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: Someone finally paid

Baltimore Orioles’ manager Buck Showalter has at times (over the years) used the term someone’s eventually going to pay when describing struggling teams. Mind you, this could mean the Orioles or any other team that’s struggling. Basically he’s saying that the team’s too good for them to eventually not break out.

Last night, it was Texas who “paid” for the Orioles’ struggles of late.The Birds seemed intent on making mincemeat out of Texas, and the final score of 12-1 reflects that. The O’s got a second consecutive quality start, this time out of Dylan Bundy. And ironically, Bundy gave up a solo homer to Texas’ Choo on the second pitch of the game. But that was Texas’ lone high point last night. Bundy’s line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

While trailing ever so briefly, the O’s got right at it in the last of the first. All that jazz before about the O’s not holding their opponents accountable? They sure did last night – again, because Texas paid the piper for the Orioles’ struggles. Schoop’s two-RBI double gave the Orioles the lead. And they never looked back.

Following Schoop with the Birds leading 2-1, Chris Davis got out of his funk and smacked a two-run homer to give the O’s a 4-1 lead. Later in the inning Mancini got into the act with a two-run shot of his own, running it to 6-1. One had the feel that the competitive portion of the game was over at that point, although the Birds were just getting warmed up.

Come the fourth inning, the Orioles loaded the bases with Davis coming back up. And he got into one again, hitting a grand slam that gave the O’s a 10-1 lead. Machado would add an RBI-single in the sixth, and Smith a solo homer in the eighth.

This is not to say that all of the ills facing the O’s right now have been cured. You still have to take one game at a time, and you still have to continue this moving forward. This game was big mainly for the power that the Orioles flexed, however it’s also noteworthy because it was the second consecutive game that they got solid starting pitching. You’re only as good as your next day’s starter.

Many people however will point to this game as another problem given that it plays into the narrative that the Orioles rely too much on the home run ball. Maybe they do, although a few of those runs were scored off of non-homers. But ultimately you win games however you can, and as I said and as Buck’s said…eventually someone was going to pay.

The series continues this evening at Camden Yards. Kevin Gausman gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Texas’ Martin Perez. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles led to victory by Chris Tillman

It begins and ends with starting pitching for the Baltimore Orioles, and last night that meant Chris Tillman. The Birds desperately needed a decent outing from a starter after a tough weekend series with Chicago. And they not only got a decent outing by Tillman, but they got a quality start. Tillman’s line: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 3 K.

There were times when you thought Tillman was about to lose it, despite what the numbers say. However he worked his way through the order and through six innings, and put his team in a spot to win. And as I’ve said many times, you really can’t ask more of a starter.

Tillman’s lone run surrendered came on an RBI-double by Lucroy in the second inning. And admittedly, at that point the Orioles had to be thinking here we go again. However all it takes is one win to start a winning streak, and perhaps even one quality outing for a pitcher to turn things around. And the Orioles need that out of Tillman, and the entire rotation.

The O’s put runners on base in the last of the sixth, and eventually that netted them a run. Schoop’s sac fly-RBI tied the game, and let Tillman off the hook for the loss. Yes, you read that right. As great as Tillman pitched last night, he could have been on the hook for the loss.

However one inning later the Orioles had the lead and they never looked back. Seth Smith smacked a solo homer to straightaway center field, giving the O’s the lead at 2-1. For what it’s worth, it was the first time since the last of the ninth last Sunday in Minnesota that the O’s had held the lead.

And they weren’t done in that seventh inning at that point. Ruben Tejada smacked an RBI-single, running the lead to 3-1. And when you have a bullpen as strong as that of the Orioles, when you have a lead like that in those late innings you’re in good shape.

One has to hope that the O’s can piggyback off of this win, especially from a pitching perspective. Tillman gave a quality start last night, as I said. The entire staff needs to play that outing forward and get into a groove. If they can do that, they’ll still be competitive yet.

The series continues tonight at Camden Yards. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Texas’ Tyson Ross. game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Should the O’s become a bullpen team?

Ubaldo Jimenez and the Baltimore Orioles were fine in the first inning yesterday. Jimenez allowed one base runner but faced the minimum of three hitters due to a double-play. However that was the pinacle of the day for both him and the Birds, as Chicago quickly took the upper hand. Jimenez’s line; 3.2 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 2 K.

Jimenez wasn’t fooling anyone for nary any of his start. However on the flip side, the Orioles couldn’t muster much of anything. When a Jones double is pretty much the lone offensive highlight for the day, you know you’re in trouble. It doesn’t matter if your starter gives up six runs, 100, or even just one – you still aren’t going to win.

Chicago put forth three doubles in the top of the second, the third of which was Happ’s two-RBI double. That gave them a 2-0 lead. Before the end of the inning Heyward and Zobrist would add RBI-singles, and the O’s trailed 4-0. Two innings later Bryant’s two-run homer did Jimenez in for the day, and broke the game wide open at 6-0.

Now if there’s a silver lining on this game, it’s that the Orioles’ bullpen really stepped up. Unfortunately that can’t and won’t always be the case, because if your starters are only lasting 3.2 innings or so, someone’s arm in the ‘pen might fall off. But Hart, Givens, and Britton were all incredibly solid yesterday afternoon. O’Day came in for the ninth and gave up a two-run homer to Rizzo, but other than that the bullpen was very good.

MASN’s Gary Thorne has mentioned this on the air a few times, however should the Orioles consider becoming a bullpen-oriented team? That’s not something we’ve seen for the most part at the big league level almost ever, however there are many in baseball who think that’s where the industry’s going.

The bullpen guys are recording outs, and that’s a fact. Look at this weekend for instance; Oriole starters weren’t fooling anyone at all. However once Showalter would go to the bullpen, the bleeding would stop. The damage was already done of course, but the bleeding would seemingly stop.

Relievers of course aren’t designed to pitch long games (although it’s certainly possible that some of these guys could be “stretched out” next spring). So the idea of course would be that you actually start someone like Givens, Castro, or Hart, and after threee innings or so bring in the likes of Jimenez, Tillman, or someone else. Needless to say, it’s an interesting idea. But do the Orioles not have nothing to lose by considering and trying it?

The O’s will now open a four-game series at home with Texas starting tonight. Chris Tillman will be on the mound for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Texas’ Andrew Cashner. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Problems on the two’s

Starter Wade Miley pitched 4.1 halfway decent innings for the Baltimore Orioles last night. Not stellar or superior, but halfway decent in that he put his team in a spot to win after giving up two solo homers and an RBI-single. Miley’s final line: 4.2 IP, 9 H, 7 R,  4 BB, 4 K.

However it was with two outs in the inning that Miley fell apart. After an IBB to intentionally load the bases, Miley gave up a bases-clearing triple to Heyward, who later scored on an RBI-single after Miley had departed. All of that with two outs.

Nine of Chicago’s ten runs came with two outs last night. Think about that for a moment; you get to two outs and you’re starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel with regard to the inning. In the back of your mind you’re thinking, okay I recorded two outs, just one more and I can get back in the dugout. However that light at the end of the tunnel often ends up being an oncoming train for Orioles’ pitchers.

And it’s not just with two outs. Opposing hitters are thriving with two strikes, also. How many hitters do we see with 0-2 or 1-2 counts who find themselves able to battle back and draw the count full? And how many of those hitters end up walking? It seems like it happens quite often.

The question at hand is whether or not the tale of the tape is telling opponents that the Orioles handle themselves differently with two outs. And I’m not talking anything major; perhaps pitch selection at various points in the count, or maybe even the way that they position their defense. But one way or the other, the Birds struggle the most once they’ve induced two outs in an inning.

The overly-simplistic explanation is that the pitching staff is struggling across the board. Again, note my usage of the term overly-simplistic explanation. The starting staff is having it’s struggles, however often the first two outs of these innings are flying by. Pitchers will record two outs in very few pitches. So there has to be something that’s different with two outs – it just stands to reason.

And in fairness, Oriole bats didn’t really help matters last night. Caleb Joseph smacked a solo homer in the last of the fifth, followed two innings later by a Tejada RBI-single. Joseph would add on an RBI-single in the ninth – but that was the only scoring the Orioles could muster. You have to put up more than three runs in games against the defending world series champions.

The Orioles were in essence dominated by Jake Arrieta, who they brought through their farm system and then traded to Chicago in 2013. Many fans point to that as being such a horrible move, and of course they’ll use last night to back up that view. However Arrieta was your classic change of air guy in that he immediately thrived in Chicago. He had also run his course and gone as far as he was going to go in Baltimore.

The O’s will try to muster one game of three in this afternoon’s series finale at Camden Yards. Ubaldo Jimenez gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Jose Quintana – for whom they just traded with their cross-town rival. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles almost able to come all the way back

The Baltimore Orioles have seen Kevin Gausman be good before. Unfortunately last night wasn’t one of those games. After a nearly 50-minute rain delay before the game started, the Orioles came out flat. Gausman’s line: 3.0 IP, 7 H, 8 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

Chicago set the tone in the game early, gettin a couple of runners on base in the first inning, all of whom came home on Contreras’ three-run homer. One pitch later it was 4-0 after a solo shot by Schwarber. Zobrist followed suit an inning later with a two-run shot, and Heyward’s two-run homer in the third ran the score to 8-0. That appeared to be the death blow for Gausman.

But it wasn’t the death blow per se for the Orioles. With bats as potent as they have, they’re never really out of a game. And the good news was that after Gausman departed the pitching became much more stable.

The O’s got on the board in the last of the third on a Castillo solo home run. And they chipped away from there. There’s a part of me that says piecemealing runs together when you start eight in the hole isn’t very efficient. But if you do it enough, it does make a difference.

Chris Davis, who came off the DL yesterday, smacked an RBI-double in the fourth which cut the Chicago lead to 8-2. One inning later it was Mark Trumbo‘s RBI-single that brought the Birds to within 8-3, and an RBI-single by Mancini which cut it in half at 8-4. But the Orioles weren’t done – in the game or in the inning. Joey Rickard‘s two-RBI single cut the lead to 8-6. And suddenly we had a ballgame.

Mark Trumbo struck again in the eighth with a two-run home run which tied the game up at eight. It seemed that an Oriole comeback was destined to happen, however Chicago decided to wake up just enough and just in the nick of time. With Brach in to pitch the ninth, Russell smacked a solo homer to put his team ahead 9-8.

That was a valiant comeback attempt on the part of the Orioles, however the fact is that it begins and ends with starting pitching. Kevin Gausman struggled last night, and not to find the plate. If anything he was getting too much of the plate. And in fact it’s a tough line to toe; you don’t want to nibble, but you don’t want to get too much of the plate to where the ball’s in a sweet spot for hitters.

There was also a situation in the third inning which at the time didn’t mean much, but that really haunted the Orioles. Manny Machado smacked a ball down the line which deflected off the base of the left field fence and jilted up into the air. A fan appeared to then reach over the wall with his glove and grab the ball out of the air. Replays were inconclusive, but it appeared that the ball would have come down in play.

And if it had, Adam Jones would have undoubtedly scored – leaving Machado at third base. However after a length discussion the umpires left it as a ground rule double. At the time you almost chuckle to yourself about that costing the Orioles a run, as they were getting blown out. However all things being equal (and yes, that’s always a hard argument to make), the Birds ended up losing by one run.

Buck Showalter felt that the runner should have been given home plate, and he addressed that after the game (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

We felt pretty strongly that it would not have gone in the stands. That’s the discussion. We’ve never seen a ball hit down there and not stay in the ballpark. Looking at the replays, there was nothing definitive enough angle-wise to think that they would overturn it, especially that early in the game. There’s a lot of plays up here where the replays just can’t give you enough definitive for them to be able to rule it on the field. If they had called that the other way, I don’t think Joe (Maddon) would have had any reports either to change it. So, it’s one those you have to wear.

The series continues tonight at Camden Yards, with a familiar face on the mound for the opponent. Wade Miley gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by former Oriole Jake Arrieta, Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Is Zach Britton on the trade block?

Multiple outlets have reported that teams have contacted the Baltimore Orioles about trading for closer Zach Britton. And in general it’s not all that surprising given Britton’s track record, and the need for a quality back end of the rotation guy. But should the Orioles pull the trigger?

This might surprise you, but I say a resounding YES – if the deal is good. And I’ll get to that part in a moment. The Orioles have a pretty decent bullpen without Britton. While they’re better with him, the fact is that the ‘pen is strong one way or the other. Now I’m on record as saying that the Orioles shouldn’t sell, and I still believe that. I’m just saying that Britton might be worth just as much on the trade market as he is on the roster at the moment.

So let me once again say that I feel it would be a mistake to bust up the likes of Machado, Schoop, Jones, etc. – and Britton. But the Orioles could potentially deal Britton, and get some sort of return that would be worth their while. And that HAS to be the key in any trade; it has to be worth the seller’s while.

So what would be worth the while of the Orioles? If it were me, I’d want a veteran guy who could in theory slide into a setup-type role, which is where we currently find Brad Brach. That would allow Brach to become the new closer full time. So…is that is?

No, of course not. That trade would be heavily slanted in favor of the buyer. In my view the O’s would also have to get a fairly decent starting pitching prospect back as well. And I’m not talking someone that might be in a team’s pipeline – in single-A or so. I mean a guy who’s probably been banging the door down at triple-A to come to the majors.

Some people are going to say that the Orioles couldn’t expect that much in return. Is that so? Did the ChiSox not just get four hot prospects for a starting pitcher from their cross-town rival? Granted that’s a starter, but keep in mind that I adjusted the sheer mass numbers down given the fact that we’re talking about a closer.

And that’s all part of the tap dance regarding trades. The Orioles have always said that they aren’t going to allow other teams to de-value their players. Heck, why not even see if you can’t get more than that. Maybe see if you can’t strong-arm a hitting prospect as well.

Again folks, if you’re going to make a trade it has to be worth your while. If you aren’t willing to negotiate the right deal, don’t make the trade.

Baltimore Orioles need to be ready to roll

The Baltimore Orioles will open the second half of the season tonight as league play resumes across Major League Baseball. The Birds were a bit dismayed at the schedule towards the end of the first half, with in essence having to visit five different cities (including a short stop back in Baltimore). However on the flip side they get to open the second half with an eleven-game homestand, starting tonight against the Chicago Cubs.

The northsiders come to Baltimore every six years with interleague play, so there is some interest in this series. Especially with Chicago being defending World Series champions. How many times in your lifetime have you seen that term?!

In Chicago, the Birds see a team that could have struggled more so than they have. Last Sunday Chicago’s Lester gave up ten runs in .2 innings pitched to start the game (in the first inning). So their pitching hasn’t been quite up to snuff either.

However they do have strong bats, much like those of the Orioles. Speaking of which, the Birds will get Chris Davis back starting tonight, which is good news. They’re going to need a strong second half out of him if they’re going to make a run at things. But ultimately they need the pitching to smooth out.

The good news for the Orioles is that there isn’t one team in the AL East that hasn’t gone through a long losing streak this year. So the O’s are far from out of it. If they can get things ramped up quickly, they’ll be in good shape.

The series with Chicago opens tonight at Camden Yards. Kevin Gausman gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Mike Montgomery. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Should MLB handle delays and weather?

Unless you count Chris Davis going 0-for-4 as Delmarva’s DH last night in his final rehab start, there’s not much going on for the Baltimore Orioles. I wouldn’t worry too much about Davis not hitting minor league pitching. Rehab starts are all about getting back into the groove of playing, and making sure that the player feels okay physically. Davis will be playing first base for the Orioles tomorrow night when the season resumes.

But with the league in essence shut down, there was an interesting situation last week down in D.C. regarding a weather delay. Fans will remember that the Orioles themselves were the “victims” of a rain-out a Nationals Park in May, on a night when it was barely raining. It had rained all day, and in buckets at that. But when 7 PM came around, it was merely a light drizzle.

Similarly last week, Washington delayed the start of their game against Atlanta due to the potential of a system being in the area. Long story short, it rained for about 15 minutes total, and the game began just after 10 PM. For much of the delay, the field wasn’t even covered.

In the Orioles’ case, the idea that Washington did this as a matter of gamesmanship was insinuated lightly. In essence it was “hinted at.” But Atlanta came right out and said that they think it was handled the way it was as a matter of gamesmanship. Now on one hand, weather isn’t an exact science, and teams can only use the information that they’ve given. That should go without saying. But on the other hand, due to the way the rules are there is the chance that a team could do that.

In the Orioles’ case I don’t think there was any other reason to reschedule the game than a wet field and less-than-ideal conditions. Because the way it was rescheduled had Washington surrendering their off day following a long west coast trip. Not exactly ideal for the home team.

But that aside, the issue in my mind is that in all weather delays, the decision is literally left up to the home team. That is until the umpire says PLAY BALL! Once that happens (in essence once the game starts), delays are decided by the umpiring crew – mainly the crew chief. I would submit that should be the case uniformly and across-the-board.

I believe that cancellations are decided upon by the two teams and the umpiring crew, however the simple act of delaying the start of the game is up to the home team. I suspect that most teams do consult with the visitors and perhaps even the umpires as well in these cases, however the decision soley rests with the home team.

MLB needs to change this so as to avoid the semblance of a team delaying a game and hoping for a cancellation for selfish reasons. Regardless of the motives, Washington really botched this situation last week. They didn’t communicate at all with fans other than saying thanks for your patience, and by the time they finally saw fit to start the game, most fans were literally at home in bed.

Removing the home team from this decision and resting it with MLB would alleviate situations like these. Washington isn’t the only team that’s had this happened. Numerous teams have lengthy rain delays only to start the game well after it’s scheduled time. But perhaps the league making that decision would add just a bit of common sense to the mix.

Baltimore Orioles’ Jonathan Schoop doubles, scores in ASG

If there’s one thing that Baltimore Orioles fans should take away from the MLB all-star game, it’s that Jonathan Schoop played a major role in the outcome. The lone Orioles’ representative in the game didn’t start, but was a factor once he got in the game. Both offensively and defensively.

Schoop entered the game as a substitute at second base in the alst of the fourth, and immediately made an impact. A runner tried to tag up and go to second base on a long fly ball out, and Boston’s Betts relayed the ballinto Schoop and second to nail the runner. One might question why the runner tried to advance, however runs were tough to coe by last night.

Schoop hit third in the top of the fifth, and with two outs and two strikes on him he pulled a tight grounder over the bag at third for a double. A few moments later Schoop scored the first run of the game on an RBI-single by Minnesota’s Sano. The National League would tie the game up on a solo homer by St. Louis’ Molina in the sixth, and the game went to extra innings. Seattle’s Cano smacked a solo homer of his own in the top of the tenth, which propelled the American League to victory.

For the first time in years, the all-star game truly was an exhibition. It no longer decides home field advantage in the World Series. And I’ll be honest; at first I thought it was a good idea because it gave a little bit of emphasis to the game. However as time went on players and coaches started taking it a bit more seriously than they should have given the stakes and what winning and losing could mean.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting that baseball shouldn’t be taken seriously, and that games should be treated as little league affairs just designed for them to have fun per se. It’s a serious business and each game matters. But the all-star game was always supposed to be just an exhibition for the fans, and a fun atmosphere for the players. So perhaps it’s a good thing that it’s back to truly being that way.

The other thing that stood out to me about this year’s contest was that it was a pitcher’s duel. In the past we’ve seen all-star games with final scores such as 10-8 or 14-11. However this was a game that seemed to truly showcase the pitching talent in the league. But of course at the end of the day, it was power that decided the game.

This was the first all-star game for Schoop, who looked very comfortable out there both in the field and at the plate. And while he wasn’t voted in by the fans, his selection was well-deserved. I’m also a proponent of having every team represented on the rosters. I disagree with how the NBA does their all-star selections; it ends up that only four or five teams in each conference get representation.

I also believe that every player on the roster should get into the game somehow. Preferably in an at-bat or to pitch an inning. But even if the guy only pitches to one batter, or comes in as a pinch-runner, I think every player should see the field. Every fan in my opinion has the right to sit down and watch the all-star game knowing that a member of his home team is on the roster and participates in the game. That’s part of how the game grows itself.

MLB will remain in pause-mode for the next two days before the season resumes on Friday. For the Orioles, that rest is well-needed given the grueling nature of the first half. For what it’s worth, this was the American League’s fifth consecutive all-star game win.

Baltimore Orioles: Chris Davis begins rehab

Chris Davis of the Baltimore Orioles reported to Nymeo Field (known to those of us of a certain age as Harry Grove Stadium) in Frederick yesterday afternoon to play first base for the Frederick Keys. In doing so, Davis began his injury rehab assignment to work his way back to the Orioles.

In five plate appearances, Davis went 1-for-4 with a double, a walk, and a run scored. Many fans are going to point to the fact that he struck out twice (once swinging), and wonder what the heck is going on to where he can’t even hit single-A pitching. However keep in mind that these rehab starts aren’t so much about statistics as they are just getting back into the groove of playing, and ensuring that there are no medical setbacks.

Davis of course has been on the DL since June 13th with a strained oblique. He’s expected to report to single-A Delmarva for a rehab assignment on Wednesday evening. If all goes well there, odds are he’ll be the starting first baseman for the Orioles on Friday night when the schedule resumes and the Chicago Cubs come to town.

Incidentally, this rehab start for Davis was kind of a big deal to the locals. The Keys played a getaway day matinee yesterday which started at 2 PM. In general, you might have a few hundred people at a game like that in the minors. The ballpark was packed yesterday with 4K+ people. So when a player of Davis’ stature comes for a rehab assignent, it’s often a boom for the farm team.