Right-hander Stephen Strasburg kept an aggressive Colorado batting order guessing on Tuesday night, allowing his club to build a steady lead before the Nationals blew the Rockies away in the end, 11-1, before 22,612 at Nats Park. Strasburg tossed six shutout innings for his sixth straight win, matching the second-longest streak of his career, pushing his record to 13-4. He surrendered only three hits, struck out eight, and walked two. The three base hits were doubles by Trevor Story and Charlie...

The first time he did it - on a frigid, 43-degree Denver night in April 2017 - Trea Turner's accomplishment could perhaps be chalked up in part to the conditions. Yes, he hit for the cycle, but he did it at Coors Field, where nine different major leaguers have done it in the ballpark's 25-year history. "For me, it's hard to get that triple," he said. "And at Coors Field, it's a little bit easier." This time, however, Turner did it on a comfortable, 77-degree July evening at Nationals...

As Nationals manager Davey Martinez formulated a plan on how to employ his bullpen with the goal to get to closer Sean Doolittle, the skipper started to gain confidence in using right-hander Tanner Rainey in high-leverage situations. After Rainey was called up May 18, Martinez would put Rainey in games to start the seventh inning. Rainey would deliver a scoreless frame. The skipper said Rainey's ability to throw strikes early in counts has helped him build that confidence into a full-inning...

After Monday's 6-3 loss at Chase Field, the Orioles play Arizona again tonight in the second of a three-game series and nine-game road trip. The Orioles went 1-6 on their recent West Coast trip to Oakland and Seattle and lost the trip opener last night. They are 4-13 this year on the road against western division American League and National League opponents. The Orioles (31-68) tonight will play Game No. 100. They are 3-2 over their past five and 9-10 in the last 19. They are 16-32 in road...

PHOENIX - Orioles manager Brandon Hyde will pay close attention as usual to Dylan Bundy's work on the mound tonight. However, it's the at-bats that might draw the closest scrutiny. And bring the most anxiety. Bundy sprained his ankle last summer in Atlanta while running to third base and he's coming off a stint on the injured list with tendinitis in his knee. The risk of injury always hangs heavy in the air, even beneath a closed roof. "I don't want him to push anything," Hyde said....

PHOENIX - It's taken 100 games into the 2019 season for Renato Núñez to make his return to third base. Núñez started at first base last night at Chase Field and is moving across the diamond tonight. The motivation for manager Brandon Hyde likely centers on the lack of a designated hitter in a National League park and the desire to keep Núñez's power bat in the lineup. Hyde indicated prior to the road trip that Núñez would get more opportunities in the field....

Barring any setbacks in the next 48 hours, the Nationals plan to activate Max Scherzer off the injured list for Thursday's series finale against the Rockies, a decision they are admittedly making in part because it would then line him up for several key starts the rest of the season ... including a potential wild card game in October. Yep, they've extrapolated the schedule out that far, just to make sure. More on that in a moment. Of more immediate consequence, Scherzer continues to pass...

With Monday's rainout and a doubleheader scheduled for Wednesday, the Nationals now have an opening Saturday in the second game of the Dodgers series. That could be a spot for right-hander Joe Ross to start. Right-hander Austin Voth, who last made a start July 16 in Baltimore, was placed on the injured list yesterday with right bicep tendinitis. Manager Davey Martinez said today that Voth had a setback when he tried to throw Monday and will have to go in for an MRI. "He threw a little bit and...

PHOENIX - Renato Núñez is making his first start at third base this season as the Orioles continue their series against the Diamondbacks. Núñez has played one inning at third this year. Rio Ruiz usually gets the start versus a right-hander. The lack of a designated hitter has forced manager Brandon Hyde to find ways to get Núñez's bat in the lineup. Dwight Smith Jr. is in left field and Anthony Santander is in center. Hanser Alberto is at second base and Jonthan Villar is...

And we're back. The Nationals got an unexpected (but probably needed) night off with Monday's postponement (rain optional) so now they're rested and refreshed for tonight's delayed start of a four-game series with the Rockies. They better have caught up on their sleep, though, because they've now got to play four games in the span of about 51 hours. It begins tonight with Stephen Strasburg (tonight's originally scheduled starter for the Nationals) against Peter Lambert (Monday's...