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Baltimore Orioles: Milwaukee outgunned by Gunnar Henderson

The Baltimore Orioles had just about everything work against them in the first two games of the series with Milwaukee. Every bounce went the other way, and it seemed to continue to do so early on with Kyle Bradish on the mound in the finale this afternoon. Bradish’a line: 5 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 10 K.

Milwaukee put their only three runs of the day up I. The last of the first. These came on an RBI-groundout and two RBI-singles. This forcing the Orioles to play catch-up for most of the day.

However this seemed destined to be a pitcher’s duel. And a pitcher’s duel that was going to be won by Milwaukee at that. However the Orioles decided to remember that they were clutch in later innings today. And it served them well.

Ramon Urias’ solo homer got them on the board in the seventh. One inning later Anthony Santander smacked an RBI-double, bringing the O’s to within one at 3-2. Then Gunnar Henderson came to the plate…

…mind you, Henderson has been looking to break out for some time. And that may have happened today. Henderson smacked a two-run homer in that top of the eighth to give the Orioles the lead. They would get two insurance runs in the ninth on Adam Frazier’s two-RBI double, and the Birds went home 6-3 winners.

That was a big win for this team. Losing two straight is a problem. However if you can’t take the series, at least make sure you don’t get swept. And it’s good to see Gunnar Henderson coming up with the clutch homer like that. Just keep winning games.

The O’s now return home to open a three-game set with Kansas City at Camden Yards. Tyler Wells gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Kansas City’s Daniel Lynch. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles boat raced by Milwaukee

Dean Kremer started for the Baltimore Orioles tonight, and odds are he wishes he stayed in the clubhouse. Milwaukee came out swinging, and they used that to their advantage. Kremer’s line: 8 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 5 BB, 2 K.

Just about everything went Milwaukee’s way tonight from the get go. Every bounce, and every turn. Adames smacked a solo homer in the first, and Wiener a two-run shot in the third. Wiemer would come up again in the fourth, producing an RBI-single.

And things snowballed from there. Manager Brandon Hyde was ejected for arguing balls and strikes in the fifth. After the game he said he felt that the strike zone was getting “rather large.” Needless to say, the implication was that Milwaukee got one version of the zone, and the Orioles another.

Perhaps a concerning thing is the number of hits and RBI came from the bottom of the order, as well as with two outs. That’s a huge problem. You can’t allow hits and runs at any point, much less when you’re almost off the hook.

With Milwaukee leading 10-0, the Birds finally got on the board in the ninth. Austin Hays’ RBI-single played a run. Ryan McKenna would later ground into a double-play with the bases loaded, finishing things off at 10-2.

Bruce Zimmerman also did a solid for the Birds, pitching three innings. This saved the Orioles at least one or two relievers. He was able to take the ball from Kremer and run with it to the finish line. Yes in a losing effort, but he bridged the gap and saved the bullpen for tomorrow and this weekend.

The series continues tomorrow at American Family Field. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Milwaukee’s Colin Rea. Game time is set for just after 2 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles fall late in Milwaukee

Kyle Gibson got the start for the Baltimore Orioles in Milwaukee last night. And in effect he did his job. He put the Birds in a position to win. The O’s however need to get more mileage out of their starters so as to not overtax the bullpen. Gibson’s line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 7 K.

This isn’t to say that Gibson pitched poorly. We’ve seen better, but we most certainly also seen worse. And there are a lot of things in games (such as run production) that’s beyond the control of a starting pitcher.

Milwaukee took an early 2-0 lead in the last of the first on two separate RBI-singles. One by Anderson and another by Toro. And those were the only runs Gibson surrendered.

It was a game where neither side seemed to be ready to put it all together in a sense. The O’s tied it up in the second on a two-run homer by Aaron Hicks. The signing of Hicks was semi-unpopular amongst a lot of fans. But he’s produced in the short time he’s been an Oriole. Rightfully he should have had several other RBI last night as well. In fact, the Orioles probably would have won the game outright had he not been robbed.

But they made a valiant stab at winning. Ryan O’Hearn’s solo homer in the seventh gave them the lead. However an RBI-single by Turang in the eighth tied it up. And Wiemer’s RBI-single in the tenth won it for Milwaukee.

Again, there are a lot of things that needed to come together and didn’t – not just Kyle Gibson. The tying and winning runs got into scoring position by the runners stealing second base. In both instances, Adley Rutschman’s throw came to the third base side of the bag – short-hopping in one case. Those are things that must and will be tightened up going along.

The series continues this evening at American Family Field. Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Milwaukee’s Corbin Burnes. Game time is set for just after 7:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: First team to 20 road wins

The Baltimore Orioles entered today’s series finale in San Francisco with a shot to win the series. They also were looking to become the first team league wife to achieve 20 road wins. High stakes for sure, as Tyler Wells went to the mound. And he didn’t disappoint. Wells’ line: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 9 K.

The real story of the ballgame is the Orioles’ six-run third inning. When you’re able to put crooked numbers up on the board like that, you enhance your shot at winning. In a sense, the game was over before things even got cooking.

Adam Frazier’s sac fly-RBI got things started. Following an RBI-single by Austin Hays, the Orioles would load the bases. And Ryan Mountcastle would draw a walk, extending the lead to 3-0. However the bags remained juiced…

…and rookie Josh Lester was coming to bat. The Orioles brought Lester up for this game when Danny Columbe was sent to the bereavement list. And with the bases loaded, he sent a line drive into centerfield. He wound up at second base, however it went as a two-RBI single and an error.

That was Lester’s first major league hit. And it resulted in three runs, once again showing how strong the Orioles have built up their farm system. And that busted the game wide open, with the Birds strongly in command.

James McCann’s solo homer in the sixth would extend the Orioles’ lead to 7-0. However San Francisco would add three runs, two of which came on a two-run homer in the last of the sixth. Aaron Hicks would add an RBI-triple in the top of the ninth, and the O’s closed out an 8-3 win.

Again, the Orioles are the first team this year in MLB to win 20 road games. Now I’m the first one to tell you that’s a manufactured stat. However it also shows how good the Orioles are this year. However more importantly, it shows how good they potentially could be moving forward.

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Baltimore Orioles: Like a fine Cali wine

The Baltimore Orioles sent Southern California native Dean Kremer to the mound in the series opener in San Francisco last night. Of course, his skipper, Brandon Hyde, is also from the region. It’s always good to come back to your hometown (or home region) and perform well. Especially when you’re a team in the pennant race. Kremer’s line: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 6 K.

That’s a quality start for Kremer, if you’re keeping track at home – and I know you are! It didn’t start well, however. The first pitch he threw was hit out of the ballpark and into San Francisco Bay by Wade. And before they knew it, the Orioles trailed.

However solo homers rarely beat you. Especially when they come on the first pitch of the first inning, and you have the entire game to make up the run. And the Orioles did that right away.

Austin Hays led off the second with a double – a double that almost left the ballpark, incidentally. But he would later score on Ryan O’Hearn’s RBI-single. Later in the inning Jorge Mateo plated a second run with a swinging bunt at home plate. Newly signed Aaron Hicks scored from third, giving the O’s a 2-1 lead.

And make no mistake that part of that run scoring was the placement of the ball – which was mainly luck. However Mateo’s speed also played a major role. He was quick out of the box, and his blazing speed got him to first. San Francisco never had a chance at preventing the run from scoring.

However they did quickly tie the game. Yastrzemski’s RBI-double in the last of the third tied things up at two. But let’s back up for a moment – all things being the same, that could have been a go-ahead run. Davis hit what should have been an RBI-single to right field with a runner on second. However Anthony Santander came up throwing…

…and he gunned the base runner out at home plate. Plays as such are huge in close games. And luckily for the O’s, this one went their way.

Speaking of “gunning,” it was Gunnar Henderson who put the Birds back in the lead. His solo home run in the seventh gave them a 3-2 lead. The bullpen did it’s job, and the O’s took game one of three in the Bay Area.

As I said, manager Brandon Hyde and starter Dean Kremer were playing in their old stomping grounds. It has to be a cool moment to come back to your home region as an athlete or coach. Hyde addressed this point before the game when asked if it meant anything to him:

Yeah it does (mean something to manage here). We drove by Candlestick going to the hotel two nights ago and I have special memories of going to those games. Watching Joe Montana with the Niners and watching Will Clark with the Giants in my younger days with my dad and friends.

Quote courtesy of Steve Melewski, MASNsports

The series continues this evening at Oracle Park. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by San Francisco’s Alex Cobb (former Oriole). Game time is set for just after 10 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Birds hold on late to win

The Baltimore Orioles we’re hoping that Kyle Gibson would go deeper into tonight’s game against Cleveland. But they rode him as far as they could, and he came technically one out short of a quality start. But make no mistake about the fact that it was a quality start – just not a quality start. You read me?! Gibson’s line: 5.2 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K.

The O’s took the lead right off the bat in the last of the first on Gunnar Henderson’s two-RBI single. One inning later they broke the game open – for the time being. Adley Rutschman walked with the bases loaded, extending the lead to 3-0. The bases of course remained loaded at that point, but they were cleared on a double by Anthony Santander.

At this point the Birds led 6-0, and that was extended to 7-0 on Austin Hays’ sac fly-RBI. Cleveland would get a run back in the fourth on Bell’s RBI-single, but they themselves put a an additional run on the board in the last of the fifth on an RBI-single by Gunnar Henderson. A seven-run lead should be safe, right? Yes and no; Cleveland would make it interesting, narrowing the lead to within 8-5. But the Birds would eventually close out the game with Felix Bautista getting the save, and they cruised to an 8-5 win.

The issue is that the Birds are suddenly having issues hitting in the clutch. They had the bases loaded with nobody out in the seventh, and Gunnar Henderson grounded into a double-play – with one out being made at home plate. And they ended up not scoring.

They need to find a way to not sit on leads, as that’s something which eventually will come back and haunt them. Furthermore, if they put even one more run on the board, they aren’t in a save situation. Meaning they don’t have to use Bautista in the ninth. These are things they need to correct as they go along, or eventually they’ll find themselves blowing games late. This as opposed to winning them late.

Before the game the Orioles out Cedric Mullins on the IL, and signed former NYY Aaron Hicks (who was recently DFA’d). Mullins of course injured his groin in yesterday’s game, and could miss a few weeks. Hicks wasn’t available for tonight’s game, but odds are he’ll be in the lineup tomorrow.

The series with Cleveland concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. The Orioles are yet to announce a starter, but whomever gets the start will be opposed by Cleveland’s Shane Bieber. Game time is set for just after 3 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Lineup controversy in Birds’ loss?

Tyler Wells turned in another stellar outing for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon against Cleveland on Memorial Day Monday. And yes, he deserved a better fate than what he received. Wells’ line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 7 K.

Wells was outstanding today. Plain and simple. His lone mishap was a balk in the fifth inning, allowing a runner to get to third. That runner would later score on Gallagher’s sac fly-RBI. That’s the lone run that Wells surrendered, and the Birds trailed, 1-0.

Cleveland got a lot of favorable bounces in this game. This in the sense that they got on base by dumping fly balls in front of Oriole outfielder’s, and by way of Baltimore chops. Simplistic for sure. But effective. They also seemed to get to just about everything that came off of Oriole bats, making some amazing plays in the field.

Gallagher’s RBI-single in the seventh would extend their lead to 2-0. Kwan would later smack an RBI-double, and Ryan Mountcastle would commit a two-run throwing error trying to gun out a runner at home plate. This all amounted to a 5-0 Cleveland victory.

That error was charged to Ryan Mountcastle, and I’ll be honest I’m not sure why. The throw home to James McCann was slightly high. But McCann bobbled the ball – this on a play that should have been made.

McCann was also at the center of a slight controversy in this game before it even started mainly by virtue of the fact that he was in the lineup at all instead of Adley Rutschman, The same for Ryan McKenna being in right field.

I would say this; Adley Rutschman isn’t Cal Ripken Jr. He can’t play everyday, especially as a catcher. However it is somewhat interesting as to why Brandon Hyde seemed to put the “B Lineup” out there today. It’s fair however to say that again…nobody’s playing every game.

Personally I don’t think that Hyde’s “punting” games with lineups such as what we saw today, and what we’ve seen in the past (often on the final day of a series). He’s just ensuring that guys remain rested and fresh. It’s part of the job as manager.

Regarding Rutschman, you also have to look down the schedule. The O’s have a night game tomorrow, so he’ll have some additional time off. Then a mid-afternoon game on Wednesday to close out the series. Following that game, the O’s head out to San Francisco.

Point being, the pending road trip to the west coast may have had something to do with why McCann and McKenna played that day. You have to take all of that into account. It’s also worth mentioning that James McCann smacked a double which pushed another runner to third in this game. So what little the Orioles did offensively, he was a participant.

One other thing to watch; Cedric Mullins limped off the field after running out a ground ball in the eighth inning. His status is unclear going forward. He appeared to pull up “lame” running out the ball. Certainly something to keep an eye on.

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Kyle Gibson gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Cleveland’s Cal Quantrill. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles avoid sweep, lifted late by Austin Hays

Kyle Bradish looked outstanding this afternoon for the Baltimore Orioles. The Birds we’re trying to avoid being swept for the first time this season, this potentially at the hands of the Texas Rangers. Bradish gave the Orioles a solid outing, putting them in a position to win the game. Bradish’s line: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

The Orioles took an immediate 1-0 lead in the game. Austin Hays’ RBI-single got them on the board in the first inning. Later in the inning Ryan Mountcastle’s sac fly-RBI would extend the lead to 2-0.

The only problem with that is that the Mountcastle fly out came with the bases loaded. And the Orioles were only able to get tone run. With the bags juiced and nobody out. That’s a huge problem.

And the fact is that Texas is a good team, And they showed it in the first two games of this series. And again today. You have to take opportunities as they come against good teams.

And sure enough, Texas’ bats eventually came to life. Semien’s RBI-double in the sixth got them on the board and cut the Birds’ lead in half. Texas also got a runner to third base in the eighth, and he scored on Seager’s RBI-double, tying the game at two.

However the O’s are a pretty good team also. In case you didn’t notice! They put runners at the corners in the top of the eighth with nobody out. This brought Austin Hays to the plate, abs his RBI-single gave the Orioles the lead back at 3-2.

And while everything worked out and the O’s took the win, they could have used more than one run there. Felix Bautista closed things out, but one run games are always tough. Insurance runs are always appreciated.

And with that, the O’s avoided being swept. While this series with Texas didn’t go quite according to plan, it’s always good to salvage at least one. And the fact is that Texas is a good team – as I said above. Just one win is better than being swept.

The O’s open up a three-game set tomorrow (Memorial Day) with the Cleveland Guardians at Camden Yards. Tyler Wells gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Cleveland’s Logan Allen. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Have to tip your cap to Austin Voth

Things didn’t exactly as the Baltimore Orioles wanted on the night they debuted their City Connect uniforms. Gunnar Henderson pitched okay for three innings, and fell apart in the fourth. Henderson’s line: 3.1 IP, 6 H, 9 R (8 earned), 3 BB, 6 K.

The Orioles actually held an early lead in this game. Adley Rutschman’s solo homer in the last of the first put the Birds ahead, 1-0. But that was short-lived. Taveras’ two-run homer in the second gave Texas the lead at 2-1. Unfortunately for the O’s, that was a harbinger for the rest of the game.

Texas got an RBI-single by King in the fourth, followed by a two-run homer by Grossman. Following Grossman’s at-bat, they would proceed to load the bases. And with the bases loaded, Seager’s grand slam would finally chase Rodriguez to the showers, and Texas led, 9-1.

Jung would add an RBI-single before the inning ended, and the Birds trailed 10-1. However Austin Voth came into the game in Rodriguez’s place, and was solid. He brought the Orioles back to a place of stability, pitching 3.2 innings and striking out one. He gave up one run.

And that’s the story of the game for the O’s. Voth ate up innings and stemmed the tide. The result of the game itself was basically decided. However he saved one or two bullpen relievers. And that makes a huge difference going into tomorrow – and onward.

The O’s even mustered an additional run. Terrin Vavra’s RBI-single in the eighth cut the lead to 10-2. Now Texas would put two back on the board in the ninth, but who’s counting. And for what it’s worth, those runs came against…Ryan McKenna. For the first time this year, we saw a position player pitch.

The series continues tomorrow at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Texas’ Andrew Heaney. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Kyle Gibson owns the Bronx as Birds pull away late

Kyle Gibson was outstanding for the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium tonight. The Birds keep stockpiling wins and quality starts. Not to mention series wins. And in this case, a win and a series win in the division. THAT is huge. Wells’ line: 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 3 K.

Gibson gave up a hit in the game’s opening at-bat, and didn’t surrender another until the seventh inning. Which was his last inning. He kept a fairly potent lineup at bay for quite some time. And that’s how you put yourself in a position to win games.

Of course however, Gibson could have pitched a perfect game. But it basically doesn’t matter unless you put runs on the board. And you have to rely on your bats to do that.

The O’s got an RBI-single from Anthony Santander in the fifth, giving them a 1-0 lead. Austin Hays added a two-RBI double in the eighth, extending the lead to 3-0. New York would get one back in the last of the ninth on Calhoun’s RBI-double, but on this night and in this series, the O’s were just too much. They took two-of-three in this series, winning this game 3-1.

And when your pitching is as good as the Orioles’ was tonight, that’s all you need! New York manager Aaron Boone was ejected in the third inning for arguing balls and strikes. So he wasn’t around to see the end. But the Birds are carefully writing the end of their story here in 2023. And so far, the ending appears to be favorable.

The O’s now head home to open up a three-game set with Texas at Camden Yards. Grayson Rodriguez gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Texas’ Jon Gray. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: The cream always rises to the top

It took longer than the Baltimore Orioles would have liked, but the Birds got the job done in the Bronx last night. The Orioles, and starter Tyler Wells, sat through an hour-and-a-half rain delay before starting last night’s game at Yankee Stadium. Wells’ line: 5.0 IP, 5 H 5 R, 2 BB, 8 K.

New York took an early lead on a two-run homer by Torres in the third. But Ryan Mountcastle’s solo shot an inning later acted as a harbinger for what was to come. Even still, before that could happen New York extended their lead to 5-1 on a two-run shot by Kiner-Falefa and Torres’ second homer of the game (a solo shot) the last of the fifth.

New York was feeling pretty comfortable. Heck, the Orioles would have been also had it been them – a four-run lead going into the later innings. Especially at Yankee Stadium. But the “later innings” are just that…later innings. They count as much as the earlier innings. And you have to play them out.

The O’s put two runners on before recording an out in the seventh. Adam Frazier came to the plate and put New York on notice that it wasn’t going to be their day with an immediate three-run homer. And that injected a shot in the arm into the hearts and minds of the Orioles.

The O’s would once again put two runners on (later in the seventh) for Gunnar Henderson’s at-bat. And Henderson pulled a tight grounder down the right field line, scoring two – and giving the Orioles a 6-5 lead. You can’t keep this team down for long.

Before the inning ended, the O’s would add a sac fly-RBI from Ryan Mountcastle, an RBI-single by Anthony Santander, and a run-scoring single by Austin Hays. (That final run was unearned due to an error on the Santander hit.) New York would get one back with an RBI-single in the last of the seventh, but the damage was done. By the Orioles.

You aren’t going to win every game. That goes without saying. Tuesday’s game was one of those for the Birds. But the beauty of baseball is that it’s played everyday. You come right back to the ballpark the next day and play again. And despite being down early, the Birds overcame incredible odds to win this game. That shouldn’t be lost on fans.

The series in New York concludes tonight at Yankee Stadium. Kyle Gibson gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Clarke Schmidt. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles drop game one in the Bronx

News flash, the Baltimore Orioles won’t win every game. But we knew that. And sometimes losses are going to churn your stomach. It’s just the nature of the beast. Kyle Bradish wasn’t spot on, but he ate innings and was semi-effective. Bradish’s line: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 3 K.

The Orioles were in the driver’s seat in the game for awhile. Adam Frazier’s two-RBI double in the first inning got the Birds off to a good start with a 2-0 lead. Cedric Mullins extended the lead to 3-0 with a solo homer in the third, and Gunnar Henderson added a solo shot of his own in the fourth.

But regardless of the standings, your lead is never safe when you’re playing the pinstripes. Especially at their place. Bader got New York on the board in the fourth with a solo homer. They would plate three runs in the fifth to the game at four. They also chased Bradish following that inning.

But the O’s did get the lead back an inning later. They loaded the bases, and Terrin Vavra grounded into a fielder’s choice, which goes as an RBI. The Orioles led, 5-4.

And they took that lead to the last of the ninth. Judge came up against closer Felix Bautista with one out, and ran the count to 0-2. Bautista elevated a fastball, and Judge smacked a no-doubter out of the ballpark to tie the score at five. New York would later win it on Volpe’s sac fly in the tenth, sending the Birds down to defeat on this night in the Bronx.

Felix Bautista’s been lights out for the Orioles. So it’s tough to criticize, however it would have stood to reason to me that you’d bury a pitch in the dirt on an 0-2 count. Interesting choice of pitch location, but again he’s proven he’s trustworthy. One blown save shouldn’t taint everything he’s done to this point.

The series continues tomorrow at Yankee Stadium. Tyler Wells gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Nestor Cortes. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles sweep a series for the ages

I suppose the question for the Baltimore Orioles is which win in Toronto this weekend was bigger? Which was the seasons’s “signature win” (to date, at least)? Was it yesterday’s slow slog, or today’s game, started by Dean Kremer? Dean Kremer, who incidentally put the O’s in a spot to win today. Kremer’s line: 5.1 IP, 9 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 7 K.

Similar to yesterday, today’s game seemed to have a late-season or post-season big game feel to it. The air was thick all day, and neither side was seemingly ready to blink. Toronto took a 1-0 lead in the second with a solo homer by Chapman. But solo homers rarely beat you.

The O’s would tie the score in the third on an RBI-groundout by Adley Rutschman. Anthony Santander would then reach on a fielder’s choice, scoring Cedric Mullins from third. And the Orioles led, 2-1.

A downside to this game (following yesterday’s) for the Orioles was that the bullpen was taxed. They potentially had only three or four relievers available – short of an emergency, that is. In fact, I might even argue that there could have been consideration of using a starter out of the ‘pen had it been necessary. Luckily, that didn’t happen. And the O’s have an off day tomorrow.

One of the fresh relievers was Mychal Givens, who came off the IL before the ballgame. Givens of course was an Oriole for many years, and has now returned after three years away. He showed some rust, however overall it was a good outing – save for letting Toronto tie the score at two on a sac fly-RBI by Chapman in the seventh.

And just like that, we went to extra innings again, tied at two. As the title states, this was a series for the ages. So it was only fitting that the game went to extra innings. Cedric Mullins opened the extra frame(s) with a run-scoring single, and suddenly the Birds had the lead back at 3-2. However Merrifield added a run-scoring single of his own in the bottom of the inning, and we played on.

Those runs of course were courtesy of the ghost runner rule. As was the first run the Orioles scored in the 11th, off a single by Austin Hays. However all things being the same (which is always a tough argument to make), the O’s still would have taken this game. Terrin Vavra went up with two runners in scoring position as a pinch hitter, and smacked a two-RBI single. Cedric Mullins followed with a two-RBI double, and suddenly the Orioles walked out with an 8-3 win.

It goes without saying that this is a huge sweep of a division rival. Not to mention that it happened at their place. However as I said yesterday and I said above, the entire series was played with tension. Toronto’s a team that thrives off of controversy, and they “wanted the Orioles” all weekend.

And the good news for them is that they got them. They got the best that the Orioles could give them. And by series’ end, I think everyone in both organizations, and across baseball, were put on notice as to who the better team is. Let there be no mistake.

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Baltimore Orioles: Don’t be made into the villains

The Baltimore Orioles won perhaps the biggest game of the season to date yesterday in Toronto. It had everything – high drama, disagreements, etc. And by disagreements, I mean controversy.

Toronto starter Alex Manoah barked at the Orioles’ Adam Frazier following a strikeout S he walked back to the dugout. There was seemingly no basis for the rift, and it left a lot of people wondering what happened. I would say this: don’t even ask the question.

The situation from earlier last week with Toronto and the NY Yankees is well documented. And there are plenty of other cases of Toronto players getting in the faces of opponents. Remember the 2015 postseason – Jose Bautista with the bat flip? They’ve had their share of run-in’s with the Orioles over the years also. If you remember, Toronto seemed intent on throwing at Oriole hitters on the night the Birds were trying to clinch the 2014 AL East title. Determined to insert themselves into the story.

That’s no different than Manoah and Frazier yesterday. Or the entire Toronto team against Aaron Judge last week. For years, that team has basically tried to play the heel. They want you to hate them. And they don’t mind fighting if it comes to that. They’re aggressive, and that’s purposely done.

So this is a word of caution to the Orioles, if anything. You know how the saying goes; never get into a fight with a pig, because he’ll beat you with experience and you’ll get dirty. Make no mistake, these are concerted efforts by the Toronto Blue Jays to get under people’s skin.

At a certain point, you have to defend yourself. However Toronto’s always been a team that tries to get under people’s skin. Chirping on the field and in the media about New York stealing signs is a perfect example. But how many bench-clearing brawls are they involved in?! And if they are, is it not convenient that it comes across as they’re the ones defending themselves?

Jose Bautista flips his bat at the Texas Rangers in the post season. The next year he gets slugged in the face. Believe me, both Bautista and his superiors were THRILLED with that result. The other guy gets the perception of causing the problem, and they got under their skin. That’s their modus operandi.

Make no mistake, Manoah was planting a seed yesterday. Their goal is to chirp and scream so much that eventually someone has to do something. And then they get to go into victim mode.

So the O’s should beware of this. Don’t be shocked if someone tries something or says something in today’s game. Toronto’s the schoolyard bully who levies insults at you and when you retaliate, says you threw the first punch. And the sad thing is they’re good at it. THEY caused the bad blood with the Yankees earlier this week. THEY caused the situation with Adam Frazier yesterday. Their hope is that it boils over, potentially causing suspensions to the other guy.

So the Orioles need to remain focused. Unless Toronto does something outlandish, don’t take the bait. Because it’s all part of a plan on their part.

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Baltimore Orioles: Ryan O’Hearn says ‘O YES!’

Today’s game was the epitome of a “team win” for the Baltimore Orioles. They got a solid start out of Grayson Rodriguez in Toronto this afternoon, however the fact is that the wheels really started turning after Rodriguez had left the ballgame. Rodriguez’s line: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

Literally everyone who played today contributed. Now the down side of that is the fact that the Birds used five relievers, including closer Felix Bautista (who actually recorded the win); he pitched two innings. It would stand to reason that he won’t be available tomorrow, but keep in mind that the O’s are also off on Monday. Time will tell.

The Birds led 2-0 early after the first couple of innings. Ryan O’Hearn smacked an RBI-single in the second, and Cedric Mullins a solo homer in the third (umpire reviewed and ruled a home run). However Toronto tied the game at two on a two-run homer by Springer in the fifth. Jansen sent a solo shot out in the last of the sixth, and the Birds suddenly trailed.

Toronto would put two more runs on the board in the seventh, and it stood to reason those were insurance runs. However never count this crop of Orioles out. They fully buy into the legacy of the spirit of Orioles Magic that hovers over top of this franchise. Especially late in games.

The O’s put two runners on in the top of the eighth, with Ryan O’Hearn coming back to the plate. Remember, O’Hearn started the scoring this afternoon back in the second inning. O’Hearn of course had a great spring, which is why he’s a big leaguer now, but little did we know that he also had the “clutch gene” that so many of his teammates seem to have.

O’Hearn sent a deep shot toward the right field grandstand at Toronto’s Rogers Centre. Many in the crowd thought the game was basically over, and that the home-standing Jays had won. But O’Hearn and the O’s had other ideas. His three-run homer gave the Birds new life, and tied the game.

The game went to extra innings, this following Felix Bautista pitching out of a jam in the last of the ninth. He had two on and nobody out, the lead runner of course being the winning run. But NONE of them crossed the plate, and we played on.

The O’s took advantage of the ghost runner rule, and immediately moved Ryan Mountcastle to third. Austin Hays plated him with a fielder’s choice, giving the O’s a 6-5 lead. Bautista closed out the game in the last of the tenth, giving the O’s a 6-5 win – and a series victory.

This recap doesn’t do the heaviness of this game justice. It was seemingly played with the intensity of an elimination game in October. Maybe it was Toronto who brought that intensity, drama, etc. For whatever reason. Drama and controversy seems to make them tick. But make no mistake that it was the Orioles who had the last say.

The series concludes tomorrow at Rogers Centre. Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Kevin Gausman (former Oriole). Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Rogers Centre ruled by a “Mounty“

This was always set up to be a big series in Toronto for the Baltimore Orioles. Kyle Gibson took the ball to face off against a team that seems to enjoy beating the O’s – and everyone else in the league. Against a team who found themselves once again and as usual, steeped in controversy just this week when New York was in town. And for starters, Gibson showed up tonight. Gibson’s line: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K.

Gibson gave up an RBI-single to Jansen in the last of the second. And that was it for him. He was solid all night. And he pitched seven innings in a game where the Orioles could have afforded to rest their bullpen a bit. And that point right there bodes well for the Orioles going into tomorrow.

However Toronto didn’t hold the lead for long. Ryan Mountcastle came up in the third with two runners on base. As much as we’ve talked in past years about certain players “owning” the Orioles, Mountcastle’s had his way with Toronto. Big time.

He smacked a two-run homer in the top of the third, giving the Birds a 3-1 lead. That was Mountcastle’s 15th home run against Toronto in his career. “Mounty’s” also in his third season. And needless to say, while the sheer number of homers against one team is impressive in and of itself, Mountcastle’s homer was huge in the grand scheme of the game itself.

Anthony Santander would smack a home run of his own (a solo shot) in the sixth. Following Gibson, Yennier Cano would enter the game in the eighth. While Cano committed the rare act of surrendering a run (on Bichette’s RBI-groundout), he only allowed that one run. And he pitched the Orioles’ way out of a jam.

And on top of that, the O’s got two insurance runs in the ninth inning. Adam Frazier’s two-run homer extended the lead to 6-2. And thanks to Felix Bautista in the last of the ninth, that was your final score.

However make no mistake that it was Ryan Mountcastle back in the third inning who got the Orioles over the hump in this one. Offensively, that is. Gibson and Cano’s heroics we’re almost equally as important. For whatever reason, Ryan Mountcastle always hits Toronto hard. Needless to say, he ruled the roost at Toronto’s Rogers Centre tonight.

The series continues tomorrow night at Rogers Centre. Grayson Rodriguez gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Alek Manoah. Game time is set for just after 3 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Kyle Bradish wins in pitcher’s duel

You really can’t script out a better way to win games if you’re the Baltimore Orioles. Give up fewer runs than the opponent, that is. Kyle Bradish afforded Los Angeles one run tonight at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. That’s tough to beat. Bradish’s line. 6.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 5 K.

Last night you may remember I said Dean Kremer had an in between start. While the Orioles still won, contrast that with Bradish being spot on this evening. For what it’s worth, Bradish pitched to a quality start.

The Birds got on the board in the last of the third with Ryan Mountcastle’s RBI-single. However one inning later they found it tied again, as Trout smacked a solo homer. It was perhaps the only bad pitch Bradish threw. But either way it landed in the seats and tied the game up at one.

However it wasn’t tied for long. Cedric Mullins’ RBI-single gave the O’s the lead back in the bottom of that fourth inning. Austin Hays would take that base hit and raise it with a solo homer in the last of the fifth. And the Orioles took a 3-1 lead into the later innings.

And at that point, the Oriole bullpen shut things down by way of Cionel Perez and Yennier Cano. And remember folks, that’s how you win games in 2023. A stellar bullpen. The 2023 O’s will go as far as their bullpen takes them. So far, so good.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Tyler Wells gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Los Angeles’ Tyler Anderson. Game time is set for just after 12:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Ryan Mountcastle’s clutch homer helps lift the Birds

Dean Kremer turned in one of those in between starts for the Baltimore Orioles this evening against Anaheim at Camden Yards. Most starting pitchers will have ten great starts, ten poor, and ten that are in between. And therein lies the success or failure of your season. Kremer’s line: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 4 K.

In short, Kremer wasn’t stellar. But he was far from awful either. If more guys’ in between starts were like this, their teams would be in the World Series annually. You can also refer to it as gutting one out. Either way, he pitched well enough to win.

Kremer gave up a solo homer to Moniak in the first, but the O’s almost immediately took care of that. Ryan O’Hearn, who got the start as the designated hitter, shot a solo homer of his own out of Camden Yards in the second, tying the game. For the record, O’Hearn DH’d while Anthony Santander played first base and Ryan Mountcastle sat. Keep that in mind.

The Birds took the lead in the last of the fourth when Terrin Vavra and Jorge Mateo smacked RBI-singles. Cedric Mullins would also ground out with a rubber on third, and the O’s led, 4-1.

But Los Angeles fought back. They put two runs across in the fifth, both on RBI-singles. And suddenly we were in a one-run game. But not for long.

Jorge Mateo’s sac fly-RBI in the last of the sixth gave the Birds some breathing room at 5-3. Following that, Brandon Hyde sent the previously resting Ryan Mountcastle up as a pinch hitter (with a runner on base) for Ryan O’Hearn. Keep in mind, one could argue that O’Hearn was taking Mountcastle’s spot in the order (in a roundabout manner). So perhaps his appearance in the game at that moment was ironic in and of itself…

…definitely afterwards, however. Because Mountcastle came through in the clutch, smacking a two-run homer. This extended the Orioles’ lead to 7-3, and the bullpen closed Los Angeles out the rest of the way.

Whatever Brandon Hyde’s methodology was for resting Mountcastle and later bringing him in when he did, it worked. Those are intangible things and moments in games that you can’t predict. You just have to feel them as they come. However he arrived at the decision(s), Hyde was right.

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Los Angeles’ Griffin Canning. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles fall in series finale with Pittsburgh

The Baltimore Orioles can’t win them all. Neither can any other team. But I digress. Today’s game almost felt anti-climactic before starter Kyle Gibson even took to the mound. Gibson’s line: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 5 K.

Gibson’s outing wasn’t awful. He did struggle with some command, but he battled. However as I said, it was almost anti-climactic. And I may say that partially because the Orioles had already won the series. 

Pittsburgh put runners on base right away, and Santana yielded them a run with a fielder’s choice-RBI in the first inning. For what it’s worth, that play originally wasn’t an RBI. At first it was a double-play (Pittsburgh had runners at the corners). However they challenged, saying that Santana was safe at first base. The challenge was upheld, and Santana had an RBI.

Pittsburgh extended their lead in the third on an RBI-single by Hayes. Bae later tacked on a two-RBI single. Pittsburgh led 4-0, which was going to be all they needed.

The Orioles ran into a buzzsaw in terms of pitching today. Pittsburgh’s Keller was masterful all day. We talk a lot about hitting with RISP in games; the O’s we’re 0-for-6 today. This meaning that they only got runners into scoring position six times. That’s how good Keller was.

I always say that if you take two-of-three in a series, you should never make the finale the one game you lose. Obviously you still took two-of-three. However it almost feels like you lost the series, given that it’s sort of a moment of finality – given that the series is over. However make no mistake, one of the hottest teams in the league won this series.

The O’s open up a series at home tomorrow night against the Los Angeles Angels (of Anaheim). Grayson Rodriguez gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by LA’s Shohei Ohtani. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Tyler Wells pitches a gem as Birds win another series

Another quality start for a starter, and another win for the Baltimore Orioles. Tonight it was Tyler Wells – again. As we know, these games are all team efforts; win or lose. But it all begins and ends with starting pitching. Wells’ line: 7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K.

The one hit obviously stands out. Wells attacked the strike zone with aggression tonight. And it showed in the results. Pittsburgh hitters were consistently behind, and in truth they nary had a chance.

Offensively the story was two home runs. Both solo shots. Adley Rutschman hit one right off the bat in the first inning. Gunnar z Henderson followed in the second. And those two runs stood up and lifted the O’s for the rest of the game.

They say solo homers don’t beat you. But when you get a couple of solo homers and your starter’s dealing the way Wells was tonight, they do beat you. Pittsburgh, that is. Great pitching and a pair of solo homers. That’s the story of this game for the O’s.

And with that, the Orioles have won another series. And against another good team. First Tampa this past week. Now this. And the ceiling may not have been reached yet.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards. Kyle Gibson gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Mitch Keller. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles cycled to victory by Cedric Mullins

I’ll get to Cedric Mullins – but the Baltimore Orioles got another great outing by a starter last night against Pittsburgh at Camden Yards. Kyle Bradish may have turned in his best start of the season. Definitely one of them; he mixed his pitches and mowed down Pittsburgh hitters. Bradish’s line: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R (0 earned), 1 BB, 6 K.

That lone run surrendered was on a botched fielder’s choice by Jorge Mateo in the third inning. The Birds trailed 1-0 in what quickly unfolded as a pitcher’s duel. However the Orioles tied it in the last of the sixth. Ryan Mountcastle led off the inning with a triple, and he later scored on a wild pitch which tied the game.

As I’ve said a lot, get on base. However you can. When you get guys on base and/or into scoring position things can happen. And that modus operandi benefitted the O’s last night.

Pittsburgh took the lead back in the seventh on a solo homer by Joe. But Adley Rutschman’s RBI-double in the bottom of the inning tied it back up at two. But it was the eighth inning when things really got cooking.

Cedric Mullins already had a single, a double, and a triple. He came up in the last of the eighth with the ballgame tied at two and two runners on base. And being the clutch player that he is, he delivered with ice water in his veins.

With the count even up at one, Mullins sent a deep shot towards right field. When it cleared the wall onto the flag court, Mullins had given the Birds a 6-3 lead in a game that was previously close. And previously a pitcher’s duel. And he became the seventh player in franchise history to hit for the cycle.

Pittsburgh would tack an extra run on in the ninth, but the game ended on Mullins’ homer. And as he himself said after the game, things just fell in line:

You obviously know that you’re a single swing away from the cycle, and at the same time you’re trying to do your job. Drive some runs in. Everything fell in line.

Quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports

It’s tough to say which part of that moment was bigger. I always err on the side of the team aspect, and that home run broke the tie. Not only that, but it broke the tie and broke the game wide open. It effectively ended the game.

However Mullins in that same moment became the seventh Oriole in history to complete the cycle in a game. Austin Hays did it last year against Washington. That was the most recent. All in all, it was a key moment and a huge feat all around. And it sent Oriole Park at Camden Yards into a frenzy.

The series continues this evening at Camden Yards. Tyler Wells gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Roansy Contreras. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles beat the best on quest to BE the best

The Baltimore Orioles got another solid start out of Dean Kremer this evening in the rubber match with Tampa. And make no mistake, it was a huge game. Whomever won tonight, would take two-of-three in the series. And given the standings, that was set to be huge. Kremer’s line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K.

Kremer was outstanding. Unfortunately for the Birds, so were Tampa’s pitchers. I put it like that because they used Beeks as an “opener” in a sense. However both pitching staffs shut down the other side’s hitting. That’s why it’s called a pitcher’s duel!

But even in a pitcher’s duel, someone has to win. And from the Orioles’ perspective, the right team won. Adam Frazier grounded out in the last of the sixth with Adley Rutschman on third, giving the Orioles a 1-0 lead. Later in the inning Austin Hays’ RBI-double extended the lead to 2-0.

Franco’s RBI-single in the eighth cut the lead in half. However Danny Coulumbe got the Orioles out of the inning. They sent Tampa down 1-2-3 in the ninth, taking the game, 2-1.

Again, this is a huge win for the O’s. They took two-of-three from the team with the best record in baseball. There was reason to have optimism after the Atlanta series. Now even more so. In order to be the best, you have to beat the creme de la creme. And the Orioles did that this week.

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Baltimore Orioles: Adley Rutschman slugs the Birds back in the win column

After dropping game one of this gargantuan series with Tampa, the Baltimore Orioles found themselves having lost three straight. This for the first time in 2023; not to mention the fact that they weren’t scoring runs. So they sent starter Grayson Rodriguez to the mound tonight in hopes of stemming the tide. Rodriguez’s line: 5.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 4 K.

Tampa of course had to be heard first in the game. Franco’s solo homer in the first gave them an early 1-0 lead. However Tampa’s offensive output stagnated. And that of the Orioles seemed to try to break out. If you’re a Tampa fan, that’s a dangerous combination.

Gunnar Henderson had a deep liner take a few good bounces in the last of the third, and he hustled into third with a triple. Part of that was the ball bouncing around. However another part of it was Henderson’s speed. Get on base, and good things would happen. Jorge Mateo would ground out, scoring Henderson and tying the ballgame.

However the key moment of the game came later in that third inning. With Cedric Mullins on base, Adley Rutschman sent a deep fly ball out to Eutaw Street for a two-run homer. This game the O’s their first lead in awhile at 3-1

One inning later Austin Hays’ RBI-single drove home a fourth run. Walls’ solo homer in the fifth would bring Tampa to within 4-2. However the Oriole bullpen would close things out in the end, and the Birds glided to a 4-2 victory.

The O’s had fallen into a mini-slump for lack of a better term. Granted they were very competitive during that three-game losing streak, but they dropped three games. So look no further than that Gunnar Henderson triple in the third inning tonight as the moment they snapped out of it. That got the Birds’ rally started. How do you keep your season from getting derailed? Don’t let it get off the hinges in the first place. Avoid long losing streaks. The O’s did that tonight.

The series with Tampa concludes tomorrow evening at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer gets the start for the Orioles, and Tampa is yet to announce a starter. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles fall to Tampa, drop third straight

You had to know that eventually the Baltimore Orioles were going to hit a snag. This in that they were going to struggle at some point – it wasn’t always destined to be rainbows and unicorns. Kyle Gibson turned in a great effort this evening however, albeit in a losing effort. Gibson’s line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 4 K.

Win or lose, it’s important to note that Gibson pitched to a quality start. Now the most cynical of fans will say that doesn’t matter if you don’t win – which the Orioles didn’t tonight. However it’s still worth throwing that point in, because Gibson was outstanding this evening.

Gibson surrendered a solo homer to Lowry in the top of the second. However Gibson didn’t let that phase him, as he continued to mow down Tampa hitters. It wssn’t until the seventh that they scored again, however that run came with a nuance. Franco flied out and brought in the second Tampa run. However Diaz was thrown out at second trying to extend, and the O’s got two quick outs (upheld on replay).

Raley would smack a solo homer in the top of the ninth to act as an insurance run, and the Birds fell, 3-0. Of you want reasons for this loss, the O’s went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. They also left eight on base. You have to take advantage of the opportunities given at this level if you’re going to win games, especially against the best team in the league.

Similar to the weekend series in Atlanta, this goes as a loss. And all the games count at this point – especially division games. However the O’s went toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the league. That should say something to Orioles fans. Yes again, this goes as a loss. But this team is ready to compete.

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Grayson Rodriguez gets the nod for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Zach Eflin. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Sometimes aggressiveness bites you

The Baltimore Orioles had a rare morning start today against Atlanta. National television will give you strange start times. They Birds sent Tyler Wells to the mound in the series finale, and found themselves in a pitcher’s duel. Wells’ line: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

Wells made one bad pitch, and it ended up in the seats. Olson’s solo homer in the last of the first gave Atlanta a 1-0 lead. The Orioles would load the bases in the third and get nothing, but they pushed a run across on Ramon Urias’ RBI-groundout in the fourth.

Overall in the game, the Orioles were 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position. That‘a a big problem. However keep in mind that Atlanta had the same sort of stat; it was a pitcher’s duel, after all. The Birds shut Atlanta down with RISP to the tune of 1-for-11. So it goes both ways.

The game went to extra innings, and the O’s immediately took advantage of the ghost runner rule. Anthony Santander’s run-scoring single in the top of the tenth gave the O’s a 2-1 lead. However Atlanta took advantage as well. A Felix Bautista wild pitch tied the game at one in the last of the tenth. Harris would later smack a run-scoring double in the twelfth, walking Atlanta off as 3-2 winners.

The Birds also had Austin Hays as a ghost runner in the top of the 11th. Adam Frazier flew out to right to begin the inning, and Hays tagged up at second to try and take third. And he was thrown out, recording two quick outs.

Everyone applauds aggressiveness in games. No matter what the sport. Obviously it’s great if it works. But sometimes you wonder if the reward is worth the risk. I was shocked that he ran, myself. But that effectively ended the inning (without ending the inning, that is). Sometimes it’s better to stand pat and work towards the result you’re looking for, as opposed to going full force like that. End of the day we’ll never know what would have happened had he not tagged up.

The Birds now return home to take on Tampa after a largely successful road trip (despite how it ended). Kyle Gibson gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Shane McClanahan. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Seven run seventh cruises Birds to victory

The Baltimore Orioles might have won their biggest game of the season to date last night behind starter Dean Kremer. This because Atlanta we know is one of the best teams in the league. And the Birds didn’t go toe-to-toe with them. They walloped Atlanta. Kremer’s line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 K.

And the O’s actually trailed in this one early. Murphy’s RBI-single in the last of the first put Atlanta ahead 1-0. However after Ryan McKenna got on base in the third, he went to third base on a throwing error. He would later score (tying the game) on Gunnar Henderson‘s RBI-groundout. And we were tied at one.

One inning later, the O’s had the lead. Anthony Santander’s solo homer put the Birds in the driver’s seat for good. The 2-1 lead held up for awhile – but eventually, it was burst wide open.

The seventh inning was the moment that paid for the Orioles. Cedric Mullins’ solo homer extended the lead to 3-1. Make it 4-1 following a sacrifice bunt by Jorge Mateo, and an Atlanta throwing error.

However the O’s would then load the bases. And Anthony Santander announced to the world that his previous homer (a solo shot) was only a warm-up. He blasted a grand slam into the right field grandstand, and the O’s led 8-1. Mullins would add on an RBI-single before the end of the inning, giving the O’s a 9-1 lead.

Atlanta would get three back in the last of the eighth. But that seventh inning demoralized them. You could read it on their faces. And on the faces of the Orioles, who in essence victimized them.

And again, I would say that this was the biggest win of the still young season. Atlanta’s a true contender. As are the Orioles, as they announced to the world last night.

The series continues this evening at Truist Park. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Atlanta’s Spencer Strider. Game time is set for 7:15 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles blanked in Kansas City

The Baltimore Orioles and starter Kyle Gibson were shut out in Kansas City tonight. They were shut out for the first time all season. You aren’t going going to win them all, that much we know. Gibson’s line: 6.2 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 0 BB, 0 K.

Gibson didn’t pitch poorly per se. He actually went fairly deep into the game, which helped the bullpen. Especially in this case, with a day game after a night game tomorrow. And obviously he wasn’t helped out by the bats at all. The O’s didn’t have a runner in scoring position until the ninth inning tonight.

Kansas City took the lead in the fourth on a solo homer by Pasquantino. He would then turn around in the last of the sixth and smack an RBI-double, followed in the seventh by a sac fly-RBI by Garcia.

It was that seventh inning which really did the Birds in. When the smoke cleared, Kansas City had put six runs on the board, and chased Gibson to the showers. Games like these happen, even for contending teams. You have to shake them off and move onto tomorrow.

The series concludes tomorrow at Kauffman Stadium. Grayson Rodriguez gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Kansas City’s Jordan Lyles (former Oriole). Game time is set for just after 2 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Ryan Mountcastle breaks out as Birds continue rolling

Tyler Wells produced a mixed bag of results for the Baltimore Orioles last night. He spotted Kansas City a 3-0 lead. But he quickly stabilized and was able to stick around long enough to qualify for the win. Wells’ line: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 4 K.

Wells gave up a solo homer to Witt and a two/run homer to Melendez in the last of the first inning. But as I said, he seemed to buckle down enough to right himself. And a few innings later, Oriole bats began their assault on Kansas City pitching.

The best news of the night from the Orioles’ standpoint is that Ryan Mountcastle broke out. He had been having a rough go of things, not being able to catch a break. Whether it was an outfielder making a great play or something else – he had been making great contact, just not getting on base.

But that ended last night. Mountcastle’s two-run homer in the fourth brought the Birds to within 3-2. James McCann tied the game later in the inning with an RBI-single, and the O’s took a 5-3 lead before the end of the fourth on Cedric Mullins’ two-RBI single.

That’s a five-run fourth inning. And thus far in 2023 we’ve seen the Orioles score runs in bunches like this. If you have a lead on them, it’s flat out not safe. Be forewarned.

One benefit from putting five runs up in an inning is that the lineup turns over quickly. Mountcastle came up again in the fifth, and provided the same result: a two-run homer. Adley Rutschman would add a mere RBI-double in the sixth, and he would later score on an RBI-double by nine other than Ryan Mountcastle. Yes, THAT Ryan Mountcastle! He had a whale of a ballgame!

Jorge Mateo would ground into a force out that yielded a run before the inning ended. It was also a play that the Orioles had to challenge so as to get the run. Mateo was found to be safe at first base, and the run counted. Kansas City would narrow the lead to 10-7 on the sixth and seventh, and appeared poised to continue their assault on the Birds’ lead. However while the Oriole bullpen had bent, it didn’t break. Ramon Urias would add an RBI-single in the eighth, and the O’s took game one in Kansas City, 11-7.

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

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Baltimore Orioles: Austin Voth to the rescue

Kyle Bradish pitched four solid innings this afternoon for the Baltimore Orioles in the series finale in Detroit. He hit a brick wall in the fifth, and couldn’t finish the inning. It wasn’t ideal, but it was what it was. Bradish’s line: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

The O’s took the lead in the second inning on Ryan O’Hearn’s RBI-single. Ryan Mountcastle added an RBI-double an inning later to double the lead, which was extended to 3-0 in the fourth on Adam Frazier’s solo homer.

Austin Hays would also add a sac fly-RBI in the fifth. And with Bradish dealing on the mound, things appeared under control. And make no mistake that Bradish was dealing; he was mowing hitters down. Then the last of the fifth happened.

Bradish’s pitches were suddenly very hittable. Detroit started squaring balls up and hitting them HARD. Rogers’ two-run homer cut the lead in half. Baez would add an RBI-double, before Brandon Hyde had to pull the plug on Bradish’s day. The Orioles were hoping for Bradish to go deep because of the doubleheader yesterday, but the team also has an off day tomorrow. So in that sense it was all hands on deck (to a point).

Austin Voth pitched the seventh and eight, and seemed to stabilize things a bit. And make no mistake, that was key. He pitched two scoreless innings. He stabilized the game in the moment, and he possibly saved the use of an additional reliever (or two). These are the intangible things in games that never make it onto the stat sheet. But they often mean more than what’s on the line score.

The O’s would finally get an insurance run in the top of the ninth. Jorge Mateo smacked a solo homer which gave the O’s a 5-3 lead. Yennier Cano got the save by finishing out the final four outs, and the Birds took the series in Detroit three games out of four. Also worth mentioning that Danny Coulombe was strong in the eighth inning, getting credited with the hold.

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Baltimore Orioles: Grayson Rodriguez wins first game in the majors as Birds hold on

Grayson Rodriguez recorded his first major league win in the night cap of the Baltimore Orioles’ doubleheader in Detroit today. He only pitched five innings, but in those five innings he was very effective. He set the Birds up nicely for a win, and stayed around just long enough to get credited with it. Rodriguez’s line: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K.

The nine strikeouts really stands out in that stat line. Especially over just five innings. That’s a huge number of K’s, and it’s very meaningful when you have a starter who can mow hitters down like that from the beginning.

The Birds took an early 1-0 lead in the second inning on an RBI-single by Ryan McKenna. Later in the inning Joey Ortiz and Austin Hays would follow suit with RBI-singles of their own, giving the O’s a 3-0 lead. Ortiz would later score on a wild pitch, extending the lead to 4-0.

I’ve said this a couple of times already this year, and it’s part of a larger narrative that I’ve said for many years. You have to get guys on base. It’s common sense in this sport, but it seems that’s often forgotten in a sense. You just never know what can happen in a game. A wild pitch with nobody on base isn’t even recorded as a wild pitch. But a wild pitch with a guy on third base results in a run – without even putting the ball in play. And we saw it this evening.

Ryan McKenna would smack his first homer of the season in the sixth, this of the two-run variety. This gave the O’s a 6-0 lead. And they appeared to be cruising.

However Detroit made things interesting after Rodriguez was long gone. They got a run across in the last of the sixth when Jorge Mateo committed a fielding error. Again, the same thing applies; someone on base can at times score – on a fluke play. So defensively you want to limit base runners, because it helps limit runs scored against you.

However Detroit put more guys on base. And later in the inning Nevin’s three-run homer made things uncomfortable for the Orioles’ pen. But end of the day Feliz Bautista closed out the game and the bullpen held strong, driving the Birds to a 6-4 win.

The series concludes tomorrow at Comerica Park. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Spencer Turnbull. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles drop game one of twin bill

Dean Kremer didn’t have his best stuff this afternoon in the first game of a doubleheader for the Baltimore Orioles. And the fact is that you aren’t going to have your best stuff 100% of the time. The Birds of course were rained out last night in MoTown, prompting today’s twin bill. Kremer’s line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 6 K.

Detroit jumped on Kremer early and often. Baez’s RBI-single in the first inning gave them a 1-0 lead. Vierling would follow later in the inning with a two-RBI single. And Detroit held a 3-0 lead after one. And for the record, Vierling feasted ln Oriole pitching today, with four RBI.

The O’s attempted to get back in the game, however. James McCann’s solo home run in the second cut the lead to 3-1. But Greene’s RBI-single in the last of the second, and Vierling’s RBI-double in the third extended the lead to 5-1.

And go figure, we heard from Vierling again in the last of the seventh, when he extended the lead to 6-1 with an RBI-double. That was his fourth RBI of the day, as I said above. He entered the game with four RBI on the season.

But the Birds tried to rally again. Jorge Mateo’s three-run homer cut the lead to 6-4. And the Birds appeared poised to make a run. Because as we know, they’re comfortable playing from behind. But that doesn’t always work out. At least today it didn’t, as the Detroit bullpen kept them off the board for the rest of the game, and Short added a solo homer in the last of the eighth to seal it for Detroit.

It begins and ends with starting pitching. Kremer, along with other starters, has been very good. Today he had some struggles. And the fact is that you aren’t always going to be able to overcome those struggles. Next game might be different – that’s part of the beauty of baseball!

The series continues later today in the second game of the doubleheader at Comerica Park. Grayson Rodriguez gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Matthew Boyd. Game time is set for just after 5 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Joey Ortiz a big participant in debut

The Baltimore Orioles began their second series in the last three against Detroit last night with Kyle Gibson on the mound. This time in Detroit. Gibson struggled a bit in the first inning, but stabilized. His issue was a high pitch count, which shortened his outing. Gibson’s line: 4.1 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K.

Gibson loaded the bases in the last of the second, and Schoop grounded into a double-play, giving Detroit a 1-0 lead. But Gibson showed the grit of a veteran there, surrendering one run in a bases loaded nobody out situation. Hasse’s two-RBI single an inning later would extend Detroit’s lead to 3-0.

The O’s called up Joey Ortiz from Norfolk before the game, and he was in the lineup last night – making his major league debut and playing second base. And Ortiz seemed to immediately embrace the vibe that this team has, that which says they’re comfortable having to play the role of comeback kids. With two runners in scoring position in the fifth, Ortiz’s first major league hit came on a two-RBI single which cut the Detroit lead to 3-2.

But Detroit would extend their lead an inning later when Maton would walk with the bases loaded. But no worries – come the seventh, Ortiz came to bat again for the O’s. He would get the Orioles to within one again at 4-3 with a sac fly-RBI. That’s three RBI in his big league debut, and Ortiz joined Don Baylor in Orioles’ history as having done that. Select company for sure.

But the O’s were only beginning to fight. This was previously a listless game, but the O’s livened it up in the later innings. Cedric Mullins smacked an RBI-triple later in that seventh inning which tied the game up at four. Mullins would later cross the plate on Adley Rutschman’s sac fly-RBI, and suddenly the Birds led, 5-4.

But the big blow was yet to come. Anthony Santander would smack a two-run homer before the end of the seventh inning, and the Orioles cruised to a 7-4 victory. And let me tell you, baseball fans, it was a SHOT. From the moment he hit it, there was no doubt it was destined for the seats.

The Orioles are very comfortable playing from behind. Maybe almost too comfortable! But they’ve turned it into an art form, and they find ways to win. It’s early in the season. But these are good signs that bode well for the rest of the season.

The series continues this evening from Comerica Park. Grayson Rodriguez gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Eduardo Rodriguez. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Tyler Wells pitches the Birds to another series win

The Baltimore Orioles got a great outing from starter Tyler Wells this afternoon in the series finale against Boston at Camden Yards. You pitch well and you hit well, and odds are you’re going to win. Or you’ll win more than you lose at least. Wells’ line: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 7 K.

The O’s took the lead early, as Anthony Santander sent a sac fly-RBI to center. However Boston tied the score up shortly thereafter. In the top of the second Yoshida’s solo homer evened things out at 1-1.

Ramon Urias’ RBI-single in the last of the fourth out the Birds back in the lead. And they didn’t look back. In fact, Cedric Mullins drove in a third run as his infield grounder to led off the glove of the Boston second baseman. Luckily for Boston, it went straight into the shortstop’s glove – the shortstop, who was backing up the play. By the time he came set to throw, Mullins was safe at first base. And a third run had crossed the plate, giving the O’s a 3-1 lead.

And that illustrates part of what this Orioles team is about. Mullins is far from the fastest guy on the field. But he’s not slow either. He hustled to first base, and circumstances willed him to be safe, scoring a run. Those are intangibles in ballgames that add up. And they add up to wins.

The O’s would close out that fourth inning with Adley Rutschman’s sac fly-RBI. So the Birds put a three-run fourth on the board, which always helps the cause. Boston would get one back in the fifth on an RBI-single by Turner. However the O’s would put a run on the board in the sixth on a sac fly-RBI in the sixth, and an RBI-double by McKenna in the eighth.

Make no mistake, this 6-2 win is huge. It’s another series victory, and it’s a series victory over a division opponent. Just keep winning series’. That’s the name of the game in a 162-game season.

The O’s now head to Detroit for a four/game set. Kyle Gibson gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Joey Wentz. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles stage late comeback but fall short

The Baltimore Orioles got a rare “clunker” of a start this evening out of a starting pitcher. That being Kyle Bradish. Poor outings are going to happen here and there, especially in division games. The American League East is the best division in baseball (possibly in sports). Bradish’s line: 2.1 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 4 BB, 1 K.

Boston took a 1-0 lead on an RBI-single by Arroyo in the top of the second. By the time the inning ended, they led 3-0. Duran would later smack a grand slam in the third. And the Birds had spotted Boston a 7-0 lead.

The Orioles also lost Austin Hays in this game. He left the game with a bruised right hand. X-Rays were negative for a fracture. He’s listed as day-to-day – for now.

The O’s would get on the board in the last of the fifth on Jorge Mateo’s solo homer. Boston would tack on an additional run in the eighth, but the O’s would get it back in the ninth. Gunnar Henderson smacked a solo homer, to bring the Birds to within 8-2.

The Orioles ended up loading the bases after that home run, due in part to a Boston error. Cedric Mullins strode to the plate with the bags juiced, and snuck one over the scoreboard in right field, cutting the Boston lead to 8-6.

But the O’s couldn’t quite make it all the way back, and they fell by that 8-6 score. Even in snapping a seven-game losing streak, the O’s fought until the end. And that’s a great quality in a team.

Mike Bauman played a huge role in this game for the Orioles, keeping the game at 7-0 after coming in during the third inning. Bauman pitched 2.2 innings, giving up one hit. And again, that was key in saving more bullpen relievers.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Tyler Wells gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Tanner Houck, game time is set for just after 1 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Big wheels keep on turning

The Baltimore Orioles won their seventh straight game this evening, defeating Boston in the first of three at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer wasn’t dealing tonight as he was against Washington last week. But he pitched well enough, and stayed around long enough, to get the job done. Kremer’s line: 5.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

Kremer spotted Boston a four-run lead. They got a solo homer in the second from Casas, and an RBI-single from Verdugo in the third.after in that third inning Boston drew a two-run homer from Devers. And it appeared that the Orioles’ winning streak was in jeopardy.

But the Orioles immediately chipped away. Adam Frazier’s RBI-single in the last of the third cut the lead to 4-1. The last of the fourth saw the Orioles tie the game, however. And more importantly, it saw them not surrender the lead.

Ramon Urias’ RBI-double cut the lead to 4-2 in that same fourth inning. James McCann would add an RBI-single of his own, tying the game at four. One inning later, the O’s took the lead on an RBI-single by Austin Hays. And the Birds never looked back.

As I said, Kremer stuck around long enough to qualify for the win. But the Oriole bullpen shut things down at the end. The O’s again have now won seven straight. Don’t ever sleep on this team.

The series continues tomorrow at Camden Yards. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Corey Kluber. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: All’s well that ends well

Grayson Rodriguez got the start for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon in the series finale against Detroit. And while he only pitched five innings, he was masterful. Rodriguez’s line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 6 K.

The issue of course was that Detroit’s starter (former Oriole farm hand, Eduardo Rodriguez), was more masterful. The Birds didn’t get a runner on base until Ryan Mountcastle’s single in the last of the seventh. Needless to say, it wasn’t a day for hitters on either side.

Detroit got on the board first with a sac fly-RBI by Torkelson in the eighth. However Jorge Mateo got on base on the bottom of the inning, and Brandon Hyde sent Anthony Santander up as a pinch hitter. And Santander sent a grounder about a tightly past third base as one can…

…my assumption was that Mateo would reach third base and stop. Admittedly, I wouldn’t have sent him – despite his speed. I’m kind of a play-it-safe kind of guy. But the Orioles sent Mateo. And in a dramatic play at the plate, he was safe. And the fane was tied.

You have to give them credit for being willing to send him. And obviously it paid off. It’s also fair to say that in a game that close and one in which you had just avoided a perfect game, sometimes you have to pull out a few stops.

The game went to extra innings, and manager Brandon Hyde again rolled the dice. He intentionally loaded the bases, setting up a better matchup. And reliever Keegan Akin got out of the inning. Again, in a close game sometimes you have to pull out all the stops.

The Orioles moved ghost runner Adam Frazier over to third in the last of the tenth on a sac bunt. Detroit’s reliever Englert would later uncork a wild pitch, scoring Frazier from third. And the Birds walked off winners, 2-1. And swept the series against Detroit.

I wouldn’t have wasted an out moving the runner over. Sure it allows you more ways to score, such as a wild pitch. But if you focus on just getting a base hit, it’s beside the point. But ultimately the Orioles rolling the dice got the job done.

The O’s open a series against Boston tomorrow at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Chris Sale. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles win their fifth straight game

I’m not going to lie; I was surprised that the Baltimore Orioles started on time this evening. I thought that rain would have at least delayed Kyle Gibson taking the mound and pitching to Detroit. But it didn’t; the game started in time. Gibson’s line: 6.1 IP. 2 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 11 K

While Gibson became the first Oriole starter since last Sunday to surrender a run, the eleven strikeouts are incredibly impressive. That’s what happens when you successfully pitch for strikeouts. Gibson gave the O’s another superb outing from a starter.

And Oriole bats cooperated this evening also. Adley Rutschman’s run-scoring single in the last of the third put the O’s ahead, 1-0. Interesting thing about that is that the O’s held Detroit accountable in a sense. Gunnar Henderson was at first base, and he got to second on a balk. He later got to third on a wild pitch, and scored on the Rutschman single. You have to hold your opponents accountable for their mistakes. Today the Orioles did.

The O’s would load the bases later in that third inning, and Ramon Urias took care of that. His bases-clearing double opened the game wide open and gave the O’s a 4-0 lead. One inning later James McCann’s first Orioles’ home run extended it to 5-0.

McKinstry smacked a solo homer for Detroit in the top of the seventh. It was the first run surrendered by Oriole pitching since Sunday. But all that matters is the fact that they won. And with this win, their fifth in a row, they’ve also won another series.

The series with Detroit concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Grayson Rodriguez gets the start for the O’s, and in a twist of fate, he’ll be opposed by Detroit‘s Eduardo Rodriguez. Game time is set for 7 PM. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Hit-and-run and Adam Frazier saves the day

It’s hard to decide if Tyler Wells, Adam Frazier, Ryan Mountcastle, or Austin Hays played a bigger role for the Baltimore Orioles tonight. I’ll start with Wells, who pitched like a workhorse this evening against Detroit at Camden Yards. Wells’ line: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

Wells added his name to the list of Oriole starters who haven’t allowed a run in three games now and counting. That’s also three consecutive deep outings in games for Oriole starters. This past week the starting pitching, needless to say, has been crisp. As have Oriole relievers.

The issue of course is that the O’s were unable to score as well. Mind you, they won 1-0 in Washington on Tuesday, and then 4-0 on Wednesday. So runs haven’t exactly flowed freely of late. But the O’s have managed to get by, and tonight was no exception.

As Tyler Wells was getting handshakes in the dugout for a job well done, Austin Hays strode to the plate in the last of the seventh. And Hays smacked a ball into the Oriole bullpen for a solo homer, giving the O’s a 1-0 lead. And again, runs have come at a premium. Felix Bautista unfortunately allowed a base runner and a stolen base in the ninth, putting a runner in scoring position. And Baez’s RBI-single tied the game at one.

Bautista in fact did blow a rare save. However keep in mind that as big as he is, people will often try to steal in him. And the stolen bases played a huge role in the score being tied. Such is life.

With one out in the last of the ninth, Ryan Mountcastle singled to get on base. With Anthony Santander at the plate, Brandon Hyde called for a hit-and-run; which in a way was refreshing to see. And it was conducted in refectory fashion, with Mountcastle ending up at third on Santander’s base hit.

That brought Adam Frazier to the plate, who in essence ran into a swinging bunt. However the Orioles has the contact play on, and Mountcastle scampered home from third. He slid into home plate just before the tag, winning it in walkoff fashion for the Orioles, 2-1.

Things fell into place for the Birds in the end. Everything lined up perfectly between the hit-and-run, the swinging bunt, and Mountcastle’s hustle. You find ways to win games, especially against teams you should be beating. And the Orioles did that tonight.

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Kyle Gibson gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Joey Wentz. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Glad to be in D.C.

In my humble opinion, the Baltimore Orioles got the best start of Dean Kremer’s career out of him tonight at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. He was economical, and swift & sure. He came close to giving the O’s seven innings. But either way, he pitched the game of his life tonight. Kremer’s line: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K.

Ironically, there was a moment early on where the game could have gone the other way. Following a leadoff single in the last of the third, Gunnar Henderson committed a two-bag error, giving Washington two runners in scoring position with nobody out. Kremer sent the next two hitters down, 1-2-3.

It’s moments like those which register in ballgames. Things could have easily gotten away from the Orioles (and Kremer) in that moment. But he reigned himself back in, buckled down, and did what he had to do. Veteran-type look from Dean Kremer there.

And Kremer was rewarded for that show of leadership. Ryan Mountcastle led off the fourth with a single, and went to second following an Adam Frazier walk. Austin Hays’ RBI-single would score Mountcastle, giving the Birds a 1-0 lead.

In a sport that’s far too in love with the home run ball and high-scoring games, this one had to give the commissioner and the people on the league office heart burn. Because aside from that little blurb in the fourth inning, both sides’ pitching shut down the others’ bats. Washington had the tying run at second against Felix Hernandez in the last of the ninth, but he recorded the final out and sent the Orioles onto victory.

Good night in D.C. for the Birds. And as I said, that might have been the best start of Dean Kremer’s career. The Orioles certainly hope that trend continues.

The series concludes tomorrow night at Nationals Park. The O’s are yet to announce a starter, but the thought that Keegan Akin will be activated off the IL to make the start – whomever the starter is however, he’ll be opposed by Washington’s MacKenzie Gore. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Friendly neighborhood baseball game

The Baltimore Orioles head down I-95 this evening to open the Battle of the Beltways in Washington D.C. against the Washington Nationals. Well, maybe more like down the B/W Pkwy – but you get the idea. The O’s will be in D.C. tonight and tomorrow, and Washington makes a return visit to Camden Yards in September.

Perhaps more so in the stands than on the field, the line between home white and road gray can be a bit blurred in these games. You’ll hear Orioles fans cheering when the Birds score the next two games, many of them having traveled less distance to see their team at Nationals Park than they would at Camden Yards. But either way, it’s the best of the Mid-Atlantic Region on display for all of baseball to see the next two nights. That’s something that should register with pride for both fan bases.

Baltimore and Washington are two very different places, but with many similarities. Some fans on both sides hate the other. But many root for the other city (for the most part, that is). It’s just how things shake down.

And almost everyone in this region has ties in the other city. My grandfather, Dr. Anthony Launi, was a semi-pro catcher in the Washington Senators’ farm system. (In those days semi-pro was akin to today’s minor leagues.) He had a tryout with the big league club, but didn’t make it. So he remained a Washington DC area dentist for years. He certainly did okay for himself, rearing seven kids into adulthood, including my mother! But again, it’s that sort of story which typifies the idea of a “friendly neighborhood baseball game.” For the record, I have one of of my grandfather’s bats at my parents’ house somewhere. I should dig it out sometime soon.

I think it’s a “rivalry” unlike any other in baseball. The Subway Series makes people very bitter – NY fans, that is. Chicago’s games between the Cubs and Sox are similar. But again, those are the same city. Baltimore and Washington are different, yet the same. They don’t intersect but for two series’ a year. However when they do, it’s fun for the fans.

The O’s head to Nationals Park this evening for the series in Washington. Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Washington’s Josiah Gray. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: A rain delay, a comeback, and a win in ChiTown

The Baltimore Orioles and starter Grayson Rodriguez had to wait two plus additional hours to get today’s series finale started on the south side of Chicago. And once the game did start following that lengthy rain delay, Orioles fans wished it had been rained out – at first. Rodriguez struggled…but quickly stabilized. Rodriguez’s line: 5.0 IL, 6 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 8 K.

Rodriguez seemed like he wanted to stay in the clubhouse at first. He put two runners on and then gave up a three-run homer to Sheets (a Maryland native) – this before recording an out. He then surrendered a solo homer to Burger, and the O’s trailed, 4-0.

However to his credit, Rodriguez stabilized. That’s also to the credit of Brandon Hyde, who allowed the rookie to stay in the ballgame. The weather was raw, Rodriguez had looked shaky, and he was a rookie. Nobody would have blamed Brandon Hyde for pulling him.

But he stuck with Rodriguez, who slowly transformed before our eyes. He went from a pitcher on the ropes to mowing Chicago hitters down. Again, this in less-than-favorable conditions. Rodriguez ended up being non-decisions on the afternoon, because Oriole bats also seemed to get untracked as we went along.

The Orioles started their rally from behind with a simple sac fly-RBI in the fourth inning by Jorge Mateo. With two on, Cedric Mullins smacked a triple later in the inning, and suddenly we had a game. And the O’s were down one, 4-3.

The O’s would tie the game at four in the sixth when Gunnar Henderson scored on a wild pitch by Chicago’s starter, Cease. And on that note, it was interesting that Cease was still in the game. Chicago’s bullpen was taxed, but personally I felt that they left Cease in the game longer than they should have.

The Birds officially took over the game in the eighth inning. Cedric Mullins’ RBI-single have them a 5-4 lead. Ryan Mountcastle would line into a force out, which scored an additional run. And Anthony Santander closed out the inning with an RBI-single, giving the Orioles a 7-4 lead.

Mullins would tack on an RBI-single in the ninth for good measure, and the O’s took the game, 8-4. And they took two-of -three from Chicago.

It was about as unlikely a win as you’re going to see. After that first inning things looked pretty bleak. But end of the day, it was the Orioles going through the hand shake line in celebration. The road trip in theory continues after an off day tomorrow, as the O’s head to Washington on Tuesday night.

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Baltimore Orioles fall in back-and-forth game

The Baltimore Orioles dropped a wild game this afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Park in Chicago. Kyle Gibson got the start, and while he didn’t pitch to a quality start, he did put the O’s in a spot to win the ballgame. Gibson’s line: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 1 K.

The Birds took an early 1-0 lead on a solo homer in the second inning by Jorge Mateo. However Burger’s sac fly-RBI tied the game in the last of the fourth. And that set the tone for the rest of the game.

One inning later in the fifth Chicago took the lead at 2-1 with Benintendi’s RBI-double. However the Orioles tied it up and then took the lead in the sixth. Anthony Santander smacked a solo homer to tie the game, and Jorge Mateo’s RBI-single gave them a 3-2 lead. Cedric Mullins would later walk with the bases loaded, giving the Birds a 4-2 lead.

But Chicago came back – again. And not for the last time. Burger smacked a two-run homer in the sixth to tie it at four. One inning later however, Ramon Urias was hit in the head with two runners on – loading the bases. Urias would leave the game and later enter concussion protocol. His status going forward is unclear. However that brought Ryan O’Hearn to the plate, who drew a walk. Giving the Orioles the lead back at 5-4.

But Vaughn’s RBI-double in the last of the seventh tied the game back up at five. And tied it remained, and we went to extra innings for the first time in 2023. Remember, the rules now dictate that teams begin every inning after nine with a runner on second. The Birds immediately moved that runner to third, and Adley Rutschman later proceeded to ground into what could have been a double-play. But he hustled down the line, and beat the throw to first base, scoring a run. However a run/m-scoring double and an RBI-single won it for Chicago in the bottom of the inning.

Tough loss for the O’s. However Adley Rutschman’s worth mentioning once again. Understand folks, he’s a CATCHER. That inherently means he runs like the Queen Mary. He hustled down that line in the tenth inning and basically willed that run home. It shows his character, as well as his will to win. That’s the guy that you want on your team.

The series concludes tomorrow at Guaranteed Rate Field. Grayson Rodriguez gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Dylan Cease. Game time is set for just after 2 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Adley Rutschman feeling a trend

The Baltimore Orioles sent Tyler Wells to the mound last night on the south side of Chicago. He put the Birds in a spot to win the game, although he got next-to-no run support. In truth, he was two outs away from a quality start. Wells’ line: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 3 K.

Wells gave up a solo homer to Burger in the second inning. He then proceeded to shut Chicago down until the last of the sixth, where he gave up two RBI-singles. The Orioles trailed 3-0 when he left the game.

However remember last year when the Birds were so good in the later innings? That repeated itself last night. The Orioles loaded the bases in the seventh, and Cedric Mullins drew a walk. That got the O’s on the board, cutting the Chicago lead to 3-1. However later in the inning the game got flipped squarely on it’s side.

When the O’s drafted Adley Rutschman they knew he was special. He was obviously the first overall pick – the second in franchise history. And since he’s come to the majors he hasn’t disappointed. That’s never been more evident than in the last two games.

Remember, Adley Rutschman sent the Orioles onto this road trip with a walk off homer to win the final game of the previous home stand – against Oakland. And he came in similarly clutch last night. With Mullins having walked in a run and the bases still loaded in the top of the seventh, the Orioles trailed 3-1…

…and Rutschman proved once again that he has that clutch gene. He nailed a bases-clearing double to left center, giving the Birds a 4-3 lead. Just another day at the office, right?!

Jorge Mateo and Ryan O’Hearn would add two-RBI doubles in the eighth to close out the scoring. And the Orioles went home (or back to the team hotel at least) with a 6-3 victory in the first of three in Chicago. But what Rutschman means to this franchise can’t be downplayed. He’s a franchise player, and one who has the capability to strike fear into the hearts of opponents for years. And he’s proved it over the past two games.

The series continues this afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field. Kyle Gibson gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Michael Kopech. Game time is set for just after 2 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Adley Rutschman launches the Birds back in the win column

The Baltimore Orioles played a wild one this afternoon, this in the series finale with Oakland. And the home stand finale. Cole Irvin, the former Oakland A, found out early that today wasn’t going to be a day for pitchers. Irvin’s line: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 4 K.

Irvin gave up an early run on a sac fly-RBI by Rooker – who had a great series for Oakland. However the Orioles came right back, Ryan O’Hearn, who was called up just prior to the game, smacked a two-RBI single in the last of the first. Jorge Mateo added on a sac fly-RBI, and the O’s appeared to be in business with a 3-1 lead.

But that was short-lived. Rooker came up again in the second and answered with a three-run homer. And back-and-forth we went from there. Ryan Mountcastle’s solo shot tied the game at four in the third. The Birds then took the lead back on Adam Frazier’s RBI-single, and O’Hearn and Mateo’s sac fly-RBI. After three, the Orioles led 7-4.

As I said, it wasn’t a day for pitchers. Unfortunately for the Orioles, Ruiz’s two-RBI single in the fourth and Rooker’s solo homer in the fifth tied the game back up at seven. As I said, Rooker had a dynamite series for Oakland. Needless to say, he was much of their offense today alone.

The two bullpens held through much of the rest of the game. Neither side could put anything across. Notice I said “much” of the rest of the game. Not the entirety of the rest of the game.

We went to the last of the ninth with the game tied at seven. Adley Rutschman led off the inning, and sent a high fly ball deep to center on the second pitch he saw. This was a no-doubter, folks – it wound up towards the upper rows of the grandstand. It was a walk off home run, the first not only of his professional career, but of his life.

The O’s took three-of-four from Oakland, which is about what one would have expected. Obviously you’d love to have swept the series. But you have to be okay with just winning the series. And the Orioles did just that.

The Birds now head to the south side of Chicago, the meanest part of town…to open up a series against the ChiSox at Guaranteed Rate Field. Type Wells gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Mike Clevinger. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Ryan Mountcastle leads the way with nine RBI

Any other member of the Baltimore Orioles was going to have to try really hard to eclipse Grayson Rodriguez tonight. He made his first ever start at Camden Yards on the same night the Orioles gave away his t-shirt. Rodriguez however may have been the reason the fans showed up, but he won’t be the reason they remember this game. Rodriguez’s line: 4.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 BB, 6 K.

I would say that Rodriguez was right about where you would expect a guy to be making his second career start in the big leagues. He gave up an RBI-single in the first to Rooker to give Oakland a 1-0 lead. However the good news for Rodriguez there was that he limited the damage and got out of the inning.

However the Orioles didn’t trail for long. Ryan Mountcastle started what became a trend for this game, sending a solo homer over the fence in the last of the first. After Oakland took the lead back in the second, we next heard from Mountcastle in the third. He sent an RBI-single into centerfield, tying the game again – this time at two.

James McCann would give the Birds the lead in the fourth with an RBI-double, however Oakland would equal that in the fifth with Smith’s RBI-single. They would proceed to take the lead on an RBI-groundout. However later in the inning Langeliers would smack a three-run homer, giving Oakland a 7-3 lead.

That almost felt like a death blow. Needless to say, Oakland had broken the game wide open. Then the last of the fifth rolled around. Ryan z Mountcastle had already had a great game, with two RBI to that point (one on a solo shot). However he came up in the last of the fifth with two runners on, and launched a deep shot into the Baltimore night. That cut the Oakland lead to 7-6, and breathed new life back into the Birds’ sails.

One inning later the game was tied. This off a solo homer by Austin Hays, who had a great game in his own right – 4-for-4 with two RBI. Hays would also smack an RBI-single an inning later in the seventh to give the O’s the lead at 8-7. But they weren’t done.

Hays would still need to touch home plate. And he did later in that seventh inning, when Ryan Mountcastle came up again, Mountcastle came up with the bases loaded – because Oakland didn’t want to pitch to Adley Rutschman with first base open. So they walked him to get to Mountcastle…

…and history will show that was a mistake. Mountcastle sent a high fly ball deep into the left field grandstand, giving the Birds a 12-7 lead. Oakland would shove one across in the ninth, however the Orioles won their second consecutive game over Oakland, this one 13-8.

Ryan Mountcastle had one of the more historic night’s in franchise history. Nevermind that he hit in the clutch about as well as one could when his team needed him tonight, but he joined Jim Gentile and Eddie Murray as the only players in franchise history to have nine RBI in a game. Ironically, all three guys to do that were first basemen.

Keep in mind, Mountcastle broke Cal Ripken Jr’s mark for the most HR’s in franchise history for a rookie, this in 2021. Now he’s equaled a mark shared by Eddie Murray. His name is up there with two hall of famer’s. That’s about as select of company as you’re going to find.

The series continues tomorrow evening from Camden Yards. Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Oakland’s Ken Waldichuck. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles win, but left wondering about robot ump’s

Kyle Gibson had a rough first inning this evening for the Baltimore Orioles. He threw in excess of 30 pitches, and seemed to suffer from control issues. However Gibson got things together quickly, pitching the Birds to a solid victory. Gibson’s line: 6.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 4 K.

Gibson surrendered his lone run on an RBI-triple by Laureano in the first inning. A triple that was aided by Ryan McKenna bobbling the ball in right field. But a triple none the less. The good news is that the O’s didn’t trail for long. Ryan Mountcastle’s two-run homer in the last of the first gave the Birds the lead at 2-1.

Austin Hays had an outstanding game. He scalded several balls in his at-bats, making great contact. He sent a solo homer into the stands on the sixth, giving the Birds a 4-1 lead. Ramon Urias would get Hays home after a double in the eighth with an RBI-single. This closed out a 5-1 Orioles’ victory.

However, a pall hung over the end of the game. Cedric Mullins was rung up on a pitch that appeared to be outside in the seventh inning. (A strike three that ended the inning.) He voice what appeared to be some very mild displeasure. As he walked back to the dugout, he was ejected by home plate umpire Malachi Moore.

Manager Brandon Hyde immediately came out to defend his center fielder, and after a heated argument HE was ejected. Also by Moore.

To be clear, Cedric Mullins never says anything to umpires. And while he was obviously displeased with the call, he didn’t appear to say much this time around also. If you haven’t seen the replay, quite frankly it’s UGLY. Mullins said nothing. And he was tossed. As was Hyde for protecting his player.

This sort of thing is the poster child for robot umpires. Moore’s strike zone was atrocious the entire game. That doesn’t mean it was bad. But instead it was more “inconsistent” than anything else. And that’s what ticks players off; when you called said pitch a strike last inning but you call it a ball now. You have to be uniform, and Moore was far from it tonight.

Robotic umpires would fox that issue. But at what cost? The human element – that’s the “cost.” I’m of the mindset that it’s not worth losing that in games. This doesn’t mean that umpires don’t need to work on their consistency. Because they do. But I wouldn’t want to get further and further away from the human element.

Here’s the other thing; you still would need a home plate ump. Someone would have to operate the machine. Furthermore, you’d still need an umpire to call out and safe at home plate. So you may as well have the guy calling balls and strikes. However antics like what Moore pulled tonight don’t make it easy to push to keep umpires calling balls and strikes.

The series continues tonight at Camden Yards. Grayson Rodriguez gets the start for the O’s (his first at home), and he’ll be opposed by Oakland’s Kyle Muller. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Birds can’t get over the hump

Tyler Wells made his first start of the season for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon in the series finale against New York. This of course after pitching five innings in spot relief this past week in Texas. However the Orioles couldn’t get the same results out of Wells today, although he didn’t look awful. Wells’ line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 6 K.

And here’s the thing; keep in mind that last week in Texas, Wells came into the game in the second inning due to an injury to Kyle Bradish. And he kept Texas off-kilter for his entire outing. Texas prepared for Bradish that day, and it was an abrupt surprise that the Birds needed someone in as extended relief as they used Wells that night.

In this case, Wells was always the listed starter leading up to this game. So his presence was no surprise to New York. We see this in the NFL a lot also. If the starting quarterback gets injured, the backup comes in and wins the game – leaving people flabbergasted. But that can throw off the gameplan of the opponent in the short term as well.

Stanton got New York on the board early with an RBI-single in the first inning. New York continued to threaten, however Wells induced a ground ball double-play to end the inning. He limited the damage, which was good to see.

However New York kept the pressure on. Judge’s solo homer in the third extended the lead. Two innings later Cordero smacked a two-run homer to right, digging the O’s in a 4-0 hole. But the Orioles tried to chip away also. Anthony Santander’s two-RBI double in the last of the sixth got them on the board and cut the lead in half at 4-2.

However New York also added an insurance run in the eighth, by way of Judge again. His solo home run upped New York’s lead to 5-2. And that was a big moment, because Adley Rutschman’s solo shot in the last of the eighth cut it to 5-3. However the New York bullpen closed things out, and the Birds fell on this Easter Sunday, 5-3.

It’s easy to look at Tyler Wells and others and mention that Oriole pitchers surrendered five runs today. However New York’s starter Nestor Cortes shut Oriole bats down for the most part. Cortes of course is a former Oriole who was acquired in the Rule 5 draft, however had to be returned to New York. And he’s made the most of his opportunity. The New York lineup also featured Franchy Cordero, who made an impact on the Birds all weekend. Cordero of course had a great spring – with the O’s. He was cut after camp, and caught on in pinstripes.

The Oakland A’s come into Oriole Park at Camden Yards tomorrow evening for the first of a four-game set. Kyle Gibson gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Oakland’s JP Sears. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles juice up Charm City in home opener

It wasn’t the true Opening Day, but it was Opening Day Camden Yards for the Baltimore Orioles. It’s always an electrifying moment when the Birds take the field at home for the first time. And with Dean Kremer on the mound this afternoon against New York, today was no exception. Kremer’s line: 5 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 4 K.

There was a lot of angles on today. First off, the likes of Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson ran down the orange carpet for the first time. Hopefully the first of many times. New Maryland Governor Wes Moore and his kids threw out the first pitch this afternoon. And the hated New York Yankees were in town hoping to spoil the party. Luckily for the home standing Orioles, that’s not exactly the way things went.

Adam Frazier’s RBI-single gave the Orioles a 1-0 lead in the last of the second. Austin Hays would push one across on a Fielder’s Choice, and Ryan Mountcastle would follow suit an inning later with a sac fly-RBI. Also in the third, Gunnar Henderson would smack an RBI-double, and the O’s appeared to be off to the races.

However New York made a game of it. Cordero would smack a three-run homer in the fourth. The killer is that it came with two outs, which is something that’s plagued the O’s for years. Situations with two outs and two strikes have been the ones that have hurt them in games. And we saw it again today.

Cabrera’s two-RBI double in the sixth would put New York in the lead. But today was the Orioles’ day. “Root, root, root for the home team,” right?! And it was Rutschman who got things going again from a scoring standpoint. His RBI-single in the last of the sixth would tie the game back up at five.

Ramon Urias also figured big into things. His RBI-double in the seventh would give the Birds the lead back. Urias would later score, giving the Orioles an insurance run. And it’s a good thing he did, because New York would score once more in the eighth. But the O’s would close things out in the ninth, and went home with a 7-6 win on Opening Day at Camden Yards.

Everyone went home happy. That’s the goal for every home game. But especially the home opener. The crowd was in it from the beginning, and the O’s happily obliged. Whatever happens for the rest of the season remains to be seen. But today was a good day.

The series continues tomorrow at Camden Yards. Cole Irvin gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Jhony Brito. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

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Baltimore Orioles: Back home

The Baltimore Orioles open their home slate of games this afternoon against New York at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. What, did you think they were playing 162 games wearing road grey?! It’s always a little awkward when they open on the road. Because now you have the pomp and circumstance of “Opening Day,” but the season’s already started.

Of course, the game was supposed to be yesterday. And it could have been. But I digress. Ultimately, the game’s today.

But the home opener is still a huge deal. This team is so entrenched in the Baltimore area, and it means a lot to a lot of people. After a full slate of spring games, and six games on the road, the Orioles are finally where they belong. That being Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

Governor Wes Moore and his kids will throw out the first pitch this afternoon. And then it’ll be game on. Today’s the first of 81 scheduled home games. Mind you, there are also 75 road games to go as well! But needless to say, today means something.

The series starts this afternoon at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and New York is yet to announce a starter. Game time is set for just after 3 PM.