Author Archives: Domenic Vadala

Welcome to Birdland Crush! Yes folks, for the record it's a spin off of the popular summer beverage native to the Mid-Atlantic Region - "orange crush." Nevertheless, I've been covering Orioles' baseball since 2009 in some capacity, and it's basically the greatest gig of all time so far as I'm concerned! But for those who aren't familiar with my work or bio, I'm familiar with pretty much every sport out there. But baseball is king - we all know that. So my hope is that you come back and check in after every Orioles' game, and throughout the off-season. I'm always on duty!

Baltimore Orioles: Dean Kremer’s one bad inning sinks the Birds

The Baltimore Orioles used Keegan Akin as an opener this evening. To be clear, it worked out for the most part. But I’m not a fan of the concept. It’s too non-traditional. Akin’s line: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K.

In fairness, when you’re facing Detroit’s Skubal, it might be a futile effort no matter what you do. The Orioles actually got a few hits off of Skubal, but to little avail. Needless to say, he’s a Cy Young Award winner.

Again in fairness, Dean Kremer was good out of the bullpen. He pitched seven innings, this as the bulk pitcher. But he had one blip in the radar, and that’s what did the Orioles in tonight.

Dingler slugged a solo home run in the fourth. It wasn’t just a home run, as Colton Cowser ran all the way back and crashed into the wall to attempt to make the catch. Trainers came out to check on Cowser, and he stayed in the game. Needless to say, he gave max effort to save that ball.

Following two straight singles, Meadows came to the plate and smacked a three-run homer. That extended Detroit’s lead to 4-0. However again, Kremer straightened out after that. It was to little avail, as the damage was done, but he corrected himself. That should mean something.

The O’s would net one run in the eighth on a solo home run by Dylan Carlson. But they went quietly in the ninth, and fell 4-1. To be clear, good pitching usually shuts down good hitting. Skubal is an outstanding pitcher. So this wasn’t totally unforeseen.

The Orioles stay at home and take on Anaheim tomorrow at Camden Yards. Chad Morton gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Anaheim’s Jack Kochanowicz. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Jordan Westburg with an exclamation point at the end

Zach Eflin acted as a stopper of sorts for the Baltimore Orioles tonight. The O’s had only lost two straight, but better to end a losing streak now than let it really get churning. And Eflin turned in a quality start in ending the losing streak. Eflin’s line: 6.2 IP. 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

Ramon Urias got the O’s on the board in the third with a two-run homer. However the Orioles continued getting guys on base. They even got them into scoring position. They just couldn’t get them home. The fear of course, was that this would come back and bite the Orioles. For a moment, it looked like it would.

Detroit put two runners on base in the seventh, and Keith’s RBI-double cut the lead to 2-1. That left one out and two runners in scoring position. The Orioles brought the infield in, and Dingler lined out. Tony Mansolino lifted Eflin, and Keegan Akin struck the final hitter out.

That was a jam. While the Orioles didn’t want to surrender a run there, that inning was a win. The game could have imploded. But they limited the damage. And it was especially big given that Gunnar Henderson smacked an RBI-single in the last of the eighth extending the lead to 3-1.

Cedric Mullins’ RBI-double in the last of the eighth seemed to somewhat seal the deal. Mullins would later score on a wild pitch, extending the lead to 5-1. Insurance runs mean something. Especially that one, as it meant the Orioles didn’t need to use Felix Bautista.

But the onslaught didn’t end there. Following a couple of walks Ryan O’Hearn’s two-RBI single extended the lead to 7-1. But it was a three-run home run by Jordan Westburg that capped the evening off, Westburg’s second game back and his second home run in that span.

The fact that Westburg seems to be picking right up where he left off is meaningful. And on top of that, this was the Orioles’ biggest win since Opening Day in Toronto. Go figure, guys get healthy and things improve.

The series concludes tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Tarik Skubal. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Reliance on analytics turned extreme

It’s interesting that it’s the Baltimore Orioles who seem to be turning the concept of analytics on its head. Not in the manner that that one would think, however. More on that later. Detroit got to starter Cade Povich early. Povich’s line: 4.2 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

Detroit was going to start Sawyer Gibson-Long. But they switched that up and used Brant Hurter as an “opener.” Detroit did this to the Orioles last year, and earlier in 2025. And it’s been especially effective given the Orioles’ inability to hit left-handed pitching.

Hurter is a righty, so the Orioles set their lineup prepared to hit the starter. Then he leaves the game, surrendering to a righty. The lineup is already set to hit a southpaw, and there‘a nothing the Orioles can do about it. Save for figuring out how to hit lefties.

McKinstry tripled in the second, which led to Perez’s sac fly-RBI. But the O’s did tie the score. Gunnar Henderson’s RBI- single in the last of the third knotted things up at one.

However it unraveled quickly. And you almost didn’t see it coming. Baez’s RBI-single in the fourth gave Detroit the lead back. One inning later Detroit got an RBI-single by Dingler, and a two-run home run by Torkelson. Needless to say, they’re a pesky bunch.

The Orioles did attempt a late rally. Adley Rutschman followed a Jackson Holliday double (followed by a wild pitch advancing Holliday to third) with a sac fly-RBI. Following a walk Ryan O’Hearn went to a 3-0 count, before taking ball four…

…in theory. Home plate umpire Alex Tosi called a pitch that was well outside (and low) strike one. O’Hern fouled the next pitch off, and swung through the following pitch for strike three (ending the inning).

On top of everything else, not even borderline pitches went against the Birds. The only reason O’Hearn swung at either of the last two pitches was because he had no choice. In his mind the home plate umpire had already proven that everything was a strike. So it was swing or get caught looking. To his credit, O’Hearn didn’t say a word – he glared angrily at the home plate umpire and walked away.

Jordan Westburg would smack a solo homer in the ninth to narrow the lead to 5-3. That didn’t really help the O’s in terms of the game, however it helped Westburg’s confidence. Tonight was his first game back from the IL.

The Orioles’ biggest issues were highlighted in this game. Again, they’re turning analytics on its head. They’re so committed to what the computer is saying to do, other teams are finding ways around that. The computer says you struggle against southpaws. So the opponent pitches a southpaw for a brief period, and you set your lineup accordingly.

In short, opponents are outsmarting the Orioles. In a certain sense, how are you going to improve against lefties if you only face them in a controlled environment designed to not let you fail? Again, Detroit has done this to the Orioles before (among other teams). They’re playing to their opponents’ weaknesses. And it’s working.

In the AL East world, the team with more power and better pitching wins. So we look at an “opener” as weak. I do as well – I’m not a fan of the practice. I see it as gutless, and I see it as sleight of hand. But against a team like the Orioles who are dug into analytics at all costs, it’s working.

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

Baltimore Orioles: drop series finale in Sacramento

Tomoyuki Sugano struggled for the Baltimore Orioles in the series finale against the Athletics in Sacramento. Overall Orioles pitching didn’t faire well in Suter Health Park. Sugano’s line: 4.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R (3 earned), 1 BB, 2 K.

After the Athletics got the lead runner on base in the first, he advanced to second on a softly hit ball in the infield. Jackson Holliday did record the out at first base, but the lead runner moved up to second. This on a sequence where the location of the ball in play should have resulted in a double-play. But because the ball was so softly-hit, that wasn’t possible.

And go figure, Soderstrom blooped another softly-hit ball into center for an RBI-single. The Orioles have been eaten alive all season with soft contact. This to the point that you wonder if opponents know something the Orioles don’t.

However the Orioles tied the score in the second. With runners at the corners and two outs, Emmanuel Rivera stole second base while the Athletics tried to pick off Ramon Urias at third. However the catcher Pereda made an errant throw, and Urias scored. Rivera tried to also advance to third, and was tagged out on the base paths.

And was almost a huge mistake. It’s easy enough to say Rivera was pushing as far as he could and so forth. But had he been tagged out before Urias had scored, that run wouldn’t have counted. And it was close. The run counted, but it was close. You can’t allow your will to win overtake your instincts, forcing you to take unnecessary risks.

However the Athletics would put up three runs in their part of the second. This included another play that should have been a ground ball double-play, but worked out flawlessly for the Athletics. Butler grounded a ball off of Sugano and everyone was safe. If the ball isn’t in effect a comebacker, it’s a double-play and the inning is over. Instead, the Athletics led 4-1 after the end of the inning.

The Athletics would get a solo home run by Muncy in the last of the eighth, and took the game 5-1. Going into this road trip my private opinion was that the Orioles could go .500. Instead they went 4-2. Yes the series in Sacramento could have been better. But end of the day you take a 4-2 road trip to the west coast. All day.

Reports were saying that the infield at Suter Health Park was playing hard. The Orioles saw that first hand this weekend. It’s a minor league park. Now granted, both teams are playing on the same field. But whether the Orioles were at a disadvantage or not is up to the beholder.

Baltimore Orioles outlast Athletics

The Baltimore Orioles found a way to win last night despite a rough outing by a starter. Charlie Morton struggled on the bump in Sacramento. Morton’s line: 2.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 BB, 5 K.

The Orioles put up a run in the first inning on a sac fly-RBI by Ryan O’Hearn. However Morton just didn’t have it last night, as can happen with a starting pitcher from time to time. Morton promptly loaded the bases. And walked in a run. MacIver’s RBI-single gave the Athletics a 2-1 lead. Morton appeared to get out of it after walking in a third run. W

ith the bases still loaded he induced a comebacker by Schuemann. Morton went to tag Schuemann, and the inning was over. However Oakland challenged the call, and in fact replays showed that Morton missed the tag. This gave Oakland a 4-1 lead.

Ryan O’Hearn led off the fourth with a single, and Ramon Laureano’s two-run homer cut the lead to 4-3. That was a big moment, as it propelled the O’s back into the game. One inning later Gunnar Henderson’s RBI-single tied the game at four.

And one inning after that, the Orioles took the lead on a solo home run by Colton Cowser. Later in the inning Jackson Holliday reached on a throwing error, scoring a sixth run. Once the Orioles started scoring, they didn’t stop. A seventh inning RBI-single by Ramon Laureano sent the Birds home with a 7-4 lead.

Oakland put up their four runs on Morton, who struggled. Once he was out of the game, they couldn’t do anything further. And the Birds didn’t stop once the main scoring started.

The doesn’t mean that Morton should induce concerns like we saw at the beginning of the season. He just didn’t have it last night. And that will happen to starting pitchers.

The series concludes this afternoon at Suter Health Park. Tomoyuki Sugano gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by The Athletics’ Jacob Lopez. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Dylan Carlson homers as Birds’ win streak snapped

The Baltimore Orioles’ winning streak ended at six last night as they fell to the Athletics in Sacramento. So-so start for Dean Kremer, but it was a leadoff walk in the third that spiraled to do him in. Kremer’s line: 5.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 2 K.

The Athletics of course are playing their home games at Suter Health Park in Sacramento (in advance of their move to Las Vegas). Dylan Carlson grew up in the shadow of the park, and attended games there as a kid. Last night he played in his first game there as a pro, and he put the Orioles in the lead 2-0 with a two-run home run in the second inning. One inning later Ramon Laureano added a sac fly-RBI, and the Birds were out to a good start.

However Kremer walked the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the frame. That runner would score on Butler’s RBI-double. Before the inning ended, the Athletics had a 4-3 lead. Kremer on the inning (quote courtesy of Brendan Mortensen, MASNsports):

That was a mental error on the walk to lead off that inning, and it kind of spiraled from there. Butler hit a ball hard and Rooker hit a ball hard. Other than that, just some bad luck there.

But the O’s weren’t going quietly. Jackson Holliday tied the game at four with his fifth inning solo homer. But Rooker’s RBI-single in the hole half of the frame put Oakland back in the lead, culminating in a 5-4 Orioles loss.

There’s no shame in having a six-game winning streak snapped. The key is to start another one. The Orioles hope to begin one tonight.

The series continues later this evening at Suter Health Park. Charlie Morton gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by the Athletics’ Luis Severino. Game time is set for just after 10 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: The “Silent J” for the win!

Baltimore Orioles fans are riding the roller coaster at this point. And that’s a good thing. After an early season of INTENSE lows, we’re seeing a few highs now. Cade Povich got the start last night in game two in Seattle. Povich’s line: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

Povich surrendered a sac fly-RBI in the last of the fourth to Arozarena. However the Orioles weren’t about to go sleepless in Seattle. Pun intended! Adley Rutschman, originally of the Pacific Northwest, smacked a solo homer in the fifth to tie the game at one.

Seattle would get the lead back however in the home half of the sixth. Raleigh’s RBI-single gave them a 2-1 lead, with Raleigh out at second trying to extend it into a double. After Povich gave way to Yennier Cano, the Orioles registered perhaps one of the most unsung plays of the game. Rodriguez hit a ground ball to Gunner Henderson, who at first glance appeared to throw out the runner from third (Crawford) at home plate. However Crawford was ruled safe.

The Orioles challenged, and replays definitely showed it was close. Almost surprisingly, the call was overturned. And the Seattle lead remained at 2-1.

But not for long. Heston Kjerstad’s two-RBI in the seventh gave the Orioles the lead at 3-2. The ball appeared to be hooking foul, but it stayed fair at the last minute in the right field corner. Neither side threatened the rest of the way, and Felix Bautista closed it out in the ninth for a save. The Orioles, on the heels of sweeping Chicago, have now taken the first two games in Seattle.

Is it coming together? If a five-game stretch means anything, yes. But that’s only a five-game stretch. I said yesterday that Colton Cowser stabilizes the lineup. And I stand by that point. Kjerstad’s a guy who’s struggled this year, but suddenly now it’s coming together. Heck, even Adley Rutschman’s struggled, yet he’s coming out of it.

Many will say three runs generally won’t do it. And they’d be right. In general you’ll need more than that to win games. Especially in the AL East. But it was enough last night.

The series concludes this afternoon at T-Mobile Park. Zach Eflin gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Seattle’s Bryan Woo. Game time is set for just after 3:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Colton Cowser homers in first game back as Birds win

The Baltimore Orioles have their first four-game winning streak of the season after last night’s win in Seattle. Tomoyuki Sugano was strong, and he set the Birds up for success. It all begins and ends with starting pitching, and that’s seemed to stabilize a bit of late. Ever so slightly. Sugano’s line: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

Aside from the starting pitching, the Orioles did something key that trickled down to success later in the game. They jumped on Seattle starter Kirby early. They didn’t score a plethora of runs out of the gate, but they drove his pitch count up and put guys on base. Granted that did pay off a little early on, as they took a 1-0 lead on Ramon Urias’ sac fly-RBI.

The only slight blip in Sugano’s game was a second inning solo homer by Tellez. And make no mistake, this is still a game played by humans. It’s never going to be perfect. Luckily this wasn’t one of those games where the margin of success or failure was that stringent,

The game remained tied until the fifth when Ryan O’Hearn’s RBI-single put the Orioles back in the lead at 2-1. This game was also notable because it marked the return of Colton Cowser to the lineup. Cowser of course broke a finger in game four sliding into a base. I’ll maintain to my grave that losing him might have been the biggest blow to this season (offensively at least). But wouldn’t you know it…the old boy came through in the sixth with a solo homer.

That almost drives home my point; Cowser streamlines the lineup. I’m not even sure there’s a tangible manner to measure his value – aside from WAR, which I see as a made up stat. But the energy he brings combined with his prowess at the plate does something to this lineup.

And again, it’s not always a tangible effect he has on the lineup. Sometimes it’s just his energy. How many times have we seen the Orioles tack on insurance runs late this year? And how many times has it bitten them? Not last night. Heston Kjerstad added an RBI-double in the ninth, and Jackson Holliday an RBI-single. And again, the Orioles now have their first four-game winning streak of the season.

Is this a turning point? Is it too late? Nobody knows. But it COULD be. It could also be fool’s gold. But keep this time period in mind if the O’s find themselves stabilizing a bit.

The series continues late this evening at T-Mobile Park. Cade Povich gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Seattle’s Emerson Hancock. Game time is set for just after 9:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles squeak one out, sweep the ChiSox

Charlie Morton turned in his second straight quality start this afternoon for the Baltimore Orioles. He deserved to win today in every manner possible, giving the Birds everything he had in the series finale against the ChiSox at Camden Yards. Morton’s line: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R (0 earned), 1 BB, 7 K.

Morton appears to have been done well by a brief stint in the bullpen, this following a rough start. The Orioles surrendered a couple of early scoring opportunities in the game, stranding runners at the corners in the first. But they came home to roost in the third, taking a 1-0 lead on an RBI-single by Ramon Urias. While not a hit with RISP, Ryan O’Hearn added a sac fly-RBI later in the frame, and the Birds led 2-0.

That’s not to say mistakes weren’t made. Heston Kjerstad recorded a one-out triple in the last of the fourth, and was promptly picked off of third. That cost the Orioles a potential run, and it can’t happen. You have to take advantage of every opportunity.

And sure enough, Chicago made a run. Palacios reached in the sixth on an error by Jackson Holliday, allowing a run to score. That cut the lead to 2-1, but the O’s came back for another run. Dylan Carlson’s RBI-double in the bottom of the frame extended the lead to 3-1.

Chicago would close to within 3-2 on Tauchman’s seventh inning solo homer. But the Oriole pen was solid otherwise. Bryan Baker came on for the ninth due to Felix Bautista having pitched in two straight games. And he sent Chicago down 1-2-3, ending the game. It’s the Orioles’ first series sweep of the season.

All the games were close, but winning the games is all that matters. Two things that stuck out; one is Charlie Morton. This was an outstanding effort, and he was justly given a standing ovation when he was lifted.

The other was Coby Mayo. He’s had a rough start to his big league career, and he didn’t help matters with his comments when he was optioned after spring training. You never criticize your employer. But his hustle around the bases today earned what ended up being the winning run. A win’s a win. And a sweep is a sweep- even against the Pope’s team!

Baltimore Orioles: Saturday…in the park

Dean Kremer gave the Baltimore Orioles exactly what they needed this afternoon against the ChiSox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. With today’s win, the O’s have ticked slightly upwards – slightly. They’ve taken the first two games of this series, and they’ve won six out of their last ten. Kremer’s line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 7 K.

Jackson Holliday led the game off for the Birds with a solo home run, the first leadoff homer of his career. But Kremer wasn’t about to let Chicago back into the game. He mowed hitters down, solidifying the Orioles’ position in the game.

With one out in the fourth Ryan O’Hearn smacked a double and got himself into scoring position. Then came a bizarre sequence that did yield the Orioles a run. Coby Mayo, who of course has struggled at the big league level, came up to replace Ryan Mountcastle on the roster (after the latter went on the IL), smacked an RBI-single – which on the surface was good to see.

However Mayo tried to extend it into a double, which was a mistake. He was caught in a rundown, and collided with Chicago second baseman Vargas. The two tumbled down, causing a bit of what I’ll politely call a “misunderstanding.” The benches cleared, but that was the end of it. And the result of course was the O’s led 2-0.

Chicago would get that run back in the fifth on an RBI-single by Benintendi. But in the home half of the inning the Birds got a big blast – and from an unlikely source. That being Jorge Mateo, who smacked a two-run homer. That turned out to be the big play, because Tauchman’s RBI-single in the seventh gave Chicago a second run.

With the Orioles leading 4-2, I was surprised to see Felix Bautista come through the bullpen door in the ninth. Especially after throwing 29 pitches yesterday. Most closers are only on point for up to 20. But Tony Mansolino obviously wanted to get Felix his work today, so the bullpen door opened and he walked out.

My point would be that if you go to someone else, you keep Bautista fresh for tomorrow’s game. With a day off Monday, in theory he would then be good to go Tuesday in Seattle if need be. And the fact is that he didn’t have a clean inning. He put two runners on base before retiring the side.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards. Charlie Morton gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Adrian Houser. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.