The Nationals pulled off a miraculous comeback against the best team in the National League in their second straight elimination game. Of course they did. After all, all they did was win for the last 4 1/2 months of the season. And, oh, did they win: 78 of their last 118 games for a .661 winning percentage since May 24. Thanks to a grand slam by Howie Kendrick in the 10th inning, the Nats shocked the top-seeded Dodgers 7-3, winning the best-of-five series NL Division Series before a stunned...

LOS ANGELES - On a warm morning in West Palm Beach in February 2018, Davey Martinez did something that raised a few eyebrows and made even more eyes roll. He gathered his Nationals team together and then directed everyone to watch as coaches Bobby Henley and Tim Bogar rode in on a pair of camels. The point, Martinez explained, was to offer a simple metaphor. This Nationals franchise he had just taken over as manager had been unable to get past the first round of the postseason, falling four...

It is going to come down to this: Can a team still in the early stages of a rebuild in 2020 afford a $10 million middle infielder? MLBTradeRumors.com yesterday came out with its arbitration projections for this winter, and predicted that the Orioles would have to give Jonathan Villar a salary of $10.4 million for next year, more than doubling his $4.825 million paycheck from this past season. That was a much higher projection than I expected. It surely was a strong year for Villar, who hit...

LOS ANGELES - The fate of the Nationals' season will be determined without Victor Robles patrolling center field. Robles, who suffered what the team called a mild right hamstring strain during Game 2 of the National League Division Series, remains out of the lineup for tonight's do-or-die Game 5 against the Dodgers. The 22-year-old rookie, who rated as one of the best defensive outfielders in the majors this season, worked out Tuesday and showed signs of progress, according to manager Davey...

LOS ANGELES - And so it has come to this. Nationals. Dodgers. Game 5 of the National League Division Series. They wouldn't have had it any other way. The winner goes to the NL Championship Series, against either the Braves or Cardinals, whose Game 5 should be wrapping up right around the time this one starts. Reminder: The Nats would not get home field advantage against either opponent, so Games 1-2 would be on the road, with Games 3-5 in D.C., then potential Games 6-7 back on the road. First...

Former Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop got a late start on his offseason, but he's able to head back home with the Twins swept in the American League Division Series. Schoop is a free agent again after signing a one-year, $7.5 million deal with the Twins last winter. He slashed .256/.304/.473 with 23 doubles, a triple, 23 home runs and 59 RBIs in 121 games and he struck out in both plate appearances in the ALDS. The Orioles didn't attempt to re-sign Schoop and won't make an effort...

As I check out the playoff games that hold my attention for one or two innings, my thumb pressed on the remote at all times with the exception of bathroom breaks, I never lose focus on my responsibilities on the Orioles beat. The mailbag fills up and it's my duty to sort through it, count the duplicate questions and wonder what else I could have done to close the topics. This is another sequel, which also makes me wonder how much longer I can come up with new names. Can't top "Electric...

LOS ANGELES - That the Nationals find themselves here, in Game 5 of the National League Division Series, is not at all surprising. This is the norm for this franchise, having now been in this exact position four times in the last eight years, three in the last four. And yet this one feels entirely different than those that came before. The end result - a heartbreaking loss, after leading at some point - may wind up feeling familiar. Too familiar. But the circumstances entering this Game 5 do...

Former Orioles skipper Buck Showalter's name is coming up for some of the various managerial openings around Major League Baseball. He's been somewhat connected to the openings in San Diego and with the New York Mets. He could be a candidate if there is an opening soon in Philadelphia. Showalter certainly did great things in Baltimore. Ironically, he left the Orioles with an overall losing record at 669-684 (.494). But a lot of that, of course, was due to the last-place finishes in 2017 and...

Ryan Zimmerman was sitting next to Max Scherzer in the interview room at Nationals Park late Monday night, the pair of 35-year-olds talking about their immense contributions to their team's stave-off-elimination victory in Game 4 of the National League Division Series, when the inevitable question was raised. "Zim, your contract's expiring, and this could be your last game before a home crowd," the out-of-town reporter began. "Did you have any extra oomph at your at-bats, especially with...