The Nationals, as you know by now, have not been a productive offensive team this season. But they have been more productive when facing a left-hander. Their .679 OPS versus righties ranks 20th in the majors, but their .759 OPS versus lefties ranks 11th. So maybe, just maybe, tonight's game against Rays left-hander Shane McClanahan offers an opportunity to score some early runs and set a better tone for the game than has been typical for this team. The Nats would be wise to get to McClanahan...

For a team that knows run-scoring opportunities are few and far between, this was a moment to perk up. With one out in the top of the seventh Tuesday night at Tropicana Field, the Nationals had Josh Bell on second base, Josh Harrison at the plate and a 3-1 deficit to the Rays on the scoreboard. And when Harrison promptly lined a base hit to left field, all eyes immediately shifted toward third base, to see if Bell would attempt to score or be held up by Bob Henley. Henley, as he does more often...

It's fun to win and so it was fun around Birdland last night, as the Orioles and their four minor league teams combined for another perfect 5-0 night. The Orioles beat the Mets 10-3 and again got contributions throughout the lineup, which was great to see. As the O's have gotten their core hitters in the middle of the order back healthy and hitting in Trey Mancini, Ryan Mountcastle and Anthony Santander, with a big push at the top, of course, from center fielder Cedric Mullins, it takes some...

You wanted to believe it would be different this time. Really, aren't teams supposed to be excited to bat with the bases loaded? The pressure's on the pitcher, not the hitter. It's the best situation for anyone with a bat in his hands. Anyone except the 2021 Nationals, who have turned a bases-loaded plate appearance into the most agonizing two minutes in sports. So when the situation presented itself yet again in the top of the eighth tonight at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. -...

The Orioles have reached the 60-game mark in their season, the same point where they packed up and headed home last fall while the playoffs unfolded. There's nothing truncated in 2021 besides a manager's patience if the losses mount and mistakes aren't corrected. The praise, however, can be expanded to cover pretty much everyone during the good times. A 4-1 start to the month brought a sense of relief and plenty of smiles, and the arrival yesterday of the first-place Mets didn't change the...

When a team scores a bunch of runs - and the Orioles had 18 in Sunday's win over Cleveland - the offense sometimes gets shut down in the next game. This was not one of those nights. The Orioles followed Sunday's 18-5 win - as they posted their most runs since Aug. 16, 2015 - with another big number in a win over the first-place New York Mets. The Orioles improved to 5-1 in June and to 22-38 overall, beating the Mets 10-3 to start a two-game series at Oriole Park. The O's went 25-35 last year...

The return of Rule 5 pitcher Mac Sceroler yesterday has left two Orioles on the 10-day injured list. Outfielder Austin Hays began his rehab assignment last night with Triple-A Norfolk and hit a solo home run. Pitcher John Means is with the team but shut down due to a strained left shoulder. Hays should be activated later this week. Means won't be back in games for a while, the Orioles taking every precaution with their ace and aiming for no further interruptions in his status over the second...

After an off-day Monday and with another coming up on Thursday, the Orioles will squeeze in a brief two-game series with the New York Mets beginning tonight at Oriole Park. On May 11-12, the Orioles lost two games to the Mets at Citi Field by 3-2 and 7-1 scores. At 29-23, the Mets lead the National League East by 3 1/2 games over the Atlanta Braves and by four over the Philadelphia Phillies. In their most recent series, the Mets went 2-2 at San Diego, winning the last two games on Saturday and...

Austin Voth is recovering from surgery to repair multiple fractures in his nose, and though the Nationals right-hander is feeling fine after getting hit by a fastball during Sunday's game in Philadelphia, he will need some time to heal before returning to pitch. In addition to needing to have his nose reset in multiple places during Monday's surgery at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Voth's left eye is swollen shut. He posted a message to his Instagram account thanking...

In accordance with Mayor Bowser's plans to fully reopen the District of Columbia, Nationals Park will open to 100% seating capacity starting on Thursday, June 10 against the San Francisco Giants. With the ballpark returning to full capacity, fans will notice many changes around the ballpark, including several updates to health and safety protocols and the return of many fan-favorite ballpark experiences. Single game tickets are on sale now to the general public for the rest of the season!...