Orioles and White Sox lineups (updated)

Orioles and White Sox lineups (updated)
The Orioles are back to having 26 players on their active roster after reinstating reliever Dillon Tate from the injured list this afternoon. Tate was on the IL with a strained left hamstring. He threw a spotless inning Tuesday night with Triple-A Norfolk in his only rehab game, striking out one batter and throwing only nine pitches. The roster had an opening after the Orioles optioned starter Dean Kremer to Norfolk yesterday morning. "I'm happy to have Dillon back because Dillon's a guy...
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Game 46 lineups: Nats vs. Reds

Game 46 lineups: Nats vs. Reds
After winning the completion of Wednesday night's suspended game, the Nationals now attempt to sweep this not-really-a-doubleheader against the Reds, hoping to get a big-time start from Stephen Strasburg and avoid using the relievers they needed to close out the earlier 5-3 win. Strasburg was pretty good in his first start off the injured list, tossing 5 1/3 scoreless innings against the Orioles, though he pretty clearly was running out of gas by the fifth. The Nats will hope the right-hander...
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Game 44 lineups: Nats vs. Reds

Game 44 lineups: Nats vs. Reds
The last time the Nationals swept a series, they proceeded to lose seven of their next eight games and dig themselves into a hole they're still trying to climb all the way out of. So this weekend's sweep of the Orioles, while encouraging, certainly doesn't guarantee this team has turned a corner. We won't know about that until we see how the Nats perform this week against the Reds and Brewers. Tonight's series opener versus Cincinnati will see Max Scherzer on the mound, so that's always...
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Game 45 lineups: Reds at Nats

Game 45 lineups: Reds at Nats
Right-hander Joe Ross has been one of two pitchers this season for the Nationals. He either gets through five innings or so, giving his team a chance to win, or gets shelled. It's those rough patches that have inflated Ross' ERA to its current 5.72 entering tonight's game against the Reds. Take away two disastrous outings - when he allowed 10 runs in 4 1/3 innings at home to the Cardinals on April 19 and when he yielded eight runs in four innings to the Diamondbacks in Phoenix on May 15 -...
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Game 43 lineups: Nats vs. Orioles

Game 43 lineups: Nats vs. Orioles
The Nationals still have their issues in the big picture, but they still have a chance to sweep a series today. And that's nothing to scoff at. At this point, they've got to seize any opportunity they get, so a win today over the Orioles would be a welcome development. (It also would give them a 20-23 record, making another 19-31 start mathematically impossible this season. Oh, and if you didn't know, today is the two-year anniversary of the Nats falling to 19-31 after getting swept by the...
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Game 42 lineups: Nats vs. Orioles

Game 42 lineups: Nats vs. Orioles
It was an enjoyable Friday night at Nationals Park, where the home team saw Stephen Strasburg pitch 5 1/3 scoreless innings in his return from the injured list, Josh Bell go 3-for-5 and make a key play in the field, and a season-high crowd of 14,369 cheer the Nats on to victory over the Orioles. Whether they can actually use that as a springboard to a winning streak is up to them. Jon Lester starts this afternoon's game on South Capitol Street, and after a rough outing in his return to Wrigley...
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Game 41 lineups: Nats vs. Orioles

Game 41 lineups: Nats vs. Orioles
The last time we saw Stephen Strasburg on the mound in a big league game, it was obvious he wasn't right. The veteran hurler was throwing fastballs that barely registered 90 mph. His pitches weren't sharp at all. His mechanics were off. His body language suggested he didn't feel right. Turns out Strasburg was indeed injured, dealing with right shoulder inflammation. The Nationals placed him on the 10-day IL and left him to go through a full rehab process. Tonight, that process finally ends...
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Game 40 lineups: Nats at Cubs

Game 40 lineups: Nats at Cubs
After a crazy Wednesday night in Chicago, the Nationals are back at it this afternoon, looking to win their series finale against the Cubs and split the four-game set. It took a lot of effort to pull off their 4-3 victory, which came by the skin of its teeth. And they'll go into today's game with a depleted lineup. Victor Robles, who injured his right ankle rounding first base on an RBI single, is not starting today. That's not surprising, given how scary the play looked and how Robles...
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Orioles removing fan capacity restrictions (plus today's lineups)

Orioles removing fan capacity restrictions (plus today's lineups)
The Orioles announced today that they'll no longer operate under crowd capacity restrictions at Camden Yards beginning June 1. The 25 percent limit is lifted. Tickets for all remaining home games will go on sale at noon on Wednesday, May 26. The Orioles will offer a two-hour online presale to fans who subscribe to the free digital Insider Newsletter. Social distancing will no longer be required between groups of ticket holders. Pod seating will continue to be available in select sections for...
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Game 39 lineups: Nats at Cubs

Game 39 lineups: Nats at Cubs
Remember how we all wondered if Max Scherzer would ever be able to pitch at a Cy Young Award-caliber level again? Well, guess what? He's doing it right now. The Nationals ace has been nothing short of magnificent so far season, entering tonight's game against the Cubs seventh in the National League in ERA (2.10), third in WHIP (0.760), fourth in walk rate (1.4 per nine innings) and fourth in strikeouts (68). And when he's been good, he's been really, really good: In six of his eight starts,...
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Game 38 lineups: Nats at Cubs (Corbin activated)

Game 38 lineups: Nats at Cubs (Corbin activated)
Now that the fanfare, hoopla and ovations for Jon Lester and Kyle Schwarber's returns to Wrigley Field were taken care of Monday night, it's time to get back to just focusing on baseball. Of course, I'm not saying that it wasn't an emotional game, as it was great to see the reception the former Cubs received from their previous club and fans. But that 7-3 loss definitely didn't feel warm and fuzzy as the Nationals left the friendly confines late last night. The Nats now find themselves in...
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Game 37 lineups: Nats at Cubs

Game 37 lineups: Nats at Cubs
The Nationals have been involved in their share of dramatic games at Wrigley Field in recent years. The last time they played on the North Side of Chicago in August 2019, they swept the Cubs in a wild series that many saw as the first real evidence this team was capable of winning the World Series. One year earlier, their playoff chances essentially were crushed on David Bote's walk-off grand slam off Ryan Madson. And, of course, in October 2017, Stephen Strasburg pitched one of the best games...
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Game 36 lineups: Nats at D-backs

Game 36 lineups: Nats at D-backs
The Nationals' series finale in Arizona this afternoon is important, because they're trying to win the series and head to Chicago on a positive note. But there's another important event taking place this afternoon, across the country in Trenton, N.J., where Stephen Strasburg is making a rehab start for Triple-A Rochester. It's important, of course, for Strasburg to emerge from his start (planned for five innings and 75-80 innings) healthy, because if that happens, he may be deemed ready to...
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Game 35 lineups: Nats at D-backs

Game 35 lineups: Nats at D-backs
The Nationals lineup had its best night of the season Friday in Arizona. Why not stick with it again tonight, right? That's Davey Martinez's thinking, and it's hard to fault the manager for that philosophy, especially after he spent the better part of the last month tinkering every single day with a new-look batting order. So tonight the Nats will again go with Trea Turner and Josh Harrison at the top, Josh Bell in the No. 6 spot and Victor Robles at the bottom, behind the pitcher. It's a...
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Game 34 lineups: Nats at D-backs (Corbin on paternity leave)

Game 34 lineups: Nats at D-backs (Corbin on paternity leave)
Max Scherzer appears to be on one of those dominant rolls we've seen from him before, the kind that turns every one of his starts into must-see TV. Over his last six outings, the three-time Cy Young Award winner owns a 1.79 ERA, 0.769 WHIP and 52 strikeouts against only seven walks. (And remember, that stretch includes a seven-run blowup start against the Blue Jays, so he's been unbelievably great in the five other appearances.) So even though it may require some extra caffeine, it might be...
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Game 33 lineups: Nats vs. Phillies

Game 33 lineups: Nats vs. Phillies
To say the Nationals need to find a way to win today's series finale against the Phillies is a gross understatement. No, the season isn't over if they lose again, but if they get swept by Philadelphia after losing two of three to the Yankees after getting swept by the Braves ... well, that's not a position you want to be in. So the pressure's on this afternoon on South Capitol Street, which is probably the last thing Davey Martinez wants. He held a team meeting after Wednesday night's loss...
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Game 32 lineups: Nats vs. Phillies

Game 32 lineups: Nats vs. Phillies
The Nationals need to score runs tonight. This does not qualify as some sort of huge revelation. It's simply the truth. Over their last eight games, the Nats have scored an average of 3.4 runs on 7.5 hits. Which isn't great, but it's even worse when you consider they exploded for 11 runs on 10 hits during Friday night's win at Yankee Stadium. Throw that outlier from the mix, and you get an average of 2.3 runs on 7.1 hits during this stretch. So the mission tonight is clear: Score, and score...
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Updating Flaa and Baumann, Orioles and Mets lineups (updated)

Updating Flaa and Baumann, Orioles and Mets lineups (updated)
The Orioles have lost reliever Jay Flaa on a waiver claim by the Braves. Flaa, 28, made his major league debut on April 27 and tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings. He walked two Yankees and struck out Aaron Judge. The Orioles optioned him to the alternate training site in Bowie after the game to create a spot for Dean Kremer. The Orioles decided Saturday that Flaa would be designated for assignment as they claimed left-hander Brandon Waddell off waivers from the Twins and assigned him to Triple-A...
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Game 31 lineups: Nats vs. Phillies

Game 31 lineups: Nats vs. Phillies
The Nationals are in the midst of a rough stretch, no doubt about it. They've lost five of their last six and are back in last place in the division. And yet, when you consider they lost three of those games by one run (two via walk-off) and another by two runs, the situation very easily could be reversed. Is that reason for optimism or pessimism? Guess it depends on how you prefer to view life (or, at least, baseball). The next three nights, then, present an opportunity to flip the script and...
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Game 30 lineups: Nats at Yankees

Game 30 lineups: Nats at Yankees
In many ways, the Nationals have looked great this weekend at Yankee Stadium. They exploded for 11 runs in Friday night's opener. They've got a decent start from Patrick Corbin in that game, then a brilliant game from Max Scherzer on Saturday. Juan Soto is back in the lineup and back in the field. Victor Robles went 3-for-4 on Saturday. The Nats scored the first run of the season off Aroldis Chapman! Yet because of an uncharacteristic meltdown from Brad Hand in both the ninth and 10th innings...
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