Westburg withstands delays to make impressive debut in 10-3 win (updated)

Westburg in the cage

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde didn’t set up a meeting today with Jordan Westburg after the young infielder arrived at Camden Yards, his major league debut against the Reds still hours away. The choices were simple. Give him advice or give him space.

Hyde chose space.

“I try to be as relaxed as I possibly can with him,” Hyde said this afternoon. “I don’t think that anything I say is going to help him or hurt him. Maybe hurt him. But no, this is something they’ve dreamed about their whole lives, and this is something that’s been a goal since they were 8 years old.

“First day’s always a whirlwind, and a lot of stuff thrown at them, and you just kind of want the game to start for them and let them play.”

Westburg couldn’t play for an extra 15 minutes because of the precipitation that pushed back the start. His first at-bat came with two outs in the second inning, at the exact same time that more rain began to fall, increasing in intensity with each pitch following a standing ovation from fans who didn’t rush for cover.

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O's rally from two runs down, but lose series finale at Cincinnati (updated)

austin voth pitches gray

CINCINNATI – The Orioles rallied to pull out a close game in the late innings in the series opener on Friday night and for most of today, it looked like the team might need something similar in the series finale against Cincinnati at Great American Ball Park.

They were locked in a scoreless duel with Reds top pitching prospect lefty Nick Lodolo. And then they fell behind by two runs. They would get even but they would not get their win.

Brandon Drury's 20th homer of the year was a solo shot with two outs in the eighth off the O's Félix Bautista and that lifted the Reds to a 3-2 win in the series finale.

Drury hit a 1-2 splitter that just had enough to go out in left at 372 feet to snap the 2-2 tie and give the Reds the series win.

Bautista's 1.50 ERA was among the best for relievers as he took the mound today.

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Game 155 lineups: Nats at Reds

Game 155 lineups: Nats at Reds
October is a week away and right-hander Erick Fedde (7-8, 4.66 ERA) is still searching for consistency. Though he's won three out of four decisions since Aug. 17, he's got a 5.05 ERA over that span, allowing opponents to slash .274/.308/.527. But his strikeouts have ticked up: 42 over his past 35 2/3 innings. Fedde is 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA in two career starts against the Reds, who are trying to remain relevant in the National League wild card race. In one lifetime start at Great American Ball...
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Nats' depth a key to run for wild card berth

Nats' depth a key to run for wild card berth
Bench players have turned into starters throughout the season to help the Nationals turn things around. The first spark was from Gerardo Parra, who arrived in May from the Giants. Parra and his "Baby Shark" started it all off with a grand slam against the Dodgers. The most recent spark has come from veteran Asdrúbal Cabrera, in his second stint with the Nats after playing in Washington for 49 games in 2014. Cabrera started the season with 93 games for Texas. Cabrera went 3-for-5 with two...
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Strasburg's bat makes noise in Nats' 17-7 blasting of Reds

Strasburg's bat makes noise in Nats' 17-7 blasting of Reds
The Nationals ended up taking care of business with a memorable 10-run fifth inning in a 17-7 win over the Reds that completed a series sweep. Stephen Strasburg ignited the rally with a well-placed full-count single to right field off Reds starter Trevor Bauer. The hit made it 2-1 Nats and put his team on top to stay. The right-hander was able to use his bat to provide offense when the game was still in doubt. "He's got great stuff," Strasburg said of the matchup with Bauer. "Just trying to...
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Strasburg and Bauer trade blows early (Nats win 17-7)

Strasburg and Bauer trade blows early (Nats win 17-7)
In the bottom of the third, Victor Robles singled and stole second base against Reds starter Trevor Bauer. Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg sacrificed Robles to third base. Trea Turner smacked a sacrifice fly to deep left field that scored Robles with the first run of the game. Strasburg allowed only one hit in the first three innings. After three innings, the Nats lead the Reds 1-0. Update: In the top of the fourth, Eugenio Suárez and Josh VanMeter singled to start a Reds rally....
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Robles shows off Gold Glove arm in center field again

Robles shows off Gold Glove arm in center field again
Game situation: top of the sixth and one away, the Nationals lead the Reds 3-0, pinch-hitter José Peraza walks with one out. Jesse Winker singles to center field. Men on first and third. Right? Not so fast. As this scenario played out in yesterday's game, Nats center fielder Victor Robles picked up the ball in center field and fired a dart to third baseman Anthony Rendon, who made a diving tag to nail Peraza as he slid into third base. Victor Robles had to go get a ball in the right-center...
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Injury and ailment no big deal for Soto and Dozier in 3-1 win

Injury and ailment no big deal for Soto and Dozier in 3-1 win
It appears Juan Soto's ankle is just fine. So is Brian Dozier's stomach. Soto and Dozier crushed solo homers in the fourth inning, providing Joe Ross and the bullpen enough breathing room to help the Nationals drop the Reds 3-1. Soto hit home run No. 25 into the second deck of right field to give the Nats a 2-0 lead. It was his fourth homer in his last 10 at-bats. The 20-year-old said he has been fine-tuning his swing with the Nats hitting coach Kevin Long. "I feel really well at the...
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Soto and Dozier go yard (Nats win 3-1)

Soto and Dozier go yard (Nats win 3-1)
The Nationals scored first on an interesting double play to end the top of the first inning. With one out, Victor Robles doubled. Anthony Rendon singled with Robles taking third base. Juan Soto's hot shot was gloved by Joey Votto at first. Votto stepped on first to retire Soto, then threw to shortstop José Iglesias to tag Rendon out at second base. When Votto stepped on first base, that eliminated the force out. Robles crossed the plate before Rendon was tagged out at second base, so the...
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Nationals offense major part of recent 7-2 run

Nationals offense major part of recent 7-2 run
CINCINNATI - The Nationals are in their best groove so far this season, winning seven of their last nine games. They have won three series in a row for the first time this season: 3-1 versus the Marlins, 2-0 against the Braves and 2-1 versus the Reds. The Dodgers beat the Phillies again, so the Nats, at 26-33, are seven games back in the National League East. The Nats still have a significant mountain to climb, because the Braves and Mets are not going away either, but Washington has to be...
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Scherzer grunts his way to a vintage 15-strikeout win

Scherzer grunts his way to a vintage 15-strikeout win
CINCINNATI - Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer started off well Sunday, striking out five in a row at one point, holding the Reds without a base hit through three innings. Then he finished in another world. Scherzer ended up firing eight strong innings, grunting all the way and punching out a season-high 15 batters in a start where he threw a season-high 120 pitches as the Nationals won the series by beating the Reds 4-1. Scherzer put on a vintage performance, allowing only one walk on three...
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More on Turner's finger, Corbin's slider and the Nats bullpen

More on Turner's finger, Corbin's slider and the Nats bullpen
CINCINNATI - Trace the Nationals' season back to before shortstop Trea Turner broke his right index finger. Turner broke the finger when getting hit by a pitch in the first inning of the fourth game of the season on a pitch by Phillies right-hander Zach Eflin. Prior to that play, Turner was setting himself up for a very good season. He may still be able to get to that great season with more than 100 games to play, but that moment certainly placed an unfortunate detour on an incredibly positive...
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Corbin's off day helps Reds roll up big first inning, drop Nats 9-3

Corbin's off day helps Reds roll up big first inning, drop Nats 9-3
CINCINNATI - It took one game for left-hander Patrick Corbin to go from his best start of the season to his worst. On May 25 at Nats Park, Corbin tossed a complete-game, four-hit shutout in a 5-0 Nationals dispatch of the Marlins. It was his fifth win out of seven decisions. He struck out five and walked one. But Friday night at Great American Ball Park, the Reds were not going for Corbin's patented slider and rolled to eight runs in the first three innings to coast to a 9-3 win over the...
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Game 57 lineups: Nats at Reds

Game 57 lineups: Nats at Reds
CINCINNATI - After a day off, the Nationals arrive in Cincinnati for three games in a weekend series at the Great American Ballpark. The Nats swept the Atlanta Braves at SunTrust Park 5-4 and 14-4 to improve to 24-32, and have now won five of their last six games. It is the first time since April 10 the Nats have won two series in a row. At the start of play today, the Nats are nine games in back of the first-place Phillies in the National League East and six games out of a wild-card...
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With an assist from Nationals, Reds begin reworking their starting staff

With an assist from Nationals, Reds begin reworking their starting staff
LAS VEGAS - Nationals pitcher Tanner Roark was traded Wednesday to the Reds, a team that's trying to rebuild its rotation and recover from four consecutive seasons of at least 90 losses. The Reds have had nothing but pitching problems. Last year, their staff gave up 5.06 runs a game, highest in the National League. The staff finished 14th in ERA (4.63) in 2018 and were last in 2017 at 5.17. Last year, the Reds fired their manager, Bryan Price, a former pitching coach, after the first 18 games,...
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Harper leaves game; Madson "didn't mean to hit" Votto in win

Harper leaves game; Madson "didn't mean to hit" Votto in win
The Nationals dropped the Reds 6-2 by scoring early and getting a solid performance from Jeremy Hellickson, who went 5 2/3 innings for his fifth win of the season. Coupled with a 7-1 setback in game one, the Nats ended up splitting the day-night twinbill. The concern after the game was the status of star outfielder Bryce Harper, who had to leave in the top of the seventh after getting hit by pitch from Austin Brice with two outs in the sixth. Harper said the pitcher apologized afterwards. "He...
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Gonzalez on 7-1 loss to Reds: "It's hit or miss right now"

Gonzalez on 7-1 loss to Reds: "It's hit or miss right now"
Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez was inconsistent in the first inning in game one of their doubleheader against the Reds. After fighting his way through six batters, allowing three hits and only one run, it looked like he would be able to use that confidence to build into the second frame. But it just got worse from there. The Reds connected on a three-run shot by Phillip Ervin in the second, to pull away for a 7-1 victory in game one of a split doubleheader at Nats Park. "They came out,...
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Game 110 lineups: Nats vs. Reds

Game 110 lineups: Nats vs. Reds
The Nationals have surprisingly been inconsistent this season but one newcomer that has been a pleasant addition to the organization is starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson. The veteran right-hander has gone 4-2 with a 3.59 ERA for the Nats in 15 starts. He has allowed three earned runs or less in 13 of his 14 starts. Hellickson gets the nod in game two of the doubleheader. The Nats are looking for a split of the two games, after falling in game one 7-1. Martinez was asked earlier today how...
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Game 109 lineups: Nats vs. Reds

Game 109 lineups: Nats vs. Reds
The Nationals' momentum from their four-game winning streak was temporarily halted last evening due to inclement weather. Standing pat at the deadline has Davey Martinez's club rolling, albeit against a disappointing Mets' squad, and currently to the team dead-last in the NL Central. Gio Gonzalez's start last night got pushed back a day and he gets the nod in the first matchup of today's twinbill against the Reds. He's in the hunt for his first victory since May 28 against Baltimore....
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Sure, Scherzer can pitch, but have you seen him hit?

Sure, Scherzer can pitch, but have you seen him hit?
Max Scherzer makes the strikeout look commonplace and expected. For the 12th time in 23 starts this season, Scherzer struck out 10 or more hitters. Behind another workmanlike performance from Scherzer, the Nationals dropped the Reds 10-4 to open the four-game series and win their third in a row. Scherzer (15-5) has struck out 10 or more batters 76 times in his career and 12 times so far this season. His pitch count did get up there: 110 pitches over six innings, with 77 strikes. Scherzer lasted...
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