Baltimore Orioles being eaten alive by minuet details

Errors are piling up on the Baltimore Orioles, and they’re making a huge difference. And the sad thing is that there’s a part of me which says one mistake here and there can’t make THAT big a difference. Yet it does. Gabriel Ynoa was the victim of that mentality last night. Ynoa’s line: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 2 K.

Oakland smacked a solo homer in the third and a three-run shot in the fourth to take a 4-0 lead. Jonathan Villar smacked a solo homer for the O’s in the fifth. That was followed by Rio Ruiz netting a run with a fielder’s choice.

The Orioles appeared to at least be competitive in the game at that point. However in the sixth Oakland put two runs on the board off the bat. That extended their lead to 6-2. Still however, that’s a lead that could be overcome – in theory.

Richie Martin committed a fielding error with two outs. That would have been the final out of the inning. Now in general one can accept an error by a guy like Martin, a Rule 5 pick who’s in his first year in the majors. And again, my own thoughts in a moment like that are there’s two outs, just get one more and the inning is over. No harm no foul.

Only that isn’t how things normally go for the Orioles. When they commit small defensive lapses like that, opposing teams take full advantage. Oakland was no exception last night, and they ended up putting ten runs up in the inning. Think about that, eight runs after the error, ten total.

They would also put up two in the seventh, which came on a two-run homer. Now again it’s tough to argue that the error cost the Orioles the game because they were already losing and in fact they didn’t score again. But who knows how things would have played out?

The Orioles can’t allow themselves to adopt the mentality that I apparently have. By that I mean that they can’t ever just assume there are two outs in an inning and one error won’t kill them. It is a big deal, and when you let your guard down your opponent pounces. That was evident last night.

The O’s will try to savage one game in this series in the finale today at the Oakland Coliseum. Jimmy Yacabomis gets the start for the Orioles (in what could be more of an “opener” situation than a real start), and he’ll be opposed by Oakland’s Chris Bassit. Game time is set for just after 3:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles fall on errant throw, tag

The Baltimore Orioles actually performed fairly well in their first game out west last night in Oakland. Starter Andrew Cashner gave the Birds a quality start, both statistically and in reality. More importantly, he put the team in a spot to win. Cashner’s line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R (1 earned), 1 BB, 2 K.

The O’s gave up an RBI-double in the last of the first to Olson, which gave Oakland a 1-0 lead. However in the second the Orioles would tie the game. Rio Ruiz attempted to move a runner into scoring position with a sac bunt. However Oakland’s errant throw up the first base line allowed the runner to score from first, tying the game.

As we’ve said so many times, if you put the ball in play good things can happen. All it takes is one mistake, and a routine play like that can turn into a run-scoring opportunity. And in that instance it allowed the O’s to tie the game.

And in fact, that error also allowed the O’s to take the lead. With Ruiz at third, the Orioles put on a squeeze play and Hanser Alberto Laos down a sac bunt, which scored Ruiz. Ironically, Alberto’s path and progress to the bag at first was impeded by the first baseman, who was out of position on the play. The two literally collided on the base path. Despite Oriole protests, no interference was called on the play.

However in the end, it was an error and a mistake which did the Orioles in. With the bases loaded in the third, Olson grounded to short. The O’s completed the force out at the plate, and Chance Sisco went to throw the runner out at first. However he threw errantly, and a run was allowed to score, tying the game.

The O’s would throw the ball home where Sisco applied the tag and seemed to prevent Oakland from taking the lead. However Oakland challenged the play, and the replay appeared to show that Sisco applied the tag high, allowing the runner’s leg to touch home plate before the tag. The call was overturned, and Oakland took a 3-2 lead.

And unfortunately, the Orioles were unable to challenge further in the game, and fell 3-2. Now on the bright side, Oriole pitching was very good for the remainder of the game. They didn’t allow Oakland to push anything else across, which is more than can be said for other games to this point. They just couldn’t muster anything themselves.

The series continues tonight at the Oakland Coliseum. Gabriel Ynoa gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Oakland’s Brett Anderson. Game time is set for just after 10 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Should Trey Mancini be in the trade block?

The Baltimore Orioles won’t be taking an ice pick to their 25-man roster this year at the trade deadline. That happened last year. However people are starting to talk about what moves (if any) the Orioles might potentially make. According to some people, nobody should be off limits – even the likes of Trey Mancini.

Unequivocally, let me state that I personally believe it would be a huge mistake for the Orioles to trade Mancini. He’s not only going to be the Birds’ lone all-star representative, but he actually deserves the honor. In saying that I mean that he’s going to earn his way onto the roster as opposed to being included to satisfy the Orioles having a representative.

However Mancini’s also become a team leader. And he wasn’t tabbed as being that guy – if anything, Cedric Mullins was. (And he’s been back in the minors for some time.) With Mancini it happened organically. He appeared to kind of tell himself that he was going to be considered the veteran on the roster, and he had to help the younger guys along. Most of whom I might add aren’t that much younger than Mancini himself.

You need someone like that in the clubhouse. Let’s not act like guys with leadership skill are dime a dozen. They aren’t. Losing Mancini wouldn’t only hurt the team in terms of statistics and so forth, but it would probably hurt morale. Again, unequivocally I think it would be a mistake to trade Mancini. He’s someone around whom the Orioles should build.

The reason that some people say that he should be traded is because he would probably bring the Orioles the biggest haul in terms of prospects. Mancini’s under team control until 2023. So he would have to fetch one heck of a return. And I’m talking potentially more than they got last year for Machado.

However I think that when you start trading guys like Mancini (at this stage at least) you’re almost committing yourself to rebuilding in perpetuity. Mancini’s still what one would consider a young player. So again, it behooves the Orioles to build around him. If you start trading your young talent away, You’re kind of extending the process.

So keep Mancini. That would be my advice to GM Mike Elias. Keep him and build the franchise with him as the centerpiece. Because he’s proven on and off the field that he’s worthy of playing that role.

Baltimore Orioles: Two outs away from a win

The Baltimore Orioles were in line to win today. It was the ninth inning and they had the lead against Boston. But ultimately, despite a decent outing from John Means, the Birds ended up back in the loss column – for varying circumstances, some of which were out of their control. Means’ line: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K.

Hanser Alberto‘s RBI-single in the last of the third gave the O’s the lead at 1-0. Boston however would smack back-to-back RBI-doubles in the fourth, giving them a 2-1 lead. But the O’s would tie it at two in the bottom of the inning on Keon Broxton‘s bunt-RBI single…

…or did they? After the play the umpires huddled up, and came to the decision that Broxton had run out of the baseline, a decision that ultimately led to the ejection of manager Brandon Hyde. Here’s the thing; Broxton did run out of the baselines; that part isn’t disputable according to the replay. However the issue is that’s a call that needs to be made on the spot. It’s poor form for umpires to huddle up like that and talk one another into making a judgement call (that should have been made on the spot).

Hyde said after the game that he wasn’t happy with how it was handled. Negating the hit took a run off the board for the O’s. But Hyde’s point was just what I said above; make the call. Don’t sit back and think about it and then make it.

With the Birds still trailing 2-1 in the last of the eighth, Jonathan Villar drew a walk. He then proceeded to steal second and third base, and scored to tie the game at two on a wild pitch.ater in the inning Hanser Alberto’s RBI-single gave the Orioles a 3-2 lead.

The Birds got to within two outs of the win. But then Boston’s Hernandez picked that moment to hit his first homer of the season – off of Mychal Givens. That tied the game in three, and sent it to extra innings. Boston would put up no less than five runs in the tenth, to take an 8-3 lead.

And it’s a shame that Oriole pitching let it get to that point, because Oriole bats did everything they could in the last of the tenth to bring them back. They were able to put three runs on the board and get to within 8-6. But it was too little too late.

The strike zone was incredibly small this afternoon. Boston pitchers pitched to the strike zone. Oriole pitchers pitched to where they assumed pitches should be called strikes. And they got no leeway whatsoever. That combined with the out of the lines play in the fourth inning had the Orioles’ dugout seething at the umpiring crew.

Did the umpires factor into the final score? Well, unequivocally they didn’t give up the homers and the runs in the tenth inning. But could the game have gone differently? You never know.

Brandon Hyde was happy that the team battled back. He seemed very impressed with that. But still, it’s tough to get to within two outs of a win and blow it. But you have to dust yourself off and move onto the next game.

The O’s now hear out west to open up a three-game series with Oakland at the Oakland Coliseum. Andrew Cashner gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Oakland’s Mike Fiers. Game time is set for just after 10 PM.

Baltimore Orioles’ aggressiveness used against them

The Baltimore Orioles got a halfway decent start out of Dylan Bundy this afternoon. He was done in after only five innings due to a high pitch count, which cam as a result of some extended at-bats. In saying that I mean guys fouling off multiple pitches. Bundy’s line: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R (2 earned), 2 BB, 8 K.

This game was a pitcher’s duel at first, as it was scoreless through five innings. However in the top of the sixth Bogaerts smacked an RBI-double, and Holt an RBI-single, to give Boston a 2-0 lead. Holt would later score on an E6, and the Birds trailed 3-0.

The O’s would come back however in the bottom of that inning. Renato Nunez smacked an RBI-double, and Jonathan Villar added a sac fly-RBI. However that’s as close as the O’s were able to get. Martinez would add a solo homer in the seventh, and Boston would also add three runs in the top of the ninth to take the game 7-2.

The worst part about playing Boston is that as good as they are, they’re also smart. They know that the Orioles are scrapping, and doing everything in their power to win games. That can often lead to pushing too hard. Boston knows that.

They know that the Orioles are going to play shifts on their players. They had also seen earlier in the game and on tape that sometimes Jonathan Villar sometimes leaves his spot at second slightly early when the ball’s in play. So Boston puts on a hit-and-run, and hits the ball right where Villar would have been.

Coincidentally, this other example also involves Jonathan Villar – not to beat up too much on him. Late in the game Boston had him at a 1-2 count. Normally that’s a count in which a pitcher’s going to bury a pitch in the dirt hoping that the hitter will chase. Instead of the slider in the dirt or something along those lines, Villar got a high fastball.

Now to his credit, Villar didn’t bite. However that’s a pitcher and a pitching staff who knows that they’re playing a team that’s pushing. And the Orioles can’t allow teams to see that, as it can and will be used against them.

Part of why Boston was able to tack on three late runs was because they put pressure on the Orioles. The Orioles already had enough self-inflicted pressure on them. And they eventually folded.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. John Means gets the call for the Birds, and Boston is yet to announce a starter. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles being killed by the long ball

The Baltimore Orioles called up prospect Luis Ortiz to make a spot start against Boston last night. While Ortiz has never made an appearance in an Orioles’ uniform, he had appeared in two other big league games – with Texas. However while he was able to get some early pitches by for strikes, it didn’t exactly turn out the way the Orioles would have hoped. Ortiz’s line: 3.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 5 BB, 3 K.

The Orioles actually had a lead in this game. Trey Mancini smacked a solo homer in the first inning to give the Birds a 1-0 lead. However that was basically the highlight of the game for the O’s. While Ortiz was lifted when trailing 3-1 and the game not out of hand by any means, it went downhill from there.

The Orioles surrendered six home runs to Boston last night. When the smoke cleared, they trailed 13-1. Keon Broxton would add an RBI-single in the last of the ninth to cut the final to 13-2.

The O’s are surrendering home runs left and right. Now in fairness, Boston’s been hitting the ball out of the park at will the last few games. This was their second consecutive game in which they’ve hit five (or more) home runs. Boston hitters appear to be very zero’d in at the plate right now. And there was nothing that Oriole pitching was doing to calm the tide of homers.

Part of the issue with Oriole pitching right now is that pitchers either can’t stay healthy, or just can’t perform. The can’t perform part is especially tough to accept. That’s been going on for some time, going back to Ubaldo Jimenez. That was a signing that was lauded by most media analysts, myself included. The Orioles got him at a fair price and he was a solid starter.

But at the end of the day, he never measured up. Some would argue he did more harm than good. (I wouldn’t go that far, but some would. You also have to keep in mind that when the Orioles needed someone to step up in a big game, Jimenez usually rose to the occasion.) But obviously for whatever reason pitchers seem to come to Baltimore and suddenly not be able to find the strike zone. Or they get hurt – like Cashner and Cobb.

The issue last night in a sense was the nibbling. Oriole pitching all tried to nibble on the corners, and Boston hitters refuse to relent and swing at pitches out of the strike zone. Consequently, Oriole pitchers nary seemed to get the benefit of the doubt, as all of those borderline pitches were called as strikes.

Then ultimately with runners on base the Orioles were forced to throw strikes. And those strikes were hit. And a long way at that. The majority of those home runs were two-run shots.

The series continues this afternoon at Camden Yards. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Chris Sale. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.

Baltimore Orioles helping teams to get well

When Toronto came in to play the Baltimore Orioles this week at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, their offense was struggling. They were of the worst offenses in the league. Then last night Toronto lays it on the Orioles very thick, after a 30 minute rain delay to start the game. Orioles’ fans had to be thinking, “…uh, really?!”

Gabriel Ynoa got the start and took the loss, but in no way did he figure into the route that this game ended up being. Ynoa’s line: 5.0 IP, 7H, 3 R, 0 BB, 1 K. If anything, Ynoa was getting too much of the plate. However he put the Birds in a spot to win the game. Although that sounds strange to say in a game that eventually became a blowout.

Ynoa gave up a solo homer to Biggio in the second, and an RBI-single to Gurriel in the third. The O’s would fight back however, scoring on an RBI-single by Anthony Santander in the last of the third inning. Santander’s really come along since his promotion to the majors, and he’s making the most of the opportunity he’s being given. That’s to his credit.

Santander would tie the game two innings later with another RBI-single. At that point you kind of liked the Orioles’ chances. Things were looking up – for awhile. However in the top of the sixth Gurriel would smack a solo homer, and Toronto would take a 3-2 lead.

And that top of the sixth effectively ended the game. Toronto first chased Ynoa, and then ended up putting seven runs on the board in the inning. As I said, that effectively ended the game. They would tack on three in the seventh, and Chance Sisco would get one back for the Birds in the eighth with a solo homer. But when the smoke cleared, the Orioles fell 12-3.

As I said, Toronto’s offense was struggling when they came into this series. But like many other teams, they seemingly found their stroke against the O’s. Are teams simply figuring out the Orioles’ pitch sequences? (Basically, are Oriole pitchers too predictable?)

It’s really tough to say. There are a lot of factors as to why even the worst offenses seem to succeed against the Birds. But one way or the other, it’s something that the Hyde’s and Elias’ of the world need to figure out. That is if the O’s are going to improve on last year’s win total.

The O’s will now open a three-game series with Boston at Camden Yards. The Birds are yet to name a starter, but whomever he is will be opposed by Boston’s Eduardo Rodriguez. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles’ comeback falls short

David Hess pitched a good game for the Baltimore Orioles – through four innings. Hess started to lose it a bit in the fifth, mainly due to a high pitch count. And that short spell is ultimately what did the Birds in last night. Hess’ line: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 BB, 3 K.

The Orioles took a 1-0 lead in the last of the fourth when Trey Mancini smacked a solo homer. However Toronto’s big push came in the fifth, as I said above. Hess loaded the bases with nobody out. To Hess’ credit, he induced a ground ball with Gurriel at the plate. While with nobody out that would have yielded a run, it also should have given the Orioles two outs – something they would have taken in theory…

…but that’s not what happened. Gurriel hit the ball just perfectly so that while they only got one run because the Orioles kept it in the infield, it went as an infield hit. So Toronto pushed a run across and kept the bases loaded with nobody out.

After Hess exited the game Miguel Castro uncorked a wild pitch, allowing a run to score and giving Toronto a 2-1 lead. Toronto would re-load the bases, and Tellez’s grand slam would break the game wide open. The Orioles trailed 6-1.

Toronto would also put two additional runs on the board, this while the Orioles were trying to come back. The Birds also netted a run on a wild pitch, however they pulled themselves closer in the last of the eighth on Chance Sisco‘s two-RBI double.

The Birds would later push across two additional runs, but the comeback attempt stalled. To their credit, the Orioles didn’t quit. It would have been easy to go into auto-pilot being down big after the grand slam. But they kept fighting, which shows their character as a team.z

Character isn’t winning the Orioles any games – for now. However it shows that this team has some spunk. And once they get stronger, down the road, that quality will help them to win games. Play until the last out…it’s something we’ve heard before.

The series concludes this evening at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Gabriel Ynoa gets the call for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Marcus Stroman. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Resilient Birds hang on to beat Toronto

Baltimore Orioles fans seemed to almost be waiting for the shoe to drop in tonight’s gAme against Toronto. Starter John Means May have given up a first inning home run (to the game’s first hitter), but he ended up putting the O’s in a spot to win the game. And that’s the goal for any starting pitcher. Means’ line: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 7 K.

Means had a semi-tough first inning, giving up a solo homer to Sogard, and ultimately throwing 30 pitches. However that merely affected Means’ ability to pitch deep into the game. The Orioles’ pen was fairly rested after limited use on Sunday, and a day off yesterday.

However the fact is that Means pitched out of it. And instead of hanging his head, he got stronger. As did the rest of the team.

The Birds evened things up in the last of the third on Trey Mancini‘s RBI-double. Later in the inning Chance Sisco‘s bloop RBI-double down the left field line gave the O’s the lead. One inning later they extended the lead to 3-1 on yet another RBI-double, this one by Anthony Santander.

The O’s couldn’t push any further runs across until later, however Toronto did make a push late in the game. Grichuk sent a bloop towards shallow right field with two outs and a runner on first. By virtue of the fact that there were two outs, the runner was able to score and cut the Orioles’ lead to 3-2.

That was a moment in the game when the O’s could have become unglued. But they didn’t. They stood pat and actually got stronger in a sense by extending their lead. Jonathan Villar‘s RBI-double extended the lead to 4-2.

And I think that’s important. Often times it’s been a small thing such as a late run that’s set the Orioles off, and the opponent has been able to come back. Not tonight. The Birds and their ‘pen closed the door, and the Orioles ended up with a win in game one of three against Toronto.

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. David Hess gets the call for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Edwin Jackson. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Six-game home stand opens tonight

After a day off yesterday the Baltimore Orioles open a six-game home stand this evening as they welcome in Toronto. One thing I do find curious is the fact that the O’s had a day off yesterday following their flight home from Houston. Following this home stand they won’t get a day off between series’ and they’ll go from Baltimore to Oakland on Sunday night.

The home stand ends on Sunday afternoon with the series finale against Boston, after which the O’s will get on their team charter and head to Oakland. They’ll be on the west coast for seven games – three in Oakland and four in Seattle. With no days off, even one for traveling.

The Orioles will however get a day off following that road swing before starting another home stand with the San Diego Padres. Making a major league schedule for every team in the league is no easy task. But that’s something that the league needs to take into account – days off when you’re going cross-country, that is.

The series with Toronto begins tonight at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. John Means gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Trent Thornton. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.