The Washington Nationals announced the signing of two-year Player Development Contract extensions with the Single-A Potomac Nationals of the Carolina League and the Single-A Hagerstown Suns of the South Atlantic League on Monday. The extensions, which begin in 2019, run through the 2020 season. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo, Nationals Vice President and Senior Advisor to the General Manager Bob Boone, Assistant General Manager and Vice President of...

Following a weekend sweep at the hands of the second-worst team in baseball, the Orioles remain the worst team in the game at 40-97. They are barreling toward one of the worst campaigns in team history and are starting a rebuilding process that is expected to be measured in trips around the sun rather than mere months. I'm going to bet many Orioles fans chose not to watch much of this weekend's series against the Royals in Kansas City. College football got underway, the U.S. Open tennis...

Manager: Mike Shildt (1st season) Record: 76-61 Last 10 games: 6-4 Who to watch: IF Matt Carpenter (.273 with 35 HR, 73 RBIs); 1B José Martínez (.310 with 77 RBIs, 139 hits); C Yadier Molina (.271 with 108 hits); LF Marcell Ozuna (.273 with 133 hits); RHP Miles Mikolas (13-4, 2.96 ERA); RHP Jack Flaherty (8-6, 2.87 ERA); RHP Bud Norris (2.85 ERA, 28 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: 3-1 Pitching probables: Sept. 3: RHP Jack Flaherty (8-6) vs. RHP Max Scherzer (16-6), 1:05 p.m.,...

Manager: Scott Servais (3rd season) Record: 76-60 Last 10 games: 4-6 Who to watch: DH Nelson Cruz (33 HR, 83 RBIs), 2B Dee Gordon (30 SB), RF Mitch Haniger (23 HR, 84 RBIs), SS Jean Segura (.321) 1B Ryon Healy (24 HR, 66 RBIs) LHP Wade LeBlanc (8-3, 3.71 ERA), RHP Edwin Díaz (51 saves, 1.93 ERA) Season series vs. Orioles: 4-0 Pitching probables: Sept. 3: LHP Josh Rogers (1-0) vs. RHP Erasmo Ramírez (1-3), 9:10 p.m., MASNSept. 4: RHP Alex Cobb (4-15) vs. LHP Wade LeBlanc (8-3), 10:10...

Earlier this week, I was driving by a Bob Evans restaurant and noticed in the window a large sticker with the words "Down on the Farm." Not only did this display get me hungry and wishing I was wearing my fat pants, it got me thinking about the Nationals farm system and some under-the-radar prospects in the organization. In this space, I have discussed young players like Juan Soto, Carter Kieboom and Luis Garcia this season, among others. But in the spirit of looking ahead toward next year,...

Every season in Birdland concludes with Fan Appreciation Weekend. The Orioles organization thanks the fans for their support with video tributes, experiences and giveaways. This season is no different. From Sept. 27-30, the O's host the defending World Series champion Astros for a four-game series that includes an alumni autograph series, as well as giveaways for a coaster set, puffy vest and duffle bag. While I am sure people will be lined up along the gates at Eutaw Street for their duffle...

Manager: Craig Counsell (4th season) Record: 75-60 Last 10 games: 7-3 Who to watch: 1B Jesús Aguilar (.277 with 30 HR, 92 RBIs); 3B Travis Shaw (26 HR, 74 RBIs); CF Lorenzo Cain (.309 with 136 hits, 24 SB); OF Christian Yelich (.319 with 151 hits, 75 RBIs); RHP Jhoulys Chacín (13-5, 3.61 ERA); RHP Chase Anderson (9-7, 4.04 ERA); LHP Josh Hader (2.05 ERA, 10 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: 2-1 Pitching probables: Aug. 31: RHP Jhoulys Chacín (13-5) vs. RHP Tanner Roark (8-13); 7:05...

To say that this season has been a roller coaster for the Nationals would be an understatement. They've struggled to find consistency. Sometimes they score double-digit runs and sometimes they get shut out multiple games in a row. Finding rhythm has been difficult. The pitching has been up and down, the offense has been up and down. But there's one thing the Nationals have been very consistent at all year, something they've done very well all year long: defense. Sure, they're going to have...

There may be a little over a month left in the 2018 season for the big leaguers, but minor league affiliates are nearing the end of the campaign, and for some, the season has already concluded. The Orioles' Rookie-level affiliate, the Gulf Coast League Orioles, wrapped up their season Saturday and despite their record, there were some standouts worth mentioning. The GCL Orioles did not do so well this season record-wise, as they finished the year 13-42, the worst record in the GCL. They...

Manager: Gabe Kapler (1st season) Record: 70-60 Last 10 games: 4-6 Who to watch: 3B Maikel Franco (22 HR, 66 RBIs), CF Odúbel Herrera (20 HR, 64 RBIs), 2B César Hernández (.259), LF Rhys Hoskins (26 HR, 81 RBIs), RF Nick Williams (17 HR, 49 RBIs), RHP Aaron Nola (15-3, 2.13 ERA), RHP Seranthony Domínguez (14 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: 7-6 Pitching probables: Aug. 27: RHP Stephen Strasburg (6-7) vs. RHP Zach Eflin (9-4), 7:05 p.m., MASN2Aug. 28: RHP Max Scherzer (16-6)...

The only thing consistent about the 2018 Nationals has been their inconsistency. It was on full display in last weekend's series against the Mets, which saw them end a 32-inning scoreless skid in Sunday's 15-0 rout. The scoring drought was miserable, but it could have been worse. Juan Soto's sixth-inning grounder to score Trea Turner stemmed the streak before it could grow long enough for the record books or the longest runs of futility by Washington teams. The major league record for...

Later this week, baseball's rules will change as the season draws to a close. With a month to go before the playoffs, Major League Baseball will allow teams to expand their rosters from 25 players to 40 players. Is there another sport where the rules are not only different depending on which league you play in, but also where they change the rules with a month left in the season? It will completely alter the dynamics of postseason races, as it does every season. For the Orioles, it could...

For 30 years, Anthony Ray Hinton, author of "The Sun Does Shine," served in solitary confinement in Alabama jails, convicted of murders he did not commit. He was 29 when he went to prison and was not released until 2015. We know there are wrongful convictions that lead to death row and executions. When spoken of in the abstract, we seem to take such horrors as conditions of life. When face to face with a man who lives the horrors, as happens in this read, one realizes these unjustified deaths...

Earlier this week, the Nationals traded Matt Adams to the Cardinals and Daniel Murphy to the Cubs, the first legitimate signs Washington had essentially conceded its playoff chances this season. These two deals netted an intriguing prospect in Andruw Monasterio, while hopefully trimming payroll below the luxury tax figure, both positives for the future. Also, it will give players like Wilmer Difo significant playing time in September to earn spots for next season. But this left me speculating...

The 2018 campaign is a lost season for the Orioles that resulted in the front office disassembling the team at the trade deadline and planning for their long-term future. Fan favorites like Manny Machado, Jonathan Schoop and Zach Britton were shipped off the Dodgers, Brewers and Yankees for prospects. Left in Baltimore was the team's leader and current longest-tenured Oriole, Adam Jones, who is in the final year of his contract. The veteran center fielder watched as his team was stripped for...

Attention Orioles fans: Your last chance to become the MD Lottery Contestant of the Game is coming up on August 27th! On August 27th, the Orioles begin their series against the Toronto Blue Jays at Camden Yards, where the Orioles have hit 84 home runs so far this season. The Orioles have also hit 11 homers against the Blue Jays. August 27th is also the last chance to enter to become a 2018 Maryland Lottery "Contestant of the Game"! Stop by a Maryland Lottery retailer and purchase Home Run...

Manager: Aaron Boone (1st season) Record: 79-47 Last 10 games: 6-4 Who to watch: DH Giancarlo Stanton (.286 with 32 HR, 81 RBIs); 3B Miguel Andújar (.295, 130 hits); 2B Gleyber Torres (.264, 18 HR); LF Brett Gardner (104 hits, 13 SB); LHP J.A. Happ (14-6, 3.84 ERA); RHP Luis Severino (16-6, 3.28 ERA); RHP David Robertson (3.11 ERA, 3 saves) Season series vs. Orioles: 6-6 Pitching probables: Aug. 24: LHP CC Sabathia (7-4) vs. RHP Alex Cobb (4-15); 7:05 p.m., MASNAug. 25: LHP J.A. Happ (14-6)...

Home opener slated for April 4 at Oriole Park against the New York Yankees The Orioles today announced that their 2019 home opener will be on Thursday, April 4, at Oriole Park against the New York Yankees at 3:05 p.m. ET, following a season-opening, six-game road trip to New York-AL and Toronto. The club will open the 2019 season one week earlier at Yankee Stadium against the Yankees on Thursday, March 28. The Orioles will again host each American League East divisional opponent for three...

Let's think about awards, shall we? Individual awards are the main things going for Nationals for the rest of the season, and individual accomplishment cannot be overlooked, no matter what the team is doing. Now the question that's been on everyone's mind for the past few months: Can Juan Soto win National League Rookie of the Year? The automatic thought is yes, he can. For the longest time, Soto appeared to be a shoe-in for Rookie of the Year. He was tearing up the league like no one else,...

All summer, Birdland has been serenaded with postgame music from top musicians and up-and-coming performers during the Orioles' Friday Fireworks and Music at America's Ballpark series. As summer winds down and the days get shorter, we're bringing in one final performer for what's bound to be a fantastic night of music at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Singer/songwriter Tina Parol will be performing this Friday, Aug. 24 ... and debuting her new music video for her single "Better...