Kremer sizes up outing, Mancini on homer (O's win 11-9)
Kremer sizes up outing, Mancini on homer (O's win 11-9)
Steve Melewski
Orioles
Orioles right-hander Dean Kremer had allowed just one run in six innings in his previous two spring starts. He looked headed for another good outing tonight until the Pittsburgh Pirates struck quickly after two were out in the third. Then a few misadventures on defense didn't help his cause, as he failed to get through the fourth inning. Kremer went 3 1/3 innings, allowing five hits and five runs with two walks and three strikeouts. He threw 71 pitches, 42 for strikes, and got nine swings and...
Means named Orioles' opening day starter
Means named Orioles' opening day starter
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The anticipated became official this afternoon. The Orioles are starting left-hander John Means on opening day against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Means has been expected to take the ball on April 1, but manager Brandon Hyde waited until today to announce it. If at first you don't succeed ... Means was supposed to start the 2020 opener in Boston, but had to work through some shoulder fatigue. Veteran Tommy Milone was named the surprise starter. Hyde gave Means the news a couple of days...
Harris seeing specialist after blood clot found in arm (updated)
Harris seeing specialist after blood clot found in arm (updated)
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
Will Harris is leaving camp to be examined by a specialist in St. Louis after a blood clot was discovered in his right arm, a potentially serious condition for the veteran right-hander and one that could test a Nationals bullpen that likely won't be as deep on opening night as projected only a few weeks ago. "It's hard, because medically I don't know the extent of what that is," manager Davey Martinez said in a Zoom session with reporters this afternoon. "But I know it's something that...
Lineups: Nats vs. Astros in West Palm Beach
Lineups: Nats vs. Astros in West Palm Beach
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
As they attempt to get every member of their projected rotation the work they need on the day they need it to stay on schedule, the Nationals left themselves with a hole for tonight's exhibition game against the Astros. It's Stephen Strasburg's day to pitch, but the veteran right-hander instead is throwing a simulated game this afternoon so club officials can keep him in a more controlled environment as he tests out his strained left calf. And with Jon Lester having started against the Mets...
Orioles and Pirates lineups
Orioles and Pirates lineups
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Austin Hays is in right field and batting first tonight and Cedric Mullins is in center and at the bottom of the order, as the Orioles head to Bradenton again to play the Pirates. Ryan Mountcastle is the left fielder and Anthony Santander is the designated hitter. DJ Stewart is at least a day away from getting back in the lineup as he recovers from a hamstring injury and gets at-bats on the back fields. Infielder Richie Martin also isn't in the lineup. Maybe on Saturday. Rio Ruiz is the third...
On Bell's power, Hernández's chance and Plan B at third base
On Bell's power, Hernández's chance and Plan B at third base
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
Ask almost anyone who watched Thursday's game what stood out about Josh Bell, and just about every answer would involve his seventh-inning homer. Ask Davey Martinez, and the answer is something completely different, something hardly anyone besides a manager would notice. "What I love about him, if you guys didn't notice, he hit a ground ball earlier and he ran really hard to first base," Martinez said during his postgame Zoom session with reporters. "That to me, I mean, you don't teach...
Taking the rotation for another spin
Taking the rotation for another spin
Steve Melewski
Orioles
Teams don't set their season-opening starting rotations going only by spring training stats. But if they did it that way in Sarasota, here is how it might look for the Orioles. Left-hander John Means, as we have known since last season ended, will get the opening day start at Boston. Manager Brandon Hyde will probably make that official today. Then Means will have two spring starts to build up to six or seven innings and be a full-go at Fenway Park. Means' ERA was 12.29 after his second...
Orioles lose Goudeau on waiver claim
Orioles lose Goudeau on waiver claim
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The Orioles cleared a spot on their 40-man roster this afternoon in preparation for opening day in two weeks. The Giants have claimed right-hander Ashton Goudeau off waivers from the Orioles, paring the 40-man to 39 players. Goudeau appeared in two exhibition game, the most recent on Saturday against the Blue Jays in Dunedin, and allowed two runs and one hit in four innings. He walked two batters and struck out five. A rotation spot didn't seem available to Goudeau, but he was a candidate to...
Butterflies or not, Lester pleased with delayed spring debut
Butterflies or not, Lester pleased with delayed spring debut
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
Jon Lester has been doing this since 2006, taking the mound on a warm spring afternoon in either Florida or Arizona and beginning the process of preparing his arm and body for the upcoming season. Today represented the 58th spring training start of the left-hander's long career. Suffice it to say, he knows the routine by now. And yet listen to how Lester described his emotions before he took the mound this afternoon in Port St. Lucie to make his delayed Nationals debut against the Mets. "I'd...
MASN to televise 300 Orioles and Nationals games this season, including four spring training games
MASN to televise 300 Orioles and Nationals games this season, including four spring training games
Doug Miller
Orioles
For the 15th consecutive year, the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network will serve as the exclusive television home for the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals, airing every regular season game for both franchises. Fans throughout the Mid-Atlantic will be able to watch the final week of Grapefruit League action on MASN, with four Spring Training contests - two Orioles games and two Nationals games - being televised later this month. The network will air the Orioles' games on March 23 vs. Tampa...