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: Cole Irvin spins a gem

It took awhile for Cole Irvin to get things going for the Baltimore Orioles last night. Not that he struggled out of the gate – he absolutely did not. But the teams say through a two hour and forty-one minute rain delay to start the game. But once it started, Oriole pitching didn’t give Cincinnati many opportunities. Irvin’s line: 6.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K.

Rain delays are tough. But as we know from the NFL, weather is the great equalizer. Both teams have to play in the same conditions, in this case, both teams had to sit through the same rain delay. As did the fans who had tickets at the Great American Ballpark.

While these were two young teams that are high-powered, it didn’t include much scoring. In fact, Irvin only qualified for the win because he came out to start the last of the seventh. Because they got the lead in the top half of that inning.

Jorge Mateo singled in the top of the seventh, and promptly stole second base. Don’t shoo that fact away. It seems like a random moment in a game, however Adley Rutschman’s RBI-single scored Mateo, giving the Orioles and Cole Irvin a 1-0 lead.

Mateo’s narrative has always been that he’s fast as lightning. And given the rain delay, that might be an apt reference in more ways than one! But speed can win you games. Swiping that bag was a big moment in the ballgame given that the next guy up doubled him home. With Mateo’s speed there’s a chance he could have scored from first on a double – there’s no doubt. But needless to say, being in scoring position can make a huge difference.

And Rutschman wasn’t on second base for long. Ryan O’Hearn’s subsequent two-run homer extended the lead to 3-0. And that’s all the Orioles would need.

The Birds did bring closer Craig Kimbrel in for the save in the ninth. It was his first appearance since blowing two saves last weekend against Oakland, and coming out of that second game with an apparent back injury. Kimbrel didn’t appear in the New York series, but bounced back last night. He struck out the side to end the game, and the Orioles defeated Cincinnati 3-0.

The series continues this evening at the Great American Ballpark. John Means gets the start for the O’s (his first start of the season after starting out on the IL), and he’ll be opposed by Cincinnati’s Andrew Abbott. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Travelogue

Following yesterday’s 7-2 victory over New York, the Baltimore Orioles hit the road. A short road trip on paper, but an even shorter one in the context of the fact that the two final games of the road trip next week will be in Washington DC for the Battle of the Beltways. Technically a road trip. But…you catch my drift.

Cincinnati and Baltimore have a unique connection. Everyone knows about Baltimore’s iconic B & O Warehouse. Heck, it’s a part of Camden Yards. But did you know that Cincinnati has one also?

The Warehouse is the eastern terminus of the B & O Railroad – Camden Station, that is. However the western terminus is in Cincinnati, and it’s marked by a train warehouse similar in appearance. The two aren’t identical copies, but they’re very similar to the naked eye. Cincinnati’s is called Longworth Hall.

In the present day, Longworth Hall is used as office space. It’s a unique location for a company to house itself, and obviously one steeped in history. So like Baltimore, Cincinnati has used its old train warehouse as a part of its modern city structure.

Obviously Baltimore’s B & O Warehouse is more well-known, mainly because of Major League Baseball. President Lincoln also passed through and spoke at Camden Station on his way to Washington for his inaugural. However even Longsworth Hall in Cincinnati has a slight tie-in to baseball. It’s located on Pete Rose Way!

After Cincinnati, the Birds return to the mid-Atlantic region for the aforementioned series in Washington. Again, technically a road series. But one within the Birds’ home region. And one that’s easily accessible to Orioles’ fans.

The cool thing about the Battle of the Beltways truly is that people show up with fans of the other side. Work colleagues, friend groups, and yes even families split down the middle. Just about everyone in this region has ties to the other side. I can tell you that personally I have lots of cousins and friends who pull for the “Curly W’s.”

And I always throw this piece of it in…my grandfather was a “semi-pro” catcher in the Washington Senators’ system. He actually had a try-out for the big league club, but he opted to be a dentist instead. It worked out. But needless to say, he had to have been a decent ballplayer for that to have been the case.

The line between home white and road grey does get blurred a bit in these games. However one thing I DON’T get is the select few who show up wearing a Nats cap and Orioles shirt – or something along those lines. It‘s fine to support both local teams. But when they play one another you have to pick one!

The series in Cincinnati opens this evening at the Great American Ballpark. Cole Irvin gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene. Game time is set for just after 6:00 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Pitcher’s duel trips up Birds

Baltimore Orioles’ bats didn’t put any runs up behind starter Corbin Burnes. That makes it tough to win. Burnes turned in one of those “in between” sort of starts – this in terms of the quality thereof. But he battled, and the fact is that he pitched well and deep enough to have earned the win. Burnes’ line: 6.0 IP, 4 H. 2 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

Again, I wouldn’t say Burnes had his top stuff tonight. But he battled. And the fact is that it took a slight bit of a quirk to beat him. Or to put runs up on him at least. You get the idea.

Trevino singled up middle in the top of the fifth. It was ruled a base hit, but Gunnar Henderson had a shot at throwing the runner out at first base. However he slipped on the outfield grass. It happens, folks. However that brought Cabrera to the plate…

…and he smacked a two-run homer. Barely, that is. He in essence curled the ball around the foul pole in right field, and it barely wrapped around fair. The umpires reviewed the play, and it was upheld.

Sometimes that’s how the ball bounces. To be clear, it was a home run – the ball went to the fair side of the pole. But any further to the right and it would have been foul. It was clear, but close.

The is also the first time the O’s have been shut out this season. It counts as one loss, and they still maintain their grasp on first place in the division – by percentage points. New York also used closer Clay Holmes for a five-out save tonight. Does that make him unavailable tomorrow in a save situation? I guess we’ll find out.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. The Orioles are yet to announce a starter, but whomever starts the game will be opposed by New York’s Carlos Rodon. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Dean Kremer deals, Birds defeat New York

Dean Kremer took the ball for the Baltimore Orioles tonight in game two of their series with New York. The Oriole bullpen was battered a bit coming in, and the O’s needed their starters to go fairly deep into these games. And Kremer delivered tonight. Kremer’s line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 4 K.

The O’s got on the board in the second as a result of a New York error. Anthony Santander was running on contact at second when Jordan Westburg grounded into a fielder’s choice to Torres at second. Torres went to try to throw Santander out, and he threw the ball square into Santander’s back. This allowed Ssntander to score, giving the O’s a 1-0 lead. The play was scored as a fielder’s choice and an error with the runners all being safe.

However an inning later Wells’ solo homer for New York tied the game at two. But you can’t waste an outing against anyone like what Dean Kremer was in the midst of turning in. Much less against New York. The O’s would put three runs up in the last of the fourth, starting with an RBI-double by James McCann. Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman would follow with RBI-singles, and the O’s led 4-1.

Soto would smack a homer onto Eutaw St. in the sixth, but that was the extent of the damage. Kremer and the O’s gave up two solo home runs in the game. And in general, that won’t hurt you. And it didn’t hurt the Birds tonight, true to form.

Jacob Webb drew the save, and he was outstanding tonight. He struck out Judge to close the eighth by mixing his pitches in an outstanding manner. And he sent New York down 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth, closing out a 4-2 win for the Orioles.

The Birds can’t lose this series. They can only split it or win it. That’s a good spot in which to be.

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Corbin Burnes gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Luis Gil. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Little things win ballgames; Birds steady the ship

With New York coming to town, the Baltimore Orioles needed a good start out of Grayson Rodriguez tonight at Camden Yards. And they got it. Maybe not quite as long as they would have wanted, but Rodriguez was largely effective against a lineup that put up two consecutive games’ worth of 15-run baseball in Milwaukee over the weekend. Rodriguez’s line: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K.

The O’s took the lead early when Gunnar Henderson smacked a solo homer in the first inning. The Oriole bullpen was also key in this game, with Cionnel Perez pitching in his second game since the first week of the season, and holding New York at bay. Cionnel Perez amongst others, that is.

We also saw how important base running was towards the end of this game. With one out the Birds had runners at first and second. Ryan O’Hearn sent a fly ball to deep center field, resulting in out number two. BUT…Gunnar Henderson tagged up and went to third base.

A moment later he would score when Anthony Santander reached on a fielding error by NY shortstop Volpe. That doubled the Oriole lead, at 2-0. And it gave them an insurance run when they needed one. Danny Coloumbe retired New York in the top of the ninth, but that insurance run certainly helped. And ultimately it helped the Birds to a big win in a big series against a division rival.

Little intangible things in games like that make a huge difference. Henderson saw an opportunity to tag up and go to third, and he took it. And nobody would have blamed him for holding. But while the box score might not necessarily show it, that helped the Orioles win the game. Make no mistake.

This was a big win. And when all’s said and done, it might be a huge one. The story of Orioles vs. NYY in 2024 is still one to be written. This was one game. But after a questionable weekend where seemingly little went correct, it was important for the Birds to win tonight. And they won it with pitching. So make no mistake that it was a big win. And maybe one to which to look back.

The series continues tomorrow at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Nestor Cortes. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Did Brandon Hyde botch the Craig Kimbrel injury situation?

Tough day for Baltimore Orioles’ pitching, namely Albert Suarez. And while Oriole bats did knock Oakland pitching around a bit, they didn’t put any runs across after the fourth inning. Suarez’s line: 7.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

You have to give Oakland a fair amount of credit. With all of the politics going on with their team and its move, they’re frisky. This when they have every reason not to be. They set the tone early when Brown smacked a solo homer, and the O’s were behind, 1-0.

However the Birds put some runners on base in the immediate aftermath, and they tied the game at one when Cedric Mullins grounded out with a runner on third. However a moment later they took a 2-1 lead on an RBI-double by Colton Cowser.

However Oakland tied it back up on Bleday’s RBI-double in the third. They would almost immediately then take a 4-2 lead on Rooker’s two-RBI single. While all of the runs indubitably count, it’s worth mentioning that several of the hits Suarez surrendered were bloops or softly-hit pop up’s. While he did surrendered runs, he didn’t do it on hard-hit balls.

But…the O’s battled back immediately. Adley Rutschman smacked a solo homer in the last of the third, cutting the lead to 4-3. Ryan Mountcastle would later smack a two-run homer, and suddenly the Birds had the lead back. One inning later Ramon Urias’ first homer of the season extended the lead to 6-4.

Oakland would smack a solo homer off the bat of Nevin in the seventh, giving Craig Kimbrel a one-run lead in the ninth. After he threw five or six balls to start the inning, manager Brandon Hyde and the training staff came out to check on Kimbrel. And the fact is that if you add together Kinbrel’s rough outing Friday combined with this, it added up that maybe he was injured.

But Hyde opted to leave Kimbrel in the game. And he promptly gave up a two-run homer to McCann which gave Oakland a 7-6 lead. At which point Hyde and the training staff came back out, and promptly removed him. A few moments later, Oakland closed out a 7-6 win, taking two-of-three from the Birds at Camden Yards.

As I write this, it’s unclear what the issue with Kimbrel is. However it appears he’s injured. Which poses a bunch of problems to the Orioles following today. However in the interim, should Brandon Hyde have lifted Kimbrel the first time he went out?

The obvious answer is yes. But we don’t know what was said, how Kimbrel was feeling, etc. It’s a tough way to lose to a team the O’s should have beaten, but the more pressing issue is what happens with Craig Kimbrel going forward. The IL is an obvious possibility, which is a problem. But let the record show that Hyde may have made a miscalculation in leaving Craig Kimbrel in the game.

The O’s begin a huge series with the NYY tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Grayson Rodriguez gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by NY’s Clarke Schmidt. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Updated: Craig Kimbrel has upper back soreness according to Brandon Hyde.

Baltimore Orioles: Big innings, homers, and pitching wins ballgames

Cole Irving got the start for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon following a tough loss to Oakland last night. As a result, the Birds needed a big outing from a starter today. And Cole Irvin delivered it for them. Irvin’s line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K.

It begins and ends with starting pitching. I’ve said that A LOT over the years of penning this column. Both in the context of good performances, as well as lackluster. Today it was in the category of the former. And Irvin’s effort helped get the O’s back on track after Friday.

However Oakland’s starter Sears was decent also. At least he was the first time through the order. As can often happen with good hitters however, he was figured out after that. Anthony Santander and Jordan Westburg smacked RBI-doubles in the last of the fourth, followed by an RBI-single by James McCann. And the Birds were off to the races.

One inning later the O’s broke it wide open. Adley Rutschman and Ryan Mountcastle each sent solo homers over the wall in the fifth. And in the last of the seventh Gunnar Henderson sent a two-run homer onto Eutaw Street. And the Orioles closed out a 7-0 win over Oakland.

We can discuss amongst ourselves what the definition of a “big inning” might be. But the Birds definitely got two “timely innings,” needless to say. That always helps. And combined with quality starting pitching, it’s deadly.

For what it’s worth, the Orioles are also looking to get both Kyle Bradish and John Means back in the very near future. Which helps bolster the rotation. While they didn’t want to have to send down Jackson Holiday, they sent him down to get some additional seasoning. We’ll certainly hear from him again sooner rather than later.

The series with Oakland concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Albert Suarez gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Oakland’s Paul Blackburn. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles hold onto defeat Anaheim, take series

Dean Kremer wanted to pitch into today’s game for longer than he did for the Baltimore Orioles tonight. But sometimes that’s not how things shake down. He was excellent for the O’s this afternoon, as they defeated Anaheim and took the series two games to one. The Orioles also took the season series with Anaheim. Kremer’s line: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 10 K.

The ten strikeouts stick out for sure. Kremer was good today, although he tired abruptly. He took a no-hitter into the sixth inning.

The Birds took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third when Gunnar Henderson smacked a solo homer. Two innings later Adley Rutschman’s RBI-single doubled the lead to 2-0. Jorge Mateo and Gunnar Henderson would add RBI-singles of their own in the sixth (Henderson’s was a two-RBI single), and the Orioles led 5-0.

The O’s would tack on one more later in the inning when Ryan Mountcastle grounded into a double-play with a runner at third, scoring one more run. The O’s appeared to be coasting. But that one run meant the world in the end.

Anaheim chipped away. Trout and Ward smacked homers in the last of the sixth. Ward’s was a two-run shot, and that cut the lead in half at 6-3. Neto would add a solo shot in the eighth, However as we went to the ninth, Anaheim put a runner on third base due to a throwing error. That runner would score on O’Hoppe’s RBI-groundout.

With the lead at one, closer Craig Kimbrel walked a runner with two outs. That runner attempted to steal, however Adley Rutschman threw him out at second base to end the game.

End of the day, it’s a win. And a series win. But you don’t want to do it holding on like that. However again, a win’s a win.

Baltimore Orioles: The Magic of Disney for Albert Suarez

The Baltimore Orioles opened a series in Los Angeles last night. Technically Anaheim – Disney. You get the idea. The Birds sent Albert Suarez to the mound for what amounts to another spot start, and they got exactly what they needed out of him. Suarez’s line: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K.

For Suarez, it was his first MLB win since June of 2016. This about that; you think a few things have happened since then?! Suarez pitched well for the Birds in his last outing, but didn’t qualify for the win. Manager Brandon Hyde commented after the game:

I thought he made some nice adjustments in the game. Him and [catcher James] McCann started working well together. They started throwing a lot more changeups and cutters. Hitters couldn’t just sit fastball on him. Once again, he gave us a great start.

Quote courtesy of Brent Maguire, MLB.com

Speaking of James McCann, he got the O’s started on the scoreboard in the second inning with a solo homer. Adley Rutschman’s RBI-single an inning later padded the lead. In his next turn at bat, Rutschman tacked on an RBI-double, this in the top of the fifth. Colton Cowser would also homer in the seventh.

And it’s a darned good thing he did. Anaheim mounted a semi-comeback. Adell got them on the board in the last of the seventh with a solo homer. Schanuel’s RBI-single later in the inning cut the lead to 4-2. However the Oriole bullpen was able to button things up, and the Birds went onto a 4-2 victory.

The series continues tonight at Angel Stadium. Grayson Rodriguez gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Anaheim’s Griffin Canning. Game time is set for just after 9:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Series win in Kansas City

The Baltimore Orioles came into today needing a strong start out of Cole Irvin, following two long outings for the Oriole bullpen. And they got it. Irvin turned in perhaps his best start with the orange and black this afternoon at Kauffman Stadium, his part in defeating Kansas City. Irvin’s line: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K.

Irvin pitched to contact, something we’ve seen a lot out of the Orioles thus far in 2024. Which is only possible if your pitchers are overpowering hitters. And Oriole pitchers are doing just that. But it’s not being done in turn to Oriole hitters. Which again, is a good trend.

The O’s got back-to-back solo homers in the third inning. Colton Cowser went yard, followed by Jordan Westburg. Now again, both of those were solo homers. But they count as runs, and it means the opponent needs to score two (and then three) in order to beat you. They add up.

The Birds struck again in the sixth. Ryan Mountcastle’s RBI-double plated Anthony Santander, and extended the lead to 3-0. The O’s would then proceed to load the bases, and Jordan Westburg drew a walk. And the O’s led , 4-0.

And when you have a lead and get good pitching (starting pitching and relief), you’re good to go. The Orioles shut down Kansas City bats the rest of the way, and coasted to a 5-0 victory. Yes, 5-0; they got a pinch hit infield RBI-single from Ramon Urias in the ninth. And they left Kansas City with a game and a series victory.

One thing of note; Jackson Holliday’s struggles since coming to the big leagues have been well-documented. This at the plate; we did see him make an outstanding play in the field today at second base. However I noticed that he’s getting victimized on the corners of the plate. Anything borderline is being called a ball.

Now it’s fair to question what he’s done to deserve getting borderline pitches. However opposing pitchers are also taking notice, and in short they’re nibbling on the corners. They know that if it’s close, Holliday may well look at it, and they’ll get the call. Just an observation.

The O’s now head to Los Angeles to open a three-game set at Angel Stadium. Al Suarez gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by LA’s Reid Detmers. Game time is set for just after 9:30 PM.