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Dillon Atkinson: When it rains, it pours

June 14, 2017, 5:30am

Orioles

Dillon Atkinson: When it rains, it pours

After Tuesday night's 6-1 loss to the White Sox, the Orioles are now 31-32 and in fourth place in the American League East, 7 1/2 games back of the division-leading Yankees. Sure, the Orioles' record makes it look like they're just a near perfectly average Major League Baseball club. But the maddening part of it all is that they started off the season 22-10, looking like they were going to prove all the major analysts' predictions wrong yet again. But now we're in mid-June, and it seems...

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Luke Erickson: Who's going to Auburn and West Palm Beach?

June 12, 2017, 12:04pm

Nationals

Luke Erickson: Who's going to Auburn and West Palm Beach?

Tonight is Day 3 of the First-Year Player Draft and what this means to me is discovering which of the players drafted by the Nationals will be on the rosters of the short-season Single-A Auburn Doubledays and the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Nationals. That's it. I am well aware that this makes me an anomaly among some prospect followers, but consider this: I don't follow college baseball, which to me is like baseball the way 10-pin bowling is like candlepin bowling, nor do I care about the...

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Marty Niland: Difo's gaffe ranks with the most infamous in Nats history

June 12, 2017, 5:40am

Nationals

Marty Niland: Difo's gaffe ranks with the most infamous in Nats history

The emotional roller coaster that is a Major League Baseball season hit its wildest stretch for Nationals fans over the past week. After the high of winning eight of their previous 10 games came the plummet of a three-game sweep at the hands of the Texas Rangers, the franchise that skipped town in 1971, leaving Washington without baseball for 34 seasons. All those emotions were at play in Saturday's 6-3 11-inning loss to Texas. After a fine performance on the mound from Gio Gonzalez, a clutch...

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Andrew Stetka: Chris Tillman's slow sink drowns O's

June 12, 2017, 5:20am

Orioles

Andrew Stetka: Chris Tillman's slow sink drowns O's

There's been a fairly common theme over the past five years when it comes to analyzing the Orioles. They are a team that's won because of power throughout the lineup, a strong bullpen and stellar defense. The one weak spot has always been the starting pitching. It's typically been a rotation that has been forced to overperform to some extent just to get by. Perhaps the best example of a stalwart among the starting pitching staff has been Chris Tillman. Tillman now finds himself in quicksand....

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Zach Wilt: Stumping for Schoop to go to All-Star Game

June 08, 2017, 6:43pm

Orioles

Zach Wilt: Stumping for Schoop to go to All-Star Game

We are just over two months into the 2017 season, and while there have been some ups and downs for the Orioles, there's been one true consistent presence: second baseman Jonathan Schoop. The 25-year-old is off to an amazing start, posting career highs in all three slashline categories, batting average (.286), on-base percentage (.336) and slugging percentage (.519). He's also on pace to finish the season with career highs in home runs (28) and RBIs (87). Schoop has been an important part in...

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David Huzzard: Looking ahead to free agency after 2018 season

June 08, 2017, 6:33pm

Nationals

David Huzzard: Looking ahead to free agency after 2018 season

There is a lot of talk about where Bryce Harper will land when he becomes a free agent after the 2018 season. There is also a lot of discussion of who else is available and if a Golden State Warriors-like super team could be formed in Major League Baseball. It is perfectly possible. Daniel Murphy and Harper are scheduled to be free agents from the Nats, Manny Machado and Josh Donaldson will both be free agents at third base, Charlie Blackmon and Adam Jones will join Harper as available...

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Dillon Atkinson: Adding Tejada creates questions in Orioles infield

June 07, 2017, 5:12am

Orioles

On Tuesday afternoon, the Orioles added Triple-A Norfolk infielder RubÃ©n Tejada to the 25-man roster and designated infielder Paul Janish for assignment. Janish, 34, has appeared in 14 games in each of the 2015 and 2016 seasons for the Birds, as well as three games this year. The 27-year-old Tejada was acquired by the Orioles on Sunday evening in a trade that involved sending cash considerations to the Yankees. Tejada has played in seven major league seasons, mostly with the Mets. He played...

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Luke Erickson: Is too much attention being paid to Tebow?

June 05, 2017, 6:56am

Nationals

Luke Erickson: Is too much attention being paid to Tebow?

A lot of attention was paid this past weekend to the 29-year-old left fielder for the visiting Columbia Fireflies in a four-game series at the Nationals' Single-A Hagerstown affiliate, a matchup of the third-place team in the Southern Division against the first-place team in the Northern Division. From a baseball perspective, this is puzzling. After Sunday's game, he had 16 RBIs and 16 walks, 53 strikeouts and 53 total bases in 47 games. His OPS (on-base plus slugging) is .629 - roughly 60...

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Andrew Stetka: Machado presents greatest conundrum in years for O's

June 04, 2017, 3:38pm

Orioles

Andrew Stetka: Machado presents greatest conundrum in years for O's

Manny Machado spent the weekend doing what appeared to be working his way out of a major slump. No one can say for sure, but Machado went 6-for-15 with two home runs, two doubles and five runs scored over the course of four games against the Red Sox. Perhaps it's just Boston that brings out the bat for the All-Star third baseman. Six of his 12 home runs and 11 of his 27 RBIs have come against the Red Sox this season. But I suppose there could be some extra motivation behind that offensive...

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Marty Niland: NL-best Nats should be well represented in All-Star Game

June 04, 2017, 7:35pm

Nationals

Marty Niland: NL-best Nats should be well represented in All-Star Game

These are great days to be a Nationals fan. Once upon a time, Washington was ridiculed as "first in war, first in peace and last in the American League." Now, after winning five of the first six games on their current West Coast road trip, the Nats are first in the National League, and first in just about everything else. At 35-20, the Nats have the edge on the 36-23 Rockies for the league's best record, and that's not all. Who is leading not only the National League but all of baseball in...

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David Huzzard: It's safe to love Zimmerman again

June 02, 2017, 12:30pm

Nationals

David Huzzard: It's safe to love Zimmerman again

Every now and then, my new life in Virginia Beach, Va., takes me down Princess Anne Road to West Neck Road and past Kellam High School. Whenever I drive that way, I think of Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman. An autographed picture of him also hangs in my favorite seafood restaurant, Margie and Ray's, and after the last two seasons and before this one, whenever I thought of Zimmerman, I was filled with sadness. As a longtime fan of the Nationals, Zimmerman is a part of many of my best...

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Zach Wilt: Jones' return a positive development for Orioles

June 02, 2017, 12:22pm

Orioles

For four long days, the Orioles were without their captain in center field and his absence was felt for all 96 hours. Adam Jones rested a sore ankle and hip for three games, then was scratched from Tuesday's lineup when rain was in the forecast. The O's went 1-3 in those contests and then welcomed back No. 10 with open arms on Thursday. It's hard to imagine the Orioles without Jones. It just doesn't feel natural. For the last decade, he's been the guy out there consistently day after day....

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Dillon Atkinson: Orioles need to be extremely active on summer trade market

May 31, 2017, 5:26am

Orioles

The July 31 non-waiver trade deadline is two months away, and it will be the time of year where every baseball fan is refreshing his or her social media feed, waiting to see what blockbusters are going down around the league. The Orioles have made a few noteworthy moves prior to the non-waiver trade deadline in years past: They traded Eduardo Rodriguez to the Red Sox for Andrew Miller in 2014, sent Zach Davies to the Brewers for Gerado Parra in 2015, and dealt Jonah Heim to the Rays for Steve...

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Luke Erickson: Looking at the start of short-season ball

May 30, 2017, 4:24pm

Nationals

Luke Erickson: Looking at the start of short-season ball

Now is the time when the Nationals' minor league system starts to expand to its full complement of seven affiliates. It begins with the launch of the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League and the DSL Nationals this weekend. They'll be joined by the short-season Single-A Auburn Doubledays of the New York-Penn League on June 19 and the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League and GCL Nationals a week later. Coverage in the DSL and GCL is nearly non-existent because of the timing (late-morning to noon...

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Marty Niland: Wounded warriors were part of 1945 contenders

May 29, 2017, 5:38am

Nationals

Marty Niland: Wounded warriors were part of 1945 contenders

During every game at Nationals Park, the Nationals and their fans pay tribute to members of the United States military who have recently returned from combat, some who were wounded in the line of duty. The fans seemed especially appreciative of World War II veterans in Sunday's pregame Memorial Day Tribute, giving them a rousing welcome. Imagine then, a Washington team where wounded service members were not only honored, but were an actual part of a ballclub that contended for a pennant....

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Zach Wilt: What's happened to the Orioles?

May 26, 2017, 5:39am

Orioles

It's been a tough stretch for the Orioles. They have lost 10 of their last 13 games and gone from a team that had a half-game lead in the American League East on May 14 to being 2 1/2 games back of the Yankees today. The way they have lost these games has been difficult to stomach. Seven of their last 10 losses have been by one run and they have seen some significant leads vanish throughout this span. They had a 5-0 lead against the Royals on May 14 and lost 9-8. The O's were up 5-0 and then...

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David Huzzard: A few thoughts on grit

May 26, 2017, 5:28am

Nationals

Grit is nothing that can be displayed on a baseball field. This is my belief; it is a debate we can have and it would probably be a long debate. Baseball is a game of skill, and in the course of a game of baseball, a player displays skills honed through years of practice. Grit is very much a part of the makeup of a baseball player, but it is never displayed on the baseball field. Girt manifests itself in the batting cage or weight room or on the practice field taking ground ball after ground...

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Dillon Atkinson: It's time to make a decision on Kim

May 24, 2017, 6:48am

Orioles

Dillon Atkinson: It's time to make a decision on Kim

If I told you that an Orioles left fielder slashed .302/.382/.420 with six home runs over 346 plate appearances in 2016, you would typically be wise to guess that the same player would not only be the starting left fielder for the Birds in 2017, but would also bat at or near the top of the order night in and night out. However, that hasn't been the case for Hyun Soo Kim. It hasn't really been Kim's fault that he hasn't gotten playing time. Right out of the gate, Orioles manager Buck...

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Luke Erickson: Mid-spring malaise in the minors

May 24, 2017, 6:05am

Nationals

Luke Erickson: Mid-spring malaise in the minors

While the parent club is in first place, albeit in the weakest division in the majors, things are not so good down on the farm. As noted last week, the bullpen woes in D.C. extend all the way down the ladder and three of the four affiliates are in last place in their divisions. In Syracuse, which finished with the second-worst record in Triple-A (61-82) last summer, the Chiefs are on pace to win less than 50 games this summer and are already 14 games behind before Memorial Day. Double-A...

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Andrew Stetka: Orioles may have to ride out Hardy's struggles

May 22, 2017, 7:44am

Orioles

We're nearly two months into the baseball season, at about the quarter-pole, and there is plenty to be thankful for as an Orioles fan. The Birds are right in the thick of things in the American League East, and despite some injury concerns, have performed above expectations thus far. But there's always something to complain about. There's always something that can be better. There's always someone who draws the ire of fans more than anyone else. This season, that person seems to be J.J....