The Nationals had hoped to come out of the All-Star break refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to turn their season around. If that turnaround is coming, it'll have to wait another day. The Nats fell to the Dodgers 3-2 tonight, smacking nine hits, but going just 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. They had just one RBI on the night, with their other run coming in on a wild pitch, and missed multiple opportunities to put crooked numbers up on the scoreboard. The biggest missed opportunity...

For the second start in a row since returning from the disabled list, Wei-Yin Chen faced the Texas Rangers. For the second start in a row, he pitched the O's to a win over Texas. Chen gave up just one run tonight as the Orioles beat the Rangers 3-1 in the opener of a three-game road series to begin the second half. The O's needed to win to keep pace with the top two clubs in the AL East, as Boston and Tampa Bay also won tonight. The Orioles improved to 54-43 with their fifth win in six...

Orioles left-hander Wei-Yin Chen has made two starts since coming off the disabled list, both of them against the Texas Rangers. He's allowed two runs and 11 hits in 13 1/3 innings. In three career starts against the Rangers - tonight was the first in Arlington - Chen has surrendered only three earns runs in 21 innings. Tonight was a bit of a struggle, but Chen registered his seventh quality start of the season. He allowed one run and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings, with two walks and three...

Entering in a 2-2 game in the top of the ninth inning, Rafael Soriano only threw five pitches before the game was no longer tied. Andre Ethier took a 1-2 slider from Soriano and golfed it just over the high wall in right-center for his sixth homer of the season, giving the Dodgers a 3-2 lead over the Nationals. It was Ethier's first homer since June 11. Soriano, meanwhile, has now allowed a run in two of his last three outings. He had been pretty solid for much of the season but has hit a...

Matt Wieters has two career hits against Rangers left-hander Derek Holland. Both of them are home runs. Wieters took Holland deep in the top of the second inning tonight to give the Orioles a 1-0 lead in Arlington. Maybe those four days off freshened up Wieters. Wieters has hit five of his home runs against left-handers this season and eight against right-handers. Chris Davis struck out in his first at-bat tonight, and he wasn't pleased with the call from plate umpire Andy Fletcher. Davis...

If the first five innings of tonight's game are any indication, some time off over the All-Star break apparently hasn't changed much about this Nationals team. The Nats trail 2-1 after five innings despite loading the bases with no outs in the fourth inning. They got nothing in that frame and had boos rain down upon them as they walked off the field. After Ryan Zimmerman and Bryce Harper singled with no outs and Jayson Werth followed with a walk to load the bases in the fourth, Ian Desmond...

The Nationals have 11 home games in the next 10 days, a lengthy homestand coming out of the All-Star break and a chance to get things going in the right direction after playing a disappointing first half of the season. Davey Johnson's club has gone 27-18 (.600) at home this season, leading you to believe the Nats will have a bit of an edge over the next week and a half. But Johnson doesn't necessarily see things that way. In his mind, the Nats just need to play better, and if they do, it...

The Orioles are certainly delighted that Wei-Yin Chen returned to their rotation before the All-Star break. He pitched the Orioles to a 6-1 win over Texas in his first start off the disabled list and faces the same team tonight. Chen is 4-3 with a 2.82 ERA in nine starts during a season where he missed two months with a strained oblique. Chen has produced six quality starts in his nine outings and the Orioles are 5-4 in those nine games. In two career starts against Texas, Chen is 2-0 with a...

I approached Adam LaRoche in the Nationals' clubhouse a bit ago to check in on him and ask if he was feeling OK, seeing as how he's been held out of the Nats' lineup for tonight's game against the Dodgers. "You might want to keep your distance," LaRoche responded in a quiet, somewhat raspy voice. LaRoche has been dealing with the flu over the last couple of days, an illness that has left him drained and his body feeling achy. As a result, he'll sit tonight's game out, meet with a team...

Henry Urrutia won't make his first major league start tonight. Urrutia is on the Orioles' bench against Rangers left-hander Derek Holland. Danny Valencia is the designated hitter. For the Orioles Nate McLouth LF Manny Machado 3B Nick Markakis RF Adam Jones CF Chris Davis 1B J.J. Hardy SS Matt Wieters C Danny Valencia DH Brian Roberts 2B Wei-Yin Chen LHP For the Rangers Ian Kinsler 2B Elvis Andrus SS A.J. Pierzynski C Adrian Beltre 3B Jeff Baker DH Mitch Moreland 1B Craig Gentry...