Through the first four games of the Orioles' 2016 campaign, no starting pitcher had allowed more than two runs. Vance Worley looked to sustain that success when he took the hill on Sunday against the Rays, and at first, it seemed like he would. The first time through the order, Worley allowed only two baserunners -- both singles -- and racked up four strikeouts. Things began to fall apart during the second go-round, however, as the Tampa Bay hitters touched Worley up for a solo home run, a...

This didn't go down as one of Max Scherzer's better starts as a National, and it won't likely be included in any video montages of his 2016 season. But there's something to be said for churning out six innings on a night when you didn't have your best stuff. Especially when doing just that ultimately put your team in position to emerge victorious. "I thought Max did a great job tonight," second baseman Daniel Murphy said following last night's 6-4 win over the Braves. "I'm sure he...

There are going to be nights when the Nationals need to rely on Bryce Harper to carry the load, but they want those to be few and far between. They'd much rather be able to count on the depth of their lineup to produce on a consistent basis, leaving the reigning National League MVP to do his thing without having to do everything. In that regard, tonight's 6-4 victory over the Braves was a prime example of what this lineup can do, from top to bottom. Harper didn't have a bad night; he got on...

On a night when Max Scherzer didn't have his best stuff, the Nationals knew right off the bat they'd need to score their share of runs to help out their surprisingly struggling ace. They managed to do just that, thanks to the continued early-season success of two key members of the heart of their lineup and a breakthrough performance from one of the members of the bottom of that lineup. Ryan Zimmerman and Daniel Murphy reached base a collective five times against the Braves pitching staff,...

Before Monday's game, the trio of Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman and Daniel Murphy had combined for a .540 on-base-percentage, which means the three of them on base 54% of the time. The Nationals have had runners in scoring position (RISP) aplenty in the first four games, but are only batting .229 in their 35 RISP situations. That should certainly improve in RISP efficiency, but in the meantime, the batters in the back of the order are getting many RBI opportunities. The strategy for Dusty Baker...

In the Camden Yards warehouse, the Orioles' stats analysts could see that outfielder Joey Rickard made big improvements last year during a season where he played at three different minor league levels in the Tampa Bay organization. Later, in the dugouts in the Dominican Winter League in Oct., Nov. and Dec., an O's staff member got an up-close and first-hand look at Rickard. It turned out he looked good both on paper and on the field, and the Orioles liked it all. It led them to take a chance...

When Max Scherzer retired the Braves' first two batters of the evening, you couldn't help but wonder if the right-hander might be setting the tone for a dominant night on the mound. Those thoughts very quickly disappeared amid a flurry of hits by Atlanta off the veteran ace. Scherzer was roughed up early by the Braves, surrendering two runs in the top of the first and then two more in the top of the second. His only saving grace: His Nationals teammates wore their hitting shoes tonight as...

BOSTON - Mike Wright finally gets a turn. The Orioles pushed back Wright's debut from Friday to Saturday in order to accommodate Chris Tillman, who lasted only two innings and 22 pitches on opening day due to the weather. Wright warmed up and was ready to go Saturday, but a wintry mix and freezing temperatures caused a postponement before he took the mound. So let's try this again. Wright starts tonight against the Red Sox at Fenway Park, where rain is included in the forecast. Because it's...

BOSTON - The Orioles are 6-0 for the first time in club history, a milestone that doesn't seem to be a hot topic inside the clubhouse or the manager's office. No one is ordering a cake or thumbing through the display of Hallmark cards. It's just six wins in six games. "Our guys are very reality based, understand it doesn't mean much of anything," manager Buck Showalter said following a 9-7 win over the Red Sox. "It's just six games we don't have to win now. There's not much...

Among the many remarkable things he did last season en route to unanimous election as National League MVP, Bryce Harper's ability not to get frustrated by opposing teams pitching around him stood out as a particularly impressive trait. Harper, who in his first three big league seasons could be prone to chasing pitches out of the zone, made a key adjustment in 2015 and began laying off those offerings, content to take his walks. He wound up accepting 124 free passes on his way to a league-best...