Nationals pitcher Chien-Ming Wang continues to take positive steps as he rehabs from major shoulder surgery 13 months ago. Wang threw 40 pitches in the bullpen early this week at the Nationals training facility in Viera, Florida. He is also playing catch and gets every fourth day off. Wang has been building arm strength and has worked in some long toss sessions. Nationals pitching coordinator Spin Williams says Wang is making progress and he is pleased with what the pitcher has been...

Nationals left-hander Ross Detwiler notched the win in a rehab start Thursday as Syracuse topped Rochester 7-3. Detwiler went five innings, scattered five hits, allowed three runs but only one of which is earned. He walked only one batter, had two strikeouts and registered 12 ground outs. Detwiler threw 56 pitches, 39 for strikes. Detwiler (1-0) said his sinker was working "pretty well" and that his hip felt "alright" after the game. As in the past, he will have to wait to see how...

But enough about my love life. The Orioles put the potential tying runs on base in the ninth inning against Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon. Too bad the bottom of the order was coming up. Pinch-hitter Corey Patterson laid down a nice bunt to advance Felix Pie and pinch-runner Julio Lugo, who entered the game for Matt Wieters (3-for-4, two RBIs). Patterson's neck must be feeling a little better, though he didn't have to take any swings against Papelbon. Manager Buck Showalter let Cesar...

It was the final regular season home game for Bowie tonight, but maybe not the final time they will be at this stadium this year. In front of a small, but enthusiastic crowd of 1,694, the Baysox beat Altoona 7-2 tonight and, coupled with Harrisburg's 3-2 loss to New Hampshire, they moved into second place in the Eastern League's Western Division. They are a 1/2-game up on Harrisburg for the final playoff spot as Bowie now heads to Richmond for a four-game series that ends on Monday. ...

New Hampshire has taken a 3-2 lead over Harrisburg as that game is now in the ninth inning. If that result holds, Bowie could move into second place tonight. The Baysox lead Altoona 7-2 in the last of the 7th in Bowie. The Baysox began today a 1/2 game behind Harrisburg for second place in the division and a playoff berth. Tonight's attendance is 1,694 here at Prince George's Stadium. After tonight, Bowie goes to Richmond for a four-game series while Harrisburg plays at Binghamton...

Rick VandenHurk is appearing in his third game with the Orioles. Call off the search. VandenHurk replaced Brad Bergesen with one out in the sixth and coaxed a double-play grounder from Victor Martinez. Two pitches and he was done. We'll see him again in the seventh. VandenHurk tossed a scoreless inning against Texas, striking out two, in his Orioles' debut on Aug. 22. He gave up two runs (one earned) in three innings in an Aug. 26 game in Chicago. The Orioles acquired VandenHurk from the...

Joel Guzman, Carlos Rojas and Xavier Avery have the clutch hits so far tonight as Bowie leads Altoona 6-2 after four innings here at Prince George's Stadium. Guzman hit a three-run homer in the first, his 33rd of the year to tie the Baysox single-season record and Rojas came up with a two-run double in the fourth. After Altoona scored single runs in the 3rd and 4th to cut Bowie's lead to 3-2, Bowie answered in the last of the fourth. With two out and none on, Altoona pitcher Jeff Locke hit...

Brad Bergesen got into another jam in the third inning with a one-out single and two-out walk. I stress that it was a two-out walk. Marco Scutaro sent a grounder up the third base line. Josh Bell fielded the ball and stepped on the bag. The inning was over, except Bell forgot the number of outs. He went for the unnecessary double play, firing the ball to first baseman Ty Wigginton, who tried to knock it down as it skipped in the dirt. Players sort of milled around the infield for a few...

Bowie has a 3-0 lead on Altoona after two innings. Baysox slugger Joel Guzman hit his 33rd homer, a three-run shot in the last of the first. That homer ties Walter Young's club record for homers in one season with Bowie, set in 2004. The 26-year-old Guzman ripped a 1-0 pitch from Jeff Locke over the wall in left center. It scored Danny Figueroa, who walked and Ryan Adams, who had singled. Guzman has now homered in three straight games and has hit five over his past eight games. He began...

A very underrated movie. Also a keen strategy by the Orioles that got Brad Bergesen through the first inning without any real damage. The Orioles shifted their infield with two outs in the first inning, Victor Martinez on first base and left-handed slugger David Ortiz at the plate. A typical maneuver that worked perfectly as Ortiz sent a sharp grounder past first baseman Ty Wigginton. The ball was headed for right field, but Brian Roberts had moved to the exact spot and made the pickup and...