Asked this afternoon about the new-look lineup he put together after his Nationals were held to two total runs the previous three days, Davey Martinez smirked.

"The definition of insanity, right?" the manager said. "Hey, I'm going to try to do something."

That new look – Jacob Young leading off, ahead of CJ Abrams – did produce the Nats’ first run of the night against the Blue Jays. But it was Martinez’s other big decision later in the evening that paid off the most.

With his offensively challenged team desperately needing runs in bunches, Martinez sent Luis García Jr. to the plate to pinch-hit for Trey Lipscomb with two on in the bottom of the seventh. Seconds later, García was circling the bases to flashing red stadium lights, his three-run homer giving the Nationals a lead they ultimately expanded into a much-needed, 9-3 victory over Toronto.

"It's hard to explain with words the emotions that run through you," said García, who is now batting .300 with an .800 OPS, via interpreter Octavio Martinez.

The Nationals’ run-starved lineup should get a couple of veterans back in the coming days.

First baseman Joey Gallo is scheduled to begin what should be a brief rehab assignment Saturday at Single-A Fredericksburg. Outfielder Victor Robles, meanwhile, continues on his rehab assignment at Triple-A Rochester and appears close to rejoining the big league club.

Gallo, out since April 27 with a sprained left shoulder, is ready to start playing in minor league games a week later. He has already taken swings in the cage and is now prepared to face live pitching in a game.

Gallo is eligible to come off the 10-day injured list on Tuesday, so if all goes well he should be activated in time for the Nationals’ series opener against the Orioles that night. The 30-year-old was off to a miserable start to his season, batting .122 with three homers, five RBIs and 43 strikeouts in 91 plate appearances, but his presence would still be a boost to a Nats lineup that has scored only two runs in its last three games.

Robles is set to play in his fourth rehab game tonight for Triple-A Rochester, batting leadoff and starting in center field. The 26-year-old suffered a hamstring strain April 3 and has been on the IL since. He’s 3-for-10 with a triple and two RBIs so far on rehab.

The Nationals are back home after a 5-2 road trip that began with a four-game sweep in Miami but ended with only two runs scored in three games in Texas. It was, to be sure, a successful trip. But it wasn’t necessarily a satisfying trip, given the way things went against the Rangers.

But the boys are back home now for the next week, and they’ll continue this long stretch of interleague play with a couple of series against American League East foes. First up are the Blue Jays, who are off to a frustrating start for a club that has visions of playing in October.

Patrick Corbin will be challenged to hold a Toronto lineup that looks intimidating on paper in check. The lefty needs a quality start in the worst way. Though the Nats won his last start in Miami, he dug them into an early 7-0 hole. That’s not exactly a recipe for consistent success.

At the plate, the Nationals have to start putting together more quality at-bats, and it starts with the bats in the middle of their lineup. CJ Abrams, Nick Senzel and Luis García Jr. have been doing a nice job lately, but Joey Meneses, Jesse Winker and Keibert Ruiz are really struggling right now and have to get back on track for this team to score more runs.

Reminder: Tonight’s game is exclusively on Apple TV+, so unfortunately you’ll need a subscription to that streaming service in order to watch. The good news: Apple is offering free two-month trials that you can access by going to apple.co/mlbgift

Longtime Orioles Scout Dick Bowie Named Herb Armstrong Award Winner 

The Orioles today announced that former right fielder NICK MARKAKIS and former hitting coach and first baseman/designated hitter TERRY CROWLEY have been elected to the Orioles Hall of Fame. Additionally, longtime former Orioles scout DICK BOWIE will be inducted as this year’s Herb Armstrong Award winner.

The three honorees will be recognized on Friday, August 23, at a luncheon at Oriole Park hosted by the Oriole Advocates, founders of the Orioles Hall of Fame. The on-field induction ceremony will be held on Saturday, August 24, prior to the 4:05 p.m. ET game against the Houston Astros. Information on purchasing tickets for the Oriole Advocates Hall of Fame luncheon will be announced soon. To purchase tickets for the induction ceremony and game, visit Orioles.com/Tickets.

Markakis spent the first nine years of his 15-year career in Baltimore after being selected with the seventh overall pick of the 2003 First-Year Player Draft. He ranks among the all-time Orioles leaders in doubles (6^th, 316), hits (7^th, 1,547), extra-base hits (8^th, 473), runs (9^th, 749), and RBI (10^th, 658). He won two of his three career Gold Gloves in right field with the O’s (2011 & 2014). He led American League outfielders with 17 assists in 2008 and is tied with ADAM JONES for second on the Orioles all-time list with 93 outfield assists, behind PAUL BLAIR (105). His .994 fielding percentage ranks first all-time among MLB right fielders. He led the AL in times on base (283) and bWAR (7.4) in 2008. He was voted Most Valuable Oriole in 2007 after leading the team in average (.300), slugging (.485), OPS (.848), home runs (23), doubles (43), RBI (112), and hits (191).

Crowley had two stints as Baltimore’s hitting coach, spanning a total of 16 years, the second-longest coaching tenure in club history behind ELROD HENDRICKS (28). His first stint was from 1985-89. Crowley returned to the club in 1999 and coached through 2010. His 12 years as coach from 1999-2010 is the fourth-longest continuous coaching stretch in club history behind Hendricks (28), HARRY BRECHEEN (14), and BILL HUNTER (13 ½). The team records for batting average (.281 in ‘04), doubles (322 in ‘08), and on-base percentage (.353 in ‘99) were all set while he was hitting coach. In his second term as hitting coach, individuals established club records that still stand in batting average (MELVIN MORA, .340 in ‘04), doubles (BRIAN ROBERTS, 56 in ‘09), and hits (MIGUEL TEJADA, 214 in ‘06). Overall, Crowley spent 24 years as a big-league hitting coach, including eight years with Minnesota (1991-98). He also spent three years as a minor league hitting instructor, including 1984 in the Orioles farm system.

When the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles face each other for the first time in 2024, they will honor their respective fans and cities in a special way by taking part in 2024 BELTWAY SERIES: CITIES CONNECTED. Both teams will don their popular City Connect uniforms during Game 1 of the Beltway Series presented by INOVA at Nationals Park on Tuesday, May 7, at 6:45 p.m.

As part of 2024 BELTWAY SERIES: CITIES CONNECTED, the Nationals and Orioles will celebrate their joint commitment to youth baseball and softball access, as members of both clubs’ Nike RBI programs will join together for pregame ceremonies. Nationals Philanthropies will make a charitable contribution to Harlem Park Elementary Middle School in West Baltimore – the Orioles’ adopted school, while Baltimore will reciprocate with a contribution to the Nationals Youth Baseball Academy – the signature program of Nationals Philanthropies – when the Nationals visit Baltimore later this season.

Launched in 2022, the Nationals’ cherry blossom-themed City Connect uniforms celebrate hope and new beginnings, symbolized by the beautiful gift from the people Japan that lines the Tidal Basin and brings together individuals from around the world. The architectural typeface on the jersey represents the city’s strength, while the tonal floral toile is a symbol of its beauty. The pink and ivory color palette, which evokes the feeling of spring in D.C., is set against a dark anthracite background. Cherry blossom petals and branches, as well as the city flag, are prominently displayed, showcasing the pride the Nationals have for their hometown.

The Orioles debuted their City Connect uniforms in 2023, turning to the people of Baltimore for inspiration. The inner tapestry design reflects the neighborhoods that make up the vibrant, bustling metropolis of more than 3 million people. The uniform celebrates the vision that the city and team share of colorful, color blind, vibrant and open community that celebrates differences and defends equal access to fundamental American freedoms.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit nats.com/Tickets.

35,000 FEET ABOVE AMERICA – Good morning, everyone! As you read this, I'm en route from Dallas to Washington, returning home following the Nationals' three-game series against the Rangers. It was a frustrating series in many ways, but it still included an impressive win and some very impressive pitching performances.

The Nats open a five-game homestand tonight, with a weekend series against the Blue Jays, then the first two-game installment of the Battle of the Beltways against the Orioles on Tuesday. If they can string together back-to-back wins, they'll finally get over that .500 hump that has proven so elusive.

Since I've got some time to kill while I'm in the air, let's conduct a Very Special Episode of the Q&A. Submit your questions in the comments section below, then check back for my responses. (If you don't see anything from me, either my flight was delayed or the WiFi wasn't working on the plane. Fingers crossed neither of those issues comes to fruition!) ...

ARLINGTON, Texas – One of these days, perhaps in the near future, perhaps in the not-so-near future, the Nationals will reach the .500 mark and win their next game so they can proudly declare they are a winning baseball team for the first time in three years.

That day isn’t today, though. Because presented with their third opportunity this season to leap over the proverbial .500 hump, they once again came up short at the plate and lost 6-0 to the Rangers.

The Nationals have made significant strides through the season’s first month-plus. They’re playing a much more competitive brand of baseball than in recent seasons. They’re getting quality pitching performances a majority of the time. But they’re still not hitting with any regularity, and that was never on display more than it was this week at Globe Life Field.

Facing the defending World Series champions, the Nats scored a grand total of two runs, finishing with 12 hits and three walks during the course of 27 innings of play. In spite of all that, they still won one of the three games and had a legitimate chance to win the other two.

Each loss, alas, came with the team sitting right at .500. And so the drought continues: The Nationals still have not owned a winning record since July 1, 2021.

Fans invited to attend home games at no cost

The Orioles’ year-round baseball operations continue in Sarasota, Fla. with the Florida Complex League (FCL) Orioles, who begin play on Saturday, May 4, at Ed Smith Stadium. The FCL O’s are scheduled to play 30 home games between May 4 and July 25, with potential playoffs from July 27-30. The FCL, which includes 15 teams, gives many international players their first professional experience in the United States, as well as recently drafted or signed players their first experience in professional baseball.

Home games begin at 12:00 p.m. ET, Monday-Friday, and at 10:00 a.m. on Saturdays, unless otherwise noted. There is no cost to attend the games, which will be held on the Main Field. Fans may enter through the Left Field Gate 30 minutes before first pitch, unless otherwise noted. Free parking is available in the East Lot at the corner of 12^th Street and Tuttle Avenue. Concession stands will be closed. Game times and locations are subject to change without notice due to weather and field conditions. 

Baltimore’s farm system is currently rated as the top player development system in baseball, according to Baseball America, ESPN, and MLB Pipeline.

In the 14 years since the Orioles moved Major League Spring Training operations to Sarasota, nearly 1.4 million fans have enjoyed Orioles baseball at Ed Smith Stadium. In addition, the Orioles host a myriad of special events throughout the year – including youth sports tournaments, arts and entertainment programs, and charitable activations – helping to generate more than $686 million in economic impact in the state of Florida since 2015. Beyond economic impact, the Orioles have provided more than $3.9 million to local Sarasota organizations through cash donations and in-kind contributions. Over the past 14 years, the organization has made it a priority to combat food insecurity, empower local youth through baseball clinics and the annual Orioles Health & Fitness Challenge, and give back when the community needs them the most. The Orioles partner with All Faiths Food Bank to host food collections throughout the year and Ed Smith Stadium is used for their annual “ThankFULL” Turkey Distribution, providing local families in need with necessary food prior to the holidays. For details, visit Orioles.com/Sarasota.

ARLINGTON, Texas – This wasn’t how Jacob Young envisioned the streak coming to an end. If he was finally going to be thrown out trying to steal a base, he didn’t want it to be the result of an overslide.

“You’d rather get thrown out by six steps than have something like that happen,” the Nationals rookie said with a laugh. “But in my mind, it was going to end eventually. I feel like throughout (the streak), we were able to change a lot of games doing it. We’ll just keep on going and start a new one.”

Young had been a perfect 25-for-25 stealing bases since making his major league debut late last season. It was the fifth-longest streak to begin a career in major league history. And when he took off for second in the top of the ninth Wednesday night, he had good reason to believe he was about to be 26-for-26.

Young beat Rangers catcher Jonah Heim’s throw, his left hand reaching second base before shortstop Corey Seager applied the tag. But his momentum carried him past the bag, and perhaps with a little extra push by Seager’s glove, he came off the base with the tag still applied. Second base umpire Alan Porter called him out, and thus did the streak end.

Young had a brief conversation with Porter, asking about the possibility of a push. The umpire told him what Seager did was legal.

ARLINGTON, Texas – The Nationals have another chance to win a series this afternoon, another chance to climb over the .500 mark. To do that, they’re probably going to have to score more than one run. It certainly wasn’t enough in Tuesday’s opener. It somehow was enough in Wednesday’s game. The odds of it being enough again today are slim.

If nothing else, Davey Martinez would love to see his hitters work the count more against Nathan Eovaldi, who has issued 17 walks in 36 innings this season. The Nats haven’t drawn a free pass yet in this series. That’s not a sustainable formula for success.

They also have to hope for another strong outing by Mitchell Parker, who has been nothing short of remarkable in the first three starts of his career, allowing a total of three runs in 16 innings. He finally issued his first two walks over the weekend in Miami, and for the first time had to be pulled prior to the fifth inning because of a high pitch count. This will be a good challenge for the rookie left-hander, facing a Rangers lineup that may have been shut out Wednesday night but is still pretty potent.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at TEXAS RANGERS
Where: Globe Life Park
Gametime: 2:35 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Indoors

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
DH Nick Senzel
2B Luis García Jr.
1B Joey Meneses
LF Jesse Winker
C Keibert Ruiz
RF Eddie Rosario
3B Ildemaro Vargas
CF Jacob Young

Eye-catching mural outside of the Baltimore Convention Center to serve as a beacon of creativity that will echo the soul of the city

Today the Orioles unveiled the latest mural installation as part of the Birdland Murals series, powered by PNC. This year, the Orioles and PNC have displayed a prominent mural located downtown on the west side of the Baltimore Convention Center. The new mural will continue celebrating the vibrant culture, fascinating history, distinctive neighborhoods, and remarkable people of Baltimore, enabling Orioles fans and the community to enjoy the extraordinary skills of various local artists.

“We are excited to unveil the next installment of the Birdland Murals powered by PNC,” said LAURA GAMBLE, PNC Regional President for Greater Maryland. “The mural series brings together the Baltimore community’s two great loves: the arts and the Orioles. PNC is proud to sponsor this beautiful new mural in downtown Baltimore.”

As a city agency and a major gathering space for out-of-town visitors, the Baltimore Convention Center aligns this effort with Mayor Brandon Scott’s Downtown Rise initiative. This mural symbolizes the accessibility of arts, culture, and entertainment as fundamental elements for a thriving downtown and creates a space where people can come together to contribute to the vibrancy of Baltimore City. 

“I’m deeply grateful to the Orioles, PNC Bank, and all of our partners who have made this mural project possible,” said Baltimore City Mayor BRANDON SCOTT. “As we continue our work to brighten downtown and showcase the best Baltimore has to offer, this mural will hold a special place in that effort. The Orioles' commitment to projects like this shows that they are not just a team in Baltimore, but a team of Baltimore. I am incredibly excited for everyone coming downtown for games — or any reason — to see this beautiful new mural and reflect on our city, our history, and the renaissance that we’re building here.” 

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Reinstated RHP Kyle Bradish from the 15-day Injured List (right UCL sprain). He will start today’s game.
• Designated RHP Yohan Ramírez for assignment.

The Orioles’ 40-man roster currently has 39 players.

ARLINGTON, Texas – One-run games aren’t for the faint of heart. And by one-run games, we’re not talking about games with a one-run margin of victory. We’re talking about 1-0 games, where every moment is magnified, every pitch is crucial and any one mistake can spell doom.

That the Nationals somehow found a way to pull off a 1-0 win tonight over the Rangers was nothing short of remarkable. It required another highly effective performance from Trevor Williams, who twice stranded the bases loaded. It required the scratching across of a single run by a lineup that has done next to nothing in two nights at Globe Life Park. And it required some electric work from a bullpen that knew it had zero margin for error.

But that all somehow came together beautifully over the course of 2 hours, 11 minutes this evening, leaving Davey Martinez’s heart pounding but happy at the end of a taut ballgame.

"You know what," Martinez said, "it gets interesting at the end there. ... As I often say, we try to get one more than the other guys. And today, it came true."

The Nats are a .500 club once again, opening the month of May with a win over the defending World Series champs and now giving themselves another opportunity to get over the elusive hump in Thursday’s series finale.

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Reinstated LHP John Means from the 15-day Injured List (left forearm strain).
• Placed RHP Grayson Rodriguez on the 15-day Injured List (right shoulder inflammation), retroactive to April 30.

ARLINGTON, Texas – Eddie Rosario led off the top of the fifth with a single to center field, a relatively nondescript moment that meant even less moments later when he was wiped out on a 5-4-3 double play off the bat of teammate Riley Adams.

That was April 17, the finale of the Nationals’ series at Dodger Stadium. Thirteen games have passed since then. Thirteen games in which Rosario has not delivered another base hit.

He’s taken 25 at-bats since. He has produced zero hits. He’s now batting .088 for the season, his OPS an abysmal .299.

“It’s probably the worst month of my career, by far,” he said, via interpreter Octavio Martinez. “I’ve never felt like I’ve been in this position. I’ve hit balls very well, and it seems like every time I hit a ball well, it’s right at someone. I keep working hard, going out there and try to have good approaches. But I just can’t wait for this month to be over with.”

Rosario has never hit well in April. It’s by far the worst statistical month of his long career. He’s a .206 hitter with a .620 OPS in April. In no other month is his OPS worse than .735.

ARLINGTON, Texas – Whether they realized it or not, a win tonight by the Nationals would’ve been rather significant. Not because the outcome of their series opener against the Rangers would make or break this season, but because of what it would’ve meant on a psychological level.

A win would’ve made them 15-14 to wrap up the month. It would’ve marked the first time they owned a winning record at any point in a season since July 1, 2021 (the night Alex Avila strained both his calves playing second base in an emergency). And it would’ve marked the first time they ended April with more wins than losses since 2017, when Dusty Baker was still managing and Davey Martinez was still Joe Maddon’s right-hand man with the Cubs.

So tonight’s 7-1 loss to the Rangers, while hardly devastating in the big picture, was nonetheless disappointing for a club that arrived in town flying high after a four-game sweep of the Marlins.

"You look back, and there's some games we could've won and been above .500," Martinez said. "But overall, we're playing good baseball. We're playing hard. ... It's nice to win games in April. Now we're going into May. I break the season down, and I always tell myself: If we win 15 games a month, that's pretty good. So, let's win 16 next month."

The Nationals did get another strong start from MacKenzie Gore, who struck out seven in five innings and was charged with only two runs. But they could not supply their emerging ace with more than minimal run support, scoring in the top of the first against Jon Gray but not again after that.

One of the biggest potential influencers in tonight’s game was doing important work on the field before batting practice. Craig Kimbrel stretched while holding a weighted ball, played catch and walked to the bullpen for a lengthy session. The Orioles needed proof that the tightness was gone in his upper back and he could be a consideration in a save situation.

On Wednesday, as it turned out.

Manager Brandon Hyde was giving Kimbrel another game to recover after the veteran closer was removed Sunday in the ninth inning, his third appearance in five days. But don’t tell the Yankees your plans. Let them think he’s ready.

Let him appear to demonstrate that he could take the ball in the ninth and see how the game played out.

Don’t worry about putting the cart before the horse. Figure it out before knowing whether a lead would require protecting.

ARLINGTON, Texas – Nick Senzel is on the kind of power streak most players only dream about. Trey Lipscomb has been red-hot since returning from Triple-A. So how do the Nationals keep both players in the lineup?

For now, the answer is to have Senzel serve as designated hitter while Lipscomb handles third base.

That’s the alignment again tonight for the Nats’ series opener against the Rangers, the fourth straight lineup card Davey Martinez has filled out with Lipscomb at third and Senzel as DH.

“It works out really well for us right now,” Martinez said. “Nick’s starting to swing the bat really well. Lipscomb’s playing really well both sides of the ball. So we’ll keep it like this for a while.”

Senzel, whose season debut was delayed by a fractured thumb suffered during pregame drills on Opening Day, enters tonight with five homers in his last six games. And he nearly hit another homer Monday night in Miami, the ball landing at the wall in deep left-center for a double.

With Monday’s 2-0 win over the New York Yankees, the Orioles improved to 18-10, achieved a first-place tie atop the division and improved to 7-3 in series-opening games.

Win the first one and the chances to win the series go up, said Captain Obvious. And the Orioles are 6-3 in series play in 2024.

With one win the next three days they would at least split this four-game series. Should they do that or better, they will extend an impressive streak. The Orioles have gone 15 straight AL East series without losing one. That is the longest streak in club history behind a 13-series non-losing streak from 1969. Since early last April, they have won 11 and split four other AL East series.

Gunnar Henderson’s leadoff homer in the last of the first Monday was his third leadoff homer of this year and fifth of his career. With 10 homers, he is tied with the Angels’ Mike Trout for both the AL and MLB lead. Two other players have hit nine homers and three have hit eight.

At his current homer pace, Henderson would hit 58 homers this year. Last night he became the third player in club history to have hit 10 or more before May 1. Brady Anderson hit 11 in 1996 and Frank Robinson hit 10 in 1969. At 22 years, 306 days, Gunnar becomes the youngest player in MLB history with 10 home runs before May 1 (previously: COL’s Trevor Story, 23-167 on 4/30).

ARLINGTON, Texas – Hello from Globe Life Park, home of the defending World Series champions. The Nationals come to town flying high after a four-game sweep of the Marlins, but the challenge over the next three days will be markedly more significant. If they can pull off another win tonight, though, it’ll be notable for a couple of reasons: 1) The Nats would own a winning record at any point in the season for the first time since July 1, 2021, and 2) They would finish April with a winning record for the first time since 2017 (when Dusty Baker was manager).

The Nationals have been getting excellent starting pitching through this run, so they’ll hope that continues tonight with MacKenzie Gore. Though he didn’t have his best stuff last week, Gore impressively held the Dodgers to only one run in six innings. He should enter this start with confidence.

At the plate, the Nats will try to keep the pressure on by not only getting on base but advancing once they’re on. We saw how effective they could be running over the weekend in Miami. Look for more of the same tonight against Texas starter Jon Gray and catcher Jonah Heim, who has thrown out only 3-of-18 base stealers so far this year.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at TEXAS RANGERS
Where: Globe Life Park
Gametime: 8:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 88.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Indoors

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
LF Jesse Winker
1B Joey Meneses
2B Luis García Jr.
C Keibert Ruiz
DH Nick Senzel
RF Eddie Rosario
3B Trey Lipscomb
CF Jacob Young