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 fall in series finale with Pittsburgh

The Baltimore Orioles can’t win them all. Neither can any other team. But I digress. Today’s game almost felt anti-climactic before starter Kyle Gibson even took to the mound. Gibson’s line: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 5 K.

Gibson’s outing wasn’t awful. He did struggle with some command, but he battled. However as I said, it was almost anti-climactic. And I may say that partially because the Orioles had already won the series. 

Pittsburgh put runners on base right away, and Santana yielded them a run with a fielder’s choice-RBI in the first inning. For what it’s worth, that play originally wasn’t an RBI. At first it was a double-play (Pittsburgh had runners at the corners). However they challenged, saying that Santana was safe at first base. The challenge was upheld, and Santana had an RBI.

Pittsburgh extended their lead in the third on an RBI-single by Hayes. Bae later tacked on a two-RBI single. Pittsburgh led 4-0, which was going to be all they needed.

The Orioles ran into a buzzsaw in terms of pitching today. Pittsburgh’s Keller was masterful all day. We talk a lot about hitting with RISP in games; the O’s we’re 0-for-6 today. This meaning that they only got runners into scoring position six times. That’s how good Keller was.

I always say that if you take two-of-three in a series, you should never make the finale the one game you lose. Obviously you still took two-of-three. However it almost feels like you lost the series, given that it’s sort of a moment of finality – given that the series is over. However make no mistake, one of the hottest teams in the league won this series.

The O’s open up a series at home tomorrow night against the Los Angeles Angels (of Anaheim). Grayson Rodriguez gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by LA’s Shohei Ohtani. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Tyler Wells pitches a gem as Birds win another series

Another quality start for a starter, and another win for the Baltimore Orioles. Tonight it was Tyler Wells – again. As we know, these games are all team efforts; win or lose. But it all begins and ends with starting pitching. Wells’ line: 7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K.

The one hit obviously stands out. Wells attacked the strike zone with aggression tonight. And it showed in the results. Pittsburgh hitters were consistently behind, and in truth they nary had a chance.

Offensively the story was two home runs. Both solo shots. Adley Rutschman hit one right off the bat in the first inning. Gunnar z Henderson followed in the second. And those two runs stood up and lifted the O’s for the rest of the game.

They say solo homers don’t beat you. But when you get a couple of solo homers and your starter’s dealing the way Wells was tonight, they do beat you. Pittsburgh, that is. Great pitching and a pair of solo homers. That’s the story of this game for the O’s.

And with that, the Orioles have won another series. And against another good team. First Tampa this past week. Now this. And the ceiling may not have been reached yet.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards. Kyle Gibson gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Mitch Keller. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles cycled to victory by Cedric Mullins

I’ll get to Cedric Mullins – but the Baltimore Orioles got another great outing by a starter last night against Pittsburgh at Camden Yards. Kyle Bradish may have turned in his best start of the season. Definitely one of them; he mixed his pitches and mowed down Pittsburgh hitters. Bradish’s line: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R (0 earned), 1 BB, 6 K.

That lone run surrendered was on a botched fielder’s choice by Jorge Mateo in the third inning. The Birds trailed 1-0 in what quickly unfolded as a pitcher’s duel. However the Orioles tied it in the last of the sixth. Ryan Mountcastle led off the inning with a triple, and he later scored on a wild pitch which tied the game.

As I’ve said a lot, get on base. However you can. When you get guys on base and/or into scoring position things can happen. And that modus operandi benefitted the O’s last night.

Pittsburgh took the lead back in the seventh on a solo homer by Joe. But Adley Rutschman’s RBI-double in the bottom of the inning tied it back up at two. But it was the eighth inning when things really got cooking.

Cedric Mullins already had a single, a double, and a triple. He came up in the last of the eighth with the ballgame tied at two and two runners on base. And being the clutch player that he is, he delivered with ice water in his veins.

With the count even up at one, Mullins sent a deep shot towards right field. When it cleared the wall onto the flag court, Mullins had given the Birds a 6-3 lead in a game that was previously close. And previously a pitcher’s duel. And he became the seventh player in franchise history to hit for the cycle.

Pittsburgh would tack an extra run on in the ninth, but the game ended on Mullins’ homer. And as he himself said after the game, things just fell in line:

You obviously know that you’re a single swing away from the cycle, and at the same time you’re trying to do your job. Drive some runs in. Everything fell in line.

Quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports

It’s tough to say which part of that moment was bigger. I always err on the side of the team aspect, and that home run broke the tie. Not only that, but it broke the tie and broke the game wide open. It effectively ended the game.

However Mullins in that same moment became the seventh Oriole in history to complete the cycle in a game. Austin Hays did it last year against Washington. That was the most recent. All in all, it was a key moment and a huge feat all around. And it sent Oriole Park at Camden Yards into a frenzy.

The series continues this evening at Camden Yards. Tyler Wells gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Roansy Contreras. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles beat the best on quest to BE the best

The Baltimore Orioles got another solid start out of Dean Kremer this evening in the rubber match with Tampa. And make no mistake, it was a huge game. Whomever won tonight, would take two-of-three in the series. And given the standings, that was set to be huge. Kremer’s line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K.

Kremer was outstanding. Unfortunately for the Birds, so were Tampa’s pitchers. I put it like that because they used Beeks as an “opener” in a sense. However both pitching staffs shut down the other side’s hitting. That’s why it’s called a pitcher’s duel!

But even in a pitcher’s duel, someone has to win. And from the Orioles’ perspective, the right team won. Adam Frazier grounded out in the last of the sixth with Adley Rutschman on third, giving the Orioles a 1-0 lead. Later in the inning Austin Hays’ RBI-double extended the lead to 2-0.

Franco’s RBI-single in the eighth cut the lead in half. However Danny Coulumbe got the Orioles out of the inning. They sent Tampa down 1-2-3 in the ninth, taking the game, 2-1.

Again, this is a huge win for the O’s. They took two-of-three from the team with the best record in baseball. There was reason to have optimism after the Atlanta series. Now even more so. In order to be the best, you have to beat the creme de la creme. And the Orioles did that this week.

Baltimore Orioles: Adley Rutschman slugs the Birds back in the win column

After dropping game one of this gargantuan series with Tampa, the Baltimore Orioles found themselves having lost three straight. This for the first time in 2023; not to mention the fact that they weren’t scoring runs. So they sent starter Grayson Rodriguez to the mound tonight in hopes of stemming the tide. Rodriguez’s line: 5.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 4 K.

Tampa of course had to be heard first in the game. Franco’s solo homer in the first gave them an early 1-0 lead. However Tampa’s offensive output stagnated. And that of the Orioles seemed to try to break out. If you’re a Tampa fan, that’s a dangerous combination.

Gunnar Henderson had a deep liner take a few good bounces in the last of the third, and he hustled into third with a triple. Part of that was the ball bouncing around. However another part of it was Henderson’s speed. Get on base, and good things would happen. Jorge Mateo would ground out, scoring Henderson and tying the ballgame.

However the key moment of the game came later in that third inning. With Cedric Mullins on base, Adley Rutschman sent a deep fly ball out to Eutaw Street for a two-run homer. This game the O’s their first lead in awhile at 3-1

One inning later Austin Hays’ RBI-single drove home a fourth run. Walls’ solo homer in the fifth would bring Tampa to within 4-2. However the Oriole bullpen would close things out in the end, and the Birds glided to a 4-2 victory.

The O’s had fallen into a mini-slump for lack of a better term. Granted they were very competitive during that three-game losing streak, but they dropped three games. So look no further than that Gunnar Henderson triple in the third inning tonight as the moment they snapped out of it. That got the Birds’ rally started. How do you keep your season from getting derailed? Don’t let it get off the hinges in the first place. Avoid long losing streaks. The O’s did that tonight.

The series with Tampa concludes tomorrow evening at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer gets the start for the Orioles, and Tampa is yet to announce a starter. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles fall to Tampa, drop third straight

You had to know that eventually the Baltimore Orioles were going to hit a snag. This in that they were going to struggle at some point – it wasn’t always destined to be rainbows and unicorns. Kyle Gibson turned in a great effort this evening however, albeit in a losing effort. Gibson’s line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 4 K.

Win or lose, it’s important to note that Gibson pitched to a quality start. Now the most cynical of fans will say that doesn’t matter if you don’t win – which the Orioles didn’t tonight. However it’s still worth throwing that point in, because Gibson was outstanding this evening.

Gibson surrendered a solo homer to Lowry in the top of the second. However Gibson didn’t let that phase him, as he continued to mow down Tampa hitters. It wssn’t until the seventh that they scored again, however that run came with a nuance. Franco flied out and brought in the second Tampa run. However Diaz was thrown out at second trying to extend, and the O’s got two quick outs (upheld on replay).

Raley would smack a solo homer in the top of the ninth to act as an insurance run, and the Birds fell, 3-0. Of you want reasons for this loss, the O’s went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. They also left eight on base. You have to take advantage of the opportunities given at this level if you’re going to win games, especially against the best team in the league.

Similar to the weekend series in Atlanta, this goes as a loss. And all the games count at this point – especially division games. However the O’s went toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the league. That should say something to Orioles fans. Yes again, this goes as a loss. But this team is ready to compete.

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Grayson Rodriguez gets the nod for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Zach Eflin. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Sometimes aggressiveness bites you

The Baltimore Orioles had a rare morning start today against Atlanta. National television will give you strange start times. They Birds sent Tyler Wells to the mound in the series finale, and found themselves in a pitcher’s duel. Wells’ line: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

Wells made one bad pitch, and it ended up in the seats. Olson’s solo homer in the last of the first gave Atlanta a 1-0 lead. The Orioles would load the bases in the third and get nothing, but they pushed a run across on Ramon Urias’ RBI-groundout in the fourth.

Overall in the game, the Orioles were 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position. That‘a a big problem. However keep in mind that Atlanta had the same sort of stat; it was a pitcher’s duel, after all. The Birds shut Atlanta down with RISP to the tune of 1-for-11. So it goes both ways.

The game went to extra innings, and the O’s immediately took advantage of the ghost runner rule. Anthony Santander’s run-scoring single in the top of the tenth gave the O’s a 2-1 lead. However Atlanta took advantage as well. A Felix Bautista wild pitch tied the game at one in the last of the tenth. Harris would later smack a run-scoring double in the twelfth, walking Atlanta off as 3-2 winners.

The Birds also had Austin Hays as a ghost runner in the top of the 11th. Adam Frazier flew out to right to begin the inning, and Hays tagged up at second to try and take third. And he was thrown out, recording two quick outs.

Everyone applauds aggressiveness in games. No matter what the sport. Obviously it’s great if it works. But sometimes you wonder if the reward is worth the risk. I was shocked that he ran, myself. But that effectively ended the inning (without ending the inning, that is). Sometimes it’s better to stand pat and work towards the result you’re looking for, as opposed to going full force like that. End of the day we’ll never know what would have happened had he not tagged up.

The Birds now return home to take on Tampa after a largely successful road trip (despite how it ended). Kyle Gibson gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Shane McClanahan. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Seven run seventh cruises Birds to victory

The Baltimore Orioles might have won their biggest game of the season to date last night behind starter Dean Kremer. This because Atlanta we know is one of the best teams in the league. And the Birds didn’t go toe-to-toe with them. They walloped Atlanta. Kremer’s line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 K.

And the O’s actually trailed in this one early. Murphy’s RBI-single in the last of the first put Atlanta ahead 1-0. However after Ryan McKenna got on base in the third, he went to third base on a throwing error. He would later score (tying the game) on Gunnar Henderson‘s RBI-groundout. And we were tied at one.

One inning later, the O’s had the lead. Anthony Santander’s solo homer put the Birds in the driver’s seat for good. The 2-1 lead held up for awhile – but eventually, it was burst wide open.

The seventh inning was the moment that paid for the Orioles. Cedric Mullins’ solo homer extended the lead to 3-1. Make it 4-1 following a sacrifice bunt by Jorge Mateo, and an Atlanta throwing error.

However the O’s would then load the bases. And Anthony Santander announced to the world that his previous homer (a solo shot) was only a warm-up. He blasted a grand slam into the right field grandstand, and the O’s led 8-1. Mullins would add on an RBI-single before the end of the inning, giving the O’s a 9-1 lead.

Atlanta would get three back in the last of the eighth. But that seventh inning demoralized them. You could read it on their faces. And on the faces of the Orioles, who in essence victimized them.

And again, I would say that this was the biggest win of the still young season. Atlanta’s a true contender. As are the Orioles, as they announced to the world last night.

The series continues this evening at Truist Park. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Atlanta’s Spencer Strider. Game time is set for 7:15 PM.

Baltimore Orioles blanked in Kansas City

The Baltimore Orioles and starter Kyle Gibson were shut out in Kansas City tonight. They were shut out for the first time all season. You aren’t going going to win them all, that much we know. Gibson’s line: 6.2 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 0 BB, 0 K.

Gibson didn’t pitch poorly per se. He actually went fairly deep into the game, which helped the bullpen. Especially in this case, with a day game after a night game tomorrow. And obviously he wasn’t helped out by the bats at all. The O’s didn’t have a runner in scoring position until the ninth inning tonight.

Kansas City took the lead in the fourth on a solo homer by Pasquantino. He would then turn around in the last of the sixth and smack an RBI-double, followed in the seventh by a sac fly-RBI by Garcia.

It was that seventh inning which really did the Birds in. When the smoke cleared, Kansas City had put six runs on the board, and chased Gibson to the showers. Games like these happen, even for contending teams. You have to shake them off and move onto tomorrow.

The series concludes tomorrow at Kauffman Stadium. Grayson Rodriguez gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Kansas City’s Jordan Lyles (former Oriole). Game time is set for just after 2 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Ryan Mountcastle breaks out as Birds continue rolling

Tyler Wells produced a mixed bag of results for the Baltimore Orioles last night. He spotted Kansas City a 3-0 lead. But he quickly stabilized and was able to stick around long enough to qualify for the win. Wells’ line: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 4 K.

Wells gave up a solo homer to Witt and a two/run homer to Melendez in the last of the first inning. But as I said, he seemed to buckle down enough to right himself. And a few innings later, Oriole bats began their assault on Kansas City pitching.

The best news of the night from the Orioles’ standpoint is that Ryan Mountcastle broke out. He had been having a rough go of things, not being able to catch a break. Whether it was an outfielder making a great play or something else – he had been making great contact, just not getting on base.

But that ended last night. Mountcastle’s two-run homer in the fourth brought the Birds to within 3-2. James McCann tied the game later in the inning with an RBI-single, and the O’s took a 5-3 lead before the end of the fourth on Cedric Mullins’ two-RBI single.

That’s a five-run fourth inning. And thus far in 2023 we’ve seen the Orioles score runs in bunches like this. If you have a lead on them, it’s flat out not safe. Be forewarned.

One benefit from putting five runs up in an inning is that the lineup turns over quickly. Mountcastle came up again in the fifth, and provided the same result: a two-run homer. Adley Rutschman would add a mere RBI-double in the sixth, and he would later score on an RBI-double by nine other than Ryan Mountcastle. Yes, THAT Ryan Mountcastle! He had a whale of a ballgame!

Jorge Mateo would ground into a force out that yielded a run before the inning ended. It was also a play that the Orioles had to challenge so as to get the run. Mateo was found to be safe at first base, and the run counted. Kansas City would narrow the lead to 10-7 on the sixth and seventh, and appeared poised to continue their assault on the Birds’ lead. However while the Oriole bullpen had bent, it didn’t break. Ramon Urias would add an RBI-single in the eighth, and the O’s took game one in Kansas City, 11-7.

The series continues this evening at Kauffman Stadium. Kyle Gibson gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Kansas City’s Zach Greinke. Game time is set for just after 7:30 PM.