Simply put, the American League East is an absolute mess this season. The Yankees remain atop the division with their 29-25 record, but even the last-place Orioles are just five games out of first. Around the rest of the najors, cellar-dwelling teams aren't nearly as fortunate. The last-place Oakland Athletics (22-33) are 12 ½ games back of the Houston Astros in the AL West. The last-place Milwaukee Brewers (18-36) trail the St. Louis Cardinals by 17 1/2 games in the NL Central. On June 4,...

After steamrolling through the West Coast a few weeks ago, the Nationals' offense seemed to be developing into a juggernaut. The Nationals won five of seven on that swing, hitting .312 as a team and scoring an eye-popping 53 runs. But the offense has been more of eyesore since. The untimely hitting from the early season has returned as have some slumps for key producers in the middle of the lineup. The Nats are batting just .223 with 39 runs scored while splitting the last 14 games since...

Nationals second baseman Anthony Rendon (oblique strain) made another step toward returning to the team by playing in both ends of a doubleheader Wednesday night for Double-A Harrisburg. Rendon has not played this season for the Nationals. He has now had five rehab games since May 29. In Game 1, Rendon went 1-for-4 with a double in the seventh inning and struck out once. He was a part of a 4-6-3 double play. In Game 2, he was the designated hitter and went 1-for-3 with a single. The Senators...

Is this season spiraling out of control for the Orioles? How did they manage to average 5.6 runs per game, bat .286 and hit 1.45 homers per game in April, but score just 3.2 runs per game since? They are 13-19 since May 1. In the first three games of the series at Houston, the Orioles have been outscored 14-7 and outhomered 6-0. They have gone without a homer three straight games to match a season high. They have gone without a homer nine times in the last 14 games. We know they need to hit the...

If the Orioles are going to avoid being swept in Houston, they must do some damage today against Astros starter Dallas Keuchel, who has been named the American League's Pitcher of the Month for April and May. What could go wrong? The Orioles are six games below .500 for the first time since September 2011. They've lost five in a row to tie their longest streak of the season. They couldn't do much last night with right-hander Lance McCullers, making only his fourth major league start after...

A friend of mine asked me the other day why it feels like we are having the same discussions every year on social media, and I answered that it's because it's different people. The conversation he's referring to is the one about why can't baseball teams just be consistent. The main answer is that the baseball season is not a victory march. Sure, a bunch of experts picked the Nationals to win the World Series before the season started, but that never meant it was going to be easy or that all...

The Nationals won nine consecutive series behind an explosive offense and stingy pitching. Tonight, they had neither while falling to the Blue Jays 8-0 and dropping their second straight series. With Stephen Strasburg and Doug Fister on the disabled list, Nationals manager Matt Williams turned to right-hander Taylor Jordan to make a spot start tonight. It couldn't have started any worse for Jordan, who walked Blue Jays shortstop Jose Reyes, one of the game's most dangerous leadoff men, on...

The Houston Astros do what they do. They struck out a lot and hit home runs. Lately what they do includes beating the Baltimore Orioles. Rookie right-hander Lance McCullers pitched a complete-game four-hitter and Houston hit three solo homers to top Miguel Gonzalez and the Orioles 3-1 tonight at Minute Maid Park. With their fifth loss in a row, the Orioles fall to 23-29 on the year and to a season-worst six games under the .500 mark. They are now five games out of first place. The 21-year-old...

The Orioles today announced that they have recalled left-hander T.J. McFarland from Triple-A Norfolk. In a corresponding move, the Orioles have optioned right-hander Oliver Drake to Triple-A Norfolk. McFarland, 25, will begin his second stint with the Orioles this season. Over five major league appearances in May, McFarland compiled an 0-1 record with a 3.60 ERA (2 ER/5.0 IP) while fanning eight. In seven starts with Triple-Norfolk this season, he owns a 2-2 record with a 3.99 ERA (13 ER/29.1...

Not the beginning right-hander Taylor Jordan was looking for in his first big league start of the season. Blue Jays shortstop Jose Reyes drew a four-pitch leadoff walk. Third baseman Josh Donaldson, the reigning American League Player of the Week, followed with a line drive pounded over Denard Span's head for a double. Reyes crossed the plate when right fielder Jose Bautista singled. Another base hit from left fielder Chris Colabello brought Donaldson home to increase his major league-leading...