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Baltimore Orioles derailed by lack of attention to detail

Shane Baz pitched well enough to win tonight for the Baltimore Orioles. And the Birds had their chances. But even the best pitcher on earth can’t win games if the team around him can’t pay attention to detail in games. That’s as Baz’s fate tonight at Yankee Stadium. Baz’s line: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 6 R (5 earned), 5 BB, 4 K.

After the O’s stranded one in the first, New York led off their half of the frame with a Grisham double. That brought up Judge, who’s always an at-bat of consequence. Baz worked Judge to a 2-2 count. He threw an 89 MPH slider, and it was called ball three.

The pitch track seemed to indicate that it caught the bottom of the box. There isn’t one person in the ballpark, or watching at home on television who thought that wouldn’t be overturned by way of an ABS challenge…

…except Adley Rutschman. To be clear, Rutschman is cerebral, which is a good thing. However the ABS system doesn’t reward that. It rewards decisiveness – right or wrong. I agree with Rutschman’s apparent conservative philosophy in terms of challenging, Play it safe, and ensure that you have an option to challenge toward the end of the ballgame.

But maybe Rutschman took that too much to heart. Again, play it safe. But that pitch was in the zone; literally every replay and pitch track showed that. It would have been strike three upon review, and the Orioles would have been out of the inning. Instead, Judge hit a two-run home run, giving New York a 2-0 lead.

Grisham would double in the third, and advance to third base on a throwing error by Leody Taveras. Bellinger’s sac fly would tack onto New York’s lead making it 3-1. Again, the result of a mental lapse.

Colton Cowser quietly had a good game at the plate. He walked in his first at-bat, and then came up with the bases loaded in the sixth. He didn’t drive the ball and net a power hit with runners in scoring position. But he didn’t drive draw a walk. And in doing so he cut the NY lead to 3-1.

In the home half of the frame New York appeared to record the final out of the inning at home plate when Baz uncorked a wild pitch and a runner from third was called out. Yet..:New York did what the Orioles didn’t. They challenged. And they won.

Somehow, they were rewarded for rolling the dice. They put two additional runs on the board before the inning ended. And six more in the eighth, defeating the Orioles 12-1. Needless to say, this was another one which got away from the O’s. The game was closer than the score indicates. But still a loss.

It’s too easy to point at that minuscule moment in the first inning – the Adley Rutschman challenge. I thought it was a strike. I thought it might have been worth challenging. I also have replay. Rutschman did not. The rules mandate that he goes out on a limb and runs a risk to potentially get a call.

Of course, Judge hit a home run. And while the final said 12-1, it wasn’t a 12-1 game – until the end. However that moment did set the tone. And it illuminates the fact that the Orioles refuse to be bold. New York, despite their talent, fights for everything. They were challenging calls late into the game, and well after the outcome wasn’t in question. They didn’t care. They weren’t about to give away outs. The Orioles weren’t sure, so true to my own philosophy, they sat on their hands.

The O’s now head to South Beach to open a three-game set with Miami at loanDepot Park. Christ Bassitt gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Miami’s Sandy Alcantera. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles fall due to defensive mishaps and poor lineup construction

Trey Gibson was put in an impossible position by the Baltimore Orioles today. Beat New York in the Bronx, while they’re having everything in their grasp bounce the right way. Also to be the Orioles’ stopper – this in his major league debut. In what should have been the most exciting moment of his life, he was thrown into a pressure situation. And he delivered. Gibson’s line: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 2 K.

Unfortunately for Gibson, he was also pitching against New York’s Fried – their ace, and one of the best pitchers in baseball. While Fried didn’t have a great game and looked uncomfortable at times, he still is who he is. As a result, the Orioles used what I would term a less than impactful lineup, in an effort to stack the deck with all righties.

Gibson gave up two home runs. One to Rice in the first, and one to Judge in the third. Home runs are going to happen, especially to rookies the first was a solo shot – no harm no foul. The Judge home run SHOULD have been a solo shot. But Weston Wilson and Blaze Alexander almost collided in shallow left field, allowing Rice’s flair to drop as a double.

However Wilson also got aboard in the second and promptly stole second base. He would score on an RBI-single by Blaze Alexander. This of course before that defensive mishap.

The Orioles did hang around in this game. They would take advantage of Fried not being himself and load the bases with nobody out in the fourth. Leody Taveras’ infield RBI-single cut the lead to 3-2. It also kept the bases loaded, and the O’s would eventually tie it. This as Jeremiah Jackson grounded into a double-play, scoring the third run of the game for the O’s.

That was a huge moment. The Orioles could have put a crooked number up on a few different occasions, but they opted for piecemeal runs. Mind you, that’s not the worst thing – no runs would be worse. But if you play for one run, that might be all you get.

The game remained tied until the sixth when NY put a runner at third with one out. McMahon grounded to Coby Mayo at first base, who appeared to try to throw the ball home before he cleanly had it. Instead, the run scored and McMahon was safe at first base. The O’s got out of the inning without further incident, but they trailed 4-3.

That was ruled an infield RBI-single. But it’s also a play Coby Mayo has to make. Of course you want to cut off the run. It goes without saying. But you have to know when to live to fight another day. The correct play there was to take the out at first base.

New York took a one-run lead into the last of the eighth, and then exploded. They put up eight runs against Oriole pitching, resulting in an 11-3 win. Much of that against Andrew Kitteredge. The play that really glares however was once again on Coby Mayo. With two runners on, Caballero sent a swinging bunt up the third base line. Mayo I explicably tried to field the ball, presumably to make the play at first base.

It was a play he wasn’t ever going to make, despite having a good arm. However the ball was clearly rolling foul. Instead by touching the ball, it was an infield hit. And New York made the Orioles pay.

Analytics say to load your lineup with righties when you face a guy like Fried. I understand that, however is it really worth sacrificing defense for that? You leave a guy like Gunnar Henderson on the bench for that reason? I think you’re handicapping the lineup doing that.

Analytics are important. But not at the price of sound logic. Coby Mayo made two massive mistakes in this game, ironically from both corners of the infield. (He switched to third later in the game.) You can’t allow that to happen. The mistake at first led directly to New York taking the lead.

The Orioles’ front office has more data than they know what to do with. You can’t win games on computers – this isn’t Atari or Nintendo. This is baseball. Computers don’t play the game. Humans do.

Incidentally, I’m not saying that the Orioles should throw in the towel on this year. It’s too early for that. But toss the computer analytics out the Warehouse window. And maybe look around and see if a trade can be made for a veteran or someone with some experience to help steady the ship.

The series concludes tomorrow night at Yankee Stadium. Shane Baz gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Cam Schlittler. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Attacking the strike zone wins games

Kyle Bradish actually pitched better than the numbers indicate today at Yankee Stadium. Not great, but better than the numbers might indicate. He didn’t get much help. Bradish’s line: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R (4 earned), 4 BB, 4 K.

Bradish gave up a solo homer in the second to Bellinger. A walk and a double in the third put two runners in scoring position. Rice struck out for the second out of the inning, however a run would score on a pass ball by Adley Rutschman. After an intentional walk, Bellinger’s RBI-double extended the lead to 3-0.

Granted, Bradish put the runners on base. But a run scoring on a pass ball in the wake of a strikeout doesn’t exactly reflect on him. Needless to say, it’s a team effort. Unless of course you’re hitting solo home runs, which Pete Alonso did in the fourth to cut the lead to 3-1.

Bradish, along with just about every other pitcher on the staff, doesn’t attack the strike zone. Oriole pitchers are trying to live under and outside of the strike zone. Opposing teams know this, which is why they at times look unbeatable against the Orioles. That’s why you see so many wonky plays. The ball goes all over the place. That’s why so many times balls are just outside the reach of fielders, or line drives split defenders.

You can’t win games that way. It could also be why we see so many two-out rallies. Teams know what to look for. They have analytics also. And they can almost predict what’s coming. That should be glaring to the people in the front office who chart out the direction of the organization, especially as it happened again in the last of the fourth when Grisham smacked a two-run home run with two outs to extend the lead to 5-1.

Following a second solo homer by Bellinger in the fifth, the O’s did try to come back in the sixth. Tried. They loaded the bases with nobody out. However Pete Alonso would only plate one with a GIDP. However later in the inning Samuel Basallo would smack a pinch hit RBI-double, cutting the lead to 6-3.

Dylan Beavers walked to lead off the seventh, and would later steal two bases. Taylor Ward would ground out, scoring Beavers. It’s risky to attempt two steals – but Beavers did, he was safe, and he later scored, bringing the O’s to within two at 6-4.

Bellinger was a pest all day. With two on in the home half of the seventh his infield RBI-single extended the lead to 7-4. It ticked off of Jeremiah Jackson’s glove. Valiant effort, but just out of reach. Again, you wonder if the strategy of staying out of the strike zone doesn’t work counteractive to the Orioles’ intentions. All guys have to do is make contact and get the ball in play – and all bets are off.

Later in the inning Chisholm’s RBI-single would extend the lead to 8-4. Tyler O’Neill flubbed the ball slightly in right field. When he played the ball back into second base, Gunnar Henderson seemed to forget there was a runner behind him at third. The sad thing is Bellinger (the runner) didn’t appear to be looking to score. When Henderson didn’t make an attempt to throw home, he broke for the plate and scored easily. Ruled an RBI and a run scored on an error – charged to O’Neill.

The error may have been on O’Neill, but Gunnar Henderson can’t have mental lapses like that. And he wasn’t the only one who did things like that – today, or this season. You have to focus and pay attention. That’s something that shows up in the scorebook as an E9, but it’s an intangible thing which can’t be allowed to happen.

The Orioles need to start attacking the strike zone and clean up the mental lapses – and fast. When you look at the great Oriole rotations of the past, they had power pitchers – like Jim Palmer and Mike Flanagan. As hellbent on analytics at all costs as the current Front Office is, would it shock anyone if their attitude is they’d rather guys fly or ground out to save pitches?

That’s a theory – not an absolute. Strikeouts usually take a lot more pitches. So since efficiency is at a premium, the only explanation for infernally having your pitchers throw pitches outside the zone is you want to get them to put the ball in play early and record an out.

Again, this needs to be figured out quickly. It would also attest for how often we see soft contact. Opposing teams are doing everything they can to just put the ball in play. And the fielders are positioned in spots not anticipating wayward contact. Accounting for the number of softly hit singles, AND two out rallies.

On top of that, the Orioles are calling up pitching prospect Trey Gibson to make tomorrow’s start. A rookie, making his big league debut, against New York, in the Bronx. And being asked to be a stopper.

The series continues tomorrow at Yankee Stadium. The aforementioned Trey Gibson gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Max Fried. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: You have to attack the strike zone

Chris Bassitt attacked the strike zone in game one of this afternoon’s doubleheader against Houston for the Baltimore Orioles. Brandon Young tried to live on the corners and outside of the strike zone in the second game. The Birds blew Houston out in the first game. Not so much in the second. Young’s line: 4.0 IP, 10 H, 10 R (7 earned), 2 BB, 2 K.

In short, Houston had two big innings in the ballgame. Those being the first and the fourth. Harris’ two-RBI single in the first set the tone, giving Houston a 2-0 lead. Later in the inning a three-run home run by Smith extended the lead to 5-0.

Alvarez would tack on a solo home run in the second, before Houston would tack on six in the fourth inning. They led 10-0 at that point, and sent nine to the plate in the inning. However the fourth inning was also noteworthy because Pete Alonso got the O’s on the board with an RBI-double, and Leody Taveras would cut the lead to 10-3 with a two-RBI triple.

Houston would tack on an additional run in the fifth on a wild pitch. But the O’s would tack on two more before all was said and done. Gunnar Henderson’s RBI-double in the seventh, and Coby Mayo’s sac fly-RBI in the ninth. But the O’s fell in the second game of two, 11-5.

I wrote this a lot last year; you HAVE to attack the strike zone. Whichever AI program the Orioles use which tells them to live off the plate isn’t working. We often hear that pitchers don’t want to give in and throw a fastball. Sometimes that’s how you make your living.

If you don’t attack the strike zone, firstly you’ll walk a lot of guys. But the second phase of this is that opposing teams seemingly know where the ball is going to be – BECAUSE they have the same AI/analytical programs. So they’re sitting on your cutter or sweeper off the plate, similar to how they might sit on a fastball. Which defeats the purpose.

You have to attack the strike zone. I’m not suggesting that you should live in the middle of the plate – BAD IDEA. But that’s why mixing your pitches is important. And we saw that contrast in game one vs. game two.

All of that said, fans should keep in mind that the Orioles did take two of three from Houston. They split a doubleheader, which is the law of averages. In fact, teams in generaly dislike doubleheaders – not because of the lack of rest, but because it’s all but accepted that you end up splitting it. Meaning it’s a guaranteed loss.

Again, two of three. That should be the goal in every series. So consider this a bounce back series after the Boston series over the weekend.

The O’s now head to New York to open up a four-game weekend set at Yankee Stadium. The Birds are yet to announce a starter for tomorrow night’s game, but whomever he is will be opposed by New York’s Will Warren. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Shane Baz leads the night

Shane Baz took the mound tonight at Camden Yards for the Baltimore Orioles against Houston in what shaped up to be a huge game. Houston was dominated this past weekend by New York, and the Orioles dropped two-of-three to a previously hapless Boston team which dismissed its manager while in Baltimore. Luckily for the Birds, Baz delivered. Baz’s line: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

The biggest factor for Baz? He attacked the strike zone. This as opposed to us seeing over the past year-and-a-half or so where pitchers tried to live on the corners and off and under the plate most games. And early on at that. Baz attacked the zone and attacked Houston hitters from the beginning, which set the tone.

That combined with a solid approach at the plate set the gears of this game in motion for the Orioles. Gunnar Henderson led off the last of the first with a double. He would later score after being moved to third on an RBI-single by Adley Rutschman. After Rutschman himself was sacrificed to third he would score on Samuel Basallo’s RBI-double.

The Orioles exercised a bit of small ball there. Which kind you isn’t always perfect because in short you’re playing for one run. But they did it twice, and in fact yielded two – one run each time. But it got them an early lead. Which again set the tone.

That lead would hold up until the top of the fifth when Houston would get on the board with a solo homer by Matthews. However Oriole bats were also poised to come to life again that inning. Pete Alonso smacked a two-run home run in the bottom of the inning, giving the Birds a 4-1 lead.

Adley Rutschman would also have a great day at the plate, tacking on an RBI-single in the seventh. Houston would threaten once more, putting two runs on the board in the eighth. But the Birds got out of the inning without further incident, and took game one of three, 5-3.

After a lackluster effort this past weekend and an off day yesterday, this was a huge win for the O’s. This was one they needed. With an outstanding effort by Shane Baz, it brings them back to a game within .500.

The series continues tomorrow evening at Camden Yards. Chris Bassitt gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Houston’s Peter Lambert. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Little details add up

The Baltimore Orioles extended a small lifeline to a beleaguered opponent this afternoon. Boston of course dismissed almost their entire coaching staff yesterday. Kyle Bradish walked a tightrope through most of his outing, which eventually came to an end. Bradish’s line: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 3 K.

I say he walked a tightrope because Bradish did allow runners on base. Taylor Ward threw a runner out at third in the second inning after a fly out, resulting in a double-play. In other situations Bradish was able to reach back and get a strikeout or fly out.

Similar to yesterday, Boston ran all over the Orioles today. As the game wore on, anytime someone got on base, he’d steal second on Samuel Basallo. That’s a huge problem going forward. The book on the Orioles is becoming that their catchers can’t hold runners.

Durbin stole second in the fifth after getting on base with an infield single. He smacked a grounder to Gunnar Henderson, who dove to field it but fumbled over his feet. Durbin would score on Monasterio’s RBI-single giving Boston a 1-0 lead.

Later in the inning Duran would ground into a force out at second. It should have been a double-play; but Gunnar Henderson couldn’t turn it in time. Had he shoveled it to second instead of taking it to the bag himself would he have turned two? Tough to say. But he couldn’t turn two, and Contreras’ subsequent two-run home run extended the lead to 3-0.

The O’s did make an attempt to get back into the game. Samuel Basallo smacked a solo home run in the fifth. However with a runner on first in the sixth Rafaela hit one all the way to the wall, and Dylan Beavers seemed to fumble it. That scored a fourth run, and Mayer’s RBI-single extended it to 5-1.

Gunnar Henderson would put the O’s back on the board again twice. He uncorked a solo home run in the sixth, and an RBI-single in the eighth inning. But the little things and details in the game added up. Whether it was an unturned double-play or too many stolen bases on Basallo, little things like that did the O’s in this afternoon.

And it’s not a game the Orioles should have lost. Boston was listless on the heels of their manager and his coaching by staff being canned. They were ripe for the picking. And the Birds couldn’t muster much. End of the day, you move on and improve.

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Baltimore Orioles: Opponent in flux

The Baltimore Orioles lost to Boston by 16 runs yesterday, as we know. So the timing certainly seems odd for Boston to fire manager Alex Cora and a handful of other coaches. What, had they won by 20 would they still have jobs?!

Probably not. I suspect that owner John Henry mad the decision to let go of Cora (and others) after the Orioles beat Boston on Friday night. But when yesterday’s game time was moved up due to impending weather, they had to let him manage yesterday’s game because of the quick turnaround.

They also had to give new interim manager Chad Tracy time to join his new team. Tracy was formerly the manager at triple-A Worcester. At 40, Tracy isn’t even the youngest manager in the major leagues.

Keep in mind that at least on paper, this is the second time Cora’s parted ways with Boston. After he was suspended for a year in 2020 due to his roll in the Houston Astros’ cheating scandal, the organization announced a “mutual parting of ways.” Yet when his suspension ended he was “rehired.”

If you’re a Boston fan, you can’t be thrilled with the start to the season. However firing a manager this early is a draconian move, and it reaks of desperation. Never mind the message that firing most of the coaching staff sends.

The Orioles fired Brandon Hyde last year on May 17th. I thought that was draconian also, however needless to say it was a few weeks further into the season. Furthermore Hyde was an employee that the current ownership inherited. Alex Cora’s been involved with John Henry for a long time. He won a World Series as the manager of the Boston Red Sox.

So I would submit that in the absence of evidence that Cora behaved inappropriately or anything along those lines, this is a black mark on ownership. Not only is it overly-draconian for this point in one season, but it’s a manager with a long history with the franchise. Simply put, you don’t treat someone like that.

That aside, the Orioles now face off against an opponent very much in flux this afternoon. It’s entirely possible that some of the players may be meeting their new coaches for the first time when they get to Camden Yards this morning. (Many of them may already be familiar with him, of course.) One would think that sort of confusion would bode well for the O’s today.

One would think. Those can often be famous last words. I suspect that it goes without saying that the bludgeoning the Orioles took yesterday was an anomaly for this year. That sort of game happens to every team at least once. I use the term anomaly because keep in mind that the final ten runs of the game came in the ninth inning against a reliever just back from injury (Keegan Akin, who probably shouldn’t have been back for the ninth inning as it stood), and a position player.

But teams have a way of rallying. The Orioles need to make sure Boston isn’t able to do that today. Obviously they got a shot in the arm with yesterday’s game. It took the 2025 Orioles a few games to win for the first time under Tony Mansolino. Different situation, obviously. But the last thing the Orioles want to do is put their Boston opponents in a position to say we’re so happy to have been able to win for Alex today.

Again, I see this as a black mark on Boston ownership. You have to stay the course in life, and in sports. Firing the manager and virtually the entire coaching staff in April is a failure on an organizational level. Hopefully the Orioles can take full advantage today. Especially seeing that they’re playing against an inexperienced young man who’s managing a new team in a big league dugout for the first time.

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Baltimore Orioles: Two-strike rallies burn Trevor Rogers

It was a different story this afternoon at Camden Yards for Trevor Rogers and the Baltimore Orioles. This after last night’s game against Boston. And in a three-game series, that can often happen. But Rogers had an especially rough go of things. Rogers’ line: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K.

I suspect that Craig Alberbaz had Rogers penciled in for more than 1.2 innings today. Admittedly I was a little surprised that he pulled Rogers when he did. But it was obvious that Rogers didn’t have it. Although he did send Boston down 1-2-3 innings the first.

Boston made a point of going into deep counts. Rogers gave up a double in the second, and later an RBI-double by Durbin – who immediately stole third base. Kiner-Falefa’s RBI-single extended the lead to 2-0. Rafaela would tack on an RBI-single of his own before Rogers exited and the inning ended.

All of those various hits and RBI came with two outs. On pitches that were well out of the strike zone. We saw a lot of that last year if you recall. Opposing teams hitting pitches they shouldn’t, and to spots they shouldn’t. On counts they shouldn’t. All with either two strikes or two outs. Sometimes both.

Boston, behind their starter, Crochet, was very deliberate. Crochet seemed to find himself in a sense on the mound, and Boston attacked anything and everything. They also ran early and often. It was a Kiner-Falefa stolen base that led to Boston extending the lead to 4-0 in the fourth on a sac fly-RBI by Rafaela.

Boston would load the bases in the fifth, and Wong’s first pitch swinging bases-clearing double extended the lead to 7-0. The O’s would put one on the board with a run-scoring groundout in the seventh by Leody Taveras. Keegan Akin pitched a successful eighth, but the ninth was another story…

…he surrendered five runs. Including a grand slam by Monsaaterio. Before the inning ended, Boston would tack on five more on two different home runs. That’s ten runs for Boston in the ninth alone. The last five were against Weston Wilson, a position player. The runs still count. But that does make a difference. It also saved a bullpen reliever.

As I said, Crochet seemed to find himself. For one day at least. You have to hope that Boston as a team didn’t do that also.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Connelly Early. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Brandon Young, Oriole bats, engineer a Boston Massacre

The Baltimore Orioles called up Brandon Young to make the start this evening against Boston in game one of three at Camden Yards, after Dean Kremer went to the IL with a strained quad. Young gave the Orioles everything they could have ever wanted out of a starter, much less one who was called up this morning for the start. Young’s line: 5.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

The best part? Young got a little help from his friends. Gunnar Henderson set the tone for the game with a solo home run in the top of the first inning. Following a single from Taylor Ward, Adley Rutschman came to the plate. And in doing so he promptly left the yard, giving the Birds a 3-0 lead…before the O’s had even recorded an out.

Before the inning ended however, Dylan Beavers would add a solo shot of his own. Boston attempted a mini-comeback in the second with an Abreu homer, but it was an isolated incident. The O’s still led, 4-1.

Adley Rutschman would ground into an RBI-fielders choice to restore the four-run margin in the second. One inning later, the homer parade continued with a solo shot by Samuel Basallo. Rutschman would come back up to bat in the fourth, and smacked a two-run home run. That gave the Birds an 8-1 lead.

Boston would tack on a run in the fifth on an RBI-fielder’s choice. However the best Boston could do on this night was piecemeal a run here or there together. This was the game for which the Orioles had waited, perhaps since the end of the 2023 regular season.

Injuries play a role in why games like this haven’t happened. Well, that’s not entirely accurate. They HAVE happened – to the Orioles. Since that 2023 season, we’ve seen multiple games where the opponent has just bludgeoned the O’s from the beginning. Tonight it was the opposite. And yes, Boston came into the game struggling. They’re giving off 2025 Orioles vibes. And the Orioles of 2026 took full advantage.

Coby Mayo would add a solo homer in the fifth, and Mayer’s RBI-double in the fifth would get Boston to within 9-3. But no reason to let them get any closer. Adley Rutschman added an RBI-single in the seventh, tying a career high with six RBI. Samuel Basallo also had a four-hit game. In total, the Birds registered 20 hits in the game.

With the start time for tomorrow’s game being moved up by four hours due to an impending rain storm, Boston having to dig into the bullpen early is a positive derivative of today’s game. The Orioles would have liked for Young to go slightly deeper into the game before exiting for the same reason. But you take how Young pitched during his time in the game and run with it. He was outstanding.

The series continues tomorrow at Camden Yards. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Garrett Crochet. Game time has been moved up and is now set for just after 12:00 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Don’t let guys on base

Shane Baz was good last night for the Baltimore Orioles in Kansas City. He also had his starting catcher, Adley Rutschman, back from injury. Baz didn’t get a quality start, but he pitched well enough to win. Baz’s line: 6.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 4 K.

The Birds put two on base in the second, and Coby Mayo smacked a three-run home run. The Orioles led 3-0, and appeared to be off to the races. However Kansas City chipped away. Massey’s sac fly-RBI in the bottom of the frame cut the lead to 3-1. That was aided by a Baz wild pitch, advancing the runner to third.

Garcia’s RBI-double in the fifth would cut the lead to 3-2. he would later steal third base, and then score on a sac fly-RBI by Pasquantino. That tied the game in the fifth.

Kansas City took a brief lead in the seventh on Witt’s sac fly-RBI. Aldo a derivative of a stolen base. However one inning later it was the Orioles who got the lead back – albeit also briefly. Adley Rutschman’s two-run homer gave them a 5-4 lead.

But again, a brief lead. Massey’s solo home run in the last of the eighth tied it back up at five. Ryan Helsley came in to pitch the ninth in a tie game, and walked the first two hitters. He did buckle down and strike out the next hitter, but the two runners advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch. Yes, a strikeout and a wild pitch in the same moment. Helsley would later uncork another wild pitch which ticked away from Rutschman, allowing the winning run to score.

The scoring in this game was consistent with how both teams do things. The Orioles relied on the home run ball. Kansas City took advantage of runners getting on base, and advancing on base. Every runner is a potential run. And when you allow those runners to advance, you come closer and closer to allowing that.

The series concludes this afternoon at Kauffman Stadium. Chris Bassitt gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Kansas City’s Michael Wacha. Game time is set for just after 2 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Biggest win of the season

The Baltimore Orioles and Kyle Bradish were reminded last night of why baseball is such a great game. Oriole bats couldn’t do much until late. But neither could Kansas City. Bradish’s line: 5.1 IP, 10 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 7 K.

Bradish was good last night. Plain and simple. They say that solo home runs won’t hurt you. That is assuming you can muster a single run preferably more. If you can’t do that, yes solo home runs will very much hurt you. As we moved through the game, the solo homer by Caglianone in the third seemed to stand up for Kansas City.

Gunnar Henderson led off the game by being picked off at first base. It happened again in the ninth. Those may have been the Orioles’ best shot to get on the board.

Until it wasn’t. Samuel Basallo’s RBI-single in the top of the ninth drove in a run, tying the game at one. Basallo was down to his final strike – as were the Orioles. The teams couldn’t score in the tenth, but with the ghost runner being a factor, Dylan Beavers’ run-scoring single in the eleventh gave the Birds a 2-1 lead.

Down to his final out and strike in the bottom of the inning, Witt smacked a run-scoring single. Also the result of the ghost runner. And we played on.

You have to work hard to win a game at the big league level. It isn’t easy. Luckily the Orioles have guys who are gamers as well.

The ghost runner of course is in play in every inning of extra’s. Samuel Basallo led off the twelfth for the Birds, and smacked a run scoring single putting the O’s back in the lead at 3-2. A single and a walk later, the bases were loaded with nobody out.

Leody Taveras came to the plate with the O’s smelling an insurance run or two. Taveras didn’t deliver that – an insurance run or two. He didn’t better than that. He smacked a grand slam, propelling the Orioles deep into the lead at 7-2.

And they needed all of those runs in a sense. Kansas City loaded the bases also, and Loftin’s bases-clearing double cut the lead to 7-5. But the O’s closed it out after that, to take game one in Kansas City.

The season is young. But this is the biggest win of the year to date. The O’s struggled at the plate all night. But every time it really mattered, they found a way. It may have been at the eleventh hour, but they found a way.

The series continues this evening at Kauffman Stadium. Shane Baz gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Kansas City’s Kris Bubic. Game time is set for just after 7:30 PM,

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Baltimore Orioles: Failed by inside-out strategy?

The Baltimore Orioles put runners on base today in Cleveland from the get go. You almost expected Trevor Rogers to come into the game with a lead. But that wasn’t to be the case. Rogers’ line: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 6 R (5 earned), 2 BB, 5 K.

Rogers committed a fielding error in the third, failing to tag first base on what should have been a routine put out. The runner would later score in Kwan’s sacrifice fly. That’s always been what AL Central teams do – you give them a slight amount of daylight and they find a way to make you pay.

Ramirez would continue his dominance of the Orioles with a fourth inning solo homer. Later in the inning Brito’s two-RBI double would double the lead to 4-0. Rocchio would add an RBI-single, and the Orioles trailed 5-0.

But the Orioles battled back. They would put two on in the fifth and Taylor Ward would smack a three-run home run to cut the lead to 5-3. The Birds would proceed to load the bases later in the inning. Dylan Beavers would ground into a fielder’s choice, which should have been an inning-ending play. However Jeremiah Jackson slid in safely at second instead of recording an out, allowing the O’s to cut the lead to 5-4.

But Cleveland was too much. They did the small things, and the big ones. Ramirez would hit a second solo home run in the last of the fifth, abd Rocchio’s two-RBI single in the eighth gave Cleveland some insurance. And they went home 8-4 winners over the Birds.

The Orioles swing for the fences every pitch – this in a figurative manner. Teams like Cleveland try to do the small things. That makes it all the more difficult to accept when extra-base hits get taken away by fielders making diving and outstanding plays – which happened several times today.

The two solo homers by Ramirez – they were on pitches that were either on the fringes of the plate, or off the plate entirely. And that was true of almost every pitch in the game. It’s been true most of the season, and it was true last year.

Obviously you don’t want pitches to be right down broadway. But what whichever computer program the Orioles are using to chart pitches can’t quite seem to grasp is that you have to attack the strike zone. Sometimes you have to overpower hitters. Obviously if you throw pitches off the plate, you’re going to eventually have runners on base. And eventually (as we’ve been seeing), opponents are going to actually know to look for pitches off the plate – and they’re going to go out or down to get them.

Offensively, if you prove you’re going to swing at balls, they’re going to throw you balls. The Orioles don’t want to work counts – they want to sit on a fastball and hit it a long way. To be clear, home runs do win you games. But that can’t be the only way in perpetuity.

The Orioles now head to Kansas City to open up a three-game set at Kauffman Stadium. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Kansas City’s Seth Lugo. Game time is set for just after 7:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Jeremiah Jackson leads the Birds to an unlikely win

After dropping a few games, the Baltimore Orioles needed a win last night at Progressive Field in Cleveland. Starter Chris Bassit walked a tightrope throughout his outing, but remained clean in the runs box. Bassit’s line: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 2 K.

Bassit pitched himself into a few jams, namely loading the bases. But he also pitched out of those jams. The same was true on the other side as well. The Birds were able to put runners on, just not get them in. They would square balls up and hit them hard, but they would either be right at someone or the fielder would make the play of his life to get to it.

The O’s loaded the bases again in the last of the seventh, with the final runner being out on by an intentional walk. Grant Wolfram entered the game, and immediately struck out a hitter for the second out. But the Birds couldn’t walk the tightrope again, as Wolfram surrendered a grand slam to Schneeman, and the O’s trailed 4-0.

After dangling by a thread the entire game, it appeared that the O’s wouid fall to their fourth straight loss. But baseball can be funny. Especially when there’s still an inning or two left.

The Orioles turned around and loaded the bases in the eighth with nobody out. This on two walks and a hitter batsman. Jonathan Rodriguez’s sac fly-RBI cut the lead to 4-1. Following a walk, Weston Wilson slugged the O’s back into the game with a two-RBI double, cutting the lead to 4-3.

That in and of itself was something, right? In a tie game if you give up a late grand slam, you probably feel like it’s over. Not this team. Jeremiah Jackson came to the plate with two runners still on in the eighth. And…

…his three-run homer propelled the Orioles into the lead. In the sequence of events leading to Cleveland’s grand slam, Jackson’s error helped to load the bases. I’d say he more than made up for it.

Cleveland went relatively quietly after that.. And how could they not?! They had their moment. Then it was the Orioles’ turn. And behind a mammoth shot by Jeremiah Jackson, they seized their opportunity.

The series continues this evening at Progressive Field. Dean Kremer gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Cleveland’s Gavin Williams. Game time is set for just after 6 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Tough loss in Cleveland opener

The Baltimore Orioles didn’t get their first hit in tonight’s game in Cleveland until the 9th inning. Shane Baz surrendered four runs, but also put his team in a spot to win. Oriole bats just didn’t cooperate until the end. Baz’s line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 6 K.

Following a first inning walk, Baz surrendered a two-run homer to Ramirez to give Cleveland a 2-0 lead. However as the game wore on the O’s couldn’t even muster a hit. Cleveland would tack on two more as the game wore on, taking a 4-0 lead into the ninth.

The question is, how could the O’s not even get a hit to that point? This against a starter in Cleveland’s Messick, who’s a rookie? The answer is that Oriole bats were impatient this evening. Very impatient.

You have to work counts. You can’t swing at the first halfway decent pitch you see. Furthermore, keep in mind that the league knows that the Orioles adhere only to analytics. Do we think that even a rookie pitcher isn’t going to know to pitch them a certain way, inducing outs?

However luckily, even Messick tired. Leody Taveras’ single in the ninth broke up the no-hitter. One thing led to another, and the Birds had the bases loaded with nobody out. Gunnar Henderson would get the O’s on the board with a sac fly-RBI. Pete Alonso would then smack an RBI-double, and the O’s were in business. However Cleveland would close it out, and the O’s fell, 4-2.

On a side note, if you follow me on Twitter, I’ve been hacked! I’m not sure I can recover my account, but I’m trying – if possible at all, it may take a few days. But you can follow me on Threads at a similar handle: @@domenic_vadala.

The series continues tomorrow at Progressive Field. Chris Bassitt gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Cleveland’s Tanner Bibee. Game time is set for just after 6 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles’ win streak snapped at three

Trevor Rogers suffered his first loss of the season this evening at Camden Yards against Arizona. Also a game which snapped the Birds’ three-game winning streak. But you know what that means; time to start a new streak tomorrow. Rogers’ line: 4.2 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

The Orioles seemed to pick right up where they left off last night. Samuel Basallo smacked a solo homer in the second to give the O’s a 1-0 lead. The Orioles would also load the bases in the third, and tacked on a second run when Leody Taveras walked.

However that was all they got out of that inning. When you load the bases you need to yield more than one run. Only getting the one is a win for the defense.

Rogers would surrender a three-run homer to Vargas in the fifth, putting Arizona in the lead, 3-2. Fernandez would tack on an RBI-double, and Arizona extended their lead to 4-2. That stemmed from a single and a walk. Remember folks, nothing good happens after a walk.

The O’s did try to battle back. Leody Taveras’ RBI-single in the eighth cut the lead to 4-3. But Arizona closed out the Birds the rest of the way, ending their winning streak.

You have to take advantage of opportunities with runners on base. Arizona did tonight. The O’s didn’t. That’s the story of this game. But again, there’s always tomorrow, and a chance to win the series.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Arizona’s Eduardo Rodriguez. Game time is set for just after 12:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: “Action Jackson” for the win!

The Baltimore Orioles called Dean Kremer up from triple-A Norfolk for his first start of the season tonight. In short, “Deano” needs to prevent the long ball. That’s what plagued him tonight. Luckily his teammates picked him up. Kremer’s line: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R (2 earned), 0 BB, 9 K,

Kremer and the Orioles trailed from the first pitch. Marte hit it over the wall for a solo homer. Arizona appeared poised to make contact, and Kremer was pitching to contact. Not a good combination. The zero walks also indicates that. To prove he wasn’t kidding, Marte smacked another solo shot in the third to extend the lead to 2-0.

The O’s tried to battle back against Arizona starter, Nelson. Gunnar Henderson’s RBI-triple in the last of the third cut the lead to 2-1. However Arizona issued what they felt was a coup de grace with a two-run homer by Arenado in the fourth. To make matters worse, he would smack a three-run shot in the sixth, and the Birds trailed 7-1.

Needless to say, you don’t want to spot someone a 7-1 lead. That much goes without saying. However this is a group of Orioles who over the past few seasons have learned a thing or two about coming back. That’s one of the good parts about having a core group that’s played together for awhile. That and becoming new talent.

With two on in the last of the sixth, Leody Taveras smacked an RBI-single in the last of the sixth. A walk would then bring Jeremiah Jackson to the plate with the bases loaded. The rest, as they say, is history.

Keep in mind, Jackson wasn’t always going to be on the roster. At least to start the year. But due to injuries, he’s here. And it’s a darned good thing he is.

With the bases loaded in the last of the sixth, Jackson sent a deep fly ball to left. Bear in mind also that at one time the O’s trailed 7-1 – overall a fairly safe lead. But when Jackson’s shot in the sixth went over the wall, the comeback was on. Jackson’s grand slam cut the lead to 7-6.

One inning later the struggling Pete Alonso smacked a two-run home run to give the Orioles the lead at 8-7. But to show he wasn’t kidding, Jackson came back up in the eighth and smacked a solo home run. The Birds would close out Arizona in the ninth, and went home 9-7 winners.

Make no mistake, that’s the biggest and most surprising win of the young season. It’s the kind of game that fans saw in 2023. Despite Jeremiah Jackson being the MVP by far, this was also a big game for Pete Alonso. We may well look back on him stealing that base on Saturday night as the catalyst for a big season.

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Arizona’s Merrill Kelly. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Cade Povich gifts a win on his birthrst

The Baltimore Orioles sent Cade Povich to the mound in this afternoon’s series finale with San Francisco at Camden Yards. The twist? It was his 26th birthday. Also the Oriole Bird’s birthday. And Povich didn’t back down on his special day. Povich’s line: 6.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 5 K.

Povich you’ll recall began the season in triple-A. He came up and last weekend gave the Orioles good innings to save the bullpen in Pittsburgh. As a result he was tabbed to start today. And on his birthday, he didn’t disappoint.

The two guys in the lineup who have been struggling the most, Pete Alonso and Samuel Basallo, may have attempted to break out today also. Mirroring last night( Alonso drew a walk in the last of the first. Which is good – despite the power outage, he’s getting on base.

Basallo followed, and smacked a two-run home run into the Orioles’ bullpen. With a 2-0 lead, Povich didn’t allow his first hit or base runner until the fifth. That runner would later score on an RBI-single by Susac. But he buckled down and closed out the inning.

That part’s big. You aren’t going to retire every batter. But you can attempt to limit damage when guys to get on. Povich stayed out of a big inning, and got back in the dugout.

In the home half of that fifth inning it was Alonso’s turn. With two runners on base, his two-RBI double extended the lead to 4-1. One inning later it was Coby Mayo’s turn, who followed through with an RBI-single to extend it to 5-1. Colton Cowser would tack on an infield RBI-single in the seventh, and San Francisco a solo homer by Schmidt in the ninth to run the final to 6-2.

Conventional wisdom says that Povich might be ticketed to go back to the minors. And in fact, the O’s need a starter tomorrow. But after this outing, who knows. He saved the bullpen, and steadied the ship even further.

As did Alonso and Basallo. Are things coming together more, despite the injuries? The future will tell us that. However that may have been the best start of Cade Povich’s career.

The Orioles are set to welcome in Arizona tomorrow night for the first of three at Camden Yards. The Orioles are yet to announce a starter, but Arizona will be throwing Ryne Nelson. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: In the clutch, it’s Gunnar Henderson

Trevor Rogers and the Baltimore Orioles ended up in a mid-afternoon matinee today at Rate Field in Chicago. Rogers left in line to be the loser, however he still dazzled. Rogers’ line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 6 K.

That’s a quality start, if you’re keeping score at home. This game was supposed to be a night game, however due to expected frigid temperatures this evening throughout Chicagoland, it was moved to the afternoon. A good move for everyone involved, and not the only game across MLB today which did that.

Chicago plates two runs in the third on Meidroth’s RBI-double, followed by Sosa’s RBI-single. Those were the only two runs that Rogers yielded. And again, he left in line to be the losing pitcher, but pitched to a quality start.

However Ryan Mountcastle would get the Birds on the board before Rogers departed, with an RBI-groundout in the fifth. Blaze Alexander would double a few innings later with one out in the eighth. He would later score on an RBI-double by Taylor Ward. And we went on tied at two.

But it wasn’t like that for long. Ward wasn’t on base for more than a few minutes. Because Gunnar Henderson was striding to the plate, with the fortunes of Birdland riding on his bat. And he didn’t let Orioles’ fans down.

Henderson sent a deep shot to right center, which cleared the wall for a two-run homer. Make no mistake, this was a big win for the O’s. On the heels of being swept in Pittsburgh, it feels like at the very least winning this series restores some sort of equilibrium to the operation. Granted, the Orioles beat a team they should have beaten. But that’s a start.

The series concludes tomorrow at Rate Field. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Sean Burke. Game time is set for 2:10 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: “Hell’s Bells” by the skin of their teeth

After having been swept in Pittsburgh, the Baltimore Orioles needed a win tonight on the south side of Chicago. It’s never easy, especially when you have to call up a starter from triple-A this early in the year – Brandon Young, in this case. Young’s line: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K.

Young stepped up big this evening fresh up from the minors, on a cold night. The Orioles needed a stopper. And he was it.

Following an Adley Rutschman walk in the fourth, Tyler O’Neill sent a flair down the left field line. Former Oriole Austin Hays was playing left field, and he appeared to pull up lame on the play. He was immediately removed, with an apparent injury. However the ball bounced fair, and in the shuffle Adley Rutschman was able to score and give the O’s a 1-0 lead.

Tyler O’Neill seemed shocked that the ball wasn’t caught, and on top of that shocked that it fell fair. In short, he should have been at second base. But it went as an RBI-single. That sort of mental lapse cannot happen. Run hard. Play hard.

Gunnar Henderson would add to the lead in the sixth with a solo homer, and the O’s took a 2-0 lead to the ninth when Ryan Helsley took the ball. Maybe it was the cold, but Helsley walked the first two hitters. He would later give up an RBI-groundout to Sosa, and put the winning run on due to a flukey infield single. But he ultimately closed the door on Chicago, helping the Orioles to snap a three-game losing streak.

The series continues tomorrow at Rate Field. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Shane Smith. The game was moved up into the afternoon due to expected frigid temperatures in the evening in Chicago, and will begin at 3:10 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles bitten by big innings again

The Baltimore Orioles ended up being swept this afternoon in Pittsburgh behind starter Chris Bassitt. Keep in mind, Bassitt wasn’t stellar in his first outing, but struggled even more this afternoon on an admittedly dreary day at PNC Park. Bassitt’s line: 2.0 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 0 K.

The zero strikeouts sticks out at me. Bassitt seemed to all but be trying NOT to throw the ball in the strike zone. Which is a lot of what we saw from Oriole starters last year. If you recall, the Birds lost by over 20 runs last year on Easter Sunday, an early indication that their pitching strategy wasn’t cutting it. To make matters worse, the game appeared to start well with a Taylor Ward single. He was immediately thrown out attempting to steal.

That set the tone for sure. Bassit hit the first hitter he faced, and later in the inning O’Hearn gave Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer. Bassitt would load the bases with nobody out in the second. He then induced what should have been a force out at home plate, save for the fact that the ball smacked off his leg. And everyone was safe.

Bassitt was checked out and was okay, despite the third run surrendered. However he would later surrender a sac fly-RBI, and a two-run homer to O’Hearn. And the O’s trailed 6-0 before Bassitt exited.

Granted, the third run is one of those what can you do sort of moments. Obviously you’re happy Bassitt wasn’t seriously hurt, that more than anything else. But plays like that seem to happen when things aren’t going well. O’Hearn had a great series against his former team. Why? Could it be because he was at least familiar with the Orioles’ at times infernal dedication to analytics?

Manager Craig Alberbaz earned his first managerial ejection after Blaze Alexander appeared to be quick pitched. Needless to say, that was more to show the players that he was still fighting, which is good. The Orioles did get on the board in the fourth on Pete Alonso’s RBI-double.

Cade Povich, just called up from Norfolk, followed Bassitt. And make no mistake that despite surrendering a two-run homer to Cruz in the sixth, he was the MVP today. He pitched 5.2 innings and really spared the bullpen any further unnecessary use. The O’s would get an RBI-single by Jeremiah Jackson in the seventh, but fell 8-2.

The Orioles now head to Chicago to open a three-game set with the ChiSox at Rate Field. The Birds are yet to name a starter, but whomever he is will be opposed by Chicago’s Erick Fedde. Game time is set for 7:40 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Mishaps, stranded runners, and poor challenges

Shane Baz labored almost through six innings for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon in Pittsburgh. The Birds have found this Pittsburgh lineup, which they should know well after the spring, to be very pesky the last two days. But needless to say, Baz put the O’s in a spot to win today. Baz’s line: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R (0 earned), 3 BB, 5 K.

Dylan Beavers got the Orioles on the board in the fourth with an RBI-single. Following a Coby Mayo walk, Leos Taveres would single him home with an RBI of his own. The Birds were unable to push anything else across, and led 2-0.

The only real mistake Baz made was a fielding error in the last of the fourth. That’s runner would later score on Horowitz’s sacrifice fly, cutting the lead to 2-1. The O’s were poised to tack on some insurance in the seventh, however Adley Rutschman lined out to O’Hearn in right field- O’Hearn, who made about the play of his life. That’s sometimes how the ball bounces.

The O’s also had Coby Mayo aboard in the eighth, representing another insurance run. Mayo was promptly picked off of first, erasing the threat. That’s the sort of day it was for the O’s.

Anthony Nunez pitched the eighth, and surrendered an infield single. Could have been an out, but it was mishandled by Coby Mayo at third – ruled a base hit. However that base runner haunted the O’s. Magnum came up with two runners on, and hit an infield RBI-single to second. The ball bounced over the head of Nunez and died in the infield.

That’s what happens when things aren’t flowing well for you. Replay that exact scenario again and it’s an out – ending the inning. But the ball bounced just enough to get in for a base hit.

Gunnar Henderson struck out to end the top of the ninth, but called for an ABS challenge. The call was upheld as a strike, as it appeared from the get go. This on the heels of a Coby Mayo ABS challenge early in the game, on a similar pitch. The Orioles used up all of their challenges on pitches that appeared to be strikes from the beginning.

Which is why it was frustrating in the last of the ninth with one down, when Ryan Helsley appeared to strike out Yorke. However the ball was ruled outside. Replays backed up that it was in the strike zone. Helsley couldn’t challenge, and it remained a ball. Yorke hit the next ball into left field and over the outfield’s head to win it 3-2 for Pittsburgh.

The Orioles are a better team than Pittsburgh on paper. But if you can’t execute the fundamentals in a game, such as getting a runner home, you make it tough to win. And yes, that makes it tougher to fathom when balls take bad bounces on you – which they did on the Orioles today.

You also have to be conservative with these challenges. The Mayo and Henderson challenges should have never happened. Helsley struck Yorke out, and could have used a challenge in that instance. But there was no recourse. Be smart. Play it safe. Don’t challenge for the sake of challenging.

The series concludes tomorrow at PNC Park. Chris Bassitt gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Braxton Ashcroft. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Big innings bite you

It’s tough being the opposition in someone else’s Opening Day, as the Baltimore Orioles were today in Pittsburgh. Kyle Bradish had an easy first inning, and a not-so-easy second inning. And that made all the difference. Bradish’s line: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 6 K.

Following a walk to lead off the second, Bradish had Pittsburgh’s Griffin in a deep two-strike count. Griffin of course is the top prospect in baseball, and was making his big league debut. And with a lot of fanfare at that. He took full advantage.

He hit a Bradish pitch that was off the plate, and ended up with an RBI-double. That was followed by subsequent RBI-singles and a double, and the O’s trailed, 4-0. Now to be fair, Bradish corrected himself. But you can’t give up big innings in games.

However Oriole bats did show some life. Needless to say, the Birds didn’t exactly go quietly. Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman smacked RBI-doubles in the fifth to cut the lead in half. However something interesting happened in the bottom of the inning…

…Pittsburgh put two on with one out. Dietrich Enns uncorked a wild pitch, but only the lead runner advanced – which is a massive base running mistake. With a ground ball double-play ending the inning, Enns induced a pop fly to O’Hearn, and that sac fly-RBI extended the lead to 5-2.

Did O’Hearn, a former Oriole, have an idea of how his old team would pitch him in that moment? Possible. Also not possible. But interesting that a mistake turned into a good thing for the team which made it.

Taylor Ward would get the Birds back to within two with an RBI-double in the seventh. Gunnar Henderson was down to his and the team’s final strike in the ninth, before he uncorked a solo home run. That only narrowed the Pittsburgh victory to one run, at 5-4.

The series continues tomorrow at PNC Park. Shane Baz gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Carmen Mlodzinski. Game time is set for just after 4 PM,

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Baltimore Orioles: Zach Eflin injured in Birds’ loss

To be clear, NOBODY should be sounding the alarm at the Baltimore Orioles’ 2-3 record. We’re five games in. RELAX. What should concern folks is the fact that starter Zach Eflin left tonight’s game with a shoulder injury. Eflin’s line: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 7 K,

Seven strikeouts over three innings plus is something that’s fairly noteworthy in my view. The lone run that Eflin gave up was a solo home run by Duran. But he righted himself. And solo home runs don’t hurt you.

However with two on and two outs in the fourth, manager Craig Albernaz and the training staff came out to tend to Eflin. Following a discussion, Eflin was lifted from the ballgame. The Orioles later said he left the game with right elbow discomfort.

As was seemingly the case last night, the Orioles would tie the game and then Texas would pop back on top. Pete Alonso’s solo homer in the fourth tied the game at one. However Langford’s RBI-triple and Seager’s RBI-single in the fifth gave Texas another lead at 3-1.

However the difference between this game and perhaps games last year was the fact that the O’s battled back. Gunnar Henderson’s two-RBI double tied the game back up at three. But Texas wasn’t about to be messed with. Nimmo’s RBI-single in the sixth gave them the lead back at 4-3.

They would extend that to 7-3 on a three-run home run in the seventh by Jansen. Seager would also add a solo shot in the ninth. The O’s would get two back in the last of the ninth on Taylor Ward’s two-RBI double in the last of the ninth, but that was too little too late. Texas wasn’t too much, and they now look to sweep tomorrow.

The ironic part was that Zach Eflin was always going to start tonight. Texas’ deGrom was a late add to the starting lineup. Yet it was deGrom who was in command. And Eflin, coming off of back surgery, who left the game early.

The Orioles now enter into a wait and see situation with Eflin. Perhaps it’s only tendinitis. Obviously we’ll find out. The good news is that the Orioles have good depth in the form of Dean Kremer or Cade Povich in the minors. The bad news is that this season is literally starting off the way last year did, especially when you add in the likes of Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg. And injuries decimated this team last year. Craig Alberbaz said after the game that it would probably be an IL situation.

There’s also some concern about the Orioles’ bullpen, this after tonight’s game. It was far from perfect. However the bullpen was also not used tonight as it was intended – given that they were tapped earlier than one would have thought due to the Eflin injury. This isn’t to say that recording outs shouldn’t be the expectation.

What the Orioles CANNOT do is what they did last year. Again, we’re five games in – RELAX, folks. However I said ad hoc last season that the Birds over-invested in analytics. From where they played their fielders, to which pitch was thrown. And opponents took full advantage; illustrated by first pitch sliders away going for home runs, or splitting outfielders. You have to have a proper happy medium between analytics and feel for the game. Mike Elias’ job should depend on it.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the O’s, and Texas has not announced a starter. Game time is set for just after 12:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles clipped by soft contact

It’s uncanny how many times the Baltimore Orioles have fallen the past couple of years at the hands of soft contact. We saw it again tonight in Chris Bassitt’s maiden start in Baltimore, against Texas. Bassitt’s line: 4.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 BB, 3 K.

Bassitt struggled with his control, uncharacteristically putting runners on base. Even when he recorded outs, he went deep into counts and ticked his pitch count up. Ironically the first run of the game came on the heels of a Bassitt error. Burger hit a comebacker in the first inning with a runner on third, but Bassitt’s throw home came in hot. The error gave Texas a 1-0 lead.

And that right there illustrates this game – and my point. Opponents getting aboard on little flairs barely getting over the infielders’ heads. And here on a comebacker the Oriole pitcher is trying to gun the runner out at home, and the throw is so hard it’s errant.

But the Orioles got on the board in the first as well, albeit by more traditional ways. Gunnar Henderson’s solo homer tied the game at one. However Bassitt struggled with his control, as I said above. With two on in the second Nimmo’s RBI-single gave Texas the lead back at 2-1. However an RBI-single by Burger and a sac fly-RBI by Pederson later in the inning ran the score to 4-1.

Gunnar Henderson’s RBI-single in the fifth cut the lead to 4-2. However that was all the Birds could muster. Texas would tack on an insurance run in the ninth on Smith’s RBI-single. That came on the heels of an infield hit that put a runner in scoring position.

It was that sort of game for the O’s. Whether it was soft contact or infield hits, Texas found ways to get on base. And they took advantage. This while the Orioles struggled against Texas starter Jack Leiter, who was outstanding. He’s also the son of former big league pitcher Al Leiter. And he looked a lot like his old man tonight.

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Zach Eflin gets the start for the O’s, and Texas is yet to announce a starter. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: All’s well in the end

Shane Baz made his club debut this afternoon for the Baltimore Orioles in the rubber match against Minnesota. It wasn’t the stellar performance that one might have wanted in his team debut, or in a game right after signing a big contract extension. But it was an odd game overall, that had many twists and turns. Baz’s line: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 4 K.

Baz loaded the bases in the second inning with nobody out. Minnesota would push a run across on an RBI-single by Larnach. Later in the inning Gary’s three-RBI double extended the lead to 4-0. Moral of the story: don’t put runners on base.

Oriole bats had been quiet for the first two games of the season. But they strung together a couple of hits in the fourth, bringing Tyler O’Neill to the plate. And O’Neill smacked the first home run of the season for the O’s, this of the three-run variety. That cut the lead to 4-3, and suddenly the home team was on business.

The O’s briefly took the lead in the sixth on a two-RBI double by Dylan Beavers. Admittedly I thought that moment needed a more tenured hitter – such as Colton Cowser – who was on the bench. But Beavers got the job done, and the Birds held a lead. However one inning later Minnesota’s Lewis smacked a solo homer, tying the game at six.

Yet it was Pete Alonso, the Orioles’ big acquisition this off-season, who put them back on top. Following a walk and a base hit in the seventh, Alonso’s RBI-single gave the O’s a 6-5 lead. Adley Rutschman would add a pinch-hit RBI-double, and Coby Mayo an RBI-single. Minnesota would tack on a run in the ninth, but the O’s took the series finale, 8-6.

Despite the angst of yesterday, the O’s took two-of-three in the season’s opening series. That means nothing more than face value. But you’d rather that than the alternative.

The O’s welcome in Texas tomorrow evening at Camden Yards. Chris Bassitt gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Texas’ Jack Leiter. Game tune is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles haunted by small ball

Small ball has been the Baltimore Orioles’ bugaboo for years. It worked for them on Thursday – Opening Day. Not so much today in Kyle Bradish’s season debut. Bradish’s line: 4.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R (2 earned), 3 BB, 4 K.

There are worse stat lines than this. But Bradish appeared to lose his release point at various times, and he did struggle with control. It was also 46 degrees at first pitch, feeling more like 40. However the O’s did get on the board first, with Jeremiah Jackson’s RBI-single playing Colton Cowser and giving the Birds a 1-0 lead.

For most of the game the O’s seemed to be gunning for the long ball. And as I wrote many times last year, that’s how you win games in the AL East. However many of these central division teams play that slappy style of baseball – they manufacture runs. Today was no exception.

Buxton got aboard with a single (also the result of a manager’s challenge) in the fourth. He made the rare move of tagging up and trying for second base on a routine fly out. Admittedly, I was taken back by this, as players don’t normally attempt that. Buxton did, and it worked.

During the next at-bat, Adley Rutschman caught Buxton napping at second. However an errant throw allowed him to take third on the error. He would later score on a sac fly-RBI, tying the game.

Much of this style of baseball hinges on catching your opponent off guard. Ironically it’s almost as if playing the long ball game is predictable. Nevertheless in the fifth it was the small ball Minnesota Twins who took the lead – with a two-run homer. Ironic twist of fate in a sense.

Minnesota would also tack on an insurance run in the seventh with an RBI-single by Clemens. One very positive note for the Orioles in this 4-1 loss was the major league debut of Anthony Nunez. He pitched the eighth and ninth innings, and sent all six hitters he faced down.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards. Shane Baz gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Bailey Ober. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles ace Opening Day

Opening Day dawned for the Baltimore Orioles and starter Trevor Rogers. Make no mistake, it’s one game. There are 161 to go. Rogers was as good as advertised today in his role as staff ace, and the bats did just enough. Rogers’ line: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 5 K.

Rogers did pitch out of a couple of jams, but it wasn’t necessary too much. He induced a ground ball double-play to get out of the third, as well as the fourth. He also induced a double-play in the seventh to erase a threat and record two outs.

But the Orioles weren’t able to do much offensively either. However the eventually got into the Minnesota bullpen. Samuel Basallo singled in the seventh, and then went to third on a Tyler O’Neill single. Either runners at the corners Colton Cowser’s sac fly-RBI gave the Birds a 1-0 lead.

Not many people had the Orioles playing and winning with small ball today on their bingo card. But Blaze Alexander’s RBI-single drove home a second run, extending the lead to 2-0. And that was also big because Keaschall would get Minnesota on the board with a sac fly-RBI in the eighth.

Ryan Helsley came on for the save in the ninth, and allowed one base hit. But he largely shut Minnesota down, starting the Orioles off 1-0 on the season. Again, end of the day it’s one of 161. But it’s a win.

And a big win. You always want to look good on Opening Day. Especially at home, and especially with a new manager. That begins the Craig Alberbnaz era off on a winning note. Needless to say, that’s a big deal going into a scheduled off day tomorrow.

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Baltimore Orioles 2026 season preview

Opening Day, 2026 for the Baltimore Orioles. And all of Major League Baseball. This afternoon the Birds open the 2026 season under new manager, Craig Albernaz.

It goes without saying that the Orioles need for 2026 to have fewer injuries than 2025. That’s already been challenging, as Jordan Westburg and Jackson Holliday are already on the IL. However Holliday at least should return soon.

End of the day, it boils down to pitching for the Orioles. Given the lineup, we know that the run production will be there – barring injuries. This is an Orioles team which added Pete Alonso at first base. That’s 40 home runs and 100 RBI infused into the lineup. Not to mention better role players and utility men on the bench.

The Birds will go as far as their pitching takes them this year. And I scoff at the contemporary idea that bullpens could mean more now. Bullpen’s matter, but not as much as starters. The O’s beefed up their rotation with the likes of Shane Baz and Chris Bassitt this offseason. Combine that with Zach Eflin and Kyle Bradish coming back, and the rotation is much deeper this year. Look no further than the fact that Dean Kremer’s starting the season in AAA.

End of the day, this season will have great moments. Also some tough ones. Again, you have to hope that the injury situation doesn’t wind up being the same as last year. I maintain that, combined with an over-reliance on analytics, tanked last year more than anything. That cannot be allowed to happen again.

So where does this season, which dawns brightly this afternoon, culminate? Obviously I can’t predict the future with any amount of accuracy. The Orioles and Boston got better this offseason. New York sort of stood pat, and Toronto probably took a step backwards. My prediction is that Boston wins the AL East. But that the Orioles at the very least contend for a Wild Card.

Whatever happens, the season and the opening series against Minnesota begins this afternoon at Camden Yards. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Joe Ryan. Game time is set for just after 3 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Colton Cowser leads the day at the plate

The Baltimore Orioles played at a retooled Camden Yards this afternoon behind an outstanding effort by Kyle Bradish against Washington. The game didn’t count, to be clear. But it sure felt like a regular season game. Bradish’s line: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K.

It was tough to remind yourself that this is technically a Grapefruit League game. It felt like the middle of May in terms of the weather. And the game itself.

The O’s took the lead in the last of the second on a solo home run by Colton Cowser. One inning later it was Gunnar Henderson’s solo homer that doubled the lead at 2-0. This while Bradish was dealing.

Bradish is going to be key this year. The O’s need him to have a full and a good season. Today doesn’t count. But it was a good start.

Colton Cowser provided a lot of the offense today. He walked in a run also in the last of the sixth. Later in the inning Blaze Alexander was hit by a pitch, again with the bases juiced. The O’s walked in another run immediately after with Gunnar Henderson, and they led 5-0.

Washington decided to try to get into the game in the seventh, with a solo homer by Lile. However the O’s would put two on in the eight, including a HPB for Luis Vasquez – who left the game, and was NOT happy about it. However Jeremiah Jackson followed that up with a three-run home run, cementing the Birds’ 8-1 win against Washington.

The Vasquez incident is of concern. He felt he was on the precipice of being on the Opening Day roster. He still could be, but the injury will certainly play a role. On a side note, I like this “new” home-and-home series with Washington to end the spring. It gets both teams home slightly earlier, and it’s good for the fans.

The Orioles will close spring training tomorrow afternoon against Washington at Nationals Park. Shane Baz gets the start for the Birds, and Washington is yet to announce a starter. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Slog and a slam

Levi Wells got the start for the Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium this afternoon in the final tuneup in Florida. Call it a stopgap start in a sense, assisting the Birds in lining up their rotation for the regular season. Wells’ line: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 4 K.

With Philadelphia leading 1-0, Pete Alonso tied the game at one on a balk in the last of the first. In the last of the third Tyler O’Neill gave the O’s a 2-1 lead with an RBI-single. However Philadelphia would later tie the game and take a 4-2 lead in the fourth on Kemp’s two-RBI single.

But this was the Orioles’ final game at Ed Smith this year. And they wanted to send themselves off in style. In the bottom of that fourth inning Gunnar Henderson’s RBI-double cut the lead to 4-3. Weston Wilson’s sixth inning RBI-double tied the game at four. But the O’s weren’t finished.

They would later load the bases in that sixth inning. Jhokensy Noel came to the plate, and gave the Sarasota faithful one last memory in 2026 with a grand slam. That put the Birds in the driver’s seat at 8-4, this after a long slog of a beginning of the game. Philadelphia would inch closer as the game went on, but Victor Figueroa’s two-RBI single put the O’s over the top on their 10-7 win.

Before the game the Orioles surprised everyone by announcing that Dean Kremer was being optioned to Norfolk to start the season. Obviously someone had to be the odd man out, and it was him. I suspect Zach Eflin’s stellar outing in Tampa last night played a role. Odds are however, we’ll see our share of Dean Kremer in the big leagues this year.

The Orioles now truly head for home, flying to Baltimore to take on the Washington Nationals tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Washington’s Mitchell Parker. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Zach Eflin’s Friday night delight

The Baltimore Orioles traveled to Tampa this evening to take on the New York Yankees. Zach Eflin got the start n the penultimate road game on spring training. I say penultimate because they’ll technically play a road game on Monday afternoon in Washington, D.C. Eflin’s line: 5.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K.

Simply put, this might have been the best pitched game of the spring for the O’s. Eflin was outstanding. And he shut down a formidable New York lineup. Heck, he allowed one base hit. And that was the sole base runner.

End of the day, nobody will remember this game. The stats aren’t recorded for review or anything along those lines. Heck many fans who attended will have forgotten about it by the time they get home! But I’ve always said that if you’re going to play these spring games, you’d may as well look good in them.

New York broke through on the scoreboard in the last of the eighth, with an RBI-single and two RBI-doubles. This of course well after Eflin and most of the starters had left the game. One starter who did close things out was Samuel Basallo, who smacked and RBI-single in the ninth to get the Orioles job the board. But that wasn’t enough, as the O’s fell 3-1 in Tampa.

Of concern, Dylan Beavers was in the original starting lineup, and was scratched just before game time. That’s definitely something to watch, and the last thing the O’s needed was someone getting hurt this late in camp. Depending on the extent of Beavers’ injury however, that could be an opening for a Heston Kjerstad type. But the hope is it isn’t serious.

The Orioles return home to Ed Smith Stadium tomorrow to welcome in Philadelphia in the final Florida game of the season. Levi Wells gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Philadelphia’s Ryan Cusick, Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Samuel Basallo’s big night

You know the Baltimore Orioles are getting close to the end of spring training when night games start getting sprinkled in. Trevor Rogers, the Orioles’ opening day starter next week, was highly effective in what we assume is his final start of the spring – against Pittsburgh at Ed Smith Stadium. Rogers’ line: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 7 K.

Rogers was strong throughout his outing. The two surrendered runs scored towards the end of his time in the game. But it was Oriole bats, specifically ONE Oriole bat, which made the difference in the ballgame.

Samuel Basallo gave the Birds a 1-0 lead in the last of the first with a solo home run. One inning later it was Jhonkensy Noel’s turn – his a two-run homer. And the O’s held a 3-0 lead early.

However that first inning home run was only an appetizer. Following a third inning walk, Basallo came up to bat again in the last of the fourth. And he smacked another home run, this one a two-run shot, extending the Orioles’ lead to 5-0.

Pittsburgh would plate two in the fifth, which closed out the scoring in the Orioles’ 5-2 win. They also fell earlier in the day (split-squad day) in Tampa against New York. However Dean Kremer went four plus innings and looked good. However tonight’s game was the Birds’ penultimate game in Sarasota this year.

The O’s head (as a full-squad) to Tampa tomorrow to take on New York at Steinbrenner Field. Zach Eflin gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Luis Gil. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: The rains came

Remember last season when (among other things…) the Baltimore Orioles had rain delays galore? We got a taste of that this evening. Starter Zach Eflin was in a groove…then the skies opened.

Eflin had struck out four in a row before allowing a base hit in the third. This followed by the rain delay. However Tyler O’Neill had given the Orioles a 2-0 lead with a two-RBI single in the first inning. So as far as two innings plus games go, the O’s looked okay tonight.

Maybe it’s better. For tonight at least. This allows players, coaches, and fans to watch the US vs. the Dominican Republic in the WBC! Tonight’s game, for the record, will not be made up.

The Orioles stay in Sarasota tomorrow night as Boston rolls into Ed Smith Stadium. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Sonny Gray. Game time is set for just after 6 PM

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Baltimore Orioles: Adley Rutschman continues his hot spring

Baltimore Orioles’ Opening Day starter Trevor Rogers got the start this afternoon against Pittsburgh in Bradenton. It was Rogers’ first start since the team announced that he would be starting on Opening Day at Camden Yards. It would stand to reason that he’ll have at least one more start in the spring before the games count for real. Rogers’ line: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 K.

Rogers did throw a home run on the second pitch of the ballgame. Davis’ solo shot set the tone for the game in a sense. However it was also Davis’ first hit of the spring. Rogers was around the plate the entire game, save for in the second inning when he walked the bases loaded to extend Pittsburgh’s lead to 2-0.

However following a Taylor Ward base hit to lead off the third, Adley Rutschman continued his strong Grapefruit League spring. His two-run homer immediately tied the game at two. The Orioles are going to need Rutschman to return to the levels at which he was playing until the middle of 2024 if they’re going anywhere this year. The way he’s looked in spring training thus far has been encouraging.

The Orioles also held a brief lead in this game. Dylan Beavers smacked a two-run homer, and for a brief moment the Orioles led 4-2. This in the sixth inning. Triolo’s RBI-single in the last of the frame cut the lead to one, but Adley Rutschman came up big again in the seventh with an RBI-single to bring the lead back to two at 5-3.

However Pittsburgh used two later innings homers to claw back. Ozuna’s three-run shot in the seventh gave them a 6-5 lead. Cook would add a two-run homer in the eighth to extend the lead to 8-5. The O’s did threaten in the ninth however. Colton Cowser knocked in an RBI-double, but the Orioles fell on this day in Bradenton, 8-6.

Rogers was solid, and Rutschman stood out. I also found it interesting that Cowser played the entire game. I’m not sure if that was done purposefully from the beginning, but one way or the other he played the entire game. Cowser as you’ll remember was out for much of the year last season, stemming from jamming his finger in Toronto in the fourth game of the year.

The Orioles return to Sarasota tomorrow for their first night game of the spring when New York comes to Ed Smith Stadium. Zach Eflin gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Paul Blackburn. Game time is set for just after 6 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Too much replay?

Tyler Wells got the start for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon at Ed Smith Stadium against Toronto. Wells was one of several pitchers, only pitching one inning. Basically a get your work in and go home spring outing for Wells, against split-squad Toronto. Wells’ line: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K.

The Orioles struggled to get guys on base in this game, which is another issue. Especially given that Toronto was sending their B Team to Sarasota. Toronto’s Sanchez smacked an RBI-single in the third for the game’s lone run, and Toronto defeated the Orioles, 1-0.

That third inning was aided by two Toronto ball/strike replay challenges, and a pass ball, Early on the O’s didn’t challenge too many calls. But like Toronto, they were aggressive with challenges today. And there were several on both sides.

Obviously Toronto wouldn’t have scored that run if not for the challenges. But my question is are both teams and umpires now starting to rely on it too much? I say that because we see more and more challenges in the games.

I suspect that once the regular season begins teams will be a little more hesitant to challenge anything and everything. And to challenge pitches so early in games. And it’s far too simplistic to say the goal is to get the call right, and why not use technology to do it?

Fair enough. But are you comfortable with playoff games being decided with a tap on the helmet? Or heaven-forbid, a World Series?

I recognize the flip-side of that argument; are you okay with a World Series being decided on a bad call? So on that basis I’m not sure there’s a perfect answer. However teams are using the pitch challenge system early and often. We’ll see if that continues into the regular season.

Here’s another point. On a payoff pitch, conventional wisdom says a hitter should be aggressive – especially if the pitch is remotely near the strike zone. Might that change? Maybe it pays to start letting the pitch go, as they can just tap their helmet and potentially get the call overturned.

For the record, overall I like replay. I think it should exist in some form. I just think that by introducing the idea of challenging balls and strikes, we’re allowing the game to be further over-legislated.

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Baltimore Orioles: Shane Baz to the Birds

The Baltimore Orioles made a move to acquire starting pitching today, trading for RHP Shane Baz, formerly of the Tampa Rays. In return, the Orioles sent OF Slater de Brun, C Caden Bodine, RHP Michael Forret and OF Austin Overn back to Tampa. The teams have not confirmed the deal, which also includes a Competitive Balance Round A pick going to Tampa.

Baz, 26, made a career-high 31 starts in 2025. He pitched to a 10-12 record with a 4.87 ERA. He struck out 176 and walked 64. He’s also under team control until 2029.

That last part is probably the key, presumably the reason the price was so high. Controllable pitching is a hot commodity. Many of the big names on the trade market are on the docket BECAUSE they don’t have much team control left on their contracts.

Controllable pitching is key. So is keeping your core. Any discussion of involving the likes of someone such as Jackson Holliday should be a non-starter.

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Baltimore Orioles: Pete Alonso is for the Birds

Don’t say that the Baltimore Orioles weren’t aggressive this offseason. It’s being reported today at the MLB Winter Meetings that the O’s are signing former New York Mets’ first baseman Pete Alonso. The club has not confirmed the signing as of yet, as it’s pending a physical.

Alonso signed a two-year deal with New York last year, which had an opt-out clause. The deal with the Orioles is a reported five years and $155 million, and allegedly has no opt-out clause. Alonso, 31, is excepted to be the Orioles’ starting first baseman on Opening Day.

President of Baseball Operations Mike Elias said he went to the Winter Meetings partially to get a big bat, and he did. Alonso hit .272 last year, with 38 homers. Also 41 doubles. He should plug into the Orioles’ lineup well.

The question now becomes what to do with Ryan Mountcastle, who was recently tendered a contract. It’s entirely possible that he’ll be packaged in a trade for a starting pitcher. Or perhaps Coby Mayo could be that guy. Either way the O’s have a logjam now at first base, despite this being a winning move.

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Baltimore Orioles: Craig Albernaz appears to be it

The Baltimore Orioles appear to be hiring Craig Albernaz as their new manager. You might find yourself asking, “who?” You aren’t alone.

Albernaz, 43, was hired as the Cleveland Guardians’ bench coach for the 2024 season. He was promoted to Associate Manager for this past year. He was also the San Francisco Giants’ Bulloen Coach in 2019, and he’s coached in the Tampa Rays’ organization,

A minor league catcher, Albernaz never made it to the big leagues. He wasn’t on anyone’s short list as a candidate. My personal opinion was that it was going to be former Seattle skipper Scott Servais. But Albernaz did enough to woo Mike Elias to get the job. For what it’s worth, he was also rumored to be a finalist for at least one other job.

He’s another young hire, at 43. Brandon Hyde was 45. He’ll inherit a team that was riddled with injuries in 2025, and couldn’t quite put it together even in the short amount of time they were close to full strength. But he’ll also inherit a roster that has the potential to make a run at a title – IF the likes of Elias and the front office can add perhaps a big name in the field and on the mound. But one way or the other, Craig Albernaz it seems to be.

I wouldn’t expect a formal announcement until after the conclusion of the World Series, but this appears to be the direction in which the Orioles are going.

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Baltimore Orioles: 2025 Season in Review

For the first time in their history, the Baltimore Orioles began the season north of the border in 2025. They played a four-game set in Toronto, splitting the series. But they did it in grandiose fashion, defeating Toronto 12-2 on Opening Day.

However the harbinger for the season dates back to 2024, that being injuries. The Orioles lost Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez, and Tyler Wells in 2024, with Bradish and Wells returning at the tail end of 2025. On top of that, they lost Gunnar Henderson in the first week of spring training (through the first week of the regular season), and Colton Cowser over the opening weekend.

As the season was in its infancy, it was evident that something wasn’t clicking. And injuries piled up. Jordan Westburg ended up on the IL over time, as did Ryan Mountcastle. Down the stretch, Adley Rutschman even hit the injured list. And the players who were on the field weren’t producing.

Things came to a head after a blown save in May against Washington at home. GM Mike Elias called a press conference, and announced the next day that he had relieved manager Brandon Hyde of his duties. Tony Mansolino would be the interim manager for the rest of the season.

Things improved under Mansolino, and injured players started to return. However even wins were a struggle. The O’s had to settle for at times winning one of three in a series, with that one being a struggle. And at times it didn’t make sense. The games they would lose were very much against the run of play. But wins are wins, and losses are losses.

The Orioles made a few trades at the deadline, including their lone all-star, Ryan O’Hearn. Sadly, these were necessary moves. You may as well get something for a guy as opposed to getting nothing. The likes of Bradish and Wells would return late in the season, but the O’s also lost the likes of Ryan Mountcastle down the stretch, among others.

Part of the story of this season was that the right hand never seemed to compliment the left hand. In games where they scored runs, the pitching dumped out. And on nights when they pitched well, the bats fell silent. This year will be remembered for the injuries first and foremost. But never being able to put it all together was as much a problem as anything else.

There were some bright spots, however. Trevor Rogers worked his way into being the MVO, leading the pitching staff in a down year. The Orioles also called up Dylan Beavers and Samuel Basallo towards the end of the season. And the boys made an immediate impact. Basallo was also given an eight-year contract, four games into his tenure.

End of the day, they finished with 75 wins. You have to hope that playing this back next year, presumably under different leadership, maybe things are different. In 2025 just about everything went against them – things within their control, and outside of it. Maybe in the future, some of those things break the other way.

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Baltimore Orioles: The End

Some fans are probably happy that the Baltimore Orioles’ season is over. But for the vast majority the end of baseball season is always somewhat sad and reflective. If for no other reason than it means cold temperatures will eventually be setting in. Kyle Bradish got the start this afternoon at Yankee Stadium in the season finale. Bradish’s line: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 8 K.

Bradish surrendered a solo home run to Rice in the first inning, but allowed no further damage. However back-to-back home runs in the fourth gave the Orioles the lead. Jordan Westburg got the party started, and his solo homer was followed by one from Gunnar Henderson.

However the O’s did have a lead in this game. That is until Stanton’s RBI-single in the home half of the frame tied it back up at two. And the game would be knotted at two for almost the rest of the way. However Rice’s solo shot in the eighth ended up putting New York over the top, and they won 3-2 over the O’s to close the season.

The big question in the air for the Orioles now is where do they go from here. One thing we know indubitably for sure; Tony Mansolino has managed his final game as interim manager. He’ll either be offered the full time job, or the Orioles will hire someone else. Either way, today was his last day with that interim tag.

I maintain that if Mike Elias was going to extend Mansolino, he would have already done so. So my prediction is a new guy will man the dugout next year. One way or the other, odds are it won’t be announced during the MLB postseason. Teams tend to lay low during that time.

Make no mistake, the 2026 Orioles are not a tear down and rebuild. This is a team that was done in by injuries before the season even started. I would submit that it started going awry when Grayson Rodriguez, Kyle Bradish, and Tyler Wells went down last season. On top of that, Gunnar Henderson went down in spring training, stunting his early season. Not to mention Colton Cowser, Jordan Westburg, and others.

Point being, this season was doomed in advance. However that also means that IF the O’s don’t suffer that same fate in 2026, things could be different. I maintain that they need an experienced manager who’s been around the block. Someone who isn’t freaked out by analytics, but also one who isn’t bound to them. Someone who manages more by the book as opposed to by the computer.

There’s an entire off season to discuss this. But one way or the other, hope will spring eternal in a few very short months. Before you know it, pitchers and catchers will be reporting. And everything is renewed.

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Baltimore Orioles: You can’t nibble

The Baltimore Orioles should listen to former Hall of Fane manager Earl Weaver more often. Weaver preached attacking the strike zone. Starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano didn’t do it today at Yankee Stadium. Sugano’s line: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 3 K.

Sugano gave up a solo homer to Judge in the first, and then one to Stanton in the second. McMahon followed with a solo shot of his own later in the inning. And the O’s trailed 3-0 early on.

Many of those pitches (not all) were on the fringes of the strike zone. That’s very consistent with what we’ve seen all year. Earlier in the season there were times where it appeared the Orioles were not only nibbling like this in the zone, but were also tipping pitches. Dangerous combination.

And I say that because home runs were being hit on pitches that shouldn’t be winding up in the stands (based on their location) – unless the hitter knew where it was coming in. Or guessing right. But when you don’t attack the strike zone, you play not to lose. In football they call it the “prevent defense.”

The reason for nibbling as opposed to attacking the strike zone of course is understandable. The likes of Judge and Stanton are imposing. But wouldn’t you rather they beat you than you beating yourself?

The other thing that happens when you nibble is that you lose the benefit of the doubt. New York loaded the bases in the fifth before Judge smacked an RBI-single. The pitch to Judge, in fairness, was right down the pike. But many of the pitches which led to the bases being full were borderline. Many were in the strike zone. And they were called balls.

Bellinger added a sac fly-RBI before the inning ended. Coby Mayo would add a solo homer to get the Orioles on the board in the eighth. But the Birds fell, 6-1 in the Bronx.

I’m sure there’s some analytical statistic out there saying that if you live on the fringes of the strike zone you have a better probability of winning. And I’m not suggesting that every pitch needs to be in the strike zone. Not under any circumstances. However again, traditional managers all say you have to attack the zone. The Orioles haven’t used that mantra as a modus operandi in some time. That should be a goal going into 2026, lest they want to watch home run after home run fly over their outfielder’s heads. Their outfielders who incidentally are positioned too deep to stop soft contact – which invariably seems to occur.

The series and the season concludes tomorrow at Yankee Stadium. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Luis Gil. Game time is set for just after 3 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: A struggle for Trevor Rogers in the end

Trevor Rogers has had quite a season for the Baltimore Orioles. He rightfully was given the MVO award this week, and has been a stabilizing force on the staff and in the clubhouse. Unfortunately he struggled in his final start last night at Yankee Stadium, making that his lasting impression of 2025. Rogers’ line: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 3 K.

After issuing a first inning walk, Rogers gave up a two-run homer to Stanton in the first inning. However the O’s did briefly have the lead. Jordan Westburg uncorked a three-run home run in the top of the third, and suddenly the Orioles led 3-2.

But it didn’t last long. Judge hit a second New York two-run homer in the last of the third, and they retook the lead at 4-3. Stanton added a second later in the inning, ballooning it to 6-3. Many of these home runs came following walks and with two strikes. Dylan Beavers was also replaced in the lineup after his fourth inning at-bat after fouling a ball off his shin. X-Rays were negative.

Tyler O’Neill attempted to bring the O’s closer. His solo homer in the sixth cut the lead to 6-4. However New York would tack on two additional runs as insurance, and the Birds fell 8-4 in the Bronx. For Rogers, not the way he wanted to end the season. But it does little to dim the light he represented this year.

The series continues this afternoon at Yankee Stsdium. Tomoyuki Sugano gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Cam Schlittler. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Drama at the end

Tyler Wells got the start for the Baltimore Orioles tonight against Tampa. Not the greatest start on planet earth, albeit in a game played under the constant threat of rain. Wells’ line: 4.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

Wells surrendered an RBI-double to Lowe in the first inning. An inning later Feduccia added a second RBI-double, and Lowe a solo homer I. The third.

On the flip side, the O’s didn’t get a hit until the seventh inning. But by that time Tampa had extended its lead to 6-0. The O’s did get on the board with a two-RBI single in the eighth. But they fell, 6-2 in the final night game of the season at Camden Yards.

Samuel Basallo was hit during last night’s game. The Orioles also hit Caminero later in the game. My personal opinion was that wasn’t intentional – in both cases. Guys get hit all the time in baseball. Camiero’s body language at the time however indicated that he thought it was purposeful.

Nevertheless Basallo led off against Tampa reliever Pete Fairbanks in the last of the ninth tonight. On an 0-2 count, he was hit in the hand with a 97 MPM fastball. He winced in pain and immediately moved towards the clubhouse. Coby Mayo pinch ran in his place.

After recording the final out, Fairbanks proceeded to blow a kiss towards the Orioles’ dugout while staring them down. Fairbanks may have had some plausible deniability on the intent of the pitch before that. However that sort of petty bush league gesture removed that.

The whole thing seems like it didn’t need to happen. Granted nobody knows what was said or what might have been said earlier in the season. But without admitting to the league that he threw at Basallo intentionally, Fairbanks publicly admitted he threw at Basallo intentionally. The league should take note of that. Especially given that Basallo is a top prospect.

Baseball’s a stoic game. It’s not the NFL or NBA where taunting is all but expected. It’s seen as childish, especially in this context. Again, Fairbanks lost plausible deniability with that act. The league should taken notice.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards. Cade Povich gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Drew Rasmussen. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Dean Kremer strong in final start

If the Baltimore Orioles’ rotation stays on schedule, Dean Kremer made his final start of the year last night against Tampa at Camden Yards. Perhaps fittingly, it was a start that was delayed an hour and eleven minutes by rain before it even started. But needless to say, Kremer finished strong once he took to the mound. Kremer’s line: 6.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K.

When Kremer left the game he did so to a standing ovation from the fans. He’s a guy who’s chiefly important to this rotation next year. And while he did have his struggles at times this year, he quietly had a very strong season.

He had the lead early, as the O’s manufactured two runs in the first inning. Gunnar Henderson’s sac fly-RBI and Tyler O’Neill’s RBI-groundout gave the Orioles a 2-0 lead. Henderson came up again in the third and added on an RBI-single to extend it to 3-0.

Kremer, for his part, was crisp all night. He also pitched-to-contact, which is all but the opposite of what Oriole pitchers did over the weekend against New York. And the results speak for themselves. In both instances.

Jordan Westburg would tack on a sac fly-RBI in the fifth to extend the lead further. And Colton Cowser put the exclamation point on in the sixth with a two-run home run. The Oriole bullpen was virtually as strong as Kremer, and the Birds went home 6-0 winners in the first game with Tampa, the last home series of the year.

The series continues this evening at Camden Yards. Tyler Wells gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Shane Baz. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Another walk off win

Tyler Wells and the Baltimore Orioles came into tonight’s game against Pittsburgh having won three of four games straight in walk off fashion. On a cool and misty night at Camden Yards, the goal was to win it in nine this time around. The Birds would fail at that, but big deal. Wells’ line: 6.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

The O’s fell behind 1-0 on a fourth inning solo home run by Horowitz. – a Baltimore-area native, by the way. Apparently his family is unable to attend this series due to being out of town for a wedding. Tough pill to swallow!

The Orioles would tie the game in the eighth with two runners on and runners at first and second. Jackson Holliday would dump in a flare that fell for an RBI-single. That tied the game at four.

The game went to extra innings, which wasn’t a surprise. As sure as grass is green, the O’s had to win yet another in walk off fashion. With two runners on in the tenth and nobody out, Daniel Johnson laid down a sac bunt. Not only that, but he placed it perfectly and legged out a bunt single. That loaded the bases, and the O’s eventually walked Pittsburgh off with a run-scoring single by Dylan Beavers.

The Orioles have now taken the first two from Pittsburgh. It’s also the fourth walkoff in five games for the Orioles. Needless to say, they’re feeling it.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards. Cade Povich gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Johan Oviedo. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: A Holliday 30 years in the making

Nobody does nostalgia like the Baltimore Orioles. We’ve seen it time and again, including tonight with Cal Ripken Jr, and the anniversary of 2131. After which Trevor Rogers took the mound for the Birds. Rogers’ line: 5.1 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

The problem is, the Orioles were facing Los Angeles’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto. No easy task. This despite the pomp and circumstance of the pregame ceremony. Los Angeles took a 1-0 lead on an RBI-groundout by Ohtani in the third inning.

With two runners on in the fifth, Betts smacked a harsh liner to Gunnar Henderson at short, and Henderson climbed the ladder to get it. Unfortunately, it dropped out of the glove on the way down. It was ruled an RBI-single. Two innings later Betts would follow with an RBI-triple, and the O’s trailed 3-0.

Yamamoto was also throwing a no-hitter. And as the game wore on, it seemed he was getting stronger. Oriole hitters couldn’t do anything against him. Balls that were put in play were outs.

In a way it felt like Los Angeles was saying you can have your nostalgia, we’re here now and that’s more important. They made it to 26 outs in the game. Two outs in the ninth…

…and Jackson Holliday smacked a solo homer to right field. That broke the shutout, and more importantly it broke up the no-hitter. But the game wasn’t over.

A double, a HBP, and a walk later, the Orioles were looking at possibly WINNING the game. Colton Cowser then walked in a run, cutting the lead to 3-2. That brought Emmanuel Rivera to the plate after LA changed pitchers…and you know the rest.

Rivera’s two-RBI single won it 4-3. So in a flash, the Orioles went from having the 30 year anniversary of 2131 having an unfortunate twist, to the latest installation of Orioles Magic. And it should go as no surprise that Cal Ripken Jr. played a role. In a flash, the game changed. That’s baseball. And that’s part of what makes baseball great.

The only downside to this game for the Birds was catcher Samuel Basallo left the game after getting nic’d by a foul ball. Tony Mansolino said after the game that X-Rays were negative. He also said that Dean Kremer’s MRI came back with nothing serious, but he’ll skip his next start.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Tomoyuki Sugano gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by LA’s Clayton Kershaw. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: The Ripken Way

Pending the weather, the Baltimore Orioles will celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Cal Ripken Jr breaking the consecutive games played streak before tonight’s game against Los Angeles. We all know what’s going on; throngs of former Orioles, dignitaries, and even former Oriole play-by-play man John Miller will be in attendance for the festivities. This to mark the moment that saved baseball across multiple generations.

First off, has it really been 30 years?! I was a freshman in high school, and I didn’t know a world without Cal Ripken Jr on the Orange & Black. Or in the lineup. When you think of everything that’s happened between then and now, it’s sort of crazy – both in and outside of baseball.

The numbers on the Warehouse counting the consecutive games played are an iconic sight to many people of a certain generation – certainly my generation. But personally, the part I’ll always remember more than anything else is the image of Cal Ripken Sr applauding and waving from the skybox. The Orioles have always had that Field of Dreams sort of feel about them. And put in that context in terms of baseball being a game between fathers and sons…that “Ripken moment” was perhaps the most meaningful of that entire sequence of events.

People think of a lot of things when the concept of The Oriole Way comes up. I suppose it’s fair to say that the guy who ties that into a beat bow is Earl Weaver. However The Oriole Way in truth begins and ends with the Ripken’s. And I would submit that there’s no city like Baltimore and no family that means as much to it than the Ripken’s. And we saw it that night.

For his part, both Cal Ripken’s would probably say that it’s more about the team than anything else. And it is. But there are certain moments and certain people who always rise to the occasion – birds of a certain feather. The Ripken’s are just that. And it was that bond between father and son which made the image of the numbers on the Warehouse possible.

On the day of my death, Cal Ripken Jr will still be baseball’s Iron Man. I’m sure there’s some analytic which would say I’m mistaken. But the human element of baseball says I’m correct. Nobody’s ever playing in 2,633 consecutive games. The same is true with Joe DiMaggio’s hitting streak – nobody’s hitting in 57 straight games. I say that as sure as crabs and beer are to the shores of the Chesapeake, and to the state of Maryland.

I’ve had people ask me, why is it such a big deal? So the guy shows up everyday – he’s PAID to do that. But as we know, it is a big deal. Because Maryland itself is a blue collar and hard-working state. So the Ripken Way is truly a symbol of that. Do the Orioles do everything right? No. But that moment 30 years ago showed the rest of the country that you can call it what you will…The Oriole Way, The Ripken Way, etc. But the value system of showing up and giving it all you have everyday? Those are Maryland Values. And it was never symbolized better in the form of the Orange & Black than it was in that sequence of events 30 years ago.

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Baltimore Orioles best LA, maybe lose Dean Kremer

The Baltimore Orioles beat the LA Dodgers this evening at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer looked sharp early coming off of a couple of bad starts. It wouldn’t last – but not how you might think. Kremer’s line: 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

Dietrich Enns spent the entire top of the fourth inning warming up in the Orioles’ bullpen. He entered the game in the last of the fourth, relieving Kremer. The Orioles later said that Kremer was yanked for right forearm discomfort.

You don’t want to speculate on anything. However needless to say, Dean Kremer is hugely important to the O’s in 2026. I think most fans would take him being shut down now and thus being ready for Spring Training next year. But we’ll just have to see.

The O’s put two runners on in the fifth, and Jackson Holliday stole second base. Funny thing though; LA pitcher Casparius uncorked a wild pitch at the same moment. It was a pretty close play at the plate, but Holliday came in to score on the wild pitch, giving the Orioles the lead.

But it was short-lived. Freeman ambushed the first pitch of the sixth over the wall. That tied the game at one, and we. Had a new ballgame again.

And through the later innings the game remained tied at one. That was until there were two outs in the ninth. Samuel Basallo picked a great moment to hit his first Oriole Park home run. It was a solo shot, and a walk off at that. The Birds went home winners against the defending champion LA Dodgers, 2-1.

That’s almost a footnote if you factor in the Dean Kremer situation. This season has been tough or numerous levels, but none moreso than then the injuries. And now this.

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards, as the O’s celebrate 30 years since 2131 and Cal Ripken Jr. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by LA’s Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles hold on to sweep San Diego

Cade Povich was strong early for the Baltimore Orioles in today’s series finale in San Diego. He fell apart a bit in the end of his outing, but he had room to spare. Barely, that is – as it ended up. Povich’s line: 5.0 IP. 7 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 3 K.

The O’s led from the very beginning today. Jackson Holliday hit the third pitch of the ballgame out of the ballpark, giving them a 1-0 lead. However it was the third inning that was the big catalyst to victory.

The Orioles led off with a walk and a single. Following a strikeout, Colton Cowser came to the plate. And he broke the game wide open with a three-run home run, giving the Birds a 4-0 lead.

But they weren’t done. Coby Mayo and Alex Jackson followed, giving the O’s back-to-back-to-back home runs. Before the inning ended, Ryan Mountcastle would add an RBI-single, and the Orioles led 7-0 after three. And they needed most of those seven runs.

San Diego figured Povich out after five, however. Machado’s two-run home run cut the lead to 7-2. Following a single and two walks, Cronensworth’s softly-hit infield RBI-single cut it to 7-3. Iglesias would ground into a double-play scoring a fourth run, but that was good news for the Birds. Because it gave them two quick outs and helped them out of the inning.

San Diego would get a fifth run off a solo home run in the seventh. But to me one of the biggest plays of the game was perhaps the most unsung. Representing the tying run, Sheets struck out swinging in the eighth. Sheets swore the ball hit the ground. Replays said otherwise.

But what the replay also showed was that catcher Alex Jackson picked the ball so it didn’t touch the ground. It was definitely fouled off, but Jackson stopped it from hitting the ground. Who knows how the game ends if not for that play.