PHILADELPHIA - Roy Halladay normally dominates the Nationals. I mean dominates them. Coming into today, Halladay was 11-0 with a 2.09 ERA in his last 13 starts against Montreal/Washington. Today has been a different story, however. The Nats have struck for five runs and eight hits off Halladay through five innings, and hold a 5-1 lead over the Phillies as we go to the sixth. Halladay allowed four runs in the third inning, two coming on a triple to right-center off the bat of Bryce Harper....

Steve Tolleson now has two major league home runs. Tolleson, starting at third base tonight, hit a two-run shot off Boston left-hander Felix Doubront in the second inning to give the Orioles a 2-0 lead. His other homer came on Sept. 26, 2010. Kevin Youkilis, who rejoined the Red Sox today after a stint at Triple-A Pawtucket, homered to center field off Brian Matusz in the fourth to reduce the lead to 2-1. A typical night for Youkilis against the Orioles. He has 22 homers and 84 RBIs in 374...

Tonight, the Orioles are trying to get back to 12 games over .500 with a win over the Red Sox. Even with last night's loss, the Orioles have won seven of their last nine and eight of their past 11 games against Boston. But the Red Sox have now won nine of their last 11 games overall, outscoring their opponents, 64-31 with a team ERA of 2.69 in that stretch. Some O's hot hitters heading into tonight's game: * Adam Jones is batting .345 (19-for-55) during a 13-game hitting streak that ties...

Brian Roberts said he'll play second base and bat two or three times in his first few games at Double-A Bowie. He isn't sure how many games he'll play in a row or how often he'll be used as the designated hitter. "It's essentially spring training, so it could be two days, it could be four days in a row. I don't really know yet," he said. "As my doctor likes to say, it's a fluid situation, so we're just going to play it by ear each day." Roberts indicated yesterday that he could...

PHILADELPHIA - You've got to appreciate Tyler Clippard's honesty. Asked how he'd feel about being given a shot at the closer's role, the 27-year-old righty didn't mince words. "I want it bad," Clippard said today. "I've been fighting for the opportunity for three years now. I feel like I've been over-stepped a few times along the way for the opportunity to get those saves, for whatever reason. I don't really know. But they have a plan and I trust their plan. "We've had a good...

PHILADELPHIA - Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman has been scratched from today's Nationals lineup less than an hour before first pitch. When it rains, it pours. The scratch was a "manager's decision", according to a Nationals spokesman, who said that Zimmerman will be available to pinch hit. Chad Tracy will take Zimmerman's place in the lineup straight up, meaning he'll play third and hit third. This is the second time this year a Nats player has scratched because of a "manager's...

PHILADELPHIA - Henry Rodriguez will not be closing ballgames for the Nationals for the near future. Manager Davey Johnson announced today that he's going to go with a closer-by-committee going forward, and will use Rodriguez - who has struggled in save situations of late - in spots where there is less pressure riding on him. "Henry has been great," Johnson said. "(Lately), he's been not so great. I think he might be trying too hard. Probably change his role, put him in a little less...

Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts, who hasn't played in a game since May 16, 2011, will begin a minor league rehab assignment tomorrow night at Double-A Bowie. Manager Buck Showalter made the announcement on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Report on MASN, and the Orioles confirmed it in a tweet. Showalter said he expects Roberts to take the full 20 days, the maximum that a position player can spend on a rehab assignment. Pitchers get 30 days. Roberts has amped up his workout routine, taking...

To say the least, the improvement of 22-year-old outfielder Xavier Avery has been impressive. He has played nine big league games now and been hitless in just three. One of those was last night, but he still scored a run and drove in a run with an impressive bases-loaded walk against Boston. Avery's numbers were up pretty much across the board this year at Triple-A Norfolk over what he hit last season with Double-A Bowie. He has continued to put up good numbers since joining the...

It now appears that