PHOENIX - Needing to clear one more roster spot for the trio of relievers they acquired before Wednesday's trade deadline, the Nationals designated Tony Sipp for assignment today, cutting ties with the veteran reliever who never was able to consistently perform after signing with the club late in spring training. Sipp had a 4.71 ERA in 36 appearances, and though he had done a better job in recent weeks retiring left-handed batters, he may have sealed his fate when he put back-to-back lefties...

Right-hander Aaron Brooks (2-4, 5.46 ERA) makes his 20th appearance and 11th as a starter tonight between Oakland and Baltimore this year. He threw pretty well in his first two games with the Orioles, after they selected him off waivers July 6 from the Athletics. But his last two have not gone well. In starts at Arizona and Anaheim on the West Coast trip, he went a combined 8 2/3 innings allowing 16 hits and 11 runs (10 earned) with two walks and seven strikeouts. He gave up just one run in 5...

PHOENIX - Hello from The Valley of the Sun, where it's a dry 109 degrees outside but thankfully much cooler inside Chase Field, where the Nationals and Diamondbacks open a three-game series tonight. The Nats have three new relievers available out of their bullpen in Hunter Strickland, Daniel Hudson and Roenis Elías. We'll find out soon enough how Davey Martinez intends to use them. Before they can get to any of those relievers, of course, Joe Ross takes the ball for only his second major...

The Orioles are down to one healthy reserve tonight, their short bench reduced further after Stevie Wilkerson and Hanser Alberto took foul balls last night off the right knee and left shin, respectively. José Rondón needs to avoid injury tonight or the Orioles are in a major bind. Wilkerson said the knee feels "OK," which isn't a ringing endorsement. "It's pretty sore, as expected, but I think if they need me tonight I could go in there and play. I think over the next couple of days...

Right-handed reliever Dillon Tate became the seventh player of 15 acquired in the July 2018 trades to make his way to the Orioles. He followed Jonathan Villar, Breyvic Valera, Cody Carroll, Josh Rogers, Evan Phillips and Luis Ortiz. Tate's debut came after the 25-year-old was moved from the rotation to the bullpen this year at Double-A Bowie. He's also the only Orioles call-up this season that was not from Triple-A Norfolk. Tate was drafted No. 4 overall by the Texas Rangers in 2015 and...

Even though Andrew Stevenson's recent stay with the Nationals was short lived this time, the way the young outfielder has been playing has drawn high praise. It is inevitable he will return to the bigs soon. The club announced this week he has been moved from Triple-A Fresno to Double-A Harrisburg, presumably to be closer to the Nats so they can call him up quickly and Stevenson would only have a short drive to get to Nats Park. Stevenson has slashed .327/.377/.492 with 17 doubles, eight...

Stevie Wilkerson and Hanser Alberto are missing from the Orioles lineup tonight after taking foul balls off their knee and shin, respectively, in last night's 11-2 loss to the Blue Jays. Anthony Santander is in center field and Jace Peterson is in left. Renato Núñez is playing third base and Chance Sisco is the designated hitter. Sisco was 0-for-17 before his single last night in the seventh inning. Sisco is 14-for-37 (.378) in 13 career games against the Blue Jays. Aaron Brooks started...

For one night, they took time away from getting consistent outs against Eastern League hitters to take in a big league game. Double-A Bowie left-handers Zac Lowther and Alex Wells were guests of the Orioles last night, touring the clubhouse, meeting the coaches and doing a series of interviews. They made the rounds as they took a night off from the mounds. They are both having special seasons. Lowther was the Orioles Minor League Jim Palmer co-Pitcher of the Year last season, sharing the award...

Adley Rutschman caught last night for short-season Single-A Aberdeen, the media attention much lighter, and threw out two more runners attempting to steal. The first overall pick went 0-for-4 with a walk and run scored and is 4-for-20 with the IronBirds and 6-for-34 with a home run as a professional. The bat will come around. Give it time. Executive vice president Mike Elias is impressed by Rutschman on many levels. "Everything that I've heard has been exactly what we expected," Elias said...

Orioles right-hander Asher Wojciechowski has pitched well this year against a few teams, but Toronto is not one of them. Blue Jays righty Trent Thornton has been hit hard for four of his last five starts, but not the one against the Orioles. Those forces collided tonight - Wojciechowski did not do well and Thornton did, as Toronto beat the Orioles 11-2 to start a four-game series and 10-game homestand. After completing a 5-4 West Coast trip the O's were hammered to begin the homestand. They...