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: Teams and players are getting fat on the O’s

David Hess pitched a solid game for the Baltimore Orioles…through four innings. However he seemed to fall apart after that, allowing ChiSox runs to score off the long ball. And that was a popular motif all night. Hess’ line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 3 K.

I think that the bigger issue right now facing the Orioles as opposed to wins and losses is that teams are in essence getting well on the Birds. Struggling players come away with more confidence after facing the Orioles. That’s not what you want.

Chicago’s Abreu came into tonight’s game five for his previous 26. He had two hits and three RBI tonight against Oriole pitching. All-in-all, Chicago was allowed to bat around twice this evening. How does that happen?

Orioles’ pitchers are getting too much of the plate. Now that works against you two fold. The first way is obvious; if you get too much of the plate too often, big league hitters are going to hit the ball a long way.

However it also works against you because it allows hitters to sit on a fastball. When you do throw a pitch out of the zone, the hitter won’t even flinch. Then you get into having a sense of urgency to throw strikes, so you throw pitches in the zone primed to be hit.

McCann’s three-run homer in the fifth gave Chicago a 3-0 lead this evening. Now in fairness, McCann came in swinging a hot bat. But the O’s couldn’t keep him (or his teammates) off the board. Abreu’s RBI-single later in the inning ran the lead to 4-0.

In the bottom of that fifth inning the Orioles would get on the board. Trey Mancini‘s RBI-double cut the lead to 4-1. However Chicago got another three-run homer in the seventh by Abreu,and they would score on an E6. McCann’s RBI-single later in the inning and Abreu’s two-RBI single in the eighth would close out the scoring for the evening – save for one more two-RBI single in the eighth.

Oriole pitchers simply need to change up their pitches. Now that’s a lot harder to do than it sounds. Reason for that is that Oriole pitchers (both starters and relievers) need to trust their stuff. If you don’t trust your stuff you’re going to make mistakes. So yes, it’s as much mental as it is anything else. The O’s would also get a garbage-time homer from Severino, running the final to 12-2.

Ultimately this is a ChiSox team that was struggling overall coming in. The left the game feeling like they were the ’27 Yankees. That can’t happen moving forward.

It’s also interesting to note that teams are hitting consistently against the Orioles’ shift in games. You play a shift because spray charts indicate that this player favors hitting the ball to such-and-such location. However it seems that often times guys are hitting the ball right to where the players would have been if not for the shift. Basically, teams are hitting them where “they ain’t” on a much more frequent basis than the Orioles are doing that to opponents.

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Andrew Cashner gets the fall for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Ivan Nova. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Are robot umps the solution?

Lots of people were talking about the strike one call in the ninth inning of yesterday’s Baltimore Orioles loss to Minnesota. I wrote about it myself, in fact. Needless to say, it was a horrible call. That should have been ball four, and the game should have been tied.

I think the most frustrating part was that the Orioles had been trying to get that exact pitch location called a strike all day. And Oriole pitchers had been hitting that spot consistently – and it was consistently called a ball. But then Minnesota hits that spot, and it’s a called strike. With the game on the line.

A lot of people tweeted me saying that robot umpires would take care of this problem. And I couldn’t disagree more. Granted you’d still need a home plate ump to operate the machine, and to call things such as safe/out. However I’m squarely in the camp which says robots calling games aren’t the answer. And quite frankly, my reasons are cliche.

People who are all in favor of this method say they want to hear why there shouldn’t be robot umpires, and they don’t want to hear because that’s not how it’s always been. Well…humans umpiring games is just how things have always been. And that is in fact as good a reason as any. Do folks really want to change the game THAT much?

But you’re asking for a better reason than that – I get it. So here’s one; could those robots not be hacked? In the age of computers and technology, everyone’s account for anything could be hacked. So does MLB really want to run the risk that someone could hack a robot and perhaps influence game outcomes? As big as gambling is becoming, do we think someone might not try to do that?

My personal opinion is that umpires just need to buckle down and be more consistent. Maybe longevity of service should be looked at more stringently. This in the sense that perhaps some younger umpires should be calling more games. Furthermore, what happens if a manager for instance were to prove that even a machine isn’t calling the game properly? Where do we turn then?

Part of my point is that not everything has to change. I recognize that MLB wants to do what it’s audience thinks it wants to see. But…does the game have to fundamentally change in order to do that?

Baltimore Orioles: An error and two unearned runs doom Dylan Bundy

No matter how you spin things, the Baltimore Orioles got a decent start this afternoon out of Dylan Bundy. He put the Orioles in a spot to win the game, and as I’ve said many times that’s all you can ask of a starter. Bundy’s line: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R (two earned), 1 BB, 4 K.

The Orioles in theory should have sent Minnesota down 1-2-3 in the first. Polanco led off the game, and a few seconds later had induced a pop up to left field. Routine play, right? Not so much.

Dwight Smith Jr dropped the ball. Just a lazy routine pop up, and he dropped it. Mistakes do happen, and while Smith has given the team a shot in the arm since getting here, that error allowed a runner to get to third base. Astudillo proceeded to turn in an RBI-double, and Cron an RBI-single.

Those two runs while charged to Bundy, were unearned. It’s tough for a starting pitcher to know he did almost everything right, but still got charged with two runs. It’s usually more than just one thing which tells the overall game story, but that one blip on the radar loomed large all afternoon.

Cave would smack an RBI-single in the third to give Minnesota a 3-0 lead. However the Birds has a run in them. Dwight Smith would take those two unearned runs back with a two-RBI single. That cut the Minnesota lead to 3-2 l, however they tacked on an additional run of n the fourth on a sac fly-RBI by Astudillo.

Again, it’s more than just one moment which tells the story of a game. The Orioles would load the bases in the last of the eighth, attempting to make a run at taking the lead or tying. But Minnesota pitched their way out of that jam, not allowing the Orioles to score even one additional run that inning.

However the Orioles did mount a rally in the last of the ninth. With runners at the corners and two outs, Jonathan Villar‘s RBI-double cut the lead to 4-3. Following an intentional walk, the Orioles has the bases loaded, and bought up Pedro Severino as a pinch hitter.

Severino worked the count to 3-0. He then got a fastball on the fourth pitch, and took a slight step towards first base. Ironically, Oriole pitchers had been trying to get that pitch location called a strike all day long – and with no luck at that. However Minnesota got the call, and Severino would later pop out to end the game.

Again, one thing doesn’t make or break the ballgame. But the Dwight Smith Jr error, and that ball call on the 3-0 pitch in the ninth sticks out. The pitch was a good inch-and-a-half off the plate. It has to be frustrating from the Orioles’ perspective however, as they had been throwing to that location all afternoon. And the only time it was called a strike was that final time with the Orioles at the plate. Dwight Smith Jr had to leave the game after coming up lame on the base paths, and the Orioles will update his status as soon as they are able.

The Orioles will open up a series with the Chicago White Sox tomorrow evening at Camden Yards. David Hess gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Manny Banuelos. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: And some days you’re the bug

Former Baltimore Orioles’ manager Buck Showalter used to harp on the old saying that some days you’re the windshield and some days you’re the bug (which obviously gets squished). The Orioles today we’re definitely the bug; after dropping the first game of a twin-bill, Alex Cobb and the Birds fell 16-7 in the nightcap. Cobb’s line: 2.2 IP, 10 H, 9 R, 0 BB, 2 K.

If there’s a silver lining for Cobb, it would be that he didn’t walk anyone. He was pitching-to-contact in the strike zone, and Minnesota hitters were making contact. And with that, the balls were traveling far.

Cruz and Cron homered in the first, with Cruz’s being of the two-run variety. In fact, most of the homers hit in this game were two-run shots. Following a second inning Garver RBI-double, Rosario would follow up in the third with his third home run of the day (he of course smacked two in the first game), and the O’s trailed 6-0.

And it only snowballed from there. Even former Oriole Jonathan Schoop got into the act with a two-run homer. Renato Nunez would ensure that the O’s weren’t shut out in the fourth, smacking a two-run homer of his own. Hanser Alberto would add a two-run shot of his own in the sixth – the first homer of his career. The Birds would also score three runs in the eighth, including a second Renato Nunez homer.

It’s worth taking an opportunity to remind fans after this one that the current regime of GM Mike Elias and manager Brandon Hyde have been up front with the Orioles’ fan base about how tough of a process this is. As has ownership. These types of games are going to happen. They already have, and they probably will so again this year.

One thing that remains of interest to me is that many of the homers and other RBI occurred with two strikes. That’s been happening all season, and quite frankly even dating back to last year. It makes you wonder if Oriole pitchers aren’t just a bit too predictable at times. In fact, I often call pitches myself in my head – and I find that I’m correct more often than not.

Ultimately you have to “keep grinding” (another Buckism). If you allow yourself to become an automatic win for teams, you will be. And I don’t think that to this point the Orioles have done that. They’ve battled in games and played until the end. Now granted it’s tough to battle and keep your head in the game when you’re getting your brains beaten in. But ultimately as I said, you have to keep grinding.

An otherwise lackluster game did have one exciting moment. The O’s called up RHP Branden Kline to the major leagues from Norfolk – as their 26th man for the doubleheader. Kline sent Minnesota down 1-2-3 in the seventh. Kline would give up two solo homers in the eighth, but don’t let that get in the way of what’s ultimately a great story. For the record, Kline’s the 27th Maryland native to play for the O’s.

Kline is a Frederick, MD native, and he grew up an Orioles fan. He missed most of three seasons following Tommy John surgery, and battled hard to make it back to the point that he was in a position to come to the big leagues. That combined with being in the big leagues with his hometown team (which he grew up watching) and in the park where he had attended games his entire life…needless to say it was a special moment. It’s also a reminder of how cool baseball can be.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Dylan Bundy gets the fall for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Kyle Gibson. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Winning is tough when you leave a team on base

The Baltimore Orioles fell just short against Minnesota today in game one of a doubleheader. Dan Straily got the start, and did exactly what you want a starter to do: put the team in a position to win. Straily’s line: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 4 K.

Rosario had a big day for Minnesota; astute readers won’t be surprised by that, as he had a few big games against the O’s during spring training as well. However he smacked a solo homer in the second, which was followed by a solo homer by Astudillo. Minnesota went back-to-back, and took a 2-0 lead.

However the Orioles battled back, which was good to see. They went back-to-back themselves in the third with Dwight Smith Jr, and Renato Nunez smacking homers. Smith’s was a two-run shot, and the O’s led 3-2. But Rosario struck again, smacking a solo homer in the fifth tying things back up at three.

Minnesota would put three more runs on the board in the sixth, on Buxton’s two-RBI double, and Cruz’s RBI-single. But even still, the Birds weren’t going to be held down. Pedro Severino‘s solo homer in the bottom of the inning brought the O’s back to within two at 6-4. Backing up for just a moment however, Rosario wasn’t kidding around in having a good game. Chris Davis flat out hit an apparent opposite-field home run to left to lead off the sixth – and Rosario brought it back, saving a run.

The O’s would put runners back on again in the eighth, and Trey Mancini‘s RBI-double got them to within 6-5. However they also stranded two runners in scoring position to end the inning. And that’s a microcosm of the entire game.

The O’s stranded left ten men on base over the course of the entire game. That has to improve if this team is going to win consistently. This was a one-run win for Minnesota; if even one of those ten men had been able to score, all things being the same (which is always a tough sell) it’s a totally different ballgame.

Obviously, the would-be homer that Chris Davis has robbed from him factors big also. However Rosario wasn’t letting anyone steal the limelight from him in this game. But the Orioles as a team need to work on their situational hitting, as every runner on base could in theory become a run. And when you lose a one-run game and realize you left ten men on base, it gives you a sickening feeling.

The series continues this evening at Camden Yards with game two of this traditional twin-bill. Alex Cobb gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Martin Perez. Game time is set for 8 PM this evening, which is about 10 minutes from the time this is being written!

Baltimore Orioles rained out

I probably didn’t need to tell you that the Baltimore Orioles weren’t going to play tonight. All you probably had to do was look out the window and see what the weather is bringing us in the mid-Atlantic region. In short, not good.

So the first game of the Birds’ series with the Minnesota Twins will not be played tonight. It will however be played tomorrow. Along with tomorrow night’s regularly scheduled game.

The Orioles and Minnesota will play a traditional doubleheader tomorrow at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. That means you get to see two games for the price of one – good deal, right?! Game one will begin at 4 PM, with the second game starting approximately 20-25 minutes after the completion of the first one.

Fans with tickets for tonight’s game can exchange them for a later date – including the doubleheader. (Tickets for Friday night will not be automatically honored for Saturday.) If you have tickets for the scheduled Saturday game, you’re in luck – you now get to see two! Alex Cobb gets the start for the O’s in game one, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Jose Berrios.

Baltimore Orioles: A character win

Baltimore Orioles’ manager Brandon Hyde called this evening’s 6-5 win in Tampa a heart attack type of game. He also called it a character win. It didn’t need to go to Extra Innings, as Andrew Cashner pitched well enough to win. The Birds just couldn’t get the job done in nine. Cashner’s line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

One of those runs came in the first inning ON AN RBI-single by Pham. However Renato Nunez got the Orioles on the board in the third with an RBI-single of his own. Later in the inning Joey Rickard would leg out an infield hit, allowing another run to score and giving the Orioles the lead.

However Tampa would immediately tie the game back up in the last of the third on a solo homer by Phan. That said, last night belonged to the O’s. It may have taken extra time, but it belonged to the Orioles. The O’s took the lead back in the fourth on Pedro Severino‘s solo home run.

And the Birds extended their lead from there. Richie Martin‘s RBI-single in the seventh Gabe them a 4-2 lead (Martin was tagged out on the base paths). Dwight Smith Jr.’s sac fly-RBI in the eighth gave the Birds a 5-2 lead, which one would have thought was safe.

But Tampa put two runs on the board in the last of the eighth on Zunino’s two-RBI double. One-run leads in the last of the ninth are the worst types of leads to have. Especially against a team like Tampa that utterly refuses to quit. Sure enough, Garcia smacked a solo homer in the ninth, sending the game to extra innings.

Chris Davis smacked a two-out single in the 11th. However the key play of the game was Davis going from first-to-third on Ruiz’s subsequent single. As beleaguered as Davis has been, he’s starting to find ways to contribute. That bit of good base running all but won the game for the O’s.

Especially seeing that Joey Rickard would later double Rickard home, giving the Birds a 6-5 lead – which turned into a 6-5 victory. It’s often things that don’t show up on the line score that can be the difference between winning and losing. Chris Davis’ clutch base running in the eleventh inning last night is a prime example.

The O’s now head home to open up a three game series with Minnesota tomorrow night at Camden Yards (weather permitting). Alex Cobb will come off the DL and makes the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Jose Berrios. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles have to limit the homers

Manager Brandon Hyde‘s said it on numerous occasions: the Baltimore Orioles need to keep the ball in the ballpark if they’re going to win games. This evening against Tampa, they gave up several solo shots (and a multi-run homer as well). Starter David Hess probably figured those solo homers wouldn’t hurt him – but obviously if you give up several, that’s a different story. Hess’ line: 2.0 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 0 BB, 0 K.

Lowe smacked a three-rum homer in the first inning, and Tampa was off to the races. Zuni o would add an RBI-single in the second, and Tampa led 4-0. The Orioles hung a lot of pitches in this game, and when they weren’t hanging pitches Tampa was guessing right. That said, the Orioles probably aided them a bit in guessing what was coming.

The O’s went down 1-2-3 in the top of the third, and all three were strikeouts and called strike three’s by home plate umpire C.B. Bucknor. All three pitches were low and inside – well out of the strike zone, and well beyond the point where a hitter should swing with two strikes. The Oriole bench was beyond livid.

Tampa’s a team who uses just about every piece of analytical data that they can to win games. Every team uses analytics now, but their usage is almost shameless. So they saw that the Orioles were overly jazzed up about the strike zone. And they used that piece of “data” to their advantage.

It didn’t take a genius to think ahead and figure that Hess was going to try to pitch low and in. Hess and the Orioles figured that since Tampa got those calls, so why shouldn’t they? And sure enough, the Orioles pitched down and in – resulting in back-to-back solo homers by Choi and Diaz.

To add insult to injury, Bucknor ejected Brandon Hyde in the last of the third. But it wasn’t Hyde who was complaining – once the smoke cleared it was Tim Cossins who was ejected. Bucknor has such a bad night that he couldn’t even eject the correct guy.

Tampa would add two additional runs on RBI-doubles, and Rio Ruiz would get the O’s on the board with a solo homer. So message to the Orioles; keep the ball in the ballpark, and try to contain your anger even when an outburst is justified. Sometimes that can telegraph your eventual intentions.

The series concludes tomorrow at Tropicana Field. Andrew Cashner gets the start for the O’s, and Tampa is yet to name a starter. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles, Dylan Bundy Burt second time through the order

Despite pitching only five innings, Dylan Bundy did exactly what the Baltimore Orioles wanted last night. This in the sense that he put the Birds in a position to win the game. And as I’ve said many times and about many different teams and starters, a starting pitcher’s job is to put his team in a position to win the game. Bundy’s line: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 5 K.

The Birds actually jumped out in front early in this one. Rio Ruiz‘s RBI-single in the first inning gave the O’s a 1-0 lead. Two innings later they doubled the lead on Renato Nunez‘s RBI-single. (He would take second on the throw.)

And on that note, that run should be partially attributed to Dwight Smith Jr., who scored it. Smith got aboard on what became a single in the third inning. (I put it like that because he ran out a routine grounder to second, was ruled out, and then awarded a base hit upon the play being overturned on replay.) He would then proceed to steal second base – allowing him to score on Nunez’s base hit.

However Tampa wasn’t to be outdone. Diaz’s sac fly-RBI in the fourth cut the lead in half. That didn’t feel like that big a deal, because the Orioles recorded an out. However later in the inning Garcia smacked a two-run homer, giving Tampa a 3-2 lead. Garcia would also provide Tampa with an insurance run with an eighth inning RBI-single.

Bundy dominated Tampa through the first three innings. Tampa didn’t exactly start scoring runs in buckets after that, however their hitters adjusted. Second time through the order, they were almost waiting for Bundy.

And the inverse scenario is also true. The Orioles were getting guys on base and driving them in the first time through the order. After that, Tampa pitchers seemed to adapt. The Orioles didn’t have a hit after the fourth inning.

And unfortunately that’s what Tampa can do to you. Their hitters refuse to give in under any circumstances, which wears down your pitching. And again, the inverse is also true. Their pitching seemingly refuses to give in, and ultimately your hitters seemingly get worn out. I can’t tell you why or how that happens, it just does when you play Tampa.

The series continues tomorrow night at Tropicana Field. David Hess gets the start for the O’s, with Tampa’s starter TBD. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles, Chris Davis spoil Patriot’s Day in Boston

Today is Patriot’s Day throughout New England, and the Baltimore Orioles were simply the opponent. The Boston Red Sox always play a special 11 AM home game on this holiday, and again the Orioles were supposed to just be the opponent. Dan Straily got the start, and effectively dominated Boston – on their day, no less. Straily’s line: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 K.

This was the second year in a row that the Orioles were scheduled to be the opponent on Patriot’s Day in Boston, although last year’s game was rained out and rescheduled. I suspect that Boston is wishing that the same had happened today. On their holiday and in front of their fans, they were taken to task by the Birds.

The Orioles got on the board early on an RBI-single by Renato Nunez in the second inning. And in reality, they never looked back. The fifth inning was where the big damage was done however, as the O’s put up three runs and busted the game wide open. Jonathan Villar smacked an RBI-single of his own, and Dwight Smith Jr.’s two-run homer gave the Orioles a 4-0 lead.

Boston’s lone run on the morning/afternoon came in the last of the fifth on a controversial play in which Pearce grounded into a fielder’s choice, allowing a run to score. However Orioles’ manager Brandon Hyde challenged the play, claiming that a Boston runner had overshot the base. While replays were inconclusive, Hyde had a decent argument. The problem was that he continued to argue after the play was upheld by instant replay – earning him his first ejection as a big league manager.

So on a very early day, Hyde was sent for his first early shower. But it didn’t make the Orioles fold by any means. If anything, it emboldened them. In the finale of a series in which Chris Davis got his first hit of the season, he also recorded his first homer of the year. This of the two-run variety in the top of the eighth. One inning later Dwight Smith would add a two-RBI double, giving the O’s an 8-1 victory.

Make no mistake that while this goes down as a series split, it might as well be a series win for the Orioles. There are very few circumstances in which a rebuilding team would expect to do anything less than lose or get swept in a series by the defending World Series champions. Especially at their place, and with the series finale being on a special holiday (to the home team).

Perhaps more importantly, Chris Davis broke out this weekend in Boston. Granted Boston’s pitching hasn’t been the greatest, and this weekend was no exception. But if Davis can somehow use this series as a launching point to becoming some sort of force on offense once again, the Orioles will be in great shape.

The O’s now head south to Tampa for a three-game set at Tropicana Field starting tomorrow. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Tyler Glasnow. Game time is set for just after 7 PM tomorrow night.