Tanner Roark isn't No. 1 on the list of "Most Important Nationals for the Remainder of the Season," but he's on the list somewhere, and probably closer to the top than the bottom. The Nats have been built to win behind consistently great starting pitching for many years now, and typically as Roark has gone so has the team as a whole. So among the most significant developments of the second half to date has been the reemergence of the wily right-hander as a guy who can be counted on to...

The Nationals have shown they can win some lopsided games, riding big offensive showings to big victories. If, however, they're going to pull off a late-season surge, they're going to have to start winning some tight ballgames when there's little-to-no margin for error. Like today's series finale against the Reds, in which the Nationals held a one-run lead in the fourth inning and then tried to make it hold up the rest of the afternoon. It wasn't easy, but the challenge facing the Nats...

ARLINGTON, Texas - During the first three games of a four-game series here at Globe Life Park, the Orioles have lost to the Texas Rangers when they gave up a lot of runs, and also last night, when they gave up just three. They are 0-3 in this series, and a loss today would give Texas its first four-game home sweep of the Orioles since July 24-26, 2001. The Orioles went 6-1 against the Rangers last year but are 2-4 this season. Texas beat the Orioles 17-8 Thursday, 11-3 Friday and 3-1 last...

ARLINGTON, Texas - The Orioles starting lineup today doesn't include center fielder Adam Jones or first baseman Chris Davis. Jones is just getting a day off. But is it not the exact same scenario for Davis. "He's banged up a little bit. We're going to give him the benefit of another day and the off-day tomorrow. Hopefully, he's back in the lineup Tuesday. Just felt like he needed one more day," manager Buck Showalter said. Showalter was asked today if he's noticed if Davis has become...

Bryce Harper is back in the Nationals' lineup for today's series finale against the Reds, a development that was very much uncertain when the star outfielder left the ballpark Saturday night with a barking right knee. Harper was hit by a pitch square on the kneecap during the bottom of the sixth inning of the Nats' 6-2 win over Cincinnati. He remained in the game and did take his position in right field to begin the top of the seventh but then was removed after laboring to track down a...

Adam Jones and Chris Davis are both out of the starting lineup today as the Orioles try to avoid a four-game sweep in Texas. Joey Rickard takes Jones' customary position in center field. Trey Mancini is playing first base again today. Jace Peterson is leading off and starts in left field. Jonathan Villar, who has been batting in the leadoff slot since he came over from the Brewers in the Jonathan Schoop trade, bats third today. Mark Trumbo is in right field, while Danny Valencia takes a turn...

After a long day and night at the ballpark on Saturday, the Nationals return to the ballpark today for what amounts to a pretty big series finale with the Reds. Obviously, every game is big at this point, but consider that the Nats need to win today to win the series. And carry some positive momentum into their critical upcoming four-games-in-three-days series with the Braves. Which leads into a seven-game road trip to Chicago and St. Louis. So, yeah, a win today would help a lot of things....

The Nationals have played their best baseball of the season since the All-Star break, and especially since Tuesday's non-waiver trade deadline, yet they're still looking up at Atlanta and first-place Philadelphia in the National League East standings. What they really need right now is a winning streak, one like the amazing 10-game run they put together four years ago this month that secured their place at the top of the division. Like this season, the Nats were under the guidance of a...

ARLINGTON, Texas - Mark Trumbo fondly remembers his first ever big league hit. It came on Oct. 3, 2010 in his last at-bat in the last game of the season. It came off Texas pitcher Mark Lowe in the same ballpark where last night Trumbo got his 1,000th hit, Globe Life Park. Trumbo had started his big league career 0-for-14, but then he singled to finish that season batting .067. Trumbo was a September call-up that year for the Los Angeles Angels, his hometown team, who had drafted him in the 18th...

Nationals manager Davey Martinez said the second game of the doubleheader turned back into starter Jeremy Hellickson's favor Saturday night when he started to use his fastball more. The Reds were looking for his off-speed stuff, but when he regained his confidence in his fastball, results arrived. The Nats defeated the Reds 6-2, and Hellickson recorded his fifth win of the season. He allowed only two runs on four hits, did not walk a batter and struck out three. Hellickson agreed with his...