BOSTON - After watching his team blow a three-run lead, Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman came a few feet away from tying it back up when he yanked a fastball off Red Sox closer Koji Uehara that sailed past the wrong side of Fenway Park's famous left field foul pole. "I thought it was going to be way, way foul when I first hit it, but it kind of stayed true," said Zimmerman. "It made it closer, but I knew. Just standing there from home plate, I was pretty confident it was...

BOSTON - For the second straight night, Nationals manager Matt Williams watched as multiple defensive miscues forced a loss to the Red Sox. The Nats committed three errors and hit two batters in the seventh inning alone, which gave Boston three runs and the lead without even connecting on a single base hit. The Nats went on to lose 8-7. "Same recipe," Williams said. "If you put all the ingredients together the same way every time, then you're gonna get the same meal. That's what we've...

In need of a win and also hopeful of getting a good pitching performance, the Orioles got both tonight. Miguel Gonzalez struck out a career-high 10 batters, giving up just one run and four hits over seven innings in the Orioles' 4-3 win over the Yankees. "I think everything started in the first inning," Gonzalez said. "Minimizing the damage and throwing all my pitches for strikes. Keeping them off balance throwing in. And Caleb (Joseph) did a really good job back there. Really good ballgame...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter was going batter to batter tonight in the seventh inning with starter Miguel Gonzalez, whose pitch count stood at 94 through the sixth. "He wouldn't let me go get him," Showalter said following a 4-3 win over the Yankees before 19,283 at Camden Yards. "I thought he had two innings where he really had to exert himself more than usual, but Miguel had one of those nights where he had a feel for the split. Third inning, picked up a good feel for it. With that many...

Nationals center fielder Denard Span, who is on the disabled list recovering from right core muscle surgery, went 1-for-4 and played seven innings in a rehab assignment for Double-A Harrisburg. The Senators went on to win 8-4 over Bowie at Metro Bank Park. Span was the leadoff hitter and played center field. He cranked a single in his fourth at-bat. Span also apparently did well defensively. Denard Span just ran a long way to nab a dying flyball in RCF...I'd say he's moving just fine...

For a team that had allowed 28 runs in its last three losses, this pitching performance was needed tonight. Miguel Gonzalez threw a gem against the New York Yankees, striking out a career-high 10 batters and pitching the Orioles to a 4-3 win to even this series at a victory apiece. Gonzalez went seven innings, allowing just four hits and one run with one walk to go with the 10 strikeouts. His previous career-high in strikeouts was nine, accomplished three times before - most recently on June...

BOSTON - The Nationals jumped out in front in the second when center fielder Michael A. Taylor delivered a two-out single, scoring second baseman Danny Espinosa. It was Taylor's team-leading fourth RBI. The Red Sox came right back in their half of the inning. A pair of singles from first baseman Mike Napoli and shortstop Brock Holt eventually paid off when center fielder Mookie Betts hit a two-out double, scoring both. Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg has already given up five hits through...

The tarp is off the field at Camden Yards. Players are getting loose, relievers are walking to the bullpen and lineup cards are being exchanged at homeplate. It's almost time for the anthem and first pitch. The AC/DC song "Let's Play Ball" is blaring on the PA system. Sounds like a good idea. Wei-Yin Chen is the 11th left-hander in Orioles history to record 400 or more strikeouts. Who can name the other 10? Andrew Miller threw 28 pitches in 1 2/3 innings last night, but Orioles manager Buck...

After losing to the New York Yankees at Camden Yards last night, the Orioles need a win tonight to even the series and get them back to the .500 mark at 4-4. They last were two games under .500 at 5-7 last April 13. On the mound, Miguel Gonzalez (0-1, 1.59 ERA) pitches against left-hander CC Sabathia (0-1, 6.35 ERA). Gonzalez went 5 2/3 innings in his first start, last Wednesday at Tampa Bay, allowing three hits and one run, with five walks (tying his career-high) and five strikeouts. He took...

BOSTON - With the Nationals sitting dead last in the majors in team batting average at .185, manager Matt Williams has decided to make some changes in his lineup. Third baseman Yunel Escobar has been one of the offensive bright spots, going 8-for-27 (.296) through the first seven games. Williams has decided to move Escboar into the leadoff spot, followed by left fielder Jayson Werth, while center fielder Michael A. Taylor falls to the last spot in the order after striking out six times over the...