Baltimore Orioles: MLB needs to re-think it’s interleague strategy

The Baltimore Orioles will open a three-game set with the Los Angeles Dodgers tomorrow night at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Los Angeles of course comes in with an eye on the post-season, while the Orioles are in effect playing out a string. However that wasn’t always the case at this time of year.

As we know, the Orioles won more regular season games than anyone in baseball between 2012-2016. They were always very much in contention at this point. So you, the Orioles fans, know what that’s like. You obviously want things to go as smoothly as possible for you.

Interleague games can sometimes throw a wrench into that armor. From the Dodgers’ perspective, that’s what they’re having to deal with right now. However from the perspective of an American League team, it’s even worse – you surrender your DH. And there have been plenty of times when the Orioles of the aforementioned era have had to do that in these all-important September games.

This is symptomatic of MLB wanting to have an interleague game on every day of the season. Literally from Opening Day until the season concludes. So whenever your team has an interleague game at what could be deemed an inconvenient moment, just keep in mind that someone had to play interleague today.

But I think it made much more sense to do interleague games in blocks, which is how it used to be. Normally the weeks leading in and out of Memorial Day weekend (and Memorial Day weekend itself), and the last couple of weeks in June would be interleague games. So whether you were home or away, that’s when you would be playing games against the opposite league.

MLB moved away from that, however I think it’s something they should reconsider. Once you get to September it should be about one of two things; the playoffs, or playing out a string. I suppose if you’re the Orioles and you’re playing out a string, it’s not that big a deal. However the L.A. Dodgers have to get used to a style of play with which they’re not familiar, at a very sensitive moment.

Again, the Orioles have had to do that in the past as well. However if the league went back to the former rules on interleague play, that would cease to be an issue.

Baltimore Orioles swept away by Texas

The Baltimore Orioles gave the ball to Asher Wojchiekowski in this afternoon’s series finale in Texas. And unfortunately, the net result was about the same as what we had been seeing in the first three games of this series. Wojciechowski’s line: 2.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 2 K.

RBI-singles in the first and second innings gave Texas a 2-0 lead. The backbreaker for Wojciechowski was Solak’s two-RBI single later in the second inning. And that ended Wojciechowski’s day.

The O’s however did try to make a run of things. Renato Nunez smacked a solo homer in the last of the second to get the Orioles on the board. However Texas just kept piling on run after run. Solo homers in the third and fourth innings gave Texas a 6-1 lead. Pedro Severino‘s RBI-double would cut it to 6-2.

Again however, Texas kept piling runs on. When the smoke cleared, they beat the Orioles 10-4 this afternoon. This while sweeping this series at Camden Yards.

Obviously you never want to get swept at home, but this series gave the Birds a chance to see some additional players that might make a difference going into spring training next year. Part of rebuilding is the evaluation process. And the O’s have their work cut out for them.

Baltimore Orioles need to reverse-scout their own pitchers

The Baltimore Orioles did a bit of a number on themselves this evening. Not by what they did in the game, but by what they didn’t do. It was obvious that Texas had studied and scouted Orioles’ starter Aaron Brooks ad hoc. And the Orioles played right into the trap of not scouting their own people. Brooks’ line: 2.2 IP, 6 H, 7 R (6 earned), 1 BB, 3 K.

Brooks loaded the bases in the first inning before even recording an out. He managed to induce a comebacker, but his throw home was wide of the bag. Now the good news was that Brooks retired the final three hitters in the inning 1-2-3. The bad news was that came after an RBI-single, and a grand slam which gave Texas a 6-0 lead.

However the O’s tried to battle back. Anthony Santander‘s RBI-single in the last of the first cut the lead to 6-1. Trey Mancini would later score on a wild pitch, and Mason Williams‘ sac fly-RBI would cut the lead to 6-3. It looked like a night for the offenses.

Texas would tack on three additional runs before the game ended. Rio Ruiz would also smack a solo homer. The Birds would end up falling in this one, 9-4 – due in large part to a wild first inning.

But what happened in that first inning which causes me to talk about scouting or lack thereof? Brooks has actually been fairly solid of late in the past couple of weeks. That’s been due in large part to his changeups being so deadly. He’s really mastered the art of the changeup very well.

But the problem is that he’s gone to the well too many times. Texas obviously felt that Brooks was going to rely on his changeup early in the game; that’s probably what their scouts told them. They trusted their scouting, and it paid off with a big inning right out of the gate.

So again, would it not behoove the Orioles to in effect scour their own players? Maybe have their scouts look at games as if they were scouting another team for the O’s, but in essence to have them report on what they’re noticing about the Orioles? Because dipping into the well once too often on changeups is something that a scout would have noticed. Texas’ game plan was to expect the changeup early. Their hitters did just that, and the Orioles did their part to ensure that the changeups came in early and often.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards. Asher Wojchiekowski gets the call for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Texas’ Mike Minor. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles battle but fall to Texas

The Baltimore Orioles’ bullpen was unable to hold the lead for Dylan Bundy this evening. Bundy didn’t get credited with a quality start, but he put the Birds in a position to win. And he left with the lead in the seventh. Bundy’s line: 6.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

One thing I’ve noticed out of numerous Oriole pitchers (including Bundy) this year is that many of them are actually getting too much of the plate at times. Bundy’s one walk evidences that in a way. Pitches were in the zone, and many hitters took advantage of that – starting with Texas’ Calhoun, who smacked a solo homer in the first inning.

However they didn’t lead for long. Trey Mancini hit his 30th homer of the season (a solo shot) in the last of the first, tying the game. And Richie Martin provided a three-run homer in the second inning, giving Bundy and the O’s a 4-1 lead.

However Texas rallies twice in this game – the first time being in the wake of the Martin homer. Texas put two men on in the third, and Calhoun was coming back to the plate. And he would connect again, tying the game at four.

But the Orioles has a rally of their own in them in the fifth. With a guy on base, Anthony Santander put the Birds back in the driver’s seat with a two-run home run to give them a 6-4 lead. However the lead’s only as good as the bullpen staff trying to protect it, and the Birds’ ‘pen couldn’t get the job done this evening.

The seventh inning found Bundy chased from the game, and back-to-back RBI-singles gave Texas three runs. It also gave them the lead at 7-6. Which turned into a 7-6 victory over the Orioles.

End of the day, Texas rallied twice, and the Orioles only once. Most of these games are tight, and you have to be able to rally. The O’s couldn’t do it tonight.

The series continues tomorrow at Camden Yards. Aaron Brooks gets the start for the O’s, and Texas has yet to name a starter. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: John Means a hard-luck loser

The Baltimore Orioles got another great start out of John Means last night against Texas. However the bats were quiet, making Means a hard-luck loser. It’s unfortunately part of being a starting pitcher sometimes in baseball. All Means can do is his job and handle the things he can control. He did that last night, it just didn’t work out. Means’ line: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 4 K.

Means is going through a bit of a situation in his personal life, as his father was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. You may remember awhile back when he was placed on the family emergency list – he had traveled home to the Kansas City area to be with his Dad and his family. The Orioles then arrived in Kansas City, where Means turned in one of the best starts of his career in his hometown surrounded by his family. Needless to say, baseball’s a nice distraction for him right now.

The Orioles took a 1-0 lead in the last of the sixth, after playing to a 0-0 tie to that point. Renato Nunez pushed a run across on a sac fly-RBI. However one inning later Solak smacked a two-run homer for Texas, giving them a 2-1 lead. Forsythe’s ninth inning RBI-single in the ninth gave them an insurance run, and Texas beat the O’s 3-1 in game one of four.

Manager Brandon Hyde on Means’ outing (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

I didn’t think he was especially sharp in the first, but he really settled down and had a really good changeup going. He was just cruising into the seventh inning. He was throwing the ball really well and just left a changeup out over for the two-run homer. But that really wasn’t the story. He did a great job, but we just didn’t hit with runners in scoring position. We didn’t do a very good job with situational hitting tonight. We had our opportunities. He definitely deserved better, but we just didn’t get it done offensively tonight.

The O’s were 0-for-13 with RISP last night. While it begins and ends with starting pitching, that right there was the game. Had even one of those runners scored, the game unfolds differently.

The series continues tonight at Camden Yards. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Texas’ Brock Burke. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Season’s success is on the line

The Baltimore Orioles open a four-game set with Texas this evening at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. To be blunt, the series is meaningless in terms of this season. Or is it?

The O’s currently stand at 46 wins on the season. Last year they won 47 games; and incidentally, win 47 came on the last day of the season. But I digress. This is about this year.

In my season preview back in March I said that if the Orioles can improve year-over-year 2019 will be a muted success. They stand on the doorstep of equaling last year’s mark. That will come with their next victory, which could be tonight for all we know.

I think it’s obvious that the O’s will reach that plateau at some point. They would have to lose the rest of their games to NOT equal last year’s mark, and in order to simply tie the mark they’d have to win one more game and that’s it. I think you’d have to try to do that, so it’s going to happen – even if by default.

Some of you are reading this saying to yourself, how could he declare this particular season a success? It’s a fair question. But when you’ve admitted since day one that the season was going to be a tough one, you have to set the bar low. Beating last year’s record was always about as high of a bar as this team was going to have. Even if only incremental improvement, they’ll have shown improvement…if they get there. Which they will

The series with Texas opens this evening at Camden Yards. The Orioles haven’t yet announced a starter, but whomever he is he’ll be opposed by Texas’ Kolby Allard. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Does instant replay need to be tweaked?

The Baltimore Orioles find themselves with a previously-unscheduled off day today due to contingency plans for Hurricane Dorian. However in the second game of a twin-bill yesterday, the Birds found themselves in some controversy when Richie Martin was called for interference for being inside the first base line. It took a run off the board, and began a downward spiral for the Orioles in the game.

As the rules stand now, that’s not a play that could have been reviewed. (The ball has to be by the bag for it to be reviewable.) However even if it could have been reviewed, would it have been overturned?

And the answer is no, it wouldn’t have been overturned. Personally I thought the call was questionable at best. While the base runners do need to stay to the left of the line, most of the times you see that called are when the runner’s physically on the grass. Martin wasn’t anywhere near the grass – if anything he was kind of straddling the line. Not over the line, mind you, but straddling it.

So the play wouldn’t have been overturned because there wasn’t clear and concise evidence that the call on the field was incorrect. Had Tampa challenged the play saying that he was out of the baseline, the same would have been true. Not enough evidence to overturn the ruling on the field.

However I suppose my point would be that perhaps we should look making calls in the infield reviewable. We’ve all seen our share of balls that have appeared to go over the bag get called foul. Would the game not be better for getting those correct?

What I wouldn’t want to see is something in line with what the NFL’s doing with their replay system. Allowing coaches to challenge pass interference in games to me is akin to managers being allowed to challenge balls and strikes. So I think there are some things which should remain judgement calls. But why not encompass as much as possible in what is in fact reviewable?

Baltimore Orioles: Did the Birds get hoodwinked?

You really have to tip your cap to Baltimore Orioles’ starter Gabriel Ynoa. He pitched a gem of a ballgame in game two of a doubleheader this evening at Tropicana Field, more than putting his team in a position to win the game. Ynoa’s line: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 2 K.

In a nutshell and on paper, the game result came down to two plays. Meadows smacked a solo homer in the last of the fourth, and Garcia’s RBI-single in the seventh gave Tampa a 2-0 lead – which was the final. So that’s it, right? Nothing more to see here? Yeah, right.

Chris Davis doubled down the left field line to start the third inning. Before I go any further I want to mention that regardless of his struggles, Davis has always been a decent opposite-field hitter. And we saw it this evening.

That brought Richie Martin to the plate, and he produced a swinging bunt on the left side of the infield. Following an errant throw, Davis scores and Martin ended up at third base with nobody out. Great way to begin the scoring in game two of a doubleheader, especially after winning game one. Am I right?!

No folks, I’m wrong. After the play was over the umpires huddled up and somehow came to the decision that Martin had run inside the base line, and ruled it interference. Despite the errant throw, and despite the fact that Martin never crossed the line, he was ruled out. Davis was sent back to second base, and the run taken off the board.

To further compound things, Jonathan Villar smacked a double in the next at-bat. Davis got a poor read, and stopped at third base. Villar poorly read Davis, and tried to advance to third – resulting in a rundown and Villar being tagged out. The Orioles should have held a 2-0 lead there, however they came away with nothing.

Much later in the game Trey Mancini was called out on a check swing (to end the eighth). Mancini thought he checked in time, as did manager Brandon Hyde, who continued the argument between innings. I’m not sure if it was after he kicked dirt on home plate or before, but Hyde was eventually ejected.

Hyde admitted when asked after the game that he may have brought up the bizarre call in the third inning involving Davis and Martin when he went out to argue for Mancini. Here would be my issue with that call if I were a manager: it wasn’t made until AFTER the play. If you’re going to make a controversial call as such, make it in the moment.

In this case, the umpires all looked confused as they huddled up after the play to discuss it. That almost gave the semblance of them having to call something to take the run off the board. Furthermore the call came from the third base umpire – not the ump at home plate, who’s call rightfully it should be. How could the guy at third see who was in the base lines?

Obviously the Villar play has nothing to with any controversial calls. That was the result of bad reads by Davis and Villar. However it added to the frustration of the Orioles in general. The perception for much of the season has been that he opponent always seems to get the benefit of the doubt. The O’s are hoping at some point that that the pendulum ticks back their way.

Baltimore Orioles tame Tampa in game one of twoi

Ty Blach got the start this afternoon for the Baltimore Orioles at Tropicana Field. And in doing so, he put the Orioles in a position to win, which as I’ve said many times is all you can ask of a starting pitcher. Especially in the first game of a doubleheader. Blach’s line: 5.0 IP, 2 H. 2 R, 4 BB, 2 K.

As I said, this was game one of two today. The teams were scheduled for a night game this evening, and a day game tomorrow. But uncertainty over the path of Hurricane Dorian caused Tampa and MLB to alter the schedule. So we end up with a straight doubleheader today.

Tampa took a 2-0 lead in the fourth on d’Arnaud’s two-run homer. Blach had been mowing hitters down, but hung a pitch that was ultimately jumped upon. However he would regain his form, and pitch through five.

Rio Ruiz smacked a solo homer in the fifth to bring the O’s to within 2-1. One inning later Anthony Santander‘s two-run homer gave them the lead at 3-2. And as good as Blach was in this game, the Orioles’ pen played a huge role as well. Sean Armstrong pitched two quality scoreless innings to hold the Birds over into the later innings.

Tampa-area native Mychal Givens did the same in the eighth, pitching out of a small jam. Small things like that can make a huge difference in games. The O’s also got an insurance run from Mark Trumbo in the last of the eighth to pad the lead, which turned into a 3-2 win.

The series concludes in just a few moments at Tropicana Field. Neither team has announced a starter at this time. Game time is set for about 25 minutes from now.

Baltimore Orioles: Mark Trumbo comes up big in Birds’ loss

Mark Trumbo made his long-awaited 2019 debut for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon in Tampa. Trumbo last played in a regular season game last August in Cleveland, before having knee surgery; he tried but failed to make a comeback in spring training, leaving that to today. And in doing so he got to see a decent outing from starter Asher Wojchiekowski. Wojchiekowski’s line: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

Tampa took a 2-0 lead on Meadows’ two-run homer in the third. The ball was a line drive that at first had the look of being an out, but simply refused to come down until it had just barely cleared the wall in right field. Two innings later it was 4-0 on Pham’s two-RBI double.

Hanser Alberto‘s solo homer in the sixth got the O’s on the board. After a couple of outs and a couple of baserunners, Trumbo came striding to the plate. Mind you, Trumbo knows what’s going on here. His contract’s up at the end of the season, and odds are he doesn’t fit into the Orioles’ plans for the future. There’s not even a guarantee that there’s a spot on a big league roster at all for Trumbo after this year. But he’s worked incredibly hard to get back to be able to play. And in doing so made a big impact on today’s game.

With the aforementioned two runners on, Trumbo smacked a two-RBI double to cut the Tampa lead to 4-3. Talk about a nice first hit of the season! Trumbo would later score on Pedro Severino‘s RBI-single which tied the game. Trumbo on today (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

It was really nice. I was kind of hoping to do something today to help the cause. But yeah, being out there in itself was a good feeling, but it feels much better if you can do something to help the team, especially against a good opponent like this.

The game went to extra innings, however Pham’s RBI-single in the last of the tenth won it for Tampa. But today was about Mark Trumbo, who as I said worked incredibly hard to get back to being able to play. The fact that he worked so hard in what he knew from the get-go would be a down year, speaks to his character. Whether he returns or not, the Orioles are lucky to have had them come their way.

The series continues tomorrow at Tropicana Field in the first game of a doubleheader. Ty Blach gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Trevor Richards. Game time is set for just after 3 PM. (Game two will begin approximately thirty minutes after the conclusion of game one.)