BALTIMORE - Orioles center fielder Adam Jones broke a scoreless tie with a solo homer off Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez to begin the fourth. It was Jones' 12th home run of the season. Gonzalez has allowed one run on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts. A leadoff single from Yunel Escobar in the first is the only hit the Nats have managed against Orioles starter Chris Tillman. Tillman has struck out Bryce Harper in both at-bats so far. Update: Clint Robinson and Ian Desmond connected...

The Orioles return to interleague play tonight when they host the Washington Nationals for a three-game series that will end the first half. The Orioles are 4-5 this season against the National League, going 0-2 against the Mets, 1-2 versus the Marlins and 3-1 against Philadelphia. They went 12-8 last year and are 153-179 all-time in interleague games. The Orioles lead the all-time series with Washington, 29-21, since 2006. Since 2012, the Orioles are 10-4, going 4-0-2 in six series. Their last...

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado is batting leadoff tonight in his 64th game this season. It no longer seems unusual. Machado is hitting .311/.369/.554 with 14 doubles, a triple, 15 home runs, 36 RBIs and 43 runs scored while positioned atop the order. Should manager Buck Showalter consider moving him down while his club struggles to score runs? "Would you move him?" Showalter asked a reporter. "I'm going to ask you first. Who would lead off if we took him out of there? I actually...

BALTIMORE - Nationals manager Matt Williams said right-hander Jordan Zimmermann will return from paternity leave to start tomorrow night's game against the Orioles. Zimmermann's wife, Mandy, gave birth to their daughter, Ava Kristeen, this morning. "Now that we know that everybody's healthy and everybody's gonna be home, Jordan is gonna pitch tomorrow and determine Sunday at some point tomorrow," Williams said. Right-hander Max Scherzer threw his bullpen session this afternoon at Camden...

BALTIMORE - Nationals manager Matt Williams arrived in Baltimore with a positive update on center fielder Denard Span and the back spasms that landed him on the 15-day disabled list this week. The results of the MRI and what the back specialist saw revealed no major structural damage. "It's good news," Williams said. "The results of the MRI and the specialist he saw finds nothing alarming, which is good. We have to look at his history and the two surgeries he had this winter and say...

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado said he looks forward to playing in his second All-Star Game and to taking part in the Home Run Derby on Monday night in Cincinnati. He said today he will have Orioles assistant hitting coach Einar Diaz pitch to him and he admitted he wasn't yet familiar with the new derby rules. But he is excited to take his shot. "I'm just going out there swinging," Machado said. "I'm going to have fun. I don't really care if I win or not. It is something I always...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter said his rotation is set through July 29, though it's always subject to change if something unexpected arises. He said there have been a few tweaks regarding the order. Showalter said no other starters will be optioned during the All-Star break. Kevin Gausman will make two starts with Triple-A Norfolk before returning to the Orioles, staying on a schedule that puts him on the mound every five days. They considered sending him to Double-A Bowie for one start, but...

BALTIMORE - Yunel Escobar will see his first action since leaving Monday's loss to the Reds in the fifth inning with tightness in his left hamstring. With Denard Span (back spasms) on the 15-day disabled list, Escobar assumes the leadoff spot in the order. He is 11-for-35 (.314) with one homer and one double batting first. Escobar propelled the Nats to a 5-2 win over the Phillies on April 16 when he started the game with a home run off Cole Hamels. Left-hander Gio Gonzalez has won his past...

BALTIMORE - The Nationals made a flurry of roster moves ahead of the final series of the first half, the first of two interleague series against the Orioles at Camden Yards. Center fielder Denard Span, who has been troubled by back problems and previously said he expected to miss the weekend series, was placed on the 15-day disabled list, while right-hander Jordan Zimmermann was placed on the paternity list. To take their places on the 25-man roster, the Nationals recalled infielder Wilmer Difo...

Steve Pearce is batting second and playing first base tonight as the Orioles begin their final series before the break. Matt Wieters is catching and batting cleanup against Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez. Nolan Reimold is in left field and Chris Davis remains in right. Miguel Gonzalez will start Saturday for the Orioles, followed by Wei-Yin Chen on Sunday. The Nationals haven't announced their other starters, though Max Scherzer is expected to pitch Sunday. The Orioles no longer lead the...