Those pesky Rockies. They have the second-worst winning percentage in baseball and have a winning record against just three teams this season. Those three teams: the 32-52 Astros, the 39-44 Brewers and the 48-33 Nationals, who own the best record in the National League. Colorado has now won three of the five games it's played with the Nats this season. Surprisingly, two of those three wins have come against Stephen Strasburg, who has registered losses in three straight starts. Strasburg...

When the All-Star Futures Game, featuring some of baseball's best prospects, is played tomorrow, there will be seven players on the U.S. roster that were teenagers when the calender turned to July. Three of those seven are ranked as top ten prospects and two of that trio are from the Orioles. Pitcher Dylan Bundy, the 19-year-old O's 2011 first-round pick and shortstop Manny Machado, the O's 2010 top pick who turned 20 yesterday, will represent the Orioles in that game tomorrow in Kansas...

Joe Mahoney couldn't crack the Orioles' lineup again last night. On Thursday, he couldn't crack either one of them. Chris Davis was a late scratch that night with a strained right trapezius muscle, and he remained on the bench for the second game of the Angels series. The All-Star break is coming at a good time. Only two more games before the Orioles - with the exception of Adam Jones, Jim Johnson and Matt Wieters - get to enjoy a nice four-day vacation. Look for Steve Tolleson to be...

With a big eighth inning assist from Troy Patton, Miguel Gonzalez pitched the Orioles to a big win on Friday night, as they beat the Angels 3-2 to even the four-game series after the first two games. Gonzalez gave up just three hits and one run over seven innings. It was his first major league start. Now, he may get a second. Gonzalez improved to 1-0 and lowered his ERA to 1.93. He threw exactly 100 pitches, including 66 for strikes. His outing was impressive in several ways: * He...

The overwhelming feeling in the Nationals clubhouse after tonight's game was simple: We let one slip away. Rockies rookie Drew Pomeranz had a good fastball tonight. It sat in the low-to-mid 90s and had some cut to it at times, and the lefty was able to both work the ball in on hitters and get some tailing action away. But when 91 percent of a guy's pitches are fastballs, you'd think it wouldn't be too hard to see the ball and drive it. The Nationals just couldn't do that this...

Before Mark Trumbo stepped to the plate in the fourth inning tonight, Orioles pitcher Miguel Gonzalez had allowed exactly one home run during the 2012 season. One. It hadn't occurred in his brief major league career, which consisted of three relief appearances with the Orioles before tonight. It happened once in 44 2/3 innings at Triple-A Norfolk. Trumbo must not have studied history. He hit No. 21 to break a scoreless tie and give the Angels a 1-0 lead. It didn't last long. Steve Pearce...

First things first - after tonight's 5-1 loss to the Rockies, Davey Johnson clarified some earlier comments in which it sounded like he planned on pushing Stephen Strasburg back in the rotation coming out of the All-Star break. Turns out, what Johnson meant was that he'll decide when Strasburg will start next based on how much the righty works in the All-Star Game. Same goes with Gio Gonzalez, who also is a part of the National League All-Star roster. "I'm going to base when I pitch him...

Harrisburg Senators shortstop Zach Walters hit fairly well in his first 54 games at Single-A Potomac, batting .269. But since his call-up to the Double-A level, Walters has been on a serious tear. Friday night in Bowie, Walters crushed a three-run shot to account for all the Senators' offense in a 3-2 win over the Baysox. His fourth homer came in the fourth inning off of Bowie starter Richard Zagone. Senators play-by-play man Terry Byrom tweeted the blast traveled 425 feet. Walters is now...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter told reporters in Anaheim tonight that second baseman Brian Roberts has been diagnosed with a right hip labral tear. Roberts, currently on the disabled list, underwent an MRA yesterday. The procedure is similar to an MRI, except dye is injected into the injured area. Roberts will seek a second opinion, according to Showalter. More details are coming on "O's Xtra" on MASN2 HD, beginning at 9:30 p.m. Also, left-hander Brian Matusz, making his first start...

Tyler Colvin had never faced Stephen Strasburg coming into tonight's game. Colvin has now seen Strasburg twice. He's homered off him in both at-bats. The Rockies have a 3-0 lead in the fifth inning, and it's entirely thanks to Colvin, whose solo home run in the second inning and two-run shot in the fourth have provided all the offense so far tonight. The second-inning home run wouldn't have happened if catcher Jesus Flores had been able to squeeze a foul pop up behind the plate two...