Trey Mancini and Anthony Santander have returned to the Orioles lineup this afternoon. Mancini is the designated hitter and batting second. Santander, who pinch-hit last night, is the right fielder and batting sixth. A loss today would push the Orioles to a season-high 15-game streak, the second-longest in franchise history behind the 21 in a row that opened 1988. It also will guarantee a fifth consecutive season below .500. They aren't likely to run the table. Their 38 wins are two fewer than...

The challenge for the Orioles is daunting. There is nothing new in that regard. But as all teams get deep into the tough dog days of August, a non-contending team on a long losing streak faces more challenges than most. That is where the Orioles reside these days. After last night's 8-4 loss to Tampa Bay, they have lost 14 in a row by a combined 131-40 score. They are 0-6 on the road trip to Boston and St. Petersburg, Fla., and have been outscored 57-11 with losses by 8-1, 16-2 and 10-0. To...

Every start for Josiah Gray is another stepping stone toward being the reliable frontline starter the Nationals envision. While he's learning along the way, the 23-year-old is also embracing a new role and a new set of expectations with his new club. There are certain things the Nationals are looking for from Gray when he takes the mound every fifth day. He's going to get the chance to make his starts for the remainder of the season and every time out there is a learning opportunity. "What...

Hunter Harvey moved closer to his reinstatement from the 10-day injured list by working the sixth inning last night with Triple-A Norfolk. The one run allowed won't matter as long as felt good afterward and this morning. The Charlotte Knights loaded the bases with no outs on three consecutive soft singles, beginning with former Orioles farmhand Yermín Mercedes. Harvey induced three ground balls, getting a force at home on the first. A 4-3 putout plated the run. Harvey threw 20 pitches, 13...

The Orioles bolted to an early lead tonight and lost their offensive touch. Their starter ran up a high pitch count that threatened his removal by the middle innings. Manager Brandon Hyde tries to find new methods to pull the Orioles out of their old ways, whether it's with his personnel or how he gets them to the ballpark. Tonight's lineup underwent drastic changes based more on health than a hunch. What's it going to take to form a congratulatory line after the final out rather than...

A lot of games are going to be wild rides for the Nationals as they close out this season. Some will end on a high note. And others, as we've seen a lot recently, won't. Wednesday's game was another up-and-down affair that actually went the Nats' way in the form of an 8-5 win to sweep the Blue Jays in front of 18,336 at Nationals Park. The highs: Josiah Gray's fourth start with the Nats and late homers by Josh Bell and Carter Kieboom to deliver the victory. The lows: more home runs allowed...

Still in the hunt for an elusive win - and without one since Aug. 2 at Yankee Stadium - the Orioles play again at Tropicana Field tonight in Game 3 of a four-game series versus the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays have posted wins by 9-2 and 10-0 to begin the series as the O's losing streak has reached 13 in a row. They have been outscored123-36 during this span. They have been outscored 49-7 on this road trip to Boston and St. Petersburg, Fla., covering five games. The O's offense has produced just...

Is this going to be the night? The Orioles' losing streak has reached 13 games, one short of their season high that closed out May. Rookie Spenser Watkins will try to be the stopper while making his third appearance against the Rays. Watkins held them to one run in six innings and struck out seven batters on July 19 at Tropicana Field and allowed four earned runs (five total) and eight hits in six innings on Aug. 7 in Baltimore. Yandy Díaz and Nelson Cruz homered off Watkins in the rematch....

A two-game interleague series doesn't usually bring for a lot of news and notes at this point in the season. But the Nationals did have some updates on two bullpen arms that are currently down on the farm. Most significantly, Tanner Rainey has been shut down at Triple-A Rochester for the time being with an injury to his side. It's another bad break for the promising young reliever, who is struggling through this season. "Rainey had a pain in his side," Nationals manager Davey Martinez said...

The 2021 season isn't over yet, but if you are already looking forward to next year, Major League Baseball earlier today announced they 2022 spring training schedules for all 30 clubs. All teams across the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues will open exhibition play on Saturday, Feb. 26. For the Nationals, that opening contest will require a three-hour trip to Lakeland to face the Tigers. The home opener at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches won't come until Sunday, Feb. 27, in a split-squad matchup...