at. NATIONALS, 8/25

[Sessh]

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Game 4 (7:05)

<IMG SRC="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kRA0kohlwpI/TIQSBQQ2KRI/AAAAAAAADmY/_KuXbW6jxfg/s1600/Orioles+-+baby+bird+2009.gif" HEIGHT="80" WIDTH="80" BORDER="0"> |=======| <IMG SRC="http://tsnimages.tsn.ca/ImageProvider/TeamLogo?seoId=washington-nationals" HEIGHT="80" WIDTH="80" BORDER="0">

Team Records

70-56 |=======| 73-53

3rd, -1.0 |=======| 1st, +7.0

Streaks / L10

+3, Lost 5 of 8 / 5-5 |=======| -4, Lost 4 of 5 / 4-6

Team Offensive Rankings (MLB)

BA: .262 (9th) |=======| BA: .256 (17th)

OPS: .773 (4th) |=======| OPS: .761 (8th)

Runs: 576 (9th) |=======| Runs: 594 (7th)

HR: 190 (1st) |=======| HR: 162 (6th)

Last 7 Days

BA: .266 (20th) |=======| BA: .306 (4th)

OPS: .834 (11th) |=======| OPS: .877 (4th)

Runs: 37 (16th) |=======| Runs: 59 (1st)

HR: 16 (2nd) |=======| HR: 12 (9th)

Team Pitching Rankings (MLB)

ERA: 4.39 (21st) |=======| ERA: 3.38 (2nd)

WHIP: 1.40 (23rd) |=======| WHIP: 1.18 (3rd)

BAA: .260 (19th) |=======| BAA: .233 (3rd)

TB: 1779 (18th) |=======| TB: 1520 (2nd)

Last 7 Days

ERA: 8.54 (30th) |=======| ERA: 5.27 (17th)

WHIP: 1.98 (30th) |=======| WHIP: 1.43 (14th)

BAA: .320 (29th) |=======| BAA: .268 (13th)

TB: 145 (27th) |=======| TB: 119 (16th)

Starters

ERA: 5.00 (27th) |=======| ERA: 3.48 (2nd)

WHIP: 1.45 (27th) |=======| WHIP: 1.17 (2nd)

BAA: .273 (24th) |=======| BAA: .232 (2nd)

TB: 1186 (21st) |=======| TB: 1040 (3rd)

Relievers

ERA: 3.41 (5th) |=======| ERA: 3.18 (1st)

WHIP: 1.31 (15th) |=======| WHIP: 1.20 (5th)

BAA: .240 (13th) |=======| BAA: .235 (7th)

TB: 593 (16th) |=======| TB: 480 (2nd)

NEW: Quality Start minimum requirements

* - Game ERA must be 4.00 or less with at least six innings pitched

Ubaldo Jimenez

(5-10)

6.94 (1.91/.309)

87K / 59BB, 11HR

QS: 3

</b>

There is some hope here since Jimenez is undefeated at Nationals Park at 4-0 in four starts and is 6-1 against the Nats in eight starts with good numbers.

Splits & Sits

202 vs. left: .335/.431/.485, 8HR

255 vs. right: .288/.376/.349, 3HR

Bases Empty: .295

RISP: .323

RISP w/2 outs: .217

Men on w/2 outs: .229

Man on 3rd, < 2 outs: .310

2016 Away (8 starts, 2 relief)

(1-6) 7.34 (1.92/.304), 4HR

Career vs. WAS (8 starts)

(6-1) 2.32 (1.16/.214), HR

Career @ Nationals Park (4 starts)

(4-0) 0.92 (0.99/.192)

vs. Batter

Ryan Zimmerman (17 AB) .294, 2 2B, 2RBI

Ben Revere (12 AB) .333, 2B, 3B

Daniel Murphy (11 AB) .273, HR, 4RBI

Jayson Werth 1/6, 2BB

Danny Espinosa 0/4

Chris Heisey 1/4, RBI

Jose Lobaton 0/3, RBI

Anthony Rendon 0/2, BB

VS

Max Scherzer

(13-7)

3.05 (0.96/.196)

217K / 44BB, 25HR

QS: 18

Scherzer got off to a rough start to the season, but starting May 11th, he has allowed four or more runs only four times in 19 starts. He has allowed three or more only five times over that span, but two of them came in the last two starts where he allowed four in each and is the first time he has had back to back bad starts all season. His numbers against the Orioles are solid. In his last start against the Orioles, he allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks in 6.2 innings with 12 strikeouts. Scherzer is dominating at home this season to say the least.

Splits & Sits

370 vs. left: .227/.305/.373, 13HR

314 vs. right: .161/.188/.296, 12HR

Bases Empty: .186

RISP: .226

RISP w/2 outs: .196

Men on w/2 outs: .176

Man on 3rd, < 2 outs: .429

2016 Home (10 starts)

(4-3) 2.60 (0.87/.176), 7HR, 94K in 69.1 IP

Career vs Baltimore (8 starts)

(4-2) 3.81 (1.21/.257), 9HR

vs. Batter

J.J. Hardy (29 AB) .172, 2 2B, HR, 3RBI

Adam Jones (22 AB) .500, 2 2B, 3HR, 4RBI

Chris Davis (21 AB) .381, 2B, HR, 2RBI

Manny Machado (15 AB) .067, HR, 2RBI, 7K

Pedro Alvarez (12 AB) .083, HR, 2RBI

Mark Turmbo 0/8, 6K

Jonathan Schoop 1/6, 4K

Steve Pearce 2/6, HR, 2RBI

The Nationals have looked awful in this series. Poor defense, poor coaching, poor baserunning and poor starting pitching from Lopez and now Roark barely showing up for the game in the first two innings. Might as well add poor hitting to the list as well and teams who play this way against the Orioles lose big. They sure don't look like a first place team in this series that's for sure. They never really seem to show up when they face the Orioles, do they?

It's good to see the Orioles winning, but again, winning against a team playing really bad baseball and it's still really bad baseball even if it's a first place team doing it. This is a big reason why the team looked so good in June as they were playing teams mostly playing really bad baseball at the time of the series especially the pitching and the Nats have been just as awful. This is why I continue to say that the Orioles need their opponents to play bad baseball in order to win games because it is consistently true and they never seem to come out on top against teams playing their best baseball or just plain good baseball no matter how the Orioles are playing at the time or what they did in the previous game. The Orioles went into the ninth inning up 10-3 and STILL had to use Britton and STILL barely won the game which to me just embodies how fragile this team's success is this year even further. Be that as it may, the Orioles will surely take these much needed wins headed into a series with the Yankees who are heating up and then the Blue Jays.

Jimenez has very good numbers against the Nats and at Nationals Park and even if Scherzer pitches well, the Nats won't have a chance if they continue to play horrible baseball. This could very well be a sweep here even against Scherzer who has been touched up by the Orioles in the past. The Nationals woke up in this game, but just a bit too late which means they may actually show up in the first inning for this one.

Toronto loses big to the Angels and a strong start from Matt Shoemaker and the bullpen holding the Jays to only four hits. Elsewhere, Houston and Detroit win while KC and Boston lose bringing the Orioles to within one of the division lead. Boston lost in extra innings on a missed catch error by Hembree at first base. Shaw threw to Hembree at first for the out and didn't catch it which allowed Luke Maile to score to win the game.

Wild Card Standings

*Boston +1.0

*Baltimore --

Seattle -3.0

Detroit -3.5

Houston -4.5

KC Royals -5.0

NY Yankees -5.0

[weams]

It's good to see the Orioles winning, but again, winning against a team playing really bad baseball and it's still really bad baseball even if it's a first place team doing it. This is a big reason why the team looked so good in June as they were playing teams mostly playing really bad baseball at the time of the series especially the pitching and the Nats have been just as awful. This is why I continue to say that the Orioles need their opponents to play bad baseball in order to win games because it is consistently true and they never seem to come out on top against teams playing their best baseball or just plain good baseball no matter how the Orioles are playing at the time or what they did in the previous game. [/Quote]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Benintendi walked out of clubhouse very slowly, with noticeable limp, not putting much pressure on knee</p>— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) <a href="

">August 25, 2016</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Sessh]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Benintendi walked out of clubhouse very slowly, with noticeable limp, not putting much pressure on knee</p>— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) <a href="

">August 25, 2016</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Yeah, I saw that. Chris Young will step back into left field who is having a decent season himself OPS'ing .864 in 49 games. Still a tough loss for Boston, but they'd have a lose a lot more than that to be in trouble.

[O's84]

Yeah, I saw that. Chris Young will step back into left field who is having a decent season himself OPS'ing .864 in 49 games. Still a tough loss for Boston, but they'd have a lose a lot more than that to be in trouble.

I don't usually wish injuries on players but I wish that Ortiz injury scare (of a couple of weeks ago) would have been season (and career) ending. Of course my preferable way for Ortiz to end his career is getting busted for PED's.

[weams]

Yeah, I saw that. Chris Young will step back into left field who is having a decent season himself OPS'ing .864 in 49 games.

Lefty pitcher hitting. Weak side platoon.

[PaulFolk]

The Nationals have looked awful in this series. Poor defense, poor coaching, poor baserunning and poor starting pitching from Lopez and now Roark barely showing up for the game in the first two innings. Might as well add poor hitting to the list as well and teams who play this way against the Orioles lose big. They sure don't look like a first place team in this series that's for sure. They never really seem to show up when they face the Orioles, do they?

It's good to see the Orioles winning, but again, winning against a team playing really bad baseball and it's still really bad baseball even if it's a first place team doing it. This is a big reason why the team looked so good in June as they were playing teams mostly playing really bad baseball at the time of the series especially the pitching and the Nats have been just as awful. This is why I continue to say that the Orioles need their opponents to play bad baseball in order to win games because it is consistently true and they never seem to come out on top against teams playing their best baseball or just plain good baseball no matter how the Orioles are playing at the time or what they did in the previous game. The Orioles went into the ninth inning up 10-3 and STILL had to use Britton and STILL barely won the game which to me just embodies how fragile this team's success is this year even further. Be that as it may, the Orioles will surely take these much needed wins headed into a series with the Yankees who are heating up and then the Blue Jays.

This is some of the most tortured logic I've ever seen. You're basically saying that the O's can only win when the other team plays worse than they do. Yeah...no kidding? Just like every single game in the history of sports, the winning team needs to outplay the losing team? Quite the revelation.

Lopez and Roark just happened to pitch badly, and the Nats' offense just happened to go quiet? Did you ever consider it might have something to do with the team they're playing against?

[bobmc]

Before last night's contest Ledecky admitted:

"I practiced a little bit yesterday," said Ledecky, an admitted fan of both Harper and the first-place Nats, prior to taking the mound. "And I have some friends in our neighborhood that always warm me up, so I'm ready, I think."

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/17385760/us-olympic-swimmer-katie-ledecky-throws-first-pitch-washington-nationals-baltimore-orioles-game

[weams]

This is some of the most tortured logic I've ever seen. You're basically saying that the O's can only win when the other team plays worse than they do. Yeah...no kidding? Just like every single game in the history of sports, the winning team needs to outplay the losing team? Quite the revelation.

Lopez and Roark just happened to pitch badly, and the Nats' offense just happened to go quiet? Did you ever consider it might have something to do with the team they're playing against?

I knew I was not the only one who said "Huh?"

[slakattack]

I don't usually wish injuries on players but I wish that Ortiz injury scare (of a couple of weeks ago) would have been season (and career) ending. Of course my preferable way for Ortiz to end his career is getting busted for PED's.

Unless Ortiz is going to voluntarily turn himself in, there is zero percent chance that he is popped for anything - it's not in the 2016 MLB script.

I just can't imagine him being "honored" at OPACY...I guess it really will be Fenway South that night.

[SteveA]

About a dozen O's fans on my Metro train, including Stan "The Fan" Charles.

Unfortunately we are stopped dead due to some problem on the track ahead.

[SteveA]

About a dozen O's fans on my Metro train, including Stan "The Fan" Charles.

Unfortunately we are stopped dead due to some problem on the track ahead.

Moving again thank goodness.

[weams]

About a dozen O's fans on my Metro train, including Stan "The Fan" Charles.

Unfortunately we are stopped dead due to some problem on the track ahead.

Red Sox lost.

[bobmc]

Unless Ortiz is going to voluntarily turn himself in, there is zero percent chance that he is popped for anything - it's not in the 2016 MLB script.

I just can't imagine him being "honored" at OPACY...I guess it really will be Fenway South that night.

Bullpen phone as a gift? :scratchchinhmm:

[Can_of_corn]

Unless Ortiz is going to voluntarily turn himself in, there is zero percent chance that he is popped for anything - it's not in the 2016 MLB script.

I just can't imagine him being "honored" at OPACY...I guess it really will be Fenway South that night.

I stand by my theory that this last season is because of a failed test.

I don't see any other reason he would hang them up when he is having a historic season.

[weams]

Bullpen phone as a gift? :scratchchinhmm:

That's what the gummies look like. Maybe a nice bag of them.