The Orioles and Nationals "rivalry" has required quotations through the first few years of interleague play around the beltway.
This year is different.
Entering the three-game weekend set, beginning Friday night at Nationals Park, the two clubs are battling atop their divisions against clubs with star-studded rosters and larger payrolls.
So as one of the most important series between these neighboring ball clubs gets underway, the Patch sites in the Maryland area are curious: who are you pulling for in this year's Battle of the Beltway?
Are you cheering for Bryce Harper and the Nationals?
Or are you behind Adam Jones and the Orioles?
While we're at it, which team do you think stands the best chance of staying in the pennant race late into the season?
Can the Nationals put together their first winning season since the franchise moved to Washington? Can the Orioles buck the trend of losing that has plagued Baltimore since 1998?
TELL US: Will you be going to Nationals Park this weekend? Are you an Orioles fan or a Nationals fan? Which team stands the best chance at maintaining its hot start? Leave a comment.
The crowd was really well-mixed and energetic. It was very friendly, not like hanging out with Yankees and Red Sox fans at Camden Yards or when I was down at Nats Park when they played the Phillies a couple weeks ago. I'm not going to lie, though; it felt good to invade someone else's park for a change. And even better to join some of my section in the O-R-I-O-L-E-S cheer. And it was an exciting game. Jackson and Arrieta were brilliant on the mound. Bryce Harper is a daredevil (kid got two bags out of a sac fly). Kevin Gregg continues to impress, and I continue to be pleasantly surprised. It's easy to see why these two teams are where they are. But in the end, when we went into extras, you can't stop Orioles Magic. Or Nick Markakis. Maybe I'm drinking the orange Kool-Aid here, but I think it's a strong possibility in this topsy-turvy season that we're talking playoffs definitely in Baltimore and maybe in Washington. As the saying went, "Why not?" BTW, I'm planning to go back to Nats Park to see Chen and Strasburg on Sunday. There's a duel to watch.
I'm not a jerk or anything, but it feels good seeing the Orioles, once again, pull out a close win.
It's great to see "both" teams in contention, maybe a Parkway series someday. How great would that be, could go to both stadiums with ease. I like the way both teams have built their teams.......... Rockville.....was Senators country