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 finding bugaboo in fundamentals

Aaron Brooks got the start for the Baltimore Orioles last night, and with mixed results at that. He wasn’t good, but certainly not horrible. But the Birds fins themselves in a situation where they want guys to step up and take a spot in the rotation. I wouldn’t say Brooks did that last night, or since he’s been here – to this point. Brooks’ line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 4 K.

Brooks threw 30 pitches in the first inning, but rebounded in the second and threw only ten. Guerrero’s RBI-single have Toronto a 1-0 lead. Jace Peterson tried to throw the runner out at home plate from left field. There was never going to be a play at the plate, yet he threw home anyways, allowing Guerrero to go to second base. He would later score on Galvis’ RBI-single.

It’s small fundamentals as such which have plagued the O’s for some time. This isn’t to say that they should immediately surrender runs when hits come with runners on base. But fielder’s have to evaluate the situation; in that particular case, Peterson had no chance to throw the runner out. So by trying to do so and allowing another runner to get into scoring position, he assisted in netting the opponent an additional run. Good intentions for sure, but those are things that you have to get right in games.

Toronto would net fourth and sixth inning solo homers by Galvis and Drury respectively. However in the seventh Chris Davis brought the O’s to within two with a two-run homer. However that’s as close as they got. Fisher added an RBI-single in the ninth for Toronto, who went into win the game 5-2.

If you remove that second first inning run (which came on the heels of Peterson trying to nail the runner at home plate), the Orioles still lose by two – all things being the same. But as I said above, small fundamentals like that do make a difference in games. Maybe it this game per se. However had this been a one-run game…you get the point. And opposing teams have seemingly never been in the mood to let the Orioles off the hook when they make lapses like that.

The series continues this evening at Camden Yards. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Thomas Pannone. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Trey Mancini hits career high in homers in loss

The Baltimore Orioles returned home last night following a long west coast swing. In doing so, they ran into a buzz saw called the Toronto Blue Jays. As it turned out, Asher Wojchiekowski was plagued by a sore hip throughout his outing. The O’s said after the game that he’s expected to be fine. Wojciechowski’s line: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 5 K.

Wojchiekowski gave up a two-run homer to Guerrero in the third, an RBI-single to Bichette in the fourth, and a solo homer to Grichuk in the fifth. Wojchiekowski wasn’t on point last night (with the sore hip being duly noted), however Toronto also ended the night with five home runs and eleven runs total. Regardless of who the Orioles trotted out there, Toronto hitters were smacking around.

Jonathan Villar got the Orioles on the board in the last of the fifth with a fielder’s choice-RBI. But the aforementioned Bichette and Guerrero hit the Orioles hard all night. Something about the sons of famous Dad’s that wasn’t sitting right with the Orioles last night. Guerrero also homered in the eighth, giving him two on the night.

Trey Mancini also smacked a solo homer in the last of the eighth for the Birds, giving him 25 on the season. That’s a new career high for Mancini, who’s progression as a hitter has been upwards since making his debut. And that’s good news for the Orioles.

Mancini of course was the subject of a few muted trade rumors as the deadline approached, but he’s still an Oriole. And he’s said that he’s happy about that. So are the Orioles.

I’ve said on numerous occasions that trading Mancini would be a huge mistake for the Orioles. He’s the type of player around whom you want to build. Now on the flip side he would probably net the most return in terms of players. But you have to look past that.

It’s short-sighted to suggest that simply because Mancini’s been a part of two consecutive last place finishes (assuming that’s the eventual case this year) the O’s should ship him out. His numbers speak for themselves. You want to keep a guy like him. On top of that, he seems to like playing in Baltimore and he seems to like the organization. He’s a keeper.

The series with Toronto continues tonight at Camden Yards. Aaron Brooks gets the start for the O’s, and Toronto is yet to announce a starter. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles stand pat at the deadline

The Baltimore Orioles in essence made no moves yesterday at the 4:00 PM EST trading deadline. They sent pitcher Dan Straily to the Philadelphia Phillies for cash considerations. That’s considered a minor league move, so again nothing major. As I alluded, the Orioles pretty much stood pat.

There were multiple deals on the table involving multiple players, however the Birds neglected to take any of them. Which tells you that the return package wasn’t sufficient for Elias and company. Even teams in the Orioles’ situation aren’t going to just give players away. That isn’t how it works.

In the wake of their successful road trip, the O’s will tonight open up a four-game set at Camden Yards against Toronto. The Birds are yet to announce a starter, whereas Toronto will start Trent Thornton. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles bead home winners on the bat of Chris Davis

The Baltimore Orioles’ west coast road trip was already a success before yesterday’s game. Now some might disagree, but the fact that they hadn’t embarrassed themselves and looked good in numerous wins was a good sign. But as Tom Eshelman opened for the Birds yesterday, there was a yearn to make a decent west coast swing a good one. Eshelman’s line: 4.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

Eshelman surrendered four runs early to San Diego, putting the Birds in an early hole. But as suddenly as San Diego had struck, the tide turned and the Orioles began to strike back. Jace Peterson‘s RBI-single in the fourth inning got the O’s on the board, cutting the San Diego lead to 4-1. However later in the inning Richie Martin added a two-RBI single, which cut the lead to 4-3.

Martin’s two-RBI single was a key turning point. There’s a big difference between holding a three-run lead and a one-run lead. However San Diego would get a run back one inning later on an infield RBI-single, which the Orioles challenged at first base. However while it appeared that the runner could have been out, the ruling was that there wasn’t enough evidence to overturn the ruling on the field.

However two innings later Hanser Alberto tied it with a two-RBI single. Incidentally, that came with two runners in scoring position. That’s known as a clutch hit.

And it didn’t end there. The game was tied, and one inning later in the eighth Chris Davis was coming to the plate. Now there was a time when that would have struck fear into opposing pitchers. Those days are past. Davis has been 0-for-3 with three strikeouts to that point. Which is why San Diego opted to pitch-to-contact on Davis.

But Davis is still good enough to hit the ball out of the ballpark if he does get a pitch and he’s able to get a hold of it. And that.’a exactly what he did on a hanging slider, and he muscled it out of the ballpark. Again, we call that a clutch hit given the fact that the game was tied, and it was in a late inning.

Trey Mancini added a two-RBI single later in the inning, and the O’s closed out an 8-5 victory in San Diego. They completed their nine-game west coast swing at five wins and four losses. For a team that’s supposed to be the worst in baseball, that’s pretty good. And for the record, they aren’t the worst team in baseball anymore. That distinction now belongs to Detroit. The O’s are moving up in the world!

Baltimore Orioles: David Hess struggles in big league return

The Baltimore Orioles recalled RHP David Hess in advance of last night’s game in San Diego. Unfortunately for the O’s, Hess’ start didn’t exactly go as planned. Hess’ line: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 0 BB, 7 K.

Hess gave up back-to-back homers to Tatis and Reyes, literally on the first two pitches of the game. Not exactly an auspicious beginning. Anthony Santander‘s third inning RBI-single cut the lead to 2-1. Unfortunately for the O’s however, that’s as close as they would get.

Hess would surrender two third inning homers as well. A two-run shot to Hosmer, and a solo home run to Urias. And that ended his night. Hosmer would also add a three-run shot in the seventh to run the final score to 8-1.

Now if there’s anything positive that can be taken away from this start for Hess, it’s his seven strikeouts. Over just under five innings, that’a pretty impressive. However while Hess will take the seven strikeouts as a positive thing, it’s also indicative of the larger problem in this start.

In effect, Hess was getting too much of the strike zone. That’s why the first two hitters smacked homers – the ball was right smack in the middle of the zone. If you’re overpowering people that might be one thing. And in many cases Hess was. You don’t get seven strikeouts without overflowing people here and there.

But in at least four other cases the hitters got to Hess and smacked homers. And this illustrates one of the many reasons why pitching in fact is so challenging. Needless to say, it’s not for the faint of heart. You want to throw strikes. But if you get too much of the strike zone, you’re going to find yourself in trouble more often than not. And that’a what happened to Hess last night.

The short series in San Diego and the Kong west coast swing concludes this afternoon at Petro Park. Tom Eshelman gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by San Diego’s Dinelson Lamet. Game time is set for just after 3:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Any trades involving the Birds?

With the MLB trade deadline this week, the question appears to be whether the Baltimore Orioles will make a move. Reliever Mychal Givens appears to be the biggest trade chip the Orioles currently have. According to numerous sources multiple teams have expressed interest.

The Orioles are willing to move Givens. Heck, I think with a few exceptions they’d move anyone. However they’re not going to give the guy away. So it really boils down to what kind of compensation they’re going to get in return.

One might ask why the Orioles would think they could get for a reliever. And I think that the answer to that is a decent return. While Givens may not net them what they got for relievers last year, keep in mind why a team would be looking to trade for Givens: for the postseason.

Bullpens have turned into an integral part of the game across the board. Heck, you can’t even finish a spring training game if you don’t have bullpen relievers. Much less in the regular season. But the bullpen is much more important in the post season, as starters and all pitchers are on a tighter leash.

Many managers will lift their starters in the third or fourth inning if they aren’t working out. Then it falls to the bullpen. Givens would also be a set up man on a contending team. And that’s tough to find.

So the O’s might well get a couple of prospects for a reliever like Givens. What they do with those prospects remains to be seen.

Baltimore Orioles can’t complete sweep, settle for series win

The Baltimore Orioles will have to settle for simply taking the series in Anaheim this weekend. The Birds took three-of-four, including of course their epic 16 inning win on Thursday night in the series opener. Dylan Bundy wasn’t exactly “on” per se, but he did put the Orioles in a spot to win the game. And that’s all you can ask of a starting pitcher. Bundy’s line: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 3 K.

The O’s actually fell behind early in this one, following Thaiss’ second inning two-run homer. However they soon came to within one at 2-1 when Jonathan Villar smacked an RBI-double in the third. Incidentally, Anaheim starter Pena appeared to leave the game in the second when a blister popped on his throwing hand. However he got some quick treatment on it, and stayed in the game. Anaheim was direly in need of a long outing, so kudos to him.

Villar would later tie the game at two in the fifth inning with an RBI-single. But it was Trey Mancini who got the O’s thinking that they could complete the sweep later in the inning. His two-RBI single gave the Orioles the lead at 4-2.

With how the Orioles had pitched in this series, one might have thought that was a safe lead. But sometimes you just don’t have it on certain days. Bundy surrendered a two-run homer to Pinole in the last of the sixth, tying the game.

The Orioles would eventually fall on a walk off homer by Thaiss in the last of the ninth. Look at it as you wish, but this was an incredibly successful series for the Orioles. Perhaps the best series of the season. They took three-of-four from a team on the west coast, and the one game they dropped wasn’t lost until the last of the ninth inning. On a walk off home run.

This Oriole team grew up this weekend in Anaheim. They’ve been trending well since the beginning of the month, but I really believe that at some point (perhaps next year or the year after) we’ll look back at this series as when they started taking a step forward in the rebuilding process. While they lost today, there’s nary any negative which can be spun out of this series from the Orioles’ standpoint.

The Birds now head off to their last stop on the west coast swing, a two-game set with San Diego at Petco Park. The O’s are yet to announce a starter, and Sam Diego will throw Chris Paddack. Game time is set for just after 10 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Something magic…

The Baltimore Orioles set a record last night – one of the positive sort. They became the first team in major league history the hit multiple homers in ten straight games. That’s right…the team that everyone pens in as the worst team in baseball simply by default. Aaron Brooks got the start, and while he had his struggles he also put the Birds in a spot to win. Brooks’ line: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

The O’s took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning on Pedro Severino‘s two-RBI single. However Anaheim decided to be feisty in this game, and at least gave the Orioles a fight. Trout’s two-run homer in the last of the first level tied the game at two.

One inning later, Anaheim took a 4-2 lead on Fletcher’s two-RBI single. Earlier in the season that might have ended the game in a sense. But the Orioles didn’t back down. Anthony Santander‘s RBI-double in the third brought the O’s back to within one at 4-3. Pedro Severino would later smack a two-run homer, giving the Orioles a 5-4 lead.

The only issue is that there was still some game left to play. Ohtani tied the score at five in the bottom of the inning with a solo home run. The teams traded solo homers (resulting in a six-all tie) in the sixth, with Jonathan Villar connecting for the O’s and Pujols for Anaheim. And it was that Villar homer which set the record. With that home run, the Birds has officially tallied another multi-home run game – their tenth in a row. A new major league record.

However the Orioles wanted a win more than a record. While the record personifies how much better this team has played of late, they wanted to win this game to guarantee a series win. They wanted to go into Sunday with a shot to sweep.

And ultimately, they will. Hanser Alberto‘s two-RBI single in the eighth day inning gave the O’s an 8-6 lead. Fletcher would get Anaheim to within one at 8-7 with an RBI-single in the last of the ninth, however it wouldn’t be enough. The Orioles took the trifecta last night; they won the game, set the record, and won the series.

This team isn’t going to magically find itself in playoff contention come the end of September. However the O’s have taken a positive turn in the month of July. They’ve looked crisper and they’ve won some very intense games in which they would have stood no chance in April or May.

And something struck me in the wake of that 16 inning marathon the other night. In the past we would have used a very specific term to describe what we’re seeing of late. And that term is ORIOLES MAGIC. That’s probably not a term we thought we’d hear in 2019. Maybe it’s not really time for it to re-emerge…yet. But we may very well look back to this time as when the seeds were sewn for the next generation of Orioles Magic.

So let’s put it this way; is something magic happening? No, not yet. Maybe still not for awhile. But something’s happening. And somewhere down the line, that something could turn into something magic happening.

The O’s will go for the sweep this afternoon at Angel Stadium. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Anaheim’s Felix Pena. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Asher Wojchiekowski strong in win

Asher Wojchiekowski turned in his second strong outing in as many last night for the Baltimore Orioles. It was also his second win in as many outings, and the Orioles’ second consecutive win. Wojciechowski’s line: 7.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

The Birds took an early 1-0 lead on a sac fly-RBI by Anthony Santander. And that came in the wake of a hit batsman, a stolen base, and an additional sacrifice to get the runner to third. A true “team run.”

The second inning however effectively ended the game. Or at least the competitive portion thereof. Stevie Wilkerson added to the Orioles’ lead with an RBI-groundout. The aforementioned Santander added a two-RBI single, leaving runners on base. But they were soon brought home by Renato Nunez when he smacked a three-run home run.

That second inning left the O’s with a 7-0 lead. That’s tough to overcome, however the saving grace for Anaheim was that it was early in the game. But the fact is that Wojciechowski and the Orioles’ bullpen wasn’t allowing a comeback on this night. They took the lead and ran with it, despite Anaheim netting two runs on Thaiss’ two-run homer in the last of the fifth.

The teams would swap homers in the ninth as well. Trey Mancini for the Orioles (of the two-run variety), and Upton’s solo homer for Anaheim. But when you’re ahead big and it’s the ninth inning, you don’t sweat a solo homer. The O’s ended up 9-3 winners on this Friday night in Anaheim, their second consecutive win.

Incidentally, the Orioles only used two relievers in the game. Wojciechowski’s strong outing did a huge favor for the tired Orioles’ bullpen, which pitched a 16-inning game on Thursday. Nobody would have blamed the Orioles for losing this game had they done so after Thursday’s marathon. But they took the bull by the horns and went out and won them the game. That type of grit shouldn’t be lost on fans.

The series continues tonight at Angel Stadium. Aaron Brooks gets the start for the O’s, and Anaheim is yet to announce a starter. Game time is set for just after 9 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Were the Birds aided by an incorrect replay call?

The Baltimore Orioles almost lost last night. Granted that almost happened several different times in their 10-8 16-inning victory in Anaheim. But at one point it really appeared that the game was over. But instant replay stepped in.

Anaheim loaded the bases in the last of the 15th with the O’s leading by two. Mike Trout smacked what could have been a bases-clearing double, which would have been a walk off. However the trail runner (from first base) was gunned down at home plate. Dwight Smith dug the ball out of the left field corner, threw it to Jonathan Villar, who relayed it home. Pedro Severino tagged the runner out in a bang-bang play at the plate, and we played on.

However Anaheim challenged the play, saying that the runner was safe. The umpiring crew looked at it for a long time, and manager Brandon Hyde admitted later that he was just holding out hope that they would uphold the call on the field:

The only thing, because they called him out, I was hoping that it would stand. I had no idea.

Quote courtesy of Joe Trezza, mlb.com

Here’s the thing…the umpires in theory got the call wrong. In Theory. The ball didn’t beat the runner to the bag. Severino tagged the runner high, which was the correct thing to do. However the runner appeared to drag his hand across home plate at the exact same moment. And while not an official rule, a tie is supposed to go to the runner.

So should there be an asterisk by this win because of that? Is it tainted? Not really. Because – get this – the umpires were 100% correct in upholding the call on the field. The rule is that in order to overturn a call, there needs to be clear and concise evidence that the call on the field was INCORRECT. But it was a tie – I just said that there was clear and concise evidence that it was a tie, right?

Yes, but notice what I also said above: …while not an official rule, a tie is supposed to go to the runner. Is there clear and concise evidence that there’s a tie? Yes. But is that in and of itself clear and concise evidence that the call itself was incorrect? No.

There’s nothing in the MLB rule book which addresses a tie. You’re either out or safe. Now that’s a rule of thumb that’s been adapted over the years (a tie going to the runner), but as I said above it isn’t an official rule. So by the standards set forth in instant replay, there is evidence of a tie, or evidence of the play being nebulous. But a tie isn’t clear and concise evidence that the call should be reversed. Thus the umpire correctly upheld the call.

Could or should the umpire have called the runner safe from the outself? Maybe, maybe not. If we’re going by tie goes to the runner, then the runner probably should have been called safe. But it was a bang-bang play, and as quickly as the game moves one can understand how the guy made the call that he did. However upholding the call on review was the right thing to do. Because while it’s fashionable to say and believe, a tie doesn’t go to the runner given that in accordance with the MLB rule book there’s no such thing as a tie.