SARASOTA, Fla. - Tommy Hunter went three innings and recorded 13 outs in today's B game against the Red Sox on the Camden Yards field. The Orioles want to increase his pitch count, so they kept him on the mound for the extra batters. Hunter threw 42 pitches. He gave up two hits, though the second one came after he had retired the first three batters. Kevin Gregg threw 15 pitches in the fourth and gave up a solo homer to Juan Carlos Linares. He struck out one batter. Linares glanced back at...

With only four teams on Florida's East Coast for spring training, someone has to bite the bullet when it comes to scheduling Grapefruit League games. Today, it's the Nationals, who make their second trip to Jupiter, Fla., in three days, this time for an exhibition contest against the Cardinals. The nearly two-hour drive to Roger Dean Stadium isn't really a bad one - it's straight down Interstate 95 from Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Fla. But since the Nats are doing it two days after they...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles are playing two games today. Here are the lineups for the "real" one that begins at 1:05 p.m. For the Orioles: Robert Andino 2B J.J. Hardy SS Adam Jones CF Matt Wieters C Mark Reynolds 3B Wilson Betemit LF Chris Davis 1B Jai Miller RF Ryan Adams DH Dana Eveland LHP For the Red Sox: Spears 3B Pedroia 2B Ellsbury CF Ortiz DH Sweeney RF Aviles SS Ross LF Shoppach C Anderson 1B Lester LHP Lester is 14-0 lifetime against the Orioles. The numbers won't be adjusted...

The Orioles today announced that they have agreed to terms with 17 players on one-year contracts. The list of players signed includes Ryan Adams, Jake Arrieta, Josh Bell, Jason Berken, Zach Britton, Chris Davis, Oliver Drake, Ryan Flaherty, Tommy Hunter, Joe Mahoney, Troy Patton, Zach Phillips, Nolan Reimold, Alfredo Simon, Pedro Strop, Taylor Teagarden and Chris Tillman. Additionally, the Orioles renewed the contract of catcher Matt Wieters.

Some comments from Nationals manager Davey Johnson to reporters after his split squad beat the Mets 8-2 this afternoon in Viera, Fla.: On winner Chien-Ming Wang's first start: "I was really impressed with Chien-Ming. The ball was really coming out of his hand free and easy. ... I could tell from the get-go he was around 90 or above (with) great life and great movement. His command I'm sure wasn't what he wanted it, but he was awful close." On whether Wang has completed his comeback from...

Chien-Ming Wang went two innings, gave up two runs and struck out two as the Nationals beat the Mets 8-2 in one half of Saturday's split-squad games. Wang was followed by right-hander Craig Stammen, who was able to shut down the Mets for three innings. The pitching was just one strong part in the Nationals' win. Led by Ryan Zimmerman and Adam LaRoche, the offense was able to knock around Mets' starter R.A. Dickey for five runs and eight hits in three innings. Zimmerman drove in two runs...

CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Orioles blanked another opponent today, getting four scoreless innings from Brian Matusz, three from Alfredo Simon and one each from Oscar Villarreal and Miguel Socolovich in a 1-0 victory over the Phillies. Matusz's fastball was clocked anywhere from 87 mph to 94 mph. He made huge strides from his initial outing in terms of command. "He threw well today," manager Buck Showalter said. "I'd say if the highlight of camp was (Nolan) Reimold's jaw not being broken,...

For some veterans, facing a knuckleballer right out of the chute after an extended injury absence would be a recipe for disaster. Suffice it to say Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche isn't most veterans. LaRoche, who had been sidelined by left shoulder soreness and a mild left ankle sprain, made his first Grapefruit League appearance Saturday as part of a Nationals split squad that faced the Mets at Space Coast Stadium. In his first at-bat, he hit an RBI single off knuckleball specialist...

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Many scouts had Brian Matusz's fastball in the 90-91 mph range today, but at least one scout clocked him at 93-94 mph. I guess it depends on the gun. "I didn't know that," he said, his eyes widening and a smile creasing his face. "I felt like it was coming out pretty good. I wasn't sure exactly how hard it was, but it felt like it was coming out effortlessly. Nice explosion." Matusz shut out the Phillies on three hits over four innings, with no walks and four...

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Brian Matusz turned in an impressive outing today against the Phillies, blanking them on three hits over four innings and striking out four batters - including Jim Thome and Hunter Pence to end the fourth. We assumed that Matusz was done after three innings and 37 pitches, including 25 for strikes, but he returned for the bottom of the fourth. Didn't see that coming. The hardest-hit balls came from Thome on a long fly to right-center field in the second and Shane Victorino...