ST. LOUIS - The Nationals ended a disappointing August in fitting fashion, wasting a comeback three-run homer from Ryan Zimmerman in last night's 8-5 loss to the Cardinals. Washington began the month holding a two-game lead over the Mets in the National League East. But that margin quickly evaporated as the Nats were swept out of New York on Aug 2. Bolstered by several trade deadline acquisitions, the Mets rolled off seven in a row, taking a commanding first-place lead. The Nationals dropped...

Right-hander Steve Johnson was back in the Orioles clubhouse yesterday. He has had a very strong season with Triple-A Norfolk and is expected to be added by the Orioles as rosters can be expanded today. Johnson went 4-1 with a 2.30 ERA in 32 appearances with the Tides, with 16 walks and 67 strikeouts over 54 2/3 innings. He held left-handed batters to a .197 average and right-handed hitters to a .237 average. Johnson, whose last major league appearance came on Sept. 27, 2013, underwent surgery...

ST. LOUIS - The road to the playoffs took a gloomy turn for the Nationals in the seventh inning of Monday's 8-5 loss to the Cardinals. "It's a tough one," Nationals manager Matt Williams said three different times after the game. The Nationals entered the frame trailing by a run and knowing they needed to pull off a win to not lose ground to the first-place Mets, who had already finished off the Phillies earlier in the night. With the Nats down to their final seven outs, Ryan Zimmerman...

The Orioles will turn back the clock tonight. Not to 2012 or 2014. We're not talking playoffs. Not to the Winter Meetings or the start of spring training or opening day. Those ships have sailed as the Orioles take on water. They're going back to 1995 to reminisce with Cal Ripken Jr. about the night he broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive-games streak. The actual date is Sept. 6, but the Orioles will be in Toronto, so Ripken has been invited tonight to throw out the ceremonial first pitch and...

When he took the field tonight, playing shortstop for the first time in the majors, Manny Machado said he tried to take it as just another game. When he batted in the last of first inning, however, more frustration set in for Machado and the Orioles. Rays Center fielder Kevin Kiermaier robbed him of a homer as Tampa Bay went on to a 6-3 win over the Orioles. "Oh, man, that's just icing on the cake," Machado said he thought at the time. "That is how things are going around here. This is how...

The Orioles lost their fifth consecutive game tonight and their 11th in the last 12. Returning to their home ballpark didn't reverse their slide. The Rays posted a 6-3 win at Camden Yards to drop the Orioles five games below .500 for the first time since June 6. The Orioles (63-68) have been held to three runs or fewer in 11 of their last 12 games and they're 0-60 when trailing after the eighth inning. On top of that, we learned tonight that Miguel Gonzalez received a cortisone injection in...

The Orioles are dealing with an injury to their rotation while also trying to halt a losing streak that's reached five games. Miguel Gonzalez received a cortisone injection in his right shoulder today and will undergo an MRI on Tuesday after complaining of soreness following yesterday's start in Texas. His elbow also is bothering him. Earlier today, manager Buck Showalter said Gonzalez was sore in a couple of places. Gonzalez's turn in the rotation can be skipped due to Thursday's open date...

The Orioles' return tonight to Camden Yards did little to change their recent fortunes. They lost another game, this one to Tampa Bay by a 6-3 score, as they combined poor offense for six innings with poor starting pitching to lose for the 11th time in 12 games. The Orioles have scored just 10 runs during a five-game losing streak as they fall to 63-68. That is one game off their low point of the season when they were six games under .500 at 23-29. The Orioles have scored three runs or less in...

ST. LOUIS - With two outs in the first, Kolten Wong misplayed a grounder, allowing Bryce Harper to reach safely on the error. Ryan Zimmerman followed with a double sliced down the right field line. With Stephen Piscotty dealing with the carom off the corner of the wall, Nationals third base coach Bob Henley aggressively waved the hustling Harper around. As the relay throw reached the plate, Harper slid safely head first just inside the tag of Yadier Molina. Gio Gonzalez has yielded one hit with...

ST. LOUIS - Fighting for their playoff lives, the Nationals are set to begin a three-game set against the National League Central division-leading Cardinals, owners of the best record in the majors. Gio Gonzalez is 0-3 with a 10.22 ERA in his last three starts, but the left-hander holds a 2-1 career mark against the Cardinals with a 0.93 ERA in four starts. The Cardinals send right-hander John Lackey (11-8 2.92 ERA) to the mound. Lackey is coming off seven innings of one-run ball in a 3-1 win...