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: Is Buck Showalter a dead man walking?

Buck Showalter‘s Baltimore Orioles once again couldn’t get anything going last night as they opened a three-game set with the Miami Marlins. Kevin Gausman almost gave the O’s a quality start – and once again came away with nothing to show for it. Gausman’s line: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 7 K.

And once again, Gausman’s real issue was that Oriole bats couldn’t get going. Miami starter Urena pitched eight solid innings, keeping the Birds off the board. Urena threw a hard sinker that was nearly unhittable. But once again the Orioles decided to prove me wrong. How many times have I said if you put the ball in play good things will happen? The Orioles only struck out four times as a team last night. Urena’s sinker induced a lot of ground balls, which of course ended up being outs.

In saying that, Urena seemed to in effect disallow the Birds to hit the ball in the air. That’s a problem for a home run-hitting team. Miami’s Dietrich induced an RBI-groundout in the fifth to give them a 1-0 lead. In the sixth Brinson’s RBI-triple would run it to 2-0, and the rest was pitching that shut the Orioles down.

Reports have surfaced in the past couple of days that perhaps Showalter and GM Dan Duquette could be on the hot seat in Baltimore with the team struggling so badly. Mind you, both men’s contracts are up at the end of the year. And many, myself included, see it as a foregone conclusion that Duquette won’t be brought back. But…Buck?

I suppose it’s fair to question a manager who’s 19-49. However one can also argue what exactly is he supposed to do? Certainly he can only play the roster that he has, and the core of that roster isn’t changing anytime soon. And the fact is that the roster as it currently stands seems stubbornly unwilling to get on base.

There are a couple of things that are worth mentioning; first off, Duquette hasn’t been the same since the Toronto Blue Jays aggressively pursued him during the winter meetings in 2014. Toronto aimed to throw a monkey wrench into the Orioles’ camp, and the fact is that they succeeded. Duquette was hot on Toronto’s deal, and the Orioles weren’t about to let him go without compensation, to which Toronto didn’t agree.

At the time, I supported the Orioles standing their ground. However instead they were left with a GM who in a way didn’t want to be here. Perhaps that was predictable, but nevertheless I didn’t think it would have been fair to have a division rival strong arm someone away from a team. That’s why I thought they were right to stand their ground. But again, you end up with a GM who’s heart is elsewhere.

And people love to go back to the 2016 AL Wild Card game in which Showalter left Zach Britton in the bullpen in extra innings. There have been reports that several players lost some confidence in Buck after that. Personally I think that’s a weak argument, however apparently those sentiments were there. Are they still?

I can’t tell you what’s going to happen, although it seems likely that the Orioles’ roster is going to be vastly different very soon. However I’ll give you a prediction; either Duquette’s replacement is signed or chosen within the next month or so, or Showalter’s named as Duquette’s replacement. Odds are that means that Duquette gets the ax before the season’s end. It stands to reason that whomever’s going to oversee the future as the General Manager should get to be the one to pull the trigger.

Now the question given the second part of that scenario is whether or not Buck remains in the dugout while being the GM, or if he departs from those duties. Many coaches in sports also act as a General Manager, and many do it very successfully. It doesn’t normally happen in baseball, but why couldn’t it? It does take a special type of person to pull it off, but if there’s anyone who could do it I’d say it would be Showalter.

So I don’t foresee a situation where Buck Showalter leaves the organization overall. Mind you, that’s still very much in play, however. He himself might decide he’s done, or the Angelos family might decide to go in another direction. I just don’t see that being the case. But my predictions have a way of fizzling.

The series with Miami continues this afternoon. Alex Cobb gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by former Oriole Wei-Yin Chen. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles open nine-game interleague stretch

No need to visit the greater Miami area anytime soon, because the Miami Marlins are coming to town to play the Baltimore Orioles! Tonight’s game begins a nine-game stretch for the Orioles where they’ll play exclusively interleague games. However these first three won’t really be a departure from the norm, as the Birds will be at home.

That of course means that Miami’s starting pitchers won’t have to hit, and they’ll get the benefit of a DH. However after an off day on Monday, the Birds will head south to Washington on Tuesday night for three games. The onto Atlanta for three next weekend as well. Obviously in those cases Oriole pitchers will have/get to hit and the Birds will surrender their DH.

I’ve said this before ad hoc, and I’ll say it again; can we please get rid of the DH?! I’m the first one to tell you that the odds are the National League adopting the DH at some point is probably more realistic than the American League doing away with it. However if the game was supposed to be played with pitchers not having to wield the bat, that would have been put into the rules to begin with. The National League game provides for there to be so much more strategy and thinking ahead in games due to the pitcher being in the order. Just my take.

Miami comes in following a 16-inning loss yesterday afternoon to San Francisco at home. In terms of rest, that gives the Orioles a big advantage. they played a much longer game than they expected to play, and then had to fly to Baltimore. This while the Birds were idle yesterday.

The series with Miami in Baltimore begins tonight at Camden Yards. Kevin Gausman gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Miami’s Jose Urena. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Richard Bleier’s season on the brink

One of the bright spots for the Baltimore Orioles this season has been reliever Richard Bleier. At various points he was spoken about as a potential all-star selection. Now his season might be over after leaving yesterday’s 5-1 loss to Boston with an arm injury.

Bleier threw one pitch, retiring a batter, and felt immediate discomfort in his throwing arm. Heunderwent an MRI at Camden Yards last night, which showed that his elbow was structurally fine. While that’s good news, the term lateral muscle has also been thrown around. Manager Buck Showalter is taking the “wait-and-see approach,” but even he didn’t sound overly promising (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

Hope for the best. Obviously, he was in a lot of discomfort, so we’ll see. He never had anything like that before. I didn’t get a chance to talk to him for very long. He was pretty down as you can imagine

Odds are Bleier might want to start looking to next year. Assuming this is more than a 10-day DL stint, there’s no reason for him to rush his way back this year. And it’s a shame, because Bleier’s a reliever that was ready to go in any situation. And the Orioles seemed willing to insert him into the game in just about any situation.

Time will tell for Bleier. But I would expect him to be put on the DL at some point prior to tomorrow’s series opener with Miami, and perhaps the likes of Hart or Scott recalled. And I wouldn’t expect him to return anytime soon. Just a prediction.

Baltimore Orioles prove small ball doesn’t work in the AL East

I have a lot of fans who write in and tweet at me saying that the Baltimore Orioles should try small ball. And perhaps it isn’t the worst idea in the world in a sense. Because it’s obvious that this year at least the power isn’t there – right? Well what we saw this afternoon and really this entire week with Boston in town should prove that small ball just doesn’t work in the AL East.

I’ve said for some time that the Orioles would get bludgeoned to death every game if they tried to win with small ball on a regular basis. The American League East has always been about power-hitting. Always, and forevermore. If you want to buy into what Tampa’s selling in the unorthodox way that they manage their pitchers and think that’s going to win games, be my guest. Once the novelty wears off and teams start recognizing how to play against it, trust me folks…it won’t work. This is the AL East.

The Orioles started Yefry Ramirez this afternoon against Boston, and while he got tagged for the loss in his big league debut I personally thought he showed a bit of promise. Ramirez’s line: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 6 K. It’s only four plus innings in one start at the big league level. But he made some impressive pitches to get out of innings, and could represent a serviceable starter in the future.

Ramirez gave up a solo homer to Betts in the third inning, giving Boston a 1-0 lead. Bogaerts would add a sac fly-RBI in the fifth, and later in the inning Devers added an RBI-single. They would also get an RBI-single by Nunez, which ended up with a close play at the plate. Buck Showalter opted to challenge, which in my view was a mistake. If the runner’s foot was tagged before he touched home plate, there certainly wasn’t irrevocable video evidence.

Showalter probably felt that he had nothing to lose at that point by challenging. In fact, that came back to bite him. Schoop grounded out to end the sixth with a runner on base, and the throw was a bit errant. Replays seemed to indicate that Boston first baseman Holt didn’t hold the bag. Personally I felt that it was an open-and-shut case that would have been reversed on review. But the Orioles didn’t have a challenge to give.

Not that it mattered. Martinez would add another solo homer for Boston, and the Orioles would get on the board with a sac fly-RBI by Peterson in the last of the seventh. Peterson would later double with Sisco on first in the last of the ninth, on a play where Sisco appeared ready to score. However he slipped going around third base, and had to hold up. Again, not that it mattered. But it was that type of game, series, and season for the Orioles.

Richard Bleier left the game with an elbow problem, in a sequence that didn’t look good for the Orioles or for Bleier’s continued participation this season. The worst part from my standpoint was that there was never any doubt that Bleier was hurt and thus coming out of the game. He made no attempt to stay in the game, and all but told the Orioles’ trainers that he had to exit.

In one of the more humorous moments of the game, Boston starter Chris Sale was lifted in the last of the seventh. As he left he barked at home plate umpire Brian Knight and told him what he thought of his strike zone. Sale was immediately ejected. Not that it mattered, as he was already out – he just lost the right to watch the rest of the game from the dugout.

When you try to piecemeal one run here and there together, that’s all you’re going to get; one run. The Orioles aren’t even getting that for the most part. But as I said, small ball just doesn’t cut it in the AL East. What we saw this afternoon and in this series would be commonplace if the Orioles ever thought of re-constructing their team in the form of a Kansas City or a Milwaukee.

The only thing that’s similar with small ball and power-hitting is that you have to have guys on base for it to work. The Orioles will hit some home runs – but nobody’s on base when they do. In small ball you can have the bases loaded, and you’re still only playing for one run. But either way, you need guys on base for the system to work. But make no mistake, the AL East isn’t construed in a manner that would be kind to a true small ball team. That should have been evident through the first part of this week.

Baltimore Orioles: The clutch gene just isn’t there

The Baltimore Orioles had their chances last night against Boston. But they couldn’t convert a key bases-loaded situation (with one out) in the seventh into anything. The O’s were unable to get a quality start in this case out of David Hess, who struggled a bit against a talented Boston lineup. Hess’ line: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 4 BB, 2 K.

A few years ago this team was as clutch as they come. But the makeup of the roster is different now. But if you’re going to beat talented teams such as Boston, you have to take advantage of those situations. Instead, the Orioles worked right into Boston’s hands and allowed them to get right out of that situation.

The O’s did have an early lead on a Joey Rickard homer in the first. However Boston immediately came back and took a 2-1 lead on a Devers two-run homer. One inning later Benintendi added a solo shot, and the Birds trailed 3-1.

However the Orioles did try to piecemeal a rally together. Danny Valencia smacked an RBI-single in the third which cut the lead to 3-2.  However the fourth inning did Hess and the Orioles in. With the bases loaded, Benintendi drew a walk which extended the lead to 4-2. To top it off, Miguel Castro was later called for a balk which ran it to 5-2.

And I’ll be honest; I didn’t think there was much of a balk in the move that Castro made. On top of that, it also appeared that Boston hitters got a few breaks on borderline pitches that could have been strikes. Point being, that would have been a perfect opportunity for a manager like Buck Showalter to “voice his displeasure” with some of that. If that means getting ejected, so be it. That didn’t happen. In fact, Castro didn’t even say much about the balk, although his body language said he didn’t agree with it (as did Showalter’s).

I thought that was curious to say the least. Again, I didn’t see much of a balk on that play. In fact, Castro leads the league with three balks. Was that a case of an umpire reading a scouting report? It just seemed very strange, but the Orioles’ reaction seemed stranger.

Vasquez would add an RBI-single for Boston in the fifth, which preceded the Orioles’ bases-loaded situation in the seventh. You absolutely have to take advantage of those situations against any team. Especially a good team when you’re struggling. But Boston pitching was allowed to induce a Mancini strikeout and a Schoop pop out, and on we played.

Mark Trumbo‘s two-RBI double in the last of the ninth closed the gap to within 6-4, but that’s as close as the Orioles were going to get. And again, they had opportunities. But that’s what good teams do – they not only win when they aren’t playing their best, but they rise up and take it from you.

To make matters worse, Andrew Cashner (who was to have started this afternoon’s series finale), was sent to the 10-day DL with a strained muscle in his lower back. He’ll have an MRI today. The Orioles have called up Yefry Ramirez from the minors to make the start in this afternoon’s game in place of Cashner.

The series concludes this afternoon at Camden Yards. The aforementioned Yefry Ramirez will get the start and make his big league debut for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Chris Sale. Game time is set for just after 3 PM.

Baltimore Orioles squeezed in twelve by Boston

It would be easy to suggest that the Baltimore Orioles wasted yet another quality start, this time by Dylan Bundy. And in fact they probably did. However they matched one of the best teams in the league point-for-point through nine innings plus. They held a very potent offense down for some time, and in fact this game was the longest that Boston had gone without scoring a run. Bundy’s line: 8.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K.

This is one of those games whereby it’s a shame that someone had to lose. Manager Buck Showalter hesitated to refer to Bundy as “elite,” but needless to say he was as good as he could be against a world class lineup (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

I think we’ve all felt like that he could. I think he kind of sticks out sometimes as one of those guys who can do that. And much of it’s got to do with his mindset and just his presentation. That’s why you pitch guys like that on opening day.

A lot of people, ‘OK, the club is struggling and you’re facing the Red Sox.’ He wants that challenge, he doesn’t back off from it. He’s always had that kind of elite mindset that you look for in all players, especially guys you want to be taking the ball every fifth day in a meaningful situation. But regardless of what’s going on, he’s so self-driven. He’s a baseball player that’s a pitcher. That’s as big a compliment that I can give him.

Bundy never really found himself in any trouble out of which he had to pitch in this game. He was as elite as elite can be. He just didn’t get any run support. But again in fairness to the Orioles, neither did Boston.

The game quickly moved along and went into extra innings. Mychal Givens allowed a single and a double in the top of the twelfth, and then hit a batter. Two sac fly-RBI gave Boston two outs but also a 2-0 lead. Many fans were upset at Adam Jones throwing home on the first sac fly as opposed to hitting the cutoff man. In fact, it allowed another runner to get to third and to eventually score.

However while that’s a mistake that Jones has made on a semi-regular basis throughout his career, it also is one made out of a yearn to win. Furthermore that ball was only medium-depth in the outfield. If you have an outside shot at cutting down a runner in a game like that, I think you take it.

The series continues tonight at Camden Yards. David Hess gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Eduardo Rodriguez. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles, Alex Cobb bled, then gnashed to death

Alex Cobb started off well enough this afternoon for the Baltimore Orioles. Heck the Orioles as a team started off well enough. Trey Mancini smacked a homer in the second inning which gave the Orioles a 1-0 lead. And Cobb appeared capable of pitching around a few Toronto base runners here and there. But that quickly ended. Cobb’s line: 3.2 IP, 11 H, 9 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

Toronto had runners at first and second in the last of the second with two outs, when they started bleeding to death. It’s amazing to me how teams are able to consistently hit the ball either just past Oriole fielders or just soft enough to where they can’t get to them. Granderson did just that with a two-RBI single; it was a blooper, and Trey Mancini was just deep enough to where he was unable to catch the ball surging in from left field. The ball was hit so softly that the runner from first was able to score and give Toronto the lead.

As I’ve said, if you get runners on base good things can happen. And Toronto seemed to typify that this series. However my point is that the Orioles seem to be able to position their defense in anyway, and yet other teams can find ways to bleed them to death by a paper cut. That Granderson play personifies that.

However after just bleeding the O’s a bit, Toronto decided to gnash them as well. Morales smacked a solo homer in the third, and Granderson a three-run shot in the fourth. And on that three-run homer, Granderson had a 3-0 count. Cobb had to know that Granderson would have a green light – yet he hung a four-seamer on which Granderson jumped. In fairness to Cobb it did appear that the ball hung more than he meant it to. However anticipating that the hitter’s going to have a green light, that’s when you bury the ball in the dirt.

When the smoke cleared after the fifth inning, Toronto had a 13-1 lead. Whether it was an RBI-single deflected by the third baseman, or a cheap homer that barely made it over the wall, Toronto got exactly whatever they needed in this game. And believe me, it had it’s share of strange bounces and flicks off of bags and people’s gloves. One positive note was that Jonathan Schoop was able to perhaps break out of his slump with a solo homer in the seventh. Peterson’s RBI-groundout would close things out at 13-3.

The Orioles tomorrow will open up a three-game set at home with Boston Dylan Bundy gets the call, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Steven Wright. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Nothing good ever happens after a walk

The Baltimore Orioles’ current series in Toronto is really a microcosm of the season. The games have all been close, and they’ve all been there for the Birds to win. But each time someone on the other side has wanted it seemingly just a little bit more. Either that, or a mistake here and a mistake there – and before you know it you’ve lost a close ballgame.

Kevin Gausman provided yet another quality start for a team that’s really starting to rack them up. Gausman’s line: 6.2 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 6 K. It’s fair to say that the Orioles’ rotation isn’t fool’s gold per se; they’re actually a good starting staff. And that’s something that should resonate with fans. If they were able to get offensive output consistently, this could be a good team.

Toronto took a 1-0 lead on a Solarte RBI-single in the third. Hernandez would add an RBI-double in the sixth, doubling their lead. But one inning after that the O’s started to fight back. Chance Sisco smacked an RBI-double to cut the lead in half. And Adam Jones finished the job in a sense and tied it with an RBI-single. That briefly got Gausman off the hook for a loss in a game in which he had pitched well enough to win.

However Toronto sees themselves as world beaters when they play the Orioles. Grichuk led off the last of the seventh with a solo homer, giving them the lead back at 3-2. But even in a losing effort ultimately, the O’s did hang in there and fight back again. They loaded the bases in the eighth, only to score a run on a wild pitch.

I said this during Friday’s game, but that right there should tell the Orioles that it pays to get guys on base. It doesn’t matter how you do it, who it is, or heck even which base at which they start off. Just get guys on base however you can. Because one thing can lead to another, and suddenly the bags are juiced. And you end up scoring a run to tie up a game in the later innings on a play such as a wild pitch.

Part of the issue overall is that the O’s are piecemealing runs together. Granted the bases were loaded with two outs, but that would have been an opportunity to tie the game, take the lead, and then take a more commanding lead. Granted the whole just get on base thing is in essence small ball. However when you load up the bases you want to start hitting for power. Heck, or at least hitting for average. All things being equal, had the O’s gotten more than one run in that sequence the game would have ended much differently.

As I said, if you just get guys on base, quirky things can happen. That’s what Toronto did in the tenth inning by loading the bases. And the worst part? The last runner got on via a hit batsman. That gives you no room for error. And true to form, Maile walked with the bases loaded and two outs, giving Toronto a 4-3 victory in extra innings – on a walk off walk.

The O’s will try to salvage one game in the series this afternoon at Rogers Centre. Alex Cobb gets the start, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Marco Estrada. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Opportunities wasted equal chances for others

This is becoming far too predictable of a situation for the Baltimore Orioles. A quality start by a starting pitcher, and a loss – this time Andrew Cashner. At a certain point you have to wonder if the likes of Cashner and Cobb are going to wonder what they got themselves into by signing with the Orioles, who appear to be snake bitten this season. Cashner’s line: 6.0 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 4 K.

The O’s put two runners on base in the second inning, and Trey Mancini grounded into what appeared to be an inning-ending double-play. However the O’s put a run across on a Toronto throwing error, and led 1-0. And that’s something that’s noteworthy. When you put the ball in play, good things can happen – especially with runners on base. Unfortunately for the O’s, Toronto tied it up immediately on a Martin homer.

The Orioles would put a runner in scoring position in the fifth, but wasted that opportunity. And again somewhat of a motif for the season has been that the O’s waste chances to score, and the opponent picks right up and takes it from them. True to form, Toronto took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of that fifth inning on a Grichuk solo homer.

Toronto would net three more runs in the game, including a solo homer by Pillar in the eighth. Again, this year’s Orioles team isn’t one that can allow opportunities to go by the wayside. They should know that every opportunity wasted is going to come back to bite them. There’s no margin for error for this team or this pitching staff, something that Andrew Cashner addressed after the game (quote courtesy of Steve Melewski, MASNsports):

Yeah, I mean, you can definitely see the record, it definitely shows. But for me, I try not to look at that too much. For me, it’s all about executing pitches and giving my team a chance to win every night. I think that is kind of the one thing I’ve done over the course of my career. I’ve kept my team in the game and given us a chance to win every night. I still believe in all those guys and we’ve just got to turn it around.

The series continues this afternoon at Rogers Centre in Toronto. Kevin Gausman gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Anibal Sanchez. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: At least David Hess didn’t take the loss

The Baltimore Orioles dropped yet another game that they had no business losing. The only saving grace is that rookie starter David Hess didn’t take the loss, as he ended the night with a no decision. However you can’t waste outings like that out of a rookie pitcher. Hess is quietly having a great rookie season, but the O’s are getting nothing to show for it. Hess’ line: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K.

The O’s took an early 1-0 lead on a Machado sac fly-RBI, but of course Toronto tied it on a Granderson solo homer in the last of the first. The story of the Orioles’ season thus far has been people basically saying anything you can do I can do better. And thus far at least for the Birds that’s unfortunately been the case.

This game was a pitcher’s duel for most of the night, with Hess and Toronto starter Garcia matching one another most of the way. It was only after Garcia left the game that things got pumping for Oriole bats. Austin Wynns smacked his first big league home run in the seventh to put the Orioles in the lead at 2-1. One inning later the O’s also got solo homers from Danny Valencia and Mark Trumbo, and they took what appeared to be a commanding 4-1 lead late in the game.

I say a “commanding” lead because in a pitcher’s duel if someone suddenly smacks three home runs that appears to be the death blow. But for this Orioles team the only death blow comes in the form of 27 outs. And those final three outs are tough to come by.

Brad Brach came in for the save in the last of the ninth, and promptly put two runners on base. Grichuk’s two-RBI double cut the Orioles’ lead to 4-3. But by that point it was fairly clear that Brach didn’t have his good stuff, and the Birds were on the ropes. Pillar’s RBI-single later in the inning tied the game at four – and we played on…for one more inning. Diaz’s RBI-single in the tenth won it for Toronto.

That’s a game on the road against a divsion foe, who I might add hates you just for being you. You had a three-run lead going into the ninth inning – it’s a game that you have to win at that point. Losing a game in that fashion is akin to having the lead in a football game late and your running back coughs the ball up going in to score a TD that would have iced the game.

David Hess will have days as a big leaguer that won’t be as good as this one. He’ll have days where he’s off his game and can’t get his fastball over for a strike. Yet on this day he was great, and walked away with nothing to show for it. The silver lining for the Orioles offensively however was that they got a homer out of Mark Trumbo. If perhaps his bat is coming to life that could mean good things ahead for the Birds in terms of run support.

The series continues this evening at Rogers Centre. Andrew Cashner gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s J.A. Happ. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.