When Ian Desmond hit his solo home run off Matt Cain in the seventh inning, cutting the Giants' lead to 5-2, Bryce Harper turned to Adam LaRoche, who was seated next to him on the bench. "We're going to win this game," Harper said. "Just be ready for it." If Harper finds himself out of a job anytime soon, he could replace Miss Cleo. Danny Espinosa immediately followed Desmond's homer with one of his own, and by the time the seventh inning ended, Cain was out of the game and the...

Jake Arrieta got plenty of run support tonight. Manager Buck Showalter didn't think it was going to be enough. Showalter yanked Arrieta with two outs in the fourth inning, a runner on base and the Orioles leading, 7-5. Luis Ayala gave up an RBI single to Torii Hunter to complete Arrieta's line, and he surrendered two runs of his own, as the Angels took an 8-7 lead. Arrieta has gone 3 2/3 innings in his last two starts and allowed a combined 11 runs and 13 hits. And he almost sent his...

Over the first six innings of tonight's ballgame, the Nationals managed just one run and four hits. Over the final three frames, they put up five runs on eight hits. There was a clear shift in the seventh inning, when Matt Cain began to tire. With his pitch count rising and the muggy conditions possibly beginning to wear on him, Cain served up back-to-back homers to Ian Desmond and Danny Espinosa in the seventh. Pinch hitter Mark DeRosa then doubled, and he came around to score on Bryce...

Right-hander Kevin Pucetas was moving swiftly through his seventh start of the season Thursday before an injury forced him to leave Double-A Harrisburg's contest against Bowie. Pucetas retired the first seven hitters he faced, striking out four, walking none and not allowing a hit or run in 2 1/3 innings. He faced seven batters and threw 31 pitches, 21 for strikes. Harrisburg eventually won the game 8-6. The Senators led 1-0 when Pucetas departed. It was unfortunate that Pucetas had to...

Nationals right-hander Drew Storen was pleased with his first appearance in a minor league rehab game since his recovery from elbow surgery to remove a bone chip. Storen started for high Single-A Potomac against Frederick on Thursday. He pitched a scoreless first inning, facing three batters and not allowing a hit or run. Storen induced a groundout and flyout in the short stint at Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge, Va. After the outing, Storen said there is still work to do, but said he is on...

We have a lineup change for the Orioles. Chris Davis has been scratched and Ryan Flaherty is starting in right field. Matt Wieters moves up to third. Reporters in Anaheim were told Davis has a right trapezius strain. For the Orioles: Xavier Avery LF J.J. Hardy SS Matt Wieters C Adam Jones CF Jim Thome DH Wilson Betemit 3B Mark Reynolds 1B Ryan Flaherty RF Robert Andino 2B Jake Arrieta RHP Manager Buck Showalter told reporters that Miguel Gonzalez will start tomorrow night. Left-hander...

In five innings of work, Ross Detwiler allowed 11 hits and two walks. Yep, 13 baserunners in five innings. Somehow, despite all the grey, pinstriped players moving around the bases so far tonight, Detwiler managed to hold the Giants to just three runs. I'm not entirely sure how the Nationals lefty did it. He did benefit from a slick 5-4 double play in the fourth and has twice struck out Giants pitcher Matt Cain to end an inning. Still, he's incredibly lucky to be trailing just 3-1 as we...

Drew Storen's latest step in his recovery from right elbow surgery was a positive one. The right-hander started tonight's game for Single-A Potomac at Pfitzner Stadium against Frederick, working a scoreless first inning. It was Storen's first game action since having a small bone fragment removed from his pitching elbow in April. The uneventful frame started when Storen got Keys leadoff man John Reuttiger to foul out to third baseman Chad Tracey (who is also on a minor league injury...

Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg have been generating a lot of hype these days, and rightfully so. Both are exciting young players who should lead the Nationals' attempts at glory for the next 10 years or so. But there's no questioning that the face of the franchise remains third baseman Ryan Zimmerman. Zimmerman struggled mightily for most of the first three months of the season and the rest of the Nats' offense followed. He got out of the gate cold. He suffered an injury to the A/C...

Wondering how Drew Storen will be used once he's back from his lengthy rehab from elbow surgery? If so, this entry's for you. Manager Davey Johnson said again today that Tyler Clippard will remain his closer once Storen is back with the Nationals, which the team expects to be just after the All-Star break. Johnson feels Clippard is closing as well as anyone in the league right now, and the numbers back him up on that. So with Clippard in the ninth-inning role and Sean Burnett proving to be...