NEW YORK - Orioles manager Buck Showalter is breaking out a familiar lineup for Game 3 of the American League Division Series. Jim Thome is serving as the designated hitter against Yankees right-hander Hiroki Kuroda. Ryan Flaherty is starting at second base. 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 Miguel Gonzalez RHP For the Yankees: Derek Jeter SS Ichiro Suzuki LF Alex...

For the series, the Nationals have left 27 runners on base and gone 3-for-23 with runners in scoring position. They've left at least one runner on in every inning so far today, and have stranded runners in scoring position in four of the five frames. In the fifth, they left the bases loaded when Michael Morse flied out to end the inning. Edwin Jackson won't be thrilled with his effort this afternoon, but he's far from the main problem. Chris Carpenter has allowed five hits, walked two...

Hall of Famer Frank Robinson threw out the ceremonial first pitch of Game 3 of the National League Division Series. Donning his trademark No. 20 jersey, Robinson threw a strike to Ian Desmond, much to delight of the soldout crowd at Nationals Park. "It was very delightful and quite an honor," Robinson said. "I enjoyed doing it. I thank the Lerner family for asking me to do it." Robinson was able to wear his No. 20 jersey, the same number that Desmond switched to this season in honor of...

NEW YORK - Seventeen All-Stars from the 2012 season, including Orioles center fielder Adam Jones, have been named finalists for the Hank Aaron Award. Beginning today and continuing through Oct. 16, fans will have the opportunity to select one American League and one National League winner. The winners of the 2012 Hank Aaron Award will be announced during the World Series. "Named in honor of one of the greatest hitters and competitors of all-time, the Hank Aaron Award recognizes each...

For the second straight game, a Nationals starter has fallen behind big before the end of the second inning. On Monday, it was Jordan Zimmermann putting the Nats in a 4-1 hole after two innings. Today, it's Edwin Jackson who has allowed four runs in the first two frames, leaving the Nats trailing 4-0. Jackson retired the first two hitters he faced to start the game, but allowed a two-out single to Matt Holliday and an RBI double down the left field line to Allen Craig, getting the Cardinals...

Here is a random Orioles thought as we get closer to the start of Game 3 of the American League Division Series. It seems we are reading some stories that portray the Orioles as a group of overachievers led by a brilliant manager. I get the part about Buck Showalter. He is a brilliant manager, setting a great tone for the team and whole organization really. But he is not leading some band of no-talent misfits. Sure, they have some reclamation projects, like Nate McLouth and Lew Ford, that...

Chris Carpenter missed nearly the entire regular season after having a bizarre surgery to remove a rib, and he threw just 17 innings over his three starts prior to the playoffs. But the Cardinals won't put any limit on their veteran right-hander today as he pitches in Game 3 of the best-of-five National League Division Series. "We plan on going in and just watch him as he goes," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said today. "And he's a pretty fair evaluator of himself as well. But we...

Nationals manager Davey Johnson is not worried about second baseman Danny Espinosa and his slow start in the National League Division Series. Espinosa went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in Game 1. In Game 2, he fared much better. Espinosa walked, had a groundout, hit a ball that could very easily have been extra bases if not for an amazing catch by Cardinals' outfielder Jon Jay and smacked a clean single in the eighth inning. Overall, the second baseman is 1-for-7 with a single, walk and...

Today's Nationals and Cardinals lineups look exactly the same as the ones we saw in the first two games of the National League Division Series - with the exception, of course, of new pitchers. The Nationals will send Edwin Jackson to the mound for Game 3. He'll oppose Cardinals righty Chris Carpenter, who made only three regular season starts this season but is the franchise's all-time leader in postseason wins. For the Nats: RF Jayson Werth CF Bryce Harper 3B Ryan Zimmerman 1B Adam...

NEW YORK - Chris Tillman and Joe Saunders are scheduled to appear in the interview room today as potential Game 4 starters for the Orioles in the American League Division Series. It's like a game show. Maybe they'll both stand for a few minutes, and the first one to sit is confirmed for Thursday. There's no mystery for tonight. Miguel Gonzalez is starting Game 3, his third assignment against the Yankees in his rookie season. You want small sample sizes? Nick Swisher is 0-for-6 with five...