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...

Who saw that coming? Maybe after watching the Orioles come up with some late offense on Friday and Saturday in Toronto led many fans to not give up on tonight's game. Those that stayed with it were rewarded. The Orioles scored nine unanswered runs in the last three innings tonight to beat Chicago 10-4 in ten innings. In the top of the eighth, Matt Wieters hit a solo homer to bring the Orioles within 4-2. Then they got a pair of solo homers to tie the game off White sox closer Hector...

If Steve Lombardozzi is an example of the depth of talent that is on the bench for the 2012 Nationals, this team is heading in the right direction and fast. Playing in only his 19th major league game, Lombardozzi tallied four consecutive hits, including a dramatic go-ahead two-run double that lifted the Nationals back in the lead over the Astros, 4-2 in the sixth. Washington ended up winning the game, 6-3. Lombardozzi was a late-season call-up last year for manager Davey Johnson and the...

Stephen Strasburg thinks the Astros knew what was coming tonight. Even if they did, Houston still couldn't do much to slow Strasburg down. In Strasburg's six innings tonight, Astros hitters managed to score just two runs on six hits. The Nationals righty walked only one batter and struck out five, but when he came off the mound in the sixth inning, he told manager Davey Johnson he had a feeling he was tipping his pitches, specifically when Houston had runners in scoring position. Stephen...

CHICAGO - The Orioles just hung six runs on the board in the top of the 10th, the last four on Matt Wieters grand slam - his second home run of the night. Orioles 10, White Sox 4. Only one of the six runs was earned, and here's why: Center fielder Alejandro De Aza committed a three-base error on Mark Reynolds fly ball, failing to make the catch with his back to the fence, and Chris Davis followed with an RBI double off reliever Zach Stewart - his third hit of the night. Davis is hitting...