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: Manny Machado sounds off on Boston

Following last night’s 5-2 loss in Boston, the Baltimore Orioles’ Manny Machado “went off” on the Boston Red Sox. Machado came up to bat in the first inning in the wake of the Fenway Faithful giving teammate Adam Jones a standing ovation after Monday night’s racial taunts. Boston starter Sale proceeded to throw low and in at Machado, almost hitting him.

Warnings were issued to both sides, and that was the end of it – for now. However after the game Machado laid into the Red Sox and their entire organization (quotes courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

Coward stuff. I mean, that’s stuff that you don’t (expletive) do, but I mean, I’m not on that side, I’m not in that organization. They’re still thinking about that same slide that I did that was no intention on hurting anybody. I’m still paying, I’m still trying to get hit at, get thrown at at my (expletive) head. They’re (expletive) throwing at everywhere. (Expletives). I’ve lost my respect for that organization, for that coaching staff, for everyone over there.

Later in the tirade Machado went onto say:

I had a (expletive) bat, too. I could go up there and crush somebody if I wanted to. But you know what? I’ll get suspended for a year and a pitcher only gets suspended for two games. That’s not cool, that’s not cool.

In baseball circles it’s certainly bad form to lash out at another organization like that. So I’m sure there’ll be some brush back today in the media for that. However keep in mind that Machado’s the guy who’s having 95 MPH fastballs aimed at various points in his body for a reason he deems incorrect. So in that sense perhaps his comments have some justice.

Orioles’ starter Alec Asher put the Birds in a spot to win the game, which is all one an ask. Asher’s line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 4 K. If you’re keeping track at home, that’s a quality start.

Boston took a 1-0 lead on Pedroia’s RBI-single in the second, and they extended it to 2-0 on a Ramirez solo homer in the fourth. However the Orioles still had a bit of fight in them, as Trey Mancini‘s RBI-double in the fifth cut the lead in half at 2-1.

But this was Boston’s night; Ramirez had one additional solo shot in him, in the last of the sixth. Betts would add a two-RBI double in the seventh, but not before Machado put another exclamation mark on his performance with a solo homer. So even in a losing effort, he was a factor.

As Manny stepped on home plate he turned and gave a cold glare into the Boston dugout before heading back to his own bench. That was a harbinger for what Manny would later say after the game. Again, this is something that will get lots of play today on the various ESPN shows, and on sports talk radio.

So what happens next? Do the Orioles retaliate in some manner tonight or in some other game over the course of the season? Or ironically, does Boston take umbrage at Machado’s comments and throw at him again?

The sad thing is that in effect, this will turn into a city/fan base vs. city/fan base type of argument. Why is Boston so aggressive? Why do Baltimore fans complain so much? Nevertheless, this has the beginnings of a bench-clearing brawl between the two teams at some point this season.

The series at Fenway Park continues this evening. Kevin Gausman heads to the mound for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Drew Pomeranz. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Adam Jones situation shows we have a long way to go

Last night Baltimore Orioles’ center fielder Adam Jones was the target of racist taunts at Fenway Park. According to Jones, several fans were directing the “n-bomb” in his direction, and one fan even threw a bag of peanuts at him as he left the field. The mayor of Boston and the Red Sox organization have since apologized to Jones and the Orioles.

This story has been well-documented on various outlets all night, so I’m not going to re-hash it. However I will mention that this isn’t the first time something like this has occurred. Jones had a banana thrown at him in San Francisco in 2013 (an action which has obvious racial connotations), and apparently heard similar racial taunts in Toronto during the playoffs last season. He also witnessed a full ban of beer thrown at one of his teamates.

MLB really needs to get a handle on this type of thing. Jones was very careful to say that while he had heard these types of things in Boston previously, he didn’t feel it was “a Boston thing.” There are bad apples all over the place, and in every fan base. Unfortunately those are the ones that we notice. Jones also went onto say that various Boston players reached out to him to express support.

The color barrier in MLB was broken in 1947 – that much we know. That wasn’t as much about baseball as it was civil rights in general, and I would submit that it’s a moment which many view as getting beyond race being an issue. However what’s evident is that we haven’t reached that point.

The various civil unrest in communities across America, including Baltimore at this exact moment two years ago, tells us that race is still an issue. But nothing shows us of this more so than a player having to take that type of verbal abuse while competing. While many folks don’t necessarily want to hear that, it is in fact the truth.

And MLB has a responsibility to recognize this and find some way to protect it’s players. And it’s fans for that matter – if you went to a baseball game and heard words like that out of other fans, would it not dissuade you from going back? Jones himself said today that he’d like to see fines be handed out to fans/people who do these types of things (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

Fines. That’s not in my realm. Obviously, I’m worried about playing the game. That’s something, I think, that will be individually assessed. Certain ballparks, certain rules and regulations. I met with Mr. (John) Henry today. He said if things like this happen, they’re going to revoke whoever’s tickets they are. I know that tickets here are very sacred. They’re passed down through generations and it’s hard to get, so stripping people of their right to come to the ballpark, … that would suck because this is one of the greatest venues to watch a sporting event and people would miss out on it because of some pure stupidity.

Ironically, that might be a bit overly-draconian in a way. If someone just screamed a racist taunt, they do have that right to free speech. It may not be popular, but they do have that right. The league and stadium authority has the right (and in my view the duty) to eject that person and probably to ban them for life, but in order to levy a fine the law would have to get involved. And unless there’s proof of that taunt causing something more than hurt feelings, it’s legal.

Again, I don’t say that as a matter of thinking it’s okay to say things like that – under no circumstances do I believe that. I’m speaking on a matter of law in that instance – what’s unpopular or offensive, may well still be legal. But the idea of revoking people’s tickets is one that might well send shivers down the spines of fans in moxie-land. As Jones himself said, many of those folks have had tickets passed down throughout generations of families. Would you want to be the great-grandson, nephew, etc. who got the family’s tickets revoked (especially for THAT)?

What Jones also revealed in that quote was that he had been personally contacted by Mr. John Henry, the owner of the Boston Red Sox. That in and of itself should restore some faith in Boston, along with the fact that the mayor made a statement of support for Jones. This type of thing goes beyond team loyalties; for the owner of the team to reach out like that to an opposing player speaks volumes.

At the end of the day, MLB needs to address this in some manner as I said. Not through comments and statements, but through action. Perhaps it should be a league-wide policy that if you get caught doing something like this you should be banned from the ballpark for life. And if you’re in the ballpark as a result of a season ticket plan, that should be revoked also.

Buy beyond whatever the league can or should do, this goes beyond baseball. WE THE PEOPLE need to collectively do better. ALL OF US.

Baltimore Orioles: Manny Machado silences Boston fans

Anytime he stepped on the field last night at Fenway Park, made a play, or came up to bat, Manny Machado of the Baltimore Orioles was boo’d vociferously. Now with that said, let’s assume that the Fenway Faithful was up in arms about the slide on Pedroia (even though it’s been established that it was clean) as opposed to hating on Machado because their guy got suspended for throwing at him. But either way, it was Machado and his Orioles teammates who got the last laugh on this last night.

Dylan Bundy tossed seven very strong innings in tough conditions. Temperatures at Fenway were in the high 40’s at first pitch – on May 1st! But obviously both teams have to deal with the weather conditions, which in the NFL are referred to as “the great equalizer.” Bundy’s line: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 2 K. The walks are a bit of a concern for Bundy, but the defense behind him turned several key double-plays. And make no mistake, they weren’t exactly easy double-plays to turn.

The teams played to a scoreless tie through five innings. Mind you, until Sunday in the Bronx Caleb Joseph hadn’t knotched an RBI since 2015. Now he’s seemingly an RBI-machine; his RBI-double in the fifth inning gave the Birds a 1-0 lead. But one inning later it was Machado who provided the scene of the night, with his solo homer.

Again, we know that Machado’s slide on Pedroia two weeks ago was clean. It was a bit late, but it wasn’t intended to injure anyone – and nobody felt worse about the situation than Machado. But way more was made about this than was necessary, especially seeing that the Boston media in essence was cheerleading that entire weekend trying to get them to retaliate. And of course they did, on that Sunday afternoon when Barnes threw at Machado’s head.

And incidentally, Machado got very high marks from the national media for how he handled the entire situation. And that should continue into last night, as he let his bat respond on his behalf. After the game Machado played down whether or not the crowd inspired him to smack the homer and help turn so many tough double-plays, but he played it down (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

I just go about my business. I’ve got to come out here and perform regardless, whether they boo me or whether they don’t. I’ve got a job to do and that’s what I went out there today and did.

Again, Machado did everything right. However I suspect that it felt good to silence most of those people last night. Incidentally, Boston all but threw up over themselves in the field later in the game, committing a total of four errors. And most of them led to Oriole runs…

…Machado reached on one of those errors in the eighth, scoring a third run. A throwing error on a Trumbo single later in the inning ran it to 4-0, and Davis’ sac fly-RBI gave the O’s a 5-0 lead. All three of those runs were unearned, as Boston literally just gave them to the Orioles.

Boston would threaten in the last of the eighth with two RBI-singles. However the Orioles’ bullpen put a stop to the rally after relieving Bundy, and the Birds closed the game out with a 5-2 victory. If there was ever a reminder of how important good defense is, it’s Boston’s performance last night.

The series continues this evening at Fenway Park. Alec Asher will get the start for the Orioles (techincally a spot start since he was most recently a reliever), and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Chris Sale. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Everything but the kitchen sink

The Baltimore Orioles had just about everything thrown at them that was possible yesterday in the Bronx. Darren O’Day was called for a phantom balk, the umpiring was sketchy at best all day, and there was a situation with the lights. Did I mention that they had to tap dance around the New York Yankees all day?

Starter Wade Miley seemed to flirt with disaster all afternoon. Yet he put the Orioles in a position to win the game, and he was in line to collect the win when he left the game. Miley’s line: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 5 BB, 6 K. Miley gave up a solo homer to Holliday in the last of the first, however he seemed to collect himself after that. He pitched out of several bad jams, including having the bases loaded with nobody out.

The O’s tied the game at one on an RBI-single by Adam Jones, however NY took the lead back in the bottom of the inning on an RBI-single by Headley. Due to a high pitch count, it appeared that Miley was done after five innings in the game. But as I said, he left with the lead…

…Mancini grounded into a force out with the bases loaded in the top of the sixth. This score a run which tied the game, and the Orioles took the lead a moment later on an RBI-double by Jonathan Schoop. They would extend that lead to 4-2 after Gentry’s RBI-groundout.

That felt like a turning point in the game, and one that would decide it at that. The bullpen shut NY down through the remaining innings, and with two men on in the last of the ninth they found themselves down to their final out with O’Day on the mound. At one point he moved to throw back to second in a pickoff attempt, but the ball went into center field. The runners were unable to move up since Adam Jones was on the ball immediately, but…

…home plate umpire Stu Scheurwater fingered O’Day for a balk. This allowed both runners to move into scoring position. It also brought an irate Buck Showalter out of the dugout to argue the call, which resulted in the skipper’s first ejection of the year. Here’s the irony in all of this; the call was supposedly changed to an E6 on Hardy for obstruction, which made no sense whatsoever. (Since when is a fielder not allowed to make a play on the ball at the bag on a pickoff attempt?) Yet in the box score, it’s officially listed as a balk.

O’Day never made a move towards home plate, and according to him and Buck Showalter he used the same pickoff move he’s used for his entire career. And Showalter’s comments after the game reflected that (quote courtesy of Brittany Ghiroli, mlb.com):

There wasn’t a lot of give and take. Same thing he’s been doing for eight or nine years. One out of four saw something that wasn’t there. I think we call it over-officiating in basketball. He had a pretty good game going until that.

A few other players indicated that they felt the rookie umpire had no issue calling a balk which appeared not to be there, but he couldn’t find a way to call NY for a third strike throughout the game. The strike zone was tough to find at best. However that incident balked the tying run into scoring position, and NY took advantage with Gregorious’ two-RBI single.

The late afternoon turned overcast as the game went to extras, yet the lights at Yankee Stadium didn’t go on – until New York came to bat in the last of the tenth. The Orioles threatened to protest, citing a rule which says that the lights can’t go on or off in the middle of an inning, and the lights were shut off. Gamemanship, perhaps?

The Birds almost lost it in the last of the tenth when pitcher Logan Verrett decided to try to nab a runner at second on a sac bunt attempt. Both runners were safe, compounding things further with nobody out. But Verrett redeemed himself eventually with the bases loaded. He induced Castro to ground into a force out at home plate with one out, and then struck out Judge to end the inning. No small feat.

The O’s got back in the driver’s seat in the eleventh with an RBI-single by Trumbo, and a two-RBI single by Castillo. That gave them a sizable lead of three runs, and Verrett sent NY down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning to secure the victory. This was about as hard-fought and strange of a game as you’re going to see, but in the end it was the O’s who prevailed.

The Orioles will now head to Boston for a four-game set. Dylan Bundy takes the mound for the O’s tonight, and he’ll be opposed by Rick Porcello. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Caleb Joseph breaks RBI-less streak in loss

The silver lining for the Baltimore Orioles in yesterday’s 12-4 loss in New York was that catcher Caleb Joseph finally got an RBI. Two to be exact, by virtue of a two-run homer. Joseph of course went all of last season and up to yesterday without driving in a run.

But that’s about all that went right for the O’s yesterday, as the onslaught of New York bats continued from Friday night. In all seriousness, I have to wonder if someone, perhaps an infielder, isn’t accidentally tipping pitches. Because on Friday night it was like suddenly someone turned on a switch and suddenly New York seemed to know what was coming. That continued yesterday.

Ubaldo Jimenez couldn’t make it out of the fourth inning, which taxed the bullpen as well. Jimenez’s line: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 7 R (6 earned), 3 BB, 4 K. It boils down to fastball command or Jimenez, and yesterday he didn’t have it. To his credit, he was the first to admit that after the game (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

I think I have to find my fastball command. I have to stay ahead most of the time. That’s what’s hurting me the most. I’m falling behind in the count and every time I come back, I get hurt.

That right there almost answers my point about someone tipping pitches. When you get yourself into counts where it’s obvious you have to throw a strike, it’s no mystery what’s coming next. So getting ahead in the count is important, because it allows a pitcher to pitch from a position of strength.

The onslaught started early when Gardner sent a solo homer over the wall in the last of the first. One inning later it was 2-0 on Romine’s sac fly-RBI, however Gardner would homer again later in the inning – this one of the three-run variety. Romine would also add a two-RBI single in the last of the fourth, and before the Orioles could blink they trailed 7-0.

The O’s would get two runs in the sixth, of the unearned variety. (When things are starting to go south you take runs however you can get them.) Machado scored on a throwing error, and Trumbo on a wild pitch later in the inning. The ironic part was that Caleb Joseph was at bat for that second run. At the time, he still hadn’t smacked in a run since 2015. So it had to add insult to injury to know that the Birds were able to score during his at-bat, but by virtue of the fact that it was an unearned run he doesn’t get an RBI.

Romine would add a two-run homer in the last of the sixth, Gregorious an RBI-double and Judge a two-run homer in the seventh. It should also be kept in mind that New York is a young team, which is why they’re so dangerous for the time being. In essence, they’re where the Orioles were circa 2011 – they have a great nucleus that should be together for awhile.

The difference is that New York is winning now, which isn’t necessarily supposed to happen. Whereas the 2011 Orioles were dangerous for the future, this NY team is dangerous in the future and in the here and now. On the flip side, as I said – they’re young. At some point they could just as easily remember that as they could forget it. The Orioles and the rest of the division are certainly hoping that they suddenly remember that they’re young and not expected to do anything this year.

The O’s did have a productive ninth inning however, and not just limited to Caleb Joseph. His two-run homer was the highlight however for sure, as he turned in his first runs batted in since 2015. But the Orioles worked the count well in the ninth inning, forcing New York to get a couple of additional relievers up in the bullpen. That’s something that could play into today’s game, as I suspect they weren’t anticipating on having to do that.

After the game the Birds optioned relievers Aquino and Nuno to triple-A Norfolk, more so to get some fresh arms in the ‘pen than anything else. It’s unclear who the corresponding moves will involve at this point. All we know for now is that they were sent out.

The O’s will try to salvage one game in this series as it concludes this afternoon. Wade Miley will be on the mound for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Jordan Montgomery. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles blow big lead in Bronx loss

Brad Brach has been solid as the Baltimore Orioles’ temporary closer to this point. And in fact, it may not necessarily be a reflection on him that he blew his first save last night, because you don’t allow a team to come from seven runs down and blame one person. New York at some point decided that they weren’t going to lose last night, no matter how big Oriole bats busted out.

And the bats did bust out, which is a great sign. Kevin Gausman got the start for the Birds, and while his line looks a bit rough he was fairly effective. Gausman’s line: 6.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 3 K. Gausman left the team in a spot to win the game, which is all you can ask of a starter.

The O’s took a 2-0 lead in the third on a Manny Machado two-RBI double, and one inning later Welington Castillo hit his first homer as an Oriole, a two-run shot that ran the lead to 4-0. Machado would add a solo shot an inning later, and the O’s appeared off to the races.

The Birds ran the score to 9-1 in the sixth (following Judge’s solo shot for NY) when Mark Trumbo busted out of his funk with a grand slam. While NY would get a run back in the bottom of that inning on an RBI-groundout, I’m the first one to say that the competitive portion of the game is over at that point. Am I suggesting that you take your foot off the gas? Very slightly, but yes.

So if you’re blaming the Orioles for blowing a big lead, you can throw me into the fray as well. In general, once you get up to a lead by seven or eight runs, you can kind of coast. It’s natural in a way. But to NY’s credit, they made the Orioles pay for that idea.

Following the aforementioned RBI-groundout in the sixth, Judge smacked a two-run homer which cut the lead to 9-4. At that point perhaps the Orioles should have realized that the lead might not be safe, and maybe they did. Schoop would run the lead back to eight at 11-4 an inning later with a two-RBI single.

But again, New York at some point decided that they weren’t going to be denied on this night. Ellsbury smacked a grand slam in the last of the seventh, and grounded into a force out with the bases loaded in the last of the ninth. Castro’s two-run homer later in the inning off of Brach would tie the game at 11. The O’s put the first two runners on in the tenth inning, and Holliday’s three-run homer ended the game.

This really drives home the point that it’s tough to win a big league game. And sometimes holding a big league is one of the toughest things of all. On the flip side however, the bats definitely broke out last night, and that’s a good thing. You wish it wasn’t for naught, but that’s a trend that the Orioles need in order to continue.

And one thing that the Orioles need to do is win today. It’s almost a must-win in a sense, because that’s the type of loss that can send a team into a tailspin. But if they can win today they’re back on track. Furthermore if they can take the series by winning the next two, this turns into a footnote.

And luckily for the O’s, the series turns around quickly with a day game this afternoon. Ubaldo Jimenez will be on the mound for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by NY’s Michael Pineda. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Big weekend in the big ballpark

Kevin Gausman will take the ball for the Baltimore Orioles tonight in the Bronx as the Birds open a three-game set with New York. First off, it’s pointless to look at the standings at this point in the season. Anything can still happen. However speaking for myself, this series has the feel of one to which we might look back when all’s said and done and say that it meant something.

But they all mean something, right? But when you’re bunched as closely together in the standings as the O’s, Boston, and NY, the games always mean more. The Birds are currently a game up on New York, and in first place. So that means they could end the weekend anywhere from four games up, or two games out of first.

While they’ve still managed to win games, the Orioles haven’t been scoring runs as we’ve expected. In fact, they’ve been winning in the exact opposite manner that we thought they would – with pitching. But that’s going to have to change in the Bronx, against a young team who has a sense that they could be world-beaters.

Incidentally, fans shouldn’t worry about Oriole bats. At the end of the day, they’ll be fine. This team is based on power, and yes sometimes the month of April can produce some wayward numbers or results.

The aforementioned Kevin Gausman is on the mound for the Birds tonight. He’ll be opposed by New York’s C.C. Sabathia. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles walk the line to a walk off win

I’ve covered the Baltimore Orioles since 2009, and this is the first time that I’ve had the opportunity to reference one of my favorite songs, I walk the line, by the great Man in Black himself (Johnny Cash). On paper, the Orioles are a much better team than Tampa. Yet Tampa gave the Birds about all they can handle. And they almost ended up handing the Orioles their first series defeat of the season. But the home team bats last.

Dylan Bundy gave the O’s yet another quality start. However in doing so, he also had his struggles. Yet he found a way to be effective even when he didn’t have his best stuff at his disposal. That shows a lot of maturity, and that’s what all of the great pitchers are always able to to do. Bundy’s line: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 3 K.

The O’s took a 1-0 lead on Ryan Flaherty‘s RBI-single in the second. However by the time the inning ended, the Orioles held a 3-0 lead on one of the most bizzare plays you’ll ever see. Seth Smith knocked an RBI-single that scored Flaherty – so there’s one run. However Smith himself was able to come around to score after Tampa committed two throwing errors on the play.

Needless to say, it was a totally botched play on the part of the Tampa defense. I would argue that it shouldn’t be an RBI because I don’t think Flaherty would have scored if not for the first error. But then again what do I know? – I’m just here to report the news!

Bundy was victim of two solo homers off the bat of Tampa’s Beckham, which brought them to within 3-2. They say that solo home runs don’t hurt you, but again keep in mind that these are the Tampa Rays. Piecemealing runs together one-by-one is their speciality. So that’s a fine way to do things in their book.

Tampa loaded the bases in the eighth, however O’Day only allowed one run as Miller grounded into a force out. But that did tie the game at three, and we played on. And that’s why a team like Tampa can be dangerous. Yes they only score one run here and there, but if they do it enough they work their way back into the game.

And for a short while in the eleventh, it looked like they were going to take the game and the series. Tampa’s Sucre sent a soft broken-bat fly ball the opposite way into right field for a base hit, which scored the go-ahead run. Of course he sent the ball the opposite way and it was a softly-hit ball, because Tampa does everything non-traditionally it seems. But either way it gave them a 4-3 lead in what appeared to be the climaxing moment of the game.

But as ESPN’s Lee Corso would say, not so fast! Before we knew it, Tampa’s closer was struggling in the last of the eleventh, and the O’s suddenly had men on base. Schoop’s sac fly-RBI tied the game at four, erasing Tampa’s vision of winning the game cleanly. Later in the inning Seth Smith strode to the plate again with the bases loaded…

…and on four consecutive pitches, he walked. That forced in the winning run, as the Orioles walked the line to a victory in the game and in the series. Yes folks, the Cash reference is a bit cheesey. But hey, it’s certainly appropriate for once!

This was a big win for the Orioles, as they kept their series victory streak alive. However Tampa wasn’t giving up, and they always put pressure on you. They can make even routine infield ground balls into close plays simply because their hitters hustle out of the box and down the line. But the O’s weren’t giving up either. While Tampa’s pitching decided to peter out at the last minute, the Orioles recognized that, worked the counts, and took advantage. They now head into an off day before heading to NY tomorrow night.

Baltimore Orioles beaten at Tampa’s game

The Baltimore Orioles are a team that’ll beat your brains in on the scoreboard. That’s how they play, and that’s how they attempt to win games. This would be the reason that so many Orioles swing such heavy bats, because they’re literally swinging for the fences on every pitch. Then you have a team like Tampa, who’s happy as a clam with one run, or even one base.

The O’s got a quality start out of Wade Miley last night, and he more than put the team in a spot to win. Miley’s line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 6 BB, 8 K. The six walks aren’t stellar of course, but the game was played in various states of rain, and on top of that, the strike zone was far from consistent. There were several times where Miley, various Tampa pitchers, and various hitters on both sides found themselves glaring at the home plate umpire.

Tampa got an RBI-single by Beckham in the fourth inning to take a 1-0 lead. This came on the heels of a Miley-issued walk, on which he thought he got squeezed. Later in the inning Norris’ sac fly-RBI gave Tampa a 2-0 lead, which ended up being the final.

Tampa in essence forced the Orioles to play their game. Again, the O’s are swinging for the fences every time. Due in part to the weather of course, that just wasn’t happening last night. As I said, Tampa’s happy as a clam with one run here and one run there. And that’s what they got.

Their attitude is probably very frustrating for a team like the Orioles, who seemingly think big on every at-bat. How could one or two runs do the job?! But Tampa’s vision of the world is that if you score one run, that means the opponent has to score two to beat you – and so on.

Another area of concern is that Mark Trumbo is only hitting  .203 on the year. Does he need a day off? Manager Buck Showalter is confident that he’ll get it together on his own (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

If we knew exactly … Mark is a very good student of the game, a student of hitting. I trust him. He’ll figure it out. I know it’s frustrating for him. But you know, he’s not the only one who hasn’t been at the level he’s spoiled us with. We’ve got some other guys that (are struggling). Somebody will pay down the line.

I would agree with Showalter. Slumps happen to the best players across the board. Eventually Trumbo will get it together. The good ones always do.

The series with Tampa concludes this evening at Camden Yards, along with the home stand. Dylan Bundy will make the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Alex Cobb. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Is four games enough for Matt Barnes?

As we know, Boston reliever Matt Barnes was given a four-game suspension for throwing at the head of Baltimore Orioles’ third baseman Manny Machado. Most of the reaction that I was hearing around this time yesterday (when the news was announced) was outrage from Orioles fans that it was only four games. Admittedly, I was expecting between 5-10 games.

And incidentally, that expectation was based on the fact that numerous former players said publicly that Barnes should get ten games. It goes without saying that some sort of disciplinary action was necessary, as Barnes’ defense of the pitch just slipped wasn’t anywhere near adequate. In fact, it was borderline offensive to Machado and the Orioles. And the same is true of manager John Farrell‘s similar comments.

Barnes of course is available to play for Boston starting tonight because he’s appealing the decision – as is his right. And for the record, my personal opinion is that players should always be allowed to appeal decisions like this. So it makes sense that he should be available to play until his case is heard.

However where I do take issue is that sometimes these appeals can be strung out over several weeks. Machado himself waited that long to hear an appeal heard awhile back. In general sometimes the league will wait for the player to come to NY to play one of the two NY-based teams so the appeal can be heard in person in the league office. But would doing it over the phone or Skype by such a bad thing?

That aside, as I said many fans were enraged that Barnes only received four games. Many pointed to an obvious bias towards a team in Boston who seems to get breaks over the course of the way. I’m not here to sway you one way or the other on that…

…because I can’t say for sure how I feel on the matter. In other words, I haven’t really decided if I personally think it’s enough of a punishment or not. From my standpoint, the jury’s still out.

There’s no denying the severity of the actions which led to the suspension. Throwing at someone’s head is a serious matter that goes well beyond the game – regardless of what Barnes wants to say his intent actually was. Had he actually landed the pitch on Machado, I think the penalty would have been greater.

Again, I’m not sure where I personally stand on this. I do think that for pitchers the suspensions should be longer because they don’t play everyday. However this is a reliever, who will make more appearances than a starter. And one way or the other, Boston will have to play a man down on the roster during the four games – or whatever number of games the suspension ends up being.

And more so than losing game checks and not being able to play, that’s why players need to watch what they’re doing in terms of whether they’re committing actionable offenses. What Barnes did was actionable, regardless of what he said he was trying to do. But when guys get suspended for actions in games, the team plays those games a man down. So you affect your own career, as well as your team.

Again, I thought it would be between 5-10 games, and I was wrong. Had he actually landed the pitch, I suspect it would have been more. Apparently asthetics do make a difference. Had Machado left Camden Yards on a stretcher, odds are it would have been on the high side of that estimate. One way or the other, once Barnes’ appeal is heard he will have to begin serving his suspension immediately.