Manager Buck Showalter most assuredly told reporters in Kansas City to "sleep fast." The Orioles have a day game after a night game that ended in the early morning. That's a quick turnaround. The Orioles were down by two runs in the top of the ninth inning, but they tied the game and won it in the 15th on Adam Jones' 12th home run of the season. The Orioles are 11-1 when Jones hits a home run. Nine of those homers have tied the game or given them a lead. Cha-ching! Didn't Tommy...

Manager Buck Showalter most assuredly told reporters in Kansas City to "sleep fast." The Orioles have a day game after a night game that ended in the early morning. That's a quick turnaround. The Orioles were down by two runs in the top of the ninth, but they tied the game and won it in 15 innings on Adam Jones' 12th home run of the season. The Orioles are 11-1 when Jones hits a home run. Nine of those homers have tied the game or given them a lead. Cha-ching! Didn't Tommy Hunter...

If you're the type who enjoys monitoring the division standings in May, you'll be thrilled to know that the Nationals wake up this morning atop the National League East. Washington's win over the Pirates last night coupled with the Braves' loss to Miami puts the Nats a half-game ahead of Atlanta in the division. Who's got the champagne? If you're the type who enjoys keeping track of all the latest with the Nationals' closing situation, you'll be interested to know that manager Davey...

Entering tonight's game, the Orioles were 10-1 when Adam Jones hit a home run this season. Make that now 11-1. And it only took 15 innings. The Orioles have produced some impressive comeback wins and they can now add tonight's in Kansas City to the list. Jones hit a long homer to left off Nate Adcock in the top of the 15th to give the Orioles a 4-3 win over the Royals. Jones was 0-for-6 on the night when he came to bat in the 15th. But he crushed a 2-2 pitch for his 12th homer of the...

The Orioles can't get enough of extra innings. They'll do 13, they'll do 17, they'll pretty much go all night. The bullpen is being stretched again, but massive amounts of credit go to left-hander Dana Eveland, who turned in three scoreless innings after replacing Darren O'Day. Eveland allowed one hit and struck out two. He retired the last seven batters that he faced. In his two previous outings, Eveland allowed four runs and seven hits, walked eight batters and hit four in 7 2/3...

Remember back a few months ago, when a large portion of the Nationals fan base was pushing for the team to sign Prince Fielder, a move which would have essentially kicked Adam LaRoche to the curb? Yeah, Davey Johnson does, too. And he's plenty happy the Nats stuck with LaRoche. "He's making that move look real good. That lack of move," Johnson chuckled after tonight's game. Considering the year LaRoche had last season, with the .172 batting average, the boos he received at Nationals...

There is a method to Davey's madness: leave him in. The strategy worked in two ways as starter Gio Gonzalez and closer Henry Rodriguez fought through varying threats to hold off the Pirates 7-4 on Wednesday. Gonzalez's line was impressive again, taking over the major league lead in strikeouts, momentarily, with 60 punch-outs courtesy of 10 strikeouts against Pittsburgh. Leading 4-1, Gonzalez gave up a two-run shot to Pirates third baseman Josh Harrison. And the seemingly comfortable...

Xavier Avery laid down a bunt in the third inning. It didn't lead to a run, but I'm writing about it anyway. Robert Andino led off the top of the third inning with a single, and Avery advanced him to second base with his first major league sacrifice bunt. Yes, we also can cross that one off the list. Royals starter Felipe Paulino fielded the ball, spun and bounced his throw to second - probably because he was trying to throw a 100 mph fastball. Andino slid in safely and Avery reached first...

If it feels to you like the Orioles have been getting off to better starts in games this year, you are right and there are the stats to prove it. The Orioles have a plus-15 run differential this year - that is, they have scored 15 more runs than their opponents - and that figure is a plus-14 over the first three innings of their games. The Orioles have outscored the opposition by a 56-42 margin in the opening three innings coming into this Kansas City series. Last year, they were outscored by...

The Nationals now have three solo home runs so far tonight, and if Bryce Harper's blast in the first inning had traveled just a few more feet, that total would be four. After Ian Desmond went yard in the third, Adam LaRoche and Xavier Nady blasted back-to-back homers in the sixth, opening up a 4-1 Nats lead on Erik Bedard and the Pirates. Bedard had set down 11 hitters in a row following Desmond's homer, seven of which came via the strikeout. But LaRoche crushed a 1-2 fastball into the...