The series wraps up with a dandy of a pitching matchup as a pair of heavyweights square off. This is an important game for the Nationals, who are looking to go above .500 again and win an important divisional series against a team with a better record. Right-hander Max Scherzer (6-1, 1.79 ERA) takes on the Phillies prized free agent acquisition right-hander Jake Arrieta (3-1, 3.49). The dup have taken home the last three National League Cy Young awards. Now if the weather can hold up. Rain is...

Nationals starting pitcher Tanner Roark kept his team in the game and almost got through seven innings in a 3-1 loss Saturday to the Phillies. Roark went 6 1/3 innings scattering six hits and allowing three runs while striking out nine and walking three. His nine strikeouts matched his season-high against the New York Mets on April 8. The Phillies started quickly. César Hernández singled and Rhys Hoskins homered for a 2-0 lead. "First inning. I'm not gonna go walk a guy," Roark said of...

OAKLAND, Calif. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter was left again to sift through the extra-inning rubble last night and try to find a few nuggets. Anything with value. He noted the outstanding performance turned in by starter Kevin Gausman, who worked a career-high nine innings and shut out the Athletics on two hits. He praised Mychal Givens, who retired all six batters faced with five strikeouts. The early returns on Mark Trumbo are favorable since coming off the disabled list. Showalter isn't...

Orioles third base prospect Ryan Mountcastle is expected to join Double-A Bowie sometime in the next several days. He's played four games at extended spring training in Florida with two games in the field. He will probably head north after another three or four games in Florida and join the Baysox. Mountcastle had been out since mid-March when he was hit by a pitch in a minor league spring game and suffered a hairline fracture in his right hand. He is ranked as the No. 65 prospect in baseball...

OAKLAND, Calif. - Nine shutout innings tonight from Kevin Gausman couldn't assure the Orioles of a victory. They couldn't end a game and a losing streak in regulation or beyond. Nothing is going to come easily. It's just the direction of the season. Shut out through six innings by Athletics starter Trevor Cahill and six more by the bullpen, the Orioles finally ran out of chances. Khris Davis hit a two-run homer off Rule 5 pick Pedro Araujo in the bottom of the 12th to give Oakland a 2-0...

The Orioles have lost four in a row, not winning since Sunday at home versus Detroit. They have lost 10 straight road games, not winning since Sunday April 8 at New York. Tonight they try to end both streaks at Oakland in the second of three games in this series. The road trip started with the Orioles being swept three at Anaheim, as they were outscored 25-12 by the Angels. Last night they trailed 4-1 after one inning, tied the game in the sixth, only to lose 6-4 at Oakland. The Orioles have...

Trea Turner got caught off of first base in the ninth inning attempting to get to second base on a possible hit and run. It was a play Turner would certainly love to have back, but the biggest takeaway from the Nationals' 3-1 loss to the Phillies Saturday was the pitching of Vince Velasquez. Velasquez allowed only one hit, a solo homer by Wilmer Difo, in quieting the Nationals for five innings. The right-hander hit a batter, walked four and struck out four batters to improve to 2-4. Manager...

OAKLAND, Calif. - Chris Tillman will be available in the bullpen for Sunday's game against the Athletics that concludes the West Coast trip. Tillman threw only 47 pitches Thursday night in Anaheim while retiring three batters in a 12-3 loss. He wanted to be in the bullpen tonight, according to manager Buck Showalter, but the club decided to give him an extra day's rest. Showalter hasn't revealed whether Tillman is staying in the rotation and, if so, when he'd take the mound again. The...

OAKLAND, Calif. - Adam Jones continues to bat second tonight for the Orioles after collecting three hits last night. Mark Trumbo is the designated hitter and Anthony Santander is in right field. Pedro Álvarez is playing third base and Chance Sisco is catching. Closer Zach Britton was put through more fielding drills before batting practice, including chasing down bunts and covering first base. He also performed some agility drills. Oakland's Jed Lowrie leads the majors with a .524 average...

The Phillies jumped out quickly in Saturday's game. César Hernández singled and Rhys Hoskins took Nationals starter Tanner Roark to a full count before crushing a pitch over the center field wall. The two-run shot gave the Phillies a 2-0 lead. This was the opposite of the Nats' 3-0 and then 7-0 leads to start the first two innings on Friday night. In the third, Roark walked two but also struck out three. Odúbel Herrera walked to extend his on-base streak to 34 games. Phillies...