Some morning-after thoughts following an eventful and emotional night at the ballpark, with the Nationals and Phillies turning right around to play today's series finale this afternoon ... * Nats players were genuinely surprised by the crowd's reaction to Bryce Harper in his first game back in town as a visiting player. They didn't necessarily expect a standing ovation. But they certainly didn't expect the loudest boos they've ever heard directed at one player since this ballpark...

Off-season free agent acquisition Aníbal Sánchez gets the call for his season debut in game two of the series against the Phillies this afternoon as the Nationals look to split the short series. The right-hander went 5 1/3 innings against the Yankees in the March 25 exhibition, allowing two runs on two hits with four walks and four strikeouts. He threw 86 pitches, 47 for strikes in the 5-3 win. Sánchez is 5-9 with a 4.50 ERA in 20 career starts against the Phillies. He has 94...

Nationals shortstop Trea Turner broke his right index finger when he was hit by pitch from Phillies starter Zach Eflin in the first inning of Tuesday's 8-2 loss. Turner was attended on the field by Nats head athletic trainer Dale Gilbert and left the game. After the game, manager Davey Martinez and Turner confirmed the injury is a non-displaced fractured finger on his throwing hand. Martinez said there was no timetable for Turner's return. "Yeah, it's broken, didn't feel real good,"...

The first five innings? They supplied great theater, a playoff-like vibe rarely found on a cold April night as Max Scherzer dueled Bryce Harper in front of a raucous crowd on South Capitol Street. The rest of tonight's proceedings? They served as a not-so-subtle reminder of the bigger picture right now in this reborn rivalry: The Phillies mean business in 2019, and the Nationals had better get their act together real soon before this season of promise really turns south. Behind a barrage of...

The 2018 Orioles had five different pitchers register saves, led by Brad Brach with 11. Only Mychal Givens and Paul Fry remain with the club. Brach, Zack Britton and Darren O'Day were traded in July and Givens was anointed the closer this season by everyone except manager Brandon Hyde, who refused to hang the label on one reliever. He wasn't doing it just to throw everyone off the scent. The Orioles have won four games and four different relievers are credited with saves - Fry, Mike Wright,...

TORONTO - He didn't take a no-hitter into the seventh inning, but right-hander Andrew Cashner followed up nicely on David Hess' strong outing last night. Cashner pitched the Orioles to a 2-1 win at Rogers Centre and they are 4-1 with a four-game win streak, matching their longest of last season. After going 0-10 in Toronto last season, they can sweep this three-game series tomorrow afternoon. Cashner went six innings, allowing four singles, two of them infield hits. He allowed his first hit...

The Phillies came out of the gate quickly to begin the top of the first against the Nationals with back-to-back singles off of Max Scherzer. Then, in a matchup that felt like a playoff duel, Scherzer struck out former Nats right fielder Bryce Harper on a 2-2 changeup. The crowd at Nats Park went crazy. Scherzer got out of the inning unscathed. However, with one out in the bottom of the first against Phillies starter Zach Eflin, Trea Turner was hit on his right index finger while attempting to...

TORONTO - Last night's no-hitter over 6 1/3 innings by Orioles right-hander David Hess had a lot to do with the pitcher, of course, but also the catcher. Jesús Sucre said this afternoon that Hess let him know before the game he would have full confidence in every pitch Sucre called. Hess would say, "I'm riding with you," to his catcher pregame and then Sucre had a plan that Hess executed very well. All of this happened for a pitcher and catcher that haven't worked together very long....

Sometime around 6:55 p.m. tonight, just before the announcement of the Phillies' starting lineup, the Nationals will play a brief video tribute to Bryce Harper. Roughly 13-15 minutes after that, Harper will step to the plate to face Max Scherzer for the first time. And what does the former National expect the ovation to be like for all this? "I hope I get a great one," he said. "Of course, I think there'll be some boos and things like that. It's part of the game. I think there'll be some...

The Nationals got some good news on the injury front with the return of utility man Howie Kendrick to the clubhouse from extended spring training in West Palm Beach. Kendrick has been on the injured list with a left hamstring strain since March 25. "We wanted to bring him back, get some eyes on him, see where he's at," said manager Davey Martinez. "He's going to work out with us a couple of days. He's actually doing well. We just want to get him here and watch him work out with us and see...