Martinson, Goodwin, Perry, Rendon and Walters notes and more
Martinson, Goodwin, Perry, Rendon and Walters notes and more
Byron Kerr
Nationals
Potomac Nationals shortstop Jason Martinson is an RBI machine. Martinson collected his 100th RBI of the season Saturday in a 10-8 loss at Winston-Salem. Martinson hit his 21st homer of the season in the fourth and had an RBI single in the ninth, which was his 100th RBI of the season between two teams. Martinson started the season at low Single-A Hagerstown. Outfielder Steven Souza, Jr., has been placed on the disabled list with a leg injury after running into the outfield wall in pursuit of...
Chen does it again (Machado homer call)
Chen does it again (Machado homer call)
Steve Melewski
Orioles
So much for the theory that American League hitters would catch up to Wei-Yin Chen the second and third time around the circuit. If anything, he seems to be getting better the more experience he gains against AL hitters. Once again, Chen pitched well when the Orioles really needed him in last night's 4-0 win over Tampa Bay. He helped them avoid a three-game losing streak, even this series and avoid heading into today's game needing to beat David Price to avoid a sweep. What was true about...
A clubhouse full of smiles
A clubhouse full of smiles
Dan Kolko
Nationals
I guess Kurt Suzuki picked a decent game to make his Nationals debut. The Nats' new starting catcher went 0-for-4 today, but that didn't stop him from soaking up every moment of the postgame atmosphere in the clubhouse after the 10-7 win. "This is awesome!" he said. Pretty much everyone in the Nats' clubhouse acknowledged that the team came out a bit flat tonight, and the Marlins capitalized early on. "They took advantage of every mistake we made," Adam LaRoche said. "Stole a bunch...
Davis' bat heats up again
Davis' bat heats up again
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.- It isn't exactly breaking news that Chris Davis is a streaky hitter. We've been down that road before. Just when it appears that Davis won't get another hit, he gets them in bunches. Davis went 2-for-5 last night to extend his career-long hitting streak to nine games. He's batting .342 (13-for-38) with 12 RBIs during that span. The Orioles were 5-for-9 with runners in scoring position last night, obliterating their 0-for-22 streak, and Davis contributed with a...
Johnson discusses Nats' big comeback win
Johnson discusses Nats' big comeback win
Dan Kolko
Nationals
The Nationals didn't play great baseball through the first seven innings of tonight's game. They made three errors, they got a sub-par outing from Jordan Zimmermann (by his standards, at least), they allowed two more stolen bases and they got minimal offense from guys not named Adam LaRoche. Davey Johnson's group trailed 6-4 with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning. Then, seemingly in the blink of an eye, the game was a laugher, there was a party in the Nationals' dugout and the...
Wieters shows off his wheels, Chen simply deals
Wieters shows off his wheels, Chen simply deals
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Apparently, anyone on this team is free to run on the basepaths if he spots an opportunity. And that includes the catcher who doesn't include "speed" on his list of tools. Matt Wieters stole two bases tonight, giving him three on the season and four in his major league career. The last Orioles catcher to steal two in the same game was Johnny Oates on June 10, 1972 at Texas. "Buck gives all of us the green light pretty much, that if we feel like we can get it, go...
Adair, Showalter and Wieters talk about Chen
Adair, Showalter and Wieters talk about Chen
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - By manager Buck Showalter's count, left-hander Wei-Yin Chen has gone to a three-ball count only five times in his last two starts. Chen is only the second pitcher from Taiwan to win 10 games in a season, joining Chien-Ming Wang in 2006 and 2007. Has he exceeded expectations in his first year in the U.S.? "It's hard to say because we didn't know that much about him coming in," said pitching coach Rick Adair. "All the challenges he has to face daily and throughout...
An offensive explosion in the eighth puts Nats on top (Nats win 10-7)
An offensive explosion in the eighth puts Nats on top (Nats win 10-7)
Dan Kolko
Nationals
What looked like another tough loss to a less-than-star-studded Marlins lineup has turned into what will likely be a huge comeback win. The Nationals can thank a six-run eighth inning, with all six runs scoring with two outs, for the thrilling comeback. Back-to-back RBI singles by Steve Lombardozzi and Tyler Moore tied the game for the Nats in the eighth. But they weren't done yet. Not by a longshot. Danny Espinosa, who entered the game mired in a 3-for-37 slump, absolutely destroyed a 2-2...
O's use early offense and Chen's seven scoreless to blank Tampa Bay
O's use early offense and Chen's seven scoreless to blank Tampa Bay
Steve Melewski
Orioles
Coming into tonight, the Orioles were in need of some hits with runners in scoring position and some quality starts. They got both in a 4-0 win over Tampa Bay that evens this series at one win each and pulls the Birds back into a second-place tie with the Rays, 6 1/2 games back of the Yankees. After going 0-for-22 the past two games when batting with RISP, the Orioles went 4-for-9 over the first four innings tonight as they moved out to an early 4-0 lead. Matt Wieters came up with an RBI...
Weighing in on Wei-Yin (O's win 4-0)
Weighing in on Wei-Yin (O's win 4-0)
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
ST. PETERBURG, Fla. - Wei-Yin Chen continued his dominance in the second half, shutting out the Rays on five hits over seven innings and leaving his ERA at 1.95 ERA in five starts since the All-Star break. Chen walked one batter and struck out four. He threw 100 pitches, 73 for strikes. The guy also fields his position. What's not to like? Chen has been a beast on the road. In his last six starts away from home, he's allowed only 11 earned runs in 39 1/3 innings and has gone seven innings...