WASHINGTON - Matt Wieters doesn't have a hit in his last 18 at-bats. He has four hits in his last 40. He has no concerns about this slump. "It's just one of those stretches," said Wieters, who batted .342 during a nine-game hitting streak April 29-May 8. "I haven't really been hitting too many balls hard lately, but the good thing is we've still been winning games. I'm definitely going to put in some extra work to where I get back to feeling good like it was a week or so ago....

Yes, the Nationals will have a guy with 48 strikeouts - tied for fourth-most in the majors - and a .291 on-base percentage in the leadoff spot today. If Ian Desmond isn't a traditional leadoff guy, Danny Espinosa is even less so. Espinosa did hit a ball really hard during his pinch-hitting appearance last night, so there's that. We'll see if a move to the top of the lineup can get him jump-started. In 170 career plate appearances out of the leadoff spot, Espinosa has struggled, however,...

WASHINGTON - As expected, Luis Exposito will catch today while Matt Wieters takes a break. Rookie Xavier Avery is leading off. Wilson Betemit is starting at third base and Chris Davis is starting at first. For the Orioles: Xavier Avery LF J.J. Hardy SS Nick Markakis RF Adam Jones CF Wilson Betemit 3B Chris Davis 1B Robert Andino 2B Luis Exposito C Wei-Yin Chen LHP

Yesterday's Nationals lineup had success with second baseman Steve Lombardozzi hitting in the leadoff spot. Today, Davey Johnson will again put his second baseman atop the lineup. Today, though, it's Danny Espinosa, who will get the start at second. Ian Desmond will hit fifth for the second consecutive day. The Nats will face O's lefty Wei-Yin Chen, who has gotten off to a great start, going 4-0 with a 2.45 ERA. Stephen Strasburg gets the ball for the Nats, looking to put an end to a...

WASHINGTON - Miguel Tejada is batting fourth and serving as the designated hitter today for Triple-A Norfolk. It's Tejada's first game outside of extended spring training. Brad Bergesen, who cleared waivers and was outrighted, will start for the Tides. The Orioles haven't posted their lineup. The Nats beat them to it. At least the Nats can brag about beating them once this weekend. Danny Espinosa 2B Bryce Harper CF Ryan Zimmerman 3B Adam LaRoche 1B Ian Desmond SS Xavier Nady RF Tyler...

For all the Orioles fans that can remember when it seemed like a .500 record was much too much to ask for, what must they be thinking now watching their team at 27-14 and leading the American League East by two games? Everyone is chasing the Orioles right now, who own the AL's best record. Heavy stuff for a team working on a 14-season losing streak. Just in the last week or so, the Orioles continued to do impressive things daily and nightly. After losing a series to Texas, they took two of...

What a great atmosphere we had here at Nationals Park tonight, as 42,331 packed the yard to catch an exciting game between two surprisingly successful teams early in the season. Tonight was actually the second-largest crowd in the history of Nats Park, yet, despite that fact, it wasn't even a sellout. Those on hand watched the Nationals fall behind big early and then scratch their way back in the middle innings. Things got really good in the ninth when Ryan Zimmerman smacked a two-out homer...

Ever honest after a poor performance, Ross Detwiler put full responsibility on himself for the Nationals' 6-5 loss to the Orioles tonight. "I mean, give up six in five innings? That's awful," Detwiler said. "Put the team in a hole early and they did a great job trying to dig out and it was just too much, really." Detwiler allowed nine hits (a season high) and a walk over his five innings, and gave up two two-run home runs. He lacked command the entire night, struggling to locate his...

WASHINGTON - Jason Hammel couldn't extend the rotation's streak of quality starts to five, but he improved his record to 5-1. Hammel was charged with four runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He worked five innings in his last start. "It's same as last time, my leg," he said. "I get to a certain point now where it's almost like I'm pitching on one leg and transfer everything to the arm. I got one out further than last time, I guess, so that's good. We just have got to get the leg...

WASHINGTON - Manager Buck Showalter talked about starter Jason Hammel, his bullpen, the Nationals' comeback attempt, his red-hot center fielder and his ice-cold catcher following tonight's 6-5 win. Hammel was making his second start since being pushed back because of swelling in his right knee. He was good for a while, but it's clear that he's not all the way back. "No more than what he's been dealing with his last start," Showalter said. "Something we're aware of and we're going to...