Flaherty ends Orioles' postseason home run drought (we're tied)
Flaherty ends Orioles' postseason home run drought (we're tied)
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
NEW YORK - I've had numerous people ask me via Twitter and the blog why Robert Andino isn't starting tonight. Manager Buck Showalter has been platooning him at second base, using him only against left-handed starters. And Showalter must have known that Ryan Flaherty was going to hit a home run. The guy's always one step ahead of everyone else. Flaherty broke a scoreless tie in the third inning tonight with a solo shot off Yankees right-hander Hiroki Kuroda, the ball clearing the short...
What they're saying about NLDS game 3
What they're saying about NLDS game 3
Josh Land
Nationals
The National League Division Series shifted back to Washington D.C. for the first playoff baseball game in the District since 1933. Unfortunately for the Nationals, the Cardinals pummeled Edwin Jackson and the rest of the Washington staff for an 8-0 victory. While Nats Park was abuzz for the game, many of the writers chose to focus on someone who wasn't on the roster. That's right, you didn't think the Stephen Strasburg controversy was going to go away that easily, did you? Believe it or...
Readying for a must-win
Readying for a must-win
Dan Kolko
Nationals
It's clear at this point what has to be done. "Kind of got our backs up against the wall now," Adam LaRoche said calmly after today's game. "It's a must-win tomorrow." The Nationals played great baseball for much of the regular season. They finished with the best record in the majors, earned the top seed in the National League and set themselves up for a long postseason run. Now, all of a sudden, that run is one game from being over. "It's the consistent storyline of the whole...
Jackson, starters struggling to keep runs off the board
Jackson, starters struggling to keep runs off the board
Byron Kerr
Nationals
The Nationals' starting pitching has had trouble getting off to quick starts in this series. Following Wednesday's 8-0 Game 3 win, the Cardinals have now scored nine runs in the second inning in three games and a total of 13 runs in the first four innings during the series. In that same span, the Nationals have tallied a total of two runs. Nationals starters have allowed 11 runs in 13 innings. The Cardinals' starters, by contrast, have gone 13 1/3 innings and surrendered a total of two...
Hearing from the hitters after another rough day at the plate
Hearing from the hitters after another rough day at the plate
Dan Kolko
Nationals
It was a very quiet Nationals clubhouse following today's 8-0 loss to the Cardinals. It might take a few hours to get past this one, given the way the Nats were dominated in their home park in the much-anticipated first playoff game in D.C. in 79 years. Not only did the Nationals' pitchers fail to do much to contain a dangerous St. Louis offense, the Nats did nothing with the bats to help pick up the slack and overcome some rocky innings put up by Edwin Jackson, Craig Stammen, Christian...
Game 3 live blog: Will the O's offense catch up to its playoff pitching?
Game 3 live blog: Will the O's offense catch up to its playoff pitching?
Steve Melewski
Orioles
Tonight's live blog: The Yankees host the Orioles tonight in Game 3 of the American League Division Series. This blog will be here throughout the game and I'll be looking for reader questions and comments. What are your thoughts on tonight's game? What is the key for an O's win? Will the offense break out?: The Orioles' offense may not be scoring a lot of runs lately, but a late-season trend that saw the club get some real solid pitching has carried over for the first three postseason...
Saunders and Tillman: The two-headed Game 4 starter
Saunders and Tillman: The two-headed Game 4 starter
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
NEW YORK - Manager Buck Showalter walked out of the interview room at Yankee Stadium this afternoon, and pitchers Joe Saunders and Chris Tillman took a seat at the head table. One of them will start Game 4 of the American League Division Series. It's just not public information at this hour. "We were kind of hoping you would tell us, because we don't know yet," Saunders said, bringing laughter from reporters. "Whoever it is, me or Chris, we're going to go out there and do our...
Carpenter, Cards' barrage quickly turned record crowd into a non-factor
Carpenter, Cards' barrage quickly turned record crowd into a non-factor
Pete Kerzel
Nationals
Nationals Park was packed, fans were five deep in some standing room sections and frenzied towel-waving rooters were announcing their presence with authority. Then, in the span of a couple of innings, the fervent enthusiasm was sucked right out of South Capitol Street, leaving a Nationals Park-record crowd of 45,017 mostly disappointed, dazed and silent in what became an 8-0 defeat in the pivotal third game of a best-of-five National League Divison Series. Before they could even get into the...
Davey Johnson: "We're not out of this by a long shot"
Davey Johnson: "We're not out of this by a long shot"
Dan Kolko
Nationals
Over the last two games, the Nationals have been outscored 20-4. They've gone from being in control of the series after a Game 1 win at St. Louis to being on the ropes and one loss from booking tee times. Things have turned for the worse in a hurry. But Davey Johnson's been here before. He knows he's got a talented group and he's not ready to panic. "We're not out of this by a long shot. ... Shoot, I've had my back to worse walls than this," Johnson said. "I like my ballclub, and I...
Hammel would start Game 5
Hammel would start Game 5
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
NEW YORK - Right-hander Jason Hammel will start Game 5 of the American League Division Series if needed. Hammel would be working on normal rest after starting Game 1 at Camden Yards and allowing two runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings. The Game 4 starter remains a mystery. Chris Tillman and Joe Saunders followed manager Buck Showalter into the interview room today and claimed that they hadn't been told who would get Thursday's assignment. Showalter has made a decision, but he's waiting...