Baltimore Orioles: Walks, balks, and shifts don’t equal wins

In what’s become a theme this year, the Baltimore Orioles were held to account for every mistake they made this afternoon in the series finale with San Francisco. When you give teams extra outs and/or extra bases, you can expect them to take advantage. Starter Gabriel Ynoa in effect was the victim, although he himself wasn’t immune to mistakes in this game. Ynoa’s line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R (2 earned), 2 BB, 4 K.

The game started on a positive note, as Trey Mancini‘s first inning solo homer gave the Birds a 1-0 lead. And that held up for a few innings, as we appeared destined for a Sunday matinee pitcher’s duel. But how quickly things change.

San Francisco tied the game at 1 in the fourth inning on a solo homer by Longoria. Later in the inning Belt drew a walk and was on first. However in a move that rarely happens in the big leagues, Belt took off for second in a steal attempt while Ynoa was still in his stretch. There’s no rule (written or otherwise) against that, however it’s just not something that’s usually seen in the major leagues.

Ynoa seemed confused, and threw to second…committing a balk in the process. Belt, who has the Orioles to thank for getting him out of a slump of sorts, stopped on the base paths and pointed at Ynoa, calling for a balk call. Keep in mind that the definition of a balk is the pitcher trying to deceive the runner. While by the book what Ynoa did was a balk, in reality the runner in that instance tried to and was successful in deceiving the pitcher.

A few moments later Belt scored on Pillar’s RBI-double, giving San Francisco a 2-1 lead. Ynoa then gave up a walk to start the fifth, and a second runner reached on an error. The sad thing about the error was that it was set up to be a tailor-made 4-6-3 double-play. Wilkerson bobbled the ball, and things escalated further.

With both of those runners eventually ending up in scoring position, they would later score on Longoria’s ground rule RBI-double. Crawford would add a solo homer in the sixth, and Sandoval a sac fly-RBI in the seventh. Crawford would also add a second solo homer in the eighth inning, and Panik an RBI-single in the eighth.

Obviously San Francisco added on numerous runs at the end, however had the Birds limited the mistakes earlier perhaps things could have been different. To add insult to injury, the Orioles left the bases loaded in the seventh inning. Would it have mattered had they put a couple across? Probably not. However when you’re held to account for all of your mistakes and you can’t do the same to your opponent, you’re really in trouble.

You also want to ask yourself at times if some of these shifts aren’t becoming a bit much. I get it – part of the game nowadays is analytics, and those analytics suggest that you have a better shot at winning if you position fielder’s in a certain manner. However specific to this game as well as all year, the shifts have failed the Orioles. And I’m not saying in the sense of errors being committed and guys getting on anyways.

Today’s game was a microcosm of the season in the sense that plenty of opposing hitters reached either by flat out hitting against the shift, or by hitting into the shift and having the ball find daylight. Again it happened several times today and it’s happened many times over the course of the season. The Orioles may well be positioning their fielder’s in accordance with how the statistics say hitters will hit. But the hitters are taking that shift and raising the Orioles a base hit in one manner or the other.

The 2019 MLB first year players’ draft of course is tomorrow night – while the Orioles are off. We’ll have full coverage of the Orioles’ pick, which of course will be first overall. You can expect a recap here on Birdland Crush, but you can also follow me on Twitter (@DomenicVadala) for full coverage.

Baltimore Orioles: Renato Nunez homers in Birds’ loss

Last night the Baltimore Orioles and San Francisco combined for 14 runs in an Oriole victory. However someone told the Birds that the trend was supposed to continue this afternoon, as San Francisco jumped on the Orioles and starter David Hess early on. Hess’ line: 4.0 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 3 BB, 4 K.

Walks plagued Hess this afternoon. He walked two in the first inning, which led to Belt’s two-RBI single. And low and behold, that RBI-single came with two outs. Opponents’ propensity to get to Oriole pitching with two outs is uncanny. But them’s the breaks.

Hess would also surrender a solo homer to Posey in the third, which ran the lead to 3-0. The Orioles looked like they may have been making a run in the fourth when Renato Nunez smacked a solo homer of his own. But at the end it was a mirage…

…San Francisco came right back. The fifth inning was the back-breaker for the Birds this afternoon. Panic smacked an RBI-single, Belt a two-RBI double, and Longoria added a sac fly-RBI. Austin Wynns would add an RBI-single in the Orioles’ column in the last of the fifth, but that was too little too late. San Francisco added on an insurance run at the end just for good measure.

A lot of folks like to bring up the fact that David Hess has struggled since he was lifted while throwing a no-hitter in Toronto. That of course was in the first week of the season. Let it go said that it’s impossible for that to have had any affect mechanically on Hess. Hyde did the right thing for Hess and his career by pulling him. It was hard to see, but it was the right thing.

Many well-intentioned fans say that there’s a psychological aspect to it as well – in other words, it’s more than just mechanical. That might be semi-true. However if Hess was that bothered by that in a psychological manner, he doesn’t have the gumption to pitch at the big league level. In other words, he was never going to make it anyways. Point here being: that had no effect on Hess’ performance as time’s gone on.

The series and the home stand concludes tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards. Gabriel Ynoa gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by San Francisco’s Jeff Samardzija. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Crooked numbers in a Caddywampus game

There was a moment where Baltimore Orioles’ fans questioned whether starter Andrew Cashner would even make it out of the first inning. Cashner surrendered five runs to San Francisco in the top of the first, causing many fans (and writers) to assume the game was over. But if you had Cashner overcoming that 5-0 deficit and qualifying for the win, you’d probably be a rich man right now! Cashner’s line: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 5 BB, 0 K.

I say all the time that pitchers will have bad starts. But when you throw a clunker and you still get the win, you can consider it a bonus. Luckily for Cashner, he got some help from Oriole bats. And early on after surrendering five runs in the first, he needed it.

The Birds immediately put runners on base, and got on the board in the last of the first on an RBI-single by Renato Nunez. Pedro Severino would follow suit with an RBI-single of his own. So at that point at least the O’s had trimmed the lead and fought themselves back into the game. Needless to say, they were sending the message that they weren’t going quietly into the night.

Later in the inning Dwight Smith Jr. came up with the bases loaded. And Smith forced the O’s into the lead with a grand slam. Cashner left the field with a five-run deficit, and returned with the lead.

However he did allow SF to tie it up. Yastrzemski’s solo home run (the same Yaz whom the O’s traded a few weeks ago) ties the game back up at six in the second. However that shouldn’t have been surprising to anyone, as this game had already established itself as caddywampus or off the rails. Both teams had already put up crooked numbers. So why not let the fun continue?!

And continue it did – in the last of the second, for the Birds. Trey Mancini smacked a two-run homer to give the Orioles the lead back at 8-6. And Cashner along with the Orioles’ bullpen kept it right there. Renato Nunez would add a solo shot in the last of the seventh, and the O’s took game one of this inter league series by the score of 9-6.

The Orioles’ bullpen was also strong tonight in relief of Cashner. Incidentally, Cashner threw 109 pitches over five innings. The fact that he got the win is to his credit for toughing it out. It’s also to the credit of manager Brandon Hyde (who will miss tomorrow’s game to attend his step-daughter’s graduation in Chicago) for sticking with Cashner. Whether there are crooked numbers or not, at the end of the day a W’s a W.

The series continues tomorrow at Camden Yards. David Hess gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by San Francisco’s Shaun Anderson. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Orange and black party downtown

The Baltimore Orioles will take on the San Francisco Giants this weekend in an interleague series beginning this evening at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Birds thus far are 1-2 in interleague games, as they dropped two-of-three against Colorado last weekend.

However that series was on the road. This one will be in Oriole Park at Camden Yards. That means that San Francisco will get the benefit of a DH. However the flip side of that is that the Orioles won’t have to surrender the use of their DH and have their pitchers hit. Context, folks!

However this weekend’s series is noteworthy because the league’s two teams which take the colors orange and black will be playing one another. Given the fact that San Francisco is having a lackluster season as well, I can’t imagine that too many Giants’ fans will show up at the yard this weekend. (Although who could really blame anyone for wanting to see their favorite team play in The Ballpark That Forever Changed Baseball?!) However those who do will be tough to decipher from Orioles’ fans!

The series begins this evening as I said at Camden Yards. Andrew Cashner gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by San Francsisco’s Drew Pomeranz. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: The issue of bandwagon fans

The Baltimore Orioles have very few bandwagon fans. That’s consistent with a rebuilding team, however it’s always been the case for the most part. The Orioles have always kind of belonged to it’s core group of fans – in essence, Baltimoreans.

Down the pike in DC, Rob Woodfork of radio station WTOP yesterday published this article regarding bandwagon fans. In essence, in his view it’s acceptable to be a bandwagoner in his view. Part of his point is that perhaps the idea that hometown fans don’t necessarily root for the home team would force the home teams to be better.

That’s all well and good if we’re talking about Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi, or Bud vs. Miller. Those are product wars in essence. One of the worst things that’s very happened to the sports industry is the fact that the term “on-field/court/ice product” has come about. Sports isn’t a product. It’s a game.

No, it’s not necessarily a given that hometown kids will grow up rooting for the hometown team. But regardless of where you grew up, if you picked one team from childhood and stuck with them, I see no issue with that. You’ve bled with them in bad years, and shined in good – just as Orioles fans are doing right now.

But if you grew up a fan of one team, I suppose what I’m saying is that you should stick with that team. Granted, some teams make it easier to do that than do others. But…are you that in need of gratification that you’d dump all of your memories of rooting for that team as a child and so forth, only to root for another team? Another team who conveniently potentially has a better shot at winning right here and right now?

To me it’s all just a part of the instant gratification culture that seemingly exists more and more. If the Orioles don’t satisfy me, why shouldn’t I drop them and root for the BoSox? End of the day, nothing’s stopping someone from doing that, for the record. It isn’t against the law. But it does say something about what’s important to you. It says that you’re fickle. If you’re okay with that, go for it.

Having said that, I’ll make an exception if perhaps another team moves or a league expands to a location closer to where you live. Many DC-area fans grew up rooting for the Orioles. Now many of them have also stuck with the Orioles, valuing the tradition in which they grew up and the memories of growing up supporting the Birds more than rooting for a new team that’s potentially closer to their home. However many fans also switched allegiances to the Washington Nationals. And in that instance I can understand it.

I suppose my point is that sports are an emotional attachment. Not necessarily a rational one. You can’t just replace your memories of rooting for that one team with memories of rooting for a new one. That’s just not how it works. Yes, I would hope that most kids growing up in Baltimore would root for the team that has BALTIMORE across it’s chest by default. But either way, don’t switch teams in mid-stream. It’s unbecoming of the sports industry.

Baltimore Orioles: Late pitching mistakes cost the Birds

First and foremost, the Baltimore Orioles ran into some good pitching tonight. John Means set the tone for a good game for the Birds, and as we know it all begins and ends with starting pitching. Means’ line: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 7 K.

The Birds got the lead early on in the last of the first. Renato Nunez‘s RBI-single gave the O’s a 1-0 lead. Detroit would tie the game at one on Castallanos’ RBI-double.

Maybe the Orioles’ luck would have been different had they scored multiple runs in various innings. Instead, they piecemeal’d a lead together over the course of the game. And that cost them.

But the Orioles took the lead right back. Keon Broxton‘s solo homer put them back in the driver’s seat at 2-1. Broxton of course homered on the first pitch he saw as an Oriole last Friday night at Coors Field. This was his first homer at Camden Yards. I suspect the home fans like him so far.

However it was two home runs that set Detroit apart in this game. Hicks’ solo shot in the eighth tied the game at two, and Dixon’s two-run shot in the ninth gave them the lead at 4-2. A lead that would hold up as the final score.

Again, the O’s got good starting pitching tonight from John Means. However it wasn’t enough. It.’a supposed to be, but it wasn’t. But that can happen when you leave yourself no margin for error.

By that, I mean that the Birds couldn’t even extend their lead. When you have no margin for error and you ultimately make a mistake on the mound, it isn’t going to end well. That’s why add-on or insurance runs aren’t bad things. They leave you a margin for error, which the Orioles didn’t have tonight.

Baltimore Orioles blanked as Dylan Bundy throws a quality start

Baltimore Orioles’ bats did starting pitcher Dylan Bundy no favors tonight against Detroit. Bundy pitched to a quality start, which also means that he put the Orioles in a spot to win. That’s all you can ask of a starting pitcher. Bundy’s line: 7.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 8 K.

The zero walks and eight strikeouts are what sticks out to me. Bundy had fantastic control and was hitting his spots all game long. However the Oriole offense couldn’t muster anything in the way of runs. It’s hard enough to win when you only score one or two. It’s impossible when you score zero. And that’s a fact.

Detroit took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on Cabrera’s RBI-single. However Bundy was able to get out of the inning without any further scathing, in what became a bit of a theme in the game. Bundy flawlessly limited the damage Detroit was able to do.

Jones’ RBI-double in the second would run the score to 2-0. Detroit would net a third run on a fifth inning solo homer off the bat of Goodrum. This put the O’s in a 3-0 hole.

But they had their opportunities. The Birds went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position over the course of the game. Perhaps most poignantly, the O’s had the tying run at the plate in the form of Pedro Severino in the eighth inning. After a lengthy at-bat, Severino struck out with two on.

One very bright spot for the Orioles was DJ Stewart, who was called up from Norfolk for this game. He had his first career three-hit game (after having a cup of coffee with the Orioles in the big leagues last September), showing the Orioles’ brass that he belongs. The hope certainly is that he’s up here for awhile.

The series with Detroit concludes tomorrow night at Camden Yards. John Means gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Ryan Carpenter

Baltimore Orioles capitalize on Detroit’s mistakes, win series opener

The Baltimore Orioles have had their share of games this year where they’ve had no room for error. In the sense that the opponent has gotten fat on Oriole mistakes. With Gabriel Ynoa getting the start out of the bullpen this afternoon on Memorial Day against Detroit, this was a game where the O’s couldn’t afford many mistakes. Ynoa’s line: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

With a runner on base in the last of the first, Renato Nunez sent a deep fly ball towards left. The ball appeared to be hooking foul; it faded, but somehow straightened out just a bit in the end. It ended up taking a header into the foul pole, making it a two-run homer, and giving the Orioles a 2-0 lead.

Detroit would get on the board in the second on an RBI-single by Greiner, who took second on the throw. However Nunez came back up in the third, once again with runners on base. Nunez grounder to short, but a run ended up scoring on an errant throw by the Detroit infield. That gave the Orioles a 3-1 lead. That would be extended to 4-1 later in the inning on Pedro Severino‘s sac fly-RBI.

Detroit would put an additional run on the board, as would the Orioles. But the Birds also put up an insurance run in the last of the seventh on a solo homer by Jonathan Villar. And it was probably a good thing thing that they did, as the Orioles’ pen put the tying run in scoring position in the ninth. But they were able to close it out, defeating Detroit 5-3.

Two of those runs were unearned for the Orioles. So for once it was the O’s taking advantage of another team’s mistakes. And as was the case in reverse on Sunday, the O’s committed two errors and lost by one. So these errors do add up. But again for once, it was the Orioles taking advantage of the mistakes made by an opponent.

Ynoa pitches a dominant four innings, as did Dan Straily out of the bullpen. Straily of course was demoted to the bullpen last week, and for at least one game it worked. Straily said after the game that he felt no pressure coming into the game, and he was able to bridge the gap between Ynoa and the back end of the ‘pen.

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Matthew Boyd. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Today we the people of the United States join together and remember our war dead. There’s no amount of gratitude that could ever repay our fallen soldiers for putting their lives down for our freedom so that we can do things such as watch baseball. However we keep them always in our hearts and minds. May they Rest In Peace knowing that a grateful nation and people remember them today and always.

Baltimore Orioles haunted by unearned runs

This entire season has been one where the Baltimore Orioles have had little margin for error. Heck even when everything goes perfectly, sometimes they still can’t get things right. But mistakes lead to unearned runs, which add up.

David Hess pitched four solid innings this afternoon in the finale with Colorado at Coors Field. Hess’ line: 5.2 IP, 9 H, 5 R (4 earned), 1 BB, 6 K. The Birds even spotted him a run, on Austin Wynns‘ sac bunt in the second inning. A run scored on an errant throw, and the Orioles led 1-0.

As I said, Hess pitched four solid innings. The fifth inning he started to have a few struggles. Hess’ pitch count wasn’t elevated, however the light air in Denver can tire people out quicker. One way or the other, Colorado figures him out in that sixth inning. Marquez, Hess’ pitcher counterpart, drove in a run on a squeeze bunt. Hess made an errant throw home, and the game was tied.

Hess worked out of the inning, however he had already shown his vulnerability. Arenado smacked yet another homer against Oriole pitching in the next inning, this of the two-run variety. Colorado led 3-1. That lead extended to 5-1 when Marquez smacked a two-RBI triple. Pitching against the opposing pitcher is generally thought of as easy. Apparently not for David Hess.

However the Birds battled back. Jonathan Villar smacked an RBI-single in the seventh, which was followed by a sac fly-RBI later in the inning by Dwight Smith Jr. Renato Nunez‘s RBI-single brought the O’s to within one at 5-4, however Murphy’s run scoring-single in the bottom of the seventh extended the Colorado lead back to two at 6-4.

But again, the Orioles battled back once again. Keon Broxton, who made quite an impression in his first weekend with the Orioles, smacked an RBI-double in the eighth, followed by Trey Mancini‘s two-RBI triple. But Colorado got to bat last in the ninth, and Desmond walked in the tying run. Wolters’ sac fly-RBI then gave Colorado an 8-7 walk off victory against the O’s.

I mentioned Hess’ errant throw in the fourth inning which allowed a run. On the aforementioned Murphy run scoring-single, the run scored because of an errant throw by Renato Nunez. These two mistakes both led to runs. And given that the Orioles lost by two, that kind of stands out.

But it’s never just one or two things. Oriole pitchers were also afraid to throw fastballs in the strike zone. They tried to pound the inside corners with sliders, which led to a bases-loaded situation. Colorado hitters got very patient in the ninth inning, and it cost the Orioles the game.

The Birds now come home for a quick turnaround game tomorrow afternoon on Memorial Day against Detroit at Camden Yards. Gabriel Ynoa gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Daniel Norris. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles snap seven-game losing streak in Colorado

The Baltimore Orioles snapped a seven-game losing streak with their victory last night against Colorado at Coors Field. Andrew Cashner ironically has had better stat lines. But in losing efforts. Cashner’s line: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 0 BB, 5 K.

Renato Núñez and Jonathan Villar put the Birds on the board in the first inning with RBI-singles. Colorado would get on the board also in the first with an RBI-double from Arenado. But in the third Núñez would smack a solo homer to give the Birds a 3-1 lead. It was Nunez’s fourth homer in as many games.

However Colorado uses the dimensions of it.’a home park to it.’a advantage. And they also have the benefit of having a slugger like Arenado. The ball flies out of Coors Field, and fast – none quicker than Arenado’s three-run shot in the last of the third. This gave Colorado a brief lead at 4-3.

But the Orioles came right back. Hanser Alberto‘s RBI-single In the fourth inning tied the game at four. That brought Villar back to the plate, and he promptly deposited the Orioles into the driver’s seat for the rest of the game with a three-run homer. And the Birds took a 7-4 lead.

Colorado would pull to within one later in the game, but that would be too little too late. Stevie Wilkerson and Dwight Smith Jr. would add RBI-singles in the seventh which acted as insurance runs. And the O’s snapped a seven-game losing steak in style, with a 9-6 win at Coors Field.

The issue going into the series finale of course still remains the Birds’ propensity to give up the long ball, and Coors Field’s apparent ability to surrender them. If they can find a way to keep the ball in the ballpark for this afternoon’s series finale, they’ll have a golden opportunity to win the series.

The series concludes tomorrow at Coors Field in Denver. David Hess gets the fall for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Colorado’s German Marquez. Game time is set for just after 3 PM.