If you've ever dreamed of sipping wine while discussing the intricacies of the curveball with Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez, mark Thursday, May 3 on your calendar and get out your checkbooks. That's the night Gonzalez will host his third annual Uncork for a Cause, when the pitcher, his teammates and special guests will gather from 6-9 p.m. at The Rooftop at F1RST Residences, a new rooftop entertainment space across from Nationals Park. The event will raise funds and awareness for The...

SAN FRANCISCO - The Nationals have won only one of their last six games. That win came Friday night in Los Angeles, against Clayton Kershaw, which sounds improbable given the current state of the lineup except once you remember who pitched that game for the Nats: Max Scherzer. Today, the Nationals are going to need another effort from Scherzer - not to mention some runs against Jeff Samardzija - if they hope to at least head home on a positive note after a long and often difficult road...

Manager: Torey Lovullo (2nd season) Record: 17-7 Last 10 games: 6-4 Who to watch: LF David Peralta (.317 with 3 HR, 14 RBIs), CF A.J. Pollock (5 HR, 17 RBIs), 1B Paul Goldschmidt (4 HR, 11 RBIs), LHP Patrick Corbin (4-0, 1,89 ERA), RHP Zack Godley (3-1, 3.09 ERA), RHP Brad Boxberger (3.00 ERA, 6 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: First meeting (2-4 in 2017) Pitching probables: April 27: RHP Zack Godley (3-1) vs. RHP Stephen Strasburg (2-2), 7:05 p.m., MASN2 April 28: LHP Patrick Corbin (4-0)...

The Nationals, needless to say, are not having a stellar start. For Nationals fans, it's like the world is ending. Twitter has been a tire fire in recent weeks, and all of the bad takes I've seen are astounding. I've seen calls to pack it up and go home, they're done. Trade away all the players. Burn it to the ground and start all over again. Admittedly, the Nationals have been pretty bad to start off the year. They've gone 10-14, hitting .230 overall and .218 with runners in scoring...

SAN FRANCISCO - What's the most important inning in a ballgame? For the Nationals right now, it might be the sixth. The Nats pitching staff has had all kinds of trouble navigating through that bridge inning without getting into serious trouble, and it has cost them several games along the way. The Nationals have been scored upon in the sixth inning in 11 of 24 games this season, including five of eight during this road trip and each of the last three nights. And those have been key runs...

SAN FRANCISCO - It felt like a potential turning point for a lineup desperately in need of one. Michael A. Taylor's three-run, opposite-field homer in the top of the fourth tonight at AT&T Park was exactly what the offensively starved Nationals needed, a jolt of life that left them tied with the Giants and chance to win this game if they simply made key pitches the rest of the way and delivered one more big hit. Then Tanner Roark failed to make one key pitch, and the Nats found themselves...

If there was ever a good time for a rainout, maybe last night was it for the Orioles. They were scheduled to begin a three-game series with Tampa Bay but got washed out at Camden Yards. The Orioles are trying to reverse a 6-17 start that has seen them lose nine of 10 and 11 of their past 13 games. They are just 3-7 at home, where they've scored only 19 runs in 10 games. Maybe a day away will be beneficial. With a 2-1 loss to Cleveland Monday night, the Orioles ended a stretch in which they...

SAN FRANCISCO - The Nationals were doing absolutely nothing at the plate for 3 2/3 innings tonight against Ty Blach. Of the first 12 batters who came to the plate against the Giants lefty, only one (Howie Kendrick) hit a ball out of the infield. And then Ryan Zimmerman drew a two-out walk in the fourth, and Moisés Sierra followed with a single through the right side. And then Michael A. Taylor delivered the big blast this team has so desperately needed for days. Taylor's three-run,...

More cooperative weather tonight will force the Orioles to again confront their slumping offense. They can run, but they can't hide. The Orioles have registered a .215 average that was tied with the Indians for last in the majors before last night. They've scored 19 runs in 10 home games, the lowest total in baseball. I always thought Camden Yards was supposed to be a hitters' park. The Indians and Twins were tied for 28th with 28 runs scored in eight home games. The Yankees were first with...

SAN FRANCISCO - With Shawn Kelley headed to the disabled list, but two workhorses starting the final games of this road trip in advance of an off-day, the Nationals decided to go with an extra bench player tonight and Wednesday against the Giants. That led to the recalls today of infielder Adrian Sanchez and outfielder Rafael Bautista from Triple-A, the two taking the roster spots previously held by Kelley and infielder Matt Reynolds (who was optioned to Syracuse). And manager Davey Martinez...