NEW YORK - The Braves continue to lose to teams not named the Nationals. Atlanta dropped another game last night, falling to the Dodgers 6-2. The Braves now are four games back of the Nats in the National League East and have dropped eight of their last 10 games. The only two wins in that span were over the Nats. Bob Nightengale of USA Today created quite a stir among a portion of the Nationals' fan base yesterday when he tweeted out that Bryce Harper, Stephen Strasburg, Ian Desmond and Gio...

The Nationals did not play Monday, but benefitted from the Braves difficult homestand schedule. The Dodgers beat the Braves easily 6-2, pushing the Nationals' lead to four full games in the National League East and a robust five games in the loss column. Atlanta is now 2-2 on a 10-game homestand that includes the Nationals, Dodgers and Athletics. Despite losing two of three against Atlanta over the weekend, the Nationals have three more on the road in New York before heading home for a...

Bryce Harper is slumping. Bryce Harper should be sent to the minors to get his timing back. Bryce Harper isn't living up to the hype. Bryce Harper is more trouble than he's worth. Bryce Harper is still a punk. If you read social media, listen to sports talk radio, watch ESPN or listen to opposing team's broadcasters, you've probably heard all of the above ideas floated. His name is click-bait for anyone with an IP address and a blog. But here's a fact for you: Harper is still just barely...

A friend of mine lived in Montana for most of his life and came to Baltimore to attend law school. Before driving into town the night before classes began, he had never set foot here. He was recruited for the school from afar and he signed his rental agreement on a row home from afar. As his old pickup limped across the country and into town around 3 a.m. that morning, he saw something that was forever etched in his memory. Parking in the alley behind the row home, he saw something in his...

Manager: Terry Collins, fourth year Record: 57-62 Last 10 games: 5-5 Who to watch: 1B Lucas Duda (.258/.352/.492, 22 doubles, 21 HR, 64 RBIs); 2B Daniel Murphy (.304/.347/.437, 33 doubles, 9 HR, 51 RBIs, 67 R); RHP Dillon Gee (4-4, 3.54 ERA, 1.10 WHIP); RHP Bartolo Colon (11-9, 3.97 ERA, 1.16 WHIP) Season series vs. Nats: 2-7, 30 runs scored, 48 runs allowed Pitching probables Aug. 12: Rafael Montero vs. Doug Fister, 7 p.m., MASN2 HD Aug. 13: Bartolo Colon vs. Jordan Zimmermann, 7 p.m., MASN2...

So if you think you enjoyed the Orioles 60th anniversary celebration after the game on Friday night, check out how Adam Jones felt about it. "The Orioles, and it starts at the top, they outdid themselves," Jones said. "During the last decade-and-a-half or something, I'm sure it's been difficult to get that group together. But, for one night, Peter (Angelos) did ... that was big league. Every facet of it was big league. "I'm sure the old time guys appreciated it and the younger players...

The Orioles have been poised to run away with the American League East, which they lead by six games over the Blue Jays. The rotation is better, the back end of the bullpen can dominate, the defense again has been a team strength despite the three errors last night, and the offense is starting to score runs in bunches - again leading the majors in home runs with 150. They just need to stay healthy. They haven't done it. Shortstop J.J. Hardy's sprained thumb doesn't seem to be a big deal,...

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado will have an MRI on his right knee at 10 a.m. Tuesday to determine the severity of his injury. The initial diagnosis is a sprain, which occurred after Machado's knee buckled as he swung at a pitch from Yankees starter Chris Capuano in the third inning. Machado fell on his back and writhed in pain, clutching the knee as head athletic trainer Richie Bancells and manager Buck Showalter rushed out of the dugout. Machado was able to walk without crutches...

Leaving the game with a right knee sprain after falling to the ground in a third-inning groundout tonight, Manny Machado said he doesn't yet know how long he will be out or the severity of his injury. "We don't know. X-rays came out negative. The MRI tomorrow will tell us what is going on. How long or how many days I'm going to be out. We'll know more tomorrow," he said after the game in the Orioles clubhouse. Is Machado optimistic about tomorrow? "I have no idea. Doesn't feel too...

In the third inning, Manny Machado left the game injured. In the fifth inning, the player that replaced him hit a go-ahead homer. The Orioles were far from done on offense at that point. So it wasn't all bad tonight for the Orioles. Chris Davis entered for Machado and hit a two-run shot off New York's Chris Capuano in the fifth as the O's moved ahead by one run. They added to that lead with three in the seventh for a four-run edge and turned it into a rout with four in the eighth for an...