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: O Captain! My Captain!

The outlook wasn’t brilliant for the Baltimore Orioles last night – at first. Starter Alex Cobb seemed to be on the ropes from the beginning, and the team just didn’t look up to winning. Cobb’s line: 5.2 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 4 K.

After two innings, Toronto led 4-0. Many Orioles fans had of course seen this story play out already this season – several times over. It appeared that the Orioles weren’t going to sweep their second series of the year. It also appeared that the O’s would have to wait another series before hitting the 40-win plateau. A dubious point for sure, but the 1962 New York Mets have the worst record in the modern era at 40-120. So at least the Orioles can avoid that distinction.

Trey Mancini started the Orioles’ rally with a solo homer in the fourth. The Birds would proceed to load the bases, bringing Adam Jones to the plate. And it was Jones, the unofficial “captain,” who put the Orioles back into the game. Jones got a hanging change up right down the middle of the plate, which he deposited into the left field grandstand for a grand slam. And the O’s abruptly took a 5-4 lead.

Those are the types of heroics that Orioles fans have learned to expect from Jones over his eleven years in Birdland. And I’ll add, those are the heroics that Orioles fans will miss if Jones goes elsewhere next year. But that aside, it’s for that reason that so many fans see him as the captain. Granted some of that is based on longevity; but the longevity itself is based on moments such as that. And boy have they mattered over the years.

Unfortunately however, Toronto didn’t allow that to be the final part of the game story. Travis’ solo homer in the sixth would tie the game at five. However the O’s got the lead right back on an Austin Wynns RBI-single in the last of that sixth inning. Incidentally, that play was set up by John Andreoli getting on base, and then stealing second base. If not for the stolen base (which has been happening a bit more frequently of late) the Orioles would have been in a first and third situation. But as a result of the swiped bag, the had the lead back.

Later in the sixth Macnini would score on a wild pitch. The Birds would put three additional runs on the board in the eight, most of which came as a direct or net result of errors. At the end of the day, the Birds wrapped up a 10-5 victory.

After being swept in Toronto last week, the Birds turned around and returned the favor this week at Camden Yards. That had to be gratifying. And we saw massive contributions from some of the new players, which was good to see. But in the case of last night’s game, it was Adam Jones, “the Captain,” who’s heroics put the team over the top. Perhaps his grand slam didn’t win the game per se, but it did give them a shot in the arm that was direly needed. And that’s what Adam Jones has represented for the Orioles and for the city of Baltimore since he’s been here.

Baltimore Orioles bludgeon Toronto in Josh Roberts’ big league debut

Josh Rogers came to the Baltimore Orioles as part of the Britton trade with New York last month. And tonight Orioles fans got to see perhaps a bit of the future, as Rogers was called up and made his big league debut. As his family looked on from the Camden Yards grandstand while crying tears of joy, Rogers didn’t disappoint. Rogers’ line: 5.0 IP 7 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 2 K.

Obviously the Orioles would prefer that their starters go deeper than just give innings. However you can excuse the shorter outing with a guy who’s making his major league debut. And not only was Rogers good, but he also got run support from the Orioles’ offense that’s been absent most of the season – but that we saw for the second consecutive night.

The Birds took the lead early on Chris Davis‘ RBI-single in the first inning. But the difference in this game was that the Orioles actually took advantage of the opportunities with which they were presented. Adam Jones‘ RBI-single in the third extended the lead, and Tim Beckham‘s three-run homer later in the inning opened the game wide open at 5-0.

Toronto would get one back in the fourth, however the O’s weren’t done yet. Craig Gentry‘s two-run home run extended the lead to 7-1. Roberts would make one mistake on a pitch however, as he gave up a two-run homer to Smoak in the fifth. But if you throw only one pitch you’d like back in your big league debut, you’re doing okay.

The good news for the Orioles was that they decided to keep up their scoring. Jonathan Villar and Craig Gentry would add RBI-singles in the fifth. And the fact is that insurance runs are something that the Orioles have been missing this year. Because true to form, Toronto would put three additional runs on the board in the end, before Trey Mancini added a sac fly-RBI, and Chris Davis a two-RBI double in the eighth to square out the Orioles’ 12-5 victory.

It’s unclear how much Rogers works into the Orioles’ plans for the future. For all I know he’s going to be sent right back down tonight. But the fact that someone who came back in a trade this year made a big impact this season isn’t something that should be lost on Orioles’ fans. It’s doubtful that Rogers’ entire career will be as easy as things were for him tonight. But he was effective, and that’s certainly a feather in the Orioles’ cap.

The series concludes tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Alex Cobb gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Ryan Borucki. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Trey Mancini helps Birds break losing streak

For once this year, it all seemed to come together for the Baltimore Orioles. And that’s due in large part to Trey Mancini. His five RBI helped the Orioles to break an eight-game loss streak, and got starter David Hess the win tonight. Hess’ line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K.

Hess pitched a great game this evening. It was much like his previous outing, against these very same Toronto Blue Jays last week at Rogers Centre. However in that instance the O’s couldn’t back his outing up with any runs. This time looked to be much of the same – at first.

Hess’ tank was getting empty as the game went into the sixth inning. He was able to get out of the inning without surrendering a run, however it appeared that his night was done. And if the last of the sixth was to be as the rest of the game had gone, it probably meant that Hess was looking at a no-decision. In fact, the game had Toronto getting a two-run homer to break a scoreless tie in the ninth inning for the win written all over it.

But the Orioles loaded the bases with nobody out in the last of the sixth. Chris Davis grounded into a fielder’s choice at second, which scored a run and gave the O’s a 1-0 lead. However we all know how precarious leads like that can be in the AL East. In fact, that one run (combined with an out) almost felt like a win for the defense.

But Mancini changed all of that. His three-run homer broke the game wide open and gave the Birds a 4-0 lead. He would add a two-RBI double in the seventh, and Tim Beckham‘s RBI-single later in the inning would round out the Orioles’ 7-0 victory over Toronto.

As I said, this win broke an eight-game losing streak. The previous game that the Orioles had won was last Saturday in Cleveland. That feels like an eternity ago. However for once, the pitching and the offense finally complimented one another. Which is exactly what’s been missing on this team for the entire season. Both before and since the sell off.

The series continues tomorrow at Camden Yards. While the O’s haven’t formally announced a starter, the expectation is that they’ll call prospect Josh Rogers up from triple-A; a prospect which came back in the Britton trade. So Rogers is the presumed starter for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Thomas Pannone. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Trey Mancini’s homer not enough to lift the Birds

The Baltimore Orioles fought as hard as they could last night against New York on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball. But in the end they came up short yet again and ended up getting swept at the hands of their division rivals. Dylan Bundy struggled through five innings, although the Orioles ate at New York’s Severino as well. Bundy’s line: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 7 K.

Voit got things started for New York in the second inning with a two run homer. I said this the other day, but I’m not sure what it was about the Orioles that got this guy going. He was traded to New York in the end of July from St. Louis, in what’s best mentioned as a “low level trade.” Basically, nobody’s ever heard of the guy. Yet he tore up Orioles pitching all weekend. If he retired right now, he’d always have that.

Andujar added a two-RBI double in the third, putting New York out to a 4-0 lead. But the O’s started to claw their way back in come the fifth inning. Jonathan Villar‘s sac fly-RBI cut the lead to 4-1. However an inning later New York was able to get their four-run margin back as Voit scored on a wild pitch. Even when a hit (off his bat or off that of someone else) wasn’t involved, he still scored!

However in the last of the sixth Trey Mancini‘s solo homer slugged the Orioles back into the game. But it wasn’t to be. Jace Peterson would add an RBI-single later in the inning, but that’s as close as the Orioles got. And they fell 5-3 before a national television audience.

It’s worth mentioning that the game wasn’t the blood bath that a lot of people probably expected. The Orioles atoned for themselves fairly well on national television. They battled against a post season-bound team, and fell short. And quite frankly it’s good experience for the young players on the team to play under the bright lights of ESPN on Sunday night. That’s a courtesy that the team’s former starts (the Machado’s and Schoop’s of the world) rarely got when they first arrived on the scene.

The Orioles will now open a three-game set at home with the Toronto Blue Jays starting tonight. David Hess gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Sam Gaviglio. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles fall in night cap vs. New York

The Baltimore Orioles got a quality start out of starter Andrew Cashner last night against New York. But as has been the case for most of the season, that wasn’t enough. Cashner did everything one could do as a starting pitcher to put his team in a position to win. And as I’ve said many times, that’s all you can ask of a staring pitcher. Cashner’s line: 7.0 IP, 9 H, 4 R (3 earned), 2 BB, 4 K.

New York took an immediate lead on an RBI-single by Hicks. One inning later they put another run up an inning later on a wild pitch by Cashner, and a third on a fielder’s choice-RBI by Gardner. Stanton would add an RBI-single in the fourth, and Romine a home run in the ninth to round out NY’s scoring for the evening.

The Orioles put seven hits on the board in the game. The thing was that most of them were singles. Many fans may wonder how that benefits the rebuild effort when they have guys on the roster now who can only hit singles. First and foremost, we’re about a month into the rebuild effort. In essence, at this point the Birds are just playing out a string on the season.

The real work begins in the off season, as the organization will literally start building a team. However going back to the idea of only hitting singles, many people have begged for a higher OBP over times. Isn’t that in essence what hitting singles is? Just getting on base? Eventually that effort paid off, as the Birds put a run across in the last of the ninth with an RBI-single by Jace Peterson.

At the end of the day, they dropped the night cap in the doubleheader 5-1 to New York. However going back to the just hitting singles, this illustrates why I say that small ball isn’t possible in the AL East. As good as pitching is in the division, you can almost pencil in a double-play in the immediacy of a base hit.

But the way games are won in this division is by bludgeoning your opponents. The Orioles did it from 2012-2016, and it’s being done to them now. You have to balance the hitting-for-average with power. And that’s what the rebuild in the off season will hopefully yield.

The series concludes this evening at Camden Yards in a rare Sunday night appearance for the Orioles. Dylan Bundy gets the call for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Luis Severino. Game time is set for just after 8 PM.

Baltimore Orioles hurt by the long ball in game one

In game one of today’s doubleheader with New York, the Baltimore Orioles were haunted by the home run ball. When you can’t keep the ball in the ballpark, it’s going to be a long day. Compound that with having to play another one later on, and it’s an even longer day.

Jimmy Yacabonis got the start in the first part of today’s twin bill, and with less-than-desirable results. Yacabonis’ line: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 3 K. The Orioles briefly held a lead in this game. With New York already leading 1-0, Renato Nunez‘s two-RBI single gave the O’s a 2-1 lead. At that point you thought maybe the Birds had a fighting chance this afternoon.

But it wasn’t to be. Hicks’ RBI-single tied the game at two in the third. Later in the inning Andujar’s two-run homer gave New York a 4-2 lead. One inning later in the fourth Gardener added a two-run shot of his own. New York would later get an RBI-single from Voit, and additional solo homers by Torres and Hicks, rounding out their scoring.

There was one brief but nice moment for Orioles fans. Walker hit what appeared to be a homer to straightaway center field with two outs in the seventh. Cedric Mullins lept at the wall and brought it back into the ballpark for the final out of the inning. This is something that Orioles fans should probably get used to seeing…

…but perhaps more poignantly, it’s something that opposing teams should get used to seeing. Mullins plays a good center field, and that’s part of the reason why he’s here. Mullins is the future in the outfield for the Orioles. And Mullins would also add an RBI-single in the last of the ninth, cutting NY’s margin of victory to 10-3.

This is a tough game to have to endure for an Orioles’ bullpen that’s going to be right back at it later tonight in game two of a twin bill. Ideally however you want your starter to go deeper than 3.1 innings into the game. As I’ve said many times, it begins and ends with starting pitching. Now admittedly when you bring a guy up from the minors for the start, that may not necessarily bode well. But your hope is that the guy you throw out there is going to go deeper into the game than that.

The series continues this evening at Camden Yards. Andrew Cashner gets the call for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Sonny Gray. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles fight hard but fall to New York

It’s tough to fault the Baltimore Orioles for losing to the creme de la creme teams when they fight hard. And that’s exactly what they did last night against New York at Camden Yards. Alex Cobb turned in a quality start, but ultimately it wouldn’t be enough. Cobb’s line: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 6 K.

It was Chris Davis who gave the Orioles the lead early on. The Birds got a couple of runners on base early, and Davis’ two-RBI single gave them a 2-0 lead. And that held up for a couple of innings, that is until Voit smacked a two-run homer in the third to tie the game.

The frustrating part about Voit and his production last night is that he’s one of these “never before heard of” guys. He came to New York in a minor deal with the St. Louis Cardinals on July 29th – a deal that barely got a sentence in reporting it. Yet here he is tearing up the Orioles last night.

The Birds however would break the tie in the last of the seventh with a two-run homer off the bat of Jonathan Villar. However of course New York would come back immediately – of course they did. From the Orioles’ standpoint at least. Torres’ two-RBI single in the eighth inning tied the game back up at four. The O’s were able to get the lead back, but in their next immediate turn at the plate New York tied it back up.

And New York’s coup de grace came after the game went into extra innings. They smacked two homers in the top of the tenth inning, including a two-run shot by Voit. Again, the guy was traded in a very minor move to New York, and here he is ripping up the Orioles. Voit is in his second big league season; yet he smacked two homers against a team he’s never faced, and in a park at which he’s never played. That’s about par for the course for the Orioles this season.

Chris Davis would smack a solo homer in the last of the tenth, but it was too little too late. Again, it’s tough to fault the Orioles in a game whereby they fought hard. Especially against a team that has it’s sights set on the post season. But them’s the breaks, as they say.

The series continues this afternoon at Camden Yards with game one of a doubleheader. Jimmy Yacabonis is coming up from the minors to make the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by NY’s J.A. Happ. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: In memoriam of Mike Flanagan

Today’s a sad day for Baltimore Orioles fans, as on this day in 2011 we lost the late Mike Flanagan. A well-beloved former player and broadcaster, Flanagan’s death is a moment that will nary be forgotten among Orioles fans. On that day I swore that I’d never let this day pass without writing a tribute column of sorts for Flanagan so long as I covered the Orioles.

Please don’t let the passage of time allow you to forget how tough August 24, 2011 (and the subsequent days following) was. The O’s were in Minnesota, and just prior to the game there were reports of a body having been found on Flanagan’s property. As the game wore on the news that many already seemed to fear became official. It was Flanagan himself whose body was found, a victim of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

None of us who lived through that night will forget the likes of Rick Dempsey and Jim Palmer sorrowfully weaving their way through the MASN postgame show that night. And that moment really shows how close the Orioles family is. All of these guys played together in Baltimore. They adopted the city, and became a part of its fabric. Their families got to know one another, and their kids grew up together.

On this night in 2011, the likes of Palmer, Dempsey, and others lost a brother. And Baltimore lost a friend. Mike Flanagan loved playing here. He loved this community, and he loved raising his kids here. While never far from his New England roots, he became as much a part of Baltimore as crabs and beer.

My hope for the current crop of young Orioles is that they look to that example, and understand what type of organization of which they are a part. It’s an organization who for generations has made family out of total strangers. Look no further than guys like Schoop and Machado, both of whom of course were recently traded. So the likes of Mullins, Nunez, Mancini, and others should take note of the example set by Flanagan, Palmer, and Dempsey. Because closeness with your teammates and your city is never a bad thing.

My hope is that the fans never forget Mike Flanagan. Obviously as time passes he fades further and further into the past. Eventually the generation (my generation) who sat in the grandstand at Memorial Stadium as kids watching him pitch will be old and tired. But there’s another Mike Flanagan out there, ready to find his way to the Orioles, and ready to lead the team back to glory.

The O’s tonight open a four-game set with New York, which features a split-doubleheader tomorrow at Camden Yards. Alex Cobb gets the start tonight for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s CC Sabathia. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: There are worse places to be

Baltimore Orioles fans are struggling – perhaps more so than the team itself. For years and years fans begged the organization for a full rebuild. Those cries were muted following 2012 when they became a contender. However the fact remains that the fans wanted it for some time.

And now they’ve got it. I think it’s very easy to fall into the trap of looking at teams such as Houston, Chicago (Cubs), and others and view only the finished product. It’s also very easy to look at the likes of Boston and New York and wonder how their rebuilds were even quicker than those of Houston or Chicago – mainly because guys like Judge, Betts, et al, were not just “nuggets,” but immediate and perennial all-stars.

But again, now Orioles fans have their rebuild. Nobody wants to hear about how tough it was for Houston, because they won the World Series. But they went through this. They went through times where literally nothing went right for them because they had a crop of young players who may or may not have worked out. That’s where the Orioles are now.

But that’s a fine place to be – right now. Look down the pike at Washington, who just traded (through waivers) two players to contenders. They literally got pennies on the dollar for them. Had they decided to trade guys at the non-waiver deadline a few weeks ago, they would have gotten more – and MUCH MORE at that.

Would you rather be in that spot? Trying to warm over your team without a rebuild, and getting nothing back for your players? Or would you rather be like the Miami Marlins, who had nothing to trade to begin with? At least the Orioles had trade pieces that brought them a crop of prospects. It’s not an easy process. But it’s one that Orioles fans wanted. And contrary to what the team’s record says, there are worse places to be.

Baltimore Orioles been dominated by Toronto since September 16, 2014

David Hess threw a great game in Toronto for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon. Hess’ line: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 7 K. Hess didn’t give up his first hit until the fifth inning. The issue of course was that the O’s couldn’t score either. Feast or famine.

Unfortunately for Hess, he was tagged with the loss. He gave up a solo homer to Morales in the seventh, giving Toronto a 1-0 lead. And in reality, that’s all they needed. Toronto would put five additional runs on the board in the last of the eighth – three of which came on a three-run homer. Baseball’s a tough game at times.

The Orioles did threaten in this game. They had numerous base runners on base through the middle innings. In the top of the seventh they started the inning with two runners in scoring position and nobody out. Toronto was allowed to pitch out of it. One half inning later of course, Toronto took the lead on the aforementioned Morales homer. I’ve said it all year: your enemies get fa on what you leave behind.

The O’s of course defeated Toronto on September 16, 2014 to win the AL East. That game may well have represented some sort of cosmic shift in the universe. Toronto’s dominated the Orioles since then. It started the following season, which culminated with Toronto de-throning the Orioles as AL East champions by winning the division at Camden Yards.

Regardless of what the Orioles did, Toronto would answer – and in doing so they’d answer bigger and better. The Orioles had what appeared to be a bloop RBI-single this afternoon. Yet the ball was caught by a Toronto fielder in amazing fashion. There’s something about the Orioles that they don’t like, but it brings out the best in them. And it leaves the Orioles apparently powerless.

Their view of the Orioles since that day has also extended off the field, as everyone recalls them trying to bully the O’s into letting them have Dan Duquette. And yet in a situation that seemed to be an obvious case of one team trying to muscle in on the property of another, Toronto still managed to “win” that situation. The Orioles kept Duquette – make no mistake about that. But in doing so they were somehow painted as the villains in a situation where in reality they were the victims.

And that futility against Toronto culminated today, with the Orioles having gone 0-10 at Rogers Centre this year. It’s always been a tough yard for the Orioles to navigate, but it would stand to reason that they could have pulled one game out. So perhaps that’s something that the 2019 Orioles can work on; if they could win a few games in Toronto, their overall record would be marginally better.