Hitting the Books with Gary Thorne: "The Road Not Taken"

Hitting the Books with Gary Thorne: "The Road Not Taken"
For years, there is a book that has come and gone from the nightstand, but is never very far gone. It is a collection of Robert Frost's lectures at colleges. They fascinate me to no end and I never tire of rereading them. Nor do I ever tire of reading this masterpiece of verse. "The Road Not Taken, A Selection of Robert Frost Poems" is a classic and framed in my office, as I'm sure so many others have done. This book is one of so many featuring his poems, treasures for the ages. Where...
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Dillon Atkinson: Could O's use four-man rotation in playoffs?

Dillon Atkinson: Could O's use four-man rotation in playoffs?
Following Tuesday night's 6-3 win over the Red Sox, the Orioles are tied for the first wild card spot and second place in the American League East - being just two games back - with the Blue Jays. The Birds, 79-66, face the Red Sox again tonight in the rubber match of a three-game set at Fenway. O's young right-hander Kevin Gausman will counter Boston's Cy Young candidate Rick Porcello. With the Orioles winning the series in Detroit and winning last night's ball game, a win in Boston...
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Charlie Fliegel: Against Dodgers, Gonzalez should get nod over Ross

Charlie Fliegel: Against Dodgers, Gonzalez should get nod over Ross
The latest news on the Nationals pitching staff hopefully heralds the return of Joe Ross. It remains to be seen whether Ross will start in the playoffs, and whether he can. If Ross does indeed come back healthy and his endurance is there, it seems like a no-brainer to start him after Max Scherzer and Tanner Roark (and, if Stephen Strasburg can make it back, after him as well). And his overall numbers do suggest putting him ahead of Gio Gonzalez. In 16 games started this season, Ross has a 3.49...
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Steve Mears: Is it time for the Nationals to tweak their lineup?

Steve Mears: Is it time for the Nationals to tweak their lineup?
Is it time to rearrange the lineup to thwart the competition? The Nationals have been stacking left-handed hitters Daniel Murphy and Bryce Harper for months. Both players hit left-handed pitchers well. Harper actually has a higher slugging percentage (eight points) against left-handed pitchers versus the right-handed pitchers, but his on-base-percentage is 53 points lower against left-handers. Would the lineup do better putting Anthony Rendon between Murphy and Harper to take advantage of the...
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Ryan Romano: What's missing in Britton's dominating campaign?

Ryan Romano: What's missing in Britton's dominating campaign?
Even though Orioles fans get to watch him take the hill constantly, sometimes I think we still don't truly appreciate how great Zach Britton is. The organization developed him as a starting pitcher, but after flopping in that role, he looked like another bust. Nowadays, he never starts anything - he just finishes things. Since his move to the bullpen in 2014, he's put up an ERA of 1.45, which trails only Wade Davis among qualified relievers. Now that he leads the majors in 2016 ERA at 0.63,...
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Orioles attract prestigious Wilson Premier Classic Tournament to Sarasota

Orioles attract prestigious Wilson Premier Classic Tournament to Sarasota
The Baltimore Orioles will host one of the nation's top amateur baseball tournaments, the Wilson Premier Classic, in Sarasota from September 15-18 at Ed Smith Stadium and the Buck O'Neil Baseball Complex at Twin Lakes Park. "The Wilson Premier Classic showcases young amateur players for dozens of professional and college scouts," said David Rovine, Vice President of Orioles-Sarasota. "We expect approximately 1,000 players and coaches from across the nation who are eager to play at a Major...
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Marty Niland: Nats fans can celebrate some recent milestones

Marty Niland: Nats fans can celebrate some recent milestones
This past week produced a couple of milestones for the Nationals in the 2016 season, as they continued their hopeful march toward the National League East title. Their sweep of the Atlanta Braves guaranteed the Nats their fifth consecutive winning season. Does that seem pretty ho-hum for a team that's seems bound for a third postseason in that span? Ask the most experienced baseball fan you know if they can recall the last time that happened in this town. They won't be able to, because it...
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Andrew Stetka: O's giving fans something to cheer about in September

Andrew Stetka: O's giving fans something to cheer about in September
It's the middle of September and you are still watching and enjoying baseball. OK, so maybe you didn't watch much baseball yesterday with the return of the NFL to your television set. But in general, you are still watching baseball in mid-September, and you're doing it with a purpose. That's something that Orioles fans have taken for granted over the last half decade or so. It's hard to believe, but this is the fifth straight season the O's are giving fans really meaningful baseball down...
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Opposite dugout: Mets surging at right time for return to postseason

Opposite dugout: Mets surging at right time for return to postseason
Manager: Terry Collins (6th season) Record: 76-67 Last 10 games: 7-3 Who to watch: CF Yoenis Cespedes (.293 average with 30 HR, 78 RBIs); SS Asdrubal Cabrera (.277 average with 125 hits); RF Curtis Granderson (26 HR, 108 hits); RHP Noah Syndergaard (13-8 with 2.48 ERA); RHP Robert Gsellman (2-1 with 3.92 ERA). Season series vs. Nationals: 6-10 Pitching probables: September 12: RHP Rafael Montero vs. RHP Mat Latos, 7:05 p.m., MASNSeptember 13: RHP Noah Syndergaard vs. RHP A.J. Cole, 7:05...
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Yard Work: Episode 13

Yard Work: Episode 13
Hey, O's fans. We're back with another episode of Yard Work. On this week's edition.... Steve Melewski is in Detroit, ready to follow the Orioles as they get set for a pivotal three-game series against the Tigers. Both teams are fighting for the playoffs and wins and losses during September can make or break the season. Needless to say, this is the biggest series of the year for the Birds, at least until the next one. Melewski checks in from the Motor City. In injury news, fans are...
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Matthew Taylor: Revolving rotation usually doesn't end well

Matthew Taylor: Revolving rotation usually doesn't end well
How many starting pitchers did the Baltimore Orioles use during the 2012 season? That's the question that came to mind for me this week when I learned that the Los Angeles Dodgers are on course to make the playoffs for a second consecutive season while using 15 or more starters. This year's Dodgers would join last year's Dodgers and the 1989 San Francisco Giants as the only teams ever to use that many different starters and still qualify for the postseason. The Orioles have come to know a...
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Patrick Reddington: Strasburg's latest injury not the worst-case scenario

Patrick Reddington: Strasburg's latest injury not the worst-case scenario
Considering what the worst-case scenarios could have been, the diagnosis of a strained flexor mass for Stephen Strasburg was relatively "good" bad news. It's still a significant blow for the Washington Nationals and their 28-year-old starter, of course. "It's very good to know," Dusty Baker told reporters after the official announcement of the results of the MRI on Strasburg's elbow. "I met with our trainer Paul Lessard and we discussed it extensively and everybody was pretty satisfied...
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Zach Wilt: Bundy's been solid, but it's time for a breather

Zach Wilt: Bundy's been solid, but it's time for a breather
Despite his recent struggles, Dylan Bundy is telling Orioles fans everything they want to hear. He feels fine, his arm isn't an issue and he's comfortable pitching every fifth day. Unfortunately, the results just haven't been there for Bundy of late. He's pitched to a 6.46 ERA over his last five starts and his fastball velocity has dipped from 95-96 miles per hour to 92-93. Whatever numbers Bundy finishes with in 2016, he's been a terrific story this season for the Orioles. The guy hadn't...
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David Huzzard: With Strasburg in doubt, young arms must step up

David Huzzard: With Strasburg in doubt, young arms must step up
Some time last season, the Washington Nationals became just another D.C. sports team to me. This doesn't mean I'm no longer a huge Nationals fan or that I'm not going to buy a 2016 division champs t-shirt, because I am and I will. It means that I watch Nationals games in much the same way as I do Wizards or Capitals games; with mild disinterest and a bonus when the team wins. Most of the time I just fall asleep before the game is over. For most of their existence the Nationals were the one...
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Nationals reinstate RHP Stephen Strasburg and INF Stephen Drew

Nationals reinstate RHP Stephen Strasburg and INF Stephen Drew
The Washington Nationals reinstated right-handed pitcher Stephen Strasburg and returned from rehab and reinstated infielder Stephen Drew from the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements. Strasburg, who will start on Wednesday night vs. the Atlanta Braves, missed 16 games with right elbow soreness in his most recent disabled list stint. The right-hander, who missed 17 games in June with an upper back...
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Dillon Atkinson: O's power bats are surging at the right time

Dillon Atkinson: O's power bats are surging at the right time
In the month of June, the Orioles had one of the hottest, if not the hottest, offense in the big leagues. However, when the calendar flipped to July, the bats went cold and the club's top three sluggers weren't anywhere to be found. For a team that is so reliant on its offense since it has a thin pitching staff, many rightfully assumed success wouldn't be likely. And it wasn't. In July and August combined, the O's had a 25-30 record. With an inconsistent rotation and a slumping offense,...
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Charlie Fliegel: Is this the most talented Nationals team ever?

Charlie Fliegel: Is this the most talented Nationals team ever?
As the Nationals sit atop the National League East with the second best record in all of baseball, I got to thinking about how this team might compare to other Nats teams. So, I took a look at the best seasons (by WAR, averaging the Fangraphs and Baseball Reference numbers) to see where the guys on this team stack up. Now, there isn't a ton of history here, so being the best at a position ever for the Nats really means being the best in a decade, but that's still something. Let's start with...
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MASN booth returning to Fairgrounds

MASN booth returning to Fairgrounds
September baseball is here! As we head down the stretch, we want to hook you up with the latest MASN Nats swag! If you're heading to the Nats game Sunday, make sure to swing by the Fairgrounds first and find the MASN tent. We're be slinging FREE Nats giveaway items out before the game! Text "NATSPARK" to 29292 when you get to the booth, and you'll be automatically entered to win! No matter what, you'll walk away with a free prize courtesy of MASN! (You have to be at the park in order to...
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Steve Mears: Lack of pitching depth has put Nats in a tough spot

Steve Mears: Lack of pitching depth has put Nats in a tough spot
The Nationals' formula to success begins with great starting pitching. "You can never have enough starting pitching," general manager Mike Rizzo said in spring training. The Nationals had signed Bronson Arroyo in the offseason, and it was looking like Arroyo could make the 2016 team, allowing Rizzo to stash Joe Ross in Triple-A. The best-laid plans don't always work out, as Arroyo was injured in spring, and the Nationals' depth looked like a pick 'em from Taylor Jordan, Taylor Hill and...
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Ryan Romano: Digging into Kevin Gausman's clutch season

Ryan Romano: Digging into Kevin Gausman's clutch season
For a few years now, Chris Tillman has carried the title of Orioles ace, but someone else might have taken his throne. After his third straight shutout start, Kevin Gausman has lowered his season ERA to 3.58, the best mark among Baltimore starters. He has the peripherals to back that up, too - his FIP and xFIP both lead the team, as well. Although it took him some time to arrive at this point, the 25-year-old righty has finally broken out, and his ability to perform under pressure has...
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