The first inning continues not to sit well with Max Scherzer, who once again tonight dug the Nationals into an early hole. On the heels of a shaky start in Miami five days ago, Scherzer took the mound tonight at Nationals Park and two batters later found himself trailing by two runs. He walked Phillies leadoff man Odubel Herrera on four pitches, then served up a home run to Andres Blanco on an 0-1 fastball over the plate. That's now eight first-inning runs surrendered by Scherzer in five...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter said he was tempted to start Hyun Soo Kim in left field tonight but decided to keep Rule 5 pick Joey Rickard in the lineup. Kim's chances become more limited with the Rays starting left-hander Matt Moore on Wednesday and the White Sox starting three southpaws in a four-game series at Camden Yards. "I consider everybody getting in there," Showalter said. "I thought about it because three of the next four games' (starters) are...

We didn't expect to say this a lot this season, but the Orioles need to get their offense going tonight when they play the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg. The Orioles are 1-3 on this road trip. They scored eight runs in the win on Saturday at Kansas City. But in the three losses, they have been held to three runs and 14 hits. They could not get much going against Chris Young, Yordano Ventura and Chris Archer. The Orioles are 4-7 since their best start in team history at 7-0. They have scored...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Hunter Harvey is scheduled to pitch two innings Thursday afternoon at extended spring training in Sarasota. Harvey had been shut down for a second time with discomfort in his groin. The injury first surfaced on March 29 during Harvey's third inning of work in a minor league game at Twin Lakes Park. Harvey has pitched in simulated games after being cleared to throw again. The Orioles will assign Harvey to Single-A Frederick after he's deemed ready to join the...

Nationals right-hander Joe Ross confirmed his blister injury on his throwing hand has mended well enough that he could have started tonight. But the Nationals played it cautiously and gave Max Scherzer the start against the Phillies. "It's feeling good. I think I could throw today," Ross said. "They decided to skip me and give me some more rest. I don't think they want me to re-aggravate my finger or anything like that." Ross said he did not throw a bullpen today but believes he will...

The Nationals have placed Wilson Ramos on the bereavement list following the death of his grandfather, Jesus Campos, leaving the club without its No. 1 catcher for at least the next three games. Ramos informed manager Dusty Baker of the news this morning and made plans to leave town. He is expected to rejoin the team early in its upcoming road trip. "I talked to him this morning; he was pretty shook up," Baker said. "He'll join us sometime over the weekend in St. Louis." Major League...

New initiative celebrates community heroes from all walks of life The Orioles Birdland Community Heroes program honors and recognizes community heroes who inspire us through their spirited commitment to extend a hand in charity, service, hope and harmony. This recognition honors the heroism of members of our extended Orioles community from all walks of life, occupations, and diverse backgrounds living in our region, our country and abroad, who have distinguished themselves by selflessly working...

The Washington Nationals recalled catcher Pedro Severino from Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday and placed catcher Wilson Ramos on the bereavement list. President of baseball operations and general manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Severino, 22, joins the Nationals for his first major league assignment of the season. A defensive standout behind the plate, Severino is currently hitting .244 in 13 games with Triple-A Syracuse. Severino joined the Nationals' big league club in August, 2015,...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Joey Rickard is leading off again tonight for the Orioles despite a 1-for-16 slump. Mark Trumbo is in right field and Pedro Alvarez is the designated hitter. Adam Jones appeared to be in pain last night after a hard swing in the ninth inning, but he remains in the lineup. The Orioles are 4-7 in their last 11 games following a 7-0 start. For the Orioles Joey Rickard LF Adam Jones CF Manny Machado 3B Chris Davis 1B Mark Trumbo RF J.J. Hardy SS Pedro Alvarez DH Jonathan...

This should be Joe Ross' turn in the Nationals rotation, but the club decided to be cautious with the young right-hander's blister and skip his turn (made possible by yesterday's off-day). So it'll be Max Scherzer, still on normal rest, taking the mound for tonight's series opener against the Phillies. Scherzer is coming off a ragged start in Miami in which he was tagged for five runs and eight hits in only five innings. Afterward, he described his problem as "not finishing my pitches,"...