Tonight's playoff live blog: Welcome to tonight's live blog from Bowie where the Baysox host Akron in Game 1 of a best-of-five playoff series. I will post notes and updates during tonight's game which will begin at 7:05 p.m. with Dylan Bundy making the start. Feel free to post any comments or questions you have in this blog. Akron takes the early lead: With one out in the top of the second, the Aeroes Matt Lawson hit a solo homer to left off Bundy for a 1-0 lead. Now the Baysox are batting...

It is the rarest of moments in the baseball lore for the D.C. and Maryland surrounding areas to have the Orioles and the Nationals both in first place at the same time. It is happening right now. Manager Davey Johnson, who used to be a player and manager for the Orioles, has noticed how well the team to the north has done this season and is excited for both clubs. "I think it is great," Johnson said. "I grew up in this area. I grew up an Oriole fan, seeing them playing like I always think...

BOWIE, Md - The Double-A Bowie Baysox' pursuit of their first-ever Eastern League championship begins tonight when the Baysox host Akron at Prince George's Stadium in Game 1 of a best-of-five series. The winner of this series will meet the Trenton-Reading winner in the championship series that starts next Tuesday. The Baysox' first season was 1993 and this is the team's 20th, but they have never won the Eastern League title. In fact, Bowie has never even won a playoff series, losing in the...

BOWIE, Md - Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman is with the Baysox in Bowie, but not to pitch in the Eastern League playoffs. He's just going to get a workout in today before he rejoins the Orioles tomorrow when the team returns to Baltimore. Tillman left Sunday's start in New York after just three innings saying his elbow felt "dead." An MRI on that right elbow revealed some inflammation in a nerve, but no structural damage. Tillman said he felt pretty sure the MRI would not turn up...

As Davey Johnson said, Jayson Werth is getting the night off, shifting the Nationals' outfield alignment. Roger Bernadina starts in center and leads off against the Cubs, making just his seventh start since Aug. 1. Bryce Harper starts in right field. Gio Gonzalez is on the hill, seeking his 18th win one start after a complete-game shutout. For the Nationals: CF Roger Bernadina RF Bryce Harper 3B Ryan Zimmerman 1B Adam LaRoche LF Michael Morse SS Ian Desmond 2B Danny Espinosa C Kurt Suzuki P...

The Orioles' PR department provided some interesting nuggets, including the following: So far on the 4-1 road trip, the Orioles are batting .311 and have posted a 1.43 ERA (1.50 for the starters, 1.29 for the bullpen). A win tonight would mark the Orioles' first three-game sweep at Rogers Centre since April 22-24, 2005. The Orioles are 24-19 in series finales in 2012, including an 11-10 mark on the road. The Orioles have held the Blue Jays to three and four hits in the first two games of...

The Baltimore Orioles will host the team's Fall Instructional League at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota with games that are free and open to the public from September 16 through October 11. The Instructional League program focuses on specific individual development while providing additional playing time to accelerate a player's progress through the minor league system. Games are played on the Main Field, with parking available in the East Lot at no charge. Spectators may enter the ballpark...

With the Orioles having at least a share of first place in September for the first time since 1997, it seems appropriate that Cal Ripken Jr. will be at Camden Yards twice in the next four days. Ripken will be on hand Thursday for the unveiling of his statue in the picnic area and for the on-field ceremony that follows. And he'll be in the TBS broadcast booth on Sunday, making his debut providing analysis with former Braves pitcher John Smoltz. They'll talk about the playoff race, and the...

The Nationals' lead over the Braves in the NL East is now 7 1/2 games, the highest it's been this season. They're back to 31 games above .500, tying the high-water mark for the year. Their magic number to win the division is 20 with 27 games left on their schedule. By no means are the Nats looking ahead or counting their chickens. But they are starting to realize the end is in sight. You go into the clubhouse postgame and you'll notice the Braves game put up on every TV in sight. During...

Tuesday night's "laugher" of a game as MASNsports.com's Dan Kolko so aptly dubbed it was also the first time in team history that six home runs were hit. Or rather, I choose to see it as the first time we ever heard the subhorn go off six times (plus one for good luck since they sound it after each win) during a Nationals game. Washington decided early on last season to nix the home run fireworks that shot up after a crushed long ball and replace it with something unique, a brand...