FRIDAY, JULY 25

1. COL | 7:05 p.m. | Gates: 5:30 p.m. | MASN, MASN+

GIVEAWAY: Floppy Hat

The first 20,000 fans age 21 and over in attendance will receive a FLOPPY HAT, presented by Coors Light.

CITY CONNECT FRIDAY

City Connect Fridays are dedicated to Harlem Park Elementary Middle School. As part of the Orioles’ Adopt-A-School campaign, Harlem Park students and staff will attend batting practice and participate in pregame ceremonies, including yelling the ceremonial “play ball.” Tickets for students and faculty attending City Connect Fridays are provided by Wegmans, the exclusive grocery retail partner of the Adopt-A-School Program at Harlem Park Elementary Middle School.

Jacob Young is no stranger to making incredible defensive plays in center field. Since becoming a full-time major leaguer last year, the 25-year-old has been one of the most electric outfielders in the sport.

So while it wasn’t a surprise Young made a miraculous catch to rob Will Benson of a home run yesterday, it was still a play that should draw plenty of praise. And a highlight that should be remembered from an otherwise forgettable 5-0 loss to the Reds.

With Cincinnati having already extended its lead to 3-0 in the eighth inning, it looked like Benson was going to add more with a two-run homer off Jackson Rutledge. He hit the right-hander's elevated first-pitch fastball 103.1 mph off the bat and it traveled 400 feet to straightaway center.

But he needed 401 feet to beat Young.

The 5-foot-11 center fielder ran back and climbed the wall with two literal steps to reach over and bring the ball back for the final out of the inning, sending a loud roar of approval from the crowd ringing across Nationals Park and putting a lot of astounded looks on players’ faces.

Shortstop Wehiwa Aloy doesn’t possess a broad knowledge of the team that drafted him 31^st overall earlier this month. He grew up in Hawaii and attended college at Sacramento State and Arkansas. He won’t nail a quiz on the Orioles, though he’s probably done some homework since hearing his name called.

Here’s what he does know, which he shared yesterday in a video call with the local media:

“Just the development of players that have come through here. Seen it for a long time now and it’s just getting better every day.”

That’s what the Orioles expect Aloy to do.

They were linked to him at No. 19 in some mocks, but he fell to their third pick of the evening. The first round wasn’t in doubt. The only mystery was where he’d land, and the answer came while he sat on a couch with his parents, grandmother and sister.

CLEVELAND – For the first seven innings of tonight’s ballgame, the Orioles had the momentum. 

The Guards had mustered just two hits and two runs, a pair that scored on a weak single from Kyle Manzardo.

The O's had enough chances to win this game. Ultimately, the Birds' bats didn't come through in a 3-2 loss. Not having their best reliever available late in the contest certainly didn't help matters.  

On Monday night, the Orioles and Guardians combined to score six runs in the first inning of play. Last night, there was only one, but it came on a José Ramírez solo shot. 

Tonight, the first extra-base hit of the game didn’t come until the top of the third inning, courtesy of Cedric Mullins. 

CLEVELAND – Zach Eflin, Grayson Rodriguez, Kyle Bradish, Albert Suárez, Cade Povich and Tyler Wells would form a pretty solid six-man rotation. Suárez could come out of the bullpen or be an option for a swing start here or there. 

Unfortunately, all six were on the injured list until this afternoon. 

The injured staff lost one of its front-line starters today, as Eflin was reinstated from the IL after missing some time with lower back discomfort, an injury that forced him to exit his June 28 outing against the Tampa Bay Rays. 

Now, just shy of a month later, he returns to face a Guardians lineup composed entirely of either left-handed or switch-hitters. With the right-hander Eflin on the mound and just two left-handers in the O’s bullpen, it’s not a bad strategy to implement. 

Lefties are hitting .347 with a .714 slugging percentage and an OPS over 1.000 this year against Eflin, so finding a rhythm in his return to the big league mound will certainly be a challenge. 

Zach Eflin was reinstated from the injured list earlier today and is making tonight’s start in Cleveland, as the Orioles try to rebound from back-to-back losses to the Guardians. They’ve dropped six of their last seven games.

Brandon Young was optioned to make room for Eflin. Young has posted a 7.34 ERA and 1.761 WHIP in seven starts, and he failed to complete the fifth inning in six of them.

Catcher Maverick Handley was moved from the seven-day concussion injured list to the 10-day IL with a sprained right wrist. And left-hander Keegan Akin had his injury rehab assignment transferred from the Florida Complex League to Triple-A Norfolk.

Eflin hasn’t pitched for the Orioles since facing the Rays on June 28 and allowing four runs and five hits in one inning. He was tagged for six runs and 10 hits in three innings at Yankee Stadium in his previous start and for seven runs and 12 hits in five innings in Tampa on June 16.

Eflin has a career 7.71 ERA and 1.714 WHIP in two starts against the Guardians, with eight runs and 14 hits in 9 1/3 innings. But his lone start at Progressive Field resulted in two runs allowed in 6 1/3.

In order for the Nationals to accomplish something they hadn’t in two months, they would need to build on the offensive outputs they posted in each of the first two games against the Reds.

They claimed victories in those outings in very different ways, setting up an opportunity for their first three-game sweep since mid-May against the Orioles in Baltimore. On Monday, they jumped out to a big early lead and held on late. On Tuesday, they stayed patient against a tough starter, who they eventually got to the second time through the order, and relied on the bullpen.

Unfortunately, the Nats were victims of another feat, something that has happened to them more recently than their own sweep.

Neither version of the offense showed up this afternoon, as the Nats were shut out by Nick Lodolo in a 5-0 loss in front of 21,567 fans on camp day at Nationals Park.

Lodolo became the third pitcher to toss a complete-game shutout against the Nationals this season, joining Erick Fedde (who was coincidentally designated for assignment by the Cardinals today after going 3-10 with a 5.22 ERA) on May 9 and David Peterson with the Mets on June 11.

Good morning and welcome to a rare combination around these parts. First, we have a getaway game starting at noon. But even more rare is the Nationals’ chance at a three-game sweep.

Yes, the Nats have not swept a three-game set since mid-May against the Orioles in Baltimore. And their opponent, the Reds, have not been swept at all this year. The Nationals held on after an offensive outburst to win Monday’s series opener. Then they used timely hitting and an impressive collective effort from Brad Lord and a makeshift bullpen to take Game 2 last night.

How will they fare today?

On the bump will be Michael Soroka, who is 3-7 with a 5.10 ERA and 1.147 WHIP in 14 starts. He didn’t get to face the Reds in Cincinnati back in early May, but he was strong in his first start of the second half, holding the Padres to just one run in five innings.

Nick Lodolo will go for Cincy. The southpaw is 7-6 with a 3.33 ERA and 1.082 WHIP in 20 starts this year. But the Nats knocked him around for seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits in 5 ⅓ innings on May 3 at Great American Ball Park.

There are times when it must feel like manager Christian Frias and his players are operating under a cloak of anonymity.

The higher-level affiliates usually get the most attention as players inch closer to the major league roster. The Orioles have three teams in the state of Maryland with Double-A Chesapeake, High-A Aberdeen and Class A Delmarva, and Triple-A Norfolk is a relatively easy drive. But down in Sarasota, the Florida Complex League entry plays in intense heat and out of sight except for some locals.

The regular season is winding down, with only two games left and plenty of drama. The FCL Orioles split a doubleheader yesterday with the Twins, the team that they trail by two games for first place in the South Division and face two more times this week. They lead the FCL Blue Jays by one game for the Wild Card.

Developing players is the No. 1 priority, but victories also count in the minors, even on one of the lowest rungs of the organizational ladder.

“It’s development first, and if you happen to win while doing it, I mean, we’ll take it,” Frias said.

CLEVELAND – Every time the Orioles knocked on the door in Cleveland tonight, the Guardians answered. It resulted in the Guards taking Game 2 of this four-game series by a final score of 6-3.

"First half of the game didn’t go so well for us tonight and I thought we hung in there and the at-bats were good and we put up a couple runs as the game went on," interim manager Tony Mansolino said after the game. "Just, we have not gotten our bullpen kind of going to the same extent we probably had it going when we were playing our best ball a few weeks ago."

The O’s put up runs in innings five, six and seven. The Guardians did the same, plus some runs early with Baltimore starter Brandon Young on the mound. 

There’s not a big enough major league sample size to be confident in what kind of Young outing you’ll get. 

Thus far, his big league outings could be classified as solid, ones that aren't spectacular but keep you in most ballgames. In all but one start, his last, Young allowed four runs or fewer. A typical line could feature four innings of work and three earned runs.

Rarely do the Nationals make you wait to find out if it’s going to be a good night at the plate or a bad night at the plate. You usually know right away in the first or second inning if they’ve got an opposing starter figured out. If they do, great. If they don’t, it’s probably going to be a long night.

So consider what the Nats did tonight against Chase Burns an important step in the right direction. The Reds’ rookie phenom made them look silly for four innings with an upper-90s fastball and a low-90s slider that produced 10 strikeouts. And then they began to make some adjustments along the way and took him down in the fifth and sixth.

That later-than-usual offensive surge, combined with an impressive, all-hands-on-deck pitching performance from Brad Lord and a makeshift bullpen put the Nationals in position to celebrate a well-earned 6-1 victory over Cincinnati.

It’s only the Nats’ third series win in their last 14 attempts. And they’ll have a chance Wednesday afternoon to do something they haven’t done since mid-May in Baltimore: sweep a three-game series.

"It's always fun to win a series before the series is over, that's for sure," center fielder Jacob Young said. "The chance to sweep is awesome. But it feels great to win a series early like that and have a chance to sweep tomorrow and kind of get the second half going."

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Recalled OF Dylan Carlson from Triple-A Norfolk.
• Optioned INF Luis Vázquez to Triple-A Norfolk.

Needing a fresh arm to help an overtaxed bullpen, the Nationals promoted left-hander Konnor Pilkington from Triple-A Rochester today, a move that led to the demotion of Mason Thompson and the transfer of Dylan Crews to the 60-day injured list.

With Brad Lord making his return to the rotation tonight against the Reds but likely to only throw three or four innings, the Nats knew they were going to need to lean on their bullpen to get through this game. That problem was only exacerbated when MacKenzie Gore failed to make it out of the third inning Sunday against the Padres and Jake Irvin didn’t make it out of the fourth inning in Monday night’s series opener against the Reds.

So the call was placed to Rochester, where Pilkington had been pitching well (2.59 ERA, 1.200 WHIP in 36 games) in a multi-inning relief role. The 27-year-old has 16 games of major league experience with the Guardians, including 11 starts in 2022, and he has a newfound appreciation for the significance of a return from Triple-A.

“You understand how much it actually means to get the call, being able to be in the big leagues,” he said. “That makes it extremely special this time, just as special as every other time. When I was with Cleveland, I got the opportunity to be in the big leagues with them. Moved on and signed with (the Nationals) this offseason, and the main goal is to help the team win. Whether that’s in the big leagues or in Triple-A, or wherever they need me, that’s the kind of guy I am, the kind of pitcher I am.”

Pilkington, who lasted pitched Sunday and said he’s available if needed tonight in relief of Lord, takes over the active roster spot previously held by Thompson, who had only recently returned from the second Tommy John surgery of his career.

CLEVELAND – There are plenty of dates circled on the calendar for the Orioles. 

The most notable one, and the biggest topic of conversation, comes in nine days: Major League Baseball’s trade deadline. Baltimore’s roster will look different, and interim manager Tony Mansolino is looking forward to Aug. 2, when the dust settles. 

But the most important date?

“Tonight!” Mansolino exclaimed with a laugh.

There’s some others, too.

Catcher Adley Rutschman began his injury rehab assignment this afternoon with Triple-A Norfolk and went 1-for-3 with a double and walk at Lehigh Valley.

Rutschman, who served as the designated hitter, hasn’t played for the Orioles since June 19 because of a strained left oblique. Interim manager Tony Mansolino told the assembled media in Cleveland that Rutschman will catch for the Tides on Wednesday and could be reinstated this weekend.

Samuel Basallo, the top prospect in the organization, remains out of the lineup with a sore oblique. He didn’t play over the weekend, but is beginning a hitting progression and could return this weekend.

Basallo, who turns 21 next month, is batting .264/.383/.591 with 11 doubles, 19 home runs and 48 RBIs in 62 games.  

Catcher Chadwick Tromp, on the injured list with a lower back strain, had his rehab assignment transferred to High-A Aberdeen.

The Nationals actually won a series opener Monday night, outlasting the Reds 10-8, thanks to their best offensive performance in a while. Which means they’ve now got two chances to win one game and win the series. That’s easier said than done, of course.

To pull it off tonight, the Nats will need to piece together nine innings from a pitching staff that’s not in great shape. Miguel Cairo had to burn up everybody in his bullpen the last two days after MacKenzie Gore failed to get out of the third inning and Jake Irvin failed to get out of the fourth inning. This would normally be the time to ask for length out of tonight’s starter, but Brad Lord is making his first start May 6. He’s been an effective reliever, but he hasn’t thrown more than 38 pitches in any appearance since then, so don’t count on more than three or maybe four innings from him tonight.

With that in mind, the Nats made a roster move today. They called up left-hander Konnor Pilkington from Triple-A Rochester, giving them a reliever who can provide some length behind Lord if needed. Mason Thompson was optioned to Rochester and Dylan Crews was transferred to the 60-day injured list to clear a spot on the 40-man roster (but that doesn’t change Crews’ eligibility to return once he’s deemed ready).

The Nationals would love to bust out for 10 runs again, but they’ll have to do it against one of the most dynamic young starting pitchers in the game. Chase Burns, the No. 2 pick in last summer’s draft, makes his fifth career start for the Reds. The right-hander throws an upper-90s fastball and a low-90s slider, so that’s what the Nats have in store tonight at the plate.

CINCINNATI REDS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 83 degrees, wind 7 mph in from right field

The Washington Nationals selected the contract of left-handed pitcher Konnor Pilkington from Triple-A Rochester and optioned right-handed pitcher Mason Thompson to Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday. To make room for Pilkington on the 40-man roster, outfielder Dylan Crews has been transferred to the 60-day Injured List. Nationals Interim General Manager Mike DeBartolo made the announcements.

Pilkington, 27, joins the Nationals after he went 4–3 with a 2.59 ERA with 50 strikeouts and two saves in 41.2 innings for Triple-A Rochester this season. Since April 1, he has allowed the fewest earned runs (8) and hits (21) of any Triple-A pitcher (min. 40.0 IP). His 1.74 ERA in that span ranks fifth in all of Triple-A and first among Triple-A lefties. (min. 40.0 IP).

In his most recent 12 outings for the Red Wings, Pilkington did not allow a run and held opponents to a .098 average (4-for-41) in 13.1 innings. Over his last 17 outings in Rochester, he allowed just one earned run in 17.1 innings of work. In all, 28 of Pilkington’s 36 appearances this season, including both of his 3.0-inning starts, were scoreless.

A native of Pascagoula, Miss., Pilkington signed with the Nationals as a Minor League free agent on Dec. 3, 2024. He pitched in 16 games in the Major Leagues with Cleveland between 2022–23 and went 1–2 with a 2.88 ERA in 15 games (11 starts) in 2022 and made one scoreless 2.0-inning appearance out of the bullpen in 2023.

Thompson, 27, had a 13.50 ERA in six appearances out of the bullpen with the Nationals this season.

Back in May, when his batting average was in the low .130s and his OPS dipped below .500, Josh Bell made a conscious decision to stop doing what he intended to do all season for the Nationals.

His plan all along was to seek more home runs, believing a high slugging percentage was more important than any other stat at this stage of his career and in this current baseball environment. The results were ugly, so the veteran designated hitter revamped his swing in-season with hitting coach Darnell Coles and decided to forget about home runs and just focus on hitting the ball hard on a line.

“I just tried to lower my launch angle, tried to focus on squaring up the ball as best as I can, try to get my OPS over .600,” he said. “So I’ve done that. Now I’m fighting for seven. We’ll see where we go from there.”

As Bell spoke late Monday night following the Nationals’ 10-8 win over the Reds, his OPS for the season officially resided at .695. What he may not have realized was that he did actually get it over the .700 for a brief while a couple hours earlier after he launched a solo homer into the second deck in right field. It may have been his first homer since June 27, but it was just one of many well-struck base hits for the 32-year-old over a sustained stretch.

The infamous Josh Bell early season slump has long been replaced by the infamous Josh Bell midseason surge. After slashing just .151/.254/.289 through his first 45 games this season, he’s now slashing a very healthy .297/.371/.480 over his last 42 games.

The roster makeover that’s anticipated at the trade deadline could create a stiffer challenge in selecting a Most Valuable Oriole.

Players must be in the organization to remain eligible in voting by media that covers the team, or at least talks about it, with maybe the occasional stops at the ballpark.

(I want transparency in the voting because each season brings at least one ridiculous ballot. But I digress …)

Ryan O’Hearn, the lone All-Star on the team, profiles as the favorite. However, he could be gone by July 31. He’s generating the expected interest and he’s a pending free agent, which makes him a strong candidate.

Ramón Laureano deserves to be on the three-man ballot. He gave the Orioles a 5-3 lead last night with his 12^th homer, a two-run shot in the third inning. He certainly qualifies as one of the season’s biggest surprises, ranking second with a 2.2 bWAR, but will he get moved later this month?

OK, so maybe this victory wasn’t as smooth and convincing as it appeared it might be when the home team busted out with seven early runs against the Reds tonight.

The Nationals, though, haven’t won nearly enough games this summer to get picky about how they win. Any win is a good win right now, and tonight’s 10-8 slugfest on South Capitol Street should be considered as beautiful as any crisply played ballgame.

Thanks to an early seven-run explosion keyed by the resurgent James Wood and Josh Bell, then some much-needed tack-on offense in the middle innings and a surprisingly effective bullpen performance after Jake Irvin endured through his shortest start in two seasons, the Nationals won a series opener for the first time since June 26 in Anaheim, long before Miguel Cairo replaced Davey Martinez as manager.

"You see when it's coming," Cairo said. "Those were good at-bats today. We didn't score and just stop. We kept going, and we put good at-bats together. It was beautiful to get 10 runs today."

This game, of course, still included a harrowing top of the ninth from Kyle Finnegan, the slumping closer who allowed three of the first four batters he faced to reach, two of them scoring, before finishing it off with the tying run standing at the plate.