Joe Ross came out aggressive in his major league debut. The 22-year-old right-hander started his big league career with a strikeout after delivering Cubs center fielder Dexter Fowler a steady dose of 95 mph heaters. Ross has retired the first nine batters he has faced with three strikeouts. Wilson Ramos opened the scoring in the second with a massive solo homer to deep left-center that landed among the diners in the Red Porch. The no-doubt shot was Ramos' fourth home run of the season Update:...

Denard Span leads the Nationals into today's early afternoon game against the Cubs. Despite recovering from two offseason abdominal surgeries and currently dealing with a sore right knee, Span continues to play defense at the highest level. With the Nats clinging a two-run lead in the eighth inning last night, Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo blasted a sinker from right-hander Blake Treinen the opposite way to deep left-center field. Span, who was shading the left-handed Rizzo to pull,...

When the season started, Tanner Roark was on the outside looking in on the Nationals starting rotation. After Anthony Rendon finally returned yesterday, Danny Espinosa was presumably the odd man out in the Nats lineup. Tonight, both Roark and Espinosa starred for the Nats in a 7-5 victory over the Cubs that snapped a three-game slide. The Nationals offense entered tonight sleepwalking through the last 10 days, but Espinosa woke them up in the second inning. After a leadoff single from Wilson...

The Nationals will start Double-A Harrisburg right-hander Joe Ross Saturday. The first-round 2011 selection, who started his career with the Padres, follows rookie A.J. Cole in making his major league debut with the Nats. Cole started April 28 at Atlanta, but allowed nine runs, only four earned, in two innings. Down 9-1, the Nationals rallied to win that game in dramatic fashion, 13-12. Cole was then sent down, but has since made two more appearances with the Nationals on May 15 and May 23, a...

That's two wins in a row for the Orioles. How long does it need to stretch before it constitutes a streak? Chris Tillman continues to ride the roller coaster. A good outing followed by a poor one followed by a good one. Let's check the earned runs allowed in his starts this season: One, seven, one, seven, two, four, five, one (in three innings), two, five and two. Tillman isn't the model of consistency, but he provides reason to be optimistic. He just needs to cut down on the walks. Tillman...

Adam Jones' home run drought is clearly over. Chris Tillman's struggles may be, too. That would be big for the Orioles. Matt Wieters returned tonight and that did prove big for the Orioles. Jones hit his second tiebreaking homer in two days and Tillman got his first win since April 18 as the Orioles beat Cleveland 5-2 in the opener of a three-game series. The Orioles have their first two-game win streak since May 28 and 29 as they improved to 10-17 on the road and 25-29 overall. Wieters...

The Orioles got catcher Matt Wieters back into their lineup Friday night in Cleveland, although second baseman Jonathan Schoop's return is still a ways off. Wieters has been out since May 10 of last season. In Washington, infielder Anthony Rendon, who finished fifth in the National League MVP voting last season, is back with the Nationals, but the Nats are still without outfielder Jayson Werth and pitchers Doug Fister and Stephen Strasburg. Rendon had two hits in his first game back and then...

The Nationals offense has been struggling badly as of late, especially with runners in scoring position. Danny Espinosa took care of that early tonight. After Wilson Ramos singled to right and Ian Desmond ripped a double to left, Espinosa belted a monster three-run homer to deep left-center that landed in the seats beyond the Cubs bullpen. Espinosa is second on the Nationals behind Bryce Harper with seven home runs. Tanner Roark has made quick work of the Cubs so far. The right-hander has...

The Orioles remain perplexed and frustrated by the eight-game suspension handed down to reliever Brian Matusz and Major League Baseball's refusal to remove or reduce it. Brewers pitcher Will Smith had his eight-game suspension lowered to six, but Matusz still must serve all eight games beginning tonight in Cleveland. MLB doesn't announce the results of the hearings or offer explanations for reducing or upholding the suspensions. "Obviously, we're disappointed," said executive vice...

Nationals manager Matt Williams will again be short-handed tonight, playing without Yunel Escobar, who injured his right wrist on a check-swing during his first at-bat last night. Escobar left the game immediately and underwent X-rays shortly after, which proved negative. "He's still a little sore so we'll have to keep evaluating day to day and see where he's at," Williams said. "It's a big force coming through there when you're fully committed to a swing and then you try to stop it,...