It looks like there's a new closing pitcher on Washington's roster. All-Star pitcher Jonathan Papelbon was traded from the Philadelphia Phillies to the Washington Nationals on Tuesday in exchange for minor league pitcher Nick Pivetta, and now it'll be interesting to see how the team's newest player integrates into the clubhouse. Outside of the business of baseball, many fans have expressed displeasure with the selection. That aside, I think the effect Papelbon has on the clubhouse and on...

The Nationals fell 4-1 to the Marlins to open their series in Miami. Once again, Jordan Zimmermann pitched well, but had just one inning in which the opponent got a couple of runs on the board and it cost him. Of course, it doesn't help that he also once again didn't get much run support. On July 22 versus the Mets, Zimmermann had one inning where the opponent scored multiple runs. It happened in the fourth. The Mets put together four hits, three singles and a two-run double from Kirk...

As the Nationals celebrate 10 seasons in Washington, D.C., we reflect on some of the best moments since the franchise moved to the nation's capital. Each Wednesday through mid-August, check out Nationals Pastime for a remembrance of one of the watershed moments in Nationals history. After a long 33-year wait, baseball finally returned to Washington on April 14, 2005. Since the Senators rolled out of D.C. following the 1971 season, the nation's capital watched as Major League Baseball awarded...

Are the Orioles sellers or buyers? Are they contenders or not? Is a four-game winning streak the start of something big or just fool's gold? A lot of questions and I guess the answers depend on which person is giving the opinion. After his two-homer game last night, Chris Davis said the Orioles players can't let trade deadline rumors distract them from the task at hand. "My job is to go out and play as hard as I can for the Orioles. We like the guys we have in here, but we have our work cut...

Don't look now - or maybe just peek through your fingers - but the Orioles are only two games behind the Twins for the second wild card spot. They still trail the Yankees by seven games in the American League East, but hey, they're alone in second place and ... there's also the wild card race. A win tonight would give the Orioles a sweep of the Braves and lift them two games above .500 for the first time since July 10. They haven't won five in a row since a six-game winning streak on June...

MIAMI - Following tonight's 4-1 loss to the Marlins, Drew Storen reacted for the first time to the news that he lost his closer role when the Nationals acquired veteran right-hander Jonathan Papelbon from the Phillies earlier in the day. "Really, all I'm gonna say is that obviously I'm aware of the move," Storen said. "I've talked to (Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo) about it. I've talked to my agent. We've had some ongoing discussions. Until those have progressed, I'm just gonna...

With the trade deadline approaching and talk whether the Orioles should be buyers or sellers being discussed, the O's won their fourth game in a row. After he hit two homers and drove in five as the Orioles beat Atlanta 7-3, Chris Davis said he sees his team as a contender and wants to see this group stay together past Friday's deadline. "We've felt that way all year," Davis said. "There have been times we've played really well and times we've struggled. But there is a sense of urgency...

Chris Davis hit two home runs tonight and Ubaldo Jimenez worked seven innings. Which one is more surprising? I'll go with the latter, since Jimenez allowed two runs and four hits in the first inning. He also hit a batter and threw 25 pitches. Jimenez retired 18 of the last 20 batters and won for the first time in the second half, and the Orioles won their fourth game in a row, defeating the Braves 7-3 before 28,592 at Camden Yards. "I told Wally (Dave Wallace) after he was done, 'We could...

Right-hander Lucas Giolito began the night well in his Double-A debut, but ended up with a 5-0 loss as New Hampshire dropped Harrisburg in Manchester, N.H. The Nationals top prospect Giolito retired the first six batters he faced. But in the third, the Fisher Cats connected on four straight hits. New Hampshire led 2-0 after three. Giolito allowed a two-run single in the sixth to K.C. Hobson. That was the end of his outing, replaced by recently sent down right-hander Abel De Los Santos. He ended...

Chris Davis did the heavy lifting early on. Later, his teammates joined in. After a slow start, Ubaldo Jimenez did his part as well. Davis homered in the first and second innings tonight and had five RBIs by the second inning as the Orioles beat Atlanta 7-3 at Camden Yards. The Orioles have their third four-game winning streak of 2015 as they improve to 29-18 at home and 50-49 overall. During the win streak, O's pitchers have allowed just seven runs. After the Braves took a 2-0 lead in the...