Many people are simply accepting the presumption that the Orioles aren't going to make the postseason in 2015. At this point, you have no choice but to admit that the season is certainly trending that way. However, one thing I try to convey in my columns each day is that until the team is mathematically eliminated, there's still hope.
People try to tell me that I'm naive for not accepting reality. Maybe it comes off as cliché to consistently say that the team still has a chance. But I see...
Coming into Tuesday evening's game against the Red Sox, the Orioles had eight walk-off victories on the season. Two of them had come a la Chris Davis walk-off homer.
The first came exactly a month ago before last evening's game, a huge home run to lift the O's past the A's with a 4-3 victory, giving the Birds their second straight walk-off win.
Then, on Sept. 2, the Orioles were battling the Rays in extra innings. In the 11th, Davis worked into a 3-0 count before deposting in the ball...
PHILADELPHIA - Add another file to the what-if folder after right-hander Stephen Strasburg completely handcuffed the Phillies, allowing only one hit while matching his career-high with 14 strikeouts in last night's 4-0 shutout win for the Nationals.
The lone hit of the night was a sharp grounder through the hole into right field to start the fifth off the bat of Cody Asche. Strasburg's only other blemish was a walk to Freddy Galvis in the first.
"Really good," Nationals manager Matt...
PHILADELPHIA - In a season filled with extraordinary moments, Bryce Harper carried an epic performance on the field into the clubhouse, fully endorsing the much-maligned Matt Williams as the Nationals manager.
"Truly, I love him as a manager," Harper proclaimed. "Flat out, I absolutely do and if I didn't, everybody would know because I'm not shy to say things."
Harper's powerful comments came moments after he pounded two more homers and drove in all four runs in the Nationals' 4-0...
PHILADELPHIA - Phillies starter David Buchanan has been laboring through his second season in the majors. Buchanan brought a 9.11 ERA into tonight's game with the Nationals and proceeded to fire a fastball behind Bryce Harper on the opening pitch of their first meeting.
Harper stared back at Buchanan while the Nationals dugout chirped. Two pitches later, Harper deposited another Buchanan heater over the wall in center for a two-out solo homer. The Nats slugger stood and admired the titanic...
PHILADELPHIA - Recently acquired Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon gave the few thousand Phillies fans left in the 10th inning last night exactly what they came to Citizens Bank Park to see.
Tasked with locking down a 7-6 lead, Papelbon surrendered a leadoff homer to Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis. Until the game-tying leadoff blast, Papelbon had been the lone remaining closer in the majors this season without a blown save. In fact, the last time he coughed up a lead was exactly one year...
PHILADELPHIA - Bryce Harper blasted his 37th homer of the season last night with a solo shot off Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola. The third-inning blast gave the young slugger the first longball of his career off a pitcher younger than him. Harper is 6 1/2 months older than the 22-year-old Nola.
Harper's 91 straight home runs to open his career off a pitcher older than him is the third-longest streak in the expansion era behind Mike Trout (116) and Bob Horner (95).
Harper has reached base...
The Orioles today announced that they have recalled right-hander Oliver Drake, outfielder Junior Lake, infielder Christian Walker and right-hander Tyler Wilson from Triple-A Norfolk.
Drake, 28, posted a 0.82 ERA (44.0IP, 4ER) in 42 games with the Tides this season. He finished second in the International League with 23 saves (going 23-for-23 in save opportunities) and was named to the International League Postseason All-Star Team. Drake made three appearances in the Governors' Cup Playoffs,...
PHILADELPHIA - The roller coaster ride of a season continues for Stephen Strasburg tonight with the right-hander's 20th start of the year. Strasburg is coming off a hard luck loss to the Mets last Wednesday where he breezed through the first seven innings before surrendering a game-tying leadoff homer to Kelly Johnson in the eighth.
After fanning Kirk Nieuwenhuis for his season-high 13th strikeout of the game, Strasburg was yanked when he yielded a single to Curtis Granderson. Yoenis Cespedes...
Before sitting down to write this article, I worked out a little bit, laboring through a run before realizing that it takes every ounce of my strength to do a single push-up.
But anyway, moving on to talk about "American Ninja Warrior," if you're unfamiliar with the show's premise, people compete in an extremely vigorous obstacle course that requires tons of strength, endurance and agility. Currently in its seventh season, the American version of the show (which originated in Japan) had...
PHILADELPHIA - Raise your hand if you had Doug Fister saving a near meaningless game in mid-September this season. That's exactly what happened last night when manager Matt Williams called on Fister for the first time in 13 days to close out a seesaw contest that left the Nationals leading the Phillies 8-7 in the bottom of the 11th.
Fister walked Cameron Rupp to start the frame, but then settled down, whiffing Andres Blanco and Odubel Herrera before getting Freddy Galvis to line out to end the...
PHILADELPHIA - In a season filled with injuries that have interfered with a division crown and a possible deep run into October, the Nationals are finally showing the potential of some of their battered stars.
Anthony Rendon and Jayson Werth - two guys who have combined to miss 151 games this year - led the way tonight as the Nationals outlasted the Phillies 8-7 in a game that featured 16 pitchers over 11 innings.
Rendon set the tone from the start, smacking the first pitch of the game from...
It doesn't take a baseball expert to notice Chris Davis' rare power at the plate. He's already surpassed the 40-homer mark for the second time in his career (42, most in the majors), he's sixth in slugging percentage (.562), and he's second in isolated power (.299). With a wRC+ of 148, Davis is still a ways away from his 168 wRC+ from 2013. But he's bounced back in a big way after a disastrous 2014, and he's put himself in position to make a ton of money this offseason.
In Davis'...
On the 15th of September, the Nationals are 10 games back of the New York Mets and it's safe to say their postseason chances are just a little more than zero. Before the season started, almost everyone thought Washington was a favorite to win the World Series. I predicted on my blog, MattsBats.com, that they would win 99 games and take the National League East easily. A lot of people are now wondering what went wrong for the Nationals this year. Today, I am looking at three of the biggest...
PHILADELPHIA - Center fielder Denard Span was named the Washington Nationals' 2015 nominee for the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet, Major League Baseball announced today.
The Roberto Clemente Award pays tribute to the Hall of Famer's achievements and character by recognizing current players who truly understand the value of helping others. Span is one of the 30 finalists from each Major League club for the annual award given to the player who best represents the game...
PHILADELPHIA - Right-hander Jonathan Papelbon makes his uncelebrated return to Citizens Bank Park tonight for the first time since the Phillies shipped him to the Nationals just before the trade deadline on July 28.
The controversial trade knocked right-hander Drew Storen back into a set-up role to make way for Papelbon to handle the ninth inning. The Nationals have struggled since the move, going just 20-25 and leaving Papelbon with only six opportunities to save games.
Papelbon successfully...
PHILADELPHIA - Anthony Rendon belted the first pitch of the game from Phillies starter Aaron Nola over the left-center field wall. It was Rendon's second leadoff homer of his career and the eighth for the Nationals this season.
Update: Ryan Howard smoked a 2-1 fastball from Nats starter Jordan Zimmermann over the wall in right to tie the score in the second. It was the first hit allowed by Zimmermann.
Update II: Bryce Harper answered with a two-out solo homer to right in the third. It was...
PHILADELPHIA - Right-hander Jordan Zimmermann heads to the mound tonight looking to collect his 13th win of the season. The Phillies are the lone National League team that Zimmermann has a losing record against, coming in at 6-7 with a 3.43 ERA in 15 career starts.
Zimmermann has allowed just three runs over his last three outings, going 2-0 with a 1.45 ERA while striking out 15 over 18 2/3 innings.
After batting .314 with six homers and 18 RBIs in August, Ian Desmond's bat has cooled down...
PHILADELPHIA - Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper returns to the lineup tonight after a brutal collision knocked him out of yesterday's game. Harper ran into Marlins second baseman Derek Dietrich while attempting to make a running turn at the bag on his way to third on Jayson Werth's inning-ending groundout.
The violent impact left Harper on his back as Nationals manager Matt Williams and head athletic trainer Lee Kuntz rushed out to tend to him. Harper left the game for precautionary...
After many questioned their pride, the Nationals showed up Sunday, ending a disastrous five-game losing streak with a 5-0 shutout win over the Marlins. Right-hander Max Scherzer led the way, tossing eight scoreless innings to earn his 12th win in his best start since the All-Star break.
The Nationals rebounded from a three-hit shutout loss on Saturday to plate five runs on 11 hits yesterday. Anthony Rendon picked up three hits, a walk and an RBI. And batting in the cleanup spot for the second...