Recapping what happened during a busy period leading to non-waiver trade deadline

Recapping what happened during a busy period leading to non-waiver trade deadline
Last season, the Cubs won their first World Series in 108 seasons. Now they're trying to become the first National League team to win consecutive World Series since the Reds in 1975 and 1976. The Cubs have restocked their roster, trading prospects for big league players. Earlier this month, they acquired pitcher Jose Quintana for the rotation and then got from the Tigers lefty reliever Justin Wilson and catcher Alex Avila on Sunday. After the break, the Cubs identified their weaknesses -...
Continue reading

Some historical perspective on the Nationals' five-homer inning

Some historical perspective on the Nationals' five-homer inning
The Nationals are the sixth team in big league history to hit five home runs in an inning. They did it in the third inning of a 15-2 win against the Brewers on Thursday at Nationals Park. Brian Goodwin started the string followed by Wilmer Difo, Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman and Anthony Rendon. The historic perspective: * The last team to hit five home runs in an inning was the Brewers in 2006 in Milwaukee. They did it against the Reds. Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy was one of the five. The other...
Continue reading

Recapping big trades and previewing more to come

Recapping big trades and previewing more to come
The Nationals fixed their bullpen by trading for Oakland relievers Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson. The Chicago Cubs added starter José Quintana, who struck out 12 batters in an 8-0 win against the Orioles in his Cubs debut Sunday at Camden Yards. As the 4 p.m. ET non-waiver trade deadline approaches on July 31, what's next for teams? The Dodgers, battling Washington for the best record in the National League, are looking for a starter and reliever, even though they start the week with a...
Continue reading

Taking a look at what's ahead in the second half

Taking a look at what's ahead in the second half
As the season resumes, the Milwaukee Brewers are baseball's biggest surprise team with the Minnesota Twins a close second, 2 1/2 games behind Cleveland in the American League Central. The Dodgers were the first team to win 60 games and have the best record in baseball at 61-29. The Astros were the second team with 60 wins and have the best record in the American League at 60-29. The Phillies are the worst team (22 wins). The Mets, Mariners and Giants are the three biggest disappointments, each...
Continue reading

Can Nationals get three pitchers on NL staff in All-Star Game?

Can Nationals get three pitchers on NL staff in All-Star Game?
The Nationals have two starters - and possibly a third - with a case to make the National League All-Star team, but NL manager Joe Maddon has no idea if there's a scenario that would put Max Scherzer, Gio Gonzalez and Stephen Strasburg on the team for the July 11game in Miami's Marlins Park. "I haven't even looked at it,'' the Chicago Cubs' manager said before Thursday's game at Nationals Park. "I'm relying on Major League Baseball to tell me what we have. I don't even know who is...
Continue reading

Answers to a few questions from around the major leagues

Answers to a few questions from around the major leagues
Q: Is the American League East going to be a five-team race all season? A: Yes and that's because every team has virtually the same flaw. The Red Sox have an offense that doesn't need home runs - they've scored seven runs in a game six times without a home run - and a strong bullpen, but pitchers Rick Porcello and David Price still have to be consistent. ... The Yankees have the second-best run production in the AL, but CC Sabathia is on the disabled list and Masahiro Tanaka is a mess, so...
Continue reading

Edwin Jackson's explanation for his longevity: "Everyone always needs pitching"

Edwin Jackson's explanation for his longevity: "Everyone always needs pitching"
As pitcher Edwin Jackson prepared to settle in to the Orioles clubhouse, a reporter asked him about the role with his the team. The role doesn't matter. "I've done a little bit of everything,'' Jackson says. Talk about an understatement. The Orioles are Jackson's fourth American League team and 12th big league team, one short of the record held by pitcher Octavio Dotel. The two were teammates with the World Series champion Cardinals in 2011. Jackson is 33. Dotel was 38 when he reached his...
Continue reading

Will MLB be able to rid game of beanball incidents?

Will MLB be able to rid game of beanball incidents?
First, it was the beanball war between the Red Sox and Orioles, starring Manny Machado. Now it's the Nationals and Giants recovering from a good old-fashioned baseball brawl in San Francisco on Monday. Here's the question: Is there anything Major League Baseball can do to put an end to beanballs before some one gets seriously hurt with a 95 mph heater to the face? Giants relief pitcher Hunter Strickland was reliving the 2014 National League Division Series, a series won by the Giants even...
Continue reading

Answering baseball's pressing questions with Memorial Day looming

Answering baseball's pressing questions with Memorial Day looming
As Memorial Day arrives, the American League East is loaded with offense. A five-team race is possible, assuming Toronto makes a comeback. The National League East is the opposite. The Nationals have the best offense, a leaky bullpen and the only winning record in the division. Here are answers to the most burning questions after baseball's first two months: Q: What should the Orioles do with pitcher Ubaldo Jiménez? A: The best solution is to keep him and hope that he does what he always...
Continue reading

Looking at closer issues around baseball

Looking at closer issues around baseball
The Nationals lead the National League East despite a bullpen that brings daily turbulence. This week at Nationals Park they will see first-hand that they aren't the only team with late-inning issues. The Nationals' bullpen ERA (5.40) is 29th in baseball. Seattle's bullpen has the highest ERA in the majors at 5.44, while San Diego is 27th at 5.04. The Mariners and Padres play in D.C. this week. Edwin Díaz, and his blazing fastball, was the Mariners closer at the season's start, but he...
Continue reading

Picking of the pace of the game is easier said than done

Picking of the pace of the game is easier said than done
Commissioner Rob Manfred is determined to pick up the pace of the game, apparently to keep the interest of the younger generation. It is a good idea to be progressive, as long as Manfred doesn't get extreme. Games are slower. This season, the average time of game is 3 hours, 5 minutes, five minutes longer than last season. In 2015, Manfred's first year as commissioner, the average time was 2 hours, 56 minutes. Manfred is more interested in picking up the pace of the game, getting rid of dead...
Continue reading

Wieters hopes to carry over legacy from Baltimore to Washington

Wieters hopes to carry over legacy from Baltimore to Washington
When catcher Matt Wieters came up to the Orioles at 23 in 2009, his plan was to win a World Series and be an Oriole for life. Then in 2014, when Nick Markakis signed with Atlanta and Nelson Cruz went to Seattle, the reality of baseball as a business hit Wieters for the first time. He wondered about his future. "When Nick and Nelson left, I realized we weren't going to have a 12-year run with the same guys,'' Wieters said. "I think every player wants to play his entire career with the team...
Continue reading

First month of 2017 season has given us plenty of questions

First month of 2017 season has given us plenty of questions
April is in the books. Now, it's time to ask questions about what the first month means. Here are answers the most frequently-asked questions: Question: The Nationals' Ryan Zimmerman is blazing. Does he have a chance to win the National League Triple Crown? Answer: It's a long season, but if Zimmerman keeps hitting as he as done the first month - .420-11-29 - then he'll have a chance. And, his top competition would be his teammate, Bryce Harper, who hit .391-9-26 during the first month....
Continue reading

Eaton-Turner combo gives Nationals unparalleled speed

Eaton-Turner combo gives Nationals unparalleled speed
On the highway, speed kills. In baseball, speed brings life. The Nationals got a glimpse of that before Trea Turner went on the disabled list with a strained hamstring. Turner's expected to return this week, and when he does, he and Adam Eaton will be the fuel that makes the Nationals' lineup almost impossible to defend. Whether it is Turner-Eaton or Eaton-Turner at the top of the order, when they get on base together, they give opposing teams headaches with constant threats to steal - and...
Continue reading

Marking 25th anniversary, Camden Yards has withstood the test of time

Marking 25th anniversary, Camden Yards has withstood the test of time
On April 6, 1992, Orioles pitcher Rick Sutcliffe threw the first pitch at Oriole Park at Camden Yards - on a day when the ballpark started a revolution, pushing baseball away from the two-sport, all-turf, cookie-cutter stadiums of the 1980s. The magic of Camden Yards - some call it Oriole Park - is that it made new feel old on Day One. The ballpark, celebrating 25 years this season, was built in a downtown spot that was a decaying railroad center. It has a classic brick façade with exposed...
Continue reading

Red Sox favored in AL East, though path to title won't be an easy one

Red Sox favored in AL East, though path to title won't be an easy one
The Red Sox are favored to win the American League East, but that is not as obvious as it looks. The Red Sox have strong pitching with Rick Porcello, the 2016 AL Cy Young winner, and Chris Sale in the rotation, but David Price starts the season on the disabled list, thanks to a sore elbow. After that, the Red Sox rotation is iffy with guys like Steven Wright, Drew Pomeranz and Eduardo Rodriguez. Every AL East team is in the same boat. The Orioles are without Chris Tillman. The Yankees aren't...
Continue reading

Mets take aim at Nationals, who are trying to get past NLDS for first time

Mets take aim at Nationals, who are trying to get past NLDS for first time
After losing to the Dodgers in the National League Division Series last October, the Nationals go into the season with a reputation to fix. Can they win the NL East and go beyond the first round of the postseason? They're 0-3 in the Division Series - losing also to the Giants and Cardinals - since moving to Washington in 2005. Manager Dusty Baker is determined to get the World Series back to Washington for the first time since 1933. The Nationals are the favorite to win the division, but the...
Continue reading

Examining the NL Central as the Cubs look to repeat as world champions

Examining the NL Central as the Cubs look to repeat as world champions
The Chicago Cubs are defending a World Series title for the first time since 1909, and this year, they are one of the best teams in the National League. The favorite to win the NL Central? Without a doubt, it is the Cubs. The Cardinals have the best chance to challenge, but their rotation has questions. The Pirates could surprise, but their pitching is young. And the Reds and Brewers are rebuilding with little chance of a .500 record. For the record, the Cubs won 104 games in 1909 and lost the...
Continue reading

Tigers might be Indians' only competition in AL Central

Tigers might be Indians' only competition in AL Central
Stranger things have happened, but if Cleveland doesn't win the American League Central, it's an upset. The Indians have gone the longest - 68 years - without winning a World Series. Detroit has a dangerous offense. They have Justin Verlander, Jordan Zimmermann and Michael Fulmer leading their rotation. And the Tigers, despite not having a healthy Zimmermann, were in the playoff hunt until the final day of last season, when they were beaten 1-0 by Atlanta pitcher Julio Teheran. Kansas City...
Continue reading

Breaking down the AL West, where Astros will battle Rangers for supremacy

Breaking down the AL West, where Astros will battle Rangers for supremacy
The Houston Astros are the trendy pick to win the American League West because of their dangerous lineup. But don't count out the Texas Rangers. They are the defending division champions, even though they didn't major moves over the winter. The always-changing Seattle Mariners could be the surprise team. The Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Angels each have too many questions, although of the two teams, the Angels made the biggest improvement. Here's a look at the AL West: HOUSTON: The...
Continue reading