ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles will close out the 2017 season with 19 losses in their last 23 games. They won't avoid finishing in last place. They must regroup before they can reload. They could have used a reset button. Kevin Gausman is able to leave on a high note, holding the Rays to one run today over seven innings, but the offensive deficiencies played out again in a 6-0 loss before an announced crowd of 16,018 at Tropicana Field. Left-hander Blake Snell limited the Orioles to two...

The Pirates got to Gio Gonzalez with a big first inning, scoring five runs on three hits. Gonzalez walked two batters and hit another with a pitch. Max Moroff's three-run double was the highlight. The Nationals came back quickly in the bottom of the first. Trea Turner doubled and Bryce Harper walked. They pulled off another double steal, Turner to third and Harper to second. It is the second time the Nats have used that ploy. If manager Dusty Baker uses this strategy in the post season -...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - As the Orioles attempt today to win for only the fifth time in 23 games, executive vice president Dan Duquette again made it clear that he isn't going to tear down the club. Top veterans won't be shopped. The playoffs remain the primary goal in 2018. "You know, this is the big leagues," he said. "I don't know who rebuilds in the American League East. In the American League East you reload, OK? And then you try to have as good a team as you can the next season as you...

The Nationals honored their minor league players of the year before Sunday's regular season finale against the Pirates. Daniel Johnson and Wander Suero took home honors as the organizational player and pitcher of the year, respectively. Raudy Read was the Bob Boone Award recipient for the 2017 season. Center fielder Johnson, 22, was a fifth-round selection in the 2016 draft out of New Mexico State. He spent 88 games at low Single-A Hagerstown and 42 games at high Single-A Potomac, hitting a...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Chris Davis wasn't in today's lineup until putting in the request with manager Buck Showalter. He's back at first base to close out a season that he termed "inexcusable." Davis asked to meet with the Orioles beat writers at Tropicana Field, joking that he wanted to let his hair down and "maybe get a little emotional." But he turned serious as soon as the recorders were running. "It's one of the more frustrating seasons that I can remember, just with the (oblique)...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette stressed again today that the club will "reload" over the winter and avoid a total rebuild after finishing below .500 for the first time since 2011. Duquette said the rotation must be rebuilt and he'll search for a left-handed starter, which seemed to indicate that the Orioles wouldn't pick up Wade Miley's $12 million option. However, Duquette didn't offer confirmation while meeting with the traveling beat...

Max Scherzer is confident the hamstring injury he suffered Saturday night is "nothing major," but the Nationals ace couldn't go so far this morning as to declare himself good to start Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Friday. "That's tough to say right now," Scherzer said. "We're not even 24 hours out. We're still trying to get all the doctors to take a look at this and make sure that we have the absolute correct diagnosis. But we have a really, really good idea of what...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Chris Davis is in the lineup against Rays left-hander Blake Snell after all. The Orioles initially had him on the bench as they conclude their season at Tropicana Field. The first lineup posted had Trey Mancini playing first base and Joey Rickard in left. The revised version has Mancini in left and Rickard playing right field. Anthony Santander, originally slated to be the right fielder, is the odd man out. Mark Trumbo is the designated hitter. Austin Hays remains in...

And so we have reached Game 162. It's not the end, because obviously there are some very important games yet to be played in 2017. But the regular season ends today for the Nationals, who with one more win over the Pirates would get to 98 and match the franchise record set in 2012. It'll be Gio Gonzalez on the mound for today's finale, looking to wrap up his excellent season on a high note and perhaps earn some more Cy Young love in the process. Of course, given what happened to Max Scherzer...

The Orioles (75-86) put a wrap on the 2017 season today at Tropicana Field as they conclude a three-game series versus the Tampa Bay Rays (79-82). The Orioles will finish with their first losing record and fewest wins since going 69-93 in 2011. From 2012 through 2016, the Orioles averaged 88.8 wins per year and made the playoffs three times. But they will miss out this year. They enter today with four straight losses, during which they have been outscored 26-7. The Orioles have lost six of...