O's draft class arrives at Delmarva, ready for next step (updated)
O's draft class arrives at Delmarva, ready for next step (updated)
Steve Melewski
Orioles
SALISBURY, Md. - The team that takes the field tonight at Perdue Stadium for the low Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds will look very different from the team that lost 2-1 at Lynchburg on Sunday. This club tonight is putting a team on the field made up completely of position players from the 2021 First-Year Player draft, along with infielder Coby Mayo, taken in the 2020 draft. Buy a scorecard to watch the Shorebirds this week, as they've added 12 draft picks from the class of 2021, including the...
Game 119 lineups: Nats vs. Blue Jays
Game 119 lineups: Nats vs. Blue Jays
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
After a string of games against the National League East's remaining contenders, the Nationals now take a break for a quick interleague series. They'll host the Blue Jays tonight and Wednesday afternoon (weather permitting), which means a little bit of a reunion. It was just a few weeks ago that Brad Hand was dealt to Toronto in exchange for Riley Adams. We don't know if we'll see Hand out of the Blue Jays bullpen tonight or not, but we will see Adams in the Nats lineup. The rookie catcher...
Mountcastle reinstated from concussion list
Mountcastle reinstated from concussion list
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The Orioles will have a healthy first baseman on their roster for tonight's game against the Rays. With Trey Mancini hobbling and Ryan Mountcastle moving past concussion protocol, the rookie has been reinstated from the injured list and likely will be in the lineup as the Orioles attempt to end a 12-game losing streak. Outfielder Ryan McKenna was optioned again to Triple-A Norfolk to make room for Mountcastle, who left an Aug. 6 game against the Rays at Camden Yards after absorbing a hard tag...
O's game blog: John Means faces Rays at The Trop
O's game blog: John Means faces Rays at The Trop
Steve Melewski
Orioles
The Orioles have beaten the Tampa Bay Rays just one time this year in 13 tries. And after Monday's 9-2 loss to the Rays, they have three more games in this series to try and get a win to end a long losing streak. The current skid reached 12 Monday night and the Orioles have been outscored by 113-35 during this streak. They've also lost by seven runs or more seven times during the streak, including last night. The Rays scored eight or more runs for the eighth time in their last 10 games and...
His stats have fallen off, but O's remain bullish on Gunnar Henderson
His stats have fallen off, but O's remain bullish on Gunnar Henderson
Steve Melewski
Orioles
When the Orioles made a host of minor league roster moves on Monday, one player that was staying put - and was expected to - is high Single-A Aberdeen infielder Gunnar Henderson. Rated as the club's No. 4 prospect by Baseball America and No. 84 in their top 100, he is No. 5 and No. 87 in the top 100 by MLBPipeline.com. He began this year at low Single-A Delmarva, where he tore it up as a 19-year-old posting a line of .312/.369/.574/.944. But since moving to Aberdeen, where he turned 20 on June...
Nats will win again when rotation is ready to lead the way again
Nats will win again when rotation is ready to lead the way again
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
It had been the one constant around these parts for the better part of the decade. When you thought of the Nationals, you thought first and foremost of one thing: a dominant rotation. Max Scherzer. Stephen Strasburg. Patrick Corbin. Jordan Zimmermann. Doug Fister. Gio González. Aníbal Sánchez. Those are the starters who defined the Nats' consistent pitching success over a prolonged stretch of winning baseball. And the correlation was legitimate. Take the Nationals rotation's six best...
Another promising start for Orioles leads to loss (updated)
Another promising start for Orioles leads to loss (updated)
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Taking a lead has come easily to the Orioles over the past few games. It's holding the lead that's proven to be too difficult. The offense goes cold again, a price is paid for pitches that miss their marks and a losing streak refuses to die. Matt Harvey cruised into the fourth inning and by the fifth had allowed more than three runs for the only time since the All-Star break. Kevin Kiermaier and Brandon Lowe homered off Harvey, who didn't complete the fifth. Brett Phillips had an...
Bannon on Rutschman: "Everybody was excited to have him"
Bannon on Rutschman: "Everybody was excited to have him"
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
On the same day that Baseball America upgraded the Orioles farm system to No. 2 behind the Mariners, their highest ranking since the publication began keeping count 37 years ago, the club announced a boatload of minor league promotions headed by 2021 first-round draft pick Colton Cowser moving up from the Rookie-level Florida Complex League to low Single-A Delmarva. Infielder Jordan Westburg advanced from high Single-A Aberdeen to Double-A Bowie, leaving behind infielder Gunnar Henderson. They...
O's game blog: Matt Harvey faces Rays at The Trop
O's game blog: Matt Harvey faces Rays at The Trop
Steve Melewski
Orioles
Trying to snap a losing streak that has reached 11 games, the Orioles begin a four-game series tonight in St. Petersburg, Fla., against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Orioles got swept three straight at Boston over the weekend, scoring just five runs in the series. They were swept for the 14th time this season. Orioles right-hander Matt Harvey (6-11, 6.10 ERA) will make his 24th start of the year. He has recorded a WHIP of 1.558 for the season, allowing 11.2 hits and 1.2 home runs per nine innings...
Orioles lineup vs. Rays (updated)
Orioles lineup vs. Rays (updated)
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The Orioles begin a four-game series against the Rays tonight at Tropicana Field with Jorge Mateo at second base, Richie Martin at shortstop and Ramón Urías at third. Mateo has hit safely in eight of his nine games since joining the Orioles, going 10-for-35 (.286). Austin Wynns is catching. Anthony Santander, who's the designated hitter, has registered a .378 average (17-for-45) in 12 games this month. He has a .318 average (21-for-66) with six walks in 18 games since the break. DJ...