PHILADELPHIA - Look out, everyone. The Nationals have lost three games in a row. The best team in baseball is starting to fall apart. "Three! Ugh. We're ready to quit," Ryan Zimmerman said last night, tongue firmly planted in cheek. "Everything's going to go into shambles." In all seriousness, from the reaction of many fans on Twitter last night, you'd think the Nationals' season was crumbling to the ground. They've dropped three straight games, yes, but still hold the best...

If I didn't know better, I'd swear that the Orioles aren't keeping track of the standings. They're not counting up the wins. They're not comparing this season to last season. They really are ... gulp ... taking it one day at a time. "We're a better team than we were last year," reliever Kevin Gregg said last night after striking out the side in the ninth inning. "We're putting a lot of things together and playing good baseball as a team. Getting the job done. "Everybody in the...

PHILADELPHIA - For the second time in as many nights, the Nationals fell behind the Phillies early, battled back in the middle innings, allowed a big insurance run in the eighth and dropped a game to their division rivals. This one was a 4-2 loss which saw Gio Gonzalez allow three runs over six innings. The key tally was a sixth-inning solo home run off the bat of John Mayberry which turned a 2-2 game into a one-run Phillies lead. "Felt like a replay of last night," manager Davey Johnson...

The Orioles won their 69th game tonight, beating Toronto 8-2 to match their 2011 win total. But the players certainly didn't seem impressed by that and J.J. Hardy said the Orioles have other goals in mind now. "I think we are all playing for something a little more than that now. I don't think it really means much to us at all really. We definitely have a bigger picture in mind," Hardy said. "We definitely are going into every single ballgame thinking we're going to win and that is the...

I guess it's up to fans and the media to be impressed with how the Orioles have matched last year's victory total with more than a month remaining in the regular season. Does manager Buck Showalter allow himself a few minutes to step back and appreciate the accomplishment? "No form or fashion," he said following tonight's 8-2 victory over the Blue Jays. "I don't think you're going to find anybody in that locker room who knows that unless you tell them. I think if someone had told us...

Unless the Orioles go 0-36 the rest of the way, they will top last year's win total. The Orioles beat Toronto 8-2 in front of 25,082 at Camden Yards tonight to improve to 69-57. Last year's team went 69-93. Steve Johnson gave up a two-run homer in the first to Edwin Encarnacion, but no runs after that as he improved to 2-0 in his two big league starts. Johnson gave up four hits over six innings with two walks and seven strikeouts, and now has an ERA of 3.18. In his two Orioles starts, he...

PHILADELPHIA - For the second straight night, a Nationals starter got hit around pretty good in the first inning but rebounded to keep his team in the ballgame. For seemingly the 10th time this month, Steve Lombardozzi delivered a big hit in the fifth, tying this game at 2-2. The Nats fell in an early hole when Gio Gonzalez allowed four of the first five Phillies hitters to reach in the first inning, plating two runs for the home team. Gonzalez recovered, however, minimizing the damage and...

New Orioles Hall of Famer Mike Mussina said he understood that some Baltimore fans were mad at him when he signed with the Yankees. But he said time heals some of that and he was pleased with the reception he got tonight as he entered the Orioles' Hall. "I think time settles things down," Mussina said. "I think it was a nice reception today. I think the people were glad to see me come back. It was nice to be on the field again. It was a nice reception and I think right now most people are...

Mike Mussina gave a short induction speech tonight. The Blue Jays forced Steve Johnson into a long first inning. Mussina slipped on his green Orioles Hall of Fame jacket, thanked a few people, said he hoped the game would be played because he hated rain and was done. Johnson threw 24 pitches and served up a two-run homer to Edwin Encarnacion. Johnson gave up a one-out single to Mike McCoy, who was thrown out by Matt Wieters trying to steal second base. Jose Bautista walked and Encarnacion...

The fans voted for the Potomac Nationals' 35th anniversary team, and it is an impressive lineup, featuring home run hitters Albert Pujols, Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonilla, and pitchers Andy Pettitte and Dan Haren. Potomac Franchise 35th Anniversary Team C - Jorge Posada (1993) 1B - Albert Pujols (2000) 2B - Adam Kennedy (1997-78) SS - Rafael Belliard (1981) 3B - Roberto Bonilla (1985) OF - Bernie Williams (1988) OF - Barry Bonds (1985) OF - Magglio Ordonez (1995) P - Andy Pettitte...