The calendar hasn't even flipped to September, but Major League Baseball is already thinking ahead to spring training 2020. The Nationals' Grapefruit League schedule was released this afternoon, and includes 31 dates - 15 home games at the FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Fla., and 16 road games. Of course, since the Astros and Nationals share the same home field for spring games, some of those road games require no travel. That's the case for the spring opener, when...

The Orioles today announced their 2020 Grapefruit League home opener will be on Sunday, February 23 at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fla. against the Boston Red Sox. The Orioles will open their Spring slate one day earlier on Saturday, February 22, with a road game at CoolToday Park in North Port, Fla. against the Atlanta Braves. The club's Grapefruit League season, which features 16 home dates, will conclude with a home game on Sunday, March 22, against the Philadelphia Phillies. Pitchers and...

The Orioles already have made spring training plans as they move through the remaining weeks of the 2019 season. Pitchers and catchers report to spring training in Sarasota, Fla., on Feb. 11, with position players due on Feb. 16. The first full-squad workout is held the following day. The first exhibition game at the Ed Smith Stadium complex is Feb. 23 versus the Red Sox. The Orioles open the Grapefruit League season on Feb. 22 at the Braves' new facility, CoolToday Park, in North Port, Fla. A...

It happened in a flash. With Reds pinch-hitter José Peraza standing at first base, thanks to a walk, center fielder Victor Robles came on for a ball in shallow right field to pick up a single off the bat of Reds outfielder Jesse Winker. Peraza saw how far Robles had to go toward the right field area and took his cue to round second base and charge for third. Robles gathered the ball, and with his momentum still pushing him toward the right field line, turned and fired a strike to third...

On June 10, the Atlanta Braves beat Pittsburgh 13-7 to move into a first-place tie in the National League East. They built a six-game lead by the All-Star break and on July 15, their lead was 7 1/2 games, largest of the season. A second consecutive division title seemed inevitable. Now, as baseball enters the final six weeks, the Braves face a new reality: They aren't the same dominating team that went 20-8 in June. They aren't the team that's playing the best. Although they beat the Dodgers...

It was good news for a rebuilding Orioles organization last month when Baltimore was ranked No. 8 in Baseball America's midseason Major League Baseball organizational rankings, which came out last month. This marks the first time that the Orioles have ranked in the publication's Top 10 since entering the 2010 season, when they also ranked No. 8. The O's also ranked No. 8 when entering the 1994 and 1989 seasons. Baseball America began publishing organization talent rankings in 1983. At the...

It's hard to believe Nationals manager Davey Martinez isn't aware of the angst and frustration three simple words - "He's our closer" - cause for a fan base tired of watching ninth-inning leads frittered away. For the three weeks Sean Doolittle has been struggling to lock down games, Martinez has dug his heels in and drawn a line in the sand, holding firm that the southpaw will remain his closer because he's the best option to protect a lead with three outs to go. When Matt Williams...

The news yesterday that DL Hall is going to miss the remainder of his season at Single-A Frederick with a mild strain of his left lat muscle shouldn't cause a massive panic. The key word here is "mild," which is confirmed by the Grade 1 diagnosis. Resist the urge to replay all the images of past injured pitching prospects. But try to say it three times fast. An earlier occurrence would have gotten Hall back on the mound this summer, but the Keys don't have many games remaining and there's...

It was as fair question to ask: After Saturday night's - er, early Sunday morning's - demoralizing 15-14 loss to the Brewers in 14 innings, how would the Nationals respond? Apparently soul-crushing defeats and lack of restorative sleep result in prodigious displays of home run power. The Nationals took full advantage of their home park's launching pad characteristics in warm, humid weather, muscling up to hit eight homers in a 16-8 rout of the Brewers that secured a series victory. "What I...

The sixth inning is like the trap door that keeps fooling the Orioles. If they don't fall through it, a lead certainly will disappear. Ahead by six runs in the third, the Orioles became helpless as the Red Sox started to chip away and dismantled them by scoring six times in the sixth to take the lead and complete the sweep with a 13-7 victory at Fenway Park. Chance Sisco was injured twice in the inning, with Sam Travis plowing into his left shoulder and a foul ball slamming into his groin...