CLEVELAND - If we're warned not to be fooled by spring training and September numbers, what about August performances in a rebuild? Jonathan Villar has looked pretty good in the field since coming over from the Brewers, and he can run and steal bases. I separate the two because other players - Felix Pie and David Lough come to mind - have been fast and also useless on the basepaths. Villar showed again yesterday that he also can take a pitch for a ride. He clobbered a fastball from Indians...

The Marlins tallied first with a solo homer by Derek Dietrich off of Nationals starter Jefry Rodriguez to lead off the second. It was Dietrich's 15th homer of the season, and came on a 1-0 pitch. Rodriguez helped his own cause in the bottom of the third with a one-out single off of Marlins starter Wei-Yin Chen. Trea Turner followed with a two-run shot, his 15th of the season, on a 1-1 offering, After three innings, the Nats lead the Marlins 2-1. Update: The Marlins tied the game in the fifth....

CLEVELAND - Alex Cobb had no idea about his pitch count today as he sat in the dugout after the seventh inning. He only knew that it felt light. Pitching coach Roger McDowell checked on him. Cobb said he was good and asked for the total more out of curiosity than any signs that his day was ending. Barreling toward his fourth career complete game, Cobb returned to the mound in the eighth at 77 pitches. Paul Fry stopped warming in the bullpen. Mychal Givens sat back down in the ninth. Cobb was...

CLEVELAND - Cedric Mullins has heard in the past that he's the prototypical leadoff hitter, probably because there aren't prototypical cleanup hitters who are measured at 5-foot-8. It's more than his size, however, as Mullins demonstrated this afternoon while pushing a bunt past the mound in the third inning. Austin Wynns drew a one-out walk against Indians rookie Adam Plutko and Mullins reached on his bunt single. Plutko scrambled to field it and no one was covering first base - perhaps...

The Nationals could have both Stephen Strasburg and Kelvin Herrera back on their active pitching staff for next week's series against the Phillies, though a final determination on each injured right-hander won't be made until Sunday at the earliest. Strasburg and Herrera each threw this afternoon at Nationals Park, and each appeared to emerge from the session in good shape. Strasburg threw more than 40 pitches in a bullpen session, a typical activity for him between starts. This came three...

Nationals manager Davey Martinez explained the reasoning behind tonight's adjustment in the starting rotation as the club called up right-hander Jefry Rodriguez and gave him the start against the Miami Marlins. Martinez said club officials have liked what they have seen the last two starts from Rodriguez, one with the Nats on Aug. 7 and an 11-strikeout performance for Triple-A Syracuse on Aug. 12. Left-hander Tommy Milone, tonight's original starter, now moves to the bullpen and helps the...

The Washington Nationals recalled right-handed pitchers Jimmy Cordero and Jefry Rodriguez from Triple-A Syracuse and optioned Trevor Gott to Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday. Additionally, they placed right-handed pitcher Jeremy Hellickson on the 10-day disabled list (retroactive to Aug. 16) with a right wrist sprain. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements. Cordero, 26, joins the Nationals for his second Major League stint of the season....

CLEVELAND - The addition of outfielder John Andreoli earlier today on a waiver claim has filled the Orioles' 40-man roster. They optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk. Andreoli's father, also named John, played linebacker for the NFL's New England Patriots and USFL's Boston Breakers in the 1980s. The younger Andreoli is cousins with former major league pitcher Daniel Bard. Today's game will begin after the Indians conclude their ceremony for Jim Thome that includes the retiring of his No. 25....

After right-hander David Hess delivered the Orioles' fifth quality start in the last 10 games last night, right-hander Alex Cobb (3-15, 5.31 ERA) will look to add to that total this afternoon. After Friday's 2-1 loss at Cleveland, the Orioles play the second game of a three-game set with the Indians. Cobb has two of those five quality starts and he's been pitching his best ball of the year lately. Cobb has allowed exactly one earned run in four of his past five starts. He has recorded four...

The Nationals tonight are seeking their third straight win, and they'll be doing so with a different pitcher on the mound then they originally planned. Tommy Milone no longer is starting this game; instead it'll be Jefry Rodriguez getting the promotion from Triple-A Syracuse. We haven't heard any official reasoning for this, but the hunch is simply that they liked the Rodriguez matchup against the Marlins better than Milone (who will still be available out of the bullpen). We're awaiting...