Some fans and media pundits wondered why the Nationals waited so long to tell Stephen Strasburg about their plan to shut him down. They questioned the Nats' decision to keep Strasburg out of the loop and implied that it was a case of mismanaging by the front office and coaching staff. You want to know why the Nats didn't tell Strasburg about the shutdown plan earlier in the season? Because they didn't want that clouding his focus or giving him anything out of the ordinary to think about...

Many times during this season that has the Orioles just one game out of first place with 24 games to go, when a reporter has posed a question to Buck Showalter heaping praise in his direction, Showalter has turned that around and said "it's about the players." But during this Yankees series, with more reporters than usual in the clubhouse, several players have been asked about the O's season and several players have said something like "we've got a pretty good manager." Adam Jones was...

The Orioles were 31-19 without Jason Hammel, further illustrating how they keep finding replacements and reinforcements. They had to call their first audible during workouts at Ed Smith Stadium and they haven't stopped. Manager Buck Showalter planned on making left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada - remember him? - the No. 2 starter when the Orioles broke camp. Wada hasn't thrown a single pitch for them and is recovering from ligament-reconstructive surgery on his left elbow. Nolan Reimold was...

Wei-Yin Chen said he is not wearing down as a long season comes closer to its end. He said that had nothing to do with his poor outing tonight where he allowed seven runs over 4 2/3 innings, as the Yankees beat the Orioles 8-5 at Camden Yards. "I'm not tired at all. The last couple of starts I've felt really strong. Physically and mentally I feel strong, too. Those three home runs was my problem. That's it," he said through his interpreter. "Physically I feel pretty strong for the first...

Manager Buck Showalter isn't worried about Wei-Yin Chen's final line tonight or the possibility that the Taiwanese left-hander is running out of gas during the final month of the regular season. "I'll tell you, he had good stuff," Showalter said after the Orioles' 8-5 loss to the Yankees at Camden Yards. "You've just got to give them some credit. He didn't make many mistakes, and the ones he did, they obviously made him pay for it. We all know we live in a results-oriented sports...

Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg lasted three innings in a no-decision Friday against the Marlins, giving up five runs on two doubles and two home runs, matching the shortest outing of his career. The Marlins eventually outlasted the Nationals 9-7 in 10 innings. It was the third time in his career he pitched only three innings, and the second time this season, equaling the three innings he pitched in a 7-5 loss in sweltering 104-degree heat at Atlanta on June 30. But manager Davey...

Wei-Yin Chen matched a season high with seven earned runs and the Orioles missed a chance to move into sole possession of first place in the AL East as they lost 8-5 to the Yankees tonight in front of 40,861 at Camden Yards. They fall to 77-61 and lose for just the fourth time in 14 games to once again drop one game back of the Yankees. A loss tonight would have knocked the Yankees out of first place for the first time since June 12. Down 7-0 in the fifth, the Orioles rallied to within three...

Wei-Yin Chen threw 35 pitches over the first three innings tonight and allowed only one baserunner, on Alex Rodriguez's leadoff single in the top of the second. The momentum, shall we say, shifted in the fourth inning. Chen hit Nick Swisher, who vowed to celebrate excessively after the pain subsided, and walked Robinson Cano on four pitches. Rodriguez struck out on a 91 mph fastball, but Chen served up a three-run homer to Russell Martin and a two-run shot to former Oriole Steve...

Pitching for the final time at Nats Park this season, Stephen Strasburg didn't exactly go out on a high note. The Nationals' ace has seen his night end after just three innings of work. He was hit hard early, allowing five runs on six hits, walking three batters and surrendering four extra-base hits, two of which were homers. His location was off, with a number of fastballs coming in thigh-high and right over the middle for Marlins hitters to hammer. Strasburg had trouble locating his...

In case you haven't noticed, the Orioles are scoring some runs lately. They have scored 38 the last five games and 77 in the last 13, averaging 5.9 per game in that time as they began play tonight. They have scored 27 runs on 36 hits in the last four games vs. the Yankees. The homers are up, too. The Orioles have hit 17 over the last eight games and they haven't all been hit by Mark Reynolds, although he's been the clear ringleader. The latest homer count: * Chris Davis has six over his...