The Nationals have faced as much adversity possible for a team more than a dozen games up in their division in late August. There exists a subset of baseball fans that theorize that the teams that do best in the playoffs are those that have been battle-hardened by a tough division race or fight for the wild card. This is the typical type of adversity people think of, but the Nationals have faced a different kind and it may prove beneficial when they reach the playoffs this season. D.C. is the...

Manager: Terry Collins (7th year) Record: 55-71 Last 10 games: 2-8 Who to watch: OF Yoenis Céspedes (.292, 42 RBIs), 3B Wilmer Flores (42 RBIs), SS Asdrúbel Cabrera (35 RBIs, 20 doubles), OF Brandon Nimmo (.264), RHP Jacob deGrom (3.49 ERA), RHP AJ Ramos (23 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: 3-9 Pitching probables: Aug. 25: RHP A.J. Cole vs. RHP Jacob deGrom, 7:05 p.m., MASN2 Aug. 26: LHP Gio Gonzalez vs. RHP Robert Gsellman, 4:05 p.m., MASN2 Aug. 27 (Game 1): RHP Tanner Roark vs. LHP...

The Orioles and their flickering playoff hopes head to Boston's Fenway Park tonight to begin a three-game weekend series. The Red Sox are leading the American League East at 73-54 and are 16-5 their last 21 games. The Orioles are 62-65 and won two of three against Oakland in the series that ended Wednesday. But they have lost five of eight overall and nine of their last 15. They are 24-39 in road games. The Orioles and Boston have not met since June 4. They played 13 times in the Orioles'...

The Orioles are in Boston tonight for a series that could get them on firmer ground in the wild card race or knock them on their backs. So much also depends on the teams jockeying for position in front of them. The roster could undergo a change with pitcher Mike Wright scratched from yesterday's start at Triple-A Norfolk and leaving the club. And we'll find out whether closer Zach Britton avoids the disabled list. Will confirmation come today that Chris Tillman is starting Sunday's series...

HOUSTON - As one might expect, two of the best pitchers in all of baseball are locked in a pitchers' duel through three innings. Right-hander Stephen Strasburg has not allowed a hit through three innings. He has struck out four Astros. But Carlos Beltrán used up 12 Strasburg pitches when he grounded out to shortstop to begin the bottom of the third. Brian McCann was then walked. Strasburg bounced back to strike out Derek Fisher and get George Springer to pop up to first base. Houston still...

HOUSTON - Manager Dusty Baker is monitoring how many games his starters will play in the next four weeks as the club closes in on its second straight division title. Nationals starting pitchers have thrown 115 or more pitches in a game 11 times this season. That mark is the most among major league teams, with Boston having reached that plateau 10 times this season. Red Sox and former Nats starter Doug Fister threw 114-pitch one-hitter complete game in Tuesday night's 9-1 victory over the...

HOUSTON - Manager Dusty Baker said right-hander A.J. Cole will start Friday for the Nationals in their series opener against the Mets. The Mets series is four games in three days. Left-hander Gio Gonzalez will start Saturday's game. Right-hander Tanner Roark is slated to start one of the two games Sunday. Right-hander Max Scherzer could be the starter for Sunday night if he throws a bullpen session without issues Friday in D.C. "Bullpen soon. It's not all gone," Scherzer said of the neck...

"His Final Battle" by Joseph Lelyveld is the story of the final 16 months of Franklin D. Roosevelt's life. He was dying with limited time to live. He knew it, but few, if any other than his personal physician, shared that knowledge. He learned in March 1944 that his congestive heart condition would be fatal. That would remain a secret even from his wife. With the conclusion of World War II, FDR longed to leave the office of president with a United Nations in place and some agreement with...

Major League Baseball and the Orioles today announced that the start time for the series opener against the New York Yankees on Monday, September 4, at Oriole Park has been moved from 1:35 p.m. to 2:05 p.m. ET. The game will still air on MASN and the Orioles Radio Network. Gates will open to fans at noon, and all fans will receive a Tim Beckham T-Shirt upon entering the ballpark.

Orioles closer Zach Britton underwent an MRI this morning on his left knee and the results were positive, according to one person in the organization. Whether the good news keeps Britton off the disabled list will be determined later today or Friday, when the Orioles begin a three-game series in Boston. Britton blew his first save yesterday after 60 successful conversions in a row, an American League record, but the Orioles defeated the Athletics 8-7 in 12 innings on Manny Machado's leadoff...