MIAMI - Anyone who watched Daniel Murphy in his first week back from major knee surgery could tell the veteran second baseman wasn't himself at the plate. One of baseball's best pure hitters the last two-plus seasons, Murphy opened his 2018 campaign 3-for-29 with five strikeouts for the Nationals. Anyone who watched Murphy in his second and third weeks back from major knee surgery could tell he was better, but still not himself at the plate. Though he was starting to make better contact and...

Brad Brach glanced to his right and saw the empty locker that belonged to closer Zach Britton. He looked to his left and saw the empty locker that still belonged to set-up man Darren O'Day, who hadn't been using it much since undergoing season-ending surgery on his hamstring. Brach feels a tad lonely and like the last man standing, but also one who could be on the move by next week. As I noted yesterday, the Cubs, Rockies and Indians continue to show interest in Brach, according to a source....

Jonathan Schoop is trying to carry the torch, as instructed by friend and former teammate Manny Machado. Schoop also is attempting to carry a team. A fifth home run in five games kept Schoop on a serious July roll and he delivered two RBI singles in the seventh inning while the Orioles broke open a close game and claimed a 15-5 victory over the Rays before an announced crowd of 15,649 at Camden Yards. Andrew Cashner was credited with his first win since May 21 and his first at home this season,...

Jonathan Schoop hit another homer tonight, tying a major league record for second basemen, as the Orioles routed Tampa Bay 15-5 at Oriole Park. The four-game series is tied at a win each. Schoop connected on a solo shot for No. 16 in the fifth to give the Orioles a 4-1 lead. Schoop homered for the fifth game in a row, which tied the major league record for a second baseman. It was done for the eighth time tonight and the most recent before Schoop was Minnesota's Brian Dozier, who homered in...

MIAMI - If the intention of Nationals players this weekend is to convince the front office to keep believing in their chances and not sell before Tuesday's trade deadline, they've done everything they can the last 48 hours to move the needle in their preferred direction. It helps, of course, to be facing the Marlins. And to have Max Scherzer starting one of these games. Not that the Nationals are about to apologize for their performance in the first two games of what could be a critical...

Right-hander Andrew Cashner (2-9, 4.40 ERA) doesn't have a win in more than two months, but despite that he has been pitching better recently. Cashner will try to pitch the Orioles to a win over Tampa Bay tonight in the second game of this four-game series. Over his last nine starts, Cashner is 0-4 since he got a win May 21 in Chicago against the White Sox. But Cashner's ERA is 3.52 over his last eight starts and he was one out away Sunday in Toronto from having six quality starts in those...

MIAMI - They may not have room for him in their crowded outfield right now, but Victor Robles is healthy again and available should the Nationals require his services before season's end. Robles, who entered the year as the organization's top prospect only to hyperextend his left elbow making a diving catch at Triple-A Syracuse in early April, has completed his rehab and is back on the Chiefs' active roster. The 21-year-old outfielder probably would have been playing in Washington after...

A handful of members of the Double-A Bowie Baysox are at Camden Yards today. They are the five Baysox players that the Orioles acquired in the trades for Manny Machado and Zach Britton: pitchers Dillon Tate, Zach Pop and Dean Kremer, infielder Rylan Bannon and outfielder Yusniel Díaz. They are here with other members of the Baysox staff, including manager Gary Kendall, pitching coach Kennie Steenstra and hitting coach Keith Bodie. The Baysox got rained out yesterday and today in Harrisburg...

As the Orioles focus on trying to move the rest of their pending free agents following trades this month that sent shortstop Manny Machado to the Dodgers and reliever Zach Britton to the Yankees, they are talking to multiple teams about reliever Brad Brach while attempting to complete a deal by Tuesday's non-waiver trade deadline. The Cubs, Rockies and Indians are maintaining interest in Brach, according to a source. Brach is 1-2 with 11 saves, a 4.85 ERA and 1.769 WHIP in 42 games over 39...

MIAMI - The Nationals have received what they believe to be good news about Stephen Strasburg, though it's still an open question when the right-hander will be ready to pitch again. Strasburg, in Los Angeles on Thursday to have his ailing neck examined by a neurologist, was given a shot and is set to rejoin the Nationals in Miami on Saturday. He'll need to wait 72 hours for the shot to take full effect, but provided he feels well at that point he'll be cleared to resume throwing. "That's...