NEW YORK - Orioles manager Buck Showalter joked today about needing a cup of coffee before he could begin his conference call with reporters. He also needs a starter for Game 4, which he isn't ready to disclose. "Well, it's kind of like you know the options that we have, and a lot will depend on what happens tomorrow night," he said. "We're going to take each game as it comes and try to win that game and stay in that game and those nine innings, or whatever amount of innings it is, and...

There's plenty to have our eyes on tomorrow. Chris Carpenter is starting for St. Louis despite making just three regular season appearances this season. The Nationals are trying to improve on their .188 average with runners in scoring position in this series. Washington appears practically unable to touch Cardinals flame-throwing rookie reliever Trevor Rosenthal (whose stuff Bryce Harper referred to today as "fuego"). It all could factor in tomorrow afternoon. But in my mind, no storyline...

Nationals Park has undergone some minor playoff renovations while we've been gone. There are new banners gracing the top of each dugout - one that reads "#Natitude" on the visitors' dugout, and another that reads "October Natitude" on top of the Nationals' dugout. The MLB Postseason logo has been painted onto the grass down the first- and third-base lines, and bunting has been added to the facades of the second and third decks. Red towels will be handed out to fans tomorrow, and if...

Nationals left fielder Michael Morse said the St. Louis Cardinals were very good, as expected, at Busch Stadium in the first two games of the National League Division Series. After the Nationals won Game 1, 3-2, the Cardinals rebounded to take Game 2, 12-4. "They are a tough team at home," Morse said. "If you look at their numbers home and away, they are a tough team to beat. Just like when we were there a couple of weeks ago, they put up some big numbers." This season, the Cardinals were...

St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny announced Tuesday that right-hander Jaime Garcia has been removed from the postseason roster due to a right rotator cuff strain with some inflammation. The Cardinals and Nationals were in Washington on Tuesday and completed scheduled workouts at Nationals Park. The National League Division Series is even at one game apiece, with Game 3 scheduled to begin a 1:07 p.m. Wednesday afternoon. Matheny said Garcia will get a second opinion on the shoulder. The...

Major League Baseball has announced the start times for Games 4 and 5 of the National League Division Series between the Nationals and Cardinals, and the schedule will bring the Sun Monster into play on Thursday. Game 4 is currently set to begin at 4:07 p.m., on Thursday, although it could be moved back an hour to 5:07 p.m., if the Tigers-Athletics series has ended by then. Essentially, if the Tigers, who hold a 2-0 lead in that series, win tonight or tomorrow, the Nats-Cardinals will play...

Aberdeen's own Cal Ripken Jr. was not there to greet them, but the New York Yankees made an unscheduled stop in Ripken's hometown on their way north early this morning as they were leaving Baltimore after Game 2 of the American League Division Series. Yankees manager Joe Girardi, on a conference call with reporters to take questions about the ALDS, explained what happened after last night's game. "I would say we got to the train station around 1:10 or 1:15," Girardi said. "We took off...

The Orioles had to cancel their workout this afternoon at Yankee Stadium because of "travel complications," according to a press release from Major League Baseball. Did the train catch fire? Actually, power outages cause major issues for everyone, including the media. My train also was canceled this morning, but I was able to get on a later one. One reporter on the beat drove to White Marsh and took a bus. Another reporter caught a ride with colleagues in an SUV. Welcome to baseball's...

The Orioles and Yankees left Baltimore with the best-of-five American League Division Series tied at one game apiece. By now you've read the wall-to-wall coverage of the ALDS on MASNsports.com from Roch Kubatko and Steve Melewski. Here's a round-up of what other media outlets are saying about Game 2 of the ALDS between the Orioles and Yankees. * Buck Showalter knew what he was doing when intentionally putting the go-ahead run on base in the seventh, says Joel Sherman of the New York...

How good has Darren O'Day been for the Orioles this year? Throw out just about any superlative you want, and it likely fits. O'Day continues to be outstanding in the postseason. He has pitched in all three games against Texas and New York with a combined 3 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit with no walks and three strikeouts. He came into the Texas game and preserved what was, at the time, a 2-1 lead. He kept the game tied 2-2 Sunday and struck out Alex Rodriguez in the seventh...