NEW YORK - Not much has changed this morning. The Orioles are still one of the teams expressing interest in Joe Blanton. They've been scouting him. They've held talks with the Phillies. They're in on him, as we like to say in the business. Whether they have the most interest depends on what measuring device you use to make that determination. Maybe it's number of phone calls or scouts. Maybe it's text messages. Maybe it's the tone in executive vice president Dan Duquette's voice. But...

The 2012 Nationals have moved beyond any centennial comparisons to Clark Griffith's inaugural year at the helm in D.C. Davey Johnson coming aboard in Washington 100 years after the Old Fox is a nice parallel. However, at this juncture, Johnson's ability to connect with his players and mold a winning club has put his team at a far more historic juncture. After Sunday's unbelievable comeback win against Milwaukee, the Nationals' 61-win record can be matched only by Cincinnati. The improbable...

For the record, let me say unequivocally that I'm not in favor of the Orioles trading Dylan Bundy or Manny Machado. I firmly believe that part of the reason the Orioles have lost for so many years in a row is due to mismanagement of prospects in the minor leagues. I'm not sure that in the past the O's wouldn't have been willing to move one of their top prospects for a rental, thus jeapordizing the future. Look no further than former Seattle Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi if you want...

Now that's the way you perform on a road trip. Over the last seven days, the Nationals played seven games away from home. They won six of the seven, including yesterday's dramatic comeback victory over the Brewers. The Braves played well over the weekend, sweeping the Phillies in a three-game set by a combined score of 14-4. But despite Atlanta's strong play of late, they still trail the Nats by four games in the National League East. The Phillies, on the other hand, now find themselves...

A lot of the talk Sunday was about Wei-Yin Chen picking up 12 strikeouts in the win over Oakland. But the bigger accomplishment for me was simply that Chen pitched the Orioles to a big win, strikeouts or no strikeouts. The Orioles needed to avoid getting swept and Chen gave up just one run (unearned) over 5 2/3 innings against an Oakland team that had scored 40 runs in its previous four games and was 18-3 in its last 21 games. It was a big game and Chen came through with a big effort. He has...

The Nationals pulled off one their most memorable comebacks in recent memory by dropping Milwaukee 11-10 in 11 innings Sunday. Meanwhile, in the nightcap of a Triple-A doubleheader, veterans Jayson Werth and Chad Tracy combined to go 3-for-3 as Syracuse beat Lehigh Valley 6-1. Tracy (right adductor) smacked a pinch-hit solo homer in the sixth inning. Werth (left wrist) went 2-for-2 with two runs and two walks, playing right field for the Chiefs. That is back-to-back nights where both...

I thought about taking the midnight train going anywhere, but decided to begin today's journey by hopping on the 7:50 a.m. Northeast Regional to New York. I know you saw what I did there. The Orioles need to bring their offense to the Bronx. They scored six runs or more in three of their last four games. They've also been held to one run in four of their last seven. It comes and goes. The non-waiver trade deadline will do the same Tuesday afternoon, and I plan on wearing a black armband...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter has talked often about how competitive Wei-Yin Chen is on the mound. It may be hard at times for fans or reporters to notice that side of him, but Matt Wieters said his teammates do. "He has that competitive spirit out there," Wieters said. "Anytime we've needed a big win or big game, he's stepped up for us and given us a good outing and chance to win. He doesn't get too caught in the moment, but also seems to know when it's a key time to step up." Like...

Manager Buck Showalter had his pick of impact players to talk about following today's 6-1 victory over the Athletics. Left-hander Wei-Yin Chen seemed like a good starting point. "The breaking ball and the changeup have really gotten better since the spring," Showalter said. "He and Rick (Adair) have done a great job with it. That's made his fastball that much better. I've had some really good pitchers and on nights when they're carrying really good stuff, there always seems to be deep...

It was not just another Sunday at Camden Yards. Wei-Yin Chen set a major league record for strikeouts by a Taiwenese-born pitcher, Matt Wieters returned to the lineup and hit a key homer, Omar Quintanilla had a big day at the plate and Adam Jones continued his recent run production increase. All that happened as the Orioles beat Oakland 6-1 in front of 19,698 to avoid a three-game sweep and improve to 53-49 on the year. The A's fall to 12-3 since the All-Star break and lose for just the...