You can't say the Nationals don't at least give themselves chances. This evening's game against the Braves was right there for the taking late, in the bottom of the seventh, in the bottom of the eighth and again in the bottom of the ninth. In those final three innings alone, they took 10 at-bats with runners in scoring position.
And managed only one hit in the process.
In their latest bit of late-inning agony at the plate, the Nationals squandered those golden opportunities to finish a rally...
Upon learning he would be pitching on opening day for the Nationals, Max Scherzer began preparing to face the Mets. Erica Scherzer began preparing to give birth to the couple's third child.
"My wife, as soon as she knew that I was going to be opening day starter, she had already done the counting out days and knew I was going to be pitching either May 2 or May 4," Max Scherzer said today during a Zoom session with reporters. "So it came down to asking (manager Davey Martinez): 'All right,...
The Nationals need to score runs. Early in games. Too often they've found themselves trailing early and it's cost them. Their record this season when they score first: 10-2. When they don't: 2-12. There are all kinds of factors we can discuss when trying to decide why they're 12-14 overall, but that stat right there pretty tells the entire story.
So it's incumbent upon today's lineup to do something early on against Drew Smyly. The good news: They did score early off Smyly back on opening...
There won't be any ceremony to commemorate the occasion. No formal mention of the achievement or announcement on the scoreboard. Nor should there be, because it's not exactly a major accomplishment under the circumstances.
And yet it's not insignificant that today Davey Martinez will manage his 411th game for the Nationals. What's significant about 411 games in the dugout? Well, believe it or not, it's the most games anyone will have managed in club history.
Yep, that's right. Even though...
A soft liner leaves the opponent's bat, the shortstop catches it and players sprint onto the field to begin a raucous celebration. Teammates surround the starting pitcher. Grown men jump up and down as if reliving their childhood.
But enough about the 1983 World Series ...
Ramón UrÃas played the role of Cal Ripken Jr. yesterday in Seattle and John Means was Scott McGregor. Except the Orioles didn't win a championship. They just reacted as if a trophy would be hoisted later and champagne...
With a roster that is less than ideally constructed and a matchup against a left-handed starter this evening, Nationals manager Davey Martinez wound up fielding a lineup loaded with right-handed hitters and a bench loaded with big names who he could choose to insert somewhere along the way when the right situation arose.
Trouble is, Martinez never got around to using Juan Soto or Josh Bell when either would've had a chance to bat with a chance to make a big difference. Instead, it was Yadiel...
We have pointed it out before, but it still holds true: John Means was never ranked once among the Orioles' top 30 prospects by Baseball America and barely made it onto the MLBPipeline.com list.
But not being ranked doesn't mean you can't make the majors, be good when you get there and be a Rookie of the Year contender. For Means, check, check and check. It doesn't mean you can't pitch a no-hitter. Check.
MLBPipeline.com ranked him No. 29 on its O's preseason top 30 in 2015 and 2017, and...
He was hitting corners. He was getting four pitches over consistently for strikes. He was throwing a remarkable percentage of first-pitch strikes. And he was dominating.
But would John Means make history this afternoon or just post another dominant start and lead the Orioles to another win?
It was the first part.
Today the lefty produced the sixth no-hitter in Baltimore Orioles history and the first since 1991. It was the first solo no-hitter by an O's pitcher since 1969.
Throwing first-pitch...
After stranding 12 runners last night and continuing to search for a big hit with men in scoring position, the Orioles delivered twice today in the second inning for left-hander John Means, shut down for a while and simply let their ace handle the rest.
And boy, did he handle it.
Against a team that had no idea what to do with him. That couldn't get ahead in the count or throw a scare into him. That was lucky to graze the ball, weak contract about as much as it could muster.
Means threw the...
Stephen Strasburg and Wander Suero will take the next important step in their return from injuries when they pitch in a simulated game Thursday afternoon before the Nationals' series finale against the Braves.
It'll be the first time both right-handers have faced live hitters since going on the 10-day injured list April 18, Strasburg with shoulder inflammation, Suero with a left oblique strain.
Both Strasburg and Suero had successfully thrown off flat ground and then off a bullpen mound in...