At the moment, all is not well in Birdland. Four straight losses, seven losses in 10, three straight dropped series. Starting pitching - the bedrock of early success - suddenly seems quite vulnerable. The great unmeasurable of clutch performance feels measurable in the wrong way.
And yet, all is good. I promise it is.
Cast your memory to the preseason and recall that most analysts predicted a dismal campaign. Some even went so far as to say that the Orioles would lose 100 games. Even the...
The Washington Nationals today recalled catcher Jhonatan Solano from Syracuse of the Triple-A International League. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.
Solano, who will wear No. 23 when he joins the Nationals for tonight's game at Miami, batted .250 with two doubles, two RBIs and eight runs scored in 13 games this season with Syracuse. The 26-year-old gunned down 40 percent (4 of 10) of would-be basestealers for the...
When the Nationals traded four major prospects for Gio Gonzalez this winter, many fans in D.C. were hesitant about the potential reward such a risky move could bring.
Gonzalez, 26, had two All-Star caliber seasons under his belt, and was one of the best left-handed strikeout pitchers in baseball, but some wondered about his potential to be an elite pitcher moving into the future. While he had succeeded in 2010 and 2011 with Oakland, he had also allowed more walks than any other pitcher during...
This post was inspired by Neal Shaffer's guest blog from last Wednesday entitled, "Tell the truth: Do you want Brian Roberts back?" I thought about responding to his post in the comments, but had so many opinions on the subject, it seemed like it needed its own post.
First, let's discuss Brian Roberts. Earlier this season, I wrote a post arguing that Roberts was the greatest second baseman in Orioles history. I also made the proclamation that I seriously doubted that he would have any...
Every Memorial Day weekend, the sound of the Harleys resonates in Washington, D.C., as they circle the city. Rolling Thunder has become an iconic part of somber Memorial Day remembrances across the city. There was, however, a very different rolling thunder that swept through Atlanta this weekend, as the Nationals pushed 22 runs across the plate at Turner Field over three days to steamroll the Braves.
The bats up and down the lineup took part, as clutch hit after clutch hit rained down...
While some have called catcher Matt Wieters the face of the franchise, chances are when you hear "Orioles," you think Adam Jones. The outfielder defied executive vice president Dan Duquette's general rule about waiting to negotiate deals until the offseason and was the recipient of the club's largest contract in a deal announced in a Sunday press conference. The vocal force of the team, Jones has emerged in Baltimore as more than just an outfielder.
On Saturday evening, MASNsports.com's...
Even as the Nationals were winning at a first-place pace, their quiet bats were a mild concern into early May.
The Nats scored at least five runs just seven times in their first 31 games, riding their pitching to a 19-12 start. Since then, Washington has scored five or more 10 times in 16 contests with the latest offensive outburst carrying the team to a 7-2 win Sunday night in Atlanta.
The Nats overcame an early 2-0 deficit, tying the Braves with two in the fourth and then taking the lead...
After last night's game, Davey Johnson told reporters in Atlanta that Chien-Ming Wang will move into the Nationals' rotation and Ross Detwiler will shift to the bullpen.
Wang has made one relief appearance this season after missing nearly all of the first two months because of a strained hamstring. The 32-year-old allowed one run in three innings Friday at Atlanta. He is scheduled to start Wednesday against the Miami Marlins.
Detwiler's season got off to an excellent start, as the...
Steve Lombardozzi is back in the Nationals' lineup after not playing Saturday, earning his fifth start in eight contests.
Lombardozzi owns a team-best .310 batting average to go with eight runs and five RBIs.
Gio Gonzalez is on the mound as the Nats look to close out a sweep of the Braves. Gonzalez can overtake Stephen Strasburg for the team strikeouts lead. The left-hander has fanned 69 on the season, which stands one behind Strasburg, and enters the night 6-1 with a 1.98 ERA.
Gonzalez...
Stephen Strasburg wasn't at his best and pinch-hitting ace Chad Tracy hurt himself on the same play he drove in the eventual winning run.
But that might've been the extent of the negative for the Nationals in Saturday's series-clinching 8-4 win over the Braves in Atlanta.
Every Nats starter other than Tyler Moore had at least a hit with Danny Espinosa's three-run homer being the big knock. Adam LaRoche added two RBIs while Bryce Harper hit his third homer and first since May...
For the first time since last Sunday, Tyler Moore is back in the Nationals' lineup, batting seventh and playing left field. Moore hasn't touched the field since starting the Nats' series-ending rout of the Orioles.
Moore has been with the Nationals since being called up April 29, but has been seldom used. Today marks just his fifth start and 12th appearance overall. The 25-year-old utility man has struggled at the plate in his limited chances, batting .176 (3-for-17) with no walks, no...
Not so slowly, Steve Lombardozzi's story is becoming more than a feel-good local angle.
As Lombardozzi continues to perform, his role with the Nationals appears to be increasing.
The Maryland native was back in the lineup Friday in Atlanta, leading off and playing left field for his third start in four games and fourth in six contests. He had started just 13 of the team's first 39 games this season.
The versatile 23-year-old has played second, third, short and left for the Nats so far this...
The Orioles today announced that they have recalled right-handed pitcher Stu Pomeranz and catcher Ronny Paulino from Triple-A Norfolk, optioned catcher Luis Exposito to the Tides and designated infielder/outfielder Bill Hall for assignment.
Pomeranz has not allowed an earned run in 10 appearances this season with Triple-A Norfolk (five games, 10 IP) and Double-A Bowie (five games, 13.1 IP). He pitched more than one inning in nine of 10 appearances, striking out 35 and walking three. Pomeranz...
Memorial Day weekend traditions abound in the Washington area. From tributes to America's fallen heroes at Arlington National Cemetery and other resting places to the rumble of Rolling Thunder motorcyclists honoring MIAs to parades, picnics, pool openings and beach vacations, we have our own ways of marking the unofficial start of summer.
Now, thanks to the Nationals' surprising play this season, we have a new one: watching meaningful baseball.
Until now, this was usually the weekend when...
Most Orioles fans can name the last time that the team had a winning season: 1997. Fewer can name the first time that the team had a winning season: 1960.
Baseball came to Baltimore in 1954; it wasn't until six years later that winning baseball arrived in town. While the 1957 Orioles finished an even 76-76, the Birds totaled more wins, 89, than losses, 65 for the first time in 1960.
The 1960 team featured American League Manager of the Year Paul Richards, Rookie of the Year Ron Hansen and...
As we all know, veteran Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts returned to competitive baseball last night as he played three innings for the Double-A Bowie Baysox last night.
Roberts is playing for the Baysox as part of a rehabilitation assignment. He's missed much of the past two seasons dealing with post-concussion syndrome issues and other injuries.
His Wednesday night was pretty mundane, as he walked in both his plate appearances and made some routine plays in the field.
No matter what...
I usually use this space to delve into something that's caught my eye in the previous week of Nationals baseball. I try to examine whatever that might be using statistics, either the boxcar stats that come in the daily paper (you still read box scores, right?), or advanced stats, which really aren't all that advanced (it's still add, subtract, multiply and divide, just using some concepts you might not have thought about too much).
But this week, I'm going to forget the statistics and...
The argument can be made that Tuesday night's 5-2 conquest of the division rival Philadelphia Phillies, solidified by a two-RBI triple off the bat of Bryce Harper, was one of the most enjoyable for Nationals fans so far this season. The Nationals have beaten the Phillies six straight time, the first time in a 43-year franchise history that the Expos/Nationals have done so.
The same argument can be made for Washington's 9-3 win on Sunday versus the regional rival Baltimore Orioles in which...
Brian Roberts is a great Oriole. This much is beyond dispute. Great on the field, obviously, but as importantly, he's been a great presence on the team. Excepting the one obvious blemish on his record (and we don't need to go deep into that, right?) he's basically been a model player. Good in the community, by all accounts good in the clubhouse and seemingly just a good guy. Can't ask for much more than that.
The great lament of his career is that he spent his prime on some of the worst...
The Washington Nationals today returned from rehab and reinstated right-handed pitcher Chien-Ming Wang from the 15-Day Disabled List and placed right-handed pitcher Ryan Mattheus on the 15-Day Disabled List, retroactive to May 21, with a plantar fascia strain (left foot). Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.
Wang missed the Nationals' first 42 games, after suffering a strained left hamstring during his final Spring...