MASN will provide live television and online coverage of the Nationals news conference introducing Bryce Harper, the first overall selection in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, on Thursday at 5:45 p.m.. The press conference will introduce Harper to local media and it will be televised live on MASN and MASN HD. Viewers can also watch the press conference streamed live at MASNsports.com, the premier online destination for Nationals fans. At just 17, Harper is set to become a cornerstone of...

Adam Jones isn't in tonight's lineup after being hit on the left shoulder by a Gavin Floyd fastball last night. Brian Roberts 2B Corey Patterson LF Nick Markakis RF Ty Wigginton 1B Luke Scott DH Felix Pie CF Matt Wieters C Cesar Izturis SS Josh Bell 3B Brian Matusz LHP Here's the White Sox lineup: Juan Pierre LF Alexei Ramirez SS Alex Rios CF Paul Konerko 1B Carlos Quentin DH A.J. Pierzynski C Andruw Jones RF Omar Vizquel 3B Gordon Beckham 2B Mark Buehrle LHP

The Washington Nationals today placed right-handed pitcher Stephen Strasburg on the 15-Day Disabled List, retroactive to August 22, with a right forearm flexor strain and recalled right-handed pitcher Collin Balester from Syracuse of the Triple-A International League. Nationals Senior Vice President and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Balester is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in five relief appearances with Washington this season. The 24-year-old is 4-12 with a 5.85 ERA in 27 games/22...

With two weeks remaining in the regular season and the playoffs looming, the Frederick Keys will soon have to do without two pitchers that have been in their rotation for at least part of their season. Ryan Berry is headed back to Rice and Nate Moreau to Georgia to return to school. Berry had pretty much reached the limit on his innings for this season anyway and had been pitching out of the bullpen for the last month. He went 2-2, 3.04 in 17 Keys games, 12 starts. Moreau, who pitched a...

It's pretty quiet around here today. Maybe you're still exhausted from last night's loss. Or maybe you also closed Seacrets. Left-hander Brian Matusz is pitching on five days rest tonight. His ERA is 3.38 in nine starts this year when getting that extra day, and 3.80 for his career. His ERA is 5.64 in 14 starts this season on four days rest. Leadoff hitters have posted a .357 average against Matusz this season, the highest average for any spot in the order. They're batting .351 against...

Nationals right-handed pitcher Jason Marquis (0-6, 11.39) takes the hill tonight as the Nats look to salvage their final game of the season against the Chicago Cubs and right-hander Ryan Dempster (11-8, 3.56) at Nats Park. Marquis says his start against Philadelphia felt more like he wanted for the past month. "Day by day and game by game I am starting to feel a lot better with my delivery and my mechanics. I am starting to get a lot more confidence in everything. "It is about getting...

Brian Matusz, who takes the ball tonight in Chicago, has allowed one earned run or fewer in three of his four August starts. Mark Buehrle has lost once in four starts this month, when he allowed four runs (three earned) and 10 hits in seven innings at Camden Yards. He tossed seven scoreless innings in his last outing. For his career, Buehrle is 5-4 with a 2.81 ERA in 15 games against the Orioles. Nick Markakis is 9-for-20 with three doubles, a home run and three RBIs against Buehrle. Corey...

Give Hard Times Cafe a point for creativity. The famed local eatery is trying to spice things up during these late summer baseball games by hosting a wing eating contest on Friday night. How many spicy chicken wings can you eat in 90 seconds? If you're ready for that challenge and confident in your ability, send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to explain why you should be chosen to compete in the contest. Think through that email carefully as only two contestants will be chosen. ...

For a while, there was great starting pitching, clutch hitting, walk-off wins and a record of 8-1. That was the O's mark in their first nine games under Buck Showalter. It was quite a honeymoon. But the O's are 4-8 since then. Have the real Orioles returned? Last night, with runners on first and third and none out in the second inning, Matt Wieters hit a ground ball to first base. Adam Jones froze at third base and did not score as Chicago turned a 3-6-3 double play. Within a few...

It took about an hour, but I'm finally able to create a blog entry. I'm having another one of those mornings. Every connection times out and the system is running at a snail's pace. I lost my patience about 45 minutes ago, but that's typical. Anyway, I need to file something simple because I'm not equipped to actually flip screens and check statistics and information at other sites. That would take another hour. By that time, my wireless card will be nestled under my back tire as I hit...