PHOENIX - After a grueling weekend in San Francisco that featured more tense moments - not to mention missed opportunities - than they would have liked, the Nationals were in need of a good, old-fashioned laugher. Boy, did they get one tonight at Chase Field. The Nationals blasted the Diamondbacks out of their air-conditioned ballpark, winning 14-1 behind an all-out offensive attack that included hits from all nine starters, not to mention yet another boringly dominant performance from Stephen...

PHOENIX - Though they had some interest in trying to add another piece or two before today's trade deadline, the Nationals didn't think any potential addition was worth the price of acquisition. "There's always some tweaking that you'd like to be done, but you have to weigh the costs," manager Dusty Baker said. While fellow contenders like the Cubs, Indians, Giants and Rangers aggressively gave up prospects to add players for the stretch run, the Nationals' lone trade this week (Felipe...

As the Orioles, Red Sox and Blue Jays begin play in August, the chase is on for the 2016 American League East championship with less than 60 games to play. Boston won the AL East in 2013, Baltimore in 2014 and Toronto in 2015. In comparing the remaining schedules for each contender, the Orioles have the most home games remaining. That is a good thing since they are playing .698 baseball (37-16) at home this year. But the Orioles also have the most remaining games versus teams that are currently...

PHOENIX - Ryan Zimmerman appears to have avoided serious injury, but the Nationals first baseman is out of tonight's lineup with a sore left wrist one day after it was struck by a pitch. Multiple X-rays taken on Zimmerman's wrist came back negative, according to manager Dusty Baker, who was breathing a sigh of relief after getting the news, knowing others who have been hit in a similar fashion (most notably Jayson Werth last season) have wound up missing months. "We dodged a bullet that...

The questions poured in yesterday as baseball reached its non-waiver trade deadline. Why didn't the Orioles get a frontline starting pitcher? Are they done making deals? Who comes off the 25-man roster for Steve Pearce and Wade Miley? Is Nolan Reimold finished? When will Miley make his first start? The Orioles never had the pieces to acquire a top-of-the-rotation starter. They dealt from a farm system strength to reacquire Pearce, sending Single-A Frederick catcher Jonah Heim to the...

PHOENIX - Hello from the Valley of the Sun, where it's actually a balmy 97 degrees this afternoon. There's even a chance of rain this evening, which isn't all that uncommon this time of year, which is monsoon season in these parts. (No, seriously. You can look it up. Plus, I grew up here, so I know all about it.) The roof at Chase Field will be closed for tonight's series opener between the Nationals and Diamondbacks, in which Stephen Strasburg takes the mound and looks to become the...

Steve Pearce is returning to the Orioles. They did not re-sign him over the winter when he hit free agency, but today they traded with Tampa Bay to bring him back to Baltimore. The Orioles gave up 21-year-old switch-hitting catcher Jonah Heim, their fourth-round draft pick in 2013, who was playing at Single-A Frederick. Pearce's return figures to be popular, from the clubhouse to the dugout to the fanbase. Fans seem to appreciate his all-out style of play and manager Buck Showalter appreciated...

The Orioles today announced that they have acquired infielder/outfielder Steve Pearce from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for minor league catcher Jonah Heim. Pearce, 33, has hit .309/.388/.520 (63-for-204) with 11 doubles, one triple, 10 home runs and 29 RBIs over 60 games with the Rays this season. Over parts of four seasons with the Orioles from 2012-15, Pearce batted .258/.338/.478 with 50 doubles, one triple, 43 home runs and 116 RBIs in 266 games. He set career highs in 2014 with 26...

The Orioles made their second trade today just before the non-waiver deadline, acquiring outfielder Steve Pearce from the Rays for Single-A catcher Jonah Heim. They were unable to find another starting pitcher or left-handed reliever, but they got a familiar bat. Pearce, 33, will make his fourth tour in the organization if you count the two-day gap after they released him on April 27, 2014. He batted .309/.388/.520 with 11 doubles, a triple, 10 home runs and 29 RBIs in 60 games with the Rays...

PHOENIX - The trade deadline has come and gone, and the Nationals roster remains the same as it was 24 hours ago. The Nationals weren't close to pulling off any deals in advance of the 4 p.m. EDT deadline, according to club sources, but that wasn't a surprising development considering they already addressed their biggest stretch-run need over the weekend with the acquisition of Mark Melancon. With their new closer in place, the Nationals explored the possibility of adding more bullpen help or...