Some quick notes with the Orioles leading the Reds 4-0 after four innings tonight at the Yard. * While the Orioles are 20-18 at home on the year and have lost their last two at home, they are 10-4 over their past 14 games at Camden Yards. * The Reds went 5-for-8 batting with runners in scoring position in their last game, a 10-2 win over the Yankees Wednesday night in game two of a doubleheader. They had gone 2-for-27 with RISP in their previous five games. They are 1-for-4 tonight with RISP...

Great crowd here tonight for the Reds and fireworks. If this game isn't a sell-out, it will be pretty close to one. Random stat of the night: Opponents are batting .375 off Cincinnati right-hander Edinson Volquez with the bases empty and no outs, the fourth-highest average in the National League. J.J. Hardy grounded out leading off the first, and Derrek Lee walked leading off the second. Lee took third on Matt Wieters' ground-rule double, which halted a 2-for-21 stretch. Mark Reynolds...

He made a key error that allowed two runs to score Wednesday in the Orioles' 5-4 loss to the Pirates, but when Blake Davis showed up at Camden Yards today, he saw his name was in the starting lineup and he's back at second base. "Yeah, it's nice," Davis said, two days after his major league debut. "It shows a little bit of confidence in me and I was kind of excited when I saw my name. I'll just get back out there and get ready to play." Davis said many of his O's teammates were...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter is often quite talkative on a lot of subjects during his daily pregame interview with reporters. But today he was not ready to say much about Jim Riggleman, who resigned yesterday as Nationals' manager. "I've known Jim for a long time," Showalter said. "There are a lot of things with a situation like this, you don't really know about. I should probably not weigh in because there are probably a lot of factors behind the scenes and it's not really any of my...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter has Blake Davis back in the starting lineup tonight, at second base and batting ninth. He was asked if he was starting Davis to get him right back on the field after his error Wednesday scored two runs in the 5-4 loss to Pittsburgh. "That's not the only reason. But yeah, it was (a reason to start him)," Showalter said. "I thought the young man has done a lot to get the opportunity. Thought he had some good at bats in Pittsburgh too. He had a big at bat that...

PItcher Alfredo Simon threw today in Sarasota without any hamstring issues and is scheduled to throw one or two innings Sunday at Double-A Bowie. He's eligible to come off the disabled list on Tuesday. Jake Arrieta will throw a light bullpen session today. Arrieta says his right elbow feels better and he remains scheduled to start Wedneday night against the Cardinals at Camden Yards. Manager Buck Showalter told reporters that second baseman Brian Roberts is having wisdom teeth removed. He...

Blake Davis will make his second major league start tonight. Vladimir Guerrero returns to the lineup. For the Orioles: J.J. Hardy SS Nick Markakis RF Adam Jones CF Vladimir Guerrero DH Luke Scott LF Derrek Lee 1B Matt Wieters C Mark Reynolds 3B Blake Davis 2B Chris Jakubauskas RHP

The Washington Nationals today announced that John McLaren will serve as the club's Interim Manager. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. McLaren's appointment begins effective today when Washington begins a three-game road series against the Chicago White Sox. The 59-year-old has served as Nationals' bench coach for the last two seasons (2010-11), after being named to the post on Nov. 20, 2009. This is McLaren's...

It's funny how almost 41 years have passed and I still associate the Cincinnati Reds with the 1970 World Series. It's not as funny when I link the Pittsburgh Pirates to the 1971 and '79 World Series. The Orioles begin their interleague homestand tonight against the Reds, who are making their first visit to Camden Yards. Edinson Volquez will try to lower his career 5.59 ERA against the Orioles. Game 1 of the '70 Series took place at Riverfront Stadium, the first time that the Fall Classic...

After witnessing the end of Jim Riggleman's tenure as manager of the Washington Nationals, it is interesting to wonder what difference a Stan Kasten-like leader would have made during the last few months. Kasten resigned as team president at the end of the 2010 season. His leadership and experience guided the Nationals, for better or for worse, through some rough waters as they wrestled control of the franchise back from Major League Baseball and rebuilt a decimated farm system. Mike Rizzo...