After relief outing, Strasburg will start Game 2 (Nats fall 6-0)
After relief outing, Strasburg will start Game 2 (Nats fall 6-0)
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
LOS ANGELES - Stephen Strasburg and Davey Martinez spoke Wednesday evening, after the Nationals arrived here following a long flight from Washington following an emotional win over the Brewers in the National League wild card game. Strasburg had thrown 34 pitches in three innings of scoreless relief to help lift his team to victory in that do-or-die showdown. Now Martinez wanted to know if the right-hander was ready to start Game 2 of the National League Division Series on Friday...
Beyeler and Clark won't return to Orioles coaching staff in 2020
Beyeler and Clark won't return to Orioles coaching staff in 2020
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The Orioles started to make changes to their coaching staff this afternoon. First base coach Arnie Beyeler and assistant hitting coach Howie Clark won't be retained in 2020, according to multiple industry sources. They were working on one-year contracts that won't be renewed next season. Beyeler also served as the outfield instructor, handling two tasks that belonged to Wayne Kirby under previous manager Buck Showalter. Kirby has been hired by the Braves as minor league outfield...
NLDS Game 1 lineups: Nats at Dodgers
NLDS Game 1 lineups: Nats at Dodgers
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
LOS ANGELES - It's a beautiful day in the City of Angels, but then again most days here are. Dodger Stadium is resplendent as ever, set to host yet another postseason series, the Nationals for the second time. The Nats won one of the two games they played here in 2016. Everything starts anew tonight, with Game 1 of the National League Division Series pitting these two star-studded franchises against each other again, with some of the same cast of characters but plenty of new ones as well....
Mancini, mysteries and minors
Mancini, mysteries and minors
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Moving past the final game of the season allowed players to take a much-needed break from baseball. But for how long? It's going to vary depending on the individual and his circumstances. "I think it's important to take some time off," said Trey Mancini. "I'm going to take a lot of time off from baseball. Not hit. But certainly I don't sit on the couch for the first few weeks of the offseason, either." (Is that frowned upon? Because I intend to set a land speedless record while doing...
Suero, Voth added to Nationals bullpen for NLDS
Suero, Voth added to Nationals bullpen for NLDS
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
LOS ANGELES - With a best-of-five National League Division Series to consider now instead of a winner-take-all wild card game, the Nationals knew they were going to need to make some roster adjustments. Those adjustments, it turns out, come in the form of two extra pitchers added to their bullpen to face the Dodgers: Wander Suero and Austin Voth. After carrying only nine pitchers for Tuesday's wild card win over the Brewers - they actually used only three of them - the Nationals will now have...
Powerful Twins, Yankees lineups make ALDS a different kind of battle
Powerful Twins, Yankees lineups make ALDS a different kind of battle
Mel Antonen
Orioles
The 2019 season will be remembered as the Year of the Dinger. But will it stretch into the October postseason? We'll find out when the Twins and Yankees - the first two teams in history to each hit at least 300 home runs in a season - open an American League Division Series on Friday night in Yankee Stadium. Major League Baseball set a record with 6,776 home runs this season, beating the old record by 671. Fourteen teams broke franchise records for home runs. There were 24 teams with at least...
As glow of wild card win fades, Nats shift focus to NLDS
As glow of wild card win fades, Nats shift focus to NLDS
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
LOS ANGELES - The thrill of victory and the smell of champagne and beer had worn off. In their place was a happy but tired Nationals club that celebrated Tuesday night's epic wild card victory over the Brewers hard, then spent all of Wednesday afternoon flying across the country, then spent Wednesday night working out under the lights at Dodger Stadium, where tonight they'll open a best-of-five National League Division Series with a 106-win team from L.A. The previous 24 hours had been a...
Nats waiting to see if Strasburg is ready to start Game 2
Nats waiting to see if Strasburg is ready to start Game 2
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
LOS ANGELES - The Nationals will send Patrick Corbin to the mound Thursday night for Game 1 of their National League Division Series against the Dodgers. That much they know for sure. They do not yet know who will start Game 2 on Friday night, but they certainly appear to be open to the idea of giving the ball to Stephen Strasburg only three days after his dominant three-inning relief appearance in their wild card game victory over the Brewers. "Most definitely," manager Davey Martinez said...
Where are the fans with the O's rebuild, and do they have hope?
Where are the fans with the O's rebuild, and do they have hope?
Steve Melewski
Orioles
The impression I get after a season of a lot of interaction with fans via this blog, Twitter and a radio show is this, in a nutshell: A large majority of Orioles fans are very understanding of the club's rebuilding situation. They have taken a mostly supportive wait-and-see approach, and they are optimistic for the future. They got frustrated with some aspects of the 2019 season and team, yet know there is a bigger picture to consider. They're hopeful. That is a large majority and that is...
Núñez made it easy to slot him as designated hitter in 2020
Núñez made it easy to slot him as designated hitter in 2020
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde wasn't ready last month to hand Austin Hays the center field job on opening day. No amount of prodding from the media was going to soften his stance. It was too soon to begin construction of a 26-man roster to be unveiled in late March. The story is the same regarding Renato Núñez. Hyde won't say that Núñez is going to be the primary designated hitter next season. But he speaks as if Núñez is on the team. "I think it's way too soon to think...