The Nationals' 5-3 exhibition win Monday night over the Yankees featured a special moment for right-handed reliever Aaron Barrett, who came in to pitch at Nationals Park for the first time since 2015. It was a long road back for Barrett, who suffered not one, but two major injuries before returning to baseball. In 2016, while rehabilitating from Tommy John surgery, Barrett suffered a fractured elbow. But he continued to rehab, continued to strengthen and rebuild his arm. Year after year. The...

NEW YORK - Signs that it wasn't going to be the Orioles' day included a ground ball headed to right field that struck a runner's leg and the moment when four pitchers began to do stretching exercises in the bullpen while in a rush to get loose. David Hess was included in the group. He's supposed to start Monday night in Toronto, but plans can be blown up with one rally and a game already slipping away. The 2019 season begins with a 7-2 loss to the Yankees in the Bronx, the first game for...

Pick out any number of reasons the Nationals lost their season opener today, 2-0 to the Mets. Look at Ryan Zimmerman's first-inning line drive, the one snagged by a diving Jeff McNeil at third base to prevent a run from scoring. Point out Davey Martinez's late-game pitching decisions to let Max Scherzer return to the mound for the eighth, then turn to Justin Miller and Matt Grace to face a couple of key hitters instead of Trevor Rosenthal and Tony Sipp. But if you really want to encapsulate...

Right-hander Max Scherzer did everything in his power to give the Nationals every opportunity to win their season opener Thursday against the New York Mets before a sellout crowd at Nats Park. But fellow Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom was just a bit better. Scherzer allowed a solo homer to Robinson Canó in the first and later an insurance run in the eighth in the Mets' 2-0 win over the Nats on Thursday. Canó's blast over the left-center field wall on a 1-1 changeup came with two outs in...

It's opening day, and that inevitably leads to two things from fans and media alike: excessive optimism and overblown pessimism, based solely on the results of the first game of a 162-game marathon. A team's record on opening day bears no connection to its record on Oct. 1, and anyone who thinks otherwise need only look back one year ago when the Nationals beat the Reds by a 2-0 count in their opener and stormed out to four straight wins to give everyone reason for excessive optimism en route...

Right-hander Max Scherzer allowed a solo homer to Robinson Canó to begin the scoring in the first inning as the Nationals welcomed in the Mets. Scherzer has struck out six in the first three innings. Mets starter Jacob deGrom has struck out four in three frames, including the side in the second. The Nats had a good shot at scoring in the third. Victor Robles led off with a double and Adam Eaton singled to put runners on the corners. But with one out, Anthony Rendon's grounder to third base...

NEW YORK - Infielder Stevie Wilkerson has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk, the announcement coming this afternoon while the Orioles opened their season at Yankee Stadium. The Orioles designated Wilkerson for assignment on Saturday to make room for catcher Pedro Severino on the 40-man roster. Wilkerson already had been optioned to Norfolk after going 8-for-36. He appeared in 16 games with the Orioles last season in a utility role and batted .174/.224/.239. With Austin...

One of the more interesting additions to the 2019 Nationals' 25-man roster is infielder Jake Noll, who earned his first shot in the big leagues. The right-handed hitting third baseman hit .314 with four doubles, two homers and 10 RBIs in 27 spring training games to earn the spot. He can play first, second and third base, in the outfield and be the emergency catcher. Noll said he found out Monday night he had made the team when he was called into manager Davey Martinez's office after the...

It's opening day and the Orioles play the New York Yankees in the Bronx this afternoon to begin the 2019 season. Today the Orioles begin their 66th season in Baltimore while the Yankees play their 117th home opener. The Orioles have won the last three opening days with walk-off wins, the last two years in extra innings. Baltimore has won eight openers in a row since a last loss in 2010. The Orioles are 15-3 in their last 18 openers and 43-22 all-time on opening day. The Orioles are 3-1 on...

NEW YORK - Let's get the nuts and bolts out of the way first before transitioning into the emotional. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde confirmed today that David Hess is starting Monday night's series opener in Toronto. The rest of the rotation to follow. Alex Cobb is making good progress in his recovery from a groin injury and remains in line to start the home opener April 4. Hyde hasn't told any of the pitchers of their potential assignments Saturday behind "opener" Nate Karns. He needs to...