After five days out of the Nationals' starting lineup because of a sore oblique, Ian Desmond is back in there today. Desmond will start at short and hit in his normal No. 6 spot in the lineup for tonight's series opener against the Braves. That is, of course, if we play at all. The tarp is on the field and a light rain is currently falling at Nats Park. They're calling for showers pretty much all night, but with these two teams already scheduled to play a doubleheader tomorrow, they'll do...

So much for Brad Bergesen staying in the Orioles' organization. The Arizona Diamondbacks have claimed Bergesen on waivers after the Orioles designated him for assignment on Wednesday to make room on the 25-man roster for pitcher Tommy Hunter. Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus tweeted the news earlier today. The Orioles hoped that Bergesen would clear waivers again, as he did back in May, and accept an outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk. Bergesen was out of options after accepting...

You know what's tough? Waking up and reading reports about the horrific movie theater shooting in Colorado and then trying to refocus on sports. Truly awful stuff, and awful that it happened in a town which is apparently about 20 miles from Columbine. After opening the second half by playing four against the Marlins and then three against the Mets, the Nationals now move on to face the next division rival in their path - the Braves. The Nats are just working their way up the NL East...

The Washington Nationals announced today that the NatsLive Post-Game Concert Series has been extended to include a free performance by Dierks Bentley after the Nationals face the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday, September 22. "I'm really glad we're getting another chance to play at Nationals Park," Bentley said. "There's nothing more fun on a summer afternoon than a baseball game and some country music." The CMA Award winning singer/songwriter recently released his sixth Capitol...

It may come as a shock to many of you, but the Orioles don't have any current plans to adjust their rotation. Continue to breathe normally. Wei-Yin Chen got the start and a much-needed win yesterday. Miguel Gonzalez, Chris Tillman, Zach Britton and Tommy Hunter will make the starts against the Indians in a four-game series that begins tonight. Then it's back home, and back to Chen. Unless the Orioles pull off a trade for a starter, they're not sitting atop a pile of pitching options....

The question has been asked often: How can a team that leads the majors in errors, struggles to score runs and get clutch hits and has an ever-changing rotation that ranks 12th in the league in ERA, still be in the playoff hunt after 92 games? I have another question as an addendum to that: How can a team with a minus-55 run differential still be in the playoff race after 92 games? Here is the best answer I can come up with. The Orioles have shown an amazing ability this year to win the close...

For fans who have followed the Nationals since they moved from Montreal, it's not hard to forget the last time they were in first place this late in the season - that wonderful summer when baseball returned to the nation's capital in 2005. A big part of that success will be at Nationals Park tonight to throw out the ceremonial first pitch for the opening of this weekend's National League East showdown with Atlanta. "The Chief," Chad Cordero, has been in town to conduct a celebrity...

The movement of prospects continues today within the Nationals organization, this time on the offensive side. MASNsports.com has confirmed that outfielder Eury Perez has been promoted from Double-A Harrisburg to Triple-A Syracuse. Perez was hitting .300 with 30 RBIs, 26 stolen bases and 34 runs scored in 81 games with the Senators. The biggest jump in classifications belongs to speedy outfielder Brian Goodwin. A club source confirms Goodwin has been bumped two levels from Single-A Hagerstown...

The Orioles tweeted tonight that there's been a scoring change in Tuesday night's game in Minnesota. I wouldn't want you going to bed without having all the details. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Twins center fielder Denard Span was credited with an infield hit, and Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy was charged with a throwing error. The single has been removed, and it's now just a straight error on the play. Why is this important? Well, reliever Luis Ayala no longer is tagged with an...

It's off to Cleveland for the Orioles after a series split this week with the Twins. Whatever excitement this four-game series may bring, it will be tough to match what happened between the teams on July 21, 1996. Sixteen years ago, the O's reacquired legendary first baseman Eddie Murray in a deal that sent pitcher Kent Mercker to Cleveland. For a nostalgic fan like myself, who grew up delighting in the chants of "Ed-die" at Memorial Stadium, it didn't get much better than welcoming back...