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, Brad Brach walked off by an old friend

It’s probably unfair of Baltimore Orioles fans to stack Brach Brach up against the likes of Zach Britton. When healthy, Britton’s the best closer in the game. I know that as a writer I wouldn’t want to be put up against the likes of Tony Kornheiser or the late Shirley Povich. But I digress – the point is that Brach isn’t Britton; and furthermore pitching the ninth inning is vastly different than pitching the eighth.

Wade Miley gave the Orioles a gritty outing in Washington last night, and while it wasn’t perfect he left in line to be the winner. Miley’s line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 5 K. Not only did Miley find a way out of numerous jams, but he even managed to add to a rally that was starting by laying down a bunt for a base hit at one point. In a National League game that’s when you know your offense is firing on all cylinders – when your pitcher is participating.

The Birds got on the board in the top of the second when Caleb Joseph smacked an RBI-single. Seth Smith would add a sac-fly RBI later in the inning, and to top it off Adam Jones would tap an RBI-single to center. The O’s had seemingly picked up right where they left off on Tuesday, and they led 3-0.

Washington would get one back on a Taylor RBI-single in the fourth, but the Orioles kept the pressure on. Mark Trumbo‘s two-run homer one inning later ran the score to 5-1, although Miley found himself in a bases-loaded jam with nobody out in the last of the fifth. Washington would get one on an RBI-groundout by Murphy, but that was it. Miley did a masterful job of in essence trusting his stuff, despite his tank being on empty after well over 100 pitches. He got the Orioles out of the inning and as I said was in line for the win.

The Birds tacked on what appeared to be an insurance run in the seventh when Manny Machado joined Trumbo in the homer parade and sent a solo shot to left field. The O’s led 6-2, and appeared to be in the driver’s seat. But even the best bullpens in baseball, of which the Orioles are one, have off nights. It’s unfair to blame Brach in entirety for a loss, although he’s the guy who gets most of the heat. But any game is a team effort – the Washington comeback started in the eighth with a two-run homer by Taylor, leaving the score at 6-4.

That’s important because unless the Birds put more runs on the board (which they didn’t), the game no longer was a save situation. That meant that Showalter in effect didn’t have the ability to “let the bullpen coast” a bit, perhaps by letting the likes of Hart or Nuno close out the game. Instead, he had to use Brach in the ninth inning.

The inning was led off by Werth, who smacked a ball that barely cleared the wall in right center. The Orioles’ lead was down to one, and Brach was already on the ropes after one hitter. That homer also came after 11 pitches to Werth, in which Brach made quite a few quality pitches that were fouled off – as Brach discussed after the game (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

Looking back at it, I threw some really good pitches. He got the upper hand there toward the end and just was able to drive one out to right-center field.

That’s what pitchers are reduced to after 11-pitch at-bats; saying that they made good pitches over the course of the time. Washington would load the bases as the inning wore on, but with one out all Brach needed was a ground ball double-play to end the game. But of course, the situation called for none other than Matt Wieters to come to the plate for Washington…

…and his two-RBI single ended the game in a 7-6 loss for his former team. Do the Orioles view this as Wieters should have never been allowed to walk? Or if someone had to beat them are they glad it was in essence “one of their own?” It’s tough to say, but the fact is that you never want to lose.

The epic Werth at-bat set the tone for the entire inning, and in fact it seemed to make Brach nervous in a sense. But again before you criticize him too much or criticize Showalter’s handling of the bullpen, keep in mind that if not for the two-run homer by Taylor in the eighth this wouldn’t have even been a save situation. The Orioles had a four-run lead, and the bullpen would have been used differently.

While they were struggling coming into this series, also keep in mind that Washington has a good team. The likes of Werth, Harper, Zimmerman, et al, are professional hitters that can do a lot of damage. The unfortunate victims last night were Brad Brach and the Orioles. Some other day it’ll be someone else.

The series in Washington and the Battle of the Beltways overall concludes tonight at Nationals Park. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Washington’s A.J. Cole. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: The case for crying in baseball

THERE’S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL!!! – …is a line that’s probably pretty familiar to most Baltimore Orioles fans. It was made famous by Tom Hanks’ character in the movie A League Of Their Own. And it’s kind of a rallying cry for old school baseball folks.

But unfortunately, old school as an institution across the board is coming under attack in America. I’m the first one to tell you that I’m a traditionalist; so yes, in my world there’s just no crying in baseball. But in an era where any amount of success at anything begs the question of what shadiness did the person commit to get to that point and so forth, old school mentality is being weeded out.

However that aside, we’re seeing it in MLB as well. Commissioner Rob Manfred is constantly trying to tweak and tug at the game so as to “improve” it. In some instances perhaps he’s succeeded. However in others (such as the intentional walk sign), it just makes no sense.

The game has always evolved, and that’s natural. However is it really the same game as it was years ago after awhile? Could one imagine managers like Stengel, Weaver, Martin, etc. simply flashing four fingers and a hitter taking his base? For the record, when I say I’m old school, I still believe that the majority of games should be during the day. That’s impossible in the current world and so forth, but the roots of baseball are games played at 1 PM – not 7 PM.

The newest idea is to start instituting ties as a modus operandi in baseball. Honestly, I can’t think of a worse idea in any sport. First off, ties are un-American and have no place in our sports landscape (it kills me that they’re still allowed in the NFL). There has to be a winner and a loser. But the idea is that at least it would avoid 18-inning marathons like what we saw on Sunday night in Chicago.

I’ll be honest; I’m not a fan of games like that myself. Once it gets past twelve innings, it goes into the twilight zone in my view. But occurrences like that are few and far between. One of the ideas I’ve heard floated is that if there’s no winner after twelve innings, it goes as a tie. So extra innings would still occur, just not indefinitely.

Take last year’s Orioles team; if they didn’t win even one of their games, they wouldn’t have been a playoff team. Is it really fair for deserving teams to lose out because the league wants to regulate even wins and losses? Again, I can’t think of a worse idea that would potentially ruin the game as we know it.

As I said, I’m not a fan of games that enter the “twilight zone” in a sense. So I do have a better idea than ties, which would in my view preserve the sanctity of baseball as we know it. I have no issue with stopping games after twelve innings; however as opposed to declaring it a tie, why not just suspend it? We see suspended games only a bit more regularly than marathon games, but they are a thing. My question is, why not?

If you suspend a game after twelve innings and allow for it to be resumed the next day, a month later, or whenever, you at least avoid ties. You allow for there to be a conclusion to a game. I’m sorry, but at a risk of sounding like an old fart, there just has to be a winner and a loser. There has to be.

But the fact is that everything in life is apparently moving towards new. Whatever’s new has to be better than whatever was old. And before you know it, crying in baseball will be not only acceptable, but encouraged.

Baltimore Orioles: Mark Trumbo supplies another Beltway victo

At the end of the day, it wasn’t a Mark Trumbo home run that rallied the Baltimore Orioles to a victory over Washington. It was an RBI-single with the bases loaded. But when you’ve managed to make it to the last of the twelfth inning, that’s all you really need. The bigger story of the game however is the fact that we made it that far to begin with.

The Birds got all they could ask out of Ubaldo Jimenez last night. Jimenez’s line: 7.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 6 K. If you didn’t watch the game that line doesn’t look as stellar as it should. Jimenez made two bad pitches, both of which left the ballpark. But he kept a very dangerous Washington lineup at bay for most of the night.

Murphy smacked a solo homer in the second inning to give Washington a 1-0 lead. Unfortunately for Jimenez and the O’s however, Washington’s Scherzer was dealing as well – big time. Scherzer took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, and it was broken up by Smith’s solo home run which tied the game. While both starters were in the game it reminded me of the finale of the DC series last year when these two pitchers squared off. Jimenez was excellent, but Scherzer was superior.

With the score tied in the eighth, Lind smacked a three-run homer as a pinch-hitter, giving Washington a 4-1 lead. At the time, you figured that might be the back-breaker for the O’s in this game. Jimenez certainly deserved better, but he was on track to be the loser. However “The Captain,” Adam Jones, willed his team back into the game in the bottom of the inning with a solo homer, cutting the lead to 4-2.

Washington’s bullpen is a maligned staff, which has struggled to protect leads over the course of the season. And it showed again last night. Schoop’s RBI-double in the last of the ninth cut the lead to 4-3, which was followed by an RBI-single by Hardy to tie the game. And…we played on.

Both teams had their chances at various points to win. However in extra innings, you can all but always give the advantage to the Orioles with their bullpen. Joseph tried to score from second on a single in the last of the eleventh, but he was thrown out at home plate. And Washington basically ran itself out of an opportunity, when Goodwin got doubled up at first on a pop fly in the twelfth. That marked the second time in as many games that Washington had committed all but inexcusable base running gaffes.

The O’s had the bases loaded and one out in the last of the twelfth when Trumbo came up. In a situation like that, the odds of scoring are greater than they are of not scoring. And Trumbo delivered, with an RBI-single to left field which ended the game. This goes as a series sweep for the Orioles, as each leg of the Battle of the Beltways is seen as a separate series. They also finished the homestand at a perfect 6-0, and gauranteed themselves at minimum of a split with Washington this year.

This had the feel of a game on which one might look back when all’s said and done as a key win. Not because of the Orioles’ beltway opponent, but because of how things unfolded. The Orioles never give up until the final out. And that modus operandi served them well last night. When it was 4-1, yes things looked bleak. But as a familiar scene from Animal House tells us, it wasn’t over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor!

The Orioles did get some sobering news before yesterday’s game. The estimation is that closer Zach Britton might be down for 45-60 days. Britton was as surprised by this as anyone, however he’s hoping it’s the short end of that range. Britton is now in Sarasota, which in a week or two he’ll begin throwing.

The Orioles now head down I-95 or the B/W Parkway (whichever route suits you best!) to open a two-game series with Washington at Nationals Park. Wade Miley gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Washington’s Stephen Strasburg. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Kevin Gausman stellar in Beltway victory

Game one of the Battle of the Beltways went to the Baltimore Orioles last night, in a game that featured about as solid an outing by Kevin Gausman as you’re going to see. Gausman’s line: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 K. Gausman had retired Washington in order in the first inning before many of the fans had even settled in. As you may recall, Gausman of course is coming off his first career ejection last last week in Boston. If you’re going to bounce back from that, this is how to do it.

The big storyline coming into the game of course was Washington catcher Matt Wieters returning to his old stomping grounds at Camden Yards. When he came up to bat for the first time, the Camden faithful didn’t let him down. Wieters received a “Standing O,” to which he waved and gestured to the crowd in thanks. That moment was well deserved by Wieters, and well done by everyone all around.

Oriole bats also got off to a hot start, with three home runs in the last of the first inning. Joey Rickard led off with a solo shot, which was followed later in the inning by an additional solo homer by Mark Trumbo. But you really knew that the Orioles were in business when Trey Mancini smacked a two-run shot that was about as deep as any home run I’ve seen at Camden Yards, giving the O’s a 4-0 lead after one.

Caleb Joseph also had a hot game, turning in four hits for the first time in his career. One of those was an RBI-single in the fourth inning, giving the O’s a 5-0 lead. Later in that inning Joey Rickard would reach on a throwing error which allowed an additional run to score, and the Birds opened up a 6-0 lead.

But this is the Battle of the Beltways; it’s never easy. Washington would get an RBI-double by Taylor in the fifth, and an RBI-single by Harper in the sixth. Harper would also smack a solo home run in the eighth to cut the Orioles’ lead to 6-3. No harm, no foul – right?

Yes and no. Washington quickly put a couple of runners on base in the ninth against Brach, bringing none other than Matt Wieters to the plate representing the tying run. And Wieters almost haunted his old team. He doubled to center field (and was lifted for a pinch-runner), however the runners didn’t get a good read on the ball. Only one run was able to score, leaving Washington with the go-ahead run coming to the plate and one out.

That brought Goodwin to the plate as a pinch hitter, and he swung at the first pitch – rolling it over to first base. After Chris Davis fielded the ball and stepped on first, he realized that the runner at second was off the bag. First the Orioles had him in a rundown, and it was then continued with the runner at third who had tried to get home during the rundown, and who was eventually tagged out to end the game.

The Orioles did get a bit fortunate there, because as I tweeted out after the game, that was one of the worst executed rundowns I’ve ever seen from an offensive standpoint. I suspect what happened was that the runner at second base missed a sign, and thought he was supposed to run on contact. Maybe he was for all I know. But either way, from Washington’s standpoint it’s an unfortunate way to end a game in a loss. But the Orioles will take it.

The series at Camden Yards (as well as the homestand) concludes tonight. Ubaldo Jimenez will be on the mound for the Orioles. He’ll be opposed by Washington’s Max Scherzer. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles open the Battle of the Beltways vs. DC and Matt Wieters

Every year since the Baltimore Orioles began his big league career in 2009, Matt Wieters has been a part of the annual Battle of the Beltways. This year will be no different, however he’ll experience it from the opposite dugout. Wieters of course is now the starting catcher in Washington.

That’s more of a player-centric storyline than it is having to do with this weeks two series’ against Washington. Yes, tonight and tomorrow’s games are one series, and Wednesday’s and Thursday’s games in Washington are another. That’s how MLB does these regional rivalry games. But I digress…

…if attendance is any indication, the fans on both sides of the aisle really seem to like these games. But I’ll be honest; they just don’t have the same feel as they did years ago, when ironically both teams weren’t very good. The Orioles used to go down to DC over a weekend in May, and Washington would come up to Camden Yards over a weekend in June. That was good for fans on both sides of the divide, as if you wanted to go and spend the weekend in the other city and see the games you could.

Somehow it isn’t the same when they do two games in one city followed by two games in the other – during the week. However fans across Major League Baseball are happy about that because it places less emphasis on regional rivalries and perhaps more on divisional play. Nevertheless no matter how you spin it, the Orioles play Washington four times this week.

You’ll see a few curly W’s at the yard tonight and tomorrow for sure, however if history has anything to say about it you’ll see A LOT of orange and black at Nationals Park on Wednesday and Thursday. But at the end of the day, it’s all about the games more so than the fans. If the Orioles win, fans will be happy – no matter how many of them they are, or in which park.

The Wieters storyline adds a bit of drama, but more so from the perspective of a former player returning as a visitor. Washington certainly didn’t sign him as a slap in the face to the O’s or anyone else – they needed a catcher and he was available. But it’s always interesting to see these games unfold, because in effect they are between two brothers. And while the Battle of the Beltways certainly isn’t the Subway Series per se, the fact is that nobody does baseball like we do it in the mid-Atlantic region.

Baltimore Orioles: A pleasant afternoon on Tillman Island

Chris Tillman struggled in the first inning yesterday. He walked the first two batters and later had the bases loaded, putting the game in a precarious state from the beginning. However he pitched out of danger, which is a huge key. I tell people all the time that pitchers will get themselves in trouble – it’s the nature of the position. The good ones will also get themselves out of trouble. Tillman’s line: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K.

I suspect that Tillman would have liked to have gone deeper into the game, however keep in mind that this was only his first start of the season (after having been injured). More importantly, as a starter he put his team in a spot to win the game. and he drew glowing reviews from Showalter after the game (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

It was a real testament to his pitchability, searching for something he could survive with early where he could get in step a little bit. Chris has got a lot of weapons. I remember when we first had him it was really a 2 1/2-pitch mix. Now, it’s a cutter/slider and he went to that some later on. He went to that some later on. Changeup, he found a feel for that. He’ll tell you I don’t think he really felt good about the command of his fastball for most of his outing, but he and Frankie found a way to survive.

After getting out of a jam in the top of the first, the Orioles’ offense took over in the bottom of the inning. They took a 1-0 lead on Jones’ sac fly-RBI, and never looked back. Later in the inning Mancini added an RBI-double, giving the Orioles a 2-0 lead.

Jones would also add an RBI-single an inning later, as would Machado. And that closes the book on the scoring in this game. For awhile it looked like the Orioles were going to run them out of the park, but Chicago themselves settled down their own pitching situation as the game went on. But the damage was already done.

Alec Asher pitched nearly four innings in relief for the Birds yesterday, making one wonder if he’ll need to be optioned. Yesterday would have been Asher’s normal turn in the rotation, however with Tillman’s return he was relegated to the bullpen. Showalter indicated that he hoped he wouldn’t have to option Asher because he certainly didn’t deserve that.

However with a few exceptions (such as starters and various relievers), every pitcher knows that his status as a big leaguer is shaky at best with the Orioles. They utilize the entire 40-man roster an then some. So a guy like Asher knows that he could be headed down if for no other reason than the team needs a fresh arm. It’s unfortunate at times, but it certainly can happen.

The Orioles will open up a two-game series at home with Washington this evening, which will also mark the return of Matt Wieters to Oriole Park at Camden Yards – but as a visitor. Kevin Gausman gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Washington’s Gio Gonzalez. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles hold onto win, Manny Machado homers again

The good news for the Baltimore Orioles is that power bats are starting to come alive, and that began this past week with Manny Machado. Needless to say, he had quite a series in Boston, and one that I suspect the Fenway Faithful will begrudgingly never forget. That aside, we also saw Davis’ bat get hot on Friday, which again is a positive sign for this team.

Last night the only drawback to the Birds’ 6-5 win was that it became a close game late. But sometimes that’s going to happen, which illustrates why a strong bullpen is such a big deal. And the Orioles’ bullpen unfortunately suffered another casualty yesterday as Britton returned to the DL with left forearm soreness.

The O’s and ChiSox had to wait an additional 45 minutes to play due to storms in the area, but once the game started the Orioles jumped out of the gate. Dylan Bundy pitched another strong effort as a starter, which put the Birds on the right track from the beginning. Bundy’s line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 3 K.

The Orioles loaded the bases in the last of the first, and then took a 1-0 lead on a balk by Chicago’s starter Covey. Mark Trumbo would add an RBI-single, and the Birds led 2-0. Later in the inning Trey Mancini‘s RBI-double gave the O’s a 3-0 lead, and they were off to the races. Just keep loading the bases and good things will continue to happen.

Machado’s eighth homer of the season came in the last of the second, and it appeared that the Birds were starting to pile it on. However Chicago found a way to get back into the swing of things. Cabrera’s sac fly-RBI got them on the board in the fifth, and they netted a second run on Garcia’s RBI-single. But the Orioles weren’t done either. Mancini’s decided to lay into one in the bottom of the inning, which ended up being a two-run homer and the O’s led 6-2.

Chicago would add a solo homer in the sixth, and then in the eighth Abreu smacked a two-run line-drive home run off the left field foul pole. The ball was almost foul. In saying that, I mean that if it had been even six inches to the left it would have hit in foul territory. But them’s the bounces I suppose.

O’Day closed in Britton’s absence, and the Orioles had themselves another one-run victory. If not for the late Chicago surge, this shouldn’t have even been a save situation. However part of what makes this Orioles team so great is their next man up philosophy. Britton goes down, and O’Day steps right in. That’s how it should work.

Today’s game is one to watch for the Orioles, as Chris Tillman will finally make his 2017 debut. It’s unclear if Tillman will be on a pitch count or how far they want him to go into the game, however keep in mind that the O’s don’t have an off day for awhile. If Tillman can perform at his normal level, the Orioles’ rotation will be in very good shape moving forward.

The series concludes with Chicago this afternoon at Camden Yards. The aforementioned Tillman will be on the mound for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Jose Quintana. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Chris Davis homers in win vs. ChiSox

Many of the Baltimore Orioles’ power hitters have had semi-tough starts to the season, including Chris Davis. However zeroing in on him for a moment, perhaps all he needed was some home cooking – as it felt like the O’s hadn’t been home for years and years when they got there yesterday. There really is no place like home!

Wade Miley made the start, but lasted only two outs into the game in what perhaps was one of the strangest sequences I’ve ever seen befall a starting pitcher. Miley was hit by consecutive comebackers, and was knocked out of the game. Miley’s line: .2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K. He was later diagnosed with a left wrist contusion – which in essence is a bruise. Miley and the Orioles should consider themselves lucky; it could have been a lot worse.

So the Orioles summoned Gabriel Ynoa from the bullpen to reliever Miley, and he gave them quite an outing in a winning effort. Ynoa’s line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K. Ynoa did exactly what the Orioles wanted him to do, and for that he’ll probably be sent back down before tonight’s game. After going so long in relief, he won’t be available for awhile; furthermore he also experienced cramping in his hamstring…because of course he did.

The Orioles took a 1-0 lead in the last of the first when School got hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. That’s one way to get ahead I suppose! Two innings later Davis broke out of whatever funk in which he’s been with a solo home run which gave the O’s a 2-0 lead. Perhaps the best part of that home run from the Orioles’ perspective was that it went to left center – as opposed to right center. Davis is a power hitter who actually does a very good job of going the opposite way.

For the most part, this game was won on pitching. Ynoa and his fellow bullpen mates seemingly shut Chicago down. They netted a run on an RBI-groundout in the eighth, but the Orioles came right back in the bottom of the inning and regained their two-run margin on Joey Rickard‘s RBI-double. Later in the inning Hardy reached on an error which allowed Trumbo to score, and Chicago would ground into a double-play in the ninth which netted the final result at 4-2 in favor of the Birds.

After the game it was revealed that Zach Britton wasn’t available last night, as he’s once again experiencing left forearm discomfort. This is obviously a very serious matter for the Orioles, who don’t want to lose Britton for another extended period but who also need to do justice by their player.

It could be a wait-and-see situation, or possibly a return trip to the DL. Britton had an MRI yesterday, and the team will evaluate the results to decide how best to proceed. But it’s something that’s of concern to the O’s right now, and will continue to be until Britton’s 100%.

So if you’re keeping track at home, it’s worth paying attention to Miley given that he was hit with two comebackers. Odds are Ynoa will be sent down today despite his outstanding effort in last night’s game, and Britton could once again be on the shelf in the near future. For the record, if Britton were healthy I suspect the Orioles would consider keeping Ynoa on the roster (and for all I know they still might – surprises happen). But it’s bad enough having one reliever who can’t go, but two is a tough sell.

The series continues tonight at Camden Yards. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Dylan Covey. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Manny Machado’s Boston Massacre

I’m unsure of how many times it’s going to be necessary for Manny Machado of the Baltimore Orioles to get the last laugh on Boston. Throughout all of the theatrics of the week at Fenway, Machado’s consistently stood above the fray in a sense, and has consistently hurt Boston on the field in the games. That trend continued last night.

Tyler Wilson had to be summoned from Norfolk to get the start for the Birds after they had to burn a starter and relievers on Wednesday. Wilson’s line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 1 K. Wilson pitched to contact all night, which kept his pitch count down. But most importantly, he put the Birds in a spot to win the game. And that’s all you can ask of a starter.

Unfortunately for the O’s, they had to play a bit of catch-up. Boston got a two-RBI single from Bogaerts in the first inning, which gave them a 2-0 lead. However the Orioles weren’t going silently into the night. In the third they executed a double-steal, with Seth Smith swiping home plate. That cut the lead in half at 2-1, albeit briefly. Pedroia led off the last of the third with a solo homer, and Boston led 2-1.

But as I said, the Birds weren’t going quietly. In five plate appearances, Smith got on base five times. This included a two-RBI double in the fourth which tied the game. But it was Machado who delivered the fatal blow, and sent the final message back to the Boston clubhouse. Later in the inning he smacked a three-run homer over the green monster, and the O’s suddenly led 6-3.

Hardy and Jones would add RBI-singles later in the inning, and the Orioles headed home after an 8-3 victory at Fenway Park. So what was “the story” of this series – the theatrics, or Manny Machado owning the Boston Red Sox? Because that’s pretty much what happened. Boston pitching was unable to solve him, and he really made them pay.

The Orioles are just happy to be out of Boston and now heading home, even if technically just for a few games. The ChiSox come to town this weekend, followed by the Washington Nationals for a truncated two-game series on Monday and Tuesday. The Orioles of course will then head down to DC for two games on Wednesday and Thursday. Those are obviously road games, but…it’s the Battle of the Beltways. You get the idea.

The series with Chicago begins tonight at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Wade Miley will be on the mound for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by former Oriole Miguel Gonzalez. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Kevin Gausman ejection ended last night’s game

The competitive portion of last night’s game effectively ended when Baltimore Orioles’ starter Kevin Gausman was ejected in the top of the second inning. Gausman hit Boston’s Bogaerts with a first pitch curveball (at 77 MPH), and was promptly thrown out of the game by home plate umpire Sam Holbrook. Gausman’s final line: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 0 K.

Yes folks, Bogaerts came around to score – on Rutledge’s RBI-single later in the inning. Two innings later they would take a 2-0 lead on Young’s RBI-double. Boston would also net two more runs that inning on a fielder’s choice, as well as Pedroia’s sac fly-RBI.

The O’s would make an attempt to get back into the game, which incidentally would have been impossible without relievers Richard Bleier and Ubaldo Jimenez (obviously a starter who was pressed into a relief role due to the circumstance at hand) holding things where they were. As much as you might want to say about Jimenez over time, he pitched three innings of shutout baseball and was very effective out of the bullpen.

The Birds got a sac fly-RBI out of Mancini, and an RBI-single from Hardy in the sixth. But 4-2 was as close as they were going to get on this night. And make no mistake that it was almost entirely marred by poor decisions by the home plate umpire.

Earlier in the day yesterday MLB held a conference call with both managers and both GM’s, hoping to clear the air. It was made very clear that the theatrics needed to stop, along with the fact that no warnings would be issued prior to last night’s game. The league said that nobody (including the umpires) would come into the game walking on eggshells.

Apparently Sam Holbrook didn’t get that memo. Furthermore, it was plainly evident that he was going to eject anyone who hit a batter – warning or not. If you’re going to throw a purpose pitch, you do it with a fastball. Gausman’s 77 MPH curveball was clearly a pitch that slipped, and according to multiple reports the ejection surprised Boston as much as it did the Orioles.

Catcher Caleb Joseph was LIVID, and he made his displeasure known to Holbrook immediately, along with Gausman. The mannerisms that Joseph showed were well beyond the line of acceptability, and the fact that he wasn’t tossed out also tells me that Holbrook knew he made a mistake. Once he made it out to home plate manager Buck Showalter shoved both Gausman and Joseph out of the way and continued the argument.

To make matters worse, Adam Jones was ejected in the fifth after striking out. The point of contention there was on a called strike two, which first off appeared to be high. However the real issue was that Holbrook seemed to stop and think about the pitch for approximately three or four seconds before deciding it was a strike. After a swinging third strike, Jones appeared to mumble his continual displeasure as he headed back to the dugout. For that, Holbrook issued Jones his first career ejection.

For the record, Jones didn’t turn around and confront Holbrook (until being tossed), and he didn’t show him up. So for the second time in the game, Buck Showalter found himself arguing at home plate about a player that was unjustly tossed. So if you’re keeping score at home, the Orioles lost their starter (compounding their pitching situation for today), AND their unofficial team captain. Both were ejected for what appeared to be illegitimate reasons.

Jimenez was tonight’s scheduled starter, but he was used in relief last night, so the Orioles have to figure out what they’re going to do. I suspect they have a plan, but it hasn’t been announced as of yet. This also has reverberations as the Orioles go onward into their schedule, as summed up afterwards by Caleb Joseph (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

The reason that I got so upset is because yes, the in-game decision is very important, but there’s ripples we’re going to have to deal with for the next five, six, seven days. We had to cover (seven) innings in the bullpen and that’s huge. That can set a team back five or six days. Sam’s a fine guy, a good umpire, but tonight he missed a call. He missed a call, and what I would like to see, and we see it all the time with umpires, if they’re unsure, they gather together.

Here’s the other thing; make no mistake about the fact that this occurred because of the theatrics caused mainly by Boston people over the past two weeks. I say Boston people because it’s not just the Red Sox and the way they’ve behaved on the field. It’s also some of the Boston media, who have acted as cheerleaders towards the hometown team and encouraged this to continue. (Now in fairness, my understanding is that the New England Sports Network’s announcers were adamant last night that the Gausman ejection was a miscarriage of justice.)

So the theatrics were caused and carried on by Boston. But in the end, it’s the Orioles who have had to pay the price for it. Granted Boston did lose a reliever for four games, but this is something that will affect the Orioles for days to come. And as I said, the competitive portion of the game ended when Gausman was ejected. At that point the Orioles all but forfeited the game.

The series mercifully concludes tonight at Fenway Park, and don’t be surprised if Buck Showalter gets tossed for arguing that any Boston pitcher who hits a batsman should be ejected. The Orioles haven’t yet announced a starter, however Boston is throwing Kyle Kendrick. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.