ARLINGTON, Texas - Orioles manager Buck Showalter is ignoring Joe Saunders' career stats against the Rangers and will start him Friday night in the wild card game. Saunders, who will be working on normal rest, is 3-7 with a 6.48 ERA in 11 career starts against the Rangers, and 0-6 with a 9.38 ERA in Texas, with 41 hits allowed, 16 walks and 13 home runs in 31 2/3 innings. Showalter isn't certain that rookie Steve Johnson's left knee is completely healthy. He's also comfortable playing the...

"It was a pretty good season, all things considered," said outfielder Jayson Werth after the Nationals' 5-1 win over Philadelphia on Wednesday. "We had a lot of injuries and things to overcome. The fact that we ended up here, it really came down to the last game for the best record. We showed up again today. "I like where we are sitting heading into the postseason. This is what it is all about. This is what you play your whole life for. We got a chance to do something special here. We...

The results of the National League Cy Young award voting won't be released until the postseason has come to a close, but Gio Gonzalez has already earned himself some hardware. Gonzalez was named the winner of the 2012 Warren Spahn Award today, an award given out to the best left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball based on a pitcher's wins, strikeouts and earned run average. "I'm honored to even be mentioned in the same breath as Warren Spahn and the past winners of this award. I...

So you're not jetting to Texas to see the Orioles battle the Rangers in Friday's wild card game? And you still want to root on the O's with like-minded fans clad in orange and black? No problem. We've got you covered. When the Oriole magic continues in Arlington, Texas, MASN is inviting you to join us at Frank and Nics West End Grille for a viewing party for Friday's wild card game. The fun begins at 6:30 p.m. - more than two hours before first pitch - at Frank and Nic's, which is...

The Warren Spahn Award board of directors announced today that Gio Gonzalez of the Washington Nationals is the 2012 Spahn Award winner. The Spahn Award is presented annually by the Bricktown Rotary Club of Oklahoma City and the Jim Thorpe Association to the best left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball based on a pitcher's wins, strikeouts and earned run average. Farmers Insurance is the presenting sponsor of the award, named after the Oklahoman and national Baseball Hall of Famer Warren...

The Orioles finished Game 162 with a 4-1 loss at the hands of a scrappy, prideful, Tampa Bay Rays team. But for the first time in more than a decade, the season is not over. As a result of the their loss and the Yankees' win, the Orioles are the second wild card team and must fly to Arlington, Texas, to face the suddenly mortal Texas Rangers. The 2012 season will go down in Baltimore lore as one of the most amazing spectacles. The Orioles finished with the best record in one-run-games in the...

October baseball is different, but not in the way most think. This isn't about the added pressure, how much brighter the spotlight is, or how some players can dig deep and find a special clutch ability they lacked all regular season. This isn't about the age old clichés. As The Boss will tell you on the commercials, October is the land of hope and dreams, but it is also the land of small sample sizes. There are a few weaknesses with the Nationals that can be exploited. First off,...

This is uncharted territory for the Washington Nationals. They've played 162 games, yet their season isn't over. The goodbyes, tee times and trips to tropical locations will have to wait. For the first time in team history, there's postseason baseball to be played. With yesterday's action in the books,

Don't panic, O's fans, but the Orioles' stats against Texas are just not good this year. Keep in mind they got blown out a few times to skew those stats, but the facts are the Orioles went 2-5 against the Rangers this year and were outscored 56-24. The Rangers had games of 10, 12 and 14 runs in the season series. They took three of four in a series in early May in Baltimore. On May 8, Josh Hamilton went 5-for-5 with four homers, eight RBIs and an American League-record 18 total bases. He...

TAMPA - The Orioles really wanted a home game. Flying to Dallas wasn't their first or second choice. They'll have to win a wild card game before they can get back to Camden Yards. If it's any consolation, the Rangers aren't thrilled about it, either. Jim Thome actually appeared in the last playoff game at Camden Yards as a member of the 1997 Cleveland Indians. He knows all about the electric atmosphere. "Fun," he said. "Baltimore is a great baseball town and I've experienced it from...