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 close to deal with RHP Alex Cobb

This evening’s Baltimore Orioles game vs. Tampa in Sarasota has been rained out – it will not be made up. There are severe thunderstorms and even tornado warnings in the greater Sarasota area. You can check the Orioles’ website for refund information.

But there are bigger fish to fry. Yahoo Sports MLB columnist Jeff Passan reported earlier this afternoon that the O’s were close to a deal with RHP Alex Cobb (formerly of Tampa). The deal is expected to be for three years, $50 million.

Over his six year career in Tampa, Cobb has amassed a 3.50 ERA, and a 48-35 record. He’s also very familiar with pitching in the AL East. Cobb is a veteran, and would be a great signing by the Orioles. He would really solidify their rotation a bit, which is something that the O’s haven’t had for some time.

Just a word of caution to folks – this deal isn’t done yet. We hear that the deal is close. But things could always fall apart. So stay tuned.

The Orioles will make their only camp visit to Tampa to take on the New York Yankees tomorrow. Hunter Harvey gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Luis Cessa. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles win behind a solid Chris Tillman effort

The Baltimore Orioles’ goal in this afternoon’s ballgame was to get a solid effort out of starter Chris Tillman. The Birds got that, and in the process also recorded a win over the Detroit Tigers in Lakeland. Tillman’s line: 5.0 IP. 6 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K.

And it’s also worth mentioning that Tillman recorded give solid innings against a good Detroit lineup. Perhaps they aren’t what they were a few years ago, but they’re solid and Tillman kept them quiet most of the day (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

That is a good lineup. You definitely have to navigate them the right way. A couple of times there with guys in scoring position and an open base I was trying to pitch around some guys and they ended up getting themselves out. So I like when that happens. Because if I did pitch around them, we’d be talking about walks now.

The O’s took a 1-0 lead in the second on a Sardinas RBI-ground out, which extended to 2-0 one inning later after Pedro Alvarez‘s RBI-single. Detroit tried to make a game of it by coming to within one run (at 2-1) after an RBI-single. But the O’s weren’t about to be stopped on this day, as they got a two-run fifth inning homer from Jomar Reyes. Detroit would add a run in the eighth, but it wasn’t enough.

Again, wins and losses are still unimportant – for now. That phase of the season ends on Sunday afternoon. However the news of the day was Tillman’s start. Tillman was crisp, and he was effective during his five innings in the game today.

Following Tillman’s previous start, there was concern for his ability and his mindset going into the season. One hopes that some of those questions now abide. Where Tillman ends up in the rotation remains to be seen. But the fact is that the Birds need him to be effective this year, much like he was today.

The Birds will play three night games in this final week, which is good from the standpoint that most of the games during the regular season are at night. It gets the players into a routine of preparing for a night game. For what that’s worth.

The Orioles will return home to Sarasota tomorrow for an evening affair with the Tampa Rays, Nestor Cortes Jr., draws the starting assignment for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Nathan Eovaldi. Game time is set for just after 6 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Late Danny Valencia homer can’t lift Birds

Dylan Bundy got the start for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon in the final Sunday game in Sarasota. However Bundy struggled in this game against the NY Mets, making one wonder what kind of work he’ll get as we go into the final week of spring games. Bundy’s line: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R (4 earned), 1 BB, 6 K.

Bundy was hitting the strike zone, evidenced by the six strikeouts. However that’s not always a good thing. If you hit too much of the zone, you’re going to get guys on base and more and more potential for runs. In Bundy’s case, the tone was set in the second inning on a D’Arnaud solo homer which gave New York a 1-0 lead. One inning later Nimmo’s RBI-single would run the lead to 2-0, and D’Arnaud would also add a two-RBI double. Before the middle of the third inning, the Orioles trailed 4-0.

However keep in mind that those issues are all fixable in Bundy’s case. And many of them can be attributed to having an off day. I’ve said many times during many other spring trainings that your average starting pitcher will have 30 starts during the season. 10 will be great, 10 poor, and 10 in-between. (And it’s that final category wherein lies the success or failure of your season.)

But the news wasn’t all bad for the Orioles – hardly, in fact. They got Chris Davis back in the lineup, and the team is saying that he should be ready for Opening Day. And Davis celebrated his return to the lineup by smacking an RBI-single in the last of the third to get the Orioles on the board. However that was all that either team put across until the sixth when New York got an additional run, which ended up being an insurance run.

And keep in mind that insurance runs in baseball are very important. We’ve seen it in the past, and we saw it today. So the Orioles should be wary of that, given the fact that the line between winning and losing can be so fine. 4-1 isn’t a blowout by any means; so in games where you have a score like that, don’t allow the opponent to tack on a cheap run in later innings. Because again, the line between winning and losing is very fine.

Engelb Vielma‘s RBI-single in the last of the eighth brought the O’s to within 5-2. However Danny Valencia followed suit with a two-run homer that brought them to the brink of tying the game. However the game ended in the last of the ninth with the tying run on third. And again, that’s why those insurance runs can be so important.

The Orioles will open the final week of camp on the road tomorrow in Lakeland against Detroit. Chris Tillman gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Michael Fulmer. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Adam Jones homers in Birds’ loss

The Baltimore Orioles knew that they weren’t going to keep winning games that don’t count forever. And eventually, they were going to drop one. They came into today’s game with Toronto having not lost in eight games. But with Mike Wright getting the start this afternoon, that streak came to an end. Wright’s line: 4.2 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 2 K.

Toronto took a 1-0 lead in the third on an RBI-single by Espinoza. However one inning later the Orioles had tied the score. Adam Jones smacked his second spring homer to knot things up at 1-1. Jones has said that he’s ready for Opening Day right now, and his hitting of late has indicated that he isn’t kidding.

The promising thing about Jones and others right now is that they started off the spring struggling at the plate. And lots of people conveniently forget that pitchers are usually a week ahead of catchers in the beginning of camp. But once everyone catches up and is on the same page, guys start getting into pitches and the ball starts flying out of the ballpark. That’s happening with Jones and others right now.

However Toronto would get a two-RBI triple from Fields, and s fielder’s choice-RBI from Diaz in the fifth to take a 4-1 lead. And they didn’t look back from there. They also got an RBI-groundout from Berti in the ninth. While the Birds closed to 5-2 in the last of the ninth on a Presley RBI-single, it wouldn’t be enough to salvage a win against their AL East rivals.

Wright hardly struggled during his 4.2 innings, however he wasn’t as crisp as the Orioles would have liked. We’re now going into potentially the most important part of camp – the end of it. Time is passing, and many guys will be getting their final looks this coming week in Grapefruit League play. Where anyone stands now or at any point remains to be seen. But we’re grinding towards crunch time.

And the Orioles are home in Sarasota in the final week more often than they’re on the road. That means that guys might have more of a look than they otherwise would have. It’s worth mentioning, there are still unsigned veterans looking for deals as camps wind up.

The O’s will remain in Sarasota tomorrow as the New York Mets come to Ed Smith Stadium. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Noah Syndergaard. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles’ Mark Trumbo to begin 2018 on the DL

The Baltimore Orioles received some bad news yesterday regarding OF/DH Mark Trumbo. An MRI revealed a Grade 2 right quad strain. Trumbo had missed some time, and returned to the lineup on Wednesday but felt discomfort. This is expected to sideline Trumbo for 3-4 weeks, meaning he’ll begin the season on the DL.

So what does this do to the Orioles’ roster and lineup? For starters, Pedro Alvarez might well begin the season with the team. That’s not set in stone obviously, however it’s a possibility. It could also open up a roster spot for the Birds in terms of keeping one of their three Rule 5 players. All of that remains to be seen.

The broader question however is what does this do to the Orioles moving forward? Having someone on the DL isn’t ideal, but will Trumbo be as productive as he could have been this year? Is this something that will linger throughout the year? These are all questions that face the Orioles going into the regular season.

Next week begins the final week of Grapefruit League play, culminating next Sunday afternoon in Clearwater against Philadelphia. The Birds have been “on the road” a lot this past week, however they’ll be in Sarasota more often next week. They’ll play road games against Detroit on Monday, and New York on Wednesday night. And the aforementioned spring finale against Philadelphia on Sunday.

The Orioles’ final home game at Ed Smith Stadium for the season is next Saturday night (March 24th) against Minnesota. It’s also fireworks night, and the fans and the team will be treated to a fireworks display immediately following the game. And then comes the turn north, as the Birds break camp and come home to Baltimore to get ready for Opening Day.

Baltimore Orioles: Kevin Gausman shines in sixth straight win

The Baltimore Orioles traveled to Jupiter, FL this afternoon, which is across the state. Call it a “road trip” if you will. Kevin Gausman turned in perhaps his best outing not just of the spring, but since last season. Gausman’s line: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.

This game was vastly different from when St. Louis visited Sarasota. As you may or may not remember, the Birds surrendered an 8-1 lead that day. However in this instance nobody made it to nine runs. Jonathan Schoop smacked a solo homer in the second inning, giving the Birds a 1-0 lead.

This was the Orioles’ sixth straight victory, however again folks – wins and losses don’t mean anything at this point in the year. However it certainly was a great pitching performance by a staff that’s expected to be beleaguered this year. Not only did they get a good outing out of their starter (Gausman), but they got five quality innings out of him.

While many Orioles regulars (such as the aforementioned Schoop) made the trip with the O’s, OF/DH Mark Trumbo did not. He of course missed a week or so earlier in camp with a strained quad, and is now going for an MRI after feeling discomfort after yesterday’s game. Between Trumbo and Chris Davis (who’s return currently has no timetable), the Birds are at risk for starting the season with much of their power on the bench or DL.

The O’s will remain on the east coast of Florida overnight and will head to Port St. Lucie tomorrow to take on the New York Mets. Andrew Cashner gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by NY’s Jacob DeGrom. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles lifted to victory as Adam Jones smacks first spring homer

Miguel Castro got the start this afternoon for the Baltimore Orioles, who took on their arch-rivals, New York, for the first time in the spring. He didn’t get the results he wanted, however the Orioles also gave him a decent amount of run support. Castro’s line: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 2 K.

As is the case with so many pitchers, Castro’s issue was fastball command during his start (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

I was trying to locate my fastball early, get it down, and I made a couple mistakes and that was one of the things that I wasn’t doing today.

But the news today for the Orioles wasn’t futile – not in the least. Adam Jones smacked his first home run of the spring in the first inning, a two-run shot to center. This is a good sign, as it indicates that Jones is healthy and his timing is starting to line up. That gave the Orioles a 2-0 lead, however they quickly surrendered it in the second on an RBI-groundout and a two-RBI single.

But New York didn’t lead for long. Trey Mancini‘s RBI-single in the last of the second tied the game back up at two. And a few moments later, they had the lead back. This time courtesy of a homer off the bat of Jonathan Schoop, this of the two-run variety.

The O’s would also get an RBI-single from Tim Beckham in the third, and a sac-fly RBI from Presley in the seventh. New York would smack a solo homer in the fourth, but that wasn’t enough to top the Birds on this day. The win was the Orioles’ fifth straight.

Again folks, wins and losses doesn’t matter. But that’s not to say that guys can’t get momentum going in camp by winning games. On this trip for New York was their slugger Aaron Judge, who went 0-for-4 on the day with two strikeouts. If Oriole pitching can induce games like that when they see him in the regular season, they’ll be in good shape.

And perhaps another promising aspect of this game for the Birds is that they had the lead, lost it, and got it back. That’s something we didn’t see too much of down the stretch last year, especially at the end. Often times the O’s would in fact draw first blood, only to lose the lead later in the game. And they wouldn’t have the ability to get it back. They battled back in this game, and they did so almost immediately.

The Orioles will actually head to Florida’s east coast for two games starting tomorrow in Jupiter against St. Louis. Kevin Gausman will get the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by St. Louis’ Jack Flaherty. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles win despite Chris Tillman’s struggles

If this season’s going to amount to anything for the Baltimore Orioles, Chris Tillman‘s going to have to have a good year. Unfortunately 2018 got off to an unofficially inauspicious start for Tillman this afternoon with a tough first outing against Minnesota. Tillman’s line: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 6 BB, 1 K.

The six walks are a huge issue, two of which were bases-loaded walks with nobody down to give Minnesota a 2-0 lead. LaMarr would add a sac fly-RBI, and Granite a bunt RBI-single to run the score to 4-0. Tillman was responsible for all of those runners, although he was lifted after giving up the two walks with the bases loaded.

After the game, Tillman indicated that his misses were either above or below the strike zone. Obviously running into a very patient Minnesota team didn’t help (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

I didn’t really feel like I was fighting anything. I had a lot of misses down below the zone. It wasn’t in and out or arm side or glove side. It was north and south, which you’d think would be an easy adjustment, but kept missing down, which, when it’s down they’re going to take more as opposed to when it’s elevated. I felt like there were a lot of guys who were waiting to see the ball up and when they didn’t, more times than not took it.

I mentioned above how Minnesota’s patient. Keep in mind that they’re a small ball team. Whereas had Tillman been pitching against New York or Boston today (slugging teams), that result might have been different. But to a team like Minnesota, if they walk in one run that means their opponent has to score two to beat them. Same is true with a sac fly or an RBI on a bunt.

And luckily for the Orioles, they did score two – and then some. Pedro Alvarez smacked an RBI-single in the fourth the cut the Minnesota lead to 4-1. One inning later, the Birds found themselves within one run as Austin Wynns‘ two-run homer cut the Minnesota lead to 4-3. A Manny Machado RBI-single tied the game at four, however Minnesota did get get the lead back on an RBI-double in the last of the fifth.

But keep in mind…these Orioles are a power-hitting club. Whether it’s regular players, reserves, or Rule 5 guys. Anthony Santander‘s two-run homer in the seventh put the Birds in the lead at 6-5. And it’s moments like that which make me believe that power-hitting is the way to go in this game. Basically, AL East baseball. It’s a lot more efficient than piecemealing runs together here and there.

Reuben Tejada would add an RBI-single in the seventh to run the final to 7-5, as the Birds won for the fifth consecutive game. For what it’s worth, that includes a “doubleheader” of sorts, with this past Sunday being a split squad day. The Oriole victory also snapped a five-game winning streak for Minnesota.

So the question is whether or not we saw Chris Tillman today, or if we’ll see him steadily improve as the end of camp draws near. That outing can’t have sat well with the coaching staff with the Orioles set to break camp two weeks from yesterday. We’ve seen pitchers and field players come along big time from the beginning of camp to this point in spring training. The question is whether or not enough time remains for Tillman to do the same before the beginning of the regular season.

The Orioles return home to Ed Smith Stadium tomorrow for their first game this spring against the New York Yankees. Miguel Castro gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by NY’s Chance Adams. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Dylan Bundy strong in another win

Dylan Bundy went further than any other Baltimore Orioles’ starter into a spring game this afternoon in Bradenton against Pittsburgh. And Bundy looked good in doing it, surrendering one run in the first inning. And that came as a result of a muffed ball at third base. Bundy’s line: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 5 K.

This was not only the Orioles’ longest start of the spring (eclipsing Cashner’s four innings last night), but also Bundy’s best outing to date. Bundy’s steadily improved, although manager Buck Showalter seemed to indicate that he’d been solid all spring to date when asked if Bundy was looking “better” (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

I don’t know about ‘better.’ I thought he continues to have a good spring. He’s just been solid. Go gets some more velocity when he needs it. All of his pitches were available to him today. He’s had a feel for all of them.

The O’s tied the score at one in the fourth on Joey Rickard‘s RBI-single. Later in the inning Luis Sardinas‘ two-RBI double put the Birds in the driver’s seat. Before that fourth inning was over, they’d plate two more runs, one on a pass ball and one on Austin Hays‘ sac fly-RBI.

One inning later the Orioles would keep the pressure on. Jonathan Schoop‘s solo homer gave the Orioles a 6-1 lead, although Pittsburgh would come back in the bottom of the inning with two runs. But the Birds weren’t about to blow this lead. Jose Osuna smacked an RBI-single in the seventh, and Drew Dosch an RBI-single in the eighth. Santander would also draw a walk later in the inning with the bases loaded, and the O’s cruised to an 8-5 win.

However the story on the day was Bundy, and Orioles’ pitching. It’s steadily improved as camp has gone on. Now please bear in mind that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’ll be good throughout the regular season. But in the last week I would submit that something’s clicked a bit and guys have been taking it to the next level. The starters, that is at least.

I’ve said this previously, but my prediction is that Dylan Bundy will be the Orioles’ Opening Day starter. While we’re starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel in camp, we aren’t quite to the point to where Buck Showalter will start lining guys up for regular season starts – yet. So we don’t know for sure. But that’s just a prediction for you.

The O’s hit the road again tomorrow, heading to Ft. Myers to take on Minnesota. Chris Tillman will make his first start of the spring for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Jake Odorizzi. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Andrew Cashner solid in debut as Birds beat Philadelphia

Baltimore Orioles fans got a look for the first time this evening at the team’s biggest off season acquisition, Andrew Cashner. And Cashner didn’t disappoint, as he became the first Orioles pitcher this spring to go further than three innings into a game as a starter. Cashner’s line: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 2 K.

Cashner retired seven hitters on ground balls, which he said after his outing was part of what he was trying to do (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

I think part of my game plan is to pitch up with my fastball. High sinkers are really hard to hit, but I think It’s keeping the ball down, getting my strikes early and then trying to finish them up late is definitely kind of the game plan.

Cashner would go onto say that he felt he could have executed some of his pitches better, however the outing itself and the numbers indicate otherwise. However it’s good to see that he can offer constructive criticism on himself if he feels it’s necessary. As gritty as a spring outing can be, this was a gritty outing on Cashner’s part.

The tone for the game was set in the top of the second when Philadelphia had one on and nobody out. Altherr sent a deep pop fly near the right field foul line, and Craig Gentry slid and caught it. That in and of itself was a great play and a great effort, but Gentry was also able to throw the ball back in and double the runner off of first base. It’s defensive plays as such which stand out to the coaching staff.

The teams played to a scoreless tie into the fifth inning, when Austin Hays‘ RBI-single broke the tie and gave the Birds a 1-0 lead. Hays would later find himself being plated as Caleb Joseph smacked a home run to left field. This wasn’t a wind-aided, “Florida-type” of homer. It was a no-doubter, and the outfield barely moved. If Joseph’s bat can get going, the Orioles will find themselves in really good shape this year.

Anthony Santander would smack an RBI-single up the middle in the last of the seventh for an insurance run, and the Birds cruised past Philadelphia, 4-0. In terms of winning and losing the game, that insurance run was important. However it’s also important from the perspective of the fact that four runs in a game is a magic number of sorts. The odds of victory go up dramatically if you get four plus runs in a game.

This was a split squad day for the Orioles, with the B-Team having defeated Boston earlier in the day in Fort Myers. Hunter Harvey pitched three innings, surrendering two runs. Ryan Mountcastle also smacked a homer in the ninth inning. By virtue of sweeping the split squad day, the Orioles are now 9-8 on the spring – for those who care about records.

The Orioles will head over to Bradenton tomorrow to take on Pittsburgh. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Tyler Glasnow. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.