Right-hander Jordan Zimmermann returns to the mound at Nationals Park for the first time since last year's spectacular performance - but disappointing result - in the second game of the National League Division Series. Tonight's start against the Mets could be his last season debut in a Nationals uniform, as he's in the final year in his contract. It doesn't get any easier for the Nats offense tonight when the Mets send reigning NL Rookie of the Year Jacob deGrom to the hill in the second...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Ryan Flaherty cracks the Orioles lineup again tonight, starting at shortstop for the second time in the series. He started at second base last night. Chris Davis is starting at first base and Steve Pearce is serving as the designated hitter. Ryan Lavarnway is behind the plate. For the Orioles Alejandro De Aza LF Steve Pearce DH Travis Snider RF Adam Jones CF Chris Davis 1B Manny Machado 3B Ryan Flaherty SS Ryan Lavarnway C Jonathan Schoop 2B Miguel Gonzalez RHP For the...

The Orioles today announced that they have partnered this season with Chick-fil-A on a promotion called "O's Days at Chick-fil-A." During the regular season, there will be one date each month when Orioles fans wearing orange clothing or Orioles apparel can visit any participating Baltimore area Chick-fil-A between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. to receive a complimentary original chicken sandwich. Each participating fan may receive one sandwich per day on the six select dates. "O's...

The regular season has begun, meaning the Orioles have made their way out of their spring home in sunny Sarasota. While the players are leaving Florida, the club will continue to have a very strong presence at Ed Smith Stadium, the spring home of the Orioles, and beyond the gates. The O's impact began in the seats. Many fans were able to escape the cold Maryland weather to enjoy sunny Sarasota and Ed Smith Stadium. A total of 112,258 fans attended the O's 15 home games this spring, for an...

Orioles minor league right-hander Jesse Beal is undergoing Tommy John ligament replacement surgery today in Baltimore. The procedure is being performed by Dr. Derrick Papp, one of the O's team physicians.A 14th-round draft pick by the Orioles in 2008 out of South County (Va.) High School, Beal went 2-1 with a 3.48 ERA in 41 1/3 innings last summer at Single-A Frederick. He was a minor league free agent after the year but the O's re-signed him.Beal began this year healthy and pitched in some...

The Major League Orioles began the 2015 regular season this week, following a Spring Training season that set a new, per-game average attendance record and celebrated the Sarasota area community with a series of gameday events to benefit local youth and non-profits. Although the Major League team won't play games at Ed Smith Stadium again until 2016, the club will continue to maintain a year-round presence in the Suncoast community, including athletic training through Extended Minor League...

Greetings, O's fans, and welcome back to another season of Orioles baseball! On behalf Birds Watcher, I'd like to thank you, the readers, as well as the powers that be at MASNsports.com, for having me back as a guest blogger this year. Baseball is unlike any other sport in that opening day is a massive celebration, and that party welcoming the sport back to the front pages of our minds seems to last for the better part of April. And for me, that raises an interesting point. The return of...

When baseball moved back to Washington, D.C., a decade ago, I also moved to town right around the same time. My dad used to joke with me back then, saying, "Good thing D.C. got a baseball team! They must've known you'd be coming!" He was kidding, of course, but I liked to think that it was somewhat true. The 18-year-old kid headed off to college needed some comfort moving to a new city and knowing that there'd be baseball to watch across town was extremely helpful since I was struggling to...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles will attempt tonight to complete a sweep of the Rays before heading home and stressing over the forecast for Friday's opener. It's not promising. Miguel Gonzalez is 4-3 with a 4.03 ERA in 11 starts against the Rays and 3-1 with a 2.64 ERA in five starts at Tropicana Field. Rays starter Jake Odorizzi is 0-2 with a 5.48 ERA in five games against the Orioles. Odorizzi posted a 2.62 ERA at home last season and a 6.32 ERA on the road, the largest discrepancy in...

Nationals center fielder Michael A. Taylor was in a pressure-packed situation late Monday afternoon. Not only was the 23-year-old starting in his first opening day game of his major league career, but manager Matt Williams had him placed at the top of the order. "I was really excited," said Taylor. "I wasn't too nervous. I felt pretty comfortable out there. It was exciting. The stadium was loud, the fans were up. It was nice." Taylor dug in the box staring out at 18-year veteran Bartolo...