Baltimore Orioles: Baseball’s hottest team churns on

The Baltimore Orioles are baseball’s hottest team. Yes, you read that correctly; I’ll say it again for the people in the back…the Baltimore Orioles are baseball’s hottest team. Try that one on for size! Having won six straight coming in, they sent Dean Kremer to the mound against Anaheim this afternoon in hopes of keeping the party going. Kremer’s line: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 K.

Despite being the hottest team in the league, the Birds still sit in last place in the AL East. But that’s a testament to the division as much as anything else. Yet, national pundits continue to overlook the Orioles. And consistently at that. And in fact you watch…as soon as the winning streak ends, you’ll see people saying I told you they were bad.

But savvy fans know that one game a season does not make. It’s the overall body of work that matters. And we’re nowhere near being done; odds are some struggles still await this 2022 Oriole team. But to date, the overall body of work exceeds expectations.

Perhaps the best moment of today’s game came in the last of the third inning, when Tyler Nevin came up to bat for the first time. His Dad, Phil, of course is the interim manager of the Anaheim Angels. He was suspended for the first two games of this series (due to the Anaheim/Seattle brawl a few weeks ago), but returned to the Anaheim dugout this afternoon.

Today was the first time that father and son had been on a big league field together. Father and son exchanged the lineup cards before the game and posed for a photo with the umpiring crew. It was the sort of moment that only baseball can provide. And it didn’t disappoint.

For the record, (Tyler) Nevin reached base on a single in his first at-bat against his old man. Needless to say, (Phil) Nevin had to have mixed feelings on that. One inning later in the last of the fourth, Anthony Santander’s RBI-single have the Orioles a 1-0 lead.

And when your pitching staff doesn’t give up any runs, one run is all you need. The back end of the Oriole bullpen was dominant once again, with Relic Bautista getting a key strikeout to end the eighth, and Jorge Lopez closing the door in the ninth.

The Birds will go for a sweep of the series and the home stand tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards. Austin Voth gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Anaheim’s Jose Suarez. Game time is set for just after 12 PM.