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: Ubaldo Jimenez dominates Toronto

Ubaldo Jimenez may have turned in his best performance as a member of the Baltimore Orioles last night in Toronto. He totally shut down a pretty potent lineup, all but suffocating them to death. Jimenez’s line: 8 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K.

This was the Jimenez that the Orioles thought they were getting back in 2014 when they signed him to a four-year deal. The funny thing wiht Jimenez is that it seems like it’s either feast or famine. He either exits in the second inning after having given up eight runs, or he pitches seven or eight shutout innings.

However one way or the other, on this night he was the toast of Baltimore. (Granted this was a road game, but work with me here, folks.) This is the type of game to which you point if the Orioles end up making a run of things this season. Perhaps they look back at this game and suggest that it started something. Needless to say, the Orioles have battled back to .500 and won two consecutive series’ – both on the road.

The Birds got a sac fly-RBI from Schoop in the fourth inning to take a 1-0 lead. Two innings later in the sixth, Joseph’s RBI-single gave them a 2-0 lead. And that’s all she wrote! The rest was all pitching, and all Jimenez. Obviously the O’s couldn’t have won without those two runs, but Jimenez almost single-handedly won the game for them last night.

The Orioles did have two injury concerns coming out of this game, one of which manager Buck Showalter is blaming on Rogers Centre. Welington Castillo sprained his knee slipping on the steps just prior to the game, and was a late scratch. Showalter didn’t hold back when asked about it after the game (quote courtesy of Steve Melewski, MASNsports):

He slipped right there on those slick stairs there. He was going down to warm up Ubaldo. This place is (treacherous). … It’s like that in a lot of places. He sprained his knee and he’ll see Dr. (Michael) Jacobs tomorrow along with Crichton, whose right shoulder is bothering him. I’m sure we’ll have somebody there in case he’s not ready to go. But we think, the initial thought is that we might be OK. We’ll wait and see what happens tomorrow

For his part Castillo said he feels that he’ll be ready to go tomorrow night. Showalter’s view of the visiting facilities at Rogers Centre is probably pretty poor. However I suspect he threw in that part about the conditions being slick in a lot of places so as to avoid controversy. Toronto is a team that’ll use the weather as bulletin board material if the situation presents itself. (However with that said I wouldn’t recommend anyone in the league getting into a tit-for-tat with the Orioles regarding who’s ballpark is better.)

Stefan Crichton is also experiencing shoulder discomfort. He’s expected to undergo an MRI today in Baltimore. So I would expect the Birds to make at least one roster move before tonight’s game. Luckily for them, Jimenez’s great night came when they had at least one reliever in the bullpen who as unavailable.

The Orioles will now open a three-game set and a three-game homestand with Tampa at Camden Yards tonight. Chris Tillman gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Jacob Faria. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles blanked in Toronto

Wade Miley giving up four runs in Toronto last night is what will probably stand out for most Baltimore Orioles fans. And perhaps rightfully so, as it all begins and ends with starting pitching. Miley’s line: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R (3 earned), 4 BB, 5 K.

However when you can’t put any runs on the board at all, you literally have no shot at winning. Let me say it again; if you can’t score, you can’t win. It’s as simple as that. Miley could have given up four runs, one run, or twenty…and he still would have lost last night. It wouldn’t have mattered.

Now in fairness, Toronto’s Stroman was dealing last night and then some. The Orioles appeared lucky to even get on base. And it was pretty fortunate for them that they started the game with a base hit to be honest. Because the way that Stroman was pitching last night had he strung together a few no-hit innings the Birds might have been pressing and scrambling at the end of the game so as not to get no-hit.

Toronto led the game off with a Bautista solo home run in the last of the first inning which gave them a 1-0 lead. Smoak added a solo shot of his own in the fourth, which ran the score to 2-0. But the game was put out of reach on a strange play later in that fourth inning. Bautista reached with the bases loaded on a fielder’s choice to Janish at short with two outs…

…however there was no guarantee that a run was going to score. All the O’s needed to do was record a force out. Janish’s flip to second was wayward, which allowed a run to score and Bautista to reach. Schoop’s throw to first was then bobbled by Mancini, allowing a second run to score.

Toronto took advantage of the Orioles’ mistake there, which unfortunately came as a result of rushing the play. Janish made a great play and had one shot at getting the out. But then in trying to save another run, Schoop and Mancini mangled the second part of the play and the run scored anyways.

After the game Janish credited Toronto’s Pillar (the base runner) for hustling to second base, which caused the rush on his and Schoop’s part (quote courtesy of Steve Melewski, MASNsports):

Obviously, the ball was smoked. My read on the play was as hard as the ball was hit, we had a force at second. You have to give credit to (Kevin) Pillar. Obviously, we’re not holding him on there and he has the ability to get a significant lead. And he beat the ball to the bag. It was a bang-bang play, kind of a split-second decision. I guess, in retrospect, it would have been good to pump fake to second maybe and go to first. But that is happening so fast, it’s a tough play. You have to give him a little bit of credit for beating that ball to the bag. Most guys are not going to do that.

The series concludes this evening at Rogers Center in Toronto. Ubaldo Jimenez will get the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s J.A. Happ. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Kevin Gausman deals north of the border

Kevin Gausman far from pitched perfectly last night for the Baltimore Orioles in Toronto. However he dealt hard enough to put the Birds in a position to win the game, and that’s all you ask of your starter. Gausman’s line: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K.

Unlike previous Gausman starts and previous starts by other Orioles pitchers, Gausman pitched to contact last night. And Toronto right now it in a spot where the Orioles were a week or two ago. They’re trying to hit grand slams when nobody’s on base in effect. They know that they have the power to win games in a division that lives and dies by the homer, but at the moment they’re dying by it. The O’s just hope that trend continues until at least Friday.

The O’s did most of their damage right off the bat in the first inning. The had two runners on with two gone with Mark Trumbo striding to the plate. He sent a line drive to dead center, which went all the way to the wall. That ended up a two-RBI double, and it gave the Orioles a 2-0 lead.

Later in the game in the top of the third, Adam Jones smacked an RBI-single, and the Birds led 3-0. And the rest of it is pitching. Gausman looked good until the sixth inning when he was lifted due to a high pitch count. Obviously you want your starter to go a little longer than 5.1 innings if possible. However the Orioles will take an outing like that out of a starting pitcher everyday if they can get it.

The Orioles used Mychal Givens in relief of Gausman, and he actually got himself into some trouble early on. He didn’t seem to have much control, throwing a wild pitch and forcing the catcher Castillo to use acrobatics to prevent other wild pitches. He loaded up the bases with one down, and suddenly the Orioles’ lead appeared tenuous at best…

…however he induced Donaldson to line out to third, and Morales to strike out swinging. That ended the inning and the threat, and preserved the Orioles’ lead. Pitchers will often get themselves in trouble. It’s the nature of the position. But the good ones will also find their way out of trouble.

Toronto would get a run back with two down in the ninth on a solo homer by Tulowitzki, however at the end of the day that was all but meaningless. The Birds cruised to a 3-1 lead, starting off their trip to Canada the right way. The victory brings the Orioles back to the .500 mark on the season.

The series continues this evening at Rogers Centre. Wade Miley gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Marcus Stroman. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles head to the great white north

The Baltimore Orioles don’t normally play well in Toronto. This much we know, historically at least. Granted they did take two-of-three north of the border back in April. But in general they just don’t play well north of the border.

And while the Birds have gotten themselves together a bit over the course of the past two games, it’s concerning that they’re heading up there now. I’ll be honest; I think that part of the issue is that Toronto tries as hard as they can to be disagreeable. And in general they succeed at it.

Ultimately this tactic antagonizes opponents, especially one like the Orioles – who try to be as professional as possible at all times. Unfortunately, the Orioles buy into this tactic at times, hook, line, and sinker. Yes Toronto’s tactics are at times despicable – staring people down, hot dogging on home runs, and boorish celebrations. But the O’s would do well to not let these things get to them, because that’s Toronto’s aim.

This is a big series for the O’s, because suddenly they’ve found themselves a bit on the uptick, whereas the rest of the division is a bit down. If they could pull two-of-three in this series they’d be in very good shape moving forward. But as always, it all comes down to starting pitching.

The series begins tonight at Rogers Centre. Kevin Gausman gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Joe Biaggini. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: The tough got going

The Baltimore Orioles’ series in Tampa got off to an inauspicious beginning with a ten-run loss on Friday night. But it was the Birds who got the last laugh, with a come-from-behind victory yesterday in the finale to end up taking two-of-three. As the title indicates, when the going gets tough, the tough get going.

Chris Tillman posted yet another early exit yesterday afternoon, Tillman’s line: 4.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R (4 earned), 2 BB, 5 K. One thing I found interesting is that Tillman seemed to be doing okay against this Tampa lineup, and then in the second time through the order they started to square some pitches up against him. And that’s when Showalter made the change. Almost at the first sign of trouble.

The O’s struck first in the top of the second on Janish’s two-RBI single. Tampa would get a run back in the bottom of that second inning on a Featherton RBI-single, but the O’s still held the lead at 2-1. They extended that to 3-1 in the fourth on a Caleb Joseph solo homer.

Featherton would come back up in the last of the fourth, and drive in a run with a sac fly-RBI. However it was the last of the fifth that did Tillman in. Longoria smacked a three-run homer on a hanging changeup, and suddenly Tampa had a 5-3 lead.

A week ago that would have been a fatal blast against the O’s. Oriole bats would have gotten so nervous that they would have consistently swung through pitches trying to make things happen. However this time around they came across as a bit more relaxed.

And sure enough, one inning later in the sixth, Trey Manicini smacked a solo homer to bring the O’s to within 5-4. As the game wound down however, the Orioles needed one run to tie it. And they got that one run in the form of another solo homer, this one off the bat of Jonathan Schoop in the eighth. That was the key play of the game, and it put the O’s in a spot to win.

Following a lead off single, a sac bunt, and an intentional walk, Joey Rickart made Tampa pay with a ground rule RBI-double to give the Orioles a 6-5 lead. Tampa would then proceed to intentionally walk Machado, which loaded the bases for Jonathan Schoop once again. And Schoop, as he’s done numerous times in this series already, was hit by a pitch – which drove in another run to give the O’s a 7-5 lead. (Incidentally that HBP withstood a Tampa instant replay challenge.)

The O’s would add an additional run on a Jones sac fly-RBI, and ended up with an 8-5 victory. I found Tampa’s two IBB’s in the ninth inning to be very interesting. They were uncharacteristic of a home team in a close game like that. Road teams will often issiue intentional walks in the ninth inning because presumably the runner at first base wouldn’t mean anything. But to see a home team do it (and twice at that) was strange…

…but keep in mind that this is Tampa. They don’t do anything that’s “by the book” per se. Ironically most of their against the grain moves tend to work – and for a conventional team like the Orioles, that’s maddening. But for once it didn’t work, and the Birds took advantage.

Here’s something you don’t hear often anymore: the Orioles will have an off day today. Yes, you read that correctly. For the first time since June 5th, the Birds are off. No makeup game, no nothing. They’ll begin a series in Toronto tomorrow night.

Baltimore Orioles sail to victory behind Dylan Bundy

It begins and ends with starting pitching, and the Baltimore Orioles finally got a noteworthy starting performance – in this case from Dylan Bundy. Save for one inning (in which he threw two bad pitches) Bundy kept Tampa hitters guessing the entire game. Bundy’s line: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 8 K.

This is a start and a game that the Orioles must build off of if they’re going to make a season of this. That means scraping together a win this afternoon in the series finale to take the series. That would also mean starting a winning streak, and gaining some momentum.

The best part of yesterday’s game for the Orioles was that Bundy had some help from his friends. The O’s got the lead in the second inning when Welington Castillo smacked a two-run homer – following one of several Oriole hit batsmen on the day. One inning later Adam Jones added a solo shot of his own, and the O’s led 3-0.

And it’s a good thing Jones added on that run. Because Tampa struck in the third, and with two outs at that. It’s continually amazing to me that the O’s will record two outs and then the opponent will strike. Are they letting up a bit; perhaps mentally they’re already back in the dugout? Tough to say. Nevertheless, Tampa got back-to-back homers; a two-run shot from Dickerson, and a solo from Longoria to tie the game.

However that was the only hiccup that Bundy had on the day. He straightened himself out quickly, and started mowing Tampa hitters down again. Yet the Birds still couldn’t score for awhile – until the seventh inning.

The Birds had Mark Trumbo at the plate with two outs and a two-strike count. Two runners were in scoring position, having been moved there by an Adam Jones groundout. Mind you folks, while Jones couldn’t drive in a run he did move the runners over. And perhaps it’s at-bats like that which have been the missing link for the Orioles of late. Because it set Trumbo up nicely.

Trumbo sent a double to the gap in left center, which went all the way to the wall. It drove in two runs, which gave the Orioles the lead at 5-3. But the Birds weren’t done yet. Mancini immediately smacked a two-run homer which broke the game wide open. One inning later Machado would add a sac fly-RBI, and the Birds cruised to an 8-3 victory.

It also snapped their record-tying streak of 20 games in which they had given up five or more runs. That’s a monkey that everyone in the clubhouse is going to be happy is off their backs. But whether they had won 8-3, 8-0, or 8-7, the Orioles would take it either way. If you only score one more run than the opponent after 27 outs, you still win. And that’s the important stat.

The O’s will go for the series win this afternoon at Tropicana Field. Chris Tillman will get the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Jake Odorizzi. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Fear can dominate

Ubaldo Jimenez struggled mightily last night, which set the tone for the Baltimore Orioles’ 15-5 loss in Tampa. Jimenez’s line: 2.1 IP, 2.1 IP, 7 H, 9 R, 4 BB, 1 K. Jimenez flat out didn’t have it, as he gave up four runs in the first and third innings, and one in the second. In a sense, the game was over before it got going.

However without going into too much detail about the game itself, there’s one thing I’ve noticed about a lot of these lopsided losses. At some point along the way, the Orioles have turned into nibblers on the mound. And this is nothing new; the Birds have had several nibblers over the years, including the likes of Ponson, Lopez, and others. It’s just been awhile.

In a way, it’s not overly surprising. These days it seems that regardless of what Oriole pitchers throw out there is getting hit. Many of those pitches are getting hit hard…and far. However not all of them. Opposing hitters seem to have a knack for placing balls just perfectly so as to avoid Oriole gloves. Ultimately, guys are getting on base and that’s costing the Orioles runs on defense.

Trying to nibble on the corners is probably natural when you’re going through a spell like which the O’s are going through. The idea being that if you don’t throw the ball right down broadway, odds are they can’t hit it out of the ballpark. That, or if it’s just touching the black enough to be in the zone, maybe the hitter will see it as outside and let it go for a called strike.

The problem is that other teams know this. They know that the Orioles are struggling on all facets, and even in some instances through no fault of their own. Keep in mind that they’re without Hardy, Flaherty, Davis, and Britton right now. When your depth suddenly finds itself in the starting lineup, you aren’t going to be the same team. But that aside, opponents know that Oriole pitchers are nibbling on the corners. And they’re either letting those pitches go for balls, or…

…they’re hitting them. Because guess what? Pitches on the fringes of the plate aren’t necessarily going for homers, however they can be tapped into play. All of those bloop singles that fall just in front of outfielders, or grounders that just get by an infielder’s mitt? Those were on pitches that nibbled on the corners.

So yes, in a sense Oriole pitchers are afraid to make a mistake. But that fear is eating the team alive. And it doesn’t just manifest itself in pitch selection. A hitter gets a base hit or a walk with two outs when the O’s were already mentally back in the dugout, and suddenly a wild pitch gets uncorked because the pitcher’s trying too hard not to make a mistake…out of fear. And that leads to a mistake, which sets an inning up nicely for an opponent.

The only cure for this is in essence to throw youself out there and throw strikes. The Orioles need to get back to the power pitching that we’ve seen over the past few seasons. Because nibbling on the corners and in essence pitching from behind before the guy even steps in the box isn’t working for anyone…except opponents.

The series continues late this afternoon with Tampa at Tropicana Field. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Jacob Faria. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.

Baltimore Orioles letting opponents off the hook

Part of the Baltimore Orioles’ problem is that they’re letting their opponents off the hook too often. Yet, they aren’t getting that same courtesy in return. And why in reality should they expect to get it? This is supposed to be the real world, right?

Wade Miley gave the Birds his typical outing, filled with pitches that were fouled off, and a few bloop hits. Miley’s line: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 3 K. That type of outing has been Miley’s trademark thus far in 2017, and while he’s had his good moments most of these five-inning stints are struggles. Not all of that is necessarily his fault or within his realm of control (such as these epic nine-pitch at-bats where opposing hitters foul off pitch after pitch), but it’s still been a struggle.

The Birds took an early 1-0 lead when Seth Smith worked his magic yet again and led the game off with a solo home run. However Cleveland almost immediately struck back, with an RBI-triple by Jackson in the second. Gomes followed with a softly hit RBI-single the opposite way to right field, giving Cleveland a 2-1 lead.

And right there, you almost see the story of this series for the Orioles. First off Gomes’ RBI-single was very softly hit, while the Oriole outfield was playing back. Secondly it was the opposite way. Cleveland seemed to have this uncanny ability to hit it where they ain’t, no matter how the Orioles played.

The Birds loaded the bases however in the last of the second. With nobody out, it looked like they were poised to pounce on Cleveland. However…the O’s let them off the hook (in a sense). Seth Smith sent a tapper back to the pitcher, who threw home for a force out. The catcher then threw to first base to complete a 1-2-3 double-play – keep in mind also how rare of a double-play that combination is. Yet the O’s manage to ground into one.

However the O’s re-loaded the bases, and for once it was an Oriole (Jonathan Schoop) who had an epic at-bat, He drew a walk, which forced in a run and tied the game. But that’s all the Orioles were able to get off of that sequence. They had the bases loaded twice in the inning (including once with nobody out), and they mustered one run.

But at that point it appeared that things were smoothing out for the Birds, Miley recorded two quick outs in the third inning, and was all but heading back into the dugout. And that could potentially be part of the problem. Sometimes you wonder if the O’s aren’t letting up just a little with two outs or even with two strikes. Because two walks and a single later, the bases were loaded.

That brought Jackson back to the plate, and once again he placed the ball perfectly – into the hole. His two-RBI single gave the Tribe a 4-2 lead. Gonzalez would smack a solo homer in the sixth, and Encarnacion an RBI-single in the ninth. The O’s would get a run back on Machado’s RBI-double in the last of the ninth, but it was too little too late. The Birds fell to Cleveland, 6-3.

To me the bases loaded situations early in the game show part of what’s been going on with this Baltimore Orioles team of late. Granted the O’s did net a run. And it was a big one at that, because it tied the game. But when you have the bases loaded and nobody out in an inning, you kind of have your opponent on the ropes a bit. By grounding into a double-play which doesn’t even allow a run to score, and then only scoring one run, you’re letting the other guy off the hook.

Instead, Cleveland held the Orioles accountable for loading the bases. And again, part of this is due to the fact that the O’s are probably swinging for the fences a bit too much. Now I’m on record as saying that I do believe that power is how the game should be played and won these days, but teams are using the Orioles’ aggression against them. The good news is that the run the O’s scored with the bases loaded came on a good at-bat by Schoop in which he worked the count and drew a hard-earned walk.

The Orioles now open a six-game road swing as they head to Tampa for three games. Ubaldo Jimenez will get the start for the Orioles this evening at the Trop, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Chris Archer. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Kevin Gausman was good but not good enough

Following last night’s 5-1 loss to Cleveland, Buck Showalter said that starter Kevin Gausman was “good.” But obviously he wasn’t good enough in a sense, as the Birds fell. Gausman’s line: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 9 K.

Saying he wasn’t good enough is probably a bit harsh. Gausman came within one out of a quality start last night. Save for the fifth inning, he was very good last night. And in fairness, Cleveland’s a team that will paper cut you to death. They’re incredibly adept at placing the ball exactly where fielders aren’t playing. They live and die by bloops and blasts.

It’s a tough sell to argue that a starting pitcher wasn’t good enough when he struck out nine hitters. Especially in 5.2 innings. Oriole bats didn’t do Gausman any favors either, as the Birds couldn’t muster any runs until the bitter end.

Cleveland got on the board in the fifth on an RBI-double by Perez. As I said above, they’re very good at placing the ball right where the fielder’s aren’t. In this case Perez smacked it between Jones and Kim in the outfield, and it went all the way to the wall. The runner scored from first as a result. That was only one run, however Lindor’s two-run homer later in the inning gave Cleveland a 3-0 lead.

Cleveland is one of the few teams who can seemingly toe the line between small ball and power. Their innings start innocently enough, with a base hit or a walk here or there. But that’s all they seem to need. Somewhere else along the way, someone else comes up and either hits the ball over the wall or finds a way to drive that runner in. And when you have guys who can hit the ball exactly where they ain’t combined with speed on the base paths, and yes people will often score from first.

Lindor would also smack an RBI-single in the ninth, followed by another RBI-single by Kipnis. The O’s would get on the board in the last of the ninth on Jonathan Schoop‘s RBI-double, but it was too little too late. The O’s actually missed their opportunity back in the seventh when they had the bases loaded, and couldn’t score.

And that’s as much a part of the Orioles’ problems of late as anything else. Other teams are making the Birds pay when they make mistakes. When they went through a stretch where uncharacteristic errors were occurring in the infield, opponents were finding ways to score and thus hold the Birds accountable. But when presented with an opportunity such as the bases loaded with nobody out, the O’s are letting other teams off the hook.

And much of that is the thirst for power. Believe me folks, I’m a power guy. I don’t necessarily think that piece mealing runs together through sac flies and double-plays is efficient. It might get you a run here or there, but power gets you more. However other teams know that Oriole batters are swinging for the fences when they come up – especially with the bases loaded. So if in some instances they focused on just getting a hit as opposed to a homer, there might be more runs on the board here and there.

Buck Showalter will be leaving the team today to attend the birth of his grandson. So congratulations are in order for Buck and his entire family! John Russel will manage the team in Showalter’s absence, and he’ll (Showalter) rejoin the Orioles this weekend in Tampa.

The series with Cleveland concludes this evening at Camden Yards with the Birds trying to even it. Wade Miley gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Cleveland’s Mike Clevinger. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Mucho magic from Manny Machado

You’d be hard-pressed to suggest that Manny Machado didn’t figure prominently into the end result in last night’s Baltimore Orioles game. When you smack two homers and score the go-ahead run, you were kind of important to your team. This is the same Machado that some members of the fan base would just as soon trade today, right? Just checking.

Chris Tillman struggled in his start, prompting some (including myself) to wonder if he’s truly healthy. Tillman’s line: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 0 K. Tillman had trouble finding the strike zone overall, but he threw multiple pitches back towards the backstop. I have to believe that if he was having a physical problem he would say something. But based on results and what we saw last night it’s worth wondering if he’s truly healthy

Tillman gave up a two-run homer to Encarnacion in the first inning which gave Cleveland a 2-0 lead. Now to his credit he did settle down a bit in the second and regain some composure. However for most of his outing he was just a little on the wild side, and that’s concerning.

Manny Machado’s first home run came in the last of the first. It was only a solo shot, however it cut the Cleveland lead in half at 2-1. One inning later the Orioles had tied the game, as Jonathan Schoop smacked a solo shot of his own. Regardless of how much Tillman may have struggled, needless to say this was going to be no 12-0 rout.

Cleveland punched themselves back into the lead in the fourth on an RBI-single by Jackson. Later in the inning Lidor would add a two-RBI double, and the Birds trailed by three at 5-2. As a team, Cleveland refuses to give in at the plate. They foul off pitch after pitch. And that’s a problem that the Orioles have had in general with teams doing that. My theory is that Oriole pitchers are trying too hard to nibble, which is inducing guys to protect the plate.

The good news for the Orioles is that with their offense they’re never out of it. Machado smacked his second home run of the night in the last of the fifth, this one of the three-run variety. With one swing of the bat, the game was tied. And Tillman was off the hook for the loss.

However perhaps the key moment of the game was the top of the seventh when Blier loaded the bases with one out. The Orioles’ situation appeared tenuous at best. But Showalter went to Miguel Castro out of the bullpen, who struck out Gomes and induced Zimmer to ground out – which ended the inning. Castro did a heck of a job, preserved the tie, and allowed the O’s to remain in a position to move forward in the game.

Machado’s next at-bat came in the seventh, and he sent a high drive the other way to right field. He seemed to go into his home run trot, but the ball bounced off the wall and he ended up with a double. Could it have been a triple had Machado run harder? Probably. Hopefully for his sake, lesson learned.

Luckily for Machado and the Orioles it was a moot issue. Jones smacked an RBI-double, and the Orioles took a 6-5 lead. Cleveland would threaten in the ninth, but the O’s closed the door and evened the series at two with a 6-5 victory over Cleveland.

What happens with Tillman moving forward is beyond me. I don’t see them removing him from the rotation, however as I said I do question his health situation. This game was also the first big league victory in the career of Miguel Castro, who was the pitcher of record when the Orioles broke the tie. And after what he did in the seventh, it was well-deserved.

The series continues this evening at Camden Yards. Kevin Gausman will get the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Cleveland’s Carlos Carrasco. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.