Monthly Archives: March 2021

Baltimore Orioles: Camp breaks and north we go

With an 8-3 loss to Tampa this afternoon in Sarasota, the Baltimore Orioles break camp with a record of 10-17. That translates as a .377 win percentage, which translates to between 59-60 wins over 162 games played. That might be where the Orioles end up, and it might not be. Keep in mind that often these spring games are controlled scrimmages, and nothing more. But nevertheless, the Birds closed Grapefruit League play with a 10-17 record.

The Orioles’ starting rotation will be as follows (some of these names we already knew): John Means, Matt Harvey, Bruce Zimmerman, Jorge Lopez, and Dean Kremer. It’s also worth mentioning that we don’t know how the rotation will be used. In the past, Hyde’s shown a willingness to use starters as “openers,” or to pull them quickly if the situation warrants it. So whether or not all of these guys are going to be looking to go seven or eight innings in games is another story.

The Orioles will have an off day tomorrow, and a team workout on Wednesday, after which they’ll fly to Boston for Thursday’s Opening Day game at Fenway Park. That rotation will be tested early with three games at Fenway, and then three in New York against one of the best lineups in baseball. I suspect if they can head for home next week for the home opener with a .500 record, they’ll be satisfied.

Once the final roster is set, stay tuned for my 2021 season preview. depending on the timing it may well be on Thursday. Who knows – time will tell. But one way or the other, the regular season starts Thursday!

Baltimore Orioles fall in penultimate spring game

The Baltimore Orioles played the Pittsburgh Pirates this afternoon in Sarasota for the eighth and final time this spring. With MLB going to “pod scheduling” in the Grapefruit League to cut down on travel, these two got together a lot due to their proximity. You have to play someone. They sent Matt Harvey out for the final time in the spring, and with semi-decent results. Harvey’s line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K.

Harvey of course is going to be the Birds’ number two starter, and will get the nod Saturday afternoon at Fenway Park. Baltimore-native Bruce Zimmerman will start game three, Manager Brandon Hyde announced before the game (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

He’s pitched outstanding in camp. Really feel like he’s had a really good spring training. He’s had some good starts here, he’s pitched outstanding on the back field that you guys haven’t seen, in a B game and some other things that he’s done.

I really like his stuff. I think this guy’s a four-pitch guy, he’s pounded the strike zone all spring, his velocity’s ticked up, his breaking balls have been sharper, and he’s healthy and ready to go. So he’s earned it with how he’s pitched this spring and looking forward to watching him pitch.

As for today’s game, maybe it’s not shocking that two teams who have seen one another seven other times this spring would play a ho-hum type of game today. They’ve certainly gotten to know one another’s rosters, almost to the point of having a joint camp. Every time you turned around the O’s were either going to Bradenton, or Pittsburgh was coming to Sarasota.

Stokes’ RBI-single in the first and Frazier’s in the second gave Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead. The Birds would notch a run in the last of the fourth on a sac fly by Austin Wynns. And that’s IT. The O’s fell to Pittsburgh 2-1. If you’re looking for a stat, the O’s went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position. But does it really matter?! Some games are like that! This one was, and to be honest it was probably the most baldly vanilla game of the spring.

The Orioles will close Grapefruit League play tomorrow at Ed Smith Stadium against Tampa (in a game which won’t be covered by local media). Bruce Zimmerman gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Rich Hill. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: John Means smacked around in final spring outing

The Baltimore Orioles sent John Means to the mound for his final start of the spring in North Port, FL against Atlanta this evening. Means wasn’t as sharp as he would have liked. Now where close. Means’ line: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 3 K.

However we found out something interesting after Means left the game. He mentioned that he and a few other Orioles received the COVID vaccine earlier today. And as a result he started feeling tired during his outing.

A lot of people will question this and wonder why an athlete would get the COVID vaccine this close to the season. First and foremost, it goes without saying that if you want the shot, you should get it whenever it’s made available to you. But…would you rather he had gotten it Thursday morning before his Opening Day start? So I think the timing is fine. And it won’t shock me when this is only the first time we hear about a player not being 100% due to getting the vaccine shot.

Means surrendered a solo homer to Acuna in the first inning. Three innings later Riley’s bases-clearing double extended the lead to 4-1. Jackson’s RBI-double later in the inning chased Means, and have Atlanta a 5-1 lead.

Ramon Urias‘ RBI-single in the fifth accounted for the Birds’ first run on the night. Adley Rutschman‘s RBI-double in the eighth accounted for their second. And Atlanta would plate three more runs in the last of the fifth and in the seventh. And those additional runs were of the insurance type, as Tyler Nevin‘s thre-run homer in the eighth for the O’s closer. But still no cigar, as the O’s dropped this one 8-5.

The bit about Means getting the COVID vaccine sounds like an excuse. Maybe it is. However as I said that’s something Orioles’ fans should be thankful that he and his teammates did during spring training. And it won’t be the last time we see a player having this issue.

The Orioles made a trade before tonight’s game. The sent cash considerations to Cleveland for RHP Adam Plutko. Over four years in Cleveland he has a .520 win percentage, and a 5.05 ERA. As a corresponding move they designated Yolmer Sanchez for assignment.

No indication what this means for the pitching staff or the infield. It’s an interesting time to make a trade, but it’s not surprising to see them picking up additional pitching. Either way, Plutko’s coming.

The Orioles will return to Ed Smith Stadium tomorrow afternoon to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates. Matt Harvey gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Mitch Keller. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Intangibles and situational baseball win games

The Baltimore Orioles sent Jorge Lopez to the mound in Tampa tonight against their AL East rival New York Yankees. Odds are if he wasn’t already on the final roster, Lopez pitched his way onto it. Whether it’s as a starter or reliever remains to be seen. But Lopez had a solid outing against one of the American League’s most potent lineups. Lopez’s line: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K.

In terms of winning or losing the game (which is meaningless), the issue was that New York pitching was just as good. For quite awhile we appeared headed for a tie. Then the seventh inning happened…

…the top of the seventh, that is. Ramon Urias came in as a pinch runner following a base hit. Urias would steal second, which was huge in the grand scheme of things. In a tie or a close game anytime someone can swipe a base late like that, it can often be the difference between winning and losing.

Urias’ stolen base meant Austin Hays was hitting with a runner in scoring position. And he picked up where he left off last night, smacking an RBI-single and giving the O’s a 1-0 lead. Again, that stolen base set up the base hit. And those are intangibles in games that are valuable.

The O’s would also nab two additional runs on wild pitches during the seventh inning, and they kept NY off the board the rest of the way. Chris Shaw would add an insurance run with an RBI-single in the ninth. New York would also get on the board in the nineth, but the O’s closed out a 4-1 victory. However Austin Hays has shown some excellent understanding of the little things that can win games in the last 24 hours. If this continues into the regular season, teams are going to have a big problem on their hands.

Before the game the Birds made a signing and a roster move. They signed P Wade LeBlanc to a major league contract for 2021 (after previously releasing him. To make room for LeBlanc, they transferred Chris Davis to the 60-day DL. So that solves the Davis problem – for now.

The Orioles will head to CoolToday Park in North Port, FL tomorrow night to take on the Atlanta Braves. John Means gets the start for the Birds (his final tune up before Opening Day at Fenway Park), and he’ll be opposed by Atlanta’s Max Fried. Game time is set for just after 6 PM.

Baltimore Orioles win a donnybrook behind Austin Hays’ heroics

Keegan Akin struggled a bit for the Baltimore Orioles tonight against Pittsburgh in Sarasota. But it was far from a pitcher’s type of game to begin with. Just about every pitcher on both sides saw struggles in this game. Akin’s line: 2.1 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 3 K.

Pittsburgh put two runs on the board in the first with an RBI-single and an RBI-double. But let’s go back to that RBI-single for a moment; Pittsburgh had two runners in scoring position. So that should have scored two runs…

…however the single went to right field. And Austin Hays came up throwing, nailing the trail runner at home plate. That’s the sort of thing that doesn’t stand out in a box score, but can be the difference between winning and losing. Hays would also pull a similar stunt to end the third inning, on what should have been a sac fly. Instead, Hays nailed the runner at the plate, ending the inning.

Pittsburgh would get a third run on an RBI-double in the second. But then the O’s started the comeback. Pedro Severino‘s RBI-single in the last of the second cut the lead to 3-1. Trey Mancini would tie the game at three with a two-RBI double.

But the O’s weren’t done yet in the second inning. Ryan Mountcastle strode to the plate with two on, and promptly sent a three-run homer over the center field fence. That have the Birds a short-lived lead, as Pittsburgh would tie it up again in the third. And that brings me back to Hays ending the third with a double-play once again. That rightfully should have given Pittsburgh the lead. However it kept the game tied at six. In a regular season game, that’s a massive moment, which again doesn’t show up on the line score.

And Hays still wasn’t done. In the last of the fourth his three-run homer out the O’s back in the lead at 9-6. While Pittsburgh would get a run back in the seventh, Pedro Severino would add an insurance run in the seventh with an RBI-double, and Pittsburgh would put two across in the eighth. This, and of course Hays’ heroics, closed out a 10-9 win for the Birds.

This might have been the best individual game performance of the spring for the Orioles. Maybe even in the entire Grapefruit League this year. As I said above, these are key factors in games that can often make a difference between a win and a loss. If Hays goes on to dazzle in this manner this season, remember this game in the spring.

Earlier this morning the Orioles selected P Matt Harvey‘s contract and put him on the 40-man roster. Harvey of course signed a minor league contract with the team, and is now assured of going north once camp breaks. So he’ll be on the roster on April 1st in Boston.

The O’s will head to Tampa tomorrow night to take on the New York Yankees at George Steinbrenner Field. Jorge Lopez gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Gerrit Cole. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Zac Lowther makes an impact in loss

The Baltimore Orioles sent Dean Kremer to the mound this evening against Boston at JetBlue Park. Due to an elongated at-bat, he had a slightly laborious first inning. Other than that and a two-run homer, he was fairly solid. Kremer’s line: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

Kremer pitched out of a runners-at-the-corners situation in the first inning. And after coming out of the game he indicated that he appreciated that opportunity AP as to show he could compete (quote courtesy of Steve Melewski, MASNsports):

If you’re a guy that is cruising through spring training with no real challenge, then when you do get that challenge during the season, it can be a step backwards for you. I’m glad I’m competing and trying to run through it.
It’s a very valid point in a sense. You always want to be somewhat wary of guys who have everything fall right into place on the shiny tops of their heads. They aren’t battle tested. And when something happens when it really counts, it could be a problem.

Kremer gave up a two-run homer to Renfroe in the last of the third. And that was in essence the game. Boston shut down Oriole bats, and the Orioles shut down Boston’s offense for the remainder of the night.

However it was almost worse than 2-0. Boston loaded the bases in the top of the seventh with nobody out. Obviously in a real game at that point (seventh inning), the situation may well call for a new pitcher. So it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the O’s find themselves in this scenario down the road once the regular season starts. And they tabbed prospect Zac Lowther to pitch them out of it.

Lowther immediately induced a line drive out to second base for the first out. He then induced a ground ball double-play (5-4-3) to end the inning. That was the highlight of the game for the Orioles. Bringing a reliever into that situation and having him hold things right where they were. Lowther also finished out the game.

The Orioles return home to Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota tomorrow night to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates. Keegan Akin gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Sean Poppen. Game time is set for just after 6 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Trey Mancini homers in Birds’ win over Tampa

The Baltimore Orioles entered today’s game against Tampa at Ed Smith Stadium looking what’s called a bullpen game (during the regular season) square in the face. Cesar Valdez got the start, although I wouldn’t expect him to be in contention for a rotation spot come the regular season. However that aside, he pitched a decent outing. Valdez’s line: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K.

Tampa got on the board first on an RBI-single by Weddle in the first inning. And as is indicated by the above stat line, that was the only run Valdez surrendered. For his money, Valdez just wants to be on the roster, and is willing to be in whatever role the team needs (quote courtesy of Steve Melewski, MASNsports, by way of team translator):

If they come to me and specify a role for me, that would be great. I’ll be happy and I’ll roll with it and try to do my job the best I can. All I need is the opportunity to pitch.

However with a runner on in the last of the third, Trey Mancini came to bat. Mancini of course is still in his return to glory mode so to speak, following his cancer last year. And he put the O’s in the lead with a two-run homer. Mancini continues his excellent spring, where he’s hitting .342.

But the O’s weren’t done yet in the third. Following a base hit, Maikel Franco came to bat. He also followed with a two-run homer, putting the Orioles on top. 4-1. Tampa would net runs in the fourth on an RBI-double and a fielder’s choice, however Oriole pitching held strong the rest of the afternoon, leading to a 4-3 win.

Before the game the Orioles announced plans to build a 22.5-acre facility in the Dominican Republic – Guerra, D.R. This should help the Orioles in Latin America in terms of finding and signing players, and construction should begin in the coming months. The facility should be completed within 12-16 months.

Tomorrow evening the O’s head to Fort Myers to take on the Boston Red Sox at Jet Blue Park (Fenway South). Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Nathan Eovaldi. Game time is set for just after 6 PM.

Baltimore Orioles lacking in fundamentals in loss

The Baltimore Orioles sent John Means to the mound this afternoon in Bradenton against Pittsburgh. Means produced mixed results; while he walked the leadoff hitter in each inning. He also struck out the final two batters he faced. Means’ line: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 3 K.

I’ve said before that often times pitchers go into spring outings looking to work on specific pitches. For Means, today that appeared to be breaking pitches. He threw a heavy amount of them (curves and sliders), causing him to get into some deep counts (quote courtesy of Steve Melewski, MASNsports:

Yeah, I liked my curveball. I like the break. I thought I was stealing some strikes with it. Threw some better two-strike ones. Break is there, it’s just execution right now. But I feel pretty positive with it.

Pittsburgh jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on a sac fly-RBI by Evans. But the Birds came right back and tied it at one on an RBI-single by Freddy Galvis in the second inning. This only to have Evans seize the lead back for Pittsburgh again an inning later with an RBI-single. A bloop RBI-single.

For awhile there (in terms of scoring) it was the Evans and Galvis show. Because Freddy Galvis’ fourth inning RBI-double tied the score at four. The O’s also got RBI-doubles in the fourth from Pedro Severino, and Cedric Mullins, to take a 4-3 lead.

However fundamentals in baseball played a huge role in the final score of the game. Pitcher Jay Flaa walked a batter in the last of the fifth. The runner would advance on an error, and then score on a passed ball, tying the game at four. Those are the sorts of things you have to keep tabs on. Teams get fat and happy on your mistakes.

Gonzalez’s two-RBI double in the sixth would give Pittsburgh a 6-4 lead. The teams agreed before the game to end it after the eighth inning, so the eighth was going to be the final inning one way or the other. And the Birds were able to get to within one in that eighth inning, on Rio Ruiz‘s RBI-double with nobody down.

That should have put the Birds in good shape. The tying run should have been at second base with nobody out. However Ruiz tried to extend it into a triple, and was thrown out at third base. That of course breaks a cardinal rule in that you aren’t supposed to make the first or last out of the inning at third.

That’s a fundamental error on Ruiz’s part as well. Granted you want to be aggressive, and granted if you’re going to make that mistake you’d like it to be in a spring training game. However very soon the games are going to count. And that’s going to be a huge lapse in judgement if it occurs in a regular season game. Fundamentals can win or lose games.

The O’s return home to Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota tomorrow to take on the Tampa Rays. Cesar Valdez gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Trevor Richards. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Ryan Mountcastle impressive in loss

The Baltimore Orioles sent Jorge Lopez to the hill at Ed Smith Stadium this afternoon against Minnesota, and if numbers mean anything he left a lot to be desired. Granted this was a game that was a bit wayward in terms of runs and how they were scored, and only three of those seven runs were earned. Lopez’s line: 3.2 IP, 7 H, 7 R (3 earned), 2 BB, 3 K.

After his outing Lopez said that he left pitches up in the third inning, which is part of what caused him issues (quote courtesy of Steve Melewski, MASNSports)

I felt everything was working really good. Sinker, four-seam, but just a little bit up in the third. I left everything up. Fastball away, it should be little more up to a lefty, but with a righty, should be down and away and it was more middle up. That’s when I get hurt. Sometimes I try to take advantage of a better sinker and sometimes it doesn’t move like I want it.

The O’s actually took the lead first in the game. Pedro Severino smacked a solo homer in the last of the second. Then the aforementioned third inning rolled around. Minnesota tied the game on Riddle’s solo homer, and then took the lead on Garlick’s two-run homer. Later in the inning Kirilloff would reach on an error, and a three-run homer by Astudillo would close out the inning.

When the smoke cleared, Minnesota led 7-1. One of the main ideas of pitching is to stay out of the big inning. Jorge Lopez and the Orioles didn’t do that today. But the good news was that the Birds tried to gnaw away at the lead.

Maikel Franco made his Orioles debut today, and immediately made an impact. His two-RBI double in the last of the third brought the Birds to within 7-3. He would later score on Ryan Mountcastle‘s RBI-double. Chance Sisco added an RBI-groundout, and the O’s closed the third at within 7-5.

This is a team that isn’t going to give up. Odds are they’re going to lose a bunch of games. But they won’t give up and they’ll be fun to watch. The goal for this year is for the nose for winning start to grow.

Mountcastle would also get the Birds to within one. His fifth inning solo homer got them to within 7-6. But within one run was as close as they’d get. Minnesota would extend their lead to 8-6 on an RBI-single in the sixth, and the O’s again would come back. Richie Martin would also make his debut today, and he got them back to within one with a sixth inning RBI-single.

By way of wind-aided homers, Minnesota would tack on some insurance runs and close out a 12-7 victory. Tack the pitching into the needs improvement category. But the bats came alive today for sure. Especially Ryan Mountcastle’s.

Tomorrow the Birds head back to Bradenton to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates. John Means gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Mitch Keller. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Cedric Mullins’ homer wins a wild one for the Birds

It took heroics from Cedric Mullins to win perhaps the worst defended game of all time for the Baltimore Orioles in Bradenton tonight against Pittsburgh. The teams combined for nine errors in the game, many of which led to runs. Which didn’t help Orioles’ starter Dean Kremer. Kremer’s line: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 3 K.

Anthony Santander‘s RBI-groundout and Ryan Mountcastle‘s RBI-single in the top of the first game the Birds a 2-0 lead. Austin Hays, who’s having a great spring (hitting .387), added an RBI-single in the second, running the score to 3-0.

Later on, in the third, Pedro Severino would run it to 4-0 with an RBI-double, and Yolmer Sanchez’s 5-0 with an RBI-single. The Birds appeared on their way to a big win.

However Pittsburgh chipped away in the last of the third, a sequence that included a Frazier two-run homer which cut the Birds’ lead to 5-3. Trey Mancini‘s solo homer in the fourth padded that lead at 6-3, however that’s when a lot of Oriole errors began. Guys misplaying balls missing cut offs, etc. Letting hitters reach base without nary even trying.

And the thing is that when you have guys on base things start to happen. I’ve covered this before on this column. When traffic starts to get onto the base paths, guys trickle home little by little. Pittsburgh would put five runs on the board in the fifth, allowing them to take an 8-6 lead.

Austin Hays would get a run back, following Pittsburgh enhancing it’s lead, in the top of the sixth. His RBI-double cut the lead to 9-7. But the Orioles took over from there. Mountcastle would smack a two-run homer in the sixth. Then Mullins comes up in the top of the seventh, with the game in the balance…

…and he delivers. A two-run homer gave the O’s an 11-9 lead. But the Orioles’ ‘pen held strong for the rest of the night. And the Birds help firm from there, and make no mistake that with their offensive struggles at times, this was a big spring training win.

The O’s tomorrow head to Tampa to take on the NY Yankees. Matt Harvey gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by NY’s Michael King. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.