A day-night doubleheader is no easy challenge for a major league manager, certainly not when it comes two weeks into a season in which no starting pitcher has completed six innings and no days off had been savored until Monday night’s scheduled series opener was rained out. The Nationals, though, did just about everything they could this afternoon

  When it came time to map out their pitching plans for today’s doubleheader, the Nationals had to consider multiple factors. * Should they use regular starters Josiah Gray and Joan Adon, taking stress off their bullpen today but forcing them to find a fill-in starter later this week? * Should they use one starter today and use their bullpen in the

OAKLAND – When I talked with Trey Mancini before Monday's road trip opener, he - like much of Birdland - was hopeful that the eighth inning on Sunday would be a turning point for the Orioles offense. They scored five runs and got three big hits with runners in scoring position in beating the Yankees 5-0. But whatever good was created there didn’t m

It’s a cold, windy Tuesday in the nation’s capital, but at least it’s not raining anymore. So guess what? Let’s play two! Yes, we’ve got our first doubleheader of the season following the postponement of Monday night’s scheduled series opener between the Nationals and Diamondbacks. That game is being made up this afternoon at 1:05 p.m., with the or

The season’s first two weeks have mostly been a blur. The Nationals played 11 games in 11 days, with multiple rain delays, one lighting delay, two road trips and a bunch of long nights along the way before finally getting a chance to catch their breath Monday. That wasn’t even supposed to be a day off. If not for the persistent rain all day and nig

OAKLAND – For the Orioles, the opening game of this long road trip in Oakland had a familiar look. For five innings it was close and low-scoring. The Baltimore offense was scuffling for runs again but the Baltimore pitching was getting the job done. Yet again they were. On a night when the Orioles reduced their team ERA from an impressive 3.04 to a

Dillon Tate isn’t a pitcher who steals peeks at the stadium’s radar gun readings before returning his attention to the catcher delivering the signs. He isn’t grading his performances based on the miles-per-hour on his sinking fastball. The fuss over his drop in velocity during the Orioles’ home opener against the Brewers brings no emotion. Not ange

OAKLAND – In the first game of a 10-game road trip, right-hander Spenser Watkins, trying to hold onto the fifth starter’s spot, gave the Orioles a big effort. Watkins allowed a first-inning run and nothing after that. He got rolling in the middle innings behind a frequency to throw a lot of first-pitch strikes. He did that to 10 of the first 13 bat

OAKLAND – The Orioles begin their second road trip of the 2022 season tonight a long way from home and it’s the first trip featuring multiple series. The Orioles (3-6) play at Oakland (5-5) to start a four-game series and 10-game trip that also takes them to Anaheim to play the Angels and to New York to once again face the Yankees. The Orioles' 5-0

OAKLAND – Orioles manager Brandon Hyde is not ready yet to name his starting pitcher for tomorrow’s game at Oakland. Right-hander Spenser Watkins (0-0, 3.00 ERA) will get the ball tonight in the series and road trip opener. The starter could very well come from two pitchers who are here on the Orioles' taxi squad in right-hander Chris Ellis and lef