Ever honest after a poor performance, Ross Detwiler put full responsibility on himself for the Nationals' 6-5 loss to the Orioles tonight. "I mean, give up six in five innings? That's awful," Detwiler said. "Put the team in a hole early and they did a great job trying to dig out and it was just too much, really." Detwiler allowed nine hits (a season high) and a walk over his five innings, and gave up two two-run home runs. He lacked command the entire night, struggling to locate his...

WASHINGTON - Jason Hammel couldn't extend the rotation's streak of quality starts to five, but he improved his record to 5-1. Hammel was charged with four runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He worked five innings in his last start. "It's same as last time, my leg," he said. "I get to a certain point now where it's almost like I'm pitching on one leg and transfer everything to the arm. I got one out further than last time, I guess, so that's good. We just have got to get the leg...

WASHINGTON - Manager Buck Showalter talked about starter Jason Hammel, his bullpen, the Nationals' comeback attempt, his red-hot center fielder and his ice-cold catcher following tonight's 6-5 win. Hammel was making his second start since being pushed back because of swelling in his right knee. He was good for a while, but it's clear that he's not all the way back. "No more than what he's been dealing with his last start," Showalter said. "Something we're aware of and we're going to...

When is a sellout not a sellout? How about Saturday night, when the nationally televised Orioles-Nationals game drew 42,331 to Nationals Park? Despite exceeding the stadium's listed capacity of 41,487 (see page 122 of the team's 2012 media guide), the throng that saw the middle game of the first "Battle of the Beltways" inteleague series this season won't go down in the record books as a sellout. No, your grasp of basic mathematics hasn't failed you. I can assure you that 42,331 is...

When you fall behind 6-0, you're asking a lot of your offense. You're asking even more when that group has scored the third-fewest runs of any offense in baseball this year. The Nationals lost to the Orioles 6-5 tonight, marking their third-straight defeat and giving them just their third series loss of the season. It wasn't for a lack of effort. Ross Detwiler allowed six runs on nine hits over his five innings of work, and put his team in quite a hole. The Nats trailed 6-0 in the fifth...

It seems like the Orioles have had to come up with a big play or big hit in late innings to win a lot of recent games. Tonight, they came up with some big hits early, and then had to hold off the Nationals late in the game. Adam Jones and Nick Markakis homered again - this time each hit two-run shots - as the Orioles beat the Nats 6-5 tonight in front of 42,331 at Nats Park to take the first two games of this series. Ryan Zimmerman homered off Jim Johnson with two outs in the last of the...

WASHINGTON - This one wasn't easy, but the Orioles made sure that they'll leave Nationals Park with a series victory. The Orioles won again tonight, 6-4, with Jim Johnson picking up his 15th save in 15 tries this season, and his 23rd in 23 chances since last August, though it got a little tense near the end. The Orioles have won 19 of their last 26 games. They're still two games ahead of Tampa Bay in the American League East. The bullpen came up big again, giving the Orioles 3 1/3...

Ross Detwiler put the Nationals in a hole. They're slowly working their way out of it. The Orioles came through with six runs off Detwiler in just five innings, and jumped out to a 6-0 lead after four and a half. Detwiler allowed 10 baserunners in his time on the mound tonight (nine hits, one walk) and wasn't fooling anyone all outing. Two of those nine hits were two-run home runs, which came off the bats of Adam Jones and Nick Markakis. But the Nats are battling back, and now trail just...

WASHINGTON - Jason Hammel gave up his first run tonight when the Nationals strung together three consecutive two-out singles in the bottom of the fifth, the last one by Steve Lombardozzi. Orioles 6, Nationals 1. Four of the last five Nationals have hits against Hammel, including Ryan Zimmerman, who led off the sixth with a double. Five of the last six have reached base after Adam LaRoche followed with a walk. Hammel is trying to produce the rotation's fifth consecutive quality start, but...

WASHINGTON - It's become a tradition of sorts. The Orioles play a game, and Adam Jones hits a home run. And he hits them a long, long way. Jones crushed a Ross Detwiler pitch in the third inning for his 14th home run of the season, a two-run shot that extended the Orioles' lead to 4-0. Detwiler tried to blow a 93-mph fastball past him. Cha-ching! The Orioles are 12-1 when Jones homers. Coincidence? Jones has homered in four of his last five games. He didn't hit No. 14 last year until...