Glanville on Strasburg: "He has an aura about him"
Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg makes his fifth start of his career tonight in Atlanta before another nationally televised audience.
Strasburg has been close to unstoppable in his first four outings, going 2-1 with a 1.78 ERA, and setting a major league record with 41 strikeouts.
It seems that almost every pitcher he has faced in his first 20 days has brought their "A" game and you would expect nothing less than the same from veteran Tim Hudson.
This will also be a chance for the...
During a weekend when the O's starters pitched to an ERA of 8.16, the performance of the Baltimore bullpen was a real key in the O's three-game sweep of Washington.
Here is the game-by-game rundown:
Friday: 4 2/3IP, 4H, 0R, 0B, 3K
Saturday: 5IP, 1H, 0R, 1B, 2K
Sunday: 3IP, 2H, 0R, 1B, 4K
Totals: 12 2/3IP, 7H, 0R, 2B, 9K.
That is 12 2/3 shutout innings over the last three games. Mark Hendrickson and Jason Berken pitched twice in the series while Alfredo Simon and Will Ohman pitched in...
Harrisburg Senators left-hander Ross Detwiler had his next start pushed back to Thursday against Trenton.
Detwiler missed his most recent opportunity to get extra treatment for back spasms but told me he is good to go for Thursday. He has not started since June 18 at Bowie when he went four innings.
He expects to go longer in this upcoming start, looking to get extended to 75 pitches, and is hopeful he is that much closer to getting back to the Nats. His hip is feeling better and he feels...
Michael Gonzalez's injury rehab assignment continued today in Aberdeen, where he gave up two runs and two hits in one inning.
The big blow off Gonzalez was a two-run homer by Brooklyn's Cory Vaughn.
Gonzalez induced three ground balls, one of them back to the mound that he turned into a force at second base. Tyler Sexton replaced him in the second inning.
Gonzalez had thrown two scoreless innings for the Gulf Coast League Orioles, allowing one hit and striking out three, before moving up...
Interim manager Juan Samuel didn't excuse Julio Lugo's baserunning blunder in the eighth inning.
Lugo broke for third base with one out and Corey Patterson at the plate, tried to get back to second and was picked off by Nats catcher Wil Nieves. Patterson doubled and scored the go-ahead run on Miguel Tejada's single.
"That is not a smart play. That is just not a smart play," Samuel said. "Lugo knows it. He's trying to help the club win, but that is just not something we want to try in...
Alfredo Simon recorded his ninth save, and the Orioles pieced together their first four-game winning streak with a 4-3 victory over the Nationals.
Simon struck out Mike Morse to open the ninth, but he walked pinch-hitter Willie Harris. Pinch-hitter Ivan Rodriguez flied to right, with Nick Markakis making an outstanding running catch in the corner, and Nyjer Morgan grounded sharply to first baseman Scott Moore.
Moore had moved over from second base, and he made a clutch play on a ball that...
Today's attendance: 22,951
Jason Berken tossed another scoreless inning today, getting a ground ball, pop up and fly ball in the seventh to keep the game tied, 3-3.
Interim manager Juan Samuel removed Berken after one inning and brought in left-hander Will Ohman with two lefties, Adam Kennedy and Adam Dunn, due up for the Nationals in the eighth.
Kennedy and Ryan Zimmerman singled to put runners on first and second with no outs. Dunn struck out swinging, and David Hernandez replaced Ohman...
The Orioles have rallied from deficits of 3-0, 6-0 and 5-0 to win three straight games heading into today.
They were down, 3-0, going into the bottom of the fifth, which must have made the Nationals uncomfortable.
What transpired didn't improve their collective mood.
Back-to-back doubles by Luke Scott and Adam Jones produced the Orioles' first run off Nats right-hander Luis Atilano, whose six wins tie him for second among National League rookies.
So this is the phenom everybody has been...
Nationals starter Luis Atilano has retired the first nine batters he's faced, striking out three along the way.
Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie hasn't allowed a hit in three innings, but he's walked three batters. Two of those walks came in the second, but were sandwiched around a double play.
Guthrie threw eight pitches in the first, but his count is up to 52 heading into the fourth.
Guthrie has lost five straight starts, but he's gone at least six innings in 10 consecutive outings and...
The Orioles have activated Koji Uehara and to make roster room Garrett Atkins has been designated for assignment, ending his tenure with the club.
Here is what interim manager Juan Samuel said about Atkins removal from the roster.
"The decision was made a few minutes ago to designate Atkins for assignment with Koji coming off the DL and the possibility of Felix Pie and other guys arriving here soon.
"Unfortunately things didn't work out for him here. It was getting kind of tough to get...
The Orioles are activating Koji Uehara from the disabled list this morning. The corresponding roster move was expected to involve a reliever, but interim manager Juan Samuel summoned first baseman Garrett Atkins into his office.
The meeting includes president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail.
Atkins had just arrived at the ballpark and was getting dressed when Samuel motioned for him.
Update: Atkins was designated for assignment to make room for Uehara.
The Orioles figure that Felix...