Support Informationen » r in a November 2013 trade from D

WASHINGTON -- Davey Johnson isnt shaving his scruffy beard, even after the Washington Nationals finally put on the offensive show he was longing to see. Adam LaRoche homered twice and drove in four runs, and the Nationals barrelled past the Baltimore Orioles 9-3 Tuesday night. LaRoche, Tyler Moore and Roger Bernadina connected off Orioles rookie Kevin Gausman (0-2). LaRoche added a solo shot in the eighth off Troy Patton. It added up to Washingtons highest-scoring performance since a 10-3 win over Miami on April 15. The Nationals hadnt scored more than seven runs in 29 games since April 25. The 70-year-old Johnson began growing the beard last week and said he wouldnt shave until the Nationals broke out of their hitting slump. Now it appears he wont shave for fear of jinxing a team on a roll. "It was great," Johnson said of the hitting attack. "Some guys that usually take two or three strikes went up there and hit line drives." And then, fondling his grey beard, he added, "Maybe this is working." Addressing the suddenly hot topic of Johnsons beard, Moore said, "It looks pretty bad, doesnt it? I hope he looks like Santa at the end of the year if we keep winning." Washington built a 7-3 lead in the fourth inning for right-hander Nathan Karns in his major league debut. But Karns couldnt make it out of the fifth. Karns gave up three runs, five hits and two walks in 4 1-3 innings. He was alternatingly sharp and shaky, but decent enough to earn another chance. "Nathan Karns did good, so hes going to come back and pitch Sunday," Johnson said. "I thought he handled himself well. Good start against a good hitting ball club. I know he was nervous but I like the way he went after the hitters." Selected in the 12th round of the 2009 draft, Karns never before pitched above the Double-A level. The 25-year-old was 4-2 with a 4.60 ERA this season in nine starts for Harrisburg of the Eastern League. The start of the game -- and Karns big league debut -- was delayed by rain for 1 hour, 21 minutes. He didnt care. "The rain delay didnt bother me at all," the rookie said. "Now the first one is out of the way I can just build off of that." Zach Duke (1-1) followed Karns with 1 2-3 innings of perfect relief. Chris Davis hit his major-league leading 17th homer for the Orioles, and J.J. Hardy also went deep. But Baltimores franchise-record run of scoring at least five runs in 10 straight road games ended. After allowing four runs in five innings against Toronto last Thursday in his major league debut, the 22-year-old Gausman digressed in his second appearance. The right-hander gave up seven runs and eight hits in four innings with one walk and no strikeouts. Gausman, the No. 4 pick in the 2012 draft, is toting an unsightly 11.00 ERA and opponents are batting .385 against him. "Pitching in the big leagues is hard. Hes got the talent to do it and eventually he will," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "I look forward to it being next time out. He knows mistakes get magnified here. But its part of the process." Washington pulled away with a four-run fourth. LaRoche drew a leadoff walk, Moore hit his second homer in 81 at-bats this season, and Bernadina followed with his first long ball since Sept. 28. "After Bernadina and Moore went deep you want me to shave? I cant shave right now," Johnson said with a grin. With two outs, Denard Span added an RBI double to make it 7-3. Early on, with his fastball hitting 97 mph, Karns retired the side in order in the first inning on three groundouts. "I just wanted to get out there and throw strikes, work with getting the hitters out, and it worked out to my advantage," Karns said. Gausman, in contrast, struggled at the outset. After Span hit a scorching grounder that was gloved by Davis at first base and turned into an out, Steve Lombardozzi and Ryan Zimmerman both singled before LaRoche drove a 2-0 pitch into the centre-field seats. Baltimore closed to 3-1 in the second on an RBI double by Matt Wieters. But with one out and runners on the corners, Karns struck out Yamaico Navarro and Gausman. In the fourth, Davis lined a 1-2 pitch into the Washington bullpen beyond the right-field wall. Two batters later, Hardy homered to left into the Orioles bullpen to knot the score at 3. NOTES: The Nationals played a second straight game without OF Bryce Harper (knee), and Johnson acknowledged, "I probably was being optimistic thinking he could DH over in Baltimore (on Wednesday and Thursday). Its probably not looking good for that." ... Washington 2B Danny Espinosa, who has been sidelined since May 22 with a fractured bone in his right wrist, hopes to return Wednesday. "The strength is fine. Its just the stiffness," Espinosa said. ... The Nationals have homered in 73 straight series,, the longest active streak in the majors. ... Chris Tillman will take the mound for the Orioles on Wednesday night at Camden Yards against Washingtons Jordan Zimmermann, who is seeking his ninth victory. ... Baltimores Nick Markakis had his 12-game hitting streak snapped. Chris Paul Jersey .Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have placed centre Cody Hodgson on injured reserve and recalled two players from their AHL affiliate in Rochester. Zion Williamson Jersey . Halladay signed a one-day contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday that allowed the veteran right-hander to retire as a member of team with which he broke into the majors and spent the bulk of his distinguished 16-year career. https://www.cheappelicans.com/495u-p-j-brown-jersey-pelicans.html . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. Kenrich Williams Jersey . -- Charline Labonte couldnt have asked for a better homecoming. New Orleans Pelicans Shirts . "I wrote 36 on my sheet at the beginning of the game," the Cincinnati coach said, referring the yard line the ball would need to be snapped from. ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas Rangers slugger Prince Fielder is expected to have season-ending neck surgery for the second time in three years, and his career could be in jeopardy as well.Fielder got a second opinion Monday, and general manager Jon Daniels said Dr. Drew Dossett recommended surgery. That was the same as Dr. Robert Watkins in Los Angeles said last week after an MRI showed a herniation between Fielders C4 and C5 disks.While Daniels didnt want to speculate on the long-term future for the 32-year-old Fielder, the GM did acknowledge the seriousness of having a second surgery in close proximity to the first.He rehabbed once from it and came back. I think with each additional surgery in that area it increases the risk involved and just the overall, his ability to get back, Daniels said. But its not for me to speculate about that here today.Dossett, a specialist in Texas who works with the Rangers, performed Fielders surgery in May 2014 when he had a cervical fusion of two disks just below the area that is bothering the slugger now.Fielder has hit a career-low .212 with eight homers and 44 RBIs in 89 games this season. He had recently been feeling weakness and discomfort in his neck and left arm, similar to what he felt two years ago before surgery.I just know that post-All-Star break last year and through the playoffs, and then just kind of inconsistency of this season, there were times hed show you a spark or two, and then it would just kind of evaporate, manager Jeff Banister said. There were times when the ball still came off his bat at 100 miles an hourr.dddddddddddd But I dont know this season that this was who wed seen in the past.Daniels said it seems like Fielder was feeling discomfort for some time before the MRI last week after acknowledging that there was an issue.I think he just wanted to play, and wanted to push through it, Daniels said.Fielder wasnt in the clubhouse before Monday nights home game against Oakland.The Rangers got Fielder in a November 2013 trade from Detroit, when they sent second baseman Ian Kinsler to the?Tigers. Fielder, who is in his 12th major league season, is signed through 2020.Fielder was limited to 42 games during his Rangers debut in 2014, when he hit .247 with three homers and 16 RBIs. Fielder rebounded with a .305 average, 23 homers and 98 RBIs in 158 games last year, but fell off a bit the second half of the season.Fielder has been primarily the designated hitter for the Rangers. He had played in 547 consecutive games and hadnt missed consecutive games since August 2007 before his surgery two years ago.Obviously, Prince is a big part of this team. We know what he can do, third baseman Adrian Beltre said. He was a great asset for us last year. Were going to miss him, but hopefully hell get right.The Rangers were tied for the American League lead with 57 wins going into Monday nights game. But their AL West lead had shrunk to 2? games over Houston, from the 10-game division lead they had before playing 19 of their previous 23 games on the road. ' ' '