The Nationals are set to begin an 11-game, 10-day road trip, which is likely to prove crucial for playoff positioning. "Look, it is what it is," pirtcher Max Scherzer said. "You have to win all these games. You have to find a way to dig deep and win these series. I know we're playing some great teams. We're going to face the Dodgers, Giants and (the Rockies) again. It's going to be an absolute grind. "That's what August is about. You have to grind through the schedule and keep going at...

Looking to get the Orioles rotation pointed back in the right direction, left-hander Wei-Yin Chen (5-6, 3.32 ERA) takes the mound tonight against the Seattle Mariners. It's the opener of a three-game series at Safeco Field. From May 25 to July 26, Chen allowed three or fewer runs for 11 consecutive starts. But in his past two starts against Detroit and Oakland, he has given up 14 hits and nine runs over 8 1/3 innings, including three homers. Chen before All-Star break: Went 4-5 with 2.78 ERA...

The Nationals hope yesterday's performance from Jayson Werth is a sign of what's to come from the veteran outfielder for the remainder of the season. The 36-year-old had his first multi-hit game since returning from the disabled list on July 28 after missing 61 games with a fractured left wrist. Werth connected on a fastball in the second inning, drilling it over the wall in the right-center alley for a solo homer. He added a single in the third and turned his leadoff walk in the sixth into...

The Orioles will place reliever Chaz Roe on the 15-day disabled list before tonight's game in Seattle and recall Mychal Givens from Double-A Bowie. Givens already has joined the team in Seattle, as I wrote in my last blog entry. He was optioned on Thursday to make room for Rule 5 pick Jason Garcia, but he's allowed to return before the minimum 10 days because he's replacing an injured player. Roe is 2-2 with a 3.12 ERA in 28 appearances this season. He was tagged with the loss yesterday in...

Susan Slusser is a sports journalist for the San Francisco Chronicle who covers the Oakland A's on the baseball beat, has covered the NBA and is an unequalled fan of the NHL. She is the first woman to be president of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. For me, she is a go-to authority of whatever sport or team she is covering. She is a pro and the term "journalist" is not used lightly to describe her work. Susan sat down with me on a recent trip to Oakland to talk about her...

Matt Wieters is serving as the designated hitter and Junior Lake is starting in left field tonight, as the Orioles begin a three-game series in Seattle. Wieters is 4-for-28 as the designated hitter this season. In 26 career starts against the American League West, left-hander Wei-Yin Chen is 14-5 with a 2.81 ERA and 17 quality starts over 166 1/3 innings. The Orioles are 20-6 in those games. Former Oriole Nelson Cruz has recorded an extra-base hit in nine straight games for the Mariners and is...

Right-hander Mychal Givens has joined the Orioles in Seattle today for the start of a three-game series and will be added to the bullpen. The Orioles officially will recall Givens later today from Double-A Bowie and make a corresponding 25-man roster move. Givens was optioned four days ago and can't return unless he's replacing an injured player. Someone is headed to the disabled list. If you're worried about closer Zach Britton because he didn't pitch yesterday, it's not him. He's...

If there was a silver lining in last weekend's series loss to the Colorado Rockies, it's that Ryan Zimmerman appears to have fully recovered from the plantar fasciitis that has sidelined him for much of this season. The Nationals first baseman has hit safely in four straight games and seven of his last nine, and driven in runs in seven consecutive games. But in the past week, he's shown that his power is back, crushing three homers, including blasts to center field in back-to-back innings on...

The Orioles have gone about constructing and molding their roster in quite a different way this season. For a team that's chasing the Blue Jays and Yankees for the American League East crown, it has looked especially strange. There are a total of eight players from the opening day roster no longer with the team. That number jumps to nine if you include Ryan Webb, who was designated for assignment just before the team's first game. That's over 35 percent of the roster cast off before...

A rotation that is seriously lacking in consistency must deal with Nelson Cruz for the next three games. Life isn't always fair. The former Oriole is riding a 19-game hitting streak with the Mariners. He's homered in seven of his last nine games and is tied with Mike Trout for the major league lead with 33. His .998 OPS ranks fourth and his .325 average ranks seventh. Cruz is batting .314/.396/.483 with eight doubles, nine home runs and 28 RBIs in 56 games at Safeco Field. He returned to...