The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Recalled RHP Chayce McDermott from Triple-A Norfolk.
• Optioned RHP Kade Strowd to Triple-A Norfolk.
• Released RHP Kyle Gibson.

For two days over the weekend, the Nationals looked like the kind of offensive club Davey Martinez envisioned all along.

They jumped on opposing starters, taking early leads and then expanding them. They delivered singles and doubles with runners in scoring position. They blasted multiple home runs. They even drew a few walks.

And because of all that, they twice led the Orioles by seven runs before the second inning came to an end, setting them on course to win both games with relative ease and complete a three-game sweep at Camden Yards.

So, what was the difference?

“We were aggressive in the zone,” Martinez said. “We took some pitches. We worked good counts. And when we got the ball in the zone, we swung the bats really well.”

The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) today announced that beginning later this month, it will air select Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals minor league affiliate games live across MASN, MASN2, and MASN+. 

“We are excited to announce the addition of these minor league games, which will allow both Nationals and Orioles fans to see the franchises’ stars of tomorrow on MASN today and further connect them to their teams,” said GREG BADER, MASN Executive Vice President and General Manager.

In April, MASN announced the launch of MASN+, a direct-to-consumer streaming option allowing in-market fans the option to watch Orioles and Nationals baseball with no blackouts and no cable or satellite subscription. MASN+ subscribers get all MASN programming, including the affiliate games. Fans can subscribe at MASNSports.com.

The Orioles and Nationals farm systems each boast multiple players on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 list including No. 16 Samuel Basallo (BAL), No. 17 Coby Mayo (BAL), No. 62 Travis Sykora (WSH), No. 66 Jarlin Susana (WSH), and No. 95 Brady House (WSH).

A full schedule of affiliate games airing on MASN can be found below.

MILWAUKEE – The first two innings haven’t been kind to the Orioles in the Tony Mansolino era. Late deficits haven’t been kind to Baltimore all season. 

In the first game of their new series against the Brewers, the Orioles beat both trends. But they couldn’t beat the Brewers, falling 5-4 in Game 1. 

Yesterday, the ever-reliable Zach Eflin allowed seven earned runs in his first two frames against the Nationals. On Saturday, Kyle Gibson and Charlie Morton combined to do the same. 

The Orioles, on the other hand, found their earliest runs of those two games in the fifth inning. 

Tonight’s deficit of 3-1 after two innings wasn’t quite 7-0, but it still wasn’t the start the Orioles were looking for.

MILWAUKEE – It’s been quite the 72 hours in Birdland.

Tony Mansolino found out that he would be the Orioles' interim manager on Saturday morning. Without much time to settle and adjust, Baltimore had two afternoon games against the visiting Nationals. 

“Being totally honest, just an absolute ton of anxiety Saturday and Sunday,” Mansolino said today. “Didn’t sleep a whole lot. Just going through the information and getting my mind prepared for what the job is. I slept last night, which was a really nice feeling waking up today.” 

Now the Orioles find themselves as visitors in Milwaukee for a three-game series, the first in which Mansolino has found himself at the helm from the jump. 

“Last night, getting on the plane, I pulled out the advanced binder, and I was able to just start looking at what’s going on in terms of the strategy of the game," he said. "I was able to pull out my computer and start looking at lineups and players and things that would help us get ready for the next day. I think that exercise, just kind of strangely, settled me down.”

As much as CJ Abrams’ leadoff homer on the first pitch of Sunday’s game in Baltimore set the tone for the Nationals, his dazzling defensive gem to set in motion a 6-4-3 double play that ended the 10-4 victory might actually have been more spectacular.

Abrams ranged far to his left to snag Ryan Mountcastle’s grounder up the middle, then flipped the ball directly from his glove to Luis Garcia Jr., who in one motion stepped on second base and threw across his body to first to complete the web gem.

“That double play is how me and Luis do it in practice. It’s a lot of fun,” Abrams said afterward, perhaps beaming even more than he was when discussing the two home runs he hit during the game. “We were glad to end it that way.”

Maybe there’s some symbolism to take away from it all. As fantastic as he was at the start of Sunday’s game, Abrams was more proud of what he did to end it. It’s a feeling he’d like to experience again this fall.

One year ago, Abrams was putting together a brilliant first half performance that earned him the first All-Star selection of his career. He was on top of the world, the young face of the rebuilding Nationals and one of the best shortstops in baseball.

BALTIMORE – The Nationals arrived here late Thursday night following a frustrating series in Atlanta following a frustrating homestand against the Guardians and Cardinals. A season that felt promising not long ago now felt like it was one more bad series from slipping away.

And then something clicked when they walked into Camden Yards on Friday. Maybe it was the fact they were facing an Orioles team whose season really has slipped away, leading to the dismissal of their manager. Maybe it was something the Nats did themselves, especially at the plate.

Whatever the case, it was a welcome development. Today’s 10-4 victory, which for the second straight day featured an early seven-run explosion, was exactly what the Nationals needed, exactly when they needed it.

At 21-27, they’ve still got plenty of work to do. But if they can come anywhere close to duplicating their performance from this weekend’s three-game sweep, things may just work out in the long run after all.

"It's awesome that we bounced back like that," outfielder Dylan Crews said. "Obviously, you don't want things to go like they did in Atlanta, or even before that. But we're going to go out here and flip the page, and that's what we did. We're going to use this as momentum going forward."

BALTIMORE – He’s not in today’s lineup, but Jacob Young appears to be fine after a scary collision with the center field wall Saturday afternoon that left him on the ground in pain for several minutes.

Young found out after the game X-rays on his left shoulder were negative, and the Nationals outfielder also passed concussion tests. He’s sore, but he should be available to come off the bench this afternoon if his team needs him.

“It’s awesome,” manager Davey Martinez said. “I went back and looked at it: He hit the wall hard. I was kind of concerned he might have hurt his shoulder, or anything, or even come up with a concussion. But he’s a tough kid, as we all know, and he feels good.”

Young was trying to track down Ramón Laureano’s seventh-inning drive to deep center when he slammed into the Camden Yards wall and fell to the ground as Laureano raced into second base with an RBI double. He lay on the ground for several minutes as Martinez and director of athletic training Paul Lessard went to check on him. After a lengthy conversation, he was able to get up to his feet and walk off the field under his own power.

“It just knocked the air out of me when it first happened,” Young said. “That was my initial reaction: You just can’t breathe. It’s a scary feeling.”

BALTIMORE – For the first time since 2018, the Nationals have won the Battle of the Beltways. Now they have a chance to sweep their first series at Camden Yards since that same 2018 season if they can pull off another victory in this afternoon’s finale.

The Nats finally scored early and often against an opposing starter Saturday, knocking Kyle Gibson out in the top of the first with six runs. The challenge is a bit tougher today in Zach Eflin, who has yet to give up more than three runs in any of his four starts this season, even with an IL stint mixed in there.

Michael Soroka also missed time on the IL, and today the right-hander makes only his fourth start of the year. He’s looked very good at times but has been done in by a couple of bad innings that have inflated his pitch count. The Nationals will be hoping today’s the day he extends himself through the sixth inning and moves closer to the 100-pitch mark after topping out at 81 last time out.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at BALTIMORE ORIOLES
Where: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Gametime: 1:35 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Mostly sunny, 78 degrees, wind 17 mph out to right field

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
LF James Wood
1B Nathaniel Lowe
C Keibert Ruiz
2B Luis García Jr.
DH Josh Bell
RF Alex Call
3B José Tena
CF Dylan Crews

BALTIMORE – Rarely have the Nationals had the opportunity to beat a team when it’s down. And given his close friendship with now former Orioles manager Brandon Hyde, Davey Martinez probably took little pleasure in rubbing salt in Baltimore’s wounds this afternoon.

But there was a game to play regardless, and the Nats made the most of the opportunity presented to them, bursting out of the gates to score six quick runs in the top of the first, take a big lead early and cruise to a 10-6 victory at Camden Yards that only looked moderately close because of a four-run rally in the bottom of the ninth against Zach Brzykcy.

Behind their first big offensive showing against an opposing starter in more than a week, and behind a no-nonsense start from Jake Irvin, the Nationals enjoyed a rare lopsided win and put themselves in position to try to sweep the struggling Orioles in Sunday’s series finale.

"Obviously, we're taking one win at a time, but the vibes are good right now," designated hitter Josh Bell said. "We have to attack starters. We have to get into their bullpen early. When we do that, good things happen. Hopefully, this is a turn in the right direction."

The lone negative development on this 84-degree late afternoon? Jacob Young injured his left shoulder slamming into the center field wall trying to make a difficult catch in the bottom of the seventh and had to depart the game.

BALTIMORE – Davey Martinez has no shortage of close contacts in baseball, having played with, coached with and ultimately managed with countless figures over the last four decades. Brandon Hyde, though, is high on Martinez’s list of close friends in the game, the two having worked together on the Cubs’ coaching staff for three seasons before eventually competing against each other for seven seasons as managers of the Nationals and Orioles.

So while today’s news of a managerial change in Baltimore obviously affected Hyde most of all, it also hit Martinez hard, compounded by the fact it occurred hours after the Nats defeated the Orioles in dramatic fashion.

“It’s tough,” Martinez said. “Brandon and I are close. I love the guy. We all know what we sign up for when we take this job. It really just stinks. He’s a good man. I know he’ll land on his feet. I wish him all the best, but it’s a tough gig.”

Martinez first met Hyde following the 2013 season, when the latter was working in the Cubs front office and the former interviewed for their open managerial position. They immediately hit it off, and even though Martinez lost the job at that point to Rick Renteria, one year later he was back in Chicago as bench coach for newly hired manager Joe Maddon, who also appointed Hyde as his first base coach.

That arrangement remained in place for three seasons, with the trio playing a big role in the Cubs’ historic World Series run in 2016. And when the Nationals hired Martinez after the 2017 season, Hyde moved into his role as Maddon’s bench coach, a high-profile position that helped him land the Orioles’ managerial gig one year later.

The slow and disappointing start to the Orioles’ 2025 season has cost manager Brandon Hyde his job.

The Orioles fired Hyde this morning, the news coming after they lost last night for the 17^th time in 23 games. Major league field coordinator and catching instructor Tim Cossins, who worked out of the bullpen, also was relieved of his duties.

Third base coach Tony Mansolino will serve as interim manager of a 15-28 team that sits in last place in the American League East, 10 ½ games behind the first-place Yankees. It was expected to contend for a World Series.

“As the head of baseball operations, the poor start to our season is ultimately my responsibility,” executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias said in a statement. “Part of that responsibility is pursuing difficult changes in order to set a different course for the future.

“I want to thank Brandon for his hard work, dedication and passion all these years, and for returning the team to the playoffs and winning an AL East Championship. His many positive contributions to this organization and to Baltimore will remain, and we wish he and his family the best.”

BALTIMORE – Friday night’s series opener here at Camden Yards was one of the strangest games you’ll ever see. And it appears the Nationals’ 4-3 victory came at a very high cost for the Orioles, who just a few minutes ago announced they’ve fired manager Brandon Hyde. Maybe that move was inevitable at some point, given the team’s disappointment to date this season. But you have to think Hyde’s decision to pitch to James Wood with first base open in the eighth inning Friday night – Wood proceeded to hit the game-tying homer – was the final straw.

Davey Martinez, meanwhile, is very close with Hyde, the two of them having previously served together on Joe Maddon’s staff in Chicago. This will not be easy for Martinez, who now has to continue to manage the rest of the weekend knowing his friend is out of work. So, there’s the context as both clubs prepare for game two of the series.

The Nationals won the opener despite once again doing very little offensively until late in the game. That’s now eight straight games in which they’ve failed to score more than two runs against an opposing starter. They’ll try to finally break that streak today against veteran Kyle Gibson, who enters with a 13.11 ERA in three starts.

Jake Irvin gets the ball for the Nats, and while Irvin has mostly found a way to be effective this season, he strangely isn’t striking anybody out recently. He’s got three total strikeouts in his last three starts, encompassing 17 1/3 innings. We’ll see if he can get back on track in that regard today.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at BALTIMORE ORIOLES
Where: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Gametime: 4:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Mostly sunny, 88 degrees, wind 13 mph out to right field

The Baltimore Orioles today announced that Manager BRANDON HYDE has been relieved of his duties.

“As the head of baseball operations, the poor start to our season is ultimately my responsibility,” said Orioles Executive Vice President and General Manager MIKE ELIAS. “Part of that responsibility is pursuing difficult changes in order to set a different course for the future.

I want to thank Brandon for his hard work, dedication, and passion all these years, and for returning the team to the playoffs and winning an AL East Championship. His many positive contributions to this organization and to Baltimore will remain, and we wish he and his family the best.”

“Brandon Hyde is someone I have come to know and deeply admire, not only for his extensive knowledge of baseball, but also for his exceptional leadership as a manager,” said Orioles Control Owner DAVID RUBENSTEIN. “I am sincerely grateful for his significant accomplishments over the past six years, which have greatly benefited both the Orioles and the city of Baltimore.

However, as is sometimes the case in baseball, change becomes necessary, and we believe this is one of those moments. The Orioles organization is truly appreciative of everything Brandon has contributed during his tenure, and we wish him nothing but success in whatever path he chooses next in the world of baseball.

BALTIMORE – A ballgame that had already defied conventional wisdom in countless ways for eight innings of course came down to a most unconventional conclusion in the ninth.

On a night in which MacKenzie Gore was simultaneously hittable and unhittable, on a night in which neither team could score many runs despite one team more than tripling the other team’s hit total, on a night in which the Nationals found themselves forced to play Nasim Nuñez in center field, it was Nuñez who found a way to produce the decisive run in a 4-3 win over the Orioles with his legs.

With two outs in the ninth, Nuñez hustled down the line to beat out a chopper to first, and José Tena astutely raced around to score from second base while a bewildered Félix Bautista scrambled unsuccessfully to try to throw him out at the plate.

"It's about the hunger. It's about the passion," Nuñez said. "We're fighting every single pitch, every single inning. No matter who's on the mound, we're going to get him."

Nuñez, the 26th man on the roster who got the start at second base with Luis García Jr. just returning from paternity leave, somehow found himself playing the outfield for the first time as a professional when Davey Martinez had García pinch-hit for Jacob Young in the top of the seventh, leaving the Nats without any more natural outfielders.

BALTIMORE – Luis García Jr. is back on the Nationals’ active roster, but not back in the lineup quite yet.

García was activated off the paternity list this afternoon, having spent the last three days away for the birth of his first child. Under the circumstances – and with left-hander Cade Povich starting for the Orioles – Davey Martinez wanted to give his starting second baseman a day to simply work out before returning to action.

“He’ll hit in the cage. He’ll be available to (pinch) hit if we need him,” the manager said. “But I want to him to go out and catch ground balls, get back in the swing of things.”

It’s been a disappointing season to date for García, particularly on the heels of his breakthrough 2024 campaign. He enters tonight batting .226 with a .618 OPS, down from .282 and .762 a year ago. García has also taken a step back in the field, his minus-8 Defensive Runs Saved ranking last among all major league second basemen.

“It’s just the inconsistency of his hitting,” Martinez said. “And to his defense, he’s hit the ball hard, just had nothing to show for it. … We’ve got to get him going, he’s a big part of our lineup. When he’s going well, he can do some damage with the bat.”

BALTIMORE – Hello from Camden Yards, where a couple of teams desperate to start winning more face off this weekend. The Nationals have lost eight of nine, falling to nine games under .500 in the process. The Orioles have lost nine of 11, falling to 12 games under .500 in the process. Something’s got to give.

You already know this by now, but the Nats need to hit. They’re averaging only 2.4 runs on 7.2 hits and 2.7 walks over this nine-game slide, and most of the offense they’ve produced has come late in games, when they’re scrambling to try to catch up. They’ve struggled against opposing starters, especially some less-accomplished starters who have outpitched their overall numbers. That includes Cade Povich, the Baltimore left-hander who sports a 5.55 ERA in seven starts but held the Nationals to one run over 6 1/3 innings last month in D.C.

Povich’s opponent that night was MacKenzie Gore, who faces him tonight in the rematch. Gore was really good in that previous matchup, allowing two runs over six innings while striking out eight, but was the hard-luck loser because of the lack of run support. Despite a 3.57 ERA and league-leading 75 strikeouts, Gore remains 2-4 and still seeking his first win since April 19 in Colorado.

The Nationals made a roster move this afternoon: Luis García Jr. is back from paternity leave, so Trey Lipscomb heads back to Triple-A Rochester after a brief stint up here.

Update: Tyler O'Neill has been scratched from the Orioles lineup, with Ryan O'Hearn now playing right field and batting fifth.

So how about those minor leagues, eh? 

Without much going the O’s way up in the big leagues, let’s take some time to highlight some prospects who are thriving down on the farm. 

Braxton Bragg

How about starting with a pitcher that isn’t even currently ranked in MLB Pipeline’s 30 best Orioles prospects?

Bragg has been utterly dominant in 2025, splitting time between High-A Aberdeen and Double-A Chesapeake. In his first seven games of the season, Bragg has a ridiculous 0.80 ERA with 47 strikeouts in just 33.2 innings. 

ATLANTA – It had been eight days since Kyle Finnegan took a mound in an actual game when he jogged out from the Nationals' bullpen in the ninth inning last night. And quite frankly, it was hard to know how it was going to go with him protecting a one-run lead.

Finnegan entered the tight ballgame with a 6.92 ERA in 27 career appearances, pitching on five-plus days of rest. The All-Star closer usually likes to pitch with more frequency, and when he doesn’t, he gets rusty.

So when the inning started with a leadoff single by Drake Baldwin on Finnegan’s second pitch, some dread probably sank into the hearts of Nats fans.

But the right-hander locked in and retired the next three batters on a scant 10 pitches, needing only 12 total to record his 13th save, which is now tied for second-most in the major leagues.

“You just try to stay ready,” Finnegan said Wednesday night. “We've had a lot of games that could have gone either way late. So I still felt like I was in that game mindset, which is good. But just pulling for the guys to go out there and perform. The ball wasn't bouncing our way, and that's why this one feels really good.”

ATLANTA – Well, the Nationals finally won one. Would two be too much to ask?

If the Nats can find a way to win this afternoon at Truist Park, they will earn a four-game series split, which they would happily accept after suffering through a seven-game losing streak.

The offense scored five runs last night, the most they’ve put on the board in a week. Today the Nats will try to continue their moment against AJ Smith-Shawver. The 22-year-old right-hander is 2-2 with a 2.76 ERA and 1.347 WHIP in six starts. He hasn’t given up more than three runs in an outing so far, and is only two starts removed from a dominant appearance against the Reds in which he pitched eight shutout innings of one-hit ball.

Meanwhile, Trevor Williams will try to help his team end this leg of the road trip on a high note. The right-hander enters his ninth start with a 2-4 record, 5.88 ERA and 1.573 WHIP. He has given up four or more runs in each of his last three starts, so he’ll need to be more effective against this tough Braves lineup.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at ATLANTA BRAVES
Where: Truist Park
Gametime: 12:15 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB Network (out-of-market only), MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, DC 87.7 (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 77 degrees, wind 12 mph in from right field