On Wednesday evening, I made the drive to Wilmington, Del., in order to get my first look at the 2018 Potomac Nationals. In spite of the drizzle and cold temperatures, I came away quite impressed with the collection of talent the Nationals have assembled at their high Single-A affiliate, not to mention the beginnings of a head cold. Right-hander Wil Crowe, Washington's second-round pick last summer and a top 10 prospect, started Wednesday's contest and pitched well despite the conditions,...

Manager: Ron Gardenhire (1st season) Record: 10-13 Last 10 games: 6-4 Who to watch: RF Nicholas Castellanos (.330 with 16 RBIs), 1B Miguel Cabrera (.325 with 16 RBIs), OF JaCoby Jones (.275, .345 OBP), C James McCann (10 RBIs), LHP Francisco Liriano (2-1, 3.13 ERA) Season vs. Orioles: 3-0 Pitching probables: April 27: RHP Mike Fiers (2-1) vs. RHP Chris Tillman (0-4), 7:05 p.m., MASN2April 28: LHP Francisco Liriano (2-1) vs. RHP Andrew Cashner (1-3), 7:05 p.m., MASN2April 29: LHP Daniel Norris...

The Orioles are trying to stop losing. But right now they can't, going 1-11 over the last 12 games. When they score some runs, they give up too many. When they need a clutch hit, they can't get it. When they need a key play in the field, they don't make it. As a season spirals out of control everyone is frustrated - from the clubhouse to the stands to those tuning in all around Birdland. This has gone from bad to worse. Will some changes be forthcoming? Are there changes that can even be...

A really bad start to a season can fill up a mailbag faster than a prolonged winning streak. Discontent provides lots of content. I'm bombarded with the same inquiries about job security. Not mine, though I'm sure it's also going to come up. I'm just hoping it's not from one of my bosses. You ask, I answer, you ask again, I try to answer again without being a jerk. It's a 50-50 proposition. Love a good sequel? Tolerate a bad one? You decide what's in front of you this morning. Any chance...

As a baseball fan, April is a month that I look forward to all year long. As an Orioles fan in 2018, I can't wait for this April to be over. The O's have just three more games remaining in this terrible month. They're currently 6-19, 13 1/2 games back of first place in the American League East and 8 1/2 games back of a wild card spot - it's never too early to think about the wild card. Another couple of weeks of losing baseball and the Orioles will most certainly be looking to sell at the...

What a long, strange road trip it was. The Nationals went to New York desperate for some success and used a dramatic, eighth-inning rally in the opener to propel them to back-to-back wins before losing the finale. Then Max Scherzer outdueled Clayton Kershaw in the opener in Los Angeles, and everything appeared to be on track. Except the Nats then lost four straight to the Dodgers and Giants, scoring a grand total of eight runs. But just when things looked especially dire, a makeshift lineup...

Orioles right-hander Dylan Bundy began tonight fourth in the American League in ERA and had allowed just one homer in five starts, covering 31 2/3 innings. He's been the ace for the Orioles early this year. But his great run to start the 2018 season ended as the Orioles lost again. Bundy allowed a career-high eight runs as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Orioles 9-5 at Oriole Park. Baltimore has fallen to 6-19 and lost five in a row, 11 of 12 and 13 of its last 15 games. The Orioles are 1-5 on...

It's gotten so bad that Dylan Bundy tied his career high tonight with seven earned runs allowed in 4 2/3 innings. Eight runs total to go with 11 hits. And back-to-back losses resulted to the fourth-place Rays. How can the Orioles escape this pit of misery? Bundy has been carrying the ladder, but he couldn't take the necessary steps tonight. The Rays led two batters into the game, scored twice in each of the first three innings and defeated the Orioles 9-5 before an announced crowd of 9,596 at...

The Orioles haven't won since Friday when Dylan Bundy was on the mound. The right-hander's rotation turn has come up again and he pitches tonight against the Tampa Bay Rays. Since Bundy pitched the Orioles to a 3-1 win over Cleveland on Friday, the Orioles have lost four in a row by a combined 21-8 score. They are 1-10 in their last 11 games and 2-12 in the last 14. The Orioles are 6-18 for the season and 3-8 at home heading into tonight's game. Bundy (1-2, 1.42 ERA) will make his sixth...

With Tim Beckham undergoing core muscle surgery today, the Orioles will begin the process of getting him back to full health while figuring out the most effective method to compensate for his absence. Danny Valencia remains at third base tonight and Jace Peterson is starting at second. Peterson was moving around the infield before batting practice, taking grounders at third and simulating tag plays at second. Beckham is expected to miss six to seven weeks after his procedure in Philadelphia,...