CLEVELAND - Being swept by the Indians for the first time since 2011 is no way to stay in the playoff hunt. The Orioles are mathematically alive. The numbers don't lie. But no one inside the visiting clubhouse last night at Progressive Field pretended that a four-game losing streak wasn't harmful. Going 27-42 on the road is no way to push past the teams ahead of them in the wild card chase. It's going to be highlighted if the Orioles can't extend their season beyond Oct. 1. The trip now...

CLEVELAND - Jeremy Hellickson let the first two batters reach against him tonight and got stingy. Ground balls, fly balls, pop ups. A couple of bouncers to the mound. One strikeout thrown in for good measure. He retired 15 batters in a row and the Orioles finally pushed across the tying run in the top of the sixth inning. Maybe this would be the night that the Indians' winning streak came to an end. Not now. Maybe not ever. Roberto Pérez and Francisco Lindor opened the bottom of the sixth...

The Nationals have this division-title thing down pat at this point, having now done it four times in six years. What they have not yet perfected is the art of clinching a division title on the field in front of their home fans. The 2012 National League East crown was achieved when the Braves lost in Pittsburgh while the Nats played the top of the ninth against the Phillies. The 2014 NL East was wrapped up with a win on the road in Atlanta. The 2016 NL East title wasn't official until the Mets...

The Orioles have lost three in a row and been outscored 18-3 in those games. Tonight they will try to end that streak and Cleveland's 17-game winning streak when they meet on ESPN. The Indians are 86-56 and lead the AL Central by 12 games over Minnesota. The Tribe has run off the longest win streak in the majors since the Oakland A's won 20 straight in 2002. Cleveland is 39-16 since the All-Star break and 26-4 in its last 30 games. The Orioles have been swept three straight six times this...

CLEVELAND - Outfielder Craig Gentry will visit a hand specialist on Monday and could come off the disabled list the following day while the Orioles are in Toronto. Manager Buck Showalter wants to use Gentry as a pinch-runner and the specialist will determine whether the fractured right middle finger has healed properly and there's no risk of tearing the ligament. Gentry will wear a protective mitt on the hand while on the basepaths. "If that ligament's reattached the risk factor goes away,...

The Nationals won their second consecutive division title Sunday with a 3-2 win over the Phillies and a 10-8 Braves win in 11 innings that eliminated the Marlins. And it wasn't lost on the players during their celebration that the Sunday clinching lineup included recent prospects, youngsters and guys who have never played in the majors until this season. Sunday's lineup included regular Trea Turner, but also Adrián Sanchez, Wilmer Difo, Victor Robles, Andrew Stevenson, Pedro Severino and...

CLEVELAND - A pretty standard lineup for the Orioles tonight as they try to end the Indians' winning streak at 17 games. Tim Beckham remains the shortstop. Welington Castillo is catching and Seth Smith is in right field instead of Austin Hays. Tonight marks the Orioles' first appearance on ESPN's "Sunday Night Baseball" since Sept. 13, 2015 versus the Royals. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Orioles are 13-17 all-time in ESPN's Sunday night game. The Orioles are batting .145...

The Nationals clinched their fourth division title in six years late this afternoon, and all it took was Stephen Strasburg extending his scoreless innings streak to 34, a lineup of rookies and second-stringers pulling off a 3-2 win over the Phillies and the Braves rallying with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to tie the Marlins and ultimately win in the 11th as several thousand fans celebrated 641 miles away on South Capitol Street. Suffice it to say, this wasn't your typical clinch. But...

The combination of Stephen Strasburg and a young lineup desperate to show they belong could be a recipe for difficulty for the Phillies. Strasburg has struck out five in three innings. He has also enjoyed fine catches by right fielder Rafael Bautista and a Sun Monster-conquering catch from rookie Victor Robles. Ben Lively has kept pace for the Phillies. Wilmer Difo doubled in the first and Andrew Stevenson walked in the second, but the Nats have been unable to plate a run through three frames...

Manager Dusty Baker said Saturday he was going to start the youngsters in Sunday's series finale against the Phillies so his regulars can have two full days off before the Braves arrive Tuesday night. And with a win and a Marlins loss today, the Nationals will lock up their second consecutive National League East crown, and fourth in six seasons. Monday is a scheduled day off. The only regular starter in the lineup is Trea Turner. The big deal is that top prospect Victor Robles makes his first...