MIAMI - The Nationals jumped out to a 6-0 lead after six innings yesterday. Since then, it's been all Marlins. Stephen Strasburg and Henderson Alvarez were locked in a scoreless duel through five innings tonight, but Giancarlo Stanton drove in a run in the sixth on a hanging Strasburg breaking ball, then brought in one of two Marlins runs in the ninth, leading Miami to a 3-0 win tonight. This marks the Nats' fourth loss in six games. They're now 4-4 on this road trip, but can salvage a...

Seriously, let's forget everything I said and wrote about tonight's game being a low-scoring affair, a duel between Chris Tillman and Jered Weaver, a struggle for runs. Ain't happening. Nick Markakis hit a three-run homer off Weaver in the bottom of the fourth, the ball slamming off the right field foul pole, to give the Orioles a 6-4 lead over the Angels. Markakis has eight homers this season, the most recent before tonight coming on June 28. Weaver walked Steve Pearce and Nick Hundley...

Marlins right-hander Henderson Alvarez appeared to be having trouble controlling his pitches early on tonight against the Nationals. But the Nationals were unable to score a run with men on base in the first and second frames. Alvarez pitched around a walk to Denard Span in the first thanks to a double play ball. In the second inning, the Nationals loaded the bases with no one out. Wilson Ramos walked. Bryce Harper singled and Ian Desmond walked. But Danny Espinosa struck out swinging. Nate...

Adam Jones homered off Angels starter Jered Weaver tonight with two outs in the bottom of the first inning to tie the game 1-1. Jones has hit 20-plus homers in four consecutive seasons. The Orioles weren't done. Nelson Cruz, walked, Delmon Young singled and J.J. Hardy followed with an RBI single to break the tie. Young entered the night batting .359 versus right-handers. Weaver was holding right-handed hitters to a .160 average. Jones, Cruz, Young and Hardy all bat from the right side,...

As the Orioles begin a six-game homestand tonight, they do so with a rematch against the Los Angeles Angels. The Orioles took two of three last week at Anaheim. The Angels have been one of baseball's hottest teams, and after they lost that series to the Orioles, they took three of four from the American League Central-leading Tigers by winning the last three games and allowing just two runs. Even though the Angels are second in the AL in runs, the O's held them to seven runs in that series...

Nationals right fielder Jayson Werth thinks his sprained right ankle is a "minor" injury and hopes he'll be available off the bench tonight. Werth hurt the ankle in the seventh inning of last night's game, and is out of tonight's starting lineup. He had hoped the ankle would feel better this morning, but that wasn't the case. Instead, Werth said, it was "sore, sore and swollen." "It was a lot sorer than I thought it was going to be," he told reporters in Miami this afternoon....

Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette told reporters today that nothing is imminent on the trade front, though he anticipates a flurry of activity among clubs leading up to Thursday's 4 p.m. non-waiver deadline. Duquette said he's focused on improving the team's pitching depth, which indicates that the Orioles aren't in the running for a big-name starter such as Jon Lester or Cole Hamels. "I think more pitching depth, I would say. It's more realistic that we could make a deal...

With the non-waiver trade deadline set for Thursday, July 31 at 4 p.m., there is still some uncertainty in the Orioles clubhouse. The players have to be happy to be in first place but also wondering if there will be any additions or subtractions coming. "You know it's always interesting," pitcher Zach Britton said. "We hear what people are saying. But until something happens or a new player walks in the clubhouse or someone is leaving ours, I don't think we'll focus on it too much. "If...

The Orioles are beginning a six-game homestand tonight without their starting first baseman. Chris Davis was sent home today due to flu-like symptoms that may be contagious. Manager Buck Showalter wasn't taking any chances. Steve Pearce is starting at first base, with Nelson Cruz in left field and Delmon Young serving as the designated hitter. Davis was sick "all day yesterday," according to Showalter. "It may be contagious and we don't want it passed around," he added. Davis could...

MIAMI - Jayson Werth said last night that he hoped his sprained right ankle, an injury suffered in the seventh inning of last night's loss to the Marlins, would be well enough for him to be back in the lineup for Game 2 of this three-game series in Miami. That won't turn out to be the case. Werth is out of the Nationals lineup tonight, with Nate McLouth written in as the starting right fielder. With Werth and Ryan Zimmerman (on the disabled list with a hamstring injury) out, Wilson Ramos will...