Less than 24 hours until the non-waiver trade deadline and rumors are swirling like hot dog wrappers in a wind storm. The Orioles have definite interest in switch-hitting utility player Emilio Bonifacio, who's batting .279/.318/.373 with 14 doubles, three triples, two home runs and 18 RBIs in 69 games with the Cubs. He's been an intriguing target for the Orioles over the past few years and I'm told the two sides are engaged in talks. Bonifacio, 29, can play second base, third base and...

Chris Davis is out of the lineup for the second straight night after sitting out last night with an illness. Steve Pearce is at first base in Davis' place. The Orioles will attempt tonight to move 14 games above .500 for the first time since July 22, 2013 (57-43). The Orioles have won four of their last five games in Baltimore and eight of their last 10. In those 10 home games, Orioles pitchers have registered a 2.70 ERA by allowing 27 earned runs in 90 innings. Ryan Flaherty is 3-for-4 with a...

Fresh off two rough setbacks in Miami, the Nationals wanted nothing more than to get off to a good start in the final game of the three-game set against the Marlins in Miami. They had lost the first two games - a heartbreaking 7-6 comeback loss Monday and a 3-0 shutout Tuesday. The Marlins sent out left-hander Brad Hand, who was 0-3 with an 8.71 ERA in seven games (five starts) against the Nationals. The Nationals got to him early thanks to a Denard Span walk. Anthony Rendon followed with...

One day remains until baseball's non-waiver trade deadline and whether the Nationals will be active or stand pat remains to be determined. The pitching staff is just fine, and entered play today leading the majors in ERA. Maybe the only obvious area for improvement is second or third base with third baseman Ryan Zimmerman (hamstring) now out for the foreseeable future. But there's no guarantee that a move will make sense. Manager Matt Williams answered a series of questions regarding the...

When Kevin Gausman gets the start tonight against the Los Angeles Angels, he will face yet another top opposing pitcher. Obviously, Gausman doesn't bat, but he has sure faced quite of list of starters pitching against him this year. The list includes Justin Verlander, Sonny Gray twice, Mark Buerhle, Alex Cobb, Jake Peavy and Felix Hernandez. The Orioles are a very impressive 5-2 in those games. Gausman (4-3, 3.67 ERA) didn't get the win on Friday when he pitched against Seattle's Hernandez,...

MIAMI - Jayson Werth is back in the Nationals lineup after a sprained right ankle relegated him to pinch-hitting duty in Tuesday's game. Werth is batting third and playing right as the Nats look to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Marlins. And they'll need to go through Miami lefty Brad Hand to do it. Adam LaRoche is 3-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs in his career against Hand while Danny Espinosa is 4-for-8 with two doubles, a triple and two RBIs. Right-hander Tanner Roark takes the...

The Nationals fell to the Marlins 3-0 on Tuesday night. It was their second straight loss and third in four games. The nine-game road trip suddenly reminds us of a recent long trip to San Diego, San Francisco and St. Louis. During that West Coast swing, the Nationals raced out to a 5-2 record to start the road trip. They ended up losing three straight in St. Louis to finish 5-5. Later in Milwaukee, against the first-place Brewers, the Nationals won the first two games of the road trip. They...

MIAMI - It doesn't seem like it was too long ago that we were talking about how the Nationals were finally healthy, and possessed a deep lineup that was torturous to opposing pitchers from one through eight in the order. On this road trip, however, that depth has been tested yet again. Ryan Zimmerman landed on the disabled list with a severe hamstring injury a week ago, and Jayson Werth is currently battling a sprained right ankle. Werth pinch-hit in the ninth inning of last night's game,...

It hasn't been an easy road trip for the Nationals. They're 4-4 against the Rockies, Reds and Marlins with one more game to be played before heading home on Thursday. The Nats have dropped two of three in Miami with their final game of that series this afternoon. Once they return to Washington, the next homestand - if played well - could help bolster their hopes for a slightly longer season, as long as they make a strong strike against their National League East division foes. The Phillies...

As August approaches and the Orioles hold on to the outright lead in first place, there is a growing expectation among the fan base that 2014 will be the year in which the American League East title finally returns to Baltimore for the first time since 1997. When the Orioles went close to breaking the pennant drought in 2012, it was the strength of the bullpen (3.00 ERA) and offensive power (214 home runs) that covered up for an inconsistent starting rotation. That rotation, which saw an...