As he handed Trevor Rosenthal the baseball with the game on the line Friday night - a scenario that had not been seen around these parts since the season's very first week - Davey Martinez had a simple message for his beleaguered right-hander. "This is your moment," manager said to pitcher. "Enjoy it." Given what Rosenthal has been through in 2019, why not try to spread a little positivity in a critical moment? Four pitches and one gargantuan out later, Rosenthal indeed was enjoying the...

Right-hander Stephen Strasburg managed to hang in there despite a slow start Friday night, accruing six innings and watching as his Nationals came back from a 3-0 deficit to edge the Braves, 4-3. Strasburg lasted six innings, allowing three runs in the first three innings, but then shut out the Braves for three frames to improve to 8-4. Austin Riley's two-run homer in the second and an RBI double from Freddie Freeman lifted the Braves to a 3-0 lead in the third. "You're going to give them...

In another one-run nail biter, it was inevitable that the Nationals bullpen would have to find a way to come up with important outs and escape a major jam to finish the game against the first-place team in the National League East. Now sprinkle in a tired bullpen with five relievers having pitched the day before in a 7-4 win over the Phillies. The card-carrying member of the resilient warriors not named Sean Doolittle in this bullpen right now is right-hander Wander Suero, who came up the...

The Orioles prospect talk doesn't usually bring infielder Mason McCoy into the conversation. Pitching is the area that warrants the most attention, and fans are waiting for first baseman Ryan Mountcastle and outfielders Austin Hays and Yusniel Diaz to be thrust into the rebuild. Catcher Chance Sisco made it back and DJ Stewart got the call before landing on the injured list with a sprained ankle. There aren't many cries for McCoy, 24, but I sense that there's been gradual notice. McCoy is...

It's only June 21, so there's still the promise of far more important baseball games yet to be played. But in order for those future games to carry real importance, the Nationals know they needed to treat this June 21 game as though it was taking place on Aug. 21. And so here was Davey Martinez pulling out all the stops in tonight's series opener against the Braves, trying out a different lineup combination, then turning to whatever available arms he had at his disposal in an attempt to...

SEATTLE - In just the last week or so the Orioles pitching staff has seen Josh Rogers join the team again along with Jimmy Yacabonis and Sean Gilmartin. Today Branden Kline and Tanner Scott returned. Among those headed out to Triple-A Norfolk were Paul Fry and Evan Phillips to join David Hess. Josh Lucas went on the injured list. It's recently been a continuing shuffle for a bullpen that has an ERA of 10.70 during a nine-game losing streak. But in bringing back Kline and Scott today the...

The Braves got on the board early against Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg. Josh Donaldson walked to lead off the second inning. With one out, Austin Riley belted a two-run homer over the left-center field to give Atlanta the lead. Riley connected on a 93.6 mph two-seam fastball for his 12th homer of the season. Braves left-hander Dallas Keuchel, making his 2019 debut, allowed leadoff singles to Trea Turner and Brian Dozier in the first and second innings, respectively, but no...

SEATTLE - The Orioles road trip continues tonight with the second game of a four-game series against the Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Their losing streak reached nine with a 5-2 loss last night. The Orioles are 21-54 and have lost 13 of 15 and 17 of the last 21 games. They have scored just nine runs while going 0-4 on this trip. Seattle is 33-46 and 15-24 at home. The Birds have been outscored 80-28 during the losing streak, which is one loss shy of the longest in the majors this year. The...

Ryan Zimmerman is in a starting lineup and playing in a baseball game tonight - in Harrisburg, Pa. Which suggests the veteran first baseman could be back playing in a baseball game in Washington soon. Zimmerman is beginning a long-awaited rehab assignment tonight, starting at first base and batting third for Double-A Harrisburg in his first game action in nearly two months. On the injured list since April 28 with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, Zimmerman is scheduled to play five innings...

Nationals manager Davey Martinez confirmed this afternoon that right-hander Joe Ross was on a flight today, heading to D.C. to presumably be the starting pitcher against the Braves on Sunday. But the story was adjusted a bit an hour later when the club announced that Ross was officially recalled from Triple-A Fresno prior to Friday's series opener. Infielder Adrián Sanchez was optioned to Double-A Harrisburg. Ross will be available out of a taxed bullpen tonight. Sean Doolittle, Tanner...