Chris Davis moves down to seventh in the Orioles' lineup tonight for the second time in three games. The Blue Jays are starting left-hander J.A. Happ. Davis batted fifth last night against right-hander Drew Hutchison. Delmon Young is batting fifth tonight as the designated hitter. Caleb Joseph is catching. For the Orioles Nick Markakis RF Manny Machado 3B Adam Jones CF Nelson Cruz LF Delmon Young DH J.J. Hardy SS Chris Davis 1B Caleb Joseph C Jonathan Schoop 2B Miguel Gonzalez RHP For the...

From watching Matt Williams on and off the field, one word immediately comes to mind when I think about the Nationals skipper: intense. The manager often appears serious and in the zone while managing his team. But that doesn't mean he doesn't also have fun and let loose. You'll see the best of both worlds from Williams at our upcoming Fan Challenge, presented by CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield! We're inviting you to take on Williams at his own game. What's that game, you ask? Fungo golf!...

Yesterday, the Orioles named minor league pitcher Luis Gonzalez the organizational Pitcher of the Month for July. That is a nice honor for a player who has barely been in the organization for a year. The 22-year-old left-hander from the Dominican Republic was originally signed by the Phillies, but they released him. On July 18, 2013 the Orioles signed him as a minor league free agent. "Our Latin American program did a really good job of finding this guy as a released player in the...

The rubber match between the Nationals and Mets features a pair of right-handers who have been pitching well. Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom has won five straight games while Nationals right-hander Jordan Zimmermann is coming off a dominant performance. Zimmermann went seven innings on August 2 in an 11-0 win over the Phillies. He struck out eight, walked none, allowed only five hits and no runs for his first win since June 30. In the bottom of the second, Adam LaRoche doubled to lead off...

Second baseman Danny Espinosa hit a three-run homer Wednesday in the Nationals' 7-1 win over the Mets. The discrepancy in his splits has been well documented from the right side (.310 vs. left-handers) and the left side of the plate (.184 vs. right-handers). Espinosa said after last night's game that he wasn't against abandoning switch-hitting, but that he can't just do that midseason. Manager Matt Williams said he has seen players in the past that have been able to do that. "Sure,...

Jose Lobaton will once again get the start behind the plate for the Nationals this afternoon. Wilson Ramos, who has been on the Paternity List since Tuesday, is still at the hospital with his family following the birth of his first daughter. Jordan Zimmermann will take the mound for the Nats. Over his last two starts, Zimmermann is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA and has struck out 14. He will be facing rookie Jacob deGrom. For the Nats CF Denard Span 3B Anthony Rendon RF Jayson Werth 1B Adam...

The Washington Nationals have scored 4.19 runs per game, which ranks them fourth in the National League and above the NL average of 3.97 runs a game. They've done this with a below average slugging of .382 and while hitting the seventh fewest home runs in the NL. The perception still exists that the Nationals are a team perpetually waiting for the three-run homer and with hand injuries to Wilson Ramos and Bryce Harper, Jayson Werth's power diminishing with age, Ian Desmond and Adam LaRoche...

So does Manny Machado get more satisfaction from a big hit or a great defensive play? "I don't know, they are both up there," Machado said. "Big hit you help your team, big play you help your team. It's a win-win situation." Well, that's true. Defense doesn't go into a slump. Well, it almost never goes into a slump. I can remember a time earlier this year when both Machado and J.J. Hardy seemed a bit off their game with the glove, but it didn't last long. Recently we saw Machado...

The Nationals' home runs returned in a 7-1 rout of the Mets. Adam LaRoche hit a pair of homers while Danny Espinosa cranked a three-run shot. Starter Doug Fister did his part, too. He went 7 1/3 innings without allowing an earned run to post his 11th win of the season. LaRoche hadn't hit a home run since July 22. The two homers were his first at home since June 30. Did he feel any different at the plate Wednesday night? "Not really. Other than it's nice to see them go in the seats and...

The division lead is now the largest it's been all season, as the Nationals' 7-1 win over the Mets combined with Atlanta's loss to the Mariners has given Washington a four-game edge in the National League East. Doug Fister went 7 1/3 strong innings today, allowing just one run on six hits with no walks and seven strikeouts, Adam LaRoche slugged two homers, Danny Espinosa had a three-run shot himself, and the Nats cruised to the win, making Fister 11-3 on the season. Here's manager Matt...