The Nationals' No. 1 prospect, Bryce Harper, has been promoted from the Single-A Hagerstown Suns to the Double-A Harrisburg Senators, according to general manager Mike Rizzo. "We feel that he's had plenty of time at the Single-A level. ... He's dominated it pretty well," Rizzo said on "The Extended Pregame Show" on 106.7 The Fan. Rizzo said Harper will report to Harrisburg tonight, and will be available for tonight's 7 p.m. game against Erie. The 18-year-old Harper hit .318 with...

When baseball returned to the District in 2005, the $5 grandstand tickets were the only reason my new-found friends at college would go to a baseball game with me. Now, in 2011, those same $5 grandstand tickets are the reason I'm not burned out when it comes to baseball. I'm going to be honest here: I love baseball, but the past two seasons have been draining in many ways. The opportunity to cover the Washington Nationals has been fantastic. I've met the people I now like to call my...

Mark Reynolds can sure fill up a stat sheet. He now has 18 homers to lead the Orioles. He has 46 RBIs and that ties Adam Jones to lead the club. He is also first on the Orioles or tied for first in doubles (15), runs (43) and walks (50). His 50 walks are more than twice the next highest total on the club and that is the 24 walks issued to Luke Scott. Reynolds is batting .229 and is on a pace for 36 homers and 92 RBIs with the Orioles at the mid-point of the season, the 81-game...

Former University of Texas star Russell Moldenhauer is doing well at the plate again this season as the Nationals try to find a home for him at first base. Sunday, he hit a two-run shot and finished with three RBIs in NY/Penn league short-season Auburn Doubleday's 10-4 victory over State College. Moldenhauer is batting .312 with six doubles, two homers and 14 RBIs in 16 games since the season began June 17. Auburn Doubledays manager Gary Cathcart said the 23-year old has been working on his...

If you thought that the Orioles would go 0-10 on this road trip, well, you were just plain wrong. They won yesterday, so there's no need for all that negativity. I'm not one to overreact - OK, I'm famous for overreacting - but there's no way I'd remove Mark Reynolds from the cleanup spot. Reynolds hit a two-run homer and had a sacrifice fly yesterday in the Orioles' 5-4 victory over the Braves. He has six homers over his last 13 games, and a team-leading 18 for the season. The...

Batting fourth for the first time all year, Mark Reynolds hit another homer, and this one helped get the Orioles a win. After the Birds blew a 3-0 lead, Reynolds' two-run blast to left off Scott Proctor in the seventh, gave the Orioles a 5-4 lead and win today by that score as they salvaged the final game of the series in Atlanta. The Orioles ended a five-game losing streak and are 36-45 at the 81-game, halfway point of the season. Reynolds, who earlier had a sac fly, went 3-for-9 in this...

Washington Nationals right-handed middle reliever Tyler Clippard today was named a National League All-Star by Giants field manager Bruce Bochy and Major League Baseball. The 82nd Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be held at Chase Field in Phoenix, AZ on Tuesday, July 12. Clippard is 1-0 with a 1.96 ERA in 37 appearances with the Nationals. The All-Star citation is the first of his career. Clippard leads MLB with 21 holds. The only other big league pitcher with as many as 18 holds is...

Say this about Mark Reynolds: None of his home runs are cheap ones. Nick Markakis collected his fourth hit of the day, and Reynolds collected his 18th home run of the season. It was an absolute bomb, which is typical of Reynolds. He doesn't need a gust of wind - except for the one that his swing creates. Reynolds gave the Orioles a 5-4 lead in the seventh inning. Now it's up to the Orioles' bullpen, which has been so good, to make it hold up. Reynolds is only the second player to homer...

Zach Britton is 2-for-2 today after reaching on an infield hit in the fifth inning, but he stumbled after crossing first base and looked like he injured his leg. Fortunately for the Orioles, he was laughing after returning to the bag and stayed in the game. He's the only one laughing. Britton scored on Nick Markakis' third hit, a double. Markakis' average is up to .292. Blake Davis has made two outstanding plays at second base. Adam Jones is 0-for-3 and has left six runners on base. He...

When rookie lefty Zach Britton was 4-1 with an ERA of 2.84 at the end of April, his first month in the majors, who would have thought he'd have just six wins total with the All-Star game approaching? But Britton posted just one win in May and one win in June. It certainly wasn't because he had pitched poorly. His ERA is 3.38 through 16 starts. But when Britton took the mound in Atlanta today, he did so with just one win over his last 10 starts since a May 1 victory versus the Chicago White...