Baltimore Orioles: Revenge is a dish best served in a Blaze of glory

Behind starter Trey Gibson, the Baltimore Orioles defeated Tampa this evening at Camden Yards. In doing so, they completed the three-game sweep…this against the team who swept and embarrassed them last week in Tampa. This behind an outstanding starting effort. Gibson’s line: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 1 K.

In the wake of that ill-fated and aforementioned series in Tampa last week, the Orioles started to right a few things over the weekend, a trend that continued and enhanced itself in the Tampa series this week. However Oriole bats exploded in this game tonight, hopefully in an attempt to right the ship…hopefully.

The Orioles started early and often. Gunnar Henderson smacked a two-run homer in the first, followed by an RBI-single by Leody Taveras. Before the crowd had seemingly settled in, the Birds led 3-0.

But the inning didn’t end there. Blaze Alexander’s two-RBI single extended it to 5-0. The onslaught continued in the third on an RBI-single by Tyler O’Neill. Two innings later, the score was broken wide open on a two-RBI double by Blaze Alexander. The most promising part of that? It was set up by Leody Taveras stealing second base. Taveras had been a pest to opposing teams on the base paths all year.

Tampa would scratch a rub across in the top of the sixth when Vilade grounded into a force out with a runner on third. BUT…the Birds weren’t done. Gunnar Henderson smacked a solo homer in bottom of the inning to extend the lead to 9-1.

To put Blaze Alexander’s night in perspective, he came back in the last of the seventh with a two-run homer. A two-run home run which was a SHOT off the bat. The extended the lead to 11-1, and the rout was on.

The one downer was Yennier Cano. He promptly loaded the bases in the top of the eighth with nobody out. However he also pulled up lane with an apparent leg injury. It’ll be interesting to see what Craig Albernaz says after the game, however Cano left the game. Which could be a concern going forward for the O’s.

Andrew Kitteredge did allow an inherited runner to score with a HBP with the bases loaded. But he ended the inning. And the Orioles put an exclamation point on the series.

You CANNOT get too excited about sweeping Tampa. However this Tampa team embarrassed the Birds last week. So turnabout is fair play. And ultimately, it’s a series sweep against a division foe.

Blaze Alexander also had a career-high six RBI tonight. Needless to say, the offense clicked in this series. Not to mention, they need to keep the party going both offensively and defensively from here.

The O’s now open a four-game set against Toronto at Camden Yards tomorrow night. Chris Bassit gets the start for the O’s (against his former team), and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Patrick Corbin. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Shane Baz presides over role-reversal

Shane Baz got a rematch against his former team this evening for the Baltimore Orioles. He pitched well last week in Tampa. He was outstanding this evening at Camden Yards. Baz’s line: 7.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 9 K.

It started somewhat suspect for the Birds and Baz. Following a leadoff double, Aranda’s RBI-single in the first inning gave Tampa a 1-0 lead. However if that’s going to beat you, then under no circumstances is that on you. Baz limited the damage to that one run, which is a good sign.

Tampa seemed to come unglued one inning later. In a fashion that we’ve seen this year from the O’s. Samuel Bassalo reached on a fielding error, and Leody Taveras on a single- which smacked off of Tampa’s starter, Jax. There was a brief injury delay, but Jax stuck in there to his credit. He would later depart before the third.

After the O’s loaded the bases in that second inning, Blaze Alexander reached on an error, scoring the tying run. That brought Jackson Holliday to the plate, who delivered a run-scoring single. Taylor Ward would add a sacrifice fly, and suddenly the O’s led, 3-1.

Keep in mind that just about every bounce in baseball has gone Tampa’s way this year. And every bounce has trended against the Orioles. This from injuries to the ball bouncing the wrong way on the cut of the grass. In the first two games of this series, we’ve seen Tampa victimized by bounces and errors. Are both teams pro/regressing to the mean?

To further that point, with Jackson Holliday on first in the last of the fifth, Gunnar Henderson grounded into a fielder’s choice at second. However the O’s challenged the call, in that Tampa had missed the bag on the exchange. And they were right. Was it close? Yes. But so was Colton Cowser sliding into home plate yesterday. In both cases the Birda challenged, and in both cases they were right.

That gave the O’s two on. Samuel Basallo came to the plate later in that fifth inning, and reminded Birdland why he signed that extension last year. His three-run homer broke the game wide open, giving the O’s a 6-1 lead. The Oriole bullpen held through the final two innings, and after two wins against Tampa the Orioles have a shot to sweep tomorrow.

Tampa’s made their share of mistakes which in essence have given games away yesterday and today. However we’ve seen that all year from the O’s. Maybe this evens things out in a sense. Shane Baz was stellar in his outing against his former team tonight. And he set the tone and drew the boundary for the game by only allowing that lone run in the first inning.

The series concludes tomorrow night at Camden Yards. The O’s are yet to announce a starter, but whomever he is will be opposed by Tampa’s Steven Matz. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles brought the cows home on Memorial Day

It seems like years ago when Kyle Bradish started against Tampa this afternoon at Camden Yards on Memorial Day. In a game where the somewhat suspect O’s played against the creme de la crème of the division (record-wise), Bradish pitched perhaps his best outing of the season. Bradish’s line: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 K.

That lone run came on a solo homer by Aranda in the sixth inning. The way the game had gone, you could totally see the game ending 1-0 with Tampa winning. The Orioles had only mustered a few singles to that point, and had even had a runner picked off first base (with another pickoff coming later).

Needless to say, Bradish didn’t deserve to lose the game 1-0. He didn’t deserve to lose the game at all. And he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t get the win either, but he did get non-decisioned – as did Tampa’s McClanahan, a Baltimore native, who also deserved the win.

Leody Taveras drew a walk and promptly stole second base in the seventh. He would later score on Blaze Alexander’s RBI-single, and the Birds would take the lead later in the inning with an RBI-single by Taylor Ward. But we were only getting started.

Palacios’ RBI-single in the eighth would tie the game at two. Needless to say, despite their flaws, the Orioles battled in this game. They did everything they could to scratch and claw their way ahead, which is what we expect ironically of Tampa. The teams went to extra innings tied at two on Memorial Day at Camden Yards. But again, things were just getting started.

Neither side scored in the tenth, however Tampa landed what felt like the decisive blow in the top of the eleventh – that being a two-run home run by Mesa. For the record, keep in mind that both teams begin every inning with a ghost runner on second base. But that obviously means the Orioles get the same courtesy. And they took advantage also with a run-scoring single by Pete Alonso in the home half of the frame. Alonso would advance to second on an errant throw. He would later score on a run-scoring single by Jeremiah Jackson to tie the game.

However the Birds couldn’t get a third run, so on we went to the twelfth tied at four. Aranda’s sacrifice fly gave Tampa a 5-4 lead. When the Orioles took their turn at bat in the bottom of the inning, Ward led off with a fly out which also sent Colton Cowser (the ghost runner) to third. Gunnar Henderson would then hit into what appeared to be a fielder’s choice which plated the runner. He sent a bounding grounder to first, and Tampa nailed Colton Cowser at home plate.

That put the Orioles on the brink. But…did it? Craig Albernaz challenged the play at home plate. Needless to say, it was a close play. But the umpires ruled that Cowser had his hand in across the plate before the tag. Meaning he was safe, and the game was tied.

That was about as close of a play as you’ll see. However the umpires ruled that there was clear and convincing evidence that the call on the field of safe was incorrect. When you’re in extra innings and you’re already trailing. A play like that is almost wishing on a prayer. But the Orioles took that risk. And it worked out.

But true to form, Tampa put two runs across in the top of the thirteenth . They took a 7-5 lead, in what felt like about the 18th ultimate blow of this Memorial Day game. Needless to say, it appeared that the Orioles may be out of magic for this day. But the home team bats last.

Leody Taveras led off the last of the thirteenth with a run-scoring double which scored Jeremiah Jackson (the ghost runner). That wasn’t totally meaningless, but at the time it was somewhat meaningless. However it also did leave the tying run in scoring position with nobody out. Following a Blaze Alexander single, Jackson Holiday’s sac fly-RBI once again tied the game – this time at seven.

And that brought Colton Cowser back to the plate. Keep in mind that Cowser ended game one against Detroit yesterday with a walk off two-run homer. It was perhaps the most unlikely of outcomes at the time. Do you can imagine the odds of it happening again.

Sometimes things just happen. Anyone following that game in any capacity knew that Cowser’s deep fly ball was gone as soon as he hit it. And when it officially cleared the wall and became a souvenir for a lucky fan, the Orioles had a 9-7 win.

The two teams almost switched places today. It was Tampa who seemed to want to give the game away. And the Orioles struck at precisely the right time. Make no mistake that’s a huge win. But only the Orioles know if it’s going to be a win on which we look back as the start of something.

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Shane Baz gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Griffin Jax. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles drop nightcap, win series

As can happen in baseball, the Baltimore Orioles played a vastly different ballgame in the second game of today’s doubleheader. Trevor Rogers’ struggles continued, this as opposed to game one when Brandon Young was stellar. Rogers’ line: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 2 K.

Rogers spent his entire outing on the inside edges of the plate. Which is a problem when the opponent seems to know that’s what you’re going to do. Other teams read the same Sabre metrics as the Orioles do.

Detroit got on the board early with a two-run homer by Dingler in the top of the first. One frustrating aspect of that was that Dingler reached on a fielder’s choice. Vierling led the game off with a single, and McGonigle grounded the ball to Pete Alonso at first base. However the ball was so slow that the Birds could only get the one out.

The O’s would send Adley Rutschman to third base with nobody out in the fourth, and he would score on a sac fly-RBI. However one inning later Detroit would load the bases. Prior to departing the game, Rogers surrendered a two-RBI single to McGonigle. Oriole bats couldn’t muster much the rest of the way, and the O’s fell 4-1.

Detroit came into this game having lost eight straight – the eighth one coming earlier today. They were eventually going to snap that streak, according to the law of averages. However the Orioles were the obvious better team for this series. Which is why they won it.

Trevor Rogers continues to baffle. It’s overly simplistic to say get him out of the rotation. This is last year’s MVO. If it were me, I would start by canceling my subscription to whichever computer program is telling him to throw only on the inside of the plate.

The biggest bright spot was Albert Suarez who came out of the bullpen. Suarez pitched four innings and gave up three hits. In a doubleheader it’s imperative to preserve your bullpen. And he helped the Orioles to do that.

The O’s now open a three-game set against Tampa tomorrow on Memorial Day at Camden Yards. The O’s are yet to announce a starter, but whomever he is will be opposed by Tampa’s Shane McClanahan. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM

Baltimore Orioles: The milk has been delivered

In game one of a twin bill, Brandon Young was outstanding for the Baltimore Orioles. In short, he gave up two unearned runs – which were very unearned, if you will. He left the game in the top of the seventh to a standing ovation. Young’s line: 6.2 IP, 5 H, 2 runs (0 earned), 2 BB, 4 K.

This is exactly the sort of start that the Orioles want out of their starters. With only four strikeouts, the Detroit hitters were putting the ball in play. And they were largely recording outs. Until fate stepped in.

With one on in the fourth, Young induced Dingler to smack a soft liner to Pete Alonso at first base. With a runner on first base, Alonso allowed the ball to fall in front of him – which was a smart play. Because why not try and record a double-play.

This is a different game if not for the fact that when the ball bounced, it took a strange bounce, directly past Alonso. When he finally got to the ball, he tried to throw the lead runner out at second, but one-hopped the throw. It went as a fielder’s choice and an E4.

Again, smart play by Alonso. Smart to let the ball fall, that is. Many people will criticize that, however that’s based on the result. Others will say that despite the opportunity to turn two, he should have taken the sure out because as we saw anything can happen. But you have to manage to the rule, not an anomaly; the ball bouncing like it did is an anomaly.

However the fact is that Vierling’s subsequent run-scoring single gave Detroit a 1-0 lead. Keith would tack on a sacrifice fly later in the inning, and the O’s trailed 2-0. The Pete Alonso play at first may have been an anomaly, but it also cost the Orioles two runs.

Gunnar Henderson would get the O’s on the board in the sixth with a solo home run. Brandon Young was finally pulled in the top of the seventh with well over 100 pitches under his belt. That’s a career high. And needless to say, he deserved the win.

Keegan Akin retired the side on one pitch to finish the seventh, but then walked the leadoff man in the eighth. That runner of course came around to score on an RBI-single. The O’s pulled to within 3-2 on an RBI-single by Taylor Ward in their half of the frame. And we went to the ninth.

While it had been a slog of a game to that point and Oriole bats had been far from in shape, the home team bats last. Jackson Holiday walked, and immediately stole second base – without a throw no less. Following another walk to Leody Taveras plus another out, Craig Alberbaz once again put his runners in motion. And this time BOTH of them advanced without a throw. Bringing Colton Cowser to the plate with the tying and winning runs in scoring position.

Cowser’s struggled across the board this year to this point. Does that mean he couldn’t do some damage with this at-bat? Of course not. And the game hinged on something happening on his end.

And it did. Cowser didn’t just hit a walk off three-run homer. He hit it 457 feet into oblivion. It was almost a moment worthy of The Natural, with Robert Redford. It’s a moment that won the series for the Birds, and set them up to potentially sweep the series tonight.

The series concludes this evening in the nightcap of the twin bill at Camden Yards. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Troy Melton. Game time is set for just after 6 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Jackson Holiday leads a rain-soaked win

The Baltimore Orioles announced before tonight’s game at Camden Yards that Keegan Akin would act as an opener against Detroit. The Birds lifted him after one inning in favor of Chris Bassitt, who was the bulk pitcher. This in a game under a perpetual threat of rain. Akin’s line: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 H, 1 R, 2 K, 0 BB.

The problem with the one hit was that it was a solo home run, this on the first pitch of the game by McGonigle. The literal first pitch of the game. And the Orioles immediately trailed, 1-0.

Bassitt would somewhat stabilize things, but he did give up back-to-back doubles in the third, with Lee’s being an RBI-double. However the O’s did start to get things going in that third inning as well. They put two runners on with one out, including Gunnar Henderson who reached on an error.

As often as we’ve talked about holding opposing teams not being held accountable for their mistakes by the Orioles, here was one instance where they did just that. Pete Alonso followed., unloading a deep shot to right the opposite way. And in an instant, the Orioles led 3-2.

However Detroit battled back. With one on in the fourth Torkelson’s double to left field put two runners in scoring position. And as we know, anything can happen when you have runners on base. McKinstry smacked a hard grounder that was smothered by Pete Alonso at first. Alonso fired the ball to home plate…

…and the tag was late by Adley Rutschman. Needless to say, the throw was there and the tag was just missed. Later in the inning Lee would strike a swinging bunt to third which Coby Mayo smartly put in his pocket. It went as an RBI-single, giving Detroit the lead back at 4-3.

Weird things can happen when you put people on base. Including a tag being just late. Or a guy getting a swinging bunt up the line with a runner at third. But two can play at the anything can happen with guys on base game.

Leody Taveras led off the home half of fourth inning with a bunt up the same third base line…and it worked. Following a Colton Cowser single, runners were at the corners. Incidentally the Orioles were facing Detroit’s Flaherty, who had ironically never been called for a balk. But there’s a first time for everything.

Flaherty balked home a run, sending Cowser to second. Later in the inning Jackson Holiday came up, and before you knew it the O’s had the lead back. Holiday sent a deep shot through the rain drops towards left. The ball slid underneath the foul pole. Yes, underneath. But despite being a softly-hit home run, it was still a home run. And the Orioles led, 6-4.

It was Holiday’s first home run of the season, for the record. Again, anything can happen when guys get on base. We’ve seen the Orioles be victimized by that premise so many times this year, including tonight. But for once they made the opponent pay. Maybe by a hair, but they made them pay.

That felt fairly final, especially with the rain around the ballpark. But there’s rain delay and eventual cancellation never came. Many, myself included, thought this would be a rain-shortened game. But somehow the umpires allowed the game to go on, and Pete Alonso’s sac fly-RBI in the sixth extended the lead to 7-4.

The Orioles’ bullpen reverted to the form we’ve seen most of the season. And a game that many thought would be rained out ended in a complete game Orioles win. Detroit may well have been the one team that was struggling moreso than the Orioles were coming in. But the O’s made sure they didn’t snap out of it tonight at their expense. And the eventual game-winning rally began with a bunt, which does still have a place in baseball – as evidenced tonight.

The series continues tomorrow at Camden Yards. Brandon Young gets the call for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Framber Valdez. Game time is set for just after 4 PM (weather permitting).

Baltimore Orioles: Two-out rallies and interesting management

Kyle Bradish pitched well enough to win tonight for the Baltimore Orioles. He had a rough first inning in terms of pitch count, but he hung in there afterwards. And he was rewarded with a loss, with which he had very little to do. Bradish’s line: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 6 K.

Bradish had the lead before even getting on the mound at Tropicana Field. Taylor Ward smacked a solo home run on the second pitch of the game to give the Birds a 1-0 lead. A lead that was short-lived.

Bradish quickly recorded two outs in the last of the first. He proceeded to throw approximately 36 total pitches in the inning to record the final out. He would walk Aranda, and then surrender a perfectly-placed RBI-double to Diaz to tie the score at one.

There are two points on this play. First and foremost, it’s another situation that starts innocently enough, but ends up a two-out rally. The Orioles absolutely CANNOT put people away with two outs and/or two strikes. There has to be something that’s being tipped to opposing teams. It’s almost impossible for that not to be the case, because we’re well past the point to where it could be coincidental. Yet two consecutive coaching staffs and an Ivy League Front Office have been unable to get that figured out.

The second point is the fact that the play in question split two outfielders and went all the way to the wall. We saw this a lot last year – not quite as much yet in 2026. The Orioles play their outfield deep and dramatically to pull. This opens up holes in bad places; holes that opponents always seem to find. No doubles defebse is good late; not so much with two outs and a runner on first in the first inning.

To Bradish’s credit, he stabilized. He had a few shut down innings, not surrendering a run. He made it through five innings with over 90 pitches – which was much less than his pace in the first inning. He was aided by Samuel Basallo seeming to buck the trend of not using ABS challenges on anything to record the final strike and out in the fifth. But he made it through five.

Inexplicably, he was sent back out for the sixth. He promptly surrendered a solo homer to Diaz. Is it fair to suggest that he should have been pulled? Maybe, maybe not. Needless to say unless he had a clean and quick inning he wasn’t going to last the entire sixth.

That’s where it’s important to have feel for the game in terms of coaching. Of course the player is always going to say he wants to go back out there. Obviously the Sabre Metrics were on that side as well. But do either of those points take into account where a pitcher is in terms of fatigue or anything else? Again, feel for the game has to take over at a certain point.

The Orioles’ offense was never going to be able to find a way to come back in this game. But similar to what we saw last night, Tampa was going to take a mile every time they were given an inch. Yennier Cano recorded two easy outs in the eight. But again the O’s found themselves at that dreaded two out spot.

Cano would hit Diaz with a pitch, giving Tampa a two-out base runner. Again, conventional wisdom says you move past that and quickly mop up the situation. Instead, Tampa and their intense joie de vivre won out. Rico Garcia replaced Cano, and promptly surrendered an RBI-double to Palacios off the wall in right. However Diaz didn’t get a good read on the ball, yet was sent to score anyways. Colton Cowser relayed the ball in, and Samuel Basallo was positioned in front of the plate to receive the relay throw. The runner was safe, and Palacios sensed up at third.

Palacios would immediately score on DeLuca’s RBI-single, giving Tampa a 4-1 lead – which was the eventual final. The DeLuca hit was dumped in – very softly, to left field. Again, the number of two-out rallies, and opponents’ ability to dump balls in precisely where Oriole fielders aren’t located is uncanny.

Again, Craig Albernaz needs to look closely at how he’s positioning his fielders – first off. Secondly, he needs to study hard and long at how his team gives up so many two-out rallies. It’s almost as if opponents are waiting for two outs to put their offense in motion. Again, this is something Albernaz can’t grasp for now; neither could Brandon Hyde. Neither seemingly can the Ivy League-educated front office. There is however a common denominator in that algorithm.

The series concludes tomorrow at Tropicana Field. Shane Baz gets the start for the Orioles, and Tampa is yet to announce a starter. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: In a parody of errors sort of game, the challenges stand out

Trevor Rogers got the start for the Baltimore Orioles this evening on the opener against Tampa at Tropicana Field. Needless to say, it wasn’t what anyone wanted to see. To Rogers’ credit, he stabilized himself very late in the outing. But the damage was done. Rogers’ line: 3.2 IP, 8 H, 8 R (7 earned), 2 BB, 3 K.

Rogers was greeted coldly from the beginning as he gave up a leadoff double. That runner went to third on an error, and later scored on Vilade’s sacrifice fly. Tampa continued their barrage on a two-RBI single by Diaz in the second. Caminero wouls add an RBI-single, and DeLuca a two-RBI single before the inning ended, extending the lead to 6-0.

Adler Rutschman would get the Orioles on the board in the third with an RBI-single. Yet Tampa didn’t let that bother them. And maybe that’s part of their secret; they just play and keep playing no matter what. Vilade’s RBI-triple in the fourth gave them a 7-1 lead. It would run to 8-1 on an infield RBI-single by DeLuca.

The fifth inning is what should give fans some sort of hope – at the plate at least. Weston Wilson smacked a solo home run, and Pete Alonso’s two-RBI double almost went out. But it did plate two, cutting the lead in half at 8-4.

I say that should give Orioles fans some hope because of the fact that they have put out some runs the last two games. Going back to the Yankee series last week, that’s doubly true. However that’s a small consolation with how the games end up.

You also have to do all the intangibles to win games. To be clear, none of this directly equaled a loss tonight, but every little bit counts. The O’s led off the last of the fifth with a 3-1 count to Tampa’s Walls. What was clearly strike three was called ball four…with no ABS challenge from pitcher Cameron Foster or Adley Rutschman.

It was strike three. It would have been the first out. But it was inexplicably called ball four. What’s more inexplicable is that the Orioles almost infernally refused to challenge the call. Worse yet, the next hitter (Palacios) got a gift ball three call on a 2-0 count, again with no ABS challenge.

Whether that would have yielded two outs is another story. The Walls pitch most certainly would have been an out. The Palacios call needless to say wouldn’t have been a four-pitch walk. Instead, Tampa plugged on, not willing to be limited. Aranda’s RBI-groundout extended the lead to 9-4. Caminero followed that up with a three-run homer.

By this point, Rogers was long gone. But his pitch track shows him with a lot of balls either on the fringes, or well off the plate. And with those balls getting down for hits. Which makes you wonder if he isn’t tipping his pitches. Others may be as well.

Tampa refused to give up no matter what. Adley Rutschman would smack a solo home run in the seventh, and Blaze Alexander an RBI-double in the eighth. But Tampa didn’t stop until they had 16 runs, and a 16-6 win over the Orioles.

The lack of challenges didn’t lead to this loss. Not in any way, shape, or form. However it does show a glaring lack of attention to detail in how the Orioles operate. Or perhaps, it’s the opposite. They may be SO detailed and SO tuned in, that they can’t see simple facts. There were countless other pitches that could have been challenged. But the two aforementioned led to a barrage of runs that blew the game wide open.

Are the players being told flat out to NEVER challenge? I don’t know. And I hope not. I do think you need to be conservative in how you challenge – especially in the first few innings. But you have to challenge when necessary. The Orioles limited themselves tonight by refusing to challenge calls.

It also shows that the O’s may not be as good as they want people to believe in terms of judging the strike zone. The Orioles, right or wrong, refuse almost infernally to NOT pitch on the fringes of the plate. And the fact is they can’t always hit the corners. Which furthers the point that someone might be tipping pitches.

However on the flip side, when a pitch is borderline they don’t challenge. They’re thus telling the umpire that they can call anything and everything a strike with no protest. It also tells opponents that they can command the fringes of the plate – which is EXACTLY what the Orioles want to do themselves.

Jackson Holliday was activated just prior to this evening’s game, and is now on the active roster. It would stand to reason that we’ll see him tomorrow. Adley Rutschman was also caught by a backswing…late in the game on a pitch from Weston Wilson – a position player. Rutschman didn’t appear to be injured, but it does show how you aren’t running from risk by bringing in a position player. Will the next analytical aspect of the game be to just forfeit at a certain point so nobody gets hurt?

The series continues tomorrow at Tropicana Field. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Griffin Jax. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Sunday is for the Birds in DC

Brandon Young was taxed with setting the tone for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon at Nationals Park, with the Baltimore Orioles already having dropped the first two games of the series. While he didn’t stick around long enough to qualify for the win, he did set the tone. Young’s line, 3.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 3 K.

The O’s, after two incredibly frustrating games, got at it early this afternoon. Gunnar Henderson ambushed a pitch in the first inning and sent it into the seats for a solo homer, giving them a 1-0 lead. Coby Mayo would lead off the second with a single, and he would score later in the inning on a two-run homer by Coby Mayo.

Washington would also get one back that inning on a solo home run in the bottom of the inning, but the O’s persisted. A walk and a Gunnar Henderson single gave the Birds runners at the corners in the top of the fourth, and they would extend their lead to 4-1 on Pete Alonso’s sac fly-RBI.

The O’s put up what might be thought of as early insurance in the fourth. To be clear, that’s a bad term; insurance runs don’t kick in until later innings. But given that teams now match up in the earlier and middle innings, maybe it’s fine to use a term like that. Needless to say, Colton Cowser’s two-run home run extended the lead to 6-1. And make no mistake that it was a big moment in the ballgame.

However Washington loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom half of the frame, in a sequence that also saw Brandon Young chased from the ballgame. Ruiz would tack on a sac fly-RBI, and Oriole pitching would combine for two strikeouts to end the threat. And the Orioles held onto their lead at 6-2.

That’s a high leverage sort of moment, despite being only in the fourth inning. The game easily could have gone caddywampus in a sense. But regardless of anything else, the O’s pitched their way out of it. Brandon Young and Anthony Nunez after him both combined to attack the strike zone after the bases were loaded. That’s a key – attack the zone instead of attacking the fringes. And make no mistake it saved the game.

Washington would tack on a sixth inning run on an RBI-single by Abrams. However it was Gunnar Henderson in the ninth who produced a true insurance run with an RBI-single. And that’s another key – the O’s went home (or onto Tampa) winners today in part because of the insurance runs. Washington would get a runner to second in the last of the ninth, but that insurance run allowed the Orioles to attack the zone even with a runner on base.

The Orioles now open up a three-game set with Tampa tomorrow night at Tropicana Field. Trevor Rogers 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: Late rally falls short

Shane Baz may have pitched his best game as a member of the Baltimore Orioles in DC tonight. It was far from perfect, but it was a quality start. Baz’s line: 7.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 4 K.

That’s a quality start for Baz. He also threw 108 pitches. Both teams made solid contact on balls all night. The Orioles’ shots either ended up foul or in a fielder’s mitt. In short, Washington starter Litell has struggled this year. But he mowed down Oriole bats.

Baz allowed the first two hitters to reach in the fourth, putting runners at the corners. House’s sac fly-RBI gave Washington a 1-0 lead. The good news was it should have been a base hit. Tyler O’Neill made a diving catch resulting at least in an out.

Baz would walk the leadoff man in the sixth – obviously a no-no. Following a flyout, Lile smacked a two-run homer, giving Washington a 3-0 lead. Nothing good ever happens after a walk.

That felt fairly final. But it wasn’t. As often as analytics have allowed the Orioles to get in their own way this year, it almost worked in reverse at the end. The Birds loaded the bases with one out in the ninth. Jeremiah Jackson’s sac fly-RBI cut the lead to 3-1.

Washington then was one out from a win. And they changed pitchers to bring in a southpaw to face Gunnar Henderson. I have no doubt the algorithm said that was a favorable matchup – and it doesn’t take a genius given that it was lefty-lefty. But…

…burning a reliever for one out? Granted, an important out, the winning out (from Washington’s perspective). But the computer will burn through a bullpen if you let it.

And go figure, Gunnar Henderson smacked an RBI-single and cut the lead to 3-2. The O’s would eventually load the bases again before Adley Rutschman struck out to end the game. Too little too late for the Orioles.

We’ve seen the O’s play the algorithms and lose out – a lot. This year and last. This time it almost worked in their favor. But that should serve as a warning. As I said, a computer doesn’t take into account the number of bullpen relievers you’re using. How tired your bullpen is, etc. It only says if you bring in this relievers you have a higher probability to record an out.

People act like that’s a no-brainer. Needless to say, it comes off as such. But the computer can’t overrule good baseball sense. If you need one out with a three-run lead, you have to rely on the guy YOU put in the game to get that out.

The series continues tomorrow at Nationals Park. Chris Bassitt gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Washjngton’s Cade Cavalli. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.