The Nationals have known for the better part of four months now they were going to need to upgrade their bullpen before the July 31 trade deadline. And for four months, they've tried every trick in the book to address their most glaring need without breaking the bank or dealing away top prospects. Today we finally find out if they're willing to do something bold and fix this problem area once and for all. The countdown to the 4 p.m. trade deadline is on, and the pressure's on general manager...

The Nationals once again could not find a way to get to Julio Teheran. And with a big lead, the right-hander took advantage, lifting the Braves to an 11-8 win at Nats Park. Teheran (6-7) finished 6 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits with two walks and six strikeouts for the win. He fired 104 pitches, 72 for strikes. On July 19, Teheran carried a one-hitter into the sixth against the Nats at SunTrust Park. He gave up only one run on three hits over 5 2/3 frames, with no walks and five...

As the focus has remained squarely on their bullpen, which has been in need of upgrades since opening day, lurking underneath the surface of the Nationals' red-hot summer has been the question of rotation depth. Would Mike Rizzo need to acquire a No. 5 starter before the July 31 trade deadline? Rizzo last week insisted such a move wasn't necessary, that he liked his team's back-of-the-rotation options. Besides, the longtime general manager pointed out, starting pitchers usually are...

The Nationals still have a shot at a series win today as they turn to former Braves starter Aníbal Sánchez to work his magic. Sánchez has won six games in a row dating back to May 29 when he fired six shutout innings of one-hit ball in Atlanta. He struck out seven and walked only one for his first win of the season. The six-game streak is the second longest win streak of his career.sanchez Sánchez is 2-0 with 3.71 ERA in three starts (17 innings) against the Braves this season, with...

SAN DIEGO - It was an impressive way for the Orioles to end their second winning road trip of 2019. Chris Davis snapped an 0-for-18 slump with a tiebreaking solo homer in the eighth inning and the Orioles beat San Diego 8-5 at Petco Park. The Orioles were down 4-0 after three innings and scored three times in the fourth - two on Richie Martin's single on an 0-2 pitch - to pull within 4-3. Down 5-3 in the seventh, a Renato Núñez two-run single tied the game, setting the stage for Davis in...

The countdown to baseball's trade deadline has gotten serious. Teams have until 4 p.m. to make deals. They're on the clock. Here's a final reminder, since no one wants to be lectured, that executives taking calls on a player isn't news. Executives pushing to move a player or at least showing a willingness is news. No one is going to screen calls and refuse to listen. And this is especially true for the Orioles, who aren't placing an untouchable label on anyone. You don't lose 115 games,...

SAN DIEGO - The tiebreaking solo homer came from an unlikely source: Chris Davis, who had struck out three times today and 14 times while going 0-for-16 on this road trip. But with one mighty swing in the Baltimore eighth off left-hander Matt Strahm, Davis put the Orioles ahead 6-5. The Orioles went on to win 8-5 over San Diego to complete a winning road trip and a rally from a 4-0 deficit in the fourth inning. With the comeback win, the Orioles (36-71) completed a 5-4 road trip and finished...

If he could play, Matt Adams surely would have been in the Nationals' lineup tonight, with Davey Martinez wanting the lefty slugger batting fifth against Braves right-hander Julio Teheran. The drop-off to Howie Kendrick (who happens to be 6-for-18 with three doubles in his career vs. Teheran) isn't all that steep. But under normal circumstances, Adams would be the choice tonight. "Oh, yeah," Martinez said. "Howie has pretty good numbers against this guy, but you still want Matt in...

Right-hander Erick Fedde embarks on his first career start against the Braves tonight. On July 24, Fedde went four innings, allowing one run on three hits with two strikeouts and two walks in the Nats' 3-2 win over the Rockies. He had to throw 79 pitches. In his previous start at Baltimore, the Nats monitored his pitch count and Fedde did well: 66 pitches over six innings. Tonight marks his ninth start of the season. "He's pitched well," said Nationals manager Davey Martinez. "I like to...

SAN DIEGO - Like many other players around the majors, the Orioles' Trey Mancini will be happy when 4 p.m. Eastern time comes and goes tomorrow and the trade deadline passes. On the subject of trade rumors, Mancini said again today that he hopes to be an Oriole for a long time. But the next few hours may prove to be nerve-wracking for him. "I don't really anticipate anything happening, but I'm preparing myself for both sides because it's definitely something you need to mentally prepare...