He homered in the top of the second. He doubled down the third-base line in the top of the fourth. He doubled again in the top of the fifth, driving a ball over center fielder Brandon Nimmo's reach to drive in two runs. He walked in the sixth. And then he homered again in the seventh, this time on a pitch below his knees that he basically could only reach with one hand. That's a 4-for-4, two-homer, two-double, one-walk, five-RBI night for Asdrúbal Cabrera, who made it look remarkably easy...

Nationals left-hander Patrick Corbin used his slider, mixing it at different speeds, and rode a huge early lead to dismantle the Mets 16-4 in the first game of a four-game series Monday night at Citi Field. New York was held to five hits with Corbin on the hill. The left-hander used his slower slider early in counts, and then turned the velocity up later in at-bats to baffle the Mets lineup. He struck out four, allowing doubles to Jeff McNeil and Wilson Ramos. But those were the only two...

Life on the road in 2020 is nothing like life on the road in 2019. With one exception: The Nationals are still winning. There may not be fans in the stands or anywhere to go for breakfast, lunch or postgame entertainment, but the Nationals kicked off their delayed first road trip of the season with an all-too-familiar result: a lopsided victory over the Mets. Two home runs by Asdrúbal Cabrera, a solo shot by Trea Turner and a 463-foot blast by Juan Soto that cleared the big apple behind...

While the Orioles have gotten off to a solid start to their season, the players not currently on their roster but on the 60-man player pool get their work in at the alternate site at Double-A Bowie. And while they wait for a call that might never come, the players there go beyond just getting themselves ready. According to Gary Kendall, one of the managers from the O's farm at the Bowie site along with Buck Britton, veteran players are sharing information with young players. They are trying to...

Stevie Wilkerson knew before he yanked the glove off his left hand. He felt the pop. A diving catch in right field impressed the judges but also ruined his season before it started. Wilkerson saw the swelling in his ring finger. The unnatural bending. He saw months spent on the injured list. The exact name of the injury is a "boutonniere deformity," with the joint nearest the knuckle bent toward the palm and the farthest joint bent back. "It looks as weird as it sounds," he said. The...

When the Orioles play in Philadelphia this week, they need to check out a humorous piece of baseball history in section 302V, Row 21, Seat 1. Tip: Use binoculars because the seat is high above right field, likely the worst seat at Citizens Bank Park. The seat is where the Phillies have a cutout of Bob Uecker, the Brewers' Hall of Fame radio broadcaster who was a catcher for the 1966 Phillies and made a famous commercial for Miller Lite during the 1980s. In the commercial, Uecker gets ready to...

After throwing two days ago and testing out his hamstring, Max Scherzer went up to Davey Martinez and said he could pitch that night. The manager chucked today as he recalled the story and the three-time Cy Young Award winner who would make such a ridiculous offer. "Your day is coming up," Martinez told him. "So be ready." That day is Tuesday. Scherzer will start against the Mets at Citi Field, making his scheduled turn in the rotation as promised when he had to depart his last outing after...

Reliever Will Harris made the trip to New York as a member of the five-man Nationals taxi squad, a good sign that if everything goes well this week, he could be back in the bullpen at the end of this series or in Baltimore. Manager Davey Martinez said Harris will throw to live batters tomorrow and that will be the final test to see how his tender groin has recovered the past 10 days. "I talked to him today (and) he said he felt good," Martinez said on a pregame Zoom call from Citi Field. "We...

The Nationals' remarkable run to a championship last October was defined by victories away from Washington. The Nats won Game 5 of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium. They won Games 6 and 7 of the World Series at Minute Maid Park. All told, they went a stunning 8-1 on the road during the postseason, the only loss coming in their first NLDS game in Los Angeles. For whatever reason, this team was really comfortable playing on the road. Which brings us to tonight, when the...

The 60-man player pool no longer is full for the Orioles. The team announced this morning that it released left-hander Ty Blach, who was on the injured list after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Blach wasn't on the 40-man roster, which is full, but his removal from the pool allows the Orioles to bring in another player. Pitcher Jorge López was claimed off waivers yesterday from the Royals and tossed into the pool. He's out of minor league options and set to join the team this week after...