It was right there for the taking, a doubleheader sweep and a chance to make a definitive statement that they intend to thrust themselves into the mix of the National League East's three-team pennant race right now. Instead, the Nationals squandered yet another golden opportunity to win a close ballgame, and because of that a long and exhausting day and night at the ballpark wound up as nothing more than a push. No ground gained, no ground lost. Which is not what they need right now. A 3-1...

With each passing day, Juan Soto does something else that makes you pause to remember just how remarkable the Nationals rookie's season has been. No matter his age. Soto added to the growing legend tonight when he homered in the bottom of the first. To the opposite field. Off a left-hander. On an 0-2 pitch. This, of course, has become commonplace for the 19-year-old since he burst onto the scene 2 1/2 months ago and started doing things few (if any) 19-year-olds have ever done before on a...

The Orioles offense has been putting up some impressive numbers since the All-Star break and we'll see if that can continue as the team opens a three-game series tonight in St. Petersburg against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Orioles have basically gone from having an offense that was about the worst in the American League before the break to one of the best after. Before the break, the Orioles averaged 3.6 runs per game. Since the break they have scored 6.2 per game. O's pre-break: A .227 team...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Orioles rookie David Hess will start Thursday night's series finale against the Rays. Dylan Bundy is pushed back to Friday night against the Red Sox at Camden Yards. "I don't want David to get too far away from being out there," manager Buck Showalter said. "Also, I didn't want to necessarily have those three young guys lined up in a row, either, if I could help it." The Orioles have a day-night doubleheader on Saturday against the Red Sox, and Jimmy Yacabonis...

And we're back for the nightcap of today's doubleheader. The Nationals did what they needed to in the opener, riding five strong innings from Jefry Rodriguez and a pair of four-run rallies to an 8-3 victory that moved them to within five games of the Phillies and 3 1/2 games of the Braves. There's still an opportunity to either gain or lose ground the rest of the evening, with Philadelphia playing late at Arizona. The Nats have to like the fact they've got Max Scherzer on the mound tonight,...

Manager: Alex Cora (1st season) Record: 81-35 Last 10 games: 8-2 Who to watch: DH J.D. Martinez (34 HR, .332/.399/.654), RF Mookie Betts (26 HR, .340/.428/.649, 22 SB), LF Andrew Benintendi (.305/.388/.512, 20 SB), SS Xander Bogaerts (32 2B), LHP David Price (3.93 ERA), RHP Craig Kimbrel (33 saves) Season series vs. Orioles: 10-2 Pitching probables: Aug. 10: RHP Nathan Eovaldi (5-4) vs. RHP Dylan Bundy (7-10), 7:05 p.m., MASN2Aug. 11: LHP David Price (11-6) vs. RHP Yefry Ramírez (1-4), 1:05...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - An Orioles' trip to The Trop enables rehabbing players to make the drive from the Ed Smith Stadium complex, rejoin the club and be evaluated by the medical staff. Infielder Steve Wilkerson, on the disabled list with a left oblique strain, is feeling much better and could begin an injury rehab assignment on Thursday. Meanwhile, Rule 5 pick Pedro Araujo is shut down again after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right elbow last week. He's been on the DL...

Davey Martinez didn't want his players looking at this week's critical series as a whole, believing there was no good to be had worrying about all four games with the Braves until they'd played the first one. Well, Martinez's Nationals did exactly what they needed to do it today's matinee opener. And now they get to go for a doubleheader sweep with their ace on the mound. Behind five strong innings from fill-in starter Jefry Rodriguez, a pair of four-run rallies in the middle innings and...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Jonathan Villar is leading off tonight for the Orioles, who open a three-game series against the Rays at Tropicana Field, and Chris Davis returns to the lineup after sitting out the last two games in Texas. Jace Peterson is in right field. Mark Trumbo is batting fourth as the designated hitter. Caleb Joseph is catching. The Orioles are leading the American League in hitting with a .300 average (160-for-533) and slugging percentage (.499) since the All-Star break. They've...

As a new member of the Atlanta Braves, one of pitcher Brad Brach's first meetings was with the analytics staff. They showed him a string of statistics. "They showed me a lot stuff, things like my swing-and-miss rate, how I was falling behind left-handed batters,'' Brach said Tuesday before their series with the Nationals began in D.C. "It's helpful information, but you still have to execute pitches.'' When the Orioles traded Brach, a reliever, and starter Kevin Gausman to the contending...