The Orioles will attempt tonight to match their longest winning streak of 2018 at four games. They went 0-10 at Rogers Centre last year, but they already notched their first victory this season after 6 1/3 hitless innings last night from David Hess and the bullpen's tightrope walk. Hanser Alberto gets his first start tonight, replacing Jonathan Villar at second base. Villar has moved to shortstop, with Rule 5 pick Richie Martin getting his first rest. Trey Mancini is 8-for-16 with five infield...

We've known this day was coming, officially for a month now, unofficially for longer than that. Bryce Harper is playing tonight at Nationals Park, and he's not playing for the home team. How will the new Phillies slugger be greeted by the crowd? Check back shortly after 7 p.m. More importantly, how will Harper fare at the plate against Max Scherzer? The two have only faced each other in live batting practice during spring training. That doesn't come close to counting. Rest assured, Scherzer...

TORONTO - The Orioles bullpen has sure been interesting to watch over the season's first four games. They were called on often in New York, stumbled late in the game last night and three pitchers already have recorded saves - but Mychal Givens is not among them. Manager Brandon Hyde has been ready and willing to use various pitchers in various roles during a 3-1 start. Mike Wright recorded his first career save Saturday and Richard Bleier did the same last night. Lefty Paul Fry, who got the...

Here are the 2019 rosters for the minor league affiliates in the Nationals system. Shortstop Carter Kieboom will be at Triple-A Fresno. Left-hander Tim Cate begins in low Single-A Hagerstown. Infielder Luis Garcia and pitcher Wil Crowe are at Double-A Harrisburg. Pitcher Mason Denaburg remains at extended spring training. Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies Pitchers Kyle McGowin Joe Ross Austin Voth Scott Copeland Paolo Espino Tanner Rainey Austin Adams Jimmy Cordero Austen Williams Brady Dragmire...

TORONTO - With three wins in their first four games and with a record topped by just two American League teams thus far, the Orioles play here tonight in the second game of a three-game series. David Hess threw 6 1/3 no-hit innings Monday night, Jonathan Villar hit a two-run homer, and Trey Mancini homered and drove in two in a 6-5 win. The Orioles, who went 0-10 and were outscored 63-28 last season at Rogers Centre, are 1-0 in Toronto in 2019. After hitting no homers the first two games,...

Of course, new second baseman Brian Dozier would love to be getting better results at the plate in the first three games of the season, but the Nationals can already see the difference he brings defensively to that side of the infield. Dozier has gone 0-for-10 with three strikeouts in three games, so he is working toward that first hit as a National. But his defense has been above average and is an upgrade to the spot where the Nationals got average, and sometimes below-average, defense from...

TORONTO - Hey everybody, the Orioles won a game at Rogers Centre. That also got lost in the shuffle last night after right-hander David Hess was pulled after 6 1/3 innings while throwing a no-hitter. But after going 0-10 at Toronto last year and being outscored 63-28 in the building, the Orioles won last night 6-5. Hess threw 48 four-seam fastballs that averaged 93.8 mph and topped at 95.8. He added 20 sliders among his 82 pitches in allowing just one runner on a walk while fanning a...

Nationals fans, by and large, love former Nationals. Think of all the prominent ex-players who have come back as an opponent over the years, and think of the crowd's response to them. Adam Dunn. Ian Desmond. Jordan Zimmermann. Adam LaRoche. Michael Morse. Wilson Ramos. Daniel Murphy. All received, at minimum, warm applause. Some got standing ovations. None was booed. Has anyone who previously played for the Nats ever been on the receiving end of boos upon stepping into the batter's box or...

TORONTO - Trey Mancini produced again at the plate, Richard Bleier struggled again on the mound and the Orioles won again. Those were almost afterthoughts tonight as the Orioles hung on in the ninth to beat Toronto 6-5 at Rogers Centre. It was a night when a rookie manager felt he couldn't let a pitcher throwing a no-hitter finish the job or even the seventh inning. When right-hander David Hess got the first out of the Toronto seventh - a liner to short - it was his 82nd and last pitch of the...

The education on the 2019 Orioles is ongoing and unable to be contained in one blog entry. What else have we learned through four games? Manager Brandon Hyde will push his pitchers in certain situations, but not all of them. Mychal Givens threw a career-high 49 pitches Sunday in the Bronx, but David Hess was removed last night in Toronto after 6 1/3 hitless innings and 82 pitches. Hess threw 42 on Thursday and came back on short rest. Fast forward to later in the season and Hess stays in the...