Game 99 lineups: Nats vs. Padres

Game 99 lineups: Nats vs. Padres
It's another scorcher in the nation's capital, and today the Nationals and Padres will be playing smack dab in the middle of the afternoon with the sun beating down on them. That's going to be quite the test for Lucas Giolito, who makes his return to the big leagues after a very brief (two starts) demotion to the minors. The Nationals are hoping Giolito displays some better command of his off-speed pitches today against the Padres, which would help make his fastball more effective. That'll...
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Game 98 lineups: Nats vs. Padres

Game 98 lineups: Nats vs. Padres
It is an extraordinarily hot day here in the nation's capital, where according to my trusty weather app, it is currently 95 degrees with a heat index of 105. It will cool down moderately before Max Scherzer takes the mound at 7:05 p.m., but not a whole lot. If you're coming to the game, please make sure you prepare accordingly and do what you need to do to stay relatively cool. As for the game itself, the Nationals are attempting to snap a two-game losing streak, trying to beat a Padres club...
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Orioles and Yankees lineups

Orioles and Yankees lineups
NEW YORK - Adam Jones is out of the Orioles lineup today after leaving last night's game with a back spasm. However, Chris Davis and Manny Machado have returned. Julio Borbon has replaced Jones in center field. Nolan Reimold is leading off. Ryan Flaherty is in right field. Matt Wieters said his right foot is better, but he's still day to day. Orioles manager Buck Showalter arrived at Yankee Stadium this morning, but it's not known whether he'll be in the dugout for the game. For the...
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Game 96 lineups: Dodgers at Nationals

Game 96 lineups: Dodgers at Nationals
Right-hander Stephen Strasburg just wants to go out and pitch. But if the San Diego State phenom can pull off the win Thursday afternoon against the L.A. Dodgers, he will have given his team a series win and continued the best start in his career at 14-0. With a victory today, he would also tie Roger Clemens (1986) for the fifth-best start in Major League Baseball history. After Wednesday's 8-1 win, the Nationals now have an 18-17 edge all-time over the Dodgers in D.C. Los Angeles counters...
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Orioles and Yankees lineups

Orioles and Yankees lineups
NEW YORK - Orioles manager Buck Showalter has come down with the same stomach virus that's sweeping through the clubhouse and he may not make it to Yankee Stadium for tonight's game. Bench coach John Russell would fill in for Showalter. He's handling the media session later this afternoon. Manny Machado will not start tonight, while Chris Davis and Matt Wieters remain out of the lineup. No word yet on whether Machado is also suffering from the stomach virus. In his absence, Ryan Flaherty...
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Game 95 lineups: Nats vs. Dodgers

Game 95 lineups: Nats vs. Dodgers
If you experienced last night's sudden and violent thunderstorm, you know how much rain and hail fell from the sky in a very short amount of time. And if you saw photos or video from Nationals Park around 11 p.m., you know how bad the field and warning track looked, with the grounds crew unable to get the tarp out fast enough to beat the storm. Well, only 15 hours later, you'd never know what hit the place. The field looks fantastic, with scant evidence of the damage. Major props to John...
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Game 94 lineups: Nats vs. Dodgers

Game 94 lineups: Nats vs. Dodgers
It may not garner as much attention as Lucas Giolito's major league debut a couple of weeks ago, but Reynaldo Lopez's first career start tonight for the Nationals is nearly as significant a development. The 22-year-old right-hander is one of the organization's top pitching prospects and has rocketed his up the farm system in the last year, going from Single-A Potomac to Double-A Harrisburg and then briefly to Triple-A Syracuse before earning this final promotion. Lopez also is the first...
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Game 93 lineups: Nats vs. Pirates (Rendon scratched)

Game 93 lineups: Nats vs. Pirates (Rendon scratched)
It's going to be a scorcher this afternoon when the Nationals and Pirates take the field for their series finale, but at least it's going to be dry after last night's rain-delayed affair. The Nats are going for the sweep, not to mention a six-game winning streak sandwiched around the All-Star break. For the third straight day, they won't have Daniel Murphy in their lineup. Dusty Baker had indicated Murphy would likely be starting today at first base, and he both jogged and took batting...
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Game 92 lineups: Nats vs. Pirates

Game 92 lineups: Nats vs. Pirates
Stephen Strasburg set the tone last night with a dominant start to open the season's second half. Does Tanner Roark have one in himself tonight against the Pirates? Roark was given this assignment in part to keep him as close to on-schedule as possible. He hasn't started a game since July 6, but he did pitch 2 1/3 perfect innings in relief Sunday afternoon in New York, not a bad tune-up at all. The Nationals lineup faces a challenge tonight in Gerrit Cole, the Pittsburgh ace who returns from...
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Orioles lineup vs. Rays (updated)

Orioles lineup vs. Rays (updated)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Outfielder Hyun Soo Kim remains out of the Orioles lineup tonight, whether it's due to a strained right hamstring or the Rays starting left-hander Matt Moore. The Orioles will check Kim's condition again on Sunday before deciding whether to place him on the disabled list. Nolan Reimold is in left field and Joey Rickard is in right. Mark Trumbo is serving as the designated hitter. Jonathan Schoop is batting .341 (14-for-41) with two doubles, two home runs, seven RBIs...
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Late scratch of Murphy foils Baker's plan for altered lineup

Late scratch of Murphy foils Baker's plan for altered lineup
Dusty Baker thought he had figured out his preferred lineup when the Nationals are facing a left-handed starter, one that included Trea Turner leading off, Michael A. Taylor in center field and Daniel Murphy shifting to first base. But then Murphy had to be scratched from the lineup for tonight's second-half opener against the Pirates, and Baker's master plan had to be thrown out the window. Murphy was scratched due to "general leg soreness," according to the Nationals. Club officials...
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Orioles and Rays lineups

Orioles and Rays lineups
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Hyun Soo Kim is not in tonight's Orioles lineup for the first of three games against the Rays at Tropicana Field. Kim, who left Sunday's final game of the first half with a right hamstring strain, is listed among the reserves on the lineup card. Adam Jones, Chris Davis, Caleb Joseph and Ryan Flaherty took early batting practice. Mychal and Tiffani Givens are the proud parents of daughter Makaylah Grace, born yesterday in Tampa. She's seven pounds and 13 ounces and...
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Game 91 lineups: Nats vs. Pirates (Murphy scratched)

Game 91 lineups: Nats vs. Pirates (Murphy scratched)
And we're back. After a four-day break for All-Star festivities, the Nationals are back in action tonight, opening a nine-game homestand that begins this weekend with three against the Pirates. Stephen Strasburg sat out the Midsummer Classic in San Diego in part because he wanted to make sure he was fresh to start tonight's second-half opener. So this is a big start for the right-hander, who (by the way) is attempting to improve to 13-0 on the season. Erratic left-hander Francisco Liriano...
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Game 90 lineups: Nats at Mets

Game 90 lineups: Nats at Mets
NEW YORK - And so we have reached the first-half finale of what has been a most interesting season so far for the Nationals. They are guaranteed to go into the All-Star break at least four games up in the National League East, possibly six if they can beat the Mets again this afternoon. It'll be Gio Gonzalez on the mound for this one, and though he has been erratic for most of the last two months, he has dominated at Citi Field over his career (7-1, 1.53 ERA in 12 starts). Fellow left-hander...
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Game 88 lineups: Nats at Mets

Game 88 lineups: Nats at Mets
NEW YORK - It's been a busy day already around here, with the Nationals adding two players to the active roster (Trea Turner, Michael A. Taylor) and removing two players from the active roster (Ryan Zimmerman, Lucas Giolito). Meanwhile on the Mets side, Matt Harvey is definitely having season ending thoracic outlet surgery, and Bartolo Colon is an All-Star. Oh, yeah, there's also a game to be played tonight. And it features Stephen Strasburg versus Noah Syndergaard in a matchup of National...
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Game 87 lineups: Nats at Mets

Game 87 lineups: Nats at Mets
NEW YORK - Hello from Citi Field, where the Nationals close out the first half of the season with a big, four-game weekend series against the Mets. They enter tonight's opener holding a four-game lead, so that means things could go in a lot of different directions. A sweep by the Mets would leave the two teams tied; a sweep by the Nats would increase the lead to a commanding eight games. More likely is a series split or somebody taking three-of-four, making the most plausible spread at the...
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Game 86 lineups: Brewers at Nats

Game 86 lineups: Brewers at Nats
The Nationals have struggled against the Brewers this season, falling in four of five games. They are also 0-2 against Milwaukee at Nats Park. The offense has been limping to the All-Star break. Take out the 12 runs scored against the Reds on Sunday and the Nats have combined for only nine runs in the other four games in July. They have struck out 36 times in those five games. Manager Dusty Baker acknowledged the offense needs to pick up the slack for the starting pitching. Right-hander Tanner...
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Orioles lineup vs. Dodgers (Machado an All-Star starter)

Orioles lineup vs. Dodgers (Machado an All-Star starter)
Hyun Soo Kim is in left field and Mark Trumbo is in right, as the Orioles try to end their five-game losing streak in Los Angeles. Kim is batting second. Jonathan Schoop is seventh. The Orioles are 12-4 in Chris Tillman's 16 interleague starts. Tillman is 4-1 with a 4.88 ERA against the National League, and he's 4-0 with a 2.91 ERA in his last seven starts since July 7, 2014. Tillman has posted a quality start in each of those seven outings and the Orioles are 7-0 in those games. For the...
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Game 85 lineups: Nats vs. Brewers

Game 85 lineups: Nats vs. Brewers
It's a big night in baseball, and not necessarily for what's taking place on the field. It's All-Star selection night, which means that shortly after 7 p.m. EDT, several members of the Nationals are going to find out they're heading to San Diego next week for the Midsummer Classic. At last check, Bryce Harper was still in position to be voted as a starting outfielder by fans, with Daniel Murphy and Wilson Ramos each trying to make late charges. Either way, both Murphy and Ramos are seen as...
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Orioles lineup vs. Dodgers

Orioles lineup vs. Dodgers
Jonathan Schoop is batting second tonight as the Orioles begin a three-game series against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Mark Trumbo is in right field and Joey Rickard is in left. For the Orioles Adam Jones CF Jonathan Schoop 2B Manny Machado 3B Mark Trumbo RF Chris Davis 1B Matt Wieters C J.J. Hardy SS Joey Rickard LF Yovani Gallardo RHP In case you missed it earlier, the Orioles recalled outfielder Dariel Alvarez from Triple-A Norfolk and left-hander Jayson Aquino from Double-A Bowie, placed...
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