Orioles place infielder Ryan Flaherty on disabled list, recall infielder Rey Navarro from Triple-A Norfolk

Orioles place infielder Ryan Flaherty on disabled list, recall infielder Rey Navarro from Triple-A Norfolk
The Orioles today announced that they have placed infielder Ryan Flaherty on the 15-day disabled list with a right groin strain, retroactive to April 23. In a corresponding move, the Orioles have recalled infiedler Rey Navarro from Triple-A Norfolk. Navarro, 25, played two games with Triple-A Norfolk this season, batting .429/.500/1.000 (3-7) with a home run and two RBI. In 885 games over nine minor league seasons, he hit .265/.313/.377 with 47 home runs, 363 RBI, and 74 stolen bases. Navarro...
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Two youth clinics, two little league days and safety patrol night headline homestand filled with youth initiatives

Two youth clinics, two little league days and safety patrol night headline homestand filled with youth initiatives
The Orioles return home for a nine-game homestand that will include local community appearances, charitable initiatives, promotions, discounts, and special events at Oriole Park at Camden Yards beginning tonight at 7:05 p.m. against the Boston Red Sox. Highlighting the homestand are a variety of youth-oriented activities and initiatives, including two youth clinics, two Little League Days, the annual Safety Patrol Night, and the first Junior Orioles Dugout Club game of the season. IN THE...
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Patrick Reddington: "Cardinal Way" is making things tough on Nationals

Patrick Reddington: "Cardinal Way" is making things tough on Nationals
With wins in two of the three games in the nation's capital this week, the St. Louis Cardinals improved to 16-7 against the Nationals since 2012. Different rosters, different managers (for the Nats at least), but the same outcome. Over the last several years, the Cards have held an edge in the head-to-head series. The 2012 National League East Champion Nationals actually took four of seven from the Cardinals that season, and the National League Division Series with St. Louis went five games,...
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Matthew Taylor: Revisiting a date ripe with significance

Matthew Taylor: Revisiting a date ripe with significance
Thursday night's Orioles game, a 7-6 loss to Toronto that extended the team's losing streak to four games, isn't much worth remembering. April 23 didn't turn out so well for the O's in 2015, so let's look back to a more memorable game that fell on the same date. Today's guest post revisits the Orioles' 3-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on April 23, 1969. One reason that 1969 game is significant is that it featured the two pitchers who would tie for the Cy Young Award at the end of the...
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A healthy Denard Span returns to form, plus options for Ryan Zimmerman with foot injury

A healthy Denard Span returns to form, plus options for Ryan Zimmerman with foot injury
Center fielder Denard Span came up with the Nationals' only hit with runners in scoring position in the team's 11 attempts yesterday. His fifth-inning RBI single not only tied the game but also meant that he's hit safely in all four games since returning from the disabled list last Sunday. "Whenever somebody's in scoring position, I go up there with an aggressive mentality," said Span. "The leadoff hitter in me goes out the window and I'm trying to get a good pitch and drive somebody...
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Offense struggles as Nats drop second straight (Zimmerman injury update)

Offense struggles as Nats drop second straight (Zimmerman injury update)
This script has been written too many times throughout the first month of the season. Once again, poor situational hitting combined with shoddy defense led to the Nationals losing. With today's 4-1 loss to the Cardinals, the Nats drop the first series between the teams and St. Louis now holds a 13-3 record against the Nats over the past three years. "We get guys on first and third, we gotta get 'em in," said manager Matt Williams. "We can't kick the ball. We gotta play good defense...
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Poor fundamentals doom Nats in 4-1 loss

Poor fundamentals doom Nats in 4-1 loss
Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter jumped on the first pitch of the game from Nationals starter Max Scherzer and roped a double off the wall in right-center field. He advanced to third base on right fielder Jason Heyward's soft single to left and scored the game's first run when Scherzer uncorked a wild pitch. Scherzer was able to work out of the inning, getting two strikeouts. Update: Shortstop Danny Espinosa missed a homer by about two feet when he ripped a double off the right field...
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Rendon at Nats Park to see Scherzer, Wacha face off in rubber match

Rendon at Nats Park to see Scherzer, Wacha face off in rubber match
It's just the rubber match of an early season three-game set between the Nationals and Cardinals, but it features a marquee pitching matchup between two of the game's most talented right-handers. Washington's Max Scherzer, 30, brings his sterling 0.83 ERA to the hill to face 23-year-old Michael Wacha of the Cards. "We run out there today hoping that we've got our ace going and to take two of three from these guys would be a good series for us," said Nationals manager Matt Williams....
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Orioles fans can win up to $50,000 instantly, thanks to the Maryland Lottery

Orioles fans can win up to $50,000 instantly, thanks to the Maryland Lottery
Another season of Baltimore Orioles baseball means another year to win big with the Maryland Lottery! Are you game? With its Baseball Bucks scratch-off, the Maryland Lottery is giving you the chance to win up to $50,000 instantly! If you don't win on the ticket, you can still hit a home run by becoming a Maryland Lottery Contestant of the Game. For your chance to be a Maryland Lottery Contestant of the Game, simply enter your non-winning Baseball Bucks scratch-offs through the Maryland...
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Nats, Scherzer aiming for series win vs. Cardinals (with lineups)

Nats, Scherzer aiming for series win vs. Cardinals (with lineups)
The Nationals will send right-hander Max Scherzer to the hill this afternoon to try and take the rubber game of a three-game set against the Cardinals. Scherzer is 1-1 with a 0.83 ERA in his first three starts in a Nats uniform. Left fielder Jayson Werth is out of the starting lineup, with Clint Robinson getting the nod in left and hitting fifth. The Nats are hoping the matchup of Robinson's left-handed power bat and right-hander Michael Wacha starting for the Cardinals will translate into...
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For Blake Treinen, eight has been too much

For Blake Treinen, eight has been too much
Injuries have forced new roles for several Nationals all over the field in the first month of the season. Former starter Blake Treinen has transitioned into the bullpen, and with right-hander Casey Janssen down, he's been asked to take over the pressure-packed eighth-inning role. Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo made a bold but debatable move in the offseason when he traded away dependable setup man Tyler Clippard in order to acquire infielder Yunel Escobar. The nine-year veteran has...
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Cardinals make Fister, Treinen pay for mistakes in 7-5 loss

Cardinals make Fister, Treinen pay for mistakes in 7-5 loss
The Nationals dug themselves an early hole tonight, battled to even the score and then wasted a gritty comeback in a 7-5 loss to the Cardinals. The evening got off to a rough beginning for right-hander Doug Fister after Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter belted a changeup over the right field wall for a leadoff homer. Fister couldn't escape the longball in the second, either, after second baseman Kolten Wong deposited another Fister offering into the stands in right. By the time the Nats...
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Zach Wilt: Still early in the marathon that is 162 games

Zach Wilt: Still early in the marathon that is 162 games
The Orioles have dropped three straight and fallen below .500 at 7-8 after Wednesday night's 4-2 loss in Toronto. They're 1-3 against the Blue Jays this season and 2-4 on their current road trip with Chris Tillman going tonight in the finale. The Birds have been outscored 24-9 during their current three-game skid and have committed eight errors over their last five contests. O's starters have gone 5 1/3 innings or less in their last six games. Are you panicked yet? Have I gotten you all...
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David Huzzard: Slow start has Marlins fishing for answers

David Huzzard: Slow start has Marlins fishing for answers
It's still very early in the baseball season, too early to count any team out or call into question anyone's spring training predictions, but the Marlins have the worst record in baseball and could be on the verge of changing managers. One of the main reasons for this is that Marlins starting pitching is not very good. They came into Wednesday's action sporting a 5.30 ERA, with Dan Haren their best starting pitcher so far. If people weren't so enamored with the Marlins outfield and paid...
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Nats give up three homers in 7-5 loss to Cardinals

Nats give up three homers in 7-5 loss to Cardinals
Nationals right-hander Doug Fister had never given up a leadoff home run in his previous 154 career starts. That streak ended tonight when Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter launched a Fister offering over the right field wall to give the Cardinals a quick 1-0 lead. The Nats got a two-out double from left fielder Jayson Werth in the second, but Cardinals starter John Lackey struck out right fielder Bryce Harper to end the first. Harper's strikeouts continue to pile up, as that was his 21st...
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Lefty Matt Grace recalled, Felipe Rivero heads to DL

Lefty Matt Grace recalled, Felipe Rivero heads to DL
The Nationals have recalled lefty Matt Grace from Triple-A Syracuse and placed left-hander Felipe Rivero on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to April 18, with a gastrointentinal bleed. Grace, 26, is set to become the third Nats reliever to make his major league debut this season, following right-hander Rafael Martin and Rivero. He was one of the final cuts this spring after not allowing a run in 7 1/3 innings. "He's got a good sinker, good changeup and working on a slider, but the ball...
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Rendon heads to Double-A Harrisburg for rehab on Friday (Nats trade Cedeno)

Rendon heads to Double-A Harrisburg for rehab on Friday (Nats trade Cedeno)
Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon successfully completed five innings in his second extended spring game in Viera, Fla., today. He was 0-for-1 with two walks. Before yesterday, Rendon had not seen game action since spraining his left knee in a Grapefruit League contest on March 9. Manager Matt Williams revealed the plan for Rendon this afternoon. The 24-year-old will fly to D.C. tomorrow morning and work out with the team at Nationals Park prior to the final game against the Cardinals....
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Fister looks to keep Nats rolling (with lineups)

Fister looks to keep Nats rolling (with lineups)
Right-hander Doug Fister takes the mound for his third start of the season boasting a sparkling 0.69 ERA. Fister took the loss last June in his only game against the Cardinals, allowing four runs on seven hits in six innings. He'll look ti become the first Nationals starter to reach two wins on the season against St. Louis tonight. Center fielder Denard Span had his first multi-hit game of the season last night, going 2-for-5 with two singles. Span has hit safely in both games since returning...
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So far, dynamic Yunel Escobar is a big hit

So far, dynamic Yunel Escobar is a big hit
Instability is one way to describe infielder Yunel Escobar's career. But barely two weeks into his fifth major league stop, the nine-year veteran has arguably been the most reliable of all of the Nationals. After squandering a one-run lead in the ninth against the Cardinals, Escobar bailed the Nats out with one swing of the bat, launching a solo homer to leftfor a 2-1 walk-off victory in the 10th inning last night. Most players round third and toss their helmet, maybe jump on the plate as...
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Rachel Levitin: Seeing what Escobar is all about

Rachel Levitin: Seeing what Escobar is all about
When the Nationals announced that right-handed reliever Tyler Clippard was traded to the Oakland Athletics for infielder Yunel Escobar in January, the public opinion was that folks were sad to see Clippard go. Teammates and fans alike were not ready to see their beloved eighth inning reliever (whose use of the song "Peaches" will always make this particular Nats baseball observer smile) trade in red, white, and blue for green and gold. But now that the 2015 season is a few weeks old, it's...
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