The Nationals and Phillies have managed to complete the first two games of this weekend’s four-game series on schedule (that is, the original schedule). Now they’ll try to get Game 3 completed as planned tonight before another round of rain arrives in the region. They’ve split these two games so far, each winning comfortably once, including the Nat

As each day passes and Joey Meneses’ numbers keep climbing, the question keeps getting asked and the answer keeps sounding more plausible. "I don't think the way he hit was a fluke," Davey Martinez said this morning of his 30-year-old rookie sensation. "I think the kid knows how to hit." All the evidence to date backs up that assertion, and Meneses

NEW YORK – Austin Hays didn’t know that the Mariners won early this morning, the final bump that knocked the Orioles out of the wild card race, until he had rolled out of bed, showered and dressed, and headed downstairs to the team bus. Players were talking about it. How they were forced to move into a different phase of their season, the mindset a

After a pitching-led 2-1 win over the New York Yankees Friday night the O’s return to the Bronx this afternoon for Game 2 of the weekend series. They will have a series win if they take one of the next two games. At 81-76 the Orioles have clinched .500 season and now have five games left to record their first winning season since going 89-73 in 201

NEW YORK – Veteran pitcher Jordan Lyles is hopeful that the Orioles pick up his $11 million option for the 2023 season. He wants to stay. He’s grown extremely fond of the team, and he’s excited for a future that could include a soon-to-be 32-year-old starter. “I would love to be back here,” he said this morning. “To see what we’ve done in the last

Nelson Cruz last appeared in a game for the Nationals in the third inning of their Sept. 13 game against the Orioles. The 42-year-old designated hitter reached on catcher’s interference, then two innings later was pulled in favor of pinch-hitter Josh Palacios due to an infection in his left eye that left his vision blurry. That was 18 days ago, and

What do you say we try this again? The first attempt to play a day-night doubleheader at Nationals Park this weekend didn’t work. Though the Phillies beat the Nats 5-1 on Friday afternoon, the nightcap was postponed about 30 minutes before scheduled first pitch. So now they’ll attempt to do it again today and tonight, despite the forecast still loo

NEW YORK – The quest has shifted for the Orioles. Finish above .500. That’s it beyond personal numbers. A Mariners win early this morning eliminated the Orioles from wild card contention. Five games remain in the season. Gunnar Henderson is batting leadoff today and playing third base. Adley Rutschman is batting third as the designated hitter. Cedr

There are a lot of ways to evaluate a team on offense, but I often revert to an easy one. How many runs do they score? That is the best evaluation tool, right? It doesn’t matter how a team gets there, but scoring runs is pretty important. Heading into the series at Yankee Stadium, in the 2022 season the American League team average for runs per gam

NEW YORK – The Orioles keep trying to win games while hoping that perspective isn’t lost on their 2022 season. They were supposed to lose 100 games again. At least. They were supposed to curse the new lottery system for the right to pick first in the 2023 draft. To be in contention for a wild card on the last day of September was a monumental achie