Has there ever been a better time to be a Nationals fan? A team that some baseball experts called the biggest disappointment of the season just a few weeks ago now sits atop the National League after a 9-1 homestand for the ages - the most remarkable this team has seen since moving to town. This one wasn't quite as successful as the 12-1 run in 2005 that included the team's last 10-game winning streak. But it will take some doing to match the drama at Nationals Park in the past 10 days: five...

It felt like it happened in the blink of an eye. Eight hits in one inning. Some wondered when the Giants would be able to record an out after all the hits in a row. "I tell you what, you talk to the opposing pitchers on that, and it happens real quick," said Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche. "I've been on that end, too, unfortunately. Just keep putting pressure on them. Again it was nice to be able to pick (Stephen) Strasburg up. He had a rough start, obviously. We could easily (have)...

Manager: Joe Maddon, ninth year Record: 64-66 Last 10 games: 5-5 Who to watch: 3B Evan Longoria (.252/.323/.391, 21 doubles, 16 HR, 72 RBIs); RF Kevin Kiermaier (.275/.327/.482, 28 extra-base hits, 30 RBIs); RHP Alex Cobb (9-6, 3.01 ERA, 1.15 WHIP); RHP Jeremy Hellickson (1-2, 2.61 ERA, 1.08 WHIP) Season series vs. O's: 4-8, 41 runs scored, 52 runs against Pitching probables Aug. 25: Jake Odorizzi vs. Chris Tillman, 7 p.m., MASN2 HD Aug. 26: Alex Cobb vs. Wei-Yin Chen, 7 p.m., MASN2 HD Aug....

There was an interesting discussion the other day on MLB Network about rookies in Major League Baseball. They were basically wondering whether it is tougher for young players to have instant success these days. Long-time writer and reporter Peter Gammons concluded it might be for two main reasons. One is that these kids are hyped more than ever and that puts some pressure on them right away. Another is that all the advanced scouting in the game provides more in-depth reports on how to get these...

It did not work out for right-hander Stephen Strasburg on Sunday, after allowing five runs on eight hits in four innings. But his teammates got back in the game and then overtook the Giants 14-6. "Yeah, it's huge. They picked me up," Strasburg said of his teammates. "Obviously, I didn't go out there and pitch like I wanted to, but there's going to be games like that and they came up big." Home runs by leadoff man Gregor Blanco and Travis Ishikawa set the tone as the Giants piled up a...

In the fourth inning of the Nationals' finale against the Giants, the team was down 5-0 and held hitless. At that moment it was hard to predict what would happen. The Nats' bats broke out for 18 hits and scored 14 to runs to earn a series win over the Giants and finish their homestand 9-1. Stephen Strasburg was out after four innings and manager Matt Williams relied on his bullpen to complete the game. Here is what Williams told reporters following the Nats' win. On what comeback says...

CHICAGO - Sitting in his office before yesterday's game at Wrigley Field, Orioles manager Buck Showalter observed how Chicago is a great town. Then he added, "I've had enough." It's true that you can have too much of a good thing. The Orioles are back home tonight after playing three games in Cleveland and spending a week in The Windy City, which wasn't exactly a breeze. The Orioles scored four runs in the three-game series against the Cubs after totaling 17 in three games against the...

CHICAGO - If not for Steve Pearce, the Orioles would have been no-hit today. They would have been shut out. They would have more reason to feel bad about today's loss at Wrigley Field. That is, if you believe that the rest of the game would have played out the exact same. Pearce homered off Tsuyoshi Wada leading off the top of the seventh. Otherwise, Wada dominated the Orioles. "He kept us off-balance today," Pearce said. "He was throwing everything for a strike and he was working quick. He...

CHICAGO - In honor of the 1994 season, the Orioles' bats went on strike today. The throwback uniforms would have sufficed. Good pitching beats good hitting, and the Orioles saw plenty of it while being swept by the Cubs to conclude their first losing road trip of the season. And it won't get any easier with Jake Odorizzi, Alex Cobb, Drew Smyly and Jeremy Hellickson starting for the Rays in the series at Camden Yards that begins Monday night. "It's been a long 10 days," said manager Buck...

They did not get no-hit, but they did get swept. And for the first time since late May, the Orioles have a three-game losing streak. Former Orioles farmhand Tsuyoshi Wada took a no-hitter into the seventh today as the Chicago Cubs beat the Orioles 2-1 to complete a three-game sweep. The Orioles get swept for just the second time this season and are 73-55. Their American League East lead has decreased from nine games to six as the Yankees completed a sweep of the Chicago White Sox today. The...