For the Orioles: 2B Brian Roberts 3B Ty Wigginton RF Nick Markakis DH Luke Scott CA Matt Wieters CF Adam Jones LF Felix Pie 1B Jake Fox SS Cesar Izturis P Kevin Millwood For the Tigers: CF Austin Jackson 2B Will Rhymes DH Johnny Damon 1B Miguel Cabrera LF Ryan Raburn RF Brennan Boesch SS Jhonny Peralta 3B Brandon Inge CA Alex Avila P Armando Galarraga

Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa burst onto the scene at the beginning of September and ignited the team with his aggressive and exciting play in the Nats infield. He got off to a sizzling start at the plate as well, going 9-for-16 with 3 homers and 10 RBI in his first week. Coaches at Long Beach State saw the raw talent, energy, and passion from Espinosa when he was in his second year of high school. Former 49ers coach Mike Weathers recruited Espinosa, and current coach Troy...

After missing out on their first three-game sweep at New York in 24 years, the Orioles' road trip resumes at Detroit tonight where the Tigers host the O's in game one of a three-game series. The Orioles were also looking for the season's first five-game winning streak, but didn't get it on Wednesday. They have won four in a row six times. The Orioles have won eight of the past 12 games and are 21-14 under Buck Showalter They are 6-4-1 in 11 series since Showalter took over after...

Earlier this week the Orioles and Major League Baseball announced that Jeremy Guthrie was named the O's 2010 nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award. Guthrie is one of 30 nominees, one from each club, who are also finalists for the national award, which is given each year to "the Major League Baseball player who combines a dedication to giving back to the community with outstanding skills on the baseball field." In its ninth year, Roberto Clemente Day aims to honor Clemente's legacy and...

I have to admit, I wait for this one all season. It's like my Christmas in September. I love Hispanic Heritage Night at Nationals Par. The music, the dancing, the PA announcements in Spanish -- it's a perfect celebration of the Latino influence in baseball. On Friday, the Nationals will honor Hispanic culture, as they do every season during Hispanic Heritage Month, with a pre-game flag ceremony highlighting each Hispanic player's home country including Cuba, Dominican Republic, Panama,...

Just to avoid any controversies later in the game, umpire Jim Joyce already has given the Orioles an infield hit tonight. Mark it down in your scorebooks. Joyce actually will be working the plate tonight with Armando Galarraga on the mound in Detroit. It'll be another tearful reunion, with more reminders of Joyce's blown call on June 2 that denied Galarraga a perfect game. My guess is the Orioles better come out swinging, because Galarraga will have a wide strike zone. Galarraga is 0-2...

The Potomac Nationals pushed across a run in the top of the 7th vs. Nate Nery to break a 4-4 tie as the Nationals beat Frederick tonight 5-4 at Harry Grove Stadium. The win evens their best-of-five Northern Division Championship Series at a game each. The Keys took a 1-0 lead in the second when L.J. Hoes doubled and scored on Miguel Abreu's single. Frederick took a 4-1 lead by scoring three runs in the 4th. Billy Rowell doubled and scored on an error and catcher Brian Ward added a two-run...

With several teams in the Nationals chain doing well all season on the field, including Syracuse playing down to the final week before being eliminated, the spotlight has turned to Potomac and Harrisburg as they battle to stay alive in the postseason. Harrisburg leads their series 1-0 over Altoona while Potomac looks to bounce back following a tough loss in Game 1 at Frederick. It's a good reflection on the talent level a team has in its organization if you have affiliates who make the...

Brandon Snyder could make his debut in Detroit this weekend. It's a little easier to project a position player. The manager tends to dictate it more than the game - certainly while writing out the lineup in his office. If you're staring at the ceiling each night wondering about left-hander Pedro Viola...well, that's pretty odd. I won't sugar-coat it. You need help. Viola pitched in nine games with the Reds last season, so he's gotten the proverbial cup of coffee. He took his lumps with...

The Metro Express Best of 2010 nominations are out and the Washington Nationals are up for the final vote in several categories including "Best D.C. Team." Jim Riggleman is also up for "best coach" against Karl Hobbs, Mike Shanahan, Gary Williams and Bruce Boudreau. Ryan Zimmerman and Stephen Strasburg are both on the ballot for "Best D.C. Athlete," along with Chris Cooley, Alexander Ovechkin and John Wall. Strasburg will also face off against Ivan Rodriguez, Donovan McNabb and John...