With the way the season is winding down for the Nationals, it would seem logical that this team will look quite different in 2016 if it is going to make a run at the Mets and the National League East. There could new players starting at various spots in the lineup. Michael A. Taylor could be the starting center fielder. Trea Turner could be the new shortstop. What about catcher? Catcher Wilson Ramos has not had a standout season from the offensive or defensive side for the Nationals. Ramos has...

After many questioned their pride, the Nationals showed up Sunday, ending a disastrous five-game losing streak with a 5-0 shutout win over the Marlins. Right-hander Max Scherzer led the way, tossing eight scoreless innings to earn his 12th win in his best start since the All-Star break. The Nationals rebounded from a three-hit shutout loss on Saturday to plate five runs on 11 hits yesterday. Anthony Rendon picked up three hits, a walk and an RBI. And batting in the cleanup spot for the second...

Kansas City Royals right-hander Johnny Cueto has pitched 6 percent of his innings this year against the Orioles. But he has given up 35 percent of his homers against Baltimore batters. A pitcher that has twice finished among the top four in voting for the National League Cy Young Award, Cueto has allowed seven homers in two starts and 11 1/3 innings this year versus the Orioles. He has allowed 13 homers in 175 2/3 innings this season against every other team. Cueto's homers allowed this year...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter checked the final 25 games on the schedule and said his team was aiming to go 25-0. That's how you make up ground in a pennant race and extend your season into late October. You have 25 games left, you win all 25 of them. We're down to the last 20 games and the Orioles have won four of their last five. Showalter isn't the type who likes to settle, but he'll take a 24-1 finish without complaint. The Orioles are tied with the Rays for third place in the American...

Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop already had Johnny Cueto on his homer hit list, even before tonight's game. Schoop has homered off some very good pitchers in his career and he hit two off Cueto tonight in the Orioles' 8-2 win over Kansas City. In five career at-bats versus Cueto, Schoop is now 4-for-5 with three homers and four RBIs. Schoop has homered twice in his career in 12 at-bats off Masahiro Tanaka and also has taken Jeff Samardzija, Mark Buehrle, Dellin Betances, Noah...

Manager Buck Showalter refers to the final month of the season as the "snowball time of year." Losses can pile up on a team - just ask the Orioles - but so can the wins. The Orioles are rolling in the right direction again, winning back-to-back series for the first time since July 24-29 following tonight's 8-2 victory over the Royals before 22,496 at Camden Yards. The Orioles (69-73) took two of three from the Yankees and the Royals and are tied with the Rays for third place in the American...

Orioles fans are going through a very strange period right now. After three straight seasons of competitive baseball, including two trips to the postseason, the O's are on the outside looking in this year. At this point, the Birds are just battling to finish with a winning record and stay out of the basement of the American League East. As someone who blogs for Eutaw Street Report, which is all about the fan perspective, I feel a need to get the pulse of a large portion of that fan base at...

In 27 starts this year with two teams, right-hander Johnny Cueto has allowed only one club to hit three or more homers in a game: the Orioles. They did that for the second time tonight, bashing four homers against the recently struggling right-hander in an 8-2 win over Kansas City. The victory gives the Orioles a 69-73 record, four wins in five games and back-to-back series wins for the first time since late July. They go 2-1 in consecutive series versus the Yankees and Royals. Adam Jones...

It seems like a natural instinct to judge based on failure, especially in baseball. So it might be easy to label the Nationals as a failure for falling short of their own expectations and those of many fans in the 2015 season. But it's often in failure where success is born, and that's how the Nats will ultimately be judged. The Nats set the tone for expectations shortly after signing Max Scherzer, when Bryce Harper asked rhetorically, "Where's my ring?" Pundits and fans quickly followed...

The Orioles continue to look for consistent starting pitching and, I'd say that with 21 games to go, they may not get it during the 2015 season. In this series against Kansas City, Mike Wright and Chris Tillman have allowed eight runs over 10 1/3 innings. In the last 15 games, the Orioles have one quality start. In their last 13 games, their starter has pitched fewer than six innings 12 times and fewer than five innings five times. In the last 18 games, the O's rotation has an ERA of 6.85....