Orioles and Braves lineups (updated)
Orioles and Braves lineups (updated)
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Matt Harvey is on the mound tonight trying to snap the Orioles' 16-game losing streak that's the second-longest in club history. Harvey is 6-12 with 6.25 ERA and 1.546 WHIP in 24 starts. He's allowed 10 runs and 16 hits this month in three starts over 13 2/3 innings. Tonight marks Harvey's 15th career appearance and 14th start against the Braves. He owns a 4.94 ERA and 1.366 WHIP in 78 1/3 innings. Anthony Santander returns to the lineup tonight after being day-to-day with a sore ankle....
Nats uncertain how Avila's return will affect catching rotation
Nats uncertain how Avila's return will affect catching rotation
Bobby Blanco
Nationals
With two young catchers playing well on the active roster, a veteran nearing his return from the 10-day injured list and a top prospect knocking on the door at Triple-A Rochester, the Nationals' catching situation is one of the more interesting storylines to follow for the remainder of the season. After four straight games behind the plate, Riley Adams gives way to Tres Barrera, who starts today against the Brewers for the first time in a week. Even though Adams has played more recently and...
Game 122 lineups: Nats at Brewers
Game 122 lineups: Nats at Brewers
Bobby Blanco
Nationals
Can the Nationals make it four in a row? After last night's win over the Brewers, the Nats are now in the midst of their longest winning streak since July 18-20. Their last four-game winning streak came all the way back from June 27-30. Paolo Espino will take the mound in pursuit of that feat as he faces the team with which he made his major league debut. Espino is 3-4 with a 4.16 ERA on the season and 3-3 with a 4.53 ERA in 11 starts. His only appearance against his former team came in a...
Young catching tandem learning on the fly
Young catching tandem learning on the fly
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
For 2 1/2 seasons, the Nationals had nothing but veteran catchers on their roster. Yan Gomes and Kurt Suzuki joined forces to win a championship in 2019, then returned to work together in 2020. And after Suzuki departed as a free agent last winter, the Nats brought in Alex Avila to back up Gomes this season, again ensuring they'd have two seasoned guys behind the plate. These days? Well, the Nats' catching position couldn't look any more dramatically different. With Gomes traded to the...
Elias on September expansion, Diaz, Rutschman and more
Elias on September expansion, Diaz, Rutschman and more
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The constant glimpses into the future, where many of the Orioles maintain their gaze for as long as the days allow, isn't just for the 2022 season and beyond. It isn't just about where the finish line to the rebuild might be placed. There's the task of figuring out which players to call up in September and in what increments with rosters expanding only to 28. Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias tackled that subject yesterday while sitting in the dugout during batting...
This O's draft pick patterns his game after Cedric Mullins
This O's draft pick patterns his game after Cedric Mullins
Steve Melewski
Orioles
He said he was a bit shocked to be drafted by the Orioles. But now that he is here, he's very grateful to be wearing the orange and black, and he added that he patterns parts of his game after O's center fielder Cedric Mullins. In one interview with low Single-A Delmarva outfielder Donta' Williams this week, it is clear that he is a confident player and believes he can on day join Mullins as an Oriole. You have to admire the confident outlook of Williams (first name pronounced Don-tay), who,...
Young and old lead Nationals to third straight win (updated)
Young and old lead Nationals to third straight win (updated)
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
The Nationals' rebuild will be a success if they can get more than a few of the young players who now make up the majority of their roster to develop into legitimate contributors. It'll be an even bigger and faster success if they can also get their few remaining veterans to return to the form they displayed while winning the World Series two years ago. So consider tonight's 4-1 victory over the Brewers a best-case-scenario kind of night. They not only got contributions from a host of...
Orioles rush to 16th loss in a row (updated)
Orioles rush to 16th loss in a row (updated)
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Opportunities are rolled out like carpets, with the Orioles trying to keep teams from walking all over them. Keegan Akin is in the rotation with Bruce Zimmermann perhaps done for the season and he's getting more starts beyond tonight. What he does with them could strengthen his case for the 2022 season. The Orioles are just looking to win some games in 2021. Akin surrendered a pair of home runs within the first three innings and worked into the sixth, allowing manager Brandon Hyde to stay away...
Nolin will get Sunday's start as Ross' rotation replacement
Nolin will get Sunday's start as Ross' rotation replacement
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
The Nationals didn't need to utilize a fifth starter until next weekend, but they've decided to go ahead and plug Sean Nolin into their rotation now. Nolin, the 31-year-old left-hander who has been available out of the bullpen for the last week since making one spot start against the Mets, will start Sunday's series finale against the Brewers, manager Davey Martinez said. Nolin takes over the rotation spot that opened up with Joe Ross had to be shut down for the rest of the season with a...
Elias on Hyde, status of rebuild, injury updates and more
Elias on Hyde, status of rebuild, injury updates and more
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias spent about 25 minutes in the home dugout this afternoon for his latest media session. The 15-game losing streak, second-longest in club history, the path of the rebuild and the organization's prospects were among the many topics. Elias said he senses the pressure that manager Brandon Hyde is feeling beyond winning games and offers encouragement in their discussions. That Hyde is the right man for the job and it's going to work out....