The Nationals finally return home to face the team they started their most recent road trip against, the Phillies. Friday night's opener begins a six-game homestand for the Nats before they embark on another long trip June 16-26. The Nationals went 5-5 on their first long road trip. This time, against the Phillies, Reds and White Sox, they tallied an impressive 6-3 mark. The Nats were swept in their last matchup against the Phillies at Nationals Park, but returned the favor last week at...

With the 94th pick in the third round of the First-Year Player Draft, the Nationals selected left-hander Jesus Luzardo out of Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. The southpaw underwent successful Tommy John surgery in March, according to Baseball America. The surgery was performed by Dr. James Andrews. His fastball was around 90 to 93 mph and touched 97 mph. Luzardo, 18, is listed at 6-foot-1, 205 1bs., played for the Elite Squad Prime U17, was a first team All-American Perfect Game...

With three college pitchers already in the fold, the Orioles began Day 2 of the First-Year Player Draft by selecting Jacksonville University outfielder Austin Hays in the third round. Hays is the 91st overall pick. Baseball America rated him No. 46 on its draft prospect list and wrote the following: "Power potential with bat and power arm make him prototype right field prospect." Hays, 20, batted .350/.406/.655 with 16 doubles, two triples, 16 home runs and 42 RBIs in 54 games as a junior. He...

The Orioles have won five games in a row, eight of their last nine and are 13 above .500 for the first time since the conclusion of the 2014 season. They lead the Red Sox by two games in the American League East. Who needs Yovani Gallardo, J.J. Hardy, Darren O'Day and Caleb Joseph? But seriously, the Orioles would love to make room for all four of them on the 25-man roster. In the meantime, they're sending Kevin Gausman to the mound tonight in an attempt to keep the good times rolling. Taking...

Anthony Rendon fell to the Washington Nationals at No. 6 overall in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft at least in part because of injury concerns after the Rice University third baseman dealt with a shoulder issue that limited him to mostly designated hitter duties in his draft year. In spite of the injury, Rendon, then 21, managed to hit .327 for the Owls, with 20 doubles and an NCAA-leading 80 walks in 63 games that season. "We were pleasantly surprised that he got to us at six," Nationals...

What kind of Orioles fan are you? Optimistic or pessimistic? Do you enjoy the ride throughout the season or constantly fret about the end result? Do you live game-by-game or operate with the big picture in mind? Your answers may vary by season, or even within the same season. My approach has varied greatly since the O's starting winning again, and the 2016 season is unlike any one before. Fourteen seasons of losing inevitably affected my outlook on the Orioles. It made me a pessimist who...

Manager: Pete Mackanin (2nd season) Record: 29-31 Last 10 games: 3-7 Who to watch: CF Odubel Herrera (.318/.422/.431), 3B Maikel Franco (10 HR, 32 RBIs), SS Freddy Galvis (6 HR, 22 RBIs), RHP Aaron Nola (5-4, 2.65 ERA), RHP Jeanmar Gomez (2.61 ERA with 19 saves) Season series vs. Nationals: 4-5 Pitching probables: June 10: RHP Jeremy Hellickson vs. RHP Stephen Strasburg, 7:05 p.m., MASN June 11: RHP Aaron Nola vs. RHP Tanner Roark, 12:05 p.m., MASN June 12: LHP Adam Morgan vs. RHP Joe Ross,...

TORONTO - The Orioles have had a pair of seven-game winning streaks this year and now they have a five-game win streak after Thursday's 6-5 win over the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. This was a pleasing win for the Orioles in many ways. They won in a place where they went 3-6 last year. They came from behind, trailing 4-1 in the second and 5-3 in the fourth. They pinned a loss on Jays' closer Roberto Osuna. They used situational hitting to take the lead in the ninth. Chris Davis went 2-for-3...

It's often been stated that handling a bullpen ranks among the most important tasks for a manager. Some people in the industry would place it atop the list. It certainly can be used as a separator. I've covered managers who were terrible at it, with relievers griping to me about overuse or constantly warming up without pitching. It's easy to burn out a 'pen before the All-Star break. Manager Buck Showalter is widely regarded as the best at it, though his insistence on making certain moves...

Orioles director of scouting Gary Rajsich set out to get three college pitchers last night in the 2016 amateur draft and achieved his goal with Illinois right-hander Cody Sedlock at No. 27, Western Michigan left-hander Keegan Akin at No. 54 and John A. Logan Community College right-hander Matthias Dietz at No. 69. Rajsich speculated that all three pitchers will begin their professional careers at Single-A short-season Aberdeen. Of course, the Orioles must sign them. Rajsich, made available to...