Nationals manager Matt Williams said it is important for reliever Rafael Soriano to get into today's game after spending a few days refining his mechanics following a rough stretch. During Soriano's time off, Drew Storen has saved three consecutive games. "Oh, yeah, very important," Williams said of getting Soriano some game action. "We gave him a couple of days. He worked on some things. He had a day (off) after that work. Now it's important for him to get in a game, of course. We want...

The Nationals go for a sweep of the Braves this afternoon at Nationals Park, but their lineup will have a markedly different look. Shortstop Ian Desmond, who left last night's game with back tightness, is out today. He'll be replaced at short by Danny Espinosa. Third baseman Anthony Rendon is getting a day off to deal with a flu-like illness, with Kevin Frandsen taking over at the hot corner. For the Braves RF Jason Heyward SS Phil Gosselin 1B Freddie Freeman LF Justin Upton 3B Chris Johnson...

So here is a unique stat: Since July 19, the Orioles are 27-1 when scoring four runs or more. They added two wins to that total in this series in Boston, winning 4-0 and 4-1. The one loss came Sept. 1 at home when they were beaten 6-4 by the Twins. The Orioles have also gone 35-2 in their 37 games since June 30 when scoring at least four runs. They are 67-14 (.827) on the year when scoring four or more. That is much better than last year's team, which went 69-31 (.690). Last night, the...

BOSTON - Orioles manager Buck Showalter still hasn't confirmed his starter for Tuesday night's game against the Blue Jays at Camden Yards. The field, however, has been narrowed to T.J. McFarland, Joe Saunders and Ubaldo Jimenez. Yesterday, Showalter mentioned minor leaguers Mike Wright and Tyler Wilson as possibilities in extreme circumstances. Showalter is expected to make the announcement on Saturday. My guess is McFarland. There's nothing new on shortstop J.J. Hardy. He's still...

BOSTON - The Orioles are using almost the same lineup as Tuesday with a change at catcher being the only exception. Caleb Joseph is behind the plate after Nick Hundley caught last night's win. Alejandro De Aza is back in left and batting second after recording three extra-base hits yesterday, including his first two Orioles homers. Left-hander Wei-Yin Chen is on the mound seeking his 15th win of the season. For the Orioles Nick Markakis RF Alejandro De Aza LF Adam Jones CF Nelson Cruz...

I saw a graphic on one of the national sports highlight shows last night that listed the teams in the National League wild card race. There were the Giants, holding the top spot, four games clear of the Pirates, who would earn the second wild card if the season ended today. A couple of the teams chasing them: the Braves, now 1 1/2 games back of Pittsburgh after losing the first two games of this three-game set with the Nationals, and the Brewers, who are in an absolute freefall the last few...

For three consecutive days, the Nationals have not only beaten their National League East opponents and whittled their magic number to 10, but relief pitcher Drew Storen has found himself closing out games and tallying saves. It's nice to see him back in that role after the rough end of season he found himself a part of in 2012 with the Game 5 collapse during the National League Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Since 2012, the Nats have invested in multiple bullpen arms and...

Holding onto a 10-game division lead with a postseason berth looking more likely each day, the focus for many Orioles fans is now shifting toward whether or not their team can claim the American League's No. 1 seed heading into the playoffs. Currently, the Angels hold possession of this, four games ahead of the 85-59 Orioles. While there are many variables within each game that ultimately decide the result, the number of errors committed in the field and the impact they have is a variable,...

BOSTON - Does everyone remember the Orioles' magic number for winning the American League East? Number nine, number nine, number nine, number nine. Hope that helps. Chris Tillman wasn't particularly sharp last night - 108 pitches in five innings offered a clue - but he escaped a jam in the fifth and held the Red Sox to one run. Not a quality start, but a winning one. Nice little rotation the Orioles have built for themselves. Fresh eyes may have been the slogan going into spring...

Chris Tillman's streak lives. He didn't have his best game or stuff by any stretch last night, but he has now recorded 18 straight games allowing three earned runs or fewer. Tillman is is 7-3 with a 2.24 ERA during this stretch that began June 10. Yeah, pretty impressive run of pitching. Tillman's streak is now tied for fourth-longest in Orioles history. From last night's "O's Xtra," here is the list of the longest such streaks by an Oriole: * Dave McNally, 25 straight from May...