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...

The Cubs edged the Nationals 5-4 Tuesday at Nats Park, but not before some final inning dramatics got the home team back in the game and hopefully signaled a turn for the better for a struggling offense. Down 5-1 and with two outs, Adam Kennedy laced a three-run double off of closer Carlos Marmol and Ryan Zimmerman battled through a long at bat before flying out to deep right to end the game. Although the Nats did not win the game, it was a vast improvement from the way the team felt after...

One swing by Gordon Beckham broke up a good pitchers duel tonight in Chicago. He hit a 2-2 pitch from Jeremy Guthrie for a three-run homer to center in the last of the seventh and that broke a 2-2 tie and put the Sox ahead 5-2 on their way to a 7-5 win over the Orioles on Tuesday night. It was game one of a series and road trip for the Orioles who fall to 12-9 under Buck Showalter. It was the first time they had lost the first game of a series since Showalter took over after going 6-0. Jim...

White Sox number nine hitter, Gordon Beckham, hit a three-run homer to center off Jeremy Guthrie in the 7th to break a 2-2 tie and give Chicago a 5-2 lead. Beckham came up with runners on second and third and one out in a tie game. The infield came in. On a night when Guthrie has struggled to command his slider, he missed with a breaking ball on the 1-2 pitch and went fastball on 2-2. Beckham was ready and drilled the belt high pitch out to center for the lead and his 8th homer of the...

Luke Scott tied his career high with his 25th homer tonight at Chicago. He led off the fourth with a shot to right off Gavin Floyd on a 1-1 pitch as he homers for the third game in a row. Scott has hit eight of his 25 homers on the road this year and now has hit eight in 21 August games. He has more homers this year in August than he had all of last year after the All-Star break. This year he has 13 homers in 127 at bats since the All-Star game while last year he had seven in 216 at bats in...