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 Orioles won't have a starter named to the American League's All-Star team unless Adam Jones or Manny Machado make an incredible run over the next few days. Sort of like Forrest Gump without the long beard, short shorts and what I can only imagine was some hellacious body oder. Machado should be a shoo-in as one of the reserves, and I'd expect Jones to join him. It's mind-bending how Jones is more than 800,000 votes behind the Royals' Alex Rios, who's batting .211/.240/.263 in 31...

The Orioles, Rays and Blue Jays lost tonight. The American League East may avoid a major shakeup. Bud Norris tied his career high with four home runs allowed over six innings in an 8-1 loss to the Rangers before 21,565 at Camden Yards. A 15-game winner in 2014, Norris sliipped to 2-7 with a 6.79 ERA in 11 starts this season. "He made some mistakes with his breaking ball," said manager Buck Showalter. "Gave us six innings. It was a challenge, but kind of kept us from having to do too much in...

Nationals outfielder Victor Robles is only 18 years old, but he is playing with the confidence and ability of a veteran in his first few weeks of Gulf Coast League competition. The outfielder from the Dominican Republic is batting .524 (11-for-21) with one double, one triple, two homers, three stolen bases and six RBIs in his first seven games. His on-base percentage is .600 and his OPS is an insane 1.552. Monday was his first hitless game of the season, and he went 0-for-1. He was walked three...

The Orioles gave up three runs total to the Cleveland Indians during a three-game weekend sweep. Tonight, the Texas Rangers hit four home runs off Bud Norris. Texas beat the Orioles 8-1 at Camden Yards in the opener of a four-game series. The Orioles lost for just the sixth time in 24 games to fall to 41-35. Texas was 1-11 in its last 12 games against the Orioles until getting this win. The Rangers (39-38) won for just the second time in their last nine games. Mitch Moreland hit two of the...

With a month to go before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, the Orioles and Nationals are surging, but each could use help. In addition to health, the Nationals' biggest need is bullpen help that bridges the rotation to closer Drew Storen. The Orioles' bullpen is fine, but will they trade for a bat or pick up a starter that they can control for a couple years, given Wei-Yin Chen and Bud Norris are eligible for free agency after the season? Should Norris be traded so Kevin Gausman can...

The American League East race now features four teams separated by one game in the standings. The Orioles have the best winning percentage in the division at .547 as they open a four-game series tonight against the Texas Rangers. The Orioles and Tampa Bay sit atop the division, but by just 1/2 game over the Yankees and one game over the Blue Jays. The Orioles are winners of four in a row, seven of eight, 10 of 13 and 18 of their last 23 games. They are 25-13 at home, which is the best home...

The Orioles made it through the day without a roster move, but there are a few pending that can't be ignored much longer. Kevin Gausman will be recalled from Triple-A Norfolk to start Thursday night against the Rangers at Camden Yards. Second baseman Jonathan Schoop's injury rehab assignment runs through Friday. Also, manager Buck Showalter wants a seventh reliever in the bullpen and hinted that the club won't stay shorthanded through the week. One possibility would be optioning Gausman...

As the Nationals celebrate 10 seasons in Washington, D.C., we reflect on some of the best moments since the franchise moved to the nation's capital. Each Wednesday for the next 10 weeks, check out Nationals Pastime for a remembrance of one of the watershed moments in Nationals history. It was a sight seen before by Nationals fans, but not in this environment, not on this field. Ryan Zimmerman rounded first base, fist raised high in the air, after launching a walk-off homer in the inaugural...

For Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop, today was another day where he did some pregame work on the field at Camden Yards before batting practice. He'll work out with the team before the game, but he is still not on the active roster, and no decision has yet been made as to when that might happen. For now, Schoop is in a bit of a holding pattern. He could go to a minor league affiliate to continue his rehab assignment, which will last through July 3. He could be activated by the Orioles at...