CINCINNATI - The Nationals had some early chances, putting two on in the first and getting the leadoff hitter aboard in four of the first five innings today. They were unable to score in those spots, however, and the missed opportunities combined with a few baserunning errors led to a 1-0 loss to the Reds. The Nats ran into three outs on the bases, two by Bryce Harper, who was doubled off first base on a deep fly ball in the second and then thrown out trying to advance to third base on an...

The Orioles were able to beat Seattle when Hisashi Iwakuma and Felix Hernandez got the start but lost today when Chris Young took the mound, although they did rally late in the game. The 35-year-old right-hander held the Orioles to two hits - both by Delmon Young - over seven scoreless innings this afternoon as Seattle beat the Orioles 4-3 at Safeco Field. Down 4-0, the O's scored three runs in the eighth. With two outs, Adam Jones was hit, Nelson Cruz walked and they both moved up on a wild...

Lots of zeroes on the scoreboard so far, as the Reds' gloves have done a nice job of blunting a couple of potential scoring opportunities for the Nationals. In the first, the Nats had runners on first and second with one out when Adam LaRoche struck a ball that appeared destined to sail over the head of center fielder Billy Hamilton. But Hamilton caught up to the drive and hauled it in for an out. An inning later, after Bryce Harper drew a leadoff walk, Wilson Ramos crushed a ball to...

Each open date on the Orioles' schedule leaves room for manager Buck Showalter to tweak his rotation. The Orioles are off Monday after returning from the West Coast, and Showalter told reporters today in Seattle that he may adjust the order of his starters. Right now, Miguel Gonzalez is slated to pitch Sunday afternoon in the series finale at Safeco Field. All three starters for the Angels series that begins Tuesday at Camden Yards are listed as TBA. Could Showalter bump Gonzalez to...

Remember early in the season when Ryan Zimmerman's fractured thumb led to some interesting lineup combinations as first-year Nationals manager Matt Williams juggled the batting order to get keep his bench players fresh? Get ready for more of the same, which should make the guys riding the pine happier. With Zimmerman landing on the 15-day disabled list because of a right hamstring strain, and the Nationals not releasing any definitive information on the severity of the injury or the timetable...

After facing Jeff Samardzija, Sonny Gray, Jered Weaver, Hisashi Iwakuma and Felix Hernandez in recent days, maybe Orioles hitters will get a break and finally face a pitcher with a high ERA. Not today. Right-hander Chris Young (8-6, 3.22 ERA) gets the start this afternoon for the Mariners. He has allowed three or fewer earned runs for seven straight starts, pitching to an ERA of 2.45 in that time. The 35-year-old Young is 6-foot-10 and ties Randy Johnson as the tallest player in team...

After missing the past four games with tightness and spasms in his lower back, Manny Machado has returned to the Orioles' lineup today. Machado is starting at third base and batting seventh. Delmon Young is serving as the designated hitter and batting second, with Steve Pearce going back to the bench. Young is 14-for-35 (.400) with two doubles, three homers and eight RBIs in eight games in the second spot this year. The Orioles are trying to move 13 games above .500 for the first time since...

CINCINNATI - With the Nationals facing another right-handed starter today, Matt Williams isn't using either of his switch-hitting options at second base. Instead, right-handed-hitting Kevin Frandsen gets the start at second with the Nats taking on Reds righty Johnny Cueto. Zach Walters started at second base yesterday against a righty, going 1-for-4 with an RBI double, and Danny Espinosa also could give the Nats a left-handed bat in the lineup today because of his switch-hitting ability. But...

Orioles starters keep raising the bar. Now it's Bud Norris' turn to give it a bump. In 41 games since June 9, the rotation has posted a 3.08 ERA over 248 2/3 innings to reduce its season ERA from 4.61 to 3.97. The starters combined for 18 consecutive scoreless innings before the Mariners pushed across a run in the sixth inning last night. Until James Jones's two-out single in the bottom of the fifth inning last night, Orioles pitchers had held the Angels and Mariners hitless in 24...

CINCINNATI - I love stories about athletes who seemingly came out of nowhere, players who didn't break into the pros as heralded, hyped prospects but who worked hard and maximized their ability. Tanner Roark could certainly fit into that group. And his journey over the past few years continues to look cooler with each passing start. You've heard it all by now plenty of times. Roark came to the Nationals as one piece of the Cristian Guzman deal in 2010. He lost 17 games at Triple-A Syracuse...