Talk about a win/win for Nationals fans. As you may know, Nats PR pro Lisa Pagano is running a campaign to raise $75,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) in 10 weeks. Two great events are approaching quickly and both will be very rewarding for Nationals fans. This Thursday, you can purchase a ticket for the Mets vs. Nationals game at Nationals Park and $8 will be donated to LLS, the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to blood cancer research, education and patient...

Food Network star Paula Deen will attend two events at Nationals Park on Wednesday, May 19th prior to the Nationals game against the Mets that evening. With Deen's help, Sean and Jessica Burnett, Adam and Rachel Dunn, Wil and Yormarie Nieves, and John Lannan and Maryanne Garry will help to deliver more than 100,000 servings of donated food to the Capital Area Food Bank as part of Smithfield's Helping Hungry Homes initiative. The event will promote the Nationals' Annual Food Drive. Fans...

There is a subtle change coming to the O's minor leagues. It might even be one a lot of fans won't notice. There are indications the Orioles will begin to use some of their prospects and maybe others as well at multiple positions. It's worth seeing if a player can play multiple positions and it just makes sense. It's the minors, that's where you should be learning about your players and experimenting. This may not apply to every player, but it's expected to begin to be something they...

I'd be in a miserable mood this morning if the weather wasn't so nice. Oh wait... So, to make sure I've got this straight: Garrett Atkins should bunt with runners on first and second. Corey Patterson shouldn't bunt with runners on first and second. Here's my take: The second inning may seem too early to give up an out, but with Atkins scuffling and the Orioles desperately needing to manufacture runs, I'd have him bunting. The same goes for Patterson. Not because you want to take...

Brad Bergesen didn't feel like he brought his best stuff into tonight's start. "It was a really a battle, but when I look back on it, it was really that one breaking ball to Billy Butler that was the one that sticks out," he said. "Kranny (Rick Kranitz) and (Matt) Wieters both came out there and told me, 'All 0-2 pitches, everything out of the zone.' And sure enough, first pitch, I try and get it down and I hung one right in the zone and he made me pay for it. I can't do that. That was...

Ty Wigginton met with reporters at his locker after the game. Here are a few quotes to get you through the night: On Kyle Davies: "He made good pitches. I was underneath them. He's tough. He's got a nice little cutter and he did his job." On lost opportunities: "We definitely had the opportunities. Garrett (Atkins) had a great at-bat to start that ninth inning, Izzy (Cesar Izturis) gets down the bunt, Corey (Patterson) does his job, they walk Nick (Markakis) and it's up to me next. I...

Manager Dave Trembley might have set a record tonight. Trembley made his usual opening statement and took three questions. Nothing else was coming. End of press conference. I've seen mound visits last longer. Dave Trembley talks with the media after the O's 4-3 loss to the Royals "We're down by a run in the ninth and we've got ourselves in a position to win the game with the right guys up at the right time, and it didn't happen, and that's how the game ended," Trembley said....

A frustrating night with a frustrating ending for the Orioles. They loaded the bases with one out in the last of the ninth, trailing 4-3, but could not tie it or pull the game out in a 4-3 loss to the Royals in the opener of a two-game series. Joakim Soria struck out Ty Wigginton on a 1-2 pitch and Miguel Tejada grounded out on a 1-2 pitch as the O's left the bases loaded in the final inning. Brad Bergesen talks about his balk in the O's 4-3 loss to the Royals The O's went 1 for 12 with...

Matt Wieters singled with one out in the eighth, putting the potential tying run on base. I expected Julio Lugo to run for him and try to steal a base. Instead, Wieters stayed in the game, Adam Jones grounded into a 5-4-3 double play and the Royals continued to hold a 4-3 lead. Any chance the Orioles rally against Joakim Soria in the ninth? Any chance they beat Zack Greinke tomorrow night? Jones was so frustrated, he fired his batting helmet down the right field line. I thought it was...

Tonight's attendance: 9,299. That's not a record-low at Camden Yards. The Orioles-Rays drew 9,129 on April 12. Tonight's intimate gathering is the second-lowest, which should draw chants of "We're No. 2." (Careful. Just...careful.) As always, keep in mind we're talking about tickets sold, not fannies in the seats. No way we have that many people here unless they're all huddled in the bathrooms.