Author Archives: Domenic Vadala

Welcome to Birdland Crush! Yes folks, for the record it's a spin off of the popular summer beverage native to the Mid-Atlantic Region - "orange crush." Nevertheless, I've been covering Orioles' baseball since 2009 in some capacity, and it's basically the greatest gig of all time so far as I'm concerned! But for those who aren't familiar with my work or bio, I'm familiar with pretty much every sport out there. But baseball is king - we all know that. So my hope is that you come back and check in after every Orioles' game, and throughout the off-season. I'm always on duty!

Baltimore Orioles: Should MLB tweak interleague play?

The Baltimore Orioles are off today, as are their next opponent: the Philadelphia Phillies. These two teams used to be one another’s “local rival,” that is prior to the Washington Nationals moving in closer. However you still have a situation where the further north of Baltimore you go the more the fan bases start bleeding together. For the record, I’ve always seen the Delaware/Maryland state line as the demarcation point so to speak.

However that aside, the Orioles will go into interleague play tomorrow evening when Philadelphia comes in for the first time this season. But keep in mind that this series, along with their next interleague series against Washington, won’t necessarily be a huge deal for the Birds. It’ll be like any other game in a sense, because the games will be played at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. That means American League rules – under which the Orioles play almost every game.

It’s when the Orioles make a return trip to Washington and Philadelphia in June and July respectively that things will feel different. The Orioles will have to then surrender their DH, and insert their pitchers into the lineup. Let me be honest; I prefer the National League game. I enjoy seeing pitchers hit, and quite frankly I’d prefer to see the American League get rid of it. I recognize that the NL is much more likely to adopt it at some point than anything else, however that’s just my personal preference.

However do the different rules in different leagues not give the National League teams a distinct advantage? For this week’s short series, Philadelphia will be able to in essence take a position player and have him swing a bat as a DH instead of a pitcher. However fast forward to when the O’s go on the road in an NL park. They lose a bat in favor of a pitcher.

This is not to say that there aren’t pitchers who can’t make a difference at the plate. Washington’s Max Scherzer has turned into a decent hitter (hitting .292 on the year thus far, although with only 24 plate appearances). He even stole a base earlier this year. The Orioles once won a game in Washington off of a swinging bunt by reliever Danys Baez. Again folks, off the bat of a relief pitcher – even National League teams seem to rarely have a relief pitcher have to take his turn at the plate. (The Orioles were out of hitters in that situation and had no choice.)

But you get where I’m going with this; the National League has a distinct advantage. Interestingly enough however, the American League has the historical advantage in interleague games at 2890-2574 (dating to the end of 2017). However I’m not talking about overal records between the leagues. I’m talking more about in the here and now. That’s the bigger deal.

While Philadelphia is in Baltimore, New York will be in Washington this week. Thus they’ll surrender their DH, while Boston won’t be. Philadelphia will be enjoying the luxury of a DH (a better bat in the lineup), whereas Washington won’t be. Yes it all evens out in the end, but sometimes it does matter when you end up facing teams and so forth.

So I would submit that the rules should be streamlined for interleague play. Pick a set of rules, and have all interleague games played by those rules. Odds are that if such a thing happened they’d pick American League rules, and have a DH universally used during interleague play – both in American League and National League parks. If I had my pick it would be the pitchers hitting in both league’s parks. But either way, make it uniform across the board.

Baltimore Orioles: Reports of the Birds’ and Dylan Bundy’s demise have been greatly exaggerated

It began with Dylan Bundy today for the Baltimore Orioles. That is, it begins and ends with starting pitching. Well, maybe it didn’t end there per se. Bundy was strong, and the makings of a win certainly began with him. But it ended with Oriole bats. Bundy’s line: 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 7 K.

This game was never destined to be close, and it was the perfect response to the Birds losing 17-1 this past week to Kansas City. For the sake of the team, you have to hope that they’ve exorcised the demons of their disastrous start and can still make a run of things. If today’s results mean anything, they can play with anyone.

The Orioles hit three solo homers in the second to get things going, off the bats of Danny Valencia, Joey Rickard (who was just brought back from triple-A before the game), and Trey Mancini. And in Mancini’s case it had to feel especially good to homer on Mother’s Day at Camden Yards. His Mom’s a native Marylander.

Valencia would score one inning later as well on a throwing error, but it was the fourth inning where things really popped. The O’s got an an RBI-double from Manny Machado, RBI-singles from Valencia and Jonathan Schoop, and a three-run homer from Rickard. When the smoke cleared after the fourth, the Orioles had spotted Bundy an 11-0 lead.

And here’s the other positive aspect of this game, although a bit more hidden; Bundy pitched well with that lead. Some pitchers will ease up just a bit when they have a lead of that magnitude. Bundy didn’t do that, and he was able to complete seven very solid innings of two-hit baseball.

The Birds’ offense would take a couple of innings off, only to resume activity in the seventh inning. Mancini grounded into a fielder’s choice-RBI. Machado and Gentry smacked RBI-doubles, with Gentry’s being a two-RBI double. Valencia and Rickard added RBI-singles as well. Span would smack an RBI-single in the eighth to shave one run off of the Orioles’ margin of victory. However up 17-0 to that point, I don’t think the Orioles were that concerned.

You also have to give some credit to Joey Rickard, who smacked two homers on the very day he was recalled from triple-A Norfolk. Buck Showalter said after the game that in fact it almost didn’t happen. Rickard and Donnie Hart‘s (who was also recalled) flight to Baltimore was at 8 AM, but it was delayed by four hours. Somehow the Orioles were able to get them on another flight, and into the starting lineup Rickard went.

It’s tough to decide whether “the story” is about pitching or hitting when a team wins by 16 runs. But ultimately it’s about the team. This was a total team victory. Perhaps it begins (and ends) with Bundy, but Rickard obviously played a huge role, as did Machado, Schoop, et al.

So let the record show that the second week of May was a good one for the Birds, who are off tomorrow before Philadelphia comes to town for a short two-game set on Tuesday. Does that mean that moving forward the season will be smooth sailing? Does it mean that this team could actually make a run at something? I’m not saying that, first off because they dug a massive hole. But also because I can’t predict the future. However reports of their demise might have been exaggerated.

Baltimore Orioles, David Hess gas Tampa in game one of twin bill

You have to love what David Hess did this afternoon in game one of a doubleheader for the Baltimore Orioles. In his big league debut, Hess only shut Tampa down (after a bit of a rocky start), pitched a quality start, and saved the Oriole bullpen from overuse for game two. Hess’ line: 6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 3 K.

Unfortunately for Hess, from the outset it looked like he was going to be the one getting gassed. He allowed a couple of base runners, and a three-run homer by Duffy in the third inning. However Hess managed to do what seasoned veterans at times can’t – he centered himself. After that rocky first inning, he settled down and just pitched.

And Oriole bats rewarded him for it. Jonathan Schoop smacked a solo homer to left in the last of the second. Later in the inning Chance Sisco’s RBI-double cut the Tampa lead to 3-2. So the Birds put Tampa on notice right away that they weren’t going away.

But they weren’t done – for the game or that inning. The O’s called for a double-steal later in the inning with runners at the corners. And it was Sisco who scored from third, with a steal of home plate. Tampa challenged the play on the basis that the runner was out at second, however it was upheld. How often do you see a catcher stealing any base, much less home plate?!

One inning later the Birds had the lead for good. Manny Machado’s solo homer gave them a 4-3 lead. But before the crowd could even settle down after that home run, Schoop came back up to bat and hit another one of his own. So it was a two homer game for Schoop, as the Birds went back-to-back.

The O’s would add another run later in the game as Trumbo scored on a wild pitch in the last of the sixth. However the story of the game was David Hess. If you’re going to write a story on how your big league debut will go, you can’t write a better one than that. The question is whether or not Hess stays with the club. Personally I say yes. At the very least I see him staying until Tillman comes back. What happens after that remains to be seen. But all of that is merely my take. He may be on his way back to Norfolk by now for all I know.

The O’s now turn their attention to the nightcap of this doubleheader. Alex Cobb gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s May Andriese. Game time is set for approximately 6:10 PM.

Baltimore Orioles fall in second game of twin bill

The Baltimore Orioles were almost playing with house money in game two of yesterday’s doubleheader last night. Almost. The game still counted towards the standings and so forth, but the fact is that most twin bills are split – regardless of the teams and their records.

So on one hand it’s not too surprising that Tampa was able to defeat the O’s and Alex Cobb, however the fact is that as I said it was a game that counted towards the standings. And Cobb was lackluster once again, although the defense behind him did him and the Orioles’ bullpen no favors. Cobb’s line: 5.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R (3 earned), 0 BB, 5 K. (As an aside, Cobb may well have pitched deeper than 5.2 innings if not for a lengthy rain delay.)

The teams swapped lead off home runs in the first, with Tampa’s Cron and Trey Mancini of the Orioles doing the honors. However mind you that while Tampa isn’t necessarily a power-hitting team, they’re good at getting guys on base. And they did that again in the second, and Robertson provided them with an RBI-groundout in the second. Wendle’s sac fly-RBI in the third gave them a 3-1 lead.

Am I suggesting that the Orioles should start playing small ball like that? Not in the least. Often times if you play for one run you’re going to get…one run. But if you have a guy or two on base when the homers come, that generally helps your cause.

That’s not to say that Tampa has no power, as Miller smacked a homer in the fourth to give them a 4-1 lead. And then, with two outs in the top of the sixth, the weather came. And I’m not talking just rain. There was heavy rain, which came sideways at times, Wind, thunder, lightning, and hail. Yes, hail. I’m not sure, but I think it might have been the first time a storm involving hail interrupted a game at Camden Yards in it’s history. Needless to say, it wasn’t a storm that they could have weathered anywhere else but in the clubhouse.

When play resumed it appeared that the O’s were going to make a run of it. Trey Mancini got a run home in the last of the sixth with an RBI-single, and Jonathan Schoop produced an RBI-groundout. That got the O’s to within one run, but things escalated quickly.

Tampa would manage to put six more runs on the board before the game ended. And with all of them, they simply picked the Orioles to death. This team stubbornly refuses to give up at-bats, even in the doldrums of the ninth inning when the game was in essence over. It was doubtful that the Orioles had a seven-run ninth inning up their sleeve to win the game, but you never know I suppose.

One interesting question in this game is whether or not Tampa was able to knock Cobb around because they knew him. Those types of things can go either way – sometimes the player knows the team, and sometimes the team knows the player. Either way, Tampa sent Cobb to 0-5.

The Orioles will conclude this weekend series with Tampa this afternoon on Mother’s Day. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Blake Snell. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Manny Machado leads the way to victory

Manny Machado wasn’t the reason the Baltimore Orioles topped Tampa this evening. It was a team effort across the board. However anytime you smack two homers, one of which is a grand slam, you’re going to turn heads.

Kevin Gausman produced a quality start, and kept Tampa’s lineup at bay for the entire evening. Gausman’s line: 7.1 IP, 11 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 6 K. And Gausman also gave the Orioles exactly what they needed in terms of an outing. They needed Gausman to go deeper into the game so as to help save the bullpen for tomorrow’s doubleheader. He did that and then some.

The Orioles never really trailed in this game, as Machado’s first homer of the game was a two-run shot in the first inning. Tampa would cut the lead in half in the third on an RBI-single by Cron, however that’s as close as Tampa would get. Jonathan Schoop‘s RBI-double in the sixth would run the score to 3-1, and one inning later Mark Trumbo would smack a solo homer over the wall to give the O’s a 4-1 lead.

Later in that seventh inning Machado would come up once again, this time with the bases loaded. And he didn’t disappoint, smacked a grand slam over the left field wall. However the fact is that it was a good thing that the O’s put those runs up. Tampa would net three runs in the eighth, cutting the Orioles’ lead to 8-4. But Chance Sisco would smack a solo homer in the last of the eighth which provided an insurance run for the Birds, who won it 9-4.

The interesting thing is that Tampa actually put 15 hits on the board. That to the Orioles’ 10. And that’s how Tampa wins games – they get an abundance of guys on base. But the Orioles’ pitching was just too good to let them get any further than that. They were unable to plate the majority of those runners, which is a testament to how good Gausman and those who followed him were.

Buck Showalter said after the game that he thought Gausman was “a little unlucky” on a few plays. That’s his way of saying that Tampa doesn’t hit the ball very hard. The bloop, dip, and dunk you to death. However in this game the Orioles hit-for-power, which is how they win games. If your power game is on, you’ll be able to defeat that everyday. IF your power game is on.

Before the game the Orioles placed starter Chris Tillman on the DL with a back injury. Showalter said that he had an MRI earlier today, and will continually be evaluated. Jimmy Yacabonis was called up from triple-A to take Tillman’s roster spot. Both teams will have the luxury of 26 roster spots tomorrow due to the doubleheader.

The Orioles now turn their attention to tomorrow’s aforementioned single admission doubleheader at Camden Yards. The Birds will throw David Hess in game one (who’ll be called up from triple-A before the game), and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Chris Archer. Game time is set for just after 3 PM. (Please note that game two will begin approximately 20-30 minutes after the conclusion of game one.) It will also be Hess’ big league debut.

Baltimore Orioles: Somebody paid

Buck Showalter has often said that eventually somebody’s going to pay, when things would go south for the Baltimore Orioles. This evening, and in reality in this series, somebody finally paid. That somebody was Kansas City. People will point to the first game, in which Kansas City bludgeoned the Birds. But last I checked two-of-three is winning a series.

But at first it appeared that the O’s would drop two-of-three, after Chris Tillman‘s lackluster start. Tillman’s line: 1.1 IP, 4 H, 6 R (5 earned), 3 BB, 0 K. Tillman loaded the bases and gave up a grand slam to Perez in the first inning. And again, following that and following Soler’s two-RBI single in the second, it appeared that it was over for the Orioles.

But the fact is that these Birds battled back. Adam Jones‘ RBI-double in the last of the first cut the lead to 4-1. Manny Machado would later smack a two-run homer, cutting the lead to 4-3. However as I said above, Kansas City would put two more runs up, chasing Tillman.

And the big question surrounding the Orioles now is what to do with Chris Tillman. My personal opinion is that they’ve reached a point where they can’t continue to keep giving him starts. So what next? To the bullpen? Do they DFA him? Does Miguel Castro (who was outstanding in relief and qualified for the win) take his rotation spot? These are all questions that the Orioles will need to answer for themselves. And quickly, at that.

But the O’s weren’t going to be outdone on this night, or in this series. Kansas City might well have taken it to these Birds in game one, but this was the Orioles’ time to shine. Someone was eventually going to pay for what’s been going on. And it ended up being Kansas City.

Adam Jones smacked a two-run homer in the third inning, bringing the Birds to within one. One inning later the O’s had runners at the corners with one out and Chance Sisco coming to the plate. Sisco was sitting on a slider, with the idea being that the pitcher would have wanted him to put it on the ground. Instead, he got a fastball – and he jumped on it in the form of knocking an RBI-double.

That gave the Orioles the lead, but they weren’t done yet. Trey Mancini‘s two-run homer later in that fourth inning, giving the O’s a 9-6 lead. Santander would add an RBI-single in the fifth, and Schoop one of his own in the sixth. When the dust settled, the final score was 11-6.

Offensively the Birds put 14 hits on the board. They also went 6-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Those are two very important stats to keep in mind. Oriole bats came alive, and they picked their teammates up when they got into scoring position. And again defensively, Miguel Castro really picked the Birds and Tillman up.

Again, do Castro and Tillman perhaps switch roles? The Orioles are disappointed in Tillman’s output at this point, and again in my personal view they’ve reached a point where they can no longer allow him to take the ball every fifth day. What happens moving forward is anyone’s guess.

Tomorrow the O’s open up a weekend series at Camden Yards with Tampa, which includes a doubleheader on Saturday. Kevin Gausman gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Jake Faria. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles surge to victory on the bat of Mark Trumbo

For the first time in 2018 we saw the Baltimore Orioles of old tonight. Guys made valiant efforts to catch balls, which landed in their gloves (as opposed to bouncing past). Pitchers made their pitches and hit their marks. And the bats came through in the clutch when they were needed most.

Andrew Cashner is still looking for his first win at Camden Yards, after getting non-decisioned. Cashner’s line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K. Cashner pitched to a quality start, which certainly vouches for something. He made a mistake on one pitch, on which Duda smacked a two-run homer in the fourth, giving Kansas City a 2-0 lead.

To that point, we had seen a pitching duel. However as can happen, that one moment opened the floodgates. To a point, that is. Chris Davis came with runners at the corners and two outs. As late as yesterday, Davis probably would have struck out or popped out. But not tonight – he smacked a three-run homer to left field, giving the Orioles a 3-2 lead.

And perhaps the biggest key there is that Davis went the opposite way. When sluggers start doing that you know they’re starting to come out of a slump. The Orioles can only hope so much with Davis.

However unfortunately the O’s would leave runners in scoring position in the fifth, which almost came back to haunt them. Kansas City would tie it in the sixth on Duda’s RBI-single. It appeared to be more of the same for the Orioles; they leave ducks on the pond, and the opponent takes advantage. However Cashner pitched them out of the inning, preserving the tie.

The O’s would put two runners on once again in the last of the eighth with two outs. That brought Mark Trumbo to the plate with first base open. With Davis on deck and a base open, Kansas City opted to pitch to Trumbo. And for once a move not made haunted the opposition, as Trumbo’s two-RBI single up the middle put the Birds in the driver’s seat for good, and they went on to a 5-3 victory.

The win snapped a seven-game losing streak, but more importantly perhaps gave the Orioles some confidence. You’re only as good as your next day’s starter, and tonight that was a good thing for the Birds. They need to take that into tomorrow so as to get on another type of streak: a winning streak.

The Orioles will conclude the series with Kansas City tomorrow evening at Camden Yards. Chris Tillman gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Kansas City’s Ian Kennedy. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Should Dan Duquette be making deals?

Here’s an interesting take regarding Dan Duquette that Baltimore Orioles fans should consider; should he be making trades? As we know, Duquette’s contract is up at the end of the season. Most fans and writers alike agree that odds of Duquette getting a contract extension are slim. However regardless of that, he’s a lame duck (unless or until he gets a new contract).

The trade talk regarding Manny Machado and others has heated up the past couple of weeks. But…do fans really want Duquette making that decision? As a lame duck, one might question the motives behind what he’s doing, or how he’s doing it. Am I suggesting that Duquette would do anything shady or that he operates in a shady manner? Not in the least. But the potential for something unfortunate to happen is there.

Could you imagine what would happen if the Orioles made a trade with say the Los Angeles Dodgers, and then Duquette turned around and signed on in their front office next year? You could have the semblance of collusion, tampering, or something else. You also could have a situation in which someone (Dan Duquette in this instance) becomes a victim of circumstance after doing something very innocent.

Dan Duquette may be a lot of things, but he’s never done anything that would make anyone distrust him. So I don’t think that anything along these lines to occur. All I’m saying is that it could.

And this should be a lesson to John & Lou Angelos. Just to be clear, I respect the fact that Peter Angelos and the Angelos family has not only held people to their contracts, but not let them go unless it was absolutely necessary. People can say what they wish about the Angelos’ management style. But I do respect people who honor their commitments.

Now with that said, the act of allowing a GM to go into the season as a lame duck doesn’t work in sports. It allows for scenario’s like I described above to come into play. Now in fairness, John & Lou Angelos just took over management of the team from their father, Peter. This was back in January. So for all we know the decision to have Duquette serve as a lame duck wasn’t theirs.

What should have happened was that they decided last year whether to extend Duquette or move on. Would that have potentially meant firing him? Yes. But if the goal is to win, the organization is severely handicapped right now on that front. Perhaps next time around things will be different.

Baltimore Orioles: Is Dylan Bundy injured?

Dylan Bundy gave the Baltimore Orioles perhaps the most lackluster start of his career this evening. Bundy’s line: 0.0 IP, 5 H, 7 R, 2 BB, 0 K. You didn’t read that incorrectly, and I didn’t make a mistake in writing it. Bundy was credited with no part of an inning. He departed after giving up seven runs on four homers.

So to review, the Birds trailed 7-0 before they even recorded an out in the game. The first out was recorded by reliever Mike Wright, who was brought in with nobody out. And if there’s one silver lining on this game, it’s Wright’s performance. He gave up a few runs, however he stablized things just a bit for the O’s. Well, that might be a bit strong of a term. Let’s say he settled things just a bit. Wright’s line: 4.2 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 0 BB, 1 K.

Chris Davis provided for the Orioles’ lone run of the game until the end, on a solo homer in the second inning. Danny Valencia and Caleb Joseph would add solo shots in the last of the eighth, Schoop a two-RBI double along with a few other runs in the ninth as well. However this was also the third consecutive poor start for Bundy. Now I always say that pitchers will have about ten poor starts a year. However the fact that he’s seemingly fallen so far so fast is something that makes one raised an eyebrow.

Bundy was topping out on his fastball this evening in the high 80’s. Bundy isn’t a flame thrower by any means, however he usually has a bit more velocity than that. In general, Bundy’s what one might call a finesse pitcher, who either pitches-to-contact or fools hitters with late movement and deception. That obviously didn’t happen tonight, and it hasn’t happened for a few weeks.

So my question is whether or not Bundy’s 100% healthy. The consecutive poor starts you can almost overlook – those things are going to happen. But the down tick in velocity combined with the poor starts kind of jumps out at you. Keep in mind that this is a guy who’s already had Tommy John surgery. Not that it should mean anything, but he’s already had it.

My point would be that it might do the Orioles well to have Bundy examined in some manner, because it wouldn’t hurt to ensure that he’s pitching with a full deck. Because the other issue could then become that it’s a mechanical issue. So pick your poison. Ultimately there’s something going on, because Bundy this evening became the first pitcher in the live ball era (1920-present) to give up four homers and not record an out in the first inning of a game.

When the dust settled in this game Kansas City beat the Orioles 15-7. Now mind you, this isn’t scientific – I’m going squarely based on seeing the game and analyzing this team for quite a few years. However a vast majority of the Kansas City runs (or “big moments”) came on two-strike counts. Many of the homers and even the base hits that came before the homers carried two-strike counts.

This has been a problem for the Orioles for some time. It dates back at least to 2016 – again based on my perception of the games. It’s something we saw at times in Spring Training as well. In fact, I wrote about it in Spring Training. The Orioles just can’t seem to get guys out with two strikes.

I can’t tell you what the issue is. Are the Orioles just very predictable in terms of their pitch selections and locations? Is someone stealing signs? Or is it simply a grand coincidence? Any one of those scenarios is possible – as are others. But perhaps it’s something that should be looked into. Surely if there’s a pattern and/or if something’s happening that’s tipping pitches, if opponents are able to pick up on it the Orioles’ coaches would be also.

The series continues tomorrow evening at Camden Yards as the O’s try to get even. Andrew Cashner gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Kansas City’s Eric Skoglund. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Jonathan Schoop to return tonight

The Baltimore Orioles begin a nine-game home stand this evening against Kansas City. And with the home winds comes a welcome re-addition to the club: second baseman Jonathan Schoop. Schoop is expected to come off the DL for this evening’s game, requiring a roster move. If I were a betting man I’d go with Engelb Vielma being optioned back to the minors.

There can be no question that the Orioles have missed Schoop across the board. The infield defense suffered big time in his absence. And his bat has been missed as well in the lineup, and the hope is that it’s presence now helps to streamline the offense just a bit. The Birds aren’t as far away as people want to believe. A base knock here or a homer there – and some of these games might look a little different. The hope is that Schoop provides that type of spark.

It’s still unclear as to whether there will be any personnel changes in the organization before tonight’s game. I was under the impression that if they were going to do anything it would have happened yesterday. But obviously nothing happened. But if anything happens today, stay tuned to my twitter feed, @DomenicVadala, as well as to Birdland Crush for updates.

The series with Kansas City opens this evening at Camden Yards. Dylan Bundy will try to get back on track for the O’s in the starting rotation, and he’ll be opposed by Kansas City’s Danny Duffy. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.