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: The case against selling

The Baltimore Orioles can probably accept a clunker of a start out of someone like Dylan Bundy. Mind you that Bundy’s been incredibly good thus far in 2017. Bundy’s line: 4.1 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 2 K.

I suppose that it would have been better overall had the Birds not given up a total of 12 runs, however it only counts as one game. Bundy’s pitches were in essence catching too much of the strike zone, and Cleveland was capitalizing. Mind you also that Cleveland’s the defending American League champion.

And obviously, it wasn’t just Bundy. Every reliever the Orioles brought in seemed to have the same issues. I’ve said this before, but I often do have to wonder if someone isn’t inadvertently tipping pitches because there is the semblance that other teams know exactly what’s coming and when.

Many fans are calling on the Orioles to sell and sell now. Anyone who’s read this column in any form over time knows that I feel that would be a mistake. And there are several reasons why. First off, the current group are the Orioles’ best chance to win a title since the mid-1990’s. Yes that window is only open for so long; but if you close it yourself before you should, it’s closed.

People point to the fact that it would be better to get something for the likes of Machado and so forth as opposed to letting him walk for nothing. That may be a fair point, however wouldn’t it better benefit the Orioles if Machado re-signed in Baltimore? It’s easy to suggest that the O’s won’t offer the money he’ll want and so forth – and maybe they won’t for all I know. But people said the same thing about Davis, Trumbo – and even Jones back before he re-signed.

Going back to my point above about “self-closing” the window, the current group is also under contract for next year. So if the O’s busted up the gang to an extent this season, they’d also be sacrificing next year and onward to a point. Maybe Machado doesn’t start the season cold next year, and maybe the bullpen and the infield isn’t decimated by injuries. Furthermore don’t write off the rest of this season; while the O’s are struggling, they’re far from totally out of it.

The sell now crew loves to talk about how the O’s could get such a haul in return for Machado or Britton. Heck, I’ve even heard people say they should trade Jones as well. However keep in mind that Britton’s been hurt most of the year, and as I said above Machado started the year in a bit of a slump. Do we think that opposing GM’s wouldn’t use that to their advantage?

What I’m saying is that Britton might be an unknown commodity at this point, and Machado’s had his struggles at the plate. If the O’s were to decide to trade them, they might not be able to get in return what they otherwise would have. It sounds crazy to even suggest, but it’s true.

If you’re going to trade pieces like that, you’d better be sure that you’re getting either big league-ready talent, or true top prospects. Keep in mind that the Orioles didn’t get to where they are now by being passive on the trade market. Andy McPhail talked up and inflated the value of Bedard so that he could get Jones and Tillman in return.

Ultimately, if you close the window yourself there’s no guarantee that it opens again for a long time. Keep in mind that this franchise was missing from the post-season for 14 years. You can trade for all the “top prospects” that you want, but if they turn into duds you’re worse off than you were before.

So I’m saying that the only way forward is to stay the course for now. People have to look past the tops of their noses in the sense that these guys’ track records indicate that they’re much better than this. And they will be moving forward. Once everyone’s healthy.

The O’s will try to even the series with Cleveland tonight at Camden Yards. Chris Tillman gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Cleveland’s Josh Tomlin. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Ubaldo Jimenez, power rule the yard

Many Baltimore Orioles fans walked into Camden Yards yesterday afternoon wondering what they’d get out of Ubaldo Jimenez. Of course Jimenez was re-entering the rotation after spending roughly a month in the bullpen after being ineffective as a starter. What they got was a version of Jimenez that was worthy of a standing ovation coming off the field in the seventh inning. Jimenez’s line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 3 K.

With the exception of two solo homers, Jimenez shut down everything that St. Louis threw up against him. And solo homers, Seth Smith led the game off for the O’s with one in the last of the first. But solo homers won’t necessarily beat you – unless you allow them to. St. Louis did, and the Orioles didn’t. St. Louis would tie the game with a solo shot off of Piscotty’s bat one inning later – but that’s as close as they got…

…because in the last of the second Trey Mancini‘s solo homer gave the O’s the lead back. One inning later, Mark Trumbo chimed in with an RBI-single which extended the lead to 3-1. However I supposed that the only hitter with whom Jimenez struggled was Piscotty, as he smacked his second solo homer in the top of the fourth.

However the fifth inning was the coup de grace, both for the game and the series. Following an Adam Jones lead off triple, Trumbo came back to the plate, and sent a high fly ball towards left. And when I say high, I mean high – it looked like a golf shot up on the green. And it landed in the third row for a two-run homer, giving the Birds a 5-2 lead.

Schoop would add a sac-fly RBI later in the inning, and then Castillo an additional two-run homer in that fifth inning. One inning later Manny Machado‘s RBI-single ran the tally to 8-2. The O’s were in the driver’s seat, and Jimenez was dealing. And as I said above, when he completed the seventh inning at well over 100 pitches, the Camden faithful gave him a standing ovation as he came off the field.

After Jimenez left the game however, St. Louis made an attempt to get back into the game. Fowler smacked a two-run homer in the eighth, and Molina a solo shot. That brought them to within 8-5, however Brad Brach shut St. Louis down quickly in the ninth, and the Birds went home with a game and a series victory.

This was a classic Camden Yards game in which the ball was flying – and by flying I mean high and deep. Perhaps more than anything else, this game should show why the Orioles can’t consistently play small ball the way that some fans seem to think they can or should.

Granted St. Louis isn’t an AL East team (or even an American League team for that matter), however you win games in the AL East via the long ball. That’s what Camden Yards was built for, and that’s true of most of the other ballparks around the division. Now it goes without saying that you aren’t always going to have home runs at your disposal, however power should be the bread and butter of an American League East offense. (And when I say power, I mean more than just home runs; the Orioles hit two triples yesterday as well.)

And of course in yesterday’s game the other factor was Jimenez. He may have turned in his most successful outing in almost two years for the Birds. His next task is to continue on that path, which is easier said than done. But he was incredibly good against a fairly potent lineup yesterday, which is a good sign.

The one concerning thing from yesterday’s game was J.J. Hardy leaving the game after being hit on the wrist. He got an x-ray, and the Orioles apparently saw something concerning on the results. Nothing official yet, however it does appear that he’ll be headed to the already crowded DL.

The Orioles now open a four-game series with Cleveland at Camden Yards. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Cleveland’s Corey Kluber. Game time is set for just after 7 PM this evening.

Baltimore Orioles: You can’t keep good bats down!

The script appeared to be the same for the Baltimore Orioles yesterday. Wade Miley gave up an unearned run off of a Jonathan Schoop error early in the game, which all but should have assured a St. Louis victory. Nary a few moments later, it was 9-1. Yes folks, 9-1…in favor of the O’s! Miley’s line: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R (5 earned) 4 BB, 8 K.

Schoop booted a ball in the first inning which allowed Carpenter to score from third. But that was as close as St. Louis got. Jones and Trumbo smacked back-to-back homers in the last of the first, putting the Orioles ahead for good.

J.J. Hardy smacked a two-RBI double to center in the last of the second, which was followed by a two-run homer by Manny Machado. Add an addtional two-RBI double by Mancini and an RBI-single by Schoop, and suddenly the tables had turned and the rout was on!

However St. Louis didn’t necessarily go quietly into the night. At 9-1 it was fairly clear that the game was over for all intents and purposes. But suddenly it was 9-3 after DeJong’s two-run homer. Yet the O’s weren’t about to cease piling it on. Machado scored on a wild pitch in the last of the fourth, and Schoop (who more than made up for his error) launched a two-run home run which ran the score to 12-3.

St. Louis would net home runs by Molina and Fowler to reach a final tally of seven, but even then the Birds didn’t stop. Schoop launched a second homer (a solo shot) in the last of the seventh, and Hardy added on an RBI-single. One inning later Mancini scored on a pass ball, running the final to 15-7.

These are the types of games that teams have sometimes when they’re breaking out of bad stretches. The Orioles’ offense was well-balanced yesterday afternoon in terms of scoring off the long ball and in other manners. Detractors will point to the fact that they gave up seven runs, and it’s a fair point. But the goal is to win games, and the Orioles did that yesterday.

The key obviously was the second inning, when they put up the nine runs. That effectively ended the competitive part of the game, which was Showalter’s view as well in as many words (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

It’s a good pitcher, good pitching staff, and just grouped together a lot of good at-bats. I think they know in the American League and in the major leagues period, you never know how much is going to be enough. You better make hay while you can.

The O’s will have a chance at taking the series with St. Louis this afternoon at Camden Yards on Father’s Day. Ubaldo Jimenez returns to the rotation and gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by St. Louis’ Lance Lynn. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Are there issues unseen?

As has been the case with a couple of other starters of late, Kevin Gausman put the Baltimore Orioles in a spot to win last night. And I say that contrary to what the final numbers may say. Gausman’s line: 5.2 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 7 K. That isn’t to say that he was perfect or couldn’t have been better – because that isn’t the case. But all you can ask of a starter is that he gives the team a chance to win, and Gausman did that.

Gausman ran into some trouble in the third when he loaded the bases and Fowler walked in a run. Piscotty then added a sac fly-RBI, and the O’s trailed 2-0. However Gausman did a good job of minimizing the damage to only two runs. And in fact, Machado’s sac fly-RBI in the last of the third brought the O’s to within 2-1.

However one of the few mistakes that Gausman made was hanging a slider to DeJong in the fourth, which went for a two-run homer. DeJong would also add an RBI-single in the sixth after Gausman left the game, however the run was charged to him. When I say that he put the O’s in a spot to win the game, I mean that when he left the score was 4-1 – well within striking distance. It didn’t get blown open until afterwards.

Gausman wasn’t lifted due to ineffectiveness. If anything he was fairly on his game last night. He had multiple at-bats where St. Louis hitters fouled off pitch after pitch. When all was said and done, he had thrown 116 pitches.

Carpenter would smack a two-run homer later in that sixth inning off of Gabriel Ynoa to run the score to 7-1. Ynoa had just been called up to replace the just-DL’d Wright. And he wasn’t a bad bet in that situation because he had never given up a big league home run. That obviously changed very quickly.

A solo homer by Fowler gave St. Louis an 8-1 lead, which in the eighth grew to 10-1 on a two-run home run by Phan. Gyorko also smacked a solo shot in the ninth, as did Trey Mancini of the Orioles. This left the final as an 11-2 loss for the Orioles.

There’s some disconnect on this Orioles team right now, and it’s tough to pinpoint from where it’s coming. There are multiple reports out there regarding the at-times rocky relationship between Showalter and Duquette – is it possible that tension spills onto the field? I would say no. Both men are at heart professionals; they wouldn’t allow something like that to affect the players.

The Orioles’ clubhouse is famously close, and in the past that has really carried them. Has that somehow changed? I would severely doubt it, however you never know. Furthermore even guys who are just called up are making unforced errors. Ynoa struck out the first two hitters in the seventh, only to allow a base runner on an error committed by he himself. It’s doubtful that even a player just called up would be making errors on the field because of a rift in the clubhouse.

What you do have is a team that recognizes it’s struggling, and that’s pushing way to hard to win. It’s understandable, however often times you have to battle yourself to snap out of a streak like this. And this is true in real life as well as in sports sometimes.

The series continues late this afternoon at Camden Yards. Wade Miley gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by St. Louis’ Adam Wainwright. Game time is set for just after 4 PM this afternoon.

Baltimore Orioles’ Chris Tillman deserved better

Contrary to what his numbers state, Chris Tillman turned in his best outing of the season yesterday. And no, that’s not said with sarcasm – he put the O’s in a position to win. Tillman’s line: 5.1 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 6 K. Again, the numbers don’t indicate that; but it’s true.

Tillman ended up a hard-luck loser yesterday in my book. The bad news is that the Orioles fell to 1-7 on what was a disasterous road trip. The good news is that the rotation has actually gotten better, as has the bullpen. After Tillman exited yesterday the ‘pen didn’t give up any runs.

Tillman kept Chicago off the board until the last of the fourth when Davidson smacked a solo home run. They say however that solo homers won’t beat you for the most part, and that was certainly true yesterday. One inning later Caleb Joseph‘s RBI-double tied the game at one. However despite having numerous runners on base, that’s all the Orioles could muster.

And incidentally, that’s my argument against small ball right there. If you think small, you’re going to be small. Granted at the time, that was a big hit by Joseph because it tied the game. But with the power of which this Orioles team is capable, they should have gotten more than one run in that inning.

With nobody gone in the sixth, Tillman had runners at first and second with Smith coming to bat. Conventional wisdom said that this could be a bunt situation, however Smith’s a guy who had never laid down a sac bunt in his life. Furthermore Chicago had Garcia, a young player, on deck. Would he be able to get those runners home?

In fact, Chicago disregarded those factors and had the sac bunt on. And go figure, Smith still doesn’t have a sac bunt to his name…because he froze the Oriole infield when he laid the bunt down, and it ended up being an infield single. That’s why I say that Tillman is a hard-luck loser, because the defense behind him failed him in that instance. It doesn’t happen a lot, but when the Oriole infield makes mistakes other teams take advantage.

Tillman struck out Garcia, however that brought Cabrera to the plate and his two-RBI single gave Chicago a 3-1 lead and chased Tillman. Abreu would later walk in a run and Garcia would add a sac fly-RBI to run the score to 5-1. Throughout this bad stretch for the Orioles, opponents have always taken advantage of every Oriole miscue like clockwork. Yet, the O’s seem to invent ways to let their opponents off the hook – like only netting the one run in the fifth inning.

Castillo would smack a solo homer for the O’s in the top of the ninth, but this goes as another loss at 5-2. Again, opponents are really getting rich off of mistakes that the Orioles are making. And they’re rare mistakes at that, such as balls dropping in the outfield, errors in the infield, and so forth. They’re probably made out of frustration and an overwhelming sense of urgency, but other teams are making the Orioles pay for every mistake they make. The Birds need to find a way to flip that script – and quick.

The Orioles will now come home in hopes that some home cooking will give them some help – they’ll open up a three-game interleague series against St. Louis. Kevin Gausman will get the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by St. Louis’ Carlos Martinez. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: All it took was a serving of Beef Welington

One of the now many injuries suffered by the Baltimore Orioles are various points thus far in 2017 has been that of Welington Castillo. When he has been in the lineup however, he’s made an impact. And that was never more true than last night when his grand slam seemingly lifted the Orioles to snapping a six-game losing streak.

Dylan Bundy‘s numbers indicate that he wasn’t very effective last night. However those numbers are a bit deceiving in my view. Bundy’s line: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R (4 earned), 3 BB, 4 K. Make no mistake about the fact that Bundy (who earned the first Oriole victory for a starter since June 2nd) put the Birds in a position to win the game – which they did, in a game that was delayed approximately an hour and a half by rain.

At first it did look to be more of the same, however. Anderson’s two-RBI single in the first inning gave Chicago a 2-0 lead. However the Birds immediately cut into that lead in the second with an RBI-single by Jonathan Schoop, cutting it to 2-1. So needless to say, it appeared that the Birds would compete in this game.

Now having said that, things took a turn for the worst in the botton of that second inning. Davidson smacked a solo homer off of Bundy, and Cabrera ended up at third base and a run scored on a bizarre play. The relay throw came into Schoop at second, and quite frankly he had no prayer of throwing the runner out at third base. Yet he uncorked a throw anyways, and…promptly threw the ball literally into the stands. The run scored, as did Cabrera eventually on a sac fly to the outfield.

The run that scored on the throwing error obviously was unearned. However I would submit that the run scored by Cabrera later in the inning should go as unearned as well. He would have never been on third base if not for that throwing error. That’s why I say that Bundy pitched better than his numbers indicate. Furthermore, that’s the type of play that happens when you’re a team like the Orioles who’s struggling at everything.

Some might have thought that was kind of the back-breaker for the Birds in this game. But there was still a lot of game left to play. They cut it to 5-2 in the fourth when Castillo reached on a fielder’s choice which scored a run. Kim’s two-RBI-single later in the inning brought the O’s to within 5-4.

But this night belonged to Welington Castillo. Actually…strike that. It belonged to the Orioles overall as a team. But the win was spearheaded by Castillo, who’s grand slam in the fifth inning put the Birds ahead 8-5. That’s the big blow for which the Orioles had been looking for some time, as well as in this series and this game. As I’ve been saying, this team is too good to not eventually come around.

Jones and Mancini would add RBI-singles in the eighth inning to give the Orioles some insurance. Chicago would get one back in the last of the ninth on a Hanson solo home run, however the O’s finished things out and got the win – snapping that six-game losing streak. The win in my view relieves a lot of pressure on the Orioles, and for their sake hopefully they can get back to the business of baseball as opposed to worrying about snapping a losing streak.

For his money, Castillo said after the game that he didn’t feel there was pressure on the team. But they all knew what was going on and knew that they had to step it up in some manner (quote courtesy of Steve Melewski, MASNsports):

I won’t say pressure. We have a great ballclub and we just need to keep doing what we’re doing today. Keep swinging the bats and hopefully the pitching stops the other offense. That is going to come. We are not too worried about it. It’s a long season and we have a great team. At some point we are going to do what we know to do.

If the O’s can win today, while it won’t salvage the road trip it would give them some momentum coming out of it. Obviously being a getaway day afternoon game it’s going to be a quick turnaround. Especially with last night’s game itself being later than expected after the rain delay.

That above-mentioned series finale is this afternoon on the south side of Chicago. Chris Tilman gets the nod for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s David Holmberg. Game time is set for just after 2 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Lucky since 2012?

Alec Asher pitched a decent game for the Baltimore Orioles last night, despite the final score and his stats. Asher’s line: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 1 K. Asher kept Chicago at bay for the most part, that is until the sixth inning. Needless to say, he turned in the best starting performance the O’s have had in a week or so.

The Birds even had a lead in the game, due to Manny Machado’s RBI-single in the first inning. However that’s as far as they got. Furthermore the Orioles left seven men on base over the course of the game. And when you only put one run on the board, you’re asking to be beat.

Chicago took the lead in the fourth with a two-RBI double by Garcia. And while Asher surrendered the lead and thus took the loss, he did pitch out of a jam there and minimized the damage. However a walk, a base hit, and a hit batsman in the sixth loaded the bases with nobody out. Davidson followed suit with a grand slam, giving Chicago a 6-1 lead and a 6-1 victory.

Again, my personal opinion is that Asher pitched fairly well. Yes he gave up the fatal blow, however for the most part he kept the Orioles in the game. As I said above, when you can’t score runs you can’t expect to win.

So with the recent struggles, the natives aren’t happy in Birdland. Granted the pitching is different; however for the most part this is the same Orioles team that’s been together since 2012 – the nucleus, that is. Sure some names such as Trumbo are different, and others such as Markakis and Wieters are gone. But the likes of Jones, Machado, Hardy, Davis, and Tillman are all still there. What gives?

There are those in the national media who would have you believe that the Orioles got lucky in 2012. From then until now, we heard that the Birds were defying logic by having winning records and so forth. Is it possible now five years later that those people…were and are right?

I would say no. Furthermore I would ask Orioles fans who now say the Birds should sell and sell big to calm down. In essence, we have to look past the tips of our noses. Please tell me that you know and understand that Jones, Machado, Trumbo, Davis, et al have not suddenly just lost the touch of everything that they had before.

I maintain that this is still a good team, but one going through something. And that happens over 162 games. Toronto went through something similar right at the beginning of the season, and Boston lost some luster in early May as well. Does it really make sense to say that someone “got lucky” for five years but now we’re seeing their true colors? No, it doesn’t.

The O’s will try to break out of their funk tonight in Chicago. Dylan Bundy will get the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by former Oriole Miguel Gonzalez. Game time is set for just after 8 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Chris Davis injured as Birds struggle on

The Baltimore Orioles may have lost first baseman Chris Davis last night in yet another loss – 10-7 at the hands of lowly Chicago. Make no mistake about the fact that while they’re struggling, the Orioles are a good team. They have too much talent to be playing the way that they are. And they will snap out of it; they just might have to do it without Davis for awhile.

Wade Miley struggled yet again, becoming only the latest Oriole starter to make an early exit. Miley’s line: 2.1 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 0 K. Chicago was able to take a 2-0 lead on the last of the second on a two-run homer by Smith, and an inning later it was 3-0 after Abreu’s RBI-single. Add in an RBI-double and another RBI-single, and the Birds trailed 6-0 after three.

However the good news for the future is that the O’s put up a fight at the plate. They did score seven runs in this game, which indicates some life in their bats. They just need to compliment that with decent or even passable pitching. Smith’s RBI-double in the fourth cut the lead to 6-1, which was followed by an RBI-single by Jones.

However Chicago quickly put two more runs on the board, and a third in the last of the seventh on a Davidson homer. Just to show how badly the Orioles are struggling right now, one of the aforementioned runs came as a result of Smith flat out whiffing on a line drive hit to him in right field. He was in line to catch the ball, and the lights obstructed his vision and he missed it – runner ended up at third base.

But again, the O’s tried to get back into the game. Kim’s RBI-single in the eighth cut the lead to 10-3. Mancini then smacked a three-run homer later in the inning which brought the Birds to within 10-6. An RBI-single by Schoop in the ninth brought it to 10-7, but the O’s couldn’t complete the comeback any further than that.

Again, this team will snap out of their funk. Right now people are marveling at how a team like New York can be doing what they’re doing and so forth. ALL teams go through periods like this over the course of 162 games. At some point the Orioles might find themselves clicking on all cylinders and New York might struggle. That’s how the season ebbs and flows, and it’s part of the game. Even though they fell, the Birds put seven runs on the board, which indicates that perhaps the offense is coming around.

Before the game even ended the Orioles announced that Chris Davis had a strained oblique. He’s getting an MRI today, however don’t be surprised if he lands on the DL. It’s never a good time to have injuries, however they all seem to be hitting this team at once. But again, that’s part of the game.

The series continues this evening on the south side of Chicago. The O’s will send Alec Asher to the mound, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Derek Holland. Game time is set for just after 8 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: No joy in Mudville

Kevin Gausman‘s rough first inning led to the Baltimore Orioles in essence being boatraced once again yesterday afternoon in the Bronx. Gausman’s line: 3.1 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 6 BB, 0 K. Seven walks are what stands out in this case; when you hand out free passes, you give the opponent a shot to score. And when that opponent is hitting anything within the zip code, it’s a recepie for disaster.

NY got a two-RBI single from Castro in the first, and then a three-run homer from Sanchez. It seemed that New York knew what was coming – seemingly before Gausman. However the O’s did try to make a run of things. Tehada’s RBI-double in the third cut the lead to 5-1, which was followed by RBI-doubles by Smith and Schoop. But that’s as close as the Orioles were allowed to get.

However make no mistake about the fact that this doesn’t all fall upon Gausman. The Orioles committed a lot of uncharacteristic mistakes in this game and this weekend, such as Schoop botching double-plays, and balls falling in the outfield square between two players. Part of a game like this and quite frankly a series like this is momentum. The Orioles were seemingly listless from the first moments of the game and of the series. And it translate into the results that we saw.

NY would proceed to put nine more runs on the board before all was said and done – including two homers by Judge. Whereas the Orioles seem to be playing a knotch below everyone else right now, New York is a step ahead. Now with that said, savvy fans also know that at some point the pendulumn swings back the other way. History says that there’s no reason to believe that this Orioles team won’t be in the race until the end.

However the O’s do need to get it together – and quick. The hope is that this week’s trip to Chicago will act as a get well type of series. Yes that sounds somewhat arrogant; however mind you that the Orioles are a much better team than the ChiSox (who they swept a few weeks ago).

Time will tell, however it’s an opportunity for the O’s to get some momentum under their wings. Hopefully they’ll also be able to get Machado back in the lineup, as his absence has been felt on both offense and defense. One way or the other, they’ll be glad to get out of New York.

The Chicago series begins tonight at US Cellular Field. Wade Miley gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Mike Pelfrey. Game time is set for just after 8 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Is Chris Tillman healthy?

Needless to say, Chris Tillman didn’t get the job done last night for the Baltimore Orioles. Tillman’s line: 1.1 IP, 7 H, 9 R, 3 BB, 1 K. That tells anyone all that they need to know about the game in general.

Tillman’s first inning was one of the strangest things I’ve ever seen. He recorded the first out on a strikeout, and then induced the second hitter to ground out to first. Admittedly you’re already thinking that it would be a clean inning, however I was literally about to tweet that if the first inning was any indication Tillman had his good stuff last night.

The third hitter was Judge; and he smacked a solo homer. Sanchez also hit a two-RBI single, and Gregorious a two-run homer. Throw in a Carter RBI-single, and the Birds trailed 6-0 after one.

And it only got worse from there. Before Tillman’s book closed early in the second inning, it was 9-0. But how did Tillman go from being so good for the first two hitters to totally falling off the map?

There’s some speculation that perhaps there’s some sort of injury that’s still nagging him. However the onus at this point is on Tillman if he isn’t feeling right to say something. And I have to believe that Tillman along with every other guy on the roster is enough of a pro to where they would do just that.

With all of that in mind, it’s worth mentioning that if you send a player to the DL, the opposing team’s doctors have the right to examine him first. So it’s very easy to suggest using the DL as a de facto demotion to the minor leagues for anyone, however that could backfire.

I suspect it’s kind of an unwritten rule that unless the guy is truly healthy with no issues whatsoever you kind of don’t say anything. However do fans really think that a team like New York, a division rival, wouldn’t try to exercise any advantage they could?

I’m not suggesting that Tillman isn’t injured – or that he is. I’m just saying that you have to be careful when you send people to the DL. I do think it’s worth looking into his health in between starts, because what happened last night isn’t going to win you many games.

When the smoke cleared, the Orioles had given up 16 runs total. Again, not going to win you many games. They did get solo homers from Davis and Rickart in the seventh and eighth, and an RBI-single by Joseph.

The O’s will try to salvage one game in the Bronx in this afternoon’s series finale. Kevin Gausman will get the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Chad Green. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.