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: Every ball found a glove

Kyle Bradish have the Baltimore Orioles everything he had this afternoon against Minnesota at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Following a rough game last night, the Birds needed Bradish to pitch well and pitch deep into the ballgame. He did both. Bradish’s line: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K.

Unfortunately for Bradish and the O’s, he made one bad pitch. And that was in the top of the fourth – Gallo smacked a solo home run. And that was the lone run of the game.

The O’s made it interesting in the last of the ninth when Jorge Mateo pinch ran for Adley Rutschman following an infield hit, and immediately took off to steal second. He was called out, but upon review he was ruled safe. However Anthony Santander flew out to right, and Ryan O’Hearn recorded the final out, to clinch the game and series win for Minnesota.

That aforementioned Santander fly out…it was largely indicative of the entire game for the Orioles. The Minnesota right fielder made an amazing play on the ball, which may have been foul anyways. But he made a diving slide of a catch.

And on plays where Minnesota defenders didn’t make larger than life plays, the Orioles were hitting the ball directly to them. Almost every ball put in play found a glove. And some of them didn’t even require the fielder to move. Again however, in other situations Minnesota defenders were making amazing plays on the ball.

And it’s frustrating when you’re scuffling as it is, only to have the opponent making amazing plays. It all adds up. And it’s frustrating.

The O’s will attempt to salvage one win in this series in the finale tomorrow at Camden Yards. Cole Irvin gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Sonny Gray. Game time is set for just after noon.

Baltimore Orioles drop a wild one

Kyle Gibson struggled this evening for the Baltimore Orioles. However in the beginning at least, it appeared like tonight’s game against Cincinnati was going to be a shootout. (And in the end it was.) That’s certainly the direction in which things appeared to be going. Gibson’s line: 4.2 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

Gibson spotted Cincinnati a 3-0 lead in the first. Not ideal, but Oriole bats immediately proved that it wasn’t an issue. Ryan O’Hearn promptly smacked an RBI-single in the last of the first. The O’s would then load the bases, only to have them cleared by Gunnar Henderson’s triple – and suddenly the Orioles led 4-3.

But Cincinnati could bounce back also. Friedl’s RBI-single tied it up in the second. He would later score on India’s RBI-groundout, and once again the Orioles trailed. Fraley’s RBI-single extended the lead to 6-4.

However as suddenly as the scoring surge happened in this game, it was also shut off. Suddenly the game turned into a pitcher’s duel. Both starting pitchers settled in. Gibson obviously only lasted 4.2 innings, but I know that I was a little surprised to see him last into the fifth.

The good news is that by sticking it out a bit, Gibson probably saved a bullpen reliever. Now the fact is that the O’s probably weren’t overly concerned about that, as they have today off before Minnesota comes in on Friday. So the ‘pen should be fairly rested. But every little bit helps.

Cincinnati would extend their lead to 7-4 with an RBI-groundout in the eighth. That appeared to be an insurance run at the time. However the Birds still had a trick up their sleeve. Jordan Westburg smacked an RBI-double in the last of the eighth. And he would later score – on Adam Frazier’s two-run homer, which tied the game at seven.

We went to extra innings tied at seven, but things came unraveled for the Orioles fairly quickly. Benson’s run-scoring triple in the top of the tenth gave Cincinnati an 8-7 lead. They would pad that with a two-run homer by Friedl, and an 11th run would score on a wild pitch, sending the O’s down to defeat, 11-7.

This was a hard-fought series between two very good teams. And luckily for the Orioles, this doesn’t hurt their positioning too much given that it was against a National League team. As I said above, today is an off day before Minnesota comes in Friday for the weekend.

Baltimore Orioles: Tyler Wells pitches to a quality start in loss

Another game, another rain delay for the Baltimore Orioles. However this time the rain delay, while lengthy, didn’t affect the starting pitcher – last night, Tyler Wells. He pitched to a quality start, yet took the loss, as Oriole bats couldn’t quite get it going against Cincinnati. Wells’ line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 7 K.

The Orioles took the lead in the second inning with Ryan McKenna’s sac fly-RBI. However it was Cincinnati’s McLain who did them in. His RBI-double in the fourth would tie the game. He came up again in the sixth and out the Orioles behind with a solo homer.

Just after 9 PM, the game went into a rain delay – before the top of the eighth. The game would resume just before 11, and Cincinnati’s Friedl would smack a solo homer in the top of the eighth. This would send the O’s down to defeat, 3-1.

Again, Tyler Wells pitched to a quality start. The bats just didn’t give him any help. After the game manager Brandon Hyde reinforced the fact that Wells was outstanding:

I thought Tyler was really good, once again. Six outstanding innings.

Quote courtesy of Jake Rill, MLB.com

Rookie Jordan Westburg also played in his second big league game last night, going two-for-three with a walk.

The series concludes tonight at Camden Yards. Kyle Gibson gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Cincinnati’s Luke Weaver. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Rain delays equal Jordan Westburg’s first hit, and a win

It took the Baltimore Orioles much longer than one would have thought to win last night. Starter Cole Irvin only lasted three innings. But that was due to a lengthy rain delay, this after the game was delayed 15 minutes at the beginning. Given the forecast, maybe it made sense. Irvin’s line: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K.

This game was obviously the start of three with upstart Cincinnati, but also noteworthy because prospect Jordan Westburg was making his make league debut. Westburg started at second base, and walked in his first at-bat. Westburg drove in a run on a fielder’s choice in the third, and got his first big league hit on a bloop single in the fifth.

Cincinnati took an early 1-0 lead in the third on Steer’s RBI-single in the first inning. However the O’s just needed to get warmed up. They loaded the bases in the second, and Austin Hays’ two-RBI single gave them a 2-1 lead. Not long after, the skies opened up – and we waited. For two hours.

Jordan Westburg’s aforementioned RBI came on a fielder’s choice in the third. A second run scored on a throwing error, extending the Orioles’ lead to 4-1. However the O’s would break the game open in the fifth. Ramon Urias’ RBI-double extended the lead to 5-1, Cedric Mullins added a sac fly-RBI, and Urias would later score on a wild pitch.

When the smoke cleared, the Orioles held a 7-1 lead. Cincinnati would get two back in the sixth on a two-run homer by Steer, however call that a “nominal blip in the radar.” Austin Hays tacked on an RBI-double in the last of the seventh, and Adley Rutschman a two-RBI single, to close out the scoring in the Birds’ 10-3 win.

Jordan Westburg of course was the story. And the fact is he looked good overall in the game. The moment to remember of course is his first hit. However in his first at-bat he fell behind 0-2 in the count. Yet he came back and drew a walk. That should speak to not only his plate discipline, but his knowledge of the strike zone.

Westburg’s first at-bat also came in a driving rain. The weather was unsettled all night, but Westburg took it in stride:

Pretty crazy. It felt like something out of like a movie, or something that you dream, honestly.

Quote courtesy of Jake Rill, MLB.com

Cincinnati is also one of MLB’s hottest teams, and this series is being billed as being between two of the teams who are poised to be “the future.” Playing Cincinnati also brings back memories to many fans of the 1970 World Series. Namely, Brooks Robinson throwing a runner out from behind third base. Baseball’s fun.

The series continues tonight at Camden Yards. Tyler Wells gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Cincinnati’s Andrew Abbott. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Special connection between Baltimore and Cincinnati

The Baltimore Orioles have a “signature feature” in their ballpark, as most teams do. I don’t need to tell you what it is, as you’ve seen it a million times at the park, in downtown Baltimore, and on television. The B & O Warehouse was almost demolished when the ballpark was built. Instead, it’s a symbol of the Orioles and of Baltimore.

People of my generation equate it with Cal Ripken Jr, and the numbers counting up to 2132 during “the streak.” But the fact is that it has a rich history. The longest building on the east coast, it was completed in 1905. A classic railroad warehouse, it was the eastern terminus of the famed B & O Railroad.

What most people don’t know is that the warehouse gives Baltimore a unique connection with the city of Cincinnati, whose Reds come into Oriole Park at Camden Yards tonight. Because in Cincinnati sits Longworth Hall, which is the Ohio terminus of the same B & O Railroad. (It was originally named the B & O Freight Terminal.) You can click on the link in the text, or Google the building; either way, you’ll see that it’s almost identical to Baltimore’s B & O Warehouse.

To be clear, there are subtle differences. Longworth Hall is apparently a little bit longer. It also only has five stories, while the B & O Warehouse has eight. However to the naked eye, they definitely look very similar. They’re considered “sister buildings,” and in a sense they bound Baltimore and Cincinnati together.

While Baltimore made the B & O Warehouse the backdrop for it’s baseball park, Longworth Hall is mainly commercial real estate, housing companies and offices. So both cities have incorporated it’s version of the building into the contemporary version of itself. And for the record, there’s one other connection between the two buildings, that being baseball. The Orioles’ side of that connection is obvious. But who would have thought that Longworth Hall sits on “Pete Rose Way?!”

The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad of course was a major route between the east coast and the Midwest in the “guilted age” of trains. Baltimore specifically was considered a massive hub for train travel – both passenger trains and freight. Camden Station is very historic, and it’s still in use in front of the warehouse (as an MTA Station).

What many people don’t know is that it’s also synonymous with one of America’s greatest leaders. While the Warehouse wasn’t built until the early 20th century, President Lincoln spoke at Camden Station in 1861 (as President-Elect) while on his way to Washington, DC for his inaugural. (He also was forced to quickly get out of town in disguise as there were rumors of an attempt being made on his life.)

He also traveled through Camden Station on his way to Gettysburg for the historic Gettysburg Address, and his funeral train traveled through following his assassination as his body was brought back to Illinois. Whether or not Lincoln (or his body) passed by the site of what’s now Longworth Hall in Cincinnati is unknown. It would stand to reason that in some manner he did, because as I said the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad was a massive route at that time.

If you’re attending any of the games in the series this week, keep all of this in mind when you see the Warehouse. These two cities actually have a unique bond, that’s largely unknown, save for the fact that the Warehouse is such an important landmark in Baltimore. As a sportswriter and a history buff, I can’t properly drive home how cool I think it is that there’s so much history on that site (Camden Yards). And that on Pete Rose Way in Cincinnati, they have their own warehouse. The sister building to Baltimore’s.

Baltimore Orioles: Jordan Westburg getting the call

The Baltimore Orioles find themselves in the odd position of being one of baseball’s best teams, yet still actively growing from the bottom up. The Birds are apparently calling up Jordan Westburg for tomorrow’s series opener against Cincinnati. Westburg is the number three prospect in the Orioles’ organization, and the number 46 prospect in all of MLB.

While predominantly a shortstop, Westburg can play multiple infield positions. He’s hitting .295 on the year with triple-A Norfolk. According to many fans, it’s a move that’s been a long time coming.

What the corresponding roster move is remains to be seen. However the Orioles appear unafraid to contend AND promote top prospects at the same time. And that’s a rare thing to see. Then again, it’s also rare for a team to be in such a unique position where they’re contending, and there’s still lots of help on the way.

Baltimore Orioles: Jorge Mateo’s speed can win you ballgames

Kyle Bradish was outstanding for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon in the series finale against Seattle at Camden Yards. Did he make one mistake? Sure. But the O’s overcame it. Bradish’s line: 7.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 7 K.

The game began with a defensive gem. Hernandez sent a two out fly ball to right field in the top of the first. While it looked like it had a chance to go out, Anthony Santander looked like he thought he gad a chance at it the whole time. He tracked it to the wall, and then climbed said wall to make the catch.

Don’t ever underestimate plays like that, even early in the game. There’s no question that saved a home run. And especially given what happened the next inning, that was a huge play.

Suarez was able to draw a walk in the second, this despite appearing to strike out at least twice. The umpire ruled he checked his swing both times, but the truth in that statement is debatable. Needless to say, the Camden faithful voiced it’s full-throated disagreement with the call.

And they were right to do so. Because next batter up was Raleigh, and he smacked a long two-run homer. Now granted that was the one bad pitch Bradish threw on his quality start. However it never would have happened had he gotten even one of those strike calls. Such is life.

However the O’s came back, as they’ve been apt to do this year. And once again, Anthony Santander was involved. His two-run homer in the last of the third tied the game up at two. You also have to tip your cap to Seattle pitching in this series. They were outstanding all weekend.

However on this Sunday afternoon, the Orioles were still able to get to them. Jorge Mateo drew a walk in the last of the fifth. Now keep in mind that Mateo is fast as lightning. Anthony Bemboom flared a bloop single into right field that was bumbled by the Seattle outfield. Mateo was able to score from first, giving the Orioles a 3-2 lead.

Bradish and the pen held Seattle off the board, and the O’s took the game and the series. Mateo’s speed is an intangible in the game that makes a huge difference. He was also the runner on third when Santander homered. Seattle opted to not hold him on, and Mateo entertainingly toyed with Seattle – in feinting a steal of home. That made the Seattle pitcher noticeably nervous. Did it add to him hanging a pitch that ended up in the seats? Tough to say. But needless to say, that’s how it happened.

It was also good to see Brandon Hyde send closer Felix Bautista back out there for the save today. Bautista of course blew the save yesterday before the O’s eventually won the game. But with a one-run lead in the top of the ninth, it was “Mountain time.”

The O’s open a huge series with the hottest team in baseball, Cincinnati, tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Cole Irving gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Cincinnati’s Brandon Williamson. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Ryan McKenna’s walk off homer lifts the Birds

Dean Kremer gutted out seven innings this afternoon for the Baltimore Orioles, who were looking to even the series with Seattle. He wasn’t spot on, but he was far from awful. Needless to say, while he didn’t play a role in the final parts of the game, he put the O’s in a spot to win. Kremer’s line: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

The Orioles took a 1-0 lead in the last of the second when Adam Frazier smacked an RBI-single. However Seattle’s Mike Ford tied it with a solo homer in the fifth. Keep that in mind; solo homers usually don’t hurt you. But multiple solo homers might.

That was true in the interim, as well as down the line in this one. Because Seattle toon the lead on a second solo home run later in the inning, this one by Crawford. This was a very entertaining game, and true to form the O’s tied it back up in the last of the third on a solo homer by Anthony Santander, who would later smack an RBI-single, giving the Birds a 3-2 lead after five.

However Seattle also came back. Crawford’s solo shot in the sixth tied the score at 3. However the teams ended up swapping home runs that inning, the Orioles’ coming off the bat of Aaron Hicks. And giving the O’s the lead back at 4-3.

The Birds did run into some trouble in the eighth. Yennier Cano put runners at second and third, but Danny Coulumbe was able to pitch out of it. This includes a dramatic out at home plate on a fielder’s choice. You take them however you can get them.

Seattle was down to their last out in the game, trailing 4-3. However Mike Ford smacked a solo homer off of Felix Hernandez, tying the game. Remember how I said that solo shots won’t kill you but multiple ones can? This is partially what I meant. The Orioles did have the winning run on first in the form of Jorge Mateo (as a pinch-runner). But Mateo was doubled off of first, and we went to extra innings.

The O’s had sent Ryan McKenna in as a defensive replacement in the eighth inning in place of Anthony Santander. So when McKenna came up in the tenth, many fans silently wished Santander was still in the lineup. While Santander had a good day at the plate, they soon forgot those concerns.

Because Ryan McKenna ended the game. He sent a deep shot into the right field grandstand for a two-run home run. So yes, solo homers don’t kill you. But multiple run homers can. And anything can kill you in extra innings.

Big win for the Birds after taking it on the chin last night. It also avoids the Orioles slumping into a three-game skid. And that’s how you stay on top in MLB – avoid long losing streaks.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Seattle’s George Kirby.

Baltimore Orioles begin a huge home stand

Seattle comes to town this evening to open up a three-game set with the Baltimore Orioles. Following Seattle the Birds will see Cincinnati and then Minnesota (both for three, with a day off in between). Records-wise, these teams aren’t on par with the O’s. But make no mistake about the fact that they’re all very much in contention.

So this home stand for the Orioles is huge. Ironically the series that probably means “not as much” as the others is the Cincinnati series, given that they’re in the National League. But Cincinnati’s the hottest team in the league right now. So make no mistake that none of these teams is a cakewalk.

And one would hope that none of these teams is coming into Camden Yards (starting with Seattle tonight) thinking that playing the Orioles will cube a cakewalk. This is all a part of competing. You have to take things one game at a time, with perhaps a slight bit of emphasis on winning series’. For the most part, the Orioles do that. Mind you, they haven’t been swept in over a year.

When all’s said and done, whether we point back to this stretch as a key moment in the season remains to be seen. Also mind you, following the home stand the O’s head out to New York (a series that includes the 4th of July) and Minnesota before pausing for the all-star break. So starting now it’s full speed ahead to close out the first half of the season.

The Seattle series begins this evening at Camden Yards. Kyle Gibson takes to the bump for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Seattle’s Logan Gilbert. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Hold on late to beat Tampa

The Baltimore Orioles took it to Tampa up in Baltimore when the sides squared off. And that trend continued tonight at Tropicana Field, in yet another solid start by Kyle Bradish. Over the years Tampa’s been a massive thorn in the Birds’ side. But this year it seems that the roles are reversed. No matter what Tampa’s thrown out there, the O’s have had an answer. Bradish’s line: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 8 K.

The way you beat team such as Tampa is you get ahead quickly. Before Tampa knew what hit him, they trailed in the game. Gunnar Henderson hit a double on the first pitch of the ballgame. Before anyone knew it, he had scored on Anthony Santander’s RBI-single. Down the line a bit in the inning (following Austin Hays getting on base), Aaron Hicks continued his “comeback tour” with the O’s, smacking a three-run homer.

It’s tough to come back if you’re Tampa and dealing with a starter as good as Bradish, and he has a 4-0 lead before even taking the field. Again, that’s the best way to beat this team – get the lead early. And then extend it, because you know they’re too good to be held down for long.

And the Birds did just that. Anthony Santander continued the assault in the second with a two-run homer. The O’s took a couple of innings off from scoring, before Ryan O’Hearn’s solo shot in the fifth, which gave the Orioles a 7-0 lead. However that fifth inning was a key moment, as Tampa would get on the board. They got an RBI-double by Mejia, and an RBI-single by Franco. The latter of those was a bloop hit. In other words, Tampa wasn’t exactly squaring up Oriole pitches.

They’d get four more in the last of the sixth. And again, the almost frustrating part is that some of their hits were soft bloopers. It’s almost as if they do less and get more. It’s part of what makes Tampa such a tough team.

The Birds would bet an insurance run in the eighth on Aaron Hick’s RBI-single. And that more than anything else might have been a huge thing. It gave the Orioles and closer Felix Bautista, some breathing room. Bautista shut Tampa down in the ninth, and the Birds wom the game.

This short series concludes tomorrow at Tropicana Field. Tyler Wells gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Taj Bradley. Game time is set for just after noon.