The Orioles have not put any runs on the board so far today through five innings against Angels right-hander Dan Haren. They trail 1-0 after four and a half innings. The Orioles are just 3-for-17 at bat today with three singles and eight strikeouts and have put just one runner in scoring position. The Orioles' bats have been scuffling a bit since that late-game homer explosion Monday night at Chicago. In the five games since, they have scored just 15 runs on 31 hits with a team average of...

Endy Chavez saved a run in the bottom of the first inning today, and for a team that's been so bad defensively, it's worth pointing out and embracing and asking for a second date. Chavez broke back for the fence and made a running, backhanded catch to rob Albert Pujols with one out and a runner on second base. This isn't an usual occurrence for Chavez. I've seen him race into the gap and to the line to make outstanding catches. He's a plus-defender, which makes him a solid fourth...

There are both positives and negatives that can be taken out of this afternoon's rained-out series finale between the Nationals and Marlins. First, the pluses. Ryan Zimmerman was scheduled to get today off to give his inflamed right shoulder a chance to rest. Now, he'll get that break without needing to miss an additional game. The rainout means Zimmerman will go into Tuesday's series opener in San Diego on three days of rest and having only been out of the Nats' lineup once....

The Orioles have placed left-hander Dontrelle Willis on the restricted list at Triple-A Norfolk. He had been on the minor league seven-day disabled list with a left forearm strain, but was moved to the restricted list Friday. When asked if Willis is healthy enough to pitch now, a club official said, "Yes," but would not comment on exactly why Willis is on the restricted list. I'll make an assumption here that everything is not smooth for some reason right now between Willis and the club...

Nolan Reimold remains out of the lineup today because of neck spasms. He'll get extra rest tomorrow because the Orioles don't have a game scheduled. For the Orioles: Endy Chavez LF J.J. Hardy SS Nick Markakis RF Adam Jones CF Chris Davis 1B Mark Reynolds DH Wilson Betemit 3B Ronny Paulino C Robert Andino 2B Wei-Yin Chen LHP

The rain is falling on the mound, It's falling on the plate, But when the Nats are 12 and 4, The next game's worth the wait. - Ted Leavengood There is nothing cloudy or damp about the superlatives being used to describe the Nationals' pitching staff. However, it is dedicated Nationals fans who are most aware of what it all means as they behold the endless parade of goose eggs, the never-ending lust for just one run, any run, no matter what it takes to make another great pitching...

Courtesy of the Orioles' PR staff: The last time the Orioles went on a 10-game road trip and finished with a record above .500 was Sept. 13-23, 2004, when they took two of three at Toronto and Minnesota and split four in Boston. The Orioles have not allowed a home run in their last 29 innings since Chicago's Alejandro De Aza went deep in the fourth inning Wednesday. It's the longest homerless stretch of the year by Orioles pitching. The Orioles have had consecutive three-error games for...

Today's Nationals-Marlins game scheduled to begin at 1:35 p.m. at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., has been postponed due to inclement weather. The make-up date will be announced in the coming days. Tickets for today's game can be exchanged at the Nationals Park Box Office for seats of equal or lesser value for the rescheduled makeup game or a Regular or Value game during the 2012 regular season.* For more information on exchanging tickets purchased through nationals.com or the...

The highly anticipated matchup of Gio Gonzalez and Josh Johnson will have to wait for another day. The final game of a three-game set between the Marlins and Nationals has been postponed due to inclement weather. No makeup date has yet been announced, but it will definitely not be tomorrow, as the Nats are flying out to West Coast for their six-game road trip. This means the Nationals will conclude their homestand with an impressive 8-2 record. They just missed out on securing a four-game...

A few days ago, I wrote that most fans would have been satisfied with a 5-5 record when this road trip began. The Orioles are one loss away from returning home with that record. Probably not as satisfying anymore. The Orioles have been swept once this season, by the Yankees at home. They'll try to avoid a repeat today in Anaheim. Fresh off his first major league win, left-hander Wei-Yin Chen will try to salvage one game of this series against the Angels. It won't happen if the Orioles...