Is Davis a nugget?
Is Davis a nugget?
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
As the Orioles approached the 2012 season, I implored them to give Nolan Reimold and Chris Davis a minimum of 500 at-bats and determine whether they were legitimate major league hitters with a future in Baltimore. Play Reimold in left field. Keep Davis at first base. Figure it out. Reimold hasn't played since April 30 because of a herniated disc in his neck that required surgery. The jury is still out on him. Davis has become the regular designated hitter with Jim Thome on the disabled list...
The case for the defense
The case for the defense
Steve Melewski
Orioles
Here is a question for you: Can a team create offense out of its defense? Sure it can - in basketball or football. You steal the ball and it leads to a slam dunk. You force a turnover setting up your offense on the opponent's 10-yard line. But in baseball? The Orioles may have done that in a way last night. The game was tied 0-0 and Detroit had a rally going in the last of the sixth. They got two on with none out. It looked like that Zach Britton had held the Tigers down for a while, but now...
Jackson brilliant, but it's not enough
Jackson brilliant, but it's not enough
Dan Kolko
Nationals
When your pitcher goes out and dominates the opposition the way Edwin Jackson dominated the Mets tonight, you'd like to see that guy get rewarded with a win. That didn't happen, which will eat at the Nationals' hitters a little bit. "That's about as good as we've seen him," Adam LaRoche said of Jackson. "Sucks to waste it like that." Entering tonight's game, the Nationals had scored the most runs of any team in the majors since the All-Star break, so they won't hang their heads...
Johnson discusses a tough 2-0 loss
Johnson discusses a tough 2-0 loss
Dan Kolko
Nationals
Earlier this season, Edwin Jackson pitched a complete game, allowing just one run. He then struck out eight and allowed just one run in eight innings against the Orioles in late June and threw seven shutout innings against the Brewers last month. But in Davey Johnson's mind, tonight was as good as Jackson has been all season. "That was probably the most dominant I've seen him pitch," Johnson said. "He had outstanding stuff. Breaking stuff, his fastball was dropping off the table and had...
Potomac's Martinson passes 100-run, 100-RBI plateaus
Potomac's Martinson passes 100-run, 100-RBI plateaus
Byron Kerr
Nationals
The high Single-A Potomac Nationals used the longball to trip up Salem 7-4 on Saturday. Kevin Keyes, Steven Souza Jr. and Jason Martinson connected on homers for the P-Nats, who have erupted for 32 hits in the past two games. Shortstop Martinson continued to add to his milestone of 100 runs and 100 RBIs in the same season, split between low Single-A Hagerstown and Potomac. With the home run Saturday, he now has reached 101 runs and 103 RBIs. He also has 22 homers and 30 stolen bases in 122...
Zach Britton comes up with a big outing as O's beat Detroit
Zach Britton comes up with a big outing as O's beat Detroit
Steve Melewski
Orioles
Zach Britton certainly proved the doubters wrong tonight. With many questioning Buck Showalter's decision to turn to him for tonight's start since he had struggled lately, Britton stepped up and gave the Orioles seven scoreless innings in a 3-2 win over Detroit. With the win, the Orioles tied a club record with their 12th consecutive win in one-run games. They had done this three times before, most recently from June 2 to July 8, 1979. Jim Johnson got the final three outs to record his...
Britton forcing the Orioles into a tough decision (O's win 3-2)
Britton forcing the Orioles into a tough decision (O's win 3-2)
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Zach Britton is shutting out the Tigers tonight on five hits over five innings. He's slithered out of a few jams. He's bearing down on a quality start. The Orioles can't get him a lead, which is the only downside to Britton's night. The Orioles don't have a game when Britton's turn comes up again on Thursday. They can go back to a four-man rotation or just push back everyone and stick with the current alignment. The other option is sending down Britton and reinserting Steve Johnson...
Whole lot of zeros on the board (Nats lose 2-0)
Whole lot of zeros on the board (Nats lose 2-0)
Dan Kolko
Nationals
Remember that entry a couple hours ago where I wrote about how effective the Nationals' offense has been since the All-Star break? Call me Mr. Jinx. The Nationals have been shut out through five innings tonight, as Mets left-hander Jonathon Niese has cut through the Washington order with relative ease. The Nats threatened in the first when Danny Espinosa and Ryan Zimmerman delivered back-to-back one-out singles, but they were both stranded in scoring position when Adam LaRoche grounded out...
Britton keeps the Tigers off the board early in Detroit
Britton keeps the Tigers off the board early in Detroit
Steve Melewski
Orioles
In his return to the majors and the Orioles rotation, Zach Britton would like it to be more than a one-night appearance. Over the first three innings tonight, he has pitched out of a few jams and kept the Tigers off the board in a game that is 0-0 heading to the fourth. Britton has allowed four hits through three frames with two walks and two strikeouts. But he got a big double-play ball to end the first and another DP ball in the second. Detroit got an Austin Jackson leadoff double in the...
Rendon to D.C. for September call-up? (plus news on Perry, Wang and Pucetas)
Rendon to D.C. for September call-up? (plus news on Perry, Wang and Pucetas)
Byron Kerr
Nationals
Nationals prospect Anthony Rendon spent just nine games with high Single-A Potomac before being called up to Double-A Harrisburg. He has played only four games for the Senators, but with September call-ups just around the corner, manager Davey Johnson was asked about the possibility of Rendon getting some at-bats at the major league level before the season ends. "He hasn't had many at-bats," Johnson said. "I don't know how many games they have left down in Harrisburg. But I know that he...