The Chien-Ming Wang situation
The Chien-Ming Wang situation
Dan Kolko
Nationals
In sports, anything can happen on any given night. There are no certainties. Still, you have to wonder if the Nationals feel like they let an opportunity slip away by winning just two out of their four games against the Rockies, a team with the third-worst record in baseball. Of the four starting pitchers the Rockies sent to the mound during this series, one was making his major league debut and the other three all had ERAs over 5.50. Counter that with the four starters the Nationals sent...
Matthew Taylor: In '57, Indians-O's was a critical four-game series
Matthew Taylor: In '57, Indians-O's was a critical four-game series
Josh Land
Orioles
The Orioles' loss to Cleveland Thursday night continued a recent slide that has fueled pessimism for some fans. At this exact time of year in 1957, as the O's faced the same team on the diamond, the opposite scenario played out during Baltimore's first non-losing season since moving from St. Louis in 1954. Back then, there was plenty of reason for optimism in June, thanks to some remarkable work by the O's pitching staff. The '57 Birds took three of four from the Indians during a series...
McDonald can see why Orioles want Gausman on farm
McDonald can see why Orioles want Gausman on farm
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
During his conference call with reporters after becoming the fourth-overall pick in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft, Kevin Gausman invoked the name of another former LSU pitcher selected by the Orioles in the first round. Ben McDonald was the first overall pick in 1989 and spent seven seasons with the Orioles. He's been watching Gausman closely while serving as an analyst on LSU broadcasts, dissecting both the kid's delivery and his character. He's invited Gausman to his Baton Rouge home....
Marty Niland: Nats will turn back the clock, recall Washington's glory days
Marty Niland: Nats will turn back the clock, recall Washington's glory days
Josh Land
Nationals
A visit to Nationals Park will be like a trip back in time for fans attending Thursday night's game between the Nationals and the San Francisco Giants. Turn Back the Clock Night will recall the last (and only) time Washington celebrated a World Series championship: 1924, when the Senators and the then-New York Giants met in a Fall Classic that many historians rate as one of the best. For this game, the curly W won't be in fashion. The centerpiece of the celebration will be the uniforms,...
The plan for Dylan Bundy (more draft picks signings coming)
The plan for Dylan Bundy (more draft picks signings coming)
Steve Melewski
Orioles
After 14 starts this year, the Orioles remain extremely pleased with the season their top pitching prospect Dylan Bundy is having. The 19-year-old from Oklahoma, who has been limited to five-inning starts so far, will soon will be allowed to go deeper into games. First, though, Bundy will take a small step back in his next start, which will come Wednesday at Potomac, when he will throw around four innings on a 60-pitch limit. That is so he can then pitch in the Futures Game three days later on...
Reynolds wraps up another bad night
Reynolds wraps up another bad night
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
It took me more than an hour to get home from Camden Yards. Russell Street to 295 was reduced to one lane again. I got on 695 and the two left lanes were closed. I've tried 95 from the ballpark and it's always down to one lane. I'm running out of routes. The Orioles should be so lucky. They've been outscored 27-6 in their last three games. And as I noted earlier, they've scored three runs or fewer in 11 of their last 12 games and have totaled 23 runs since June 15. The Orioles are...
Markakis update, postgame comments after 7-2 loss
Markakis update, postgame comments after 7-2 loss
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Right fielder Nick Markakis won't accompany the Orioles on their West Coast trip to Seattle and Anahaim that begins Monday and leads into the All-Star break. The Orioles will send Markakis to short-season Single-A Aberdeen on July 2-3 and Double-A Bowie on July 4-6, but not for an injury-rehab assignment. They want Markakis to continue receiving treatment from the medical staffs at those two affiliates and to work with Terry Crowley and Mike Bordick. Manager Buck Showalter doesn't want...
Cleveland uses the longball to win series opener
Cleveland uses the longball to win series opener
Steve Melewski
Orioles
Even facing a team that had lost five games in a row while scoring just 11 runs wasn't enough to lead the Orioles to a victory. Instead, the Cleveland Indians hit a pair of three-run homers to end that losing streak in a 7-2 win at Camden Yards to start a four-game series. Johnny Damon delivered a three-run shot off Wei-Yin Chen in the second and Asdrubel Cabrera hit his three-run shot off Luis Ayala in the seventh as Cleveland improved to 38-37 and avoided falling under .500 for the first...
Damon does it to the Orioles again (O's down 7-2)
Damon does it to the Orioles again (O's down 7-2)
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Johnny Damon loves facing the Orioles and he loves hitting at Camden Yards. The demonstration continued tonight with his three-run homer off Wei-Yin Chen in the second inning that gave Cleveland a 3-0 lead. Damon has 33 career homers against the Orioles, including 22 in this ballpark. Eighty of his 128 RBIs have been accumulated in Baltimore. Chen has thrown 51 pitches in three innings. Chen lasted only five innings in his last start against the Nationals, allowing two earned runs (three...
Lefties against the Tribe and Bowie's All-Stars
Lefties against the Tribe and Bowie's All-Stars
Steve Melewski
Orioles
Buck Showalter admitted today that at least one reason he selected Dana Eveland to start Saturday here against Cleveland is because he is left-handed. The Orioles will start three lefties in this series including Wei-Yin Chen, who is on the mound tonight. Cleveland has a record of 5-16 this year against left-handed starters and 32-21 against right-handers. Against southpaws, the Tribe bats .216 as a team with a slugging percentage of .326. Those numbers are .264 and .407 against right-handed...