LOS ANGELES - The biggest element of the Nationals offense, one the team has been unable to consistently demonstrate for close to 40 games, is a power-hitting bat day in and day out. Juan Soto showed what he could do with the bat in 2018. Anthony Rendon raced out to a hot start this season but was then slowed by the hit by pitch on his elbow in Miami on April 20. Matt Adams has shown flashes of his "Big City" bat, but the injury bug bit this slugger as well courtesy a left shoulder...

LOS ANGELES - The Nationals arrived in Chavez Ravine Thursday to begin a four-game set against the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers desperate to get their offense going to take pressure off their pitching staff. Mired in a four-game losing streak and fresh off a rough series sweep at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers, in which they scored only six total runs, the Nats tallied three runs quickly to set the tone in the opener against the Dodgers. They added three more tack-on runs late to help...

LOS ANGELES - The Nationals added veteran outfielder Gerardo Parra to their 25-man roster Thursday to look for a spark as the team attempts to dig its way out of a recent slump. Nats manager Davey Martinez said Parra brings a lot of versatility to the field, and swings the bat very well against right-handers. "He's a veteran outfielder that can play all three outfield positions, also plays a little bit of first base," Martinez said. "He gives us another left-handed bat. He'll play against...

The Orioles pitching has taken a bit of a turn for the better and that is very welcome. Yes, it's just small slice of a long season but maybe it provides a lift for the team and maybe we can begin to see more of it. The club's team ERA is 5.52 and through games of Wednesday, that still ranks last in the American League. But the ERA was over 6.00 for most of late April and it went as high as 6.37 on April 22. But over the past 13 games, the team ERA is 3.97 and the Orioles have allowed four...

The Washington Nationals agreed to terms on a one-year contract with outfielder Gerardo Parra and placed outfielder Andrew Stevenson on the 10-day Injured List with back spasms (retroactive to May 7) on Thursday. Additionally, the Nationals designated right-handed pitcher Jimmy Cordero for assignment. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements. Parra, 32, joins the Washington Nationals after beginning the 2019 season with the San Francisco...

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde is staying true to his word in his use of reliever Mychal Givens. It's fine to label Givens as the closer based on his team-leading four saves and how he's the first choice to pitch last. But he won't be saved for the saves. Hyde trusts Givens to get the biggest outs anywhere after the sixth inning. Givens worked the eighth and ninth Wednesday night with the score tied and carried the game into extras. He's exceeded one inning in eight of his 13 appearances. The...

"Well, life on the farm is kinda ______-_______." You know the words! During every seventh-inning stretch, hearing John Denver's "Thank God I'm A Country Boy" is as much a part of going to an Orioles game as the hot dog race, a Boog's BBQ sandwich or a stroll down Eutaw Street. Since the players hear the song every home game, we decided to test their knowledge of the 1974 classic. Lefty Paul Fry was the first to embrace the challenge even though he's often in the zone warming up in the...

LOS ANGELES - The Nationals arrive at Chavez Ravine looking to snap their longest losing streak of the season (four) and having lost 13 of their last 18 games. They are currently eight games under .500 for the first time since September 17, 2011 (71-79). The three-game sweep at the hands of the Brewers was the first sweep versus Milwaukee since May 2011. Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (2-1) allowed six runs, but only three earned, in the game's first two frames of a 7-3 setback. Second baseman...

SALISBURY, Md. - Take a team that has gotten outstanding starting pitching and timely hitting. A team that has solid defense, great chemistry and likes to keep it loose. A team that features a young, progressive-thinking coaching staff. And you can get a team playing some good baseball. Make that great baseball. But even those connected with the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds - the Orioles' affiliate in the South Atlantic League - are honest to admit they could not have expected anything like...

The moment easily could have gone unnoticed in a game featuring nine runs scored on homers through the fifth inning. J.D. Martinez strikes out swinging, Mookie Betts breaks for second base and catcher Austin Wynns pops out of his crouch and makes a perfect throw. Tag applied, runner out, another caught stealing for the Orioles. A similar moment last night drew more attention with the score tied in the ninth inning. Eduardo Núñez strikes out swinging, Rafael Devers breaks for second base...