If it turns out as expected that last night was, in fact, Kevin Gausman's last start of 2017, he went out with a rough one. Gausman allowed Andrew McCutchen's grand slam in the second inning as Pittsburgh routed the Orioles 10-1 to start a two-game series Gausman allowed six runs over four innings and is 11-11 with a 4.81 ERA. Gausman needed to go 4 1/3 innings to set a new career high for innings pitched. He came up an out short. He has thrown 179 2/3 innings, the exact same number he had in...

PHILADELPHIA - For only the third time this season, left-hander Gio Gonzalez walked five batters in a game. Two walks to begin the third inning came around to score, igniting a three-run outburst that helped to lift the Phillies past the Nats, 4-1. Gonzalez had walked seven against the Diamondbacks May 3 and five against the Cubs June 26. It was a rare sight to see Gonzalez not commanding his pitches. Maybe it had something to do with the way home plate umpire Roberto Ortiz was calling the...

PHILADELPHIA - Bryce Harper returned from the disabled list with three at-bats Tuesday in the Nats' 4-1 loss to the Phillies. On defense, he was tested early and made a good play retrieving a double down the right field line off the bat of Aaron Altherr in the first inning. Harper's footwork and speed to the ball, plus the turn and throw, were a good signal that his knee and calf could take the quick starts and stops necessary in a big league game. "He looked pretty good," manager Dusty...

PITTSBURGH - The Orioles may bring up a pitcher from their minicamp before tonight's game against the Pirates, which closes out their brief interleague series. The candidates include Alec Asher, Stefan Crichton, Chris Lee and Yefry Ramirez, the latter having made six starts at Double-A Bowie after the Orioles acquired him from the Yankees on July 31 for international signing bonus pool money. All four pitchers are on the 40-man roster. Asher and Crichton have been used by the Orioles this...

PITTSBURGH - The Orioles broke out a lineup tonight that included three rookie outfielders for the first time in 44 years. A veteran outfielder on the other side struck the biggest blows. Andrew McCutchen hit his first grand slam in nine major league seasons and finished with eight RBIs, and Kevin Gausman's final start of 2017 ended with the Orioles losing to the Pirates 10-1 before an announced crowd of 19,318 at PNC Park. Gausman allowed two runs in the first inning on RBI doubles by...

PHILADELPHIA - The middle of the Nats lineup consists of a pair of former Phillies: Howie Kendrick and Jayson Werth. Werth has been with the Nats since 2011. Kendrick came over in a mid-season deal. Kendrick got the offense going for the Nats with a solo homer to deep center field. His ninth homer of the season came on an 0-2 pitch from Phillies starter Jake Thompson to lead off the second. In the first, Bryce Harper walked in his first at-bat since Aug. 12. Anthony Rendon grounded into a 5-4-3...

PITTSBURGH - The Orioles begin tonight's game against the Pirates with four rookies in their lineup - center fielder Austin Hays, left fielder Trey Mancini, catcher Chance Sisco and Rule 5 pick Anthony Santander, who's starting in right field. An all-rookie outfield? Doesn't happen every night. We go back to the balancing act between putting your best foot forward and evaluating younger players who might be part of the opening day roster in 2018. "It depends how you define 'best foot...

PHILADELPHIA - Right fielder Bryce Harper is back. He was supposed to return Monday, but it was moved back a day due to flu-like symptoms. You can tell from listening to his voice he is still quite congested. But that's not going to stop him from playing tonight. "Yeah, I just didn't feel well," Harper said of Monday. "Got up early and just didn't feel really good. That's about it. Didn't want to go out there and something happen and be dehydrated or something like that. So, took...

PITTSBURGH - The rotation for the final series of the year at Tropicana Field probably won't include Jeremy Hellickson. The veteran right-hander, who's posted a 6.97 ERA in 10 starts with the Orioles, is bothered by tightness in his back and could be shut down. "He's been fighting through it," said manager Buck Showalter. "He's kind of fought through a lot of different things that all pitchers do between starts, but he was talking to Richie (Bancells) about it today that usually it's a...

PITTSBURGH - Shortstop Tim Beckham classifies himself as "day-to-day" after sustaining a hamstring injury Saturday night at Camden Yards. He may have to sit out the Pirates series, but he isn't conceding the rest of the week. Beckham felt the hamstring grab while running to first base in the ninth inning. J.J. Hardy started on Sunday afternoon, as planned, and Beckham remains on the bench for tonight's series opener against the Pirates. "It's feeling all right," he said. "My leg's been...