Tonight's game and more on Manny Machado

With last night's walk-off win, the Orioles can do no worse than .500 entering the All-Star break. Two games above with two more to play.

Miguel Gonzalez is responsible for the only Orioles' win on their last road trip, holding the White Sox to one run over six innings in a 9-1 victory at U.S. Cellular Field. He's 2-2 with a 3.29 ERA in six career interleague starts, but he's never faced the Nationals.

Only two Nationals have faced Gonzalez. Yunel Escobar is 4-for-19 and Jose Lobaton is 1-for-4 with two strikeouts.

Jordan Zimmermann is on a serious roll for the Nats, holding opponents to one earned run in his last three starts covering 22 1/3 innings. He's walked one and struck out 17.

The Nats placed Zimmermann on the paternity list yesterday, but he's back for tonight's game. The All-Star break will give him more time with his family.

Zimmermann is 1-3 with a 4.13 ERA in five career starts against the Orioles and 0-3 with a 5.12 ERA in three starts at Camden Yards. Steve Pearce is 3-for-7 with two doubles and a home run, Chris Davis is 3-for-6 with a home run, Nolan Reimold is 3-for-4 with a home run, J.J. Hardy is 2-for-13 with a double and Matt Wieters is 2-for-12.

Chris Parmelee is 2-for-2 with a double and walk against Zimmermann, but he's been in a major slump. He reached on a check-swing infield hit in the eighth inning last night while batting for Pearce, but he had one hit in 20 at-bats this month and was 3-for-31 in his last 10 games with a plate appearance.

Do you start him tonight?

Left-handers are batting .298 against Zimmermann and right-handers are hitting .239. He's 4-3 with a 2.27 ERA in 10 home starts and 3-2 with a 4.35 ERA in seven road starts.

Wieters won't catch tonight despite the two three-hit games over his last three starts. He'll move behind the plate again on Sunday and rest through the break.

Manny Machado has hit safely in 19 of his last 21 games, producing a .349/.413/.639 slash line. He's hit safely in 58 of his last 73 games, batting .324/.383/.578 since April 21.

During a conference call yesterday with reporters, ESPN analyst and former third baseman Aaron Boone spoke in glowing terms of Machado and the Rockies' Nolan Arenado.

"I think you're seeing two potentially all‑time great defensive third basemen, and that's assuming Machado stays at third," Boone said. "When I was playing, I used to marvel that I played in the same division with Scott Rolen all the time. That was kind of my benchmark. And I've watched him play third base like a shortstop built like a power forward, just with the range and the hands and the easy arm.

"You know, Machado and Arenado are, honestly, I think going to be on the short list of great defensive third basemen if they stayed healthy and continue this track for a long time. Now you add in what we're starting to see with Machado offensively. We're starting to see ... We saw the doubles and the good young player, and I think everyone kind of envisioned there is a day out there where he's going to start to hit 30, 30‑plus home runs a year. And it's happening now. I think sooner than I even thought, but we've seen him gradually fill out more and more each year."

So it's settled. Keep Machado atop the order and at third base.

Or is it still unsettled?

I'm a firm believer in not trying to fix something that isn't broke. Also, the Orioles don't have a need at shortstop. Why move Hardy? Keep the left side of the infield intact. Machado could slide over later in his career.

Machado also could move down the order, but he's thriving in the top spot. I'd only make a change if convinced that it would stir up a stagnant offense.

Shameless plug alert: I'm appearing on "Wall to Wall Baseball" today from noon to 2 p.m. on MASN.