Right Off Russell

The good news is that the Nationals, owners of baseballs worst record (21-49), are coming to town.  The bad news is that the Orioles had breakdowns in every phase of the game while being swept by the Marlins in Florida and we have to wonder what it is going to take for this team to settle down and play consistent ball for longer stretches.  I am not asking for perfection, but it seems that something is lacking when you have a team that has a new identity from one week to the next.

The Orioles have to hope that a return trip home will help get them back to playing with focus and consistent effort.  The O’s will need to step things up because after the Nats series the club faces tougher competition in July including another west coast trip.  Of interest this weekend will be the availability of SP Koji Uehara.  Uehara is schedule to meet with a doctor today to determine what the cause of his elbow soreness is.  At that point the Orioles hope to know whether or not Uehara can pitch on Sunday or if David Hernandez needs to be re-called from Norfolk.

The Nationals, meanwhile, have held their own against AL East opponents recently.  The Nats went 5-4 against New York, Toronto and Boston.  The Nats, like the Orioles, have struggled to find and identity.  They are wildly inconsistent at bat and on the mound.  Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman has cooled since the last time the 2 clubs met.  Nick Johnson, Adam Dunn and Christian Guzman are putting together nice seasons to help the Nats cause on offense.  John Lannan has been the most consistent started for the Nats, but the teams hopes to succeed in the future rest more on higher ceiling talents like Ross Detwiler and Jordan Zimmermann.

All three games are on MASNHD with split broadcast teams.  Tonight and Saturday’s games are at 7:05, Sunday at 1:35.  Here are the probably pitching match-ups:

Brad Bergesen (4-2, 3.94) vs. Ross Detwiler (0-3, 4.76)
Jeremy Guthrie (5-7, 5.09) vs. Shairon Martis (5-2, 5.13)
David Hernandez (1-1, 3.95) or Koji Uehara (2-4, 4.05) vs. John Lannan (4-5, 3.44)

The Orioles should be able to take 2 of 3 against the Nats again. Of course every time we predict success in a series the O’s fall flat. I am just asking that the pitching improve and the teams makes less mistakes on the bases and in the field. On a side note, Orioles first round pick Matt Hobgood is in Baltimore and his signing is supposed to be announced on Saturday. I am sure he will be welcomed by all O’s fans in attendance.