If the Oriole Way is all about pitching and defense, the 2012 team is missing half of that equation. The Orioles committed three more errors tonight, and it would have been four if the official scorer hadn't removed one from catcher Matt Wieters and given Erick Aybar a single. Brian Matusz gave up six runs and nine hits in five innings but two of the runs were unearned. Who knows how much his outing would have changed without the two Robert Andino errors, or if first baseman Chris Davis had...

On a night when his teammates didn't support him much at times on both offense and defense, Brian Matusz gave up six runs to take another loss as the Los Angeles Angels beat the Orioles 6-3 in game one of a three-game series in Anaheim, Calif. Matusz allowed nine hits and four earned runs over five-plus innings as he falls to 0-3 with an ERA of 7.98. He is now 0-12 since his last win on June 6, 2011. The club record for consecutive losing decisions is 13 by Mike Boddicker over parts of the...

It's long been assumed that when Chien-Ming Wang returns from his hamstring injury, the fifth spot in the Nationals' rotation is his, and Ross Detwiler will move to the bullpen. Wang is a proven veteran who twice has won 19 games in a season, and the Nationals loved what they saw from the 32-year-old this spring prior to the injury he suffered during a Grapefruit League start on March 15. But with Detwiler throwing the heck out of the ball to start the season (I'm now borrowing one of...

Right-hander Tyler Clippard remembered an at-bat like the 14-pitch marathon he endured versus former Nationals infielder Emilio Bonifacio on Friday night. It wasn't last year or when he was starter with the Yankees in 2007. It was this season: the second game at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs. In the eighth inning on April 7, Clippard squared off against outfielder Reed Johnson. The 11-pitch battle ended with a foul tip strikeout to end the frame. On Friday, also in the eighth...

Davey Johnson pretty much summed up Rick Ankiel's impact on today's 2-0 Nationals win in one simple sentence. "He was basically our offense and our defense," the Nats' skipper said. Ankiel did it all tonight, hitting his first home run of the season, scoring both of the Nationals' runs, showing fantastic aggressiveness and intelligence on the basepaths, tracking down balls in the gap and letting his arm further intimidate baserunners. "It was a great game, outstanding game," Johnson...

What a day for Rick Ankiel. Oh, and the Nationals' pitching staff fared pretty nicely, as well. Ankiel had a home run, single and double, and scored both of the Nats' runs tonight in a 2-0 win over the Marlins. The veteran center fielder went 3-for-3, while the rest of the Nationals' hitters combined to go 1-for-25. Ankiel's solo homer gave the Nats a 1-0 lead in the third inning, and his double in the bottom of the eighth helped provide a huge insurance run. On the double, right...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter told reporters in Anaheim that Tsuyoshi Wada is bothered by some neck stiffness, which tells me two things: Wada's stay on the disabled list could last longer than anticipated, and he's been hanging out with Nolan Reimold. Remember when lower back stiffness was all the rage? Wada's neck apparently was an issue before he gave up six runs in 2 2/3 innings yesterday for Triple-A Norfolk. The Orioles must decide whether to give Wada another start on his injury...

Ross Detwiler's day is done after six strong innings of work. In his third start of the season, Detwiler held the Marlins scoreless over his six frames, allowing just three hits and a walk. He struck out seven, tying a career high, and needed just 79 pitches to get through the sixth. He leaves with a 1-0 lead and Craig Stammen coming out of the bullpen to take over in relief. I know Detwiler was used primarily as a reliever in spring training and the Nationals are still trying to stretch...

The Nationals' first baserunner of the night was only on the bases for a few seconds. Rick Ankiel's solo home run to deep center has given the Nats a 1-0 lead as we go to the fourth inning. Ankiel got a 2-0 sinker from Marlins starter Carlos Zambrano and crushed it over the centerfield wall for his first longball of the season. Ankiel has also made his presence felt on the defensive side, as yet again, a runner declined to tag up on a fly ball to the Nationals center fielder. Earlier this...

It is just a hunch on my part, but unless it goes really south for Brian Matusz tonight in Anaheim, I don't think he is pitching for his rotation spot tonight. He earned his way into the opening day rotation with his offseason work and a good spring. I don't think that ends after three starts. Perhaps his spot would be more shaky if Tsuyoshi Wada had pitched better at Triple-A yesterday, but he gave up six runs in 2 2/3 innings and seems not yet ready to join the big club. That said,...