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: Yefry Ramirez shines in close loss

Admitedly, Yefry Ramirez deserved a better fate last night than to be pulled short of six innings. Ramirez pitched about as solidly as he could have last night, doing more than just putting the O’s in a spot to win the game. Ramirez’s line: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K.

Ramirez mowed Chicago hitters down all night. And again, he deserved a better fate. But as can generally be the case with these Orioles, it was another rally started with two outs which did Ramirez in. A two-out double in the sixth put a runner in scoring position. Sanchez proceeded to smack an RBI-double…

…well, that might be a bit of a stretch. Another thing that’s plagued the O’s for a long time (in the Buck Showalter era) is teams seemingly doing less and getting more. Sanchez sent a soft pop up cutting towards the left field line. It fell fair, and ended up being a double. The Orioles try to hit the cover off the ball, but are seemingly defeated by teams who try to hit it softer. Garcia would smack a solo homer in the ninth to cap off Chicago’s 2-0 win.

However the story of the game from my perspective was still Yefry Ramirez. The Orioles are going back to being unable to put it all together on the same night. Friday night they put up six runs. Last night if they had put up just half of that they would have gotten the win. (All things being equal, which I recognize is always a stretch.)

After the game Buck Showalter spoke glowingly about Ramirez (all quotes courtesy of Steve Melewski, MASNsports):

Really good, really good. That’s probably his best outing of the year. A good night to pitch on, crisp. I thought [his] best fastball, best slider. His slider’s come a long way. Changeup, threw about 10 or 15 of those. Good times to the plate with runners on base. Just another night where he deserved a better fate as far as W and L. He was outstanding. That was fun to watch. He was fun to catch. That was as good as you want to see a young pitcher pitch.

Showalter was also asked if Ramirez was going to stay in the rotation moving forward:

Don’t feel good about the way Andrew’s (Cashner) knee is responding. He’s not going to pitch Monday, which is his normal start, so we’re going to need a starter there. (Josh) Rogers is at a point where we’re probably looking, really, not to pitch him much. Cash, there’s no real day he’s scheduled to start right now unless we get some real positive movement with his knee, we’re not going to pitch him. Just hasn’t responded to the treatment and the cortisone as we’d hoped. Structurally, he’s in good shape, just the wear and tear of the season, I guess. Alex (Cobb) probably going to play a little catch in the next day or two, but I’m not expecting that to be imminent for him to start, either. So, that’s my way of answering. Yefry’s going to pitch.

So based on that, it would stand to reason that Ramirez’s name might be penciled in as a starter going into Spring Training next year. Of course that also could be contingent on who the manager is. If it’s Buck Showalter, I would expect Ramirez to get a great shot at making the team as a starter out of the spring.

The series with Chicago concludes this afternoon at Camden Yards. David Hess gets the call for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Lucas Giolito. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles could be struggling for starters

Here’s an interesting question: who’s going to be starting games for the Baltimore Orioles moving forward? Any team in the Orioles’ situation should be looking at the future; and the O’s are trying to do just that. But it didn’t help matters when Luis Ortiz had to leave in the second inning with a tweaked hamstring. Ortiz’s line: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R (1 earned), 1 BB, 0 K.

Ortiz gave up three RBI-singles in that span giving Chicago a 3-0 lead. The second RBI-single was of the infield variety, and came because Ortiz didn’t break to cover first base in time. Those are the mistakes that young teams make. But they’re still tough to watch.

And it may have been in that sequence when Ortiz injured himself. He broke too late off the mound to cover first base, and had to hurry over. Replays showed him wincing in pain. Starters Cobb and Cashner are both potentially injured as well. So again…exactly who are the Orioles going to use to start games the rest of the way? Injuries happen all the time, this much we know. But somehow it doesn’t seem fair that a team would readily admit that they’re not going to make it, sell their pieces off, and then have the prospects they get back in return start getting hurt.

Trey Mancini did all he could in this game to bring the Orioles back. He smacked a solo homer in the second, which unfortunately for the Birds was followed by a two-run shot by Narvaez to give Chicago a 5-1 lead. But Mancini smacked a second homer in the fourth, cutting the lead to 4-2. Yet, no team apparently is going to be outdone by the O’s this year. Garcia’s two-run shot in the fifth ran the lead to 7-2.

The O’s did however make a push in the seventh. Corban Joseph‘s two-RBI single brought them to within 7-4, and Mullins would later reach on an error that netted another run. The Birds would close to within one at 7-6 on a sac fly-RBI by Adam Jones, only to have Chicago tack on an insurance run on Cordell’s solo homer in the eighth.

Ortiz is going to potentially undergo an MRI on his hamstring. Again, injuries do happen. But there’s a hint of unfairness seeing the Orioles now have to deal with injuries occuring to some of the pieces that they received in trades. Them’s the breaks though.

The series continues tonight at Camden Yards. Yefry Ramirez gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Reynaldo Lopez. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Dylan Bundy’s quality start snaps losing streak

The Baltimore Orioles snapped yet another long losing streak last night, this time behind a quality start from Dylan Bundy. It was a welcome sight for the Birds to find themselves on top of a score after nine innings (or eight-and-a-half, needless to say), but also for Bundy to see himself in the win column. It was his first win since July. Bundy’s line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 8 K.

The O’s appeared on a mission from the get go in this game, hoping not to get swept – this time at home. Tim Beckham‘s two-RBI single in the first gave the Orioles a 2-0 lead. Of course Beckham was also thrown out at second base trying to extend it into a double, but he did give the O’s the lead early. And it’s a good thing he did, because Piscotty’s solo homer in the second cut that lead to 2-1.

The O’s ran the lead to 3-1 in the fourth on an RBI-single by John Andreoli, followed by an RBI-single from Breyvic Valera. Oakland would plate two more runs over different innings, although most poignantly they cut the lead to 4-3 in the eighth when Olson walked with the bases loaded. That was the moment where you felt everything would come crashing down. And in fact, it almost did. However the O’s pitched out of the jam, leaving the lead at one.

And in fact, Jace Peterson would give them an insurance run with an RBI-double in the last of the eighth. That gave the O’s some breathing room, and they cruised to a 5-3 win. However the story of the game was Bundy, who was praised profusely by manager Buck Showalter after the game (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

That was fun to watch. He had a really good feel for his breaking ball. He just had the one pitch, I thought that he was trying to go down and away off the plate and he let it leak back enough over the plate. He’d like to have that one back. But I thought he had just a good feel for pitching.

He made them beat his breaking ball. He had a good breaking ball, he had good command of it and they didn’t seem like they were seeing it or following it. And he had two of them. Really happy for Dylan. I almost took him out after the fifth inning, just to give him a positive note, but he seemed to get a little better as the game went on.

It’s interesting that Showalter said he almost lifted Bundy after the fifth. While that certainly would have qualified him for the win, it wouldn’t have gone down as a quality start. And pitchers take a lot of pride in that overall.

The Orioles will remain at home tonight to open up a three-game set with the Chicago White Sox. Luis Ortiz will get the call for the Birds (in his first major league start), and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s James Shields. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Are Orioles’ pitchers easy to figure out?

After Andrew Cashner departed tonight’s game, I tweeted about a concern I’ve had all year about Baltimore Orioles’ pitchers. And there have been several, mind you. Cashner’s line: 2.0 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 1 BB, 1 K.

Cashner pitched into the third inning, and was lifted after giving up eight runs. The Orioles’ bullpen would go onto give up two additional runs, making the score 10-0 after three innings. And that would end up being the final score.

All season I’ve noticed in several games that starters would start things off in a decent manner. Cashner certainly did tonight. He allowed a base runner in the first inning, and mowed Oakland down in the second. Then the third hit…and Cashner got hit.

That third inning wasn’t quite one turn through the order. However the Birds started getting hit left and right. No matter what Cashner threw up there, he either issued a walk or got hit. So…what gives?

I’ve said for some time that Oriole starters have been figured out after one or two turns through the order. And while it’s not out of the realm of possibility (although I’m sure it’s happened), I’m not even saying that opposing teams are stealing signs. I’m saying something along the lines of what the NY Jets did the other night in their NFL game against Detroit. They announced after the game that they knew Detroit’s plays before they were even called.

Now I’m not necessarily going to get into the smarts of announcing that you knew someone else’s plays before they were even called. (Because not all of your opponents will know that you’re trying to learn their playbooks.) But what I’m saying is that other teams are somehow figuring out what the Orioles are doing, possibly down to pitch selection and location – all before it happens. This can be achieved through scouting, and by watching game film – not necessarily by stealing signs.

On a similar note, the O’s have had problems with two strikes and/or two outs all season. Opposing hitters have in essence been emboldened in these situations, when in reality they should probably be on their heels. This is all stuff that we will discuss in the off season, as it has to change going into next year if the O’s are going to even improve their win total year-over-year.

The series concludes tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Oakland’s Brett Anderson. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Is Alex Cobb’s season done?

Alex Cobb left this evening’s Baltimore Orioles’ game early – after two innings to be exact. Cobb’s line: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K. That’s a decent stat line, if this is spring training. However Cobb had to leave the game due to a recurring blister on his throwing hand.

Cobb was in obvious discomfort even while warming up in the bullpen before the game with Oakland this evening. Television camera’s caught him in a rarely honest moment for a pitcher when he realized he wouldn’t be able to go on in the game. He certainly wasn’t happy as he went down the tunnel to the clubhouse. And in reality, you can’t really blame him.

Cobb of course didn’t have nary any spring training or this year, as he signed very late in camp. He started the season in disappointing fashion, but eventually his numbers improved. Notice I said his numbers improved – not necessarily his record. While he churned out quality starts for much of the summer, the Orioles’ offense couldn’t put runs up for him.

And unfortunately for the O’s, they were playing a team in Oakland tonight who’s very much positioning for a playoff spot. These guys had something to play for. The Orioles in truth did not.

Oakland took a 1-0 lead on Chapman’s RBI-double in the third. They would net two more runs in that third inning on long reliever Mike Wright, both on RBI-singles. The Orioles would continue to allow base runners, and Oakland would get them in.

The Orioles did try to come back, and it was on the bat of Jonathan Villar. He smacked a solo homer in the sixth, and an RBI-single in the eighth. But that’s all that the Orioles could salvage on this night, and they fell to Oakland 3-2.

From my standpoint it would stand to reason that the Orioles just shut Alex Cobb down for the season. Depending on the severity of the blister (which still remains to be seen), he might have what? Perhaps one start left in him? Is it really worth the Orioles risking further injury to Cobb?

By further injury, I don’t mean aggravating the blister. I mean anything else that could happen; a knee injury, a torn achilles, being hit by a comebacker, etc. The O’s would do the player and themselves a favor by just shutting Cobb down for the remainder of the season.

One way or the other, the Oakland series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Andrew Cashner gets the start for the Orioles, and at this point Oakland has not named a starter. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Some events rock the world

The Baltimore Orioles are scheduled to take on Oakland this evening at Camden Yards in the first of three games. However given the weather it’s unclear whether or not this game – or really any on this home stand – will be played. It’s almost reminiscent of this exact day 17 years ago, when games across MLB would end up being canceled.

Some events rock the world, and the September 11th attacks most certainly did for all of us who were of a certain age. I do believe that sports played a major role in the healing of America in the wake of that terrible day, perhaps baseball being chief among them. The image of the President of the United States throwing out the first ball in the World Series in New York that year was awe-inspiring.

However today is about the victims and their families, as well as about our country. Which is why I won’t give the starting pitching matchup for tonight’s game as I normally do. It’s irrelevant. Not because of the Orioles’ record, but because some events truly do rock the world, rendering the rest of it meaningless.

Baltimore Orioles: Your hometown forecast

Following a three-city road trip, the Baltimore Orioles are off today. And if you believe some of the forecasts, they may actually be off for awhile. Oakland, Chicago, and Toronto are scheduled to come into Camden Yards starting tomorrow – a nine-game home stand. But the weather will play a role in whether or not that home stand actually plays out.

They’re calling for rain – and lots of it. Then at the end of the week we see the potential impacts of Hurricane Florence, which may or may not impact our area. Somewhat similar to Mike Trout, I’m kind of interested in the weather and the patterns. And I know enough about it to know not to start making predictions on hurricanes.

The first part of the home stand against Oakland is probably the most important – from the league’s perspective, that is. Oakland is still in the play off race, and MLB is going to want all three of those games played to completion. Granted one of them, possibly two (if you throw in the potential of a doubleheader) might well get rescheduled. Perhaps even until after the season.

However the Chicago and Toronto series’ might be a different story. Neither of those teams, nor the Orioles, are in the play off chase. It would be interesting to see if the league would allow the cancellation of what amounts to two series’, giving the Orioles only 154 games. But in the same respect, what would be the point of playing them?

Forecasters are saying that if Florence stalls, it could bring a massive amount of rain to various areas over several days.That’s where things are uncertain right now. But one way or the other…we motor on.

Baltimore Orioles can’t recover after tough first inning in Tampa finale

The tale of this afternoon’s Baltimore Orioles series finale in Tampa was the first inning. Starter Josh Rogers gave up five runs in the inning, and six total. And that was the game. Rogers line: 1.1 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 0 K.

Cron got the scoring started with an RBI-double in that first inning. He would later score on an RBI-single by Adames, who would ultimately score on Lowe’s three-run home run. One inning later Smith stole home plate in a double-steal, and Tampa took a 6-0 lead. A run that was charged to Rogers.

Following Rogers’ departure things stablized just a bit for a few innings. Gomez would smack a solo homer in the sixth inning to run things to 7-0, before the O’s put a few on the board as well. Jace Peterson‘s two-RBI triple cut the lead to 7-2, and the O’s would garner a third run on Caleb Joseph‘s sac fly-RBI. Pham would double home one additional run in the eighth, and the Orioles were swept out of Tampa with an 8-2 loss.

After the game Buck Showalter announced that Josh Rogers would be shut down for the remainder of the season. Rogers on his season being done (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

Yeah, it’s pretty unfortunate because I’ve had too pretty OK outings starting my career off and trying to build off those. This will sink in and it’ll be a long offseason thinking about this one, but just taking away the positives of the experience of being here so far. It’s a learning experience and it’s a great opportunity here and I’m excited about it.

I was supposed to be in Trenton in Double-A. I was going to be the fifth starter in Trenton and I just kind of got lucky. It kind of worked out. I was going to be in the bullpen in Triple-A and we had a guy go up and I made a start and did well and just kind of ran with it.

I pitched well and I’ve always been a starter and always wanted to be a starter. I was fortunate enough to get that opportunity with the Yankees and to have a couple months with them and then have the opportunities here it was really exciting. If this was my last one, I’ll work hard this offseason and I’ll come into spring ready to go.

Withstanding this, his final appearance of the season, Rogers is someone that the Orioles definitely want to continue looking at into next year. I would expect him to get a good look in spring training. Rogers obviously wants to start, however I would remind him to keep in mind once spring games start that when you pitch is irrelevant. The idea is to get your work in. And he will.

The Orioles looked every bit of a team that was playing out a string on the season this weekend. While Tampa’s still mathematically alive for the post season, the odds aren’t in their favor. But they played like there was no tomorrow. They refused to relent on pressure in games, whether it was double-steals, or their manager challenging calls to net them a run when they’re up ten.

You can talk about how that doesn’t bode well for the Orioles if you would like. But keep in mind that the team that’s on the field now probably isn’t going to be the team on the field on Opening Day next year. Many of these guys still have the deer in the headlights look going. Give them a chance.

Baltimore Orioles: Is a message being sent on Adam Jones

Adam Jones hasn’t been in the Baltimore Orioles’ lineup for the first two games of this weekend’s series in Tampa. The Birds fell Friday night, and again of course tonight. Would Jones’ presence in the lineup made a difference? Probably not. Jones isn’t expected to be in the lineup for tomorrow’s finale either, although Buck Showalter said he’d play again this month.

Like Showalter, Jones is in the final month of his contract. My personal view is that the Orioles need Jones moving forward, both as a veteran presence but also as a team leader/captain. GM Dan Duquette has said that the Orioles’ payroll is going to be much lower going into next year. Many read that to mean Jones’ time in Baltimore is all but done. But is it possible that Buck Showalter is using this series as a manner by which to signal Duquette and upper management that Jones’ presence on the roster behooves the franchise?

David Hess got the start in tonight’s game, and while his numbers indicate a struggle he was ultimately failed by outside forces. Hess’ line: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 6 R (2 earned), 0 BB, 3 K. Hess allowed four runs in the first inning. One of those came on a wild pitch, but ultimately runners were only on base due to throwing errors. Tampa would also get a fifth run in the second on a squeeze bunt by Wendle.

The O’s battled back starting in the third. And they battled back several times, but Tampa never seemed to allow it. Villar’s RBI-single in the third cut the lead to 5-1. One inning later Renato Nunez smacked a two-run homer, and the O’s were within two at 5-3.

As I said, Tampa just kept adding on. After two six inning runs, the O’s got back to within 7-5 in the seventh on Villar’s two-RBI single. But Tampa just wasn’t in the mood to be losing on this night, and they took the game 10-5. In fairness to the O’s, nary one break seemed to go their way in this game. Tampa hitters got the benefit of balls hitting the catwalk, errors getting them on base, the ball slipping out of David Hess’ hand for a wild pitch – among other things. I suppose that good things happen to you when you play a rebuilding team.

However I can’t shake the thought that Adam Jones was kept out of the lineup to send a message. In essence, this is what the team would look like without Adam Jones. Would a manager like Showalter pull a stunt like that? Tough to say, because Buck’s all about winning. But if he thought it might help the organization moving forward…anything’s possible.

Officially, the word is that Showalter wants to get a look at some other guys (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

It’s a great opportunity for some guys to get some big league experience. It’s good to see some guys get big league experience, get into some games, get into some action. I’ve shown what I can do, so it’s good to, if you’re going to move forward with the new future, so right now is no time like the present to get them some at-bats.

For whatever that’s worth.

The series in Tampa concludes tomorrow afternoon at Tropicana Field. Josh Rogers gets the start for the Orioles, and at this point Tampa hasn’t named an opposing starter. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: In this game there are unwritten codes

The Baltimore Orioles lost their 100th game of the season last night in Tampa behind Dylan Bundy‘s latest lackluster starting outing. The story of the game and the loss? Walks. But there was seemingly a lot more than 100 losses to discuss. Bundy’s line: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 5 BB, 3 K.

Bundy issued a two-out walk following a single in the second, and then proceeded to give up a three-run homer to Ciuffo. He also gave up two walks an inning later with two outs, and then gave up a second three-run homer to Kiermaier. That said, the O’s did appear to get out of the inning when they challenged what would have been the third out at first base. However the call on the field was upheld and the runner ruled safe – despite what the replays appeared to show.

Tampa would also get a grand slam after a couple of walks from Choi in the sixth inning. That wasn’t off of Bundy, but again the walks were the key. Nothing good ever happens after a walk. The lone Orioles’ runs of the game came on a two-run homer by Joey Rickard in the the top of the sixth.

Tampa led the Orioles 12-2 in the seventh inning. That game was over for all intents and purposes – right? Apparently not in Tampa’s mind. With a runner at third base, Ciuffo sent a foul pop down the left field line towards the Orioles’ bullpen. Left fielder John Andreoli hustled over and caught the ball. (Quite frankly, it was a long run for Andreoli and a great hustle – especially in a game that was basically over.) The runner from third tagged up and scored.

Anyone who’s read me knows that I do stand by baseball’s unwritten codes. You don’t manufacture a run when you’re up big (five runs plus) in the later innings (seventh inning or later). Personally I felt that was a run that didn’t need to cross the plate. I obviously don’t know if that directive came from the bench or if the runner tagged up on his own, however when you’re up by ten at that stage of the game it’s fairly poor form to tag up on a play like that.

Later in the inning Tampa netted their 14th run in what I would term similarly obtuse fashion. Smith appeared to ground out to first base with a runner at third to end the inning. (Incidentally, that runner was only at third base because he tagged up on the aforementioned sac fly-RBI when they were up ten.) However Tampa manager Kevin Cash decided to challenge the call. Replays appeared to show that at worst the ball and the runner tied in getting to first – which in theory would mean the runner was safe.

The call was overturned, giving Tampa their 14th run in a 14-2 game. Let’s be frank; there’s no old school unwritten rule about challenges in baseball because the instant replay system is only a few years old. But for the same reason you don’t tag up and score on a soft pop up when you’re up by ten, it’s probably pretty poor form to challenge a play to net yourself a 14th run – when you’re up by 11.

If the score’s 13-10 or something along those lines, I definitely would be challenging a close call like that. You have to play to the scoreboard, and quite frankly that’s something that Cash should have let go. And to the crowd out there who says that you never take your foot off the gas, or you never know if the opponent is going to put up eight or nine runs in an inning, or it’s not over until it’s over so you keep scoring, ask yourselves…would Buck Showalter ever pull stunts like that?

Piling on runs in that manner is designed to do one thing: embarrass the opponent. Or remove Buck from the equation all together; insert the name of any well-respected manager in baseball history. I’m talking the LaRussa’s, Torre’s, Francona’s, Weaver’s, etc. of the world. If a batter gets a base hit in a blowout and a run scores, that’s one thing. But I don’t see any of those managers, or Buck Showalter, doing something like that designed to run up the score.

One might say if you don’t want to be embarrassed, play better. Okay, point taken. But we all know that games like these happen. Both to good and bad teams. The Orioles beat Tampa 17-1 earlier in the season. But once it was evident that the game was out of hand, the Orioles didn’t try to manufacture runs. They may have scored on a base hit or something along those lines. But no tagging up, stealing, etc. And certainly no challenging a call to net one additional run.

To add injury to insult, tonight’s scheduled starter David Hess was apparently throwing a football around the outfield before the game, and got clocked in the face. The injury isn’t serious per se, but Hess was seen jokingly wearing an LSU football helmet on the bench during the game. Having said that, Hess’ status as tonight’s starter is now in question as a result. Talk about a team that can’t catch a break.

The series continues tonight at Tropicana Field. The aforementioned Davis Hess is currently scheduled to get the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Diego Castillo. Game time is set for just after 6 PM.