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Baltimore Orioles: Craig Albernaz broke the script

Chris Bassitt took the loss this evening, but in reality the Baltimore Orioles’ offense took the loss. There’s no scenario in which you can win a game while scoring zero runs. None. Bassitt’s line: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 6 K.

There appears to be some sort of sudden issue with Oriole bats. The Birds just can’t get anything going over the course of the past week. It’s almost as if all of their equity was spent when Colton Cowser climbed the wall in Denver. Because not many runs have scored since then.

Manager Craig Albernaz played a role in this loss. But not in a way that one might think. With two outs in the sixth Bassitt loaded the bases, prompting Albernaz to go out to the mound – presumably to change pitchers. However Bassitt appeared to talk him out of lifting him.

To be clear, this is a case of a manager doing EXACTLY what I think a manager should be doing: going with a gut instinct. It shows feel for the game, which is something that ALL MANAGERS need to have. Again, this is something that’s IMPERATIVE in baseball.

But when Artificial Intelligence, among other computer programs, removes the need for any sort of feel for the game, you should expect that managers won’t have it. The results say that Alberbaz should have lifted Bassitt when he wanted to. Because Boston took a 2-0 lead on White’s subsequent two-RBI single.

To add insult to injury, that was a softly-hit single; not something you can predict. Boston just did what came naturally, while the Orioles either remained guided by Sabre Metrics, or overrode those Sabre Metrics in a performative manner. Either is detrimental. Neither is good.

Wong would add an RBI-single before the inning ended which rode the lead to 3-0. One inning later Kiner-Filefa’s two-RBI double extended the lead to 5-0. End of the day the big story here is that the O’s couldn’t muster a run. They loaded the bases in the eighth but Pete Alonso struck out.

I’m not sure what sort of Artificial Intelligence is being used, but it’s working to opponents’ benefit. You have to have the aforementioned feel for the game. Granted, Craig Albernaz made a gut decision in keeping Bassitt in. And I applaud him for bucking the technology. However said technology also removes the need for feel for the game – in theory. It automates everything.

Point being, many managers don’t know how to have feel for the ballgame – because Sabre metrics have removed their need to have it. Work with me here folks…perhaps if that’s a muscle that opposing teams occasionally exercised, it would come more naturally to Craig Albernaz.

By going off the script, we don’t know if Albernaz would have still lost the game – had he stayed on script. But maybe it would be easier to switch into manual mode if he were allowed to do it more often. Maybe it would work better. Interpret as you wish.

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

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Baltimore Orioles: Shane Baz is snakebitten

Sometimes you have to wonder if Shane Baz of the Baltimore Orioles is snakebitten. Tonight was a typical start for him in 2026. In short, he needed to be absolutely perfect. And he was – minus one pitch. Baz’s line: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 6 K.

Those are outstanding numbers. An OUTSTANDING stat line for a game. Any pitcher in baseball would take that on any given day. Heck, any manager would take that for his pitcher. It’s NOT on Baz that the O’s couldn’t get anything going offensively.

Baz gave up a solo home run to Gasper on the second pitch of the game. That’s the only mistake he made. Solo home runs aren’t supposed to hurt you. Tonight they cost Shane Baz and the Orioles the game.

On top of that, Baz picked up his teammates. Boston put two on thanks to a Jackson Holliday error in the third, but Baz got them out of it. Anytime Boston threatened, Baz (and the bullpen) pitched out of it. He made a mistake on the second pitch of the game. And it cost him and the O’s the game.

You can’t under any circumstances blame a starter for a game like this. I’ve heard people suggest that there is some culpability because a starter like Baz knows he’s got a thin margin. But…is it reasonable to expect that he has to be perfect?

On a side note, I find it strange that Samuel Basallo wasn’t in the starting lineup for the second straight day. I understand matchups, and why that’s important. But Basallo’s been a huge part of this team’s offense. They signed him to a large extension a year ago. And…the best place for him is starting a game on the bench?

The series continues tomorrow at Camden Yards. Chris Bassitt gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Sonny Gray. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Don’t trade in the division

Brandon Young pitched to a quality start. Putting the Baltimore Orioles in a spot to win last night against Boston. It’s possible that Craig Albernaz left him in a little too long. But it’s easy to second guess. Young’s line: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 7 K.

Right off the bat however, the Orioles were haunted by their former all-star catcher. Adley Rutschman smacked a solo homer in the first. However the O’s battled. They tied the game at one on a sac fly-RBI by Pete Alonso in the last of the first. They would also take a brief 3-1 lead in the fourth on back-to-back homers by Luis Robert and Pete Alonso.

But two innings later Boston began working their way back. And again it began with Rutschman, who smacked a second solo home run. Kiner-Filefa’s RBI-single in the seventh tied the game at three. Incidentally, that came with two out and a two-strike count – again.

Boston would take the lead at 5-3 in the seventh on a two-run homer by Sogard. A solo shot by Anthony in the ninth gave them some insurance. And it’s a good thing for their sake that they got that, because Christian Encarnacion-Strand smacked a two-run homer in the last of the ninth. But it wasn’t enough, and the Birds fell 6-5.

The glaring thing isn’t the two-run home run by Sogard. It’s the two solo shots by Rutschman. They say solo home runs don’t hurt you. But this season the Orioles have made a career out of being hurt by them in one way or another.

The first home run was on the second pitch of the at-bat. The second one was on the first pitch. Both were in the same location – up and in. If there’s anyone who knows what the technology or AI that the Orioles use in terms of pitching, it’s their former All-Star catcher.

Make no mistake, he didn’t guess on those pitches. He didn’t see a pitch he liked, and went for it. He knew what was coming.

All the more reason not to have traded inside the division. Now to be clear, the Orioles got a haul for Rutschman. Nobody’s disputing that. But a team that was seeing Rutschman 12 or 13 times a year was willing to give up what they gave up to get him. AND they can now use him AGAINST the Orioles. Never trade to a division foe; no matter how good the deal looks on paper. That’s old school thinking – as in, pre-sabre metrics. And make no mistake that it’s still correct.

The series continues this evening at Camden Yards. Shane Baz gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Ranger Suarez. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles victimized by seventh inning homer

Kyle Bradish had his struggles last night in Colorado, but he also put the Baltimore Orioles in a spot to win. He labored through five tough innings, minimizing the damage as best he could. Bradish’s line: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 4 K.

Bradish was tripped up by the same thing which has haunted the Orioles all season. He recorded two quick outs in the last of the second, and then allowed Colorado to rally. Amador’s solo home run gave Colorado a 1-0 lead. That homer also came on a two-strike count, again which has haunted Oriole pitching all season.

On another two-strike count in the next at-bat, Veen would triple. The play was reviewed as a possible home run, but upheld as a triple, But Vern would score on an RBI-single by McCarthy – also on a two-strike count.

Again, two out or two strike rallies have plagued the Birds all season. It’s almost uncanny how opponents seem to be at their best with their backs against the wall in a count or in the inning. Odds are it’s coincidental. But it’s also a trend.

One inning later the O’s put runners at the corners with one down. Gunnar Henderson tapped a tight grounder down the first base line, beginning a double-play. However the runner from third scored before the 1-6-1 double-play could be completed.

That cut the Colorado lead to 2-1. You hate to end the inning, however in a playoff chase either the score 2-0, you take that. The Birds would tie it in the seventh on Jackson Holliday’s solo home run.

However the seventh was also where the game got away. Runfield’s rwo-run homer in the bottom of the inning sent Colorado off to a 4-2 win, evening the series. It came off of Luis De Leon, who was called up to the majors earlier in the day. It was his big league debut.

Obviously the Orioles promoted him for a reason. But you do have to question using a young guy in his major league debut in high leverage – both in a game as well as in the season. Second-guessing is easy, however it just seems that a moment like that is best suited for someone with experience.

The series concludes today at Coors Field. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Colorado’s Tomoyuki Sugano. Game time is set for 3:10 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Mile High Orioles Magic

Despite a rain storm, the Baltimore Orioles have made it back to .500. Case Povich was called back up to the big leagues to make the start last night, and lasted five solid innings. Povich’s line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 4 K.

Povich allowed a run in the fourth, but limited the damage. With two outs, Beck smacked an RBI-single. That also left two runners in scoring position, and on top of that Povich walked the next batter. However he induced a fly out to end the inning, and the Orioles only surrendered the one run.

But they quickly got it back. Samuel Basallo’s RBI-double in the fifth tied the game at one. Povich probably could have gone deeper than five innings, however a driving Denver rain storm inducing a rain delay of over an hour and a half intervened. Unfortunate, but needless to say Povich put the team in a spot to win.

Coby Mayo walked to begin the seventh – and for the record, it was a 3-2 count and he was called out on strikes. But he challenged the pitch, and it was overturned. Two additional walks would load the bases. Colton Cowser at first appeared to ground into an inning-ending double-play. However on review…he was safe at first. A run scored, and the Orioles were riding a mile high with a 2-1 lead.

Yet the greatest threat to that lead was the last pitch of the game. Colorado led off the ninth with a double, and later in the inning with two outs McCarthy sent a deep shot to center. Folks to be clear, it was destined to be a walk off two-run homer. And it wasn’t going to be close…until it was.

Colton Cowser tracked the ball, leapt at the wall, and…brought the ball back into the field of play. The ball was over the wall. Colorado had basically won the game. But Cowser’s Mile High Magic not only robbed them of a home run, but it closed out a win for the Birds. A win that has them officially back at .500 on August 31st/September 1st (due to the rain delay, the game ended after midnight).

The series continues this evening at Coors Field. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Colorado’s Gabriel Hughes. Game time is set for 8:40 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: That Gunnar guy

As often as Baltimore Orioles’ starters have pitched to quality starts this year only to lose, maybe it was time for the ball to fall the other way for once. Chris Bassitt probably didn’t deserve to be the winning pitcher in Sacramento today. But he was – by default. Bassitt’s line: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 4 K.

Gunnar Henderson put the Athletics on notice early with a solo home run in the first. But the A’s weren’t going quietly this afternoon. Butler’s two-RBI double gave them a 2-1 lead. Before the O’s really got things going, the A’s extended the lead to 5-1 by the end of the third.

Yet as quickly as things fell apart, things were different. Pete Alonso and Henderson singled to start the fourth. That brought Coby Mayo to the plate, and with one swing he changed the trajectory of the ballgame. His three-run homer cut the lead to 5-4.

One inning later the O’s put two on with two out. Gunnar Henderson strode back to the plate. You could argue it’s moments like these which speak to Gunnar’s value to the organization. Because his three-run homer gave the Birds a 7-5 lead.

Pete Alonso led off the eighth getting hit in the head. He was removed, and manager Craig Albernaz said after the game that he would be fine. But in that sequence, Henderson came back up to bat. And his RBI-triple extended the lead to 8-5

The bullpen closed out an 8-5 win, and a sweep of the A’s in Sacramento. The Birds now sit one game under .500. More importantly, only one game back of Cleveland for the final Wild Card spot.

The O’s now head to Denver to open a three-game set against Colorado at Coors Field tomorrow night. The Orioles’ starter is TBD, but Colorado will throw Tanner Gordon. Game time is set for 8:40 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Late night Mayo

The Baltimore Orioles sent Brandon Young to the mound late last night in game one of three against the Athletics in Sacramento. AndYoung didn’t disappoint, pitching to a quality start. Yojng’s line: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

The O’s struck first, with Dylan Beavers driving in a run in the second with an RBI-single. Carlos Narvaez would later reach on a fielding error, extending the lead to 2-0. That inning began with a walk to Coby Mayo to lead off the inning. Nothing good happens after a walk – unless you’re the team at bat.

Young pitched valiantly, only surrendering a solo home run in the last of the seventh. Craig Alberbaz pulled him after that, however that cost Young the win. Rico Garcia allowed a HBP and a single, followed by a sacrifice bunt. That put two runners in scoring position, and the Athletics immediately took advantage. Butler’s RBI-single tied the game at two.

Luckily for the O’s, the second runner was out at home plate. So the game was still tied, however the O’s did surrender the lead. Then or at all.

The game went to extra innings, and the Birds immediately took advantage of the ghost runner. The Athletics wanted nothing to do with Pete Alonso, so they intentionally walked him in the top of the tenth. However Coby Mayo’s run-scoring single gave the O’s a 3-2 lead. Christian Encarnacion-Strand would immediately follow with an RBI-single To pad the lead at 4-2.

And it’s a good thing he did, as Gelof’s run-scoring single in the last of the tenth cut the lead to 4-3. But that was the best that the Athletics could muster, sending the Birds to a 4-3 victory. The Orioles now stand two games out of a postseason spot.

The series continues tonight at Suter Health Park. Shane Baz gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by the Athletics’ Jack Perkins. Game time is set for just after 10 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles saved by the “Strand’s of time”

Kyle Bradish had to grind for the Baltimore Orioles last night. On paper it should have been easy to at least qualify for the win with a seven-run lead. But sometimes things happen. Whether they’re fair or foul. Bradish’s line: 4.1 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 2 BB, 4 K.

The O’s picked up where they left off Tuesday night. Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s RBI-single gave them a 1-0 lead in the first inning. But that turned into an onslaught in a sense. Dylan Beavers followed suit with another RBI-single, and Leody Taveras cleareded the bases with a three-run home run.

Bradish struggled himself in the first inning. He got out of it without surrendering a run, but he put a couple of runners on before retiring the side. Maybe that foreshadowed later,

But the O’s kept going offensively. Pete Alonso smacked a two-run home run in the top of the second. That ran the lead to 7-0. One would think that would be enough in a sense. But the baseball God’s don’t always agree. St. Louis would get one back in their half of that frame with a solo home run by Gorman.

Bradish would record one out in the fifth before running into trouble. He would load the bases, and then give up a two-RBI single to Burrleson. Walker would add an RBI-double…but with a small twist.

It was a chopper down the third base line. It was ruled fair by the third base umpire. It was borderline, needless to say. But the umpire called it fair well before the ball would have gone over (or missed the bag). That’s not a reviewable play.

That led to a two-RBI double by Church. Suddenly that seven-run lead was only 7-6. After Bradish left the game, Church would proceed to steal third base. He would later score on a sac-fly RBI, and suddenly we were tied at seven.

You never want to be on the south end of a big comeback like that. But this is baseball. Sometimes these things happen. And it remained tied until the almost end.

Samuel Basallo led off the ninth the a single. He was immediately pulled for pinch-runner Luis Vasquez (who replaced Tyler O’Neill when he was sent to the IL earlier in the day). Vasquez would go to second on a wild pitch, bringing Christian Encarnacion-Strand to the plate.

Encarnacion-Strand has really stepped up with all the injuries. He’s been a godsend for this team both in the field, as well as at the plate. And he proved it again late, as his RBI-double scored Vasquez, sending the Orioles to an 8-7 win.

It’s easy to say that it should have never come to that – fair or foul. But games like that happen in baseball. And end of the day, the O’s scratched out a win. That shouldn’t be taken lightly no matter how it went down.

The series concludes this afternoon at Busch Stadium. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the O’s, and his mound opponent is yet to be determined. Game time is set for 2:15 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Eight-run 5th seals it for the former Browns

The Baltimore Orioles were the St. Louis Browns until 1953. After that season, the franchise moved to Baltimore and became the Orioles – keeping the now iconic Orange & Black color scheme. Fast forward to August of 2026, and Chris Bassitt was on the mound as the franchise returned to St. Louis as the Orioles. Bassitt’s line: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 5 K.

To be blunt, this was a rout. The O’s set the tone with a three-run homer from Pete Alonso in the third inning, and a solo shot from Christian Encarnacion-Strand later in the frame. St. Louis made a slight attempt to fight back in the fourth with a solo homer by Church. Then the fifth inning happened.

Coby Mayo extended the lead to 5-1 with an RBI-single. Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s two-RBI single later in the inning brought it to 7-1. After the Orioles reloaded the bases, Dylan Beavers walked in another run.

And we went on. When the smoke cleared, the Baltimore Orioles, the former St. Louis Browns, or whatever you wanted to call them…the team wearing Orange & Black, were winning 13-1. St. Louis brought in a position player to pitch before it ended.

Pete Alonso asked for out of the lineup after the fifth inning. Alonso’s been slightly injured for awhile, yet he still produced. You have to hope it’s nothing serious and nothing lingering. In short, you have to hope it’s Alonso seeing the scoreboard and reading the writing on the wall.

Chris Bassitt played as big a role as anyone. He kept pitching and saved the bullpen – after a 37 minute fifth inning where he was on the bench. The Orioles also drove a stake through the St. Louis bullpen, setting up the rest of the series nicely.

The series continues tomorrow at Busch Stadium. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by St. Louis’ Michael McGreevey. Game time is set for 7:45 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: #RIPFlanny

From 2011 onwards, I said that so long as I opted to pen a Baltimore Orioles’ column, I’d commemorate this day. August 24th…the day that an untimely death rocked Birdland. That of the great Mike Flanagan.

Flanagan (“Flanny”) held various posts within the organization throughout his time. None more treasured than pitcher, of course. However he was also the pitching coach here and there, as well as a broadcaster, and an executive.

Here’s the thing with Mike Flanagan; he was one of “us.” Yes, he was an Oriole – which made him a celebrity. That goes without saying. But how many 80’s kids of my generation rode the bus with his kids? How many O’s fans of my Dad’s generation knew Flanagan through various places around town?

Mike Flanagan was an everyday guy who happened to be good at baseball. But he was SO PROUD to be an Oriole. It killed him to be traded to Toronto at the end of his career. And when his contract was up he signed back with the O’s as a reliever. When he joined the Orioles, he moved here and became a Baltimorean. And while he was always proud of his New England roots, he lived and died with everything that was important to the City of Baltimore over a long period of time.

15 years after his untimely death, I’m still writing about him. He wasn’t perfect; but everyone who ever saw him pitch, watched one of his pitchers (as a pitching coach), watched one of the players he acquired (as an executive), or heard him call a game, knew the mark he left on this organization. I’m privileged to check all four of those boxes. Rest in peace, Flanny. Today and everyday. We miss you.

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Baltimore Orioles: One late run won’t cut it

Shane Baz rightfully should have won for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon at Camden Yards against Tampa. Or more like…the Orioles should have won for Baz. He was more than adequate to win today. It just didn’t happen. Baz’s line: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 3 K.

The two teams sat on one hit each for some time. Heck, the O’s almost finished the game there. Needless to say, it wasn’t a day for offense.

The game was both scoreless and uneventful until the sixth inning. Baz recorded two quick outs, followed by back-to-back singles putting runners at the corners. A two-out rally – all that Tampa needed. Diaz would score on a subsequent wild pitch by Baz. RBI-singles by Caminero and Simpson extended the lead to 3-0.

When guys get on base, anything can happen. Tampa exemplifies that. The Orioles stuck on the one hit until the ninth when Colton Cowser smacked a solo homer. But today wasn’t for the Birds, who fell 3-1.

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Baltimore Orioles pinch and squeeze Tampa in extra’s

Brandon Young worked through parts of six innings tonight for the Baltimore Orioles. End of the day, he put the Birds in a spot to win tonight at Camden Yards against Tampa. Young’s line: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 3 K.

Young surrendered a solo home run to Hicks in the second. This after the O’s left some runners on base in the last of the first. Tampa always gets fat on what you leave behind. And they look for any opening they can find.

And in a warped sort of way, they did that in the sixth inning as well. Following a leadoff walk, Diaz singled to Tyler O’Neill in right, who came up throwing – to third base. Make no mistake, it was a great play by Tyler O’Neill. He gunned out the runner at third in a brilliant and tactical manner, leaving one out and one on.

However Simpson’s RBI-single later in the inning doubled the Tampa lead at 2-0. The runner the O’s couldn’t clear off the bases ending up biting them. That’s what Tampa does – despite the O’Neill throw and the out at third. Say what you want about Tyler O’Neill’s hitting, but his defense is too notch.

With one on and one out in the eighth, the Birds trailed 2-0. Yet Craig Albernaz had a couple of bullets in the holster. He shot one by sending Samuel Basallo up as a pinch-hitter to n lieu of Coby Mayo.

And Basallo immediately delivered. He smacked a two-run home run, which tied the game and electrified the Camden Yards crowd. In a snap, the game had turned.

The game went to extra innings, where of course we see the ghost runner on second. Rico Garcia came in to pitch the tenth, and recorded the first out on a Mullins ground out. However that pushed the go-ahead run to third base, bringing Walls to the plate.

Walls isn’t the best hitter on planet earth. But he can bunt. The O’s brought the infield in, anticipating a squeeze play. And sure enough, Tampa delivered.

After Walls swung through the first pitch, he bunted the second one. Only thing was he bunted it right back to Garcia, who immediately made the play at the plate, with the catcher Carlos Narvaez tagging the runner out at home. That left a runner at first with two outs, and the following hitter popped out to right.

The Orioles correctly anticipated what Tampa was going to do. Heck of a play by Garcia to make the play at the plate. The Orioles anticipated a squeeze play, with the runner running on contact. And they were right.

The O’s had the ghost runner in the tenth also. And that ghost runner scored on a Dylan Beavers walk off run-scoring double. That sent the Birds home 3-2 winners, meaning that they’ve now won two different series’ from Tampa on two different consecutive weekends.

The moments you’re conditioned to remember from this game are Basallo and Beavers. But DO NOT underestimate the defensive aspect in this game. Tyler Wells, Rico Garcia, and Carlos Narvaez each played a major role on that side of the ball. Runs saved are runs scored in a one-run game.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Shane Baz gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Nick Martinez. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Did ol’ blue afford the O’s a break?

The Baltimore Orioles came into tonight’s game with Tampa in dire need of a win. Trevor Rogers, the winning pitcher the last time the Birds won (on Sunday) was on the mound – so there was that. And they were playing the same team as they were that day, in Tampa. So there was that as well. Rogers’ line: 7.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

Jackson Holliday led off the ballgame with a single that he extended into a double. Lee Alonso’s subsequent RBI-single gave the Birds a 1-0 lead in the last of the first. But Tampa sort of did the same thing in terms of ambushing a starter – this in the second. Simpson’s RBI-single tied the game at one.

But Tampa wasn’t done yet. In short, Rogers had one bad inning – the second. Later in the inning with one down and one on, Piper smacked a two-run homer – the first home run of his career. Never a good sign when you surrender someone’s first big league homer. But Rogers re-centered himself, and got out of the inning.

Granted it was early in the game. But that felt fairly definitive given that Tampa is a first place team, and the Birds had lost four straight. But the O’s immediately got a ray of hope. Dylan Beavers’ solo home run in the bottom of the inning cut the lead to 3-2. His third home run in as many games.

The key moment of the game came in the last of the fifth inning. However it was sort of an unsung moment. With two on and one out Jackson Holliday had a two strike count. Holliday checked his swing, and the call was appealed to third base umpire Dillon Wilson, who ruled that Holliday had checked his swing.

Whether he did or didn’t is almost irrelevant. Holliday at least had the perception that he had come around, and started walking back to the dugout. This before Wilson ruled he had checked his swing.

Tampa manager Kevin Cash came out incensed to argue, and was promptly ejected. Whether Holliday checked his swing or not, Cash may have had a point in that the hitter even felt like he came around. Yet the at-bat continued.

Holliday would immediately tie the game with a sac fly-RBI. Later in the inning Pete Alonso’s thirtieth home run of the year came in the form of a two-run homer, giving the O’s a 5-3 lead. The bullpen was strong, and closed it out, putting the O’s back in the win column.

Many would say that after the New York series, the Birds were due to get a call to go their way. One way or the other, fans should want the correct call to be made. That should be the goal. Whether Holliday checked his swing or not is almost irrelevant. Needless to say, HE thought he was out. That could in theory speak volumes.

The series continues tomorrow at Camden Yards. Brandon Young gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Shane Mclanahan. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Don’t try to do too much

One could argue that Kyle Bradish actually served a good purpose tonight for the Baltimore Orioles. In a morose sort of manner, that is. This in the sense that he ate innings and perhaps saved a bullpen reliever or two. Bradish’s line: 5.2 IP, 8 H, 5 R (3 earned), 2 BB, 5 K.

The game started in a 20 minute weather delay. Bradish faced the minimum through two, however allowed two base hits to start the third and put runners on the corners with nobody out. The Orioles seemed content to give up the run, and sure enough Caballero rolled over a ground ball in the infield.

However it was to the worst possible spot with the infield at double-play depth, that being the hole between first and second. Jackson Holliday tried to nail the runner at second, and in trying to record the out and throw the ball back to first for a double-play, Gunnar Henderson dropped the ball. The run from third scored, and the Orioles got no outs.

Given the angle, the correct play would have been to surrender the run and get the out at second. Gunnar Henderson tried too hard to get it all, and got nothing. And that’s perhaps a motif for the season. If you try too hard to do it all, you get nothing.

Think back to last night; the Orioles focus so much on exit velocity, with the naive belief that’s going to lead to runs. Pete Alonso hit the ball so hard and at such a launch angle, that supposedly they couldn’t see if it went over the foul pole. SUPPOSEDLY. New York scored the winning runs without the ball leaving the infield.

Rice and Ramos would follow with RBI-singles and doubles respectively. New York led 3-0, with only one of those runs being earned. New York took what was being given them.

The O’s would get on the board in the last of the fifth with a solo home run by Dylan Beavers. But come the sixth, New York got that run back and then some. Garcia and Jones each smacked solo homers, and Chisholm would add an RBI-triple in the eighth.

You can’t give away outs and award the opponent with extra chances in baseball. That Henderson error set the tone for the game. And that’s perhaps a point that has overshadowed the entire season. Attention to detail and the yearn to figuratively do it all has hurt this team a lot this year. Perfection is often the enemy of good.

The O’s now welcome Tampa to town for the first of a three-game set at Camden Yards. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Freddy Peralta. Game time is set for 7:15 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Fair is foul

For the second consecutive game against New York, the Baltimore Orioles got a start which was good enough to win. This time out of Chris Bassitt. Not a perfect start, but one where the O’s were set up nicely. And for a plethora of reasons (some beyond their realm of control), they couldn’t pull it out. Bassitt’s line: 5.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

The O’s did get an early lead. With runners at the corners and two out in the first, the Orioles attempted a double-steal. And Jackson Holliday slid safely into home plate, giving the O’s a 1-0 lead.

New York would tie the game in the second with an RBI-single by McMahon. They would then take the lead on a sac fly-RBI by Lombard. Rice’s solo home run an inning later would extend the lead to 3-1.

But the Orioles fought back. Pete Alonso’s solo homer in the last of the third got them to within 3-2. And there it remained until the last of the sixth when Dylan Beavers’ solo home run tied it back up at three. But nobody will remember that about this game.

According to the play-by-play readout of the game, Pete Alonso struck out to end the sixth inning (with the game tied at three). Basically if you’re watching from aerospace, that’s what you see. Baseball isn’t played in aerospace. Maybe a metaphor there.

Alonso smacked a shot to left that had home run distance and then some. It was hit so hard and so far, that it went over the foul pole and landed on the other side. Admittedly with the naked eye, it looked foulish. And in fact, the umpiring crew on the field ruled it foul. BUT…

…replays seemed to concretely show that the ball went over the foul pole. When I say concretely, I mean the New York broadcast indicated that they thought it was a home run. Everyone in the ballpark thought it was a home run. Except the umpiring crew…

…and the replay center in New York. The ruling came down saying that they felt it wasn’t clear enough to overturn the call on the field. Alonso would strike out to end the inning, and New York would take the lead an inning later after loading the bases with two outs. Lombard scratched in a run on a swinging bunt that went as an infield RBI-single. Chisholm would score on a wild pitch by Yennier Cano, sending the Birds to a 5-3 loss.

There’s probably some irony in the fact that in the moment that everyone will remember in this game, Pete Alonso hit the ball so hard that it couldn’t be deciphered if it went over the foul pole or not. And New York scored the two winning runs without hitting the ball out of the infield. Crazy if you think about it.

No one moment truly decides any game. But that’s about as deflating a moment as you’re going to see. To be blunt, nobody who saw that play over and over thought it was a foul ball. Nobody. Except the people who mattered. There’s no point of replay if you’re going to deny what you see in front of you. That was a home run. And it was taken away from Pete Alonso and the Orioles.

On a related note, Craig Albernaz seemed only mildly agitated at the call. He also was fairly careful in tiptoeing around his words after the game regarding that play. That’s a moment and a situation that almost mandates a manager to get ejected. Yes, it’s stagecraft. But players knowing that leadership is behind them can do wonders. Does “the algorithm” not allow for that?

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Gerritt Cole. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: You have to hit in the clutch

New York hit in the clutch last night. The Baltimore Orioles did not. The victim? Starter Shane Baz, who most certainly pitched well enough to win last night. Baz’s line: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 10 K.

The O’s loaded the bases in the second, due in part to a fielding error. But they couldn’t take advantage, as Carlos Narvaez struck out to end the inning. Grisham smacked a solo home run in the third to give NY a 1-0 lead.

Again, you have to take advantage when opportunity knocks. The O’s let their opponent off the hook. Granted, that’s a spot where you miss Samuel Basallo’s bat out of the catcher’s spot.

The O’s did tie the game however. Coby Mayo smacked a solo home run of his own in the bottom of the inning. It goes both ways – solo home runs don’t hurt you. However needless to say, they’re something.

Baz would allow two runners on in the sixth, and was lifted. Again, he pitched well enough to win last night – a quality start. Entertained Josh Walker, who walked the first hitter and struck out the next one. He then surrendered a two-RBI single to Grisham. And on a two-strike count at that, giving New York a 3-1 lead.

The O’s would put two on in the seventh but couldn’t muster much. End of the day New York took advantage of the opportunities that presented themselves. The Orioles did not. That’s a game that got away, and at this stage you can’t have that.

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

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Baltimore Orioles can’t complete the sweep

The Baltimore Orioles had an opportunity to sweep the best team in baseball at their place this evening. Brandon Young wasn’t at his best, but he was picked up by Oriole bats. But end of the day, nothing was enough. Young’s line: 4.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 3 K.

This was a back-and-forth affair, and Tampa came out ahead. However the O’s got the scoring started with Coby Mayo’s mammoth solo home run in the second inning to give the O’s a 1-0 lead. A solo home run by Diaz would tie the score at one in the third.

However the O’s would put two runners in scoring position in the top of the fourth, and had both of them score on Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s two-RBI single. But remember, this is Tampa. These guys don’t give up, and despite the fact that the O’s took the first three games in the series, they at times can’t be beaten. Two home runs, a solo shot by Vilade, and a two-run shot by former Oriole Mateo, put Tampa ahead, 4-3.

But for the moment, that wasn’t enough. Pete Alonso tied the game an inning later with a solo home run. The O’s would later take a 6-4 lead that inning with a two-run home run by Christian Encarnacion-Strand. Where would the Oriole be without him?!

However it wasn’t to be for the Birds tonight in Tampa. Aranda’s RBI-single in the seventh cut the lead to 6-5. DeLuca would follow with a two-RBI single later in the inning, giving Tampa a 7-6 lead. The O’s put a few runners on late, but couldn’t muster anything more, thus dropping the finale.

It’s tough not being able to take the finale and sweep the series. However taking three-of-four against the team with the best record in baseball is something. It sets the Orioles up well as they open a key home stand.

The Orioles head home to open a three-game set with the NYY. Shane Baz gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by NY’s Carlos Rondon. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: One challenge defeated analytics like thunder and lightning

Tropicana Field has been a house of horrors for the Baltimore Orioles, who sent Trevor Rogers to the mound there this afternoon. A house of horrors in 2026, as well as in the past. Both Friday, yesterday, and today, that hasn’t been the case – but none more so than this afternoon. Rogers’ line: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 7 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

The O’s got a few runners on base in the first few innings, but the teams in essence spent the beginning of the game feeling one another out. Rogers made one bad pitch, resulting in a solo homer to Vilade in the fourth. It was one run, but perhaps it gave you a sinking feeling. If it did, it shouldn’t have.

The Birds put two on in the fifth by way of walks. Yohel Pozo lined out to second base with one out, and Tampa doubled Leody Taveras off of second to end the inning. And to end the threat.

Or did it?! Craig Albernaz challenged the out call at second base, and the call was overturned. The replay was pretty conclusive in that Taveras got his hand back into the bag at second. That left the Orioles trailing 1-0 and hitting with two runners on with two outs.

That’s where Tampa manager Kevin Cash made an unforced error. That more or less cost his team the game. He followed analytics with no regard to feel for the game.

He pulled his starter, Peralta – who was leading the game, pitching well, and between 70-80 pitches in. Instead he went to a southpaw reliever, Clevinger – to pitch to Jackson Holiday. They say that numbers don’t lie, and southpaws have the advantage pitching to a lefty. But…removing a strong pitcher in the fifth with a reasonable pitch count. For that?! Seemed draconian.

Numbers don’t lie. But they also don’t play the game. Human beings do. And the human being of Jackson Holliday made cash out of Cash’s decision with an RBI-single to tie the game at one. As a severe thunderstorm brewed outside the Trop, hometown boy Pete Alonso’s subsequent two-RBI double catapulted the O’s into a 3-1 lead.

Sabre metrics do play a role. But you have to have feel for the game. Craig Albernaz has gotten better at that of late. Being more tied to what the computer says to do bit Kevin Cash today big time. It’s one thing to match up late in a game. This was in the middle innings. Further compounding Cash’s decision, Clevinger had to pitch to three batters (or the end of the inning). So once his lefty-lefty matchup failed, he couldn’t change pitchers again to pitch to Alonso.

And here’s the thing about dramatic moments in games; they give teams confidence. The thunderstorm outside might have played a role also. One way or the other, Colton Cowser smacked a two-run homer in the sixth to extend the lead to 5-1. A single and a walk brought Jackson Holliday back to the plate, and his two-RBI double extended the lead to 7-1. That included Yohel Pozo flopping himself onto home plate and being ruled safe – a call upheld on a replay challenge.

As if that wasn’t enough, the O’s loaded the bases. Christian Encarnacion-Strand would then clear them with a double. That broke the game wide open, and gave the Birds a 10-1 lead. Tampa would tack on a meaningless RBI-single by Mateo in the bottom of the inning, and the O’s have taken the first three games of this four-game wrap-around series in Tampa.

From Tampa’s perspective, they had opportunities to right the ship – this had they not let things snowball. But that challenge in the fifth inning changed the entire scope of the game. It forced Tampa to make a decision; play the numbers, or leave a pitcher in the game who appears to be throwing well. They erred on the side of playing the odds. And the Orioles made them pay for that decision with thunder and lightning.

Craig Albernaz has fallen into this trap before also. And as I said above, I’ve personally seen him make improvements in that area, and at times has trusted his gut and his players. Numbers and stats are important – that isn’t up for debate. But knowing when it’s actually stupid to play the numbers is also important. Today it was the opponent over-managing, and the opponent working themselves out of a game during to analytics. And again, the Orioles struck like bolts of lightning.

The series concludes tomorrow night at Tropicana Field. Brandon Young gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Shane McClanahan. Game time is set for just after 6 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles hold on to cut Tampa’s joie de vivre

Earlier in the season the Baltimore Orioles ended a 15-game winning streak held by Boston. This evening at Tropicana Field, Tampa put their nine-game win streak on the line against the Birds and Chris Bassitt – who was activated off the IL to make the start. Bassitt’s line: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 3 K.

The O’s put runners at the corners in the second inning, and took a 1-0 lead on Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s RBI-groundout. An RBI-double by Palacios in the bottom of the frame would tie the game, but the Birds hung tough. They would retake the lead on a solo homer by Colton Cowser in the third, only to have Tampa once again follow suit and tie it at two on Mesa’s RBI-single in the bottom of the inning.

Bassitt was okay for his first start off the IL. Sadly for him however, the game was still tied when he left in the top of the sixth. The O’s loaded the bases in the seventh, with first base being full due to an intentional walk to get to Dylan Beavers. And he catapulted the Orioles into the lead with a two-RBI single at 4-2.

When you’ve played as inconsistently as the Orioles have this year, and as poorly as they have at Tropicana Field, that was a huge moment. Especially given the standings, and given the fact that Tampa had won nine straight. And part of why they won nine straight is the certain amount of joie de vivre with which they operate. It’s on a frustrating frequency on which the rest of us can’t work.

The bigger play however was the eighth inning two-run homer by Gunnar Henderson. It was his twentieth home run of the season, and it gave the Birds a 6-2 lead. Which was huge…

…because of Tampa’s aforementioned joie de vivre. They were never going to go quietly. Yennier Cano came on for the ninth, and after surrendering two base hits he uncorked a wild pitch and left two runners in scoring position. He would strike out Diaz, and allow a two-RBI single to Aranda. Caminero’s RBI-groundout would record the second out, but left the O’s with no more wiggle room at 6-5.

Crag Albernaz opted to change pitchers and brought in Cal Sanders. He induced a flyout on the first pitch to Vilade, ending the inning. And the game.

Again, Tampa doesn’t go quietly. Maybe because they’re so peppy and happy. And there’s a quiet confidence about them whereby if they lose, they just come back tomorrow and try again. But end of the day, not even that attitude was enough to defeat the Orioles and get their win streak to ten.

The series continues tomorrow evening at Tropicana Field. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Ian Seymour. Game time is set for just after 6 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Power surge

Brandon Young wasn’t at his best for the Baltimore Orioles last night. Certainly not his worst, either. It was one of those famous in between starts, and You mg motored through six innings. Young’s line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R (1 earned), 3 BB, 4 K.

For what it’s worth, the previous two games had starters lifted early. So the fact that Young went six innings saved the bullpen a bit. He also qualified for a quality start.

Gunnar Henderson singled to lead off the game, and was followed by Pete Alonso. And Big Pete set the tone for the evening with a two-run home run. That gave the Birds a 2-0 lead, immediately putting Minnesota on notice.

In reality however, Henderson set the tone by getting on base. That’s what a lead off man is supposed to do. One has to hope that last night’s game is a catalyst for Henderson breaking out of his slump.

And I say that also in part because in his next at-bat in the second inning, Gunnar Henderson hit a two-run home run of his own. That doubled the Orioles lead. It also meant that Minnesota needed to score at least five to beat the Orioles. And when you’re playing a team who put up nine the day before and refused to take its foot off the gas, that makes a difference.

Young would load the bases in the last of the second. However the only run he surrendered was on an RBI-groundout by Roden. In limiting the damage, he pitched through difficulties and maintained the status quo. And he was rewarded for that, as one inning later Christian Encarnacion-Strand smacked a solo homer and extended the Orioles’ lead to 5-1.

The O’s may have another issue at catcher coming out of this game, as Yohel Pozzo got clipped by a swing in the last of the third, and had to leave the game. In short, it’s an injured thumb, and x-rays were negative. Whether a roster move is pending remains to be seen. Lee’s subsequent run-scoring double cut the lead to 5-2.

That’s an unearned run, as catcher’s interference was called on Pozzo – which is an error. That pushed a runner already at first base into scoring position, further highlighting the Orioles’ luck with catchers. Samuel Basallo and Adley Rutschman were both hurt, Rutschman was traded to Boston, Basallo’s still injured, and now one of the replacements might be down as well.

Josh Walker and Yennier Cano retired Minnesota in the seventh and eighth, and Andrew Kitteredge closed things out in the ninth. All in all, a good win for the O’s, who need to finish off the series today in strong fashion.

The series concludes this afternoon at Target Field. Shane Baz gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Zebby Matthews. Game time is set for 1:40 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Unwavering on approach since June of 2024

It would have probably stood to reason that the Baltimore Orioles would have changed things up a bit against former starter Dean Kremer last night. But they couldn’t for the most part. Trevor Rogers turned in an uncharacteristically short start on top of that, and Oriole bats couldn’t muster much until late. Rogers’ line: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 4 K.

Rogers, along with all Oriole pitchers, was tentative. As I’ve said many times, you don’t want to just throw the ball consistently right down Broadway. But you have to attack the strike zone. They don’t consistently do that, and they didn’t do it last night.

Rogers surrendered a solo home run to Martin in the third. One inning later however the Birds would actually tie the game in a fairly strange manner. With one out and runners at the corners, Tyler O’Neill struck out and Jackson Holliday was caught stealing on the base paths. However Craig Albernaz had apparently put on a double-steal, enabling Gunnar Henderson to in essence steal home plate.

However Rogers gave the lead right back. He hit the first batter of the fourth by a pitch, followed by a double by Lee – resulting in two runners in scoring position. Culpepper’s sac fly-RBI would give Minnesota the lead back at 2-1.

When you’re trying to pitch exclusively on the fringes, that will sometimes happen. In fact, Rogers hit another batter before the inning ended. Sometimes pitches get away from someone. It happens. However when you aren’t allowing a pitcher to attack the strike zone and instead consistently and tentatively pitching to the fringes of the plate, you run the risk of a pitch getting away.

Minnesota recorded two infield hits to lead off the seventh. One was in no man’s land, and Jackson Holliday didn’t have time to make the throw to first. The second was a soft bunt, compounded by a throwing error which put two runners in scoring position. When you pitch to the fringes, fringe things can happen. Jeffers’ two-run single gave Minnesota a 4-1 lead.

Later in the inning Bell’s three-run home run extended the lead to 7-1. The O’s would rally just a bit, with Coby Mayo smacking an RBI-double and Christian Encarnacion-Strand an RBI-groundout in the eighth. However Minnesota didn’t call off the dogs; they added two more in the bottom of the inning before Coby Mayo’s two-RBI double in the ninth. All in all, the Birds dropped this one 9-5.

Kremer pitched outstanding against his former team. This would be one reason you don’t help out someone with whom you’re competing directly for a postseason spot. Especially when you’re playing them in short order.

The Orioles slowly began going into a swoon in mid-June, 2024. They were never the same after that. Something changed; is it approach? Effort? Maybe even luck? Tough to say.

However as I alluded above, the Orioles cannot change their game plan. They always attack the fringes of the plate. Dean Kremer, because he was forced to do this also, knows that. If there were ever a time to maybe change up your approach, it would be against a guy who was part of said approach until a couple of weeks ago.

But whomever calls the shots in game wasn’t about to let that happen. Again, since June of 2024, the Orioles the O’s have been very rigid in how they’ve approached games from a pitching perspective. Kremer knows this. He also knows the machine won’t allow anything to change it. So he was Minnesota’s “advance scout” for this series. Minnesota hitters infernally refused to swing at anything that wasn’t right over the plate. And it worked.

And the fact that a pitcher like Kremer was able to go to a different team and throw seven innings of one-hit ball against his former team is equally incriminating. He knew that the Orioles aim only for launch angle and exit velocity. And he used that to his advantage.

Since June of 2024, the team has been managed very rigidly. This over three different managers (one of whom was an interim manager). You can’t win games on a spreadsheet. You win them on the field. It’s no mystery what the Orioles are doing. The word got out in June of 2024. And the results since then show that.

The series continues this evening at Target Field. Brandon Young gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Bailey Ober. Game time is set for 7:40 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Polar Bear plunges a stake deep in the heart of Texas

Coming into this afternoon’s series finale in Texas, the Baltimore Orioles had gotten great pitching but little in the way of hitting. Cade Povich was hoping he wouldn’t be the latest victim. The good news is he wasn’t. The bad news (for Povich) is that he didn’t stick around long enough to qualify for the win. Povich’s line: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 2 K.

The Orioles put two runners on with two outs in the first inning. Dylan Beavers’ RBI-single gave them a 1-0 lead. Leody Taveras followed with an RBI-double, and the O’s led 2-0 early on.

After Povich sent Texas down 1-2-3 in the last of the first, Colton Cowser smacked a mammoth solo homer to center in the second, and the O’s led, 3-0. Later in the inning Gunnar Henderson drew a walk, bringing Pete Alonso to the plate. And Big Pete sent a two-run homer over the left field wall, giving the Birds a 5-0 lead.

Povich was cruising, as for once were Oriole bats. However the third inning brought problems for Povich. He allowed an infield single with one out, followed with a walk with two outs having been recorded. Suddenly Povich couldn’t find a strike zone, and he surrendered a three-run home run to Nimmo which cut the lead to 5-3.

Povich got out of that inning without any further runs scoring, but he seemed spooked. That ended up being his last inning, which wasn’t a huge deal as the Oriole bullpen was well rested due to starters pitching deep (albeit in losing efforts) in the first two games of the series. You wish that Craig Albernaz would have allowed Povich to qualify for the win, but end of the day he opted for the bullpen.

In the mean time, Pete Alonso smacked his second two-run homer of the ballgame in the fourth, extending the Oriole lead to 7-3. It was Alonso’s first multi-home run game as an Oriole. And in the wake of the rough third inning, it re-centered the Orioles a bit.

Tyler O’Neill provided some insurance in the sixth with a two-run homer of his own. To further the point, Colton Cowser walked in a run in the ninth. Texas would also slide two across in the bottom of the inning – runs which meant nothing.

End of the day you wish you had won this series. However the Orioles finished it off with a bang, running away with a 10-5 victory off of Pete Alonso’s bat, deep in the heart of Texas. Hopefully the offensive output continues.

The O’s now head to Target Field to open a three-game set against Minnesota. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Dean Kremer (of course a former and very recent Oriole himself). Game time is set for 7:40 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles within two games of .500

Needless to say, the selloff has been harsh on the Baltimore Orioles this week. However the O’s also have quietly continued their push into the standings and for the postseason in the midst of heavy trade winds against them. Trevor Rogers continued their quest for October this evening against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Rogers’ line: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 9 K.

To be blunt, the Orioles need to extend Rogers. He’s a free agent at the end of the year, but he’s been invaluable to this franchise in 2026 – and before. Withstanding a lockout, he should be an Oriole in 2027 and beyond.

The O’s pulled ahead in the fourth inning, following a walk. And it came from the unlikeliest of spots. Tyler O’Neill’s two-run homer gave the Birds a 2-0 lead. That was followed up by a solo shot by Coby Mayo, and the Orioles led hapless Anaheim, 3-0.

However Anaheim chipped away. Siri’s solo home run in the sixth cut the lead to 3-1. Meckler’s RBI-single in the seventh further cut the lead to 3-2. The game hung in the balance in a sense. But not for long.

Gunnar Henderson reached on a HBP in the last of the eighth. He would advance on a throwing error, and Craig Alberbaz would pinch-hit Leody Taveras for Tyler O’Neill. O’Neill, who had already smacked a home run.

To his credit, Craig Alberbaz has pushed a lot of the right buttons of late. He isn’t always given credit for that, specifically not from me. But he’s pushed the right buttons recently. As he did tonight.

Leody Taveras’ two-run home run extended the lead to 5-2. And that made it a lot easier for Andrew Kittredge, who came on to close things out in the ninth. With the win, the O’s closed to within one game of the final playoff spot (at the time of this article’s publication, and to within two games of .500.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Brandon Young gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Anaheim’s Ryan Johnson. Game time for a set for just after 12:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Cade Povich cool as a Polar Bear

The Baltimore Orioles put Cade Povich in a bit of a spot tonight. Povich was activated off the IL, and was taxed with starting tonight against Anaheim – in the first game after GM Mike Elias controversially traded Adley Rutschman (among others). And to his credit, Povich delivered. Povich’s line: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K.

Povich has quietly had a great regular season, despite the injury. Coming into to tonight’s game, he had a 3.91 ERA. My personal opinion is that he’s a keeper. Despite having traffic on the base paths for most of the night, he did pitch a shutout over six innings.

The Orioles immediately inserted a couple of their new players into the lineup, including Christian Franklin and Carlos Narváez. The latter of which (who was obtained in the Rutschman trade) was hit by a pitch in the third. The Birds would proceed to load the bases, and Pete Alonso’s two-RBI single would give them a 2-0 lead.

This wasn’t a game noted for its offensive output. With one out Coby Mayo would triple in the seventh. Franklin would then reach on a fielder’s choice, with Mayo being thrown out at home plate.

Craig Albernaz had the contact play on. The O’s always seem to have the contact play on. It didn’t work. The O’s ran into an out. How good a bunter Franklin is, but would a safety squeeze not have been a better idea there? The contact play works well if the game is truly on the line late in the game. The scenario didn’t call for it in that instance.

Grissom’s run-scoring double in the eighth sort of drove home the point about the safety squeeze. Suddenly the Orioles were only ahead by one, and that out at home plate registered greater. To make matters worse, an error by Christian Encarnacion-Strand at third helped drive the run in.

But the Orioles pitched out of it. On top of that, they got an insurance run from Tyler O’Neill in the form of a solo home run in the last of the eighth. Yennier Cano closed Los Angeles out in the ninth, and the O’s took the first game of this series, 3-1.

This was a huge win. Not regarding the postseason race or anything, because the math says the Orioles are still very much alive for that. But it was a big win for the psyche of the clubhouse, given the players who were unceremoniously removed over the past day-and-a-half. The Orioles had no choice but to win the game today. And yes, the standings say they’re very much alive.

They also won this game and beat former starter Grayson Rodriguez. He was of course traded to LA in the off season for Tyler Ward – who was just traded to Seattle yesterday, Needless to say, Rodriguez had injury issues beyond his control. But the Birds certainly didn’t want him coming back in here and beating them.

The series continues tomorrow evening at Camden Yards. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Los Angeles’ Reid Detemers. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles send Adley Rutschman to Boston

Adley Rutschman was the Baltimore Orioles first round pick in 2019. Not only that, he was the first overall pick in the draft. He was a 1:1.

Today President of Baseball Operations Mike Elias traded Rutschman to division rival Boston. Rutschman is a free agent after 2027, and he’s currently on the IL with a wrist injury. In return for Rutschman, the Orioles are reportedly getting RHP Anthony Eyanson, OF Endy Azocar, RHP Kyson Witherspoon, C Carlos Narvaez, and a player to be named later. Eyanson and Witherspoon are the #2 and #3 prospects in Boston’s system.

Whether that’s a legitimate haul for Rutschman remains to be seen. Perhaps some of that depth was even warranted in the Orioles’ farm system. What IS factual is that six of the eight deadlines in the current Elias regime have been sales.

On top of that, this goes well against the grain of baseball logic. While the O’s got some decent players back, traditionally you don’t trade within your division. Many will say that’s a good thing. While my view is irrelevant, again I’ll just reiterate that regular logic goes against this.

It’s also worth mentioning that the O’s are still 2.5 games back in the playoff race. Adley Rutschman is a franchise sort of player who’s now going to be that for a division rival. There does appear to be something wrong with that picture. But that’s the reality of the situation.

It’s entirely possible that Mike Elias is comfortable with the Orioles continuing their postseason push without the likes of Rutschman, Taylor Ward, and Dean Kremer. It could be that he’s comfortable with those players being on teams who are directly competing with the Orioles. But needless to say, the moves are curious.

It’s also worth mentioning that the Orioles locked C Samuel Basallo into a longterm deal last year. So while Basallo’s injured also for now, there’s no question mark at the catcher position for the foreseeable future. But again, usually you don’t help out your division rivals.

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Baltimore Orioles send Taylor Ward to Seattle

The Baltimore Orioles have traded Og Taylor Ward to Seattle. With the MLB Teade Deadline set for 6 PM this evening, Ward appears on the move. Neither side has confirmed the deal.

In return, the O’s appear poised to receive RHP’s Alex Hoppe, Brock Moore and Harrison Kreiling. All three appear to be high leverage relievers. Perhaps they can be stretched out. Time will tell.

Despite an unfortunate turn of events over the weekend against Philadelphia, the Orioles are 2.5 games out of a playoff spot. In Seattle and Minnesota, they’ve now traded with two teams with whom they’re competing for that spot. I find that odd. But perhaps I’m outdated in my thinking. In my world you never make someone who’s a threat to you better.

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Baltimore Orioles: Nothing good happens after a walk – or after bad challenges

You can’t pitch better than Shane Baz did tonight for the Baltimore Orioles. Sadly tonight’s game against Philadelphia was also par for the course, as the Orioles don’t seem to score runs in games when Baz pitches. Beginning and ending with tonight – where they put up zero. Baz’s line: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

Philadelphia’s starter Sanchez matched Baz. Both were outstanding. The Orioles lost a challenge in the third inning, on a pitch that was outside the strike zone by over an inch and a half. In the moment however it was a non-issue because Baz got out of the inning. In the moment being a key phrase there.

Philadelphia would take a 1-0 lead in the fifth on an RBI-single by De La Cruz. This with two outs in the inning, and on the heels of a walk. The only walk of the game that Baz issued. Which was followed by the only run of the game that he allowed.

Remember that bit above about that missed challenge not hurting the Orioles in the moment? It began to hurt them in the seventh when Taylor Ward missed their second and final challenge of the game. On a pitch that was clearly a strike. Putting them out of challenges for the game.

I fundamentally disagree with computers calling balls and strikes. But the system is what it is; the O’s haven’t been good with challenges this year – either offensively or defensively. They either challenge the wrong pitches or let bad calls go unchecked. Or, they shoot their wad early and often.

With Philadelphia still leading 1-0 in the top of the eight, Schwarber walked on a full count with one out. Ball four was CLEARLY in the strike zone to the naked eye. A fact that was backed up by pitch track. But the Orioles couldn’t challenge. Grant Wolfram tapped his hat, but the Birds were out of challenges. Everyone in the ballpark knew thatwas strike three. But it went as ball four.

Following a second walk and a wild pitch, Bohm’s RBI-single extended the lead to 2-0. After Bohm’s RBI-single it was 3-0. Crawford would tack on a two-RBI single later in the game, extending the lead to 5-0. Most of the runs in that sequence came off of walks…

…and nothing good happens after a walk. Walks may only equal one base, but they’re runners on base. Philadelphia took advantage of their opportunities once those runners got on. Meanwhile the Orioles were 0-for-3 with RISP. You can’t win games like that.

You also can’t win games by challenging pitches that you have no business challenging, leading to you being out of challenges. Again, that system isn’t something in which I believe. But it’s there, and you have to utilize it correctly. When the Orioles were faced with a pitch that was an OBVIOUS strike three, they couldn’t enforce it.

It’s easy enough to say that it’s nobody’s fault but their own that they allowed the inning to balloon after that. AND that they couldn’t put a run on the board, losing 5-0. And that’s true. However does nobody on and two outs not sound better than one on and one out? Do we think that inning still balloons the way it did if that’s a strike three instead of a ball four? And make no mistake, IT WAS a strike three.

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

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Baltimore Orioles trade Dean Kremer to Minnesota

Word on the street is that the Baltimore Orioles traded starter Dean Kremer to Minnesota shortly after last night’s 6-4 win over Philadelphia. Again word on the street is that in return they’re receiving Jhomnardo Reyes, a single-A outfielder. Neither the Orioles or Minnesota have announced the trade.

Kremer heads to Minnesota with a 6.50 ERA on the season. (It ballooned to that level after his most recent starts in Boston and Detroit.) For his part, Reyes was Minnesota’s 12th prospect in their organization. He also bats from the left side.

The Orioles are a game-and-a-half back from the final Wild Card Spot. So they aren’t selling – per se. This is a curious move to me, especially given the fact that the team currently in the final Wild Card spot is…Minnesota. The trade deadline is Monday, which is an off day for the Orioles. Does this foreshadow the addition of another pitcher?

Kremer was slated to start on Tuesday, so the O’s will need a starter for that game against Anaheim. They could also skip the start, given the off day. The Orioles also head to Minnesota in just over two weeks. Needless to say, best wishes to Dean Kremer.

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Baltimore Orioles: Brotherly “Gun”

Brandon Young pitched well for the Baltimore Orioles tonight. Wellish. He had his struggles, but also his share of misfortune. Young’s line: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 5 K.

Young gave up an infield single and a walk to lead off the game. And the infield single was a good pitch – Turner just hit it soft enough to be an infield hit. Harper’s RBI-single would give Philadelphia a 1-0 lead. An RBI-single hit the opposite way.

Later in the inning Marsh’s RBI-groundout would extend the lead to 2-0. But keep in mind that the O’s had to come to bat as well – nine times at that. Dylan Beavers would lead off the game with a double, and after a wild pitch that sent him to third, Pete Alonso would tie the game at two with a two-run home run.

Oriole bats couldn’t get much going after that. Philadelphia’s starter (Painter) settled in and shut them down. Philadelphia on the other hand took their lead back at 4-2 thanks to two solo homers. One by Turner in the third, and one by Realmuto in the sixth.

Solo home runs aren’t supposed to hurt you. But they almost hurt the O’s. After Painter left the game, things started to shift. The Orioles had runners at first and second with one pitch in the seventh. Christian Encarnacion-Strand sent a deep liner to the gap in center, which fell as a two-RBI double which immediately tied the game. Talk about a guy who’s been dialed in of late!

But that only set the tone. After Pete Alonso was hit by a pitch the Birds had runners at the corners, needing one to take a lead against a good Philadelphia team. Gunnar Henderson strode to the plate. Gunnar Henderson who’s struggled all season.

You could see in his eyes he wanted this. He wanted to play the hero at least once. And boy did he. He would eventually smack a two-RBI triple, and the Orioles led, 6-4. Gunnar was noticeably animated after sliding in safely. He knew what he had done. And it felt good.

The Oriole pen shut down Philadelphia 1-2-3 in both the eighth and ninth. The eighth inning belonged to Yennier Cano, who of course signed a two-year contract extension before the game. And he earned every penny in that eighth inning.

This is the Orioles’ second consecutive game where they’ve come from behind. Granted, this one wasn’t as dramatic as the other day in Detroit. But it shows a never say die attitude. And at least today, it came off the bat of a player in Gunnar Henderson who had been hoping for such a moment all year.

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Shane Baz gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sanchez. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Detroit swung, the O’s didn’t

Dean Kremer was unable to muster any sort of momentum for the Baltimore Orioles tonight in Detroit. Nor was anyone else who pitched in the game. Neither in the game or in the wake of last night’s win. Which ended up being a big deal, given tonight’s result. Kremer’s line: 4.0 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 3 BB, 4 K.

In short, Detroit hitters were swinging away at will against Kremer and everyone else the Orioles threw up there. The Orioles almost assumed their outs were fait accompli. An opponent hellbent on winning and a passive approach at the plate on your part rarely ends well.

Keith’s two-RBI triple in the first was really all Detroit needed. Their pitching shut down Oriole hitting. However Kremer also couldn’t find the strike zone. He lived on the fringes, as did every other Oriole pitcher. One inning later Valencia’s solo homer, combined with Torres’ two-RBI double extended the lead to 5-0.

Kremer should have been pulled there. But he went back out. Before the fourth inning was over, Detroit led 8-0. The big play in that? A two-run homer by Torres. On a cutter that stayed up.

At times it almost looked like Detroit knew what was coming. And I don’t say that in an effort to say a team was stealing signs. I say that in the context that I think the Orioles have tipped pitches (accidentally, of course) for some time, and that they need to figure out what they’re doing to in effect tell other teams what they’re doing.

None of that explains the Orioles’ passive approach at the plate tonight. They tallied three hits in the game. You can’t win games with that sort of output. In short, guys are guessing where pitches are going to be. And they’re guessing wrong.

Detroit really wasn’t in the mood to stop, when the smoke cleared it was a 14-0 final. To be clear, the final two runs came on a two-run home run by Valencia in the eighth inning. Off of Chadwick Tromp.

Which is equally baffling. I’m not sure whose idea it was to have a catcher be the position player to pitch in a blowout, but it’s a curious choice. Needless to say. Granted, it could also mean that a roster move is forthcoming, involving Tromp.

This is a game you have to just forget about. YES, they have to figure out if someone’s tipping pitches, and then how to stop it. However that’s been true for two years. But you have to forget about it and move onto tomorrow.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at Comerica Park. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Tarik Skubal. Game time is set for just after 1 PM,

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Baltimore Orioles: A win for “Rocky J. Squirrel!”

The Baltimore Orioles found themselves sending Kyle Bradish to the mound in this evening’s series opener in Frostbite Falls – Detroit, that is. Bradish wasn’t at his best, although he never trailed in the game. Bradish’s line: 4.2 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

As the game began and our hero’s settled in, the O’s took an early lead. Taylor Ward’s first inning RBI-groundout gave them an early 1-0 lead. Jeremiah Jackson’s RBI-groundout an inning later, followed by Dylan Beavers’ RBI-single. And the O’s led 3-0.

Detroit’s McKinstry would lead off the home half of the second with a triple. The ball bounced in front of Leody Taveras, and the run later scored on on Lee’s sac fly-RBI. Needless to say, that’s about as good of an outcome as you could have hoped for.

But the O’s would get that run back on Coby Mayo’s RBI-single in the third. Detroit would net two in the fourth, cutting the lead to 4-3. It was almost like the game was hanging in the balance.

But the O’s were having none of a comeback for Detroit. Like Rocky & Bullwinkle shut down Boris & Natasha however, the Birds put a stop to Detroit’s aspirations of winning today. Leody Taveras’ solo home run in the fifth, followed by a two-run homer by Coby Mayo. However Detroit would put two back on the board in the fifth, et the O’s managed to hold the lead at 7-5.

Of all people, it was Tyler O’Neill who put the exclamation point on the night. His solo home run in the seventh extended the lead to 8-5. But the game for once wasn’t the entertainment.

That fell to the black squirrel who worked its way onto the field. That squirrel had to have touched every blade of grass on the field. Not to mention running on the infield dirt. Hoke plate umpire Bill Miller had the Detroit grounds crew (with an assist from Leody Taveras) remove the squirrel during a time out, Miller then got on the mic and personally thanked the grounds crew. Crazy; the squirrel was later removed.

The series continues tomorrow night at Comerica Park. Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Troy Melcom. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles missing Rutschman and Basallo

Shane Baz started out in a promising way for the Baltimore Orioles in the series finale against Atlanta today. He was fairly economical – at first. But Atlanta wore him down early. Baz’s line: 4.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R (1 earned), 2 BB, 2 K.

Baz threw more of a mix than only knuckle curves and four-seam fastballs. That goes without saying. But apparently the order came down today that Baz was to throw predominantly knuckle curveballs and four-seam fastballs.

To be fair, Atlanta hitters weren’t exactly getting to them. But when you throw only a mix of two pitches predominantly, the opponent takes notice. Atlanta in essence piecemealed their way into tiring Baz out. They fouled off pitch after pitch, driving up Baz’s pitch count.

Harris led off the second inning with a first pitch single off of a Baz four-seamer. However Colton Cowser bobbled the ball in center field, allowing the runner to take second on an error. Harris would take third on a groundout, and score on a run-scoring single by Smith.

Interestingly, the Orioles let just about every pitch go by. They were out of ABS challenges after the third inning, which is a huge problem. And the two pitches that they challenged weren’t even close. It’s good that they seem to have broken out of the habit of not using challenges at all. But be smart with your challenges.

With two outs and a runner on third in the top of the fourth, Smith sent a line drive to left. Dylan Beavers laid out, but he trapped the ball and a run scored. I’ve said for several years that the O’s play their outfield too deep. Smiths knock wasn’t shallow and it wasn’t soft per se. But had Beavers been positioned slightly more shallow (ever so slightly), that’s an out and the inning’s over. Instead it’s a run.

The most curious thing to me was the pitch selection when Baz was in the game, and the approach at the plate. If I’m the person who’s calling pitches, it stands to reason that relying on two pitches isn’t going to cut it. That said, two runs is hardly a problem. However as I said, Atlanta wore down Baz fouling off pitch after pitch. At a certain point you have to mix it up.

Consequently, the Orioles let several hittable pitches just go by. This AFTER having burned their ABS challenges. Interesting strategy. And it didn’t work. Hitting coaches, and whomever is calling pitches on defense should take note.

All of that is still true. However Pete Alonso’s solo home run in the eighth cut the lead to 2-1. Come the last of the ninth the O’s had one on and one out. Leody Taveras bounced into what should have been a game-ending double-play. However the ball rolled through the second baseman’s legs, and the O’s had life.

Jackson Holliday grounded out, scoring the runner from third, and tying the game. As listless as the Orioles looked through seven innings, they turned it on at the right time. The O’s loaded the bases with nobody out in the tenth. But…

…things went sideways quick. Gunnar Henderson smacked a liner earmarked for right field, but before it could get there it was snagged by Olson at first base. He was also able to double up Pete Alonso at first base. That left two outs, and the inning ended with Taylor Ward popping out.

The Orioles challenged the double-play. It was close; predictably, the call stood. One of those not enough evidence to overturn the call on the field deals. The runner was probably safe. They just couldn’t prove it with video.

Riley’s run-scoring double in the 11th gave Atlanta a 3-2 lead. In the bottom of the frame the O’s had runners at the corners with two outs. And Atlanta opted to walk Jackson Holliday to get to Sam Huff, who grounded out to end the game.

That’s where having BOTH Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo on the IL hurts. Not just one catcher, but BOTH. Either could be a full-time catcher on another team. Either could be a perennial all-star. BOTH are hurt. Which is insane.

The Henderson at-bat in the tenth was tan awful one. That should have snuck through. Olson made a great play, and got some luck. Gunnar got none (luck, that is).

The O’s now head to Detroit to open up a three-game series at Comerica Park. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Keider Montero. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Leave it to Beavers

You can’t say enough about Brandon Young for the Baltimore Orioles. I would go so far as to say that he should at least be in the running for the Most Valuable Orioles award this year. Needless to say, he provided the Birds with a quality start tonight when they needed one against Atlanta – this after a tough loss last night. Young’s line: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 6 K.

Sadly for Young, Atlanta’s Elder was equally as good against the Birds tonight. Good pitching always shuts down good hitting. Both sides ran up against good pitching tonight.

Pete Alonso reached on a fielding error by Atlanta’s Jarvis in the third. He would later score on Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s run-scoring single to give the O’s a 1-0 lead. Encarnacion-Strand has made quite an impression with the O’s thus far, especially being a replacement due to injury. Needless to say, he’s made an impact this week alone.

Gunnar Henderson’s solo home run in the last of the fifth extended the lead to 2-0. It was his first home run in two weeks. Atlanta would get back on an RBI-groundout in the sixth, but Young limited the damage and got out of the inning.

Well after Young had departed with his quality start however, the Orioles lost the lead – non decisioning Young. Rico Garcia threw a solo home run to Albies in the top of the eighth, tying the game at two. The sad thing is that the last of the seventh had been extended due to Atlanta errors – and the O’s couldn’t take advantage. You have to take advantage when opponents give you an opportunity if you want to go places in this league.

Luckily however, it didn’t hurt the Birds. In the last of the ninth Jackson Holliday smacked a one-out double, and moved to third on Colton Cowser’s sacrifice fly. And make no mistake, Cowser was swinging for the fences. But it was a good team at-bat in that he got the runner to third.

That brought Dylan Beavers to the plate, with two outs. The O’s had a runner at third, and needed one run to win. And Beavers delivered. His RBI-single to right field drove in Holliday, and gave the O’s a 3-2 win.

That ninth inning symbolized what the concept of TEAM should be. Cowser was a pinch-hitter, and while he didn’t get the result he wanted, he did get the runner to third. And that made a difference. Coming off of a bad loss last night, this was a huge win for the Birds.

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

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Baltimore Orioles: First inning halts Boston’s win streak

In his first start since signing a contract extension over the weekend, Kyle Bradish was charged with throwing a quality start for the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway. This in hopes of salvaging one of three, splitting the doubleheader, and of course halting Boston’s 15-game winning streak – which tied a franchise-record. And he did all of that. Bradish’s line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

Earlier in the day the O’s put Samuel Basallo on the IL. This after sending Adley Rutschman to the IL earlier in the week. The Orioles are now down both star catchers. And they could be without Tyler O’Neill, who was lifted from the game after wincing as he rounded first base on a base hit. The injury bug goes on.

Boston had to sue a spot starter for the game, and the Orioles didn’t allow him out of the first inning. With two outs in the first inning and Dylan Beavers at the plate, the pitcher Rivera uncorked a wild pitch scoring Pete Alonso.

Beavers immediately smacked a two-run single, and the O’s led 3-0 early on. But not for long – later in the inning Jonathan Rodriguez’s RBI-double extended the lead to 4-0. Boston lifted Rivera with two outs in the first inning.

That broke the game wide open early. Boston obviously had plenty of time to come back, however Bradish and later the bullpen wasn’t going to allow that. Bradish allowed an RBI-single to Yoshida in the fourth, but other than that Bradish shut Boston bats down.

No lead is safe at Fenway. But especially when Boston had won fifteen straight, and was going for sixteen. Again, that would have been a Boston Red Sox team record. This of course had it happened.

But it didn’t. While the Fenway Faithful tried to rally their team, the Oriole bullpen wasn’t having none of it. They sent down hitter after hitter. In the mean time the O’s got an insurance run, this on another wild pitch on the seventh which scored Gunnar Henderson. Yennier Cano held things over into the ninth, and the ball went to Tyler Wells, who shut Boston down.

It’s tough to drop two-of-three, however the O’s did go 4-2 on the road trip. Had Rutschman or Basallo been in the lineup, could the O’s have won one of those other two games? Probably. But end of the day, the Orioles are one game up in the win column than they were when the roadtrip began.

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Baltimore Orioles: Hot teams eat errors for dinner

Shane Baz was victimized by Baltimore Orioles’ errors in the field this evening at Boston’s Fenway Park. It’s probably a poor idea to commit a bunch of errors against a team who had won 13 straight games coming in. Especially when that team’s a division opponent who sort of refuses to lose. Baz’s line: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R ( 2 earned) 0 BB, 6 K.

I’m not someone who believes in vibes in the moment or at all. But Boston is certainly feeling something along those lines. When you’ve won 13 straight games, that’s probably part of the deal – regardleas of what I say.

However the Orioles were far from blown out in this game. It was a struggle to the end. Tyler O’Neill got the Birds on the board in the first with a ground-rule RBI-double. Duran’s sac fly-RBI in the third would tie the game at one, and Boston would put two across in the third to take a 3-1 lead.

However keep in mind that those two runs in the third were unearned. Jeremiah Jackson committed a two-out error, which led to those two runs. Baz pitched well; he deserved better.

But the O’s battled back. They lost this game, but they certainly battled. Which makes a difference – not in the standings, but it makes a difference. Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s solo homer in the fifth cut the Boston lead to 3-2. One inning later the O’s led 4-3. This after an RBI-single by Jeremiah Jackson, followed by an RBI-single by Christian Encarnacion-Strand.

However Boston led off the sixth with a single by Abreu, who advanced to second on a throwing error. He walks later score on Contreras’ run-scoring double, tying the game at four. Tyler O’ Neill would ground out on the seventh, scoring a run. And the Birds led, 5-4.

However Boston would tack on two in the later innings. This included solo homer by Durbin in the last of the eighth, which won the game for Boston. End of the day, you can’t commit four errors and expect to win. Which is why the Orioles need to continue looking at and addressing their defense going forward.

The series continues tomorrow at Fenway Park. Kyle Bradish gets the call for the Orioles, and Boston is yet to announce a starter. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles sweep Houston with a master class performance

Brandon Young got the start this afternoon in his de facto hometown of Houston for the Baltimore Orioles. Young of course grew up approximately 100 miles from Houston, and this was his second start at Daikin Park. The first one wasn’t too shabby, as he almost threw a perfect game. Not the case today, but still very good. Young’s line: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K.

Houston put two runners on with nobody out in the second, but Young pitched out of it. That was the main threat that Houston made in the game. At least early. Gunnar Henderson’s RBI-single in the third gave the Birds a 1-0 lead. Later in the inning the O’s had Pete Alonso on first and Henderson at third. Craig Albernaz called for a double-steal, and it was executed perfectly. Henderson stole home plate, and the Birds led 2-0.

Houston would get on the board in the bottom of the inning on an RBI-double by Alvarez. But Young limited the damage, and got out of the inning. Pitching is as much about that as anything else – limiting the damage. Teams are going to score runs – most teams, that is. But no reason to turn that into a big inning.

The O’s would load the bases in the fifth, and Leody Taveras’ two-RBI single extended the lead to 4-1. Coby Mayo sent the second pitch of the sixth inning over the wall in right, extending it to 5-1. Altuve got Houston one back in the eighth with a solo homer, but the Birds went onto win 5-2.

One area of concern now is catcher. The Orioles called Sam Huff up to join the team before the game, making one wonder if Adley Rutschman isn’t dinged up. Samuel Basallo started behind the dish today, but left the game in the second with what the Orioles called right shoulder discomfort. He appeared to wince while swinging the bat in the top of the inning.

It might be fair to say maybe Rutschman had a scheduled day off. However odds are against the O’s doing that and calling up a third catcher for today’s game as a result. Something to watch as we go onward.

The O’s have now swept their previous two series’. They’ll go to Boston, who’s won 13 straight games. The Orioles’ win streak is at seven. So for the next few days we’ll see the two hottest teams in baseball.

The O’s now head to Boston to open the aforementioned series at Fenway Park. Shane Baz gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Payton Tolle. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: The Tyler O’Neill game

Trevor Rogers was non-decisioned in a hard-luck manner for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon in Houston. He by and large pitched well enough to win. And he should have won. Rogers’ line: 6.1 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 8 K.

Dylan Beavers got the Orioles on the board in the fourth on an RBI-double. Rogers was lifted after allowing two on in the sixth, with two outs. Rico Garcia was greeted by a bunt RBI-single by Allen, tying the game at one.

The game went to extra innings, and it got interesting fast. Leody Taveras was the Orioles’ ghost runner in the tenth, and he went to third on Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s single. Taveras would later score on a sacrifice bunt by Jeremiah Jackson, and the O’s led 2-1.

However Houston would get the leadoff runner on in the bottom of the tenth, and Alvarez’s ground rule run-scoring double would tie the game at two. Following a Gunnar Henderson throwing error, Houston had the bases loaded with nobody out. Not exactly a scenario conducive to winning.

Altuve came to the plate needing to get one run in to win the ballgame. He sent a fly ball medium depth to right field. Tyler O’Neill made the catch for an out, and immediately turned his attention to the runner at third who was tagging up.

O’Neill made a somersaulting throw to home plate, and Samuel Basallo tagged the runner on the helmet as he tried to slide in and score what would have been the winning run. Houston persisted and tried to have Wade lay down a quick bunt for a base hit – back to the pitcher, Andrew Kitteredge. However he calmly threw the runner out at first to end the inning. And we played on.

Everything had to come together for the Orioles to avoid losing the game in that inning. None however moreso than the Tyler O’Neill throw. Say what you will about him at the plate. But his play in the field was outstanding today.

And speaking of O’Neill at the plate, he came up in the top of the eleventh with two outs and runners on first and second. After working the count, he sent a swinging bunt to Altuve at second. However for whatever reason, Altuve was playing slightly further back than he probably should have been.

With the runners going on contact, O’Neill ran on a dead sprint down the first base line. And he was safe. In the mean time, Gunnar Henderson (the ghost runner) astutely never stopped running. This until he had crossed home plate, giving the Orioles a 3-2 lead.

Later in the inning with Leody Taveras batting, Houston’s batter had some major issues with their pitchcom device. The game was paused for a few minutes while they worked on it. Did that effectively freeze the pitcher, De Los Santos? Possibly. Either way, Taveras smacked an RBI-single extending the lead to 4-2. Resulting in an unlikely 4-2 victory.

The O’s have now won this series in Houston. Which given the Wild Card standings, is a big deal. However again, make no mistake that this was Tyler O’Neill’s day. As hard of a season as he’s had, he found a way to contribute and to help the team win a ballgame. Heck of an effort, which was about as gritty as you’re going to find.

During the game we also learned that the O’s had signed pitcher Kyle Bradish to a contract extension. The deal is believed to be for five years and in excess of $90 million. That’s two pitchers (Bradish and Shane Baz) that the O’s have locked up for the foreseeable future.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at Daikin Park. Brandon Young gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Houston’s Hunter Brown. Game time is set for just after 2 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles lifted late by Taylor Ward after tight rope walk

Dean Kremer got the start for the Baltimore Orioles in Houston last night in the first game out of the break. He only lasted four innings, but his first inning perhaps foreshadowed the end of the game. Kremer’s line: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 5 K.

After a leadoff walk Alvarez’s RBI-double gave Houston a 1-0 lead. Later in the inning Houston had runners at the corners with only one out. Kremer appeared on the ropes early. However he induced Altuve to ground into a double-play, ending the inning.

Kremer gave up a run. But he limited the damage. And that was huge in the moment, as well as in the grand scheme of the game.

The Orioles would tie the game in the third when Pete Alonso drew a bases loaded walk. Houston challenged the call of a strike, but it was upheld on replay. However Houston got their lead back in their half of the frame on a sac fly-RBI by Paredes.

The game wore on, and neither team could push anything across. Which in theory benefited Houston. However the O’s turned to reliever Cam Sanders in the eighth – with the bases loaded and one out. The Birds traded for Sanders over the break after he was DFA’d by Pittsburgh.

He was thrilled to join the Orioles, who obviously threw him into the fire right away. he immediately struck out Paredes, and induced Walker to pop out to end the inning. He had delivered the Orioles from the brink of Houston potentially breaking the game wide open.

Adley Rutschman hit a leadoff double in the eighth, bringing Taylor Ward to the plate. But Ward wasn’t going to walk this time. Instead he smacked a two-run home run, propelling the Orioles into the lead.

From the brink of disaster into the lead. It happened that quickly. Tyler Wells closed Houston out in the ninth, striking out Walker with two on to end the game , giving the Orioles now a five-game winning streak.

For once this year, it was the O’s holding their opponent accountable. Sanders stopped a golden opportunity for Houston to take a bigger lead. When they failed at that, the O’s pounced. And they won as a result.

The series continues this afternoon at Daikin Park. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles begin the second half

The second half of the 2026 season starts tonight for the Baltimore Orioles in Houston. It opens with the Orioles being on notice that they’ll be without lefty reliever Keegan Akin for some time. Akin underwent Tommy John’s surgery over the All-Star break.

Akin reported elbow surgery after his June 27th outing against Washington. Akin, a seven-year MLB veteran, has spent his entire career with the Orioles. The surgery leaves Grant Wolfram as the only southpaw in the Orioles’ bullpen.

This news comes of course on the heels of Blaze Alexander suffering a broken arm Sunday against the Kansas City Royals after being hit by a pitch late in the game. The benches emptied, but order was restored quickly. Perhaps it’s fitting that the Birds go into the break with a fresh slew of injuries.

The series with Houston opens this evening at Daikin Park. Dean Kremer get the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Houston’s Peter Lambert. Game time is set for just after 8 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: First four-game winning streak of the year to end the first half

The Baltimore Orioles now have their first four-game winning streak of 2026, this in the final game of the first half of the season. It took awhile to get here, and this was no picnic. But Shane Baz set the tone for the O’s, and the bats eventually came around to record a three-game sweep of Kansas City. Baz’s line: 4.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R (one earned), 0 BB, 9 K.

Baz was throwing strikes, evidenced by the nine strikeouts. Kansas City also got to a few pitches, which can also be a derivative of throwing strikes. They got a runner aboard in the top of the second on a throwing error by Blaze Alexander, and Kansas City made them pay. Collins’ subsequent run-scoring triple gave Kansas City a 1-0 lead.

Put the ball in play, and things happen sometimes. We’ve said it all season. But the O’s weren’t to be stopped today. Not yet, at least. In the bottom of the second Leody Taveras hit a LONG two-run homer to give the O’s a 2-1 lead. The ball traveled 448 feet to the batter’s eye. Kansas City would tie the game an inning later, and we were knotted at two.

Baz only lasted 4.2 innings due to a few laborious innings. He probably deserved to win the game. But he set the tone, and put the team in a spot to win. That’s the goal.

All year we’ve seen the Orioles fall victim to fluky plays. Today they got one back, and it sparked a big time rally. With one on and one out in the last of the sixth Tyler O’Neill pinch hit for Colton Cowser, and he popped up a shallow fly ball to right. Cagliqnone, the KC right fielder, appeared to not pick up the ball in the sky, and it fell to the turf. Runners at the corners ensued.

Leody Taveras came through again immediately after. His RBI-single gave the O’s a 3-2 lead. Another pinch-hitter, Jeremiah Jackson, added an RBI-double. And the Birds led, 4-2.

Next up was Gunnar Henderson, who was credited with an RBI before he even got a base hit. Kansas City pitcher Straham was called for a balk, and with a runner on third the Orioles led 5-2. Henderson’s RBI-single extended it to 6-2.

But the O’s weren’t quite done yet in the inning. Pete Alonso’s RBI-single made the margin five with an RBI-single, and the Orioles led 7-2.

Samuel Basallo led off the seventh with a solo home run to center. The one downside of this game came after that, with the Birds leading 8-2. Blaze Alexander, who despite his error today has had a great first half, was hit with a pitch right after. Alexander was hot, and the benches cleared.

Order never really was in question. This was never destined to be a benches-clearing brawl. It was more of a gathering at home plate. However Alexander was pulled from the game. It’s unclear if an injury factored in. One has to hope not. That’s the last thing the Orioles need or can afford.

With the 8-2 win, the Birds now have their first four-game winning streak of 2026. They finish the first half with a three-game sweep at home of Kansas City, and with a record of 46-51. Needless to say, they wish they were better than that, and the plan was to be better than that.

Adley Rutschman now heads to Philadelphia to be a part of the AL All-Star team. The rest of the players and coaches will disperse for a few days. As will I. Surf’s up, dude!

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Baltimore Orioles: Teeing off on Kansas City

Kyle Bradish probably should have been the big story for the Baltimore Orioles tonight. Needless to say, he was part of the big story. Bradish’s line: 6.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K.

Bradish didn’t surrender a hit until the sixth inning. That’s why I say he should have been the big story. But it was what went on at the plate for the Birds which took the cake tonight.

Pete Alonso led the second inning off with a double, and he later scored on Samuel Basallo’s RBI-single. Basallo did make the unfortunate decision to try to stretch the single into a double, and was thrown out at second base. Sometimes common sense needs to overrule exuberance.

But the O’s didn’t let that bother them. Pete Alonso smacked a two-run home run in the last of the fourth to extend the lead to 3-0. But one inning later it was Coby Mayo who gave us the highlight of the night. He smacked a solo home run to extend the lead to 4-0, and in doing so hit the ball off the facade of the second deck in left field.

Keep in mind, earlier in the season when these teams met in Kansas City, Mayo hit a tape measure homer. Then earlier this week against Chicago he joined an elusive club of players (which includes Pete Alonso as an opponent) who had hit the ball into the second deck. And then he more or less did it again tonight – smacking it off the facade.

Taylor Ward joined the homer parade in the sixth, his first home run at Camden Yards as an Oriole. After breaking up Bradish’s no-hit bid, Kansas City would get on the board in the seventh on a sac fly-RBI by Perez. But just to show the Birds weren’t kidding, Gunnar Henderson restored their five-run margin with a solo shot in the eighth, leading the O’s to a 6-1 victory.

The O’s once again have a shot at a four-game winning streak if they can win tomorrow. Either way, they’ve won the series. But a four-game winning streak would go a long way towards helping the O’s to perhaps get over the hunp.

The series and the first half conclude tomorrow at Camden Yards. Shane Baz gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Kansas City’s Seth Lugo. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles select Eric Booth Jr #7 overall

The Baltimore Orioles selected OF Eric Booth Jr. with the number seven overall pick in today’s MLB draft. Booth entered the draft straight out of high school, and he comes to the Oriole organization from Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg, MS. He was the top-ranked outfielder in the draft.

Booth has committed to Vanderbilt. Presumably the Orioles have done their homework and are confident he’ll sign. The O’s have never taken a pitcher in the Mike Elias era.

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Baltimore Orioles: Sammy slams it home

The Baltimore Orioles needed and received another quality start from a pitcher in last night’s series-opener against Kansas City at Camden Yards. And they got it out of Brandon Young. While he didn’t qualify for the win – which came later- he put the Birds in a spot to win with how he pitched. Young’s line: 7.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

At first at least it appeared that Young might be victimized by a lack of runs offensively. Or become the most recent Oriole starter to suffer that fate. RBI-singles in the third by Jackson Holliday and Gunnar Henderson gave the O’s a 2-0 lead. As much as Henderson has struggled of late, he needed that.

However Young allowed Kansas City to equalize. Caglianone’s solo home run in fourth cut the lead to 2-1, and Rojas’ RBI-double later in the inning tied the game at two. However it wasn’t tied for long. Blaze Alexander’s solo homer in the bottom of the inning gave the O’s the lead back at 3-2.

Young lasted through seven, and was sent back out in the eight. He led off the inning by surrendering a solo homer to Collins, tying the game at three. He was promptly lifted. Young probably deserved to win the game, and he probably shouldn’t have come back out to pitch the eighth. But again needless to say, he set the Orioles up for success in the game.

And in the last of the eighth inning, it was Samuel Basallo who delivered that success. With Pete Alonso aboard, he jumped on a hanging slider and smacked a two-run home run. The Birds took a 5-3 lead, which was closed out in the ninth and turned into a 5-3 win.

The series continues this evening at Camden Yards. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Kansas City’s Noah Cameron. Game time is set for just after 7 PM,

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Baltimore Orioles: Opponents either guess right or know what’s coming

Most of the decisive blows in this evening’s Baltimore Orioles’ loss to Chicago came after starter Dean Kremer had departed. Yet, he still got the loss. Kremer’s line: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

Crow-Armstrong smacked a solo home run in the top of the third, giving Chicago a 1-0 lead. The O’s would tie the game in the bottom of the inning when Gunnar Henderson grounded into a double-play with runners at the corners, tying the ballgame at one.

Pete Alonso smacked a two-run home run in the fourth which gave the O’s a 3-1 lead. Yet that was the only thing the O’s were able to do that inning. They had additional runners on, but couldn’t convert.

However Chicago could. Once we went to the fifth, that is. The first two pitches of the inning, one by Conforto and the second by Kelly, were hit out of the ballpark. Consider that – THE FIRST TWO PITCHERS. Meaning that in the snap of a finger, the game was tied. That fast. To make matters worse, Crow-Armstrong smacked a third solo homer later on the inning, and Chicago led 4-3.

The most intimating part of the game was that inning. The beginning of that inning, that is. Whomever is calling pitches (from the dugout or above) should be advised that those were back-to-back home runs ON THE FIRST PITCH. Meaning two pitches, and two home runs. To lead off an inning.

Conforto, Kelly, and others are either guessing right, OR they know what’s coming. Has the current regime not seen or understood that yet? Do they not see how incriminating it is to throw two pitches to lead off an inning and have two solo home runs?

Solo home run aren’t supposed to beat you. But when you have multiple solo home runs in a game (heck, in an INNING), that adds up. I would severely caution the current regime going forward, that someone COULD be tipping pitches. Notice I didn’t say stealing signs. I said tipping pitches. That fourth inning was perhaps the most incriminating part of the game.

I’ve insinuated since early last year that people were tipping pitches. Notice, I’m not suggesting that signs are being stolen. I’m saying that the Orioles are somehow tipping pitches. Someone’s doing something which indicates what’s coming, AND/OR where it will be. The alternative is that opponents are getting lucky. Argue amongst yourselves which is more likely, and/or which is more incriminating.

Chicago put up five runs in the seventh. They loaded the bases early in the inning and scored on Crow-Armstrong’s sac fly-RBI. Grant Wolfram uncorked a wild pitch netting another, and Suzuki’s three-run home run extended the Chicago lead to 9-3. For the record, the slider that Suzuki hit out of the ballpark was on a two-strike count. How many two-strike and/or two-out rallies have we seen against the O’s this year?

The O’s did battle back. Or they attempted to, at least. Tyler O’Neill smacked two solo homers – one in the seventh and one in the eighth. Coby Mayo would also smack a two-run home run in the eighth, and Ward’s RBI-single combined to cut the lead to 9-7. The O’s went quietly in the ninth, and have now dropped the first two games of this series.

Keep in mind that the margin of victory for Chicago was two runs. Think back to those two solo homers to begin the fifth inning. Two pitches, two home runs. And I maintain that the two hitters (Conforto and Kelly) either got lucky or knew what was coming. Assuming it’s the latter, that’s incriminating. To whomever is truly guiding this franchise.

If pitches are being tipped, it goes without saying that it’s unintentional. However the pitch selection (or more realistically how the pitches are being guarded) needs to change. Granted, some might argue that the late runs were in garbage time. But the margin of victory was still two no matter how you market it. Something needs to change.

The series concludes tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s David Peterson (a southpaw). Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Can’t hit to southpaws and a lack of situational hitting

Shane Baz became only the latest Baltimore Orioles pitcher to throw a quality start in a losing effort last night. The Birds are starting to get decent starting pitching, and at times those outings are wasted because the bats can’t get anything going. Baz’s line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 3 K.

The real villain of last night’s loss to the Chicago Cubs is the fact that the Birds haven’t been able to hit left handed pitching all year. Chicago starter Boyd is a southpaw. Which all but doomed the Orioles before the game even started. The sad thing is that the O’s have improved against lefties. In the beginning of the season they were at risk of getting no hit by them at first.

Last night’s game began in a 56-minute weather delay. The rain never quite came, and the field was never covered. Yet the game was delayed. Mercifully when it did Gunnar Henderson recorded a base hit in the first inning, meaning that the Chicago southpaw wasn’t going to no-hit the Birds.

Chicago took a 1-0 lead in the third on an RBI-single by Bregman. However Baz limited the damage and got out of the inning. Crow-Armstrong’s RBI-single in the fifth extended the lead, as did Bregman’s fielder’s choice-RBI. And the O’s trailed 3-0.

The Orioles had chances in this game. They put two runners on in the fourth without recording an out. However what looked at first like a promising inning quickly faded. Boyd struck out the next three Orioles to get out of the inning.

A lack of situational hitting is as much to blame with the Orioles’ struggles (with pitchers from both sides) as anything. Granted, Samuel Basallo was the first hitter to come up in the fourth with two on. But a well-placed bunt would push both runners into scoring position. A sacrifice fly would then scratch across a run.

Instead, the O’s are swinging away. And opposing teams are taking advantage. It’s almost as if the Birds are surrendering the advantage when in theory they have it. But you have to push those runners into scoring position in that situation. Many will say that’s giving away outs; but isn’t that better than three strikeouts? Incidentally, you can’t even totally blame the players for that. You can blame them for not executing, but the decision to put on a bunt play or not isn’t theirs.

Chicago would push a fourth run across in the seventh with Busch’s sac fly-RBI. The Orioles finally did put two up in the bottom of the inning with a two-RBI single by Adley Rutschman. However Chicago would tack an insurance run across in the eighth on an RBI-single by Swanson, to lead them to a 5-2 win.

The Orioles are one-dimensional. The lineup which came down last night was intended to beat a lefty. First off, that lineup didn’t do that. However whichever program that is used from above the field to decipher the lineup day in and day out only take the matchups and potential into account. It doesn’t pay any attention to things such as situational hitting. Rendering results such as this.

The series continues this evening at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Colin Rea. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles’ Kyle Bradish a hard-luck loser

The Baltimore Orioles’ Kyle Bradish almost achieved a statistical anomaly this afternoon in Cincinnati. He almost pitched a complete game in a losing effort. Needless to say, Bradish goes down as a hard-luck loser this afternoon for the Orioles; he was outstanding. Bradish’s line: 7.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

Needless to say, it’s about commanding the zone. Bradish did that today. He retired the first twelve hitters Cincinnati sent up, before allowing a walk to lead off the fifth. That brought Steer to the plate, who smacked a two-run homer. The ball barely made it over the wall. But it was enough.

But Bradish rebounded. That was but a mere blip in the radar in a sense. Until the end, that is. The O’s would get on the board in the sixth on an RBI-single by Coby Mayo. The O’s would proceed to leave the bases loaded that inning, which never bodes well.

I want to give both Bradish and manager Craig Albernaz credit. Albernaz went to the mound with two outs in the eighth and a runner on second to lift Bradish – again after a great outing and a quality start. But Bradish talked him out of it. All of the analytics said to change pitchers there. But Albernaz relented.

That shoes feel for the game. Which is what the Orioles have lacked to this point in many cases. That doesn’t mean it always works out; in this case, Bradish surrendered an RBI-double to Stewart, the O’s trailed 3-1.

Many fans will say that’s why you should trust the analytics. I reject that sentiment. Feel for the game and standing behind your players means more. Sport often mimics life; nothing in life is set in stone. With each day we leave everything to chance.

This isn’t a video game; sometimes the other guy’s going to win. And you accept those moments with grace. But if the last two years’ of Orioles’ baseball tells us anything, it should be that you can’t use a computer to achieve a projected outcome in the real world. It doesn’t work that way.

And the O’s did make it interesting in the ninth. They loaded the bases and Gunnar Henderson’s sac fly-RBI cut the lead and the final to 3-2. End of the day, the elusive four-game winning streak still hasn’t happened. But overall the Birds took two-of-three in the Emerald City over the weekend. There are worse spots in which to be.

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Baltimore Orioles brought back by a big inning

It wasn’t always a guarantee that Brandon Young was going to make it deep into tonight’s game for the Baltimore Orioles in Cincinnati. Young had a rough second inning, needless to say. But to Craig Albernaz’s credit, he stuck with the young right hander. And it paid off. Young’s line: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 5 K.

I’ve said many times that pitchers will have ten good starts, ten bad, and ten in between. That last category is where the success or failure of your season lies. Tonight Brandon Young was able to work through some choppy waters and stuck around enough to qualify for the win.

In short, the story of this game is pitchers’ vulnerabilities being taken advantage of. The O’s did it early against Cincinnati’s Greene, who was making his first start of the season. Gunnar Henderson led the game off with a walk, and Pete Alonso walked later in the inning with two outs. Samuel Basallo then smacked his second home run in as many games, this one of the three-run variety. And the Birds led, 3-0.

Cincinnati would get one back in the bottom of the inning on an RBI-single by Suarez. However the Cincinnati rally would continue in the second. Following a leadoff single, Trevino’s RBI-double would cut the lead to 3-2. Friedl’s RBI-triple would tie the game at three, and Cincinnati would take the lead at 4-3 on De La Cruz’s RBI-single.

The startling thing was the O’s surrendering the lead in one fatal swoop after taking it. We’ve seen that far too often this year, and in many cases the O’s couldn’t come back. Tonight wasn’t one of those times.

The turning point in the game overall was a fourth inning at-bat by Jackson Holliday, The O’s had two on with nobody out, and Holliday was attempting to lay down a sacrifice bunt – which is not something Holliday usually does. While he struggled to get the bunt down, the pitcher Greene uncorked a wild pitch – allowing both runners to scoot into scoring position. That saved the Orioles an out, and it still got the job done.

Holliday would end up walking, and Blaze Alexander’s subsequent two-RBI single gave the O’s the lead back at 5-4. Adley Rutschman tacked on a two-RBI double, and Pete Alonso an RBI-single. That expanded the Orioles’ lead to 8-4.

The impressive part is that the Orioles came back. And they did it with a big inning, something which has evaded them a lot of the year. And as I’ve said often this season, things happen when you get guys on base. Jackson Holliday isn’t a great bunter. To Craig Alberbaz’s credit, he told Holliday to get a bunt down so as to have the O’s stay out of a double-play. But things can happen with guys on base – in this case a wild pitch. And that began the rally.

Cincinnati would tack one on in the seventh on an infield RBI-single by Suarez. End of the day this is a series with two teams in similar spots. However the Orioles showed that they were the better team. Thus far at least. This was a good team win, and hopefully one on which they can build.

With the 8-5 win, the Orioles have won the series in Cincinnati. Tomorrow is yet another shot at winning four in a row. It would also be a series sweep if the O’s can win. Incidentally this game couldn’t have been won without Colton Cowser making a diving catch with runners on base in the ninth, saving at least one run.

It was also announced during the game that catcher Adley Rutschman was selected to his third All-Star game, representing the Orioles. A well-deserved honor, and one that manager Craig Albernaz announced to the team prior to the game starting. Rutschman will be at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on the AL All-Star team on July 14th.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at Great American Ballpark. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Cincinnati’s Nick Lodollo. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: An emerald win in Cincy

The Baltimore Orioles sent Trevor Rogers to the mound last night in Cincinnati to open a three-game series. If it begins and ends with starting pitching, it began and ended last night with Trevor Rogers setting the tone for the ballgame. He only went five innings, but that’s all the Orioles needed. Rogers’ line: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 4 K.

As we’ve said previously, things happen when you put the ball in play or guys on base. With two on in the first, Pete Alonso was called out on strikes to record the second out of the inning – and of the game. The O’s attempted a double steal on the play, with Gunnar Henderson trying for third. As he slid in safely, he was also able to score on a throwing error with the ball going into left field.

Again, you never know what’s going to happen when you put people on base. In that instance it yielded the Orioles a run. With a runner at third and two outs in the third, it did the same. This time however, it came on a two-run homer by Samuel Basallo. And the Orioles led, 3-0.

As great as Rogers was, the bullpen equaled him. They put up zero’s across every inning. Most notably, with Ryan Helsley again on the IL, one question was who was going to close. Last night it was Tyler Wells, who put up zero’s just like the rest of his pitching brethren. And the Birds sailed to a 3-0 victory in the opening game in the Emerald City.

The series continues this evening at the Great American Ballpark. Brandon Young gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene. Game time is set for 7:10 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: You often decide whether you win or lose on your own

Trey Gibson started what might have been his final game for the Baltimore Orioles for the time being tonight. Dean Kremer is expected to be recalled off the IL to make the start in tomorrow’s game. I would expect Gibson to be the corresponding move. Gibson’s line: 2.2 IP, 7 H, 8 R, 6 BB, 5 K.

Trey Gibson didn’t totally NOT command the strike zone tonight. When he did, over the course of his short start, he recorded outs. But when he shifted to pitching on the fringes, he got hit HARD. Which mind you, is the EXACT OPPOSITE of what the idea of nibbling in an intended to do. I

t’s intended to induce putting the ball in play – resulting in an out, of course. Needless to say, they’re putting the ball in play against Oriole pitching this year. And last.

The teams traded runs in the first – Chicago on a Benintendi RBI-double, and the Birds on an RBI-single by Samuel Basallo. Benintendi reached base again to lead off the third, followed by a two-run home run by Montgomery which gave Chicago a 3-1 lead. And that home run was hit a LONG WAY. Off of a low slider, for the record.

Gonzalez’s two-RBI single later in the inning extended the lead to 5-1. That came on a pitch well on the lowest of the lower fringes of the strike zone. The ball hit its spot, but Gonzalez was waiting for it. It’s no mystery what the Orioles are doing, and that became more evident later in the inning when Perez’s there-run home run broke the game wide open at 8-3.

That came on a curve in the zone. However it was the first pitch of the at-bat. Why you would start an at-bat on a curve ball is beyond me. Pitchers at times do that so as to steal a first-pitch strike. It didn’t work. It hasn’t worked all year. When teams hit pitchers the way they do those of the Orioles, they either know exactly what’s coming, or they got lucky. Or both. Interpret as you wish.

Save for a Gonzalez RBI-double in the fourth off of Josh Walker, the Oriole bullpen was very solid. Especially Albert Suarez. People who want to stir trouble will argue that the ChiSox called off the dogs. Whether they did or didn’t is beside the point. The Orioles bullpen was strong tonight, which got the Orioles through. It also may have saved a reliever for tomorrow in a bad situation tonight.

The Birds did get an RBI-double by Dylan Beavers and an RBI-single by Pete Alonso in the fifth which cut the lead to 9-3. But again, the bullpen was strong tonight. It may have been the lone bright spot.

I maintain that you can’t nibble on the fringes of the plate. Opponents are well aware of the fact that the Orioles either want to do that, or have to do that. And guys are either ready for the nibble job, or they’re stealing signs. Or both. Either way, balls are going a long way.

So my point would be to attack the strike zone. If you do and they hit the ball a long way, then you know that you need better pitchers. And again, look at how many balls get hit strangely or at weird angles. Look at how many balls get buried in the corners, well away from outfielders – who are playing too deep to have a shot at the balls.

Could that be due in part to the fact that Orioles pitching is throwing so much off the plate and guys are going so far out of the zone that the balls come off the bat oddly? How many more strange bounces will we need to see before it’s understood that exactly the tactics that are meant to stop these things are causing them?

Incidentally, the same is true with the training staff. The Front Office dismissed Brian Ebert, who had been with the team for a long time – this after 2024, and after Ebert was on the All-Star staff that year. As soon as the “new regime” came in, it was injuries galore. So when exactly will they realize that something is off?

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Neither side has announced a starter, although again it’s assumed to be Dean Kremer for the Orioles. Game time is set for just after 12:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Computers can’t play the game before it happens

Shane Baz turned in an outstanding start tonight for the Baltimore Orioles. A quality start at that. The Orioles simply couldn’t get any run support behind him. Baz’s line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 6 K.

I’m not sure how many times I’ve said this, but if you command the strike zone you can win games. Baz did that tonight, and he put the O’s in a spot to win the ballgame. The bats just couldn’t capitalize.

Gunnar Henderson led the game off with a double, which was good to see from his perspective. He would advance to third on a flyout, and score on Adley Rutschman’s sac fly-RBI.

The lead didn’t last past the third as Gonzalez’s RBI-double would tie it at one. Another one of those ball which went all the way to the wall, splitting the outfielders. Is it possible that the Orioles’ outfield was ill-positioned to allow for any nuance?

Chicago would take the lead later in the inning when Teel hit a ball off the mound to Gunnar Henderson at short. However the ball grazing the mound seemed to throw Gunnar off a bit, and he couldn’t make the throw. That allowed a run to score, and the O’s trailed 2-1.

Adley Rutschman would tie the game back up at two in the bottom of the inning with another sac fly-RBI. You have to figure that it’s incriminating on some level that the team which was supposed to live by the home run ball scored only two sacrifice flies tonight.

However they were picked up by Shane Baz. Even on that Teel RBI I mentioned above; after Henderson ate the ball, it was Baz who threw it home to get the final out at home plate on the trail runner. He pitched well enough to win. But the bats didn’t do much to help.

Baz departed however after seven innings. Grant Wolfram immediately hit a batter, who later scored on Montgomery’s RBI-double. Wolfram had Montgomery in a two-strike count, but couldn’t put him out. On top of that Grichuk’s RBI-single extended the Chicago lead to 4-2.

On paper that’s the story. But there’s more to it. For starters, Grichuk challenged two strike calls in the at-bat that were overturned to balls. When he did hit the ball, the runner (Montgomery) appeared to be out at home plate ending the inning. The home plate umpire actually called him out at first.

However the ball was dislodged from Adley Rutschman’s glove at the last second, and Montgomery was safe. It wasn’t a play that appeared destined to score a runner from first. But Chicago was aggressive and it worked out for them.

Things like that add up. One inning later, Chicago put two runners in scoring position after Gunnar Henderson couldn’t snag a ball hit to him at short. It was ruled an extra-base hit, but it’s a play Henderson should have made. The ball kind of dove right before it got to Henderson; Gonzalez’s subsequent two-RBI single extended the lead to 6-2.

On top of that, Teel sent a bouncer to Blaze Alexander at third, and it took a short hop in front of him and went into left field. That was a two-run error, and Chicago went home 8-3 winners. Like so many things this season, this game took a huge number of strange hops on the Orioles.

The Orioles have an over-reliance on analytics or Sabre metrics. Where it comes from or on whose orders it’s implemented is irrelevant. But it’s well known that they rely heavily on numbers and analytics over anything else.

But you have to temper that with feel for the game. It’s almost as if the Orioles assume that the game is played and thus over before it starts. The computer tells you the probability of success based on what you input. It infernally CANNOT play the game for you. As many games in baseball are won or lost on the fringes, that’s dangerous.

Look back to yesterday; Coby Mayo’s throw short-hopped Samuel Basallo. You can talk until you’re blue in the face that the numbers say this or that, but the numbers don’t play the game. Quirky things happen in games that computers can’t predict or understand. In fact, the computer may well explode knowing that its probability was off.

Probability isn’t a guarantee. The game is still played by human beings. And part of the story of human beings is that they’re flawed. Also unpredictable. So when your game plan is. Asked on a computer or AI, you’re backing yourself into a modus operandi in ink. Neither baseball, nor the world, is played or managed in ink. It’s done in pencil.

You have to adapt and change. Managing by analytics only doesn’t allow much leeway, and thus doesn’t allow you to adapt and change. If you’re so rigid that a dropped ball at home plate, a short-hopped throw, or splitting the defense on ill-positioned outfielders beats you every time, you aren’t putting yourself in a spot to win. All of those things combined? You’re really in trouble.

Instead you have a Chicago team which doesn’t have the skill of the Orioles and other teams. Yet they’re outperforming all of them. Why? Because they take the game as it comes. This as opposed to having the computer manage the game before it’s even played.

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Trey Gibson gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Erick Fedde. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.