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: Should Dylan Bundy have been traded?

Dylan Bundy had another rough night at the office for the Baltimore Orioles. Bundy’s line: 4.0 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 0 BB, 3 K. Chalk it up as another case of a guy pitching-to-contact, and a team just raring to make contact. However needless to say, Bundy wasn’t fooling anyone.

The O’s found themselves behind from the outset when Morales smacked a first inning RBI-single. The Birds would tie it up in the second on Caleb Joseph‘s RBI-single, but that’s as close as they got. Diaz would homer in the last of the second, and McKinney’s two-RBI single in the fourth would break the game open at 4-1 in Toronto’s favor.

Tack on an additional run on a Nunez E5, and Bundy was really struggling. (Obviously the error wasn’t his fault, however when you have runners on base and the ball’s put in play that can often occur.) However on a bright note, Cedric Mullins would hit his second big league homer with a solo shot in the top of the fifth. But Toronto would counter with three solo homers in the last of that fifth inning, topping things off for Toronto’s victory.

Bundy now has an ERA of 5.31, and his record on the year falls to 7-12. Needless to say, Bundy’s struggled – big time. This season has probably been a step backwards in a sense for Dylan Bundy.

Prior to the trade deadline when the O’s were talking about selling, there was an idea of trading Dylan Bundy (like they did with Gausman). So…should that have happened? Did the Orioles miss an opportunity?

People who focus squarely on results are going to say of course they missed an opportunity. Maybe they did. However the fact is that the team needs starting pitching in the here and now. You aren’t going to blindly promote some of the pitchers they got in return in the various trades simply because you just got them in a trade.

However Bundy does need to find himself again. There’s approximately five weeks plus left in the season. He really needs to buckle down on himself and turn things in the right direction. Because otherwise I wouldn’t put it past the Orioles to have an open competition in spring training next year regarding the starting rotation. He also makes himself tougher to deal in the off season if the Birds go in that direction.

But I’m not going to blindly say that they should have traded him. Things might be worse now with someone else in that slot. We just don’t know. So it’s a tough sell to argue that the Orioles missed an opportunity. The fact is that they made a huge commitment to the fan base to rebuild. And they ripped apart the old team much quicker than most people would have thought. If they erred in not including Bundy in that, so be it.

The Birds will try to salvage one game in Toronto with tomorrow’s series finale at Rogers Centre. David Hess gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Thomas Pannone. Game time is set for just after 12:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles, Andrew Cashner fall in Toronto

Toronto has always been a house of horrors for the Baltimore Orioles, and last night with Andrew Cashner on the mound was no exception. And it’s not just the Orioles; Toronto seems to have the clutch gene when they play at Rogers Centre, no matter who the opponent is, which is partially what’s prompted the discussion over the years about sign-stealing and the mysterious “man in white” sitting in the outfield. But I digress; Cashner’s line: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 2 K.

The O’s took an early lead in the third inning on a sac fly-RBI by Chris Davis. But that sequence also illustrates my issue with playing small ball. Sure, the O’s got the lead out of that and all – that goes without saying. But as I’ve said many times, if you play for one run that’s often what you’re going to get. Sure enough, Toronto found a way out of that situation. When a team is able to pitch out of a bases-loaded situation and surrender only one run, that’s a win for the defense.

And true to form, Toronto tied the game one inning later on a Morales solo homer. Pillar’s RBI-double in the fifth gave them a 2-1 lead, which was followed up by another homer off the bat of Morales -this one of the three-run variety, giving Toronto a 5-1 lead. Again, Toronto seemingly has that clutch gene when they play at home.

A solo homer off the bat of Renato Nunez and an RBI-double by Caleb Joseph (both in the sixth inning) weren’t enough the save the Orioles, who fell 5-3 in the first of three in Toronto. The Birds fell to 0-8 at Rogers Centre this year with the loss. As I said, it’s been a house of horrors – and has been for some time. Buck Showalter on this team’s struggles at Rogers Centre (quote courtesy of Steve Melewski, MASNsports):

Yeah, it’s been a lot of close games. It’s a small separator, like today, where we weren’t able to do some of the things we’ve done in the past to get over that hump.

That quote doesn’t exactly address what Showalter probably meant to say regarding the team’s struggles in Toronto. And that’s because some of them are just inexplicable. The O’s just don’t play well there.

The series continues tonight from Rogers Centre. Dylan Bundy 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 silenced in Cleveland finale

The Baltimore Orioles were unable to muster anything of note in yesterday’s series finale at Cleveland’s Progressive Field. Yefry Ramirez was battered around in his truncated outing; and it all begins and ends with starting pitching, as we know. But Oriole bats fell silent as well. Ramirez’s line: 3.0 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 5 BB, 2 K.

Cleveland led 2-0 after two innings following a first inning RIB-double by Diaz, and a second inning RBI-single by Allen. However it was the fourth inning that broke the game open. Bradley smacked an RBI-double, and Yefry Ramirez’s day ended when he walked Diaz with the bases loaded, running the score to 4-0.

But that didn’t improve things in the long run. The next batter up was Cabrera, who promptly deposited a grand slam into the seats, giving Cleveland an 8-0 lead. And that of course turned into an 8-0 victory.

You never want to lose games, but again these types of outings are part of rebuilding. Cleveland is a team that’s green lighted for the post season, so they’re no slouches. The goal for the Orioles is to get back to that level at some point. At least that’s what the rebuilding effort in essence is all about.

And the Orioles had opportunities in this game. The lead off hitter was aboard in several innings, but Cleveland always managed to kill the rallies. Heck, the Orioles were even 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position. While that’s not the greatest number on earth, it’s better than zero.

But consider that for a moment; the O’s actually had two hits with runners in scoring position. And out of those two sequences, they netted zero runs. That’s tough to do if you think about it.

Mark Trumbo is headed back to Baltimore to have an MRI on his knee, which flared up in pain once again. Trumbo appears to be ear marked again for the DL. He of course started the season on the DL, before coming up in the beginning of May. It’s a tough pill to swallow for both Trumbo and the O’s, but if you think about it one could also argue that it’s about par for the course for this year.

The Orioles now head north of the border to Rogers Centre (a park that’s haunted the Orioles for years) for a three-game set with Toronto. Andrew Cashner gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Marco Estrada. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles’ Cedric Mullins smacks first big league homer in win

Today was an all-around good day for the Baltimore Orioles. First and foremost they defeated the Cleveland Indians. However the Orioles and Orioles fans also got to see center fielder Cedric Mullins smack his first major league home run in the game. Not only that, but it came at a clutch moment.

Not to be overshadowed, Alex Cobb pitched a masterful outing this afternoon; his first complete game in five years. Cobb’s line: 9 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 K. I admittedly thought that Cobb should have been lifted for the ninth inning. However Buck Showalter knows better than I. And in the end if the result means anything, it was the right thing to do  – leaving him out there, that is.

The Orioles threatened in the third with a couple of runners on base and Jonathan Villar coming to the plate. And Villar gave the Birds a lead they would never surrender with a three-run home run. And save for the sixth inning, Cobb and the Orioles’ defense didn’t appear poised to let Cleveland back in the game. In that sixth inning Cleveland posted an RBI-single by Lindor, and a sac fly-RBI by Brantley.

That made things much tighter than they were at 3-0. However as I said, Mullins’ first big league homer came at a clutch point in the game. He hit it in the eighth on what looked at first to be a pop fly to right field. But it carried all the way out, giving the Orioles a very important insurance run, and an eventual 4-2 victory.

That’s a moment that Cedric Mullins and his family will remember forever. There are certain moments for a ballplayer that always stand out, regardless of how far he goes in his career. Whether you’re a player who fizzled out after just a few years or a Hall of Famer, you always remember your debut, your first big league hit, and your first big league home run. And/or first big league strikeout for a pitcher. So for Mullins, today is very much a historic day and moment.

And he got some very sage advice yesterday from one of the best hitters of his generation, former Cleveland Indian Kenny Lofton. When asked what Lofton told him, Mullins replied (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

Just to stay in my game. To self-evaluate myself and just understand what my role is, what my goal is.

I always thought of Lofton as a very gracious player during his career. But it was truly a touch of class for him to go into the visitors’ clubhouse and talk to a young player like Cedric Mullins – one that was about to play against his former team. But I can’t say it totally surprises me, because Lofton was always and still is a class act.

The O’s will have a shot at a series victory tomorrow in the finale at Progressive Field. Yefry Ramirez gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Cleveland’s Mike Clevinger. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: David Hess pitches a quality start in a losing effort

It’s tough to argue with David Hess‘ outing last night in Cleveland for the Baltimore Orioles. Hess’ line: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 3 K. As a starting pitcher your aim is to put your team in a position to win. And Hess did that.

Hess threw one bad pitch, and it ended up in the stands. Ramirez smacked a two-run homer in the last of the first. And in fact, there were a couple of times early when it appeared that this game was going to get away from the Orioles and David Hess. However he was always able to buckle down and find a way to pitch out of trouble. And that’s to his credit.

Hess of course has been getting an extended look this year, even well before the Orioles had committed to rebuilding. His early returns were very position – very similar to last night. However he’s had a few struggles, but nothing that isn’t expected of a young starting pitcher. After a couple of outings there’s a book on you, and professional hitters and hitting coaches are going to figure you out to a degree.

But tonight was definitely a step forward for Hess, albeit in a losing effort. Hess addressed his the opportunity he’s being given after the game (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

Right now, there’s really no question that opportunities are there, so it’s a good opportunity to go out and show what I can do. With the group of guys we have going forward, we’re trying to come together as a team and really find ways to win. So, I think anytime I have an opportunity to contribute to that, it really does mean a lot to be able to do that. Really just going forward that’s what we are looking at.

Trey Mancini would cut the Cleveland lead to 2-1 with an RBI-single in the eighth. But the O’s could only muster the one run, and fell by that 2-1 score. Miguel Castro also pitched to a very strong scoreless outing for two innings in relief of David Hess. And that’s just as important to the rebuilding effort as anything else – including starting pitching. Heck, you could argue that it’s even more important, given the nature of the game nowadays in terms of bullpen use.

The series continues today from Progressive Field in Cleveland. Alex Cobb gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Cleveland’s Adam Plutko. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.

Baltimore Orioles’ get Craig Gentry back for now

The Baltimore Orioles head to Cleveland tonight for a three-game set, and they’ll be met by a perhaps-forgotten face of OF Craig Gentry. As you may recall, Gentry went on the DL back in June after being hit in the ribs in Atlanta. He’s been rehabbing since then, however the Orioles team he now re-joins is vastly different from the one he was on before. That much should be clear.

Gentry replaces Adam Jones on the roster. No folks, Jones hasn’t been traded. However he has been placed on the bereavement list, as he’s unfortunately having to deal with the death of a family member or friend. Jones will be on the bereavement list for three days, and re-join the O’s in Toronto on Monday. It’s unclear what happens to Gentry at that point, but my prediction is that he’s DFA’d. Unless the O’s could somehow work out a trade for him. But don’t hold your breath.

Speaking of trades, it was reported earlier this week that Adam Jones had cleared waivers. Most teams waive their players in August, and obviously someone might try to work out a trade with the Orioles. Jones can still veto any trade with his 10-and-5 status of course. Whether he’s had a change of heart since last month is beyond me.

The series in Cleveland begins tonight at Progressive Field. David Hess gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Cleveland’s Carlos Carrasco. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles fall big to New York

The Baltimore Orioles’ string of luck so to speak against the New York Mets came to an end last night. And as has been the case with so many things this year, it seemingly happened in grandiose fashion. Dylan Bundy got knocked around a bit, and as we know it all begins and ends with starting pitching. Bundy’s line: 5.1 IP, 11 H, 7 R, 0 BB, 5 K.

New York came out swinging, and for their sake it’s a good thing they did. After they took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, Adam Jones‘ RBI-single in the bottom of the inning brought the Orioles back to within one at 2-1. But that was as close as the Birds would get in the game. Bautista would add an RBI-single in the fourth, and Nimmo an RBI-double. An inning later Frazier would smack a solo homer, opening the game wide open at 5-1.

As if that wasn’t enough, New York put up a nine-run sixth inning. Yes folks, you read that right – a nine-run sixth inning. Whatever Oriole pitching was throwing up there, New York was hitting. It was capped off by a grand slam off the bat of Plawecki. You can chalk this up to it’s part of the rebuilding process, but nine-run innings are tough to come by.

The Birds however would come back – just a bit. Mark Trumbo‘s RBI-single in the seventh cut it to 14-2. An inning later Austin Wynns would add an RBI-double, and Jonathan Villar a solo home run. For what it’s worth, that was the 97th home run in the history of Camden Yards to make it onto Eutaw Street. However just for good measure, NY decided to tack on a three-run homer by Flores in the ninth, to run the final to 16-5. As I said, whatever Oriole pitching was throwing up there last night, New York was hitting.

The sad thing is that the Orioles did rattle New York’s starter (Wheeler) a bit in the first two innings. They got a few runners on base, and he appeared on the verge of potentially being on the ropes. At this point you can chalk that up to a lot of inexperienced players being in the lineup. And yes, that’s part of a rebuild.

However it’s also been the case for most of the season. Even when the Schoop’s and Machado’s of the world were with the Orioles, it seemed that the Orioles were in a sense letting opposing pitchers off the hook. Part of any sport is having the eye of the tiger. The good news now is that the eye of the tiger can be learned. But at some point along the way it seemingly went by the wayside.

Baltimore Orioles: Chris Davis leads Birds over N.Y. Mets

Chris Davis had to have been tired of being mentioned in a negative light for the Baltimore Orioles. It’s certainly been a tough season for everyone involved, however for none more so than Davis. But at least for one day he could go to bed knowing that he made a difference for his team in a positive manner.

Andrew Casher even stuck around long enough to get the win, which is more than many Orioles’ starters have done of late. Cashner’s line: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 3 K. The Orioles gave Cashner the lead in the fourth inning on a sac fly-RBI by Mark Trumbo. However one inning later New York got twin RBI-singles and took a 2-1 lead. Were the Birds getting nitpicked to death again?

And the answer was no. Adam Jones tied the game with a solo home run in the sixth inning. And one inning later that brought Davis to the plate, and he connected with a solo homer of his own. That gave the Orioles the lead bad at 3-2. And it would be a lead that they wouldn’t relinquish.

Later in that seventh inning the O’s would also get an RBI-single from Renato Nunez, as well as a two-run homer from Tim Beckham in the eighth. Frazier’s RBI-single in the ninth would cut the Birds’ lead to 6-3, which ended up being the final. With the win, the Orioles snapped a five-game losing streak, which incidentally included that four-game sweep over the weekend at the hands of Boston.

You always hope for the player’s sake that something like hitting the go-ahead home run is going to break Chris Davis of his poor season. However at this point odds are against that. But Davis is still churning away as best he can for this season, and in fact he probably does have the right mental approach (quote courtesy of Zachary Silver, mlb.com):

I think it’s really about taking it one at-bat at a time. Not getting too high or too low. Not trying to hit a home run, but just going up there and trying to be a hitter. I think it’s too easy a lot of times to get caught up in the negative and sometimes even to get caught up in the positive and let your guard down. For me, I want to finish up strong. I want to work on some things and go into the offseason with a head of steam.

The series with the N.Y. Mets concludes this evening at Camden Yards. Dylan Bundy gets the starting assignment for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Zack Wheeler. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles’ future should be up to Buck Showalter

One of the biggest questions that lingers for the Baltimore Orioles is the status of manager Buck Showalter. We all know what’s going on; Showalter, along with GM Dan Duquette, is in the final year of his contract. The team as it stands now is vastly different than the one he set out coaching at the beginning of the season. And the immediate future looks different as well.

The hope however certainly is that the not-so-distant future looks bright with the plethora of young talent that’s come into the organization. But the question burns, what will become of Buck? He’s said on numerous occasions that Baltimore will be his final managing job. I suppose you never say never, but I suspect that the odds of him going to another team are very slim.

We’ve heard numerous rumblings out of ownership that the manager’s office will remain Buck’s if he wants to be there. We’ve also heard that owner Peter Angelos is increasingly detached from team operations, and that his sons John and Lou are in essence the de facto “owners.” Do they buy into the philosophy that the job is Buck’s if he wants it?

That’s actually another conversation for another day. What I’m saying is that the job should be Buck’s if he want’s it. Detractors will point at this year and this year only as evidence that he shouldn’t return. However I would invite fans to take a look back further than just to April. Buck Showalter helped to revamp this franchise from 2010-2012, on from which they were a perennial contender – until now.

Not only that, but he restored pride to an organization, fan base, and city that direly needed it. Orioles fans were sick and tired of managers who really shouldn’t be managers coming being shipped in and then shipped out. So a change was made, and in 2010 Showalter (who had been working for ESPN) was brought in.

The results were almost immediate, and almost all positive. The difference was that Buck Showalter had been around the game a long time, and fans in essence already knew him. But that aside, he brought the Orioles to where fans questioned if they could actually go again. That should never be lost on Orioles fans.

Again, the decision should be Showalter’s. That means his decision could also be to walk away. I don’t think he would do so on account of having to rebuild, because he seems like a guy who understands that process and who doesn’t mind it. But he, like all of us, has to weigh his options. As an example, he became a grandfather for the first time awhile back; that’s kind of a game-changer.

Point obviously being that for all anyone knows he might feel that it’s time for him to not be managing anymore. Now with that said I do think that if that was going to be his decision, he’d announce his intention to step down after the season – so as to give him some time to say goodbye to the fans, and vice-versa. But at this point we don’t know.

There are plenty of people who will disagree with this – and that’s okay. All I’m saying is that with his track record and with what he’s meant to this city, the decision should belong to Buck Showalter. Many people argue that the Orioles need a fresh face in the dugout. But with someone as accomplished and tenured as Buck, you don’t just shove him out the door.

The Orioles will tonight open a short two-game set with the New York Mets at Camden Yards. Andrew Cashner gets the call for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by NY’s Jason Vargas. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Alex Cobb’s quality start doesn’t do the job

To his credit, Alex Cobb never complains about run support from Baltimore Orioles’ bats. His post game comments after yet another quality start that ends up in the loss or no decision column are always about how he tries to go out and do the best job he can for the team and try to put them in a spot to win. But at some point it has to be frustrating internally; Cobb had another such outing yesterday, as he provided a solid outing in a losing effort to Boston. Cobb’s line: 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R (1 earned), 2 BB, 7 K.

The Orioles were in a hole early when Pearce smacked a solo homer in the first inning to give Boston a 1-0 lead. In the fourth they took a 2-0 lead on Martinez’s run-scoring double. The run scored when Adam Jones misplayed the ball in right field, allowing the lead runner to take home plate. It was Jones’ first gaffe in right, which is to be expected at some point. When you’ve played a position for ten years and suddenly you’re in another position, that’s going to happen at some point.

The Orioles couldn’t solve Boston’s starter Sale, who put a spell on them all day. Sale was called up from the DL to make the start, so Boston limited him to five innings. Granted the Orioles are a young team now with youth and inexperience, however they struck out twelve times in five innings against Sale.

The O’s did attempt to mount a rally well after Sale was gone, and they put a run across in the eighth on Trey Mancini‘s sac fly-RBI. The issue was that the bases were loaded, and the Birds only got one run. Many people would look at that and say that it’s good the Orioles are trying to play more small ball. However as I’ve always said, if you play small ball you’re going to get small results. In essence, if you play for one run that might be all you’ll get.

And true to form, Boston would put two additional insurance runs on the board in the ninth as they closed out a 4-1 victory – sweeping the series. It begins and ends with starting pitching, and both teams got great outings by their starters. I’m not going to say that Boston truly “solved” Cobb, but they put two runs up on him. The story of the game was that the Orioles couldn’t do anything against Sale. Buck Showalter on both starters (all quotes courtesy of Steve Melewski, MASNsports):

Outstanding. He (Cobb) was great. He’s been that way for a while now. He’s been solid. When you think about in time of need, with our bullpen situation, that was as good as you can expect. Alex has really got a feel for the split now. To pitch seven innings against that lineup in a day game, that’s impressive. We just couldn’t score any runs. Sale took it to a different level. The first fastball he threw today was 98, the second one was 99. He was throwing a changeup at 88, 90. Doesn’t seem fair.

While he’s been used in a pinch-hitting role this weekend, Mark Trumbo has been held out of the starting lineup due to soreness in his knee. Buck Showalter believes he’ll be able to return to his starting duties on Tuesday when the N.Y. Mets come to town:

I think, that’s all indications. Mark has been fighting his way through it for quite a while. Just going to try to get ahead of it with lack of activity the past few days. Hopefully we can get him back to close to normal. Nobody’s going to be normal til a month after the season’s over.

After dropping four straight games to Boston, today’s a good time for an off-day. Especially with so many young players on the roster now – it gives them a good chance to catch their breath.