Sulser's strong year, month-by-month breakdown and more notes
Sulser's strong year, month-by-month breakdown and more notes
Steve Melewski
Orioles
Orioles reliever Cole Sulser made quick work of the Toronto Blue Jays to record the save on Tuesday night at Rogers Centre. On 12 pitches he recorded a 1-2-3 inning to pick up his sixth save as the Orioles beat Toronto 4-2. For Sulser it was the continuation of a solid year - one in which he now has effective weapons to get out both left- and right-handed hitters and now is no longer a big reverse-splits-only guy. In 49 innings, Sulser is 3-3 with a 3.12 ERA, allowing 38 hits with 1.204 WHIP...
Orioles rally to tie, but lose 5-4 in Toronto (updated)
Orioles rally to tie, but lose 5-4 in Toronto (updated)
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
A couple of bases-loaded walks tonight in the second inning gave the Orioles a lead and some evidence that they can work a count and offer their manager the type of at-bats he's been pleading for during the season. Those walks, by Cedric Mullins and Ryan Mountcastle, weren't intended to provide the bulk of the offense. The Orioles would need to back them with some clutch hitting and hope the bullpen also could step up. Jorge Mateo led off the sixth with a double against Tayler Saucedo, his...
Because You Asked - The Edge of Reason
Because You Asked - The Edge of Reason
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The Orioles aren't playing tonight. They have an off-day in New York. We should all be so lucky. "Excuse me, can you tell me how to get to Broadway?" "Practice, practice, practice." I've already mastered the art of the mailbag. How to gather questions, provide answers - or at least make the attempt - and exhibit tremendous patience while repeating myself. And also how to make it conversational at times, which ain't easy with the mail. I implore everyone to be as expansive as you'd like...
O's game blog: Looking for a series win at Toronto
O's game blog: Looking for a series win at Toronto
Steve Melewski
Orioles
Some nights, when you get solid pitching and defense and a few timely hits, you can win and even beat some of the better teams. The Orioles had a game like that last night when they beat Toronto 4-2 at Rogers Centre. They held the Blue Jays to six hits, and while Toronto went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position, the Orioles went 3-for-7 and that was big in a low-scoring, close game. And while the Orioles have been near the bottom of the league in batting with RISP this year, they have hit...
Tyler Wells on his big out versus Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Tyler Wells on his big out versus Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Steve Melewski
Orioles
For a rookie pitcher who was a Rule 5 draft pick last December, one with just 34 big league games under his belt and no career saves, it was a big-time situation. Orioles right-hander Tyler Wells came in to face Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the last of the seventh last night at Toronto's Rogers Centre. There were two on and two outs and the Orioles were leading 4-2. Guerrero had hit his 39th homer an inning before on a 97 mph fastball. The night before, he had homered twice. In 11 games this year...
Orioles and Blue Jays lineups, plus notes (updated)
Orioles and Blue Jays lineups, plus notes (updated)
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The Orioles enter a new month with pitchers Alexander Wells and Dusten Knight added to their expanded roster. Wells has a 7.71 ERA and a 1.929 WHIP in six games with the Orioles, but he's strung together three consecutive scoreless appearances with Triple-A Norfolk. Knight allowed six earned runs (seven total) and eight hits with four walks and nine strikeouts in his five outings with the Orioles over 7 1/3 innings. Both pitchers were on the taxi squad during the series against the Blue Jays...
Nationals reinstate Avila, select Baldonado
Nationals reinstate Avila, select Baldonado
Pete Kerzel
Nationals
The Washington Nationals returned from rehab assignment and reinstated catcher Alex Avila from the 10-day Injured List and selected the contract of left-handed pitcher Alberto Baldonado on Wednesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements. Avila, 34, returns to the active roster after missing 52 games with bilateral calf strains. Prior to being placed on the Injured List on July 3 (retroactive to July 2), Avila made 23 starts, reaching...
Nats add Avila, lefty Baldonado as September call-ups
Nats add Avila, lefty Baldonado as September call-ups
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
With an opportunity to expand their rosters by two players now that the calendar has shifted to September, the Nationals chose to add a veteran catcher who had been injured for two months and a journeyman left-hander who will be making his major league debut. The Nats activated Alex Avila off the injured list and selected the contract of reliever Alberto Baldonado from Triple-A Rochester, a couple of non-traditional September call-ups but ones who will supplement what already has become a...
Finale vs. Phillies postponed to Thursday at 1:05 p.m.
Finale vs. Phillies postponed to Thursday at 1:05 p.m.
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
With heavy rain and wind expected all day and evening as the remnants of Hurricane Ida sweep through the mid-Atlantic, the Nationals wasted no time and announced the postponement of tonight's series finale against the Phillies more than eight hours before scheduled first pitch. The game will now be made up Thursday at 1:05 p.m., the full nine innings scheduled. Tickets and parking passes for tonight's postponed game will be honored Thursday. The chances of playing the game as originally...
What's Robles' future with the Nationals now?
What's Robles' future with the Nationals now?
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
Davey Martinez was adamant. This was not the end of the road for Victor Robles with the Nationals. "I've said this before, and I mean this with all my heart: We want Victor to be successful up here," an emotional manager said Tuesday night on Zoom when asked about Robles' demotion to Triple-A. "He's still young, he's (24) years old, he's got a bright future here with us. ... I mean, I know this is not the last we're going to see of Victor." That's of course what any manager, but...