Left fielder Jayson Werth returns to the Nationals' lineup this evening after missing the past two games with soreness in his right shoulder, resulting from offseason surgery. Werth, who began the season on the disabled list, has struggled at the plate since joining the team on April 13. The 35-year-old is batting a lowly .176 (13-for-74) with no homers and only seven RBIs. Braves starter Eric Stults beat the Nats back on April 27, when he allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings in Atlanta. It's...

NEW YORK - Ryan Flaherty is starting at second base tonight for the Orioles. He's officially off the disabled list.Rey Navarro isn't listed among the reserves and has been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk.For the OriolesManny Machado 3B Jimmy Paredes DH Adam Jones CF Delmon Young RFChris Davis 1B Caleb Joseph CTravis Snider LFJ.J. Hardy SSRyan Flaherty 2BMiguel Gonzalez RHP For the Yankees Jacoby Ellsbury CF Brett Gardner LF Alex Rodriguez DH Mark Teixeira 1B Brian McCann C Carlos Beltran RF...

The Orioles head into tonight's game at Yankee Stadium at 12-14 and trying to break a three-game losing streak. They have fallen four-and-a-half games behind first-place New York in the American League East. They have been three games under .500 just once before in the 2015 season at 7-10. During the three straight losses, the Orioles have scored just six runs, going 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position. Since they scored 18 runs on Sunday April 26 against Boston, and eight in their next...

NEW YORK - Miguel Gonzalez is getting his second look at the Yankees tonight. He's hoping the view hasn't changed. Gonzalez allowed one run over seven innings on April 14, with one walk and a career-high 10 strikeouts. The current group of Yankees is batting .193 against him, going 21-for-109. Maybe he's the right guy to play stopper and end a three-game losing streak. Gonzalez is 3-1 with a 2.59 ERA this season and has allowed one run or fewer in three of his five starts. He's 3-3 with a...

On April 29, amid civil unrest in the city of Baltimore, the Orioles defeated the White Sox 8-2 in front of an announced attendance of zero. While the game was closed to the public and the stadium was empty, it seemed as if the whole world was watching. For many baseball fans outside of the city, it was nothing more than a topic of discussion. For Baltimore fans, it was much more personal, and while most understood the decision, they were still sad they were unable to cheer on their team in...

Manager Matt Williams was asked last month for his opinion, as a former major league slugger, on what makes Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer so difficult a pitcher to face "He's low three-quarters (arm slot)," Williams explained, "so for the righty, it's a little bit crossfire. It's the ability to pitch at 92 (mph) and reach back for 96 when he needs it. So that difference between 92 and 96 is pretty good. The ability to change speeds with his fastball is important, not just breaking...

Minnesota Twins rookie Eddie Rosario homered on the first big league pitch he ever saw on Wednesday. Rosario became the 29th player to knock the first pitch of his first at-bat out of the park. No Orioles player has ever homered on the first pitch they ever saw; however, two O's players homered in their first at-bat. Meanwhile, one former Orioles pitcher homered on the first pitch of his first career at-bat after he departed Baltimore. Let's talk about Buster Narum, Lou Montanez, and Esteban...

To really understand the passion Bryce Harper has for playing the game of baseball, just ask him about defense and watch him light up. And now in his new permanent position in right field, he has filled up the highlight reels with leaping catches and sniper-like throws in the season's first month. Nationals manager Matt Williams made the call to flip-flop outfield positions for Harper and Jayson Werth this past offseason. Harper had previously made 64 starts in right coming into the season,...

The Nationals' No. 3 prospect right-hander Reynaldo Lopez provided a solid debut with high Single-A Potomac on Thursday. Lopez threw five scoreless innings in a 2-1 Potomac victory in Game 1 over the Wilmington Blue Rocks at Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge, Va. In Game 2, right-hander Casey Janssen tossed one scoreless inning to begin his rehab from shoulder tendinitis. Lopez fired 54 pitches, 37 for strikes, and hit 98 mph velocity with his fastball according to P-Nats media relations. He...

A three-game losing streak against two different New York teams. The O's have scored six runs total in those games. Another mental mistake when Jimmy Paredes was picked off first base. Just when it looked like the Orioles' season was trending up, they took another downturn. Reading some comments here and on Twitter, the fans generally didn't deal well with a one-run loss to the Yankees. The Orioles had a five-game losing streak earlier and have dropped three in a row now. Tonight provides...