Josh Land

Matthew Taylor: Getting ready for a division race as an Orioles fan

June 10, 2016, 6:59am

Orioles

What kind of Orioles fan are you? Optimistic or pessimistic? Do you enjoy the ride throughout the season or constantly fret about the end result? Do you live game-by-game or operate with the big picture in mind? Your answers may vary by season, or even within the same season. My approach has varied greatly since the O's starting winning again, and the 2016 season is unlike any one before. Fourteen seasons of losing inevitably affected my outlook on the Orioles. It made me a pessimist who...

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Orioles fans can have the experience of a lifetime during Dream Week 2017

June 09, 2016, 7:16am

Orioles

Orioles fans will be able to enjoy a week filled with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities at the team's 2017 Dream Week, open to adults, regardless of ability. Fans will have the opportunity to play at the Orioles' two-site complex in Sarasota, Fla. (Buck O'Neil Baseball Complex and Ed Smith Stadium) from January 22-28, 2017. Dream Week offers participants the full major league treatment -- playing daily doubleheader intrasquad games and receiving instruction from Orioles Legend Jim Palmer, and...

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David Huzzard: No early pick for Nationals, but Murphy good consolation prize

June 09, 2016, 5:18am

Nationals

Unlike years past, and by now I mean years passed, the Washington Nationals do not hold the first overall pick in tonight's MLB First-Year Player Draft. They don't even have a top-10 pick. They do, however, have two picks in the first round, but will have to be a little patient. The Nationals currently hold the 28th and 29th overall selections in this year's draft. But despite the lack of an "early pick" in the sport's yearly mid-season opportunity to improve an organization, the...

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Zach Wilt: Did O's, Wieters make the right call in offseason?

June 09, 2016, 5:01am

Orioles

Zach Wilt: Did O's, Wieters make the right call in offseason?

Back in November, Matt Wieters and the Baltimore Orioles made baseball history. The Birds catcher became one of the first players to accept a team's qualifying offer when he agreed to sign back with the O's on a one-year, $15.8 million deal. Prior to last offseason, all 34 players who were extended a qualifying offer turned it down in favor of hitting the open market. Sometimes it worked in their favor, sometimes it didn't. Looking at you, Nelson Cruz. Wieters, along with Brett Anderson and...

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Home runs paying off with wins for O's and cash for fans!

June 08, 2016, 11:16am

Orioles

Home runs paying off with wins for O's and cash for fans!

When the Orioles slugged seven home runs against the Red Sox on June 2, it not only led to a big win against their division rivals, but also provided big-time cash for the Maryland Lottery Contestant of the Game. Teressa Davies of Arbutus was selected as the Maryland Lottery Contestant of the Game, and watched on TV with high hopes and her family by her side. "We were yelling so loud that our daughter went upstairs and our poor dog seemed a little scared," the state employee told lottery...

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Dillon Atkinson: Beanball isn't baseball

June 08, 2016, 5:33am

Orioles

Dillon Atkinson: Beanball isn't baseball

In baseball, there are too many incidents that result in a pitcher intentionally throwing a 90-plus mph fastball into the back - and sometimes, even the head - of defenseless hitters. Another case of this happened in Tuesday night's Royals-Orioles game. In case you missed it, the Orioles beat up on Royals right-hander Yordano Ventura with the bats early in the game. Manny Machado stepped to the plate for the second time in the game in the second inning and immediately got brushed back with a...

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Charlie Fliegel: LASIK isn't the only reason Ramos has improved at the plate

June 07, 2016, 8:23pm

Nationals

Charlie Fliegel: LASIK isn't the only reason Ramos has improved at the plate

You'd be forgiven if, before this season started, you were concerned with the Nationals' catching situation and really wanted them to address it. At least I'd forgive you because I certainly felt that way. In 2014 and 2015, Wilson Ramos managed a sub-100 OPS+ and wRC+, hitting below the league average. 2015 was especially tough for him. But he wasn't always that bad. From 2011-2013, he hit a very respectable .269/.327/.449. He was a promising young hitter, then it seemed to all go away....

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Steve Mears: Turner matching all-time hits leader in hustle category

June 07, 2016, 8:22am

Nationals

Steve Mears: Turner matching all-time hits leader in hustle category

Friday night in Cincinnati, Ohio was the setting for the 2016 debut of possibly the most exciting player in baseball, and his name is Trea Turner. He is not a home run hitter and he doesn't crow-hop throwing 97-mph darts across the diamond. Turner is the true throwback to a simpler game to the bygone years of "Charlie Hustle," who is still loved in Cincinnati. Pete Rose was not particularly fast, as he only averaged nine stolen bases a year against seven caught stealing, which surprises most...

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Ryan Romano: String of bad luck has skewed Givens' numbers

June 07, 2016, 4:26am

Orioles

Ryan Romano: String of bad luck has skewed Givens' numbers

The 2016 MLB season has passed the one-third mark, but that doesn't mean every small-sample fluke has disappeared. Some players still haven't played up to their true talent level, while others have performed far above where they should have. For the Orioles, a few position players -- Adam Jones for the former, Hyun Soo Kim for the latter -- fit each of these molds. The best example of an unfortunate player, though, lies on the other side of the ball. In his sophomore season, Mychal Givens has...

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Opposite dugout: Hot start a distant memory for struggling White Sox

June 06, 2016, 2:42pm

Nationals

Opposite dugout: Hot start a distant memory for struggling White Sox

Manager: Robin Ventura (5th season) Record: 29-28 Last 10 games: 2-8 Who to watch: 3B Todd Frazier (18 HR, 40 RBIs); RF Adam Eaton (.270 average, 60 hits); 1B Jose Abreu (.251 average, 56 hits, 30 RBIs); LHP Chris Sale (9-2, 2.54 ERA); RHP Mat Latos (6-1, 4;02 ERA); CL David Robertson (3.22 ERA, 13 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: First meeting of 2016 (0-3 in 2013) Pitching probables: June 7: RHP Joe Ross vs. RHP Mat Latos, 8:10 p.m., MASN2June 8: RHP Max Scherzer vs. RHP James Shields,...

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Nationals reinstate first baseman Ryan Zimmerman

June 06, 2016, 9:50am

Nationals

The Nationals reinstated first baseman Ryan Zimmerman from the Paternity List on Monday and optioned infielder Trea Turner to Triple-A Syracuse. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Zimmerman, 31, was hitting .250 with a .312 on-base percentage and a .451 slugging percentage when he went on the Paternity List on June 3. The first baseman has collected 11 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, and 26 RBI for the Nationals in 48 games...

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Marty Niland: Nats used series against Reds to get bats going

June 06, 2016, 4:54am

Nationals

Marty Niland: Nats used series against Reds to get bats going

So, the Nationals just lost two out of three to the second-worst team in the National League, allowing 22 runs 31 hits and seven home runs to the 21-36 Reds. Let's dwell on the positives, though, shall we? Despite the pitching staff getting spanked by one of the league's top hitting teams, the struggling offense finally showed some signs of life. In Sunday's comeback win, it was downright resilient. After having his 11-game hitting streak snapped, Daniel Murphy was on the verge of going...

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Andrew Stetka: O's pitchers falling victim to longball in recent weeks

June 06, 2016, 4:36am

Orioles

Andrew Stetka: O's pitchers falling victim to longball in recent weeks

Just three weeks ago in this very space, I wrote about what a great job Orioles pitchers were doing in limiting home runs. It came right on the back of a second seven-game winning streak and strong performances by the likes of Chris Tillman and Kevin Gausman. Things have taken an unfortunate turn. After going through the first six weeks or so of the season and sitting second in baseball with the fewest home runs allowed, the O's have now fallen out of the top 10. They were hanging around...

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Yard Work podcast: Episode 4

June 04, 2016, 9:39am

Orioles

Happy Saturday, O's fans. Welcome to this week's episode of Yard Work. We've got lots to talk about as the Orioles continue to battle for the top spot in the American League East. The Birds returned home from a long road trip that saw the team take a small step back, despite winning two of the three series against the Angels and Indians, respectively. Putting a damper on those, of course, was a three-game sweep at the hands of the Astros, but as we've said on every episode of Yard Work,...

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Patrick Reddington: With one-third of season complete, Nats hitters are heating up

June 03, 2016, 6:21am

Nationals

Patrick Reddington: With one-third of season complete, Nats hitters are heating up

Though he will reportedly miss a few games this weekend while on the paternity list, Ryan Zimmerman has been heating up in recent weeks, going 30-for-111 over the last month- plus (.270/.320/.550) with eight doubles and seven homers over his last 29 games. Anthony Rendon has put up a .279/.380/.477 line with eight doubles, a triple and four home runs in 30 games since May 1, after a slow start to the season. Daniel Murphy just earned the National League Player of the Month award, after going...

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Matthew Taylor: Recalling the majesty of Sam Horn

June 03, 2016, 5:30am

Orioles

Matthew Taylor: Recalling the majesty of Sam Horn

Fair or foul? Chris Davis' awe-inspiring blast down the right-field line versus the Red Sox on Wednesday night was deemed to be foul and upheld on review. Orioles manager Buck Showalter, who said the team had a camera angle showing the ball was fair, wasn't buying it. Neither was David Price, who tweeted that the ball was "definitely fair." You know you've hit it well when opposing players are discussing your efforts. Price's full tweet deemed Davis' moon shot "the most majestic ball...

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buck showalter chris davis guest blogger guestblogger matthew taylor orioles orioles buzz sam horn

Opposite dugout: Yankees still searching for consistency

June 02, 2016, 6:52pm

Orioles

Opposite dugout: Yankees still searching for consistency

Manager: Joe Girardi (9th season) Record: 25-28 Last 10 games: 4-6 Who to watch: CF Jacoby Ellsbury (.281 average, .342 on-base percentage); RF Carlos Beltran (12 HR, 51 hits); RHP Nathan Eovaldi (6-2, 3.71 ERA); LHP Andrew Miller (6 saves, 1.25 ERA) Season series vs. Orioles: 1-2 Pitching probables: June 3: RHP Nathan Eovaldi vs. RHP Chris Tillman, 7:05 p.m., MASNJune 4: RHP Ivan Nova vs. RHP Tyler Wilson, 7:15 p.m., FOXJune 5: LHP CC Sabathia vs. RHP Kevin Gausman, 1:35 p.m., MASN Inside the...

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Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy named NL Player of the Month

June 02, 2016, 11:22am

Nationals

After setting a franchise record for hits in a calendar month and leading the Major Leagues in batting average, Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy was named the National League Player of the Month for May on Thursday. Major League Baseball made the announcement. Murphy ended the month of May leading Major League Baseball in batting average (.397), hits (77), and multi-hit games (26). In May alone, the Nationals' second baseman hit .416 (47-for-113) with a .434 on-base percentage and a...

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Zach Wilt: Kim proving he belongs in O's lineup

June 02, 2016, 5:10am

Orioles

Zach Wilt: Kim proving he belongs in O's lineup

Last night marked Hyun-Soo Kim's sixth consecutive start and 19th game played for the Baltimore Orioles. The Korean outfielder is slashing an impressive .382/.469/.509 on the season and he collected three hits, a walk and two runs scored in the O's wild 13-9 win over the Red Sox. Two weeks ago, I made my case for Kim and suggested that the O's play him regularly, at least for a bit, to see what they have with him. Now that we have a better idea, let's dive in and take a look. Wednesday...

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David Huzzard: Winning is nice, but Nats can still improve roster

June 02, 2016, 5:00am

Nationals

David Huzzard: Winning is nice, but Nats can still improve roster

"As long as the Nats are winning," is a phrase we're hearing quite often these days from everyone from fans to announcers. It is the age old sports clichÃ© that winning cures all and that all flaws can be ignored as long as games are being won. It's not good logic and not logic that can be afforded. Think of it in the terms of personal health. You can wait until there's a problem and pay thousands of dollars in medical bills or you can get plenty of rest, exercise, and eat a healthy diet...