Forget about a division title. That's been out of reach for more than a week now. Forget even for a moment about home field advantage in the wild card game, which is still in their possession but feels less important right now than the Nationals' first and foremost goal over the regular season's final two weeks. No, at this point in time the Nationals need to be worried most about reaching the wild card game at all, because while they remain in an advantageous position to achieve that...

DETROIT - The Orioles ran out of lockers today on the pitchers' side of the visiting clubhouse, causing reliever Tayler Scott to dress with the position players. He was happy to be back, no matter where the Orioles put him. Scott, 27, was recalled today from Double-A Bowie after the Baysox lost to Trenton in the Eastern League championship series. He relieved starter Tyler Herb last night. "It was a lot of fun," he said. "It was good to go back and kind of see where you were a year or two...

The Orioles (48-99) beat the Tigers 6-2 last night to open a four-game series that continues tonight at Detroit's Comerica Park. The Orioles are 2-1 the last three games, but 3-10 over the past 13. With that win they improved to 14-34 in series-opening games. Right-hander Aaron Brooks got the win, allowing two runs over 5 1/3 innings. Trey Mancini's RBI single in the first inning gave the Birds a 1-0 lead, and his two-run homer (No. 31) in the seventh extended a 4-2 Baltimore lead. DJ Stewart...

DETROIT - Chris Davis wasn't in the Orioles lineup last night against right-hander Jordan Zimmermann, a favorable matchup on paper failing to influence his manager on the field. Being a left-handed hitter and owning six hits in 11 career at-bats, including four home runs, didn't get Davis off the bench. Davis figured to sit again tonight versus left-hander Daniel Norris, which is how it played out. He's appeared in only three games this month. Brandon Hyde indicated that Davis' at-bats...

The Nationals took the early lead on Saturday afternoon against National League East rival Atlanta. Trea Turner walked to lead off the first against right-hander Mike Foltynewicz. Anthony Rendon then delivered an RBI double off the out-of-town scoreboard in right-center field to score Turner. Victor Robles singled with one out in the second. But with Raudy Read at the plate, Robles was caught stealing at second base. Read then singled to center field, but Austin Voth flew out to right field to...

Kurt Suzuki took a small step forward in his return from a right elbow injury, but the veteran catcher still has a significant way to go before he's back in the Nationals lineup. Suzuki took some swings in the batting cage Friday, his first baseball activities since he had to depart a game Sept. 7 in Atlanta with what the club so far has only referred to as elbow inflammation. The 35-year-old catcher has not been cleared to hit live pitching or throw a baseball yet, and it could still be a...

DETROIT - The Orioles recalled reliever Tayler Scott from Double-A Bowie earlier today. Scott joined the Baysox for the Eastern League championship series, which ended last night with Trenton's victory. Manager Brandon Hyde has 15 relievers in his bullpen and the roster swells to 37 players. Austin Wynns is getting the start today behind the plate and Hyde is putting Mason Williams in left field and Austin Hays in center. Gabriel Ynoa is back in the rotation, for however long. He started...

Though their hopes of a fifth division title in eight years have all but been quashed, the Nationals still need to win as many games as they can as they attempt to lock up at least a wild card berth and preferably home field advantage for that winner-take-all game. Which means they need to win some games against the Braves. That's not something they've done much during the second half of this season. They're 4-8 versus Atlanta since the All-Star break, 7-10 overall for the season, with two...

Nationals catcher Yan Gomes started his seventh straight game Friday night in a 5-0 loss to the Braves. His teammate, Kurt Suzuki, has been out with an elbow injury for more than a week now. Manager Davey Martinez said Suzuki could start throwing a baseball by the end of the weekend. The skipper appears to be leaning toward giving Raudy Read the start against the Braves on Saturday afternoon. Martinez said he likes the matchup of Read against Mike Foltynewicz. Plus, Read has experience catching...

BOWIE, Md. - When the long grind of a professional baseball season ends it can be abrupt and jarring. There can be sadness that it ended and about how it ended. The Double-A Bowie Baysox players, staff and fans, no doubt, felt some of that last night. On a cool night at Prince George's Stadium, some of the magic we saw from the Baysox during the long, hot summer was not there. They hosted Games 3 and 4 in a series that left Trenton tied 1-1, but lost both games at home as the Thunder secured a...