MIAMI - Jayson Werth is back in the Nationals lineup after a sprained right ankle relegated him to pinch-hitting duty in Tuesday's game. Werth is batting third and playing right as the Nats look to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Marlins. And they'll need to go through Miami lefty Brad Hand to do it. Adam LaRoche is 3-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs in his career against Hand while Danny Espinosa is 4-for-8 with two doubles, a triple and two RBIs. Right-hander Tanner Roark takes the...

The Nationals fell to the Marlins 3-0 on Tuesday night. It was their second straight loss and third in four games. The nine-game road trip suddenly reminds us of a recent long trip to San Diego, San Francisco and St. Louis. During that West Coast swing, the Nationals raced out to a 5-2 record to start the road trip. They ended up losing three straight in St. Louis to finish 5-5. Later in Milwaukee, against the first-place Brewers, the Nationals won the first two games of the road trip. They...

MIAMI - It doesn't seem like it was too long ago that we were talking about how the Nationals were finally healthy, and possessed a deep lineup that was torturous to opposing pitchers from one through eight in the order. On this road trip, however, that depth has been tested yet again. Ryan Zimmerman landed on the disabled list with a severe hamstring injury a week ago, and Jayson Werth is currently battling a sprained right ankle. Werth pinch-hit in the ninth inning of last night's game,...

It hasn't been an easy road trip for the Nationals. They're 4-4 against the Rockies, Reds and Marlins with one more game to be played before heading home on Thursday. The Nats have dropped two of three in Miami with their final game of that series this afternoon. Once they return to Washington, the next homestand - if played well - could help bolster their hopes for a slightly longer season, as long as they make a strong strike against their National League East division foes. The Phillies...

As August approaches and the Orioles hold on to the outright lead in first place, there is a growing expectation among the fan base that 2014 will be the year in which the American League East title finally returns to Baltimore for the first time since 1997. When the Orioles went close to breaking the pennant drought in 2012, it was the strength of the bullpen (3.00 ERA) and offensive power (214 home runs) that covered up for an inconsistent starting rotation. That rotation, which saw an...

The Orioles don't win every close game. It just feels like they do. They actually lost three one-run games on the West Coast trip. But the Orioles have now played three extra-inning games in their last four contests, winning in 10 innings twice against Seattle and winning in 12 last night. Manny Machado's first career walk-off homer ended it after 4 hours, 5 minutes. It's the O's third walk-off homer of the year. Chris Davis hit one as a pinch-hitter in the ninth on June 23 to beat the...

While wondering whether Orioles pitchers had accounted for both of the team's errors in a game before last night... It took 12 innings and just about everyone in the bullpen for Orioles manager Buck Showalter to claim his 1,222nd career victory. Not the way he preferred it, but never look a walk-off win in the mouth. Or something along those lines. I guess Manny Machado figured a 12th-inning home run was the perfect anniversary gift for Showalter, hired by the Orioles exactly four years ago...

Tonight, the Orioles produced their eighth walk-off win of the year. For Manny Machado, it was his first career walk-off homer. He hit it out in the 12th to give the Orioles a 7-6 win over the Angels. Was he thinking homer as he led off that inning? "No shot. Was just trying to get on base," Machado said. "Fell behind quick, so at that point just trying to make some contact and get on base. Made two other pitches after that and he (Cory Rasmus) hung one. That was the ballgame. "It was a...

On the flight home from Seattle, Orioles manager Buck Showalter contemplated whether to bring up an extra position player to replace reliever T.J. McFarland, who was going on the bereavement list. The discussion lasted more than 30 minutes before he decided that the club needed a full bullpen with the Angels coming to town. Starter Chris Tillman lasted only five innings tonight and the game moved into the 12th before Manny Machado's walk-off home run. Showalter made the right...

It was a night where the Orioles were not sharp. They made two errors and allowed two unearned runs. It appeared there was a mental error or two as well. But in front of an unusually large Tuesday night crowd, they pulled out yet another extra-inning win. It ended with one big swing. Manny Machado hit a 1-2 Cory Rasmus pitch out to left field for a 7-6 win over the Los Angeles Angels in 12 innings. Machado was the leadoff batter of the inning and sent what was left of a crowd of 36,882 home...