PHOENIX - Stephen Strasburg took the mound tonight at Chase Field looking to continue perhaps the best sustained stretch of his career. The right-hander had won seven consecutive starts and just completed a perfect a 5-0 July in which he drove in more runs (six) than he surrendered (four). And then the Diamondbacks dug in to face Strasburg and did what nobody else has done to him. Well, nobody else but themselves. Over the course of 4 2/3 harrowing innings in the desert, Arizona's lineup...

The Orioles could go back-to-back days with a roster move, which would be as surprising as cracking open a peanut M&M and finding a peanut. The only shocker yesterday was the use of a two-man bench after the Orioles designated José Rondón for assignment and recalled pitcher Branden Kline. Especially with Hanser Alberto and Stevie Wilkerson hobbled. Unusual and risky. Wilkerson wasn't supposed to be in the lineup ... until he started in center field. Alberto figured to be ready after...

The Orioles offense awoke from its recent slumber tonight. It was enough to get the team a win, it's first after two losses in the series against Toronto. And after a stretch of four losses the past five games. Jonathan Villar and Trey Mancini homered during Baltimore's four-run last of the fifth, and two later runs broke a 4-4 tie as the Orioles beat the Blue Jays 6-4 in front of 12,951 at Oriole Park. Toronto lefty Thomas Pannone pitched five innings without allowing a hit to the Orioles...

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a ball tonight that should have sent the cover in one direction and yarn in another. It also should have landed in Anthony Santander's glove, except he broke in and tried unsuccessfully to make a leaping catch. Guerrero had a run-scoring double with two outs in the first inning, another early lead for the visitors, and the Orioles probably had a "here we go again" moment as their homestand reached its third game. At least Santander didn't get hit squarely in the...

PHOENIX - The Nationals continue to hope Roenis Elías suffered only an upper leg cramp running down the line Friday night to try to beat out a chopper to short, but they are still planning to have the newly acquired reliever undergo an MRI to check for a hamstring strain and may feel compelled to place him on the injured list in the next 24 hours to be safe. General manager Mike Rizzo today referred to Elías having "tweaked his hammy," and though he doesn't sense the left-hander's...

After two straight losses to Toronto, the Orioles host the Blue Jays tonight in the third of a four-game series and 10-game homestand. The Blue Jays have hit seven homers in winning the two games by 11-2 and 5-2 scores. In this series, the Orioles have scored four runs on 15 hits, going 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position. In the 13 games before this series started, they went 8-5, scoring 83 runs. The Orioles (36-73) have lost four of their last five games. Over longer stretches, they are...

Here are some updates on a few pitchers working for the high Single-A Potomac Nationals. One of those previewed - Kyle Johnston, the Nats' No. 21-rated prospect - was sent to the Toronto Blue Jays for right-handed reliever Daniel Hudson last week. P-Nats manager Tripp Keister gave updates on three other pitchers, all southpaws: Tim Cate, Nick Raquet and Carson Teel. Cate is the left-handed starter taken in the second round of the First-Year Player Draft in 2018. He has gone 4-3 with a 3.64 ERA...

The two-man bench utilized by the Orioles will be a short-term arrangement. Manager Brandon Hyde explained the need for an extra reliever, with Branden Kline recalled for the fifth time. Hyde said Miguel Castro has been under the weather and unavailable. Castro didn't sit in the bullpen last night. "We have a few guys who are unavailable," Hyde said. "We wanted to make sure that we were healthy and had enough people going into the Yankees series." Also, the Orioles are expected to go with...

As he returned today to the Orioles roster for his fifth stint in 2019 with the big league club, the search for consistent big league success is ongoing for right-handed reliever Branden Kline. His injury issues now well behind him, Kline made his big league debut this year on April 20 versus Minnesota, with his mom looking on in tears from the stands. He had made it all the way back from Tommy John surgery and complications that forced him to miss most of three seasons from 2015 to 2017. He...

PHOENIX - Fresh off Friday night's impressive pitching effort in a 3-0, one-hit shutout of the Diamondbacks, the Nationals now try to make it two in a row while Stephen Strasburg tries to make it eight in a row. That would be eight wins in a row for Strasburg, the newly minted National League Picher of the Month for July, who has emerged with a W in each of his last seven starts. His last loss came way back on June 15. That actually remains the last time any of the Nats' top four starters...