By Jake Russell
This week, Annapolis becomes the home to a back-to-back champion, the Orioles continue to hunt down a Wild Card spot, and the Nationals look for respectability. The Caps make a quality signing and the Terps haul in some strong recruits.
The city of Annapolis is proud to celebrate the Chesapeake Bayhawks (9-5), who captured their second Major League Lacrosse championship in as many years with their 10-9 victory over the Charlotte Hounds on Sunday at PPL Park in Chester, Pa. The team has won five titles overall, making them the winningest franchise in MLL history. John Grant, Jr. earned MLL Championship MVP honors with four goals on the day. Goalie Kip Turner put on a strong performance saving 14 shots, a lot of them forcing him to stretch out to make the save.
The Baltimore Orioles (70-59) have won three of their last four, with two of those wins coming from this past weekend's series against the Oakland Athletics. Chris Davis continues to assault the stat sheet, belting out his 46th home run and 118th RBI this weekend. The team sent veteran pitcher Freddy Garcia to the Atlanta Braves for cash. Garcia had been with AAA Norfolk since June. Next game: vs. Boston Red Sox, August 27, 7:10 p.m.
The Washington Nationals (65-65) reached a game over .500 for the first time since July 14 but fell back to .500 with a loss to the Kansas City Royals on Sunday. With a dreadful month of July behind them, the Nats have improved in the month of August. The team is 11-5 in their last 16 games. The team traded a clubhouse favorite when they sent catcher Kurt Suzuki back to the Oakland Athletics, where he had played until Washington acquired him over a year ago. The team received right-handed pitcher Dakota Bacus in return. The Nats also sent David DeJesus to the Tampa Bay Rays for a player to be named later or cash. DeJesus was acquired from the Chicago Cubs early last week after the Nats claimed him off waivers, who then placed him back on waivers and was claimed by Tampa Bay. The Nats then orchestrated a trade to Tampa. Next game: vs. Miami Marlins, August 27, 7:05 p.m.
The Washington Capitals addressed an important need last week by signing former Toronto Maple Leaf Mikhail Grabovski , who looks to compete for the second-line center role left vacant by the departure of Mike Ribeiro to the Phoenix Coyotes earlier this offseason. Grabovski, who signed a one-year, $3 million deal, arrives in Washington at a much cheaper cost than Ribeiro, who signed a four-year, $22 million deal to head west back in July.
The Maryland Terrapins received some good recruiting news last week for both the football and basketball teams. The football team received commitments from Jesse Aniebonam , the 6'5", 240 pound defensive end out of Good Counsel High School in Olney, Md., and JUCO transfer Larry Mazyck , an offensive tackle from Iowa Western Community College. The basketball team added Trayvon Reed , the 7'1" center out of Shiloh High School in Snelville, Ga. The Terps basketball team reportedly has the third best recruiting class for 2014, behind only Ohio State and North Carolina.
D.C. United (3-17-5) came to a draw against Toronto FC on Saturday at R.F.K. Stadium. The black and red maintained possession for 62 percent of the game and logged 21 shots. Dwayne De Rosario scored the team's lone goal and goalkeeper Bill Hamid saved two shots. Next game: at New York Red Bulls, August 31, 8 p.m.
The Bowie Baysox (67-66) dropped two of three to the best team in the Eastern League, the Binghamton Mets last week and split a four-game series against the New Britain Rock Cats this weekend. Next game: vs. Binghamton Mets, August 26, 7:05 p.m.
The Washington Mystics (13-15) are making an unlikely surge towards a playoff spot despite a sluggish stretch in late July and early August. Ivory Latta continues to lead the team with 13.7 points per game and 4.4 assists per game. Crystal Langhorne leads the team with seven rebounds per game. Next game: at Atlanta Dream, August 28, 7 p.m.
