Nats edged by Orioles  —  Speigner pitches 2 2/3 scoreless innings in relief  —  ORIOLES 4, NATIONALS 3  —  Nationals at the plate: Center fielder Darnell McDonald got hit by a pitch, moved to third on an error and scored Washington's first run on a groundout in the seventh inning.

Mets Tell Sánchez It's Time to Shape Up  —  Manager Willie Randolph will be in his office at 8 a.m. sharp Saturday, and if Duaner Sánchez knows what's good for him, he will be there 15 minutes early.  —  "It wouldn't be a great idea to be late, that's for sure," Randolph said.

Bochy similar to Alou, according to new book  —  Writer/historian James examines managers in his latest baseball handbook  —  Bill James has noticed that whenever fans start debating the merits of a manager, there are essentially two types of arguments.  —  There is "He's a genius."

Burrell struggles with contacts  —  Still insists he has no vision trouble  —  CLEARWATER, Fla. - It was an eye-opener of a day for Pat Burrell.  —  Aided by his pal, non-roster catcher Jason Hill, Burrell finally got the contact lenses on his eyeballs yesterday morning.

Zimmerman's contract  —  (Please put aside the lame showing by the Journal yesterday.  And please note that it did not affect the coverage of the Nationals in the actual ink-and-paper product (just $.35).  I'm not supposed to be posting on the weekend, so consider this bonus Journal coverage.)

Take a look at Sammy  —  Cubs do, and he gets 2 hits vs. team that didn't want him back  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. — If Sammy Sosa had his way, the Cubs' first look at him this spring would have come a lot sooner than Friday, when he started in right field for the Texas Rangers in a split-squad exhibition against the Cubs.

Pirates Notebook: Wilson eyes patience at plate  —  By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette  —  BRADENTON, Fla. — Jack Wilson is aware that some question the Pirates' decision to bat him No. 2 in the order, given his .305 career on-base percentage.  —  At the same time, he seems determined to prove management right.

Nationals' Biggest Hires Don't Even Play  —  VIERA, Fla. — On paper, the Washington Nationals' important business Friday took place in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where they played another Grapefruit League game against the Baltimore Orioles.  In practice, the bulk of the regular lineup remained …

Hamilton's Red-letter spring is made for Hollywood … SARASOTA, Fla. — Sometimes, the stories we tell aren't really baseball stories.  —  Sometimes, they're just the stories of human beings — people who rise, who fall, who sadden us, who inspire us.  We only use baseball as a reason to tell those tales.