Josh Bell starts in left field for the Nationals tonight, and while this is not a new development, it is notable that manager Davey Martinez felt comfortable enough in his slugging first baseman's ability to handle himself out there that he was willing to do this for a game inside spacious loanDepot Park. The Marlins' home stadium features one of the largest outfields in baseball, so this is perhaps not as easy an assignment for Bell as it was the three previous times he started in left field...

Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins is just getting a rest day, according to manager Brandon Hyde. He isn't injured and he isn't necessarily staying on the bench for tonight's series opener in Philadelphia. "After a busy weekend, it's a good day to give him a rest and he'll be ready for a pinch-hit or coming into the game," Hyde said. Mullins is one home run short of joining the 30/30 club and being the lone member with the Orioles. Mullins is trying to become the first center fielder,...

If you feel like you've seen the Nationals and Marlins play each other enough already this season, well, join the club. Alas, there are three games remaining on the head-to-head schedule between these two division foes and those will be taking place over the next three nights. When they wrap things up Wednesday night, the Nats will have faced the Marlins 19 times for the season, but nine times over the previous month. That's a lot. And the result of this series in Miami could go a long way...

The Orioles lineup for tonight's series opener in Philadelphia excludes Cedric Mullins, Trey Mancini and Ramón Urías. Mancini had his first multi-RBI game yesterday since July 11 against the White Sox, but he's dealing with a sore oblique. Urías has been in and out of the lineup with to a sore right leg. National League rules prevent Mancini from serving as the designated hitter. Austin Hays, with seven RBIs in his last five games and 18 in his last 15, is leading off and playing...

As much as he wishes he could, Juan Soto can't help but notice his batting average when he steps to the plate. And even if he manages to avoid it, he can't help but hear about it from others. "You try to keep your mind away from it," the Nationals right fielder said in a Zoom session with reporters Sunday. "You decide to come out and play, have fun. But there's always comments. The comments are always going to come to you. Everybody, all my teammates, are just pushing me and wishing me...

As they get ready to play for a league championship for the third time in the team's 28-year history, the Double-A Bowie Baysox can look back on a special regular season where they got off to a sizzling start and produced a strong finish. The Baysox were 21-5 on June 4 and were about the best team in all of Minor League Baseball to that point. Late in the year, as they pushed for a postseason spot, Bowie won 12 of 14 in the last two series, going 7-0 versus Harrisburg and 5-2 against...

They took an early lead but then fell behind. But the Double-A Bowie Baysox put together a dramatic rally in the last of the eighth this afternoon and pulled out their must-win game today. Bowie entered the final day of the regular season needing a win to advance to the playoffs. A loss and the season would be over. The Baysox entered the last of the eighth down 5-4 but scored three times to beat Altoona 7-5. The Baysox end the regular season 73-47 (.608), winning 12 of their final 14 games, to...

BOSTON - Orioles manager Brandon Hyde expressed his opinion of reliever Eric Hanhold by getting the right-hander out of Friday night's game after only two batters. Sounds bad until Hyde explains why. Hanhold retired both batters in the sixth after replacing Dusten Knight, snagging a comebacker to get Hunter Renfroe in a rundown between second and third base and striking out Rafael Devers on a 95 mph fastball, and made such an impression on Hyde that he was removed to keep him available the...

If their collective motivations at this point have dwindled to trying to avoid a 100-loss season, several Nationals nonetheless have ample motivation over the season's final two weeks on a personal level. For Juan Soto, there's a potential second straight batting title to chase, not to mention a 1.000 OPS that would've sounded unthinkable three months ago. For Tanner Rainey, there's a chance to re-establish some credibility as a big league reliever at the end of a lost season. And for Paolo...

BOSTON - The last of the three young starters for the Orioles took his lumps today just like everyone else. With the Red Sox showing no mercy early in their quest to earn a wild card spot in the playoffs. Go easy and you might be going home, and not to host a game in the postseason. Alexander Wells stepped into traffic this afternoon, knowing the risks and hoping to come out fine on the other side. Whether he did is open to interpretation, but it sure felt that way. He loaded the bases with no...