The Nationals open their home schedule today against the Reds. Adam LaRoche will hit cleanup for the Nats. Nationals lineup: SS Ian Desmond 2B Danny Espinosa 3B Ryan Zimmerman 1B Adam LaRoche RF Jayson Werth LF Xavier Nady CF Roger Bernadina C Wilson Ramos P Gio Gonzalez

So as an Orioles fan, do you look at the last three nights in black and white terms or with shades of gray? Do you just see three losses and the team getting swept as the bottom line or did you see some things that were positive within the losses and give the team something to build on? I can't help feeling that the Orioles should have won the last two games of that series and be heading to Toronto later today with a 5-1 record and two series victories. Instead, there was more frustration...

Here'S a look at how the Nationals' minor league affiliates fared Wednesday: Single-A Hagerstown: The Suns managed four hits, but struck out 10 times in a 3-0 loss at home to Lexington. Rick Ankiel got two at-bats in as the designated hitter, walking and smacking a single. Single-A Potomac: The P-Nats tallied four runs in the first innings to cruise past Myrtle Beach 6-3. Catcher David Freitas had three hits, including an RBI single. Justin Bloxom walked with the bases loaded and later...

Not since 1951 has a Washington baseball team enjoyed an above-.500 start to a Major League Baseball season after a mere six games. Uncanny, isn't it? You would think, in the next 20 years after that, before the city lost baseball, or in the seven since it has returned, it would have happened once. It's not that hard to do. Teams have winning streaks all the time. Just not in Washington at the start of the season. It's great that the Nationals were able to take advantage of lesser teams...

Yes, that was a reach, but stay with me here. Adam Jones stole second base in the fifth inning of last night's game against the Yankees, which probably seems meaningless after a 6-4, 10-inning loss that completed a sweep at Camden Yards. More people will remember Jones for striking out with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth, but I'm going to focus on the steal in this entry. Jones took off for second after reaching on an infield hit. J.J. Hardy stood at third base, and Jones...

Adam Jones had a chance to win tonight's game in the bottom of the ninth inning when the Yankees walked Nick Markakis intentionally with two outs to load the bases for him, but he struck out after chasing a pitch near his head to even the count, 1-1. He was swinging from the heels, and he knew it was the wrong approach. "Oh my God, I'm still thinking about that now," he said. "I'm texting my brother about it. Just over-swinging. I need to stay shorter. Somebody told me, 'Stop trying...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter was proud of starter Jake Arrieta. He was proud of the way his undermanned bullpen battled. He was proud of the at-bats Robert Andino and Mark Reynolds gave the club. If only he could reverse the final score. Mark Teixeira blooped a two-out double down the left field line against Kevin Gregg in the top of the 10th inning, and Nick Swisher followed with a long home run to right field. "He made a really good pitch (to Teixeira)," Showalter said. "Kevin threw...

Manager Buck Showalter must have known that third baseman Mark Reynolds would respond tonight with a big game. Reynolds walked in his first two plate appearances and doubled into left-center field with two outs in the fifth to score two runs and give the Orioles a 4-3 lead. That's pretty big. It's not three-homer big, but it's sizable. Reynolds didn't have an RBI before tonight. Unless my scorecard is wrong - and that happens - Reynolds didn't have a ball hit to him until catching...

FLUSHING, N.Y. - How did Stephen Strasburg react to the Nationals' decision to let him throw a career-high 108 pitches and finish off the sixth inning of today's game despite having the go-ahead runner on base? Is that a real question? He welcomed the heck out of it. Stephen Strasburg talks about going six innings in the Nats' 4-0 win "I just want to be another guy in the clubhouse," Strasburg said. "It's not like I've never thrown over 100 pitches in my life. It's just something...

Single-A Delmarva's Dylan Bundy retired all nine batters he faced again tonight, this time dominating the Kannapolis lineup over three innings. He struck out six, including five in a row, and has fanned 12 of the 18 batters he's faced for the Shorebirds. In spring training, we call these simulated games. It sure isn't batting practice. The Orioles are off Thursday, but manager Buck Showalter has arranged a field trip of sorts for at least nine of his players. Showalter has made...