FLUSHING, N.Y. - Before I pack up and leave the Citi Field press box, here are a few final thoughts: At the moment, the Nationals are tied with the Yankees for the best record in baseball. They're 19 games above .500, tying the franchise's high-water mark, set during the 2005 season. They've won five in a row, knocked the Mets 11 1/2 games back in the division and improved their road record to 30-20. If you've noticed this team gaining some swagger in recent weeks, there's a reason...

Omar Quintanilla has started the last seven games for the Orioles. He has provided a bit of a spark for the team since his trade from the Mets. After a three-hit game that included a solo homer Sunday, Quintanilla is 7-for-13 over his past three games and 10-for-20 over his last five after going 1-for-6 to start his O's tenure. After the Mets designated him for assignment, he was traded to the Orioles for cash considerations on July 20 and is batting .423 in nine games so far wearing the...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter said he hadn't heard the news of Vi Ripken's abduction yesterday morning and safe return early today until told by a reporter around 4 p.m. "Obviously, our thoughts and prayers go out to the Ripken family," he said. "That's something that happened to my mother years ago. Someone broke into the house at night. It's tough. It's a crazy world. I know the Ripken family and I know the stock, not only from Senior, but from Vi." The story truly hit close to...

Orioles catcher Matt Wieters has just one hit in 23 at-bats over his last six games. That has dropped his average from .258 to .243, its lowest point since early June. A reporter asked Wieters if he thought his bat has been streakier this year. "I don't know," Wieters said. "I'm sure the numbers come and go. But it's something you can't worry about. When you are feeling good, try to keep that streak going. It's been a year of trying to find that good stroke and be able to keep it...

FLUSHING, N.Y. - After Stephen Strasburg's last start, in which he allowed four runs and needed 103 pitches to get through 5 1/3 innings, Davey Johnson frustratingly commented that his ace right-hander "really doesn't know who he is at times." The reactions to Strasburg's outing today were a little different. "That is the Strasburg I've known for a long time," Johnson said. "That's him. That's what he does." "I caught him before, it was really good," catcher Sandy Leon said....

The Arizona Fall League revealed its organization and staff announcements for the 2012 season, which commences Oct. 9. The Nationals will play with prospects from the Diamondbacks, White Sox, Rockies and Blue Jays for the Salt River Rafters at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Former major league third baseman Matt Williams is the manager and the Nationals will be represented by Mark Grater as the pitching coach. Grater is the Nationals' rehab pitching coordinator in Viera, Fla. The...

The Orioles' lineup tonight against Tampa Bay left-hander David Price includes Taylor Teagarden behind the plate and slumping Matt Wieters batting cleanup and serving as the designated hitter. Wieters is hitting .354/.418/.524 against left-handers. He's 7-for-21 lifetime against Price. Seeking more right-handers to face Price, manager Buck Showalter is inserting Steve Tolleson in left field. However, that leaves left-handed hitting Omar Quintanilla at second base. For the Orioles: Nick...

FLUSHING, N.Y. - What was a comfortable 5-1 ballgame in the eighth inning quickly turned intense. Henry Rodriguez found himself right in the middle of all the action. The righty walked two batters leading off the eighth, and was immediately pulled by Davey Johnson. Rodriguez threw 11 pitches, eight of which were balls. The struggling flame-thrower failed to record an out for the second straight outing. The two walks forced Johnson to go into scramble mode, as he went to a total of four...

FLUSHING, N.Y. - Over their last five games entering today, Nationals starters pounded the zone with fastballs, allowing them to keep their pitch counts low and work deep into games. Stephen Strasburg's following suit today. The Nationals righty needed just 48 pitches through four innings of work and now sits at 68 pitches through five, largely because he's challenged Mets hitters today. He worked mainly off his fastball, mixing in his changeup to keep hitters off-balance. Strasburg has...

FLUSHING, N.Y. - There's been some major movement going on in the National League East lately. First, it looked like the Braves were set to acquire Ryan Dempster from the Cubs, only to have that deal apparently fall through when Dempster seemed unwilling to go to Atlanta. Now, the Braves claim they've moved on from Dempster and are looking at other options. Then the Marlins traded Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante to the Tigers. Miami followed that deal up by shipping Hanley Ramirez and Randy...