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: 158 down, three to go

We’ve almost come to the end of the line for the 2019 Baltimore Orioles. Mind you, the goal that I set forth for this team in my season preview back in March was for them to better the record of the 2018 Orioles. Standing now at 52 wins, they’ve done that by five games already.

So in that sense this was a successful season. Granted the bar was set very low, but the fact is that it had to be. As time wore on over the course of the final five to six weeks however, this team turned it up a notch. Maybe that wasn’t necessarily seen in the win/loss column, but guys really seemed to come together. That’s a good sign going into spring training next year.

However that’s irrelevant – for now. There are still three games to play, and the Orioles find themselves closing the season in Boston at “the Fens.” Surprisingly, this series is meaningless. It was a given that it would be meaningless for the Orioles. However I’m quite frankly surprised that Boston’s in a position whereby it’s meaningless for them as well.

Nevertheless, the series begins tonight at Fenway Park. Asher Wojciechowski gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Nathan Eovaldi. Game time is set for just after 7 PM this evening.

Baltimore Orioles battle but fall is in Toronto

Gabriel Ynoa made his penultimate start of the year for the Baltimore Orioles last night in Toronto. It was a short outing and far from perfect, but it’ll serve as our last look this year at Ynoa, a pitcher who had his struggles but also surprised a bit this year. Ynoa’s line: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K.

Ynoa will finish the year at 1-10, but didn’t pitch horribly in all of those ten losses. Last night he gave up a solo homer to McKinney in the first inning, giving Toronto a 1-0 lead. He also gave up a solo homer to Tellez in the fourth. He was lifted after four.

Tellez would homer again in the sixth, extending the Toronto lead to 3-0. But the Orioles battled back in the eighth inning. One thing led to another, and suddenly the bases were loaded…

…and the O’s tried to take advantage. Rio Ruiz grounded for into a fielder’s choice-RBI. That cut the Toronto lead to 3-1. It also left a base open with two outs. That is until Toronto hit a batter, re-loading the bases.

And with the bases loaded again, DJ Stewart walked. That cut the Toronto lead to 3-2. Unfortunately however, that was the furthest the Orioles would get. They ended up falling 3-2 and dropping two-of-three in Toronto.

The O’s are off today before they open up a three-game set in Boston tomorrow night. That will be the final series of the year. The Orioles are also guaranteed not to finish with the worst record in baseball, as Detroit has clinched that dubious honor. So the Birds will pick second in next year’s draft.

Baltimore Orioles: Trey Mancini spearheads win with five hits

The Baltimore Orioles evened the series in Toronto last night behind a five-hit effort by 2019 Most Valuable Oriole Trey Mancini. Dylan Bundy left his mark as well, tossing a gem for the O’s. Bundy’s line: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 6 K.

The Birds hit the bats early and never looked back. Renato Nunez‘s two-RBI double in the first gave them a 2-0 lead. Tack on an RBI-single by Dwight Smith Jr, and it was 3-0.

Fisher’s solo homer in the third got Toronto on the board, however this was the Orioles’ night. Toronto’s made a habit of coming back against the Orioles. Not on this night. The Birds ended up building an insurmountable lead.

The O’s got that one run right back in the fourth when Dwight Smith Jr. smacked a solo homer. Austin Wynns followed suit with one of his own. And the rout was on. DJ Stewart hit a two-run homer in the sixth, and Mancini added an RBI-single. The Birds would also put three runs up in the eighth inning.

As I said, Toronto seems to love coming back against the Orioles. They were able to put a few runs across in the ninth, but it was too little too late. End of the day, the Birds defeated Toronto 11-4.

The end of the season should give Orioles fans hope. No, not because the season’s over which ends the pain of the 2019 season. But because some of these young players really started to gel, and made some big time contributions in games. That includes Mancini, who while only having three full big league seasons under his belt, is the team leader.

However plenty of guys have made big splashes – the Hays’, Nunez’s, and Alberto’s of the world. This franchise is in a much better position going into spring training in 2020 than it was going in this year. That should give Orioles’ fans a lot of hope.

The series in Toronto concludes this evening at Rogers Centre. Gabriel Ynoa gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Jacob Waguespack. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Austin Hays is a keeper

Chandler Shepherd got the start for the Baltimore Orioles last night in Toronto. However no pitcher on either side was worth the price of admission last night. Shepherd’s line: 3.0 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 2 K.

The Orioles trailed 5-0 before they could even get started. However once they got started, they were really in business. And that was due to the efforts of Austin Hays – among others.

Hays smacked a three-run homer in the third to cut the Toronto lead to 5-3. While Toronto would extend the lead to 6-3 later on, Hays also took extra bases away from them with a leaping catch at the center field wall. He would add a solo homer in the fifth, which followed a solo shot by Jonathan Villar. Add on a two-run shot by Rio Ruiz, and the O’s had a 7-6 lead.

After Toronto tied the score at seven in the seventh, the O’s got RBI-singles from Hays and Villar in the eighth to take a 9-7 lead. However Toronto would tie the score back up in the ninth inning at nine, and to extra innings we went. Yet again.

This game showcased the future for the O’s in Austin Hays, as well as a bit of the past. Chris Davis homered in the twelfth to give the Orioles the lead back. However Toronto came back with a sac fly-RBI in the last of the twelfth, and we played on. Finally Alford’s walk off homer in the 15th won it for Toronto.

The Birds walked off losers last night, but the real story of the game was Austin Hays. The guy’s done nothing but play hard and make big plays since he’s been called up. Now I will caution fans that often times you don’t want to put too much stock in both Spring Training stats and those from September. They can be very deceiving.

However as deceiving as those stats can sometimes be, the effort Hays has put in can’t be questioned. Neither can the results. He’s been a shot in the arm to the team and to the fan base. All they can hope is that it continues.

The series in Toronto continues this evening at Rogers Centre. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Anthony Kay. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Chris Davis homers Birds to a win in home finale

Baltimore Orioles’ fans got to see John Means on final time at home this year in the last home game. While we still have a week to go in the season itself, it’s kind of amazing that we’ve now completed 81 home games. Then again, it’s amazing that we’re almost to the end of the line. And Means this afternoon reminded Orioles fans about why he was the biggest surprise of the season. Means’ line: 7.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

It’s been a long road in those 81 home games. A lot of bad baseball, learning experiences, and even a dugout fight. However while I shouldn’t get too far into this type of mode given that we still have a week to go, Orioles fans should also be proud. Towards the end, this team really started to come together. And that was the sentiment today.

The O’s did briefly have to play from behind however, as Crawford’s first inning RBI-single gave Seattle a 1-0 lead. But things got tied up fairly quickly; Renato Nunez‘s RBI-double in the last of the first tied the game at one. And there it remained for quite awhile.

The fans were treated to a pitching duel in the final home game. John Means was spectacular in mowing Seattle hitters down. The Orioles really may have found something in Means. Speaking for myself, I’m excited to see him going into spring training next year.

Chris Davis is a question mark heading into spring training however. Many fans seem to think that he’s going to retire, however that would forfeit him a lot of money. He has three years left on his deal. GM Mike Elias said before the game that he expects Davis to be back.

However at least for one day, Davis got to play the hero once again. You have to respect the guy’s work ethic and the fact that he never seems to give up. And it was that never say die attitude which propelled Davis to smack a solo homer in the seventh inning.

That was the go-ahead run, and it propelled the O’s onto victory in the final game at home this season. This is a year that hasn’t been easy on Chris Davis. We all remember the slump in which he started the season. But at least on this day, he directly won the game for his team.

The O’s now embark on their final road trip which will close out the season, as they head to Toronto tomorrow night. The Birds are yet to name a starter, but they’ll face Toronto’s Clay Buchholtz. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Austin Hays continues to impress for the Birds

Asher Wojchiekowski got the start last night for the Baltimore Orioles. However he didn’t figure into the final outcome for the most part. Wojchieowski’s line: 4.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R (2 earned), 2 BB, 4 K.

The Birds took a 3-0 lead in the second on two RBI-doubles. One by Stevie Wilkerson, and then a two-RBI double by Richie Martin. One inning later Seattle would get on the board with a solo homer by Long, cutting the Birds’ lead to 3-1.

But Seattle kept the pressure on. Crawford’s RBI-single in the fifth cut the Orioles’ lead to 3-2. An additional run scored later in the inning on a passed ball. And we were tied.

But we weren’t tied for long. Hanser Alberto‘s RBI-single in the last of the fifth gave the Orioles the lead back. However the Orioles’ bullpen coughed up the lead again, this time in the eighth. Crawford smacked a three-run homer, and for a moment Seattle led 6-4.

But the Orioles’ newest potential star came to the rescue. Austin Hays smacked a two-run homer to tie it up at six in the last of the eighth. While the game went to extras, it just wasn’t meant to be last night for the Orioles. Reliever Tanner Scott committed an error in the top of the 13th, which led to Lopes’ run-scoring single. And Seattle won this one 7-6.

However the takeaway should be Austin Hays. He’s been with the team since early September, and at the very least he’s earned himself a solid look in spring training next year. Whether it’s been in the field or at the plate, Hays has brought positive energy, solid play, and a great attitude to Baltimore with him.

The series concludes this afternoon in the Orioles’ final home game of the season at Camden Yards. John Means gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Seattle’s Marco Gonzales. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: The opener worked

The Baltimore Orioles used Richard Bleier as an opener last night against Seattle. I’m not a fan of the concept, as I’ve said previously. However last night it worked flawlessly. Bleier’s line: 2.0 IP, 3 H 2 R, 0 BB, 1 K.

Aaron Brooks then proceeded to pitch seven innings of one-run ball. However Bleier had somewhat of a rough start before settling in. He gave up a two-run homer to Lewis in the first inning. However the O’s trailed for a very short time. Anthony Santander‘s three-run home run in the last of the first gave the Birds a 3-2 lead.

Later in the inning Austin Hays would ground into a fielder’s choice-RBI, extending the Orioles’ lead to 4-2. Nola would cut the lead to 4-3 in the fourth with a fielder’s choice-RBI of his own, however that didn’t rattle the O’s. The bottom of that fourth inning brought a solo homer by Hanser Alberto, extending the lead to 5-3.

And as I said, Brooks was superb in relief of Bleier all night. But again, I’m not a fan of this strategy. People ask me why not all the time.

First off it goes against the grain of traditionalism in a traditional sport. However pitching has always been about trying to get complete games. This makes it nary impossible to do so.

It takes the emphasis off of starting pitching. It also takes emphasis off of the concept of relievers. It devalues both roles in a way. However needless to say, it worked for the Orioles last night.

This was the Orioles’ 50th won of the year. While this far they’re only three wins better than next year, that does show progress. I would submit that getting out of the 40’s and into the 50’s in terms of overall wins is a psychological benefit for the O’s. And that’s one of the goals.

The series with Seattle continues tonight at Camden Yards. Asher Wojchiekowski gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Seattle’s Justus Sheffield. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Austin Hays dazzles in the field in Birds’ loss

Baltimore Orioles’ starter Gabriel Ynoa did what he could to put the O’s in a spot to win last night. He ended up taking the loss, however he also pitched well enough to win. Ynoa’s line: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 1 K.

The Birds took a 1-0 lead in the third o. Trey Mancini‘s RBI-double. However back-to-back homers by Toronto one inning later would give Toronto a 2-1 lead. The O’s would tie the game back up at two in the fifth when Anthony Santander hit into a fielder’s choice with a runner on third. Which is also scored as an RBI.

However Toronto’s trademark this entire series has been the big inning. Last night they won the game with a six-run seventh inning. And the scary thing is that this is as young a team as the Orioles.

It seems that no matter who’s played for Toronto over the years, they’ve always had big innings against the Orioles in them. They could get shut out by any other team, but they’ll have a big inning in them to beat the O’s. Trey Mancini would smack ah RBI-double in the seventh, and Austin Hays would homer in the ninth to cut the deficit to 8-4 as the final.

But the big story of the game was Austin Hays in center field. I mentioned above that Toronto smacked back-to-back home runs in the fourth. That was almost back-to-back-to-back homers. And it probably should have been. In fact, it definitely should have been.

Guerrero (Jr.) sent a deep shot to center field – this after two straight home runs. Hays tracked the ball all the way to the wall, timed his jump perfectly, and brought the ball back into play as it sailed over the wall. He flat out robbed Guerrero of a homer.

To his credit, Guerrero tipped his cap to Hays as he ran off the field. As they say game recognizes game. That was one of the best catches of the season, league-wide. And Hays knew immediately that he had done something special, as he pumped his chest with his fist. Now I’m not a huge fan of that sort of thing, as I feel like it could be deemed as showing up the opponent. (Which is part of why I was almost surprised to see Guerrero tip his cap.) However I digress – it was a special moment, and one that we’ll see again on highlight reels in the coming years.

The Orioles will now welcome Seattle into Oriole Park at Camden Yards for the final hike series of the season. Richard Bleier will get the start out of the bullpen, and he’ll be opposed by Seattle’s Felix Hernandez. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles cough up big lead

Toronto’s always been a bit of a bugaboo for the Baltimore Orioles. No matter what the stakes, circumstances, or odds, they seem to find a way to beat the Birds. Dylan Bundy got the start last night, and put the Orioles in a spot to win. Bundy’s line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 8 K.

The O’s took an early 2-0 lead in the first two RBI-doubles; one by Rio Ruiz, and the other by Austin Hays. Toronto immediately cut that lead in half in the second on Bichette’s RBI-single. But in terms of scoring, we didn’t hear from Toronto again for awhile.

Trey Mancini‘s two-RBI double in the second extended the lead to 4-1. The Birds then proceeded to get homers in the fourth from Jonathan Villar and Anthony Santander, and when the smoke cleared they led 7-1. Seemed like a safe lead, right? Not against Toronto.

Bichette tacked on a run with an RBI-single in the sixth. However a seventh inning three-run homer by Hernandez should have put the Orioles on alert that Toronto wasn’t going away. In truth, it did.

The O’s tacked on two runs on sac flies in the seventh and eighth. So if you’re an Orioles fan you’ve seen the Birds all but take their foot off the gas, allow Toronto back into the game, and then tack on a couple more runs to extend their lead back to four. But there was one problem…

…Toronto put up six runs in the ninth to take the lead. Including a dramatic grand slam by Grichuk. The Birds would tack on one more in the ninth, but ended up falling 11-10.

Toronto usually finds a way against the Orioles. It’s almost uncanny how much they have the Orioles’ number. Last night they came back from a six-run deficit. It just doesn’t matter how tough things look, they find a way against the Orioles.

The series concludes tonight at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Gabriel Ynoa gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Wilmer Font. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Mental lapse haunts Birds late

The Baltimore Orioles claimed Chandler Shepherd off of waivers earlier this year. They called him to the majors last night to start against Toronto. It was a so-so outing, and one in which he was in essence on a pitch count. Shepherd’s line: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

Trey Mancini gave the Orioles the lead in the first inning with a two-run homer in the last of the first. It was Mancini’s 34th home run of the season. It’s undeniable that Mancini’s had such a great year, and it stands to reason to me that he’ll be voted the Most Valuable Oriole for 2019. Just a prediction – obviously you never know.

Toronto bounced right back in the second with a solo homer by Grichuck, that cut the Orioles’ lead in half at 2-1. The issue was that one inning later Biggio smacked a two-run homer which gave Toronto the lead at 3-2.

But once again it was Mancini who brought the Orioles back. His sac fly-RBI in the fifth tied the game at three. Two innings later, Mancini gave them the lead back. His RBI-single in the seventh put the Birds ahead 4-3.

The Orioles brought Shawn Armstrong onto pitch the eighth in a setup role. He recorded a quick out, before allowing Biggio aboard with a double. However that didn’t immediately indicate doom for Armstrong and the Orioles, as Armstrong’s pitched out of numerous jams since joining the Birds. And what happened tonight aside, I think he’s a keeper going into spring training next year.

However Armstrong allowed Biggio to time him in a sense. Biggio timed his timing to home plate, and was able to successfully steal third base. He later scored on Gurriel’s sac fly-RBI. And the game was tied.

Those are the types of things that the Orioles need to work on. As close as most games are (they had a one-run lead which was in essence surrendered on that play), that’s the type of thing that can make a huge difference. Again this isn’t to say that Armstrong doesn’t have a spot with the Orioles moving forward – because I think he does. It’s just something that he has to work on.

Unfortunately for the O’s, Toronto our four runs up in the ninth inning. Jonathan Villar smacked a solo homer in the last of the ninth, but it was too little too late. The Birds fell to Toronto on this night, 8-5.

The series continues tomorrow at Camden Yards. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Clay Buchholtz. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.