ST. LOUIS - The Nationals just posted the lineup for Sunday's series finale against the Cardinals. With a win today, Washington will clinch the NL East. For the Nationals: Jayson Werth RF Bryce Harper CF Ryan Zimmerman 3B Adam LaRoche 1B Michael Morse LF Ian Desmond SS Danny Espinosa 2B Kurt Suzuki C Ross Detwiler P For the Cardinals: John Jay CF Carlos Beltran RF Matt Holliday LF Allen Craig 1B Yadier Molina C David Freese 3B Daniel Descalso 2B Pete Kozma SS Lance Lynn P

Matt Wieters is behind the plate again today for the home regular-season finale against the Red Sox. 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 Red Sox: Ellsbury CF Pedroia 2B Ross RF Gomez 1B Valencia 3B Lavarnway C Nava LF Ciriaco DH Iglesias SS Stewart RHP Steve Johnson said his right foot is much better today after being hit by Dustin...

Adam Jones has been voted the winner of the 2012 Louis M. Hatter Most Valuable Oriole Award by members of the local media who cover the team on a regular basis. Jones is the seventh Oriole to win the award in consecutive seasons, joining Frank Robinson (1966-67), Boog Powell(69-70), Jim Palmer (72-73), Eddie Murray (81-85), Cal Ripken Jr. (90-91) and Rafael Palmeiro (95-96). Jones will receive his award during an on-field ceremony prior to today's home finale against the Red Sox. Jim...

In a season that's gone completely mad, a season that's often defied logic - along with every industry expert who predicted 100 losses - it would seem appropriate for the Orioles to clinch a playoff berth from the team hotel in St. Petersburg, Fla. It's possible that the Orioles will find out later tonight that they've reached the postseason for the first time since 1997. As I tried to explain last night, they're officially in if they win today and the Angels lose one of the games in...

ST. LOUIS - When the Nationals acquired Kurt Suzuki from the Athletics back in early August, they expected him to provide some veteran experience behind the plate, manage the pitching staff and use his strong arm to stop teams from running all over them on the basepaths. In the minds of General Manager Mike Rizzo and manager Davey Johnson, any offensive production they got from Suzuki on top of his defensive play was gravy. The Nationals are getting plenty of gravy. Plates and plates worth of...

ST. LOUIS - Michael Morse has been playing baseball for the bulk of his 30 years on this earth. I think it's fair to say he's never seen anything like what we saw in the first inning of tonight's game, when Morse needed to run the bases backwards and then essentially hit a grand slam without a bat in his hands. "I think anybody (has)," Morse said with a smile. "That was something different." If you haven't seen the clip of Morse's grand slam, do yourself a favor and check it out now....

ST. LOUIS - Well this one sure didn't lack excitement. The Nationals jumped on top of the Cardinals 4-0 in the first inning on the most bizarre grand slam you'll ever see, punctuated by a Michael Morse fake swing. They then allowed three runs in the seventh inning and blew a save in the ninth, sending the game to extra innings. Kurt Suzuki followed that just minutes later with a two-out, tie-breaking double off the wall in left-center, and Craig Stammen earned his first career save in the...

Manny Machado has made several big plays and delivered a few big hits since he joined the Orioles from Double-A Bowie. Tonight he produced one of his biggest when his solo homer to left led off the last of the seventh, broke a tie and carried the Orioles to a 4-3 win over Boston and back into a first-place tie with New York. "I was just looking for a fastball," Machado said of his at-bat versus Felix Doubront. "He threw me a two-seamer away, trying to get that corner. So far, that is the...

The Orioles' magic number for clinching a playoff berth is down to two. If they win tomorrow and the Angels lose one of their doubleheader games, the Orioles clinch. If the Orioles lose and the Angels are swept, they clinch. If the Dempsey's sign on the warehouse lights up in a certain inning... OK, not that one. The Orioles have scored 25 runs in their last three games, 21 coming via home runs. Chris Davis had a two-run shot, his 30th homer, and Manny Machado went deep in the seventh to...

The amazing emergence of catcher Kurt Suzuki has been another example of how general manager Mike Rizzo finds a way to make the right choice in a time of need for the Nationals. With a major injury to starter Wilson Ramos, Rizzo was looking for a veteran backstop who could handle a young pitching staff. He focused on Suzuki, who had hit well in his career and had done a good job over the years of throwing runners out, something the Nationals had struggled with in 2011. Suzuki was brought in...