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: Don’t trade in the division

Brandon Young pitched to a quality start. Putting the Baltimore Orioles in a spot to win last night against Boston. It’s possible that Craig Albernaz left him in a little too long. But it’s easy to second guess. Young’s line: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 7 K.

Right off the bat however, the Orioles were haunted by their former all-star catcher. Adley Rutschman smacked a solo homer in the first. However the O’s battled. They tied the game at one on a sac fly-RBI by Pete Alonso in the last of the first. They would also take a brief 3-1 lead in the fourth on back-to-back homers by Luis Robert and Pete Alonso.

But two innings later Boston began working their way back. And again it began with Rutschman, who smacked a second solo home run. Kiner-Filefa’s RBI-single in the seventh tied the game at three. Incidentally, that came with two out and a two-strike count – again.

Boston would take the lead at 5-3 in the seventh on a two-run homer by Sogard. A solo shot by Anthony in the ninth gave them some insurance. And it’s a good thing for their sake that they got that, because Christian Encarnacion-Strand smacked a two-run homer in the last of the ninth. But it wasn’t enough, and the Birds fell 6-5.

The glaring thing isn’t the two-run home run by Sogard. It’s the two solo shots by Rutschman. They say solo home runs don’t hurt you. But this season the Orioles have made a career out of being hurt by them in one way or another.

The first home run was on the second pitch of the at-bat. The second one was on the first pitch. Both were in the same location – up and in. If there’s anyone who knows what the technology or AI that the Orioles use in terms of pitching, it’s their former All-Star catcher.

Make no mistake, he didn’t guess on those pitches. He didn’t see a pitch he liked, and went for it. He knew what was coming.

All the more reason not to have traded inside the division. Now to be clear, the Orioles got a haul for Rutschman. Nobody’s disputing that. But a team that was seeing Rutschman 12 or 13 times a year was willing to give up what they gave up to get him. AND they can now use him AGAINST the Orioles. Never trade to a division foe; no matter how good the deal looks on paper. That’s old school thinking – as in, pre-sabre metrics. And make no mistake that it’s still correct.

The series continues this evening at Camden Yards. Shane Baz gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Ranger Suarez. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles victimized by seventh inning homer

Kyle Bradish had his struggles last night in Colorado, but he also put the Baltimore Orioles in a spot to win. He labored through five tough innings, minimizing the damage as best he could. Bradish’s line: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 4 K.

Bradish was tripped up by the same thing which has haunted the Orioles all season. He recorded two quick outs in the last of the second, and then allowed Colorado to rally. Amador’s solo home run gave Colorado a 1-0 lead. That homer also came on a two-strike count, again which has haunted Oriole pitching all season.

On another two-strike count in the next at-bat, Veen would triple. The play was reviewed as a possible home run, but upheld as a triple, But Vern would score on an RBI-single by McCarthy – also on a two-strike count.

Again, two out or two strike rallies have plagued the Birds all season. It’s almost uncanny how opponents seem to be at their best with their backs against the wall in a count or in the inning. Odds are it’s coincidental. But it’s also a trend.

One inning later the O’s put runners at the corners with one down. Gunnar Henderson tapped a tight grounder down the first base line, beginning a double-play. However the runner from third scored before the 1-6-1 double-play could be completed.

That cut the Colorado lead to 2-1. You hate to end the inning, however in a playoff chase either the score 2-0, you take that. The Birds would tie it in the seventh on Jackson Holliday’s solo home run.

However the seventh was also where the game got away. Runfield’s rwo-run homer in the bottom of the inning sent Colorado off to a 4-2 win, evening the series. It came off of Luis De Leon, who was called up to the majors earlier in the day. It was his big league debut.

Obviously the Orioles promoted him for a reason. But you do have to question using a young guy in his major league debut in high leverage – both in a game as well as in the season. Second-guessing is easy, however it just seems that a moment like that is best suited for someone with experience.

The series concludes today at Coors Field. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Colorado’s Tomoyuki Sugano. Game time is set for 3:10 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Mile High Orioles Magic

Despite a rain storm, the Baltimore Orioles have made it back to .500. Case Povich was called back up to the big leagues to make the start last night, and lasted five solid innings. Povich’s line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 4 K.

Povich allowed a run in the fourth, but limited the damage. With two outs, Beck smacked an RBI-single. That also left two runners in scoring position, and on top of that Povich walked the next batter. However he induced a fly out to end the inning, and the Orioles only surrendered the one run.

But they quickly got it back. Samuel Basallo’s RBI-double in the fifth tied the game at one. Povich probably could have gone deeper than five innings, however a driving Denver rain storm inducing a rain delay of over an hour and a half intervened. Unfortunate, but needless to say Povich put the team in a spot to win.

Coby Mayo walked to begin the seventh – and for the record, it was a 3-2 count and he was called out on strikes. But he challenged the pitch, and it was overturned. Two additional walks would load the bases. Colton Cowser at first appeared to ground into an inning-ending double-play. However on review…he was safe at first. A run scored, and the Orioles were riding a mile high with a 2-1 lead.

Yet the greatest threat to that lead was the last pitch of the game. Colorado led off the ninth with a double, and later in the inning with two outs McCarthy sent a deep shot to center. Folks to be clear, it was destined to be a walk off two-run homer. And it wasn’t going to be close…until it was.

Colton Cowser tracked the ball, leapt at the wall, and…brought the ball back into the field of play. The ball was over the wall. Colorado had basically won the game. But Cowser’s Mile High Magic not only robbed them of a home run, but it closed out a win for the Birds. A win that has them officially back at .500 on August 31st/September 1st (due to the rain delay, the game ended after midnight).

The series continues this evening at Coors Field. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Colorado’s Gabriel Hughes. Game time is set for 8:40 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: That Gunnar guy

As often as Baltimore Orioles’ starters have pitched to quality starts this year only to lose, maybe it was time for the ball to fall the other way for once. Chris Bassitt probably didn’t deserve to be the winning pitcher in Sacramento today. But he was – by default. Bassitt’s line: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 4 K.

Gunnar Henderson put the Athletics on notice early with a solo home run in the first. But the A’s weren’t going quietly this afternoon. Butler’s two-RBI double gave them a 2-1 lead. Before the O’s really got things going, the A’s extended the lead to 5-1 by the end of the third.

Yet as quickly as things fell apart, things were different. Pete Alonso and Henderson singled to start the fourth. That brought Coby Mayo to the plate, and with one swing he changed the trajectory of the ballgame. His three-run homer cut the lead to 5-4.

One inning later the O’s put two on with two out. Gunnar Henderson strode back to the plate. You could argue it’s moments like these which speak to Gunnar’s value to the organization. Because his three-run homer gave the Birds a 7-5 lead.

Pete Alonso led off the eighth getting hit in the head. He was removed, and manager Craig Albernaz said after the game that he would be fine. But in that sequence, Henderson came back up to bat. And his RBI-triple extended the lead to 8-5

The bullpen closed out an 8-5 win, and a sweep of the A’s in Sacramento. The Birds now sit one game under .500. More importantly, only one game back of Cleveland for the final Wild Card spot.

The O’s now head to Denver to open a three-game set against Colorado at Coors Field tomorrow night. The Orioles’ starter is TBD, but Colorado will throw Tanner Gordon. Game time is set for 8:40 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Late night Mayo

The Baltimore Orioles sent Brandon Young to the mound late last night in game one of three against the Athletics in Sacramento. AndYoung didn’t disappoint, pitching to a quality start. Yojng’s line: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

The O’s struck first, with Dylan Beavers driving in a run in the second with an RBI-single. Carlos Narvaez would later reach on a fielding error, extending the lead to 2-0. That inning began with a walk to Coby Mayo to lead off the inning. Nothing good happens after a walk – unless you’re the team at bat.

Young pitched valiantly, only surrendering a solo home run in the last of the seventh. Craig Alberbaz pulled him after that, however that cost Young the win. Rico Garcia allowed a HBP and a single, followed by a sacrifice bunt. That put two runners in scoring position, and the Athletics immediately took advantage. Butler’s RBI-single tied the game at two.

Luckily for the O’s, the second runner was out at home plate. So the game was still tied, however the O’s did surrender the lead. Then or at all.

The game went to extra innings, and the Birds immediately took advantage of the ghost runner. The Athletics wanted nothing to do with Pete Alonso, so they intentionally walked him in the top of the tenth. However Coby Mayo’s run-scoring single gave the O’s a 3-2 lead. Christian Encarnacion-Strand would immediately follow with an RBI-single To pad the lead at 4-2.

And it’s a good thing he did, as Gelof’s run-scoring single in the last of the tenth cut the lead to 4-3. But that was the best that the Athletics could muster, sending the Birds to a 4-3 victory. The Orioles now stand two games out of a postseason spot.

The series continues tonight at Suter Health Park. Shane Baz gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by the Athletics’ Jack Perkins. Game time is set for just after 10 PM.

Baltimore Orioles saved by the “Strand’s of time”

Kyle Bradish had to grind for the Baltimore Orioles last night. On paper it should have been easy to at least qualify for the win with a seven-run lead. But sometimes things happen. Whether they’re fair or foul. Bradish’s line: 4.1 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 2 BB, 4 K.

The O’s picked up where they left off Tuesday night. Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s RBI-single gave them a 1-0 lead in the first inning. But that turned into an onslaught in a sense. Dylan Beavers followed suit with another RBI-single, and Leody Taveras cleareded the bases with a three-run home run.

Bradish struggled himself in the first inning. He got out of it without surrendering a run, but he put a couple of runners on before retiring the side. Maybe that foreshadowed later,

But the O’s kept going offensively. Pete Alonso smacked a two-run home run in the top of the second. That ran the lead to 7-0. One would think that would be enough in a sense. But the baseball God’s don’t always agree. St. Louis would get one back in their half of that frame with a solo home run by Gorman.

Bradish would record one out in the fifth before running into trouble. He would load the bases, and then give up a two-RBI single to Burrleson. Walker would add an RBI-double…but with a small twist.

It was a chopper down the third base line. It was ruled fair by the third base umpire. It was borderline, needless to say. But the umpire called it fair well before the ball would have gone over (or missed the bag). That’s not a reviewable play.

That led to a two-RBI double by Church. Suddenly that seven-run lead was only 7-6. After Bradish left the game, Church would proceed to steal third base. He would later score on a sac-fly RBI, and suddenly we were tied at seven.

You never want to be on the south end of a big comeback like that. But this is baseball. Sometimes these things happen. And it remained tied until the almost end.

Samuel Basallo led off the ninth the a single. He was immediately pulled for pinch-runner Luis Vasquez (who replaced Tyler O’Neill when he was sent to the IL earlier in the day). Vasquez would go to second on a wild pitch, bringing Christian Encarnacion-Strand to the plate.

Encarnacion-Strand has really stepped up with all the injuries. He’s been a godsend for this team both in the field, as well as at the plate. And he proved it again late, as his RBI-double scored Vasquez, sending the Orioles to an 8-7 win.

It’s easy to say that it should have never come to that – fair or foul. But games like that happen in baseball. And end of the day, the O’s scratched out a win. That shouldn’t be taken lightly no matter how it went down.

The series concludes this afternoon at Busch Stadium. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the O’s, and his mound opponent is yet to be determined. Game time is set for 2:15 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Eight-run 5th seals it for the former Browns

The Baltimore Orioles were the St. Louis Browns until 1953. After that season, the franchise moved to Baltimore and became the Orioles – keeping the now iconic Orange & Black color scheme. Fast forward to August of 2026, and Chris Bassitt was on the mound as the franchise returned to St. Louis as the Orioles. Bassitt’s line: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 5 K.

To be blunt, this was a rout. The O’s set the tone with a three-run homer from Pete Alonso in the third inning, and a solo shot from Christian Encarnacion-Strand later in the frame. St. Louis made a slight attempt to fight back in the fourth with a solo homer by Church. Then the fifth inning happened.

Coby Mayo extended the lead to 5-1 with an RBI-single. Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s two-RBI single later in the inning brought it to 7-1. After the Orioles reloaded the bases, Dylan Beavers walked in another run.

And we went on. When the smoke cleared, the Baltimore Orioles, the former St. Louis Browns, or whatever you wanted to call them…the team wearing Orange & Black, were winning 13-1. St. Louis brought in a position player to pitch before it ended.

Pete Alonso asked for out of the lineup after the fifth inning. Alonso’s been slightly injured for awhile, yet he still produced. You have to hope it’s nothing serious and nothing lingering. In short, you have to hope it’s Alonso seeing the scoreboard and reading the writing on the wall.

Chris Bassitt played as big a role as anyone. He kept pitching and saved the bullpen – after a 37 minute fifth inning where he was on the bench. The Orioles also drove a stake through the St. Louis bullpen, setting up the rest of the series nicely.

The series continues tomorrow at Busch Stadium. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by St. Louis’ Michael McGreevey. Game time is set for 7:45 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: #RIPFlanny

From 2011 onwards, I said that so long as I opted to pen a Baltimore Orioles’ column, I’d commemorate this day. August 24th…the day that an untimely death rocked Birdland. That of the great Mike Flanagan.

Flanagan (“Flanny”) held various posts within the organization throughout his time. None more treasured than pitcher, of course. However he was also the pitching coach here and there, as well as a broadcaster, and an executive.

Here’s the thing with Mike Flanagan; he was one of “us.” Yes, he was an Oriole – which made him a celebrity. That goes without saying. But how many 80’s kids of my generation rode the bus with his kids? How many O’s fans of my Dad’s generation knew Flanagan through various places around town?

Mike Flanagan was an everyday guy who happened to be good at baseball. But he was SO PROUD to be an Oriole. It killed him to be traded to Toronto at the end of his career. And when his contract was up he signed back with the O’s as a reliever. When he joined the Orioles, he moved here and became a Baltimorean. And while he was always proud of his New England roots, he lived and died with everything that was important to the City of Baltimore over a long period of time.

15 years after his untimely death, I’m still writing about him. He wasn’t perfect; but everyone who ever saw him pitch, watched one of his pitchers (as a pitching coach), watched one of the players he acquired (as an executive), or heard him call a game, knew the mark he left on this organization. I’m privileged to check all four of those boxes. Rest in peace, Flanny. Today and everyday. We miss you.

Baltimore Orioles: One late run won’t cut it

Shane Baz rightfully should have won for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon at Camden Yards against Tampa. Or more like…the Orioles should have won for Baz. He was more than adequate to win today. It just didn’t happen. Baz’s line: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 3 K.

The two teams sat on one hit each for some time. Heck, the O’s almost finished the game there. Needless to say, it wasn’t a day for offense.

The game was both scoreless and uneventful until the sixth inning. Baz recorded two quick outs, followed by back-to-back singles putting runners at the corners. A two-out rally – all that Tampa needed. Diaz would score on a subsequent wild pitch by Baz. RBI-singles by Caminero and Simpson extended the lead to 3-0.

When guys get on base, anything can happen. Tampa exemplifies that. The Orioles stuck on the one hit until the ninth when Colton Cowser smacked a solo homer. But today wasn’t for the Birds, who fell 3-1.

Baltimore Orioles pinch and squeeze Tampa in extra’s

Brandon Young worked through parts of six innings tonight for the Baltimore Orioles. End of the day, he put the Birds in a spot to win tonight at Camden Yards against Tampa. Young’s line: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 3 K.

Young surrendered a solo home run to Hicks in the second. This after the O’s left some runners on base in the last of the first. Tampa always gets fat on what you leave behind. And they look for any opening they can find.

And in a warped sort of way, they did that in the sixth inning as well. Following a leadoff walk, Diaz singled to Tyler O’Neill in right, who came up throwing – to third base. Make no mistake, it was a great play by Tyler O’Neill. He gunned out the runner at third in a brilliant and tactical manner, leaving one out and one on.

However Simpson’s RBI-single later in the inning doubled the Tampa lead at 2-0. The runner the O’s couldn’t clear off the bases ending up biting them. That’s what Tampa does – despite the O’Neill throw and the out at third. Say what you want about Tyler O’Neill’s hitting, but his defense is too notch.

With one on and one out in the eighth, the Birds trailed 2-0. Yet Craig Albernaz had a couple of bullets in the holster. He shot one by sending Samuel Basallo up as a pinch-hitter to n lieu of Coby Mayo.

And Basallo immediately delivered. He smacked a two-run home run, which tied the game and electrified the Camden Yards crowd. In a snap, the game had turned.

The game went to extra innings, where of course we see the ghost runner on second. Rico Garcia came in to pitch the tenth, and recorded the first out on a Mullins ground out. However that pushed the go-ahead run to third base, bringing Walls to the plate.

Walls isn’t the best hitter on planet earth. But he can bunt. The O’s brought the infield in, anticipating a squeeze play. And sure enough, Tampa delivered.

After Walls swung through the first pitch, he bunted the second one. Only thing was he bunted it right back to Garcia, who immediately made the play at the plate, with the catcher Carlos Narvaez tagging the runner out at home. That left a runner at first with two outs, and the following hitter popped out to right.

The Orioles correctly anticipated what Tampa was going to do. Heck of a play by Garcia to make the play at the plate. The Orioles anticipated a squeeze play, with the runner running on contact. And they were right.

The O’s had the ghost runner in the tenth also. And that ghost runner scored on a Dylan Beavers walk off run-scoring double. That sent the Birds home 3-2 winners, meaning that they’ve now won two different series’ from Tampa on two different consecutive weekends.

The moments you’re conditioned to remember from this game are Basallo and Beavers. But DO NOT underestimate the defensive aspect in this game. Tyler Wells, Rico Garcia, and Carlos Narvaez each played a major role on that side of the ball. Runs saved are runs scored in a one-run game.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Shane Baz gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Nick Martinez. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.