It was long and it was wild, and for the Orioles , Friday's marathon game that ended this morning ended up with a victory. There were smiles in the visiting dugout five hours and 21 minutes after first pitch as the Orioles outlasted first-place Atlanta 10-7 in 15 innings. Chris Davis returned to the lineup and after he walked his first time up, he homered in his second plate appearance. He connected to left field in the fifth to end a 24-game homerless streak since May 9 that had lasted 89...

ATLANTA - Chris Davis stepped on home plate tonight, turned toward the Orioles' dugout, removed his batting helmet and ran an arm across his forehead. Launch a fastball and a burden is lifted. For however long it lasts. The sigh of relief from Davis could have moved the flags in center field. He homered for the first time since May 9 to break a scoreless tie in the fifth inning and his sacrifice fly in the ninth allowed the Orioles to reclaim the lead during a six-run rally. He should have...

After losing a mid-June game in frustrating fashion and staring up at two teams in front of them in the standings for the first time, the Nationals manager insisted this was no time to panic. "I don't worry about that," the skipper said. "It's a little too early for me to start watching the scoreboard." After a different mid-June loss that left them hovering just over the .500 mark and firmly behind the division leaders, a Nationals veteran looked at the bright side. "We're in a good...

In Friday's 12-2 loss to the Phillies, there were plenty of facets in the Nationals' game that didn't go well. The starting pitching was unable to get through five innings. The offense put together only two runs, going 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. And the bullpen allowed six runs on eight hits, including two homers, with four walks and six strikeouts. Left-hander Sammy Solís was able to put away the first two hitters in the eighth. But then a walk opened the door to a...

Right-hander Tanner Roark had his second straight start where he was not able to get through the fifth inning as the Phillies dropped the Nationals 12-2. Last Sunday in Toronto, Roark allowed four runs on eight hits over four innings. Tonight back in D.C., Roark (3-8) surrendered six runs, the most he has allowed in one game this season, over 4 1/3 innings, with seven hits, four walks and seven strikeouts. Roark said he studied his mechanics on video after he got back to the clubhouse and...

It's not a make-or-break series, not in late June, but if the Nationals wanted to remind the Phillies in tonight's weekend opener on South Capitol Street that they're still top dogs in the division, they didn't do a particularly convincing job. With another laborious and ineffective start from Tanner Roark and another lackluster performance from their lineup, the Nats were roughed up by rivals from up Interstate-95, falling 12-2 and falling into third place in the National League East. The...

The Phillies got to Tanner Roark in the first inning thanks to a leadoff walk to César Hernández and a single by Odúbel Herrera. After a wild pitch advanced the runners, Carlos Santana unleashed a two-run single. Roark then settled in and struck out four batters in a row. In the second, Juan Soto greeted right-hander Zach Eflin with a double down the third base line. Michael A. Taylor added a run-scoring double almost to the same place, past third baseman Jesmel Valentín to score...

ATLANTA - Nick Markakis wouldn't stay true to himself if he suddenly began to campaign for his inclusion on the All-Star team or felt comfortable with the Braves public relations staff doing it for him. Messages on the scoreboard urging fans to vote for Markakis made him cringe each time he looked up and saw them. He just wants to play and let the process unfold. He'd rather pound baseballs over the plate than his own chest. Markakis leads all National League outfielders in the latest...

Part of the Nationals recent adjustments on offense has been focused on trying to figure out other ways to score besides the long ball. The home run numbers are down in June. The Nationals 10 homers this month is dead last in the National League. 19-year-old Juan Soto is responsible for four of those 10 homers. Conversely, the Nats have stolen 16 bases in the month of June, tied with Milwaukee for the most in the senior circuit. Their 59 overall stolen bases are tops in the National League,...

Two weeks removed from his last start, Stephen Strasburg is throwing again, his right shoulder inflammation having cleared up enough to allow the Nationals right-hander to get back to baseball activities. Strasburg has thrown off flat ground in the outfield twice this week, most recently this afternoon. It was only a light game of catch, and there are several steps left for him to take before he could return from the disabled list, but it's nonetheless an encouraging sign that his injury does...