Ready or not, exhibition season is over for Nationals
Ready or not, exhibition season is over for Nationals
Mark Zuckerman
Orioles
Are the Nationals ready for what awaits them Thursday night, when the atmosphere inside Nationals Park will be no different than it was for tonight's exhibition finale - a rain-shortened, 6-4 victory over the Orioles - but the stakes will be ramped up by a factor of 10? It's impossible to know at this point, but here's what we do know after three exhibition games played in empty ballparks: * Many pitchers' velocity is down, some to concerning levels. * Some hitters are locked in despite the...
Mullins in battle for outfield roster spot, plus other notes
Mullins in battle for outfield roster spot, plus other notes
Steve Melewski
Orioles
When Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias was interviewed on the MASN telecast on Monday night in Baltimore, he was asked if any players had jumped out at him during summer camp. Elias cited catcher Pedro Severino and outfielder Cedric Mullins and said there are plenty of others that have looked good, better than they had in Sarasota in the first spring training. He said Severino has been swinging the bat very well. Elias said of Mullins: "He's looked great, which...
Orioles left with 6-4 loss to Nationals in rain-shortened exhibition
Orioles left with 6-4 loss to Nationals in rain-shortened exhibition
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
WASHINGTON - Orioles manager Brandon Hyde broke out a version of his lineup tonight that could be used against left-handed starters. Not a carbon copy necessarily, but a close reproduction. Dilson Herrera has to earn a spot on the roster and a chance to play left field, but there's preview potential in the final exhibition game. Austin Hays will lead off under any circumstances, as he did tonight against Nationals southpaw Patrick Corbin, but Hanser Alberto moved up from sixth to second in the...
O's game blog: O's and Nats in exhibition finale
O's game blog: O's and Nats in exhibition finale
Steve Melewski
Orioles
The Orioles (1-1) play their third and final exhibition game tonight ahead of Friday's opener at Boston. The Birds travel to Washington to face the Nationals (1-1) at Nats Park. The club will hold a workout at Camden Yards tomorrow and then travel to Boston on Thursday for the start of that three-game series. Washington won 4-2 over Baltimore last night at Oriole Park. O's right-hander Alex Cobb allowed two hits and two runs over four innings. He fanned five, including four of the first six...
Milone replaces Means as opening day starter
Milone replaces Means as opening day starter
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
For the second season in a row, the Orioles must switch opening day starters and deny the winner of the competition his first career assignment. John Means has been scratched with left arm fatigue and replaced by veteran left-hander Tommy Milone. Manager Brandon Hyde made the announcement earlier today in his Zoom conference call, delivering news that was anticipated for the past few days. Means hadn't been cleared to throw until playing catch today and the team won't risk a more serious...
Baseball will look different in many ways in this crazy year
Baseball will look different in many ways in this crazy year
Mel Antonen
Orioles
Let's say on opening night at Nationals Park this happens: Bottom of the fifth, the Nationals' Trea Turner hits a pop to short left field. Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner charges in, shortstop Gleyber Torres goes out. The two defenders have the descending ball surrounded. Torres twists and turns and then the ball hits inside Torres' glove and falls to the ground. Turner checks in at second base. Is that a double or a two-base error? Normally, the official scorer, sitting behind home plate...
Starting lineups: Nats vs. Orioles
Starting lineups: Nats vs. Orioles
Mark Zuckerman
Orioles
It has taken an extraordinarily long time for the Nationals' exhibition finale to arrive. And yet it still feels like it sneaked up on us without notice, doesn't it? Such is life when you've had a four-month hiatus in the middle of the exhibition season, then only three games upon returning to action. This is the last chance the Nats will get, though, before facing the Yankees for real Thursday night. So if there's anyone or anything Davey Martinez still needs to look at before then, this...
Orioles lineup vs. Nationals
Orioles lineup vs. Nationals
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The Orioles will take another look at utility candidate Dilson Herrera in left field tonight as they conclude their three-game exhibition schedule against the Nationals in D.C. Herrera played right field and second base last night at Camden Yards. His chances of making the club increased with news that Stevie Wilkerson suffered a fractured bone in his left ring finger. Austin Hays returns to the lineup and is leading off, followed by Hanser Alberto. Anthony Santander, who went 2-for-2 last...
Martinez still likes Castro as Nationals' new No. 3 hitter
Martinez still likes Castro as Nationals' new No. 3 hitter
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
Think back, if you can, to the offseason and one of the most pressing questions facing the Nationals as they prepared to defend their title in 2020: Who was going to replace Anthony Rendon as the No. 3 hitter? There never was a perfect answer to the question, but there were several potential answers, each earning a few weeks in the spotlight before getting replaced by another. Remember when we thought it might be Trea Turner? Forget about his blazing speed, the Nationals shortstop really was...
Strasburg, Martinez detail how different road trip is during pandemic
Strasburg, Martinez detail how different road trip is during pandemic
Byron Kerr
Nationals
BALTIMORE - To get a good idea how baseball has changed during the coronavirus pandemic, just take a glimpse inside a quick day trip up Interstate 95 for the Nationals as they took on the Orioles in their second exhibition game of summer training. The Nationals chartered five buses that left Nationals Park starting at 1 p.m. for the scheduled 6:05 p.m. first pitch at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. "Everybody was assigned a bus," said Nationals manager Davey Martinez on a Zoom call. "We had...