The Washington Nationals recalled right-handed pitcher Taylor Hill from Triple-A Syracuse and placed right-handed pitcher Tanner Roark on the paternity list. President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Hill, 26, returns to the Nationals one day after he was optioned to Syracuse upon the return of right-handed pitcher Doug Fister from the disabled list. Hill's posted a 3.75 ERA in six appearances (12.0 IP) out of the Nationals' bullpen this season....

Tonight, the Orioles' pitching staff gets another shot at facing the majors' highest-scoring team when they open a three-game series at Toronto. While the Blue Jays rank 13th in team pitching in the American League, their offense been potent, to say the least. The Orioles know all about that. Toronto has averaged 6.7 runs per game this year in going 6-3 against the Orioles. O's pitchers have allowed 10 runs or more four times this year, and Toronto has been the opponent all four times. But...

Yunel Escobar's first 5-for-5 game of the season, in a 6-4 win over the Miami Marlins in early May, took him from a .271/.326/.376 line to .311/.361/.411 in one night. The 32-year-old Nationals infielder singled the Fish to death in front of an appreciative crowd in the nation's capital and impressed manager Matt Williams, who told reporters, "Yunel did what he does." What Yunel does, Williams explained that night, is stay inside the baseball, remain calm at the plate, take what he's given...

In the life of Orioles right-hander Mike Wright, no start comes with a guarantee that another one will follow in five or six days. Wright is back on the mound tonight, making his first trip to Toronto. His major league career began with 14 1/3 scoreless innings, but he's allowed 10 runs and 14 hits in his last two starts over nine innings. Wright walked three batters in his last outing against the Yankees, but they came in succession to open the fifth inning. Brian Matusz replaced him with no...

I had the pleasure of visiting Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tenn., this week. With Father's Day approaching, the wonderful independent bookstore had a display of books for dad that, as you might expect, included titles celebrating the father-son bond as expressed through baseball. I'm fortunate to share that bond with my father and to be developing that bond with my son. However, the bookstore display had me thinking about my daughter. My kids are too young to really know what they like...

A gale force gust may have blown through the nation's capital late last night when a collective sigh of relief was released upon hearing the term "minor" associated with Bryce Harper's latest injury, a left hamstring strain. With heavy showers having passed through downtown D.C. about 30 minutes before, Harper slipped on the wet grass in right field while making an aggressive throw to the plate in the top of the sixth inning. His legs buckled beneath him just as he released the ball,...

Bryce Harper left tonight's 5-3 loss to the Rays in the six inning with what Nationals manager Matt Williams called a "mild left hamstring strain." That seems to be promising news considering the tense moments following Harper's injury. The Rays trailed 3-2 with Logan Forsythe on second and Steven Souza Jr. on first with one out in the top of the sixth when Asdrubal Cabrera singled on sharp groundball into right field. Rays third base coach Charlie Montoyo threw up the stop sign when...

Now that the Orioles are done with the Phillies, it's time to get back to baseball. (Yes, I know the Phillies won yesterday, but they tried to throw away the game on Chase Utley's error. There's also the blind squirrel analogy. That's a bad team and children shouldn't be exposed to it.) The Orioles flew into Toronto last night to begin a three-game series on the spongy turf at Rogers Centre. They were swept on April 21-23 and lost infielder Ryan Flaherty to a groin injury. The Blue Jays...

Despite the 5-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday, Nationals starter Doug Fister felt pretty good about his return from the disabled list and first game since May 14. Fister had been on the disabled list with a right forearm flexor tendon strain. "I felt a lot better," Fister said. "Obviously, it's a work in progress. I mean, I keep saying that, but that's exactly what it is. I've kind of gone back to some of my base and my roots and trying to get back to doing what I do best and...

Manager: John Gibbons (8th season) Record: 36-32 Last 10 games: 8-2 Who to watch: 3B Josh Donaldson (.307/.363/.559 with 17 HR, 46 RBIs), DH Jose Bautista (.252/.388/.524 with 13 HR, 43 RBIs), C Russell Martin (.277 with 10 HR, 35 RBIs), 1B Edwin Encarnacion (13 HR, 38 RBIs), LHP Mark Buehrle (7-4, 4.01 ERA), RHP Roberto Osuna (7 holds, 2.05 ERA) Season series vs. Orioles: 6-3 Pitching probables: June 19: RHP Mike Wright vs. RHP Marco Estrada, 7:07 p.m., MASN June 20: RHP Kevin Gausman vs. LHP...