SALISBURY, Md. - It is hard to find someone that has seen Dylan Bundy pitch this year that is not raving about his talent and work ethic. The Orioles' 2011 first-round draft pick has pitched nine hitless and shutout innings in three outings so far for the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds as he prepares tonight to face Greenville at 7:05 at Perdue Stadium in his fourth professional start. Delmarva manager Ryan Minor has seen a lot of young hot shots come along over the years and said Bundy, it...

Nolan Reimold is out of the lineup tonight, which probably means he's still dealing with a stiff neck. He didn't play in the last two games of the Angels series, and the Orioles were off yesterday. The rest apparently didn't help him. Also, Rule 5 pick Ryan Flaherty is starting at third base, with Wilson Betemit serving as the designated hitter and Mark Reynolds sitting on the bench. For the Orioles: Endy Chavez LF J.J. Hardy SS Nick Markakis RF Adam Jones CF Matt Wieters C Chris Davis...

This isn't the real Xavier Nady. Who would be the first to admit it? Xavier Nady. The Nationals outfielder is looking to get back to a consistent level after a slow start. Nady has hit only .159 through 14 games and 44 at-bats. He has managed only seven hits in the early stages with nine strikeouts. But there has been a pretty significant highlight. Nady's pinch-hit home run in the eighth inning April 13 against the Cincinnati Reds was the Nationals' first run and saved the game. It was...

Outfielder Brett Carroll, who was designated for assignment by the Nationals on April 14, has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Syracuse. Carroll, who had to clear waivers before he could be outrighted to the minors, has accepted the assignment. Nationals manager Davey Johnson was high on Carroll in spring training because of his versatility, but the journeyman outfielder saw limited playing time with Washington through the season's first nine games, going just 0-for-2 with two...

Adam Jones has yet to meet a conversation he didn't like. He'll engage reporters in the clubhouse and fans on Twitter. While some players like to insulate themselves from everything outside the ballpark, Jones seems to relish the opportunity to connect with anyone interested in Orioles baseball. Tomorrow, you'll have a chance to pepper the O's center fielder and cleanup hitter with questions during a special MASNsports.com live video chat featuring Jones. Starting at 1 p.m. and lasting for...

The Nationals have come out guns blazing in the first 16 games of the 2012 season. The guns that are blazing thus far are radar guns from the pitching staff, though. The Nationals offense has struggled mightily in the first few weeks of the season, ranking 20th in batting average, 21st in runs, and 23rd in slugging. It's time to switch things up in NatsTown, and it starts in left field. With Michael Morse out of commission for at least another month, it's time for the Nats to look to options...

I've never been a fan of power rankings. I think they're silly and worthless, especially this early in the season. (Come on, Dan, tell us how you really feel.) But when I saw the Nationals ranked sixth on

They have been two of the best pitchers in the Single-A South Atlantic League this year, and tonight they face each other at Salisbury's Perdue Stadium when the Delmarva Shorebirds host the Greenville Drive. It's Dylan Bundy making his fourth start for the Shorebirds and right-hander Matt Barnes for Greenville, a Red Sox affiliate. The two pitchers were both first-round picks last year, with Bundy No. 4 and Barnes No. 19, and have combined to pitch 25 shutout innings this season. The...

For the first time in years, I am loving the Orioles bullpen. I loved them when they broke camp. I thought it was almost perfectly constructed, given the personnel on hand and they are performing admirably. Over the past 14 years of losing, the bullpen has ranked among the worst in baseball, year in and year out. Sure, there were a couple of exceptions, but Orioles bullpens of the aughts and beyond have generally provided the proverbial gasoline on the starting staff's fires. Not in 2012....

What will tonight bring for Orioles starter Tommy Hunter? Hopefully, Hunter will bring his fastball. Just check his back pocket. You'll recall that Hunter didn't have his fastball in an 8-1 loss to the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field, and it cost him eight runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings and inflated his ERA to 5.79. "I've got a couple bullpens coming up and the emphasis is going to be down in the zone," he said afterward. "I'll find my fastball, I will find it. It will come....