MIAMI – The Orioles (60-39) play Game No. 100 tonight and begin a three-game series at loanDepot park versus the Marlins (35-65), who have the worst record in the National League.

The O's will face right-hander Kyle Tyler (0-1, 3.38 ERA) with Gunnar Henderson leading off, Ryan O'Hearn batting fourth as the designated hitter and Jorge Mateo hitting ninth at second base.

Albert Suárez (5-3, 2.82 ERA) will be making his 13th start. In the first 12, he is 4-3 with a 3.13 ERA and the Orioles are 7-5 in those games. 

The Birds took two of three at Texas and lead the American League East by 1 1/2 games over the Yankees and seven games over the third-place Red Sox.

Baltimore has won its last four games against Miami going back to late July, scoring at least five runs in each. It is the Orioles’ longest winning streak against the Marlins and the first time they have scored at least five runs in four straight against them.

The Nationals couldn’t have asked for a better start to their second half, sweeping the Reds over the weekend in impressive fashion. Now they’ll have to try to keep it going against a team that recently swept them.

The Padres are in town, and it was only four weeks ago when they won three straight against the Nationals during a wild series in San Diego that ruined a lot of positive momentum they had built up earlier in June.

One of those games at Petco Park was started by DJ Herz, who makes his return to the big leagues tonight after officially getting recalled from Triple-A. (Reliever Eduardo Salazar was optioned to Rochester to clear up that roster spot.) Herz essentially got a 16-day break since he last pitched up here, making only one abbreviated start for Rochester to keep his arm fresh. It will be fascinating to see how the rookie left-hander returns, and whether he can find some level of more consistency than he showed in his first stint.

Right-hander Randy Vasquez is tonight’s opponent, and he will be a new face from the Nationals’ perspective, nobody on the current roster having faced him before. There will be a few ex-Padres in the lineup, though, with some extra motivation against the franchise that traded them. How will James Wood and CJ Abrams handle this assignment?

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. SAN DIEGO PADRES
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Chance of rain late, 88 degrees, wind 7 mph out to left field

The Nationals have already won back-to-back series. Now they have a shot at a rare series sweep if they can beat the Reds again in this afternoon’s finale.

Though they’ve somehow managed to win a pair of games in the last week in which their starter didn’t even reach the third inning, that’s probably not a formula for sustained success. So it would behoove Jake Irvin to be good today, and to give his team some length so Davey Martinez doesn’t have rely too heavily on a bullpen that’s already worn down only two games into the second half of the season.

Irvin is coming off back-to-back rough starts, though, which took some of the luster off his breakthrough first half. The right-hander’s issue in those games against the Mets and Brewers: He was hit hard, to the tune of 13 runs on 18 hits over 10 innings. That was a pretty stark drop-off after back-to-back starts in which he surrendered only one hit.

The Nationals face another left-hander today in Andrew Abbott. He’s been solid in 40 career starts, but the Nats did get to him for six runs in 5 2/3 innings last August in Cincinnati. The University of Virginia alum has walked 22 batters over his last 37 1/3 innings, so patience is a virtue against him this afternoon.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. CINCINNATI REDS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 1:35 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 89 degrees, wind 5 mph out to left field

Though it got way more interesting in the top of the ninth than it needed to be, the Nationals’ 8-5 victory over the Reds on Friday night was a very good way for them to open the second half of the season. They got sustained offense, including a pair of home runs from two positions where they’ve desperately needed more offense. They got a very good start out of Patrick Corbin. And they actually supported him for a change and earned him his first win since May 10.

Now there’s an opportunity to clinch a weekend series win and really get the second half to a positive start. It starts with MacKenzie Gore, who needs some positive performances himself right now. The left-hander allowed four or more runs in four of his last five starts, turning a 3.26 ERA into a 4.01 ERA at the break. He’s got to be more efficient and give himself a chance to go deep in the game, especially after the Nats used five relievers to pull off Friday’s win.

The Nationals lineup faces the Reds’ Nick Lodolo, who put together a very solid first half of his own, going 8-3 with a 3.33 ERA and 1.123 WHIP. The left-hander is facing the Nats for only the second time in his career, and the previous start took place back in 2022, when he allowed three runs over seven innings to a lineup that included a top four of César Hernández, Joey Meneses, Luke Voit and Nelson Cruz. Not a lot to be drawn from that performance.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. CINCINNATI REDS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Rain ending, 80 degrees, wind 9 mph out to left field

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
RF Lane Thomas
1B Juan Yepez
DH Harold Ramírez
C Riley Adams
2B Ildemaro Vargas
LF James Wood
3B Trey Lipscomb
CF Jacob Young

ARLINGTON, Texas – Corbin Burnes follows his scoreless first inning in Tuesday’s All-Star Game at Globe Life Field with tonight’s start against the Rangers that begins the second half.

Burnes made his first career start against the Rangers on June 27 at Camden Yards and held them to one run with nine hits over seven innings. Adolis García homered off Burnes.

According to STATS, Burnes is the only pitcher in the modern era with a career WHIP under 1.00 on the road in a minimum 50 starts. His WHIP is 0.99.

Colton Cowser is in left field tonight and Cedric Mullins is in center. Jorge Mateo is the second baseman and Jordan Westburg is at third.

Adley Rutschman (59) and Anthony Santander (58) had at least 55 RBIs at the break, just the third pair of switch-hitting teammates to do it after Cleveland’s José Ramírez and Francisco Lindor in 2019 and Carlos Baerga and Eddie Murray in 1994, according to STATS.

Welcome to the unofficial second half of the 2024 season! Hope everyone enjoyed the All-Star break (was it really a break, though?) and is ready to get back to baseball. The Nationals ended the first half at 44-53 after taking two of three from the Brewers in Milwaukee. Although they are fourth in the National League East and six games out of a wild card spot, they are five games better than they were through 97 games last year.

The Nats will begin the second half like they did the first half: against the Reds.

Patrick Corbin makes the first start of the second half for Davey Martinez’s club. Through his 19 first-half starts, the left-hander went 1-9 with a 5.57 ERA. Corbin, who turns 35 today, was charged with four runs in 4 ⅓ innings against the Reds in the second game of the season, which the Nats eventually won 7-6.

Frankie Montas opposes the birthday boy for the Reds. The veteran right-hander went 4-7 with a 4.38 ERA in 17 first-half starts. He pitched six shutout innings against the Nats in an Opening Day win. But this will be a very different lineup than the one Montas faced back in March, with Joey Meneses, Joey Gallo and Eddie Rosario not in it.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. CINCINNATI REDS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, DC 87.7 (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 85 degrees, wind 7 mph out to left field

MILWAUKEE – It’s been an eventful weekend here, to say the least. Friday night’s win was solid. Saturday afternoon’s win was wild. And the postgame trade of Hunter Harvey threw an unexpected wrench into the proceedings. And at the end of all that, the Nationals now take the field this afternoon with a chance to sweep the first-place Brewers and go into the All-Star break on a decidedly high note.

The Nats will hope to keep the good offensive vibes going, this time against right-hander Colin Rae. The 34-year-old journeyman is enjoying a solid season, but he’s not a big strikeout guy and he has allowed 14 homers in 99 1/3 innings. If the Nationals can hit the ball in the air on a warm, muggy day here, they should have a chance to score some runs.

Jake Irvin gets the ball for the first-half finale, and it’s been a fantastic first half for the right-hander, aside from an ugly loss to the Mets last week. Irvin will hope to turn that around, pitch more like himself and go into the break on his own personal high note.

Update: The Brewers are actually not starting Rae today. Instead, it will be left-hander Rob Zastryzny opening a bullpen game.

Update II: The Nationals have recalled right-hander Amos Willingham from Triple-A Rochester to take Harvey's roster spot.

MILWAUKEE – It’s been a while since the Nationals last won a series opener. You have to go back to June 21 in Colorado for the most recent case. So Friday night’s 5-2 victory over the Brewers was significant, because it now gives them two opportunities to win this series before heading into the All-Star break. It’s always better to play ahead than behind, right?

The Nats got a rare, sustained offensive attack in the opener, rapping out 12 hits and scoring in four different innings. They’ll try to do the same today against Dallas Keuchel, who has had quite the meandering path through the league the last few years. A stalwart of the Astros’ rotation from 2012-18, the left-hander has pitched for six major league organizations since, and not especially well. This will be his fourth start for Milwaukee, and his last one was wild: three hits, five walks, zero strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings against the Dodgers … without allowing a run.

Mitchell Parker gets the ball for the Nationals, looking to close out his breakthrough first half on a high note. The rookie boasts a 3.44 ERA and 1.091 WHIP in 16 starts, and his consistency has been remarkable. He’s gone at least five innings while allowing three or fewer earned runs in 12 of those 16 starts. He’s gone at least six innings while allowing three or fewer earned runs in six of those starts.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at MILWAUKEE BREWERS
Where: American Family Field
Gametime: 4:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 84 degrees, wind 10 mph in from center field

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
RF Lane Thomas
1B Juan Yepez
LF James Wood
DH Harold Ramírez
2B Ildemaro Vargas
C Riley Adams
3B Trey Lipscomb
CF Jacob Young

Heston Kjerstad is in today’s lineup for the Orioles after being hit on the helmet last night by a 96.8 mph sinker from Clay Holmes. Kjerstad underwent testing for a concussion but is fine.

We’ll find out later whether there’s any carryover from the dugout-clearing incident. Manager Brandon Hyde and others, including bench coach Fredi González, had to be restrained. Hyde was ejected.

The Yankees lead the majors with 62 hit batters.

Holmes wasn’t trying to hit anyone. He had back-to-back poor outings against the Orioles in the Bronx, allowing four runs (three earned) in two innings. He wanted three outs last night, the save, and to get out of the rain. But there’s friction between these clubs and it boiled over.

“The movement wasn’t my normal sinker,” Holmes said afterward. “Just kind of pulled it.”

MILWAUKEE – The Nationals, as you probably realize by now, are limping into the All-Star break. They’ve lost five in a row, not to mention 13 of their last 17. They’ve gone from one game under .500 to 10 games under .500, a significant difference as they evaluate the overall state of things heading into the trade deadline at the end of the month.

What the Nats need right now, though, is a good weekend against the Brewers. They’ve got to try to summon the energy and motivation to play better baseball the next three days before dispersing around the country for the break.

They especially need to score more runs on a more consistent basis after a really rough series in New York that saw them score seven total runs in three games, five of those coming in the final two innings of Tuesday’s loss, the other two coming in the fourth inning of Wednesday’s loss. That’s just not going to cut it. Tonight, they face veteran right-hander Freddy Peralta, who over his last four starts has a 2.45 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 22 innings.

There’s a new face on the mound tonight for the Nationals: Jackson Rutledge, who officially was recalled from Triple-A, with Joan Adon optioned back to Rochester to clear a roster spot for him. Rutledge was supposed to be the first starter called up when the season began, but a rough start to his season in Rochester opened the door for Mitchell Parker, then later DJ Herz, and we’ve seen how those two seized their opportunities. This figures to be a one-off for Rutledge, who had a 6.66 ERA in 16 minor league starts this year but did allow two or fewer earned runs in three of his last four.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at MILWAUKEE BREWERS
Where: American Family Field
Gametime: 8:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Clear, 81 degrees, wind 7 mph in from center field

NEW YORK – The Nationals need a win today, plan and simple. After trending in the right direction for most of the first half, they are heading the opposite way going into the All-Star break. A win to avoid a sweep at Citi Field and a couple more in Milwaukee wouldn’t be a cure-all. But it would be a good way for the team to enter the break and perhaps get back on track to start the second half.

MacKenzie Gore was beaten around in his last start for five runs on six hits and five walks in just 3 ⅓ innings against the Cardinals. But in his start before that, he held the Mets to just one run while getting eight strikeouts in 5 ⅔ innings. So he’ll try to avoid what happened to Jake Irvin the other night and continue his success against New York.

David Peterson goes for the Mets this afternoon in another rematch of starting pitchers from last week’s series in D.C. The lefty was charged with two runs on seven hits in 6 ⅓ innings against the Nats. He was similarly effective in his previous start, holding the Pirates to two runs but only completing 4 ⅓ innings.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at NEW YORK METS
Where: Citi Field
Gametime: 1:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB Network (out-of-market only), MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, DC 87.7 (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Mostly sunny, 87 degrees, wind 14 mph out to right-center field

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
RF Lane Thomas
LF James Wood
DH Jesse Winker
C Riley Adams
1B Juan Yepez
2B Luis García Jr.
3B Trey Lipscomb
CF Jacob Young

NEW YORK – The Nationals are hoping to start tonight’s game like they finished last night’s. Down 6-0 going into the eighth, they hit two two-run home runs and scored a fifth run over the game’s last two innings. And by doing so, they made the Mets use four relievers, including closer Edwin Díaz, in a game they should have run away with.

The Nats will try to jump on Luis Severino early. The veteran right-hander has been solid in his first season pitching for the other New York team, going 5-3 with a 3.83 ERA and 1.200 WHIP over his first 17 starts. One of those starts came against the Nats, not last week but a month ago. Severino held them to one run on seven hits, no walks and four strikeouts over eight innings.

Patrick Corbin takes the mound for the Nats. He opposed Severino in that June 5 game at Nationals Park with very different results. The veteran left-hander gave up six runs on seven hits and three home runs in just 5 ⅓ innings while taking the loss. He’ll at least try to do what Jake Irvin did last night and provide some length.

If this game gets into a battle of the bullpens, the advantage could be in the Nationals’ favor given how many relievers the Mets had to use last night while the Nats only used Jordan Weems to cover the last two innings. However, the Mets did make a couple of roster moves this afternoon to bolster their bullpen, including placing former National Reed Garrett on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation and activating right-hander Phil Maton, who they acquired from the Rays yesterday in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at NEW YORK METS
Where: Citi Field
Gametime: 7:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, DC 87.7 (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 79 degrees, wind 21 mph out to center field

NEW YORK – After a 3-5 homestand, the Nationals cannot get back to a .500 record before the All-Star break next week. But they’ll have this six-game road tip to end the first half of the season and get close before a much-needed break. For reference, these Nationals are five games better than they were at this point in the season last year.

And look who they’ll face to start this road trip: An old friend in the Mets, who the Nats split a four-game series with in D.C. last week. And look who will take the mound against the Mets: Jake Irvin, who pitched one of the best games we’ve seen from a Nationals pitcher on Independence Day. The right-hander struck out eight over eight innings of one-hit, one-walk ball. Now he’ll have the challenge of facing the same New York lineup in back-to-back starts.

And look who will take the mound for the Mets: Jose Quintana. who opposed Irvin last week. The veteran left-hander held the Nats scoreless over seven innings with four hits, three walks and only one strikeout.

Do we have another pitchers’ duel on-deck for the opener of this three-game series or will the offenses exact their respective revenge?

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at NEW YORK METS
Where: Citi Field
Gametime: 7:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, DC 87.7 (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Cloudy, 83 degrees, wind 13 mph out to center field

It’s been a long and eventful homestand, with a pair of four-game series and a whole lot of news, both involving the roster and the All-Star Game. And it finally comes to an end this afternoon with one more game against the Cardinals. A win would leave the Nationals with a 4-4 record on the homestand, which, all things considered, would be fine. Not great, but fine.

The pitching staff, as we know, is on fumes at this point. The Nats’ last three starters have combined for only 12 2/3 innings. So they really do need some length today from Mitchell Parker. The rookie left-hander has completed six innings in three of his last four outings, so he has the ability. He’s reached the 100-pitch mark only once in 15 total starts; Davey Martinez might have to push him beyond that number today.

For the fourth straight day, the Nationals lineup faces a veteran St. Louis right-hander. This time it’s Miles Mikolas, who enters with a 5.19 ERA and 1.222 WHIP. He was lit up by the Reds two starts ago for 10 runs, but he did bounce back last time out and held the Pirates to two runs over six innings.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 4:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Hot and humid, 94 degrees, wind 8 mph out to left field

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
RF Lane Thomas
LF James Wood
DH Jesse Winker
C Keibert Ruiz
2B Luis García Jr.
1B Juan Yepez
3B Trey Lipscomb
CF Jacob Young

OAKLAND – The Orioles will try to win the series this afternoon while they also complete their West Coast trip, saying goodbye to the Oakland Coliseum for the last time.

They also want to avoid a second series loss to the Athletics this season.

Heston Kjerstad is in left field and Cedric Mullins is in center. Colton Cowser is on the bench.

Ryan O’Hearn is playing first base. Ryan Mountcastle is the designated hitter, moving down to seventh in the order.

Ramón Urías is playing third base again, with Jordan Westburg at second.

The Nationals could be a perfect 5-0 on this homestand. Instead, they’re a disappointing 2-3. Why? Because three times they had a chance to walk off the opponent in the bottom of the ninth but failed to do so, then lost in extra innings. It happened twice against the Mets, and then it happened again Friday night against the Cardinals.

The cumulative effect of all that: The bullpen is fried. Kyle Finnegan, Hunter Harvey and Robert Garcia have each pitched four of the last five days. Derek Law has pitched the last two days. Dylan Floro has pitched three of the last five days. In other words, Davey Martinez may have no choice but to use some combination of Jacob Barnes, Tanner Rainey and Jordan Weems today, no matter the score or situation.

MacKenzie Gore could help the cause a lot if he can provide some length on what’s going to be another scorching hot and humid afternoon. The left-hander has managed to complete at least five innings in 14 of his 17 starts to date. But he’s only completed the sixth inning five times, only once in his last seven outings.

Lance Lynn, meanwhile, gets the start for the Cardinals. It’s hard to believe this, but he’s the same guy who was on the mound for St. Louis a whopping 12 years ago when Jayson Werth hit his iconic homer to win Game 4 of the 2012 National League Division Series. Lynn, now 37, has bounced around over the years, but he’s back with the Cardinals and sporting a 3.59 ERA despite a 1.300 WHIP in 17 starts.

You'll notice a new name at third base: Trey Lipscomb. The Nats recalled the 24-year-old from Triple-A Rochester this afternoon and designated Nick Senzel for assignment, signaling a permanent change at the hot corner for the rest of the season. More on that move to come ...

OAKLAND – Austin Hays gets another start in left field this afternoon after collecting three hits last night on his 29^th birthday. He’s matched up against Athletics right-hander Luis Medina.

Colton Cowser is on the bench. Cedric Mullins starts in center field, Ryan O’Hearn is in right and Anthony Santander is the designated hitter.

Ramón Urías starts at third base, with Jordan Westburg shifting to second and Jorge Mateo going to the bench.

Ryan Mountcastle moves down to sixth in the order.

Left-hander Cade Povich makes his sixth major league start. He’s allowed six runs in his last five outings to match the total in his debut.

OAKLAND – The Orioles moved their West Coast trip to Oakland for a three-game series before the Athletics relocate to Sacramento next year.

Ryan Mountcastle is in the lineup tonight and batting third. Adley Rutschman is the designated hitter.

Colton Cowser is in center field, with Austin Hays in left and Anthony Santander in right. Jorge Mateo remains at second base, with Jordan Westburg at third.

Albert Suárez stays in the rotation while Cole Irvin moves to the bullpen. Suárez has registered a 2.43 ERA and 1.247 WHIP in 17 games (10 starts). He tossed four relief innings against the Athletics in April and allowed four runs and seven hits with six strikeouts. Seth Brown homered.

In three career appearances against Oakland, Suárez has allowed nine runs and 15 hits in 12 2/3 innings.

It’s hot today. Really, really hot. And humid. Really, really humid. The temperature in Washington as I type this is 97 degrees, the heat index 109. And it’s barely going to cool down before first pitch tonight against the Cardinals. If you’re coming, please do what you can to hydrate and stay out of the sun. If you’re not coming, enjoy the game on TV from the comforts of home.

After a wild series against the Mets that included back-to-back 10-inning losses and then back-to-back dramatic wins, the Nationals now host the Cardinals for four games in a wraparound series that extends through Monday. They would love to keep the good vibes going, but they’re going to need to continue to get excellent pitching and start scoring some more runs, especially early in games.

Patrick Corbin is tonight’s starter, and you know the drill at this point. With Josiah Gray and Cade Cavalli remaining on the injured list for the foreseeable future, Corbin’s spot in the rotation appears to be secure once again. It’s up to him to make the most of it and at least give his team a chance. He was good in three straight starts against the Tigers, Diamondbacks and Padres. Then he struggled against the Rays. A bounceback start tonight would be very nice.

The Nats lineup faces a tough challenge in veteran Sonny Gray, 9-5 with a 2.98 ERA, 0.992 WHIP and 109 strikeouts in only 87 2/3 innings. The good news, if there is any: James Wood gets to face a righty starter for only the second time in five big league games. The Nationals also have a new first baseman: Juan Yepez, who was officially promoted from Triple-A Rochester this afternoon to replace the demoted Joey Meneses, with Josiah Gray transferred to the 60-day injured list to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Hot and humid, 95 degrees, wind 9 mph out to left field

Boy, did the Nationals need that win Wednesday night. After dropping five straight to the Mets to begin the season, then falling behind 5-0, they stormed back to win 7-5 thanks to the offensive heroics of Luis García Jr. and James Wood and a really impressive job by an overworked bullpen.

The domino effect of that, though: You have to assume Robert Garcia, Hunter Harvey and Kyle Finnegan are all going to be unavailable for this morning’s series finale, none of them able to pitch for the fourth straight day. If this game is close late, Davey Martinez is going to have to rely on some different relievers for a change.

A long start out of Jake Irvin would help the cause tremendously, and Irvin has shown an ability to do that this year. He has completed at least six innings 12 times in 17 starts, and he has reached the seventh twice. If he can keep his pitch count manageable, you wonder if Martinez will push the right-hander a bit more than usual today.

After finally facing a right-hander Wednesday, the Nats will be going up against a lefty again today in veteran Jose Quintana. Given how well Wood has handled southpaws so far, you have to think he’ll remain in a prominent spot in the lineup.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. NEW YORK METS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 11:05 a.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv, MLB Network (outside D.C. market)
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 88 degrees, wind 5 mph out to center field