Chien-Ming Wang faced hitters today for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury during a spring training outing on March 15, and the reports on Wang out of the Nationals' complex in Viera, Fl. were positive. Wang threw 35 pitches today, and manager Davey Johnson said the veteran right-hander threw well and came out feeling healthy. "Really good, hard sink," Johnson said. "Had a great curveball, which, we saw that in the Yankee (game) his last outing before he hurt his hammy. But...

CHICAGO - Endy Chavez will start in right field tonight, with Nick Markakis serving as the designated hitter. Markakis is in a 3-for-35 slump. For the Orioles: Nolan Reimold LF J.J. Hardy SS Nick Markakis DH Adam Jones CF Matt Wieters C Endy Chavez RF Mark Reynolds 3B Chris Davis 1B Robert Andino 2B Tommy Hunter RHP

CHICAGO - A victory tonight would put the Orioles a season-high four games above .500 and assure a series win over the White Sox. Since Sept. 12, 2011, the Orioles are 6-1-1 in their last eight series. They're 18-10 in their last 28 games. The Orioles are 16-10 in their last 26 road games since Aug. 22, 2011. Seven of the first 11 games this season have been decided by one or two runs, and the Orioles have gone 5-2. The Orioles' 20 home runs rank second in the majors behind Texas'...

When it comes to picking a walk-out song, most major league relievers select something intense, something that will get their adrenaline flowing and pump them up as they jog out to the mound. Longtime Padres closer Trevor Hoffman used AC/DC's "Enter Sandman". Ryan Mattheus goes a different route. A very different route. You might have noticed that when the Nationals call on Mattheus, their 28-year-old reliever, in the late innings of a game, the music that blares through the speakers at...

Much has been made of when Bryce Harper will be called up to the majors. But what about Tyler Moore? Just this week, the career first baseman got his first taste of playing left field. He made one catch with no problems. Triple-A Syracuse manager Tony Beasley said they will get Moore more playing time in the outfield. Tuesday he was back at first base. He has played 425 games at first base and now one in left field. But Moore has been scorching the ball. The last 10 games, Moore is batting...

I know what you were thinking when the ball was hit to Wilson Betemit with two outs and the bases loaded in the last of the ninth last night. You were thinking that third base has been a disaster for the Orioles on defense this year and now the White Sox hit the ball to the third sacker with the game on the line. Yikes, anywhere but that! But Betemit made a very nice play and the Orioles won again to improve their first place record to 7-4. After 11 games my advice to the Orioles fans is...

Maybe somewhat lost during the Orioles 7-4 start which has featured some longball bashing and solid starting pitching is that the Orioles' bullpen has been pretty solid this year as well. Outside of that Kevin Gregg meltdown Sunday in Toronto the bullpen has been very good. The 'pen ERA on the year is 2.75 and if you take away Sunday's game that lowers to 1.82. In last night's 3-2 win, four pitchers combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings. It was all needed as Darren O'Day, Troy Patton,...

There was a time, back in the first year of the National League, when the same pitcher threw nearly every game of the season. That was 1876. Jim Devlin started and completed 68 of 69 games played by Louisville. Back then, the ball was thrown underhand and pitching careers were shorter. It wasn't until 1884 that pitchers were allowed to toss overhand - closer to the formation of the game we now watch daily from April to October - allowing more speed, but more stress, to envelop the arm. That...

The Orioles' hot start here in 2012 should not give rise to indulgent thoughts of a winning season. That much has to be said up front. It's true that there's plenty to enjoy so far, but let's take it game by game. Odds are, this team will still eventually lose more than they win. Let's say for the sake of argument, however, that they keep this up. Let's say that April turns into May and the win total is still in the black. Would then it be wise to dream of 82 wins, or more? Alas, no....

Teams aren't supposed to win games when they score three runs or fewer. Teams aren't supposed to be cruising along when they have a collective slugging percentage of .348 or be in first place when their five top outfielders have combined to drive in nine runs in 12 games. Yet, here the Nationals are. Two weeks into the season, Washington owns a 9-3 record and sits atop the National League East by a game and a half. The question now going forward is whether this pattern can continue. Can...