Baltimore Orioles squeak one out, sweep the ChiSox

Charlie Morton turned in his second straight quality start this afternoon for the Baltimore Orioles. He deserved to win today in every manner possible, giving the Birds everything he had in the series finale against the ChiSox at Camden Yards. Morton’s line: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R (0 earned), 1 BB, 7 K.

Morton appears to have been done well by a brief stint in the bullpen, this following a rough start. The Orioles surrendered a couple of early scoring opportunities in the game, stranding runners at the corners in the first. But they came home to roost in the third, taking a 1-0 lead on an RBI-single by Ramon Urias. While not a hit with RISP, Ryan O’Hearn added a sac fly-RBI later in the frame, and the Birds led 2-0.

That’s not to say mistakes weren’t made. Heston Kjerstad recorded a one-out triple in the last of the fourth, and was promptly picked off of third. That cost the Orioles a potential run, and it can’t happen. You have to take advantage of every opportunity.

And sure enough, Chicago made a run. Palacios reached in the sixth on an error by Jackson Holliday, allowing a run to score. That cut the lead to 2-1, but the O’s came back for another run. Dylan Carlson’s RBI-double in the bottom of the frame extended the lead to 3-1.

Chicago would close to within 3-2 on Tauchman’s seventh inning solo homer. But the Oriole pen was solid otherwise. Bryan Baker came on for the ninth due to Felix Bautista having pitched in two straight games. And he sent Chicago down 1-2-3, ending the game. It’s the Orioles’ first series sweep of the season.

All the games were close, but winning the games is all that matters. Two things that stuck out; one is Charlie Morton. This was an outstanding effort, and he was justly given a standing ovation when he was lifted.

The other was Coby Mayo. He’s had a rough start to his big league career, and he didn’t help matters with his comments when he was optioned after spring training. You never criticize your employer. But his hustle around the bases today earned what ended up being the winning run. A win’s a win. And a sweep is a sweep- even against the Pope’s team!

Baltimore Orioles: Saturday…in the park

Dean Kremer gave the Baltimore Orioles exactly what they needed this afternoon against the ChiSox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. With today’s win, the O’s have ticked slightly upwards – slightly. They’ve taken the first two games of this series, and they’ve won six out of their last ten. Kremer’s line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 7 K.

Jackson Holliday led the game off for the Birds with a solo home run, the first leadoff homer of his career. But Kremer wasn’t about to let Chicago back into the game. He mowed hitters down, solidifying the Orioles’ position in the game.

With one out in the fourth Ryan O’Hearn smacked a double and got himself into scoring position. Then came a bizarre sequence that did yield the Orioles a run. Coby Mayo, who of course has struggled at the big league level, came up to replace Ryan Mountcastle on the roster (after the latter went on the IL), smacked an RBI-single – which on the surface was good to see.

However Mayo tried to extend it into a double, which was a mistake. He was caught in a rundown, and collided with Chicago second baseman Vargas. The two tumbled down, causing a bit of what I’ll politely call a “misunderstanding.” The benches cleared, but that was the end of it. And the result of course was the O’s led 2-0.

Chicago would get that run back in the fifth on an RBI-single by Benintendi. But in the home half of the inning the Birds got a big blast – and from an unlikely source. That being Jorge Mateo, who smacked a two-run homer. That turned out to be the big play, because Tauchman’s RBI-single in the seventh gave Chicago a second run.

With the Orioles leading 4-2, I was surprised to see Felix Bautista come through the bullpen door in the ninth. Especially after throwing 29 pitches yesterday. Most closers are only on point for up to 20. But Tony Mansolino obviously wanted to get Felix his work today, so the bullpen door opened and he walked out.

My point would be that if you go to someone else, you keep Bautista fresh for tomorrow’s game. With a day off Monday, in theory he would then be good to go Tuesday in Seattle if need be. And the fact is that he didn’t have a clean inning. He put two runners on base before retiring the side.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards. Charlie Morton gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Adrian Houser. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Risk-taking a double-edged sword

Zach Eflin engaged in a pitcher’s duel for the Baltimore Orioles tonight against the ChiSox. Or late this afternoon, more like. That’s another story. One way or the other, Eflin was strong, as was Chicago’s starting pitching. Eflin’s line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

The game was moved to a 4:30 start time from the previously scheduled 7 PM. This due to some vicious storms that were expected throughout the Baltimore area this evening. And both teams’ bats needed a little bit of time to get going.

The Orioles mounted the first real threat of the ballgame in the last of the sixth when Gunnar Henderson singled and Adley Rutschman followed with a double. That put two runners in scoring position, followed by an infield single by Ryan Mountcastle. But the runners couldn’t score due to the location of the ball – chalk it up as another hit with RISP without scoring a run. A statistical oddity.

It was a subsequent sac fly-RBI by Ramon Urias that gave the Orioles a 1-0 lead. Ryan Mountcastle went to third on the play, leaving two outs with runners-at-the-corners. Then…a double-steal. O’Hearn stole second, and Ryan Mountcastle stole home. Both were safe, and the Orioles led 2-0.

Chicago briefly mounted a rally in the seventh, but to no avail. Felix Bautista shut things down in the ninth save for an RBI-double and putting the go-ahead run on base, and the O’s took game one of the series. This by a 2-1 margin. BUT…

…Ryan Mountcastle was lifted in the eighth, for what the Orioles are terming right hamstring discomfort. To be clear, it’s good that they took him out. You don’t want to further injure him.

But…did Mountcastle possible hurt himself on that steal of home plate? Most fans are going to say it was good that the Orioles took a risk with that play. And hey, it worked. But if in fact Mountcastle injured himself as a result of that play, was it worth the risk?

It’s unclear how much time (if any) Mountcastle will miss. But that’s a tough pill to swallow with all the other injuries the Birds have, especially Cedric Mullins (who went on the IL earlier today). You can’t even hope to be competitive (much less win games) with the caliber of players the Orioles have on the IL.

The series continues tomorrow at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Davis Martin. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: People can read the book

Cade Povich was strong in the beginning for the Baltimore Orioles tonight. Despite a 30 minute rain delay to start the game, Povich mowed runners down. Povich’s line: 4.2 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 9 K.

Ryan O’Hearn scored on an error in the wake of Cedric Mullins’ bunt base hit in the second. The Orioles would tack on a run on an RBI-groundout by Maverick Handley later in the inning, and Mullins himself would score on an RBI-double by Jackson Holliday. And the Orioles led 3-0 early.

However St. Louis would get a two-RBI double by Walker in the fourth to cut the lead to 3-2. In the home half of the inning however the Birds would tack on an extra run. Dylan Carlson’s RBI-single would run the lead to 4-2. However back-to-back doubles in the fifth would cut the lead back to one for the Orioles. Donovan’s two-run homer later in the inning gave St. Louis a 5-4 lead, and it would extend to 6-4 in the sixth with a solo homer by Herrera.

I noticed something in this game, that being that more than once St. Louis split defenders on hits, and that the ball would go all the way to the wall. And it’s something I’ve noticed a lot thus far this season. If it happens once or twice you chalk it up to luck or sleight of hand. But…it’s happened a lot.

The Orioles’ use of analytics is well-documented. Part of that is probability. So they position their defense in such a way that makes the probability higher that the opponent will hit the ball to someone’s glove. That seems like a winning formula.

But the computer can’t attest to the fact that opponents read those same stats and probability. Given that they know the Orioles are relying on only these analytics, they’re reading their own stats and tweaking their hitting just enough to change where they’re placing the ball. In short, analytics are an exact science. They have to be. But sports can’t ever be an exact science by their very nature. And we should never treat them as such.

Games are meant to be won on the field between the lines – not by a computer formula. That’s why opposing teams are able to consistently place the ball precisely where the Orioles aren’t standing. They’re using the Orioles’ use of the computer to outsmart the computer, knowing that the computer isn’t capable of adjusting on the Orioles’ behalf.

The same is true with pitching. How often do teams get caught looking on a full count? They know that the Orioles have an aversion to giving in. That being throwing a fastball on 3-2. So they’re confident that the pitch is going to be out of the strike zone. So they aren’t swinging. And thus they rarely get caught looking.

Analytics are a good thing, to be clear. I’m not a risk-taker in games. Play it safe, always. But this game is still played by men. By humans. It’s the same as relying on AI for anything. You might get exactly what you think you’re getting or are designed to get. But AI can’t predict any variation in the program. Which means it’s easily outdone.

Baltimore Orioles: Missed opportunities bite the Birds

Tomoyuki Sugano slogged into the sixth inning for the Baltimore Orioles. However to no avail. You have to take advantage of opportunities given to you, and the Orioles tonight did not. However Sugano still left the game with the chance to be the winner. Sugano’s line: 5.1 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 3 K.

Sugano gave up an RBI-single to Contreras in the first, and a two-run homer to Nootbar in the second. However Sugano stabilized himself after that. And the O’s did get him some run support.

The Birds would load the bases in the last of the fourth, thanks in part to an E3. Heston Kjerstad would reach on a fielder’s choice, scoring a run in the process. The O’s would put two runners on one inning later, bringing Ryan O’Hearn to the plate.

O’Hearn of course has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball of late. And he didn’t disappoint, smacking a three-run home run to give the O’s a 4-3 lead. And putting Sugano a shot to be the winner in the process .

However when it’s not meant to be, it’s not meant to be. Back-to-back triples for St. Louis in the seventh tied the game at four. St. Louis would take the lead an inning later with an RBI-triple by Gorman, and tack on two additional runs as the inning went on. And the O’s fell, 7-4..

The key here isn’t the pitching, despite the bullpen having its struggles. No, the key was the O’s going 1-for-13 with RISP. That one was the three-run homer by Ryan O’Hearn. As I’ve said before, it’s good that they’re getting runners into scoring position. They just have to work on bringing them in.

The series concludes tomorrow evening at Camden Yards (weather permitting). Cade Povich gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by St. Louis’ Miles Mikolas. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Charlie Morton leads the day

Charlie Morton got the start in a Memorial Day mid-afternoon matinee for the Baltimore Orioles today against St. Louis at Camden Yards. Morton of course had been pitching out of the bullpen of late, and when he was in the rotation he wasn’t good. That trend ended today. Morton’s line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K.

That’s a quality start, sports fans. If you’re keeping track at home. The more important stat of course is who won on the scoreboard. And things went pretty good in that department also.

The Orioles took advantage of St. Louis mistakes today. Which is big in of itself, as that hasn’t always happened this season. Jackson Holliday led the game off with a single, and he went to third on a fielder’s choice and an error. Gunnar Henderson grounded into a force out, pushing that run across – and the O’s led 1-0.

Dylan Carlson got aboard in the third with a single, and promptly stole third base. That brought catcher Maverick Handley to the plate, who got Carlson to third on a sacrifice bunt that St. Louis didn’t see coming. Handley has of course struggled at the plate, but he got that bunt down flawlessly. Jackson Holliday’s RBI-single extended the Orioles’ lead to 2-0.

Dylan’s Carlson has had a few outstanding games since Ramon Laureano went on the IL. In fact, it’s seemingly stabilized the Oriole lineup – if a select grouping of games means anything. Carlson came up again in the fourth with two runners on in front of him, and he smacked his second homer in as many days…

…this of the three-run variety. And the O’s led 5-0 against one of the hottest teams in baseball. They were hot however with good reason, and they got on the board in the fifth with a two-run homer by Pages.

However Morton was too good. He tailed off a little at the end, but was able to make it out of the sixth inning, qualifying for a quality start. And the Oriole bullpen was as strong as it was the second half of that series in Boston over the weekend – which let’s face it, wasn’t an easy series logistically with all the delays and the rain outs.

This is the Birds’ first three-game winning streak of the season. The hope obviously is that it’s not too little too late. But one way or the other, it’s good to see them string together a few wins.

Adley Rutschman remained out of the lineup today after being hit in the helmet yesterday in Boston. It’s unclear as to whether this will be an IL situation. However head injuries are tough. So you never know.

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Tomoyuki Sugano gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by St. Louis’ Andre Pallante. Game time is set for just after 6:35.

Baltimore Orioles earn a split at the Fens

Dean Kremer came just short of a quality start for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon in the series finale in Boston. Simply put, he mowed ‘em down. And the bats backed him up in his effort on this Sunday fold Memorial Day weekend. Kremer’s line: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

This is the sort of game of which we were expecting more this year. After Friday, if you had told me the Birds would have split the series come the end of the weekend…well, I’m not sure what I would have thought. That first game was such a tough one, however fact is the O’s had a lead in all four games in this series. So there’s also that.

The O’s put two runners on in the fourth, and took a 1-0 lead on Ramon Urias’ sac fly-RBI. However Boston almost took the lead on top of the O’s in the home half of the frame. With a runner on second base, Hamilton sent a deep fly ball towards the Pesky Pole in right…a ball that was tracked down on a great hustle by Dylan Carlson. That’s as good of a play as you’re going to see in right field at Fenway Park.

And true to form, Dylan Carlson led off the fifth with a solo home run, extending the Orioles’ lead to 2-0. One inning later it was 3-0 on a second solo shot, this one by Ryan O’Hearn. Still nobody on base when these home runs were occurring, but the flashes of power are taking a tick towards promising.

And it was O’Hearn who put an exclamation mark on the day. Following a lead off walk by Gunnar Henderson in the eight, O’Hearn in essence smacked what used to be called a little league home run. Henderson scored when the relay throw his O’Hearn in the back going into second base. It ticked away, and O’Hearn went to third – where an errant throw allowed him to score, and the O’s led 5-0.

Boston would add a nominal run in the ninth, but the Orioles won it 5-1. The one downside was that Adley Rutschman had a ball fouled off his mask, and was eventually lifted. That’s a major concern, but time will tell how long he’s out – if at all.

The Orioles now head home to open a three-game set with St. Louis at Camden Yards. Charlie Morton gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by St. Louis’ Erick Fedde. Game time is set for just after 3 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Hustle wins games

Trevor Rogers was called up to the majors to make his Baltimore Orioles’ season debut between games of the doubleheader today at Fenway Park. Rogers of course was underwhelming last season after being acquired by trade. Needless to say, he was outstanding tonight. Rogers’ line: 6.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K.

Rogers mowed ‘em down from the beginning this evening. The Oriole bullpen wasn’t in awful shape following the first game, despite the loss. However Rogers going into the seventh inning put them in great shape going into tomorrow.

Unfortunately he left the game with a no decision. The score was 0-0 into the eighth. Following a Maverick Handley walk with one out in the eighth, Gunnar Henderson grounded into what could have been an inning-ending double-play. However Henderson hustled down the line. And I mean he hustled big time. And he reached first safely, keeping the inning alive.

Following another walk, the O’s had a runner in scoring position in the form of Gunnar Henderson. On a 2-2 count, Ryan O’Hearn smacked an RBI-double and the Orioles led 1-0. Make no mistake, that RBI was as much Gunnar Henderson’s as it was O’Hearn’s. The hustle down the line kept the inning going and created that run.

However Boston put two runners on with nobody out. Andrew Kittredge recorded an out, and was lifted for Seranthony Dominguez. With one out and two on, Dominguez was tasked with walking a tight rope. And he did. Duran struck out and Devers popped out to first, ending the inning and preserving the Orioles’ lead.

Jorge Mateo drew a two out walk in the top of the ninth, and immediately stole second base. Everyone in the ballpark knew he was going to steal there, including the Boston Red Sox. But his speed and hustle is too strong, and they couldn’t stop it. Mateo would score on Dylan Carlson’s RBI-double, and the Birds led 2-0.

That was a huge run, and to be clear Mateo may have scored from first on that play. But his speed and hustle helped create that run. And it was huge in the long run.

The Orioles kept Dominguez in for the ninth, and he gave up a solo homer to lead off the inning ing to Toro – cutting the lead to 2-1. Jorge Mateo’s aforementioned speed gave him a great shot to catch the ball. He chased it down, and in short ran through the wall and fell into the Boston bullpen. He got glove on the ball, but it dropped out as he fell over the wall.

Mateo went all out, and even the fans at Fenway Park took notice, and gave Mateo a standing ovation for his effort. Dominguez sent Boston down 1-2-3 after that, and the Orioles took game two of the doubleheader, 2-1. They have a chance to tie the series tomorrow afternoon.

Jorge Mateo and Trevor Rogers both put forth memorable efforts tonight. Rogers may have turned in the best start the Orioles have seen this year. Many question why Mateo is still on the team. I think you got your answer tonight.

Tony Mansolino also made a great move in keeping Dominguez in the game until the end. It would have been easy, and maybe advisable, to have lifted him after the home run. But he stuck with him and said it was his game to lose. And he came through. Great team win for the Birds.

The series concludes tomorrow at Fenway Park. Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Walker Buehler. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Are the Birds over-managing?

Strange game this afternoon for the Baltimore Orioles, in game on of a doubleheader. Zach Eflin was strong – but not at first. Better than the stat line indicates, that is. Eflin’s line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R, (4 earned), 2 BB, 1 K.

The Orioles took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning on Ramón Urias’ two-RBI double following a 30 minute rain delay. Almost true to form for this series, storm clouds gathered as the game was beginning. As Boston’s Duran stepped up to the plate in the home first, it was pelting rain. And Duran smacked a solo home run.

Conditions deteriorated fast. The umpiring crew obviously didn’t want to delay the game, which angered Tony Mansolino. He tried to pull his team off the field, however the umpiring crew wouldn’t allow that. A few moments later as the grounds crew had been summoned to apply drying agent on the field, the rain subsided.

Something like that can spook a pitcher. And in fact, Abreu later hit another solo homer, tying the game at two. It was unfortunate, but the fact is that only one pitcher had to endure that. Only one team had to play in wet uniforms. On the flip side, calling for a rain delay also could have cost the Orioles Zach Eflin depending on how long it would have been. So there’s that also. Unfortunate situation.

Both starting pitchers settled in, however. But the Birds got the lead back in the fifth when Jackson Holliday grounded into a fielder’s choice with a runner on third. Later in the inning Gunnar Henderson’s RBI-double extended the lead to 4-2. It would extend to 5-2 when Adley Rutschman scored on a wild pitch.

Toro would lead off the last of the fifth with a solo homer, the third of the day off of Eflin. one inning later the O’s still held a two-run lead. Devers blooped a pop fly to right, with Heston Kjerstad being played well off the line. Due to the placement of Kjerstad, he had no choice but to pull back and let it drop in. It was only a base hit…

…only it took a funny hop and bounced into the stands. Had the ball bounced to Kjerstad as the law of averages says it should have, yes it’s a base hit. But by bouncing into the stands, it gave Devers a ground rule double. And it gave Boston a runner in scoring position.

Following a walk, Narvaez reached on a ground ball in the infield to Jackson Holliday. He tried to get the out at second to keep the double-play in order, but the throw was errant and the runner was safe. That allowed a run to score, cutting the lead to 5-4. Sogard would later tie the game with an RBI-groundout.

That’s highly indicative of how the Orioles’ season has gone to date. Holliday, while legitimately trying to keep the double-play in order, couldn’t do the most important part: getting the force out. Is that indicative of over-managing? Perhaps. End of the day you have to get to point A before you go onto point B.

Luckily however, the Oriole bullpen was pretty solid. Both Bryan Baker and Yennier Cano had outstanding outings. As did Felix Bautista in the ninth inning. The game went to extra’s, and the Orioles went down 1-2-3 in the 10th. However keep in mind that in extra innings you start innings with a runner on second. Gregory Soto recorded one out, which brought the heavy-hitting Devers to the plate.

Tony Mansolino opted to pitch to Devers. This despite having first base open. After the game he said he’s going to bet on our guy everytime. That didn’t work, however. Devers’ run-scoring single won it for Boston, 6-5.

It seemed like a no-brainer for me to put Devers on. After the game Mansolino said it would have gotten “messy.” I would disagree, as the runner at first is meaningless in that circumstance. In fact, you also set yourself up for a ground ball double-play. Which with one out would have ended the inning.

Whether that’s over-managing or not is up to the beholder. Many would argue that walking Devers would have been over-managing. But again, if analytics are going to be such a thing in modern baseball, the probability of getting out of the inning unscathed is actually slightly higher with a runner on first base there (and one out). And most importantly, you take the bat out of the hands of Boston’s best hitter.

These series continues this evening at Fenway Park. Trevor Rogers will make his 2025 debut and get the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Lucas Giolito. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Doubleheader part deux

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

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

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