Orioles move back into offseason phase
Orioles move back into offseason phase
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The first day without baseball. It feels like only two months ago that the Orioles were waiting to get started. I didn't like the chances of Major League Baseball making it through the 60-game season, but here we are, with 16 teams ready for the expanded playoffs. The Orioles finished with a 25-35 record, tied for fifth-worst in the majors, but stayed in contention until the final week. A nice sidebar to the main story, which was tracking the progress of top prospects who made their debuts in...
Nats blow out Mets in finale, Soto wins NL batting title (updated)
Nats blow out Mets in finale, Soto wins NL batting title (updated)
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
They took the field for the 60th and final time in 2020, an act many doubted would be possible back when this unprecedented baseball season began 10 weeks ago. Could they really complete a season, with regional travel, during a pandemic? There were some notable hiccups along the way, plenty of postponements, relocated road games and six doubleheaders. But today the Nationals did complete their 60-game slate, trouncing the Mets 15-5 to conclude a disappointing year on a small high note. At...
Orioles win finale 7-5 to secure fourth place (updated)
Orioles win finale 7-5 to secure fourth place (updated)
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The Orioles will not surrender fourth place. Their heels dug in one last time in 2020. The final notation on the season came this afternoon in Buffalo, where the Orioles rallied from a three-run deficit to beat the Blue Jays 7-5 at Sahlen Field. Keegan Akin surrendered a solo home run to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the third and a two-run shot to Lourdes Gurriel Jr., with a Randal Grichuk single in between, to destroy a 1-1 tie. But the Orioles knotted the score again with three runs in the...
O's rally to win finale, finish 25-35
O's rally to win finale, finish 25-35
Steve Melewski
Orioles
Given one last chance to get a win this year, the Orioles did just that, beating the Toronto Blue Jays 7-5. They take the final game in this series and season to finish at 25-35. After playing .312 ball in losing 223 games over the last two seasons, the Orioles finished in fourth place this year, playing .417 ball. They went 13-20 at home and 12-15 on the road. They went 14-26 versus the American League and 11-9 against the National League. They end with a win after coming into Sunday with four...
Soto, Scherzer and Doolittle honored with end-of-season awards
Soto, Scherzer and Doolittle honored with end-of-season awards
Byron Kerr
Nationals
The Nationals announced the winners of the fifth annual end-of-season awards voted on by members of the local media. Outfielder Juan Soto was voted the 2020 Nationals Player of the Year. Right-hander Max Scherzer was named Pitcher of the Year. Reliever Sean Doolittle won the "Good Guy" Award, given to the player for his professional dealings with members of the media and representing the Nats organization with class on and off the field. Soto, 21, has had a Most Valuable Player-caliber...
O's game blog: The season finale arrives
O's game blog: The season finale arrives
Steve Melewski
Orioles
The Orioles began the delayed and shortened 2020 season on July 24 in Boston. And this 60-game campaign will end today in Buffalo as they face the Toronto Blue Jays in the season finale. As recently as Sept. 8, the Orioles were 20-21 after beating the New York Mets 11-2 and were just a half-game back of the New York Yankees for the final American League playoff spot. But they have gone 4-14 since then falling to 24-35 and now are eight games behind Toronto, which is currently the No. 8 AL...
Hyde's final pregame media session of 2020
Hyde's final pregame media session of 2020
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The Orioles are finishing their "two-part season" today, as manager Brandon Hyde calls it. Players who were hot early and faded this month. A team that made a run at the playoffs and fell hard down the stretch. "I think a lot of guys are disappointed in the last 20 games and how they're finishing up, and that's really them putting pressure on themselves, wishing from a team aspect they could have done more to help us in the last 20 games," Hyde said today in his final pregame Zoom...
Game 60 lineups: Nats vs. Mets
Game 60 lineups: Nats vs. Mets
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
No, the Nationals' season finale doesn't really mean anything in the big picture. They were eliminated from postseason contention earlier in the week. And the Mets were eliminated Saturday, so they don't have anything to play for, either. But there are still a few things of note at stake when the two teams take the field today for the final time in 2020. The Nationals enter at 25-34, the Mets at 26-33. So if the Nats win, they'd end up tied for fourth place in the National League East. (And...
Final Orioles lineup for 2020
Final Orioles lineup for 2020
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The 2020 season ends today for the Orioles with Keegan Akin on the mound for his sixth major league start. The Orioles are one game ahead of the Red Sox for fourth place in the American League East. Akin made his first start against the Blue Jays in Buffalo and was tagged with two unearned runs with six strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. He's walked one batter and struck out 15 in his last two starts over nine innings. Austin Hays is batting .388/.423/.612 (19-for-49) with three home runs and 11...
Nationals announce 2020 awards
Nationals announce 2020 awards
Doug Miller
Nationals
The Washington Nationals announced the winners of the fifth-annual end-of-season awards as voted on by members of the local media. Outfielder Juan Soto was voted 2020 Nationals Player of the Year, while right-handed pitcher Max Scherzer was named Pitcher of the Year. Left-handed pitcher Sean Doolittle was given the "Good Guy" Award, given to a player for his always-professional dealings with members of the media, and for representing the Nationals organization with class both on and off the...