If you were wondering what prompted manager Davey Martinez decide to make Alcides Escobar his leadoff hitter the last two nights in San Diego, why a 12-year veteran with a career .293 on-base percentage was the right choice to bat atop the Nationals lineup, go back and re-watch the first at-bat of Monday night's game. The result of that at-bat against Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove was a groundout to short, nothing special. But everything that led to that unfortunate result - nine pitches...

The Nationals' resurgent June was built upon multiple developments, but high on the list was the resurgence of their rotation into an elite unit for the first time all season. Now as the calendar has shifted to July, they're finding out just how important that development was. It's hard to win games when your starter doesn't provide both quality and length. And the Nats haven't been getting either over the last week. They got away with Jon Lester's poor start Monday night in San Diego,...

He will face Pete Alonso of the New York Mets, the Home Run Derby champion in 2019, and Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels, among others. But at least one Orioles teammate of Trey Mancini - and no doubt there are many more - believes Mancini can walk away the Home Run Derby winner on Monday night in Denver. "I've seen Trey come out here, not trying to hit home runs, just trying to hit the ball hard through the middle of the field and hit a homer every swing for three straight (batting...

Retiring all three batters faced in his major league debut left Orioles right-hander Spenser Watkins ripe for a bunch of firsts tonight beyond how he was making his initial start. Get the walk out of the way with a free pass to Blue Jays leadoff hitter Marcus Semien. Get ahead of Bo Bichette 0-2 and surrender the first hit, a groundball single into right field. Followed by the first run on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s line drive to deep left that went into the box score as a sacrifice fly. Manager...

For a player that has been in the major leagues less than a week, right-hander Spenser Watkins is quickly making a mark with the Orioles. Tonight, in his second big league appearance and first as a starter, he got his first major league win. Watkins is a player who has pitched on the farm since 2014, was a 30th-round draft pick and didn't make his major league debut until last week at 28. On Friday at Anaheim, he faced three batters and retired them all on just eight pitches. Tonight, he was...

As Spenser Watkins jogged from the Orioles dugout to the mound last night to begin warming for his first major league start, each step sent vibrations all the way down to Triple-A Norfolk. The Orioles needed a starter to fill out their rotation before the break, maybe a one-and-done but with the possibility of a longer stay. Anyone who can get into and through the middle innings has a shot to take the ball every fifth day. Maybe have a sandwich named after him. The easy move would have been to...

The Nationals get Erick Fedde and Kyle Finnegan back from the injured list tonight, surprisingly quicker than most expected in Fedde's case. And at some point in the not-too-distant future, they believe they'll get Stephen Strasburg back as well, the final and most significant return to a rotation that has needed some patching together through the season's first half. The Nats have been going without Strasburg and Fedde since June 24, when Fedde woke up with a strained oblique one day after...

After a 4-6 road trip that ended with two walk-off losses in the last three games, the Orioles return home for a six-game, two-team homestand that will lead them into the All-Star break. Two homestands ago, the Orioles went 5-3 against the Twins, Indians and Mets. Last homestand, they went 1-5 against the Blue Jays and Astros. They won the first game of that homestand but lost the last five. They are 12-26 at home for the season. The Orioles are 10-23 versus American League East opponents,...

Davey Martinez promised roster moves (plural) after Monday night's win, and the Nationals manager meant what he said. The Nats added two healthy pitchers to their staff today, activating both Erick Fedde and Kyle Finnegan off the 10-day injured list. And Fedde (surprise, surprise) will start tonight in San Diego. That was not expected, because as far as we know, Fedde has not faced any live hitters since going on the IL with an oblique strain two weeks ago. We'll see if that means he's...

The Washington Nationals reinstated right-handed pitchers Erick Fedde and Kyle Finnegan from the 10-day Injured List and optioned right-handed pitcher Ryne Harper and left-handed pitcher Kyle Lobstein to Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements. Fedde, 28, will start for the Nationals on Tuesday night. He is 4-4 with a 3.90 ERA in 11 starts this season. Prior to being placed on the Injured List with a...