PHILADELPHIA - Here are the number of runs the Nationals have scored in each of their last 10 games: 13, 10, zero, one, eight, eight, five, 11, two, two. Of those 10 games, the Nats won six. Take your best guess which six ended in a Nationals handshake line on the field after the final out. The Nats have shown in the last couple weeks that they're capable of producing - and producing in a big way - offensively. But they've also followed those big offensive ballgames with ones where their...

Between innings, players will get a drink of water, talk to teammates or grab a fresh piece of gum. Ian Desmond shaves his goatee. In the first inning of tonight's game against the Phillies, Desmond - and his goatee - walked up to the plate and then promptly grounded into a double play. By the time the third inning arrived, MASN cameras showed a clean-shaven Desmond, beard nowhere to be seen. Postgame, he said to reporters, "The goatee was weighing me down." After an 0-for-8 drought,...

The Orioles have optioned pitchers Zach Britton and Kevin Gausman to Triple-A Norfolk. The corresponding moves will be announced on Wednesday. Wei-Yin Chen will come off the disabled list and replace Britton in the rotation. The Orioles also will call up a reliever to take Gausman's spot in the bullpen. Britton allowed five runs and eight hits in five innings tonight, with three walks and no strikeouts. No matter how the left-hander pitched, he figured to be sent down because his turn...

The Orioles announced after tonight's game that they have optioned left-hander Zach Britton and right-hander Kevin Gausman to Triple-A Norfolk. Britton, 25, is 2-3 with a 4.76 ERA (34.0IP, 18ER) in six starts for the Orioles this season. He started tonight's game and took the loss, allowing 5 earned runs in 5.0 innings. Gausman, 22, is 1-3 with a 6.21 ERA (33.1IP, 23ER) in nine games (five starts) for the O's this season. Corresponding roster moves will be announced before Wednesday's...

Just two days after pinning a loss on Yankees closer Mariano Rivera with a ninth-inning homer, Adam Jones was answering questions about chasing pitches out of the strike zone tonight. He was far from the only Oriole who didn't come up big on offense, but Jones didn't back away from the question after he went 0-for-4 in the O's 8-4 loss to Texas. "I saw it as everyone else saw it. I chased pitches I shouldn't have," Jones said. "Pretty simple. There is no equation to figure out. I...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter told reporters that his club will make a roster move or moves later tonight. Stay tuned. The obvious move is activating Wei-Yin Chen from the disabled list and optioning Zach Britton, who allowed five runs and eight hits in five innings in the Orioles' 8-4 loss to the Rangers. It's possible that the Orioles also bring up a fresh bullpen arm. What was the difference in Britton tonight compared to past starts? "Just command," Showalter said. "He's missing...

Coming into tonight's game, Orioles pitchers had not allowed a homer in four games, covering 34 1/3 consecutive innings. Had Adrian Beltre not played, they might have made it five in a row for the first time since April 2007. Beltre homered twice and drove in five runs as the Rangers beat the Orioles 8-4 in front of 29,160 at Camden Yards. Texas has now won seven of its last eight games at the Yard. It was Beltre's 19th and 20th homers and his 25th career multi-homer game. He went 4-for-4...

If Zach Britton is making his last start for the Orioles tonight, he isn't leaving on a high note. Britton lasted only five innings and allowed five runs and eight hits, with three walks, no strikeouts and two home runs. He threw 91 pitches, 55 for strikes. Kevin Gausman replaced Britton, who had permitted three earned runs in his last two starts covering 12 1/3 innings. The Orioles could option Britton to Triple-A Norfolk while activating left-hander Wei-Yin Chen, who will start Wednesday...

PHILADELPHIA - As he is before his first at-bat of every game here at Citizens Bank Park, Jayson Werth was booed heavily when he stepped into the batter's box in the top of the second inning tonight. Werth responded to the jeers from his former fanbase by reaching out and crushing a Cole Hamels changeup into the bleachers in left-center, giving the Nationals an early lead. It wasn't a bad pitch from Hamels; the changeup was down in the zone and away from Werth. He stayed on the pitch,...

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado has 122 hits this season, tying him with Baltimore native Al Kaline (1955) for the most hits before the All-Star break by a player under 22 years old, according to STATS. Machado's 47 extra-base hits through July 5 already were the most in major league history before the break by a player under 21. Machado may be facing his biggest challenge with manager Buck Showalter. "He's trying to get me to learn how to download some stuff, apps," Showalter told...