DETROIT - If you were managing the Orioles right now and your team was so desperate for wins, taking some positives from a brutal loss would probably not be a bad strategy. Buck Showalter was looking to at least do some of that after Wednesday's 6-5 walk-off loss at Comerica Park. The Orioles came back with late offense, but so did Detroit. Backup catcher John Hicks hit a three-run homer off Darren O'Day in the eighth for the Tigers, and Dixon Machado hit a walk-off homer off Pedro Araujo in...

NEW YORK - Manager Davey Martinez started the series here at Citi Field by saying they would not "tinker" with Ryan Zimmerman's swing, despite a .111 start at the plate to begin the season. Good thing he didn't. Facing Mets left-hander Steven Matz in the top of the first, Zimmerman got a hold of a 3-2 offering and drilled it over the center field wall for a 3-0 Nats lead. It was Zimmerman's second homer of the season. Howie Kendrick had beat out an infield single and Bryce Harper walked...

NEW YORK - More positive news as second baseman Daniel Murphy continues his rehab from microfracture surgery in his right knee. Manager Davey Martinez said pregame that Murphy has been very active in baseball related activities in West Palm Beach at the club's spring training facility. "He got five at-bats yesterday, did well," Martinez said. "He ran the bases. He took 35 ground balls. He did good. Progression every day. We will see what happens today or tomorrow." Martinez was not able to...

DETROIT - Right now the Orioles can't seem to avoid losing. They scored three runs in the top of the eighth to lead 4-2 and then saw Detroit score three in the bottom half to lead 5-4. The Orioles homered to tie it in the ninth. The Tigers homered for the walk-off in the ninth. Dixon Machado's homer on the second pitch of the last of the ninth gave the Tigers the 6-5 walk-off victory. It was his first career walk-off home run. The Orioles finally got some runs and looked headed for a comeback...

The Orioles are 12-34 since the start of September, the latest blow yesterday's 6-5 walk-off loss to the Tigers. When it rains, it pours - even when a game is played beneath a blue sky. Rally to take a 4-2 lead in the top of the eighth inning, immediately fall behind 5-4, get a game-tying leadoff home run from unlikely hero Luis Sardiñas in the ninth and give up Dixon Machado's leadoff shot in the bottom half on only the second pitch from Rule 5 pick Pedro Araujo. As I've stated in the...

DETROIT - The Orioles came back with late runs. But their bullpen could not keep Detroit from scoring. A wild end to the game featured four runs scored by each team over the last two innings. But when second baseman Dixon Machado homered to left off Pedro Araujo on the second pitch of the last of the ninth, the Tigers produced a 6-5 walk-off win over the Orioles. The Orioles remain winless on their road trip at 0-5. They have lost seven of eight games and are 5-13 for the season. Machado hit...

Manager: Dave Roberts (3rd season) Record: 8-9 Who to watch: 1B Cody Bellinger (.304/.342/.464), SS Corey Seager (7 RBIs), C Yasmani Grandal (.352/.435/.611with 3 HR, 13 RBIs), LF Matt Kemp (.347/.389/.592, 10 RBI, 3 HR) , LHP Clayton Kershaw (1-2, 1.33 ERA) Season series vs. Nationals: 1st meeting (3-3 in 2017) Pitching probables: April 20: RHP Max Scherzer (3-1) vs. LHP Clayton Kershaw (1-2), 10:10 p.m., MASN2April 21: RHP Stephen Strasburg (2-1) vs. LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (2-0), 9:10 p.m.,...

NEW YORK - The Nationals have taken advantage of their opportunities in the first two games of the series against the Mets, leading to 8-6 and 5-2 wins. With a win tonight, the Nats will have earned their second series sweep of the season (Reds, March 30-April 1) and will go back above the .500 mark for the first time since April 10. More importantly, a win means their deficit back of the Mets will be down to three games. The Nationals have made good on three RISP chances in each game, going...

DETROIT - The Orioles strike out a lot. That we knew. But their strikeout rate to date is up over 2017. Through Tuesday's games, the Orioles strikeout rate of 28.5 percent is the worst in the major leagues, with the Chicago White Sox next at 27.3 percent and San Diego third at 26.6. Last year the Orioles ranked ninth in the majors with a 23.0 percent strikeout rate. "We'd like to not ever strike out," manager Buck Showalter said during his pregame media session. "If you are getting a...

Engelb Vielma gets the start today at second base as the Orioles try to win for only the second time in eight games. Craig Gentry is in right field again and Danny Valencia is the designated hitter. Caleb Joseph is catching. Kevin Gausman is 1-1 with a 4.11 ERA and 1.200 WHIP in six career starts against the Tigers. In his only start at Comerica Park, he allowed three runs and seven hits and struck out seven batters over six innings. Victor Martinez is 1-for-18 against Gausman. Nick Castellanos...