Keibert Ruiz passed concussion tests and has been cleared to play, but the rookie Nationals catcher is not in the lineup for today's series finale in Pittsburgh. Ruiz, who was struck near his right ear by a pitch from Pirates reliever Kyle Keller during Saturday night's game, remains sore, but is allowed to play if needed. "He's clear," manager Davey Martinez said in his pregame Zoom session with reporters. "I talked to him this morning. He's a bit sore. He's going to go through his...

The Orioles have had challenges this year and tough losses to try and bounce back from. Today may present their toughest challenge yet. They blew seventh-inning leads in both games of Saturday's doubleheader with Toronto losing the opener 11-10 after they led 10-7 heading to the seventh inning. In the nightcap, they had not allowed a hit through six innings and led 1-0 but they lost that game 11-2. The Orioles (46-96) have lost three of four. They have won three six games, five of nine and six...

The Orioles found a fresh arm for their bullpen this morning, selecting the contract of reliever Eric Hanhold from Triple-A Norfolk. Hanhold replaces Manny Barreda, who was optioned after Game 2 of last night's stunning 11-2 loss. Barreda served up Teoscar Hernández's 445-foot, three-run homer in the Jays' 11-run seventh inning. Matt Harvey was transferred to the 60-day injured list with right knee inflammation to make room for Hanhold on the 40-man roster. Harvey's season is...

If you thought a lighter schedule was going to help the Nationals finish out a disappointing season strong, well, that hasn't exactly played out as hoped so far this weekend. With back-to-back losses to the Pirates, the Nats are now in danger of being swept by one of the worst teams in baseball. (The Pirates, for what it's worth, haven't swept anyone in a three-game series this season.) So if they're going to avoid this latest ignominy, the Nationals will need a much better performance...

The Orioles and Blue Jays made it through two games yesterday without any blowups and only one stunning blowout. No hits through six innings in the nightcap and no hitters drilled after the opposing pitcher surrendered a couple of home runs. No bickering over a misunderstanding or false accusations. No TV-MA rating for the television broadcast. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde took some social media heat - as if that's a unique development - for his language Friday directed at Rays starter Robbie...

For Orioles left-hander Zac Lowther, the handful of games left in the 2021 season and the starts he may get are very meaningful. After a year where he has gone 0-5 with a 6.53 ERA at Triple-A Norfolk and also missed time while rehabbing a shoulder strain, these outings, like his start today, are big. He wants to show he is healthy and also that the Orioles still can consider him as a candidate for their 2022 rotation. Lowther provided a nice glimpse of what he can do Monday versus Kansas City....

I had someone ask me the other day, "How do you keep watching the Nationals when they're losing so many games?" Aside from it being my job, my answer was easy: They're always in it. You've heard manager Davey Martinez say it time and time again: "The boys are battling." Well, what does that mean exactly, aside from the obvious definition of playing hard? "Yeah, I mean, it's something that I preach every day with these guys that they're never really out of it," Martinez said during...

The starts will keep coming to Orioles left-hander Keegan Akin. What he does with them is up to him. The Orioles can only provide the opportunities, sit back and hope that he flourishes. Just as they did while making Cedric Mullins their everyday center fielder. Akin issued a leadoff walk to George Springer tonight in the second game of the doubleheader, retired 15 batters in a row and turned in six hitless innings, and Mullins belted his 29th home run. But the Orioles still couldn't achieve...

It's no secret: The Nationals pitching staff is the team's biggest liability at this point in the season. It seems like no lead is safe and every deficit could continue to grow. That was certainly the case during tonight's 10-7 loss to the Pirates, the Nats' third straight defeat, second in Pittsburgh. Optimists would say entering the bottom of the fifth inning with a 5-2 lead would have been a good path toward victory. Realists would say that a three-run lead wouldn't be enough. The...

Dean Kremer was handed the ball today and given no promises. Lots of run support, but no promises. The 29th man for a September doubleheader knows his way back to the minors. But there are no rules against him staying, just that someone must be optioned after the nightcap. Kremer's first start with the Orioles in more than two months lasted four innings and included more strikes, but also three home runs among six extra-base hits and leads that shrank or disappeared. The Orioles wouldn't let...