The Nationals officially recalled rookie right-hander Joe Ross from Triple-A Syracuse to make tonight's start against the Mets. This will be Ross' second stint with the Nationals this season after impressing with a 2-1 record and 2.66 ERA in three starts in June. Ross struck out 23 and walked only two across 20 1/3 innings after debuting in the majors on June 6. The former 2011 first-rounder figures to remain in the rotation until Stephen Strasburg (left oblique strain) comes off the 15-day...

The Washington Nationals recalled right-handed pitcher Joe Ross from Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday and optioned infielder Wilmer Difo to Double-A Harrisburg. Ross will start for the Nationals against the Mets on Tuesday night. President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Ross, 22, returns to the Nationals for his second major league stint of the season. The Nationals selected Ross' contract from Double-A on June 6 and the rookie right-hander dazzled in...

There are probably a few words we could use to label the Orioles-Yankees series that begins tonight: Big, important, crucial, critical. For the good of the collective psyche of Birdland, the Orioles probably need to take at least two of three games. At worst, they'll be seven games out by Thursday night and at best they will be one game behind New York. While getting swept would be pretty disastrous for this Orioles team, anything other than that and they will be well within striking distance...

NEW YORK - Center fielder Adam Jones has been named the Orioles' 2015 Heart and Hustle Award winner by the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association. The award honors active players who demonstrate a passion for the game of baseball and best embody the values, spirit and tradition of the game. It's the only award voted on by former players. Jones is a three-time recipient with the Orioles. "We are proud to present Adam with the Heart and Hustle Award again this year," said MLBPAA...

From the time they arrived from Montreal before the 2005 season, the Nationals have been a mainstay in the Washington, D.C., sports scene. But the Nats are also very active in the community, working diligently over the past decade to touch the lives of many in the region and proving that baseball has a further reach than wins and losses, balls and strikes, batters and pitchers. Each Thursday through mid-August, MASNsports.com's Byron Kerr will explore the Nationals' community outreach...

The All-Star break has passed and the second half of the 2015 MLB season has officially begun. After the series with the Los Angeles Dodgers over the weekend, the Nationals face the Mets to kick off the second half. This is the first time the Nats are facing their second-place rival since the first week of May, if you can believe it. Even with all the injuries and the poor performance in May, it was a very good first half for the Nats. They ended the first half with sole possession of first...

Nothing gets by Buck Showalter, but that doesn't mean you have to believe everything he says. You probably shouldn't believe everything anyone says. In February, when discussing Chris Davis' chances of playing right field during the season, Showalter said, "Chris might be as good a right fielder as we have here." That comment surely made numerous fans roll their eyes. Perhaps that was less of a compliment than an unintentional (or intentional) dig at the defensive skills of some of the...

For a few tense seconds, it appeared the Nationals' early lead they built against Matt Harvey was evaporating. Trailing 5-1 in the fifth, the Mets had two runners on with two outs and Eric Campbell at the plate. Gio Gonzalez offered a 92 mph fastball and Campbell drilled it to deep right-center field. "I thought it was at least off the wall, maybe top of the wall," Gonzalez said. Then Michael A. Taylor came into the picture. With the ball screaming through the air, Taylor turned on the...

The struggles this season for Ian Desmond are well-chronicled. The free-agent-to-be entered tonight's game with his average plummeting to .204 after going 0-for-13 with five strikeouts in the Nationals' previous four games. But, the seven-year veteran's night at the plate ended up factoring in the Nationals' 7-2 win in the series opener over the Mets. Desmond's infield single in the third led to a throwing error by Mets third baseman Daniel Murphy, which allowed Clint Robinson to score the...

Left-hander Gio Gonzalez was once again solid and consistent in pitching the Nationals to a 7-2 victory over the Mets. Gonzalez went six innings, scattering six hits and allowing two runs for his seventh win. He has recorded only two losses since April 27. Gonzalez struck out four and walked three. But Gonzalez found himself in danger in the fifth. Leading 5-2, the Mets got singles from Ruben Tejada and Wilmer Flores to attempt a rally. With two men out, Eric Campbell lined a Gonzalez offering...