I guess the Nationals were getting a little tired of everyone talking about how much their offense stinks. They've exploded for 12 runs and 16 hits tonight, and have only played six innings. The most runs the Nats had scored in a game this season prior to tonight was nine. They'd already matched that total by the end of the fifth inning. Every hitter in the lineup with the exception of Bryce Harper has a hit. Adam LaRoche has two home runs. Tyler Moore has a three-run shot which I'm not...

Brian Matusz hasn't gone more than 5 2/3 innings in his last four starts, and tonight he failed to retire a batter in the sixth before exiting. "It's a great hitting team, one through nine," he said. "I made some good pitches to get out of some innings, but when it came down to it, I left some fastballs over the plate." Matusz was allowed to come back out for the sixth, but Peter Bourjos' two-run homer ended his night. "I was fighting all the way through to stay in that game, and...

It wasn't difficult to figure out the reason why left-hander Brian Matusz struggled again tonight. "He was up just about the whole outing," manager Buck Showalter said following a 7-3 loss to the Angels before 24,296 at Camden Yards. "Was fortunate to still be the game with those hits. They hit a lot of balls hard that found holes. We hit a lot less hard, but didn't find holes. We made a lot of mistakes and Brian wasn't very crisp tonight." Showalter allowed Matusz to come back out...

As I type this, Ryan Zimmerman just reached a career milestone. With a single in the fifth inning in Colorado on Tuesday night, the Nats third baseman collected his 1,000th-career hit, needing only 903 games in which to do so. It's a great accomplishment, particularly for a guy who has battled some nagging injuries in recent memory. And while Zimmerman continues to achieve greatness on the field, it stands to reason things would be the same off the diamond. That certainly rings true, as it...

Brian Matusz gave up a career-high 13 hits tonight and is staring at his fourth consecutive loss unless the Orioles rally from a 5-1 deficit. Maicer Izturis singled leading off the top of the sixth and Peter Bourjos slugged a two-run homer - the 21st and 22nd runs allowed by Matusz in the sixth this season, most in the majors. Tommy Hunter replaced him. Matusz is charged with five runs on 13 hits, with no walks and one strikeout, in five-plus innings. He threw 82 pitches, 59 for...

The odds of an Orioles win may not be very great tonight. You have an O's team that has been slumping at the plate facing one of the league's best pitchers in C.J. Wilson of the Angels, who happens to be pitching very well in recent starts. Some Wilson stats: * Wilson is 8-4 with a 2.44 ERA that ranks second in the AL. * He is 4-0 with a 1.31 ERA over his last six starts. * Wilson has the best ERA in baseball since Sept. 1, 2011 at 2.08, just ahead of R.A. Dickey (2.19) and Stephen...

Orioles left-hander Brian Matusz has faced 14 batters in the first three innings tonight. The Angels have six hits. How is the score 1-0? Well, the Angels stranded Albert Pujols at second base in the first inning after his two-out double in his Camden Yards debut. They stranded Howie Kendrick and Maicer Izturis in the second inning after they singled. And they managed only one run in the third despite a leadoff double by Mike Trout and RBI single by Torii Hunter. Matusz threw eight pitches...

The Orioles' PR staff has provided the following information in today's game notes: With two more wins in the first half, the Orioles will be assured of posting a winning record at the All-Star break for only the second time since 1998. They were 47-40 at the break in 2005. Brian Matusz, who's starting tonight against the Angels, has allowed 20 of his 49 runs in the sixth inning. According to Elias, that's the most runs allowed in one inning in the majors. Left-hander Troy Patton has a...

The Nationals have averaged just 2.5 runs over their last 10 games. Despite the offensive slump, Davey Johnson is sticking with the same lineup tonight that he's used recently against left-handed starters. Washington will face Rockies lefty Christian Friedrich tonight, he of the 4-4 record and 5.65 ERA. Friedrich has gotten the loss in each his last three starts. Yet again, the Nats will get a chance to tee off against a guy with mediocre numbers this season. Gio Gonzalez will look to reach...

Reliever Matt Lindstrom is in the clubhouse, but he's not on the 25-man roster. The Orioles have decided to activate Lindstrom from the disabled list tomorrow. They want him to do some long-tossing today. Left-hander Dana Eveland is expected to rejoin the team later tonight, but the Orioles aren't short-handed in the bullpen because Tommy Hunter is available in relief. Eveland's wife gave birth to a boy, Asher Perry, late Saturday night. Adding Eveland and Lindstrom to the 'pen will...