You can't say Bryce Harper doesn't take instruction well. At Safeco Field, there's an eatery on the second deck in right field called the Hit It Here Cafe. Guess where Harper deposited his ninth home run of the season in the second inning? The mammoth blast, measured at 418 feet by the Mariners, staked Tanner Roark and the Nationals to a 1-0 lead. It was a no-doubter off the bat; the only question was how far it was going to carry. It glanced off a Plexiglass window of the cafe, bouncing...

Now, it's a party. The Orioles scored seven runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, their largest output of the season, to build an 11-2 lead. They sent 11 batters to the plate, including J.J. Hardy, who hit his fourth career grand slam and first since May 15, 2011 at Tropicana Field. Oh yeah, and the Blue Jays beat the Yankees 4-3. The Orioles can extend their lead to nine games in the American League East. Highlights were shown on the video board before the bottom of the sixth and fans...

Nelson Cruz wasn't satisfied with a career-high 34 home runs this season. No. 35 came today with one out in the bottom of the third. He crushed a slider from Ricky Nolasco to give the Orioles a 1-0 lead. Left-hander Wei-Yin Chen has thrown 23 of his 30 pitches for strikes in three innings today against the Twins. Chen has allowed two hits, including Eduardo Nunez's double leading off the third, but no runs. He struck out the first two batters he faced. For the second time in this...

Apparently, the Orioles found a flight for outfielder Alejandro De Aza that will get him into Baltimore later today. The club announced that De Aza will report this afternoon, which necessitated a corresponding roster move. Left-hander T.J. McFarland was optioned to short-season Single-A Aberden, where he can join catcher Steve Clevenger. They can share a ride back to Baltimore on Tuesday. De Aza missed his flight early this morning, but he should be available during the game. Orioles...

The Orioles today announced that outfielder Alejandro De Aza, acquired Saturday night, will report to the team today. To make room on the 25-man roster, left-hander T.J. McFarland has been optioned to Short-Season Class-A Aberdeen. De Aza, 30, batted .243/.309/.354 (96-395) with five home runs, 31 RBI and 15 stolen bases in 122 games for the White Sox in 2014. He will wear uniform #12. McFarland, 25, was 4-2 with a 3.10 ERA (52.1IP, 18ER) in 30 games (one start) for the Orioles.

SEATTLE - Right-hander Tanner Roark goes for his team-high 13th victory this afternoon as the Nationals try to sweep the Seattle Mariners in a three-game series. The last time the Nats swept the Mariners was in June 2011. After sealing their 12th win in 13 games, manager Jim Riggleman shockingly resigned, upset that general manager Mike Rizzo wouldn't discuss an extension of his one-year contract. No chance of that happening today. Matt Williams will get on the plane to Los Angeles. At 20...

Hosting the Minnesota Twins at Camden Yards, the Orioles look for their 79th win of the season here this afternoon. They are currently 5-1 in the middle of an 11-game homestand. After last night's 3-2 win, the Orioles are 27-19 in one-run games including a 16-6 mark at home. Five of the last seven Orioles games have been decided by two runs or fewer. Darren O'Day pitched a scoreless eighth inning last night on just 10 pitches. O'Day has allowed one earned run over his last 27 games,...

The Orioles today announced that they have recalled left-hander Wei-Yin Chen from the Gulf Coast Orioles and have optioned catcher Steve Clevenger to Short-Season Class-A Aberdeen. Chen, 29, is 13-4 with a 3.76 ERA (148.1IP, 62ER) in 25 starts for the Orioles this season. Clevenger, 28, has batted .234/.289/.364 in 27 games for the Orioles. He batted .305/.366/.389 with two home runs and 30 RBI in 64 games for the Tides this season.

The Orioles optioned catcher Steve Clevenger to short-season Single-A Aberdeen today to create a roster spot for left-hander Wei-Yin Chen, who's starting against the Twins at Camden Yards. Clevenger will return on Tuesday. In the meantime, the Orioles want him to start at least one game for the IronBirds to stay sharp. Newly acquired outfielder Alejandro De Aza didn't make his flight to Baltimore this morning, which explains why he's not in the lineup. The Orioles will wait until Monday to...

Right-hander Stephen Strasburg put together a start Friday night that reminded the Nationals why they made him their No. 1 overall selection in 2009. In a 3-1 series-clinching win over the Seattle Mariners, Strasburg came within one out of eight full innings, allowing six hits, one run, a solo homer, no walks and eight strikeouts. His 210 strikeouts this season are a new Nationals record, and it's only August 31. Gio Gonzalez tallied 207 strikeouts in 2012. Strasburg has thrown the 210...