Baltimore Orioles: Tough loss on Opening Day

Baltimore Orioles’ starting pitcherTommy Milone dominated Boston in his first ever Opening Day outing. You read that right; he dominated Boston – for about two innings. Milone’s line: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 5 K.

During the first two innings Milone Moses Boston hitters down. He changed speeds very effectively, and seemed to be ready for prime time. However in the third inning once the Boston hitters got a second look at him, he began to struggle.

Milone surrendered four doubles in the third inning, which gave Boston a 4-0 lead. I did find it interesting that manager Brandon Hyde opted to lift Milone. On a normal Opening Day I don’t think that would have happened given the same circumstances. But each game counts approximately 2.5 – 3 times as much as a game in a 162-game schedule. The urgency of today is much greater than it normally would be.

Boston would load the bases in the last of the fourth, and six runs later they led 10-0. They busted the game wide open. And while the O’s burned two different bullpen relievers in that fourth inning, Boston bats were still strong. Often when you wake a team up they find ways to stay hot. And Boston certainly did that tonight.

Part of the issue is that Oriole pitching allowed Boston hitters to get ahead in the count from the get-go. When you get behind in the count you’re pitching from a position of weakness. Thus you end up forced to throw a strike, and the pressure ends up on you. Especially when the bases are loaded. Allowing a Boston hitters to get ahead in the third and fourth innings tonight allowed Boston to run away with the game.

Renato Nunez would smack an RBI-double in the sixth to at least get the Orioles on the board. However Boston came right back with two more runs in the last of the sixth. And they did so once again by smacking doubles – this time off the green monster in left field.

Rio Ruiz brought the Birds to within 13-2 in the seventh as he smacked the Orioles’ first homer of the year. This one of the solo variety. It means little for the sake of this game, because you aren’t coming back from being down 13-2. But Ruiz started to hit for more power in the latter half of last season. And that appears to have continued.

The series continues tomorrow at Fenway Park. Alex Cobb gets the call for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Martin Perez. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles 2020 Season Preview

This is the first season preview I’ve written for the Baltimore Orioles in late July. But that’s about par for the course in 2020. Opening Day high temperature records are being obliterated this year. And we all know the reason why. But such is the situation in which we find ourselves in 2020.

In March I was planning on predicting that the Birds would take a few steps forward this season. And by that I mean in the win/loss column. The 2019 O’s won 54 games – which was an improvement over 2018. Who knows what the prediction would have been had this year gone off properly. Needless to say however, I can confidently tell you that the 2020 Birds won’t even approach 100 losses. In fact, this will probably be the lowest loss total in franchise history.

It begins and ends with pitching, and that’s a work in progress. Even still however, Oriole pitching was having a decent spring before things shut down. A better spring than I would have expected. So could they be slightly better than advertised? Perhaps. But they’ll suffer a bit at first, with staff ace John Means missing the Opening Day start tonight due to soreness.

More realistically in a sixty-game sprint, the bigger question might be how the middle relief stacks up. How do the Cody Carroll‘s and Richard Bleier‘s of the world faire in games? We’ve already started to see the concept of an “opener” in MLB the past few years. Might we start seeing more out of middle relievers? In a sixty-game season, that might be necessary.

Hitting of course is a big deal also. The O’s will be without Trey Mancini this year of course due to his cancer treatments. Chris Davis had an exceptional exhibition season, and the hope is that he can continue that starting tonight and into the regular season. If the Orioles are going to keep up in games they’re going to need runs and base runners. That also means that the Hanser Alberto‘s, Rio Ruiz‘s, and Anthony Santander‘s of the world will need to have big games as well. Get on base; the runs will come.

This was already going to be another rebuilding year for the O’s. But will it be? We’ve certainly never seen a sixty-game sprint as a season. Could it play to the Birds’ favor? That’s a tough question to answer. So what’s my prediction for 2020? Again, tough question to answer. While most people assume the O’s will finish in the cellar, I don’t think they will. So that’s my prediction – while I don’t think they’ll contend, I do think they’ll stay out of last place.

Opening Day of course is today, and the Birds find themselves in at Fenway Park for the first of a three-game set. Tommy Milone gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Nathan Eovaldi. Game time is set for just after 7:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles name Tommy Milone Opening Day starter

Prior to yesterday’s 6-4 exhibition loss in Washington, the Baltimore Orioles named Tommy Milone their Opening Day starter for Friday night in Boston. I see Milone as a curious choice, given that he didn’t see that much action in the spring. However it’s entirely possible that manager Brandon Hyde is almost seeing this as a spot start:

The bottom line with Tommy is that he’d just be getting one extra days of rest, so we keep everybody on regular rest. I didn’t want to bring anybody back short. In this kind of unusual space and time when we only had a short time to get these guys ready, they’ve done an amazing job of getting ready. We just didn’t want to take the chance of bringing back somebody on short rest, and we felt that Tommy was just one day away. So he’s going to have five days before his start. It just works out for us in that way.

Quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports

John Means of course was supposed to be the Opening Day starter. However arm fatigue is holding him back. I do think that Means will make a sizable contribution this year. It just won’t be as the Opening Day starter.

I’m sure that a lot of people didn’t have Tommy Milone making the start on Opening Day. But it’s about par for the course for 2020. How many of us had Opening Day occurring in July?!

Baltimore Orioles battle but fall in D.C.

The Baltimore Orioles started Kohl Stewart this evening in D.C. for their exhibition finale. He struggled early, but seemed to regain some composure as time went on. This in what started out at least as a fairly lackluster game for both sides. Stewart’s line: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K.

The Orioles actually started this game in a good way. Hanser Alberto‘s RBI-double in the first inning gave them an early 1-0 lead. The Birds would extend that lead to 2-0 on a subsequent RBI-single by Jose Iglesias.

However Washington came right back against Stewart. Soto played a run on an RBI-groundout, and Kendrick’s RBI-double tied the game at two. But then both Kohl and Washington starter Corbin settled in a bit. And we played on at a 2-2 tie.

Washington would take the lead in the fourth on a fielder’s choice by Kendrick. Two innings later they’d take a 5-2 lead on Castro’s two-RBI single. It appeared that the Birds were probably going to be content playing out this game as a string and heading home. But they didn’t.

One thing I noticed last year was that in August (but much more poignantly in September), this team started to come together. That didn’t necessarily translate into more wins, but the team seemed to come just a bit closer together and want to play hard for each other. That trend seemed to continue into Florida Grapefruit League play earlier this year. And we saw it again tonight.

The Birds weren’t going to go down without a fight. Chris Davis, who’s had a great camp (both in Florida and in Baltimore) led off the seventh with a double to the deepest part of the ballpark. He would score on Dilson Herrera‘s subsequent RBI-triple. He would later score on Rio Ruiz‘s sac fly-RBI.

Washington would tack on another run in the last of the seventh, running the score to 6-4. And then in the eighth inning the skies opened. And that was the end of the game. What can be taken away from this game or from any of the three exhibition games during summer camp? Basically nothing. Onto the regular season.

Baltimore Orioles: Alex Cobb strong in Birds’ loss

Alex Cobb gave them Baltimore Orioles exactly what they were looking for tonight against Washington in an exhibition game. He got his work in, and looked fairly solid in doing so. Cobb’s line: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K.

Cobb of course missed most of last season with an injury, and the organization’s goal is to have him ready for the regular season. The thought is that he’ll be pitching the second game of the year in Boston. But we’ll have to see. With this start tonight they did actually set him up to pitch that night.

Cobb surrendered a two–run homer in the fourth to Kendrick, giving Washington a 2-0 lead. However Chris Davis began the last of that fourth inning with a double. And I think that’s important to note. Davis of course has struggled the past few seasons, at times swinging straight through pitches right down the pike. He was having a great spring before play was halted. If he can continue getting on base and so forth, the Orioles will be in a much better position in games this season.

Following a swinging bunt that sent Davis to third, he scored on an RBI-groundout by Rio Ruiz. That cut Washington’s lead to 2-1. But more importantly it showed that the Orioles were capable of manufacturing a run.

Washington would add two more in the seventh, and Renato Nunez added about RBI-single in the eighth as the Birds fell 4-2 in this exhibition game. Incidentally, the Nunez RBI-single was a good sign also. He fought a tough pitch off and sent a flare into shallow right field. Opposing teams have made careers out of picking the Orioles to death over the years. It’s good to see they can do the same on occasion.

The takeaway from this game is that Cobb was crisp. He did surrender that two-run homer, however in reality he threw one bad pitch. I think the Orioles can live with that sort of outing out of Cobb. Or any starter for that matter.

The O’s will close out their summer camp exhibition schedule tomorrow night as they take on Washington again, this time at Nationals Park in our nation’s capital. Kohl Stewart gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Washington’s Patrick Corbin. Game time is set for just after 6 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Two injuries in an exhibition win

The Baltimore Orioles has to use Tom Eschelman as a spot starter tonight in their exhibition opener in Philadelphia. Keep in mind, Eschelman appeared in ten games for the Birds last year, and had an ERA north of six. Tonight was a different story; he “mowed ‘me down.” Eschelman’s line: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

Whatever we’re calling this, Spring Training or Summer Camp, it was an exhibition game. So it’s tough to decipher how this translates to a regular season game for Eschelman. However he kept a pretty decent lineup at bay for five innings. In a game he didn’t know he was starting until a day before.

Pedro Severino got the scoring started in the game with a solo homer in the second inning. Hanser Alberto added on in the top of the fourth with an RBI-single. The Orioles were off to a 2-0 lead in front of one of the nicest crowds in Philadelphia sports histories. There was also nobody in the stands. See what I did there?!

Philadelphia attempted a rally in the seventh with a Harper RBI-single, but the Orioles’ pen shut the door. Cedric Mullins smacked a solo homer in the eighth, giving the O’s their two-run lead back. Pat Valaika added a solo shot of his own in the ninth, and the O’s took home a 4-1 exhibition victory.

But was the final score really 4-1? Because when the game ended it turned out that there were a few guys who were scheduled to get work tonight, so the teams went to a very strange tenth inning; even in spring training, I’ve never seen a tenth inning when one team was ahead.

And it worked out for the O’s, as Ryan Mountcastle smacked a solo home run. The game ended after 9 1/2 innings. Again, somewhat strange.

But this win potentially came at a cost. Mullins was in the game because Austin Hays was drilled in the knee by a pitch. He exited, and is considered day-to-day. Earlier in the game Stevie Wilkerson was lifted after appearing to injure himself sliding to make a catch. You hate to see this anytime, but especially in games that don’t count. The status of both players for the regular season is unclear.

The win puts the Birds at 10-7 in spring training. They were 9-7 when everything stopped, and the records just pick up where they left off. It’s worth mentioning that the Orioles were having a good camp when things shut down. They appeared to pick right up where they left off tonight.

The O’s now head home for their lone exhibition game at Camden Yards, tomorrow night against Washington. Alex Cobb gets the start for the Birds, and Washington is yet to announce a starter. Game time is set for just after 6 PM.

Baltimore Orioles head to Philly for exhibition opener

I’m not sure if Florida Grapefruit League Opener is the right term for what the Baltimore Orioles will do tonight. And consequently I’m not sure that we should even use the term exhibition opener. We certainly could use it, and I did in the title. But…I think you get my gist.

In accordance with the return to play agreement, MLB teams were allowed to schedule up to three exhibition games leading into the season. So as has been previously reported, the O’s will head to Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia tonight, then home tomorrow evening against Washington, and then against Washington again on Tuesday at Nationals Park. That gives them two full days (plus much of Friday) to get ready for the regular season.

This of course is a season that’s everything BUT regular. It’s almost shocking to me to think that I’m writing about a real game tonight that the Orioles will be playing. I still remember the day that everything was canceled back in March – the O’s had a 6 PM game at Minnesota (in Fort Myers, FL), and while everyone knew the game would probably be canceled nothing official had come down the pike. The Oriole buses made it five minutes out of Ed Smith Stadium before being turned around to go back. And that’s where we left off…

…until tonight. Now mind you folks, if exhibition games are vanilla in nature and have next-to-no pizzazz to them, these three exhibition games will probably be worse than what we’re used to. This isn’t spring training; spring training is fun and light-hearted, everyone’s in Florida enjoying the weather and the beaches, and fans get more access to players. These games will be games that don’t count played in empty ballparks with piped in crowd noise.

And perhaps that in and of itself is part of the reasoning as to why these games are going to be played. Yes it helps teams get ready for a very irregular regular season. However playing in empty parks is going to be a big change. Better to be accustomed to it before it counts for real.

One thing of concern, John Means was meant to start this game, putting him on line to start Friday in Boston (Opening Day). However Means was scratched due to what might be termed mild “dead arm.” It’s unclear if he’ll be ready to go on Friday.

As is aforementioned in this column, the O’s head to Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia for tonight’s game. Tom Eschelman gets the start for the Orioles, and at this moment Philadelphia is yet to announce a starter. Game time is set for just after 6 PM.

Baltimore Orioles tab John Means as Opening Day starter

Baltimore Orioles’ manager Brandon Hyde announced yesterday that John Means would be the Birds’ Opening Day starter on July 24th in Boston. While there were other candidates, a Means getting the assignment was all but a foregone conclusion. He was the team’s lone all-star representative last year.

Means was 12-11 last season, with a 3.60 ERA. However he also had a Wins Above Replacement number of 5.0. He was a huge surprise for the Orioles last year, and has the potential to anchor Oriole rotations as the ace in years to come.

The Orioles have also put three exhibition games on the schedule, as is allowed under the re-start procedures. On Sunday, July 19th they’ll travel to Philadelphia to take on the Phillies, followed by a home-and-home with the Washington Nationals. Monday the 20th at Camden Yards, and Tuesday the 21st at Nationals Park. All games will begin at 6 PM, and my understanding is that none of them will be covered by MASN or the Orioles’ radio network.

Baltimore Orioles’ 2020 schedule is out

Major League Baseball yesterday released the Baltimore Orioles’ “new and improved” schedule for 2020. The Birds will open on Friday, July 24th at Fenway Park at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox. Game time is 7:30 PM.

The Birds will then head to Miami for two games, before their home opener on Wednesday, July 29th – also against Miami. You can visit Orioles.com for the full schedule. The O’s will play 60 games in 66 days. Let us begin.

Baltimore Orioles: Hope springs eternal

Let’s try this again; the Baltimore Orioles report to Spring Training today. Let that sink in. I’m not sure if we’re calling this Spring Training, or Spring Training 2.0. I’ve also heard the term Summer Camp thrown around. But ultimately you know what I’m talking about!

Camp will be held at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, and potentially at one of the Orioles’ minor league facilities as well. I’m thinking either Bowie or Frederick. Needlesss to say, it all starts today.

We’ve been over much of this, but the Orioles will be able to schedule up to three formal exhibition games between now and Opening Day on July 23rd or 24th. I would assume that those will be scheduled against Philadelphia and Washington. The regular season schedule hasn’t been released yet.

But here’s some connecting of the dots; don’t be shocked if the second series of the year (Presumably starting Monday, June 27th) is against the New York Yankees at Camden Yards. I say that with no prior knowledge, but just a suspicion. MLB has already announced that New York will open the season at Washington that first weekend. So it makes sense that they would just come up the pike to Baltimore for a series while already in the mid-Atlantic region.

The Orioles, the State of Maryland, and the City of Baltimore are all looking into whether or not there’s a way they can admit fans this year. I would suspect that at least for starters that won’t be possible. But nothing has been announced.

We know what many of the rule changes are this year already, such as a universal DH. But another thing that the league is doing is mandating no fraternizing of players on opposing teams before games inside of six feet. No handshaking, spitting, or fighting. And apparently they’re serious about this, because it’s under a penalty of ejection. Players and coaches who confront umpires on the field will also be ejected if they come within six feet of the umpire. This might make arguments look strange, but it’s a new world in which we live.

Regarding coverage on this site, we’ll slowly rev back up to daily columns. Back in March when everything closed down I said that while I wouldn’t write daily columns because I felt it was inappropriate (given the circumstances), I’d cover news as it came in. I’ll certainly do the same as Spring Training 2.0 revs up, just maybe not daily. Until games start, of course.