The Nationals secured a much-needed 5-2 win over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday night, thanks to Stephen Strasburg, big hits from the middle of their lineup and the undeterred Sean Doolittle. Strasburg pitched eight innings for the win. Brian Dozier hit his sixth homer. Juan Soto had two hits and three RBIs. Howie Kendrick also added a run-scoring double as Washington improved to 19-26 to even the series at one game apiece. Controversy slowed up the ending. With Doolittle on in the ninth, Cubs...

CLEVELAND - The Orioles two-city road trip through New York and Cleveland ends this afternoon against the Indians at Progressive Field. After two rainouts and then a doubleheader loss Wednesday at Yankee Stadium, the Orioles are 1-2 in this series. They lost 14-7 Thursday, won 5-1 behind Dylan Bundy Friday and were one-hit yesterday in losing 4-1 to the Tribe. The Orioles are 15-30 overall, 9-15 on the road and have lost eight of 10 and 14 of their last 19. Cleveland is 24-20 and 11-10 over its...

CLEVELAND - It was the last of the fifth and a crowd of 25,652 was getting loud at Progressive Field. Leading 3-1, the Cleveland Indians had the bases loaded and one out against Orioles lefty John Means. They had a chance to put the hammer down and break the game wide open. Means had a 3-2 count on right fielder Jordan Luplow, who hit a two-run homer off him an inning earlier. This time Luplow grounded a fastball to the left of third baseman Rio Ruiz. He gloved it and started an inning-ending...

The Nationals collected a couple of hits early on against Cubs left-hander Jon Lester. Adam Eaton and Anthony Rendon had back-to-back singles in the first inning. But Lester settled in to get out of the inning unscathed, getting the dangerous Juan Soto to pop up behind the plate. But in the second inning, Brian Dozier led off with a solo shot over the left-center field wall. Dozier connected on Lester's 2-2 offering, for No. 6 on the season. Right-hander Stephen Strasburg struck out the side...

The Orioles flirted with the idea of switching to a six-man rotation earlier in the year and now they're doing it - for one game. The doubleheader in New York forced manager Brandon Hyde to find another starter today in Cleveland instead of using someone on short rest and he's chosen right-hander Yefry Ramirez. The alternative would have been an opener or recalling a starter from the minors, with left-hander Josh Rogers one of the possibilities. Gabriel Ynoa threw 54 pitches in relief...

CLEVELAND - John Means made one pitch he'd really like to have back. The Orioles were held to one hit, going 1-for-28. That was not a good combination today as Cleveland beat the Birds 4-1 at Progressive Field. Trey Mancini lined a solo homer to left in the fourth off Indians right-hander Adam Plutko, called up from Triple-A to make this start. But the Orioles got little else going against the right-hander and three relievers. They were held to one hit for the first time since Sept. 12, 2018...

CLEVELAND - For just the second time in his seven starts with the Orioles, left-hander John Means allowed more than one earned run. He didn't pitch badly, but he could have used more run support. After scoring 12 runs on 20 hits in the first two games of this series, the Baltimore offense was held in check today as Cleveland beat the Orioles 4-1 in front of 25,652 at Progressive Field. The Orioles were held to one hit by right-hander Adam Plutko and three relievers. They went 1-for-28 and,...

The Nationals have recalled right-hander Tanner Rainey from Triple-A Fresno and placed right-hander Justin Miller on the 10-day injured list with a right rotator cuff strain. Rainey arrived from Fresno approximately 2 1/2 hours before the Nationals are to take on the Chicago Cubs in game two of their three-game weekend set. The 26-year-old has not allowed an earned run in his last seven appearances out of the Grizzlies bullpen. "He's been pitching well. He's going to help us in the...

The Washington Nationals recalled right-handed pitcher Tanner Rainey from Triple-A Fresno and placed right-handed pitcher Justin Miller on the 10-day Injured List with a right rotator cuff strain on Saturday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Rainey, 26, joins the Nationals for his first Major League assignment of 2019. In his last seven appearances (7.2 IP) out of Fresno's bullpen, Rainey did not allow an earned run while striking...

CLEVELAND - The Orioles won't bring a starting pitcher back on short rest after Wednesday's doubleheader in New York, so they will turn to right-hander Yefry Ramirez out of their bullpen to start the series finale here on Sunday afternoon. Ramirez is 0-1 with an ERA of 5.14 in three games and seven innings since he was called up from Triple-A on April 29. He was 1-1 with a 1.50 ERA in four Norfolk starts with 24 strikeouts in 18 innings. "Well, we need a starter. And Yefry, it's a good...