HOUSTON - During the 2015 and 2016 seasons, the Houston Astros were becoming a pretty good team. They won 86 games in 2015, won the AL wild card game and advanced to the AL Division Series. They won 84 the next year but missed the playoffs. A key member of the Houston outfield those two seasons was Colby Rasmus, who is starting as the DH for the Orioles tonight. When the Orioles were introduced yesterday, Rasmus got a nice welcome back reception from the fans at Minute Maid Park. "I really...

ATLANTA - A fast start for both teams to begin play in game two. Ryan Zimmerman slammed a two-run shot off of Braves starter Julio Teheran in the first. Zimmerman deposited a 1-1 pitch over the left field wall in the top of the first. The Nationals also enjoyed a RBI groundout courtesy of Bryce Harper. The Braves quickly answered with four runs on three hits off of Nats starter A.J. Cole. The big blast a three-run shot by Preston Tucker. After one, the Nats trailed for the first time this...

While the Orioles prepare to close out their series in Houston today and board a flight to New York, the early schedule unforgiving and unfair to a team that's exhausted itself trying to get its pitching and offense on track - give some love to Mike Wright Jr. if you can spare it - Alex Cobb is back on the mound down in Sarasota and inching closer to his debut. Cobb is scheduled to go five innings in another simulated environment after working four last week. He'll blow past the 48 pitches he...

HOUSTON - Orioles right-hander Alex Cobb it seems will have the most input as to when he makes his debut for the club. Cobb is scheduled to pitch a five-inning simulated game in Florida tomorrow. He has already had outings of three and four innings. Manager Buck Showalter will get the video from that outing and then talk with Cobb after his workday this weekend that follows tomorrow's start. At that point it's time to decide whether Cobb pitches one more time in Florida, going six innings, or...

ATLANTA - The pregame drama for the Nationals and their 4-0 record was manager Davey Martinez submitting a lineup that originally had Bryce Harper batting second. About a half an hour later, Martinez switched the lineup back to Anthony Rendon at No. 2 and Harper in the No. 3 hole. "That was a misprint," Martinez said. "That's something I thought about. I kind of construct lineups a few days in advance. It's something that I was thinking about looking at and I must have said it. When I...

In an attempt to infuse some energy into a lethargic lineup, Orioles manager Buck Showalter is putting rookie Chance Sisco behind the plate tonight and Rule 5 pick Anthony Santander in right field in the continuation of a three-game series against the Astros. The offense is in a collective funk to start the season, posting a .134/.231/.260 slash line that easily ranks last in the majors. The Orioles have scored only six runs and none of them have come against starters Jake Odorizzi, Kyle...

The Washington Nationals will celebrate Opening Day and their first home game of the 2018 season on Thursday, April 5 at 1:05 p.m. when the team hosts the New York Mets. The Nationals want all fans to enjoy the entirety of the Opening Day experience, and are encouraging fans to plan ahead and come to the ballpark early. Fans are encouraged to enter the ballpark through the gate closest to their seating area to avoid congestion at the Center Field Gate. ALL GATES will open at 11:00...

What's the first weekend of the season without a little controversy? As if it hadn't been talked about enough, Paul and I discuss Chance Sisco's now infamous bunt in the ninth inning against the Twins on Sunday to start off this week's Orioles episode of the "MASN All Access" podcast. Was Sisco in the wrong, or did he do the right thing when he bunted during José Berríos' one-hit shutout? We'll weigh in with our thoughts and hear from MASN analyst and Orioles Hall of Famer Rick...

HOUSTON - As the Orioles offense looks to break out tonight in Houston, the challenge on this Tuesday is vast. They face right-hander Justin Verlander, who has been brilliant since the Astros acquired him in a deal with Detroit last Aug. 31. Verlander made his season debut and got the win Thursday at Texas when he allowed four hits over six scoreless in a 4-1 victory. That night Verlander became the 18th pitcher in major league history to make 10 career opening day starts. That lists includes...

HOUSTON - Orioles manager Buck Showalter has had to make several important decisions already, despite the fact that the 2018 season is just four games old. He had to decide whether to bat Chris Davis first and now he has to weigh when and/or if to make any lineup changes for a slumbering offense. But he made an interesting decision involving opening day starter Dylan Bundy. Bundy pitched seven scoreless on Thursday in Baltimore in the opening win over Minnesota. His fifth day to pitch would be...