The Nationals and Orioles tangle in Game 1 of the Beltway Series, D.C. edition, from Nationals Park. Prior to the game, the Nationals announced that outfielder Bryce Harper and right-hander Stephen Strasburg have been named co-National League Players of the Week. The duo were back-to-back No. 1 overall selections by the Nationals in the First-Year Player Draft in 2009 and 2010. In seven games last week, Harper hit .519 (14-for-27) with a double, five walks, five homers and 10 RBIs. Strasburg...

While the regular season has wrapped up, there are still plenty of opportunities for you to hit it big with the Maryland Lottery! The $5 Baseball Bucks scratch-off still has one $50,000 top-prize and many other prizes between $10 and $5,000 remaining. Will you be the next big winner? You can purchase your Baseball Bucks ticket at local Lottery retailers. For more information, visit mdlottery.com/baseball. All season long, fans were able to enter their non-winning Baseball Bucks tickets for a...

The Nationals start the week six games behind the Mets in the National League East with 13 games to play. The Mets' magic number is eight, which means the race ends with any combination of Mets wins and Nationals losses totaling eight. Mathematically, the Nationals' chances are slim. But the Mets aren't the same team that swept the Nationals in D.C. earlier this month, so that helps the Nationals. "We're playing perfect right now,'' Nationals third baseman Yunel Escobar said after going...

When I read last week that Adam Jones wanted to meet with Peter Angelos, Dan Duquette and Buck Showalter during the offseason to discuss the team's plans for re-signing players and making trades, I honestly thought it was an old link. It was the same story last offseason when Jones wanted to discuss the team's mindset following an American League East crown. Now that the dream of a repeat has gone out the window, have any of the plans changed? Jones doesn't want to see a mass exodus like the...

Manager: Matt Williams (2nd season) Record: 78-71 Last 10 games: 7-3 Who to watch: RF Bryce Harper (.343/.470/.674 with 41 HR, 95 RBIs, 10.2 WAR), 3B Yunel Escobar (.324/.383/.429 with 53 RBIs), 2B Anthony Rendon (.278/.360/.380), SS Ian Desmond (18 HR, 60 RBIs), RHP Max Scherzer (12-11, 2.90 ERA), LHP Gio Gonzalez (11-7, 3.83 ERA) Season series vs. Orioles: 2-1 Pitching probables: Sept. 21: RHP Ubaldo Jimenez vs. LHP Gio Gonzalez, 7:05 p.m., MASN2 Sept. 22: RHP Chris Tillman vs. RHP Tanner...

It hasn't been easy for first baseman Tyler Moore to get a ton of starts or extended playing time this season. But in the final two games of the series against the Marlins, he showed what he can do when he gets consistent at-bats. Moore slammed a three-run shot in the sixth inning, giving him six homers on the season. He also hit a homer Saturday. In his three starts in the series, Moore hit .375 (3-for-8) with a double, two homers, a walk, two runs scored and four RBIs. Manager Matt Williams...

The Nationals and Orioles enter their Beltway Series clinging to slim playoff hopes. Baltimore is coming off a crushing 7-6 loss at Tampa Bay where closer Zach Britton blew a save by surrendering two runs in the bottom of the ninth. The Orioles are 5 1/2 games back of the Astros for the second Wild Card spot with 13 games remaining, but they must also leapfrog three teams - the Angels, Twins and Indians - to get there. Meanwhile, the Mets dropped two of three in their Subway Series to the...

We need to get the math out of the way. There's really no avoiding it. We can't cut class and sneak into human physiology. There will be time later to dissect the 2015 season. The Orioles are down to their last 13 games. They trail the Astros by 5 1/2 for the second wild card. Three teams are ahead of them - the Angels, Twins and Indians. "I have to be optimistic or what's the reason for me coming here and playing?" said center fielder Adam Jones following yesterday's crushing 7-6 loss to...

With 13 games to play in the 2015 season, many Orioles fans must have one eye on the present and one on the future at this point. As the hopes dim and are almost closed on this year, there is always hope that next year could be better. The Orioles' winter will be interesting to follow as we will eventually find out if they can re-sign any of their key free agents. If they don't or can't, we'll find out how they intend to move forward without those players. With a look back and a watchful...

Widespread injuries are the main culprit for why the Nationals find themselves on the outside looking in to the playoffs with under two weeks remaining in the regular season. They also account for the primary reasons why Stephen Strasburg won't be mentioned in the Cy Young Award voting despite the dominant form the right-hander has displayed over the past three months. Strasburg's blazing fastball, nasty curveball and baffling changeup handcuffed the Marlins this afternoon. He fanned 10...