Baltimore Orioles: Renato Nunez starts the party and provides insurance

The Baltimore Orioles finally got a starter to go deeper than four innings. Asher Wojchiekowski pitcher five tonight against the NY Mets at Camden Yards. It may only be one more, but it’s something. It’s a start. Wojciechowski’s line: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

Renato Nunez put the Orioles ahead early with a three-run homer in the last of the first inning. However New York chopped away. A sac fly-RBI and an RBI-single in the second got them to within 3-2. Luckily for the O’s in that moment, Anthony Santander followed suit in the last of the second with an RBI-single, and Jose Iglesias pushed another run across on a fielder’s choice. The O’s appeared to be in the driver’s seat…

…until they weren’t. Cano smacked a solo homer in the third. That was innocent enough; it came with two outs and solo home runs generally aren’t going to beat you. But Gimenez’s two-run homer in the sixth suddenly tied the game at five.

This was a big moment in the game for the O’s. Mind you that they just came home from a series in Toronto in which they surrendered several leads, and lost games at the eleventh hour in walk off fashion. Psychologically that can grate on a team. But the Orioles battled back.

Pat Valaika immediately got the Birds the lead back with an RBI-double in the last of the sixth. And that was a big moment all and of itself. Because the O’s didn’t string things out and waste any time. They jumped on the horn immediately and took the lead back.

Anthony Santander would add a two-run homer later in the inning, as the Orioles started to pull away. And for good measure, they added on an insurance run in the seventh. This on Renato Nunez’s solo homer – his second homer of the game.

And that Nunez home run was important also in terms of exorcising the demons of that Toronto series. The Orioles took several one-run leads, only to settle for that one run. And it would more often than not end up not being enough. This time around they were having none of that, and they padded the lead – which turned into a 9-5 win over the New York Mets.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards. John Means gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Michael Wacha. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.

Baltimore Orioles break skid with extra innings win

Keegan Akin had a solid outing this afternoon for the Baltimore Orioles. It was still a shortish outing, however he put the O’s in a position to win the game. And that’s all you can ask of your statrting pitcher. Akin’s line: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, (0 earned), 2 BB, 6 K.

The Birds took the lead early. Jose Iglesias‘ RBI-single gave them a 1-0 lead. And that lead stood up for awhile. Unfortunately for Akin however, it was surrendered on yet another botched play by the Oriole infield.

Toronto had one out and two runners in scoring position in the last of the fifth. However Biggio reached on a throwing error by Hanser Alberto at second base, allowing both runners to score. And giving Toronto a 2-1 lead.

This sort of thing has PLAGUED Oriole pitching this entire road trip. And the sad thing is that both Tampa and Toronto have taken full advantage of the Orioles’ mistakes. That’s certainly an incentive not to make mistakes like that, but sometimes they happen. But the Orioles have allowed those mistakes to kill them.

But the good news is that this time the Orioles fought back. And right away at that. Anthony Santander smacked an RBI-double in the top of the sixth, tying the game at two. This of course also letting Akin off the hook for the loss. And keeping the Orioles in the game.

And of course it was Santander who did it. As I’ve written previously, he’s quickly turning into a stud. And a fan favorite at that – if twitter mentions mean anything. He’s been the right guy at the right time in the lineup over various games this season, and today was no different.

However the game remained tied at two and went to extras. Just what the Orioles wanted after the way this road trip has gone. But Bryan Holladay‘s two-RBI double in the top of the eleventh gave the Birds a 4-2 lead. Toronto would net one in the last of the eleventhC but for once it wasn’t enough. And the O’s took the finale.

The infield play does need to be cleaned up. Now perhaps some of the miscues can be chalked up to playing this series on a minor league field. But those mistakes need to be fixed so that games aren’t in essence being given away.

The O’s also executed a trade before the deadline came and went today. They traded reliever Miguel Castro to the NY Mets in exchange for minor league pitcher, Kevin Smith. New York of course will be at Camden Yards playing the O’s for the next two days following today.

The O’s now return home to open the aforementioned short two-game set with the NY Mets. Neither team has announced a starter for tomorrow. Game time is set for just after 7:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Ryan Mountcastle homers but victory snatched from the O’s

In his debut as a Baltimore Orioles’ starter, Jorge Lopez looked pretty strong at first. However after having seen him once or twice, Toronto batters started to catch up. Lopez’s line: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 3 K.

The Birds gave Lopez an early lead. Ryan Mountcastle smacked his first major league home run in the first inning, giving the Orioles a 1-0 lead. It was a no doubter, and it landed out towards the highway on the other side of Sahlen Field. Luckily a Good Samaritan retrieved the ball and it was saved for Mountcastle’s private collection.

Toronto would tie the game at one on an RBI-single by Guerrero in the last of the fourth. One inning later Biggio’s RBI-single would give Toronto a 2-1 lead. Grichuk would later add a sac fly-RBI, chasing Lopez.

However the O’s seemed to regain their never say die outlook this afternoon. Pedro Severino‘s sixth inning RBI-single in the sixth cut the lead to 3-2. That brought Ryan Mountcastle back to the plate. With his first big league homer out of the way, he decided it was an opportune moment to hit his second. Except this one was a two-run shot, and gave the Orioles their lead back at 4-3.

But Toronto wasn’t done yet either. The Birds recorded two quick outs in the eighth, before Toronto put two runners on via a base hit and a walk. Tellez’s RBI-single then tied the game at four.

However the O’s came back again. With two outs in the top of the ninth, the Birds had runners at the corners and Jose Iglesias coming to the plate. A base hit would give them the lead. Iglesias hit a slow swinging bunt to short…

…it was so slow, it gave Iglesias a fighting chance of reaching base safely and scoring the run. Iglesias hustled out of the box, and ran down the line – HARD, down the line. And he was called safe at first, allowing the run to score and giving the Orioles a 5-4 lead.

Unfortunately for the O’s and closer Cole Sulser however, the game wasn’t over. They had two runners on in the last of the ninth with two outs and a full count. Sulser threw what everyone, including the hitter, Shaw, thought was strike three. Replays showed it was clearly on the edge of the batter’s box.

Everyone except home plate umpire Sean Barber thought it was strike three and that the game was over. He ruled it ball four, loading the bases. Hernandez’s subsequent two-RBI single won it for Toronto.

Now Sulser did put a couple of guys on, which didn’t help. When you put runners on base anything can happen. And umpires are in fact human. But it does sting to lose a game like that, when in fact the game should have been over. But to the victors go the spoils.

The Orioles also announced two trades before the game. Tommy Milone was dealt to Atlanta for a Player to be named later (PTBNL). Reliever Mychal Givens was also sent to the Colorado Rockies. In return, the O’s got infield prospects Terribly Vavra and Tyler Nevin. They also are receiving a PTBNL.

The series with Toronto concludes tomorrow at Sahlen Field. The Orioles haven’t announced a starter as of yet, and Toronto will throw Chase Anderson. Game time is set for just after 2 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Alex Cobb haunted by defense behind him

Baltimore Orioles’ starter Alex Cobb didn’t pitch perfect this evening. Heck, he wasn’t in the game long enough for that. But I feel that he was pitching good enough to put the O’s in a spot to win the game. Which is the task of every starting pitcher. Cobb’s line: 4.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R (4 earned), 2 BB, 2 K.

Toronto took a 2-0 lead in the last of the first when Guerrero smacked a two-run scoring single. However keep in mind that there were two runners in scoring position due to the fact that Santander misplayed the ball in the outfield. That ultimately came back and bit the O’s.

Toronto also netted a run in the fourth, but the Birds gave them an extra out. With a runner at third Fischer grounded into what would have been a tailor-made double-play. The Orioles were willing to concede the run, however Hanser Alberto has trouble transferring the ball to throw back to first. That doesn’t go as an error (because you never assume the double-play), but it cost the Orioles runs in the future, and of course it cost Cobb some pitches.

And in fact, Cobb gave up a two-RBI single to Biggio later in the inning. That ran the final to 5-0. Again, Cobb wasn’t perfect. But I think that he in theory pitched well enough to win. Errors and extra outs can at times do a pitcher in.

Here’s an interesting question; was this Cobb’s final appearance for the Orioles? With the trade deadline being Monday, he’s a veteran guy with good experience, and could be a candidate to be traded. Could he help a team for a potential stretch run in a stretch season? Yes, he could.

But there are a lot of other things at play. Are teams willing to part with prospects to potential work their way into the postseason in the strangest year on record? Furthermore? With potential labor unrest coming, do teams really want to commit themselves to a salary? All good questions. 

Four innings seems to be the magic number for manager Brandon Hyde. I find that interesting, and perhaps a little concerning. It’s one thing if the pitcher’s struggling. But we’ve seen Hyde pull pitchers who were doing okay or even holding their own at the four inning mark. The recognize that I’m a mastodon in the sense that I want my starters to go deep into games. If anything, bullpens are bigger than starters now. But four innings to me is a really short outing. I feel it taxes the bullpen too much.

This isn’t to be overly critical of Hyde. I recognize he’s doing the best job he can and that he’s only a second-year manager. Plus, nobody’s ever managed a sixty-game season before. It’s just interesting to me that he seems to get his starters after four innings. Just something I’ve noticed.

The series continues tomorrow afternoon at Sahlen Field. Jorge Lopez gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Taylor Roark. Game time is set for just after 3 PM.

Baltimore Orioles fall on late walkoff homer

No matter what happens, Toronto seems to have the Baltimore Orioles’ number. No matter how the game unfolds, they just seem to find a way. John Means only made it four innings, and couldn’t even qualify for the win. Means’ line: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 K.

Means gave up two solo homers. One to Guerrero, and one to Hernandez. Both occurred in the last of the fourth. Those were the only runs he surrendered. And then the O’s turned to the bullpen.

However the O’s fought back in the sixth. They loaded the bases, and Ryan Mountcastle‘s two-RBI single tied the game at two. However Toronto is quickly becoming the team who lives by the refrain anything you can do I can do better. Guerrero would score from third on a wild pitch in the last of the sixth, giving Toronto their lead back at 3-2.

But the Orioles weren’t finished yet. Renato Nunez tied the game at three in the eighth with a solo homer. And from there the game went to extra innings tied at three.

That mean that the O’s would start the inning with a runner on second base. After the runner was moved to third on a bunt, he was played by Hanser Alberto‘s bloop RBI-single. However unfortunately for the O’s, Toronto also gets as runner at second base to start the inning.

And the home team bats last. Toronto may not have been plying at Rogers Centre, but Sahlen Field is their de facto home – for now. Toronto was down to it’s final strike. And Grichuk smacked a ball over the fence for a walk off home run and the O’s had a 5-4 loss.

Grichuk has killed the Orioles over a couple of seasons. He can’t see to help but hit whatever they throw up there out of the park. It’s uncanny. However them’s the breaks.

The series continues tomorrow from Buffalo’s Sahlen Field. Alex Cobb gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Taijuan Walker. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles canceled in Tampa

Tropicana Field in Tampa isn’t exactly a spot that the Baltimore Orioles would have expected to have a cancellation or postponement. However tonight’s series finale in Tampa has been canceled after consultation with the league and the MLBPA. This in a effort to stand in solidarity with social justice initiatives throughout the sports world.

Both teams were planning on playing. The managers met early in the afternoon and the game appeared on par to begin. However late this afternoon the league came out and said that it would prefer that the entire slate of games be canceled. This as opposed to just a few games being played.

It’s unclear how this affects the season moving forward, or if further cancellations will occur. Does this mean that the weekend series in Buffalo with Toronto is in jeopardy? Tough to say. Time will tell. All we know is that there’s no game tonight.

As of now the Birds are supposed to open up a three-game set against Toronto tomorrow night at Toronto’s temporary home, Sahlen Field in Buffalo, NY. Starters are TBD for both teams as of now. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles fall late despite Anthony Santander

The Baltimore Orioles seem to be in perpetual bullpen mode when it comes to starting pitchers. Asher Wojchiekowski was pitching well, but only went four innings tonight before being lifted. Incidentally lots of teams operate in that manner now, but I’ve noticed that the Orioles seem to do it also here and there. Wojciechowski’s line: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 3 K.

The O’s took the lead early tonight on the heels of a Hanser Alberto single in the first inning. Cedric Mullins was already on first base, and he scored when the Tampa outfield misplayed the ball. Hey if a team like Tampa’s going to give you runs like that, you take them!

Mullins would later score on a fielder’s choice by Renato Nunez. The Birds led, 2-0 and appeared in control. However Lowe’s third inning two-run homer tied the game at two. Two innings later in the fifth Diaz grounded into a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded, giving Tampa a 3-2 lead.

As I’ve said, Tampa finds weird ways to score runs. That fielder’s choice came on a high Baltimore chop off the turf. The pitch of the chop allowed the Orioles to only record one out, which allowed a run to score. This as opposed to a ground ball double-play which would have gotten the Orioles out of the inning.

However as has been the case so often this season, Anthony Santander came to the Orioles’ rescue. To be blunt, the dude’s going out and having himself a season. He’s quickly winning the hearts and minds of Orioles fans from the Delaware line to Richmond (VA), and everywhere in between. He’s turning into a legit stud.

Nevertheless, his RBI-single in the seventh scored Hanser Alberto, and tied the game at three. However unfortunately, sometimes complaining does work. Tampa complained about the strike zone for most of the game. In the last of the eighth, it got really small for Oriole relievers. As a result, Perez smacked a misplaced slider out of the ballpark, giving Tampa a 4-3 lead. And a 4-3 victory.

Sometimes you have to roll with the punches. Tampa’s good at that. Their hitters adjusted to the strike zone. The Orioles did not. What that doesn’t change is the heroics of Anthony Santander, who lifted the team on it’s back when it needed it the most.

The series concludes tomorrow night at Tropicana Field. John Means gets the call for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Ryan Yarbrough. Game time is set for approximately 6:40 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: You can’t give extra outs and expect to win

Baltimore Orioles’ starter Tommy Milone gave the Birds a good outing tonight against Tampa at Tropicana Field. The result indicates he didn’t pitch good enough to win. But he put the Birds in a position to do so. And that’s all you can ask of a starter. Milone’s line: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R (2 earned), 1 BB, 6 K.

Renato Nunez have Milone and the O’s am early 1-0 lead with a first inning home run. However an inning later Tampa took the lead at 2-1 on Renfro’s two-run shot. But it’s important to note that the only reason there was a runner on base was due to a Pat Valaika throwing error at shortstop. For good measure, Margot would launch a solo homer immediately following Renfro’s shot, giving Tampa a 3-1 lead.

In the fourth Ryan Mountcastle recorded his first big league RBI, with a single that cut the Tampa lead to 3-2. However in the sixth Tampa would extend it’s lead to 4-2 on Choi’s sac fly-RBI. And that would be the final, as the O’s fell to Tampa in game one of the series.

However it’s important to note once again that the bases were loaded in the sixth due to another Valaika throwing error. Now this isn’t to call out Valaika, as Tropicana Field’s a tough infield with the field turf. However the two errors were responsible for two unearned runs. And that meant the game in this instance.

I wrote earlier today that Tampa finds wacky ways to beat you. It doesn’t help when you give them extra outs. They usually find a way to bring a run into score, compounding your problems. You can’t give extra outs to anyone at any level of baseball. But Tampa’s a team to whom you really can’t do that, as they always find a way to come through.

Before the game the O’s announced that they had ended the season of pitcher Wade LeBlanc. He was placed on the 60-day DL with a stress reaction in his elbow. As you’ll recall, that forced him from Sunday’s game against Boston in the first inning. To take his spot, the Birds recalled LHP Keegan Akin from their alternative site in Bowie.

The series continues tomorrow at Tropicana Field. Asher Wojciechowski gets the start for the O’s, and Tampa is yet to announce their starter. Game time is set for approximately 6:40 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Expect the unexpected in Tampa

The Baltimore Orioles open up a three-game set at Tropicana Field against the Tampa Rays this evening. While the O’s swept Tampa at Camden Yards a couple of weeks ago, they haven’t been an easy opponent for the Birds to play of late. Or ever, for that matter.

Tampa always seems to have the element of surprise on their side. They do things in games that seem to catch everyone by surprise. They put outfielders in motion in the field because analytics say such-and-such makes for a better shot at getting the batter out. Whatever it takes.

I suppose the point here is that the Birds should expect the unexpected when playing Tampa. Even when you catch onto some of their antics, they just find another way. So you have to be ready for all possibilities.

The series begins tonight at Tropicana Field. Tommy Milone gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Tyler Glasnow. Game time is set for approximately 6:40 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: #RIPFlanny

On this day in 2011 I said that so long as I penned a Baltimore Orioles’ column I’d remember August 24th. That was the evening that we learned of the untimely death of former Oriole Mike Flanagan. It’s a day that few people who follow the Birds will ever forget.

The Birds were in Minnesota, and the story of Flanagan’s death in essence unfolded as the game played out that night. It wasn’t until after the game that the Orioles and MASN television acknowledged Flanagan’s death. And that was by design.

This affected anyone who knew what Flanagan meant to the organization. Mike loved being an Oriole during his playing days. And he loved being affiliated with the organization after he retired. He spent numerous years in roles such as pitching coach, Vice-President of Baseball Ops, and of course as a broadcaster. He was beloved by the fans.

And he’s missed by the fans. His dry New England wit was unparalleled. But of course the reason he was so loved is because he was a great Oriole to begin with. Famously he was the last Oriole to pitch at Memorial Stadium. That means something. And it was done by design. He loved the Orioles and he loved the fans. And the fans loved him back.

So to Mike Flanagan’s family, I hope they know that Orioles fans are thinking of them today. These types of anniversaries are never easy. But they also help to remember the person. And no matter how he was connected to you, Mike Flanagan was someone you’d want to remember. May he rest in eternal peace.