Mark Ellis ended Ross Detwiler's perfect night with a solo homer leading off the fourth inning. Outside of that, the Dodgers have done almost nothing against Detwiler thus far. The Nationals lefty has faced just two over the minimum through five innings, needing just 63 pitches to get to this point. He has a 4-1 lead going to the sixth. Detwiler was absolutely dominant in his first three innings of work, retiring all nine hitters he faced, with four strikeouts. It was a fairly small...

Brooks Robinson was so revered in Baltimore that his first name is all that's necessary to reference him as an Orioles legend and Hall of Famer. Before honoring the man himself at the final Legends Park statue ceremony on Sept. 29 at Camden Yards, the Orioles are honoring his name with a clever sweepstakes. Former Associated Press sportswriter Gordon Beard once wrote, "Brooks never asked anyone to name a candy bar after him. In Baltimore, people named their children after him." Playing...

One part of last night's blown call at home plate that Nationals manager Davey Johnson failed to mention after the game was that he actually received an apology from home plate umpire Alan Porter. Porter blew a call in the top of the fourth inning, giving the Dodgers a run when Adrian Gonzalez was clearly tagged out before Matt Kemp crossed home plate. The umpires declined to comment to reporters after the game, but Porter apparently fessed up to his error shortly after it...

Davey Johnson has decided on his starter for Sunday's game against the Brewers. He's going with Chien-Ming Wang. Wang pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings for the Nationals last night, allowing two hits and striking out one. That performance was enough to get the veteran right-hander the start on Sunday. Johnson said he liked how Wang threw yesterday, and saw good sink on Wang's two-seam fastball. "The other guy I was (considering) was (Craig) Stammen, but I really like the role (he's in),"...

In recognition of the final Orioles Legends Celebration Series being held on Saturday, September 29, the Orioles today unveiled a sweepstakes designed to celebrate the impact Brooks Robinson has had on the Birdland community. The sweepstakes was inspired by former Baltimore Sun writer Gordon Beard's quote, "Brooks never asked anyone to name a candy bar after him. In Baltimore, people named their children after him." Five fans with the first or middle name of Brooks will be chosen to win...

Miguel Gonzalez finally gets back on the mound Friday night when the Orioles begin a three-game series at Fenway Park. Gonzalez, being eased through the final month of the regular season, held the Rays to two runs in six innings in his Sept. 12 start at Camden Yards. He's faced the Red Sox twice, including once in relief, and allowed three runs and eight hits in 10 innings. Manager Buck Showalter couldn't confirm Gonzalez as Friday's starter until making sure the right-hander wasn't...

Ross Detwiler starts as the Nationals look to wrap up a playoff spot tonight, something they can accomplish with a win over the Dodgers. Detwiler has been on a bit of a roll lately, going 3-1 with a 3.09 ERA over his last six starts. He faces Chris Capuano, who hasn't won since Aug. 12. For the Nats: RF Jayson Werth CF Bryce Harper 3B Ryan Zimmerman 1B Adam LaRoche LF Michael Morse SS Ian Desmond 2B Danny Espinosa C Kurt Suzuki P Ross Detwiler For the Dodgers: 2B Mark Ellis LF Shane...

When Adam Jones blasted Josh Kinney's pitch over the fence in the 11th inning in Seattle to help the Orioles gain a sweep of the Mariners, he made Major League Baseball history. Jones is the first player ever to have at least four homers in the 11th inning or later in one season. That great stat comes from Elias Sports. Jones is batting .261 (6-for-23) when he hits in extra innings in 2012, and four of the six hits are homers. He has 10 RBIs and an OPS of 1.153 when batting in extra frames....

The Nationals have confirmed that right-handed power reliever Cole Kimball has been added to their Arizona Fall League affiliate, the Salt River Rafters, which begins play October 9. Kimball appears on the active roster of the Rafters here. Kimball has fully recovered from right rotator cuff surgery, which ended his season in July 2011. This will be Kimball's second tour in the Arizona Fall League, making the splash there in 2010. He has since recovered from shoulder surgery that forced him...

The Orioles have off today so Baltimore gets to take part in its new favorite game: Scoreboard Watching! O's fans everywhere will be paying attention to the Rays, Yankees, Angels and Athletics games to see how the most direct competition fares. If all goes according to plan, the Orioles could awake tomorrow in a very advantageous position. The Orioles are in control of their own destiny, and their most recent spate of miraculous impossible play has put them in a very cushy place. The way I...