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David Huzzard: Time to let pitching carry injured Nats

May 15, 2014, 4:39am

With Ryan Zimmerman, Adam LaRoche and Bryce Harper out, the Nationals are missing three of their best hitters, and in the cases of LaRoche and Zimmerman, they are missing the two highest OPS players on the team. While the addition of Kevin Frandsen, the emergence of Zach Walters and the resurgence of Danny Espinosa have improved the Nationals bench with so many key offensive weapons missing, it is like putting a band-aid on a bullet hole. Scoring runs is going to be a daily struggle for the...

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Zach Wilt: Examining Orioles' closer options

May 15, 2014, 4:28am

Orioles

"The difference between Tommy (Hunter) and Jimmy (Johnson) is that Jimmy had a track record," Orioles manager Buck Showalter told the media after Hunter blew his third save of the season on Tuesday against the Tigers. "Tommy does, too, with certain other things, so there's some unknown about where this will go with Tommy." A season ago, Johnson blew nine saves as the Orioles closer. The O's ended up finishing the season 85-77, 6 1/2 games back of a wild card spot in the American League....

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Rachel Levitin: Making do and searching for consistency

May 14, 2014, 5:24am

Nationals

Rachel Levitin: Making do and searching for consistency

Earlier this week, Nationals Buzz guest blogger Marty Niland pointed out something I agree with. He wrote, "The Nats need to make hay against the teams they are supposed to beat until injured stars (Adam) LaRoche, Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman can return to the lineup and bring them back to full strength." One of the biggest problems facing the Nationals in 2014 is lack of consistency their overall performance due to health-related issues. This, of course, is a plague that haunts any...

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Daniel Clark: Hungry for postseason, Markakis is a picture of consistency

May 14, 2014, 4:45am

Orioles

Daniel Clark: Hungry for postseason, Markakis is a picture of consistency

Of all the Orioles hungry for success, none may be more driven to see Baltimore return to the playoffs and perform well on the big stage than Nick Markakis, a nine-year veteran of the club who has never played in a postseason game. As most Orioles fans are aware, it was a cruel twist of fate that struck Markakis down just a few weeks prior to the 2012 playoff run, which was the first time the O's had reached the postseason since 1997. That fateful day came on Sept. 8 at Camden Yards, as...

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Jon Shepherd: Say goodbye to Matt Wieters' ash

May 13, 2014, 4:39am

Orioles

Jon Shepherd: Say goodbye to Matt Wieters' ash

Before an arm injury put him on the 15-day disabled list and placed his entire season in doubt, Matt Wieters was terrorizing American League pitchers in April. His slash line of .338/.370/.554 had made some wonder if he has finally figured things out and become the offensive wunderkind so many in Baltimore had originally thought he would be. You may have noticed that Wieters was wielding a bat made of ash. This, in and of itself, is not very remarkable. Ash bats are still a common sight and, as...

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Stuart Wallace: Advanced metrics show third base isn't second nature for Rendon

May 13, 2014, 4:57am

Nationals

Stuart Wallace: Advanced metrics show third base isn't second nature for Rendon

In the face of a position change, Anthony Rendon has gotten off to a solid start with the bat in 2014. Despite a 2-for-12 showing against Oakland Athletics pitching extinguishing his dalliance with a .300 batting average for the time being, the third baseman is still in good shape, putting up a .349 weighted on-base average (league average is currently .310), good third on the Nationals. Currently manning the hot corner while Ryan Zimmerman is on the mend with a thumb injury, Rendon has done...

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Andrew Stetka: Will the O's be able to weather Wieters' absense?

May 12, 2014, 6:45am

Orioles

Andrew Stetka: Will the O's be able to weather Wieters' absense?

The Orioles have been able to stay afloat through the first six weeks of the season, leading the American League East to this point despite not having a fully healthy lineup. Sunday marked the first time all year that Buck Showalter was able to pencil Manny Machado and Chris Davis into the same lineup. Sunday also marked the beginning of what could be the biggest loss for the O's to date - Matt Wieters. The elbow discomfort that Wieters is dealing with is very concerning and something that...

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Marty Niland: In era of parity, Nats put disparity on display

May 12, 2014, 6:33am

Nationals

Marty Niland: In era of parity, Nats put disparity on display

Parity seems to be a buzzword in the major leagues these days. Much has been written about how the low-budget, small-market teams like the Oakland A's are competitive with big-spending clubs. It was disparity, however, that best described last weekend's series between Nationals and the A's. It played out like a three-day infomercial for "Moneyball," the 2003 book that chronicled Oakland general manager Billy Beane's tactics in assembling a ball club that is not only the two-time defending...

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Matthew Taylor: An historical comparison to the start of Hunter's closer tenure

May 09, 2014, 5:04am

Orioles

Matthew Taylor: An historical comparison to the start of Hunter's closer tenure

Getting a knot in your stomach while watching your team's closer, like tying your shoes, quickly becomes second nature. Orioles closer Tommy Hunter has had my insides tangled from day one of the 2014 season. This week's series with the Rays was particularly challenging. In two innings pitched, Hunter faced 12 batters and allowed four hits, two walks and one run. He left the bases loaded in a two-run victory on Tuesday and stranded runners on first and third in a one-run victory on Wednesday....

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David Huzzard: Inside the Nats' left on base numbers

May 08, 2014, 5:46am

Nationals

David Huzzard: Inside the Nats' left on base numbers

The Nationals have left 266 runners on base. This is the second-most runners left on by any team in the National League and the team ahead of the Nationals, the Diamondbacks, has had three extra games to leave runners on. Saying a team has left a lot of runners on base sounds alarming, but it only tells one part of the story. If a team gets a two-out double and that runner is then driven in by a base hit ahead of the third out then a runner is left on base. The same outcome holds if the primary...

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Zach Wilt: Do the Orioles rely too heavily on the longball?

May 07, 2014, 8:26pm

Orioles

The Orioles can thank the longball for Wednesday night's win in St. Petersburg, Fla. All four runs were scored via the home run. Adam Jones hit a pair of solo shots and Jonathan Schoop delivered the two-run go-ahead blast in the top of the seventh that secured the O's victory. Wednesday was Baltimore's third game with three or more home runs (April 8 versus the Yankees and April 24 against the Blue Jays). Not surprisingly, the O's are 3-0 in games in which they go deep three times or...

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Rachel Levitin: Lengthy rain delay turned Monday's Dodgers-Nats game into special experience

May 07, 2014, 5:23am

Nationals

Rachel Levitin: Lengthy rain delay turned Monday's Dodgers-Nats game into special experience

It's rare that Monday night baseball turns into legitimate Tuesday morning baseball, but that's what happened earlier this week between the Nationals and Dodgers. Once the rain that held up the early evening game had passed, what appeared to be a few hundred people (if that) huddled behind their respective team's dugouts at Nationals Park to root, root, root for their own team well into the wee hours of the morning. One of Washington's most reliable players, right-handed starting Jordan...

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Daniel Clark: A closer look at the Orioles bullpen

May 07, 2014, 4:29am

Orioles

It could be the toughness of the American League East, or it could just be the curse of the Orioles' starting pitcher. However, whatever the reason, as has been the case over the last few seasons, the Orioles have relied heavily on their bullpen arms during the first five weeks of the 2014 season. Through 30 games, Orioles starters have pitched a combined total of 171 2/3 innings - the second-lowest amount in the majors. (The lowest is Detroit, which has played two fewer games.) This...

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Stuart Wallace: Digging deeper into Span's slow start at the plate

May 06, 2014, 5:51am

Nationals

Stuart Wallace: Digging deeper into Span's slow start at the plate

On a team that has sputtered defensively to start the 2014 season, Nationals center fielder Denard Span is a playmaking oasis in a desert of bad hops, errant throws and generally poor defensive showings. Currently leading the team in the defensive statistics ultimate zone rating and defensive runs saved, Span has few peers in the outfield or across baseball in general when it comes to his skills with the glove. With the bat, however, the reviews aren't as glowing for Span, especially this...

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Jon Shepherd: What to make of the Morales chatter

May 05, 2014, 7:37am

Orioles

Jon Shepherd: What to make of the Morales chatter

Last week, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported that the Orioles and free agent first baseman/designated hitter Kendrys Morales remained in negotiations. Those ongoing talks allegedly had agreed on the framework of a one-year deal, but differed greatly on the price. In response to that report, Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette said on SiriusXM Radio that the report is overblown. He further clarified noting that the improvement of Chris Davis' injured oblique (he was doing field...

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Andrew Stetka: A look at the muddy AL East

May 05, 2014, 5:56am

Orioles

Andrew Stetka: A look at the muddy AL East

The American League East has long been looked at as one of the best divisions in baseball, and with good reason. Since 1992, the division has produced 13 AL champions and nine World Series titles. Unfortunately for Baltimore baseball fans, the Orioles are the only one of the five current members of the division who haven't participated in the Fall Classic in that timespan. While the O's have come out of the gate this season spinning their wheels a bit, there is nothing to be discouraged about...

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Marty Niland: Hang on, help is on the way

May 05, 2014, 5:44am

Nationals

Marty Niland: Hang on, help is on the way

What a frustrating weekend for the Nationals and their fans. After beating up on the hapless Houston Astros and another of their characteristic come-from-behind victories in the series opener in Philadelphia, the road trip went south in a hurry. The Nats' bats fell silent at the hands of A.J. Burnett and Roberto Hernandez in a pair of losses to the middling Phillies. To make matters worse, each of those losses cost the Nats a chance to take over first place in the National League East from the...

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Matthew Taylor: My memorable turn as a minor league mascot

May 02, 2014, 4:08am

Orioles

Matthew Taylor: My memorable turn as a minor league mascot

What's it like to be a baseball mascot? Biographile provided a peek into the unseen world of the men behind the mascots on Thursday in its interview with AJ Mass, a former Mr. Met and author of "Yes, It's Hot In Here; Adventures in the Weird, Wooly World of Sports Mascots." The end result is what the article's author, Patrick Sauer, terms "Nine Mascot Life Lessons, one for each inning of life." I've learned some mascot lessons firsthand thanks to my own admittedly curious ambition and...

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Zach Wilt: Breaking down the Orioles' schedule in May

May 01, 2014, 5:04am

Orioles

Talk about April showers. The Orioles will kick off May with a doubleheader against the Pirates beginning at 4:05 p.m. after their Tuesday and Wednesday matchups were postponed. We haven't seen the O's play since Sunday, April 27. I'm almost beginning to forget what this team looks like. And oh yeah, Manny Machado makes his long-awaited 2014 debut this afternoon/evening in Charm City. As we say goodbye to April and welcome in May, it's time to look ahead to the Orioles' schedule for the...

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David Huzzard: Breaking Nats down by trips through the rotation

May 01, 2014, 5:18am

Nationals

David Huzzard: Breaking Nats down by trips through the rotation

While it is a pleasant surprise that the Nationals have scored 126 runs and are tied with the Marlins for second in the National League in that category, it is a little alarming that they've allowed 108 and are tied for fourth-most with the Cubs. The Nationals are a team built around run prevention and the season totals show a team that hasn't done a good job of preventing many runs. The team ERA reached its zenith of 4.10 on April 17 after an 8-0 loss to the Cardinals. In those first 16...