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: Can’t hit to southpaws and a lack of situational hitting

Shane Baz became only the latest Baltimore Orioles pitcher to throw a quality start in a losing effort last night. The Birds are starting to get decent starting pitching, and at times those outings are wasted because the bats can’t get anything going. Baz’s line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 3 K.

The real villain of last night’s loss to the Chicago Cubs is the fact that the Birds haven’t been able to hit left handed pitching all year. Chicago starter Boyd is a southpaw. Which all but doomed the Orioles before the game even started. The sad thing is that the O’s have improved against lefties. In the beginning of the season they were at risk of getting no hit by them at first.

Last night’s game began in a 56-minute weather delay. The rain never quite came, and the field was never covered. Yet the game was delayed. Mercifully when it did Gunnar Henderson recorded a base hit in the first inning, meaning that the Chicago southpaw wasn’t going to no-hit the Birds.

Chicago took a 1-0 lead in the third on an RBI-single by Bregman. However Baz limited the damage and got out of the inning. Crow-Armstrong’s RBI-single in the fifth extended the lead, as did Bregman’s fielder’s choice-RBI. And the O’s trailed 3-0.

The Orioles had chances in this game. They put two runners on in the fourth without recording an out. However what looked at first like a promising inning quickly faded. Boyd struck out the next three Orioles to get out of the inning.

A lack of situational hitting is as much to blame with the Orioles’ struggles (with pitchers from both sides) as anything. Granted, Samuel Basallo was the first hitter to come up in the fourth with two on. But a well-placed bunt would push both runners into scoring position. A sacrifice fly would then scratch across a run.

Instead, the O’s are swinging away. And opposing teams are taking advantage. It’s almost as if the Birds are surrendering the advantage when in theory they have it. But you have to push those runners into scoring position in that situation. Many will say that’s giving away outs; but isn’t that better than three strikeouts? Incidentally, you can’t even totally blame the players for that. You can blame them for not executing, but the decision to put on a bunt play or not isn’t theirs.

Chicago would push a fourth run across in the seventh with Busch’s sac fly-RBI. The Orioles finally did put two up in the bottom of the inning with a two-RBI single by Adley Rutschman. However Chicago would tack an insurance run across in the eighth on an RBI-single by Swanson, to lead them to a 5-2 win.

The Orioles are one-dimensional. The lineup which came down last night was intended to beat a lefty. First off, that lineup didn’t do that. However whichever program that is used from above the field to decipher the lineup day in and day out only take the matchups and potential into account. It doesn’t pay any attention to things such as situational hitting. Rendering results such as this.

The series continues this evening at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Colin Rea. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles’ Kyle Bradish a hard-luck loser

The Baltimore Orioles’ Kyle Bradish almost achieved a statistical anomaly this afternoon in Cincinnati. He almost pitched a complete game in a losing effort. Needless to say, Bradish goes down as a hard-luck loser this afternoon for the Orioles; he was outstanding. Bradish’s line: 7.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

Needless to say, it’s about commanding the zone. Bradish did that today. He retired the first twelve hitters Cincinnati sent up, before allowing a walk to lead off the fifth. That brought Steer to the plate, who smacked a two-run homer. The ball barely made it over the wall. But it was enough.

But Bradish rebounded. That was but a mere blip in the radar in a sense. Until the end, that is. The O’s would get on the board in the sixth on an RBI-single by Coby Mayo. The O’s would proceed to leave the bases loaded that inning, which never bodes well.

I want to give both Bradish and manager Craig Albernaz credit. Albernaz went to the mound with two outs in the eighth and a runner on second to lift Bradish – again after a great outing and a quality start. But Bradish talked him out of it. All of the analytics said to change pitchers there. But Albernaz relented.

That shoes feel for the game. Which is what the Orioles have lacked to this point in many cases. That doesn’t mean it always works out; in this case, Bradish surrendered an RBI-double to Stewart, the O’s trailed 3-1.

Many fans will say that’s why you should trust the analytics. I reject that sentiment. Feel for the game and standing behind your players means more. Sport often mimics life; nothing in life is set in stone. With each day we leave everything to chance.

This isn’t a video game; sometimes the other guy’s going to win. And you accept those moments with grace. But if the last two years’ of Orioles’ baseball tells us anything, it should be that you can’t use a computer to achieve a projected outcome in the real world. It doesn’t work that way.

And the O’s did make it interesting in the ninth. They loaded the bases and Gunnar Henderson’s sac fly-RBI cut the lead and the final to 3-2. End of the day, the elusive four-game winning streak still hasn’t happened. But overall the Birds took two-of-three in the Emerald City over the weekend. There are worse spots in which to be.

Baltimore Orioles brought back by a big inning

It wasn’t always a guarantee that Brandon Young was going to make it deep into tonight’s game for the Baltimore Orioles in Cincinnati. Young had a rough second inning, needless to say. But to Craig Albernaz’s credit, he stuck with the young right hander. And it paid off. Young’s line: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 5 K.

I’ve said many times that pitchers will have ten good starts, ten bad, and ten in between. That last category is where the success or failure of your season lies. Tonight Brandon Young was able to work through some choppy waters and stuck around enough to qualify for the win.

In short, the story of this game is pitchers’ vulnerabilities being taken advantage of. The O’s did it early against Cincinnati’s Greene, who was making his first start of the season. Gunnar Henderson led the game off with a walk, and Pete Alonso walked later in the inning with two outs. Samuel Basallo then smacked his second home run in as many games, this one of the three-run variety. And the Birds led, 3-0.

Cincinnati would get one back in the bottom of the inning on an RBI-single by Suarez. However the Cincinnati rally would continue in the second. Following a leadoff single, Trevino’s RBI-double would cut the lead to 3-2. Friedl’s RBI-triple would tie the game at three, and Cincinnati would take the lead at 4-3 on De La Cruz’s RBI-single.

The startling thing was the O’s surrendering the lead in one fatal swoop after taking it. We’ve seen that far too often this year, and in many cases the O’s couldn’t come back. Tonight wasn’t one of those times.

The turning point in the game overall was a fourth inning at-bat by Jackson Holliday, The O’s had two on with nobody out, and Holliday was attempting to lay down a sacrifice bunt – which is not something Holliday usually does. While he struggled to get the bunt down, the pitcher Greene uncorked a wild pitch – allowing both runners to scoot into scoring position. That saved the Orioles an out, and it still got the job done.

Holliday would end up walking, and Blaze Alexander’s subsequent two-RBI single gave the O’s the lead back at 5-4. Adley Rutschman tacked on a two-RBI double, and Pete Alonso an RBI-single. That expanded the Orioles’ lead to 8-4.

The impressive part is that the Orioles came back. And they did it with a big inning, something which has evaded them a lot of the year. And as I’ve said often this season, things happen when you get guys on base. Jackson Holliday isn’t a great bunter. To Craig Alberbaz’s credit, he told Holliday to get a bunt down so as to have the O’s stay out of a double-play. But things can happen with guys on base – in this case a wild pitch. And that began the rally.

Cincinnati would tack one on in the seventh on an infield RBI-single by Suarez. End of the day this is a series with two teams in similar spots. However the Orioles showed that they were the better team. Thus far at least. This was a good team win, and hopefully one on which they can build.

With the 8-5 win, the Orioles have won the series in Cincinnati. Tomorrow is yet another shot at winning four in a row. It would also be a series sweep if the O’s can win. Incidentally this game couldn’t have been won without Colton Cowser making a diving catch with runners on base in the ninth, saving at least one run.

It was also announced during the game that catcher Adley Rutschman was selected to his third All-Star game, representing the Orioles. A well-deserved honor, and one that manager Craig Albernaz announced to the team prior to the game starting. Rutschman will be at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on the AL All-Star team on July 14th.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at Great American Ballpark. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Cincinnati’s Nick Lodollo. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: An emerald win in Cincy

The Baltimore Orioles sent Trevor Rogers to the mound last night in Cincinnati to open a three-game series. If it begins and ends with starting pitching, it began and ended last night with Trevor Rogers setting the tone for the ballgame. He only went five innings, but that’s all the Orioles needed. Rogers’ line: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 4 K.

As we’ve said previously, things happen when you put the ball in play or guys on base. With two on in the first, Pete Alonso was called out on strikes to record the second out of the inning – and of the game. The O’s attempted a double steal on the play, with Gunnar Henderson trying for third. As he slid in safely, he was also able to score on a throwing error with the ball going into left field.

Again, you never know what’s going to happen when you put people on base. In that instance it yielded the Orioles a run. With a runner at third and two outs in the third, it did the same. This time however, it came on a two-run homer by Samuel Basallo. And the Orioles led, 3-0.

As great as Rogers was, the bullpen equaled him. They put up zero’s across every inning. Most notably, with Ryan Helsley again on the IL, one question was who was going to close. Last night it was Tyler Wells, who put up zero’s just like the rest of his pitching brethren. And the Birds sailed to a 3-0 victory in the opening game in the Emerald City.

The series continues this evening at the Great American Ballpark. Brandon Young gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene. Game time is set for 7:10 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: You often decide whether you win or lose on your own

Trey Gibson started what might have been his final game for the Baltimore Orioles for the time being tonight. Dean Kremer is expected to be recalled off the IL to make the start in tomorrow’s game. I would expect Gibson to be the corresponding move. Gibson’s line: 2.2 IP, 7 H, 8 R, 6 BB, 5 K.

Trey Gibson didn’t totally NOT command the strike zone tonight. When he did, over the course of his short start, he recorded outs. But when he shifted to pitching on the fringes, he got hit HARD. Which mind you, is the EXACT OPPOSITE of what the idea of nibbling in an intended to do. I

t’s intended to induce putting the ball in play – resulting in an out, of course. Needless to say, they’re putting the ball in play against Oriole pitching this year. And last.

The teams traded runs in the first – Chicago on a Benintendi RBI-double, and the Birds on an RBI-single by Samuel Basallo. Benintendi reached base again to lead off the third, followed by a two-run home run by Montgomery which gave Chicago a 3-1 lead. And that home run was hit a LONG WAY. Off of a low slider, for the record.

Gonzalez’s two-RBI single later in the inning extended the lead to 5-1. That came on a pitch well on the lowest of the lower fringes of the strike zone. The ball hit its spot, but Gonzalez was waiting for it. It’s no mystery what the Orioles are doing, and that became more evident later in the inning when Perez’s there-run home run broke the game wide open at 8-3.

That came on a curve in the zone. However it was the first pitch of the at-bat. Why you would start an at-bat on a curve ball is beyond me. Pitchers at times do that so as to steal a first-pitch strike. It didn’t work. It hasn’t worked all year. When teams hit pitchers the way they do those of the Orioles, they either know exactly what’s coming, or they got lucky. Or both. Interpret as you wish.

Save for a Gonzalez RBI-double in the fourth off of Josh Walker, the Oriole bullpen was very solid. Especially Albert Suarez. People who want to stir trouble will argue that the ChiSox called off the dogs. Whether they did or didn’t is beside the point. The Orioles bullpen was strong tonight, which got the Orioles through. It also may have saved a reliever for tomorrow in a bad situation tonight.

The Birds did get an RBI-double by Dylan Beavers and an RBI-single by Pete Alonso in the fifth which cut the lead to 9-3. But again, the bullpen was strong tonight. It may have been the lone bright spot.

I maintain that you can’t nibble on the fringes of the plate. Opponents are well aware of the fact that the Orioles either want to do that, or have to do that. And guys are either ready for the nibble job, or they’re stealing signs. Or both. Either way, balls are going a long way.

So my point would be to attack the strike zone. If you do and they hit the ball a long way, then you know that you need better pitchers. And again, look at how many balls get hit strangely or at weird angles. Look at how many balls get buried in the corners, well away from outfielders – who are playing too deep to have a shot at the balls.

Could that be due in part to the fact that Orioles pitching is throwing so much off the plate and guys are going so far out of the zone that the balls come off the bat oddly? How many more strange bounces will we need to see before it’s understood that exactly the tactics that are meant to stop these things are causing them?

Incidentally, the same is true with the training staff. The Front Office dismissed Brian Ebert, who had been with the team for a long time – this after 2024, and after Ebert was on the All-Star staff that year. As soon as the “new regime” came in, it was injuries galore. So when exactly will they realize that something is off?

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Neither side has announced a starter, although again it’s assumed to be Dean Kremer for the Orioles. Game time is set for just after 12:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Computers can’t play the game before it happens

Shane Baz turned in an outstanding start tonight for the Baltimore Orioles. A quality start at that. The Orioles simply couldn’t get any run support behind him. Baz’s line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 6 K.

I’m not sure how many times I’ve said this, but if you command the strike zone you can win games. Baz did that tonight, and he put the O’s in a spot to win the ballgame. The bats just couldn’t capitalize.

Gunnar Henderson led the game off with a double, which was good to see from his perspective. He would advance to third on a flyout, and score on Adley Rutschman’s sac fly-RBI.

The lead didn’t last past the third as Gonzalez’s RBI-double would tie it at one. Another one of those ball which went all the way to the wall, splitting the outfielders. Is it possible that the Orioles’ outfield was ill-positioned to allow for any nuance?

Chicago would take the lead later in the inning when Teel hit a ball off the mound to Gunnar Henderson at short. However the ball grazing the mound seemed to throw Gunnar off a bit, and he couldn’t make the throw. That allowed a run to score, and the O’s trailed 2-1.

Adley Rutschman would tie the game back up at two in the bottom of the inning with another sac fly-RBI. You have to figure that it’s incriminating on some level that the team which was supposed to live by the home run ball scored only two sacrifice flies tonight.

However they were picked up by Shane Baz. Even on that Teel RBI I mentioned above; after Henderson ate the ball, it was Baz who threw it home to get the final out at home plate on the trail runner. He pitched well enough to win. But the bats didn’t do much to help.

Baz departed however after seven innings. Grant Wolfram immediately hit a batter, who later scored on Montgomery’s RBI-double. Wolfram had Montgomery in a two-strike count, but couldn’t put him out. On top of that Grichuk’s RBI-single extended the Chicago lead to 4-2.

On paper that’s the story. But there’s more to it. For starters, Grichuk challenged two strike calls in the at-bat that were overturned to balls. When he did hit the ball, the runner (Montgomery) appeared to be out at home plate ending the inning. The home plate umpire actually called him out at first.

However the ball was dislodged from Adley Rutschman’s glove at the last second, and Montgomery was safe. It wasn’t a play that appeared destined to score a runner from first. But Chicago was aggressive and it worked out for them.

Things like that add up. One inning later, Chicago put two runners in scoring position after Gunnar Henderson couldn’t snag a ball hit to him at short. It was ruled an extra-base hit, but it’s a play Henderson should have made. The ball kind of dove right before it got to Henderson; Gonzalez’s subsequent two-RBI single extended the lead to 6-2.

On top of that, Teel sent a bouncer to Blaze Alexander at third, and it took a short hop in front of him and went into left field. That was a two-run error, and Chicago went home 8-3 winners. Like so many things this season, this game took a huge number of strange hops on the Orioles.

The Orioles have an over-reliance on analytics or Sabre metrics. Where it comes from or on whose orders it’s implemented is irrelevant. But it’s well known that they rely heavily on numbers and analytics over anything else.

But you have to temper that with feel for the game. It’s almost as if the Orioles assume that the game is played and thus over before it starts. The computer tells you the probability of success based on what you input. It infernally CANNOT play the game for you. As many games in baseball are won or lost on the fringes, that’s dangerous.

Look back to yesterday; Coby Mayo’s throw short-hopped Samuel Basallo. You can talk until you’re blue in the face that the numbers say this or that, but the numbers don’t play the game. Quirky things happen in games that computers can’t predict or understand. In fact, the computer may well explode knowing that its probability was off.

Probability isn’t a guarantee. The game is still played by human beings. And part of the story of human beings is that they’re flawed. Also unpredictable. So when your game plan is. Asked on a computer or AI, you’re backing yourself into a modus operandi in ink. Neither baseball, nor the world, is played or managed in ink. It’s done in pencil.

You have to adapt and change. Managing by analytics only doesn’t allow much leeway, and thus doesn’t allow you to adapt and change. If you’re so rigid that a dropped ball at home plate, a short-hopped throw, or splitting the defense on ill-positioned outfielders beats you every time, you aren’t putting yourself in a spot to win. All of those things combined? You’re really in trouble.

Instead you have a Chicago team which doesn’t have the skill of the Orioles and other teams. Yet they’re outperforming all of them. Why? Because they take the game as it comes. This as opposed to having the computer manage the game before it’s even played.

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Trey Gibson gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Erick Fedde. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles haunted by walks, errors, and too much precision in loss to Washington

Kyle Bradish was looking to build off of his previous start in Anaheim this afternoon for the Baltimore Orioles in the series finale against Washington. Bradish attacked the strike zone early. However as his outing went on he began to get too precise on his spots. Which is shocking because that modus operandi hasn’t worked for Oriole pitchers all year. Bradish’s line: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 4 R (3 earned), 5 BB, 2 K.

Bradish was effective early in the game. In fact, on top of that the Orioles had a lead. Pete Alonso smacked a two-run home run in the first inning. This on the heels of a base bit by Adley Rutschman, who returned from the concussion IL this afternoon.

However as we’ve seen all year, the O’s get out to an early lead only to sort of stop there. Bradish started getting too cute in the third, And it seemed to happen as usual – with two outs. It’s almost as if Bradish stopped trusting his stuff.

He issued two walks on pitches on the fringes. Garcia then smacked a two-RBI double that split the defenders and went all the way to the wall. This on a high slider – which shouldn’t have gone that far. When you try too hard to hit such a fine spot, you sometimes miss. And that can be the result.

To make matters worse, Bradish in a way did seem to right himself. Sort of. He induced the next hitter, Mead, to ground to third. A routine play that would have been the final out of the inning. However Coby Mayo’s throw took a short hop in front of Samuel Basallo, who was making his first start at first base today. The ball got by Basallo, allowing the run to score and giving Washington a 3-2 lead.

On a side note, that’s an error on Coby Mayo. With Rutschman back in the lineup, Craig Alberbaz wanted to keep Basallo in the lineup. Coby Mayo has to know that he has a novice at first. Maybe put a little extra on the throws today.

Bradish continued to be too fine, however. As I said, it appeared he wasn’t trusting his fastball. The misses weren’t egregious, but the pitches were out of the zone. Hence the five walks. It’s a valuable lesson in a way; if you try to be too perfect you’ll be anything but.

Bradish was lifted after a walk in the fifth. The problem of course was that Garcia smacked a two-run home run extending the lead to 5-2. Nothing good ever happens after a walk. On top of that, Garcia would send a solo shot over the wall in the seventh (umpire reviewed).

But the O’s also battled back in the seventh as well. Jackson Holliday’s two-run homer cut the lead to 6-4. However they couldn’t get any closer, falling 6-4. End of the day, you have to pick yourself up and go on. That’s how baseball works. Never allow yourself to reach rock bottom.

The Mayo error stands out. So do the walks. And the pitch selection thus by extension.

The O’s now open a three-game set with the ChiSox tomorrow at Camden Yards. Shane Baz gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Sean Burke. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Results don’t dictate right and wrong

Out of all the plays in the Baltimore Orioles’ 4-3 loss to Washington last night, none of them are scrutinized as much as a moment in the last of the tenth. Nevermind the strikeouts or anything else. But lots of people are talking about the contact play.

The Orioles of course had a ghost runner on second to start the inning (in the form of Jeremiah Jackson). He moved to third on a Jackson Holliday groundout. So the Birds had one out and the tying run at third. In extra innings.

The question in this situation is whether or not the team at bat has the contact play on. Meaning will the runner at third break for home on contact (at the crack of the bat). The alternative of course is waiting to see if it’s safe to run.

Taylor Ward grounded the ball to third, and in fact the contact play was on. Jackson was dead in the water at home plate. To make matters worse, Gunnar Henderson immediately got on base with a single – which would have tied the game had the runner held up at third.

In general I believe in playing conservatively in games. However this is situational baseball in a sense. If that exact same scenario (with a real runner having hit his was to third in lieu of a ghost runner) plays out in the third inning, there’s no reason to have the contact play on. Do teams (including the Orioles) do it? All the time. And it’s frustrating.

But you’re down by one in extra innings. The situations ARE NOT the same. You need one run to extend the game – and then let things lie where they may. Having the runner break for home on contact was the right move.

People may ask, why is it okay in extra’s but not earlier? When you play for one run, often you’re going to get one run (at best). Earlier in the game you might look for a big inning. Plus you have time to make your move to make up one run. Down one in the tenth, you need exactly one run to extend the game. It makes sense to run on contact there.

In anything, you can’t let the result dictate whether or not something was fundamentally sound. It’s very unfortunate when you do the right thing and it works to your detriment. But you can’t second-guess making the correct move. And having the runner go on contact was the correct move in that situation.

Baltimore Orioles: Tough loss in extra’s

Brandon Young labored through five innings tonight for the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards against Washington tonight. He made one bad pitch, and suffered a few unfortunate bounces and rolls. Such is life as a starter at times. Young’s line: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 8 K.

Young surrendered a ground rule double to Lile in the second. Leody Taveras appeared to have it in his grasp, but it sailed on him and bounced into the stands. Vivas folllwed with a softly-hit RBI-single to left field giving Washington a short-lived 1-0 lead. in the bottom of the frame Chadwick Tromp’s run-scoring single tied the game at one.

The tie only lasted a couple of innings, however. Garcia smacked a deep home run onto Eutaw Street in the fifth. That was the one bad pitch that Brandon Young threw. But solo home runs shouldn’t hurt you. Unless you allow them to.

Blaze Alexander committed an error to lead off the sixth, allowing a runner to get to second. Millas’ run-scoring single would extend Washington’s lead to 3-1. However Garcia came up again in what ended up being the end of the inning. I say that because Garcia sent a shot off the wall in right. Tyler O’Neill relayed the ball in, while the Washington third base coach inexplicably waved the runner from first around. And the Orioles had the final out of the inning at home.

That was a huge play. This as we found out later. This is why I say not to take risks in games. Over-aggression at times can cost you runs. And wins.

However the O’s made no attempt to hold Washington accountable for that – until the eighth inning. Washington starter Griffin, who was as outstanding as outstanding can be, was lifted due to his high pitch count. That’s all the Birds needed.

With two outs in the last of the eighth, Pete Alonso’s RBI-double cut the lead to 3-2. Craig Albernaz pinch hit Samuel Basallo for Coby Mayo. First pitch swinging, Basallo stroked an RBI-single tight down the first base line. That tied the game at three.

Unfortunately for the O’s however, Washington is a team who can take advantage of the ghost runner in extra innings better than most. Because they’re capable of spraying the ball all over the place if need be. They get on base. Lile’s run-scoring single in the top of the tenth gave them a 4-3 lead.

The O’s would load the bases with two out in the last of the tenth, but Samuel Basallo grounded out to end the game. This is the sort of game that has bounced and skips which decided it. It’s easy to point at the Orioles’ errors as incriminating- and they are. But the game ends in nine if the Washington runner isn’t thrown out at home. Tough loss, but it’s a game of margins.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Washington’s Zack Littell. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Pitching rules the night

It begins and ends with starting pitching – for the Baltimore Orioles and all other teams. They got it last night from Trevor Rogers against Washington. As much as people try to say bullpens matter more now, they just don’t. There’s no substitute for solid starting pitching. Rogers’ line: 6.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 7 K.

Rogers attacked the strike zone so much that he didn’t even issue a walk. He overpowered Washington hitters. Mind you, the Washington Nationals are baseball’s highest scoring team. Trevor Rogers shut them down.

The O’s ran themselves out of an inning in the second when Leody Taveras was caught stealing with two outs and runners on the corners. Rogers also got himself into a slight bit of a pickle in the fourth. Washington put two runners in scoring position after a softly hit double and a softly hit single. The sort of thing that’s plagued the Birds all year. But he pitched out of that, including an out recorded at home plate.

In their half of the frame the O’s also put two runners in scoring position. Jackson Holliday drew a walk, loading the bases. The Orioles would then take a 2-0 lead on Blaze Alexander’s two-RBI single. Alexander would later be thrown out at third on a Taylor Ward single, and the out was recorded before Jackson Holliday crossed home plate – negating a third run.

That’s the second time in a few weeks that’s happened. Both times it was Alexander being thrown out before Holliday could touch home plate. Whether it’s Holliday lallygagging around the bases or Alexander making poor decisions on the base paths – or both, you can’t give away runs. Especially in close ballgames.

Washington would cut the lead in half in the fifth on an RBI-single by Ruiz. Rogers was pulled in the seventh with one on and one out. Again, this after an outstanding outing, albeit after only 87 pitches. My personal opinion was that Craig Albernaz pulled him too early. However Tyler Wells picked up right where Rogers left off, ending the inning.

Coby Mayo’s RBI-double in the last of the seventh gave the Orioles the insurance run they needed. Grant Wolfram set up Ryan Helsley for the ninth, and he sent Washington down 1-2-3. With the win, the O’s got the taste of Wednesday’s game in Anaheim out of their mouths.

The series continues tonight at Camden Yards. Brandon Young gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Washington’s Foster Griffin. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.