The Orioles are currently in first place. But by the end of a 162-game season they won't be, and it's largely due to the fact that baseball is a fair sport. First, let's define fairness in this context. Fairness doesn't relate to payroll. The balance of baseball bucks decidedly favors roughly a quarter of major league teams. Instead, I use fairness in relation to the concept of "May the best team win." Stated simply, a 162-game regular season doesn't allow for flukes. Love it or hate...

Jayson Werth has been dealing with a hip injury lately, and with the Nationals trailing by six runs late in the game on a cool night, manager Davey Johnson opted to pull Werth entering the seventh inning. Werth, who was replaced in right field by Mark DeRosa, declined to speak to reporters after the game, but his injury is not thought to be serious. Davey Johnson meets with the media after the Nats' 11-4 loss to the Astros Tom Gorzelanny's ERA took a big-time jump tonight, from 0.00 before...

Nationals right-hander Edwin Jackson was fresh off a spectacular complete game two-hitter Saturday over the Reds, 4-1. Jackson was taxed for only 92 pitches, striking out nine and walking one. Cincinnati managed one runner past second base the entire game. But it was a whole different story Thursday. Facing a Houston team that had scored five runs in three games of the series against the Nationals, the Astros set a franchise record with three triples in a five-run first inning to stun Jackson...

Two monster innings doomed the Nationals tonight. They were almost able to overcome the first. They had no chance of overcoming the second. The Astros put up five runs in both the first and sixth innings tonight, and cruised to an 11-4 win over the Nats, spoiling Washington's shot at a four-game sweep. Nationals starter Edwin Jackson allowed five runs over five innings of work, but the main damage was done in the sixth, after the Nats had crept back to cut the Houston lead to 5-4. Tom...

For the last two weeks, Ryan Zimmerman's been talking about how he feels like he's swinging the bat well, but just isn't getting the results. He got some results in the third inning tonight. Facing Astros starter Bud Norris, Zimmerman got the Nationals right back in tonight's ballgame, ripping a three-run homer to deep left field. It's the first home run of the season for Zimmerman and cuts the Nats' deficit to just one at 5-4 after they had trailed by five just two innings prior. The...

Five days ago, Edwin Jackson tossed a complete-game gem, allowing one run on two hits with nine strikeouts. Yeah, things haven't gone quite that smoothly so far this outing. Jackson got lit up in the first inning tonight, allowing six straight hits and five runs. Remarkably, three of Houston's six hits were triples, marking the first time in Astros history they've recorded three triples in an inning. It also ties an Astros record for most triples in a single game. Jackson was able to...

If someone told you at the start of this road trip that the Orioles would split their 10 games in Toronto, Chicago and Anaheim, I'm guessing that most of you would have taken it. Well, 5-5 is the worst that the Orioles can do with three games remaining against the Angels, and they're not going to be satisfied with .500. The Orioles have played two road series and won both of them, taking two of three games from the Blue Jays and three of four from the White Sox. They didn't win their...

Five days ago, Edwin Jackson tossed a complete-game gem, allowing one run on two hits with nine strikeouts. Yeah, things haven't gone quite that smoothly so far this outing. Jackson got lit up in the first inning tonight, allowing six straight hits and five runs. Remarkably, three of Houston's six hits were triples, marking the first time in Astros history they've recorded three triples in an inning. It also ties an Astros record for most triples in a single game. Jackson was able to...

When Bryce Harper was demoted to minor league camp back in spring training, he joked that it was probably for the best. Harper's rationale was that had he made the Nationals out of spring, when - not if - he started slow, people would've been all over him. The basis for that wisecrack was that Harper has struggled early on at literally every new level of ball that he's reached. It happened at the College of Southern Nevada, it happened at his professional stop at the Arizona Fall League,...

The Nationals started Tyler Moore in left field again Thursday night for the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs. It was his second career game in the outfield after playing first base exclusively. Moore made one catch Monday with no problems and general manager Mike Rizzo said the 25-year-old will continue to see time in the outfield this season. "He just started working out in the outfield," Rizzo said. "We've got our outfield coordinator, Tony Tarasco, kind of putting him through the paces. He's...