SEATTLE - The Orioles raised hopes last night and lowered themselves in the standings 24 hours later. The wheels keep spinning in the mud. Inch forward and drift back. Wade Miley held the Mariners scoreless through three innings tonight but didn't make it out of the fifth in a 3-1 loss before an announced crowd of 24,927 at Safeco Field. Jonathan Schoop homered in the first inning to give the Orioles a 1-0 lead, but the Mariners tied the game in the fourth, scored twice in the fifth and...

The Nationals reached a new milestone during Tuesday night's win over the Angels. They're now 25 games over .500 for the first time this season. Given the fact the Dodgers were on the verge of moving to a staggering 50 games over .500, the Nationals' achievement may not sound all that impressive. But considering the injuries they've overcome, it's no small feat. At 71-46, the Nats are currently on pace to win 98 games, which would match the club record they set in 2012. "I've been...

He's done this twice in 16 days now, flirted with something special late in a game he's started, so it wasn't unfair to ask Gio Gonzalez when tonight he thought about the fact he had a no-hitter going against the Angels. "Oh god, I'm over that already," the Nationals left-hander insisted. "No more of that. If I can just manage to keep going into the fifth, sixth, seventh inning, I'm just happy to see that." Gonzalez has managed to keep going into the sixth and seventh innings this...

Nationals president of baseball operations and general manager Mike Rizzo loved the value he received in acquiring a veteran hitter like Howie Kendrick. He is a player who can also defend multiple positions and has extensive playoff experience. Rizzo knew Kendrick was an important insurance policy for his injured starting left fielder Jayson Werth (left foot contusion) when he went after Kendrick. He also knew Kendrick could play in the infield and help offset injuries to shortstops Trea Turner...

Gio Gonzalez kept dominating, Howie Kendrick kept homering and the Nationals bullpen kept finishing things off tonight during a 3-1 victory over the Angels. Gonzalez tossed six scoreless innings, failing to give up a hit until there were two outs in his final frame, and continued his standout season with yet another gem. The left-hander now sports an 11-5 record and 2.49 ERA, has gone at least five innings in all 24 of his starts, has 20 quality starts, has allowed more than four runs only once...

SEATTLE - Infielder Ryan Flaherty and Rule 5 outfielder Anthony Santander worked out today at Camden Yards after Single-A Frederick's game in Wilmington was postponed due to rain. Flaherty and Santander will work out again Wednesday - their injury rehab assignments ended and they can't appear in anymore games - and the Orioles will activate them from the disabled list on Thursday. Orioles manager Buck Showalter said Chris Tillman felt good physically after facing four batters Sunday afternoon...

Howie Kendrick got a measure of revenge against his former team with a solo homer over the left-center field wall, just out of reach of left fielder Cameron Maybin, helping the Nationals to a 1-0 lead over the Angels in the third. It was his fifth homer of the season and in the same area as his dramatic walk-off grand slam on Sunday night. It also marked Kendrick's 100th career homer. Wilmer Difo followed with a single. He now has a 10-game hit streak, the longest of his career. Daniel Murphy...

SEATTLE - With only four hits in his last 37 at-bats, Orioles first baseman Chris Davis was given a night off in Oakland to provide a brief mental break. He didn't play Thursday night despite the opposition starting a right-hander. Davis' time on the bench was brief. He returned the following night and went 0-for-3 with a walk, but he's gone 6-for-13 with five RBIs in the last three nights while batting seventh in the order. Has there been a difference in Davis since the night...

Paul Casanova, who was a catcher with the Washington Senators from 1965 to 1971, passed away Saturday at 75 in Miami. The Cuban-born backstop also played three seasons with the Atlanta Braves and was an All-Star with Washington in 1967. As a member of the Braves, Casanova caught Phil Niekro's no-hitter in 1973. Nationals manager Dusty Baker knew Casanova very well and spent a lot of time with "Cassie" over the years. The two were teammates during the Venezuelan Winter League. Baker felt like...

Stephen Strasburg appears to be on track to pitch for the Nationals this weekend after a successful rehab start Monday night. And Trea Turner appears to be on track to play shortstop for them not too much longer after that, after taking batting practice on the field this afternoon for the first time since fracturing his wrist. Today's swath of injury updates on South Capitol Street included two bits of particularly encouraging news involving two of the Nationals' most prominent rehabbing...