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, Zach Eflin see why Tampa has a dome

Zach Eflin was the unfortunate Baltimore Orioles’ pitcher who got the start at Tampa’s makeshift home – Steinbrenner Field. End of the day, Tampa seemed to deal with with the conditions well. Eflin and the Orioles did not. Eflin’s line: 5.0 IP, 12 H, 7 R, 2 BB, 2 K.

The heat and humidity was harsh in Tampa today. Luckily the game was a night game, but Tampa seemed right at home. As well they should have been – because they were at home. Their makeshift home. The Orioles on the other hand – struggled. This despite being semi-familiar with the ballpark, playing there in spring.

Lowe led off the game for Tampa with a solo home run. It was only 334 ft to right, and barely made it over the wall. But it counted. Morel’s RBI-single in the second, and Mangum’s in the third extended the lead to 3-0.

Adley Rutschman led of the fourth with a solo homer – which was shorter than Lowe’s. The right field wall is short in this park, so in that sense both teams took advantage. For what it’s worth, I think this is fine in spring. But to have a park like this in play for the regular season? Poor form on the part of baseball.

With two outs in the fourth Eflin walked Lowe. But he did so on a pitch that was way outside. And I mean it slipped, and the Oriole trainer came out to check on him as a result. That shows how humid it was tonight, yet it only played into Tampa’s success.

Lowe would later score on a two-run homer by Lowe (same spelling, different pronunciation). For the record, the two Tampa home runs came off of off speed pitches. And Eflin threw a lot of them tonight. Which is only a problem if they’re being hit. And they were being hit.

Tampa would add one additional two-RBI double by Mangum in the last of the fifth. One positive note was the Orioles’ bullpen, which successfully stemmed the tide. This especially includes Colin Shelby, who was recalled before the game when the O’s put Cade Povich on the IL (shoulder inflammation). What that does to the rotation remains to be seen.

The series continues tomorrow at Steinbrenner Field. Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Zach Littell. Game time is set for just after 7:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles sweep Halo’s with a Gary Sanchez grand slam

The Baltimore Orioles used Scott Blewett as an opener today in the final game against Anaheim. Blewett went deeper than some openers before giving way to Cade Povich, who was the “bulk pitcher.” Blewett’s line: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 1 K.

It was almost a deficit that Blewett handed off to Povich. Schanuel hit a solo home run in the first inning. This after a bizarre sequence after the first pitch, which Anaheim challenged claiming a HBP. They lost the challenge. If you challenge on the first pitch, you’d better be right. They weren’t.

Jordan Westburg led the game off by reaching on a fielding error and ending up at second base. That brought Ramon Urias to the plate, and he gave the O’s the lead with a two-run homer. Blewett exited in the third after a runner got to third and later scored on a wild pitch. One of my arguments against the concept of an opener is it puts a traditional starter such as Cade Povich in a potentially odd situation. Hence wild pitches occurring.

But Ramon Laureano’s RBI-single in the fourth gave the O’s the lead back. With two outs in the sixth and Gary Sanchez at third, Cedric Mullins laid down a bunt. He would not only reach first on a throwing error, but he would make it to third base. Which means Sanchez scored, and the O’s extended their lead to 4-2.

Coby Mayo, whose bat is slowly coming along, would tack on a run-scoring double before the inning ended. Anaheim would threaten in the seventh. They loaded the bases, prompting Cade Povich to give way to Seranthony Dominguez. But Dominguez struck out the last two hitters to end the inning, preserving the Oriole lead.

Anaheim had a chance. And to channel the Orioles’ opener, they “Blewett.” But the Orioles made them pay. They intentionally loaded the bases by walking Gunnar Henderson. Following a Ramon Laureano strikeout, Gary Sanchez came to the plate. Gary Sanchez, who just came off the IL…

…and Gary Sanchez who put the game out of reach with a grand slam. That was huge. Tack on a two-run homer by Jordan Westburg in the eighth, and the O’s went home 11-2 winners on Father’s Day.

With the sweep of Anaheim, the O’s finished the home stand at 4-2. It feels like things are different. Needless to say, they’re back to Feb games below .500. That’s something. Whether it’s too little too late remains to be seen.

The O’s now head to Tampa to open a four-game set tomorrow at Steinbrenner Field. the Birds are yet to announce a starter, but Tampa’s starting Ryan Pepiot. Game time is set for just after 7:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles accelerating into the turn of healthier

Tomoyuki Sugano wasn’t quite as sharp as he normally is for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon against Anaheim. I’ve said it a million times – sometimes pitchers are just “off.” Today was one of those days for Sugano, who in general has been strong. Sugano’s line: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 4 K.

Sugano appeared off from the beginning. He surrendered a walk on four straight pitches to start the game, and later in the inning Trout smacked a two-run homer off the left field foul pole. However the O’s would also look to make a run of things with a couple of base runners in their half of the frame, followed by an RBI-groundout by Jordan Westburg.

Adley Rutschman got aboard in the third with a base hit, and got into scoring position on a wild pitch. Gunnar Henderson’s RBI-single scored him and tied the game at two. Following a stolen base, Jordan Westburg’s RBI-single gave the Birds their first lead of the game at 3-2.

Anaheim would tie the game back up at three on Ward’s RBI-single in the fifth. One inning later they would have the lead back on a solo homer by Rengifo. But that was short lived. Ramon Laureano led off the Orioles’ half of the sixth with a walk, and he would score on a Cedric Mullins two-run home run. And the Birds had the lead back at 5-4.

Before the game the Orioles reinstated backup catcher Gary Sanchez from the IL, optioning Maverick Handley back to Norfolk. And Sanchez’s bat provided instant results, with a solo homer later in the sixth inning. Sanchez of course had battled injuries through April before finally hitting the IL. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come.

And it’s a good thing he hit that homer, because Renfifo hit his second of the game in the eighth. Luckily just a solo shot, and the Oriole bullpen closed out a 6-5 lead. The O’s have now taken the first two games of this series.

Sanchez may only be the backup catcher, but he isn’t the poor hitter we saw at the beginning of the season. Now we know he wasn’t healthy. In the past week plus, the Birds have started to get some people back. Which is a good sign.

You can’t do anything about having the Westburg’s, Samchez’s, Cowser’s, et al, on the injury list at the beginning. Just like you can’t help the fact that three pitchers and a first baseman are still there. But you can go forward stronger as they start to come back.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Cade Povich gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Anaheim’s Yusei Kikuchi, Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Two solo homers bring the thunder and lightning

It took awhile, but Charlie Morton got the start for the Baltimore Orioles last night. The game began in a rain delay of slightly longer than an hour before Morton and the O’s could even. Take the field. Morton was good – to be clear. But he labored to get through five innings – because of the weather. Morton’s line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 K.

Again to be clear, Morton didn’t labor through five. The “laboring” was the question of whether the rai was going to start back up. Morton couldn’t have been stronger, save for the very beginning. A walk and a base hit to start the game put two runners on for Anaheim. But Morton struck out the next three hitters to get back in the dugout.

Ryan O’Hearn’s solo homer in the second inning gave the O’s a 1-0 lead. Meanwhile Morton kept mowing Anaheim hitters down. In the fourth inning the grounds crew started gathering behind the tarp in anticipation of rain. If Morton could get through five with the lead, needless to say it would be an official game.

And…he made it. He sent Anaheim down 1-2-3 in the fifth with storm clouds gathering. In the mean time, the Orioles were able to add to their lead. They began the last of the fifth, and Ramon Laureano added a solo home run. With one on and one out, the rain came. And they called for the tarp.

Perhaps the most surprising part of the game overall was the fact that it actually resumed. Following a roughly hour and fifteen minute rain delay, the teams played on. Morton obviously was done for the game, however since he made it through five he was in line to be the winner. And when the bullpen shut down Anaheim for the remainder of the game, he was.

The series continues today at Camden Yards. Tomoyuki Sugano gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Anaheim’s Tyler Anderson. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Dean Kremer’s one bad inning sinks the Birds

The Baltimore Orioles used Keegan Akin as an opener this evening. To be clear, it worked out for the most part. But I’m not a fan of the concept. It’s too non-traditional. Akin’s line: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K.

In fairness, when you’re facing Detroit’s Skubal, it might be a futile effort no matter what you do. The Orioles actually got a few hits off of Skubal, but to little avail. Needless to say, he’s a Cy Young Award winner.

Again in fairness, Dean Kremer was good out of the bullpen. He pitched seven innings, this as the bulk pitcher. But he had one blip in the radar, and that’s what did the Orioles in tonight.

Dingler slugged a solo home run in the fourth. It wasn’t just a home run, as Colton Cowser ran all the way back and crashed into the wall to attempt to make the catch. Trainers came out to check on Cowser, and he stayed in the game. Needless to say, he gave max effort to save that ball.

Following two straight singles, Meadows came to the plate and smacked a three-run homer. That extended Detroit’s lead to 4-0. However again, Kremer straightened out after that. It was to little avail, as the damage was done, but he corrected himself. That should mean something.

The O’s would net one run in the eighth on a solo home run by Dylan Carlson. But they went quietly in the ninth, and fell 4-1. To be clear, good pitching usually shuts down good hitting. Skubal is an outstanding pitcher. So this wasn’t totally unforeseen.

The Orioles stay at home and take on Anaheim tomorrow at Camden Yards. Chad Morton gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Anaheim’s Jack Kochanowicz. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Jordan Westburg with an exclamation point at the end

Zach Eflin acted as a stopper of sorts for the Baltimore Orioles tonight. The O’s had only lost two straight, but better to end a losing streak now than let it really get churning. And Eflin turned in a quality start in ending the losing streak. Eflin’s line: 6.2 IP. 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

Ramon Urias got the O’s on the board in the third with a two-run homer. However the Orioles continued getting guys on base. They even got them into scoring position. They just couldn’t get them home. The fear of course, was that this would come back and bite the Orioles. For a moment, it looked like it would.

Detroit put two runners on base in the seventh, and Keith’s RBI-double cut the lead to 2-1. That left one out and two runners in scoring position. The Orioles brought the infield in, and Dingler lined out. Tony Mansolino lifted Eflin, and Keegan Akin struck the final hitter out.

That was a jam. While the Orioles didn’t want to surrender a run there, that inning was a win. The game could have imploded. But they limited the damage. And it was especially big given that Gunnar Henderson smacked an RBI-single in the last of the eighth extending the lead to 3-1.

Cedric Mullins’ RBI-double in the last of the eighth seemed to somewhat seal the deal. Mullins would later score on a wild pitch, extending the lead to 5-1. Insurance runs mean something. Especially that one, as it meant the Orioles didn’t need to use Felix Bautista.

But the onslaught didn’t end there. Following a couple of walks Ryan O’Hearn’s two-RBI single extended the lead to 7-1. But it was a three-run home run by Jordan Westburg that capped the evening off, Westburg’s second game back and his second home run in that span.

The fact that Westburg seems to be picking right up where he left off is meaningful. And on top of that, this was the Orioles’ biggest win since Opening Day in Toronto. Go figure, guys get healthy and things improve.

The series concludes tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Tarik Skubal. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Reliance on analytics turned extreme

It’s interesting that it’s the Baltimore Orioles who seem to be turning the concept of analytics on its head. Not in the manner that that one would think, however. More on that later. Detroit got to starter Cade Povich early. Povich’s line: 4.2 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

Detroit was going to start Sawyer Gibson-Long. But they switched that up and used Brant Hurter as an “opener.” Detroit did this to the Orioles last year, and earlier in 2025. And it’s been especially effective given the Orioles’ inability to hit left-handed pitching.

Hurter is a righty, so the Orioles set their lineup prepared to hit the starter. Then he leaves the game, surrendering to a righty. The lineup is already set to hit a southpaw, and there‘a nothing the Orioles can do about it. Save for figuring out how to hit lefties.

McKinstry tripled in the second, which led to Perez’s sac fly-RBI. But the O’s did tie the score. Gunnar Henderson’s RBI- single in the last of the third knotted things up at one.

However it unraveled quickly. And you almost didn’t see it coming. Baez’s RBI-single in the fourth gave Detroit the lead back. One inning later Detroit got an RBI-single by Dingler, and a two-run home run by Torkelson. Needless to say, they’re a pesky bunch.

The Orioles did attempt a late rally. Adley Rutschman followed a Jackson Holliday double (followed by a wild pitch advancing Holliday to third) with a sac fly-RBI. Following a walk Ryan O’Hearn went to a 3-0 count, before taking ball four…

…in theory. Home plate umpire Alex Tosi called a pitch that was well outside (and low) strike one. O’Hern fouled the next pitch off, and swung through the following pitch for strike three (ending the inning).

On top of everything else, not even borderline pitches went against the Birds. The only reason O’Hearn swung at either of the last two pitches was because he had no choice. In his mind the home plate umpire had already proven that everything was a strike. So it was swing or get caught looking. To his credit, O’Hearn didn’t say a word – he glared angrily at the home plate umpire and walked away.

Jordan Westburg would smack a solo homer in the ninth to narrow the lead to 5-3. That didn’t really help the O’s in terms of the game, however it helped Westburg’s confidence. Tonight was his first game back from the IL.

The Orioles’ biggest issues were highlighted in this game. Again, they’re turning analytics on its head. They’re so committed to what the computer is saying to do, other teams are finding ways around that. The computer says you struggle against southpaws. So the opponent pitches a southpaw for a brief period, and you set your lineup accordingly.

In short, opponents are outsmarting the Orioles. In a certain sense, how are you going to improve against lefties if you only face them in a controlled environment designed to not let you fail? Again, Detroit has done this to the Orioles before (among other teams). They’re playing to their opponents’ weaknesses. And it’s working.

In the AL East world, the team with more power and better pitching wins. So we look at an “opener” as weak. I do as well – I’m not a fan of the practice. I see it as gutless, and I see it as sleight of hand. But against a team like the Orioles who are dug into analytics at all costs, it’s working.

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

Baltimore Orioles: drop series finale in Sacramento

Tomoyuki Sugano struggled for the Baltimore Orioles in the series finale against the Athletics in Sacramento. Overall Orioles pitching didn’t faire well in Suter Health Park. Sugano’s line: 4.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R (3 earned), 1 BB, 2 K.

After the Athletics got the lead runner on base in the first, he advanced to second on a softly hit ball in the infield. Jackson Holliday did record the out at first base, but the lead runner moved up to second. This on a sequence where the location of the ball in play should have resulted in a double-play. But because the ball was so softly-hit, that wasn’t possible.

And go figure, Soderstrom blooped another softly-hit ball into center for an RBI-single. The Orioles have been eaten alive all season with soft contact. This to the point that you wonder if opponents know something the Orioles don’t.

However the Orioles tied the score in the second. With runners at the corners and two outs, Emmanuel Rivera stole second base while the Athletics tried to pick off Ramon Urias at third. However the catcher Pereda made an errant throw, and Urias scored. Rivera tried to also advance to third, and was tagged out on the base paths.

And was almost a huge mistake. It’s easy enough to say Rivera was pushing as far as he could and so forth. But had he been tagged out before Urias had scored, that run wouldn’t have counted. And it was close. The run counted, but it was close. You can’t allow your will to win overtake your instincts, forcing you to take unnecessary risks.

However the Athletics would put up three runs in their part of the second. This included another play that should have been a ground ball double-play, but worked out flawlessly for the Athletics. Butler grounded a ball off of Sugano and everyone was safe. If the ball isn’t in effect a comebacker, it’s a double-play and the inning is over. Instead, the Athletics led 4-1 after the end of the inning.

The Athletics would get a solo home run by Muncy in the last of the eighth, and took the game 5-1. Going into this road trip my private opinion was that the Orioles could go .500. Instead they went 4-2. Yes the series in Sacramento could have been better. But end of the day you take a 4-2 road trip to the west coast. All day.

Reports were saying that the infield at Suter Health Park was playing hard. The Orioles saw that first hand this weekend. It’s a minor league park. Now granted, both teams are playing on the same field. But whether the Orioles were at a disadvantage or not is up to the beholder.

Baltimore Orioles outlast Athletics

The Baltimore Orioles found a way to win last night despite a rough outing by a starter. Charlie Morton struggled on the bump in Sacramento. Morton’s line: 2.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 BB, 5 K.

The Orioles put up a run in the first inning on a sac fly-RBI by Ryan O’Hearn. However Morton just didn’t have it last night, as can happen with a starting pitcher from time to time. Morton promptly loaded the bases. And walked in a run. MacIver’s RBI-single gave the Athletics a 2-1 lead. Morton appeared to get out of it after walking in a third run. W

ith the bases still loaded he induced a comebacker by Schuemann. Morton went to tag Schuemann, and the inning was over. However Oakland challenged the call, and in fact replays showed that Morton missed the tag. This gave Oakland a 4-1 lead.

Ryan O’Hearn led off the fourth with a single, and Ramon Laureano’s two-run homer cut the lead to 4-3. That was a big moment, as it propelled the O’s back into the game. One inning later Gunnar Henderson’s RBI-single tied the game at four.

And one inning after that, the Orioles took the lead on a solo home run by Colton Cowser. Later in the inning Jackson Holliday reached on a throwing error, scoring a sixth run. Once the Orioles started scoring, they didn’t stop. A seventh inning RBI-single by Ramon Laureano sent the Birds home with a 7-4 lead.

Oakland put up their four runs on Morton, who struggled. Once he was out of the game, they couldn’t do anything further. And the Birds didn’t stop once the main scoring started.

The doesn’t mean that Morton should induce concerns like we saw at the beginning of the season. He just didn’t have it last night. And that will happen to starting pitchers.

The series concludes this afternoon at Suter Health Park. Tomoyuki Sugano gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by The Athletics’ Jacob Lopez. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.