Andrew Stetka: Ripken's return to a dugout could be awkward for O's fans

Andrew Stetka: Ripken's return to a dugout could be awkward for O's fans
As Orioles fans prepare to celebrate 20 years since Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive games streak, there's word that he could be nearing a return to Major League Baseball. It shocked me, too, when I realized it's been 20 years since No. 8 took that faithful lap around Camden Yards to thank the fans. What might shock me even more is if he ends up in a uniform other than one that reads "Orioles" across the front. Last week in an interview on ESPN 980 in Washington, D.C., the...
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Matthew Taylor: The Orioles' growth mindset concept

Matthew Taylor: The Orioles' growth mindset concept
The growth mindset concept is popular in education circles these days. Given its focus on the need to embrace failure as part of the learning process, growth mindset is a natural corollary for baseball, where repeated failure is ingrained in the game. I would argue that no game requires a growth mindset so much as baseball. The Baltimore Orioles are an example of that. If you're willing to embrace frustration as a fan, it can be a joy to watch over both the short-term and the...
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Patrick Reddington: Gio Gonzalez hoping to rebound at home

Patrick Reddington: Gio Gonzalez hoping to rebound at home
Gio Gonzalez was on a roll before he took the mound last week in San Francisco's AT&T Park. He was on a streak of eight straight starts in which he had allowed two earned runs or less, dating back to June 15th in Tampa Bay. In those previous eight starts, the Washington Nationals' 29-year-old left-hander was 5-0 with a 1.48 ERA and a .245/.296/.326 line against in 48 2/3 innings pitched. Gonzalez was coming off an eight-inning outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Chavez Ravine, in...
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David Huzzard: Nationals need a hot streak

David Huzzard: Nationals need a hot streak
With the Nationals' 4-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday evening, they won back-to-back games for the first time since July 29 and 30. It was also the first series that the Nats have won in the month of August. The Nats' recent cold stretch has put them in an unfamiliar position. In 2012 and 2014, I wrote this same column about what it would take to overtake the Nationals, and now the Nats are the team hoping to overtake the Mets. The good thing for the Nationals is that the...
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Zach Wilt: How quickly things change

Zach Wilt: How quickly things change
Since we last spoke, the Orioles have won five of their last six games and grabbed the second wild card spot in the American League. A week ago, I searched far and wide for good news to share about my favorite ballclub after they were no-hit by Hisashi Iwakuma in the finale of what ended up being a 4-5 West Coast road trip against the A's, Angels and Mariners. Today, I'm struggling to figure out how to cram all these positive nuggets into 600 words. How quickly things can change in...
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Rachel Levitin: Nats' expectations clashing with stark reality

Rachel Levitin: Nats' expectations clashing with stark reality
When it comes to professional sports, looking good on paper can be deceiving when weighed against the actions of a team in any given season. This is what seems to be plaguing the Nationals in 2015. Two division titles in three years and the Nats are struggling to paw their way back to the top of the National League East and dethrone the New York Mets before time runs out on the regular season. And while wins like last night's 15-6 blowout victory against the Rockies in Colorado are nice to see...
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Domenic Vadala: Late-season deal could tip AL East in favor of Orioles

Domenic Vadala: Late-season deal could tip AL East in favor of Orioles
As we've all heard countless times, Major League Baseball's trade season doesn't end in July. The non-waiver trade deadline is, of course, at the end of July. However, trades can still be made until the waiver trade deadline at the end of August (which means that players can be traded so long as they pass through waivers). So with the Orioles now playing better (or so it seems) in the wake of the West Coast trip, I would submit that the waiver trade deadline is of supreme importance for this...
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Matt Kremnitzer: Schoop is giving O's a bat they sorely need

Matt Kremnitzer: Schoop is giving O's a bat they sorely need
It's easy to get carried away when talking about the promise of a young major leaguer. If a player is performing well, even for an extended stretch, it's hard not to ponder his future. Really, that's part of being a fan - wondering what is and what could be. But there's a game tomorrow, and the day after, and probably the day after that; things change in a hurry. Such is the case for Jonathan Schoop. Only 23, Schoop is certainly no Manny Machado. That's not a dig at all, as Machado is one...
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Andrew Stetka: Chris Davis' hot streak means big bucks this winter

Andrew Stetka: Chris Davis' hot streak means big bucks this winter
Orioles fans have been bracing for the moment when Chris Davis possibly walks out of town, but if his recent play is any indication, the slugging first baseman will be surfing on a wave of cash if he departs Baltimore instead. The 29-year-old pending free agent has put up monster numbers this season, more than bouncing back from what many saw as a disappointing 2014 campaign. Davis has clubbed 15 of his 34 homers this season since July 22 and has his OPS hovering near the .900 mark. He likely...
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Marty Niland: Just like 2013, Nats falling short, but they're not out of it

Marty Niland: Just like 2013, Nats falling short, but they're not out of it
Nationals fans across the internet seem to be in full panic mode after a four-game sweep at the hands of the San Francisco Giants. The team fell below .500 for the first time since May, and failed to gain ground on the National League East-leading New York Mets, who were swept at home by Pittsburgh. Among fans who are already calling for manager Matt Williams to be fired, there's a heated Twitter conversation about which ex-National, if any, should be named to replace him. A Facebook...
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Patrick Reddington: Time winding down for Denard Span to return and make impact

Patrick Reddington: Time winding down for Denard Span to return and make impact
Before Denard Span suffered a setback last week, he'd progressed to full workouts, live batting practice and taking fly balls and line drives in the outfield in Nationals Park as he worked his way back from a back issue that landed him on the disabled list. Washington's 31-year-old center fielder and leadoff man worked his way back from two surgeries this winter/spring - after he put together a line of .302/.355/.416, with 39 doubles, eight triples, five home runs, 31 stolen bases and a +4.0...
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Matthew Taylor: Orioles are what their record says they are

Matthew Taylor: Orioles are what their record says they are
It's dangerous to apply football wisdom to baseball. Nevertheless, with the Baltimore Ravens having played their first preseason game on Thursday night in this, ahem, football town, now is as good a time as any to do so. Finish ordering that Bryn Renner jersey at NFL.com, and let's talk some baseball. NFL Hall of Fame Coach Bill Parcells famously said, "You are what your record says you are." That quote came to mind repeatedly this week as I watched the Orioles struggle through a 4-5 West...
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David Huzzard: A closer look at the Nats skipper Matt Williams

David Huzzard: A closer look at the Nats skipper Matt Williams
Since the trade deadline, the Washington Nationals are 4-11 and sinking fast in their National League East race against the Mets. An August/September division race is something new for the Washington Nationals. In 2012 and 2014, they were in the lead for most of the season and began to pull away at this time of year, and in 2013 the Nationals were so far out of it, a late surge made no difference. Now the Washington Nationals find themselves in a fight and they are currently behind on the...
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Zach Wilt: Some good news for the Orioles

Zach Wilt: Some good news for the Orioles
Throughout the summer, there are days when I can't wait to sit down at the keyboard to share my thoughts on the Orioles and days in which I wish I had a bit more time to wait until the story turned positive. There's nothing more fun than blogging about your favorite baseball team when they're hitting extra-inning game-winning grand slams on the road, like I did this time last week. It's a bit more difficult after they've been no-hit and have just concluded an important road trip with just...
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Rachel Levitin: Rough run puts Nationals 2 1/2 games back in division

Rachel Levitin: Rough run puts Nationals 2 1/2 games back in division
It's been a rough run for the Washington Nationals as of late. They dropped last night's contest in a 5-0 shutout versus the Los Angeles Dodgers, and are trying to scrape their way back to the top of the National League East as baseball's regular season days die down. The Nats currently sit 2 1/2 games back in their division. Now - with the wild card - sitting a couple games back in the standings isn't necessarily the end all to a season with playoff hopes. However, the issue now lies in...
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Domenic Valada: Wild card teams can channel momentum for postseason run

Domenic Valada: Wild card teams can channel momentum for postseason run
First off, while I recognize that it departs from my self-proclaimed status as a "baseball purist," let me preface this by saying that I really love how MLB approaches the postseason now. Some people still clamor for the old system of having two divisions and thus the two division champions going to the LCS series. If you feel that way, I can respect that. However, the fact is that over the years, some really good and deserving teams missed going to the postseason due to that system. So, the...
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Matt of Matt's Bats: A closer look at Anthony Rendon's collision at home plate

Matt of Matt's Bats: A closer look at Anthony Rendon's collision at home plate
During Sunday's Rockies-Nationals game, a lot of people questioned the ruling on the field in the 7th inning when the umpires called Anthony Rendon out at home plate. With Rendon on second and the score tied at 4-4, Ryan Zimmerman hit a single to right field. Rendon tried to score, testing the arm of Carlos Gonzalez. CarGo nailed a perfect throw to catcher Michael McKenry, who applied the tag to Rendon. Home plate umpire Alan Porter called Rendon out. Almost immediately, Nationals manager Matt...
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Matt Kremnitzer: O's likely forced to hold steady during Miguel Gonzalez's rough stretch

Matt Kremnitzer: O's likely forced to hold steady during Miguel Gonzalez's rough stretch
How bad does a starting pitcher have to perform before he gets removed from the rotation? For the last couple of months, Miguel Gonzalez seems to be pushing those boundaries. He was up to his usual tricks the first couple months of the season, but he's been off his game since late June. In the middle of that month, Gonzalez was placed on the disabled list with a right groin injury. Since his return outing on June 25, things have not gone well. In nine starts (46 1/3 innings), he has posted an...
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Marty Niland: Ryan Zimmerman's big weekend and memories of Frank Howard

Marty Niland: Ryan Zimmerman's big weekend and memories of Frank Howard
If there was a silver lining in last weekend's series loss to the Colorado Rockies, it's that Ryan Zimmerman appears to have fully recovered from the plantar fasciitis that has sidelined him for much of this season. The Nationals first baseman has hit safely in four straight games and seven of his last nine, and driven in runs in seven consecutive games. But in the past week, he's shown that his power is back, crushing three homers, including blasts to center field in back-to-back innings on...
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Andrew Stetka: Recent DFAs tell strange story for Orioles

Andrew Stetka: Recent DFAs tell strange story for Orioles
The Orioles have gone about constructing and molding their roster in quite a different way this season. For a team that's chasing the Blue Jays and Yankees for the American League East crown, it has looked especially strange. There are a total of eight players from the opening day roster no longer with the team. That number jumps to nine if you include Ryan Webb, who was designated for assignment just before the team's first game. That's over 35 percent of the roster cast off before...
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