Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg has made a huge impact on the 2010 season in his first three starts for Washington. He has won two games and given his team a chance to win all three. He has set a major league record for most strikeouts to start a career, surpassing J.R. Richard of the Houston Astros. So, why wouldn't Strasburg be an All-Star or at least get heavy consideration? It's the manager's decision who will pitch in the mid-summer classic, and Charlie Manuel of the N.L. East...

Jeremy Guthrie lost his fifth consecutive start tonight despite dominating in the middle innings. I thought the location was better later in the game," he said. "I made terrible pitches with the slider, especially in the inning that hurt me. I didn't really make great ones with it later on, so I just pretty much tried to quit throwing it. "Pitch execution was definitely the biggest difference between the second and the other innings." The Marlins jumped Guthrie for four runs in the...

Interim manager Juan Samuel mentioned after tonight's 10-4 loss to the Marlins that starter Jeremy Guthrie "didn't look right" in the early innings. To be more precise, Guthrie was missing his spots, hung a few breaking balls and fell behind, 4-0, in the second. "But he settled down after that. We just couldn't hold them," Samuel said. "He just did not look good there the first couple of innings. Pitch count was getting up there. I started to worry a little bit, but then he kind of...

If it seems like the Orioles lose often when they play the Florida Marlins in interleague games, they do. Florida blasted the O's 10-4 tonight to win for the ninth time in the last ten games between these teams. Florida is 17-5 all-time vs. the Birds. Hanley Ramirez, who missed Sunday's game with a hamstring injury, returned to the Marlins lineup with three hits and three RBI. Florida scored six times over the final three innings to break open a 4-3 game. The O's fall to 19-51 as they...

Reliever Ross Wolf was excited to have his parents fly into Norfolk yesterday. He had no idea that their arrival would come on the same day that the Orioles traded him to the Oakland Athletics for utility man Jake Fox. "Bittersweet," he said. I had a brief chat with Wolf this afternoon while he waited for his flight to Las Vegas, where Triple-A Sacramento was playing later that night. Wolf, 27, said he found out about the trade after arriving at the ballpark yesterday, though both teams...

Shortstop Greg Miclat, who played tonight in the Carolina League vs. California League All-Star game, will soon be joining the Double-A Bowie Baysox. Miclat was batting .311-1-19 in 48 games with Frederick with an OBP of .403 and OPS of .806. The fifth-round pick out of the University of Virginia in 2008, was batting .348 in 18 games in June and went six for 12 with two doubles and 5 RBI in his last three games with Frederick. Miclat will likely join the Baysox in time for Thursday's game...

Jake Fox made his Orioles debut tonight, pinch-hitting for shortstop Cesar Izturis as the potential tying run with one out in the seventh inning. The Marlins countered with left-hander Taylor Tankersley, which blew the percentages out the window. So much for righty vs. righty. Fox, who arrived at Camden Yards this afternoon, stepped out of the box twice while waiting for the ovation to die down. I'm kidding. Fox flied to the warning track in center on a 1-1 pitch, with Adam Jones advancing...

O's fourth-round draft pick Trent Mummey is at Camden Yards watching the Orioles tonight. Mummey had his physical in Baltimore this week and it appears everything checked out fine, as expected. The outfielder from Auburn is expected to join the Aberdeen IronBirds in the next few days. The 21-year-old Mummey hit .366-17-54 in 36 games in college this year after beginning the season missing 28 games with an ankle injury. Meanwhile an O's official did confirm tonight that minor league...

Not sure if the Matt Wieters home run is the reason, but Jeremy Guthrie sure settled down after the second inning. Guthrie has retired 10 of the last 11 batters since he drilled Jorge Cantu on the left side and caused plate umpire Doug Eddings to warn both benches. Ronny Paulino's single leading off the fourth inning is the only smudge in that streak. Guthrie just turned in a routine fifth, getting two ground balls and a strikeout. He threw 55 pitches through the second. His count stands at...

Ronnie Welty of the Frederick Keys made the semifinals of the home run derby before tonight's California League/Carolina League All-Star Game in Myrtle Beach, S.C., hitting five first-round homers, the most of any of the 10 competitors. In the semis, he was beaten by Winston-Salem's Jon Gilmore, two homers to one. Gilmore beat High Desert's Rich Poythress in the finals, four homers to three. Thanks to reporter Pete Kerzel, who is covering the game for milb.com for that note. Welty is...