After they allowed two runs in the last of the ninth last night and lost 3-2 to the New York Mets, the Orioles will try to bounce back today. They play the Mets at Citi Field, looking for a win to split the two-game series. New York came to bat in the last of the eighth trailing the Orioles 2-0, but scored once in the eighth and twice in the ninth off César Valdez to come back and win. The first-place Mets improved to 17-13 and have won six in a row, allowing only 13 runs in those games. The...

Matt Harvey is back on the Citi Field mound this afternoon as the Orioles try to split their two-game series against the Mets and return home. Harvey hasn't pitched in New York since May 2018. The defense behind him includes Rio Ruiz at second base, Ryan Mountcastle in left field and Austin Hays in right. From 2012-15, Harvey posted a 2.05 ERA in 35 starts at Citi Field and 27 were quality by definition. Shortstop Freddy Galvis is 22-for-60 (.367) in his last 18 games. The Orioles have...

Jordan Zimmermann, as publicly stoic and unemotional a ballplayer as you'll ever meet, was already feeling his eyes begin to well up as he discussed his decision to retire Tuesday on a Zoom session with reporters who cover each of the three teams he pitched for during his career. "I just felt like after 15 years of playing ball, my mind was still in it, but my body wasn't," the right-hander said. And when, about 12 minutes into the call, Zimmermann was asked by a writer from Detroit about...

It was an interesting question posed to Orioles pitching coach Chris Holt during a recent Zoom interview with reporters. As pitchers continue to get better, throw with more and with more velocity, and use technology to improve spin rates and breaking pitches, are scouting reports less important? Are pitchers improving so much and so confident in their strengths that they pitch to that more often than working with a scouting report to find hitters' weaknesses? "I guess it depends on the...

You can point to a number of reasons the Nationals find themselves in the basement of a tight National League East division in mid-May, but inevitably you come back to the same irrefutable conclusion: They just aren't scoring enough runs on a consistent basis to win games. Even when they get a less-than-stellar showing from their starter, or meltdown from their bullpen, the Nats still find themselves facing a key moment late in a game in which one big hit with runners on base could be the...

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde didn't need to state the obvious with left-hander John Means. Didn't need to remind the ace to control his emotions in his first start after tossing a no-hitter in Seattle. The pregame tasks didn't include delivering special messages to Means. There would be some concessions after Means threw a career-high 113 pitches, the implementation of an extra day's rest already done. Hyde would monitor him closely and not push him. "I don't say anything," Hyde insisted...

Matt Harvey is pitching in New York today, and if this is news to you, I admire your 20-20 tunnel vision. Harvey hasn't stepped on the Citi Field mound since his relief appearance on May 3, 2018, which led to the Mets' attempts to option him. Which led to Harvey's refusal and the decision to designate him for assignment. Though it's pretty much impossible to do, Harvey has tried to shut out the distractions and reduce the fuss made over his return to Queens. He wanted to wait until after...

Orioles lefty John Means was stacking up good start after good start, and just when it seemed it would be hard for the next one to top the last one, he pitched a no-hitter. Coming off his 12-strikeout no-hitter last Wednesday at Seattle, Means (4-0, 1.37 ERA) is back on the mound tonight at Citi Field as the Orioles begin a two-game series with the first-place New York Mets. Means pitched the O's first no-hitter since four pitchers (Bob Milacki, Mike Flanagan, Mark Williamson, Gregg Olson)...

Stephen Strasburg took a significant step forward in his return from a shoulder injury today when he threw 62 pitches over four innings during a simulated game at Nationals Park. Strasburg, out since April 18 with right shoulder inflammation, was initially scheduled to only pitch three innings but felt strong enough after walking off the mound following the third simulated frame to ask for an opportunity to go back out for another. The club's coaching and medical staff agreed, so he wound up...

The Orioles have lost reliever Jay Flaa on a waiver claim by the Braves. Flaa, 28, made his major league debut on April 27 and tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings. He walked two Yankees and struck out Aaron Judge. The Orioles optioned him to the alternate training site in Bowie after the game to create a spot for Dean Kremer. The Orioles decided Saturday that Flaa would be designated for assignment as they claimed left-hander Brandon Waddell off waivers from the Twins and assigned him to Triple-A...