O's game blog: The final 2019 home game has arrived
O's game blog: The final 2019 home game has arrived
Steve Melewski
Orioles
The Orioles (50-105) will host Seattle today to wrap up this series, homestand and their 2019 home schedule. They are 24-56 this season at Camden Yards. The homestand started with the Orioles losing three straight against Toronto. Now they have split two games with Seattle. In the five games, the O's bullpen has pitched 27 1/3 innings, allowing 28 hits and 25 runs (22 earned). The O's have been outscored 24-9 in the seventh inning on these past five games. Seattle (66-89) has won six of seven...
More on Brooks' relief outing and minor league award winners
More on Brooks' relief outing and minor league award winners
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The Orioles went the more traditional pitching route last night in a 7-6 loss to the Mariners at Camden Yards. Asher Wojciechowski was the starter instead of an opener. No reliever worked more than Dillon Tate's 2 1/3 innings. Manager Brandon Hyde used six of them as the game marched into the 13th. The seven relief innings logged Friday night by Aaron Brooks rank among the most in Orioles history. As you might expect. Brooks was the fourth pitcher in the majors this season to throw seven or...
Mychal Givens' recent struggles continue in O's Saturday night loss
Mychal Givens' recent struggles continue in O's Saturday night loss
Steve Melewski
Orioles
It took them 13 innings to lose, but the Orioles trailed for the first time last night in the top of the eighth when Seattle's J.P. Crawford hit a three-run homer off right-hander Mychal Givens. Givens has had a rough last week, but for many weeks before that, it appeared he was set up for a big finish to his 2019 season. Then it all changed Those struggles have been puzzling, as he's now allowed three homers in his last four games, all in the last week. Before that, Givens had given up just...
Orioles surrender run on infield hit in 13th and lose 7-6 (updated)
Orioles surrender run on infield hit in 13th and lose 7-6 (updated)
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The Orioles finished their batting practice rounds today and retreated to the clubhouse, still a few hours left before they'd take the field again and continue their series against the Mariners. An important part of their future was scattered on the center field roof deck, where various minor league award winners were made available to fans and the media. The hardware would be delivered to them later in an on-field ceremony, before Mychal Givens surrendered a three-run homer to J.P. Crawford...
After disastrous eighth, a joyous 10th for Nats (updated)
After disastrous eighth, a joyous 10th for Nats (updated)
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
MIAMI - They led by four runs in the bottom of the eighth. Stephen Strasburg had dominated the Marlins for the umpteenth time. The Nationals just needed to finish off a last-place opponent and move one step closer to a berth in the wild card game. And then Fernando Rodney took the mound, charged with protecting a four-run lead. And the enigmatic reliever remained on the mound until that four-run lead was gone and panic began to consume living rooms throughout the DMV while hope suddenly emerged...
Hyde on the bullpen, progress and rebuild (tied 6-6)
Hyde on the bullpen, progress and rebuild (tied 6-6)
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Orioles outfielder Mason Williams is out of the lineup again tonight and hasn't made an appearance since crashing into the fence Tuesday night while chasing Cavan Biggio's fly ball that resulted in a triple for the Blue Jays rookie. Williams was left with a badly bruised knee that's kept him on the bench. He passed the concussion tests. Asked if Williams will play again before the season ends, manager Brandon Hyde said, "Yeah, I hope so." "He's day-to-day and he's sore," Hyde said. "I...
Suzuki hopes to get healthy enough to return (tied 4-4)
Suzuki hopes to get healthy enough to return (tied 4-4)
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
MIAMI - Though he says everything is going according to plan in his throwing program, Kurt Suzuki admits he won't be able to get his right elbow back to 100 percent health by season's end. Which means the veteran catcher has no choice but to try to get himself as close to playing shape as soon as possible to try to rejoin the Nationals lineup in time to contribute in this final playoff push and potentially beyond. "That's kind of the plan now," Suzuki said this afternoon prior to the...
Orioles lineup vs. Mariners
Orioles lineup vs. Mariners
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Austin Hays remains in center field for the Orioles tonight as they continue their series against the Mariners at Camden Yards. Why remove him from it? Hays has made sensational catches on back-to-back nights and is 6-for-14 in his last four games. Trey Mancini is playing first base. He's 27-for-74 (.365) this month and 16-for-35 (.457) during an eight-game hitting streak. Stevie Wilkerson is in left field. Jonathan Villar's 106 runs scored this season are the most by an Orioles player since...
Game 153 lineups: Nats at Marlins
Game 153 lineups: Nats at Marlins
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
MIAMI - Not to jinx anything, but it would be irresponsible not to mention that Stephen Strasburg enters tonight's start riding a 12-game winning streak against the Marlins, dating all the way back to Sept. 20, 2015. Yes, that's three years and one day. Pretty amazing. Of course anything can happen on any given day, so Strasburg and the Nationals aren't assured of anything tonight. But it's obviously an advantageous matchup for Strasburg, who is 4-0 with a 1.19 ERA, 43 strikeouts and four...
The state of the race with nine days to go
The state of the race with nine days to go
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
MIAMI - As the clock ticks down on September, the magnitude of every game result grows. And what looked like a tight race only days ago begins to look more comfortable. No, the Nationals haven't clinched anything yet. Not even close to it. But in the simple act of winning 6-4 Friday night over the Marlins, and especially in the simple act of watching the Cubs lose three days in a row (once to the Reds, twice to the Cardinals), the Nats have put themselves in a pretty advantageous...