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 again in the Bronx

Dean Kremer made his first start of the 2021 season for the Baltimore Orioles this evening at Yankee Stadium. Similar to what we saw last night, the numbers aren’t as bad as they would indicate. Kremer’s line: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 5 K.

Kremer surrendered a solo homer to Bruce in the second inning. He then loaded the bases with nobody out in the third. And he managed to pitch out of it. Pitchers will get themselves into trouble; it’s the nature of the position. Decent ones will get themselves out of it. Kremer did that.

However after Kremer departed the game in the fourth the bases were loaded again. And NY would later score on a double-play (no RBI), giving them a 2-0 lead. Later in the inning Judge would notch an RBI-single, and Stanton an RBI-double in the last of the seventh. One inning later Judge would break the game wide open with a three-run homer.

However something interesting happened in the top of the ninth. New York still had that 7-0 lead, and there were two outs. Game’s over, right?

Ryan Mountcastle appeared to reach on an infield single. New York decided to challenge the play, and the call was upheld. Now personally, I thought it was a petty challenge. Winning 7-0, two outs in the ninth…it didn’t seem like a call that needed to be challenged. But on top of that, the New York bench seemed to chirp an awful lot after the call was upheld.

Again, it all seemed petty to me. But next up was Rio Ruiz, and he smacked a two-run homer. Also the first home run of the season for the O’s.

The pettiness seemed to inspire the O’s. Ironically it probably proved New York’s point, meaning that it wasn’t necessarily petty to challenge that call. But the point remains that you should play until the final out – win or lose.

The series concludes tomorrow night at Yankee Stadium. John Means gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Jameson Taillon. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Mac Sceroler keeps it in the family in losing effort

The Baltimore Orioles suffered their first loss of 2021 at Yankee Stadium this evening. Starter Jorge Lopez pitched better than his stat line indicates. Lopez’s line: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 5 K.

Lopez gave up a solo homer to Judge in the last of the fourth. In most ballparks that might not have been a home run, however Yankee Stadium of course has a short porch in right field. Hicks would walk with the bases loaded an inning later, chasing Lopez.

However the bases remained loaded for Stanton. And he took a pitch right down Broadway and sent it deep into the centerfield grandstand. That blew the game wide open, and LeMahieu’s RBI-single cemented the victory in a New York minute with an RBI-single in the last of the sixth.

But there was an aspect of this game that was very noteworthy for the O’s. They brought in Rule 5 pitcher Mac Sceroler in the sixth inning in a tight spot. Sceroler was previously of the Philadelphia Phillies’ organization, and is the nephew of former Oriole Ben McDonald.

Sceroler came into the game in a heck of a jam, one out and bases loaded. Oh, and Judge coming to the plate. But he managed to strike Judge out. And he induced a pop out of Hicks to end the inning.

Make no mistake that Mac Sceroler was the story of this game. He pitched 2.2 innings (closed the game out), and surrendered two walks. He shut down one of the most potent lineups in baseball. Granted he came in when the game was out of reach as it was, but what he did was incredible.

And he did it primarily with his fastball. Which is highly reminiscent of his Uncle Ben. He also had a very effective change up, which always compliments a flamethrower. However needless to say, it had to be a proud moment for Ben McDonald seeing his nephew make his big league debut. Especially for his former team.

As for the rest of the game, Stanton’s grand slam came on the heels of three walks. Including a lead off walk. The Orioles need to limit that. Less traffic on the base paths equals fewer opportunities for teams to score runs against them.

The series continues tomorrow night at Yankee Stadium. Dean Kremer gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Gerrit Cole. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Seven-run third equals a sweep at The Fens

Coming into this series most people probably thought that if there was a sweep it would have been Boston sweeping the Baltimore Orioles. Just by default, if nothing else. Boston isn’t expected to be much better than the Birds, but…they’re Boston. But the O’s won the first two games, and Bruce Zimmerman was a “beneficiary of circumstance” in the finale. Zimmerman’s line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

This game was over fast. Zimmerman blew balls by Boston hitters, and the Orioles weren’t about to waste his effort. Anthony Santander smacked an RBI-single, and Maikel Franco a two-RBI double in the first, giving the Birds a 3-0 lead.

Offensively the O’s took the second inning off, but then loaded the bases again in the third. Freddy Galvis walked with the bases loaded, running it to 4-0. But they wanted more…

…and they got it. Later in the inning Austin Hays‘ two-RBI double ran the score to 6-0. However unfortunately for the O’s, Jays had to leave the game. The Orioles later termed it hamstring discomfort. Hopefully it isn’t too serious.

But the Orioles still weren’t done. Trey Mancini‘s two-RBI double later in that third inning ran it to 8-0. Cedric Mullins would score on a passed ball later in the inning, and Ryan Mountcastle an RBI-single. When the smoke cleared, the O’s led 10-0 after three.

Boston did put up a couple of nominal runs. Hernandez’s sac fly-RBI in the last of the third cut the Orioles’ lead to 10-1. Martinez smacked a solo homer in the fourth, and an RBI-double in the sixth. But the competitive part of the game was over after the seven-run third put up by the Birds.

Cedric Mullins had a great game for the Orioles. Due to the long third inning, he has six at-bats; and he got on base in all six of them. Five hits and a walk, including a double whereby he later scored on Anthony Santander’s RBI-double in the ninth.

Ironically the sheer number of runs kind of overshadows the effort Bruce Zimmerman put forth out there today. Zimmerman dominated a very potent lineup this afternoon, in his first ever start for his hometown team. And that’s very consistent with the entire team, who dominated in their entire series against Boston at Fenway Park. For the record, out of the three games in Boston, two netted quality starts (including today).

The Orioles now head to New York to open up a three-game set against the NYY at Yankee Stadium. Jorge Lopez gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Jordan Montgomery. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles win the series in Boston

Matt Harvey began his major league comeback this afternoon at Fenway Park with the Baltimore Orioles. Harvey came to within one o it of getting the win, and in reality only did not because he was lifted before the necessary five innings. Harvey’s line: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 1 2 R, 1 BB, 2 K.

This was a pitcher’s duel in the first part of the game. Nobody got on the board until the fourth inning. And in fact, it was the Orioles who got on the board. Maikel Franco‘s two-run single gave the O’s a 2-0 lead.

The important thing to note there is that Franco’s hit came with two runners in scoring position. So it’s a hit with RISP. It also came on the heels of a Boston error and a passed ball. On one hand one might argue that the O’s wouldn’t have netted two runs without Boston’s mistakes. But on the other hand, they’re also holding Boston accountable for said mistakes.

Boston would get a run back in the bottom of the fourth on a sac fly-RBI by Gonzalez, however the O’s weren’t about to get themselves nervous over that. Anthony Santander‘s fifth inning RBI-single brought them back to being two up at 3-1. Boston would battle back in the last of the fifth however with Martinez’s infield RBI-single. That’s the play that eventually chased Harvey from the game. The ball bounced off of Harvey, allowing a run to score – not really much he could have done about it.

The O’s would add an insurance run in the seventh on a sac fly-RBI Trey Mancini. That’s also noteworthy, as for the second straight game the O’s put up an insurance run. And as we get into the season, that makes a difference.

When Harvey was lifted the O’s turned to Adam Plutko, who of course was acquired by trade and added to the final roster in the waning days of spring training. In fact, that trade occurred one week ago today. Plutko pitched 2.1 innings, and got the win on the afternoon.

We also saw Cesar Valdez in the closers role for the first time. And while he put the tying run on base, he closed out the inning, and a second win in as many games for the O’s. Regardless of what happens tomorrow, the Orioles have won their season-opening series in Boston.

The series concludes tomorrow at Fenway Park. Bruce Zimmerman gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Garrett Richards. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: John Means with a performance for all time on Opening Day

We saw history this afternoon for the Baltimore Orioles. John Means provided one of the greatest if not the greatest Opening Day performances in franchise history, against Boston at Fenway Park. Means surrendered a base hit on the first at-bat of the ballgame, had a runner reach on an error to start the second, and then proceeded to retire the following 18 hitters in a row. Means’ line: 7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K.

I suppose that where this ranks in terms of all-time performances by an Orioles’ pitcher on Opening Day is in the eyes of the beholder. But it’s certainly the best in my lifetime that I’ve ever seen. Means of course lost his father during last season, and also witnessed the birth of his son this past off season. Needless to say, it was an emotional moment for him to take the mound today. But there can be little doubt that he had his number one fan behind him in the sky.

The only drawback to today’s game, at least at first, was that Boston’s Eovaldi seemed to match Means pitch-for-pitch. The Orioles did have a few balls trickle through for base hits, but Boston would always seem to squash the rally. But eventually the O’s got more traffic on the bases and chased Eovaldi.

The O’s had the bases loaded with one out in the top of the sixth. Ryan Mountcastle, making his first ever Opening Day start (as the DH), came to the plate, and sent a deep shot towards left. It bounced off the green monster, netting Mountcastle and the Orioles a two-RBI double. And that’s key; obviously you can’t win if you don’t score (no matter how good your pitching is). But you don’t want to waste a performance like what Means put on today – whether it’s Opening Day, the last game, or anywhere in between.

The O’s would get in insurance run in the eighth on an RBI-single by Anthony Santander. And that’s just as key of a thing as the aforementioned two-RBI single by Mountcastle. You always want insurance runs; you want as many runs as you can possibly get. But especially in a park like Fenway. As the ultimate hitter’s park, you can never be too careful.

So a day late, but the O’s start the season 1-0. However you never want to put too much emphasis into one game – especially Opening Day. But the story du jour is John Means. Heck, he might be the story du jour across the entire league. Needless to say, it’s a game Means will never forget. And given his personal circumstances, it probably will resonate just a bit louder than it otherwise would have.

But make no mistake it would have resonated loudly anyways. It was an absolute virtuoso performance on all fronts. And make no mistake that it goes down in franchise history as one of the best ever by an Opening Day starter.

The series continues tomorrow afternoon at Fenway Park. Matt Harvey gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Tanner Houck Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: 2021 season preview (updated)

It’s here folks; Opening Day for the Baltimore Orioles. Obviously the team begins today on the road, however hope springs eternal on Opening Day. Anything can happen.

The question is, what WILL happen for the Birds this year? The outlook isn’t exactly brilliant if you listen to various outlets. However the hope is that the entire team looks at things in the manner of second starter, Matt Harvey. On numerous occasions during the spring, he said that he didn’t buy into the idea of a rebuild. His goal is to win everyday.

The biggest weakness this team has is going to be starting pitching. Now that’s an awful spot to have your biggest weakness. However first off, we just don’t know how the rotation will turn as time goes on. Maybe guys out-perform themselves. But one strength might well be the bullpen.

And we’ve seen in the past how manager Brandon Hyde has been willing to use the bullpen in non-traditional ways. That goes from pulling starters after just three or four innings, to using an “opener.” It’s not cut and dry. And that’s what bothers traditionalists such as myself. But if it helps the team to win more games, maybe it’s worth it.

Austin Hays, Cedric Mullins, and others all had great springs. The Oriole outfield also looks to be a strength this year. The infield is a bit more undefined, although getting Trey Mancini back will be a big plus. Maikel Franco will also be an upgrade at the hot corner.

However it always boils down to pitching. Matt Harvey was a decent addition. The success or failure however of the likes of Bruce Zimmerman and Dean Kremer may well have a lot to do with the success or failure of this season. And unfortunately, the competition is tough. But that’s always the case in the AL East.

I can’t give you a won/loss prediction. There are too many intangibles, and too much can happen. We don’t know what happens to this team regarding injuries. Or to other teams in the division for that matter. But I’ll say the same thing I said last season, which is that they won’t finish in last place.

And it starts today, on Opening Day against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. John Means gets the call for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Nathan Eovaldi. Game time is set for just after 2 PM.

Update: Due to inclement weather in the Boston area today, Opening Day has been postponed until tomorrow. The O’s will open the season tomorrow at 2 PM against Boston at Fenway Park.

Baltimore Orioles: Camp breaks and north we go

With an 8-3 loss to Tampa this afternoon in Sarasota, the Baltimore Orioles break camp with a record of 10-17. That translates as a .377 win percentage, which translates to between 59-60 wins over 162 games played. That might be where the Orioles end up, and it might not be. Keep in mind that often these spring games are controlled scrimmages, and nothing more. But nevertheless, the Birds closed Grapefruit League play with a 10-17 record.

The Orioles’ starting rotation will be as follows (some of these names we already knew): John Means, Matt Harvey, Bruce Zimmerman, Jorge Lopez, and Dean Kremer. It’s also worth mentioning that we don’t know how the rotation will be used. In the past, Hyde’s shown a willingness to use starters as “openers,” or to pull them quickly if the situation warrants it. So whether or not all of these guys are going to be looking to go seven or eight innings in games is another story.

The Orioles will have an off day tomorrow, and a team workout on Wednesday, after which they’ll fly to Boston for Thursday’s Opening Day game at Fenway Park. That rotation will be tested early with three games at Fenway, and then three in New York against one of the best lineups in baseball. I suspect if they can head for home next week for the home opener with a .500 record, they’ll be satisfied.

Once the final roster is set, stay tuned for my 2021 season preview. depending on the timing it may well be on Thursday. Who knows – time will tell. But one way or the other, the regular season starts Thursday!

Baltimore Orioles fall in penultimate spring game

The Baltimore Orioles played the Pittsburgh Pirates this afternoon in Sarasota for the eighth and final time this spring. With MLB going to “pod scheduling” in the Grapefruit League to cut down on travel, these two got together a lot due to their proximity. You have to play someone. They sent Matt Harvey out for the final time in the spring, and with semi-decent results. Harvey’s line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K.

Harvey of course is going to be the Birds’ number two starter, and will get the nod Saturday afternoon at Fenway Park. Baltimore-native Bruce Zimmerman will start game three, Manager Brandon Hyde announced before the game (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

He’s pitched outstanding in camp. Really feel like he’s had a really good spring training. He’s had some good starts here, he’s pitched outstanding on the back field that you guys haven’t seen, in a B game and some other things that he’s done.

I really like his stuff. I think this guy’s a four-pitch guy, he’s pounded the strike zone all spring, his velocity’s ticked up, his breaking balls have been sharper, and he’s healthy and ready to go. So he’s earned it with how he’s pitched this spring and looking forward to watching him pitch.

As for today’s game, maybe it’s not shocking that two teams who have seen one another seven other times this spring would play a ho-hum type of game today. They’ve certainly gotten to know one another’s rosters, almost to the point of having a joint camp. Every time you turned around the O’s were either going to Bradenton, or Pittsburgh was coming to Sarasota.

Stokes’ RBI-single in the first and Frazier’s in the second gave Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead. The Birds would notch a run in the last of the fourth on a sac fly by Austin Wynns. And that’s IT. The O’s fell to Pittsburgh 2-1. If you’re looking for a stat, the O’s went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position. But does it really matter?! Some games are like that! This one was, and to be honest it was probably the most baldly vanilla game of the spring.

The Orioles will close Grapefruit League play tomorrow at Ed Smith Stadium against Tampa (in a game which won’t be covered by local media). Bruce Zimmerman gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Rich Hill. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: John Means smacked around in final spring outing

The Baltimore Orioles sent John Means to the mound for his final start of the spring in North Port, FL against Atlanta this evening. Means wasn’t as sharp as he would have liked. Now where close. Means’ line: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 3 K.

However we found out something interesting after Means left the game. He mentioned that he and a few other Orioles received the COVID vaccine earlier today. And as a result he started feeling tired during his outing.

A lot of people will question this and wonder why an athlete would get the COVID vaccine this close to the season. First and foremost, it goes without saying that if you want the shot, you should get it whenever it’s made available to you. But…would you rather he had gotten it Thursday morning before his Opening Day start? So I think the timing is fine. And it won’t shock me when this is only the first time we hear about a player not being 100% due to getting the vaccine shot.

Means surrendered a solo homer to Acuna in the first inning. Three innings later Riley’s bases-clearing double extended the lead to 4-1. Jackson’s RBI-double later in the inning chased Means, and have Atlanta a 5-1 lead.

Ramon Urias‘ RBI-single in the fifth accounted for the Birds’ first run on the night. Adley Rutschman‘s RBI-double in the eighth accounted for their second. And Atlanta would plate three more runs in the last of the fifth and in the seventh. And those additional runs were of the insurance type, as Tyler Nevin‘s thre-run homer in the eighth for the O’s closer. But still no cigar, as the O’s dropped this one 8-5.

The bit about Means getting the COVID vaccine sounds like an excuse. Maybe it is. However as I said that’s something Orioles’ fans should be thankful that he and his teammates did during spring training. And it won’t be the last time we see a player having this issue.

The Orioles made a trade before tonight’s game. The sent cash considerations to Cleveland for RHP Adam Plutko. Over four years in Cleveland he has a .520 win percentage, and a 5.05 ERA. As a corresponding move they designated Yolmer Sanchez for assignment.

No indication what this means for the pitching staff or the infield. It’s an interesting time to make a trade, but it’s not surprising to see them picking up additional pitching. Either way, Plutko’s coming.

The Orioles will return to Ed Smith Stadium tomorrow afternoon to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates. Matt Harvey gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Mitch Keller. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Intangibles and situational baseball win games

The Baltimore Orioles sent Jorge Lopez to the mound in Tampa tonight against their AL East rival New York Yankees. Odds are if he wasn’t already on the final roster, Lopez pitched his way onto it. Whether it’s as a starter or reliever remains to be seen. But Lopez had a solid outing against one of the American League’s most potent lineups. Lopez’s line: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K.

In terms of winning or losing the game (which is meaningless), the issue was that New York pitching was just as good. For quite awhile we appeared headed for a tie. Then the seventh inning happened…

…the top of the seventh, that is. Ramon Urias came in as a pinch runner following a base hit. Urias would steal second, which was huge in the grand scheme of things. In a tie or a close game anytime someone can swipe a base late like that, it can often be the difference between winning and losing.

Urias’ stolen base meant Austin Hays was hitting with a runner in scoring position. And he picked up where he left off last night, smacking an RBI-single and giving the O’s a 1-0 lead. Again, that stolen base set up the base hit. And those are intangibles in games that are valuable.

The O’s would also nab two additional runs on wild pitches during the seventh inning, and they kept NY off the board the rest of the way. Chris Shaw would add an insurance run with an RBI-single in the ninth. New York would also get on the board in the nineth, but the O’s closed out a 4-1 victory. However Austin Hays has shown some excellent understanding of the little things that can win games in the last 24 hours. If this continues into the regular season, teams are going to have a big problem on their hands.

Before the game the Birds made a signing and a roster move. They signed P Wade LeBlanc to a major league contract for 2021 (after previously releasing him. To make room for LeBlanc, they transferred Chris Davis to the 60-day DL. So that solves the Davis problem – for now.

The Orioles will head to CoolToday Park in North Port, FL tomorrow night to take on the Atlanta Braves. John Means gets the start for the Birds (his final tune up before Opening Day at Fenway Park), and he’ll be opposed by Atlanta’s Max Fried. Game time is set for just after 6 PM.