Slowly but surely, the Nationals are building their resume, piling up wins at a rate faster than any other big league club than the Cubs. They've now won eight of their last 11, moving to a season-best 13 games over .500. They're getting contributions from up and down their lineup. Their pitching staff continues to be among the best in the majors. And their defensive play remains outstanding. So the Nats will try to keep the ball rolling today, with an early 12:05 p.m. start against the...

TORONTO - The Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays played yet another close game last night. The Orioles trailed and won on Thursday night. Toronto trailed 3-2 and won 4-3 in 10 innings last night. Edwin Encarnacion's fifth career walk-off homer gave the Blue Jays the victory, sending most of the crowd of 44,439 home happy. Orioles right-hander Brad Brach gave up just his second homer of the year over 33 1/3 innings. The Orioles bullpen had a run of 16 2/3 scoreless innings over the past six...

Right-hander Stephen Strasburg became Major League Baseball's first 10-game winner with seven strong innings in which he bounced back from a slow start to lift the Nationals past the Phillies 9-6. Strasburg allowed four runs before the fourth inning, highlighted by a Tommy Joseph two-run shot that lifted the Phillies to the early 4-0 lead. The Nationals answered with two runs in the bottom of the third. Strasburg then rolled the Phillies, giving up no runs and no hits the rest of the way. He...

The Nationals selected nine Division I college baseball players out of their first 11 picks in the 2016 First-Year Player Draft. In that lot, eight were position players, including two catchers. In a rare move for the Nationals, only three of their top 11 selections were pitchers. But when asked about that development, Nationals president of baseball operations and general manager Mike Rizzo was not surprised. "The players that we took certainly fell to us where we felt we were very, very...

The Nationals pulled off another comeback win during what has become a confidence-building run for the offense. Down 4-0 early, the Nationals reeled off nine unanswered runs. They ended up beating the Phillies 9-6, behind seven extra base hits. The Nats have now scored nine or more runs in four of their last five games. The beneficiary of the offensive burst Friday night was right-hander Stephen Strasburg, who became the first 10-0 starter in the majors. Strasburg struck out 10 batters - his...

TORONTO - Orioles reliever Brad Brach had no margin for error tonight. He entered in the bottom of the ninth of a 3-3 game at Rogers Centre and retired Toronto in order to send the game to the 10th. But after the Orioles could not take the lead in their half of the 10th off Drew Storen, Toronto's Edwin Encarnacion homered to right field off Brach to give the Blue Jays a 4-3, walk-off win. The teams have played five games this year and all have been decided by one run, with two in extra...

The Orioles are facing a left-hander this afternoon in Toronto, giving Joey Rickard another chance to leave the bench and most likely play right field. Rickard is almost assured of facing J.A. Happ at Rogers Centre. The lineups have become easier to predict. Nolan Reimold should be in left field today and Mark Trumbo should be the designated hitter. Hyun Soo Kim and Pedro Alvarez sit. Rickard is transitioning into roles anticipated for him after the Orioles chose him in the Rule 5 draft. He's...

The Phillies grabbed the early lead in the second inning against Stephen Strasburg. Cody Asche's RBI single scored Carlos Ruiz. Tyler Goeddel added a bunt single that plated Freddy Galvis and the Phillies jumped out to a 2-0 advantage. In the third, Tommy Joseph homered to left-center with a man on and suddenly it was 4-0 Phillies. The Nationals answered in their half of the third. Jayson Werth's sharp line drive turned into a double to left field, scoring Danny Espinosa and Ben Revere,...

TORONTO - For the second night in a row in this series, the Toronto Blue Jays had the lead after the first inning against the Orioles. It was 3-1 last night and 1-0 tonight on an unearned run. Right fielder Ezequiel Carrera, playing for the injured Jose Bautista (right thigh tightness), led off with a bunt single and advanced to third on Kevin Gausman's errant pickoff throw, which was low and past first base. Josh Donaldson then lined a single to right and, two batters into the game, Toronto...

The Washington Nationals selected eight players on the second day of Major League Baseball's 2016 First-Year Player Draft. Nationals President of Baseball Operations & General Manager Mike Rizzo and Assistant General Manager & Vice President of Scouting Operations Kris Kline made the joint announcement. The Nationals kicked off Friday's action by selecting prep left-handed pitcher Jesus Luzardo out of Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., in the third round. Luzardo is rated as...