FLUSHING, N.Y. - When you simplify the Nationals' 4-3 loss to the Mets tonight, the reason for the outcome was simple: The Mets made the fundamental plays late in the game, and the Nationals didn't. Manager Davey Johnson saw it all unfold in the final two innings. In the top of the ninth, with the game tied 3-3, the Nats got the leadoff man on when Steve Lombardozzi walked, but Ian Desmond failed to get a quality bunt down, and Mets first baseman Ike Davis cut down the lead runner at second....

I'll close tonight with a few words from the Orioles' battery. Brian Matusz: "I came out today, felt good in the bullpen. I was a little amped up, first start of the season, and I was just pitching behind in the count too much today. Not getting ahead, attacking the zone like I wanted to. The walks hurt. It's a tough lineup. They had hits when they needed it." (Overthrowing?) "I wouldn't say overthrowing. Just a little bit excited. I had a tough time finding the zone." (Better than...

I didn't see it, but Orioles second baseman Robert Andino and Yankees catcher Russell Martin exchanged heated words on the field after tonight's game. Martin apparently accused Andino of stealing signs from second base in the ninth inning after Andino doubled off Mariano Rivera with one out. Martin was coy about it afterward, never coming right out and confirming his suspicions, but that was his beef. Martin accused the Blue Jays of doing the same thing last year, so he's a little...

After making progress over the offseason and making the team with a solid spring training, it was back to struggling for the Orioles tonight as the New York Yankees beat the O's 6-2 to drop the Orioles to 3-1 on the season. Matusz struggled from the start, giving up a first-inning run and throwing 30 pitches in the inning. He went just four innings on a whopping 96 pitches and allowed six hits and four runs with four walks and one strikeout. That is four times more earned runs that the O's...

Matt Wieters has tied his career high with four hits tonight - a home run, double and two singles. He won't be celebrating. The Orioles are down, 6-2, in the top of the ninth, and manager Buck Showalter is using his fifth pitcher, Pedro Strop, who's replacing Kevin Gregg. Wieters also collected four hits in a July 28, 2009 game against the Royals. Wieters needed a triple for the cycle, but he settled for a single off Yankees reliever David Robertson. He entered the game batting .111, but...

FLUSHING, N.Y. - Both Edwin Jackson and Mike Pelfrey are out of this game, and with the score tied 3-3 in the middle of the seventh, the Nationals and Mets will leave the outcome of tonight's game up to their bullpens. Jackson went five innings in his Nationals debut, allowing three earned runs on four hits with two walks and six strikeouts. The outing was along the lines of what we saw all spring - Jackson showed he can overpower guys at times and rack up the strikeouts, but he allows a...

Dinner's ready, y'all! Come and get it! Alright, since it's way too hard to type and ring my triangular dinner bell at the same time, let me just get straight to the point: Nationals Park is a food lover's paradise. It's true. It seems like each season the fine folks in our nation's capital are adding more and more options for baseball fans to sink their teeth into. This year is no different. The Washington Nationals and Union Square Events are pleased to introduce the newest fanfare...

Brian Matusz issued three walks in 24 2/3 spring innings. He's walked four batters tonight in only four innings. Matusz seems to be 2-0 and 3-1 on every hitter. His pitch count is up to 96, including 52 strikes, and Darren O'Day began warming in the bullpen in the fourth while pitching coach Rick Adair visited the mound and catcher Matt Wieters made two trips. The Yankees scored three runs in the fourth to take a 4-1 lead. Derek Jeter had a two-run double, making him 3-for-3 tonight and...

FLUSHING, N.Y. - Apparently all it took was a change of scenery for the Nationals to start hitting early in ballgames. The Nats have gotten out to a 3-1 lead over the Mets after three innings here at Citi Field, and they already have seven hits off New York starter Mike Pelfrey. Hey, even Jayson Werth has his first base hit of the 2012 season - a triple to the right-center field gap, which followed an 0-for-11 start. Washington jumped on top in the first after three straight base hits by...

If Brian Matusz pitches seven innings or more tonight, this would be the first time since 1974 that the Orioles had four starters begin the year by pitching seven or more. That year it was Jim Palmer (8 1/3), Dave McNally (10), Ross Grimsley (8 2/3) and Mike Cuellar (eight). It didn't look good for him to do that after the Yankees took a 1-0 lead in the first inning and Matusz threw 30 pitches, but he came back with an 11-pitch top of the second. Matusz has enough velocity tonight - hitting...