ATLANTA - It looks like the Nationals will be without Michael Morse for the entirety of this three-game series against the Braves. Morse did not take batting practice today, as the Nationals had originally planned. He's going to give his ailing left wrist more time to rest, and according to manager Davey Johnson, isn't likely to suit up and play until Tuesday's game against the Dodgers at the earliest. "He's still bothered by it, and I didn't think it was going to heal in 48 hours,"...

Lew Ford is starting in right field tonight, as manager Buck Showalters breaks out his right-handed lineup. However, left-handed hitting Chris Davis is the designated hitter. Matt Wieters is behind the plate and batting fourth. For the Orioles: Nate McLouth LF J.J. Hardy SS Adam Jones CF Matt Wieters C Lew Ford RF Mark Reynolds 1B Chris Davis DH Manny Machado 3B Robert Andino 2B Joe Saunders LHP For the Athletics: Coco Crisp CF Jonny Gomes DH Josh Reddick RF Yoenis Cespedes LF Chris...

Is it time for the Orioles to Buck a trend (pun intended) against Oakland? It is not like the A's have been a juggernaut over the years but they have won a lot of games against the Orioles. The O's went 4-5 vs. Oakland last year and they have not won the season series since 1998, going 8-3. The Orioles are 2-14 at Oakland since 2008 and went 1-5 there last year. Also, the Orioles have lost 25 of their last 36 vs. Oakland and are just 38-80 against Oakland since 1999. That is a lot of...

ATLANTA - For the second straight game, a left wrist injury is holding Michael Morse out of the Nationals' lineup. Morse has been bothered by the left wrist for some time now, and he told manager Davey Johnson after Tuesday night's game in New York that he felt he was hurting the team by trying to play through it. The initial plan was for Morse to try taking batting practice prior to tonight's game against the Braves, and then see how he feels. Once the clubhouse opens, we'll see if that...

The Orioles announced today that they released veteran reliever Kevin Gregg and outrighted minor league second baseman Ryan Adams to Triple-A Norfolk after he cleared waivers. No surprises here. Gregg is hoping to catch on with another team and the Orioles couldn't come up with a trade partner over the winter or during the season. He figured to be cut loose after they designated him for assignment Tuesday. Gregg went 3-2 with a 4.74 ERA in 40 appearances for the Orioles this season. He...

ATLANTA - Greetings from Atlanta, where I'm all set up after an interesting journey through an airport which always seems to confuse the heck out of me. The weather is absolutely gorgeous down here, not anywhere close to the record temperatures that affected Stephen Strasburg and the Nationals so much when they last visited in late June. We're set up for three straight days in the mid-80s with what should be clear skies the whole weekend. It looks like the Nationals have gotten some good...

As the Nationals continue to whittle away their magic number for clinching the National League East, it seems like an appropriate time to take a closer look at how the postseason will work in 2012. Major League Baseball has done some tinkering with the format, changes necessitated by the addition this season of an extra wild card team in each league. Here's the basics you'll want to know (but for reasons I'll explain later, I'd caution against marking them in ink on your...

Are the struggles of Orioles reliever Pedro Strop now a thing of the past? He thinks they may be. Strop put together back-to-back scoreless innings against Tampa Bay on Tuesday and Wednesday, and thinks he may now be back on track. Strop said he made a slight mechanical adjustment, said he is mentally tough and thinks the combination of the two will help to keep him pitching well. "For some reason, I was struggling with my command a little bit. But you cannot let that take you out of your...

Let's start with this: The Orioles' run of 14 losing seasons is over. The O's 14th-inning victory Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays was their 81st of the 2012 season, ensuring that they can do no worse than a .500 record. If you follow the team closely, you know the numbers and therefore understand how appropriate it was for the Orioles to secure a non-losing fashion in the manner they did. Here's a refresher: the Orioles are 27-7 in one-run games, 64-0 when they lead after the seventh...

Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez will be looking to join an exclusive club this weekend in Atlanta. He's set to take the mound Sunday bidding for his 20th win of the season. If he gets it, he'll not only be the first 20-game winner in the major leagues this year, he'll be the first player in a Washington uniform to do it in 59 years. With a win in Atlanta or another of his final starts this season, Gonzalez will join a club that includes Walter Johnson, who won at least 20 a dozen times...