Five runs in two innings against the opposing ace should be a pretty air-tight formula for success. For the Nationals, it somehow meant a frustrating loss in the opener of a 14-inning doubleheader. Despite getting to Braves left-hander Max Fried early and often, the Nats watched helplessly as Erick Fedde gave it all back and then some during an eventual 7-6 loss at Nationals Park that took some of the luster out of Tuesday's thrilling opening day win. They nearly pulled off another last-second...

The Nationals could have some of their quarantined players back on the active roster at some point during this weekend's series in Los Angeles, but there will be complications to get them to Dodger Stadium and available under Major League Baseball's strict protocols. "It's a possibility, it really is," manager Davey Martinez said during his pregame Zoom session with reporters. "The good news is these guys are testing negative with the nasal swab and the saliva test. They have been, so...

And we're back. Already. For a doubleheader. Already. Hey, no complaining about anything this season, alright? It's certainly got to be easier for the Nationals to get right back to work after Tuesday's walk-off win over the Braves in the season opener. Now, they realistically just need to think about winning at least one of today's seven-inning games to win the series against the three-time defending division champs. It's a nice position to be in. It'll be Erick Fedde on the mound for...

Jonathan Lucroy wasn't a National on Saturday. Three days later, he somehow found himself squatting behind the plate to catch Max Scherzer's first pitch of the 2021 season. And then playing a significant role in the Nationals' 6-5 walk-off win over the Braves. How did the 34-year-old catcher process all of that? "It's kind of funny, but I feel like a mercenary," he said during a postgame Zoom session with reporters. "You know the movie 'The Replacements' with Keanu Reeves as the...

It is a question I often get from fans, and when I recently interviewed Jim Callis from MLBPipeline.com, I asked him to identify a couple of under-the-radar or underrated Orioles prospects. We often talk about those at the top of a top 30 list, but those down the list deserve some mention, too. Callis is a big fan of a couple of O's prospects rated in the second half of the MLBPipeline.com Orioles top 30 list. One is outfielder Hudson Haskin, ranked No. 16 by MLBPipeline.com. He was the...

Dean Kremer's three most important pitches tonight didn't require a batter or plate umpire. His line and the score wouldn't be impacted. He did, however, draw a small crowd near the mound. An unexpected pod. Aaron Judge lined a fastball up the middle that slammed off the back of Kremer's leg in the first inning, threatening the rookie's start just two batters into the game. An exit velocity near 110 mph could have sent Kremer to the clubhouse almost as quickly. But Kremer convinced manager...

For the Orioles, the strikeouts and the frustrations are both mounting. After riding a high-scoring 18 runs in sweeping three games in Boston, the Orioles have been doing a lot of swinging and missing while losing the first two games of their series in the Bronx. The Birds were held to seven hits and fanned 14 times tonight, losing 7-2 to right-hander Gerrit Cole and the Yankees. An out away from being blanked for the second night in a row, Ryan Mountcastle beat out an infield single with two...

Rio Ruiz didn't move over to second base until the Orioles decided to move on from Yolmer Sánchez. That was the first click of the dial. How Ruiz became the opening day starter at the position, where he returned again last night, began with the Orioles needing someone to replace Sánchez, who was designated for assignment and released late in camp after signing a minor league deal that would have paid $1 million. They also were searching for ways to have Ruiz and new third baseman Maikel...

They came wearing their masks and had their temperatures taken and stayed distanced from everyone else in attendance because they wanted to witness precisely this moment. Bottom of the ninth, tie game, Juan Soto at the plate. It's the kind of situation the sellout crowd of 4,801 for the first ballgame at Nationals Park with fans in attendance in 18 months live for. And, to be honest, it's exactly the kind of situation the team itself sorely missed experiencing. The 2019 Nationals owned those...

When the Orioles play the Yankees tonight in Game 2 of a three-game series, right-hander Dean Kremer will make his first start of the season. After his call-up last year, his first two big league starts were against the Yankees. And Kremer pitched well in both games. He allowed one run in six innings in the first and one run in five innings in the second. So he went 11 innings, allowing five hits and two runs, with six walks and fanned 14. The first two big league batters he faced were DJ...