It is certainly noteworthy that the two left-handed starters who fought for the last spot in the Washington rotation in March were the ones who stood up to the Braves four months later when the games really counted. Lohn Lannan lost out when the Nats came north in the spring, and he probably deserved better. But after this weekend, no one will ever again question whether he has enough heart to pitch in the majors. Assuming that the Lannan who pitched to a 4.89 ERA at Triple-A Syracuse was on...

So far this season, the Nationals have seen their opening day catcher, shortstop, third baseman, left fielder, center fielder and right fielder land on the disabled list. Their closer missed over half the season. Their top pinch hitter is still on the DL. Multiple relievers have missed time. Their projected fifth starter has suffered two separate injuries. Three backup catchers have been placed on the disabled list, all within two weeks of getting brought up to the big leagues. "I know a lot...

After 14 consecutive losing seasons, there's bound to be angst on the part of any fan base. Bearing that in mind, I think there's something that a lot of fans are struggling with right now: The Orioles are in contention. Back when the season started and things were going so well, my public stance on Birds Watcher was that it was early and we had to see how things played out. Privately, while I kept that advice in the back of my mind, I also felt that this time might be just a bit different....

With the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline approaching, there's a new wrinkle in the discussion: How much of the future should a team give up for a chance to become a wild card team that could play just one postseason game? Usually, there are dozens of players moving in trades at this time of year, but with compensation rules and so many more buyers than sellers, it's hard to determine how adding two wild card teams, one in each league, will affect transactions at the deadline. A year ago...

It sure makes it easier to win when your pitching staff gives up 10 runs over a five-game stretch. And it was seven before the ninth inning Sunday. Before this win streak, the Orioles had lost six of seven games and they gave up 45 runs during those six losses. Pretty easy to note the difference. By the way, seldom will you see a player not produce a hit, score a run or have an RBI with a better game than Taylor Teagarden had Sunday. He caught Zach Britton and the two that followed him to the...

After watching the Orioles for 95 games, I've come to the conclusion that the only thing they do consistently is fail to hit with runners in scoring position. Otherwise, they're all over the map. The rotation is good, bad and good again. It's strung together five consecutive quality starts, which was unimaginable a week ago. The bullpen has been outstanding for most of the season, but the starters' early exits had caused cracks to form in it. Remove the ninth inning yesterday, and the...

Aaron Baker, who leads all Orioles minor leaguers this season with 22 homers and 76 RBIs, suffered an oblique injury today during batting practice with Double-A Bowie and the injury could keep him out for the rest of the season. Sometimes, these types of injuries can take four to six weeks to heal and there are only about six weeks remaining in the minor league regular season. The 24-year-old Baker was acquired by the Orioles from the Pirates last July 30 in a deal for then-O's first...

In Davey Johnson's eyes, today was "bittersweet." The Nationals lost Ian Desmond for at least a couple of weeks with a torn left oblique. They also dominated the Braves, notching a 9-2 win over their NL East rivals. That gave them a big series split and allowed them to retake a 3 1/2-game lead in the division. If you're going to lose your All-Star shortstop, you might as well do some damage to your top division contender, as well. "We didn't want them to come into our house and leaving...

It certainly is never a good thing when you lose a starting position player, especially one as important as shortstop Ian Desmond. But Danny Espinosa, who is a natural shortstop, has gotten hot at the plate at just the right time. And the Nationals are going to need him now for what could be an extended period of time with the news that Desmond is out with a tear in his left oblique. "That is a big loss," Espinosa said. "Ian has done unbelievable for this year. From defense to hitting,...

It's been a stunning five days of pitching by the Orioles. Since giving up 25 runs in losses Monday and Tuesday at Minnesota, the Orioles now have a five-game win streak during which they have given up ten total runs. Zach Britton pitched six shutout innings today as the Orioles beat Cleveland 4-3. Britton gave up four hits with two walks and five strikeouts, throwing 104 pitches. The Orioles entered this series with a 7-18 record at Cleveland since 2004. But a win Monday night there would...