Manny Machado is missing from the Orioles' lineup for tonight's series opener against the Red Sox at Camden Yards. Jace Peterson is playing shortstop and batting ninth. Joey Rickard is leading off and playing right field. Danny Valencia was sick yesterday and didn't play, but returns tonight as the cleanup hitter. Chris Davis did some early hitting today and is batting seventh. The Orioles haven't announced a roster move, but closer Zach Britton said he's excited to be coming off the...

The Orioles are once again encouraging fans to go outside and #HaveACatch as the club returns the popular 'Have A Catch' campaign beginning today. Expanding upon Major League Baseball's PLAY BALL campaign, the Orioles will encourage children, and fans of all ages, to go outside and enjoy a game of catch throughout the week. In support of the 'Have A Catch' campaign, the Orioles will host several events with local youth organizations including Baltimore City Public Schools and the Boys...

Endurance is the most remarkable trait of professional athletes. Whether it's Alex Ovechkin grinding through 13 National Hockey League seasons before winning the Stanley Cup or Nationals ace Max Scherzer powering through eight innings to strike out 13 batters, remarkable displays of strength and stamina make for compelling competition. On June 12, 1967, 41 years ago Tuesday, Senators catcher Paul Casanova showed such tenacity, working 22 innings behind the plate and driving in the winning run...

The Nationals bats were unable to get much going against the Giants on Sunday, so Michael A. Taylor and Trea Turner tried to get aggressive on the base paths. Taylor stole one base but was also was caught stealing at second base when he overran the bag. Turner was caught off of first base on a tricky move by Giants starter Derek Holland. Nationals manager Davey Martinez said he never discourages his players from being aggressive on the bases, it just did not work out in their favor on...

The Orioles' recent run of solid starting pitching came to a screeching halt Sunday in Toronto. After the Blue Jays put together a two-run rally against right-hander Alex Cobb with an infield hit and a bloop double in the second, they hit him hard later in the game. Cobb tied his career high by allowing nine runs and 11 hits in the 13-3 loss. His record is 2-8 with a 7.23 ERA and the Orioles are now just 2-9 in his 11 starts. He also allowed nine runs on June 3, 2017 for Tampa Bay at...

The Nationals rank in the middle of the pack in most offensive categories right now. They're sixth in the National League in runs scored per game (4.4), 10th in batting average (.237), eighth in on-base percentage (.316) and eighth in slugging percentage (.403), though tied for third in home runs (78). What's more notable, though, may be the path they've taken to get to this point. The Nationals may have a middle-of-the-pack lineup in the big picture, but they seem to have either a great or...

There's no use trying to sugarcoat what the Orioles are going through this season. It's bad, and has the potential to get worse. They remain the only team in baseball without at least 20 wins nearly midway through June. They are near the bottom in run differential along with every major offensive category and many of the pitching and defensive categories, as well. The snowball is officially rolling down the hill. Many have already called for the young guys to come up and take the place of...

The Orioles swept a two-game series against the Mets at Citi Field and led the Blue Jays 4-1 with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning at Rogers Centre. I foolishly let myself believe that they were getting on a roll with three straight wins, that they might move into a more respectable neighborhood. Brad Brach blew the save and the Jays walked off in the 10th against Miguel Castro to point them toward a four-game sweep and another soul crushing moment in the 2018 season. Darren O'Day...

Right-hander Max Scherzer was fairly satisfied with his start against the Giants except for not being able to win the individual battles with one hitter in particular. Yes, you guessed it, that would be Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford. Crawford singled, doubled and his two-run homer was all the offense needed in a 2-0 Giants series-clinching win Sunday over the Nationals. "I threw good pitches to him," Scherzer said. "He put great swings on them. He wins. I lose. It's as simple as that....

Brilliant as he is usually is, Max Scherzer isn't perfect. He's allotted one or two mistakes per game. The hope is that the rest of the Nationals can simply do their part to make Scherzer's human moments inconsequential. They were not able to do that today. And as a result, Scherzer's one mistake proved the difference in the game. Brandon Crawford's two-run homer in the top of the fourth gave the Giants a 2-0 lead. That's all they needed to beat Scherzer and send the Nationals to a...