The Washington Nationals have agreed to a multi-year contract extension with President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo. Rizzo, 59, was rewarded with this contract after serving as the architect of the Washington Nationals 2019 World Series Championship. Under Rizzo's leadership, the Nationals have transformed into one of Major League Baseball's perennially elite clubs, winning a World Series in 2019, earning four National League East titles (2012, 2014, 2016, 2017) and...

It may have happened during one of the toughest losses of the year. But as the Orioles were struggling for the clutch hit that never came in the opener of yesterday's doubleheader, their new-look bullpen was throwing gas. It was definitely a look at the immediate and perhaps long-term future for a Baltimore bullpen that has lost Richard Bleier, Mychal Givens and Miguel Castro in trades since Aug. 1. The group of five of Branden Kline, Evan Phillips, Dillon Tate, Hunter Harvey and Tanner Scott...

The Orioles have summoned outfielder Mason Williams and pitcher David Hess from the alternate camp site in Bowie. Williams can only return if he's replacing an injured player, making his arrival likely tied to outfielder Anthony Santander, who left the early game of yesterday's doubleheader with a sore oblique. Santander was undergoing tests earlier today. The 40-man roster had two openings, so no corresponding move would be necessary to accommodate Williams. The Orioles outrighted Williams...

When I interviewed MLBPipeline.com's Jim Callis this week it was apparent he is very high on the O's 2020 draft, where they selected six players over the draft's five rounds. Here is a review of the Orioles' draft: * Round 1 (No. 2 overall) - O's selected University of Arkanas outfielder Heston Kjerstad. He was signed to a bonus of $5.2 million, which was well under the slot amount of $7.79 million. * Competitive Balance Round A (No. 30 overall) - They selected Mississippi State shortstop...

The Orioles and the rest of Major League Baseball are going to celebrate 2,131 on Sunday. The 25th anniversary of an event that requires no explanation or clarity beyond the digits. Everyone knows it's the number of consecutive games played by Cal Ripken Jr. to break Lou Gehrig's record, and that it's referenced as "The Streak," earning the usage of capital letters due to its historic nature. Ripken will offer more reflection on it later. The banner on the warehouse that allowed fans to...

The Orioles won't get much sympathy from the opposing dugout. No one on that side wants to hear about their injuries and misfortune. How their best starting pitcher this year unexpectedly was lost today to the injured list, the word "protocol" and their lack of information suggesting it's related in some fashion to COVID-19. How their top overall player left the first game of the doubleheader after feeling a twinge in his oblique, an injury that never heals quickly. There are no speedy...

The Nationals offense finally got off to a good start, scoring seven times in the first three innings Friday night. But the Braves used a dramatic Freddie Freeman grand slam to tie the game in the fourth. With the way things had gone for the Nats during their seven-game losing streak, many wondered if the Braves would again just finish them off. Not so fast, said the Nats' hottest hitter, Trea Turner. His solo homer in the sixth broke the tie, helping to steer the Nats to a 10-9 victory in a...

Sometimes they sneak up on the Orioles rather than bulldoze them. The Yankees fell behind today after the first batter in the bottom of the first inning. They built a three-run lead and lost it. Their lineup was decimated by injuries and their starting pitcher was far south of elite status. Maybe this was the day that the Orioles' losing streak in head-to-head competition would end at 18 games. Maybe they wouldn't have to go into the nightcap of the doubleheader wondering if they can keep it...

In the second game of the Nationals' doubleheader against the Braves, right-hander Wil Crowe will make his second major league start, looking to help the Nats stop a week-long skid. With the 7-1 loss in the opener, the Nats have lost a season-high seven games in a row, their longest losing streak since June 18-25, 2016. On Aug. 22, despite allowing only two earned runs, Crowe took a 5-3 loss to the Marlins in the second game of a doubleheader. He tossed 3 2/3 innings, scattering six hits,...

Major League Baseball games are not supposed to be quite so predictable. But when you put Austin Voth on the mound against a tough Braves lineup, in the opener of a doubleheader in Atlanta 24 hours after the bullpen was burned up in an extra-inning game in Philadelphia, and then pull Juan Soto out of a Nationals lineup that simply can't afford to lose its best hitter right now, what could Davey Martinez reasonably have expected? The ensuing result at Truist Park - a 7-1 loss to kick off this...