At a time when many pitchers are impressive for their premium velocity and/or strikeout rates, Orioles reliever Richard Bleier is thriving without either. Throwing an 88 mph fastball and sinker, he's again getting a lot of groundouts and he's again putting together a great year out of the Orioles bullpen. Last season he went 2-1 with a 1.99 ERA and averaged 3.7 strikeouts per nine innings. This season he is 3-0 with a 0.40 ERA and a 4.0 strikeout rate rate. He got the win last night and has...

Orioles reliever Darren O'Day is on the disabled list with an injury he sustained in a bizarre mishap before Tuesday night's series opener against the Royals. O'Day said he was stretching his arm and a teammate accidentally came into contact with him and hyperextend his right elbow. "My arm felt great," he said. "I was just stretching in the bullpen first game and someone ran into my space. That's what happened. I threw two innings in Oakland. There was nothing related to that. I felt...

The Orioles will offer a special Senior Ticket Package on Thursday, June 28, when the Orioles host the Seattle Mariners at 3:05 p.m. ET. Fans ages 60 and over are eligible to purchase a Senior Ticket Package, which includes a lower level or club level ticket in the shade and an Orioles travel umbrella. Fans may purchase a Club Box seat for $30 or a Lower Reserve seat for $20. The purchase of a ticket package is required in order to receive the travel umbrella. Tickets are limited, and umbrellas...

The Orioles will attempt tonight to win back-to-back games for the first time since April 5-6 in New York and only the second time since Aug. 23-30, 2017. Mark Trumbo is in right field tonight for the series finale against the Royals. He's 10-for-33 (.303) since coming off the disabled list, including his tie-breaking, two-run single last night in the eighth inning. Pedro Álvarez is the designated hitter and Jace Peterson is playing third base. Chance Sisco is catching. Caleb Joseph is...

Well, that didn't take too long. Outfielder Juan Soto has been promoted to Double-A Harrisburg, according to a top Nationals source, just 17 days after moving up to high Single-A Potomac. Soto was with Potomac from April 23 to May 9. He began the season at low Single-A Hagerstown. Just 40 days into the season, he has moved to Harrisburg. In those 40 days, he is at the top of the home run list in both the South Atlantic League and the Carolina League. He got some playing time in center field,...

Manager: Torey Lovullo (2nd season) Record: 24-12 Last 10 games: 5-5 Who to watch: CF A.J. Pollock (.308 with 11 HR, 32 RBIs), RF David Peralta (6 HR, 19 RBIs), SS Nick Ahmed (6 HR, 18 RBIs), RHP Matt Koch (2-0, 2.13 ERA), RHP Zack Greinke (3-2, 4.10 ERA), RHP Brad Boxberger (2.25 ERA, 11 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: 2-1 Pitching probables: May 10: RHP Tanner Roark (2-2) vs. RHP Zack Greinke (3-2), 9:40 p.m., MASN2 May 11: RHP Max Scherzer (6-1) vs. Matt Koch (2-0), 9:40 p.m., MASN2 May...

Manny Machado has been the best player on the Orioles this year. There is little debate over that one. But left-hander Richard Bleier has been the best Orioles pitcher, and there probably isn't much debate there, either. He pitched two scoreless last night when called on during the seventh inning of a 3-3 tie. He got two double plays and all six outs on grounders. He got the win against the Royals and is now 3-0 with a 0.40 ERA. Bleier has allowed one run in 22 2/3 innings for the season, and...

SAN DIEGO - Some more thoughts, observations and reactions from Wednesday night's 2-1 loss to the Padres before heading to Arizona for a four-game weekend series ... * The Achilles' heel of the Nationals' roster is no secret. It's been on display throughout the season's first month-plus, and it's a carryover from the 2017 season: the middle portion of their bullpen. And it reared its ugly head again during Wednesday's loss. In a 1-1 game, and with Ryan Madson and Brandon Kintzler having...

SAN DIEGO - On a night when Bryce Harper was held out of the lineup for the first time this season, when Gio Gonzalez needed 59 pitches just to get through his first two innings and the Nationals managed only one run off a rookie starter, the mere fact they were in prime position to beat the Padres late was telling. The fact they couldn't take advantage of that position and wound up losing 2-1 also was telling. Unable to get a clutch hit from those who did start and unable to get clean innings...

It was a night when a few struggling or oft-criticized Orioles came through in a 5-3 win over the Kansas City Royals. First baseman Chris Davis hit a three-run homer. Mark Trumbo's two-run single in the eighth broke a 3-3 tie and Brad Brach closed out the win, pitching around a leadoff walk and error in the ninth. Brach's ERA was up to 5.40 when he took the mound with that two-run lead. He walked Whit Merrifield, and Jonathan Schoop dropped a throw at second base that could have led to a...