Even though the Orioles had several scouts see Sam Houston State outfielder Colton Cowser play in person several times, when they brought him to their home park at Camden Yards for a pre-draft workout, the kid made one strong final impression on club officials that may have cemented he would be their pick at No. 5 in round one. It was on a steamy afternoon on Thursday, July 8 - just three days before the beginning of the First-Year Player Draft - that the O's had Cowser work out and hit on...

It was supposed to be a joke, the notion that the Home Run Derby might actually fix Juan Soto's swing after a first half that saw the Nationals slugger pound baseballs into the ground and fail to elevate them into the air. But Soto himself suggested he thought the idea had some merit. And when he promptly eliminated fan favorite Shohei Ohtani in the first round of the exhibition last week at Coors Field, it started to gain some momentum. And now, following a blistering weekend at the plate for...

For an Orioles team that had given up nine runs on Friday night and allowed 27 runs in three games against the Chicago White Sox before the break, Sunday was needed and a very nice change. Right-hander Matt Harvey had pitched to an ERA of 11.20 over his previous 11 starts with an OPS against of 1.035 in that span, but he and four relievers teamed on a shutout. The 5-0 win over Kansas City lifted the O's record to 30-62 and they ended this series with 13 consecutive scoreless innings. It was...

At the end of a weekend dominated by tragic events that occurred outside Nationals Park, the energy level inside the ballpark was understandably down. Some of that had to do with circumstances out of the home team's control, but some of it also had to do with the performance that team had put forth against a Padres club that clearly looked superior throughout the series. A wild, back-and-forth affair that saw the Nationals blow the lead, then retake it, then blow it again left everyone in the...

The Orioles finally can hand the ball to John Means again when he's reinstated from the injured list Tuesday in St. Petersburg, Fla. It's only been, like, seven weeks. His bullpen session Saturday afternoon in Kansas City proved that his left shoulder is sound. Forget the numbers on his rehab assignment - five earned runs and seven total with 11 hits in eight innings. How he's feeling physically is most important, along with the Orioles stretching him out to where they don't need to put him...

Six pitches thrown in the first inning. Only 18 through the second and 28 through the third. Eleven of 12 first-pitch strikes. No runs against him. Matt Harvey was having himself a day. Manager Brandon Hyde was having visions of a starter plowing through the early and middle innings, removing one of the hardest decisions he routinely makes during the season, which inevitably fuels second-guessing as a first reaction to it. A hit batter, walk and infield single in the fourth, with Domingo...

Maybe the All-Star break was a nice reset for Matt Harvey. Maybe pitching on 10 days' rest meant his arm was fresh and ready to go. Who knows exactly the reason why the Orioles right-hander threw well today, but he pitched six scoreless innings today. The O's beat the Kansas City Royals 5-0 to win the last two games and take this series as their road tripnow heads to St. Petersburg, Fla. to face Tampa Bay. It was badly needed and very welcome for a rotation that began today with an ERA of...

There is one more game to play today, one more game for the Nationals before they are through a grueling stretch against the National League West's three contenders that has left their season on the brink. They've gone 2-11 against the Dodgers, Giants and Padres entering this series finale with San Diego. It's been pretty ugly. But there's a chance to salvage one win now, with Max Scherzer on the mound for today's originally scheduled nine-inning game. Scherzer, of course, looked great for...

Nationals Park public address announcer Jerome Hruska thanked D.C. Police, Fire and EMS responders, stadium personnel and fans themselves for the way they responded to Saturday night's shooting on South Capitol Street and the subsequent chaos inside the ballpark. The smaller-than-usual crowd in attendance applauded. And then the Padres took the field, Pierce Johnson began his warm-up tosses, Victor Robles made his way to the plate and at 1:08 p.m., the bottom of the sixth began some 15 hours...

The Orioles picked up their first post-All-Star Game win when they recorded an 8-4 victory at Kansas City last night. The Orioles evened this three-game series at a win each with their first victory since July 6 at Camden Yards versus Toronto. Four Orioles had multi-hit games, Cedric Mullins doubled twice and is batting .318, while Ryan Mountcastle and Ramón Urías drove in two runs each. The Orioles had scored just 13 runs over the previous five games, going 5-for-42 with runners in...