Manager Lou Piniella decided to make Sunday's game against the Braves his last in order to spend more time with his ailing mother in Tampa. It was a very emotional moment for the team and the city, especially after trading a team leader like Derrek Lee to Atlanta earlier in the week. The Cubs look vastly different from the last time these two teams tangled, as they recharge for 2011. Third-base coach Mike Quade will make his major league managerial debut tonight at Nats Park. The Nats...

If you made it out to the Yard during the last homestand, you undoubtedly saw this week's image all over Oriole Park. The question each week is - Where? As usual, take a look at the photo below and let us know what the item is and we're it's located in or around Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Get your guess in early to grab the bonus point for being the first O's fan to guess correctly, or post a picture of yourself next to the item below on the MASNsports.com Facebook page to grab extra...

Here are some stats about Luke Scott that may surprise you. This year he is averaging one homer every 14.5 at bats. That is fourth best in the AL and the best ratio of his career. If a player hitting one homer every 14.5 at bats, got 600 at bats in a season, that player would hit 41.4 homers. Scott won't get 600 at bats this year, but that is quite a pace he is on. There is also this stat: Since May 12, Luke Scott is 3rd in the Majors in slugging percentage (.640) and OPS...

Chiefs eye back-to-back winning seasons as part of Nationals system. The Washington Nationals today announced the signing of a two-year Player Development Contract with the Syracuse Chiefs of the Triple-A International League. Nationals President Stan Kasten, Nationals Senior Vice President and General Manager Mike Rizzo, Nationals Assistant General Manager and Vice President/Player Development Bob Boone and Director of Player Development Doug Harris made the joint announcement. "This...

Jeremy Guthrie will start tomorrow night's series opener in Chicago, bringing an unimpressive 7-12 record and a serviceable 3.97 ERA. That's the same ERA as his counterpart, Severna Park's Gavin Floyd, who gets a lot more love in baseball circles. Guthrie is a veteran who currently figures into next season's plans, though he'll draw interest on the trade market. I know a few rival general managers wish they had pulled the trigger on a deal before the July 31 non-waiver...

Cuban pitcher Yunesky Maya had an up and down start in his Potomac Nationals debut Sunday at Pfitzner stadium. Maya sailed through the first three innings but then got into some trouble in the fourth inning, when the first six batters reached base. Winston-Salem scored five in that frame and went on to win the game, 9-8. Maya threw a lot of off-speed pitches and they were very effective. Maya ended up going two batters into the fifth inning, allowed seven hits, six runs, three walks, four...

Third baseman Billy Rowell set the record for most career games played at Single-A Frederick when he appeared in No. 334 this afternoon in a 4-1 loss to Salem. I suppose you can file this one in the "dubious" category, since Rowell has spent the last three seasons in the Carolina League after being the ninth overall pick in the 2006 draft. The Orioles considered the idea of assigning him to Double-A Bowie to start the season, but decided to keep him at the Single-A level. They put him back...

Reminds me of the famous line delivered by former Tampa Bay Bucs coach John McKay when asked by a reporter about his woeful team's execution. "I'm all for it." Anyway, here's how Kevin Millwood summarized the first inning: "I got a ball up to Andrus that he hit, walked Michael Young and then threw one right down the middle to Hamilton. So, I just wasn't executing my pitches." Hamilton and Vladimir Guerrero did the serious damage to Millwood, who fell to 2-14. "They're pretty...

The Orioles were done in today by the three-run homers that Kevin Millwood surrendered to Josh Hamilton in the first inning and Vladimir Guerrero in the fifth. Millwood, as I pointed out earlier, has allowed 38 runs in the first inning this season. "I give him a little bit of an out. He was already warmed up and the rain came and he sat around for a little while. But I understand some of the problems he's had there, regardless," manager Buck Showalter said. "You get a lineup like that...

O's starter Kevin Millwood has struggled this year when pitching in the first inning. And, he began today tied for fifth in the Majors with 24 homers allowed. Today, he allowed a homer as he gave up runs again in the first. Millwood gave up two, three-run homers to the middle of the Texas order as the Rangers beat the Birds 6-4 to even the four-game series at two wins each. After a single and walk to start the game, Josh Hamilton came up and hit a homer to left for a quick 3-0 Texas edge. ...