Josh Land

Ladies: Sign up now for interactive Nats U clinic Saturday

July 05, 2011, 6:57pm

Ladies, I'm going to let you in on a little secret: Guys love girls who like baseball. We love the idea of taking you to a game and knowing you're sitting there enjoying the sport as much as we are. We like to know that if you come home and we're in the midst of a no-hitter on TV, you don't mind slumping right belong side us on the couch and watching. That's the beauty of sports. Sports are exciting, they're action-packed, heart-breaking at times, yet always unpredictable and always...

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Orioles and Nationals teaming up to have fans vote the "Beltways Ballot" into the All-Star Game

July 05, 2011, 2:22pm

Nationals Orioles

Orioles and Nationals teaming up to have fans vote the "Beltways Ballot" into the All-Star Game

The Orioles and Washington Nationals have announced that they have teamed together in an effort to help send the "Beltways Ballot" of outfielder Adam Jones and first baseman Michael Morse to Arizona for this year's All-Star Game. Fans voting for Jones will be eligible to win a VIP Meet & Greet with Adam, parking and four (4) field box seat tickets to an Orioles home game in July or August. Voting can be done by visiting www.orioles.com/finalvote . Voting for Jones can also be done via...

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Orioles select contract of Mitch Atkins, place Luke Scott on 15-day DL

July 05, 2011, 2:02pm

Orioles

The Orioles today announced that they have selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Mitch Atkins from Triple-A Norfolk and placed outfielder Luke Scott on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to July 4, with a right shoulder strain. Atkins, 25, is 2-3 with a 3.11 ERA (46.1IP, 16 ER) in eight starts with the Tides. He has also pitched in games for Single-A Frederick and Double-A Bowie this season after earning a non-roster invitation to major league spring training. Atkins has pitched to...

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Orioles News Release orioles

Michael Morse needs your help, Nats fans

July 05, 2011, 1:22pm

Nationals

Michael Morse needs your help, Nats fans

Nationals fans, you've had the privilege of watching Michael Morse emerge as one of the top young hitters in the game. Now, it's up to you to make sure the rest of the country gets a glimpse of him. On Sunday, Morse was tabbed as one of five nominees for the National League's remaining All-Star game slot in the Final Vote. He was joined by four other players and, through Monday, really needs your help. Currently, Morse sits in fourth place, trailing the Rockies' Todd Helton, Los Angeles'...

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brian eller michael morse nationals nationals buzz

Anthony Amobi: Reynolds finally emerging as legit power threat

July 05, 2011, 6:07am

Orioles

Anthony Amobi: Reynolds finally emerging as legit power threat

Yesterday, the Orioles lost deep in the heart of Texas to the Rangers. However, slugger Mark Reynolds again showed his power stroke. The third baseman, acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks in the offseason, put on quite the power display in Atlanta over the weekend, and followed up that performance with two homers last night, his 19th and 20th. Despite Baltimore's 13-4 loss to the Texas, the story of last night's game was the power and approach of the third baseman. I know a lot of fans...

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anthony amobi guest blogger guestblogger mark reynolds orioles orioles buzz

Matthew Taylor: Reynolds joins 20-20 club, only the wrong one

July 05, 2011, 5:54am

Orioles

Matthew Taylor: Reynolds joins 20-20 club, only the wrong one

Mark Reynolds joined a nontraditional 20-20 club on Monday when he hit his 20th home run of the season and committed his 20th error. Prior to the season, I identified Reynolds as the most likely candidate to become the Orioles' first traditional 20-20 player (20 home runs, 20 stolen bases) since Brady Anderson in 1999. I was enamored with Reynolds' power, concerned about his strikeouts and largely ignorant of his defensive struggles. Now I'm pondering the question many other fans in Birdland...

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guest blogger guestblogger matthew taylor orioles orioles buzz

Rachel Levitin: Could patriotic Nats become America's Team?

July 05, 2011, 4:51am

Nationals

Rachel Levitin: Could patriotic Nats become America's Team?

In theory, the Washington Nationals should be proclaimed "America's Baseball Team" due to proximity and fact. But thanks to the Patriotic Series and a little bit of time, that fact could turn into one of the Nats' longest-standing ballclub legacies. Take an annual contender in playoffs, for example. They're used to baseball during mid-October in front of a prime-time crowd. A D.C. fan hasn't had that opportunity since the invention of television. Plus, the Nats' end-of-season goals...

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guest blogger guestblogger nationals nationals buzz rachel levitin

Could Clippard have a teammate with him in Arizona? You decide!

July 04, 2011, 8:37am

Nationals

Could Clippard have a teammate with him in Arizona? You decide!

We're still dissecting this year's All-Star voting results, wondering how certain players were chosen, how other players weren't and which league will prevail July 12. Last season, the National League ended a 13-year winless drought, upending the junior circuit, 3-1. It was a victory that, most San Francisco Giants fans will contend, was extremely important, so fans are sure to be in for a treat in a two weeks when the two leagues battle it out in the desert with home field advantage in the...

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brian eller michael morse nationals nationals buzz tyler clippard

Matthew Taylor: Beltway battle should include July 4 doubleheader

July 04, 2011, 7:31am

Orioles

Matthew Taylor: Beltway battle should include July 4 doubleheader

Happy Fourth of July, Orioles fans. I'm spending the holiday with my family in Catonsville, Md., where July 4 is, like a certain fictionalized news anchor, kind of a big deal. It certainly isn't more popular than Jesus (just "imagine" someone saying that); more like a secularized version of a holy day of obligation. Thousands of locals make the pilgrimage to Frederick Road in the afternoon for the annual parade and then on to Catonsville High School in the evening for fireworks. Both events...

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guest blogger guestblogger matthew taylor orioles orioles buzz

Rachel Levitin: Creating a sense of baseball community

July 04, 2011, 5:28am

Nationals

Rachel Levitin: Creating a sense of baseball community

When baseball returned to the District in 2005, the $5 grandstand tickets were the only reason my new-found friends at college would go to a baseball game with me. Now, in 2011, those same $5 grandstand tickets are the reason I'm not burned out when it comes to baseball. I'm going to be honest here: I love baseball, but the past two seasons have been draining in many ways. The opportunity to cover the Washington Nationals has been fantastic. I've met the people I now like to call my...

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Orioles recall left-handed reliever Pedro Viola

July 01, 2011, 1:34pm

Orioles

The Orioles today announced that they have recalled left-handed pitcher Pedro Viola from Double-A Bowie. Viola is 3-1 with two saves and a 2.25 ERA (28.0IP, 7 ER) in 24 games for the Baysox, striking out 25 and walking nine. He appeared in one game for the Orioles this season, pitching 1.2 scoreless innings and striking out two on May 30 versus Seattle.

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Hairston placed on DL, Ankiel activated

July 01, 2011, 12:03pm

Nationals

The Washington Nationals today recalled from rehab and reinstated outfielder Rick Ankiel from the 15-day disabled list and placed infielder/outfielder Jerry Hairston Jr. (right wrist fracture) on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to June 30. Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Ankiel missed the last 14 games after being placed on the DL on June 19, retroactive to June 15, with a left intercostal strain. The...

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Stacey Long: What if Brian Matusz doesn't get better?

July 01, 2011, 3:18am

Orioles

Stacey Long: What if Brian Matusz doesn't get better?

After Brian Matusz's terrible outing last night and his subsequent demotion to Triple-A Norfolk, the Orioles' future is looking very unclear. Going into the season, before Matusz's injury, he was one of the players with the fewest question marks. But now, who knows what will happen? A polished college pitcher who sailed through the minors the first time, we know he has the talent. Hopefully he can figure out what he needs to and get back to Baltimore. But what if he doesn't? It's a...

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guest blogger guestblogger orioles oriolez buzz stacey long

Dave Nichols: Zimmerman speaks from the heart at "Night in the Park"

June 30, 2011, 6:24pm

Nationals

Dave Nichols: Zimmerman speaks from the heart at "Night in the Park"

In his sixth full season with the Washington Nationals, third baseman Ryan Zimmerman has become the face of the franchise. He has garnered many accolades, including being selected as an All-Star and winning a Gold Glove. A mild-mannered guy, ZImmerman usually leads not with words but with his actions and work ethic on the field. Last night, for the second consecutive year, Zimmerman spoke from the heart during "A Night at the Park," a benefit hosted by his ziMS Foundation, which funds...

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Dave Nichols: Jordan Zimmermann is ace in the hole

June 29, 2011, 7:47pm

Nationals

Dave Nichols: Jordan Zimmermann is ace in the hole

Ho-hum. Jordan Zimmermann threw another outstanding game last night. It's unfortunate that a defensive miscue set up the only run of the game allowed and his teammates couldn't muster an attack against the Angels in a 1-0 defeat, to drop the Washington Nationals one game below .500 exactly half-way through the 2011 baseball season. Tell me, right now, that at the beginning of the season if someone promised you the Nats would be 40-41 at the mid-point of the season you wouldn't have taken...

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Stacey Long: June 30, 2009: A Night to Remember

June 29, 2011, 7:21pm

Orioles

Stacey Long: June 30, 2009: A Night to Remember

Sometimes talking about the 2011 Orioles gets tiresome, especially when they're losing. So instead of rehashing another failure, let's go back in time. It was on June 30, 2009 that the Orioles completed the greatest comeback in franchise history, and it was one of the most fun games I can remember watching. After falling behind 10-1 to the Boston Red Sox, the Orioles scored five runs each in the seventh and eighth innings to come all the way back and defeat the hated divisional rivals...

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Stacey Long: Short outings by the rotation are killing the O's

June 29, 2011, 4:39am

Orioles

Stacey Long: Short outings by the rotation are killing the O's

There are two days left in June, and for the entire month, there has been exactly one game when the starting pitcher for the Orioles pitched at least seven innings. That game was June 10, when Jake Arrieta pitched seven innings against the Tampa Bay Rays. That's it. Since his disappointing return from the disabled list, Brian Matusz is averaging less than 4.5 innings per game. Since joining the rotation, Chris Jakubauskas has pitched 20 1/3 innings in four starts. Rookie Zach Britton is...

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guest blogger guestblogger orioles orioles buzz stacey long

Dave Nichols: Losses put winning streak in perspective

June 29, 2011, 4:19am

Nationals

Dave Nichols: Losses put winning streak in perspective

So the Washington Nationals lose two in a row and folks are ready to run Davey Johnson out on a rail? A quick look this morning at different social media indicates just how fickle this fan base is. Comments such as "the old man doesn't know how to manage a pitching staff" and "I stayed up to watch that?" are prevalent. All of a sudden, the Nats have lost three of four and the walls are crumbling down. People, Rome wasn't built in a day. The Nats' remarkable winning streak over the last...

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Dave Nichols: Is it time to be worried about Werth?

June 28, 2011, 6:55am

Nationals

Dave Nichols: Is it time to be worried about Werth?

To say that Washington Nationals $126 million man Jayson Werth is struggling would be a dramatic understatement. After last night's 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels, Werth is hitting a robust .224/.329/.391, all career lows for seasons with more than 300 plate appearances. At the pace he's on, there's no way he'll even come close to his 162-game average of 25 home runs or 83 RBIs. Team officials are quick to assure Nats fans that Werth is just going through a slump, that he'll rebound...

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Stacey Long: Finding playing time for Reimold should be a priority

June 27, 2011, 4:57pm

Orioles

Stacey Long: Finding playing time for Reimold should be a priority

After a good rookie year in 2009, Nolan Reimold just couldn't get his act together in 2010. There's no way to know exactly what happened to Reimold last year, but between his documented personal issues, the fact that he was recovering from surgery on his Achilles tendon and his impressive minor league numbers since being drafted, not many people were writing off Reimold's 2009 as a fluke. Reimold was the odd man out after Vladimir Guerrero was signed, but found his way back to Baltimore on...