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: Beef Welington wrecks Poutine

Beef Welington might have overtaken crabs as the favorite food of most Baltimore Orioles fans – just for a few moments last night. Catcher Welington Castillo was starting to heat up when he went on the DL a few weeks ago. But he’s been white hot this week since coming back. Just ask Toronto.

Kevin Gausman needed a good start last night, and for the most part he got it. Gausman’s line: 6.0 IP, 10 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 5 K. I always say that pitchers will get themselves in trouble – it’s the nature of the position. What matters is if as a pitcher you can get yourself out of trouble. Gausman did that right off the bat when he loaded the bases with nobody out in the first. He induced a ground ball double-play which scored a run, and then struck out the next hitter.

That set the tone for the game, because you can look at it as in essence a win for Gausman. Luckily for the Orioles this is an AL East game – not one against the Kansas City Royals, who would have celebrated that one run to the nines because they play small ball. Giving up one after that situation is all but meaningless.

Sure enough, the Birds battled back immediately. Mark Trumbo‘s RBI-single in the last of the first tied the game. Two innings later, it was a solo home run by Manny Machado which gave the O’s a 2-1 lead. But not to be outdone, two innings after that it was Trumbo again who smacked a home run, this one of the two-run variety.

But as I said, this is the AL East; Toronto may be decimated by injuries, but they’re a power hitting club also. Smoak’s solo homer in the sixth brought them to within 4-2. However it was Baltimore’s longtime nemesis who dealt the O’s what would have been a crushing blow to a more faint-hearted team. Bautista’s three-run homer in the seventh put Toronto back in the lead at 6-4.

But notice what I said above: that would have been a crushing blow to a more faint-hearted team. Neither baseball, nor this world belongs to the faint of heart. It belongs to the brave. And once again it was Castillo who reached deep inside of himself and gave the Orioles the lead back. His three-run homer in the last of the seventh was his third big home run against Toronto in a span of about 24 hours.

Regarding those three homers; the first one tied a game, the second one gave the O’s a walk off win, and the third one gave them the lead back. Castillo as I said has been hot all week since returning from the DL. But he’s absolutely wrecked Toronto thus far in two games. Too bad that odds are he’s going to sit today with a day game after a night game!

The other good news from the Orioles’ standpoint is that the back end of the bullpen was as solid as ever last night. O’Day sent Toronto down 1-2-3 in the eighth, and Brach did the same in the ninth. A little bit of rest will in fact help guys to re-charge their batteries!

The O’s will go for the sweep this afternoon in the series finale at Camden Yards. Wade Miley will get the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Marco Estrada. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Beef Welington served cold to Toronto

It sees that all Welington Castillo has done since returning to the Baltimore Orioles from the DL is hit home runs. There was just a bit of trepidation in letting Wieters walk on the part of some Orioles fans this past off season, however Castillo’s filled that void very well. He certainly paid off last night against Toronto.

The Birds were able to get some stability out of their starting pitching as well, as Chris Tillman had a good outing. Tillman’s line: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 4 K. That’s a quality start, if you’re keeping track at home. The Orioles’ pen was solid as well for the first time in awhile, however it’s important to note that while the O’s dropped the final two games in Detroit, many of the relievers weren’t used. It’s amazing what some rest will do for guys.

The Birds took a 1-0 lead in the second on a Hardy RBI-single. However Toronto had a three-run inning on Tillman in the fourth, and suddenly things didn’t look so hot. With Toronto leading 3-1, it appeared that Orioles’ pitching had given up a lead once again.

However Tillman righted himself, and shut Toronto down after that. And two innings later he found himself off the hook when Castillo smacked a two-run homer which evened the game at three. It was a high fly ball to right that just kept carrying, and ended up leaving the ballpark. That was merely a harbinger of what was to come.

As the later innings wore on, it became evident that the O’s and Toronto would need to work a bit extra on this night to decide the game. The Birds retired Toronto in the top of the tenth, and then…the skies opened up. And I mean a torrential rain descended on the Inner Harbor. While obviously nobody wanted to stop the game at that point, there was little choice but for the umpiring crew to call for a rain delay.

The game resumed just before midnight after an hour’s delay. The Birds recorded two quick outs in the last of the tenth, before Mark Trumbo managed a bloop single to get on base. It was interesting to note that to that point every time Trumbo had been on base in the game he had scored. Obviously if he came around to score in this situation he would end the game.

And luckily for Trumbo, the hero of the day was coming up to bat. Welington Castillo did everyone a favor by ending the game with his walk off two-run homer, as it saved both teams from what could have been shaping up to be a marathon game. But obviously it was the Orioles who went home happy as victors, with a 5-3 win on the bat of Castillo over the AL East rivals.

Sometimes you have to do a little extra to win games, and this was one of those nights. Not only did the O’s have to go to extra innings, but they had to wait out an extra innings rain delay. But in the end, a W’s a W.

The series continues tonight at Camden Yards. Kevin Gausman gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Mike Bolsinger. Game time is set for just after 7:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Are the Birds tipping pitches?

The Baltimore Orioles lost their fifth of six games yesterday in which they had been leading at one point or another. And perhaps the sad part is that Dylan Bundy didn’t pitch horribly. He didn’t have good stuff per se, but save for one pitch at the end of his outing I felt he pitched well enough to put the Birds in a position to win. Bundy’s line: 6.0 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 4 BB, 3 K.

The Orioles took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning on Chris Davis‘ two-run homer. And that could be good news for the Birds, because Davis’ bat is starting to heat up. One inning later they led 3-0 on Smith’s RBI-single.

However as has been happening frequently o late, Detroit got it all back in one fatal swoop. Martinez smacked a three-run homer in the third to tie the game at three. And that was only a harbinger of what was to come, although the Birds did fight back. Adam Jones gave the Orioles the lead back with a solo homer in the fifth, only to have V. Martinez smack a two-run shot in the bottom of the inning. Add in an Avila double, and the O’s trailed by two. Once again however, they made a run of it – with Smith’s solo homer in the seventh, but 6-5 was as close as they would get.

I mentioned that Detroit tied it above in one fatal swoop, as has been happening a lot of late. Combine that with the fact that in five of the last six games the Birds have lost leads, and perhaps it leads you to an interesting theory. Is it possible that the O’s are tipping pitches?

Obviously it wouldn’t be something that’s being done consciously, nor would it be something mechanical. Because obviously it would be an act that’s occurring over a wide array of pitchers and in various situations. The two Bundy pitches that were hit out yesterday weren’t bad pitches. They weren’t hung, and their locations were exactly where the catcher had set up. The hitters just seemed to know where they were coming.

I suppose the better question then is whether or not teams are stealing signs. Either way, perhaps the O’s need to look at how they’re calling games, because of late it’s with relative ease that teams are overtaking them. If a guy knows exactly what’s coming in terms of pitch location and/or speed, he has a huge advantage over you.

The Orioles head home after a tough road trip tonight to open a three-game set with Toronto. Chris Tillman gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Aaron Sanchez. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles, Ubaldo Jimenez fall in Detroit

The bad news for the Baltimore Orioles is that they fell in Detroit last night behind Ubaldo Jimenez, who only went five innings. Jimenez’s line: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 5 K. However if there’s a sliver lining, it’s that the Birds only used one reliever (Blier) who pitched in Tuesday’s marathon game. And he only pitched a third of an inning.

Obviously coming into last night the bullpen was a concern, which is why the Birds called up two new relievers. However it was also a concern going into today, because the series finale in Detroit is a day game – quick turnaround. “Sleep fast,” as Showalter always says.

The O’s took a 1-0 lead in the second when Hardy grounded into a force out with the bases loaded which scored a run. However Detroit immediately tied the game back up when Collins smacked a solo homer. He was previous 0-for-30 in his last 30 at-bats. Detroit would take a 2-1 later in the inning on Kinsler’s RBI-single.

The O’s made a run of things in the fourth however on an RBI-single by Welington Castillo which tied the game. Mancini would give the Birds the lead back with a sac fly-RBI later in the inning,  and they took a 4-2 lead in the fifth on Trumbo’s RBI-double. The Orioles’ offense seemed to be clicking, and in fact Jimenez seemed to get some momentum going in the fourth (following full counts on three of the first four hitters in the game).

But Collins had Jimenez’s number last night. As I said, he was previously 0-for-his last-30 coming into the game; and he used Jimenez as his slump-buster. He came up with two on in the last of the fifth, and promptly hit his second home run of the game, this one of the three-run variety. That was the fatal blow, and the Birds fell 5-4.

Jimenez admitted after the game that he hung both pitches to Collins which resulted in home runs (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

The frustration is I left two hanging pitches. It doesn’t matter who hit them. I made two bad pitches and he had a good night. I mean, it’s one of those things where it doesn’t matter what kind of numbers you have. That’s baseball. If you’re going to have a good night, that’s the way it is.

But keep in mind that the game itself is based on failure. In that case it was Jimenez who screwed up – and the hitter took advantage of that failure. If the hitter fails to see the ball properly, if his timing is off, or if he flat out whiffs, it’s the pitcher taking advantage of that failure. The line between success and paydirt in Major League Baseball can be very fine.

Manny Machado took what technically was a swinging third strike to end the game, on a pitch that was appealed to the first base umpire. Replays seemed to clearly show that he didn’t offer, as the bat never got close to the strike zone. The frustrating thing was that the O’s had the tying run at third, and the go-ahead run on base. Machado can expect to get an equipment fine for throwing his helmet in digust after the call, however the frustration was justified in that moment.

The series concludes today at Comerica Park with a getaway day matinee. Dylan Bundy will get the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Jordan Zimmerman. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles willed to victory by Chris Davis – in the twilight zone

The Baltimore Orioles went onto victory last night (or should I say eary this morning) squarely on the bat of Chris Davis. However this game in Detroit entered what I call the twilight zone, which is my term for games which go past twelve innings. And don’t tell me that the theme music from the show isn’t reverberating in your head now that you’ve read this!

Wade Miley put the Orioles in a spot to win last night, but Detroit had already started it’s comeback prior to his departure. Miley’s line: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 BB, 3 K. Part of the recent issues with the bullpen are that starters aren’t going deep into games. Miley ends up throwing a lot of pitches (partially due to guys fouling balls off), which makes for exists after five innings. And that affects the bullpen.

Miley allowed a run on a fielder’s choice in the first, but the O’s tied it in the third on a solo homer by J.J. Hardy. Then Oriole bats exploded. Manny Machado‘s RBI-double later in the inning gave the O’s a 2-1 lead, which went up to 3-1 after another RBI-double by Chris Davis. Tack on an RBI-single by Castillo, and the Birds held a 5-1 lead.

That lead actually grew by two more runs after an infield RBI-single by Mancini, and Hardy grounding into a force out which scored a run. So when the smoke cleared after the top of the third, the O’s led 7-1. Comfortable lead, right? Well sometimes you have to tip your cap to the other guy too, because they can also score runs. Martinez’s two-run homer in the bottom of the inning cut the lead to 7-3, which was followed by a solo homer by J.D. Martinez. Again, when the smoke cleared the O’s led 7-4.

And that’s how Miley left things. But the Oriole ‘pen showed it’s wear once again. Mychal Givens loaded the bases with nobody out in the seventh, and the Orioles went to Brad Brach. The first hitter he saw was J.D. Martinez, who promptly gave Detroit the lead with a grand slam. And just like that, the Orioles trailed.

One positive about the Oriole bullpen in this game was Darren O’Day, who pitched for the first time in a week. He sent Detroit down 1-2-3 in the eighth, and looked crisp in doing so. The Birds were unable to muster much of a rally after that grand slam. It appeared that it would go down as another gut-wrenching loss in which they had pulled defeat from the jaws of victory. But this game was destined to enter the twilight zone…wild things were about to happen!

The Orioles couldn’t muster a rally – until two outs in the ninth inning. When you’re down by one all it takes is one swing of the bat. And the Orioles got that one swing from Mark Trumbo, who’s solo homer with two down saved the Orioles from a loss for the moment. It tied the game and sent it to extras.

So with the Birds having new life, onward we played. And as I said above, it was Chris Davis who was the big hero. But in true hero fashion, he had to do it twice. He led off the top of the twelfth with a solo home run, which gave the O’s a 9-8 lead. The O’s would tack on two more runs in the inning as Hardy would ground into a force out that scored a run, and Jones would add an RBI-single.

The Davis homer alone felt like the fatal blow, but the O’s were feeling pretty good about themselves after a three-run twelfth. The issue was that Detroit wasn’t about to go quietly. Would you believe that they came back to tie it in the last of the twelfth?! Three RBI-singles will do that to you, and we played on…into the twilight zone.

But luckily we didn’t have to play deep into the twilight zone, but we were certainly there. And what better way to get out of the twilight zone than with another home run by Chris Davis? This one, in the top of the thirteenth and of the two-run variety, was the fatal blow. Thus it propelled the Birds to a 13-11 victory in the motor city.

Whatever rest the bullpen might have gotten with an off day Monday was probably spent last night. Showalter indicated after the game that more roster moves are coming today, and I would bet that the bullpen will figure into that somehow. The Orioles were a heartbeat away from having to send a starter in last night, which is liable to happen when you play games in the twilight zone.

But at the end of the day (or perhaps more poignantly at the beginning of the day since the game ended well after midnight), a win’s a win. And especially when you’ve lost a few games straight, you take wins however you can get them. Despite the recent bullpen struggles, we saw the resiliency of this Orioles team in this game.

The series continues tonight at Comerica Park in Detroit. Ubaldo Jimenez (who was almost spent last night) heads to the mound, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Michael Fulmer. Game time is set for just after 7 PM. And that’s all for now…on the twilight zone.

Baltimore Orioles: Should the Birds re-think their roster?

The Baltimore Orioles limp into Detroit tonight in the midst of a four-game losing streak. Over the course of that time, the bullpen has turned into a bit of a disaster zone. Needless to say, yesterday’s off day benefited everyone – and in more than one way.

The Birds are carrying six relievers, which also means that they have an extra bench player. For the sake of conversation, let’s say that extra bench player is Hyun-Soo Kim – who can’t get off the bench. This has been said more than once, and on various outlets; do the O’s really need an extra bench player?

The bullpen had become incredibly over-taxed going into the off day. It still may be to a certain degree for all I know. However what was originally a strength on this team has suddenly turned into a question mark. And as I’ve said, they aren’t at full strength.

Kim’s given value to this Orioles team in the year plus he’s been here. However he is a free agent after the season. So if the Orioles were to DFA him, they’d be on the hook for his salary for this year – and nothing more. Obviously if the O’s could work out a trade for him, that would be ideal.

At the end of the day, I suspect that it will be Kim who goes in some manner – at some point. Possibly today, for all I know. He isn’t serving the Orioles any purpose just wasting away on the bench. Yes, granted he’s someone opposing teams have to think might be used at some point for sure. But the track record this season indicates that he’s barely even a decoy.

And I don’t say this to beat up on Kim per se. In fact, I think the Orioles should have tried to work out a trade for him well before now – and there’s every chance that they’ve been trying to do just that. But what I’m saying is that the Orioles need an extra bullpen slot, and they have an outfielder who nary ever plays taking up a roster spot. It’s simple math in my book.

The Birds find themselves in Detroit for the opener of a three-game set this evening. Wade Miley gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Matthew Boyd. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Kevin Gausman gives up five-run lead

The Baltimore Orioles had a five-run lead in the fourth yesterday, and Kevin Gausman gave it back in one fatal swoop. But please folks, let’s not blame one player or one thing for yesterday’s loss, or for the Orioles being swept over the weekend in Kansas City. Every game’s a team effort, one way or the other. You rise and fall as a team.

Gausman had a tough day however, and was unable to make it out of the fourth inning – despite being gifted a big lead. Gausman’s line: 3.1 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 3 K. Kansas City also used several epic-type at-bats which drove Gausman’s pitch count up. As the Orioles found out in the 2014 ALCS, Kansas City’s a pesky team that in essence forces you to play their game.

In order to give back a five-run lead, you have to have one in the first place. And the Orioles built that five-run lead off of a Chris Davis solo homer in the second. The Birds also got a two-RBI double from Flaherty in the fourth, followed by a two-run homer by Joseph (who quietly had a great series in Kansas City). Things seemed to be falling right into place…

…but part of Kansas City’s game is that they’re fearless. And whereas the Orioles look for the big inning, they’re fine with keeping things small. Because in their minds, sometimes small things can turn into big things. And they did, in this case.

They got an RBI-single from Butera and Escobar in the last of the fourth. Incidentally, the inning began with a walk. Again, power-hitting teams like the Orioles see that as one mere base runner, Kansas City sees it as a potential run. Later in the inning Moustakas came up with two runners on, and with one swing of the bat the game was tied after his three-run homer.

One inning later, Kansas City took the lead and wasn’t about to give it back. And it happened in the most shocking of ways: a Machado error. Machado had a potential play at third on Escobar’s sac bunt, however inexplicably he threw the ball to second base. The problem was that nobody was covering second; so it went as an error which gave Kansas City a 6-5 lead. That lead almost immediately went up to 7-5 on Moustakas’ RBI-ground out, and an inning later they opened it up to 8-5 on a Soler home run.

But the Orioles weren’t going down without a fight, even still. Davis’ RBI-single in the seventh drew the Birds to within 8-6, and Rickard would ground into a force out which scored a run and brought them to within 8-7. So the O’s never saw themselves as out of it, although Kansas City’s Butera would smack a solo shot in the last of the seventh. The O’s brought the go-ahead run onto the base paths in the ninth, and Joseph’s RBI-double brought them to within 9-8. However the rest of the runners died on base, and the Birds fell once again.

This was a strange game, and a strange series. Really funny things happen when the Orioles go to Kansas City. The Kansas City players seemingly become superhuman, and make amazing catches in the field no matter how hard the Orioles hit the ball. Then they find themselves getting on base via bloopers and softly-hit singles.

In one instance, the Kansas City pitcher sprinted off the mound and managed to catch a foul pop near the third base dugout to end a threat. How often does that happen? There’s something about the Orioles that brings that type of effort out in Kansas City, but it’s unclear why that is.

The Oriole bullpen took a bit of a beating this past weekend, however today is also the first day off that the team will have had since April 27th (not counting the rainout in Washington). So it’s fair to say that there are some tired arms out there. This day off (in Detroit) will do the bullpen, and the entire team a lot of good.

The main story of the game is probably Gausman losing the lead. However keep in mind that this was a one-run game. If not for the Machado error, this game is tied (all things being equal). While one might argue that error cost the O’s the game, you can accept that from someone like Machado; he’s going to win you more games than he’ll lose.

Again, the off day today will do a lot of people some good. Some of that is physical, but a lot more mental. Often times teams find themselves with a day off after dramatic series’ in which they’d just as soon as keep their momentum going. In this case, the hope from the Orioles’ perspective is that the day off will cleanse their collective souls.

Baltimore Orioles: Death by 1000 cuts – again

In 2014 the Baltimore Orioles were swept in the ALCS by Kansas City. However from the perspective of the power-hitting O’s, Kansas City barely had to try. They scored runs on bloops, flukes, and broken bats so it seemed. Death by 1000 cuts, as the title indicates.

And we’re seeing that same phenomenon this weekend so it seems. Somehow the Orioles get dupped into playing Kansas City’s small ball game, and they get beaten with experience. Well, perhaps not exactly; the Birds did hit three home runs last night. However all three came with nobody on base. Kansas City smacked one out also, for what ended up being the winning run.

The stats show that Chris Tillman struggled last night, however I would submit that he was better than the box score indicates. Tillman’s line: 4.1 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 4 K. Tillman had a couple of epic at-bats which were upwards of 8+ pitches, which got his pitch count elevated. After the game Tillman said he felt good throughout the outing, but that he might have tried to do too much (quote courtesy of Steve Melewski, MASNsports):

I felt pretty good. I think early on, I physically felt good and as the game went on I tried to do too much because I was feeling good. I kind of got out of my delivery and started falling behind guys and staying behind them as opposed to making my pitch early on and getting into a count that favors pitchers. I don’t think it was a step back. I think every one going forward is a step forward as long as you physically feel good. Mechanically, I got (in) my way this start. I was trying to do too much later in the game.

The Orioles trailed after the last of the second when Perez’s soft RBI-single to left field found a hole and brought in a run. Again, Kansas City doesn’t hit the ball hard and they don’t try to. But they get the most out of what they are able to do – and them some. But the Orioles did try to show Kansas City how AL East baseball is played one inning later, as Francisco Pena smacked a solo homer to tie the game.

The rumor is that before the game Pena said that he was going to homer, and then wish his Mom a Happy Mother’s Day in the dugout. Whether he said that beforehand or not, he got the opportunity to wish her a Happy Mother’s Day after his home run. He also got to do it again after his second home run of the game, which game in the top of the fifth. And that home run gave the Birds a 2-1 lead.

Unfortunately for the O’s however, both of these homers came with nobody on base. The old saying is that solo home runs don’t beat you – and from Kansas City’s standpoint that was certainly true. Tillman got himself into trouble in the last of the fifth, and Cain’s sac fly-RBI tied the game back up at two. Kansas City would take the lead back later in the inning on a sac fly-RBI by Bonifacio.

I mentioned that the O’s hit three home runs. The third came in the top of the sixth off the bat of Chris Davis. He muscled a pitch the opposite way that carried it’s way out of the ballpark and tied the game at three. So it appeared that the O’s were rising in the game in a way, however for the second consecutive night it was a solo home run by Moss that did them in – this time in the last of the sixth. And the Birds fell 4-3.

Above I said that solo home runs normally don’t beat you. But Kansas City turns stats on their heads sometimes. When you’ve sac flied and blooped your way into runs for the whole game, sometimes solo homers can beat you. Either way, the Orioles need to find a way to flip the script and hit for power in today’s game if they’re going to avoid being swept. Because getting dupped into playing Kansas City’s game isn’t working.

The series concludes today at Kauffman Stadium. Kevin Gausman gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Kansas City’s Chris Young. Game time is set for 2:15 PM.

Baltimore Orioles allowing other teams to impose their will?

The Baltimore Orioles found themselves to be hard-luck losers for the second consecutive game last night in Kansas City, despite a fine effort from starter Dylan Bundy. The Birds tangled in a pitching duel with the home standing Kansas City club, which allowed the Royals to play their type of game. Bundy’s line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 8 K.

You can’t ask much more of a starter than that. Neither Bundy, nor Kansas City’s starter (Duffy) figured into the decision, but they pitched to a stalemate. The Orioles left a few runners on base in the first inning, and they paid for it when Kansas City came to bat as Cain’s RBI-single gave the home team a 1-0 lead.

Whereas the Orioles couldn’t get their runners home, it took two swings for Kansas City to take the lead (back-to-back doubles). But the Birds ammended their ways one inning later when Caleb Joseph tied the game with an RBI-double. And on we played in a 1-1 tie until the fifth when Moss’ solo home run gave Kansas City a 2-1 lead.

But the Birds weren’t going quietly – they were going to find a way to tie things up. And it was a Kansas City mistake that did it. Duffy uncorked a wild pitch in the seventh which allowed Joseph to score from third. But one inning later it was another RBI-double, this time by Hosmer, which eventually did the Orioles in for good. And that’s your ballgame.

This game reminded me a lot of any one of the 2014 ALCS games with Kansas City. Somehow, no matter how hard they tried, the Orioles ended up playing Kansas City’s game of small ball. But the fact is that they couldn’t keep up in a sense. The Orioles, like most AL East teams, are a hard-throwing and hard power-hitting club. One piddly run in the first inning off of back-to-back doubles a game does not make…

…unless you’re a small ball club like Kansas City. On Joseph’s second inning RBI-double, Kansas City brought the infield in – in the second inning! Because in their minds (in the minds of small ball teams), every individual run is precious. In a way, it’s somewhat of an endearing way of looking at things. The Orioles would never bring the infield in like that in the second inning to cut off a run at the plate (so as to preserve the lead). Eighth inning, different story – but not the second. They’d surrender the run if necessary and then try to score more runs in bunches.

Yet it seems that every time the Birds go up against a small ball team, that club seemingly has the ability to con the Orioles into playing their game. And almost predictably, they’re beaten with experience. Somehow it seems so simple in the sense that big ball teams should in theory run small ball clubs out of the park. But that’s not how it seems to go.

Some might say that I’m being unfair to small ball teams a bit, especially when it seems they have somewhat of an upper hand. Maybe I am. But keep in mind that I cover an AL East team…! The style of baseball that I see is one where you try to beat your opponent down as hard as you can. This game whereby an individual run is celebrated and worth something is foreign to me. And it’s foreign to the Orioles, which is why they struggle against small ball teams.

What they need to do is find a way to flip the script and force Kansas City to play their game. They weren’t able to do it in the 2014 ALCS, and they weren’t able to do it last night. When you’re only playing for one run here and there, you aren’t going to be able to keep up against a team that can hit every pitch out of the ballpark. If the O’s can impose their will instead of the inverse, they’ll beat Kansas City.

The series continues tonight at Kauffman Stadium. Chris Tillman will be on the mound for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Kansas City’s Nate Karns. Game time is set for 7:15 PM.

Baltimore Orioles rained out in D.C.

If you made the trek down to Washington D.C. yesterday to see Dylan Bundy pitch for the Baltimore Orioles, you kind of lost out. The game ended up being a wash out, and will be made up on Thursday June 8th (one of the two common off days the teams have). Bundy and everyone else in the rotation will move back a day.

This is actually a good thing for the Orioles, who’s bullpen could have probably used a day off. It also allowed the to get to Kansas City well before they otherwise would have. And here’s the other thing; while they now lose an off day in the future, that’s not even a huge deal. The Orioles are scheduled to be off on Monday June 5th, before Pittsburgh comes to town for a short two-game set. Then they were set to be off on Thursday June 8th. So they’ll still have an off day that week.

As I said above, the entire rotation will simply move back a day as the Orioles open a three-game set in Kansas City. The aforementioned Dylan Bundy starts tonight, and he’ll be opposed by Kansas City’s Danny Duffy. Game time is set for 8:15 PM.