We're down to the last day before teams can begin expanding their rosters. The Orioles will bring up a pitcher to get their bullpen back to seven relievers and select the contract of a third catcher. They also could recall outfielder Joey Rickard rather than wait until Triple-A Norfolk's season ends on Monday. Rickard hit his first home run for the Tides last night and it was a grand slam. Here's the yearly reminder that anyone who comes up from the minors must be placed on the 40-man roster...

September is here, and already the Marlins' Giancarlo Stanton feels as if he's been asked a "zillion'' times about his surge in home runs. So if Stanton winds up with more than Roger Maris' 61 home runs and fewer than Barry Bonds' 73, does he own baseball's single-season home run record? Stanton paused and stared into his locker before answering the question at Nationals Park on Wednesday. He said earlier this month that he thinks Maris' 61 is the legitimate record, but he...

Right-hander Stephen Strasburg fired a complete-game shutout for the Nationals against the Marlins in their 4-0 series-sweeping clincher Wednesday at Nats Park. It was the Nats' first series sweep of the Marlins since 2014. Strasburg connected for the first run of the game with a solo homer, finishing 2-for-4 at the plate. Strasburg was efficient: 110 pitches over nine innings works out to 12.2 per frame. Strasburg was also getting guys out with all of his pitches: fastball, curveball,...

Even at his very best, Stephen Strasburg rarely in his career has earned the designation of "workhorse." The typical Strasburg gem usually ends after seven innings, maybe eight, his pitch count well into triple digits, the Nationals choosing not to risk pushing their star right-hander too far. There have been a couple of instances, though, when Strasburg gave his team no choice but to let him go for it. And perhaps never more so than this afternoon on South Capitol Street. With maybe the best...

One big inning by Seattle and a short start by right-hander Ubaldo Jiménez put the Orioles in a big hole today. But a relentless offense that hit four more homers helped them dig out. Down by 6-2 in the third inning, the Orioles rallied to beat Seattle 8-7 this afternoon at Oriole Park. With a season-high seventh straight win, the Orioles improved to 68-65. Jiménez allowed six runs and six hits in just 2 2/3 innings, the last two scoring after he left the game. His ERA is now 6.85 and...

The hook came rather quickly today for Ubaldo Jiménez. So did the power that allowed the Orioles to recover, the letdown in the eighth and the subsequent response to it. Manager Buck Showalter called upon his bullpen with two outs in the third inning, four runs already on the board for the Mariners and Jiménez at 54 pitches. He didn't need to see anymore. A team can't rally for a win and extend its streak if it's giving up more runs than it scores. It says so in every book ever written...

Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg has kept the Marlins off the board through three frames. Dee Gordon led off the game with an infield single but was caught stealing at second a few pitches later. J.T. Realmuto doubled in the second, but Strasburg recorded two more outs to get out of inning. Strasburg has one strikeout. Wilmer Difo and Anthony Rendon singled in the first. Marlins starter Adam Conley then got Ryan Zimmerman on a lineout and Howie Kendrick struck out. Michael A. Taylor...

It's been 18 days since Bryce Harper slipped on first base, hurtled awkwardly to the ground and had to be helped back to the dugout at Nationals Park. Eighteen days later, Harper is up and about, walking without a particularly noticeable limp. Which doesn't mean the star outfielder is anywhere close to returning to the Nationals lineup. Harper revealed today that in addition to the significant bone bruise and hyperextension in his left knee, he also strained his calf during the Aug. 12 play...

Manager Dusty Baker announced that the Nationals will push back right-hander Max Scherzer to Sunday's game in Milwaukee. Left-hander Gio Gonzalez will start Thursday's opener against the Brewers, while right-hander Tanner Roark gets the nod for Friday night. Baker said there is nothing physically wrong with Scherzer, but he wants to spread out his start, and for that matter other starters, for the rest of the regular season as they get ready for October. "It's late in the year," Baker...

Triple-A Norfolk's Pedro Álvarez is one of the players that the Orioles are discussing as part of their expanded September roster. Álvarez hasn't played in the majors this season. He's been named to the International League's postseason All-Star team as a designated hitter after batting .241 with 30 doubles, 26 home runs, and 89 RBIs in 135 games. The 26 home runs and 89 RBIs are the most by a Tides player since Norfolk became an Orioles affiliate in 2007. Álvarez leads the minors...