Given the workload that the Nationals' bullpen had to handle last night, the team needed Edwin Jackson to step up and work deep into today's game. Jackson's done just that. The hard-throwing righty has worked seven incredibly impressive innings, allowing just a single run on two hits with no walks and four strikeouts. Jackson has now retired 16 straight hitters and shockingly has needed just 66 pitches to get through the seven frames. Of the 66 pitches, a whopping 52 have been...

The Tyler Moore-to-the-outfield experience is about to begin. MASNsports.com has learned that Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs prospect Tyler Moore will switch from first base to the outfield for some games in the "near future." According to a club source, Moore will play left field. The exact game or games the power hitting prospect will assume his new position is still to be determined and the move to the outfield is not considered a permanent adjustment. Moore is off to a scorching start with...

The Orioles finally have hit another homer with someone on base. After Nick Markakis hit a two-run shot in the first inning on opening day, the Orioles' next nine homers were all solo shots by five different players. But Chris Davis showed off his power potential in the top of the fourth today at Toronto with a two-run blast that gave the Orioles a 3-2 lead. Davis got an offspeed pitch up and in from Henderson Alvarez and didn't miss it, hitting his third homer as an Oriole after he had...

In his 43 games played last season, Adam LaRoche had 15 RBIs. This season, in nine games, LaRoche already has 10 runs batted in. The Nationals first baseman added to his team-high RBI totals with a two-run double in the bottom of the third inning, giving Washington a 3-1 lead. LaRoche is now hitting .324 on the season and has exactly one-third of the Nationals' 30 RBIs this season. Think for a second about where this team would be through the first week and a half of the season without...

Jason Hammel was on the ropes in the second inning, and the Blue Jays decided to ring the bell for him before the round ended. How nice. Brett Lawrie tried unsuccessfully to steal home with the bases loaded, two outs and an 0-2 count on Jose Bautista, who's led the American League in home runs the last two seasons. Hammel stepped off the rubber and fired the ball home, where Matt Wieters applied the tag after blocking the plate. Hammel's throw was high, but Wieters provided the usual...

The Double-A Bowie Baysox are playing this afternoon and, at least check, lead Erie 10-5 in the seventh inning. Tyler Townsend has two hits, including his fourth homer. Hot-hitting Buck Britton is 2-for-3 and is now batting .361. Brandon Waring is 3-for-4 with a three-run homer. Antoan Richardson has hit a three-run homer as well for Bowie, which began today with a record of 3-6. Update: Bowie blew the five-run lead and lost 11-10 at Erie in ten innings as the Baysox gave up four runs in the...

Zach Britton has played catch for three consecutive days and noted that his left arm is regaining the strength that it lost after undergoing a procedure to eliminate the inflammation in his shoulder. "I'm just getting my arm used to throwing again," said Britton, who received two Platelet Rich Plasma injections March 21. "I'm getting my arm going and it feels pretty good." Britton said he's increased the distance each day to around 90 feet. He'll take Sunday off before meeting with...

Davey Johnson has been in baseball more than 50 years. He's played with some of the best, and managed some exceptional players and teams, as well. And of all the infields the Nationals' 69-year-old manager has seen in his time in professional baseball, he says the best defensive unit he's even been around is the one he's writing onto lineup cards this season. "I've never had an infield this talented," Johnson said. "Now, I've had Hall of Famers at different positions, but as a...

Nationals manager Davey Johnson has felt since the beginning of spring training that Wilson Ramos and Jesus Flores would share catching responsibilities. Ramos would get the lion's share of the starts, but Flores would also play more than on a token basis. The Ramos/Flores catching depth is a big strength for the Nationals this season. Both players are healthy and both are capable of breaking out a little bit. Both are capable of hitting home runs. Both call great games and have excellent...

Rick Ankiel will make his 2012 debut this afternoon against the Reds after missing the first eight games of the season due to a left quad injury. The 32-year-old will bat seventh today and play center field after hitting .400 with three home runs during his rehab assignment. Ankiel said the quad is feeling good and he's ready to get back out and rejoin his teammates at the major league level. "The last few days, the first time I played nine, I felt like I was 100 percent then, so every day...