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: Did ol’ blue afford the O’s a break?

The Baltimore Orioles came into tonight’s game with Tampa in dire need of a win. Trevor Rogers, the winning pitcher the last time the Birds won (on Sunday) was on the mound – so there was that. And they were playing the same team as they were that day, in Tampa. So there was that as well. Rogers’ line: 7.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

Jackson Holliday led off the ballgame with a single that he extended into a double. Lee Alonso’s subsequent RBI-single gave the Birds a 1-0 lead in the last of the first. But Tampa sort of did the same thing in terms of ambushing a starter – this in the second. Simpson’s RBI-single tied the game at one.

But Tampa wasn’t done yet. In short, Rogers had one bad inning – the second. Later in the inning with one down and one on, Piper smacked a two-run homer – the first home run of his career. Never a good sign when you surrender someone’s first big league homer. But Rogers re-centered himself, and got out of the inning.

Granted it was early in the game. But that felt fairly definitive given that Tampa is a first place team, and the Birds had lost four straight. But the O’s immediately got a ray of hope. Dylan Beavers’ solo home run in the bottom of the inning cut the lead to 3-2. His third home run in as many games.

The key moment of the game came in the last of the fifth inning. However it was sort of an unsung moment. With two on and one out Jackson Holliday had a two strike count. Holliday checked his swing, and the call was appealed to third base umpire Dillon Wilson, who ruled that Holliday had checked his swing.

Whether he did or didn’t is almost irrelevant. Holliday at least had the perception that he had come around, and started walking back to the dugout. This before Wilson ruled he had checked his swing.

Tampa manager Kevin Cash came out incensed to argue, and was promptly ejected. Whether Holliday checked his swing or not, Cash may have had a point in that the hitter even felt like he came around. Yet the at-bat continued.

Holliday would immediately tie the game with a sac fly-RBI. Later in the inning Pete Alonso’s thirtieth home run of the year came in the form of a two-run homer, giving the O’s a 5-3 lead. The bullpen was strong, and closed it out, putting the O’s back in the win column.

Many would say that after the New York series, the Birds were due to get a call to go their way. One way or the other, fans should want the correct call to be made. That should be the goal. Whether Holliday checked his swing or not is almost irrelevant. Needless to say, HE thought he was out. That could in theory speak volumes.

The series continues tomorrow at Camden Yards. Brandon Young gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Shane Mclanahan. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Don’t try to do too much

One could argue that Kyle Bradish actually served a good purpose tonight for the Baltimore Orioles. In a morose sort of manner, that is. This in the sense that he ate innings and perhaps saved a bullpen reliever or two. Bradish’s line: 5.2 IP, 8 H, 5 R (3 earned), 2 BB, 5 K.

The game started in a 20 minute weather delay. Bradish faced the minimum through two, however allowed two base hits to start the third and put runners on the corners with nobody out. The Orioles seemed content to give up the run, and sure enough Caballero rolled over a ground ball in the infield.

However it was to the worst possible spot with the infield at double-play depth, that being the hole between first and second. Jackson Holliday tried to nail the runner at second, and in trying to record the out and throw the ball back to first for a double-play, Gunnar Henderson dropped the ball. The run from third scored, and the Orioles got no outs.

Given the angle, the correct play would have been to surrender the run and get the out at second. Gunnar Henderson tried too hard to get it all, and got nothing. And that’s perhaps a motif for the season. If you try too hard to do it all, you get nothing.

Think back to last night; the Orioles focus so much on exit velocity, with the naive belief that’s going to lead to runs. Pete Alonso hit the ball so hard and at such a launch angle, that supposedly they couldn’t see if it went over the foul pole. SUPPOSEDLY. New York scored the winning runs without the ball leaving the infield.

Rice and Ramos would follow with RBI-singles and doubles respectively. New York led 3-0, with only one of those runs being earned. New York took what was being given them.

The O’s would get on the board in the last of the fifth with a solo home run by Dylan Beavers. But come the sixth, New York got that run back and then some. Garcia and Jones each smacked solo homers, and Chisholm would add an RBI-triple in the eighth.

You can’t give away outs and award the opponent with extra chances in baseball. That Henderson error set the tone for the game. And that’s perhaps a point that has overshadowed the entire season. Attention to detail and the yearn to figuratively do it all has hurt this team a lot this year. Perfection is often the enemy of good.

The O’s now welcome Tampa to town for the first of a three-game set at Camden Yards. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Freddy Peralta. Game time is set for 7:15 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Fair is foul

For the second consecutive game against New York, the Baltimore Orioles got a start which was good enough to win. This time out of Chris Bassitt. Not a perfect start, but one where the O’s were set up nicely. And for a plethora of reasons (some beyond their realm of control), they couldn’t pull it out. Bassitt’s line: 5.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

The O’s did get an early lead. With runners at the corners and two out in the first, the Orioles attempted a double-steal. And Jackson Holliday slid safely into home plate, giving the O’s a 1-0 lead.

New York would tie the game in the second with an RBI-single by McMahon. They would then take the lead on a sac fly-RBI by Lombard. Rice’s solo home run an inning later would extend the lead to 3-1.

But the Orioles fought back. Pete Alonso’s solo homer in the last of the third got them to within 3-2. And there it remained until the last of the sixth when Dylan Beavers’ solo home run tied it back up at three. But nobody will remember that about this game.

According to the play-by-play readout of the game, Pete Alonso struck out to end the sixth inning (with the game tied at three). Basically if you’re watching from aerospace, that’s what you see. Baseball isn’t played in aerospace. Maybe a metaphor there.

Alonso smacked a shot to left that had home run distance and then some. It was hit so hard and so far, that it went over the foul pole and landed on the other side. Admittedly with the naked eye, it looked foulish. And in fact, the umpiring crew on the field ruled it foul. BUT…

…replays seemed to concretely show that the ball went over the foul pole. When I say concretely, I mean the New York broadcast indicated that they thought it was a home run. Everyone in the ballpark thought it was a home run. Except the umpiring crew…

…and the replay center in New York. The ruling came down saying that they felt it wasn’t clear enough to overturn the call on the field. Alonso would strike out to end the inning, and New York would take the lead an inning later after loading the bases with two outs. Lombard scratched in a run on a swinging bunt that went as an infield RBI-single. Chisholm would score on a wild pitch by Yennier Cano, sending the Birds to a 5-3 loss.

There’s probably some irony in the fact that in the moment that everyone will remember in this game, Pete Alonso hit the ball so hard that it couldn’t be deciphered if it went over the foul pole or not. And New York scored the two winning runs without hitting the ball out of the infield. Crazy if you think about it.

No one moment truly decides any game. But that’s about as deflating a moment as you’re going to see. To be blunt, nobody who saw that play over and over thought it was a foul ball. Nobody. Except the people who mattered. There’s no point of replay if you’re going to deny what you see in front of you. That was a home run. And it was taken away from Pete Alonso and the Orioles.

On a related note, Craig Albernaz seemed only mildly agitated at the call. He also was fairly careful in tiptoeing around his words after the game regarding that play. That’s a moment and a situation that almost mandates a manager to get ejected. Yes, it’s stagecraft. But players knowing that leadership is behind them can do wonders. Does “the algorithm” not allow for that?

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Gerritt Cole. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: You have to hit in the clutch

New York hit in the clutch last night. The Baltimore Orioles did not. The victim? Starter Shane Baz, who most certainly pitched well enough to win last night. Baz’s line: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 10 K.

The O’s loaded the bases in the second, due in part to a fielding error. But they couldn’t take advantage, as Carlos Narvaez struck out to end the inning. Grisham smacked a solo home run in the third to give NY a 1-0 lead.

Again, you have to take advantage when opportunity knocks. The O’s let their opponent off the hook. Granted, that’s a spot where you miss Samuel Basallo’s bat out of the catcher’s spot.

The O’s did tie the game however. Coby Mayo smacked a solo home run of his own in the bottom of the inning. It goes both ways – solo home runs don’t hurt you. However needless to say, they’re something.

Baz would allow two runners on in the sixth, and was lifted. Again, he pitched well enough to win last night – a quality start. Entertained Josh Walker, who walked the first hitter and struck out the next one. He then surrendered a two-RBI single to Grisham. And on a two-strike count at that, giving New York a 3-1 lead.

The O’s would put two on in the seventh but couldn’t muster much. End of the day New York took advantage of the opportunities that presented themselves. The Orioles did not. That’s a game that got away, and at this stage you can’t have that.

The series continues this evening at Camden Yards. Chris Bassitt gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by NY’s Will Warren. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles can’t complete the sweep

The Baltimore Orioles had an opportunity to sweep the best team in baseball at their place this evening. Brandon Young wasn’t at his best, but he was picked up by Oriole bats. But end of the day, nothing was enough. Young’s line: 4.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 3 K.

This was a back-and-forth affair, and Tampa came out ahead. However the O’s got the scoring started with Coby Mayo’s mammoth solo home run in the second inning to give the O’s a 1-0 lead. A solo home run by Diaz would tie the score at one in the third.

However the O’s would put two runners in scoring position in the top of the fourth, and had both of them score on Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s two-RBI single. But remember, this is Tampa. These guys don’t give up, and despite the fact that the O’s took the first three games in the series, they at times can’t be beaten. Two home runs, a solo shot by Vilade, and a two-run shot by former Oriole Mateo, put Tampa ahead, 4-3.

But for the moment, that wasn’t enough. Pete Alonso tied the game an inning later with a solo home run. The O’s would later take a 6-4 lead that inning with a two-run home run by Christian Encarnacion-Strand. Where would the Oriole be without him?!

However it wasn’t to be for the Birds tonight in Tampa. Aranda’s RBI-single in the seventh cut the lead to 6-5. DeLuca would follow with a two-RBI single later in the inning, giving Tampa a 7-6 lead. The O’s put a few runners on late, but couldn’t muster anything more, thus dropping the finale.

It’s tough not being able to take the finale and sweep the series. However taking three-of-four against the team with the best record in baseball is something. It sets the Orioles up well as they open a key home stand.

The Orioles head home to open a three-game set with the NYY. Shane Baz gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by NY’s Carlos Rondon. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: One challenge defeated analytics like thunder and lightning

Tropicana Field has been a house of horrors for the Baltimore Orioles, who sent Trevor Rogers to the mound there this afternoon. A house of horrors in 2026, as well as in the past. Both Friday, yesterday, and today, that hasn’t been the case – but none more so than this afternoon. Rogers’ line: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 7 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

The O’s got a few runners on base in the first few innings, but the teams in essence spent the beginning of the game feeling one another out. Rogers made one bad pitch, resulting in a solo homer to Vilade in the fourth. It was one run, but perhaps it gave you a sinking feeling. If it did, it shouldn’t have.

The Birds put two on in the fifth by way of walks. Yohel Pozo lined out to second base with one out, and Tampa doubled Leody Taveras off of second to end the inning. And to end the threat.

Or did it?! Craig Albernaz challenged the out call at second base, and the call was overturned. The replay was pretty conclusive in that Taveras got his hand back into the bag at second. That left the Orioles trailing 1-0 and hitting with two runners on with two outs.

That’s where Tampa manager Kevin Cash made an unforced error. That more or less cost his team the game. He followed analytics with no regard to feel for the game.

He pulled his starter, Peralta – who was leading the game, pitching well, and between 70-80 pitches in. Instead he went to a southpaw reliever, Clevinger – to pitch to Jackson Holiday. They say that numbers don’t lie, and southpaws have the advantage pitching to a lefty. But…removing a strong pitcher in the fifth with a reasonable pitch count. For that?! Seemed draconian.

Numbers don’t lie. But they also don’t play the game. Human beings do. And the human being of Jackson Holliday made cash out of Cash’s decision with an RBI-single to tie the game at one. As a severe thunderstorm brewed outside the Trop, hometown boy Pete Alonso’s subsequent two-RBI double catapulted the O’s into a 3-1 lead.

Sabre metrics do play a role. But you have to have feel for the game. Craig Albernaz has gotten better at that of late. Being more tied to what the computer says to do bit Kevin Cash today big time. It’s one thing to match up late in a game. This was in the middle innings. Further compounding Cash’s decision, Clevinger had to pitch to three batters (or the end of the inning). So once his lefty-lefty matchup failed, he couldn’t change pitchers again to pitch to Alonso.

And here’s the thing about dramatic moments in games; they give teams confidence. The thunderstorm outside might have played a role also. One way or the other, Colton Cowser smacked a two-run homer in the sixth to extend the lead to 5-1. A single and a walk brought Jackson Holliday back to the plate, and his two-RBI double extended the lead to 7-1. That included Yohel Pozo flopping himself onto home plate and being ruled safe – a call upheld on a replay challenge.

As if that wasn’t enough, the O’s loaded the bases. Christian Encarnacion-Strand would then clear them with a double. That broke the game wide open, and gave the Birds a 10-1 lead. Tampa would tack on a meaningless RBI-single by Mateo in the bottom of the inning, and the O’s have taken the first three games of this four-game wrap-around series in Tampa.

From Tampa’s perspective, they had opportunities to right the ship – this had they not let things snowball. But that challenge in the fifth inning changed the entire scope of the game. It forced Tampa to make a decision; play the numbers, or leave a pitcher in the game who appears to be throwing well. They erred on the side of playing the odds. And the Orioles made them pay for that decision with thunder and lightning.

Craig Albernaz has fallen into this trap before also. And as I said above, I’ve personally seen him make improvements in that area, and at times has trusted his gut and his players. Numbers and stats are important – that isn’t up for debate. But knowing when it’s actually stupid to play the numbers is also important. Today it was the opponent over-managing, and the opponent working themselves out of a game during to analytics. And again, the Orioles struck like bolts of lightning.

The series concludes tomorrow night at Tropicana Field. Brandon Young gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Shane McClanahan. Game time is set for just after 6 PM.

Baltimore Orioles hold on to cut Tampa’s joie de vivre

Earlier in the season the Baltimore Orioles ended a 15-game winning streak held by Boston. This evening at Tropicana Field, Tampa put their nine-game win streak on the line against the Birds and Chris Bassitt – who was activated off the IL to make the start. Bassitt’s line: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 3 K.

The O’s put runners at the corners in the second inning, and took a 1-0 lead on Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s RBI-groundout. An RBI-double by Palacios in the bottom of the frame would tie the game, but the Birds hung tough. They would retake the lead on a solo homer by Colton Cowser in the third, only to have Tampa once again follow suit and tie it at two on Mesa’s RBI-single in the bottom of the inning.

Bassitt was okay for his first start off the IL. Sadly for him however, the game was still tied when he left in the top of the sixth. The O’s loaded the bases in the seventh, with first base being full due to an intentional walk to get to Dylan Beavers. And he catapulted the Orioles into the lead with a two-RBI single at 4-2.

When you’ve played as inconsistently as the Orioles have this year, and as poorly as they have at Tropicana Field, that was a huge moment. Especially given the standings, and given the fact that Tampa had won nine straight. And part of why they won nine straight is the certain amount of joie de vivre with which they operate. It’s on a frustrating frequency on which the rest of us can’t work.

The bigger play however was the eighth inning two-run homer by Gunnar Henderson. It was his twentieth home run of the season, and it gave the Birds a 6-2 lead. Which was huge…

…because of Tampa’s aforementioned joie de vivre. They were never going to go quietly. Yennier Cano came on for the ninth, and after surrendering two base hits he uncorked a wild pitch and left two runners in scoring position. He would strike out Diaz, and allow a two-RBI single to Aranda. Caminero’s RBI-groundout would record the second out, but left the O’s with no more wiggle room at 6-5.

Crag Albernaz opted to change pitchers and brought in Cal Sanders. He induced a flyout on the first pitch to Vilade, ending the inning. And the game.

Again, Tampa doesn’t go quietly. Maybe because they’re so peppy and happy. And there’s a quiet confidence about them whereby if they lose, they just come back tomorrow and try again. But end of the day, not even that attitude was enough to defeat the Orioles and get their win streak to ten.

The series continues tomorrow evening at Tropicana Field. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Ian Seymour. Game time is set for just after 6 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Power surge

Brandon Young wasn’t at his best for the Baltimore Orioles last night. Certainly not his worst, either. It was one of those famous in between starts, and You mg motored through six innings. Young’s line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R (1 earned), 3 BB, 4 K.

For what it’s worth, the previous two games had starters lifted early. So the fact that Young went six innings saved the bullpen a bit. He also qualified for a quality start.

Gunnar Henderson singled to lead off the game, and was followed by Pete Alonso. And Big Pete set the tone for the evening with a two-run home run. That gave the Birds a 2-0 lead, immediately putting Minnesota on notice.

In reality however, Henderson set the tone by getting on base. That’s what a lead off man is supposed to do. One has to hope that last night’s game is a catalyst for Henderson breaking out of his slump.

And I say that also in part because in his next at-bat in the second inning, Gunnar Henderson hit a two-run home run of his own. That doubled the Orioles lead. It also meant that Minnesota needed to score at least five to beat the Orioles. And when you’re playing a team who put up nine the day before and refused to take its foot off the gas, that makes a difference.

Young would load the bases in the last of the second. However the only run he surrendered was on an RBI-groundout by Roden. In limiting the damage, he pitched through difficulties and maintained the status quo. And he was rewarded for that, as one inning later Christian Encarnacion-Strand smacked a solo homer and extended the Orioles’ lead to 5-1.

The O’s may have another issue at catcher coming out of this game, as Yohel Pozzo got clipped by a swing in the last of the third, and had to leave the game. In short, it’s an injured thumb, and x-rays were negative. Whether a roster move is pending remains to be seen. Lee’s subsequent run-scoring double cut the lead to 5-2.

That’s an unearned run, as catcher’s interference was called on Pozzo – which is an error. That pushed a runner already at first base into scoring position, further highlighting the Orioles’ luck with catchers. Samuel Basallo and Adley Rutschman were both hurt, Rutschman was traded to Boston, Basallo’s still injured, and now one of the replacements might be down as well.

Josh Walker and Yennier Cano retired Minnesota in the seventh and eighth, and Andrew Kitteredge closed things out in the ninth. All in all, a good win for the O’s, who need to finish off the series today in strong fashion.

The series concludes this afternoon at Target Field. Shane Baz gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Zebby Matthews. Game time is set for 1:40 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Unwavering on approach since June of 2024

It would have probably stood to reason that the Baltimore Orioles would have changed things up a bit against former starter Dean Kremer last night. But they couldn’t for the most part. Trevor Rogers turned in an uncharacteristically short start on top of that, and Oriole bats couldn’t muster much until late. Rogers’ line: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 4 K.

Rogers, along with all Oriole pitchers, was tentative. As I’ve said many times, you don’t want to just throw the ball consistently right down Broadway. But you have to attack the strike zone. They don’t consistently do that, and they didn’t do it last night.

Rogers surrendered a solo home run to Martin in the third. One inning later however the Birds would actually tie the game in a fairly strange manner. With one out and runners at the corners, Tyler O’Neill struck out and Jackson Holliday was caught stealing on the base paths. However Craig Albernaz had apparently put on a double-steal, enabling Gunnar Henderson to in essence steal home plate.

However Rogers gave the lead right back. He hit the first batter of the fourth by a pitch, followed by a double by Lee – resulting in two runners in scoring position. Culpepper’s sac fly-RBI would give Minnesota the lead back at 2-1.

When you’re trying to pitch exclusively on the fringes, that will sometimes happen. In fact, Rogers hit another batter before the inning ended. Sometimes pitches get away from someone. It happens. However when you aren’t allowing a pitcher to attack the strike zone and instead consistently and tentatively pitching to the fringes of the plate, you run the risk of a pitch getting away.

Minnesota recorded two infield hits to lead off the seventh. One was in no man’s land, and Jackson Holliday didn’t have time to make the throw to first. The second was a soft bunt, compounded by a throwing error which put two runners in scoring position. When you pitch to the fringes, fringe things can happen. Jeffers’ two-run single gave Minnesota a 4-1 lead.

Later in the inning Bell’s three-run home run extended the lead to 7-1. The O’s would rally just a bit, with Coby Mayo smacking an RBI-double and Christian Encarnacion-Strand an RBI-groundout in the eighth. However Minnesota didn’t call off the dogs; they added two more in the bottom of the inning before Coby Mayo’s two-RBI double in the ninth. All in all, the Birds dropped this one 9-5.

Kremer pitched outstanding against his former team. This would be one reason you don’t help out someone with whom you’re competing directly for a postseason spot. Especially when you’re playing them in short order.

The Orioles slowly began going into a swoon in mid-June, 2024. They were never the same after that. Something changed; is it approach? Effort? Maybe even luck? Tough to say.

However as I alluded above, the Orioles cannot change their game plan. They always attack the fringes of the plate. Dean Kremer, because he was forced to do this also, knows that. If there were ever a time to maybe change up your approach, it would be against a guy who was part of said approach until a couple of weeks ago.

But whomever calls the shots in game wasn’t about to let that happen. Again, since June of 2024, the Orioles the O’s have been very rigid in how they’ve approached games from a pitching perspective. Kremer knows this. He also knows the machine won’t allow anything to change it. So he was Minnesota’s “advance scout” for this series. Minnesota hitters infernally refused to swing at anything that wasn’t right over the plate. And it worked.

And the fact that a pitcher like Kremer was able to go to a different team and throw seven innings of one-hit ball against his former team is equally incriminating. He knew that the Orioles aim only for launch angle and exit velocity. And he used that to his advantage.

Since June of 2024, the team has been managed very rigidly. This over three different managers (one of whom was an interim manager). You can’t win games on a spreadsheet. You win them on the field. It’s no mystery what the Orioles are doing. The word got out in June of 2024. And the results since then show that.

The series continues this evening at Target Field. Brandon Young gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Bailey Ober. Game time is set for 7:40 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Polar Bear plunges a stake deep in the heart of Texas

Coming into this afternoon’s series finale in Texas, the Baltimore Orioles had gotten great pitching but little in the way of hitting. Cade Povich was hoping he wouldn’t be the latest victim. The good news is he wasn’t. The bad news (for Povich) is that he didn’t stick around long enough to qualify for the win. Povich’s line: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 2 K.

The Orioles put two runners on with two outs in the first inning. Dylan Beavers’ RBI-single gave them a 1-0 lead. Leody Taveras followed with an RBI-double, and the O’s led 2-0 early on.

After Povich sent Texas down 1-2-3 in the last of the first, Colton Cowser smacked a mammoth solo homer to center in the second, and the O’s led, 3-0. Later in the inning Gunnar Henderson drew a walk, bringing Pete Alonso to the plate. And Big Pete sent a two-run homer over the left field wall, giving the Birds a 5-0 lead.

Povich was cruising, as for once were Oriole bats. However the third inning brought problems for Povich. He allowed an infield single with one out, followed with a walk with two outs having been recorded. Suddenly Povich couldn’t find a strike zone, and he surrendered a three-run home run to Nimmo which cut the lead to 5-3.

Povich got out of that inning without any further runs scoring, but he seemed spooked. That ended up being his last inning, which wasn’t a huge deal as the Oriole bullpen was well rested due to starters pitching deep (albeit in losing efforts) in the first two games of the series. You wish that Craig Albernaz would have allowed Povich to qualify for the win, but end of the day he opted for the bullpen.

In the mean time, Pete Alonso smacked his second two-run homer of the ballgame in the fourth, extending the Oriole lead to 7-3. It was Alonso’s first multi-home run game as an Oriole. And in the wake of the rough third inning, it re-centered the Orioles a bit.

Tyler O’Neill provided some insurance in the sixth with a two-run homer of his own. To further the point, Colton Cowser walked in a run in the ninth. Texas would also slide two across in the bottom of the inning – runs which meant nothing.

End of the day you wish you had won this series. However the Orioles finished it off with a bang, running away with a 10-5 victory off of Pete Alonso’s bat, deep in the heart of Texas. Hopefully the offensive output continues.

The O’s now head to Target Field to open a three-game set against Minnesota. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Dean Kremer (of course a former and very recent Oriole himself). Game time is set for 7:40 PM.