MIAMI – We hear it all the time when teams go through offensive slumps. It’s the major leagues. The guy on the mound gets paid to get batters out, too. Sometimes it’s just the case that a team runs into some tough pitching matchups. That has been the case for the Nationals, who, aside from an 8-3 win over the Mets and a 13-6 victory over the Astros

The Orioles began their homestand last night without a single roster move. Didn’t need to replace an injured player whose day-to-day status grew too long. Didn’t select the contract of baseball’s No. 1 prospect. Austin Hays took coach’s batting practice, but only the shadow of Adley Rutschman could keep fans from seeing the importance of that updat

The Orioles recently went through a six-game stretch in which they scored 33 runs. That run ended in the first game of their series at St. Louis, which they won 5-3. Since that game last Tuesday, they have scored one, three, two, zero, one and two runs. That is nine runs in six games. They are 1-5 in that stretch. The O’s lost the opener of this we

Kyle Bradish imagined this night for at least two months. Probably a lot longer. Bradish stood outside the visiting clubhouse at the Yankees spring training complex in Tampa after tossing two scoreless innings, said he had fun pitching in front of a large crowd in prime time and facing a lineup stacked with regulars, and spoke without a trace of co

MIAMI – It’s been all or nothing at all lately for the Nationals. They won by five-run and seven-run margins in their two victories over the last week. They then failed to score more than two runs in any of their four losses. On Sunday, they ran into a red-hot Justin Verlander, who held them scoreless over five innings in an eventual 8-0 loss. On M

Following a 2-4 road trip during which they won two of three in St. Louis and were swept at Detroit, the Orioles are back at Oriole Park tonight to start a week-long homestand. They host the New York Yankees for four games and then the Tampa Bay Rays will be in town for three over the weekend. This starts a difficult stretch of two weeks of games w

MIAMI – The Nationals will be without designated hitter Nelson Cruz for Monday’s series opener against the Marlins. Originally slated to bat fourth in his usual DH role, Cruz was scratched just under two hours before the scheduled first pitch to start this three-game set in Miami. Yadiel Hernandez will now bat cleanup as the designated hitter, with

Austin Hays took coach’s batting practice this afternoon and did some outfield work, including shagging fly balls, and is nearing a return to the Orioles lineup. Hays has been missing from it since the final game in St. Louis, when reliever Génesis Cabrera stepped on his left hand on a play at first base. “My hand’s feeling a lot better today,” Hay

With a lineup tonight that is still without Austin Hays and Ryan Mountcastle and will also be without shortstop Jorge Mateo, at least at the start, the O’s could use another solid game on the mound. They will send out rookie right-hander Kyle Bradish (1-1, 4.24) for his fourth career start. And he is facing the first-place New York Yankees (25-9),

The Orioles have returned home after being swept in Detroit, and Robinson Chirinos is catching tonight. No roster moves have been announced. No new lockers in the home clubhouse. Austin Hays is attempting to hit this afternoon. The swelling is down in his left hand, but he remains out of the lineup. Ramón Urías is batting cleanup and starting at sh