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Matt Kremnitzer: Despite O's crumbling season, Adam Jones still raking

September 01, 2015, 5:17am

Orioles

Matt Kremnitzer: Despite O's crumbling season, Adam Jones still raking

When it comes to the Orioles, there's a lot to be negative about right now. They just lost yet again and they've dropped 12 of their last 14 games. They ended August with only 11 wins in 29 games. Hisashi Iwakuma fired a no-hitter against them in Seattle. The Twins took all four games in a crucial series at Camden Yards. They were also swept out of Texas to complete a dismal road trip. Considering what they've done since the day Buck Showalter arrived on the scene, this horrendous stretch of...

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Marty Niland: Nats get most from Jayson Werth in the leadoff spot

August 31, 2015, 5:27am

Nationals

Marty Niland: Nats get most from Jayson Werth in the leadoff spot

When the Nationals learned Friday that leadoff man Denard San would have hip surgery and miss the rest of the season, it was certainly discouraging news. Without Span's .365 OPB and base-stealing potential atop the lineup, the team's offense takes a severe hit, and with it, their chances to catch the New York Mets in the National League East. So manager Matt Williams turned to the solution he used when the Nats offense was struggling this season, and the one his predecessor Davey Johnson...

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Andrew Stetka: As O's slide, future starts now

August 31, 2015, 5:02am

Orioles

Andrew Stetka: As O's slide, future starts now

As the Orioles continue to slide further and further away from the playoff picture, the start of the season's final full month will bring an opportunity to see what the future holds. The O's aren't out of it, but it's looking more and more like they'll be sitting home for the postseason. The question then becomes who are the players that will help the O's get back to October in 2016? As rosters expand, some of those players will join the team and look to make their mark. Some of those...

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Matthew Taylor: Tallying reasons to watch O's despite recent struggles

August 27, 2015, 7:06pm

Orioles

Matthew Taylor: Tallying reasons to watch O's despite recent struggles

Let's face it, being an Orioles fan has been a depressing proposition of late. Not quite 14 consecutive losing seasons depressing, mind you, but depressing all the same. If the 2014 season was exhilarating - and it was - the 2015 season has been exhausting. Judging from the recent Orioles commentary on Twitter, fan reactions to the team's struggles have included equal parts hostility and humor. OK, there's actually nothing equal about it. Ours is a hostile fan base right now. Given the...

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Zach Wilt: The longball is the key

August 27, 2015, 6:14am

Orioles

It's tough to pinpoint exactly what was going wrong for the Orioles over their season-high six game losing streak. The bats had cooled, but the starting pitchers were averaging nearly a 6.00 ERA during the O's most difficult stretch of the season. Was the offense to blame or the arms? How much of a factor was tough luck? Last night in Kansas City, everything seemed to click once again for the Birds, and they avoided their longest losing streak in more than four years. On the mound, Wei-Yin...

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David Huzzard: It's time to plan for the offseason

August 27, 2015, 5:55am

Nationals

David Huzzard: It's time to plan for the offseason

With the Nationals' 6-5 loss to the Padres on Wednesday night, the Nats are now 6.5 games back of the Mets, and it might be time to start thinking about next year. The first action that most people are going to want is for Matt Williams to be fired, which could and probably should happen but isn't a big difference-making move. Matt Williams' managing philosophy is to interfere as little as possible with the game on the field. In other words, if the players were playing well then the Nats...

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Domenic Vadala: Orioles can learn from the way Royals carry themselves

August 25, 2015, 2:44pm

Orioles

Gary Thorne and Mike Bordick brought up a great point in regards to the Kansas City Royals on Monday night. They mentioned that the team was playing with a lot of confidence, and there can be no doubt about that. You can see it written all over their faces, with the manner by which they carry themselves and, heck, even how their fans react. So could the Orioles learn a lesson from that? The answer is yes - but to a point. The Birds are an uber-professional team in a sense. Think about it: When...

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Matt of Matt's Bats: Examining how Nats can regain division lead

August 25, 2015, 6:08am

Nationals

Matt of Matt's Bats: Examining how Nats can regain division lead

Think back to about a month ago, July 29, 2015. The Nationals enjoyed a two-game lead in the National League East. They won 7-2 in Miami and made a road trip up to New York. In the first game of that series, Wilmer Flores, who everyone thought was about to be traded, hit a walk-off single to win the game, and the lead was cut to one going into a start against reigning NL Rookie of the Year Jacob deGrom. The Nats lost the next game, too, and the Mets were suddenly tied for first. On...

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Matt Kremnitzer: Investigating Caleb Joseph's offensive improvement

August 25, 2015, 5:52am

Orioles

Matt Kremnitzer: Investigating Caleb Joseph's offensive improvement

Caleb Joseph has already demonstrated that he's an effective defensive catcher. He was very good in part-time duty last year, displaying a strong, accurate arm and very good pitch-framing abilities. In 78 games in 2014, Joseph finished with a Defensive Runs Saved total of +8 and threw out 40 percent of baserunners. In 76 games this year, he's dropped to +4 and 32 percent, respectively, though the DRS total is still top 20 among all major league catchers. Joseph also again ranks well in...

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Marty Niland: Encouraging signs spark memories of Nats' 2014 run

August 23, 2015, 5:56pm

Nationals

Marty Niland: Encouraging signs spark memories of Nats' 2014 run

Funny how quickly your outlook can change. A week ago, many Nationals fans were calling for manager Matt Williams' firing, for the team to cut bait on Jayson Werth and the $42 million the team still owes him through 2017, and for the benching of Anthony Rendon, who had gone more than two weeks without an extra-base hit or an RBI. But after Williams placed the struggling Werth atop the batting order and Rendon was forced back to his natural third base position because of an injury to Yunel...

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Andrew Stetka: Ripken's return to a dugout could be awkward for O's fans

August 23, 2015, 1:00pm

Orioles

Andrew Stetka: Ripken's return to a dugout could be awkward for O's fans

As Orioles fans prepare to celebrate 20 years since Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive games streak, there's word that he could be nearing a return to Major League Baseball. It shocked me, too, when I realized it's been 20 years since No. 8 took that faithful lap around Camden Yards to thank the fans. What might shock me even more is if he ends up in a uniform other than one that reads "Orioles" across the front. Last week in an interview on ESPN 980 in Washington, D.C., the...

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Matthew Taylor: The Orioles' growth mindset concept

August 21, 2015, 7:01am

Orioles

The growth mindset concept is popular in education circles these days. Given its focus on the need to embrace failure as part of the learning process, growth mindset is a natural corollary for baseball, where repeated failure is ingrained in the game. I would argue that no game requires a growth mindset so much as baseball. The Baltimore Orioles are an example of that. If you're willing to embrace frustration as a fan, it can be a joy to watch over both the short-term and the...

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David Huzzard: Nationals need a hot streak

August 20, 2015, 6:59am

Nationals

With the Nationals' 4-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday evening, they won back-to-back games for the first time since July 29 and 30. It was also the first series that the Nats have won in the month of August. The Nats' recent cold stretch has put them in an unfamiliar position. In 2012 and 2014, I wrote this same column about what it would take to overtake the Nationals, and now the Nats are the team hoping to overtake the Mets. The good thing for the Nationals is that the...

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Zach Wilt: How quickly things change

August 20, 2015, 6:30am

Orioles

Since we last spoke, the Orioles have won five of their last six games and grabbed the second wild card spot in the American League. A week ago, I searched far and wide for good news to share about my favorite ballclub after they were no-hit by Hisashi Iwakuma in the finale of what ended up being a 4-5 West Coast road trip against the A's, Angels and Mariners. Today, I'm struggling to figure out how to cram all these positive nuggets into 600 words. How quickly things can change in...

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Rachel Levitin: Nats' expectations clashing with stark reality

August 19, 2015, 5:46am

Nationals

Rachel Levitin: Nats' expectations clashing with stark reality

When it comes to professional sports, looking good on paper can be deceiving when weighed against the actions of a team in any given season. This is what seems to be plaguing the Nationals in 2015. Two division titles in three years and the Nats are struggling to paw their way back to the top of the National League East and dethrone the New York Mets before time runs out on the regular season. And while wins like last night's 15-6 blowout victory against the Rockies in Colorado are nice to see...

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Domenic Vadala: Late-season deal could tip AL East in favor of Orioles

August 18, 2015, 7:10pm

Orioles

As we've all heard countless times, Major League Baseball's trade season doesn't end in July. The non-waiver trade deadline is, of course, at the end of July. However, trades can still be made until the waiver trade deadline at the end of August (which means that players can be traded so long as they pass through waivers). So with the Orioles now playing better (or so it seems) in the wake of the West Coast trip, I would submit that the waiver trade deadline is of supreme importance for this...

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Matt Kremnitzer: Schoop is giving O's a bat they sorely need

August 18, 2015, 5:51am

Orioles

Matt Kremnitzer: Schoop is giving O's a bat they sorely need

It's easy to get carried away when talking about the promise of a young major leaguer. If a player is performing well, even for an extended stretch, it's hard not to ponder his future. Really, that's part of being a fan - wondering what is and what could be. But there's a game tomorrow, and the day after, and probably the day after that; things change in a hurry. Such is the case for Jonathan Schoop. Only 23, Schoop is certainly no Manny Machado. That's not a dig at all, as Machado is one...

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Andrew Stetka: Chris Davis' hot streak means big bucks this winter

August 17, 2015, 5:19am

Orioles

Andrew Stetka: Chris Davis' hot streak means big bucks this winter

Orioles fans have been bracing for the moment when Chris Davis possibly walks out of town, but if his recent play is any indication, the slugging first baseman will be surfing on a wave of cash if he departs Baltimore instead. The 29-year-old pending free agent has put up monster numbers this season, more than bouncing back from what many saw as a disappointing 2014 campaign. Davis has clubbed 15 of his 34 homers this season since July 22 and has his OPS hovering near the .900 mark. He likely...

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Marty Niland: Just like 2013, Nats falling short, but they're not out of it

August 17, 2015, 5:05am

Nationals

Marty Niland: Just like 2013, Nats falling short, but they're not out of it

Nationals fans across the internet seem to be in full panic mode after a four-game sweep at the hands of the San Francisco Giants. The team fell below .500 for the first time since May, and failed to gain ground on the National League East-leading New York Mets, who were swept at home by Pittsburgh. Among fans who are already calling for manager Matt Williams to be fired, there's a heated Twitter conversation about which ex-National, if any, should be named to replace him. A Facebook...

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Matthew Taylor: Orioles are what their record says they are

August 13, 2015, 7:46pm

Orioles

It's dangerous to apply football wisdom to baseball. Nevertheless, with the Baltimore Ravens having played their first preseason game on Thursday night in this, ahem, football town, now is as good a time as any to do so. Finish ordering that Bryn Renner jersey at NFL.com, and let's talk some baseball. NFL Hall of Fame Coach Bill Parcells famously said, "You are what your record says you are." That quote came to mind repeatedly this week as I watched the Orioles struggle through a 4-5 West...