CHICAGO - If you're among those who remain skeptical about the 2019 Nationals, if you believe this bullpen is going to ruin the season, if you believe the manager still isn't making the right moves to win ballgames, perhaps it's time to listen to what others are now saying about this team. Others, as in the team that just got swept this weekend by these Nationals. "They're hot," Cole Hamels told reporters inside the Cubs clubhouse after Sunday's game. "Probably as hot as any team we'll...

The Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds (86-44) have won a lot of games this year as a well-rounded team that can beat you many ways. But pitching has been the constant. They lead the 14-team South Atlantic League in ERA, WHIP and strikeouts. It's success like this at Delmarva, where they have a pitching coach in his first year in the Orioles organization, that the O's brass hopes they can build on. This is the start of producing what general manager Mike Elias has called the "elite talent...

Hanser Alberto as a trade chip seemed like an outrageous concept prior to the 2019 season. Hanser Alberto as a guy who avoided the waiver wire seemed like an outrageous concept. The Orioles are full of surprises this season. Residency at the bottom of the division and being within reach of the first overall pick in next year's First-Year Player Draft aren't among them. It's more about individual success stories. There's competition for the top honor, with John Means as an All-Star, Renato...

CHICAGO - The first two games of a highly anticipated weekend series were lopsided affairs, the Nationals clearly outshining the Cubs on their home turf. Today's finale? This was the ballgame everyone anticipated all along: a taut, well-played, evenly matched showdown between two National League postseason contenders. And when it finally ended some 4 1/2 hours later and 40,518 filed out into the streets of Wrigleyville, it was the Nationals who were celebrating in the middle of the diamond,...

Orioles infielder Jonathan Villar became a 20/20 player, right-hander Dylan Bundy got a rare home win and the Orioles offense put up some runs for the second day in a row. The Orioles beat Tampa Bay 8-3 today to split this four-game series and complete a 4-3 homestand. They are 43-88 with four wins the last six games heading into Monday's off-day. Villar's solo homer in the Baltimore fourth was his 20th of the year. Villar, who has 28 steals, became the sixth Oriole to produce 20 or more...

Jonathan Villar walked up the first base line in the fourth inning and chucked his bat as if disgusted by what he had done with it. The truth sat on the opposite side. Guys who join the 20/20 club have no complaints. Villar hit his 20th home run to go with his 28 steals, becoming the sixth Orioles player to achieve the milestone in an 8-3 victory over the Rays before an announced crowd of 13,287 at Camden Yards. The second of two changeups thrown by Rays left-hander Jalen Beeks landed in the...

CHICAGO - The Nationals are playing their fourth straight game against a left-handed starter, an extremely rare occurrence during the course of a season. Howie Kendrick, who has battled hamstring issues all year, already started the first three games, including the day game in Chicago following a night game in Pittsburgh. So Davey Martinez faced a dilemma when filling out his lineup card for the series finale against Cubs southpaw Cole Hamels: Start Kendrick a fourth straight day, start Matt...

The Orioles aren't releasing much information regarding pitcher John Means, who left the team and has been placed on the family medical emergency list. Means started last night and worked seven innings in a 7-1 victory over the Rays, easily his finest outing since the All-Star break. Because of the delicate nature of the situation, the Orioles are allowing Means to address it upon his return to the club. Manager Brandon Hyde responded with "not much" when asked what information he could...

CHICAGO - The Cubs have been lights-out at home this season. They entered the weekend a staggering 14-1-4 in home series, the lone loss coming in late May when they dropped two of three to the Reds. And then the Nationals came to town and blew that narrative out of the water. With back-to-back lopsided wins the last two days, the Nats already have won this series. Now they have a chance to pull off an impressive three-game sweep with another win this afternoon. The Nationals have Stephen...

The Orioles made an unexpected roster move this morning, placing left-hander John Means on the family medical emergency list and recalling right-hander Tayler Scott from Triple-A Norfolk. Means started last night and held the Rays to one run in seven innings. A player must remain inactive for a minimum of three days and no more than seven. No details have been provided. The Orioles have two off-days this week and Means will start again next weekend in Kansas City. He attended high school in...