Now, it gets real. Or real important. And really hard. The other games counted, of course, but the Orioles are set to play four against the Rays beginning tonight at Camden Yards. The team that’s two behind them in the division race. The team with the same lengthy stubborn streak, refusing to let injuries and other impactful issues break its spirit

PITTSBURGH – Jackson Rutledge seemed antsy when he walked into the Nationals clubhouse at PNC Park this afternoon. A major league debut can do that to a young pitcher. The former first-round pick arrived in Pittsburgh just before last night’s game against the Pirates. He then spent the rest of the night and all day today anticipating his major leag

Ryan Mountcastle drew a painful walk tonight in the bottom of the first inning. Losing him could severely hurt the Orioles. Mountcastle fouled off a sinker from Cardinals' starter Drew Rom to leave the count 2-2, took two pitches out of the strike zone and headed to first base. He was grimacing and rotating his left arm as if experiencing shoulder

One day ahead of the start of a showdown series with the Tampa Bay Rays, the Orioles are wrapping up their three-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Orioles (91-53, .632) lead the American League East by 2.5 games right now over the Rays, which won 5-4 this afternoon against the Twins. The Orioles beat the Cardinals 11-5 Monday night but

The Orioles didn’t send down left-hander Cole Irvin again today based on poor evaluations of his performance. Circumstances beyond his control removed him from the active roster and the clubhouse. Irvin was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk, with Nick Vespi recalled again. “Because of the six-man rotation right now, as well as, the last four or five sta

PITTSBURGH – The excitement continues for the Nationals at PNC Park as they prepare for Jackson Rutledge’s major league debut. The Nats officially recalled the big right-hander from Triple-A Rochester ahead of tonight’s third game of this series against the Pirates. Rutledge, 24, was the Nationals’ first-round pick at No. 17 overall in the 2019 MLB

The Orioles are closing in on clinching their first playoff berth since 2016 with a magic number of four to clinch. They have bigger fish to fry, of course, and want the AL East championship, but clinching a playoff berth will come first. The players are not yet ready to talk much about that, even with it so close at hand. They are keeping their on

Jordan Westburg stays in the Orioles lineup tonight and is batting fifth against left-hander Drew Rom. James McCann is catching again, with Adley Rutschman serving as designated hitter. Gunnar Henderson is playing third base and Jorge Mateo is the shortstop. Aaron Hicks is in center field, with Cedric Mullins on the bench. For the Orioles Adley Rut

PITTSBURGH – It’s been an exciting day for the Nationals so far after they officially announced a multi-year contract extension with longtime general manager Mike Rizzo this morning. The excitement continues tonight with the debut of a top prospect. Jackson Rutledge will make his major league debut tonight as the starting pitcher for the Nationals.

Nick Vespi is back in the majors. The Orioles recalled Vespi this morning from Triple-A Norfolk and optioned Cole Irvin in a swap of left-handed relievers. Irvin was removed from the rotation to create a spot for John Means. He tossed two scoreless innings last night and threw 32 pitches, pushing back his availability with the second-place Rays com