The word was already out prior to last night. But if by some chance you didn't know, now you know: Rick Ankiel has a rocket for an arm. Ankiel's laser of a throw from center field to the plate last night was a cool moment. It allowed the 16,245 in attendance at Nationals Park a chance to stand and applaud the work of the Nats center fielder and perhaps give a high-five to their neighbor - if they were the high-five-a-random-stranger type. But Ankiel's throw was more than just a highlight....

CHICAGO - Managers keep warning reporters not to fall in love with spring training or September stats. Small sample sizes, extenuating circumstances, whatever you want to call it. Jake Fox is a beast in February and March. He belongs in the Grapefruit League Hall of Fame. But he still can't stick in the majors, which makes him the unfortunate poster child for the above-stated theory. Endy Chavez and Nick Johnson are proven commodities, so they don't fall in that same category. Their shelf...

I would have to guess the Orioles fans on Maryland's Eastern Shore are pretty fired up about tonight's game at Salisbury's Perdue Stadium. Dylan Bundy makes his third pro start and first at home as the Single-A Shorebirds host Hagerstown at 7:05 p.m. Hagerstown's Alex Meyer, drafted 23rd overall last year (Bundy was No. 4) will make this a matchup of first-round draft picks for the Orioles and Nationals. Bundy has dazzled starting this season by retiring 18 consecutive batters - 12 on...

As I continue to recover from the ridiculous allergy attack I suffered in the press box during last night's game - bar none the worst allergy experience of my life - I wanted to pass along some more notes from the Nationals' 6-4 win over the Astros. Steve Lombardozzi was the star of the show last night, and as Byron Kerr wrote, Lombardozzi said he'll never forget his four-hit performance, an effort which helped lift the Nationals to a win. But don't get any ideas about the 23-year-old...

The Nationals are off to the best start since their arrival in D.C., and there is a lot to be excited about, including one of the best pitching staffs in baseball and a team full of young talent. If you look at the standings this morning, it's easy to get even more elated to see the Nats in first place. Before you do get too amped about it, there are just a few things you should consider. * Today is April 17. The Nationals have just finished their 11th game of the season, which means they...

CHICAGO - For reasons that the Baltimore beat reporters never quite understood, last night's game at U.S. Cellular Field couldn't be aired on the press box televisions. At least not the ones within our view. However, we could pick up MASN's feed of the Nationals-Astros game. Too bad. We really wanted to catch a few replays, just to make sure the Orioles really did score nine runs over the last three innings. It was pretty frustrating, but then the White Sox brought cookies to the back of...

At this time last season, I was keeping vigil for Orioles outfielder Nolan Reimold. Reimold had been exiled to Triple-A Norfolk after a very good spring in Sarasota (.315/.448/.537) and, after a wretched 2010 campaign, finally looked healthy, fully recovered from offseason Achilles tendon surgery that cut his 2009 season short and ready to build upon the .831 OPS he put up during his rookie season. That was not to be. During the 2011 offseason, O's executive Andy MacPhail decided to shore up...

You don't often see a team win a game where it makes three errors, strikes out 15 times, leaves the bases loaded twice, goes 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position through the first nine innings and trails by three runs with six outs to go. But the Orioles scored nine unanswered runs over their last three at-bats last night to storm back and win 10-4 in 10 innings at Chicago. Here is a stat for you: In their three wins on this road trip, the Orioles have outscored opponents 15-0 from the...

CHICAGO - Nolan Reimold figured he would stay on the bench until Tuesday night's game at U.S. Cellular Field, but manager Buck Showalter used him as a pinch-hitter in the seventh and kept him in left field. Reimold responded with a home run and RBI single. Not bad for someone who began the night listed among the reserves, partly because of cramping in his left hamstring. "Yeah, I think it was just precautionary keeping me out," Reimold said. "I thought I was going to play the next day, so...

CHICAGO - Orioles manager Buck Showalter was asked whether he felt like he watched two different games tonight. "How about four?" he replied. At least. Buck Showalter talks about the O's big 10-4 comeback win over the White Sox The Orioles were down 4-1 before batting back to tie the game in the ninth and win it easily in the 10th, 10-4. They made mistakes, they made the White Sox look sloppy. They failed in the clutch, they came up huge in the clutch. "We gave them some runs and we...