The Nationals dropped another one-run squeaker to the Braves, 2-1, failing to take advantage of opportunities presented to them with runners in scoring position. On Monday, the Nationals were 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. On Tuesday, 0-for-5. First baseman Adam LaRoche reviewed his chance in the seventh. Facing reliever Luis Avilan, LaRoche worked the count to 2-0 on a pair of two-seam fastballs. On the third offering, LaRoche also faced a two-seam fastball that he weakly...

Following tonight's 2-1 Nationals loss to the Braves, Bryce Harper calmly answered questions about being hit by a first-pitch, 94 mph Julio Teheran fastball in the fifth inning, a pitch that led to Harper taking a couple of steps towards the mound and shouting a few choice words at the Braves right-hander. Harper felt the pitch was payback for his home run in the third inning, a solo shot that gave the Nats a 1-0 lead. Harper took a second or two to admire the homer and then tossed his bat...

Padres starter Edinson Volquez was determined to retire Orioles center fielder Adam Jones on a curveball tonight. Maybe he was following the scouting report. Maybe he was being stubborn. Volquez threw six curveballs to Jones in the first inning, including four in a row to begin the at-bat. He mixed in a changeup, threw another curve, tried a 94 mph fastball and went back to the curve. Jones didn't have trouble with the curve, grounding an RBI single up the middle to give the Orioles a 1-0...

The Orioles minor leagues did not exactly do very well when Baseball America released its "best tools" survey for every professional level. The publication ranks players in categories like best power prospect, best baserunner, best pitching prospect and best defender at each position in each league. The only Oriole to get mentioned was pitcher Kevin Gausman, who was rated to have the best changeup and best control in the Double-A Eastern League. Gausman is now with Triple-A Norfolk. No...

Things got interesting in the bottom of the fifth inning, when benches cleared following Bryce Harper being drilled by a first-pitch, 94 mph fastball from Braves righty Julio Teheran. Harper took exception to the hit-by-pitch, which he clearly felt was intentional following his home run off Teheran in the third inning. Harper took a couple of steps toward the mound and gestured at Teheran, but was moved down the first base line by home plate umpire Joe West. Braves catcher Brian McCann got a...

Bryce Harper has a new look today, having rid himself of the full beard that he's been sporting for much of the season. All that's left in the facial hair department is a mustache, and it apparently has brought some luck. Harper smoked a one-out solo homer to dead center in the third inning, his 17th longball of the season, giving the Nationals a 1-0 lead over Julio Teheran and the Braves. After Teheran struck Harper out in the first, the Braves righty left a 91 mph two-seam fastball over...

Brian Roberts is back on the active roster and back at second base for tonight's series opener against the San Diego Padres. Roberts moves up to eighth with the absence of a designated hitter. No real surprises tonight. Nate McLouth is leading off and playing left field. Nick Markakis is batting third. For the Orioles Nate McLouth LF Manny Machado 3B Nick Markakis RF Adam Jones CF Chris Davis 1B Matt Wieters C J.J. Hardy SS Brian Roberts 2B Bud Norris RHP

Davey Johnson is going with a new-look lineup tonight, with Bryce Harper leading off, Ryan Zimmerman starting in the two-hole for the first time in his career, Wilson Ramos hitting sixth and Anthony Rendon eighth. Essentially, Johnson has just gotten rid of a leadoff hitter and moved of his middle-of-the-order hitters up a spot. What was the rationale for that alignment? "It's just something," Johnson said, smiling and giving a shake of the head. "I don't know. ... I was just throwing...

The Orioles listed their starting pitchers for the three-game series against the San Francisco Giants that begins Friday at AT&T Park, and it doesn't include right-hander Scott Feldman. Chris Tillman is scheduled to face Ryan Vogelsong in the opener. Wei-Yin Chen will face Chad Gaudin on Saturday, and Bud Norris will face Matt Cain on Sunday. With off-days yesterday and Thursday, the Orioles could skip Feldman or just push him back. Feldman pitched Saturday against the Seattle Mariners,...

Tanner Roark had a secret. It was a pretty big one. He knew Sunday night. He told his parents and his fiancé. He got the call to pitch in the majors for the Nationals. The right-hander expressed his feelings from when his Triple-A manager relayed the news that he was going to be called up to the bigs. "This is so surreal," Roark said. "At first when I got the call and Tony Beasley told me, I was like, 'Wow, this is what I have dreamed for.' It started to sink in (that) I am...