It’s time once again for interleague baseball, which usually means that it’s time for the boring baseball purists to complain and tell you why AL teams shouldn’t face NL teams.

Here in Baltimore, it means it’s time for the Orioles to head to our nation’s capitol to face the Nationals in the Battle of the Beltways, the MASN Cup, the DMV Championship or whatever clever name you’ve decided to give the series.

For the first time in the history of this local series, both the O’s and Nats find themselves in first and second place in their respective divisions.

Tonight Jake Arrieta takes the bump/the plate against Edwin Jackson.  Arrieta has struggled over his last two starts (0-2, 11.70 ERA, .388 OPP AVG), but the soft hitting Nationals could be just the cure.  Jason Hammel faces Ross Detwiler in tomorrow’s nationally televised game and Wei-Yin Chen faces Stephen Strasburg in the finale on Sunday.

To get you ready to make fun of the Nationals, here’s Nuts About The Nats. See you in D.C. Go O’s!