The Orioles are under .500 for the first time since June 11, when they swept the Red Sox at Camden Yards to improve their record to 29-30. They were in the midst of a stretch where they won 18 of 23 games. They were headed in the right direction. Inconsistent starting pitching and the inability to hit with runners in scoring position have conspired to drag down the Orioles like anchors tied to their ankles. A shutdown inning here and there also would be nice. Now they get All-Star left-hander...

A power outage at Nationals Park provided an embarrassing and frustrating situation tonight. A bank of lights high above the third base line went dark, causing lengthy delays in the fourth and fifth innings and then eventually forcing a suspension of the game with the Nationals leading 3-2 before the start of the sixth. The two teams will pick up where they left off when the game resumes at 2:05 p.m. on Saturday. "Just unforeseen circumstances," Nationals manager Matt Williams said. "You...

Nationals left fielder Jayson Werth (wrist) had three at-bats Friday night for high Single-A Potomac in its 7-2 loss to Myrtle Beach. Werth was the designated hitter and reached first base on a fielding error by the shortstop. He flew out to center field on his second at-bat and grounded out to third in the sixth inning, finishing 0-for-3. Werth's first at-bat was an error, but he crushed the ball, according to reports from the field. In his second at-bat, he squared up the ball nicely...

Due to a power failure at Nationals Park this evening, Friday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers has been suspended. The game will resume on Saturday, July 18th at 2:05 PM. The second game will begin at 4:05 PM or twenty minutes after the conclusion of the first game, whichever is later. Tickets from Friday night's game are not valid for either game on Saturday. However, fans with tickets to Friday's game will be able to exchange them for a future game in 2015, subject to...

Their starting pitcher got hammered. Their hitters struggled with runners in scoring position again. Simply stated, the Orioles began the second half with a terrible game. They lost 7-3 at Detroit to fall to 44-45. They are under .500 for the first time since June 11 when they were 29-30. Ubaldo Jimenez ended the first half by giving up just one run in 20 innings over his last three starts. Tonight's outing was nothing like that. Victor Martinez hit a two-run homer in the first to give the...

Yunel Escobar delivered the Nationals' first hit of the night when he doubled down the left field line with one out in the third. Danny Espinosa followed with a slow roller. Dodgers starter Mike Bolsinger fielded it but then stumbled while making the throw to first. Espinosa was safe and Escobar advanced to third as Dodgers manager Don Mattingly, along with the team trainer, came out to check on Bolsinger, who remained in the game. Bryce Harper followed with a groundout that easily scored...

Most expected Nationals manager Matt Williams to send Max Scherzer to the mound tonight against the Dodgers to set the tone for the second half of the season. But Williams opted to hold Scherzer until Sunday, where the ace will square off with Dodgers right-hander Zack Grienke in a whale of a pitching matchup. Williams explained his reasons for giving Scherzer the extra rest earlier. "His workload has been pretty immense as compared to what he's used to," Williams said. "Certainly pitch...

Right-hander Stephen Strasburg threw on flat ground yesterday and today without experiencing pain in his left side, according to Nationals manager Matt Williams. "We'll look to a bullpen (session) in the next four to five days, probably, and see where he's at," Williams said. "But a good sign for him the last couple." Strasburg was cruising through his July 4 start against the Giants when he suffered a strained left oblique in the fourth inning. The next day, the right-hander landed on...

The Nationals seem to be moving closer to getting some of their injured stars back. Jayson Werth became the first of five positon starters on the 15-day disabled list to see game action when he began his minor league rehab stint at Single-A Potomac last night. Werth, who fractured his left wrist when he was hit by a pitch on May 16, went 1-for-2 with a single and a strikeout while playing three innings in left field yesterday. The 35-year-old is batting third as the designated hitter in...

The longest-tenured member of the Washington Nationals helped to preview the second half and tonight's key series opener against the N.L. West first-place L.A. Dodgers. The Nationals are in first place as well, 48-39, two games ahead of the Mets. The series with the Mets begins Monday. Shortstop Ian Desmond said the team has made some important steps in growth during the first half despite all the injuries. "I think in every facet," Desmond said of the improvements since opening day....