CHICAGO - Oliver Pérez liked the pitch coming out of his hand, and he liked it coming off Anthony Rizzo's bat. It was a first-pitch fastball, in, and he managed to jam Rizzo and force the Cubs slugger to hit a little blooper toward shallow left-center field. And then, as Pérez turned around and saw how much ground three of his teammates were trying to cover to get to the ball in time, well, that's when the Nationals reliever realized this might be trouble. "I saw he didn't hit it that...

CHICAGO - With the best-of-five National League Division Series tied at a game apiece, the Nationals headed to Wrigley Field to face José Quintana, the Cubs' fourth starter. Their counterpunch? Cy Young candidate Max Scherzer. The Nationals ace was pushed back to start Game 3 of the series due to right hamstring tightness. Heading into the game, there were many question marks surrounding the right-hander, including whether he would be able to last deep into the game without succumbing to...

After he has had 63 plate appearances in the majors, are the Orioles prepared to turn over right field to Austin Hays in 2018? Should they make that bold move? It would be a bit of a bold move for a player that has only 166 minor league games and one full season on the farm under his belt. He was drafted in the third round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft and became the first player from that draft class to make the majors. Hays had an amazing minor league season, one that began at Single-A...

More recognition has come to Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop. He can't avoid it. A breakthrough season tends to attract the attention. Schoop learned yesterday that he's the Orioles' nominee for the 2017 Hank Aaron Award, presented to the top offensive performer in each league. The award was established in 1999. The Red Sox's David Ortiz and Cubs' Kris Bryant won it last year. Schoop appeared in 160 games this season and batted .293/.338/.503 with 35 doubles, 32 home runs and 105...

CHICAGO - The margin between success and failure in the postseason is razor-thin. A batter can hit a frozen rope but hit it right at somebody. Another can barely bloop a ball into shallow left-center field and watch it fall between three defenders and drive home the winning run. The Nationals experienced it all today during an agonizing 2-1 loss to the Cubs in Game 3 of the National League Division Series. They had a couple of chances to score early, but watched as Chicago's outfielders...

Four innings into Game 3 of the National League Division Series at Wrigley Field and the Nationals are still searching for their first run. They've had a couple of chances, but have been unable to get to Cubs lefty José Quintana when they've had runners in scoring position. In the second, Michael A. Taylor led off with a single and went to second when Quintana's pickoff attempt sailed wide of first base. But Max Scherzer couldn't get a bunt down, striking out out swinging. After Trea...

The Nationals will need a new Triple-A affiliate in 2019 because the Mets have reportedly reached an agreement to purchase the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs, according to Syracuse.com. The Nats have played their Triple-A games in Syracuse since 2009. The Chiefs have operated at a loss every season since 2006, except in 2010. This means the Nationals will have one more season in Syracuse, through the 2018 campaign, before they will need to find a new Triple-A club. It would seem that the affiliate...

CHICAGO - It's not often that a team leaves its best starting pitcher for Game 3 of a postseason series, especially a best-of-five series. But the Nationals kept ace Max Scherzer off the mound for the first two games of the National League Division Series out of necessity. Scherzer tweaked his right hamstring in his final regular season start of the season, casting his playoff future in doubt. Nine games removed from that start against the Pirates, the 2016 National League Cy Young award...

CHICAGO - Whatever urge there may have been to alter his lineup for Game 3 of the National League Division Series, Dusty Baker ultimately decided continuity was more important than playing matchups against an opponent they've never faced. With left-hander José Quintana on the mound for the Cubs this afternoon, the Nationals are going up against an unknown entity. Only three members of their NLDS roster have ever faced him before: Howie Kendrick (5-for-10), Adam Lind (2-for-9) and Matt...

CHICAGO - It's October at Wrigley Field, but the sun is shining bright, temperatures are in the upper 70s and there's very little breeze to speak of. This is not what you expect from postseason baseball here. But this is what we'll have today for Game 3 of the National League Division Series between the Nationals and Cubs, a pivotal game that will move one of these two clubs one step away from the National League Championship Series. The Nationals at long last have Max Scherzer on the mound,...