At 8 1/2 games up in the division, it would take a momentous collapse for the Washington Nationals to lose it. Think about it this way. If the Nationals go 9-10 in their remaining games to finish with a record of 98-64, the Braves would have to win every game to win the East outright or go 17-1 to tie. As commanding as the Nationals' lead is, nothing is over. Every one of the Nationals' remaining opponents are over .500 and in the hunt for the wild card, the two most dangerous being the...
The Washington Nationals today released their 2013 schedule, which includes 81 home dates, beginning with Washington's 80th home opener since 1901 on Monday, April 1 vs. Miami and is highlighted by an attractive slate of weekend visits from the Braves, Cubs, Dodgers, Mets, Phillies and Twins.
The annual Battle of the Beltways Series between the Nationals and Orioles continues for an eighth consecutive season with each club hosting a pair of contests over a four-game span, May 27-30.
The...
There's one big problem with the Nationals being as good as they are this season. What's ironic about that problem is that it has nothing to do with baseball and has everything to do with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority closing at midnight.
This is a topic of conversation that will continue to come up until the end of the season and will persist until the season officially comes to a close (pending playoff games). I've sounded off regarding my Metro pet peeves before, but...
The Orioles have played themselves into a string of curious and unexpected situations this season. Possibly none more so, however, than this: They may have raised expectations to the point where missing the playoffs would actually be a disappointment.
Last night, as Jason Hammel exited the game with an injury, I had the strangest feeling I've ever had as an O's fan. What I should have felt was, "Ah, well, this stretch run is going to be tough, but it's already been a great ride." Instead,...
The Nationals continue to shine on the field as one of the top teams in baseball.
The postseason accolades will come in due time, but as the season pushes forward into fall, it's the voice of the Nationals - Charlie Slowes - who finds himself in his own awards race.
Slowes is among 41 veteran broadcasters chosen as candidates for the 2013 Ford C. Frick Award, which is presented annually by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y., for excellence in baseball...
The Orioles today announced that they have selected the contracts of outfielders Endy Chavez and LJ Hoes from Triple-A Norfolk. To make room for them on the 40-man roster, right-hander Kevin Gregg and infielder Ryan Adams have been designated for assignment.
Chavez batted .190/.222/.281 with two home runs and eight RBI in 47 games with the Orioles earlier this season. He was designated for assignment on August 4 and played 15 games for Triple-A Norfolk after being outrighted.
Hoes will be...
Three weeks ago, Pedro Strop was thought of as one of the top setup guys in baseball. If Strop came into the game, fans assumed three outs and a Jim Johnson save the next inning.
Over his last six appearances, Strop has walked five, struck out four and recorded an 18.00 ERA (six earned runs in three innings). Opponents are hitting .500 with a .609 OBP off the Orioles' flamethrowing relief pitcher.
Everyone remembers Strop allowing two runs in the eighth inning of last Thursday's dramatic...
In all the hullabaloo surrounding the Nationals' decision to end Stephen Strasburg's season, one common comment from the media outside the Washington area has been, "How can Washington shut down its best pitcher when they are so close to the playoffs? This is the team's dream season. They may never be in this position again."
The implication? The Nationals' 2012 season, despite the fact that they currently own baseball's best record, is a fluke, a one-year wonder of good fortune and...
The conventional wisdom early in 2004 was that Washington, D.C., might not be ready for baseball quite yet. In upstate New York, much the same was said of John Lannan as a college pitcher who was not really ready for the big leagues. And yet here they both are, together, at this critical juncture in 2012. Every game for the next two weeks will take on added importance. It is all on the line now as Lannan steps in this week for Stephen Strasburg.
Lannan and Washington both came out of nowhere...
I think that most people my age in this area have very similar stories with regard to the Orioles. Our parents raised us as O's fans and we grew up idolizing Cal Ripken Jr. I'm no different, as Cal was my boyhood hero, however I liked him for a slightly different reason. The best memories of my life were spent at my grandparents' house in Rising Sun, Md., which is about 15 miles from Aberdeen. My dad and my uncles passed their love of this team onto me, and I was told that Eddie Murray and...
The Orioles today announced that they have recalled right-hander Jake Arrieta from Triple-A Norfolk.
Arrieta is 3-9 with a 6.13 ERA (101.1IP, 69ER) in 18 starts for the Orioles this season. He pitched to a 1.82 ERA (24.2IP, 5ER) in his final four starts with the Tides, striking out 31 batters.
During a seemingly off-the-cuff speech as a part of Thursday's on-the-field-ceremonies, Cal Ripken Jr. pointed to the Orioles dugout and encouraged this year's team to "enjoy September." He was talking to the players, but he may as well have been talking to the fans, as well. If there's anything that 14 consecutive losing seasons should have taught the diehards who have been with this team through it all, it's to enjoy the moment and not take it for granted.
What does it mean to enjoy...
Of all the milestones the Nationals have passed in this special season, none means more so far to their long-suffering fans than Monday's 2-1 win over the Chicago Cubs. The Nats' 82nd win of 2012 guaranteed their first winning season since moving to Washington. That's a treasure for the fans who stuck with the team through its lean years since 2005 and those who remember the expansion Senators.
To quote the Eagles, "We haven't had that spirit here since 1969."
That was the last time...
The Orioles today announced that they have reinstated RHP Jason Hammel from the 15-day disabled list.
In 18 starts for the Orioles, Hammel is 8-6 with a 3.54 ERA (109.1IP, 43ER) this season. He made one rehab appearance with Class-A Frederick (5.0IP, 3H, BB, 7K). Hammel is scheduled to start tonight's game against New York.
"Art Modell was a National Football League visionary and pioneer whose impact on the game continues to this day. He and his late wife Pat were as committed to philanthropy as they were to professional football in Baltimore and beyond. On behalf of the Orioles organization, I extend my condolences to his sons, John and David, and the rest of his family."
Hindsight is never wrong and there is more than one path to winning. But for the Nationals, the willful awfulness of 2008 and 2009 are paying off. Without the 2008 and 2009 seasons, the Nationals wouldn't be as good as they are, and it isn't just Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper. Having the first pick overall means a team has the first pick in every round. A.J. Cole was the first pick of the fourth round of the 2010 draft and one of keys in the Gio Gonzalez trade.
Early on, the Nationals...
The Baltimore Orioles will host the team's Fall Instructional League at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota with games that are free and open to the public from September 16 through October 11.
The Instructional League program focuses on specific individual development while providing additional playing time to accelerate a player's progress through the minor league system.
Games are played on the Main Field, with parking available in the East Lot at no charge. Spectators may enter the ballpark...
Tuesday night's "laugher" of a game as MASNsports.com's Dan Kolko so aptly dubbed it was also the first time in team history that six home runs were hit. Or rather, I choose to see it as the first time we ever heard the subhorn go off six times (plus one for good luck since they sound it after each win) during a Nationals game.
Washington decided early on last season to nix the home run fireworks that shot up after a crushed long ball and replace it with something unique, a brand...
Owing to good luck and a fortuitous schedule, I have the honor of my regular turn in the MASN rotation falling today, as the Orioles wake up in a first-place tie with the New York Yankees - on Sept. 5.
It was only several weeks ago that the Yanks had a 10-game division lead and it hardly mattered. That the Orioles were winning and in contention for the wild card was plenty of reason for joy. Nobody at that time, at least to my recollection, seriously considered the possibility of contending...
The Washington Nationals today returned from rehab and reinstated right-handed pitcher Chien-Ming Wang from the 15-Day Disabled List. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.
Wang, who missed the last 58 games with a right hip strain, is 2-3 with a 7.61 ERA in seven games/four starts with Washington this season. The 32-year-old went a combined 4-6 with a 5.51 ERA during 15 minor-league rehab outings in 2012