CHICAGO - Can the Orioles avoid their first three-game losing streak since late May? They've dropped two straight at Wrigley Field. They lost four in a row from May 27-30 in Milwaukee and Houston. The Orioles will make another roster move today to accommodate pitcher Miguel Gonzalez, who's starting the series finale against the Cubs that also closes out the three-city road trip. Manager Buck Showalter indicated yesterday that Manny Machado's pending knee surgery may have influenced a move...

CHICAGO - The Orioles were held to two hits today over the final seven innings, the bats never heating up after a rain delay that lasted 3 hours, 9 minutes. It's unfortunate for the Orioles that the weather knocked Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks out of the game. They collected two runs and five hits off him in two innings. Orioles starter Bud Norris couldn't stay loose during the delay because Wrigley Field lacks an indoor mound. Not that he would have returned after such a long layoff, but...

Right-hander Jordan Zimmermann notched his ninth win in a 6-2 Nationals defeat of the Giants, but the first question for him at his locker was how Hunter Pence crushed his high fastball over the fence for a 2-0 San Francisco lead in the first inning? "Very surprised. There's only one guy in the game that is going to hit that pitch and that's him," Zimmermann said. "I threw it right where I wanted to, 0-2, up by his shoulders, beats me how he hit it that far." Zimmermann wasn't the only...

The Giants held a 2-0 lead two batters in, but then Jordan Zimmermann bounced back. And the Nationals as a whole bounced back from dropping the opener of this three-game set, a defeat that snapped a 10-game winning streak. The Nats took the middle game of this series by an 8-2 score, with Zimmermann working eight stellar innings, Jayson Werth contributing two hits and two RBIs, Asdrubal Cabrera smoking a solo homer into the red seats in left-center and Denard Span again setting the table,...

Well, that took a while. The Orioles fell behind by two runs much earlier today, then waited out a rain delay of 3 hours, 9 minutes at Wrigley Field. They could not come back after the delay and lost 7-2 in a game that began during the afternoon and ended at night. The Orioles have lost the first two games of the series and it is just their second series loss in the last 11. They are 73-54 and their American League East lead is seven games over the New York Yankees, who won this...

CHICAGO - For the second time in his major league career, Ubaldo Jimenez will be used as a reliever. Jimenez is warming up for the Orioles, who trail the Cubs 4-2 in the top of the third inning at Wrigley Field. Right-hander Justin Grimm will pitch for the Cubs. The game is scheduled to resume at 5:30 p.m. central time following a rain delay that will exceed three hours. Jimenez hasn't pitched in relief since making his major league debut on Sept. 26, 2006 against the Dodgers. He allowed...

The Giants and Nationals began play after a 1-hour, 12-minute rain delay. San Francisco wasted no time in scoring a few runs against Jordan Zimmermann and the Nats. Zimmermann allowed a leadoff double to Giants center fielder Angel Pagan. Two pitches later, Hunter Pence hit a two-run homer to center field. Zimmermann quickly retired the next three batters, but the damage was done. The Giants took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the first. But things did not go smoothly for the Tim...

The Nationals welcomed new outfielder Nate Schierholtz on Saturday prior to their game with the Giants. Outfielder Michael A. Taylor was moved to Triple-A Syracuse to make room for Schierholtz. Schierholtz, who played his last game for the Cubs on August 5, was thrilled to move to a winning team and is anxious to help the Nationals win games. "For many reasons. I've got some friends here," Schierholtz said of why he likes the move to D.C. "But beyond that, obviously, it's been a winning...

CHICAGO - Bud Norris is doing more than pitching today for the Orioles. He's also padding their lead. Norris reached on an infield hit in the second inning to score J.J. Hardy and give the Orioles a 2-0 advantage over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Orioles pitchers were 0-for-11 this season. Norris recorded his first RBI since May 5, 2012. Norris is no slouch at the plate. He's 4-for-10 since the start of the 2013 season. Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks has thrown 46 pitches in two innings....

Nationals top pitching prospect Lucas Giolito has been transferred to short-season Single-A Auburn after reaching a club-mandated innings limit, according to a team source. The right-handed Giolito exceeded expectations this season at Single-A Hagerstown and is not injured, according to source. Giolito will continue strength and conditioning plus baseball related activities as he prepares for instructional league in September and October in Viera, Fla. Giolito is only a year removed from...