The Nationals sometimes see their prospects tip pitches in the minor leagues. But the Nats prefer to let their young pitchers go for a while before they adjust anything. They do not like to mess with mechanics, approach or glove positioning early on. Instead, they let them get into a good rhythm, establish some confidence, build on success, then make the minor tweaks to prevent hitters from seeing patterns between the fastball and their off-speed pitches. In the second part of our series, we...

SALISBURY, Md. - Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds manager Kyle Moore wasn't quite sure what to expect. He knew his first-place team would be adding a major talent when they got catcher Adley Rutschman this week. The hype and attention that has followed the player taken No. 1 overall in the June draft was now headed for the shore. "There was a little bit of holding your breath, like how is this going to go?" Moore said before Thursday's game. "But when you're getting a player like Adley, he...

Asked in his postgame media session Tuesday night about the Orioles tying the major league record for most home runs allowed in a season, manager Brandon Hyde interrupted his own answer to find out the total. He wasn't being coy. He wasn't pretending to be out of the loop. No one has to tell Hyde that his club surrenders home runs at an alarming rate. He watches from the dugout every night. But he hasn't been tracking the number. He had no idea that the 2016 Reds were the leaders in the...

PITTSBURGH - Some news and notes for your reading pleasure while I race to Chicago in time for this afternoon's series opener at Wrigley Field ... * If there was nothing else to take away from Max Scherzer's start Thursday night, it was this simple-but-important message both the right-hander and his manager stressed: They are going to continue to be cautious. That applied to Thursday's game, when Davey Martinez pulled his ace after only four innings and 71 pitches. It also applies to the...

The inevitable home run record was set tonight in the third inning. The watch is over. The only drama is in the final tally. Taking an early lead was the first order of business for the Orioles, but they also had to deal with their place in baseball history. The Rays' Austin Meadows lined a curveball from Asher Wojciechowski over the railing in front of the flag court in right field with two outs for the 259th homer surrendered by the Orioles this season. Move over 2016 Reds. There's a new...

PITTSBURGH - Max Scherzer started for the first time in four weeks, the second time in seven weeks, and that's the most important thing that happened from the Nationals' perspective tonight at PNC Park. "It was awesome," manager Davey Martinez said. "Just seeing him run out there and take the ball was great." So was seeing Scherzer depart the game feeling physically well. "Right now, I feel good," the right-hander said. "Hopefully I wake up tomorrow, I feel good." And yet there still...

SALISBURY, Md. - Playing his first game Wednesday night for the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds, catcher Adley Rutschman produced a .500 OBP with two walks and caught a five-pitcher two-hitter with 12 strikeouts. So, yeah, not a bad debut in the South Atlantic League. Taken with the No. 1 overall pick in the June draft by the Orioles, Rutschman began his pro career July 20, playing five games in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. After 20 games with short-season Single-A Aberdeen, he moves up to...

PITTSBURGH - Though the Nationals haven't made any formal announcements yet, it appears Joe Ross is good to start Saturday afternoon in Chicago, his lower right leg having healed enough from the comebacker that struck him during Monday's game against the Pirates. Ross threw a full bullpen session late this afternoon and did not appear to be limited or hindered in any significant way. Davey Martinez, who watched the session up close in the visitors' bullpen at PNC Park, said in his earlier...

Orioles first baseman Chris Davis hasn't been in the lineup for the last four games and nine of 14, and manager Brandon Hyde conceded today that opportunities will be harder to find after the roster expands in September. "Yeah, I think there are people we want to see and there's at-bats that we want to give to guys," Hyde said. "I'm just going to continue to pick my spots with CD, and we've had conversations about it. "I don't think he's swung the bat this year the way he's wanted...

The Washington Nationals made the following roster moves on Thursday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements. Reinstated second baseman Brian Dozier from the Paternity List Reinstated right-handed pitcher Max Scherzer from the 10-day Injured List Optioned right-handed pitcher Kyle McGowin to Double-A Harrisburg Optioned infielder Adrián Sanchez to Double-A Harrisburg Dozier, 32, is hitting .236 with 19 doubles, 19 home runs, 45...