Don't look now, but after last night's games, the Orioles no longer lead the major leagues in bullpen ERA. Cincinnati and Pittsburgh have 'pen ERAs of 2.70 and the Orioles' mark went up to 2.71. That still ranks first in the American League. The Orioles bullpen has now given up runs in eight straight games; before this, five in a row was the longest stretch of the year. Over those eight games, the 'pen ERA is 5.81, raising the season number from 2.30 to that current 2.71. The Orioles...

The Nationals will wear their normal red hats for this afternoon's 11:05 a.m. start, with a patriotic twist: The curly W will be camouflage. Trust me when I say that the special July 4 hats look pretty sweet. Happy Fourth of July to everyone out there. Hope your BBQs are fun, the fireworks shine brightly tonight and we get some good baseball this morning, even if it's far too early for me to be at the stadium. I'll be hitting up the press box coffee machine quite a few times over the...

The Orioles announced after tonight's game that they have optioned right-hander Steve Johnson to Triple-A Norfolk. Johnson was recalled from the Tides on Monday and did not appear in a game with the Orioles in his two days with the team. He was 3-5 with a 2.73 ERA (62.2IP, 19ER) in 14 games (nine starts) for the Tides.

You've heard of good wins. Last night's win was a good one. It helps little old ladies across the street. It picks up your tab. It mows your lawn in the middle of the summer. It raises your allowance. It restores your power. It lets you merge into heavy traffic. It hires Lindsay Lohan to work your next bachelor party. Wei-Yin Chen turned in an inspired performance, carrying a perfect game into the seventh inning before being charged with two runs. Pedro Strop gave up three straight hits in...

A pitcher on a roll takes a perfect game into the seventh inning but doesn't even get a win. A struggling hitter delivers a huge home run. Just another night with the Baltimore Orioles. Wei-Yin Chen lost a perfect game bid when Casper Wells hit a solo homer off him after he had retired the first 19 batters tonight. The O's took a 4-1 lead for Chen into the last of the eighth, but reliever Pedro Strop gave up three singles, hit a batter and issued a bases-loaded walk as the Orioles lost the...

As if the later part of tonight wasn't crazy enough, with an 85-minute rain delay which only saw about 15 minutes of rain and a 12-hour turnaround until first-pitch tomorrow, the Nationals had some theatrics go on before the game, as well. This afternoon, while throwing a bullpen session, Chien-Ming Wang felt a little something in his hip. He was checked out by Nationals' doctors, who determined that Wang had a hip strain and needed to be placed on the disabled list. That meant, in order to...

Manager Davey Johnson had preached just two weeks ago about how he wanted his hitters to be "patiently aggressive at the plate." He sensed the hitters were a little anxious and were trying too hard sometimes to make things happen. From the Orioles series to the first game in Colorado, the Nationals managed just seven runs in four games. But Denver is always a good place to start hitting when you get to swing the bat in Coors Field. And the Nationals did just that. The trend continued in...

It's unfortunate that an injury is the reason why outfielder Xavier Avery is back in the majors, but he's making an impact again tonight. Batting leadoff with Brian Roberts on the disabled list, Avery is 2-for-3 with a run scored, and he's a central figure in this game, which had been scoreless until the sixth inning. Avery led off the inning with his second hit of the night and later scored on Chris Davis' third hit of the series. Talk about setting a tone. Avery began a streak of four...

The Orioles today announced that they have placed INF BRIAN ROBERTS on the 15-day disabled list with a right groin strain, retroactive to July 2, and recalled OF XAVIER AVERY from Triple-A Norfolk. Roberts has batted .182/.233/.182 in 17 games since making his return from a concussion on June 12. On June 22, he passed AL BUMBRY and into a tie for sixth place with KEN SINGLETON for multi-hit games with the O's (388). Avery is joining Baltimore for the third time this season. He has batted...

The Washington Nationals today placed right-handed pitcher Chien-Ming Wang on the 15-Day Disabled List, retroactive to July 1, with a right hip strain and returned from rehab and reinstated right-handed pitcher Henry Rodriguez from the DL. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Rodriguez was 1-3 with nine saves and a 5.14 ERA in 24 appearances this season with Washington before being placed on the 15-Day Disabled List on...