In the bottom of the sixth inning Friday night in Miami, Nationals right-hander Aaron Barrett was called into pitch in a game the Marlins already led 10-3. Barrett hit Garrett Cooper with a pitch. As TV cameras went back for his reaction, it appeared the right-hander was shaking out his arm after that pitch that got away. Barrett then walked Jesús Aguilar on five pitches. Quickly, manager Davey Martinez and a Nats trainer went to the mound to check on Barrett. Martinez said after the game...

Simply put, they are making the best of a rough situation. In a year without minor league baseball games, two Orioles top 30 prospect pitchers are still getting some innings in and trying to advance their careers. They have to work on their own but the Orioles are keeping tabs on them closely. This week I spoke with 20-year-old lefty Drew Rom and 22-year-old right-hander Brenan Hanifee. The Orioles took both out of high school in the fourth round of their respective drafts. Hanifee was drafted...

The nightcap of today's twi-night doubleheader was no fun for Wil Crowe and the bullpen as the Marlins jumped on the Nationals for six runs in the first three frames and cruised to a 14-3 victory at Marlins Park. Brian Anderson went 3-for-4 with a career-high three homers and seven RBIs. Corey Dickerson went 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs. The Marlins put together three four-run innings in the rout. The win allowed Miami to snap a two-game skid and split the twinbill. The Nats won the...

The Orioles managed again last night to reach back to their past while focusing on the present, their latest game against the Rays that ended with a 2-1 loss, and the promising future with the influx of prospects on the roster. None of them should be ignored or neglected. Fifty years have melted away since the Orioles won the second World Series title in franchise history. They couldn't remove the pain from the upset loss to the Mets in '69, but they plowed through the regular season and...

Alex Cobb took his turn tonight, the senior member of a rotation that's filling up with freshmen. A bend in a popular September storyline. If Cobb is going to impact the rebuild, it's likely to be as a mentor for the rookies. Maybe as a trade chip over the winter or at next summer's deadline. Or perhaps he lessens the pain of it with a standout 2021. He has one season left on the four-year, $57 million deal he signed in March 2018. He has one start remaining after tonight. He needs to take...

Fresh off an impressive 5-0 win over the Marlins in Game 1 of their series-opening doubleheader, the Nationals go for the sweep by sending right-hander Wil Crowe (0-1, 7.50 ERA) to the hill for his third big league start. The Marlins will pitch left-hander Daniel Castano (0-2, 3.32 ERA). Castano took the loss in the Nats' 5-4 win on Aug. 22 at Nationals Park. As the opener, Castano allowed two runs on one hit with two walks and recorded only one out, a strikeout. Crowe allowed three runs on...

If there's a primary goal for the Nationals during this final stretch of a disappointing season - beyond a miracle rally to reach the playoffs, of course - it's to leave 2020 with a positive impression of anyone who has a chance to hold a prominent role in 2021. Someone like Erick Fedde, who hasn't been able to make the most of his opportunity to stick in a depleted Nats rotation but might have one last chance to make his case in his final two starts of the year. And what Fedde showed this...

The Orioles completed one of their earlier summer trades this afternoon, receiving infielder Isaac De León from the Marlins as the player to be named later for left-handed reliever Richard Bleier. The Bleier deal was consummated on Aug. 1. De León is 18 and the type of player sought in the past by executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias. A young prospect to increase the talent level in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League. Elias acquired outfielder Elio Prado and infielder...

Orioles shortstop José Iglesias is out of the lineup tonight for the second consecutive game, which leads to the latest quiz. Is Iglesias on the bench because of his quadriceps, shin or all of the above? "All of the above," manager Brandon Hyde said during today's Zoom conference call with the media. "It's a well-deserved day off for him. He'll be available off the bench. He actually wanted to be available off the bench in the second game last night as well. But yeah, giving him a...

José Iglesias is out of tonight's lineup, whether due to a sore quadriceps muscle or shin. Andrew Velazquez gets the start at shortstop as the Orioles try to rebound from yesterday's doubleheader sweep. Ryan Mountcastle is the first baseman and cleanup hitter and Chance Sisco is the designated hitter. Bryan Holaday is catching. Austin Hays is in left field. Third baseman Rio Ruiz is on the field today for early work on his throws. Alex Cobb is making his penultimate start of the season....