On a night when it looked like they might get shut out, instead the Orioles scored six late runs to beat the Texas Rangers Saturday night. They have started their road trip with 5-2 and 6-1 wins. It had to be nice to win coming from behind, as they were down 1-0 heading to the seventh. But to see Trey Mancini get the go-ahead run home was big-time icing on a cake that tasted pretty darn good. There were positive signs all around. Mancini doubled in the run in the eighth that provided a 2-1...

It was not just that the Orioles produced a comeback win in Texas, one that gives them a series victory. It was how they did it and who was responsible that was also quite big. Struggling Trey Mancini lined a go-ahead double in the eighth. Right-hander Dean Kremer, who had a 10.50 ERA at game time, pitched a strong game on three days' rest. Shortstop Freddy Galvis had four hits and started one sensational double play. And the improving Orioles bullpen had another good night. And down by 1-0...

A roster move is pending for the Orioles, with outfielder Austin Hays appearing ready to be activated Tuesday in Miami. Exactly how it was expected to happen. Hays felt fine after playing seven innings Friday afternoon against the Nationals in Fredericksburg, Va., and he was back in left field yesterday for four innings in an intrasquad game at the alternate training site in Bowie. I heard that he looked good again at the plate and in the field. What's left now is a recovery day with camp...

Back when the Nationals broke spring training and headed north, the bullpen looked like a definite strength. The addition of closer Brad Hand set the Nats up for a lockdown back end, and guys like Wander Suero and Kyle Finnegan backed up the high-leverage relievers with the potential to pitch multiple innings in middle relief. Now, barely two weeks into the season, the bullpen is growing shakier by the day. Right-hander Will Harris hit the injured list with what was thought to be a blood clot,...

As the Orioles get set to play the second game of their series at Texas tonight, manager Brandon Hyde has dropped Trey Mancini to fifth in the batting order for the first time this year. Mancini, batting .151/.220/.358/.579 in 59 plate appearances, went 0-for-4 in last night's 5-2 win with four strikeouts. He is 1-for-16 (.063) his last five games and 4-for-33 (.121) his last nine. And while he does lead the club with three homers and ranks second with 10 RBIs, the skipper will drop him down...

The Orioles' 5-2 win at Texas last night was just their second win in a series-opening game this season. They won the other series when they got the opener, in the first series at Boston. Tonight the clubs meet in the middle game of a three-game series at Globe Life Field. The Orioles entered the Texas series having lost six of the previous seven games and were 2-8 since their 3-0 start. But it was a nice start to a road trip as Jorge López and four bullpen pitchers combined on a...

Erick Fedde has struggled through outings where he couldn't seem to harness any confidence. He'd get behind hitters, have to throw a hittable fastball and pay the price. But in the early going of Saturday's start against the Diamondbacks, he got the feel for his changeup and used it masterfully. He also mixed his pitches to keep Arizona hitters off-balance and got on a roll. Fedde matched a career high with nine strikeouts in a five-inning stint and the Nationals beat the Diamondbacks 6-2 on...

Ryan Mountcastle is starting at first base tonight for the first time this season as the Orioles try to secure a series win over the Rangers. Mountcastle has been the designated hitter in eight games and the left fielder in six. He started nine games at first base last summer. Trey Mancini is batting fifth as the designated hitter, followed by Mountcastle. Mancini struck out four times last night to give him 18 for the season, second on the club behind Mountcastle. Rio Ruiz stays at second...

Josh Harrison, arguably the hottest Nationals hitter, is out of the starting lineup for this afternoon's game against the Diamondbacks because he's dealing with some back stiffness. Manager Davey Martinez said Harrison, who is slashing .556/.600/.778 with a homer and five RBIs in five games since being activated off the COVID-19-related injured list earlier this week, reported a stiff back after Friday night's game, leading to the day off. "I've been trying to give him a day off, but when...

If you walk around the Navy Yard this morning, you might still feel the reverberations from Kyle Schwarber's walk-off homer Friday night. That bottom-of-the-ninth blast, which landed on the concourse beyond the second deck in right field, made for as exciting a finish as Nationals Park has witnessed in a while. Before the Nationals and Diamondbacks get back at it this afternoon, let's take one more look at the first Schwarbomb in Nats history, by the numbers ... 463 - Distance, in feet, of...