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The Cubs struck first with a leadoff home run from catcher Willson Contreras. His eighth homer of the season came on a 3-1 pitch.
Left-hander Gio Gonzalez then induced a couple of flyouts.
Against Ian Happ, Gonzalez recorded the 1,500th strikeout of his career.
The Nationals enjoyed a two-out single from Bryce Harper in the bottom of the first facing Eddie Butler. But Butler managed to get Ryan Zimmerman to ground out to end the threat.
Gonzalez allowed a walk in the second, but got out of the...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Do the Orioles go with a more conventional lineup tonight in Toronto or place particular emphasis on defense and ignore the splits?
Manager Buck Showalter went with defense Sunday while also considering the career reverse splits of Rays right-hander Jake Odorizzi, who traditionally has fared better against left-handers. He put Joey Rickard in left field and Craig Gentry in right, which also provided defensive upgrades over Hyun Soo Kim and Seth Smith, and the return was...
Left fielder Jayson Werth continues to make progress in his recovery from what is listed as a left foot contusion that has kept him on the shelf since June 4.
Nationals manager Dusty Baker had a positive update on Werth during Monday's pregame media availability before the Nats faced off against the Cubs. Baker thinks a target date might be July 14 in Cincinnati for Werth's return to the field.
"Well, he's doing good," Baker said. "He comes in to see me every day. He took a few swings...
The Nationals are finalizing a minor league deal with Francisco RodrÃguez, hoping the veteran closer might resurrect himself after a horrible start to his season in Detroit that got him released last week.
The deal isn't done yet, but a club source said it is expected to be completed soon. At that point, RodrÃguez would report to Triple-A Syracuse and attempt to right his wayward ship in a low-pressure environment.
RodrÃguez, 35, owns 437 saves and a 2.86 ERA over 16 big league...
There is a distinct big-game vibe here at Nationals Park, with the Cubs in town for the first of a four-game series that promises to bring big crowds, plenty of media and (hopefully) some compelling baseball to South Capitol Street.
The opener sees Gio Gonzalez on the mound for the Nationals, looking to continue his resurgent first half and improve to 8-1. The left-hander has been brilliant at pitching his way out of jams all season, highlighted by his .107 opponents' batting average with...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Manny Machado has slipped to fifth place among American League third baseman as voting is set to conclude for the 2017 All-Star Game in Miami.
Machado has received 946,013 votes to trail the Twins' Miguel Sanó (1,550,240), the Indians' José RamÃrez (1,341,076), the Blue Jays' Josh Donaldson (1,191,244) and the Royals' Mike Moustakas (1,067,150).
Welington Castillo remains fourth among AL catchers with 1,050,023 votes. No other Orioles are listed among the...
They'll have to wait along with everyone else until All-Star roster are fully announced Sunday night, but based on voting results throughout the last two months, the Nationals sure look like they're going to be well-represented in Miami.
The final ballot update was released this afternoon by Major League Baseball, and Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy and Ryan Zimmerman continue to lead their respective positions in voting, leaving each in position to earn the starting nod for the National...
If a date with the World Series champions and a potential postseason preview won't give Nationals fans enough to talk about this week, the Nats' series with the Cubs will offer plenty of history.
The two teams, as well as mangers Joe Maddon of the Cubs and Dusty Baker of the Nationals, have a more than bit of a past between and among them, and we only have to go back to last season to start.
The Nationals were coming off a blistering 16-7 April and had won three of their first four in May...
When Adam Eaton went down with a season-ending injury, there was some concern that Michael A. Taylor would not be able to hit for average and contribute offensively the way the Nationals needed him to.
No need for that concern now. Taylor is hitting .273 with 11 homers and 30 RBIs in his first 62 games of the season.
On Sunday, he hit his third homer in the past two games, a two-run shot, which accounted for all the offense for the Nats in a 6-2 loss to the Reds.
It marked the third time this...
With five weeks to go until baseball's non-waiver trade deadline, teams are starting to assess whether or not they will be buyers or sellers at the end of July. It's a conversation every front office has this time of year, and it's no different for the Orioles. What is different this year than from recent seasons is the position the Birds find themselves in. Despite being below the .500 mark, the O's find themselves only a handful of games out of a playoff spot. Teams have made crazier runs...