Pitcher Roger Clemens has seven Cy Young Awards and six not-guilty counts in regards to perjury and performance-enhancing drugs. Those charges once threatened to derail his chances to make the Hall of Fame, but the prediction here is that the jury's unanimous verdict, issued Monday in Washington, D.C., will help him get to Cooperstown. Maybe not on the first ballot, but eventually Clemens will be there. The 500-plus voters of the Baseball Writers Association of America have given little...

It is obvious that Nationals first baseman Chris Marrero is feeling better and his torn hamstring is not giving him any trouble as he quickly moves up the ranks of the franchise's minor league system. A club source confirmed that Marrero has completed his rehab stint with Double-A Harrisburg and has reported to Triple-A Syracuse. Marrero already made quick stops at Single-A Hagerstown and Potomac. He originally tore his hamstring in winter ball, has also battled back from a slight shoulder...

I can't believe I'm actually asking this question right now, but is there a better starting pitcher in baseball as of today than R.A. Dickey? The guy who spent time with four organizations over a five-year span from 2006-2010, the guy who two years ago started the season in Triple-A, the guy who throws a knuckleball for God's sake, is the pitcher who no one in the majors wants to face right now. Dickey dominated the Nationals nearly two weeks ago, holding them scoreless over 7 1/3 innings...

If you followed Nationals spring training closely, you may have rightfully believed that Ryan Zimmerman was the best hitter on the planet. The 27-year-old was mashing the ball to all corners of the ballpark, and it looked as if the third baseman who once made his debut in Washington as a 20-year-old kid had finally reached his prime. While Zimmerman has started slowly on the stat sheet this season, everyone who was watching the games knew he was absolutely pounding the ball. On opening day,...

The Orioles didn't produce much offense on their recent nine-game road trip to Toronto, Tampa and Boston and they haven't produced much on this current trip to Atlanta and New York. In between those trips, the Orioles scored 44 runs with a .310 batting average during a six-game homestand. Why did the team hit so well and go 5-1 at home, but struggled to hit the last two road trips, going 5-8 in those games? Good question and the difference in offense is striking. The Birds hit .310 on that...

You've heard manager Buck Showalter rave about shortstop J.J. Hardy's defense. What does Hall of Famer Cal Ripken think about it? Funny I asked. "He doesn't do it flashy," Ripken said yesterday as we kicked back in the seats at the Aberdeen stadium that bears his last name. "He knows himself, he gets good jumps on the ball, he gets good reads, he positions himself well. I like all the little fundamental things he does. He gets there early on steal coverages, he makes tags the right way,...

Is there anything Chris Davis can't do? Even though I held my breath every time a ball was hit to right field this weekend, Davis has added the job skill of "major league right fielder" to his resume. It has been a remarkable season for Davis, as he continues to do things that he has never done before in the majors. He has played the outfield and pitched in his first major league game, but even more remarkable are the things he is doing at the plate. Davis' OPS+ of 132 is the highest of...

R.A. Dickey has been the best pitcher in baseball over his last five starts coming into tonight's outing and this evening, the Orioles found out why. The 37-year-old right-hander had his knuckleball dancing again tonight pitching a one-hitter as the Mets beat the Orioles 5-0 in game one of a three-game series. Dickey has now pitched back-to-back one-hitters becoming the first pitcher to do that since Toronto's Dave Steib in 1988. The O's lone hit was a single by Wilson Betemit with two...

Jake Arrieta had allowed one run in his last 12 2/3 innings when the Mets' Ike Davis stepped to the plate tonight with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the sixth. With one swing, a scoreless tie was shattered and Arrieta's run of success had been destroyed. Davis' first career grand slam gave New York a 4-0 lead against the Orioles, who have managed only one hit off knuckleballer R.A. Dickey. The Orioles hadn't allowed a run in 25 consecutive innings before the Mets batted...

Through four innings the Orioles have looked pretty helpless at the plate against Mets knuckleballer R.A. Dickey. Their only baserunner was Jake Arrieta, who drew a two-out walk in the third. Other than that, the Orioles have grounded out seven times and struck out five times against the right-hander. The offense has failed to hit the ball out of the infield through four innings. Dickey has thrown 53 pitches. The Mets right-hander is 10-1 with a 2.20 ERA on the year and is tied for first in...