One day after the Orioles selected outfielder Dylan Beavers’ contract from Triple-A Norfolk, introducing one of the organization’s top prospects to the majors, they did the same with catcher/first baseman Samuel Basallo.

The top guy is here.

Basallo wasn’t in Norfolk’s lineup last night and he joined the team in Houston for this afternoon’s series finale. MLB Pipeline ranked Basallo eighth in its Top 100 and Baseball America has him seventh.

Basallo, who just turned 21, is batting .270/.377/.589 with 17 doubles, 23 home runs and 67 RBIs in 76 games. The contact is loud and violent. He sends baseballs sailing over scoreboards and stands.

“He’s grown a lot this year,” Norfolk manager Tim Federowicz said yesterday. “Obviously, he has a ton of power. He’s hitting the ball hard. Not sure on the timetable on that (promotion), but I’m sure it’s gonna happen at some point.”

What an unexpected weekend this has become. The Nationals have strung together three consecutive quality starts. And the bullpen, in spite of an ugly top of the seventh Friday night, has only been scored upon in one of eight innings so far in this series against the Phillies, leading to two wins and one other highly competitive game. And now we come to the finale, with an unlikely opportunity to win three of four from the division leaders.

That, of course, is easier said than done, for several reasons. It begins with Mitchell Parker, who takes the mound today on the heels of three straight subpar starts in which he’s allowed a total of 17 runs in only 14 1/3 innings. That stretch has raised his ERA to an unsightly 5.55. The lefty is going to have to be significantly better today against the Philly lineup, especially out of the chute in the top of the first. And even if he does his job, the Nats bullpen is going to be without closer Jose A. Ferrer, who recorded six outs Saturday and has recorded at least four outs three times in his last four appearances.

At the plate, the Nationals actually haven’t done that much this weekend, totaling seven runs in three games. Given their own pitching concerns, they probably need a big day at the plate against Aaron Nola (making his return from the injured list) to give themselves their best shot at a win.

A friendly reminder: Today’s game has an extra-early 11:35 a.m. first pitch, and it’s being televised exclusively on the Roku streaming service. It’s a joint booth calling the game, pairing up Phillies play-by-play announcer Tom McCarthy with Nats analyst Kevin Frandsen, plus the one and only Dan Kolko serving as sideline reporter.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 11:35 a.m. EDT
TV: Roku
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 93 degrees, wind 6 mph out to center field

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Selected the contract of C/1B Samuel Basallo from Triple-A Norfolk. He will wear No. 29 and his first appearance will be his MLB debut.
• Reinstated OF Colton Cowser from the 7-day concussion Injured List.
• Optioned OF Daniel Johnson and 1B/OF Ryan Noda to Triple-A Norfolk after yesterday’s game.
• Transferred RHP Zach Eflin (low back discomfort) to the 60-day Injured List.

The Orioles’ 40-man roster currently has 40 players.

Tim Federowicz is more than halfway through his first season replacing Buck Britton as manager of the Triple-A Norfolk Tides. He inherited a team and a specific responsibility.

Telling a player that he’s going to the majors.

And Friday night, informing one of the top prospects in the organization that he’s flying to Houston to join the Orioles. That it’s finally happening.

“Um, real quick,” Federowicz said in the visiting clubhouse at VyStar Ballpark in Jacksonville. “Got a lot of questions about this the last couple weeks, so I’m just gonna answer in front of everybody. Dylan Beavers, you’re going to The Show.”

The Orioles posted the video on social media, which showed Beavers stand up, tip his cap, walk through the celebratory gantlet of back slaps and embrace Federowicz.

HOUSTON – The August schedule isn't an easy one for Baltimore. 

With inexperience everywhere, the O's have had to face the two crown jewels of the American League West, the Mariners and Astros, in two consecutive series. 

Baltimore took two of three against Seattle. And after taking game one in Houston, the Birds fought tooth and nail in Game 2. 

In the end, though, it was Houston that came away with a 5-4 victory in 12 innings. 

And, of course, it was Ramón Urías. Last night, the former Oriole broke up Brandon Young's perfect game bid. Tonight, he walked it off. Another slow dribbler to third, and another heartbreaker. 

In these, the dog days of August during a miserable season, there are still distinct glimmers of light for the Nationals. For all the chaos they’ve endured this year, there remain more than a few prominent young core players who still have the ability to make 2025 meaningful in the larger picture.

And when they come together like they did today during a 2-0 victory over the Phillies, it reminds suffering fans and team employees alike there’s still some hope for what lies ahead.

"The pieces are there," James Wood said. "We've just got to continue to learn and grow. I think wins like this are great. I think everyone in this locker room here knows we have the potential to play with anybody. It's just a matter of doing it consistently, and stringing together days like today."

It was right there for 36,042 paying customers to see on a steamy Saturday afternoon, with Cade Cavalli authoring seven scoreless innings against one of the most intimidating lineups in baseball. It extended to the batter’s box, where the Nationals scored both of their runs in the bottom of the fifth via Wood’s two-out double, with recent first-round picks Dylan Crews and Brady House coming around to score.

And it was even there on the mound for the final two innings, with Jose A. Ferrer recording the final six outs for his third career save, the young lefty retiring the Phillies’ biggest names to lock up the victory and ensure at least a four-game weekend split against the National League East leaders.

HOUSTON – The second half of the Orioles’ 2025 season won’t go the way that many had expected. 

Baltimore won’t be competing for an American League East crown, nor will O’s fans be keeping an eye on wild card playoff spots. Instead, the excitement will come from memorable moments, encouraging signs for the future, and individual accomplishments. 

Last night, Brandon Young provided the excitement. The rookie tossed 7 ⅔ innings of perfect baseball before surrendering his first hit with one out to go in the eighth. He did so in front of family and friends, who made the short trip from Lumberton, TX to watch Young deliver the best start of his young career. 

Today, it’s Dylan Beavers who provides the excitement, making his MLB debut as one of the O’s most anticipated prospect promotions. 

“It’s super exciting,” Beavers said this afternoon. “It’s what I’ve kind of been working for my entire life. But there’s nerves, too, kind of uncertainty in not knowing when it’s going to happen. A little bit of a mixed bag of emotions, but yeah, exciting.” 

Dylan Beavers is making his major league debut tonight, starting in right field and batting sixth in Houston. He’s the 61^st player used by the Orioles this season, one short of the franchise record set in 2021.

Daniel Johnson is in center field and Dylan Carlson is in left.

Coby Mayo stays at first base, with Ryan Mountcastle serving as designated hitter. Get used to it.

One night after rookie Brandon Young tossed a perfect game for 7 2/3 innings, the Orioles are using Rico Garcia as an opener.

What a weird season.

As the Nationals took the field for batting practice Friday afternoon, Miguel Cairo motioned to Keibert Ruiz and José Tena to come join him at first base. To field grounders. And make some throws. And learn a little bit about a position neither of them has ever played before in a game.

It made for quite the scene, both because the 51-year-old interim manager was showing off his own still-solid glove skills and because the sight of Ruiz at something other than the catcher’s position made for an obvious question: Are the Nats thinking about moving him to first base at some point?

“No, no, no. It’s nothing like we’re planning to do it,” Ruiz said today.

As the 27-year-old catcher, out since early July with a concussion, explained: This is a way for him to get some on-field activity without putting himself at risk of further health problems. From a psychological standpoint, doctors have told him to try to stay engaged and react to baseball movements without thinking about the concussion.

“Kind of to put your mind away from: ‘Oh, I have to be careful,’” Ruiz said. “It’s nothing like I’m going to play first base now.”

Two games into this four-game series, the Nationals and Phillies have each won once. Each was a competitive game decided late by the bullpens. It’s kind of been fun to watch, hasn’t it? So, what’s in store for game three of the weekend set later this afternoon?

The headline attraction from the Nats’ standpoint is Cade Cavalli, who makes his third start of the season (fourth of his career). The first one (against the Athletics) was outstanding. The second one (against the Royals) was decent. This one comes against a far more imposing lineup, so we’re going to find out a lot about the 27-year-old rookie when he goes up against Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Co. (Oh, and by the way, Cavalli is scheduled to face them again next week in Philadelphia.)

Taijuan Walker takes the mound for the Phillies, and the Nationals have already faced him this season, scoring four runs in 5 2/3 innings back on May 1. He was shifted to a bullpen a month later, but he’s back in the rotation now and has a 2.93 ERA over his last six starts.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 4:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Chance of storms, 88 degrees, wind 6 mph out to left field

PHILLIES
SS Trea Turner
DH Kyle Schwarber
1B Bryce Harper
C J.T. Realmuto
LF Brandon Marsh
CF Harrison Bader
RF Max Kepler
3B Edmundo Sosa
2B Bryson Stott

One wait is over.

The Orioles are selecting outfielder Dylan Beavers’ contract from Triple-A Norfolk, one day after the date to retain his rookie eligibility for 2026.

Outfielder Greg Allen was designated for assignment to create room. Beavers will wear No. 12 and he could be in tonight’s lineup against Astros right-hander Jason Alexander.

Beavers could have bloodied his knuckles from the hard knocks on the major league door.

The 33^rd-overall draft pick in 2022 is batting .304/.420/.515 with 14 doubles, two triples, 18 home runs, 51 RBIs, 68 walks, 74 strikeouts and 23 stolen bases in 94 games in his fourth professional season. He was the designated hitter last night in Jacksonville.

No pitcher in the history of the Baltimore Orioles has thrown a perfect game.

No one could have anticipated that a rookie carrying a 6.70 ERA in his first 10 major league starts would get within four outs.

Brandon Young is a big fan of classic rock. His outing last was an instant classic, and boy, did he rock. He retired 23 batters in a row before former Oriole Ramón Urías reached on an infield single in the eighth inning in the Orioles’ 7-0 victory over the Astros at Daikin Park.

Urías sent a chopper to the left side and Young made a barehand grab. He threw off his back foot and the ball sailed past first baseman Coby Mayo for a hit and error.

Young probably had time to plant and throw but understandably was in a rush.  

HOUSTON – When a pitcher is in a groove, you can look up at the box score in the middle innings and think to yourself, “Oh wow, he’s through four without allowing a hit.” Usually, it doesn't amount to much. 

Tonight, many in Daikin Park may have shared that thought about Brandon Young. 

The rookie looked sharp through three. Then, he was through four perfect innings. And then five. 

Through six, things start to feel real. Through seven, folks at home change their evening plans to find a television. 

Young recorded the first two outs of the eighth inning, but surrendered his first hit and baserunner of the game on a 56 mph single off the bat of, you guessed it, former Oriole Ramón Urías. It was a tough play for Young, who fielded the dribbler and delivered a throw wide of first. 

That the Nationals found themselves in a position to win tonight’s game against the Phillies was a testament to MacKenzie Gore’s intestinal fortitude over six gutsy innings and the lineup’s ability to actually make Zack Wheeler work enough to knock him out after only five.

These two division rivals, residing at opposite ends of the NL East, were tied heading into the seventh before a boisterous, Friday night crowd of 35,143. It was about as much as the Nats could have asked for under the circumstances.

The problem: A Nationals bullpen that causes heartburn even when at full strength was without its two most reliable arms. So what happened next couldn’t have shocked anyone in the building, especially when considering the opponent.

Back-to-back home runs by Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper off Konnor Pilkington flipped the game in the top of the seventh, the Phillies’ big boys taking down a rookie member of the Nats’ relief corps en route to a 6-2 victory on a steamy August evening in Navy Yard.

"Look, you know you've got to play well against that team. Because if you don't, they can beat you up," Gore said. "I think just understanding that going in ... a tough loss tonight, but I think we all did a good job of that."

HOUSTON – On Friday, Aug. 1, the Orioles roster looked drastically different for an afternoon contest at Wrigley Field. 

Gone were four members of the lineup, a starting pitcher and four key pieces of the bullpen, including a new resident of Chicago, Andrew Kittredge. 

Orioles hitters saw their former teammate right away, as Kittredge entered that game in the top of the seventh inning, blanking the O’s en route to a Cubs victory. 

Kittredge, while impressive in an Orioles uniform, didn’t have much time to leave a lasting impression. After missing a large chunk of the season, the right-hander appeared in just 31 games for Baltimore, pitching to a 3.45 ERA. 

So the feeling evoked upon seeing Kittredge trot through the outfield glass in Chicago’s colors was, more than likely, relatively subdued. 

As the latter stages of Thursday night’s game was playing out, Cole Henry started to get the sense he was going to be the man holding the ball for the top of the ninth.

With interim manager Miguel Cairo using new closer Jose A. Ferrer to face the heart of the Phillies lineup with a one-run lead in the eighth, Henry was told by bullpen coach Ricky Bones to prep himself to pitch the ninth for the first time in his career.

“I was just preparing mentally,” the rookie reliever said. “And hopefully whenever they call the phone, it was gonna be me to do it.”

A few tense minutes later, Henry was pounding his glove in celebration, his teammates gathering at the mound as the stadium lights at Nationals Park turned red to commemorate the team’s 3-2 victory, the 26-year-old having notched his first career save in the process.

It wasn’t a perfectly clean inning. Henry surrendered a leadoff single to Max Kepler, then saw him advance to third base on a sacrifice bunt and a ground ball to the right side. That left the tying run 90 feet with Trea Turner at the plate. With the crowd standing, Henry won an eight-pitch battle with the former Nats star shortstop, striking him out on a sinker that ran way in on his hands and left Turner helplessly flailing at it.

The Orioles have been held to four hits or fewer 22 times this season, tied with the Pirates for second most in the majors behind the Rangers’ 25. They’ve scored five runs or fewer in 12 straight games since Aug. 1. But they won the last two against the Mariners, including their first walk-off, to complete the homestand.

They’re back on the road tonight to begin a three-game series in Houston, with no roster moves announced.

Coby Mayo stays at first base. Daniel Johnson is the center fielder and Jeremiah Jackson is in right.

Gunnar Henderson has an extra-base hit in a career-best five consecutive games. He’s batting .310/.384/.500 (70-for-226) with 18 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 36 RBIs and 37 runs scored in 64 games since June 1.

Henderson leads the majors with a .511 average (23-for-45) with runners in scoring position since June 1.

The Nationals sent a message when they designated struggling first baseman Nathaniel Lowe for assignment this afternoon to make room for Dylan Crews’s return: "We want to see the young kids. ... We want to see what they can do,” said interim manager Miguel Cairo ahead of tonight’s four-game series opener against the Phillies.

Sure enough, Cairo started four of his five young outfielders, with James Wood serving as the designated hitter, Daylen Lile playing left field, Jacob Young in center and Crews back in right.

But it was another young player Cairo chose to start tonight that came up clutch for the Nats against this veteran Phillies squad in a 3-2 comeback victory in front of an announced crowd of 21,609 on South Capitol Street.

“I gotta tell you, that's a game that you look at it and it's like a playoff game," Cairo said after the win. "That's the way you play games like this. Good pitching, good defense, opportune hitting. It was nice to see our pitchers, our defense, our hitters really engage in the game and doing the little things. That's what we did today. They picked each other up.”

Of the five young outfielders, three of them are left-handed hitters, so one of them figured to sit to start this one. The odd-man out was Robert Hassell III. And Cairo also figured this was a good time to give shortstop CJ Abrams a breather after he played 24 straight games and with tough left-hander Jesús Luzardo starting for the visitors. So Paul DeJong started at shortstop and José Tena started at second base for just his fifth appearance since being recalled from Triple-A Rochester 2 ½ weeks ago.

Way back on March 27, the 2025 season began with the Nationals hosting the Phillies and an Opening Day pitchers’ duel between MacKenzie Gore and Zack Wheeler. On that 57-degree afternoon, Gore authored the best start of his career, retiring 17 of 18 batters, 13 via strikeout, to outduel Wheeler (who allowed only one run on two hits in six innings himself).

Tonight, we get the rematch on a hot and muggy, August evening, the Nats’ season having long since gone awry while the Phillies have soared into first place in the NL East. Gore went through his own slump recently, but he bounced back in a big way Sunday in San Francisco, shutting out the Giants over six innings with 10 strikeouts. The lefty will try to keep things going tonight against Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, Bryce Harper and Co.

Wheeler, who leads the league in WHIP and strikeouts to go along with a 2.68 ERA, faces a Nationals lined that scratched together three runs to win Thursday night’s series opener but would love to do more than that tonight with James Wood, CJ Abrams and Dylan Crews all in the lineup together for the first time since May 20.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 84 degrees, wind 6 mph in from right field

PHILLIES
SS Trea Turner
DH Kyle Schwarber
1B Bryce Harper
C J.T. Realmuto
RF Nick Castellanos
CF Harrison Bader
2B Edmundo Sosa
3B Otto Kemp
LF Weston Wilson

The first phone call came around 2 p.m. The Tigers informed pitcher Dietrich Enns that he was designated for assignment. The left-hander had lost his major league job.

The second call arrived about 3 ½ hours later with the deadline approaching. The Orioles had traded for Enns, consummating the deal under the wire. He was losing significant ground in the standings, going from first place to last, but he avoided a demotion to the minors.

“I probably took just a couple hours to process all of that stuff, I’m guessing,” he said yesterday morning. “I wasn’t sure if I was gonna stick around with Detroit or not, but it was a blessing to be able to get traded over here and have an opportunity here.”

That was merely the first part. Enns had to take advantage of it.

The first outing was rough, with Enns allowing a run and five hits in 1 2/3 innings against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. He was scoreless in his next three appearances covering 3 2/3 innings, with two hits, no walks and nine strikeouts.