More from Tuesday night's 6-1 victory over the Cubs ... * There may be no more pleasant development for the Nationals this season than the development of Michael A. Taylor into a more disciplined, more productive hitter, and it was on display again in this game. Taylor was a major contributor to the win, using his legs to swipe two bases and induce a bad throw by catcher Miguel Montero to score a run in the fourth, then using his bat to drive a two-run double to right-center in the fifth. That...

While Bill Parcells is wildly overrated as a coach, his maxim of "You are what your record says you are," is spot-on, and applies to the Potomac Nationals this year. The P-Nats almost finished .500 in the first half, falling two games short at 33-37, and haven't been above the break-even mark since May 13. Simply put, they're not quite good enough to win consistently. This is not to say there haven't been bright spots. Victor Robles is the Nationals' No. 1 prospect in the organization and...

Any breakdown of the Nationals lineup - the majors' most productive through the season's first half - usually focuses on the power potential up and down the order, the depth of quality that allows this team to score runs in bunches via a string of extra-base hits. The Nationals are, believe it or not, more multi-dimensional than that, though. They do have one of the fastest leadoff men in baseball, not to mention speed in several other lineup slots and several hitters capable of grinding out...

Max Scherzer and the Nationals got exactly what they needed from their No. 1 starter - a quality start - in a game in which he didn't have to be "maxed" out. He allowed the Cubs just one run in the first inning, doing it all without his best stuff. Scherzer went six innings and used only 93 pitches as the Nats dropped the Cubs 6-1 to even the series at 1-1. Manager Dusty Baker said what might be even scarier for the rest of the league is that Scherzer didn't even have everything clicking...

The latest marquee pitching showdown of the season saw the Nationals' Cy Young Award winner show up with an awfully effective performance. The Cubs' Cy Young? He looked awfully pedestrian. Max Scherzer tossed six innings of one-run ball, retired the last 10 batters he faced and also contributed to the Nationals' offensive onslaught against Jake Arrieta, who was knocked out before recording an out in the fifth inning during the Nats' 6-1 victory. Scherzer's streak of double-digit strikeout...

TORONTO - Orioles right-hander Kevin Gausman ran some deep pitch counts. He didn't get deep in this game. But he also didn't give up any runs, with an assist from the bullpen and his catcher. Gausman threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings tonight as the Orioles beat Toronto 3-1 in front of 40,606 at Rogers Centre to start a three-game series. The Orioles move back to .500 at 38-38 and move two games ahead of Toronto for fourth place in the American League East. They are 8-2 versus the Blue Jays on the...

The Orioles liked Welington Castillo's bat when they signed him, and trusted that his 10 passed balls last season that tied for the National League lead weren't a true reflection of his defensive skills and whether he was reliable late in games with runners in scoring position. Castillo has done a solid job, especially considering his abbreviated spring training due to his participation in the World Baseball Classic, and right shoulder tendinitis and a testicular injury that twice forced him...

TORONTO - Since he returned Friday from the disabled list, Orioles reliever Darren O'Day has pitched two scoreless innings. He threw one on Friday against Tampa Bay and one more on Sunday. He needed just 20 pitches, 15 strikes to get those six outs. It is nice to have him back in the late innings for the Orioles. An Oriole since the 2012 season, O'Day reached some nice round career numbers on Sunday. He is now 35-15 with an ERA of 2.47 in 10 big league seasons. And he has now pitched exactly...

Nationals starter Max Scherzer hit Anthony Rizzo with a pitch to begin the first inning. Following a called third strike to Tommy La Stella and a flyout by Ian Happ, Kris Bryant blasted a triple off the right-center field wall out-of-town scoreboard. Michael A. Taylor jumped a bit too far away from the wall and came up short on the catch attempt. Rizzo scored to lift the Cubs to a 1-0 lead. They have never trailed in the series. In the bottom of the first, Trea Turner notched an infield single...

TORONTO - Orioles manager Buck Showalter said that right-hander Dylan Bundy's next start has been set for Saturday at home against Tampa Bay. Bundy would be pitching on six days' rest after facing the Rays last Saturday at Tropicana Field. A complicating factor is that Chris Tillman's wife is expecting a baby any day now. Tillman could leave the club at any time and the rotation plans may have to be changed. For now, Bundy is getting a couple of extra days between starts, but that could be...