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: Are the Birds gassed?

Dean Kremer picked a bad time to have a clunker of a start for the Baltimore Orioles. He had a rough second inning, getting out of it having thrown 49 pitches over the first two. Which set the tone for the game going onward Kremer’s line: 3.1 IP, 7 H, 6 R (3 earned), 2 BB, 3 K.

The O’s appeared like they were about to take an early hold of the game – and actually they briefly did. Anthony Santander’s RBI-double in the first got them on the board. He would later score on a wild pitch. However Cleveland evened the score right away with an RBI-double and a sac fly.

One inning later they took a 3-2 lead on Straw’s RBI-single. But again, it was Gunnar Henderson who sparked the Birds. His RBI-double in the third tied the game at three. He would later score on a throwing error by Cleveland pitcher Bieber, scored as Adley Rutschman reaching on a fielder’s choice, and Henderson scoring on the error. Anthony Santander would single Rutschman home, and the O’s appeared to have resorted order to things and led 5-3.

However Cleveland retook the lead again with a three-run fourth. And they do it by paper cutting you to death. They hit the ball softly and somehow it finds grass. It’s a tactic that a lot of teams seemingly get away with – in short they don’t push. They don’t try too hard. And it works.

Does that mean the O’s need to stop pressing? Tough to say. Nothing works forever and all the time. The O’s would tie it back up in the seventh on an RBI-single by Anthony Santander. But AGAIN Cleveland came back. Brennen’s RBI-single in the seventh gave them a 7-6 lead.

The O’s did come back again however, and as late as you possibly can. Aaron Hicks’ two-RBI double with two outs in the ninth briefly gave the Orioles an 8-7 lead. But again, Cleveland picked them to death. Fry’s two-RBI double in the last of the ninth gave Cleveland a 9-8 win.

The Orioles’ 1.5 game lead in the AL East was sustained by virtue of Tampa falling to Toronto. Their magic number also went down to six as a result of that game. So it wasn’t necessarily a total loss of a day – per se.

But the Orioles appear tired; specifically, the pitching staff. And understandably so. While it’s been a successful season, it’s also been a long one. I’m not exactly sure what can be done in the way of roster moves, but…it’s a thought.

The Birds are off Monday, so that certainly helps. However this issue illustrates why it’s so supremely important that they win the division. If Tampa overtakes them, then they have to go to the Wild Card series (presumably at home). They’d get a day off after the end of the regular season, and then go into the Wild Card the next day.

Winning the division gives them a break before the ALDS. They need that more than any other team. And Tampa, while losing yesterday, seemingly has endless exuberance and energy. The O’s need to stop the bleeding.

The series on Cleveland continues tonight at Progressive Field. John Means gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Cleveland’s Cal Quantrill. Game time is set for just after 6 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Death by a thousand paper cuts

Grayson Rodriguez put the Baltimore Orioles in a spot to win this evening at Progressive Field in Cleveland. But that wasn’t enough, and it isn’t enough at this stage of the game. The O’s need wins, not to be put in positions to win. Rodriguez’s line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 7 K.

Rodriguez gave up his two runs at the end of his outing. Ramirez’s RBI-single and Naylor’s sac fly- RBI gave Cleveland a 2-0 lead in the fifth. However the Birds came back to tie it up in the eighth. With two runners in scoring position, Anthony Santander’s RBI-ground out and Ryan O’Hearn’s RBI-double tied the game at two.

The O’s brought Cionel Perez in to pitch in the last of the eighth, and he began by hitting Cleveland’s Naylor. A steal, an infield single, and two walks later, and Perez walked in a run. This gave Cleveland the lead back at 3-2.

(Bo) Naylor would send a flair pop down the right field line that would tick off of Adam Frazier’s glove and fall for an RBI-single. Arias’ RBI-groundout would extend the Cleveland lead to 5-2. Which would up being the final.

The Orioles’ lead in the AL East fell to 1.5 games with the loss. The magic number remains at 7 to clinch the AL East. This with Tampa getting set to play Toronto this weekend.

The concerning thing is that the Orioles were paper cut to death in the end. In that eighth inning, Cleveland put across five runs without getting an extra base hit. That’s almost tough to do. We saw this as well back in May when Cleveland was at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. And it seems fairly typical of Midwest teams.

The series continues tomorrow night at Progressive Field. Dean Kremer gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Cleveland’s Shane Bieber. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: James McCann’s safety squeeze the key in another Texas-sized win

Kyle Gibson only lasted into the fifth inning last night for the Baltimore Orioles. However that doesn’t mean Gibson pitched poorly per se. But the O’s are in a pennant race, so in effect they’re already playing postseason games. And you have to manage a postseason game differently. Gibson’s line: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 5 K.

Ryan O’Hearn stayed hot for the Birds, sending a two-run homer over the wall in the top of the first. However Houston quickly tied the game, with Tucker snacking a two-run homer in the bottom of the frame. Don’t look so surprised, folks. Houston’s the defending champion. They aren’t going down without a fight.

But if the 2023 Orioles have proven anything, it’s that they’re no slouch. Austin Hays came through big in the third, smacking a three-run home run and giving the Orioles a 5-2 lead. But again…Houston’s the defending champion. They aren’t going to go quietly, especially in their home yard. Bregman’s solo homer in the last of the third brought them to within 5-3.

Yet, nobody told the Orioles that they were supposed to stop scoring. Or that Houston wanted them to do so, at least. James McCann came through clutch in the sixth. With runners at the corners he put down a safety squeeze, forcing in a run. And he slid triumphantly into first base, making it an infield RBI-single.

Before the inning ended Gunnar Henderson added an RBI-single, extending the lead to 7-3. Diaz would bring Houston back to within two with a two-run homer in the last of the sixth, but the O’s weren’t relenting, deep in the heart of Texas. Austin Hays smacked his second homer of the game in the seventh, a solo shot. Heston Kjerstad followed suit with one of his own, and the O’s cruised to a 9-5 win.

The key play was McCann’s RBI-single in the sixth. The last thing you’re expecting there is for McCann to put down a squeeze bunt. In a game where Houston was already perpetually on their heels and playing from behind, that really cemented things in a sense. It also kept the Orioles out of a double-play, setting up the inning for additional damage.

The series concludes this afternoon at Minute Maid Park. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Houston’s Cristian Javier. Game time is set for just after 2 PM.

Baltimore Orioles lifted by Cedric Mullins deep in the heart of Texas

John Means took the ball for the second time this season for the Baltimore Orioles last night. Another shortish outing to be sure, although he was in line for the win when he left. Means’ line: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 1 K.

Means’ line run surrendered came on an RBI-double by Tucker in the first inning. But the O’s would tie it in the third. Adley Rutschman’s sac fly-RBI would tie the game. Two innings later Ryan O’Hearn would smack a two-RBI single, which gave the O’s the lead at 3-1.

Means came out to pitch the last of the fifth, and then hit the showers. Even given the Orioles’ push to the postseason (which as we know is now a trip that’s guaranteed), it’s obvious that Brandon Hyde is trying to be careful with Means. Coming off of Tommy John’s surgery is no joke.

However Houston would take the lead back in the sixth. McCormick’s RBI-single would bring them to within 3-2. However Shintaro Fujinami’s two wild pitches would send McCormick to third, and he would later score on Peña’s run-scoring single. Altuve’s two-RBI double would give Houston the lead at 5-3.

But remember, these Birds do their best work late. Adley Rutschman’s RBI-double in the seventh cut the Houston lead to 5-4. Cedric Mullins’ RBI-double would then tie the game at five, with Ryan O’Hearn being thrown out at home plate. But damage done, although Houston would take the lead back with solo homers in the seventh and eighth, going to the ninth inning with a 7-5 lead.

But while Houston’s the defending champion, it’s the Baltimore Orioles who have the best record in the American League in 2023. Both are first place teams and both are quality teams. But the standings say that the O’s are the better team right now and this year. And that became evident very fast.

The Birds opened the ninth with two base hits. That brought Cedric Mullins to the plate, and on a 2-1 pitch he sent a deep shot into right field. And wouldn’t you know it, the ball landed in the right field grandstand, deep in the heart of Texas.

And with that, the best team in the American League defeated the defending champions in game one of a series against a team that they may well see again in the not-so-distant future. Make no mistake, if the Orioles are going to go deep into the postseason, they’ll end up facing Houston at some point. So they should get used to seeing them in the opposing dugout.

The series continues this evening at Minute Maid Park. Kyle Gibson gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Houston’s Hunter Brown. Game time is set for just after 8 PM.

Baltimore Orioles take October and win in walk off fashion

Dean Kremer got the start for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon, on a getaway day at Camden Yards that won’t soon be forgotten. The O’s needed to win, OR have Texas or Seattle lose in order to get to the playoffs. Of course the best idea would be to win, as that would also put them back up two in the division standings. Kremer’s line: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K.

Kremer’s line run allowed was a solo homer by Lowe in the first inning. However the O’s tied it in the last of the fourth on an RBI-single by Austin Hays. And as time went on, it became evident that the O’s were going to clinch a playoff spot – regardless of the outcome of today’s game. Cleveland put up a nine-run inning on Texas, effectively ending the competitive portion of that game.

For what it’s worth, Tampa was in a spot to clinch a playoff spot with a Texas loss as well. So both teams had an interest in that game. So back-to-back home runs by Tampa in the eighth did put a damper on things, but not too much. Both teams were already on their way to being in.

But the O’s do their best work late. We’ve said that all season. Adley Rutschman’s solo homer in the last of the eighth cut the lead to 3-2. Yet it appeared that Tampa had taken a two-run lead back in the top of the ninth, when Aranda reached on a fielder’s choice with runners at the corners. His swinging bunt was fielded by Ryan O’Hearn at first, and O’Hearn fired home, appearing to nail the runner. However the home plate umpire ruled the runner safe.

The O’s immediately challenged, and the call was overturned on replay. Keep that play in mind, because it MIGHT end up deciding the division. If all’s said and done and the teams are tied, the Orioles own the tiebreaker.

In that sequence of events, Cleveland’s 9-2 game against Texas became a final. And with that, the 2023 Baltimore Orioles officially became a playoff team. Obviously the division race is still in question, but one way or the other, the Orioles are going to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. And THAT’s the reason you play the game!

But the O’s still trailed. Not for long, however. Adam Frazier’s RBI-double scored Jorge Mateo from first, tying the game at three. However Tampa put two swinging bunts together in the tenth to take a 4-3 lead. But the O’s still had to hit in the last of the tenth. And once again, Adley Rutschman came up big, this time with an RBI-single which tied the game.

Following a sacrifice bunt, Cedric Mullins came up with a runner on third in the last of the 11th. And his sac fly played the fifth run of the day, and the final one at that. With the 5-4 walk off win, the Orioles put a stamp on what was already a successful day.

Again, keep that challenge call at the plate in mind. If somehow Tampa (who now trails the Orioles by two games in the AL East) comes back to tie the division, the Birds own the tie breaker. Now they already had the tiebreaker because of yesterday’s win, but it gives the Orioles a two-game lead in the division – for now. This as opposed to being in a statistical tie. That makes a difference.

The Orioles now head to Houston to open up a three-game set at Minute Maid Park. John Means gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Houston’s Justin Verlander. Game time is set for just after 8 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Grayson Rodriguez sets the Birds one win from the Promise Land

Grayson Rodriguez was dominant from the beginning for the Baltimore Orioles tonight. And given the four-game losing streak (at the worst possible time) and a tired bullpen, it was EXACTLY what the Birds needed. A long and dominant start from a starter, supported by previously dormant Oriole bats. Rodriguez’s line: 8.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K.

And the aforementioned Oriole bats were active right away in the game. Following a walk, a single, and a double-steal, Ryan O’Hearn gave the O’s a 1-0 lead on an RBI-single. One inning later they doubled the lead on an RBI-single by Adam Frazier. But that was only the beginning…

…as Gunnar Henderson was coming to the plate. And he sent the first pitch he saw deep into the Baltimore evening, culminating in it ending up in the grandstand. And the O’s led, 5-0.

But when you’ve hit a losing streak at an “untimely moment” in the season, you have to be sure that it’s ending. Especially when first place is on the line, among other things. Gunnar Henderson came up in the fourth, extending the lead to 5-0 on an RBI-single. Adley Rutschman followed with one of his own, and the O’s led 6-0 after four.

The Birds would put two more across in the fifth on RBI-singles by Cedric Mullins and Ramon Urias. And through it all, Grayson Rodriguez stood tall on the mound. Mowing Tampa hitters down left and right. And again, this sort of game was exactly what the Orioles needed tonight.

With the win, the O’s clinched the season series against Tampa. Which means they hold all tie breakers going forward in the division. And with Cleveland beating Texas, it narrows the Orioles’ magic number to one. Meaning they could clinch a playoff spot with a win tomorrow afternoon, or a Texas, Seattle, or Toronto loss. The O’s hold a one-game lead over Tampa in the AL East.

And with that, the series concludes in that aforementioned game tomorrow at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Zack Littell. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM

Baltimore Orioles: Solo homers aren’t enough to one-up Tampa

Kyle Bradish pitched a solid start for the Baltimore Orioles tonight. The Birds of course opened up perhaps the biggest series at Camden Yards in years, in what could be the battle for first place in the AL East with Tampa. Perhaps the battle for the best record in the AL. Bradish’s line: 7.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 5 K.

Bradish pitched better than his numbers indicate. For what it’s worth, the Orioles only have to win one game in this series, and they win the season series with Tampa. In short, Tampa has to sweep the Birds in order to win the season series and own the tie-breaker. And we know how stingy the O’s are about being swept.

The O’s took a 1-0 lead in the last of the second on a solo homer by Ryan O’Hearn. However Tampa decided to play that anything you can do we can do better sort of game. Lowe’s RBI-single in the third tied the game. Later in the inning Arozarena smacked a two-RBI triple, giving Tampa a 3-1 lead.

Because of their pitching, Tampa’s a tough team to play from behind. But the Orioles were able to touch them up again. Rookie-of-the-year candidate Gunnar Henderson smacked a solo homer in the last of the fourth to cut the lead to 3-2. Adam Frazier would then ground into a fielder’s choice-RBI in the fifth that tied the score back up at three.

The issue with that is the Orioles had the bases loaded with nobody out. They did get the one run which tied the game up, but they grounded into a double-play following that, ending the inning. You have to take advantage of these sorts of opportunities.

The game remained tied until the seventh, when Tampa’s Raley smacked a solo homer. The issue with that of course was that Kyle Bradish thought he had Raley struck out, but it was called a ball. He hit the next pitch out of the ballpark…

…and in doing so, Tampa held the lead before the fans and the Oriole dugout had stopped verbally accosting home plate umpire Nick Mahrley. The strike zone was wide all night long. Mahrley decided to tighten it up in the moment, apparently. That didn’t sit right with the Orioles, or the fans.

The loss narrows the Orioles’ division lead to one game. But you have to rely on more than just solo homers to win games. Especially against quality opponents.

The series continues tomorrow at Camden Yards. Jack Flaherty gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Zach Eflin. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Kyle Gibson a hard-luck loser

The Baltimore Orioles sent Kyle Gibson to the mound tonight for the series finale with St. Louis at Camden Yards. The Orioles got just about everything they could have wanted hot of Gibson, and more. Gibson’s line: 6.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 4 K.

If you had told me that Gibson was going to have a final stat line like that, I would have said that the Orioles won. But you can’t win if you don’t score. And unfortunately for the O’s, they didn’t score.

Oriole bars were going up against St. Louis starter Drew Rom, who they acquired from the O’s on August 1st in the trade that sent the Birds Jack Flaherty. And Rom blanked his old team/organization. Which is tough to stomach.

Gibson was outstanding. But he made one bad pitch. And it came on Palacios’ solo homer in the fourth, which was the game’s lone run. Palacios hit two homers last night, and then the one tonight. On top of that, he’s a Towson alumnus. And did that against the O’s.

The Orioles might also have bigger problems. Ryan Mountcastle appeared to injure his left shoulder following through on a swing in the last of the first. He stayed in the game, but was later lifted in favor of a pinch hitter before he could hit again in the third. The Orioles said he left the game with shoulder discomfort.

The Orioles now open up perhaps the biggest series of the season tomorrow night against Tampa at Camden Yards. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Aaron Civale. Game time is set for 7:15 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: John Means’ return spoiled by St. Louis

John Means made his triumphant return to the big leagues this evening at Camden Yards for the Baltimore Orioles – against St. Louis. It’s tough to criticize the outing given that he’s coming off of Tommy John’s. End of the day, Means went five innings. It’s a start. Means’ line: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 1 K.

It was a shake-‘n-bake sort of start for Means. You can’t talk about it without mentioning the length of time he’s been out rehabbing. And personally, I saw one massive bright spot in Means’ outing: he minimized the damage.

Means gave up a solo homer to Goldschmidt in the first, a sac fly-RBI to Walker in the second, and a solo homer to Palacio in the third. However toss those solo homers out for a moment. Solo home runs are going to happen, and generally they won’t hurt you.

However sandwiched in there is that sac fly-RBI. St. Louis loaded the bases in the second inning. This on two softly hit singles, and a fielder’s choice where the runner was safe at first. And the only run that Means surrendered was that sac fly. He minimized the damage, and got the O’s back in the dugout. That stands out to me about his outing, as did the zero walks.

The O’s attempted to make their move however in the last of the fifth. Anthony Santander’s RBI-single cut the lead to 3-1, and Ryan O’Hearn’s fielder’s choice-RBI cut it to 3-2. However Palacios would add a second solo homer in the seventh, followed by an RBI-single by Nootbaar. And St. Louis took game two of the series, 5-2.

The first part is that Means came back. From Tommy John’s. And again, while he wasn’t perfect and he only pitched the five innings, he did minimize the damage. That’s all meaningful.

The series concludes tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Kyle Gibson gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by St. Louis’ Drew Rom (who was acquired from the Orioles in the Jack Flaherty trade). Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles, Cedric Mullins open the final chapter of 2023’s regular season

The Baltimore Orioles sent Dean Kremer to the mound this evening to open up a three-game set with St. Louis at Camden Yards. You know that we’re getting to crunch time in the season, because Brandon Hyde lifted a struggling Kremer in favor of the bullpen. He just didn’t have it tonight, and it was took important a game to let it go on. Kremer’s line: 4.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 BB, 2 K.

Kremer allowed a run in the first on an RBI-single by Contreras. However in the bottom of the inning Aaron Hicks’ RBI-single would tie the game. That was followed by an RBI-single by Ramon Urias, putting the Orioles ahead, 2-1. However St. Louis would put three across in the third, taking a 4-2 lead.

Adam Frazier got them slightly closer in the fourth with an RBI-single. However the teams in essence swapped RBI-singles in the fourth and fifth, with St. Louis’ coming off the bat of Burelson. However Ryan O’Hearn’s RBI-single in the last of the fifth brought the Birds to within 5-4.

But they weren’t done in that fifth inning. This is a team that’s had the flair for the dramatic all season. And now, on the brink of a playoff birth, we should expect nothing different. As that fifth inning went on, the O’s loaded the bases. And Cedric Mullins was striding to the plate…

…and you know what happened next. The 2023 Orioles…did 2023 Oriole things. Mullins’ sent a grand slam deep into the Baltimore late summer night, giving the Orioles an 8-5 lead, and reminding all in attendance and watching, that the Orioles are never out of a game. I’ll say it again; the Orioles are never out of a game.

One inning later, Gunnar Henderson’s solo homer extended the lead to 9-5. Austin Hays would add a two-RBI single in the last of the eighth, and the O’s closed out an 11-5 victory over St. Louis. It’s also their 86th consecutive series without being swept. And it lowered the magic number to win the division to at least 16, and the magic number to clinch a playoff spot to at least four. (This pending what other teams do tonight.)

To add to the good news, the Orioles will get starter John Means back tomorrow night. This following Tommy John’s surgery last summer. I suppose it’s fair to question whether or not it’s smart to reintroduce Means (who’s now an unknown commodity) to the rotation in the midst of the pennant race. But no time like the present, right?!

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. The aforementioned John Means makes the start for the O’s (his first of the season), and he’ll be opposed by St. Louis’ Adam Wainright. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.