They waited 1 hour, 21 minutes for the first storm to clear out and then started the game. They played for 23 minutes, completing the first inning and the first two outs of the second inning, before the second wave of rain became too intense and forced both teams to leave the field. And then after another 2 hours, 54 minutes spent watching the heavens open up again, then stop, the Nationals' game against the Cubs was finally postponed, some 4 1/2 hours after it was originally scheduled to...

ST. PETERBURG, Fla. - There may not be a more interesting moment today than the posting of the Orioles' lineup for their game against the Rays. Adam Jones sat out last night's 14-2 loss, an unusual occurrence in a series opener and with a left-hander on the mound for the opposition. Joey Rickard started in right field and hit a two-run homer off Blake Snell to continue his assault on his former organization. Meanwhile, Jones' name didn't appear in the box score. Manager Buck Showalter spoke...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Rookie David Hess will make his start on Saturday night against the Rays, with only a slight discoloration in the corner of his left eye. He let a football smack him in the face, but he caught a break. Hess is taking anti-inflammatory drops for his eye, but he's fine except for the kidding that comes from such a mishap. He has to wear it - and an LSU football helmet, which he donned early in the game while watching from the dugout. "I could not entirely tell you where...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles were bound to reach 100 losses this season. They couldn't run the table after No. 99. Too big of a task. One more home run allowed and Dylan Bundy would have sole possession of the club's single-season record. The two dubious milestones collided tonight. Nick Ciuffo hit his first major league homer, a three-run shot off Bundy in the bottom of the second inning, Kevin Kiermaier matched it in the third and the Rays topped the Orioles 14-2 at Tropicana...

With Daniel Murphy now playing for another team, Wilmer Difo is getting his shot to play every day for the Nationals. And with the opportunity to see Difo play day in and day out, manager Davey Martinez was asked recently what improvement he has seen from the second baseman since Murphy's departure? "His offense. He's really staying on the ball and using the middle of the field," Martinez said. "He's driving the ball left-center field, which is really nice to see. That's the key for him...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles are waiting to get the results of David Hess' eye examination and will decide whether they need to find another starter for Saturday night's game against the Rays at Tropicana Field. Hess is the victim of another dreaded football-related injury, though he didn't fracture a finger like Michael Bourn last spring training. The rookie pitcher was struck in the left eye while outrunning Trey Mancini and attempting to catch a pass before the Orioles took batting...

For the first time in 14 months, right-hander Joe Ross will start a major league baseball game tonight against the Chicago Cubs. Ross is thrilled to be back from Tommy John rehab, and his manager shared his excitement during pregame Friday by talking about his returning starter after answering an opening question about the same day return of closer Sean Doolittle. "I'm more excited to see Joe Ross today," said Nationals manager Davey Martinez. "He worked really hard to get back. Gets a...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles rotation for the rest of the weekend series against the Rays could undergo major changes. Rookie David Hess was hit in the eye today while trying to catch a football during batting practice and was sent to a local specialist for an examination. Hess is supposed to start on Saturday, but may have to be skipped. Candidates to replace him include Yefry Ramírez, Jimmy Yacabonis and Luis Ortiz, though manager Buck Showalter prefers to use the latter out of the...

What would Sean Doolittle have thought, the Nationals closer was asked today, if told when he first noticed what felt like a minor left toe injury on July 7 that he wouldn't return for two months? "I would've said you were crazy," the left-hander said. "I was feeling really good, and I was pitching better than I ever have in my career. If you had told me when I came out of that game that night that I was going to have to wait two months to get to do that again, I would've said you were...

Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson, who has been nursing a right wrist sprain since Aug. 16 and is on the 10-day disabled list, threw a simulated game Friday afternoon. "Oh, it went good. Felt really good," Hellickson said. "Just trying to get out there and just see hitters in the box, really. Last time I went on the DL and came back for that minor league game, I was kind of all over the place. It was good to just see hitters and get out of the stretch a little bit." One concern during his...