Shortstop Ian Desmond is "iffy" for Sunday, but manager Davey Johnson believes Bryce Harper will be able to play in Sunday's crucial finale against the Braves. Harper left the first game Saturday with a swollen ankle and he showed how bad it was to reporters after Game 2. "It feels all right," Harper said. "Once I get going, it feels good. When I sit down, it feels bad. Once I get warmed up to things, I am fine and that is all that matters." Harper was called upon to pinch hit in the...

On the same night that Ryan Flaherty homered for the second consecutive game as the Orioles' starting second baseman, Brian Roberts watched from his Sarasota home and wondered if he would get the chance to reclaim his job. Roberts remains on the 15-day disabled list after being diagnosed with a labral tear in his right hip. He hit some soft tosses again yesterday at the Ed Smith Stadium complex. He fielded ground balls, played catch, ran a little, did some lateral movements. "I'm trying...

Less than an hour after his most meaningful win in a Nationals uniform, John Lannan was optioned back to Triple-A Syracuse. If he pitches like he did Saturday night - seven solid innings allowing just two runs in what felt like a must-win situation - he will be back very soon. Lannan's story was the major headline as opening day approached in early April, when he was first optioned to Syracuse and Ross Detwiler was given the fifth starter spot on the big club. He admitted it hasn't been...

Following tonight's game, the Washington Nationals optioned left-handed pitcher John Lannan to Syracuse of the Triple-A International League. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Lannan, 27, earned the win in the second game of today's day-night doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves, allowing just two earned runs on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts in 7.0 innings pitched.

In the big picture, this game means just as much as any of the other 17 that the Nationals and Braves will play this season. It's still July. There are still 70 games remaining in the regular season. The Nats will meet the Braves seven more times after today. But from a momentum standpoint, this 5-2 Nationals win was a nice one for Davey Johnson's team to secure. Instead of going into tomorrow's series finale with Atlanta with a chance of being swept in four straight, the Nats will have a...

The Orioles used two big swings and several big pitches to pick up another big win. Jim Thome hit a two-run homer in the seventh to back the strong pitching of Chris Tillman as the Orioles beat Cleveland 3-1 at Progressive Field to take the first two games of this series. The Orioles went into the seventh down 1-0 to the Tribe as Shin-Soo Choo led off the last of the first with a homer. But after a J.J. Hardy single, Thome smoked a line drive off Zach McAllister that just made it over the...

One start after failing to clear the first inning, Chris Tillman has held the Cleveland Indians to one run through the sixth. The only issue for Tillman was a lack of offensive support, but Jim Thome just belted a two-run homer off Indians right-hander Zach McAllister in the top of the seventh inning. Orioles 2, Indians 1. Thome has homered in back-to-back games, giving him 611 for his career. Tillman has allowed two earned runs in three starts and 15 innings with the Orioles this season,...

You can't really blame John Lannan if he was a little emotionally charged up in the first inning of tonight's ballgame. This is his first major league start of the season after the Nationals optioned him to Triple-A the day before opening day in a surprise move. He's been stuck riding buses and pitching to sparse crowds since, and hasn't been on the mound in a regular season game at Nats Park since Sept. 16, 2011. So when Lannan allowed two runs in the first inning, giving up three hits...

You know what Orioles fans were thinking on Monday night. Only an O's pitching prospect can dominate a team one game like Chris Tillman did in 8 1/3 innings against Seattle and not make it through the first inning the next start. Tillman gave up seven runs, with just one earned, in two-thirds of an inning Monday at Minnesota. I'll give him a mulligan for that outing. A Mark Reynolds error opened the door for the big inning and, had he recorded the out, would have ended that inning with just...

Given what happened last night and what's still to come tonight, Edwin Jackson knew what he needed to do in Game 1 of the Nationals' doubleheader with the Braves. "Days like we had last night, it's pretty important that as a starter the next day, you can go as deep as you can to save the bullpen," Jackson said. "Those guys worked hard last night and they battled a lot. It was just one of those things where you want to come out today and you definitely want to go deep in the game." He...