What's two losses in the grand scheme of a baseball season? When you play 162 games, two losses shouldn't really mean all that much until the final week or so of the season, right? The Nationals dropped two straight to the Mets the last two days, but they still have 27 games left on their schedule. Yeah, yesterday's loss to the Mets combined with the Reds' win out in Colorado pushed the Nats back to 7 1/2 games back in the race for the final wild card. That obviously stings, but how much...

NEW YORK - The Orioles have no shot at winning the current three-game series at Yankee Stadium. Best they can do today is avoid the sweep, just as they did in Boston. It's still better than being reduced to spoiler status, but hardly what they had in mind after the last homestand. The Orioles have lost seven of their last 12 series, leaving them 24-16-4 this season. They've also lost all three series in the Bronx after winning all three last year. They've gone from being 6-3 here to...

The Nationals have a very thin line of opportunity to grab the final wild card spot in the National League. A loss this time of year can be devastating, but two losses in a row to the Mets with the second loss an 11-3 setback? It is one of those losses. The Mets put the game away early against starter Dan Haren, scoring two runs in the second and six runs in the third. Haren (8-12) lasted just 2 2/3 innings, giving up nine hits and seven runs. The Mets had one span where nine of 12 hitters...

As Davey Johnson walked into the press conference room following tonight's 11-3 Nationals loss, he delivered a one-liner with as much sarcasm as a one-liner can possibly have attached to it. "That was fun," Johnson said. Tonight's blowout defeat was anything but fun for the Nats, not just because of the manner in which it happened but also because of its implications on their playoff chances. The Nats entered this series 6 1/2 games back of the Reds for the final wild card spot in the...

Some of you have already come to the conclusion that the Orioles do not stack up in the American League East. After Saturday's loss at New York, the Orioles are in fourth place in the division. Some of these numbers are not pretty: The Orioles have lost four of their last five in the AL East in addition to losing eight of their last 10, and 11 of their last 17 division games. In the last two weeks they have had key series with Tampa Bay, Boston and New York and dropped the first two games of...

Since returning from the disabled list in early July, Dan Haren has been one of the best starting pitchers in baseball. He's put up a 2.53 ERA in 10 games since that DL stint in late June, and held opposing hitters to a .208 batting average in that span. That batting average against is going to rise quite a bit after tonight. Haren is done after just 2 2/3 innings of work tonight, already on the hook for five runs. He retired just eight batters and allowed nine hits, six of which came in...

Four of the Nationals' minor league affiliates are headed to the postseason thanks to very competitive seasons with some talented prospects. The rookie level Gulf Coast League Nationals are already in the postseason. Low Single-A Hagerstown, high Single-A Potomac and Double-A Harrisburg also are headed to the playoffs. Minor leagues are all about development of prospects, team personnel will always tell you. But manager Davey Johnson said winning is a good thing, regardless of the level. He...

After leaving last night's game in the fourth inning due to a bout of dehydration, Davey Johnson will be back in the Nationals dugout tonight. Johnson said he made sure to drink lots of water, got a good night's sleep last night and is feeling rejuvenated. He declared himself good to go for tonight. "I'm feeling like my old ornery self," said Johnson, who joked that he pinch-hit for himself last night when he called on bench coach Randy Knorr to take over managerial duties. A lot has...

NEW YORK - The Orioles clubhouse was surly today following a 2-0 loss to the Yankees. It was surely surly. Other words used by beat writers to describe it included "sullen" and "tension-filled." It also was mostly empty after the game. It was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. What about a pennant? The Orioles slipped into fourth place behind the Yankees in the American League East. Presently, they are 4 1/2 games behind the Rays for the last wild card spot. "I think we're all...

Scott Feldman pitched a very strong game, but Ivan Nova was just a little bit better. Nova threw a complete-game three-hitter as the Yankees beat the Orioles 2-0 this afternoon at Yankee Stadium. The O's fall to 1-4 on this important road trip. Nova, now 8-4 with a 2.88 ERA, threw 104 pitches in pitching his second complete game of the year against the Orioles. He beat them 3-2 on a three-hitter July 5 at New York. With their win this afternoon, the Yankees moved into third place, a...