HOUSTON - The Orioles could not score off any of the Minnesota Twins starting pitchers in the season's first series. Over 21 combined innings, Jake Odorizzi, Kyle Gibson and José Berríos allowed just five hits and struck out 19. The Orioles looked bad in the back-to-back losses to the Twins in the last two days and tonight they begin their first road trip against the two teams that played in the American League Championship Series last season. It starts tonight with three games at World...

CINCINNATI - The plan was to give both Brandon Kintzler and Ryan Madson the day off. Both had pitched in Friday's season opener. Both had warmed up in the bullpen during Saturday's nailbiter, even though neither was needed in the game. But when Sammy Solís failed to retire the first four Reds batters he faced in the bottom of the eighth Sunday evening, and with the bases loaded and nobody out in what had become a three-run game, Nationals manager Davey Martinez thought back to the...

While waiting for Gabe Kapler to signal for the other team's reliever ... I was going to devote this blog entry to an assortment of observations on the Orioles' first series of the 2018 season and I intend to stick with the narrative, but only after chiming in on the Twins taking exception to rookie Chance Sisco's bunt single in the ninth inning. Let me set up my mini-rant with a few quotes from the Twins clubhouse, courtesy of their beat writers: "Obviously we're not a fan of it," said...

CINCINNATI - There were home runs, four of them during today's 6-5 victory over the Reds, and four more during Saturday's blowout win. The Nationals are going to hit a lot of home runs this season, given the thunder they have up and down their lineup. But everything they did offensively this weekend during a season-opening sweep at Great American Ball Park began with one simple act from the first batter they sent to the plate. Adam Eaton led off Friday's game with a single to right, then...

CINCINNATI - At some point this season, a Nationals pitcher will take the mound with his team trailing. Or even tied. That point, though, did not come during the club's three-game weekend series against the Reds. No, thanks to top-of-the-first runs in all three games at Great American Ball Park, Nationals starters never once stood on the mound with anything but a lead. And thanks to some sustained offense and effective pitching throughout the weekend, no Nats hurler ever threw a pitch with...

CINCINNATI - In their first 13 seasons of existence, the Nationals submitted a starting lineup with their pitcher batting eighth only 11 times, all of them coming in succession in mid-June 2011. Unable to find a consistently effective leadoff man, former manager Jim Riggleman decided to shake things up, move Jayson Werth to the No. 1 spot, slide everybody else up a slot and bat guys like Roger Bernadina or Ian Desmond ninth behind the pitcher. Whether because of the change or not, the Nationals...

Over the last two games, Orioles starters allowed 11 runs and six homers over nine innings. Meanwhile, Orioles batters produced two runs and six hits in 6-2 and 7-0 losses to Minnesota. The Orioles will take a 1-2 record to Houston and begin a series with the World Series champion Astros on Monday night at Minute Maid Park. Several Orioles are not hitting, including first baseman Chris Davis, who went 0-for-12 in the series from the leadoff spot. "Well, not a lot of production," Davis said of...

Five hits on opening day, three last night and three more today - the last two coming in the ninth inning. The Orioles didn't trend in the right direction in the first series of the 2018 season and proved again that momentum in baseball is the next day's starting pitcher. And the one after that. Walk-off home runs don't influence the rest of the schedule. Fortunate to avoid a sweep by the Twins, the Orioles lost today 7-0 and dropped the last two games of the series. Twins right-hander...

To say the least, the Orioles could not maintain any momentum after their opening day walk-off win. Nearly no-hit last night, they were held to just three hits this afternoon in 7-0 loss to Minnesota and right-hander José Berríos. He needed just 107 pitches to throw his first career shutout in his 40th career start. Kevin Gausman got hammered as the Orioles lost two of three at home to start the 2018 season. Last season, Gausman allowed three or more homers in a game three times, and...

CINCINNATI - Davey Martinez knows he can't rely exclusively on his three best relievers this season, especially early on when workloads have to more diligently be monitored. Someone else from the eight-man 'pen is going to have to step up and deliver in key situations. So consider Saturday's performance by Sammy Solís a significant one, not only for the role it played in the Nationals' 13-7 over the Reds but perhaps for the trust it may earn the left-hander in his new manager's eyes...