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 helping teams to get well

When Toronto came in to play the Baltimore Orioles this week at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, their offense was struggling. They were of the worst offenses in the league. Then last night Toronto lays it on the Orioles very thick, after a 30 minute rain delay to start the game. Orioles’ fans had to be thinking, “…uh, really?!”

Gabriel Ynoa got the start and took the loss, but in no way did he figure into the route that this game ended up being. Ynoa’s line: 5.0 IP, 7H, 3 R, 0 BB, 1 K. If anything, Ynoa was getting too much of the plate. However he put the Birds in a spot to win the game. Although that sounds strange to say in a game that eventually became a blowout.

Ynoa gave up a solo homer to Biggio in the second, and an RBI-single to Gurriel in the third. The O’s would fight back however, scoring on an RBI-single by Anthony Santander in the last of the third inning. Santander’s really come along since his promotion to the majors, and he’s making the most of the opportunity he’s being given. That’s to his credit.

Santander would tie the game two innings later with another RBI-single. At that point you kind of liked the Orioles’ chances. Things were looking up – for awhile. However in the top of the sixth Gurriel would smack a solo homer, and Toronto would take a 3-2 lead.

And that top of the sixth effectively ended the game. Toronto first chased Ynoa, and then ended up putting seven runs on the board in the inning. As I said, that effectively ended the game. They would tack on three in the seventh, and Chance Sisco would get one back for the Birds in the eighth with a solo homer. But when the smoke cleared, the Orioles fell 12-3.

As I said, Toronto’s offense was struggling when they came into this series. But like many other teams, they seemingly found their stroke against the O’s. Are teams simply figuring out the Orioles’ pitch sequences? (Basically, are Oriole pitchers too predictable?)

It’s really tough to say. There are a lot of factors as to why even the worst offenses seem to succeed against the Birds. But one way or the other, it’s something that the Hyde’s and Elias’ of the world need to figure out. That is if the O’s are going to improve on last year’s win total.

The O’s will now open a three-game series with Boston at Camden Yards. The Birds are yet to name a starter, but whomever he is will be opposed by Boston’s Eduardo Rodriguez. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles’ comeback falls short

David Hess pitched a good game for the Baltimore Orioles – through four innings. Hess started to lose it a bit in the fifth, mainly due to a high pitch count. And that short spell is ultimately what did the Birds in last night. Hess’ line: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 BB, 3 K.

The Orioles took a 1-0 lead in the last of the fourth when Trey Mancini smacked a solo homer. However Toronto’s big push came in the fifth, as I said above. Hess loaded the bases with nobody out. To Hess’ credit, he induced a ground ball with Gurriel at the plate. While with nobody out that would have yielded a run, it also should have given the Orioles two outs – something they would have taken in theory…

…but that’s not what happened. Gurriel hit the ball just perfectly so that while they only got one run because the Orioles kept it in the infield, it went as an infield hit. So Toronto pushed a run across and kept the bases loaded with nobody out.

After Hess exited the game Miguel Castro uncorked a wild pitch, allowing a run to score and giving Toronto a 2-1 lead. Toronto would re-load the bases, and Tellez’s grand slam would break the game wide open. The Orioles trailed 6-1.

Toronto would also put two additional runs on the board, this while the Orioles were trying to come back. The Birds also netted a run on a wild pitch, however they pulled themselves closer in the last of the eighth on Chance Sisco‘s two-RBI double.

The Birds would later push across two additional runs, but the comeback attempt stalled. To their credit, the Orioles didn’t quit. It would have been easy to go into auto-pilot being down big after the grand slam. But they kept fighting, which shows their character as a team.z

Character isn’t winning the Orioles any games – for now. However it shows that this team has some spunk. And once they get stronger, down the road, that quality will help them to win games. Play until the last out…it’s something we’ve heard before.

The series concludes this evening at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Gabriel Ynoa gets the call for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Marcus Stroman. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Resilient Birds hang on to beat Toronto

Baltimore Orioles fans seemed to almost be waiting for the shoe to drop in tonight’s gAme against Toronto. Starter John Means May have given up a first inning home run (to the game’s first hitter), but he ended up putting the O’s in a spot to win the game. And that’s the goal for any starting pitcher. Means’ line: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 7 K.

Means had a semi-tough first inning, giving up a solo homer to Sogard, and ultimately throwing 30 pitches. However that merely affected Means’ ability to pitch deep into the game. The Orioles’ pen was fairly rested after limited use on Sunday, and a day off yesterday.

However the fact is that Means pitched out of it. And instead of hanging his head, he got stronger. As did the rest of the team.

The Birds evened things up in the last of the third on Trey Mancini‘s RBI-double. Later in the inning Chance Sisco‘s bloop RBI-double down the left field line gave the O’s the lead. One inning later they extended the lead to 3-1 on yet another RBI-double, this one by Anthony Santander.

The O’s couldn’t push any further runs across until later, however Toronto did make a push late in the game. Grichuk sent a bloop towards shallow right field with two outs and a runner on first. By virtue of the fact that there were two outs, the runner was able to score and cut the Orioles’ lead to 3-2.

That was a moment in the game when the O’s could have become unglued. But they didn’t. They stood pat and actually got stronger in a sense by extending their lead. Jonathan Villar‘s RBI-double extended the lead to 4-2.

And I think that’s important. Often times it’s been a small thing such as a late run that’s set the Orioles off, and the opponent has been able to come back. Not tonight. The Birds and their ‘pen closed the door, and the Orioles ended up with a win in game one of three against Toronto.

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. David Hess gets the call for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Edwin Jackson. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Six-game home stand opens tonight

After a day off yesterday the Baltimore Orioles open a six-game home stand this evening as they welcome in Toronto. One thing I do find curious is the fact that the O’s had a day off yesterday following their flight home from Houston. Following this home stand they won’t get a day off between series’ and they’ll go from Baltimore to Oakland on Sunday night.

The home stand ends on Sunday afternoon with the series finale against Boston, after which the O’s will get on their team charter and head to Oakland. They’ll be on the west coast for seven games – three in Oakland and four in Seattle. With no days off, even one for traveling.

The Orioles will however get a day off following that road swing before starting another home stand with the San Diego Padres. Making a major league schedule for every team in the league is no easy task. But that’s something that the league needs to take into account – days off when you’re going cross-country, that is.

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

Baltimore Orioles trade for triple-A pitcher Tom Eshelman

The Baltimore Orioles completed a trade this morning a the triple-A level. They sent international bonus slot money to Philadelphia in exchange for pitcher Tom Eshelman. The Norfolk Tides may be in some need of additional pitching if and when guys start getting promoted to the big leagues.

Over five years in the minors at various levels, Eshelman has a win percentage of .576 and a 3.06 ERA. I suppose my question is whether or not this is a fore shock of sorts for other moves. I might be wrong (and Lord knows I have been before), however Eshelman doesn’t seem to be a candidate to come to the big leagues anytime soon. It seems like more of a move for depth at the minor league level.

Eshelman was actually drafted by the Houston Astros organization, of which GM Mike Elias was also a member as the Asst. GM. So the Front Office is familiar with Eshelman and what he brings to the table. I’m not sure this is a move that will impact the Orioles directly anytime soon, but nevertheless Tom Eshelman is now a member of the Orioles organization.

Baltimore Orioles: Letting your opponent off the hook makes for losses

There are exceptions to every rule, however playing the Baltimore Orioles can often mean you won’t be held accountable for your mistakes. Even a contender like Houston will err in a game, but this afternoon that was allowed to slide. And it’s been allowed to slide for many Oriole opponents this year. Starter Dylan Bundy put the Birds in a position to win by throwing a quality start, however it was for naught. Bundy’s line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 1 K.

Bundy kept Houston off the board for three innings. So you figure that as can happen it was the second time through the order and onward that they figured out Bundy. And as has been the case for the Orioles often this year, the rally started innocently enough – with a two-out single.

That brought Houston’s Alvarez to the plate, in what was his second big league at-bat (in his first big league game). And true to form in terms of how things have gone for the Orioles this year, Alvarez smacked his first big league hit and homer all in one fatal swoop. That gave Houston a 2-0 lead…which in theory would have been all they would have needed.

Two innings later in the last of the third Reddick poked an RBI-single that extended Houston’s lead to 3-0. But that was also indicative of what has to be frustrating the Orioles this year. Opponents are literally finding ways to score – no questions asked. That Reddick RBI-single was a softly hit bloop – very softly hit. The Oriole outfield happened to be back, which is why that softly-hit ball fell in for a hit.

And here’s the thing folks; you can’t control your hitting to that degree. By that, I mean you can’t really do anything to induce a bloop. You can’t swing lighter or anything along those lines. It has to hit the bat at just the right angle and in just the right manner – in short, it just happens. And it happens a lot to the Orioles.

The big part of this game however was the top of the seventh. The Orioles had the bases loaded with nobody out. Granted Houston had to change pitchers, but they allowed them off the hook. You have to recognize that they aren’t taking pity on teams when that happens. They’re trying to hold teams accountable for their mistakes. But for the most part it just isn’t happening.

And that’s one of the big contrasts between this Orioles team right now and their opponents. Other teams are getting far off of bloop singles, dropped balls, errors, etc. (Some of that the Orioles can control, but not all of it – such as the bloop singles.) One way or the other, teams are holding the Orioles accountable both for their in-game mistakes and for the things which go on in games over which they have no control – but are still to their detriment.

Yet the O’s aren’t doing the same. As I said above, they aren’t letting teams off the hook out of the goodness of their hearts. They’re trying to win games. This is all part of rebuilding, which is a process about which the Orioles have been very up front in that it’s painful to watch. But if they’re going to move on in that process, they’re going to have to learn how to hold teams accountable regularly.

Houston would tack on an insurance run in the eighth before closing the Birds out. The Orioles now head back to Baltimore for a day off tomorrow before welcoming Toronto in on Tuesday night.

Baltimore Orioles: Anthony Santander’s catch May have saved a win

Andrew Cashner got to return to his home state this afternoon as a starting pitcher, and helped the Baltimore Orioles to make Houston pay. Cashner was fortunate enough to get himself a lead, and then allowed the team to put that lead on his shoulders. Cashner’s line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K.

The Orioles and Houston played to a 0-0 tie through five innings. After an extra-innings game last night, things seemed to be going towards that same direction today – again, through five innings. However in the 6th Renato Nunez put the Birds on the board with a solo homer.

However Cashner had some help in preserving the lead. And some big time help at that. With one out in the last of the sixth Gurriel sent a deep shot to right field. Houston already had two runners on base, and it appeared that the ball was headed for the right field grandstand (which would have given Houston a 3-1 lead). However Orioles’ right fielder Anthony Santander climbed the wall in right to bring the ball back in play. Santander then proceeded to double the runner off of first (while the runner from third tagged up and scored, tying the game).

While Houston was able to tie the game, that’s all they were able to do. Santander flat out saved a home run in that instance, and he ended the inning. And he may have saved the game. It’s also worth mentioning…Santander is only on the roster right now because of the Orioles’ injuries. Interesting twist.

The Birds would then re-take the lead in the 8th on an E6. For good measure, Richie Martin would smack a two-run homer in the ninth, giving the O’s a 4-1 lead and a 4-1 victory. There are a lot of aspects of any win or loss – it’s rarely because of one person or one play. However that Santander catch was as good a play as you’re going to see. While the O’s still had to go out and win the game by re-taking the lead, that play just stands out. It was as good and as clutch of a play as you’re going to see.

The series concludes tomorrow at Minute Maid Park. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Houston’s Wade Miley (former Orioles). Game time is set for just after 2 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Gabriel Ynoa tosses a quality start in loss

Baltimore Orioles’ starter Gabriel Ynoa there a quality start last night in Houston. Of course the problem is that the Birds dropped the game to the Houston Astros. However that’s keep in mind that Houston’s an established winner, and the Orioles are trying to become that. The O’s are also at limited strength with the injuries they sustained this past week in Dallas. Ynoa’s line: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 2 K.

The Orioles gave Ynoa a lead before he even stepped on the field. They loaded the bases in the top of the first, and netted two runs on Rio Ruiz‘s two-RBI single. Two innings later in the third Chance Sisco‘s solo homer ran the lead to 3-0.

It was shaping up to be a good night for the Birds with Ynoa dealing and a three-run lead. However in the fifth Ynoa made two bad pitches. One came to Reddick, resulting in a solo homer. The other came to Kemp, resulting in a two-run shot.

Other than that, Ynoa pitches a great game. He certainly did his job as a starter, which is to put the team in a spot to win the game. He’s also been a pleasant surprise since coming up from the minors. We saw Ynoa a bit last year, and with lackluster results. But he’s put in a lot of work since then, and he’s spent a lot of time with the new Orioles’ regime’s coaches. He looks like a totally different pitcher.

The game went into extra innings, and Houston won on a walk off RBI-double by Chirinos in the 11th. There was a close play at the plate, and the runner was called safe at the plate. The call was also upheld on review. The play itself set off a wild celebration by the Houston players, and the upholding of the play meant another wild celebration – almost as if they won the game twice. Interesting reaction for a team that’s won a World Series very recently, and who had to go to extra innings to beat a team with the record that the Orioles have.

The series continues this afternoon at Minute Maid Park. Andrew Cashner gets the call for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Houston’s Framber Valdez. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Dwight Smith Jr joins walking wounded in loss

The Baltimore Orioles left Texas last night with a roster full of injured players. It’s almost unbelievable how many players were injured in this series. Short of the players not hustling, nothing could be done to prevent the injuries. As for the game David Hess did all he could to put the Orioles on a spot to win the game. But with so many players out, it was tough. Hess’ line: 6.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R (3 earned), 1 BB, 2 K.

Trey Mancini gave the O’s the lead early with a solo homer in the first inning. However one inning later Pence tied it with a solo shot of his own. Guzman’s RBI-single later in the inning gave Texas a 2-1 lead. Then in the middle of the fourth, we had a 13-minute rain delay. For what amounted to a cloud burst over the ballpark. That happens in Texas.

Stevie Wilkerson‘s RBI-single in the fifth would briefly tie the game at two. However Texas took the lead right back in the sixth. They got an RBI-single from DeShields, who took third on a Chris Davis error in right field. He would later score on Santana’s sac fly-RBI.

Davis of course was playing right field because Trey Mancini was DHing…because he was also nic’d up a bit. And it goes on. Davis would get a run back for the O’s with a sixth-inning RBI-double, however it was too little too late to salvage the game and the O’s dropped the series finale 4-3.

The Orioles also lost Dwight Smith Jr. for awhile as he crashed into the wall in left field running down a ball. He did make the out (the final out in the fourth inning), but he hit hard. If there’s one thing the O’s didn’t need in this game it was someone else sustaining an injury. Smith is in concussion protocol, and he also banged up his shoulder. It’s unclear if he’ll have to go to the IL, however odds are we won’t see him for awhile.

So that’s four players who were injured in this series. Five if you count Mancini, who was still able to act as the DH. The Orioles May end up having to send Smith or others to the IL just to open up roster spots to guys who could actually play. So today could be a busy day for the Orioles on the roster front.

The Birds now head to Houston for a three-game series at Minute Maid Park. Gabriel Ynoa gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Houston’s Gerrit Cole. Game time is set for just after 8 PM.

Baltimore Orioles fall in extras as injuries mount

If it was possible to play a game starkly opposite to the previous one, the Baltimore Orioles found a way to do it in Texas last night. Whereas Tuesday’s game was a shootout, the Birds last night found themselves in a pitcher’s duel behind starter John Means, who pitched a great game. Means’ line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

Means gave up an RBI-double to Andrus in the first inning – and that was it. Both sides has multiple shots at scoring more runs. The Orioles left a small army on base. They didn’t have any problems getting guys on. It was getting them in where they struggled.

The Birds appeared poised to drop this game 1-0. However Richie Martin smacked a solo homer in the ninth inning to tie the game. For once it was the O’s hunting someone in the waning seconds of a game and coming back on someone late. The game stretched to the 12th inning, where Texas won it on DeShields’ was off RBI-single. Someone had to win, and it wasn’t the Orioles’ day.

But that last line is intended in more than one manner. The Orioles sustained multiple injuries in this game, exhausting their bench and making one wonder what will happen going into tonight’s game and beyond. Things could get dicey.

Catcher Pedro Severino left the game in the first inning after being clunked on the head with a foul ball. Home plate umpire Brian O’Nora noticed something was off with Severino, and called for the Orioles’ trainers. Later on we received word that Severino didn’t have a concussion.

DJ Stewart left the game with what was later called a sprained knee after crashing into the brick facade at Globe Life Park. It’s a shame because Stewart had finally gotten a hit after being in a mini-slump since coming up. The last thing he needs is to be on the IL. Jonathan Villar also left the game after apparently straining his left thumb.

All three of these players could well avoid the IL. However where does that leave the Orioles tonight and heading into the weekend in Houston? They completed the game without a bench player left to spare. It wouldn’t shock me to see at least one guy on the IL today, just because the Orioles need a bench going into these games.

The series in Dallas concludes this evening at Globe Life Park. David Hess gets the call for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Texas’ Ariel Jurado. Game time is set for just after 8 PM.