Trea Turner was out at his familiar shortstop position this afternoon, fielding grounders and making throws across the diamond for the first time since an errant fastball fractured his wrist six weeks ago He's been running nearly nonstop the entire time he's been on the disabled list. All that's left for Turner to do is swing a bat, and that should be happening in the very near future after the Nationals leadoff man was cleared to begin rotational weight-lifting with right hand. "That...

Nationals manager Dusty Baker says Daniel Murphy is fine and his quad is doing better, so he has placed the second baseman back in the lineup tonight. They kept him out of the lineup yesterday to be careful. "That's why we took precaution on yesterday's game," Baker said. "It worked out well. You don't want Murph missing too many games but you certainly also don't want him playing injured at this point in time or close, the threat of injury. You never really now, but Murph know his body...

OAKLAND, Calif. - New city, new series. The Orioles begin a four-game series in Oakland tonight, looking to get their offense going again and looking to start compiling some wins on this 10-game road trip. The trip began with the Orioles losing two of three to the Angels in Anaheim. They scored just nine runs in that series and just three runs on 12 hits in the last two games. O's pitchers allowed 10 runs and 21 hits in the series with eight walks and 28 strikeouts. O's starters gave up nine...

OAKLAND, Calif. - The Orioles' road trip begins its second stop tonight as they start a four-game series against the Oakland A's. Tonight's lineup has Tim Beckham in the leadoff spot, Adam Jones batting fourth and Chris Davis starting the game on the bench. Beckham hit leadoff for seven games with the Rays batting .226 (7-for-31). Also, Joey Rickard returns after leaving yesterday's game when he was hit in the helmet with a pitch. The Orioles went 1-3 at Oakland last year. They lost the...

It's too early to actually write about these things, but because you're wondering (and because we're smack dab in the middle of the dog days right now) ... the Nationals' magic number to clinch the NL East is currently 37. Obviously, there's still a long way to go, but that's also a really low number for Aug. 10. The Nats will have a chance to reduce that number to 35 tonight if they beat the Marlins again and take this four-game series from the division's current second-place squad....

The Orioles bats are heating up which means they are climbing in the standings and just as importantly, the Maryland Lottery "Contestants of the Game" are winning more and more cold hard cash! On Sunday, the O's hit fivehome runs, which meant Margaret Piatt of Brandywine, Md., won $3,000! It was the 11th time this season the Orioles hit four or more home runs in a game. All in all, the Orioles have hit 161 home runs this season, third-most in the American League. How do you become a Maryland...

This Saturday, August 12 and Sunday, August 13, MASN and COX will be hosting Social Media Weekend at The Bullpen next to Nationals Park! Fans will have the opportunity to collect unique Nationals prizes at both the MASN and COX booths, and can try their swinging luck at the Cox Virtual Home Run Derby! Think you can hit a homer? Try your luck! The Cox Virtual Home Run Derby is available prior to each game Saturday and Sunday. For updates on the event and how to win prizes, be sure to RSVP on...

One reason why the Nationals have been able to sustain their big lead in the division with all their injuries is the play of all of their call-ups. The depth of the organization has been tested and these call-ups have been able to play close to the level of the starter they replaced. Another case in point Wednesday was the play of second baseman Adrián Sanchez. Sanchez went 2-for-3 with two runs scored in the No. 2 spot in the order. The Nationals rolled past the Marlins 10-1. Manager Dusty...

Manager: Bruce Bochy (11th season) Record: 46-70 Last 10 games: 6-4 Who to watch: C Buster Posey (.321 with 51 RBIs), CF Denard Span (24 doubles, 4 triples), 2B Joe Panik (20 doubles, 4 triples), LF Gorkys Hernández (9 stolen bases) RHP Hunter Strickland (2.09 ERA, 13 holds), RHP Mark Melancon (11 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: 0-3 Pitching probables: Aug. 12: RHP Chris Stratton vs. RHP Edwin Jackson, 7:05 p.m., MASN Aug. 13: RHP Jeff Samardzija vs. RHP A.J. Cole, 1:05 p.m., MASN Aug....

ANAHEIM, Calif. - They say momentum in baseball is only as good as the next day's pitcher. When Manny Machado hit a seventh-inning grand slam on Monday night, the Orioles grabbed momentum and a win in Anaheim. At that point they had gone 14-7 the previous 21 games to get back to .500. You had to like their chances to win the series against the Angels and get the long West Coast road trip off to a good start. But then the unlikely duo of Parker Bridwell and Troy Scribner held the Orioles to two...