It's been a rough run for the Washington Nationals as of late. They dropped last night's contest in a 5-0 shutout versus the Los Angeles Dodgers, and are trying to scrape their way back to the top of the National League East as baseball's regular season days die down. The Nats currently sit 2 1/2 games back in their division. Now - with the wild card - sitting a couple games back in the standings isn't necessarily the end all to a season with playoff hopes. However, the issue now lies in...

First off, while I recognize that it departs from my self-proclaimed status as a "baseball purist," let me preface this by saying that I really love how MLB approaches the postseason now. Some people still clamor for the old system of having two divisions and thus the two division champions going to the LCS series. If you feel that way, I can respect that. However, the fact is that over the years, some really good and deserving teams missed going to the postseason due to that system. So, the...

For some Orioles fans, it was a night without much sleep and without a win. Not a good combination. The Orioles missed a chance to move to within 3 1/2 games of first place and to within one game of the second American League wild card. For the second time in three games, the Orioles suffered a very tough extra-inning loss, falling 6-5 in 10 innings at Seattle on Tuesday night. When Adam Jones and Chris Davis hit back-to-back homers in the top of the eighth, the O's rallied from down 5-2 to...

Road teams went 0-15 last night for the first time in major league history, the clincher coming when the Orioles lost to the Mariners 6-5 in 10 innings on Austin Jackson's bases-loaded single off left-hander T.J. McFarland. The Orioles remain two games back for the second wild card and 4 1/2 behind the first-place Yankees in the American League East. Another opportunity lost. We'll find out later today whether catcher Matt Wieters is headed to the disabled list or if the Orioles will try to...

Rookie right-hander Joe Ross labored through the shortest outing of his young career and the Nationals failed to score against Dodgers ace Zack Greinke for the second time this year, falling 5-0 to slide 2 1/2 games behind the Mets in the National League East. Ross had displayed pinpoint control through his first seven starts, walking just four batters while striking out 47 over 45 innings since making his major league debut on June 6. But on Tuesday night, the 22-year-old had to battle out of...

On a night when Chris Tillman got just seven outs and Matt Wieters exited with an injury, the Orioles seemed headed to a somewhat lifeless loss. They trailed 5-2 in the top of the eighth. But in the span of three pitches, the Orioles bashed two homers to tie the game 5-5. But in the end, that did not lead to a win. Seattle loaded the bases with no outs in the last of the 10th, and then Austin Jackson's single to right ended it as the Mariners walked off the Orioles 6-5. Logan Morrison led off...

Right-hander Erick Fedde was promoted to the low Single-A Hagerstown Suns on Tuesday and started against Augusta. Fedde went 4 1/3 innings and allowed five hits and six runs. He had two walks and struck out three. The Suns lost the game 9-1. Early on, Fedde allowed two runs in the second. He hung in there until the fifth inning where the Green Jackets tallied seven runs. Fedde was responsible for four of those runs. He was tagged with the loss but gained valuable experience up a level. More...

Rookie Joe Ross is battling control issues for the first time in the big leagues. The right-hander entered tonight's game with just four walks in his seven starts in the majors. He had never walked more than one in a game. Tonight, Ross issued back-to-back walks to Andre Ethier and Yasmani Grandal to start the second. But Ross settled down and retired the next three Dodgers in order in escape the early jam. Ross wasn't as lucky in the fourth. Ethier lifted a changeup to the gap in left-center...

The Orioles need a do-over in tonight's game in Seattle. Chris Tillman exited after only 2 1/3 innings and catcher Matt Wieters followed him to the dugout with the Orioles behind 5-2. The Orioles announced that Wieters was removed due to a strained right hamstring, which he apparently suffered while fielding Mark Trumbo's roller in front of the mound. Manager Buck Showalter summoned reliever Brian Matusz, noticed that Wieters was grimacing and made another change. Caleb Joseph replaced...

The Nationals will face Dodgers right-hander Zack Greinke without the services of Bryce Harper. Harper, the National League's home run leader, was scratched from tonight's lineup with soreness in his left knee. The Dodgers have lost four straight, not winning since Greinke last took the mound on Aug. 6 in Philadelphia. Greinke, the NL's Cy Young favorite, had his worst start of the year that night, surrendering six runs over six innings while taking his 11th win of the season. Nationals...