After flight issues forced the Nationals to delay Gio Gonzalez's first start after the All-Star break by a day, the left-hander will be looking to stay hot in this afternoon's series finale against the Brewers. Gonzalez went into the break riding a streak of four straight quality starts, having allowed three earned runs in 27 2/3 innings for a 0.98 ERA during that time. He takes on right-hander Yovani Gallardo, who has been one of the Brewers' best starters this year, but has had some...

On June 20, Zach Britton gave up a three-run homer in the ninth at Yankee Stadium and the Orioles lost to New York. On Friday night, he gave up a three-run homer at Oakland and the Orioles lost. The day after that first blown save, the Orioles beat the Yankees 6-1. The day after this latest one, they beat Oakland 8-4. What do both games have in common? Adam Jones homers. In the first inning. This time, it was a three-run shot. That's leadership. In my opinion, those are two of the Orioles'...

Adam Jones is the only certainty in the Orioles' outfield in 2015. He's going to be in center. Book it. Nick Markakis is in the last guaranteed year of his contract, which includes an option worth $17.5 million. Nelson Cruz will be a free agent after signing a one-year, $8 million deal in spring training. As the Orioles continue to transfer players in their minor league system, I'm asked whether Dariel Alvarez could be an option in left or right. I'm asked whether Mike Yastrzemski could...

If you can lead by example on a baseball diamond, Adam Jones did that tonight. Less than 24 hours after the Orioles gut-wrenching loss in the last of the ninth on Friday, Jones hit a three-run homer in the first inning tonight as part of a five-RBI night, leading the Orioles past Oakland 8-4. Jones added two steals to become the first player in Orioles history to have five or more RBIs along with multiple stolen bases in one game. Winners of 11 of their last 15, the Orioles are 53-43 and...

Tanner Roark continues to impress. And the right-hander, who just over a year ago was still working out of the bullpen at Triple-A Syracuse, now leads the Nationals in wins. Roark allowed just one run in seven stellar innings, the Nats' bats exploded for five runs in the first inning, knocking Matt Garza from the game after just a third of an inning, and the Nationals picked up an 8-3 win to even this series with the Brewers. Wilson Ramos had three hits and three RBIs, Ryan Zimmerman drove...

Doesn't matter if you start Tanner Roark after 10 days off, four days, five days or spot duty. He always seems to deliver. On Thursday, Gio Gonzalez could not get back to D.C. because of a flight cancellation. Manager Matt Williams moved Roark up to Saturday and he quickly adapted. The Nationals scored five runs in the first inning Saturday and Roark went seven innings in an 8-3 dispatch of the Brewers. Roark said he is getting great movement on his slider because he has adjusted the way he...

Adam Jones was among three Oriole batters hit by pitches last night, taking a ball high off his left shoulder in the eighth inning. Earlier in the game, J.J. Hardy was drilled on the back of his batting helmet. Jones belted a three-run homer in the first inning tonight, and Hardy soon followed with a solo shot. Makes you wonder whether manager Buck Showalter should have started catcher Caleb Joseph, the third Oriole to get hit last night. I'm sure it's just a coincidence, but the Orioles...

The Orioles thought they scored enough runs to win last night when they took a 4-2 lead over Oakland to the last of the seventh. After all they were 40-12 this year when scoring four runs or more. But this time they needed more as they lost the series and road trip opener 5-4 to fall to 52-43. With New York and Toronto both winning today, the O's need a win tonight to maintain a four-game lead in the American League East. The Orioles offense, which is prone to some ups and downs, is in a bit...

The Nationals took it to Brewers starter Matt Garza in the first inning. Denard Span singled and Jayson Werth doubled. Following a walk to Adam LaRoche, Ryan Zimmerman provided a two-run single to give the Nationals a 2-0 lead. After another Garza walk, this one to Bryce Harper, Ian Desmond's infield single scored LaRoche and the Nationals' advantage was 3-0. Wilson Ramos then delivered a two-run single and the Nationals lead increased to 5-0. Garza was lifted for former Nationals...

Nationals manager Matt Williams reported during Saturday's pregame that right-hander Jordan Zimmermann is on target to start Tuesday night in Denver against the Rockies. Zimmermann left the July 11 game at Philadelphia with a right biceps cramp. "He's good to go. He had a good bullpen today," Williams said. "All indications are he's set to go on Tuesday unless he feels something after, but we don't think he's going to." Even with Zimmermann recovering from what the MRI diagnosed as a...