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: Dylan Bundy with mixed results in loss

Dylan Bundy, who’s had a bit of a rough spring, pitched four strong innings this afternoon for the Baltimore Orioles. Unfortunately Bundy pitched five innings this afternoon against Minnesota. He pitched better than his line score indicates, but the fifth inning counts towards his stats. Bundy’s line: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 4, R, 1 B, 4, K.

Bundy’s slider was on point today, although he left a couple of them up in that fifth inning. He admitted to MASN television after he came out that he only threw one or two curves. That tells you that Bundy’s objective today was to hit on his sliders. And for the most part he did.

The O’s got on the board early this afternoon in what ended up being an offensive-minded game. Cedric Mullins smacked a solo home run leading off. You certainly take runs however they come, but obviously the nature of the lead off spot is such that you want the guy to get on base. In essence you want the lead off man to set the table. But Mullins decided to eat the meal this afternoon – and as I said, you take what you can get!

Minnesota would even the score at one witty an RBI-single in the third, but Bundy was able to limit the damage. But the O’s got the lead back one inning later. Austin Hays‘ RBI-double Gabe them a 2-1 lead, and it was run to 3-1 on an RBI-groundout by Jace Peterson later in the year inning.

But as I said earlier, the fifth inning is what did Bundy in. Or more realistically that’s when he started to tire. He gave up an RBI- single to Reed, and then a two-RBI double to Cave. When the smoke cleared, the O’s trailed 4-3.

However as I said, this was an offensive game. The Birds got right back on it in the last of the fifth, tying the game at four on an RBI-single by Christopher Bostick. Minnesota would briefly re-take the lead in the sixth on a solo homer, however Jace Peterson wasn’t done for the day at that point. He smacked a two-run homer in the last of the sixth to give the O’s the lead back at 6-5.

In terms of winning or losing the game however, the Orioles’ luck eventually ran out. Minnesota would add RBI-singles in the seventh and the ninth, to take this one 7-6. Again folks, wins and losses don’t matter – yet.

Another bright spot today for the Orioles was first baseman Chris Davis, who went 1-for-2 on the day. That one hit was against the shift however, which is what fans have been waiting to see Davis try to do for some time. He also drew a walk in his first at-bat.

The story of the day however was Bundy, who as I said looked very good through four innings. If he’s only going to be able to go four however, that’s going to be a problem. However the situation isn’t as dire as perhaps I’m making it out to be. Bundy said after his outing that he still has two spring appearances left to make. I would simply say that those two appearances are very important – both for crispness, and for longevity in the games.

The Orioles will take on Minnesota again tomorrow, this time at CenturySports Park in Fort Myers. Neither team has announced a starting pitcher. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Six unanswered runs defeats Toronto late

Perhaps the biggest news coming out of Sarasota today is that the Baltimore Orioles have tabbed Alex Cobb to start on Opening Day. It’s obviously an honor, and making the announcement now gives Cobb a chance to prepare himself. It also gives the O’s a chance to line up the rest of the rotation. Manager Brandon Hyde on the choice of Alex Cobb (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

Opening day is one of 162, but it’s a special day. A very special day. And I’ve respected Alex for a long time. We all respect him very much, what he’s done in his career. We feel like he’s earned it. His track record speaks for itself. So we’re just excited about naming him opening day starter.

Andrew Cashner got the start in this afternoon’s game in Sarasota against Toronto. Cashner’s line: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 4 K. Cashner gave up a two-RBI double in the second inning to Sogard, which gave Toronto a 2-0 lead. Later in the inning Urena would add an RBI-single, as would McKinney in the top of the fifth. Through four-and-a-half, the O’s trailed 4-0.

However Drew Jackson‘s RBI-single in the fifth cut the lead to 4-1. Joey Richard‘s RBI-single in the last of the sixth brought the O’s to within 4-3. Last night in Tampa of course we saw New York come back on the Orioles late in the game. In the eighth inning to be exact. Is it possible that sort of thing could have been contagious?

The Birds loaded the bases right off the bat in the last of the eighth, bringing Christopher Bostick to the plate. Bostick would draw a walk, tying the game at four. That brought J.C. Escarra to the plate, with the bases still loaded and nobody out. While Escarra was robbed of what would have indubitably been a bases-clearing double, he ended up with a sac fly-RBI, which gave the Orioles the lead at 5-4. Stevie Wilkerson rounded out the scoring with an RBI-single, giving the O’s a 6-4 victory over Toronto.

Things started out somewhat rough for the Birds, however the fact is that they scored six unanswered runs to win this game. And that also means that guys are battling to the last pitch – whether it’s for a job or to win the game. Guys aren’t giving away at-bats, no matter what the odds are of a comeback or a victory. And that’s part of why this has been such a great camp for Brandon Hyde’s Baltimore Orioles.

Mark Trumbo also made his spring debut today following surgery on his knee. He went 0-for-two on the day, but the big news was that he got into a game. The hope is that he’s ready for Opening Day – which is two weeks from tomorrow.

em having lost three straight games. And even if this were the regular season, tomorrow is the next opportunity to break that streak and win a game.

The Orioles will remain in Sarasota tomorrow as Minnesota comes into Ed Smith Stadium. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Chase De Jong. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles lose late lead, fall to NY

Mike Wright Jr. got the starting assignment this evening as the Baltimore Orioles began the second half of the Grapefruit League schedule, in Tampa against the New York Yankees. Wright surrendered a couple of early runs, and ended up leaving the game earlier than expected due to an elevated pitch count. (This due to Wright going deep into a few counts, and a few prolonged at-bats due to fouls.) Wright’s line: 2.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K.

Cedric Mullins got the game started by drawing a walk. He went to second on a sac fly, stole third, and then took home plate on an errant throw. This illustrates what I’ve been saying in that sometimes if you have traffic on the base paths and/or speed, sometimes you end up making things happen. Mullins put the pressure on New York in that instance, and without even recording a hit the Orioles were rewarded with a run.

New York would take a brief lead on Judge’s two-run homer in the last of the first. However again, part of the Orioles’ game plan this year is going to be to get guys on base. Stevie Wilkerson would do just that in the top of the second, by bunting against the shift to third base. I’m not sure why more guys don’t try to do that, but it certainly looks good on a guy like Wilkerson who’s trying to make the team.

That began a big inning for O’s. Eric Young Jr. would tie the game with an RBI-single, and later in the inning the Birds would load the bases. Eric Young Jr. then came to the plate and gave the Orioles a big lead at 5-2 with a bases-clearing double. Again, get guys on base and things can happen. And make no mistake that the Orioles’ brass noticed that it began with a guy hitting against the shift.

Hays would later score on Chris Davis‘ RBI-single, giving the O’s a 6-2 lead. That was only Davis’ second hit of the spring, the other being a home run. New York would close to within 6-4 in the fourth on Gardener’s two-run homer. That came on the heels of an E6 by Martin, which allowed a base runner. As important as it is to get guys on base, it’s equally important to keep the other guys off base. Errors will happen, however to goal is to minimize them.

New York would close to within 6-5 in the fifth on an RBI-single by Bird. However Austin Hays would continue his impressive spring in the seventh with a solo homer, extending the Orioles’ lead back to two runs at 7-5. New York would add a solo homer in the eighth as well as tie the game at seven on a walk with the bases loaded, and they’d take an 8-7 lead on a sac fly-RBI – sending the Orioles home with a loss.

Those three eight inning runs were given up by Mychal Givens, who’s having a bit of a rough spring. Is that something that’s of concern to Brandon Hyde and company? To this point the skipper’s said that he isn’t foreseeing an issue with Givens (a potential closer candidate going into camp). Obviously, Givens has been around and for the most part we know what he can do. However while this is still spring training, his three runs surrendered did cost the O’s the game tonight. That’s the sort of thing that needs to be avoided.

For what it’s worth, next week is the last full week of camp, and thus of the Grapefruit League “season.” Mark Trumbo is expected to make his spring debut in tomorrow’s game. The hope is that gives him enough time and enough at-bats to get ready for the regular season.

The Orioles return to Ed Smith Stadium tomorrow as Toronto comes to Sarasota. Andrew Cashner gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Marcus Stroman. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Adam Jones to Arizona

On this, the only off day in camp, there’s news about a former member of the Baltimore Orioles. It appears that Adam Jones has landed. Last night the news broke that Jones had apparently agreed to a one-year contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks, worth $3 million guaranteed.

Jones will join another former Oriole, catcher Caleb Joseph, in Arizona with the Diamondbacks. I think this is a good situation for Jones, as he’s going to a team that believes it’s ready to contend now. Obviously Jones is a veteran, he’s a proven leader on and off the field, and he has post season experience. So odds are this is a very good match.

When I heard the news I admittedly thought back to that day last autumn – the last day. The moment that Jones was lifted in the top of the ninth inning to a well-deserved Standing O is one that I think will be remembered for some time in Baltimore circles. Adam Jones will always be an Oriole, regardless of which colors he’s wearing.

Obviously this kind of works out for Orioles fans also in that he’s going to a National League team. He won’t be competing with the Orioles per se, although the Birds do visit Arizona this year. However it certainly won’t for the most part be the Orioles that Jones knew with a few exceptions – the Davis’, Trumbo’s, etc of the world.

I hope that Orioles fans will join me in wishing Adam Jones the best in Arizona. Baseball is a better game with him in it, and as a starter at that. For what it’s worth, Orioles fans will in theory get a shot to see Jones play in person in the region this year. Arizona comes to Nationals Park in Washington on June 13-16th. And incidentally, does anyone recall who the first manager in Arizona Diamondbacks’ history was? That would be BUCK SHOWALTER!

Baltimore Orioles: Manufactured runs make a difference

The Baltimore Orioles closed the unofficial first half of their spring slate of games this afternoon against Philadelphia at Ed Smith Stadium. The Birds sent Josh Rogers to the mound for the start, and with some limited success at that. Rogers’ line: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 4 K.

Rogers said after his outing that he felt good, and that he felt he made some strides in this outing. I suspect that Rogers could be earmarked for the Norfolk Tides’ rotation, however the fact that he’s being given starts in spring games tells you that he is in fact competing for a roster spot for the Birds as well. Time will tell who breaks camp with the big league club, however at the end of the day this first half of the Grapefruit League schedule has involved some intense competition by some very young pitchers. That bodes well for the future.

The Orioles took an early 1-0 lead on an RBI-single by DJ Stewart. That scored Jonathan Villar, on what in essence was a manufactured run. Following a single Villar went to second on a wild pitch, to third on a groundout, and then scored on a subsequent single.

Philadelphia would tie the game on a solo homer in the second by Gosselin. However the O’s also manufactured another run in the last of the third inning, and again it involved Jonathan Villar. He got aboard once again with a single, and proceeded to steal second base. He took third on a groundout, and scored on a wild pitch. As I’ve said many times, traffic on the base paths can lead to runs being scored.

However Philadelphia would plate four runs in the fourth which opened up a 5-2 lead for them. The Orioles brought in Paul Fry, who pitched two perfect innings and struck out one. Fry was not only perfect in terms of not allowing a base runner, but he served as a stabilizing factor in the game, allowing the Birds to get back into it.

The O’s got to within 5-4 in the last of the sixth on Joey Rickard‘s two-RBI double. They were able to tie the game back up at five later in the inning on Diaz’s sac fly-RBI. However the top of the eight brought the lead back to Philadelphia, who was also able to break the game open. They took a 6-5 lead on Guzman’s RBI-double, and that lead was extended to 8-5 on a two-run homer by Plouffe.

While the O’s fell to Philadelphia on this day, don’t shoo off the effect of those two runs manufactured by Jonathan Villar. That’s one aspect that’s been missing from the O’s for some time; they were consistently unable to get runs home by any manner other than homers. That made them predictable, and easy to which to pitch.

The fact that they’re doing this in spring training is a good sign. These games may not count, but you ultimately play like you practice. Does this mean that the O’s will contend this season? No. But perhaps a run here and there in spots where they otherwise wouldn’t have scored runs previously will give them an additional win here or there. Every little bit helps.

Tomorrow is the Orioles’ lone off day of the Grapefruit League season. In fact, the Ed Smith Stadium complex will be closed to players. The idea is for them to be anywhere but the facility. The regular season of course has off days built in all over the place – but consider this one akin to perhaps the all-star break in comparison with the regular season!

Baltimore Orioles: David Hess appears rotation-bound but Birds fall to New York

Following the Baltimore Orioles’ “B team” defeating Tampa 17-15 earlier in the day, the “A team” took on New York under the lights at Ed Smith Stadium. And before us we see the stretching out of David Hess, who drew the starting assignment, and could be penciled in as a back end starter for the Birds at this point. Hess’ line: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 3 K.

Despite the two runs surrendered, Hess looked good. His fastball had good zip and his breaking pitches were dropping in for strikes. The idea was for Hess to pitch four full innings, however he was lifted early due to an elevated pitch count. Hess on his outing (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

I think there were some good things to take away from it. Anytime you lead off the game with a double like that and limit it to one run, that’s a good way to go about that. But I think there were a lot of positives to build off and some things to work on, as well.

New York got on the board immediately in the first inning with a sac fly-RBI by Sanchez. That came after the runner took third base on a medium depth pop fly – just a reminder to the O’s that teams are going to keep the pressure up, even in these spring games. Bird’s RBI-single in the fourth inning closed the book on Hess, and gave New York a 2-0 lead.

Richard Bleier pitched the fifth inning for the O’s, his first game action since injuring his lat last season. The big news is that he got into a game. However he probably deserved a better fate, as NY out three runs up against him. However one came on a throwing error, which also allowed the runner to go to second base. The second came on a subsequent RBI-double, and the third came on a bizarre play in which the ball bounced off home plate, and through the wickets of two Oriole infielders into left field for an RBI-single.

This left the O’s trailing 5-0, with the eventual final being 6-1 (in favor of New York) after an Aguilar solo homer in the ninth. The Birds would eventually get on the board with a solo homer in the last of the ninth by J.C. Escarra.

Regarding Richard Bleier, the stat line could obviously be better. But again the win for Bleier and for the organization was that he got into the game at all. And he pitched much better than the numbers indicate. It just shows how fickle stats themselves can be (especially in the spring) as a pitcher, as you’re only as good as the defense behind you at times.

The home standing Orioles will remain at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota tomorrow afternoon as the Philadelphia Phillies come to town. Josh Rogers gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Philadelphia’s Aaron Nola. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Keeping the beer cold one draft at a time

The Baltimore Orioles recently had radio announcer Joe Angel retire. Angel was an institution among Orioles fans, and he definitely had what they call the “golden pipes” behind the mic. However when Angel first came to the Orioles (in the first of his three stunts), he was working with a name that was and still is legendary: the great Chuck Thompson.

I do a tribute column to Chuck Thompson every year in Spring Training. Simply put, Chuck was the best. THE ABSOLUTE BEST IN THE BUSINESS. His name wasn’t as well know perhaps as the likes of a Vin Scully, Jack Brickhouse, Harry Caray, or Mel Allen. But he was Baltimore’s version of those guys – and THAT made him the best!

I was only privileged to hear Thompson towards the end of his storied career, mainly while he worked part-time for the Orioles. However his prowess behind the mic was no less prevalent than in his heyday. He had that smooth delivery and that conversational tone that made you feel like he was describing the game for you in your living room.

And his trademarks – who could forget that?! The title of this article is an obvious play on his best-known catchphrase, ain’t the beer cold?! That would come out anytime the Orioles would win. During a game if they would make a frat play, Chuck would drag out his other catchphrase, go to war, Ms. Agnes! Allegedly that was an ode to an old race horse named the Ms. Agnes. When you use either one of those phrases with people of a certain age in Baltimore, they know exactly to what and to whom you are referring.

Part of the reason that Chuck Thompson and so many others (such as the names I mentioned above) were so special to Baltimore and their respective cities is because radio is how people followed the games. Often times they weren’t televised. And if they were, it might only be one game a week – which may or may not have featured your team.

So the voice of Chuck Thompson was how fans followed the Orioles. The same is true of Harry Kalas in Philadelphia, Jack Brickhouse in Chicago, and Red Barber in Brooklyn. They were the voices of baseball, and thus the voices of summertime – good times, vacation, etc. That’s powerful.

Many of the Orioles’ games aired on Home Team Sports by the time this 80’s kid came along. For the most part, one game per series would appear on over-the-air television (with two on HTS). However I also had a father who famously and out of principle refused to pay the nominal up charge to include HTS in our cable package. So I spent a lot of nights and afternoons listening to games on the radio. In that sense I’m somewhat of a throwback to previous generations, as those voices with whom I grew up mean something to me.

I found it ironic a few years ago when the O’s were down in DC to play the Washington Nationals on Memorial Day. My route to the ballpark that day took me through a Washington Harbor, where I noticed a large boat docked near The Sequoia (the former Presidential Yacht). The boat was named The Miss Agnes, and it was listed as being from Baltimore. As a kid who grew up listening to Chuck Thompson call games on the radio, I got a kick out of that. It was also cool to see in Washington, because Thompson called Washington Senators games for a few years in the early 1960’s.

We’re still here Chuck, keeping the beer cold one draft at a time!

Baltimore Orioles defeat Boston as injury concerns creep in

The Baltimore Orioles were once again able to defeat Boston this afternoon, this time at Ed Smith Stadium. Andrew Cashner got the start, and was effective – although he didn’t last long in the game. Cashner’s line: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K. Cashner gave up an RBI-double to Lin in the second inning before being lifted, giving Boston a 1-0 lead.

However the bigger news for the Orioles on the day was a few injury situations that are starting to creep up on the Birds. Chris Davis had an MRI on his hip this morning. Manager Brandon Hyde on Davis:


He is feeling better today, but we’re doing a precautionary MRI this morning. We just want to get it looked at. But he did feel better coming in this morning. It sounded like everything was going well.

Quote Courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports

Then there’s the issue of Mark Trumbo, who’s trying to rebound from surgery back in September. The target was for Trumbo to get into games next week, but Hyde isn’t sure that’s going to happen:


We’ve talked a lot about Mark. I’m not putting any kind of timeline on Mark. I want to do what’s best for Mark. I want Mark to be healthy during the season and not try to force or rush.

For me, opening day is just a number. It’s a real special day. It’s just one of 162, so I’m not trying to cram in his rehab to try to make it on that day. I want to do what’s best for him. And if that means middle of April or May, whatever it is, I want him to be 100 percent and go forward and not be 80 percent and have it nagging throughout the season.

Quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports

Nate Karns was able to get into this afternoon’s game and pitch a scoreless inning, however the odds of him starting the season in the rotation are going down. The Orioles could extend him in the end of camp, or he might just have to start out in the bullpen – or on the Injured List. Time will tell.

Renato Nunez came up to hit in the last of the fourth and the Birds trailing Boston 1-0, and brought the Orioles even with a solo home run. Two innings later Hanser Alberto‘s RBI-double gave the Birds the lead at 2-1. Tack on Chance Sisco‘s RBI-single, and the Orioles had a 3-1 lead over Boston.

This continues a great spring thus far for Sisco. He’s currently hitting .417 on the spring, which has been a welcome surprise thus far for the Orioles. My personal opinion is that Sisco was already going to be on the roster, however his play this spring has probably cemented that. I suspect he’ll be the starting catcher for the Orioles on Opening Day.

Anthony Santander would add an RBI-double in the seventh, which ended up being semi-big because Boston would tack on a run in the ninth on an error. End of the day, Boston had the tying run at the plate when they made the game’s final out. Those add-on runs late do come in handy, and can often be the difference between winning and losing.

The Birds will have another split squad day tomorrow, with the A team taking on New York at Ed Smith Stadium tomorrow night (the B team will journey to Port Charlotte to take on Tampa in the afternoon). David Hess gets the start for the Orioles, with New York yet to announce a starter as this is being written. Game time is set for just after 6 PM.

Baltimore Orioles fall despite finding some Wright things

One of the more unsung stories of camp thus far for the Baltimore Orioles might be Mike Wright Jr. Wright got the start today against Pittsburgh, and turned in another great effort. Wright’s line: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K.

Mike Wright’s appeared in four games this spring. He’s yet to give up a run, and has seven strikeouts. Needless to say, he’s been pretty darned impressive. However as he said after the game, he’s unsure of which role (reliever or starter) for which he’s auditioning (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

I’m still in the (mode of) whatever role is what it is. Right now I was on four days’ rest, so the fifth day, that’s exciting. But moving forward I’m going to continue doing the same thing I’ve been doing and try to make the team.

Again needless to say, he’s been doing all the right things. Or the Wright things.

The O’s took the lead in the second inning this afternoon on Alcides Escobar‘s RBI-single. One inning later it was 2-0 on an RBI-single by Rio Ruiz. Toss in Steve Wilkerson‘s fifth inning solo homer, and the O’s led 3-0.

However Pittsburgh would put up two solo homers in the fifth, and and two in the seventh. That gave them a 4-3 lead, once again proving the idea that solo homers won’t beat you. The Orioles has to lead the league in defensive games which ended up being losses, highlighted by the opponent’s solo homers last year.

However in this instance it wasn’t truly the solo homers that beat the Orioles. Because the Birds came back and tied the game in the top of the eighth on Anthony Santander‘s RBI-single. So to their credit, they didn’t allow that flurry of solo home runs to beat them.

The walk off home run in the last of the ninth by Tucker did that. Granted, it was a solo homer. However a walk off’s a walk off. It’s a luxury afforded to the home team.

But that doesn’t take away from Mike Wright and his prowess this spring. No runs and seven strike out’s in four appearances is impressive. That said, we’re not quite halfway through camp. He has to keep it up if he wants that roster spot.

The Orioles will return to home play at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota tomorrow as Boston comes to visit for the first time this spring. Andrew Cashner gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Darwinzon Hernandez. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Late rally lifts Birds over Tampa

The Baltimore Orioles made their first visit to Port Charlotte this afternoon to take on the Tampa Rays. John Means got the start for the Birds, and with decent numbers at that. Means’ line: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB. 5 K.

However in Means’ opinion that stat line is deceiving. He said after concluding his day of game work that his last outing was better:


I think I probably felt a little better last outing, actually. This outing is one of those where you see the box score, you see the strikeouts and you think it’s a good outing. I just didn’t really have as much feel for my curveball. I couldn’t really dump that in for a strike, but I still felt good, I still feel strong.

Quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports

I’d be careful if I were Means. There are potentially a couple of roster spots on the line, and he turned in a great stat line this afternoon. His “honesty” could be just the thing that plays him out of one of those slots if he isn’t careful!

The scoring in the game didn’t commence until after Means had exited the game. Tampa scored in the last of the fourth on a HBP, a walk with the bases loaded, and an RBI-groundout by Wong. Your typical Tampa ways of scoring against the Orioles. Both in the past and here in spring of 2019.

However the O’s fought back. Anthony Santander smacked a solo homer in the fifth, in a harbinger of what was to come for the O’s. Later in the inning Cedric Mullins would also smack a two-run homer, tying the game at three. Today’s game was very much about power for the Birds.

However two sac fly-RBI in the last of the fifth gave Tampa the lead back. Not only did they get the lead back, but they got a two-run lead back. Which obviously is harder to overcome from the Orioles’ perspective. But…

…the O’s were up to the challenge. The Birds opened up the eighth inning with a single and two walks to load the bases. That brought Yusniel Diaz to the plate, and he smacked a two-RBI double to give the Orioles a 7-5 lead. If the spring that Diaz is having is any indication, the Birds were right to include him in last year’s Machado trade. Diaz is hitting .409 with a homer – pretty good as far as spring stats go. The O’s would tack on two more in the ninth on a two-run homer by Mike Yastremski, and Tampa would score a run in garbage time (in the last of the ninth) on an errant throw on a steal attempt. Ultimately the Birds took this one, 9-6.

The Birds will head to Bradenton tomorrow to take on Pittsburgh. Mike Wright Jr. gets the start for the O’s, with Pittsburgh yet to announce a starter. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.