Matt Wieters has now homered in back-to-back games for the Orioles and has hit five homers in his last 12 games. Wieters' next homer will be his 20th on the year. He has 19 this season in 457 at-bats. Pretty impressive when you compare it to the fact he hit 20 combined homers in 800 at-bats during the 2009 and 2010 seasons. Wieters said he is not sure why he is hitting more homers now and there is not one key reason for the power surge. "I don't think so. I think it's just power seems to...

Center fielder Adam Jones will stay on the bench, at least until the Orioles need a pinch-runner to distract the opposition's reliever, while nursing a sore right thumb. Matt Angle gets the start in center field against Rays right-hander Wade Davis. For the Orioles: Matt Angle CF J.J. Hardy SS Nick Markakis RF Vladimir Guerrero DH Matt Wieters C Chris Davis 3B Mark Reynolds 1B Nolan Reimold LF Robert Andino 2B Jeremy Guthrie RHP The Orioles released veteran left-hander Mark...

Last week, when the Washington Nationals faced the Los Angeles Dodgers, I was asked to be the public address announcer for game one at Nationals Park. It was indeed an honor to be back in the booth. But I have to admit I was a little nervous and had the adrenalin going. After all, I had been the public address announcer for the NBA Washington Wizards, MLS D.C. United and at college at Virginia, but it had been awhile. Okay, they were called the Bullets back then. So, that gives you an idea....

The Orioles will kick off their 20th anniversary season at Oriole Park at Camden Yards with an Opening Day game on April 6, 2012 against the Minnesota Twins, 20 years to the day after the ballpark originally opened. The game is the first of a six-day season-opening homestand that will also see the New York Yankees come to Baltimore. The Orioles will play each of their AL East rivals three times at Oriole Park. In addition to their opening homestand trip from April 9-11, the New York Yankees...

The Washington Nationals today released their 2012 schedule, which includes 81 home dates, beginning with Washington's 79th home opener since 1901 on Thursday, April 12 vs. Cincinnati and is highlighted by a three-game interleague visit from the New York Yankees and holiday matchups against the San Francisco Giants (Independence Day) and Chicago Cubs (Labor Day). The Nationals begin the 2012 season on the road on Thursday, April 5 at Wrigley Field. The Yankees last visited The District, June...

The Washington Nationals, Major League Baseball and Chevrolet, the official vehicle of Major League Baseball, have announced that shortstop Ian Desmond has been named the Washington Nationals' 2011 nominee for the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet. Desmond is one of 30 Club finalists for the annual award, which recognizes a Major League Baseball player who best represents the game of baseball through positive contributions on and off the field. Today marks the tenth...

The Orioles won't start the 2012 season at Tropicana Field. That's known as breaking news. They're back home for a three-game series against the Twins that begins on April 6 - exactly 20 years after Camden Yards first opened. The Yankees will follow the Twins to Baltimore. As for interleague play, the Phillies will make a weekend trip to Camden Yards on June 8-10, followed by a mid-week visit by the Pirates on June 12-14. The Orioles also will continue their home-and-home series with the...

We're about halfway through September now, which means baseball in Washington is nearing an end for 2011. Things will start to quiet down around the Navy Yard. Patrons' use of the Green Line Metro Station near the ballpark will decline. Street vendors won't be trying to handout hats during the evening hours and no one will be out on Half Street selling cheap water and peanuts. Live music won't wail from the tiny corridor of The Bullpen beer garden. In short: NatsTown will become a ghost...

Jim Johnson now has as many saves in the last week as Kevin Gregg has since the beginning of August. That gives me a great excuse to bring out two of my favorite hobby horses: Despite what many people say (including some allusions by the Orioles themselves), Johnson is perfectly capable of being the team's closer, and signing Gregg was not a good move. Johnson once blew a save (or two), which resulted in some people deciding that he didn't have the mentality of a closer, or something like...

Jonathan Schoop had surfaced on the radar by the end of last season when he was named the Orioles' 10th best prospect by Baseball America. At the end of this season, the 19-year-old Schoop is going to be ranked even higher than that and has to be considered a leading candidate - maybe the top candidate - to be named the Orioles' minor league Player of the Year later this month. Schoop has quickly made a name for himself as a talented and hard-working player that has a great attitude and...