Brian Goodwin may have slumped at times, and he may not have been able to duplicate the production the Nationals would have received from Adam Eaton or Michael A. Taylor had either of their top two center fielders been healthy all summer. But where would this team be without its third-stringer, who has more than held down the fort in the absence of others and has delivered more than his share of big hits along the way. Just like he did tonight. Goodwin's leadoff homer in the bottom of the...

OAKLAND, Calif. - With his batting average at its lowest point since he went 1-for-5 opening day, first baseman Chris Davis is not starting tonight. He is fine physically, but he has just two hits over 25 at-bats his last seven games and manager Buck Showalter will give him a day off and potentially more than that. "Just give him a day or so," Showalter said during his pregame media session. "He's fine physically. As fine as anyone can be this time of year. He's available. Just giving him...

Tanner Roark got through the first two innings unscathed. But in the third, Dee Gordon singled. Giancarlo Stanton followed with a two-homer on a 1-1 pitch from Roark. His 39th homer of the year went over the left field wall. The Marlins lead 2-0. The Nationals earned a base hit off the bat of Matt Wieters in in the third but not much else yet against Dan Straily. After three innings, the Marlins lead the Nationals 2-0. Update: The Nats rally in the bottom of the sixth. Adrián Sanchez leads...

OAKLAND, Calif. - The Orioles seemed convinced after yesterday's game that outfielder Joey Rickard was going to be fine and it turns out that is exactly the case. Rickard was hit on the batting helmet by a Troy Scribner pitch in the top of the sixth Wednesday afternoon in Anaheim. He came out of the game as Craig Gentry pinch-ran for him during the Orioles' 5-1 loss in Anaheim. But Rickard is starting tonight in Oakland, batting ninth in right field. "I'm good to go," he said this...

The Nationals have such a commanding lead in the division that it has the same feeling as a losing season. It is like the Nationals are playing out the string, but instead of the season ending with golf outings and vacation, it will become exciting again and the Nationals will be in the playoffs. For now though, the Nationals are playing out the string. I'd say it should be a feeling familiar to Nats fans, but how many really exist that suffered through the 2008 and 2009 seasons? Let alone...

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....