yankees...

Defying the odds, the predictions and many fans' expectations, the Orioles emerged as a powerhouse in the AL East this season. With a 93-69 record in the regular season, the Orioles locked up a wild card spot on the last day of September and found themselves in the playoffs for the first time since 1997. While some fans we asked said they knew as early as spring training that the Orioles were going to play into October, other cited specific times when they felt more confident in the Birds....

This is it. As Jayson Werth said yesterday, the Nationals have one game to play and one game to win. The Nats' backs are against the wall today, but they're ready to go out and fight. Mark DeRosa said he planned to give his teammates a bit of a pep talk today, telling them to enjoy the moment and play with a sense of urgency. Manager Davey Johnson won't do the same, but he spoke to some guys individually and spent time during batting practice going around and having one-on-one chats, as he...

Last night was a bitter pill to swallow. It was a hard, swift kick to the collective bellend of the greater Baltimore area. For at least the next 10 hours, we will hear about the Yankee mystique and the majesty of the greatest franchise in baseball's history. The New York Yankees have had so many moments like last night's in their history that they could fill a library with the written accounts. I believe the New York Public Library, one of the most beautiful buildings in the world, does in...

The Nationals' lineup will remain the same for today's must-win Game 4 of the best-of-five National League Division Series. Davey Johnson will not make tweaks to his batting order today, despite Danny Espinosa's struggles and the offense's recent issues driving in runs. "Going right with what we had yesterday," Johnson said. "Going to have a little better outcome." Jordan Zimmermann will be available in relief today if Ross Detwiler falters or is unable to work deep into the game....

NEW YORK - It's a situation that manager Buck Showalter would sign up for in blood, to use one of his favorite expressions. The Orioles take a slim lead into the ninth inning tonight. Does Jim Johnson close Game 4 of the American League Division Series? Johnson threw 22 pitches last night, a fairly low total considering that he worked two innings. He's been kept busy lately, saving an Oct. 2 victory against the Rays, pitching the ninth inning in Friday's wild card game, losing Game 1 of...

The American League Division Series shifted to New York after two games in Baltimore. Jim Johnson gave up the game-tying home run to pinch-hitter Raul Ibanez, who eventually won the game for the Yankees in extra innings with a walk-off homer, his second of the game. The Yankees now lead the best-of-five series, two games to one. The two teams will meet again tonight, with first pitch scheduled for 7:37 p.m. Here's a roundup of what other media outlets are saying about Game 3 of the ALDS...