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 fans get the game they’ve waited for

It would be a tough sell to suggest that Jonathan Schoop and the Baltimore Orioles exorcised all of their demons last night. But needless to say, they wowed their fans for the first time this season. Andrew Cashner picked up his first win at Camden Yards, and it was a rout. Cashner’s line: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 2 K.

Following an 80 minute rain delay, there was a sign early in the game that this would be the Orioles’ night. It was subtle, but it was there. Adam Jones came to the plate with a runner on third and one out – Tampa already led 1-0. Conventional wisdom says that in a situation like that you play the infield back and sacrifice the run for an out – because it’s early in the game.

The Orioles of course are nothing if not conventional. And conventional wisdom has gone belly-up on them this year. Instead Tampa’s one of these teams that thinks they can reinvent the wheel. They do nary anything in a conventional manner. So Tampa played the infield in (to cut the run off at home plate) – whereas “the book” says not to do so. Not only that, but Jones got a first pitch fastball, which he smacked into center field for an RBI-single (hitting it right by where an infielder would have been had Tampa gone by ‘the book.” If you’re going to play the infield in, the idea is you want to induce a ground ball to cut down the run. Tampa out-thought itself there.

The Orioles took a 3-1 lead in the fourth on Danny Valencia‘s two-RBI single. And in a way, they were off to the races. Schoop smacked his fifth home run in as many games (tying a franchise record) in the fifth. Tampa would inch closer by putting runs across in the sixth and seventh, this before the Orioles put up a crooked number and then some in the last of the seventh.

The Orioles got an RBI-single from Schoop, a three-run homer from Jones, a bases-clearing double from Joey Rickard, and another RBI-single from Schoop. The Orioles batted around in the inning, and they led 12-3 when the smoke cleared. Keep in mind that Tampa had started to chip away in the sixth and seventh innings. But that last of the seventh shut the door and ended the competitive portion of the game.

And when the smoked cleared for the entire game, the Birds had themselves a 15-5 victory. Thus far in 2018 we’ve seen the Orioles on the other side of games like this. Not last night. For once it felt like old times at Camden Yards, as the Orioles bludgeoned a small ball team.

Ironically the final score indicates that perhaps Tampa played their infield in back in the first inning on the Jones RBI-single with good reason. Obviously they had no way of knowing that then, but that sticks in my mind as an interesting decision on the part of Tampa. Mainly because it makes no sense, although that wiry type of thinking has worked for them most of the time this year. It didn’t on Friday night.

The series continues this evening at Camden Yards. Kevin Gausman gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Ryne Stanek. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Trusting the process can be difficult at times

Part of the rebuilding process for the Baltimore Orioles is trying out new players and seeing what they have in the organization. That can at times be a painful process given that mistakes are going to happen on the field. And moving forward, many of those mistakes will cost the Orioles games.

The O’s got yet another decent outing from Alex Cobb, who at times has to wonder just what he has to do to get a win. Cobb’s line: 6.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R (3 earned), 1 BB, 2 K. And this came in a game where the Orioles’ offense did score, just not in bunches.

Tampa took a 2-0 lead in the fourth on two RBI-singles. At first it looked once again like your typical death by a thousand paper cuts type of game with Tampa. They get people on base, and they trickle in one-by-one. But they get them in, making things tough for you.

However even at rapidly reduced power, the Orioles’ offense will always be one that lives and dies by the long ball. One inning later the game was tied thanks to a Jonathan Schoop two-run homer. It was only a two-run shot, but it tied the game. And imagine that – a homer with at least one other person on base!

The Orioles caught a major break, which was odd for them, in the seventh inning. Choi hit what was ruled a double to lead off the inning. However the play was challenged by Tampa – and eventually upheld. It appeared to me that the ball deflected off of some fans in the first row in left field before coming back into play. The umpires saw it differently and upheld the call.

But Tampa wasn’t about to let the Orioles get a break and in effect keep it. Hechavarria smacked an RBI-single later in the inning. That scored Choi, and gave Tampa a 3-2 lead. The Orioles have seen numerous bad calls this year, and in effect have let them fester. Tampa just brushed it off and found another way to score.

Later in that seventh inning Tampa would net another run on a throwing error up the first base line by pitcher Jhan Marinez. That netted a fourth run for Tampa, which in effect was the deciding run. Chris Davis would smack a solo homer in the eighth, but that was as close as the Orioles got.

So the Marinez error could be looked at as the deciding factor. However keep in mind that games are always the sum of all parts. You never blame one guy, especially when that guy’s in effect auditioning for a job in the future. But again, this is where Orioles fans will have to trust the process. Games such as these where a mistake stands out are going to happen. In fact, they’re going to happen much more frequently moving forward. But in sum, that’s really just part of the deal. Trust the process.

The series continues this evening at Camden Yards. Andrew Cashner gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Chris Archer. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles rained out vs. Boston

The Baltimore Orioles were trailing Boston 5-0 this evening in the second inning when the umpiring crew called for a rain delay. Two-and-a-half hours later, we got word that the game had been canceled. That means that Boston’s lead and all of the statistics garnered in the game are wiped out. A makeup date will be announced at a later time. For the record, Boston’s back at Camden Yards August 10-12th – the 13th is an off day for both teams.

Boston manager Alex Cora was apparently less than thrilled with how the rain delays in this series were handled. He might have a point, for the record. But with that said, the home team handles rain delay situations up until the umpire says PLAY BALL! Once that happens and the game starts, it’s up to the umpiring crew – and thus MLB.

The Orioles also announced today that Hall of Famer Eddie Murray is returning to the organization in the role of “Special Advisor to Ownership.” Murray was hired by John Angelos, and will begin his role immediately. It’s unclear exactly what that role is, short of Murray saying that he’ll be at spring training next year. However this is a move that Orioles fans should be behind. Eddie Murray’s a huge piece of Orioles history, and he’s returning to the organization hoping to help return it to glory.

The Orioles will open up a four-game set with Tampa tomorrow evening at Camden Yards. Dylan Bundy (who pitched briefly tonight before the rain out) gets the call for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Hunter Wood. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

UPDATE: The Orioles have updated their starter for the opener with Tampa, and Alex Cobb will get the start.

Baltimore Orioles close to dealing Zach Britton to New York (updated – deal is done)

As the Baltimore Orioles are taking on the Boston Red Sox this evening at Camden Yards, they’re also very close to finalizing a trade involving closer Zach Britton. The deal has Britton going to the New York Yankees, in return for three prospects. As a disclaimer, as I write this the deal is not done. But it’s close.

Again, this is a fluid situation. But as I’m writing this it appears that the deal is Britton to New York in return for prospects Dillon Tate, Josh Rogers, and Cody Carroll. Tate is a RHP, and Rogers a LHP, and they have ERA’s of 3.38 and 3.95 at Double-A and Triple-A respectively. Carroll, a relief pitcher, has pitched to a 2.95 ERA in Triple-A.

None of these is a top ten prospect, however it’s a pretty legit return for a one-inning reliever – assuming that the deal is Britton for Tate, Rogers, and Carroll. Those are all fairly low ERA’s, which could translate into big league nuggets at some point along the way. Key word there is could…that’s the Orioles’ hope, at least.

I’ve said before that I personally feel that trading in the division is a bad idea. Granted Britton is a rental for New York because he’s a free agent, however the fact is that teams don’t make trades out of the goodness of their hearts towards their competitors. They make trades because they think they’re making their team better (either right now or in the future). Granted the Orioles are doing that also, but why help a division rival do that in the here and now?

But that aside, it does appear that they’re getting a decent haul for Britton if this materializes. Also keep in mind that Britton had achilles surgery seven months ago. If you told most fans that at the deadline the Birds would flip Britton for two potential future starters and a potential future reliever, I think most would take that.

Again folks, this is a fluid situation. As I write this Britton is still an Oriole, and sitting out in the Birds’ pen at that. Anything could happen – the deal could fall through, another team could offer a better deal, etc. So stay tuned!

UPDATE: The trade became official early this morning. Britton is on his way to Tampa to join the NY Yankees. Tate and Rogers were assigned to Double-A Bowie, and Carroll to Triple-A Norfolk.

Baltimore Orioles: Jonathan Schoop stays hot, Birds hold on by a thread

The Baltimore Orioles endured perhaps just about everything they possibly could have to defeat Boston this evening at Camden Yards. The game was a bit more exciting in the end than the Orioles would have liked, but nevertheless it goes as the Birds’ first win of the second half. And it was the ever-hot Jonathan Schoop who spiked the Orioles’ offense.

The O’s were put in a spot to win the game by starter Yefry Ramirez, who took home his first big league win. Ramirez’s line: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 6 K. Ramirez had an inauspicious beginning to the game, giving up a solo homer in the first inning to Martinez, however he quickly settled in. And the Orioles proceeded to take the lead themselves in the last of the third on Jonathan Schoop’s two-run homer.

Boston was able to take the lead in the fifth on back-to-back homers by Swihart and Betts. And just prior to the sixth inning, the umpires called for the tarp and we had a 29-minute rain delay. The remainder of the game (once it resumed) was played in a steady drizzle at best, and a steady rain at worst. Quite frankly I’m shocked that the game went the complete nine innings.

But when the game went to rain delay, the Orioles did have the lead – by virtue of Tim Beckham‘s two-run homer in the last of the fifth. Beckham would also add a sac fly-RBI in the sixth, followed by an RBI-single by Schoop. That brought Adam Jones to the plate, who’s RBI-single gave the Orioles a 7-3 lead.

However Boston made a run, and ultimately was almost allowed to come all the way back. Martinez’s two-run homer in the eighth cut it to 7-5. But as the game went to the ninth inning the skies appeared to open up. And the umpiring crew seemed intent on starting and finishing the ninth inning and thus the game. So on we played.

Boston got a runner aboard on an infield single, after which Beckham’s botched flip to first base allowed the runner to get to second. That runner would later score on Devers’ RBI-single. The Orioles at one point had the go-ahead run on base, however Betts grounded into a game-ending double-play, making 7-6 winners out of the Orioles.

The entire game of course was played with all kinds of trade rumors being out there regarding closer Zach Britton (as covered here – earlier this evening on Birdland Crush). Britton at first didn’t come back out to the bullpen after the rain delay. That fueled speculation, however he later re-joined his teammates in the ‘pen. The trade appears all but done, but probably won’t become official until tomorrow.

The series concludes tomorrow evening at Camden Yards. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s David Price. Game time is set for just prior to 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Fifth inning costs Kevin Gausman, Birds

Conditions were about as poor as they could be for the Baltimore Orioles and Kevin Gausman last night as they opened a three-game series with Boston. However keep in mind that the conditions are the same for both teams in games like this. In the NFL they say that the weather is “the great equalizer.” Gausman’s line: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 2 K.

The teams ended up sitting through two short rain delays. They were both so short that both teams kept their starters in the game. But none the less the game featured two rain delays and was played under a perpetual threat of rain. At best it was a steady drizzle all night.

Boston took a 1-0 lead in the second on Moreland’s solo homer. However as we know, solo home runs aren’t going to beat you for the most part. And all things being the same, that homer wouldn’t have beaten the Orioles last night. What did beat them was the fifth inning, in which Gausman seemed to lose his command.

Gausman loaded the bases, and then promptly walked in a run by issuing a walk to Bradley. That was followed by an RBI-double by Benintendi, followed up by an infield RBI-single by Martinez. When the smoke cleared Gausman was out of the game and the Orioles trailed 5-0. Afterwards Gausman addressed his command in that fifth inning (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

Just kind of lost the feel for my split. That was the biggest thing, especially to all those lefties. That was the situation. I had so many opportunities to get a ground ball double play, walking three guys at the bottom of the lineup to get to the top. Obviously, not what I’m trying to do there.

Command, or feel for a pitch as Gausman put it, can be a fickle thing. Especially in conditions as such. One moment you have it, and the next moment it’s gone.

But as I said, solo homers aren’t going to beat you. Had the Orioles not given up those five runs in the fifth inning, they might have had a shot at winning. Jonathan Schoop smacked a two-run homer in the last of the eighth to cut the lead to 5-2. The Birds also put a run on the board in the ninth on an RBI-single by Caleb Joseph.

The series continues this evening at Camden Yards (weather permitting). Yefry Ramirez gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Drew Pomeranz. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Big trouble on the horizon?

Are the Baltimore Orioles in big trouble? And no, I’m not talking on the field. Wins and losses has very little relevance in this discussion. Well, maybe just a little. But not much.

The Orioles have been in and out of court fighting with the Washington Nationals on the MASN television deal since 2011. I’m not going to get into the specifics of the deal or the case, short of saying that one could argue that there’s at least an appearance of a wink-and-a-nod deal between MLB and Washington. Basically the league saying that they’ll never have to live up to the deal.

MASN owns the television rights for both teams in perpetuity. However if MASN were to cease to exist, it’s unclear what would happen. Odds are the teams would each retain their own rights, and sell them to the highest bidder. But even that’s not the main issue.

Peter Angelos is not a popular owner in the league office. He hasn’t been since 1994 when he publicly stood with the players against the owners. Then came all of the litigation and threats thereof when MLB wanted to put a team in Washington. And now this.

Peter Angelos is in ill health, according to multiple reports. We know that his sons, Lou and John, have in essence been running the team. So the Orioles’ ownership status is in somewhat of a state of flux. In fact, I suspect that the Angelos family would like to do what Washington just did (in an unrelated matter), where owner Ted Lerner in essence handed the team off to his son Mark.

However the league has very publicly made it clear that they can make the Orioles’ lives miserable – unless the Orioles play ball (meaning on the MASN deal). This could include future schedules, hosting an all-star game, or even ownership issues. The implication there is that the commissioner might not approve a “sale” (or more likely a hand off) of the team from Peter Angelos to his sons.

Say what you want about Peter Angelos, but he made a commitment to keep the team in Baltimore. And given that his sons are Baltimore-area residents and natives, there’s no reason to believe that they aren’t just as invested in keeping the team here. That wasn’t always guaranteed with other potential ownership groups. What if Peter Angelos passes away at some point and the league refuses to approve his sons as the new owners?

At that point they basically force them to sell the team. But what about MASN? Regardless of whether the network still exists and is operated by the Angelos family or not, that’s where it could get hairy for the Orioles. If you uncouple the Birds from MASN, they aren’t worth anywhere near as much. So that said, is a new owner going to have the same incentives to keep the team here as the Angelos’ did?

If the team were purchased by a local guy such as Steve Bisciotti (the Ravens’ owner), I think that things would be fine. But do Orioles’ fans really want to run that risk? Once Washington got a team, MLB didn’t have a city to dangle out there to convince teams to play their game – otherwise the team could move there. Now suddenly we hear that the league would like to return a team to Montreal, or even go to Charlotte, NC.

I’m not suggesting that the Orioles should play the game MLB wants them to play. To do so in essence would be to collude against themselves. This all the while when attendance and ratings are down. I always say that cities only really need to consider that the team could move if it gets sold to an out-of-town businessman. (In essence, people don’t move teams out of their hometowns.) But again, regardless of what they might think of the Angelos’, do O’s fans want to run that risk?

Baltimore Orioles: Did Buck Showalter over-manage the Birds out of a win?

Baltimore Orioles’ starter Andrew Cashner pitched a strong start this afternoon at Rogers Centre. Cashner’s line: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 K. When Cashner was lifted he was visibly angry. He seemed to challenge manager Buck Showalter in terms of making the change.

The O’s fell behind 1-0 in the fourth on Solarte’s RBI-single, which scored a runner from first base. However it seemed that the Orioles are forever going to be haunted by the absence of Manny, as the cut off man wasn’t in position to receive the ball from Jace Peterson in left (who made a diving attempt to catch it). That alone probably allowed the run to score.

However Peterson himself would tie the game an inning later with an RBI-single, and Jonathan Schoop‘s sixth inning solo homer put them in the lead at 2-1. It was shaping up to be the Orioles’ day – or so it seemed. It was later in that sixth inning that Showalter went out to get Cashner. Now while Cashner was pitching well, just recorded his second out in the inning, and was only 79 pitches in, he had also just come off the DL to make the start. And Showalter confirmed after the game that he only wanted Cashner to throw 70-80 pitches for that exact reason.

Regardless of the reason, I can’t defend Cashner’s outward response to being pulled. Pitchers should never show up a manager in that situation, especially one of Showalter’s stature. Showalter shrugged that point off after the game in saying that he wants guys to want to stay in. But while that’s a valid point, it’s also incredibly unprofessional to yap at the manager like that when you’re being pulled.

Newbie Renato Nunez smacked an RBI-double in the eighth which gave the Orioles some breathing room in the top of the eighth. To top it off, breaks that normally work against the Orioles went in their favor. The Toronto infield fumbled what appeared to be a routine ground ball out off the bat of Trey Mancini – on a collision. That allowed a fourth run to score, giving the Orioles an additional insurance run and a 4-1 lead.

But the strange and bizarre plays are supposed to break against the Orioles, not for them. In case anyone had forgotten that, the Birds played an infield shift against Gurriel to lead off the last of the eighth. With the left side of the infield wide open, he sent a swinging bunt down the third base line and over the bag. He had no intention of doing that, as it appeared to be a defensive swing more than anything else. But it got him on base.

And following the Orioles’ inability to turn two due to a softly-hit ball in the infield, Grichuk haunted the Orioles for the upteenth time this weekend with a two-run homer. Later in the inning with two outs and a runner on second, Showalter opted to go to the bullpen once again to bring in Tanner Scott. However he promptly gave up a two-run homer to Solarte, which ended up equaling a 5-4 win for Toronto.

Brad Brach had given up the two-run shot to Grichuk (following the hard-luck single by Gurriel), but he had worked to get the two outs in the inning. Scott ended up hanging a fastball middle in, which wound up in the seats. Now keep in mind that the manager can’t execute the plays, he can only decide who’s going to be in there to make them. But did Showalter over-think things today? And if so, did it cost the Orioles a win?

There are people reading this (perhaps you!) who’ll say that part of the issue is that Showalter had all but scripted Cashner’s start in that “the plan” was for him to only throw a certain number of pitches. And in general that might not be an invalid point. But you can’t discount the fact that the guy, while pitching fairly well, had just come off the DL. The last thing you want to do is overuse him, and risk further injury.

Then you have the situation with Brach and Tanner Scott. I can’t say for sure what the logic was in bringing in Scott in that situation, however Showalter had his reasons. I think it’s incredibly easy to suggest that a manager overthought things so much that he managed himself out of a win. Maybe he did for all I know. We can’t reverse time and see what would have happened had Brach stayed in the game. Needless to say, had anything other than a home run occurred on the next at-bat, the Birds wouldn’t have lost the lead at that moment.

Whether or not Buck himself is to blame in either the Cashner or Brach situations is really up to the beholder. However we know his reasons for pulling Cashner – and they’re fairly legitimate. And I think you have to give the benefit of the doubt to a guy like Buck who’s been in ALL of these situations as a manager over the course of his career. Point being, he had his reasons for pulling Brach also. And I suspect that they’re sound baseball reasons.

The Orioles now head home to open a three-game set with Boston. Kevin Gausman gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Rock Porcello. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Mistakes lead to another loss

The Baltimore Orioles gave starter Alex Cobb the lead before he even stepped on the field. However even before that, the Birds made a mistake that potentially kept them out of a big inning. They got back into last night’s game with a big inning, and they looked poised to keep the pressure on right away. And that surely would have helped Cobb out a bit. Cobb’s line: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R (1 earned), 3 BB, 4 K.

With a runner already on, Jonathan Schoop stroked a ball to left field which allowed the runner to go to third. Inexplicably, Schoop tried to extend a single into a double. The play was right in front of him, and he was thrown out by a country mile. It’s a mistake of aggression and one that occurred because he was trying to make something happen. But seeing that Adam Jones immediately followed with an opposite-way RBI-single, the Birds all but ran themselves out of a big inning with that play.

But the Orioles did have the lead – until the fourth inning. With a runner on first and nobody out, Solarte grounded back to Cobb at the mound. Cobb started what appeared to be a 1-4-3 double-play. However Cobb made what appeared to be an errant throw to second, pulling Tim Beckham off the bag. Toronto challenged the call, and the runner was ruled safe. That was ruled as an error against Beckham, and in fact he may not have been as equipped to make that play as someone who had played shortstop all season. But from my perspective it was an errant throw from Cobb.

Following that play, Grichuk’s RBI-double tied the game at one. Later in the inning with the bases loaded, Diaz gave his team the lead by grounding into a run-scoring double-play. The ironic thing about that is that the Orioles are a team that really can’t seem to catch a break. Whether it’s dumb luck or problems they cause, there’s no margin for error whatsoever. So they induce a hot hitter to ground into a double-play, and it still nets the opponent a run.

Toronto would extend their lead to 3-1 later in that fourth inning on Maile’s RBI-single. One inning later Toronto would score a fourth run on a balk called against Cobb to run the score to 4-1 – which was the final. After the game Cobb admitted that he did in fact balk, although here’s an interesting point; the runner was almost halfway between third and home plate. The balk was called when Cobb stopped his windup as he noticed the runner. So…did the runner there in essence not deceive the pitcher, which in turn made him stop – which according to the letter of the law constitutes an attempt to deceive the runner?

After the game Buck Showalter said that he pulled Cobb after five innings due in part to the fact that a blister was popping up on his throwing hand. Cobb told the media that it’s something that’s happened before. Neither Showalter nor Cobb appeared to be concerned about this in the long term, however the Birds will have to make a roster move before tomorrow’s game when Andrew Cashner will come off the DL to make the start. Might Cobb be DL-bound?

The series concludes tomorrow at Rogers Centre. The aforementioned Andrew Cashner will get the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s J.A. Happ. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Tim Beckham error spoils comeback

I’m not going to lie; I feel somewhat badly for the Baltimore Orioles’ Tim Beckham. While Manny Machado only spent half a season as the Orioles’ shortstop, Beckham’s going to now be under the microscope for the rest of the season as the guy who took over for Machado. While Beckham’s natural position is short, there does have to be a bit of a learning curve after playing third base for the first half of the season. We saw that curve play out last night.

Dylan Bundy struggled the second time through the lineup last night, and eventually Toronto ended up getting out to a big lead. Bundy’s line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 3 K. And one issue that Oriole pitching has had all year is that they’ve been fairly good the first time through the order – and in some cases the second time. However the second or third time through the order opposing teams seem to figure them out. There were times where it almost looked as if Toronto hitters knew exactly what was coming – and where.

Toronto took a 1-0 lead on Diaz’s solo homer in the third. However Tim Beckham, learning curve at short and all, gave the O’s the lead in the fifth with a two-run homer. But that coincided with Toronto figuring Bundy out. In the bottom of the inning their back-to-back homers immediately gave them the lead back. A sac fly and an RBI-double later, and Toronto led 5-2. Two innings later they extended their lead to 7-2 on an RBI-triple and an RBI-single.

At 7-2 in the seventh inning, you figure that the competitive portion of the game was over. However we did see a lot of fight in these Birds, perhaps trying to prove that they can still be a force in games, even without Manny Machado. Detractors will look at it from the perspective that they got back into the game via the long ball. However the fact is that Oriole bats simply came alive. That hasn’t always happened this year.

Chris Davis smacked a two-run homer in the eighth, bringing the O’s to within 7-4. The Birds would head to the ninth down by three, and Toronto allowed a run to score on a wild pitch, cutting it to 7-5. The O’s then took Toronto’s fifth inning back-to-back homers and decided to match them, with Joseph and Schoop doing the same. Both were solo shots, but combined they tied the game. While this story doesn’t have the greatest of endings for Orioles fans, the Birds were nothing if not clutch when they needed to be at the plate last night.

Martin got aboard with a single in the tenth. I would submit however that it shouldn’t have been a single – it should have been an error. It looked to be a fairly routine play as he grounded to Beckham at short. It was only due to Beckham’s errant throw to first base that Martin reached safely. Whether that’s a hit or an error, it looked to be a fairly routine play. Again, there has to be a learning curve for Beckham, who was playing shortstop for the first time this year.

To his credit, Beckham said after the game that it was a play that needed to be made every time. He had more time than he though, which is why he rushed the throw. However that led to a walk, and Diaz then smacked a single through the infield which was also misplayed somewhat by Beckham, ending the game and giving Toronto an 8-7 walk off win.

It’s unfair to beat up on Tim Beckham too much, as again he hasn’t played shortstop this year. Furthermore he spent all of spring training preparing to be the team’s starting third baseman. So while that throw on the Martin single was a fairly routine play (apparently in the eye of everyone but the official scorer), those things are in fact going to happen in a scenario like this. Tough pill to swallow, especially given the comeback, however you have to be patient when someone moves postions mid-season.

The series continues this afternoon at Rogers Centre. Alex Cobb gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Marcus Stroman. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.