Opposite dugout: First-place Astros aim to continue dominance over Orioles

Opposite dugout: First-place Astros aim to continue dominance over Orioles
Manager: A.J. Hinch (3rd season) Record: 32-16 Last 10 games: 6-4 Who to watch: 2B Jose Altuve (.298/.367/.494 with 7 HR, 22 RBIs, 9 SB), RF Josh Reddick (.281 with 6 HR, 20 RBIs), LF Marwin Gonzalez (11 HR, 28 RBIs), LHP Dallas Keuchel (7-0, 1.84 ERA, 0.864 WHIP), RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (5-1, 2.43 ERA), RHP Ken Giles (3.26 ERA, 13 saves) Season series vs. Orioles: First meeting (6-1 in 2016) Pitching probables: May 26: RHP Kevin Gausman vs. RHP Joe Musgrove, 8:10 p.m., MASN2 May 27: LHP Wade...
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Astros and Rangers hope they have enough pitching to remain top of AL West

Astros and Rangers hope they have enough pitching to remain top of AL West
Spring training is gearing up, and in the American League West, the Astros and Rangers are expected to be the top two teams. But do the Astros have enough pitching? The same question goes for the Rangers. Seattle expects to contend as well, and Oakland, with a healthy rotation and deep bullpen, could be a surprise team. Here's a look at the pitching in the AL West: Houston: The Astros might have the best lineup in the American League, but the rotation appears thin. ... The X-factor is...
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A guide to first week of spring games in West Palm Beach with the Nationals

A guide to first week of spring games in West Palm Beach with the Nationals
The excitement of another baseball season arriving for the Nationals is ramped up with the new spring training facility - The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches - and the ease it will have on travel plans for fans. With the move to West Palm Beach, the Nationals have moved 126 miles south down Interstate 95 and closer to the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area. The Nationals' first Grapefruit League game on the schedule is Feb. 25 at Port St. Lucie (45 miles northwest) against the Mets. Viera was 83 miles...
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New spring facility will accelerate relations between Nationals and Astros

New spring facility will accelerate relations between Nationals and Astros
The opening of The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, the new spring training facility shared by the Nationals and Astros, will be extremely beneficial to the preparation for the 2017 season and beyond for both clubs. The 6,500-seat baseball stadium will be state-of-the-art for spring training. The 12 practice fields outside the main diamond - six for each team - will be easy to navigate for players and fans. With a hat tip to the Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Arizona, shared by the...
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The Ballpark at the Palm Beaches on target for first game on Feb. 28

The Ballpark at the Palm Beaches on target for first game on Feb. 28
Representatives from the Nationals and Astros met this week with Palm Beach County commissioners and told them that the teams' new spring training facility in West Palm Beach, The Ballpark at the Palm Beaches, is expected to open as scheduled on Feb. 28. The Palm Beach Post reported that construction crews are racing to complete the new $148.5 million complex in time for the first scheduled Grapefruit League game. Neither the Nationals nor Astros have released their spring training schedules,...
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Opposite dugout: Astros have failed to recreate mojo from last year's playoff payoff

Opposite dugout: Astros have failed to recreate mojo from last year's playoff payoff
Manager: A.J. Hinch (2nd season) Record: 61-59 Last 10 games: 4-6 Who to watch: 2B Jose Altuve (.364/.428/.572 with 19 HR, 72 RBIs, 26 SB), SS Carlos Correa (18 HR, 82 RBIs), RF George Springer (23 HR, 68 RBIs), RHP Joe Musgrove (1-0, 1.47 ERA), RHP Will Harris (12 saves, 2.64 ERA) Season series vs. Orioles: 3-0 Pitching probables: Aug. 18: RHP Joe Musgrove vs. RHP Kevin Gausman, 7:05 p.m., MASN2 Aug. 19: RHP Collin McHugh vs. LHP Wade Miley, 7:05 p.m., MASN2 Aug. 20: RHP Mike Fiers vs. RHP...
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Construction continues at West Palm Beach facility, but Astros and Nats making contingency plans

Construction continues at West Palm Beach facility, but Astros and Nats making contingency plans
Construction at The Ballpark at the Palm Beaches, the new spring training facility in West Palm Beach, Fla., that the Nationals will share with the Astros, is progressing. According to photos shot earlier this summer, the outfield walls are taking shape and practice fields are clearly visible on the 160-acre parcel. But according to this article in the Palm Beach Post, both the Astros and Nationals are making contingency plans in case the ballpark is not ready to host workouts in mid-February...
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Opposite dugout: Astros struggling to continue last year's success

Opposite dugout: Astros struggling to continue last year's success
Manager: A.J. Hinch (2nd season) Record: 17-28 Last 10 games: 3-7 Who to watch: 2B Jose Altuve (.328/.413/.582 with 9 HR, 27 RBIs), RF George Springer (.254/ with 9 HR, 25 RBIs), SS Carlos Correa (.253 with 7 HR, 20 RBIs), LF Colby Rasmus (8 HR, 31 RBIs), RHP Doug Fister (4-3, 4.22 ERA), RHP Will Harris (0.46 ERA, 11 holds) Season series vs. Orioles: First meeting (4-3 in 2015) Pitching probables: May 24: RHP Chris Tillman vs. RHP Doug Fister, 8:10 p.m., MASN2 May 25: TBA vs. RHP Collin McHugh,...
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Palm Beach County commissioners approve construction bonds for spring training complex

Palm Beach County commissioners approve construction bonds for spring training complex
Looks like the cost of the spring training complex the Nationals will share with the Astros has gone a little higher than expected. The teams have told Palm Beach County that the budget for the shared facility that is due to open in West Palm Beach for the 2017 Grapefruit League campaign has risen to at least $144 million from the $135 million that was approved in August. Any increase over the original $135 million budgeted for the project will be split between the Nationals and Astros, per an...
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Playoffs game blog: New York hosts Houston in AL wild card game

Playoffs game blog: New York hosts Houston in AL wild card game
The Houston Astros are returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2005 and the New York Yankees for the first time since 2012. New York hosts Houston tonight at 8:08 p.m. in the American League wild card game. The winner advances to meet Kansas City (95-67) starting Thursday in the American League Division Series. Houston (86-76) played well at the end of the year after losing its grip on the AL West lead to finish as the second wild card team. The Astros won six of their last eight....
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Florida governor signs bill, final hurdle for new Nats-Astros spring complex

Florida governor signs bill, final hurdle for new Nats-Astros spring complex
The Nationals will be moving to a new spring training facility in West Palm Beach, likely in time for the 2017 Grapefruit League season. Yesterday, Florida Gov. Rick Scott held a bill signing ceremony that will pave the way for the Nationals and Houston Astros to share a 160-acre facility at the corner of Haverhill Road and 45th Street. Barring any complications, the new complex will be ready in January 2017. The Nationals and Astros previously agreed to a 30-year lease on the proposed...
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Opposite dugout: Will home cooking help Astros avenge earlier series loss to O's?

Opposite dugout: Will home cooking help Astros avenge earlier series loss to O's?
Manager: A.J. Hinch (1st season) Record: 31-20 Last 10 games: 4-6 Who to watch: 2B Jose Altuve (.296/.344/.417 with 25 RBIs, 15 SB), LF Colby Rasmus (8 HR, 17 RBIs), RF George Springer (7 HR, 17 RBIs), DH Evan Gattis (11 HR, 31 RBIs), LHP Dallas Keuchel (7-1, 1.76 ERA), RHP Luke Gregerson (3.74 ERA, 13 saves) Season series vs. Orioles: 1-2 Pitching probables: June 1: RHP Ubaldo Jimenez vs. LHP Brett Oberholtzer, 8:10 p.m., MASN2 June 2: RHP Mike Wright vs. RHP Collin McHugh, 8:10 p.m., MASN2...
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Opposite dugout: Surprising Astros are a study in statistical contrasts

Opposite dugout: Surprising Astros are a study in statistical contrasts
Manager: A.J. Hinch (1st season) Record: 29-16 Last 10 games: 7-3 Who to watch: 2B Jose Altuve (.294/.345/.428 with 5 HR, 25 RBIs, 14 SB), CF Jake Marisnick (.281 with 16 RBIs and 9 SB), LF Colby Rasmus (8 HR, 17 RBIs), LHP Dallas Keuchel (6-0, 1.67 ERA), RHP Luke Gregerson (12 saves) Season series vs. Orioles: First meeting (3-4 in 2014) Pitching probables: May 25: LHP Dallas Keuchel vs. LHP Wei-Yin Chen, 1:35 p.m., MASN May 26: RHP Scott Feldman vs. RHP Chris Tillman, 7:05 p.m., MASN May 27:...
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Palm Beach County joins West Palm Beach in approving land swap for new spring training facility (with teams' statement)

Palm Beach County joins West Palm Beach in approving land swap for new spring training facility (with teams' statement)
Palm Beach County commissioners voted 6-1 this morning to OK a land swap with the City of West Palm Beach and the conceptual plan for a new spring training complex in West Palm Beach that would be shared by the Astros and Nationals. The move means the teams will move a step closer to building a new spring training facility on 160 acres at the southeast corner of Haverhill Road and 45th Street on the site of a former landfill. In exchange for the city-owned parcel, West Palm Beach will receive...
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Nats, Astros hope Florida legislature can clear hurdle for new spring training complex

Nats, Astros hope Florida legislature can clear hurdle for new spring training complex
If the Astros and Nationals are going to get their long-awaited shared spring training complex in West Palm Beach, they're going to have to overcome a late-in-the-process hurdle. The Sun-Sentinel of Fort Lauderdale reported Monday that drinking water protections on the parcel of land where the teams want to have a $135 million facility constructed could stand in the way of the project's completion. In order for the shared spring training home to move forward, the Florida legislature needs to...
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Palm Beach County OKs funds for Nats/Astros spring complex, teams have 90 days to find site (updated)

Palm Beach County OKs funds for Nats/Astros spring complex, teams have 90 days to find site (updated)
Palm Beach County commissioners this morning voted 5-2 to approve $108 million in hotel bed tax revenues that will help fund the new spring training facility the Nationals and Houston Astros want to share. The teams now have 90 days to find a suitable site to build a new stadium, practice fields, offices and other facilities that would be used for both spring training and Grapefruit League games. "It's a critical step in the success of keeping Major League Baseball on the east coast of...
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Nats, Astros pitching Palm Beach County tourism council about spring training site today (updated)

Nats, Astros pitching Palm Beach County tourism council about spring training site today (updated)
Today's the day officials from the Nationals and Astros meet with the Palm Beach County Tourist Development Council to make their pitch for a new shared spring training site. According to news reports, the teams will ask for Palm Beach County to chip in almost $155 million from a hotel tax to help offset costs for the stadium project. About $50 million in funds from a state program designed to retain Grapefruit League teams would be combined with almost $57 million from the Astros and...
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Report: Astros and Nationals shared spring training site could be ready in 2017

Report: Astros and Nationals shared spring training site could be ready in 2017
There have been discussions recently about the Nationals and Houston Astros working together on a shared spring training site. According to a Houston Chronicle article, Astros owner Jim Crane confirmed there have been more than talks and a proposed site in West Palm Beach, Fla., could be set to open in as early as 2017. Approval from state and local authorities is still needed for the sight to be confirmed. The Nationals/Expos organization has played at Space Coast Stadium since 2003. The...
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Opposite dugout: Improved Astros look to stay hot with strong set of pitchers on mound in D.C.

Opposite dugout: Improved Astros look to stay hot with strong set of pitchers on mound in D.C.
Manager: Bo Porter, second year Record: 32-39 Last 10 games: 5-5 Who to watch: RF George Springer (.245/.341/.470, 12 HR, 36 RBIs); CF Dexter Fowler (.284/.389/.412, 19 XBH, 41 R, 22 RBIs); 2B Jose Altuve (.318/.359/.428, 25 XBH, 22 RBIs, 24 SB); LHP Dallas Keuchel (8-3, 2.38 ERA, 0.99 WHIP) Season series vs. Nats: 0-2, 3 runs scored, 11 runs allowed Pitching probables June 17: Dallas Keuchel vs. Tanner Roark, 7 p.m., MASN2 HD June 18: Scott Feldman vs. Gio Gonzalez, 7 p.m., MASN HD Series...
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Opposite dugout: Astros look to stay one of majors' hottest teams with Birds in town

Opposite dugout: Astros look to stay one of majors' hottest teams with Birds in town
Manager: Bo Porter, second year Record: 22-32 Last 10 games: 6-4 Who to watch: RF George Springer (.269/.361/.510, 9 HR, 27 RBIs); 2B Jose Altuve (.317/.361/.430, 20 XBH, 17 RBIs, 17 SB); LHP Dallas Keuchel (6-2, 2.55 ERA, 0.98 WHIP); RHP Scott Feldman (3-2, 3.02 ERA) Season series vs. O's: 1-2, 12 runs scored, 11 runs allowed Pitching probables May 29: Brad Peacock vs. Ubaldo Jimenez, 8 p.m., MASN HD May 30: Brett Oberholtzer vs. Miguel Gonzalez, 8 p.m., MASN2 HD May 31: Dallas Keuchel vs....
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