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Matthew Taylor: Examining a homer-happy week at Camden Yards

May 11, 2012, 5:05am

Orioles

Matthew Taylor: Examining a homer-happy week at Camden Yards

What a week for home runs in Baltimore. Josh Hamilton became only the 16th player to hit four home runs in a game Tuesday. Two days later, the Orioles established an American League record by homering in the team's first three at-bats of a doubleheader against the Rangers. Ryan Flaherty, J.J. Hardy and Nick Markakis did the early yard work for the Birds. Overall, the O's hit five home runs in a game for the first time since June 30, 2010, against Oakland. That's two short of the club record...

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Marty Niland: Lombardozzi needs more time at second base

May 11, 2012, 4:48am

Nationals

Marty Niland: Lombardozzi needs more time at second base

It's obvious that the Nationals won't fix their offensive struggles overnight. Michael Morse is still weeks away with a strained lat muscle. Jayson Werth's absence with a broken wrist has left a huge hole in the middle of the lineup. Bryce Harper has been very good so far, but he's not Superman, and Ryan Zimmerman is working his way back into form after missing 14 games with a shoulder injury. That means manager Davey Johnson is going to have to make use of the tools he has to maximize...

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Anthony Amobi: Are we seeing the real Nick Markakis?

May 10, 2012, 4:53am

Orioles

Anthony Amobi: Are we seeing the real Nick Markakis?

As we are seven weeks into the 2012 season, the Orioles are flying high with a 19-11 record, and are a half-game out of first in the American League East. Baltimore's fast start has given players like Matt Wieters, Adam Jones and Chris Davis some national attention. However, one name that I don't see mentioned a lot happens to be right-fielder Nick Markakis. It's almost like he has become an afterthought at this point. Now, Markakis did win a Gold Glove last season, and has always been...

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Military Appreciation Night at Nationals Park

May 09, 2012, 1:18pm

Nationals

In honor of Military Appreciation Night on Wednesday, May 16, the Washington Nationals are proud to offer free tickets to service members and their families when the team goes head-to-head against the Pittsburgh Pirates beginning at 7:05 p.m. Military personnel with a valid military ID (active, retired, reservist or dependent) can receive up to two complimentary tickets to next Wednesday's game. Tickets will be available for pick up on May 16 at the Main Box Office on N Street, SE from 10:00...

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Neal Shaffer: The top five players of the losing era

May 09, 2012, 6:07am

Orioles

Neal Shaffer: The top five players of the losing era

If there's one thing the Internet loves, it's a list. So, what the hell, I'm game. I got to thinking, after the recent unveiling of the Frank Robinson statue at Camden Yards, about great Orioles of the past and how cool it is to be able to look back on their legacies and claim them for our city. That, naturally enough, led to thinking about the modern Orioles. History looks more kindly on success than on failure, which tends to obscure the achievements of players who toil on losing teams....

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Rachel Levitin: A few words on fan etiquette

May 09, 2012, 5:40am

Nationals

Rachel Levitin: A few words on fan etiquette

Phillies fans aside, the atmosphere at Nationals Park over last weekend was vibrant and full of life. The fact is that Nationals Park feels different when the seats are filled. If it takes a division rivalry to pack the place, then so be it. But it's a whole other thing to sink to the level of the proposed enemy of the evening. Nationals fans tend to be well-behaved while a certain contingent of the rival fan base tends to get a bit more riled up than their counterparts. After sitting...

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Orioles recall LHP Zach Phillips; Option RHP Jason Berken to Triple-A Norfolk

May 08, 2012, 2:27pm

Orioles

The Orioles today announced that they have recalled LHP Zach Phillips and optioned RHP Jason Berken to Triple-A Norfolk. Phillips, 25, has recorded three saves and pitched to a 4.15 ERA (13.0IP, 6ER) in nine games for the Tides this season. He pitched to a 1.13 ERA (8.0IP, ER) for the Orioles in 10 games last season after being acquired from Texas on July 19. Berken, 28, allowed seven runs (two earned) in one inning of work last night in his first appearance of the season for the Orioles

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Nationals select Neary as Honorary Bat Girl

May 08, 2012, 1:46pm

Nationals

How's this for a Mother's Day present? The Nationals and Major League Baseball have announced that Laurie Jo Neary, a mother of three who was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in 2008, is the winner of the team's Honorary Bat Girl program. The program recognizes baseball fans who have been affected by breast cancer and have demonstrated a commitment to "Going to Bat" in the fight against the deadly disease. Neary was diagnosed with the breast cancer four years ago and has since undergone...

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Will Yoder: Lombardozzi quietly making his mark

May 08, 2012, 5:23am

Nationals

Will Yoder: Lombardozzi quietly making his mark

Even though he has played just eight games this season, Bryce Harper already ranks among the top rookies in baseball in Wins Above Replacement. As crazy as that sounds, that makes him a viable Rookie of the Year candidate. We shouldn't be surprised, though. Harper is the type of player who was born to win the Rookie of the Year award. He has been ranked the No. 1 prospect in baseball the last two seasons, his pro debut was national news and he even appeared on the cover of Sports...

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Heath Bintliff: For Mark Reynolds, it could be worse

May 07, 2012, 8:00am

Orioles

Heath Bintliff: For Mark Reynolds, it could be worse

A week ago, before the awakening of his bat this weekend in Boston, I was despairing about Mark Reynolds, his lack of hitting and his woeful glove. I wondered how bad he really was and hypothesized that he must be the worst player in baseball based on his simultaneous poor performances in the field and at the plate. I went to Fangraphs.com and sorted all batters in terms of WAR (Wins Above Replacement) which puts value on players while incorporating thier offense and defense. I was pleasantly...

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Ted Leavengood: Stealing home

May 07, 2012, 5:50am

Nationals

Last night's "Sunday Night Baseball" game was not good to the Nationals, despite the overall success of the "Our Park" campaign. When Bryce Harper stole home in the first inning, he stole Nationals Park back from the Philly faithful, but the loss of Jayson Werth to a broken wrist undermines any sense of triumph. It is a blow that will hurt Washington for the remainder of the season and a tragedy for Werth, who was playing so well and assuming such a large role in mentoring Harper....

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Olivia Witherite: In case you missed it ...

May 07, 2012, 5:40am

Orioles

Olivia Witherite: In case you missed it ...

In case missed the game from 1:35 p.m. to 7:42 p.m. Sunday, let me tell you that you missed history. If you did watch, thank you for viewing one of the most exciting Orioles games that I have ever witnessed. Keeping my attention most of Sunday, the game featured a five-run catch-up by the Boston Red Sox in the fourth and fifth innings and terrible outings by the Orioles starter and designated hitter, who looked a like National League pitcher trying to hit. Certainly one of the most bizarre...

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Nationals fire on all cylinders in 7-1 victory

May 05, 2012, 11:37am

Nationals

I hate to be the cynic, but every game I expect the Nationals' starting pitcher to falter, not due to a lack of talent or anything sinister, it just simply has to happen some time. Fortunately, Nats fans, today was not that day. As he has done all season, Gio Gonzalez was dominant, stifling a Phillies lineup that mustered just four hits and one run in seven innings against Washington's left-hander. Gonzalez's seven strikeouts and one walk, combined with three home runs by the offense,...

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Marty Niland: Our park? We'll see

May 03, 2012, 8:15pm

Nationals

It's showtime for the Nationals and their fans. While the atmosphere in the stands at Nationals Park has been more tepid than the team's play on the field for the most part, all of that will change this weekend when the Philadelphia Phillies arrive for the first big division showdown of the year. The action on the field is likely to be intense, but both cities - and a national TV audience Sunday night - will also be paying close attention to the crowd. That's because the Nationals...

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Matthew Taylor: A closer look at some historical tidbits

May 03, 2012, 6:12pm

Orioles

Matthew Taylor: A closer look at some historical tidbits

I love the historical tidbits that regularly work their way into baseball game stories. Two such tidbits came out of the Orioles' series win this week against the Yankees in the Bronx, and both had to do with strong pitching performances. First, on Wednesday, Jake Arrieta became the most recent Orioles pitcher to toss eight or more shutout innings against the Yankees since September 2004, when Sidney Ponson recorded a complete-game shutout. Specifically, Ponson shut out the Yankees on Sept....

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Dave Nichols: Espinosa's struggle to make contact is alarming

May 03, 2012, 8:46am

Nationals

Dave Nichols: Espinosa's struggle to make contact is alarming

During the offseason and into spring training, if you asked 100 Nationals fans which middle infielder they would be concerned with having to replace at some point in the 2012 season, I'd venture to guess 98 of them would have replied, "Ian Desmond." Their answer is not without basis. Desmond has had challenges both offensively and defensively as he continues to try to establish himself as a starting shortstop in the major leagues. This season, Desmond, 26, isn't really burning things...

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Anthony Amobi: It's been a fun - and surprising - run so far for O's

May 03, 2012, 7:36am

Orioles

Anthony Amobi: It's been a fun - and surprising - run so far for O's

Well, for fans of the Orioles, the calendar has flipped from April to May and it has been a surprising season so far. As of this morning, the Orioles are flying high with a 16-9 record, and sit one game behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East standings. There are some very compelling and unexpected storylines in the game today, and the Orioles definitely qualify as of one them. Seriously, I do not think many fans, media or so-called experts thought that this team...

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Rachel Levitin: A different vibe for Harper's home debut

May 02, 2012, 4:47am

Nationals

Rachel Levitin: A different vibe for Harper's home debut

The District's baseball skepticism is warranted. A double dose of 100-loss seasons after 30-plus years of no baseball in town will do that to a person. Those miserable 2008 and 2009 seasons are also what brought the Nationals to this point in time. Baseball in Washington is at crossroads of sorts now that Bryce Harper has made his home debut. With the media hoopla surrounding the young stud of a hitter, it wasn't far-fetched to think that the atmosphere at the ballpark might rival that of...

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Joe Drugan: Comparing Nationals' starters to some elite competition

May 01, 2012, 4:56am

Nationals

Blogs across NatsTown have spent the better part of a week bemoaning the lethargic offense that the Nationals have shown throughout the season, and they probably deserve it. The team has scored just 74 runs, or just 3.36 runs per game, which is sixth worst in all of baseball. Yet the Nationals are still 14-8 heading into May, and they hold a half-game lead over the Atlanta Braves for first place in the National League East. Everyone's heard how awesome this team's pitching rotation has...

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Heath Bintliff: The Orioles' power surge

April 30, 2012, 7:37pm

Orioles

Power makes the offense go 'round and the Orioles received it in large doses from a quartet of sluggers over a terrific April that left them five games over .500. I thought I would take a closer look at their performances so far in terms of their Isolate Power (ISO), a stat that measures power independent of batting average. Matt Wieters - We'll start with Wieters, who just 14 months after being labeled one of the 50 biggest busts in baseball history, is building on his breakout 2011 season...