The Nationals have been waiting for Tyler Moore and Roger Bernadina to come around and provide some of the offensive firepower that they showed last season, when the two reserve outfielders combined for 15 homers and hit a collective .279. Coming into today, Moore and Bernadina had just one home run on the season between them and were batting a collective .138. That all changed in the fourth inning. Moore and Bernadina hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth, turning a tie game into a Nats...

WASHINGTON - Chris Davis and J.J. Hardy hit solo home runs off Nationals rookie Nate Karns in the top of the fourth inning to tie the game 3-3, but Kevin Gausman served up two more homers and an RBI double in the bottom half that gave the hosts a 7-3 lead. Steve Pearce pinch-hit for Gausman leading off the top of the fifth. In his second major league start, Gausman allowed seven runs and eight hits, with one walk and no strikeouts. He threw 67 pitches, 47 for strikes. Davis is on another...

I wonder how Birdland is dealing with seeing Kevin Gausman get hit hard tonight by the Washington Nationals? Gausman gave up four runs over five innings to Toronto last Thursday and allowed seven runs in the first four innings tonight at Nats Park. Right after a pair of Orioles homers tied this game at 3-3 in the top of the fourth, the Nats quickly untied it against Gausman in the last of the fourth. With one on and one out, he left an 0-2 slider up and Tyler Moore hit that hanger out for a...

After a rain delay of 1 hour, 21 minutes, Nathan Karns stepped on the mound at Nationals Park for the first time. It couldn't have been easy for the 25-year-old to have waited for his major league debut to begin while rain poured down here in D.C. He had to be jacked up as all get-out, but the wait is now over. If Karns was too juiced up in the first inning of his debut, it didn't show. Wearing No. 57 and facing Nate McLouth to open things up, Karns toed the rubber, turned into his smooth,...

WASHINGTON - We're still in a rain delay at Nationals Park. It was pouring a few minutes ago, but the intensity has lessened. That doesn't mean we're close to starting tonight's game. Rain continues to fall and there was thunder and lightning earlier, but the grounds crew is sweeping water off the tarp. Orioles reliever Tommy Hunter told reporters earlier today that his right hand feels better, though he's still got some soreness, and he could probably pitch tonight if needed. "It's...

WASHINGTON - Orioles backup catcher Taylor Teagarden caught five innings yesterday at extended spring training and served as the designated hitter today. He will catch seven innings on Wednesday and head out on an injury rehab assignment. "He's coming along real well, so that's encouraging," said manager Buck Showalter. Teagarden could be activated from the 15-day disabled list next week. Second baseman Brian Roberts is hitting off a tee and increasing his baseball activity in Sarasota,...

News that noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. Lewis Yocum died Saturday of cancer was greeted by sadness in the Nationals clubhouse before Tuesday night's game against the Orioles. Dr. Yocum had performed Tommy John ligament replacement surgery on Nats pitchers Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmerman, consulted last winter on second baseman Danny Espinosa's shoulder injury and was a presence in the Los Angeles Angels clubhouse when right-hander Dan Haren pitched in Anaheim. "He's been unbelievable...

Second baseman Danny Espinosa, who has not played since May 22 while rehabilitating what was discovered to be a broken right wrist, took batting practice and participated in fielding drills before Tuesday's game against the Orioles. If all goes well, and he experiences no setbacks, Espinosa expects to be cleared to play Wednesday when the interleague series moves to Baltimore for two games. "It's calmed down, it feels good," he said before taking BP. "I think the doctor will be here in a...

Right-hander Nathan Karns will make his major league debut tonight with the Nationals, starting against the Baltimore Orioles. Karns has a 4-2 record in nine starts this season for Double-A Harrisburg, with an ERA of 4.60. Karns had a couple of games where he was hit pretty hard. His troubles stemmed from a mechanical issue that has since been worked out. My sources in Harrisburg tell me Karns is a "competitor" and won't be "bothered by the situation." He throws a mid-90s fastball, a...

The Washington Nationals recalled right-handed pitcher Nathan Karns from Harrisburg of the Double-A Eastern League and optioned left-handed pitcher Xavier Cedeno to Syracuse of the Triple-A International League. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Karns is scheduled to make his Major League debut tonight when Washington hosts Baltimore at Nationals Park. The 25-year-old went 4-2 with a 4.60 ERA in nine starts this...