PITTSBURGH – Riley Adams has been a No. 1 catcher most of his life. He played all the time at the University of San Diego. He topped 400 plate appearances in the Blue Jays farm system in both 2018 and 2019. That’s not going to be the case with the Nationals. Not unless something happens to Keibert Ruiz, the unquestioned No. 1 catcher here now. So A

The Orioles transferred pitcher John Means to the 60-day injured list this morning, clarifying his physical issue as a left elbow sprain rather than strain. Reliever Marcos Diplán had his contract selected from Triple-A Norfolk to leave a full 40-man roster. The active roster was adjusted with left-hander Alexander Wells optioned to Norfolk. Means

PITTSBURGH – It’s cold. Really cold. Like, there were snow flurries this morning cold. But there’s a series finale to play this afternoon, and the Nationals and Pirates will be bundled up when they take the field at 1:35 p.m. The Nats really could use this one. After winning two of three in Atlanta, the last thing they want to do is lose three of f

The Orioles close out their series against the Yankees and the homestand with Ryan McKenna starting in center field and Cedric Mullins getting a rest day. Mullins became the first Oriole last night to homer on a 3-0 count since Manny Machado on April 20, 2018 versus Cleveland. Austin Hays is leading off and playing left field. Trey Mancini is in ri

PITTSBURGH – Davey Martinez has been talking about “the little things” since joining the Nationals in 2018. It’s a common refrain from the fifth-year manager, highlighting the importance of all those small, mundane moments during the course of a ballgame that actually make a difference in the final outcome. And there were several little things duri

A hitting philosophy can be created and shared at every level of the organization, from the lowest rungs of the system to the major league team. Coaches and instructors trained in it arriving in waves. Out with the old, in with the new breed that’s lauded as progressive and innovative. Swing decisions are the foundation. The plan crumbles if player

The Orioles and New York Yankees have exchanged wins at Camden Yards this weekend. The Orioles won 2-1 in 11 innings Friday night in a four hour, 15-minute game. And the Yankees won 5-2 last night in a game twice delayed by rain. The Orioles (2-6) continue to struggle to produce offense. They have scored two runs or fewer six times in eight games a

The Orioles are figuring out exactly what they have in Tyler Wells beyond a pitcher who should succeed at this level. They need to know how he’s going to do it. Not the method, but his role. The short reliever is now a starter on a short leash, working in a tandem role that isn’t likely to change in 2022. The Orioles are controlling his innings to

O’s left-hander Keegan Akin had a poor spring training, but when the bell rang and he was on the Orioles' opening day roster, things quickly took a turn for the better. So I had a simple question for Akin earlier on this homestand: What happened? What made the difference between his previous struggles and his throwing so well in his first two games

PITTSBURGH – The Nationals had more than their share of opportunities to deliver hits in big spots tonight during a 6-4 loss to the Pirates. The story of this game can be told in the simple fact they went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position, and one of the hits came in the top of the ninth while trailing by three runs. What will be remembered