If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Davey Johnson is sticking with the same lineup he's gone with the last few games, with Roger Bernadina hitting second and Bryce Harper hitting fifth. With Wilson Ramos going on the DL with a torn ACL, Jesus Flores slides into the starting lineup and will hit eighth. The Nationals will face Reds righty Bronson Arroyo, who is 2-1 with a 2.75 ERA this season. Here are the lineups for both teams: Nationals SS Ian Desmond LF Roger Bernadina 3B Ryan...

Xavier Avery will make his major league debut today as the Orioles' leadoff hitter and left fielder. He's wearing No. 13. For the Orioles: Xavier Avery LF J.J. Hardy SS Nick Markakis RF Adam Jones CF Matt Wieters C Nick Johnson DH Chris Davis 1B Robert Andino 2B Ryan Flaherty 3B Jake Arrieta RHP With a win today, the Orioles would sweep the Rays in a three-game series in Baltimore for the first time since July 24-26, 2007. The Orioles are 1-6 in their last seven Mother's Day games and...

Due to a torn right ACL sustained by starting catcher Wilson Ramos, another top prospect in the Nationals' system will get a shot at the big leagues earlier than planned. But the Nationals are confident Sandy Leon is ready for this next challenge because of the talent he has shown on the field at Double-A Harrisburg. Assistant general manager Bob Boone and assistant to the general manager Pat Corrales - both former major league catchers - have worked very hard to develop Leon and they have...

The Washington Nationals today selected catcher Sandy Leon from Harrisburg of the Double-A Eastern League and placed catcher Wilson Ramos on the 15-Day Disabled List with a torn anterior cruciate ligament (right knee). Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Leon, who will wear No. 41 when he joins the Nationals for their series finale today at Cincinnati, batted .319 with 10 doubles, one home run and 12 RBI in 27 games...

The news is not good for Wilson Ramos. An MRI has revealed that Ramos has a torn ACL in his right knee, an injury which will likely sideline him for most, if not all, of this season. The Nationals have placed Ramos on the 15-day disabled list and called up catcher Sandy Leon from Double-A Harrisburg to back up Jesus Flores. Leon, who will wear No. 41, batted .319 with 10 doubles, one home run and 12 RBIs in 27 games this season with the Senators. He also has been strong behind the plate,...

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there, and to the dads who serve both roles. Yes, I include you, as well. Bill Hall made his Orioles debut a special one last night with a home run in the eighth inning, which was followed by a shaving cream pie to the face that still had his eyes burning hours later. Hall may not be in the lineup today against Rays right-hander James Shields if manager Buck Showalter is playing matchups, but this day tends to bring out the best in him. OK, I'm going...

It took a long time for manager Buck Showalter to publicly admit that Jim Johnson was his closer. Is it safe to call Pedro Strop the set-up man? Strop retired the Rays in order in the eighth inning tonight, and he struck out B.J. Upton and Jose Molina. He spun on the mound, tapped his chest and pointed to the heavens. It's quite a show. As I mentioned earlier, Strop has strung together 10 scoreless innings in his last eight appearances, allowing five hits, walking four and striking out...

If you want to go through the Orioles' 2012 schedule, you could probably say they have faced adversity twice already. They got swept at home by the Yankees in the second series of the year and they lost three of four to Texas this week, giving up 36 runs in the process. They responded to the first test by winning four of their next five games and taking off to a run that now has them at 22-12 and atop the American League East. They have responded to the Texas series with back-to-back wins...

Adam Jones welcomed Bill Hall to the team with a shaving cream pie to the face following tonight's 5-3 victory over Tampa Bay. Hall hadn't homered since May 14, 2011, so the occasion called for the traditional baseball celebration. "It's the first-ever pie in the face," Hall said. "He got me good. I wasn't expecting it at all. Got me good. It was a lot in my eyes, burned a little bit, but it's always good when you're doing something good for when stuff like that happens." Hall's...

The Orioles improved to 22-10 against the American League East since Sept. 7, 2011. They're 8-2 against Boston, 4-1 against Tampa Bay, 6-3 against Toronto and 4-4 against New York. They've won a series against each division rival this season. "Proud? Sure. I'm proud we're winning baseball games. But it doesn't necessarily mean something's going to happen for the next 100 and some odd games," manager Buck Showalter said after tonight's 5-3 win over the Rays. "Our guys know. It's a...