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: Cedric Mullins’ debut comes in a donnybrook loss

You knew that something was different for the Baltimore Orioles when Cedric Mullins was prompted to lead the team out of the dugout before the game. Mullins, who made his major league debut last night, played center field and was prompted by the Birds’ new right fielder (Adam Jones) to lead the team onto the field. Indeed, a new era has dawned in Birdland.

And much of it was orchestrated by Jones, who’s been lobbying for Mullins to come up for some time. And it’s tough to not notice the humility on Jones’ part, in effect stepping aside for a younger player. Jones is obviously still the team leader and de facto Captain, but needless to say Mullins is going to hopefully play that role moving forward in the future.

As for the game – well, it had its moments. Dylan Bundy got bounced around during his outing, but then again pretty much every pitcher (on both sides) did. Bundy’s line: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 8 R (7 earned), 4 BB, 3 K. Bundy gave up a three-run homer to Bogaerts in the first, which set the tone.

But the O’s got a solo homer by Chris Davis in the last of the second, and Mullins later came to the plate for his first big league at-bat in that inning with runners at first and second. And Mullins made an immediate impression, smacking a two-RBI double which tied the game. Later in the inning it was Jones’ turn, and not to be totally out-done by Mullins he smacked a two-RBI single. At the hands of the Captain and perhaps the Captain of the future, the O’s had the lead at 4-3.

And they added to it in the third, ending that inning with an 8-3 lead and chasing the Boston starter. However Boston’s the best team in baseball right now. A two-run fourth inning followed by a six-run sixth gave them an 11-8 lead. Again folks, that’s all part of rebuilding. It isn’t pretty, but it’s part of the process. and it isn’t like the ball wasn’t flying in general last night.

However the Orioles did battle back. Tim Beckham smacked a solo homer in the last of the sixth, and Davis added a sac fly-RBI. The O’s would also net a homer from Trumbo later in the game, and an RBI-single by Villar. However Boston poured it on from all sides, and the Birds fell 19-12 in Cedric Mullins’ big league debut.

And that right there is what Orioles’ fans should take away from this game. Mullins made it to the big leagues, and made an immediate impact. And that was manager Buck Showalter‘s take on the game also (all quotes courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

Oh yeah, that was fun to watch. I’m glad I had a seat for it. I spent a little time with Al Bumbry today. He was my player comp on Cedric the first time I saw Cedric, so I thought that was kind of apropos. Same kind of life to the body and effortless athleticism, so to speak.

That’s fun to watch. You can imagine, his family made it. Try to take stuff like that in regardless of the score of the game.

And incidentally, Mullins seems well aware of how lucky he is to have a guy like Adam Jones not only mentoring him, but seemingly advocating for him. In the business world we would call what Jones is in effect doing training your replacement. But sports is a little different, and Jones gets that – BIG TIME. Mullins thought he was kidding when Jones told him to lead the team out of the dugout:

In all honesty, I thought he was messing with me. I was looking around, ‘So is the pitcher good? All right?’ And all the players were saying, ‘Hey go, you’re leading it.’ So I took their word for it. And went out on the field. And then I took the scenic route. The long way around.

Most Orioles fans are hoping that the combo of Mullins in center and Jones in right will be around for at least the next couple of years. But that’s largely contingent on Jones and the Orioles, and whether there’s a mutual fit moving forward. My personal opinion is that there is.

The series continues this afternoon in game one of a split doubleheader (due to a rainout last month). Jimmy Yacabonis is being called up from the minors to make the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s David Price. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Cody Carrol blows save late

You have to feel badly for the Baltimore Orioles, and especially reliever Cody Carroll. The Birds got Carroll back in the Britton trade, and he along with others are getting their first shots in the big leagues in the here and now with the O’s. In Carroll’s case, he was used last night in a high stakes situation – and he blew a save and a potential win for the O’s.

David Hess wasn’t as effective starting last night as the Orioles would have liked, however he put the team in a position to win the game. And that’s really what you want out of a starting pitcher. Hess’ line: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 3 K.

The Orioles appeared set to go early when Joey Rickard smacked a two-RBI triple in the second inning. Later on they also got an RBI-single from Austin Wynns, giving the Birds a 3-0 lead. But Tampa’s the ultimate con artist in the sense that when you think they’re down, they often have you right where they want you. They nitpick you to death before you even know it. Duffy’s RBI-double in the third cut the lead to 3-1, and Choi’s homer an inning later left it at 3-2. Bauers’ sac fly-RBI in the sixth tied the game at three.

But once again, the Orioles appeared set in a sense as Renato Nunez smacked a solo homer in the seventh inning, giving them the lead back at 4-3. The O’s then brought Carroll into the game to pitch the last of the seventh; he allowed a base hit, a stolen base, and issued two walks. The second walk came with two outs; while it loaded the bases, you’re thinking that all he needs is one more out and he’s out of the inning…

…but that wasn’t to be. Bauer’s two-RBI single gave Tampa a 5-4 lead, which turned into a 5-4 victory. It goes as a blown save and a loss for Cody Carroll, however fans need to be patient. This is part of the rebuilding process, and it’s part of learning at this level. Mananger Buck Showalter said as much regarding Carroll after the game (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

His command. It’s a young guy finding his way, a couple steps forward, a step back. He’ll learn from it. He’s got a good arm. I really like his competitiveness. I don’t know. Got to come up with a better expression than ‘not scared.’ But he’s a confident guy. He’ll learn from it. I expect him to be better the next time out. I try to keep in mind – and I think we all should – that these guys are making major league debuts and kind of seeing things for the first time. So, I try to keep that in mind. But they’re going to get a great opportunity here.

And again, fans need to keep in mind that this is all part of a process. The Orioles shied away from this process for years and years, but now it’s here. Everyone looks at Houston and the Chicago Cubs as if they’re the par for rebuilding, however at this point they forget that they were losing games in this fashion at one point.

The O’s now head home to open a three-game set with Boston. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Nathan Eovaldi. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Did Manny Machado hoodwink the Birds?

There’ll never come a time when I won’t believe that the beginnings of this year’s problems with the Baltimore Orioles didn’t come when they caved to Manny Machado‘s demands to play shortstop. This occurred during the winter meetings last year; Machado basically told Buck Showalter and company that he didn’t want to guard the hot corner any longer. And for one reason or another, the Orioles acquiesced to his demand.

I said at the time that was misguided, and I stand by that. I’m not sure what went into the decision to allow Manny to choose his position or who had the final say, but that’s what happened. If that was a message to Manny that the Orioles wanted to play ball and keep him, it certainly didn’t work – although the way the season has played out had a role in that also.

Now with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Machado is…playing third base regularly. Uh, excuse me?! Los Angeles’ regular third baseman, Justin Turner, is out with an injury. So in essence Machado’s just temporarily filling the role. However manager Dave Roberts made it clear that Manny kind of jumped at the chance to help (quote courtesy of Andy McCullough, L.A. Times):

He was traded here to be a shortstop, and we understand that. But the conversation that I’ve had with Manny last night was easy, and one that I anticipated, where he wanted to do whatever it was to help the ballclub, and help us win. I know he sees himself as a shortstop, as do we. But in this time, where Justin’s on the DL, it makes a lot of sense to have him play third.

In my view, that hardly sounds like the Manny Machado who informed the Orioles that he wanted to play shortstop instead of third. Granted when your team’s in a bind you try to do what you can to fill in. But here’s the flip side; Tim Beckham was injured for much of the first half, and he’s who replaced Machado at third base. Was there ever talk of Machado filling in at third with the Orioles?

It’s possible that Buck Showalter never approached him about it. It’s also possible that if he didn’t approach him about it, that was done because Buck had given Manny his word about playing shortstop. However all of that is provided that you aren’t needed elsewhere.

I’m not suggesting that Machado lollygagged through his time in Baltimore, or that he treated the Orioles overall like they didn’t matter. I’m just saying that he seemed to have no problem making the switch in L.A. now that he’s there. But literally given the exact same circumstances, that didn’t happen in Baltimore – for one reason or the other.

Baltimore Orioles: Mike Wright helped to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat

The Baltimore Orioles didn’t defeat the Tampa Rays this evening at Tropicana Field. I mean…they did, but they didn’t. Until they did again. If you’re confused, it was that type of game. And the unsung hero was Mike Wright.

Andrew Cashner turned in yet another quality start for the Orioles, but ended up with a no decision. Cashner’s line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R (1 earned), 1 BB, 2 K. Overall, the defense failed Orioles’ pitching this evening. Yet as a team, the Orioles overcame their own shoddy defense.

The O’s led the game off with back-to-back home runs on back-to-back pitches by Tim Beckham and Adam Jones. However Tampa came right back and tied it at two in the last of the first on RBI-singles by Bauer and Wendle. Sandwiched between those was a throwing error, the first of five committed by the Orioles in the game. However the O’s got the lead back in the fourth on a solo homer by Mark Trumbo.

As is par for the course for them, Tampa thought small while the Orioles had eyeballs the size of quarters at the plate. But the Birds left two runners on base in the seventh, only to watch Tampa catch just about every break in the book in the bottom of the inning. Beckham committed an error by slipping on the infield dirt with a runner on and one out – a play that would have had the Orioles out of the inning had the double-play been turned. But you can never assume the double-play; so at worst, it should have been a runner on first with two outs.

Perez’s subsequent sac fly-RBI tied the game back up at three. One inning later, Gomez’s RBI-double (a softly-hit ball, I might add) gave Tampa a 4-3 lead. The speedy Gomez simply got around first base expediently, and was able to slide in safely at second. Needless to say, given the fact that it was late in the game, that felt like a death blow for the Birds in this game…

…that is, until it wasn’t. First off, Tampa had a shot at making that into a big inning. However Mike Wright shut them down to close out the inning, which as I said above made him one of the unsung hero’s of this game. He did give up a run, however Tampa’s runs can be so fluky that you can almost look past that. He got the Orioles out of the inning and kept the game at a one-run margin.

The Birds put two runners in scoring position with nobody down in the top of the ninth. Trey Mancini came to the plate, and proved to be clutch. His two-RBI double gave the Birds a 5-4 lead. The O’s did make it interesting in the top of the ninth. Through errors they allowed the go-ahead run to get on base, but they were able to record the final out and close out a 5-4 win.

Make no mistake that Wright’s effort in the eighth saved the game for the Orioles. Or won it for them – depending on how you look at it. Most game stories are going to talk about Mancini among others – along with Cashner. But make no mistake that Mike Wright’s effort shouldn’t go unnoticed.

The series at Tropicana Field concludes tomorrow night. David Hess gets the start for the Orioles, and Tampa is yet to announce a starter. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles’ Alex Cobb dominates but Tampa bests Birds in the end

Everything was lined up for Alex Cobb to get the win for the Baltimore Orioles in his return to Tampa. Cobb of course pitched six solid years with the Tampa Rays, and this was his first start in gray at Tropicana Field. To top it off, Cobb even went seven innings as opposed to the six for which we could pencil him in to this point. Cobb’s line: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 K.

Cobb’s lone run surrendered was an RBI-single to Bauer in the first inning. But after that he began mowing down Tampa hitters. Regardless of what he threw up, Tampa was fooled.

The O’s tied the game at one in the fourth with a solo homer by another former Tampa Ray, Tim Beckham. One inning later they had the lead at 2-1 off of a solo homer by Trey Mancini – a Florida native. And an inning after that, Mark Trumbo smacked an RBI-single, giving the O’s a 3-1 lead.

But the real story of this game was Alex Cobb. There was nothing that Tampa could do to solve him. And it appeared that the Birds were finally getting a strong pitching outing and enough run support to win. Heck, they even got an infield RBI-single from Adam Jones in the eighth…

…that is, until it wasn’t an infield RBI-single. Tampa challenged the play, saying that the runner was actually out at home plate. Replays seemed to back up their point, and the umpires agreed. What would have been a 4-1 lead remained 3-1.

Tampa doesn’t do things in a grandiose manner. Whereas the other teams in the division look for the big inning, Tampa patches a run here and there together by doing small things, until you realize that those small things end up equating big things. That reversed run was a small thing – at the time. But it became a big deal.

Cobb and Andrew Cashner seem to be penciled in at six solid innings. However on this night Cobb went seven, in an attempt to help the bullpen. But it turned out that he should have gone eight – or nine.

Cobb was replaced in the eighth inning by Evan Phillips, who of course came to the Orioles only recently in the trade with Atlanta. He managed to load the bases with nobody out in the eighth. While he allowed runners on and allowed runners to put the ball in play, the situation wasn’t helped by a potential ground ball double-play that was botched on a foul throw by Chris Davis. That would have recorded two outs and left the bases empty. But it wasn’t to be.

Phillips would uncork a wild pitch to cut the Orioles’ lead to 3-2. Tampa would later tie the score at three as Gomez grounded into a run-scoring double-play to tie the game at three. Tampa would make the comeback complete by Adames’ walk off home run in the last of the ninth.

Cobb deserved better in his return to Tropicana Field, and he definitely earned better. But this is what’s going to happen with a rebuilding team – and a bullpen that’s being rebuilt. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but games like these have to happen in order for things to get better.

The series continues tomorrow at Tropicana Field. The aforementioned Andrew Cashner gets the start for the Orioles, and in their typical atypical and wiry fashion Tampa has not yet named a starter. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Alex Cobb looks for a win in his old digs

Alex Cobb will start for the Baltimore Orioles tonight in Tampa, looking for his fourth victory on the season. This is somewhat noteworthy given the fact that Cobb spent six seasons as a starter in Tampa. This will be his first game pitching as a visitor at Tampa’s Tropicana Field.

It’s always interesting to see how players across sports react in situations like these. Cobb is far from a former superstar returning to his old digs per se, but he had some great years with Tampa. But needless to say, this isn’t Peyton Manning playing in Indianapolis as a visitor, or Brett Favre in Green Bay.

However I suspect that it’ll feel strange for Cobb. The mound and the view from it around the park will appear very familiar to him. Yet when he looks down he’ll see himself in road gray as opposed to home whites. And the usually sparse crowd in Tampa will be rooting against him, not for him.

However once players go between the lines, it’s game on. It’s just baseball – one way or the other. And the Orioles are certainly hoping to ride to victory behind Cobb, who as I said will be on a familiar mound.

This is game one of three in Tampa at Tropicana Field. As I said, Alex Cobb gets the start for the Orioles; he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Tyler Glasnow. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: August trades?

Conventional wisdom says that the Baltimore Orioles are done making trades – for now. Obviously a team that’s now devoid the likes of Machado, Schoop, Gausman, and O’Day is basically a team deconstructed. Again, conventional wisdom says that the O’s are done. But this season’s sent conventional wisdom on vacation.

My personal opinion is that the roster as it is now is pretty much the roster that will finish the season (withstanding September call-ups). But as we know, July 31st doesn’t necessarily end the trade season. Prior to that date, trades can happen at will. Afterwards (and up until August 31st at 4 PM), players need to pass through waivers.

Most teams put their players on waivers in August – it’s fairly commonplace. So when a player is placed on waivers, anyone can claim him for 47 hours. If a team puts in a claim on a player, the original team can either pull the player back, work out a trade with the claiming team, or just let the player (and his salary) go to the claiming team. Incidentally trades can still occur after the 4 PM August 31st deadline as well, however any player traded after that time is ineligible to be on a post-season roster.

So in essence, there’s some risk involved in these August waiver trades. Any team in theory could block teams from making trades. That’s not something that happens often, but it adds a bit of risk in a sense. While the trading team can still pull the player(s) back, obviously if someone else lays claim to a player they’re indicating that they aren’t going to let that player go to the new team.

I think that the Orioles would be amenable to trading a guy like Jones or Trumbo. That is if the opportunity presented itself. And that’s a big if. Obviously in Jones’ case he could block the trade by invoking his 10-and-5 rights, which is another story entirely. But if the Orioles thought they could get better and younger for the future, my gut tells me that they’d pull the trigger on a trade this month. Again, if the opportunity presented itself.

Baltimore Orioles: Mark Trumbo ensures not all power is lost in Birdland

Prior to beginning a rebuilding process just recently, the Baltimore Orioles were a power-hitting club. In fact, that’s what many people’s issue was with the Birds – all braun, which in essence failed them this year. I personally believe that once the rebuild is complete, the Birds will still be a power-hitting club; it’s the way or the world in the AL East. But Mark Trumbo‘s effort indicated today that even in the midst of the rebuild, not all power is lost.

Yefry Ramirez got the start in the Texas finale this afternoon, and struggled from the beginning. Ramirez’s line: 1.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 BB, 1 K. Ramirez however owned his struggles after the game, through his interpreter (quote courtesy of Steve Melewski, MASNsports):

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to command the strike zone today, and when you’re unable to command the strike zone bad things happen throughout the game. Very happy for each one of my teammates. I’m always very happy when they do well, and the most important thing was we were able to win the game today.

Trumbo got things started in the first inning in a very non-power manner: an RBI-single to give the Birds a 1-0 lead (Trumbo was thrown out at second trying to extend it into a double). However Texas came right back, informing everyone that it was going to be a long day. Chirinos’ two-RBI single gave them the lead at 2-1.

But in what ended up being a motif for the day, the O’s battled back further. Austin Wynns, with his parents in attendance, offered a three-run homer in the second inning to give the Orioles the lead back. However Texas plated three runs in the last of the second, chasing Ramirez, and giving them a 5-4 lead.

Luckily for the Orioles, Trumbo came back up in the third. And with a runner on he smacked a two-run home run to give the O’s the lead back for good. Two innings later in the fifth, Jonathan Villar hit his first home run as an Oriole, this one a solo shot. And just for good measure, Trumbo duplicated his earlier feat with another two-run shot in the seventh. While Texas plated another run in the eighth, that put the Orioles over-the-top in a 9-6 win.

When rebuilding it’s important to have veterans such as a Mark Trumbo or Jonathan Villar in the mix. You’re still playing games that people are paying money to come and see, and you certainly want to try your best to be as competitive as possible. However guys like these also show younger players what it means to be a big leaguer – both on and off the field.

As an example, the Orioles announced after the game that Trumbo had fluid drained from his knee before the game. That’s something that might keep some players out of the lineup. But Trumbo played through it. It’s things as such which typify what it means to be a professional athlete. When the team needs a boost, you play hurt if need be (within reason, obviously).

The Orioles now head to Tampa, where they’ll have a day off tomorrow. They’ll open a three-game set at Tropicana Field on Tuesday night.

Baltimore Orioles fall short despite Dylan Bundy’s strong outing

The Baltimore Orioles got out of Dylan Bundy what they hadn’t gotten in the first two games of this series last night: a quality start. Admittedly Arlington Texas’ Globe Life Park isn’t an easy place to pitch, meaning quality starts by either home or visiting pitchers can be tough to come by. But the O’s got one out of Bundy last night, and it put them in a spot to win the game. Bundy’s line: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R (1 earned), 2 BB, 6 K.

You notice the six strikeouts; as opposed to the first two Orioles’ starters in this series, Bundy pitched for the strikeout. Cashner and Cobb seemed to be pitching-to-contact. And in general that’s not a bad thing, that is unless the opponent is intent on making contact. And Texas hitters were.

They were also intent on making contact last night, however Bundy was fooling them. He was able to employ breaking pitches and late movement to keep the Texas lineup at bay. However after the game when Bundy was asked if he was pleased with the outing, he focused more on the result than anything else (all quotes courtesy of Steve Melewski, MASNsports):

No, I got the loss. Not happy about it at all. But it was a little bit better. Only left one ball over the plate instead of three, it seems like the last two outings. Just trying to execute pitches one pitch at a time.

Unfortunately it was an E6 by Renato Nunez that helped the Orioles to this loss. Nunez airmailed a throw to first on what would have been a routine ground out by Beltre in the fourth inning. The ball went into the stands, and Beltre took second base. That brought Gallo to the plate who smacked a two-run homer on a line that barely curved around the right field foul pole.

That’s the type of error that Orioles fans (and coaches) will have to get used to for the time being. It’s one that you can tolerate in a sense because Nunez is a young player and he’s still learning. However this is what rebuilding is – my hope is that all of the people who over the years claimed they wanted the Orioles to go through a rebuilding process understand that.

The O’s would net a run in the seventh on Mark Trumbo‘s RBI-single to cut the Texas lead to 2-1. It was also Trumbo’s 1,000th career hit, a feat he addressed after the game:

That is pretty cool. I actually like this one a little bit more than some of the other things I’ve done. Unfortunate that it didn’t contribute to a win tonight, but it’s pretty special to me.

An Odor solo homer in the eighth would eventually put the game away for Texas, as the O’s fell 3-1, making Dylan Bundy a hard-luck loser. Ultimately that Nunez error was costly. However all things being equal the Birds still lose this game 2-1. The absence of Schoop and Machado in the order is obviously fairly plain to see.

The Orioles will try to salvage a game in this series this afternoon at Globe Life Park. Yefry Ramirez gets the call for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Texas’ newly-signed Drew Hutchinson. Game time is set for just after 3 PM.

Baltimore Orioles’ David Hess struggles in Texas

Baltimore Orioles’ fans are going to have to get used to the idea that the rebuilding process is going to be painful. David Hess struggled last night in Texas; as a young starter, Hess is part of the solution – not the problem. And personally I think he has a bright future with the Orioles. That’s just not necessarily evident now, or at least it wasn’t last night in Texas. Hess’ line: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 7 R (5 earned), 1 BB, 4 K.

Texas took an early lead when Odor reached on a Hess error. Hess picked up a comebacker and threw it down the first base line – Odor scored from first. And again, it’s plays like that which Orioles fans will have to get used to. However in fairness, those are the types of plays we’ve seen all season – from proven veterans.

But it was the fourth inning that did in both Hess and the Orioles. In total, Texas smacked three homers. Gallo smacked a two-run shot, Chirinos a solo, and Odor a grand slam. The seven run inning was the end of Hess’ night, and similar to the second inning on Thursday it ended the competitive portion of the night.

The Birds did put a couple of runs on the board. Jonathan Villar (who of course was newly acquired in the trade with Milwaukee) smacked an RBI-single in the fifth that cut the lead to 8-1. Later in the inning Tim Beckham‘s RBI-single cut it to 8-2, and Chris Davis‘ RBI-double an inning later brought the O’s just a bit closer at 8-3. However three add-on runs in the eighth put it away for Texas at 11-3.

Hess of course kind of got off to a poor start with the run-scoring error. And again, it’s plays like that which will become more and more commonplace (more so than we’ve already seen this year) as time goes on. Spring training 2019 is going to be a really important time for this franchise. Hopefully by then there’s a bit more stability in terms of the lineup and in terms of which young guy is playing where. And hopefully some of this stuff gets worked out in Grapefruit League play.

It was good for the Orioles to see Villar contribute in terms of scoring runs. In all of the trades that the Birds made, Villar was the only player who came back that was big league ready. Obviously since then a couple of the other guys have come to the big leagues and contributed, however Villar was already at the major league level. I would expect him to play a big role moving forward – unless he’s traded in the off season in the name of getting even younger.

The series deep in the heart of Texas continues this evening. Dylan Bundy gets the call for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Texas’ Mike Minor. Game time is set for just after 8 PM.