NEW YORK - The Nationals bounced back from three series losses in a row with an emphatic three-game sweep in San Francisco and now arrive at Citi Field to face off against the hottest team in Major League Baseball. The New York Mets (59-56) have forced their way back into the playoff picture by winning 13 of their last 14 games, including sweeps over the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago White Sox and Miami Marlins. Pitching has been key as it usually is with these kind of streaks: the Mets have...

We've spent most of the summer emphasizing the Nationals' matchups with the team they're chasing in the National League East (the Braves) and the team that's been right alongside them in the wild card race (the Phillies). The Mets? There hasn't been much reason to talk about them, at least not since April and early May, when they still harbored visions of being part of a four-team race in the NL East. But then came a collapse and the drama that too often seems to overtake New York's...

If you think Birdland gets extremely frustrated as losses mount and the Orioles give up a lot of homers and runs, no doubt that is very, very true. Even aware of the team's rebuild mode, it can never sit well with a diehard O's fan to hear Yankees fans enjoying a night in Baltimore. They pipe down when their team is behind and it's up to the Orioles to put them in that position, but they could not this week at Oriole Park. So yeah, frustrating time for fans. And think about how it must be...

The slogan came late to the future Hall of Famer. One of the most detail-oriented players in baseball history, so precise that he wore a watch during batting practice and infield drills, somehow missed it. Cal Ripken Jr. can laugh about it now. A collection of players from the 1989 "Why Not?" Orioles are gathering this weekend at Camden Yards to celebrate the 30th anniversary of one of the most beloved teams in franchise history. An all-time favorite, tipping the popularity scale, in spite of...

During the last three games against the New York Yankees, there were plenty of reasons for Orioles players, coaches and manager Brandon Hyde to be frustrated. They got swept for the fourth time this year by New York and allowed 32 runs and 16 homers in the series. But we don't know what caused the frustration, anger or whatever it was that led to words between Hyde and Chris Davis after the top of the fifth last night. We just know it led to Davis charging toward Hyde, who had gone down the...

Brian Matusz can't really explain it. The former Orioles first-round draft pick needed some time away from baseball and couldn't get back into it. Couldn't find a team willing to take a chance on a 32-year-old left-hander with starting and bullpen experience who had some success in the majors. Left-handed and breathing usually gets you a phone call. Matusz decided that he wanted it to ring and was met with the sounds of silence. So where is he now? A Yankees writer posed the question to me...

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde wouldn't go into much detail about his dugout confrontation with first baseman Chris Davis that slapped another ugly coat on a 14-2 loss to the Yankees at Camden Yards. Hyde said he wanted to keep it private and would speak with Davis later. He also expressed remorse that it happened in view of the public, including media, and downplayed the impact it would have on his relationship with Davis and the season. Davis apparently left the ballpark and wasn't available...

What seemed headed for a game ending with another blowout win for the New York Yankees over the Orioles, the game took another turn at the end of the top of the fifth inning tonight. The MASN cameras caught Chris Davis directing some heated words in what appeared to be the direction of Orioles manager Brandon Hyde. As to why this occurred, we don't have that answer yet. But Davis was being restrained by hitting coach Don Long and injured Oriole Mark Trumbo for several seconds before he went...

The first public blowup of the Orioles 2019 season played out in the dugout tonight after the top of the fifth inning. A MASN camera caught hitting coach Don Long and injured outfielder Mark Trumbo restraining Chris Davis from going after manager Brandon Hyde. Jace Peterson pinch-hit for Davis in the bottom of the fifth and grounded out. Hyde appeared to say something to Davis while headed down the tunnel and Davis bolted after him. Long and Trumbo moved him back and Jonathan Villar also made...

SAN FRANCISCO - As the bottom of the ninth played out Wednesday afternoon at Oracle Park, the Giants getting an RBI double from Brandon Crawford and suddenly threatening to make things interesting, Davey Martinez might have been tempted to send Sean Doolittle or Fernando Rodney down to the bullpen to start warming up. Only a week or two ago, that's probably what would've happened. If a game was close late, Martinez would have felt compelled to at least warm up his closer or primary backup,...