NEW YORK - Nationals manager Davey Martinez said Max Scherzer did not have his bullpen session today but hopes the right-hander will be able to conduct the session Saturday. Martinez said Scherzer instead went through a measured workout prior to tonight's series opener against the Mets. "He's progressing," Martinez said. "He threw again today, light, but if he feels up to it tomorrow, he might throw a bullpen. We'll see how he feels tomorrow." There had been a preliminary plan to have...

The Orioles' Trey Mancini certainly can sense the pulse of his team. He's a clubhouse leader and cares deeply about his teammates and coaches. Orioles fans have come to learn that about Mancini. As the club begins to move past the dugout confrontation Wednesday involving Chris Davis and manager Brandon Hyde, Mancini said the clubhouse remains positive and upbeat this afternoon. Just like it was before Wednesday's game. "Things like that happen," said Mancini. "It's kind of unfortunate...

Orioles first baseman Chris Davis met with the media outside the clubhouse today for nine minutes and offered an explanation for Wednesday night's dugout eruption without getting into too much detail. Davis said he reached a "breaking point" over a poor defensive showing and a season that again has been one long struggle. Davis and manager Brandon Hyde met for more than an hour today, their first interaction since Davis came out of Wednesday's game for a pinch-hitter and had to be...

Orioles first baseman Chris Davis is out of tonight's lineup for the series opener against the Astros at Camden Yards. Trey Mancini is playing first base, Jace Peterson is in left and Anthony Santander is in right. Rio Ruiz is on the bench after the Orioles recalled him today. Hanser Alberto is playing third base and leading off. Jonathan Villar is batting .393 (22-for-56) with three doubles, two triples, four home runs, 10 RBIs, 17 runs scored and seven stolen bases in his last 13 games since...

The Orioles have swapped out a pitcher for a position player to give their short bench a little more length. Third baseman Rio Ruiz has been recalled today from Triple-A Norfolk and will be in uniform for the series opener against the Astros at Camden Yards. He'll find out later whether he's in the lineup against left-hander Wade Miley. Ruiz was optioned to Norfolk on July 24 following the series finale in Arizona. He joined his wife for the birth of their first child and was transferred to...

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...