Sports

WASHINGTON (AP) — Adam LaRoche broke open a tight game with a three-run double for his 1,000th career hit after homering for No. 999, and Gio Gonzalez took over the NL strikeout lead from teammate Stephen Strasburg by fanning 10 in seven innings Wednesday night, leading the Washington Nationals past the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-4.

Hitting cleanup while Michael Morse is on the disabled list, LaRoche leads the Nationals with seven homers and 29 RBIs. Talk about a turnaround: LaRoche hit .172 with three homers in 43 games in 2011 before having left shoulder surgery.

Gonzalez (5-1) allowed three runs, four hits and two walks. His 60 strikeouts are four more than Strasburg's total.

LaRoche and Xavier Nady hit consecutive homers off Erik Bedard (2-5) in the sixth.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Right-hander Chien-Ming Wang says he's willing to pitch in relief — as unlikely as it seems the team would ask him to — when he joins the Washington Nationals after what should be one more start in the minors.

Wang missed the start of the season after hurting his left hamstring during a spring training appearance March 15. He was in Washington on Wednesday to throw a bullpen session in front of coaches but will return to Triple-A Syracuse.

The Nationals will need to decide how to make room for him on the roster. All five members of Washington's starting rotation have pitched well this season.

Speaking through an interpreter, Wang said: "Maybe they want me to be a bullpen guy; that's what I'

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Adam Jones homered with one out in the 15th inning, lifting the Baltimore Orioles to a 4-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night.

Jones was hitless in six at-bats before connecting for his team-leading 12th home run — nine of them tying the game or giving the Orioles a lead. Jones sent a 2-2 pitch from Nate Adcock (0-1), the fifth Kansas City pitcher, far over the left field wall.

The Orioles improved to 5-0 in extra-inning road games.

Kevin Gregg (1-1) pitched two hitless innings, walking one, to pick up the victory. Jim Johnson earned his 13th save.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

BALTIMORE (AP) — The new team behind the Baltimore Grand Prix will discuss plans to bring the racing event back to the city's streets.

Michael Andretti, the former racer and president of Andretti Sports Marketing, and J.P. Grant of Race On LLC will share details about the Labor Day weekend racing event on Wednesday, including ticket sales, sponsorship and marketing initiatives.

The city's Board of Estimates on Wednesday approved a five-year contract with Race On, despite a dissenting vote from Council President Bernard "Jack" Young.

The city has terminated previous contracts with two other race organizers: Baltimore Racing Development, which failed to pay $1.5 million owed to the city, and Downforce Racing, which missed deadlines for the event.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Stephen Strasburg left after only four innings Tuesday, matching the second-shortest appearance of his 25-start career, and San Diego's Will Venable had four hits, while John Baker delivered three hits and three RBIs, leading the Padres to a 6-1 victory over the Washington Nationals.

Anthony Bass (2-4) — making his 10th start in the majors — tied his longest outing by going eight innings. He allowed five hits and one run — on Bryce Harper's homer to right-center, the 19-year-old outfielder's second consecutive game with a solo shot. Bass didn't allow a hit until Ian Desmond's single in the fourth.