If the Orioles are going to undergo any serious changes while enduring the second-worst start in franchise history, they aren't expected to happen in the coming days or weeks. The sign for the proverbial fire sale won't be posted outside the warehouse. Executive vice president Dan Duquette noted the areas of concern yesterday, but also suggested that more time should be spent evaluating the club and determining whether it can bust out of its early doldrums. Fans screaming for the front office...

The depleted Nationals know they have little margin for error right now if they want to eke out victories in close ballgames. Once again tonight, they did just enough to put themselves in position to win, and then just enough to end up on the wrong side of the final tally. Despite several opportunities to bust the game open at the plate, and despite multiple opportunities for one of their aces to protect a slim lead, the Nationals found a way to lose 5-4 to a very good Diamondbacks club and...

In the latest edition of you never know in baseball, a pitcher with an ERA of 9.87 tonight ended a 22-start winless streak with seven shutout innings. The until-now struggling Chris Tillman stunned more than a few people tonight by pitching a gem as the Orioles beat the Detroit Tigers 6-0 on a combined two-hitter to start a three-game weekend series at Camden Yards. Pedro Álvarez backed Tillman with a two-homer night and Manny Machado hit his ninth home run and drove in two runs to provide...

Twenty-two starts without a win. Chris Tillman carried the burden like a refrigerator strapped to his back. The shoulder injury, the demotion to the bullpen, the trust placed in him by an organization that was willing to give him a major league deal in free agency. Tillman escaped a jam in the first inning, didn't allow a hit until the fifth and shut out the Tigers through the seventh. No more arguing about his placement in the rotation. He's going to stay and keep getting the ball. Manny...

Arizona jumped on the scoreboard first. After right-hander Stephen Strasburg dealt a 1-2-3 first, A.J. Pollock led off the second with a solo homer, his sixth HR of the season. After a walk to Daniel Descalso, Ketel Marte moved him to second on a groundout to first base. Nick Ahmed's single scored Descalso. The Diamondbacks led 2-0. In the third, center fielder Andrew Stevenson took away extra bases with a diving catch of a David Peralta line drive in front of him and to the right. The...

The Orioles host the Detroit Tigers tonight, beginning a three-game series that will end a scheduled 10-game homestand that is down to nine games after Tuesday's rainout. The Orioles (6-19) have lost five in a row and 11 of their past 12 games. They are 1-5 on this homestand and 3-9 at Oriole Park for the season. Detroit (10-13) just lost two of three at Pittsburgh and that series included a rainout. They lost a doubleheader yesterday, but are 6-4 since their 4-9 start. The Tigers swept three...

Tim Beckham appeared in the Orioles clubhouse this afternoon after taking his mile-long walk with head athletic trainer Brian Ebel, a smile on his face and carefully measured steps as he headed toward his locker. Undergoing core muscle surgery one day earlier to repair tears on both sides of the groin will shorten a player's stride. It didn't reduce the grin. "I'm not going to be put a timetable on it, but I hope to be playing in extended spring training or minor league games in six weeks...

Here is a rundown on the latest injuries the Nationals are dealing with after 25 games. Nationals manager Davey Martinez put Andrew Stevenson in the starting lineup because Michael A. Taylor is dealing with a sore groin. "He's fine. Little scare with his groin," Martinez said of Taylor. "Did it on a check swing. But he's available today. I just want to make sure that he's OK, so we gave him another day. "It was a cramp. ... I just want him to be cautious and make sure that's all it was....

The Nationals are back after their nine-game road trip and we're back at Nats Park! Paul and I are joined by Jamal Collier of MLB.com on a new episode of the "MASN All Access" podcast to recap the road trip and preview the 10-game homestand, which starts tonight against the Diamondbacks. Ending on a high note with a 15-run barrage in San Francisco, did the Nationals show signs of things to come out west? And what went wrong to lead the team to a 4-5 record this time out? Will this homestand...

Mike Rizzo goes into every season knowing there will be unexpected ailments and performances that require roster changes. And the Nationals general manager goes into every season prepared to tap into as much depth as is necessary from his club's farm system. The first month of this season, though, is testing that depth like never before. "It's a grind, man," Rizzo said this afternoon before his fourth-place, 11-14 Nationals opened a 10-game homestand. "Nobody said it would be easy." Well,...