Steve Tolleson is starting at second base tonight while Robert Andino nurses a left shoulder injury. Andino exited yesterday's game after diving for a ground ball. X-rays were negative, and the Orioles are waiting for the results of today's MRI. Tolleson hasn't played second base in the majors since 2010 with the Athletics - four appearances, two starts. He's played 243 games at second in the minors, most recently in 2011 with Triple-A Sacramento. For the Orioles: Nick Markakis RF J.J....

The Nationals will be without Ian Desmond for tonight's series finale against the Marlins. Desmond also sat out yesterday's game against the Marlins because of a sore left oblique which tightened up on him. He had played every inning for 71 straight games prior to missing yesterday's contest. With Desmond out of the lineup, the Nationals will again go with Danny Espinosa at shortstop and Steve Lombardozzi at second base. They'll face veteran right-hander Carlos Zambrano tonight at...

The Orioles today announced that they have recalled right-hander Chris Tillman from Double-A Bowie. Tillman won his only start with the Orioles this season, allowing two unearned runs in a career-high 8.1 innings at Seattle on July 4. He made one start for the Baysox on July 9. Tillman went 8-8 with a 3.63 ERA (89.1IP, 36ER), 30 walks and 92 strikeouts in 16 games (15 starts) for Triple-A Norfolk earlier this season. He went 4-1 with a 2.51 ERA (28.2IP, 8ER) in five June starts, recording...

Left-hander Dana Eveland has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk for the second time this year. Eveland was designated for assignment on Saturday to make room for reliever Miguel Socolovich on the 25- and 40-man rosters. He went through the same process on March 29 after the Orioles claimed infielder Zelous Wheeler off waivers from the Brewers. Coincidentally, Wheeler moved up today from Double-A Bowie to Norfolk. Eveland, acquired from the Dodgers during the winter...

Over the last three days, Jordan Zimmermann, Gio Gonzalez and Stephen Strasburg have allowed a total of two runs in 18 innings pitched. The Nationals' trio of aces is at it again. All three put up incredibly impressive first halves, and all three are coming out of the gates strong after the All-Star break. You could certainly argue this is the best trio of starting pitchers on any team in baseball. In fact, it might be hard to argue against it. And that got me thinking. If you had one game...

With each Orioles loss these days, is it possible that a reality is setting in and that reality is that this year, which started out with such promise, will not end up with the Birds in the playoffs? It hasn't been just a tough series, or week, or homestand the team has endured. But since starting the year with a record of 27-14 on May 19, the Orioles are 19-28. That is 47 games of sub-.500, losing baseball. During those 47 games, the ERA of the Orioles' starting pitchers is 5.33. That ERA...

The Orioles have lost five of their last seven series after winning four in a row. Left-hander Brian Matusz served up a grand slam in the first inning last night at Triple-A Norfolk, and followed up with six scoreless innings. One of the runs was unearned. Pedro Viola blew the save for Matusz, who allowed five hits, walked four and struck out two in seven innings. He threw 110 pitches, 72 for strikes. In two starts with the Tides, Matusz has permitted three earned runs and nine hits in 16...

So let me get this straight: We've got another pine tar incident on our hands? The first time around, it involved Joe Maddon and the Rays, with Joel Peralta being ejected for having pine tar on his glove. This time, it's Marlins skipper Ozzie Guillen, who always seems to find himself in the headlines, accusing Bryce Harper of having pine tar too high up on his bat. The timing of this incident is comical, considering that during the All-Star Game festivities just last week, Harper got a...

Chris Davis has seen Justin Verlander on top of his game before. He went 0-for-4 today, as did several of his teammates, as Verlander pitched the Tigers to a 4-0 win over the Orioles at Camden Yards. "I thought after the All-Star Game, we were going to have a real good shot at lighting him up, but he was just setting us up," Davis said. "He won MVP last year for a reason. I felt like at times today he was just toying with us. He was hitting his spots, mixing it up, then when he needed his...

Before manager Buck Showalter can dissect a game, he has to provide an injury update. It's become a tradition here. Here's the Showalter told reporters concerning second baseman Robert Andino: "Dove, landed on his shoulder. He's going to stay back and take an MRI hopefully tomorrow morning and get some information. The trainers are telling me what docs said and what initially they think, but it's just pure speculation until they get the pictures back. I think we'll be able to make a...