Category Archives: Baltimore Orioles News

Baltimore Orioles: A solid win

Dean Kremer wasn’t his best tonight for the Baltimore Orioles. But he certainly wasn’t his worst. He hung around long enough to qualify for the win. And win he did. Kremer’s line: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K.

The Orioles should have taken the lead early in the second inning. Jordan Westburg appeared to homer to lead off the second. But it was ruled a double, and upheld on replay. The ball appeared to hit off the top of the wall – the umpires on review ruled that it was in play, and ruled a ground rule double. Westburg would later score on Ramon Laureano’s RBI-single.

Tampa would tie it up in the fourth with an RBI-single by Caninero. But the O’s would get the lead back quickly. Colton Cowser’s solo homer in the fifth gave them the lead back at 2-1.

And the O’s added on. Ramon Laureano’s RBI-single in the sixth ran the score to 3-1. Gunnar Henderson added an RBI-single in the sixth, and Jackson Holliday one in the ninth. End of the day the O’s evened the series at one game apiece.

The series continues tomorrow at Steinbrenner Park. Trevor Rodger’s gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Taj Bradley.

Baltimore Orioles: Doubleheader part deux

The second game of tonight’s doubleheader between the Baltimore Orioles and Boston has been postponed by rain. The weather in the greater Boston area began deteriorating towards the end of the first game, won 19-5 by Boston. So the teams opted for a doubleheader tomorrow.

Zach Eflin was scheduled to start for the O’s tomorrow afternoon, and he’s still listed as the probable starter for the second game. But we’ll see how they shake things down. Boston is yet to announce a starter for either game tomorrow.

Game one will begin just after 1 PM, with game two beginning just after 6:30 PM. This is a split doubleheader, so double-admission is required. It’s unclear why they opted for this instead of postponing the game until August 20th, a common off-day for both teams. And it follows a truncated two-game series between the two at Fenway. But this is what both sides agreed to, so here we are.

Baltimore Orioles rained out in Boston

Game one of tonight’s scheduled four-game series against Boston at Fenway Park has been rained out for the Baltimore Orioles. With flood warnings up across coastal New England all day, it didn’t take a genius to see this coming. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader tomorrow. It’s a split doubleheader, with game one being at 1:30. The second game is at the previously scheduled 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles relieve Brandon Hyde of managerial duties

The Baltimore Orioles announced this morning that manager Brandon Hyde has been relieved of his duties. Third base coach Tony Mansolino has been elevated to interim manager. The Orioles are 15-28 on the year.

Obviously this is a less-than-desirable result. What’s interesting is the release didn’t include the phrase for the remainder of the season. Might this be a short managerial stint for Mansolino, with someone more tenured or with more name-recognition coming down the pike? Stay tuned. But for now Tony Mansolino will be signing the lineup card.

Baltimore Orioles: Doubleheader tomorrow

The Baltimore Orioles’ game tonight was rained out in Detroit. The weather apparently wasn’t going to let up. The teams will play a split doubleheader tomorrow, with the previously scheduled game starting at 1:10 PM. Brandon Young will get the ball for the Orioles.

Game two will be the makeup of tonight’s game and start at 6:10 PM. The O’s will send Charlie Morton to the mound for that one. For the record, both the Orioles and Detroit will get an extra roster player for tomorrow given the doubleheader.

As I said, it’s a split doubleheader. All that means is it’s two separate admissions. Not that it matters from the perspective of Orioles’ fans, as most of them are at home as opposed to having tickets.

Baltimore Orioles: Friendly neighborhood baseball game

The Baltimore Orioles go down the pike this evening to open the DC leg of the Battle of the Beltways. On a side note, and to show that these two cities are one region, Gunnar Henderson and Ryan Mountcastle apparently were in attendance at last night’s Washington Capitals playoff game.

The Orioles of course come in reeling given the fact that they fell to Cincinnati on Sunday, 24-2. That’s a tough score to see. However it’s also fair to mention that the final nine runs of the game were surrendered by position players as pitchers. Many will say that’s irrelevant because they still scored. And that’s true. Others will say the real pitching staff still surrendered 13 runs! Also true.

End of the day, you can also look at the game and say that the only pitcher (aside from Charlie Morton) to appear with any sort of regularity who was used was Cionel Perez. The likes of Cano, Bautista, among others weren’t torched in this game. If you want a positive spin, there it is.

However the way you forget about a game like that in baseball is…simply to forget about it. You play 162 games. If you let this one game magnify in your mind, it’s going to stay there. The off day yesterday helps. So does going out on the road immediately, despite still technically being local.

Here’s one thing that should start happening. The pitching woes are due in large part to injuries. When you lose your top rotation guys, it’s tough to make ends meet. However we’ve seen a lot of frustration from the Oriole dugout regarding revolving strike zones. Brandon Hyde even said over the weekend that guys need to take up for themselves.

Ironically, I disagree there to a point. You don’t want the reputation of a complainer as a player. Gunnar Henderson on Sunday looked like he was about to say something to the home plate umpire about the zone, and while it was warranted I applaud the control.

Having said that, I think the pressure needs to come from Brandon Hyde. Am I saying he should go and get kicked out of a game at some point arguing balls and strikes? I suppose I am. As Earl Weaver said once, it’s better for the manager to get thrown out than players. And I would submit that if he does it, he should get his money’s worth. The one game he was thrown out of this year it happened while he was in the dugout (and quite frankly it was a very quick hook). Go out there and make a spectacle of it.

One way or the other, the Orioles will take on the Washington Nationals in DC starting tonight. DC’s famous for its Half Smokes, but…aren’t we all really just Crab Cake people?! And I say that as the grandson of a former Washington Senators farmhand who made a heck of a Crab Cake every Christmas Eve!

The series will begin tonight at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. Dean Kremer gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Washington’s Mitchell Parker. Game time is set for 6:45 PM.

Baltimore Orioles rained out

Tonight’s Baltimore Orioles game against Toronto has been rained out. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on July 29th at Camden Yards. I don’t think it took a genius to see this was going to happen. For the record.

So now, the O’s will open this home stand and series with Toronto tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards (weather permitting). Cade Povich gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Jose Berrios. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Season Preview 2025

Today’s the day for the Baltimore Orioles; Ooening Day! North of the border and on the road to be sure, but it’s still Opening Day. The Birds will take on the Toronto Blue Jays this afternoon and this weekend.

What does 2025 hold for the Birds? Tough to say. They and New York were light years ahead of the rest of the division last year. It’s fair to say that Boston and Toronto appear to be in better shape. Are the Orioles and New York in worse shape? Tough to say. At best they’re the same.

The key for the Orioles this year is pitching. Signing Kyle Gibson was a smart move. Also Charlie Morton. They provide a veteran presence. That is until the likes of Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez, and maybe Tyler Wells are ready.

Don’t discount the bullpen. The Orioles are getting Félix Bautista back to start the year. Keep in mind all those blown saves last year – odds are that’s over and done.

Obviously the mystery burns as to when Gunnar Henderson comes back from the injured list. I suspect it’ll be sooner rather than later. If it’s a week, no blood no foul. Longer than that…tough to say.

Injuries haunted this team last year. So maybe it’s good that they’re getting them out of the way early. That’s the hope at least.

So what does the future hold after today for the 2025 Orioles? Ha! I’m no prophet. I’d put the chances of them being in the postseason at about 90%. Last year they had bad luck with injuries. If that repeats…needless to say it’ll play a role. But the Orioles will be a force in 2025. That much I’m confident to say.

Today, on Opening Day, the O’s take on Toronto at Rogers Centre. Zach Eflin gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Jose Berrios. Game time is set for just after 3 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Grapefruit League finale with a hue of Cherry Blossoms

Cade Povich takes the mound this afternoon in the Florida Grapefruit League finale for the Baltimore Orioles. Today’s game was a late add to the schedule, but it isn’t even in Florida. It’s at Nationals Park in Washington, DC, against the Washington Nationals.

Of course starting next year, the two teams will begin an annual home-and-home exhibition series (one game in both parks) to conclude Spring Training. This game is a “standalone” in a sense – but it’s a no-brainer. You have two teams in the region; why not conclude the spring with a “no-stakes game” in a big league park?

It’s low-stakes for sure…but is it? The Battle of the Beltways is a series that plays out more in offices and around holiday tables than it does on the field. And that includes in my own family gatherings; I’m the grandson of a former catcher in the Washington Senators’ system. (I say that using contemporary nomenclature; back in those days what we know as the minor leagues was called “semi-pro.”) You’ll see a great mix of orange and red at Nationals Park if you watch or attend today’s game.

I’m not sure this series will ever be comparable to the Subway Series or Chicago’s Cross-Town Rivalry. However you can’t totally draw more of a parallel with something such as the Texas rivalry either. You have two cities that are both well defined and independent of one another. Yet they’re both cornerstones of the same mid-Atlantic region. This unlike New York or Chicago, where both teams are part of the same city.

Let’s start with the food aspect. Both cities love crabs, and I’m sorry…I take umbrage when people from other parts of the country say that they have decent crabs. Maryland Blue Crabs begin and end the discussion about crabs! That said, ever tried a Half-Smoke from Ben’s Chili Bowl?! If you like frankfurters and chili (which I do), it’s a delicacy.

I suspect there’ll be a hearty crowd at today’s game. And it’ll be somewhat of a carnival-like atmosphere. But it’s still an exhibition game. I’ll actually be really interested to see how many innings Cade Povich goes today. Brandon Hyde has actually been shortening his starters the last few days. Does that trend continue, or does he play today’s game like a true dress rehearsal? Time will tell. Play ball!