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: Stevie Wilkerson for the win…!

Jimmy Yacabonis started for the Baltimore Orioles last night, but that’s almost irrelevant. Almost. Yacabonis was in essence the opener. Yacabonis’ line: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R 2 BB, 1 K.

Anaheim took a 1-0 lead on a sac fly-RBI in the second inning. However that runner made it into scoring position by virtue of a wild pitch. Just another example of a small thing that hurt the Orioles in a game. Attention to detail is important.

The teams exchanged runs here and there, but Calhoun’s seventh-inning bases-clearing double gave Anaheim a 4-2 lead. The Al’s closed to within 4-3 on a sac fly-RBI in the eight, and later in the inning Stevie Wilkerson‘s RBI-double tied the game back up at four.

The Orioles thought they had the game won – several times over at that. But Trey Mancini‘s solo homer in the ninth would have been the winning run. If not for Godwin’s solo homer in the last of the ninth tying it at five.

And…we played on. I suppose it was destined that this game would turn into a marathon. I’ve said this before, but once a game goes past the twelfth inning, it goes into the twilight zone. You never want to be a part of a marathon game, but being in the midst of a west coast swing where it’s tough to call up another reliever and so forth…not ideal for the O’s. But you have to play the hand you’re dealt.

Newly-acquired Jace Peterson smacked a two-RBI single in the 15th, and later in the inning Hanser Alberto added an additional run with an RBI-single of his own. A three-run lead in the 15th should be safe – one would think. However to their credit, Anaheim didn’t quit. Even at that late hour. They managed to tie the game back up in the bottom of the inning. And on we played.

But it wasn’t tied for long. Jonathan Villar‘s two-run homer in the 16th gave the Birds a 10-8 lead. But the O’s still had to play the last of the inning. And they were out of pitchers.

Stevie Wilkerson has of course appeared in relief, and he’s been decent at it. Perhaps there’s a method to the madness of having position players pitch here and there, because Wilkerson was ready when called upon. For the record, I wouldn’t have used Wilkerson in that spot. It’s one thing when the game’s out of hand. It’s another when going for a save. I would have used a starter.

But the Orioles called on Wilkerson, and he delivered. He retired Anaheim 1-2-3, and the O’s went home with a 10-8 victory in a six hour plus long game. In doing so, Wilkerson became the first position player to ever record a save. And that’s it for now…on the twilight zone.

The series continues tonight at Angel Stadium. Asher Wojchiekowski gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Anaheim’s Griffin Canning. Game time is set for just after 10 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Is accountability starting to creep up?

You know it’s a slow news day when Jace Peterson returning to the Baltimore Orioles is the headline. But them’s the breaks when the team’s on the west coast sometimes. Peterson of course was with the Orioles all of last year, and now finds himself back with them at the big league level.

Peterson takes the roster spot of Rio Ruiz, who was sent to the minors after yesterday’s game. Ruiz had been hitting .238 on the year. This comes after they opted to keep Anthony Santander, when he in theory could have been sent back to the minors. Since being called up to replace an injured player, Santander had been playing at a frenzied pace. And that pace has continued.

Those are two very different, yet similar situations. During the first half of the year Orioles’ brass said many times that they didn’t want to pull the rug out from anyone prematurely. Basically, they wanted to give guys the utmost opportunity to prove that they belong in the big leagues. This is both fair to the player(s) and the organization. Because the last thing the organization wants is for a guy to walk and then hit it big elsewhere.

But the fact that Ruiz was sent packing and Santander is staying tells you that perhaps some of those opportunities have started to run out. At a certain point, you need to put your best foot forward in terms of winning games TODAY. And by that, I’m talking about the roster itself and the makeup thereof. This as opposed to the effort being put forth. Because I would never question that.

At the beginning of the season I suggested that success would look resemble winning more games than they did last year. So that’s 15 wins for the rest of the season at a bare minimum. Do we think they can do that?

Baltimore Orioles: Anthony Santander stays hot in Birds’ loss

Baltimore Orioles’ all-star starter John Means has a rough outing this afternoon in the series finale in Arizona. Now in fairness the Birds did have the tying run at the plate in the ninth inning. But should of, could of, would’ve in a sense. Means’ line: 3.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 4 K.

The best news out of the game for the Orioles is that Anthony Santander stayed hot. The O’s took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning on his solo homer. Now some folks will point out that Santander’s ball barely cleared the wall in center. However the distance is 413 feet from home plate. That’s all you need to hit it out. Santander got those 413 feet.

Santander’s currently hitting .299, and he’s staying hot. That’s really good news for the O’s. Now they’re starting to see what they have as an organization, and while the early returns may not have been great, things are looking up.

However the last of that fourth inning brought tough times for Means. He walked a batter and surrendered a base hit. He then proceeded to give up a three-run homer to Kelly, giving Arizona a 3-1 lead.

The O’s would get a sixth inning solo homer from Trey Mancini, who’s also remaining hot at the plate after breaking out of a slump last weekend. We’re starting to see the Orioles having the ability to put runs on the board, which is a good sign.

However Arizona tacked on two insurance runs, including a bases-loaded walk in the last of the seventh. The O’s would put the first two runners on base in the ninth, bringing the tying run to the plate. However following a pitching change, Arizona would record three quick outs and take the finale. The O’s dropped two-of-three in Arizona, however we did in fact see some promising signs.

The O’s now head to Angel Stadium in Anaheim for a four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels. Tom Eshelman gets the start for the O’s, and Anaheim is still yet to announce a starter. Game time is set for just after 10 PM tomorrow night.

Baltimore Orioles’ bats alive, Dylan Bundy solid in desert win

The Baltimore Orioles got a solid start out of Dylan Bundy last night in Arizona. This was Bundy’s first start since coming off the IL after having tendinitis. However Bundy was solid in his first start back on the roster, and given that it begins and ends with starting pitching, his outing helped propel the Orioles to victory. Bundy’s line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 5 K.

The Orioles took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a solo homer by Renato Nunez in the top of the second. Nunez has very quietly had a great year at the plate. That was his 24th home run of the season. He’s been given an opportunity not afforded to many in terms of playing consistently at the big league level. And to his credit, he’s taken full advantage.

The Birds would extend their lead to 3-0 later in that second inning after a two-run homer by Anthony Santander. And he’s another guy who’s really maximizing his potential in the opportunity he’s being given. This is almost a fun part of rebuilding in a way. Because part of the process is that eventually a couple of guys grasp the fact that it’s really up to them whether or not they make it in the majors. Santander and Renato Nunez are really grabbing the bull by the horns and making it nary impossible for the Orioles to not play them. And that’s a good sign.

Arizona would get to within 3-2 in the last of the second after a two-RBI single by Kelly. But that was merely a blip in the radar in a sense. Nunez added an RBI-single in the third which extended the lead to 4-2. That was only one run, but it’s a good sign. The Orioles weren’t phased by Arizona’s two runs. That was a moment when they could have just resigned themselves to the fact that Arizona was fighting back. But instead of folding up, they counterattacked further.

Later in the third inning, Dwight Smith smacked a three-run homer to extend the lead to 7-2. Again, it begins and ends with starting pitching. But a great amount of it is also the bullpen. Bundy went the aforementioned six innings, while the Orioles’ pen pitched three. Between Bundy and the bullpen, Oriole pitching threw seven shutout innings to close out the game. And with a win at that.

The series in Arizona concludes this afternoon at a Chase Field. John Means gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Arizona’s Taylor Clarke. Game time is set for just after 3:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Birds fall in the desert

Baltimore Orioles’ starter Aaron Brooks was unable to play off of the momentum the O’s had from the day before last night in Arizona. It begins and ends with starting pitching, and Brooks seemed on the ropes from the beginning. Brooks’ line: 3.2 IP, 9 H, 6 R (5 earned), 1 BB, 1 K.

Arizona got at it early and often. Escobar’s RBI-triple in the first inning gave them a 1-0 lead. That was followed up by an RBI-single by Walker (a former Oriole). Ahmed would add an RBI-single of his own.

And before the crowd had even settled in the desert, the O’s were in a 3-0 hole. However they were able to push a run across in the second. Richie Martin smacked an RBI-single, cutting the lead to 3-1. However the Orioles were unable to rally past that one run at that point.

Arizona would tack on two runs in the third, and former Oriole Adam Jones added an RBI-is game in the fourth. It was strange seeing Jones line up against the Orioles, but that’s the situation in which we find ourselves. Obviously it’s not a situation that’s uncommon across sports, but it still looked and felt strange.

But one thing that the new Orioles seemed ready to show Jones and company was that they still had a few power sources at their disposal. Hanser Alberto and Renato Nunez each added fifth inning solo home runs. However unfortunately for the Birds, the Arizona bullpen kept them off the board for the rest of the way. It begins and ends with starting pitching. But the bullpen is important. That goes without saying.

Again, this game shows you the importance of said starting pitching. This isn’t to say that Brooks has no future with the Orioles. However it didn’t work out well last night. And obviously that set the tone for the game.

The series continues tonight at Chase Field. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Arizona’s Merrill Kelly. Game time is set for just after 9:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Old Friends

The Baltimore Orioles will be in Phoenix this evening opening up a three-game set with the Arizona Diamondbacks. And patrolling right field for Arizona is a familiar face: Adam Jones. I don’t need to tell you about Jones, as he was the face of the Orioles for ten years. Needless to say, he meant more to the Orioles and the city of Baltimore perhaps more than any player since Cal.

So it’ll certainly be odd to see him facing the Orioles tonight. However this happens all the time – it’s part of sports. What’s interesting to me is that there isn’t really much fanfare involved in the Birds facing their former star. Why is that?

First off this series is at Chase Field in Phoenix as opposed to Oriole Park at Camden Yards. When Manny Machado (who the Orioles will also see in San Diego as part of this trip) faced the Orioles last month, it was a much bigger deal because the games were in Baltimore. If these games were going to be in Baltimore, I think there would be a much bigger deal being made. Players changing teams after years and years of being with one team and then returning to their former home stadiums is a huge deal.

However it’s also worth mentioning that the Orioles team that heads into Chase Field tonight to face Jones and Arizona is vastly different from the Orioles teams of which Jones was a part. There’s no Machado, Markakis, Wieters, Hardy, etc. Now having said that, Chris Davis and Trey Mancini both played with Jones, so those are familiar faces.

However that aside, this is a totally different team than what Jones knew. It’s also a different coaching staff. One has to believe that regardless of the fact that he now plays for Arizona, it’s going to be strange for Jones to see the Oriole uniforms on the field, and then look in their dugout and not see the venerable figure of Buck Showalter pacing around. Things do change; that doesn’t mean it doesn’t look strange when they do.

I wrote last September about Jones and Showalter, as their time with the Orioles was wrapping up. That was a very reflective day for the Orioles (the last game of the 2018 season), as I chronicled here. And as I said in my game recap following that final game in 2018, it was a day that was tough for a lot of people – myself included. But in a beautiful way.

Before referencing it above, I went back and read the game recap from that final game, in which I described how Buck Showalter lifted Jones in the top of the ninth so the fans could pay homage. I also said that both Jones and Showalter were a part of the larger “Baltimore story.” And I stand by that. They’ll be a part of it forever.

But for the first part of this week, the O’s will have to face Jones as an opponent. He’s hitting .262 on the year, with 13 homers. Should be a fun series.

Baltimore Orioles: Asher Wojciechowski makes no-hit bid in win

Asher Wojchiekowski turner in perhaps the best pitching performance for the Baltimore Orioles this year. Wojchiekowski took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning before Boston finally got their first hit of the game this afternoon, this under sweltering conditions at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Wojciechowski’s line: 7.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 10 K.

Despite the heat and despite Boston’s outstanding lineup, Wojciechowski thrived on this Sunday afternoon. In fact, Orioles’ pitching as a whole thrived. The lone seventh inning hit surrendered by Wojchiekowski was the only hit the O’s gave up all game. When Brandon Hyde went out to get him (Wojciechowski), he applauded along with the fans.

And the best news is that Oriole bats didn’t waste the effort by the pitching staff. Trey Mancini smacked a solo homer in the first inning, and the Birds were off to the races. One inning later Chris Davis‘ RBI-double gave the O’s a 2-0 lead.

Davis was starting to get on base more frequently as the all-star break hit. He struggled a bit after the break, but is now slowly working his average up again. Is it possible that Davis could have a semi-respectable second half? What would that look like, and how could it positively impact the O’s?

Mancini came around again in the order in the third, and smacked his second home run of the game. This one of the two-run variety. That put the Birds up 4-0, a lead that got an insurance run when Jonathan Villar hit a solo homer in the eighth.

And it’s a good thing they did. Boston put Betts on base in the ninth inning against Mychal Givens, who felt that the strike zone suddenly got smaller in the ninth. In a situation as such (up five or more runs in the ninth), teams generally don’t hold runners on base. The idea of course being that a team isn’t going to attempt to steal down that much that late.

However Betts decided to steal second base. Given that Givens and the Orioles weren’t ready for that, he took second base. That put the O’s on notice that Boston wasn’t looking to go quietly into the night – unwritten codes be damned. How it looks scrimping and fighting for getting one run into scoring position down that many in the last inning is another story. But they made the Orioles work to get out of the inning and get the win. And they did.

The Birds now head to Arizona for a three-game interleague set against former Oriole Adam Jones. Aaron Brooks gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Arizona’s Robbie Ray. Game time is set for just after 9:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Missing the eye of the tiger?

The Baltimore Orioles were unable to continue their modest two-game winning streak this evening behind starter Tom Eshelman. Boston best him, and all who came in behind him around big time. Eshelman’s line: 3.2 IP, 6 H, 9 R (5 earned), 3 BB, 3 K.

Boston took a 5-0 lead in the second and third on a sequence that included homers by Bradley and Devers. However the good news is that the Orioles battled back. Trey Mancini smacked an RBI-double in the last of the third which got the Orioles on the board and cut Boston’s lead to 5-1. Mancini would later score on Renato Nunez‘s three-run homer.

For at least awhile, it appeared that the Birds might not look back. Chris Davis would tie the score up at five later in that third inning with an RBI-single. But then the top of the fourth came about. Boston our eight runs on the board in total, effectively ending the competitive part of the game. When the smoke cleared after that fourth inning, the Orioles trailed 13-5.

Boston would like three more runs on in the fifth, and Anthony Santander and Boston’s Leon would add solo homers as well which ran the score (and the final) to 17-6. However something which occurred in that fifth inning showed one of the differences between Boston and the Orioles. The question is whether or not it’s something about which to be concerned.

Bogaerts hit what appeared to be a sac fly-RBI. However replays showed that Anthony Santander might have trapped the ball in center field. Boston questioned the call, and it was changed. Brandon Hyde tried to plead with the umpire that they couldn’t just huddle up and decide to change the call on the field / they had to review it. However the call was changed, and Hyde then had to burn a challenge, which he lost.

My personal opinion was that it was semi-inappropriate (with respect to the game’s unwritten codes) for Boston to question that with such a big lead. Never mind the fact that in reality it should have been Boston using a challenge. One inning later, the Orioles led off the inning with a HBP of Hernandez. However replays clearly showed that the ball hit the knob of the bat.

The Orioles of course couldn’t challenge that given the fact that they had already lost a challenge. However Hyde could have asked the umpires to look at the play on their own accord. Managers do that all the time, and it seems that more often than not the umpires agree to do it.

However again, it seems that the score dictated that one wouldn’t do that. Is it really worth it in a situation when the game’s already out of hand? Is that the look that teams want? Scrimping for base runners that in essence are meaningless given the score?

However this may well illustrate something. Boston flat out didn’t care about how they came across l, or what was appropriate given the score. They saw that base runner as a potential run. And they want to get all the runs they can, all other things be damned.

So…do the Orioles not have the eye of the tiger? Plenty of people tell me that, and they would probably look at this scenario as an illustration of their point. That same group would point at the fact that Boston seemed to come out of the gate ticked off tonight. And if anything, the fact that the Orioles tied the game ticked them off even worse. Never minding of course the fact that the O’s came back.

The series and the home stand conclude tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards. Asher Wojchiekowski gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by former Oriole Andrew Cashner. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles take game one against the defending champs

The past couple of days have been perhaps the best stretch of the season to date for the Baltimore Orioles. They beat Washington by a large margin, and after an off day they did the same to Boston last night. John Means got the start, and he showed the defending champions why he was selected for the all-star team. Means’ line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 K.

The O’s took the lead in the last of the first, and never looked back. Anthony Santander‘s three-run homer gave the Birds a 3-0 lead. Boston tried to battle back in the second with a two-run shot by Travis. But it wasn’t their day.

The last of the second brought what initially appeared to be an inside-the-park home run by Richie Martin. However the official scorer ruled that the Boston fielder bobbling the ball was an error. So it was ruled a triple and an error, however the point is still the same. Martin hustled around the bases, and that speed netted the O’s a run – homer or error withstanding.

And the Orioles never really looked back, and they kept adding onto the score. Keon Broxton‘s two-run homer in the fourth added to the Orioles’ lead at 6-2. One inning later Stevie Wilkerson would add a sac-fly RBI, and Richie Martin an RBI-ground our. And the rout was on.

The Orioles would tack on three more runs in the later innings, running the final to 11-2. I can’t stress enough that this was one game. And games like these whereby the score got out of hand are always anomalies in a sense.

However it’s a good win against a quality team for sure . And one on which the Orioles can and will certainly hang their hat. But you’re only as good as your next day’s starter. So in other words, you have to move onto the next game. Boston most certainly will, and hopefully the Orioles can as well.

The series continues tonight at Camden Yards. Tom Eshelman gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Rick Porcello. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: BoSox come to town

In a way you have to tip your cap to the Baltimore Orioles’ pitching staff. They held Washington to two runs on Wednesday night, and Washington proceeded to put up 13 in Atlanta last night. But I digress. Speaking of divisional series’, the Boston Red Sox come into Oriole Park at Camden Yards tonight for a three-game set.

On paper this series has the potential to be ugly for the home standing Birds. However we’ve seen what they’re capable of doing if their pitching shows up. Not to mention if their hitting isn’t streaky. Series’ against Boston are always tough and challenging. But they also serve as a measuring stick. If the O’s can measure up well over the course of the series, it’ll tell us something.

And by measure up well, I don’t necessarily mean winning games. One would hope that it might include a win or two, however in effect I’m saying that measure up well means not getting bludgeoned. Such is the life of a rebuilding franchise.

The series begins tonight at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. John Means gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s David Price. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.