HAGERSTOWN, Md. - Single-A Delmarva scored two runs off of Suns starter Bobby Hansen in the second frame. Michael Flacco, younger brother of Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, smacked an RBI double and Dudley Leonara added a run-scoring hit two batters later to give the Shorebirds a 2-0 lead. The Suns rallied for three runs in the bottom of the second. Michael Taylor drove in a run with a double and Blake Kelso had a two-run double. Bryce Harper struck out on a 3-2 count with a man on third and...

HAGERSTOWN, Md. - Single-A Hagerstown Suns right fielder Bryce Harper made a nice over-the-shoulder running catch to rob the Shorebirds' Jonathan Schoop of extra bases in the top of the first inning in a morning affair from Municipal Stadium. In the bottom of the first with one out and a man on first, Harper swung on the first pitch pitch from Delmarva right-hander Luis Noel and popped up to center field for the second out. No score after one inning on school day in Hagerstown. Robbie Ray...

HAGERSTOWN, Md. - Game under way, Bryce Harper batting third, lineups are in on a pleasant morning start at Municipal Stadium. Delmarva (20-11) Planeta CF Hornback LF Schoop SS Schutz RF Flacco 1B Ohlman DH Dalles C Gaylord 3B Leonara 2B RH Luis Noel (2-2, 4.75 ERA) Hagerstown (20-11) Blake Kelso 3B Adrian Sanchez 2B Bryce Harper RF David Freitas DH Jason Martinson SS Wade Moore LF Brett Newsome 1B Cole Leonida C Michael Taylor CF LH Bobby Hansen (3-1, 4.37)

Last Wednesday marked the five-year anniversary of the groundbreaking at Nationals Park. Since then, there hasn't been too much activity around the Navy Yard, minus the days the Nats are in town. To celebrate, I took a few minutes to remind myself why Nationals Park is a treasured entity over the Nats old home, RFK Stadium. It's not RFK: Here's the thing - I'm a baseball traditionalist. If it's got a Monument Park or ivy, I'll jump on it like Ryan Zimmerman hitting a walk-off to win it....

Whether Orioles manager Buck Showalter makes subtle changes, major changes or no changes to his lineup today, the Orioles will for sure see some tough pitching in the next two games. Tonight, the Orioles are due to face Seattle's Michael Pineda, the 22-year-old rookie right-hander that is gaining attention with his blazing fastball and impressive stats. Then, Wednesday night, they face the reigning American League Cy Young winner in Felix Hernandez. Doesn't sound like a formula to get out...

If you're looking for offense, you may want to avoid Camden Yards for the next few nights. If, on the other hand, you're a connoisseur of quality pitching, the ballpark is just the place for you. There were two no-hitters in baseball last week. With the Orioles and Mariners squaring off, you might see two in the same game. The Birds currently rank 25th of 30 major league teams with a .233 team average and have scored three runs or fewer in six of the past seven games. The Mariners rank 27th...

A roster move is coming today, with shortstop J.J. Hardy being activated from the disabled list and playing for the first time since April 9. You remember Hardy, right? He only batted once in that April 9 game before leaving with a strained left oblique. He hasn't gotten three at-bats against major league pitching since April 6. Hardy might be the most valuable .200 hitter in baseball. The Orioles haven't been quite right since he disappeared, though his absence opened the door for...

Over the weekend, I drove up to Asheville to watch the Delmarva Shorebirds, (ow Single-A affiliate of the Orioles, take on the Asheville Tourists in a matchup of two of the better teams in the South Atlantic League. My original intent was to see the Orioles' 2010 first-round pick and wunderkind shortstop Manny Machado play. But a knee injury last week meant that the only Machado action I saw was him crutching his way from the Shorebirds' dugout to the clubhouse. As consolation, I was...

Luke Scott will continue to play through the pain in his right shoulder, as he's done since the beginning of the season, and as he's done since it intensified over the last three weeks. An MRI taken earlier today revealed a tear in Scott's right labrum, but he won't go on the disabled list. He'll just deal with it. The tear doesn't affect Scott's swing, but he notices it when he makes throws from the outfield. "It's disappointing and a tough pill to swallow," he said. "The...

Good news from the offensive side of the ball in the minor leagues as outfielders Archie Gilbert and Bryce Harper have been named Player of the Week in their respective leagues for the week of May 2-8. This is the first such honor in Single-A Hagerstown for Harper, who was the 2010 Golden Spikes Award winner for best amateur player in the country. Gilbert is a two-time minor league All-star and was Texas League player if the week for almost the same seven days last season (May 3, 2010). From...