When the Orioles and Nationals play, no hype for this series is needed for the first time. The teams have taken care of that and both are playing so well that they've turned this into a big series with the winning. The Orioles lead the American League East at 25-14. They have the best record in the AL, are 17-7 over the last 24 games and are 11 games over .500 for the first time since June 24, 2005. The Nationals feature two of the game's best young players in Bryce Harper and Stephen...

The April 22 Nationals-Marlins game at Nationals Park has been rescheduled as part of a traditional, single-admission doubleheader on Friday, August 3, with the first game beginning at 4:05 p.m. The second game will follow at 7:05 p.m. or later, depending on when the first game is completed. All tickets for the postponed April 22 game can be exchanged at the Nationals Park Box Office for seats of equal or lesser value for the August 3 doubleheader or any remaining regular or value home game...

It's kind of a shame that the Nationals weren't able to stay atop the National League East through the end of last night's action. It would have been fun to have two first-place teams battling it out this weekend in the Battle of the Beltways. We've sure had two last-place teams battling it out in this matchup enough times. The Nats (23-15) welcome the Orioles (25-14) to town this weekend for a three-game set between two teams off to hot - and surprising - starts. The O's currently have...

At 19 years, 211 days old, Bryce Harper wasn't even old enough to buy a beer to celebrate his first major league home run this week. The more than 400-foot blast off San Diego's Tim Stauffer, in Harper's 15th major league game and 54th at-bat, not only added to his lore but evoked memories of another vaunted prospect's first homer, almost 41 years earlier. Like Harper, Jeff Burroughs was the first overall pick in the amateur draft when the Washington Senators selected him in 1969. And like...

Of course you know that the Orioles are playing well above average so far during the 2012 season. But did you notice that it's been an above-average season for Eutaw Street home runs, as well? Batters have hit an average of three Eutaw Street home runs per season since Camden Yards opened in 1992; four such homers have already been hit this year. Eric Thames of the Blue Jays got things started on April 24. He was followed just four days later by the Orioles' Chris Davis on April 28. Thanks...

I said streaky player, not sneaky player. Although when he got on the mound, Chris Davis proved to be sneaky fast. If you go back over his last 29 games, you can see two real hot streaks and two real cold streaks at the plate for the Orioles first baseman. Davis may be about to make that three hot streaks in getting five hits the last two days in Kansas City. Here is the last month for Davis: * In three games from April 14-16, he went 8-for-12 with three doubles and a homer. * In seven...

For five innings, James McDonald overpowered the Nationals, his mid-90s fastball and dazzling curve holding them without a hit. In the sixth, the Nats finally were able to figure the Pirates starter out, touching McDonald for three extra-base hits and three runs. But it just wasn't quite enough. "We had a chance. We came back," manager Davey Johnson said. "The other guy pitched a heck of a five or six innings, but that was a tough one. We had runners on, we just couldn't get the big...

If there happens to be any issues with the Pirates' team charter, delaying tonight's flight to Detroit, I'm pretty sure the Nationals would be willing to pay for a commercial ticket for Andrew McCutchen. At this point, I think they'll do whatever it takes to get the guy out of D.C. McCutchen has worn out the Nationals in his career, and that didn't change today. The Pirates' center fielder went 2-for-4 with two home runs against the Nats tonight, the second of which came in the sixth...

It's time for interleague baseball and the return of the Battle of the Beltway, though I still insist on taking the Baltimore-Washington Parkway into D.C. Get ready to watch pitchers try to hit. Or lay down a bunt without losing two fingers. While we're waiting, I decided to break out another sequel to the always popular and occasionally sarcastic "Because You Asked." Why? Because I'm getting asked a lot of the same questions, and it makes sense to just post them here rather than have...

Southpaw