MIAMI - Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo formally announced the acquisition of veteran closer Jonathan Papelbon during tonight's game with the Marlins. The Nationals sent right-handed prospect Nick Pivetta to the Phillies in exchange for Papelbon and cash considerations. Rizzo spoke to the media at Marlins Park during the game: What do you like about Papelbon? "Well, he's a proven elite closer in the game of baseball. A guy that comes with a track record, and he's done it in some of the...

I, along with much of Birdland, had been anticipating July 27 for some time. Like most cities, Baltimore celebrates and appreciates its sports heroes. Over time we've seen many athletes play here only to leave and return in other uniforms, such as Eddie Murray, Bill Ripken, and even Rafael Palmeiro - albeit in a different manner given that he wasn't drafted here and brought into the big leagues with the Orioles. And we saw the same thing with Nick Markakis the other night when he came in as a...

The Washington Nationals acquired All-Star right-handed pitcher Jonathan Papelbon and cash considerations from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for Minor League right-handed pitcher Nick Pivetta on Tuesday. Papelbon and the Nationals have also agreed to terms on a contract for the 2016 season. The Nationals also designated catcher Dan Butler for assignment. President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Papelbon, a six-time All-Star and one of the...

MIAMI - Ryan Zimmerman wasted no time delivering for the Nationals in his first game back from the DL. After Bryce Harper walked to start the second, Zimmerman ripped a double down the left field line, giving the Nats runners at second and third. With one out, Wilson Ramos lifted a fly ball just deep enough to right, allowing Harper to tag and sprint home for the game's first run. Jayson Werth struck out in his first at-bat after also being activated from the DL earlier this afternoon. Update:...

Chris Davis crushed a 91 mph fastball tonight from Braves starter Julio Teheran, his three-run homer giving the Orioles a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Davis easily reached the seats in center field for his team-leading 23rd home run to go with his team-leading 63 RBIs. And the Orioles aren't interested in trading him at the non-waiver deadline. Neither team is interested in picking up the pace of this game. The Orioles sent nine batters to the plate in the bottom of the first...

MIAMI - The Nationals have reportedly made a trade with the Phillies for closer Jonathan Papelbon. The acquisition of the veteran right-hander seemingly demotes current Nationals closer Drew Storen to a setup role for the third time in his six-year career. The Nationals have not officially announced any deal, though multiple media outlets have reported its completion. The Washington Post and FOX Sports were the first to report. Papelbon, 34, was 17-for-17 in save opportunities with a 1.59 ERA...

MIAMI - On a day with trade rumors flying around and a deal actually made, there's still a baseball game to play tonight. The Nationals open a three-game series tonight against the Marlins in Miami to start a stretch of six straight games against National League East division foes. The Nats have the third-best record in the NL since June 19 at 18-12 (.600) behind only the Cardinals (21-12) and Giants (19-12). Over that stretch, the Nationals are outscoring their opponents 118-90. But a major...

The Orioles are looking to extend their winning streak to four games tonight when they host the Atlanta Braves. The Orioles' 2-1 win in 11 innings last night improved their record to 49-49. The O's three-game win streak followed a four-game losing streak and a stretch where they lost 15 of 20 games. The Orioles have just two win streaks this year of four or more games. They won six in a row June 7-13 and four straight June 25-28. Matt Wieters' walk-off home run in the 11th inning gave the...

During the last four games, Orioles starting pitchers have allowed just four runs over 27 2/3 innings for an ERA of 1.30. Tonight, they try to get Ubaldo Jimenez (7-6, 3.81 ERA) back into the act. After ending the first half with an ERA of 0.45 his last three starts, Jimenez has started the second half by going 0-2 with an ERA of 18.00. He gave up seven runs in 4 2/3 innings at Detroit and then seven more in just 2 1/3 innings at New York. Time for Ubaldo to get it dailed back in. As usual,...

Two trades were completed in Major League Baseball since Orioles manager Buck Showalter last met with reporters. The Rockies sent shortstop Troy Tulowitzki to the Blue Jays and the Athletics sent infielder/outfielder Ben Zobrist to the Royals. Showalter keeps track of every deal and he has special interest in the Blue Jays transactions due to their status as a division rival. He's also a big fan of Zobrist. "He's a good player. I like him a lot," Showalter said. "They're giving up some...