First, it was the beanball war between the Red Sox and Orioles, starring Manny Machado. Now it's the Nationals and Giants recovering from a good old-fashioned baseball brawl in San Francisco on Monday. Here's the question: Is there anything Major League Baseball can do to put an end to beanballs before some one gets seriously hurt with a 95 mph heater to the face? Giants relief pitcher Hunter Strickland was reliving the 2014 National League Division Series, a series won by the Giants even...

As Memorial Day arrives, the American League East is loaded with offense. A five-team race is possible, assuming Toronto makes a comeback. The National League East is the opposite. The Nationals have the best offense, a leaky bullpen and the only winning record in the division. Here are answers to the most burning questions after baseball's first two months: Q: What should the Orioles do with pitcher Ubaldo Jiménez? A: The best solution is to keep him and hope that he does what he always...

The Nationals lead the National League East despite a bullpen that brings daily turbulence. This week at Nationals Park they will see first-hand that they aren't the only team with late-inning issues. The Nationals' bullpen ERA (5.40) is 29th in baseball. Seattle's bullpen has the highest ERA in the majors at 5.44, while San Diego is 27th at 5.04. The Mariners and Padres play in D.C. this week. Edwin Díaz, and his blazing fastball, was the Mariners closer at the season's start, but he...

Commissioner Rob Manfred is determined to pick up the pace of the game, apparently to keep the interest of the younger generation. It is a good idea to be progressive, as long as Manfred doesn't get extreme. Games are slower. This season, the average time of game is 3 hours, 5 minutes, five minutes longer than last season. In 2015, Manfred's first year as commissioner, the average time was 2 hours, 56 minutes. Manfred is more interested in picking up the pace of the game, getting rid of dead...

When catcher Matt Wieters came up to the Orioles at 23 in 2009, his plan was to win a World Series and be an Oriole for life. Then in 2014, when Nick Markakis signed with Atlanta and Nelson Cruz went to Seattle, the reality of baseball as a business hit Wieters for the first time. He wondered about his future. "When Nick and Nelson left, I realized we weren't going to have a 12-year run with the same guys,'' Wieters said. "I think every player wants to play his entire career with the team...

April is in the books. Now, it's time to ask questions about what the first month means. Here are answers the most frequently-asked questions: Question: The Nationals' Ryan Zimmerman is blazing. Does he have a chance to win the National League Triple Crown? Answer: It's a long season, but if Zimmerman keeps hitting as he as done the first month - .420-11-29 - then he'll have a chance. And, his top competition would be his teammate, Bryce Harper, who hit .391-9-26 during the first month....

On the highway, speed kills. In baseball, speed brings life. The Nationals got a glimpse of that before Trea Turner went on the disabled list with a strained hamstring. Turner's expected to return this week, and when he does, he and Adam Eaton will be the fuel that makes the Nationals' lineup almost impossible to defend. Whether it is Turner-Eaton or Eaton-Turner at the top of the order, when they get on base together, they give opposing teams headaches with constant threats to steal - and...

On April 6, 1992, Orioles pitcher Rick Sutcliffe threw the first pitch at Oriole Park at Camden Yards - on a day when the ballpark started a revolution, pushing baseball away from the two-sport, all-turf, cookie-cutter stadiums of the 1980s. The magic of Camden Yards - some call it Oriole Park - is that it made new feel old on Day One. The ballpark, celebrating 25 years this season, was built in a downtown spot that was a decaying railroad center. It has a classic brick façade with exposed...

The Red Sox are favored to win the American League East, but that is not as obvious as it looks. The Red Sox have strong pitching with Rick Porcello, the 2016 AL Cy Young winner, and Chris Sale in the rotation, but David Price starts the season on the disabled list, thanks to a sore elbow. After that, the Red Sox rotation is iffy with guys like Steven Wright, Drew Pomeranz and Eduardo Rodriguez. Every AL East team is in the same boat. The Orioles are without Chris Tillman. The Yankees aren't...

After losing to the Dodgers in the National League Division Series last October, the Nationals go into the season with a reputation to fix. Can they win the NL East and go beyond the first round of the postseason? They're 0-3 in the Division Series - losing also to the Giants and Cardinals - since moving to Washington in 2005. Manager Dusty Baker is determined to get the World Series back to Washington for the first time since 1933. The Nationals are the favorite to win the division, but the...

The Chicago Cubs are defending a World Series title for the first time since 1909, and this year, they are one of the best teams in the National League. The favorite to win the NL Central? Without a doubt, it is the Cubs. The Cardinals have the best chance to challenge, but their rotation has questions. The Pirates could surprise, but their pitching is young. And the Reds and Brewers are rebuilding with little chance of a .500 record. For the record, the Cubs won 104 games in 1909 and lost the...

Stranger things have happened, but if Cleveland doesn't win the American League Central, it's an upset. The Indians have gone the longest - 68 years - without winning a World Series. Detroit has a dangerous offense. They have Justin Verlander, Jordan Zimmermann and Michael Fulmer leading their rotation. And the Tigers, despite not having a healthy Zimmermann, were in the playoff hunt until the final day of last season, when they were beaten 1-0 by Atlanta pitcher Julio Teheran. Kansas City...

The Houston Astros are the trendy pick to win the American League West because of their dangerous lineup. But don't count out the Texas Rangers. They are the defending division champions, even though they didn't major moves over the winter. The always-changing Seattle Mariners could be the surprise team. The Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Angels each have too many questions, although of the two teams, the Angels made the biggest improvement. Here's a look at the AL West: HOUSTON: The...

Who wins the National League West, the San Francisco Giants or the Los Angeles Dodgers? Take your pick. The Giants fixed their bullpen with former Nationals closer Mark Melancon, and with Madison Bumgarner and Johnny Cueto, have two of the four starters that finished with an ERA lower than 3.00 with at least 200 innings last season. The others are Tanner Roark and Max Scherzer of the Nationals. The Dodgers have a healthy Clayton Kershaw - he missed two months of last season with a back injury -...

After an offseason defined by a challenging job search, former Orioles catcher Matt Wieters starts a new chapter in his career - 39 miles south of Camden Yards. A week into spring training, Wieters signed a contract - one year and an option - to catch for the Nationals. On May 8-9, the Nationals come to Camden Yards, and Orioles fans will see for the first time Wieters emerging from the third-base dugout wearing an opponent's road gray. He'll wear No. 32, the number he had with the...

The Orioles have worries about ace pitcher Chris Tillman's shoulder and questions about rotation depth. Shortstop J.J. Hardy has back issues and, while Seth Smith will play right field, manager Buck Showalter has to figure out left field. The Nationals aren't sure if the stress fracture in the knuckle of ace pitcher Max Scherzer's right ring finger will allow him to pitch on opening day. And there's the never-ending question about who is going to pitch the ninth inning - Blake Treinen,...

The Chicago Cubs, World Series champions for the first time since 1908, are the favorites to win the National League Central. The question is: Could the Cubs - and their youthful position-player roster - be baseball's answer to the NFL's New England Patriots, who won their fifth Super Bowl? The Reds and Brewers are rebuilding. The Pirates have taken a step back. The Cardinals are the only team with a chance to challenge the Cubs. Here's a look at the NL Central: Chicago: The Cubs, defending...

The Cleveland Indians, who lost the World Series to the Cubs in Game 7 last season, have the scariest rotation and the deepest bullpen in the American League Central. Who has the best chances to catch them? Maybe the Detroit Tigers, assuming health in their rotation and growth with their young guys. Former National Jordan Zimmermann had a strong start with his new team in 2016, but neck injuries slowed him the rest of the way. By all indications, Cleveland will run away with this...

Spring training is gearing up, and in the American League West, the Astros and Rangers are expected to be the top two teams. But do the Astros have enough pitching? The same question goes for the Rangers. Seattle expects to contend as well, and Oakland, with a healthy rotation and deep bullpen, could be a surprise team. Here's a look at the pitching in the AL West: Houston: The Astros might have the best lineup in the American League, but the rotation appears thin. ... The X-factor is...

The Los Angeles Dodgers will take aim at their fifth consecutive National League West championship, but their biggest rival, the San Francisco Giants, will have something to say about that, especially since they've fixed their leaky bullpen with former Nationals closer Mark Melancon. The surprise team in the division could be the Colorado Rockies. They've beefed up their bullpen and think their rotation is strong enough to allow them to play meaningful games in September. Here's a look at...