Ian Desmond has gotten off to a nice start this season, hitting .300 with a homer, four RBIs and a .333 on-base percentage. Tonight, the Nationals' starting shortstop will get his first day off of the 2012 campaign. Steve Lombardozzi will play shortstop and hit leadoff for Davey Johnson's Nats tonight as they look for the sweep against Bud Norris and the Astros. If they can pick up another win tonight, the Nats would earn their first four-game home sweep since arriving in D.C. in 2005....

CHICAGO - The Orioles have released pitcher Wynn Pelzer, who appeared in three games at Double-A Bowie this season. Pelzer was 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA in three innings. He allowed three runs and four hits, walked two and struck out four. He went 5-7 with a 4.14 ERA in 29 appearances with the Baysox in 2011. The Orioles acquired Pelzer from the San Diego Padres on July 29, 2010 for Miguel Tejada. Pelzer just tweeted the following: "Want to take the time to thank the entire #Orioles organization...

When Gilman and Mt. St. Joseph meet Saturday at Camden Yards in the finals of the President's Cup high school tournament, the opportunity to play on the same field used by the Orioles will be only one of the highlights for two prep teams. Former Orioles player and manager Frank Robinson, a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before Saturday's 1 p.m. game. The Greyhounds and Gaels are the survivors in a 16-team,...

The Orioles will host Gilman and Mount St. Joseph in the President's Cup Championship Game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards this Saturday, April 21. The President's Cup is a 16-team, single-elimination tournament that gives public and private schools in Baltimore City an opportunity to compete against one another. The game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m., with gates opening at noon. Pregame ceremonies will begin at 12:30 p.m., highlighted by a ceremonial first pitch by former Orioles...

I don't expect everyone to share this opinion, but I think Nick Johnson did a good job in the top of the first inning today, even though he made another out. Johnson is now 0-for-17 on the year and that is the most at-bats by anyone so far this year without a hit in the majors. He came up today with a run in, after an Adam Jones RBI double, and runners at second and third with one out. He was down 0-1 on the count when he hit a groundout to second base to score a run and give the Orioles a...

CHICAGO - Tsuyoshi Wada threw 100 pitches in six innings in his last extended spring training start, and the Orioles were looking for the Japanese left-hander to do more of the same today. He didn't come close. Wada was charged with six runs and six hits in 2 2/3 innings for Triple-A Norfolk, with four walks and one strikeout. Wada threw 77 pitches, including 39 for strikes, and Gwinnett leads the Tides 6-0. Wada is on an injury rehab assignment, which can last 30 days for a pitcher. The...

CHICAGO - Nolan Reimold was supposed to start in left field today, but he's bothered by neck spasms. Reimold began experiencing the spasms yesterday. They subsided before the game, but returned this morning. Buck Showalter explains the exclusion of Nolan Reimold from the lineup to the media "He had it a little bit yesterday before the game but they got it out of there," manager Buck Showalter said. "It stiffened up on him late in the ballgame, and he got it treated after the game. He...

CHICAGO - Nolan Reimold takes a seat on the bench today, with Endy Chavez starting in left field. That's a bit of a surprise, since manager Buck Showalter indicated that Reimold would start the last three games of the series. Ronny Paulino will do the catching in a day game following a night game. For the Orioles: Endy Chavez LF J.J. Hardy SS Nick Markakis RF Adam Jones CF Nick Johnson DH Mark Reynolds 3B Chris Davis 1B Ronny Paulino C Robert Andino 2B Jason Hammel RHP

The Nationals are far and away off to their best start since arriving in D.C. in 2005. It's fun going to the ballpark with a reasonable expectation that the Nats' starting pitcher is going to keep the team in the game, if not downright dominate the competition. In fact, with the five starters all on a roll right now, you get the feeling that each game in an internal competition between the five of them to see who can outdo the previous performance. Obviously, that's a good thing...

At least Jordan Zimmermann isn't the only National League East pitcher to get ridiculously poor run support. How about Philadelphia's Cliff Lee, who threw 10 scoreless innings against the Giants last night (10!) only to get matched pitch for pitch by Matt Cain and then see Phillies reliever Antonio Bastardo give up the game-winning run one out into the 11th? That's brutal. And I could make any number of jokes here about Bastardo's name, but I'll steer clear of all that. During Ryan...