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: 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.

Baltimore Orioles salvage one in Wrigleyville

Dean Kremer pitched well enough to win today for the Baltimore Orioles at a Wrigley Field. It wasn’t spectacular, but it’s not always going to be. However if you can win enough of the “so-so starts,” you’re going to have a good season. So far Kremer and the Birds are doing just that. Kremer’s line: 5.0 IP, 3 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 7 K.

It didn’t start out so hot. Tauchman, who’s burned the O’s all weekend, smacked the first pitch Kremer threw on the game out of the ballpark. Certainly it’s fair to say that Kremer limited the damage, which is good. However he put the O’s in the hole until the fourth when Anthony Santander hit a solo shot of his own, tying the game at one.

And in fact, the O’s took the lead later in the inning when Ramon Urias smacked an RBI-single. But Chicago wasn’t going anywhere either. In the bottom of the inning Morel hit a two-run home run, giving Chicago their lead back at 3-2.

However keep in mind that the Birds haven’t been swept in over a year – which is amazing if you think about it. And they weren’t about to make this time moment to end that streak. Urias tied the game back up in the sixth with a sac fly-RBI, and suddenly we had a new ballgame.

Later in that sixth inning the O’s got a runner on scoring position, and Adam Frazier’s RBI-single put them back in the lead at 4-3. Jorge Mateo would add an RBI-single of his own (before being thrown out at second base), extending the lead to 5-3. Tack on an Adley Rutschman RBI-double in the ninth, and the O’s head to Tampa with a 6-3 win in Wrigleyville.

The O’s did have to send catcher James McCann to the IL before the game. Manager Brandon Hyde said that he’s hopeful it’ll only be a ten-day stint. McCann injured himself running out a grounder at first base yesterday afternoon.

Baltimore Orioles: Ol’ Blue weighs in with the game on the line

The Baltimore Orioles got a great start this afternoon out of Kyle Gibson. A quality start, to be exact, both on paper and in practice. Obviously he still surrendered more runs than his team put up, however he put the O’s in a spot to win. Gibson’s line: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 7 K.

These sorts of games are always tough, especially on the road. You’re almost on edge the entire game because there isn’t much scoring, and it feels like every pitch means something. But that’s also part of the theatre of baseball. You take it or leave it.

Despite his outstanding effort today, Gibson and the Orioles fell behind in the last of the third on Hoerner’s two-run double. But the Birds bounced back in the fifth. Adley Rutschman’s two-run homer tied the game at five.

Unfortunately however, the Orioles didn’t okY the game tied for too long. Tauchman’s sac fly-RBI in the last of the fifth gave Chicago the lead back. And at that score the game would stay, and the O’s dropped the second straight game at Wrigley Field.

This game wasn’t without it’s controversies, however. Home plate umpire CB Bucknor had a wide abs revolving strike zone all afternoon, Now to be clear and unequivocal, that isn’t why the game finished the way it did. Teams have scouting reports on umpires in terms of how they call home plate and so forth. Chicago adapted to Buck or better than the Orioles did.

The Birds had two on with two outs in the seventh with Anthony Santander at the plate. On a two strike count, Bucknor rang him up on a pitch that looked like it could have ended up in the third base dugout. Santander didn’t look amused as he walked back to the dugout. And the fact that Bucknor allowed it says that he knows he made the wrong call.

Ironically, the O’s did get the tying run on base in the ninth. Austin Hays walked with two outs, on a pitch that indubitably WAS a ball. However it had been called a strike for much of the game. That caused complaining in the Chicago dugout – also prompted the umpires to review the count because there was confusion over whether that was actually ball four.

And it was evident to me that players on both sides were swinging (and missing) at balls out of the strike zone as the game wore on. In a way that’s good, because it shows guys are trying to adapt to the game situation. But it also means that the home plate umpire is interjecting himself into the flow of the game. And Major League Baseball needs to put a stop to that.

The series concludes tomorrow at Wrigley Field. Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Jameson Taillon. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles cap off a 5-1 home stand with another win over Toronto

Tyler Wells is DEALING for the Baltimore Orioles. As he’s done many other times, including previously on this home stand, he went out today and dominated an opponent. That being Toronto. Wells’ line: 6.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 8 K.

The eight strikeouts sticks out at me. It’s tough to pitch much better than that. Now the downside to eight strikeouts is the number of pitches thrown. Strikeouts cost at least three pitches. In theory, fly outs or ground outs could be fewer. However the fact is that Wells took care of what he needed to take care of today. Just as he has all season.

The Birds took an immediate 1-0 lead on Gunnar Henderson’s RBI-single in the last of the first. However Wells made perhaps two bad pitches in the game, both to Jansen. The first landed in the seats in the top of the third. The second in the top of the fifth. And Toronto led, 2-1.

However the great thing about this Oriole team is that they pick one another up. Come the last of the fifth Adley Rutschman deposited a ball of his own into the outfield grandstand, tying the game at two. However the O’s didn’t want Wells to leave the game without the possibility of getting a decision. So Anthony Santander smacked an RBI-single in the sixth, putting the Birds in the lead, 3-2.

Austin Hays’ solo homer in the right gave the O’s some insurance, and they ended up with a 4-2 victory. This was their second series win against Toronto, which is huge in the all-important AL East standings. They also finished off a 5-1 home stand. Are the games perfect? No. But they’re winning much more than they’re losing. And that’s the goal.

The O’s now head to the Windy City for the second time this year to open up a three-game set tomorrow against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Cole Irvin gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Kyle Hendricks. Game time is set for 2:20 PM.

Baltimore Orioles fight but fall

Kyle Bradish turned in a quality start this evening for the Baltimore Orioles against Toronto at Camden Yards. It’s tough to pitch as well as Bradish did tonight, and to do it consistently. What makes it even worse is that the O’s lost the game, this despite Bradish’s best efforts. Bradish’s line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 K.

This wasn’t a game that was dictated by offense on either side. This unlike last night’s game, where the floodgates seemed to be open from the beginning. And that’s how things are going to go sometimes from game-to-game. Unfortunately however, the O’s didn’t get their first hit until the seventh inning.

And by that point, Toronto already had the lead. Springer’s solo homer in the sixth gave them a 1-0 lead. They would add onto that lead in the eighth with two RBI-doubles. One off the bat of Merrifield, and the other courtesy of Bichette.

However the O’s did attempt to rally in the last of the ninth. They put two runners on, and Aaron Hicks’ RBI-single cut the Toronto lead to 3-1. The Birds had the winning run at the plate a moment later, but that’s as close as they could get.

Again, you aren’t going to win every game. Kyle Bradish pitched more than well enough to win. He just didn’t get the run support. And again, that’s going to happen at times. Tonight just wasn’t the Orioles’ night.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Tyler Wells gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Yusei Kikuchi. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.