Baltimore Orioles ruffle Brian Dozier’s feathers in loss to Minnesota

Before being overly critical, Minnesota’s Brian Dozier might want to keep in mind that the Baltimore Orioles are at times perhaps overly cognizant of unwritten codes of baseball. This is a team that knows the codes, respects them, and enforces them if need be. Dozier made some comments in the clubhouse after his team beat the Orioles 7-0 to the effect that the Orioles’ Chance Sisco had broken an unwritten code. Quite the contrary; more on that in a moment.

The Orioles literally trailed for the entire game this afternoon. Kevin Gausman gave up a solo homer on the first pitch of the game. And that for sure set the tone for the afternoon. Gausman’s line: 4.0 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 5 K.

Perhaps part of the reason that Dozier felt the need and felt he had the ability to be so critical of Sisco and the Orioles was because he was the lead off hitter who hit that initial homer.  Literally on the first pitch of the ballgame. Keep in mind, Minnesota’s a small ball team, and in general teams as such give the Orioles fits. They stay very much in the moment, and are perfectly happy with one run – because the opponent has to then score two to beat them. Before the first inning ended, Escobar had plated a run on an RBI-double, Buxton one more on an RBI-single, and another run had scored on a wild pitch.

As much as I personally believe in getting runs in bunches (such as via three-run homers), runners on base does put pressure on the battery to produce strikes and outs. That can make guys nervous, which can lead to mistakes – such as a wild pitch with a runner on third. Before the afternoon ended however, Sano, and Escobar would add solo homers, and Dozier an additional one.

Many Orioles fans don’t know whether to be more critical of the pitching or the hitting. Last night the O’s were being no-hit until the eighth, and this afternoon they only had one hit until the ninth. The offense has started the season in a funk, which is concerning. But two of the first three games also showed starters struggling, which is a concern for the O’s. However, fans should take solace in the fact that we’re only three games in.

Going back to Dozier, Minnesota employed a shift against Chance Sisco during his at-bat in the last of the ninth. Sisco took the opportunity to bunt against the shift – which is incidentally something that Minnesota had done themselves earlier in the game. This during a one-hitter. After the game, Dozier made his impression of that decision well-known (all quotes courtesy of Tyler Conway, Bleacher Report):

Obviously, we’re not a fan of it. He’s a young kid. I could’ve said something at second base but they have tremendous veteran leadership over there.

Starter Jose Berrios (who incidentally pitched a gem of a ballgame) also felt the need to chime in:

I don’t care if he’s bunting. I just know it’s not good for baseball in that situation. That’s it.

Again, the Orioles are a team that abides by and enforces unwritten codes. Bunting in the later innings of a no-hitter (or perfect game) is a big no-no. And yes, guys do get plunked for that. However there’s literally no unwritten rule for bunting during a one-hitter. I mean…there’s NO RULE, written or otherwise on that. It’s never existed.

So let’s call this what it is, and that’s incredibly poor form by Dozier, Berrios, and the Minnesota Twins. If Minnesota was that worried about an unwritten rule (which again doesn’t exist) in that instance, they wouldn’t have employed a shift against Sisco. If you’re expecting the opponent to throw in the towel in the latter innings of a blowout, maybe don’t try to use a shift to get a hitter out.

Incidentally, do you know who did break an unwritten code? Brian Dozier, that’s who. I have no issue with teams enforcing unwritten rules, provided of course that the unwritten rule is actually a real unwritten rule. But you plunk the guy next time you see him. Nobody even has to know, although odds are the guy who gets plunked and a few guys in the opposing dugout will get the message. But you don’t go crying to the media after the game about it like Dozier did.

Granted, writers such as myself eat this stuff up, no matter what side on which they stack up. But this type of thing should be kept under wraps for the most part. Sure guys might hint at it and so forth, but in general you don’t come out and bluntly say things the way that Dozier did. Again, if anyone violated an unwritten code, it was him.

The Orioles now head out on the road for the first time this year – to Houston, where they’ll see the Astros’ World Series celebration. Chris Tillman will make his maiden start of the season, and he’ll be opposed by Houston’s Charlie Morton. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Should there be concern about the offense?

The Baltimore Orioles were almost no-hit this evening – almost. Jonathan Schoop‘s single in the last of the eighth inning gave the Birds their first hit on the night. More on that aspect in a moment. Andrew Cashner made his Orioles’ debut, and while there should be no doubt he’ll win with the Orioles overall, he was tagged this evening. Cashner’s line: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R (4 earned), 2 BB, 5 K.

This game in a sense turned logic on it’s head. They say that solo home runs won’t hurt you. That’s sound baseball logic – yet I suppose that if you give up three, that can make a difference. Sano smacked a first inning solo shot, Castro added one in the third, and Kepler in the fourth. Sano would also add an RBI on a ground out in the third, and he’d net a run on a double-play ball in the fifth.

Cashner would be chased after five, and the Orioles’ bullpen was fairly solid Minnesota would only score on one more occasion, with Mauer smacking an RBI-single in the seventh. The Birds would make a run of it late off of a two-run homer by Tim Beckham, however it was too little too late. The Orioles put up their first loss of the season, dropping this one 6-2 to Minnesota.

As I’ve said many times, Minnesota’s a small ball team. Teams like that rely on scoring runs by a drip-drip-drip type of methodology. They’re perfectly happy with one run here, and one run there. Obviously they hit the ball out of the ballpark three times – all solo shots. While a solo home run generally isn’t going to hurt you, eventually they add up.

Minnesota also had an answer for everything the Orioles did defensively – again, throwing logic on it’s side. If the numbers said that a guy wasn’t a pull hitter, the Birds would play the guy straight away in the outfield. Sure enough, he’d smack the ball down the line and into the corner. It’s frustrating to have happen, but it’s part of the game.

As I said, the O’s didn’t get their first hit until the last of the eighth. As we know in baseball, sometimes you just have to tip your cap. Minnesota’s pitching was great tonight – and it was great on Thursday. But this is the second game in which Oriole bats struggled. Is this something to worry about?

The short answer is that it isn’t – not yet. Certainly many fans are going to point out last September, and how the O’s went from being one game out of the final playoff spot to winning only four games the entire month. But are we really to believe that those are the real Orioles, and that what the likes of Jones, Davis, Machado, etc. have done prior to then actually makes no difference?

However the fact is that through the first game of 2018, Oriole bats have been tamed. They’ve run into some buzz saw pitching, and had some bad luck at the plate, but they’ve had their struggles. It’s something to watch, however again I would say that the guys on this team are too talented to not produce eventually. Perhaps that day is tomorrow.

And in fact, the series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Kevin Gausman makes his season debut for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Jose Berrios. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Never doubt Buck Showalter

Admittedly I raised an eyebrow when I saw Buck Showalter‘s Opening Day lineup. There had been rumors of Chris Davis hitting lead off, and in fact there was fact behind those rumors. I suspect that the idea was to get Davis some better pitches to see, but still certainly an unconventional move.

It was also interesting to see Craig Gentry get the start in right field as opposed to perhaps Colby Rasmus, who the Orioles had just signed. Obviously Gentry paid some immediate dividends when he saved a home run in the second inning of the game on Thursday. And as I said yesterday, the ball was over the wall. Gentry flat out robbed Minnesota, and brought the ball back into the ballpark.

For the record, Davis went 0-for-4 on the day. So if you’re looking at the immediate results of him batting lead off, I suppose they weren’t good. However also keep in mind that Thursday’s game was a pitcher’s duel. There were precious few guys who truly looked good in the game at the plate.

However here’s the point: don’t ever doubt Buck Showalter. We went through this a bit after the 2016 AL Wild Card game, in which he infamously left Zach Britton on the bench. I’m not saying that he’s perfect – NOBODY is. But the moves he makes or doesn’t make are done for a reason. Coming into the game Rasmus was a career 1-for-11 against Minnesota starter Odorizzi. And does Rasmus make the play that the fleet-of-foot Gentry made in the second inning? Does Gentry himself consistently make that play. We’ll never know, but we do know what happened with Gentry in there at that moment.

Buck Showalter knows more baseball than I do, along with all of the people reading this column combined. So while there were certainly some things about that lineup that were unconventional, I would give a guy like Buck Showalter the benefit of the doubt on something like that 100% of the time. Again, that doesn’t mean he’s infallible, nor should Orioles fans expect him to be. But the moves he makes are made for a reason, and that reason is usually something more than just trying to shake things up.

The disjointed opening series resumes this evening at Camden Yards. Andrew Cashner makes his Orioles’ debut on the mound, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Kyle Gibson. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: First pitch swinging cloaks Opening Day in orange & black

Let the record show that well after the party had stopped, the celebration was over, and the beer stopped flowing, it was Adam Jones who won the game for the Baltimore Orioles. In an Opening Day game that didn’t need to go extra innings but did, Jones smacked the first pitch he saw in the last of the 11th way out of Camden Yards and into the grandstand, sending the city of Baltimore into a frenzy. However let us not forget that everything’s a team effort. And this victory certainly was.

Dylan Bundy gave the Birds one of their best Opening Day starts in recent memory, and very much deserved to be the victor in this game. Bundy’s line: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K. Bundy was as good as good can be, letting nary a runner past second base. For a team who’s starting pitching has been maligned throughout the off season and spring training, this was as dominant a performance as you’re going to see.

Unfortunately for the Orioles however, Minnesota’s pitching and defense matched them point-for-point. In a game like this, it’s really a matter of who blinks first. And in two of the three moments of consequence in the game, Minnesota blinked before the Birds. But it took us awhile to get there.

For the record, Minnesota almost took the lead in the second inning, however Rosario was flat out robbed by Craig Gentry in right field. When I say robbed, I mean the ball was over the wall and Gentry brought it back into the ballpark. So there’s the league’s first web gem of the year. And in what ended up being a one-run game, that was a huge play.

Trey Mancini struck out to lead off the seventh, however he reached on a wild pitch. He would later reach second on a second wild pitch, prompting Minnesota to walk Valencia (who came up as a pinch-hitter). Following a Gentry strikeout, Caleb Joseph came to the plate. And he finally broke the 0-0 tie with a two-RBI triple. How often does a catcher smack a stand-up triple?! But it was perfectly placed, splitting the outfielders on a ball that went all the way to the wall.

The Birds brought Brad Brach into the game in the ninth to close it out. However keep in mind; Minnesota is a small-ball team. They’re perfectly happy getting one run here and there. And they look for the smallest opening to do it – in this case, it was Davis bobbling a grounder at first and allowing a base runner to reach. A couple of walks (one of which came on a very questionable ball four call in a full count after a twelve-pitch at-bat) later, the bases were loaded.

And these guys’ specialty is softly hit balls that end up doing a lot of damage. So with the bases loaded, Grossman’s blooper fell into very shallow center field, making it a two-RBI single – tying the game at two. So…does this mean Brach as the closer should be reconsidered? That certainly wasn’t the result he wanted. But he was also unlucky.

Perhaps the O’s slipped up a bit in that ninth inning. However as I said, in two of the three moments of consequence in that game, Minnesota blinked first. When you go to extra innings and the home team is at bat, the game’s always on the line. And that strikes fear into any team when you have a guy leading off an inning who’s been as clutch as Adam Jones has throughout his career in Baltimore – even a team like Minnesota, who plays a frustrating form of small ball.

All you need is one run in that situation. And no better way to get it for any club than on a homer. But that’s especially true of this power-hitting Orioles team, who lives by the long ball. Why rely on softly hit wackadoodle-type balls when you can just hit the ball over the fence?!

And that’s what Jones did, and on the first pitch at that. He saw a fastball that was right down broadway, and he jumped on it. For most of his career Jones has been just a clutch player. But on his 11th Opening Day as an Oriole, perhaps that was personified in truth. And it was obvious that it meant a lot to Jones (quote courtesy of Brittany Ghiroli, mlb.com):

Each one is more and more special, because it shows I’ve been able to maintain and stay in the big leagues. … I think this one is probably more important, because my kids are able to talk a little bit better and they understand what’s going on better. And that’s who I play for.

This was one game, meaning that the Orioles have 161 more of these. And obviously those won’t have the pomp and circumstance of Opening Day. However aside from the ninth inning, this was a great day all-around for the Birds. Between Genry, Bundy, Joseph, and Jones, the Orioles had a whale of a day. There’ll be some toils and snares this year for sure, but at the very least it was “the Captain,” Adam Jones, who made sure that this Opening Day was shaded with a deep shot of orange and black.

Baltimore Orioles hope to fly on Opening Day

The Baltimore Orioles and manager Buck Showalter are ready to go. The bunting’s on the warehouse, the batting cages are ready to go, and the uniforms are hung in players’ lockers. It must be Opening Day in Baltimore!

As I write this now, fans are gathering at Pickles Pub & Sliders Bar & Grille across the street from the yard, “tailgating” for today’s game. I heard on the radio yesterday that the betting line has Orioles, -1. Yes, the O’s are giving a run at home on Opening Day against Minnesota. The over/under is also nine – odds makers are thinking that the wind will be blowing out today at Camden Yards!

But just a reminder, folks. Today is game 1 of 162. A win today doesn’t mean smooth sailing the rest of the way, even though the O’s have a tradition of sorts in terms of winning on Opening Day. And a loss certainly doesn’t doom the season to failure.

Part of Opening Day is the pageantry, which in reality is done for the fans. After today players won’t run down the orange carpet moving forward. And they’re fine with that, as they just want to play. And play they will – today and onward.

But Opening Day is special – especially in Baltimore. There’s not much I can offer in terms of a gameplan or in setting out what the Orioles need to do in order to win. Anyone who’s read this column knows that it begins and ends with starting pitching. But also keep in mind that this being the first game, starters might not go as deep into the games as they would in say June or July. So keep a close eye on middle relief this afternoon as well.

That said, the Birds today open a three-game series with the Minnesota Twins at Camden Yards (just a reminder, tomorrow is an off day, with the series resuming on Saturday night). Dylan Bundy gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Jake Odorizzi. Game time is set for just after 3 PM.

Baltimore Orioles’ 2018 season preview

So here we are, on the eve of Opening Day for the Baltimore Orioles and manager Buck Showalter. There are a lot of questions hanging over this roster, and not only limited to the starting pitching. Will the lineup produce? Will the injured but re-tooled Orioles’ bullpen hold as strong as past renditions? All of those questions will be answered…

…come October, that is. I can’t tell you how any of that is going to work. I can’t tell you how the season is going to play out. But I can tell you for what I’d watch as we transition from the off-season into the regular season. And that’s the purpose of any season preview.

As I said, the only question at hand isn’t about starting pitching. But it’s probably the biggest question for this club. Going into camp Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman were the only starters on the roster. That made most experts pick the Orioles to finish last in the division. I said at the time that wasn’t rational, as Tampa has a double-A roster (with Toronto not far behind).

But since camp started, the Birds have re-signed Chris Tillman, and signed the likes of Andrew Cashner and Alex Cobb. The rotation is looking much stronger these days. Cobb we obviously won’t see right away, but soon enough – and I think it’ll be very soon.

The bullpen is a question, mainly because of the absence of Zach Britton. As many close games as teams league-wide play, much of the success or failure of this season may lie with the likes of Darren O’Day and Brad Brach. But don’t sleep on the middle relief either. If a starter can’t go deep into a game, it’s that middle relief that can make or break you.

At the end of the day, this is a power-hitting club first and foremost. Many people point to the likes of Jones, Machado, Trumbo (who’s injured), and Davis, while mentioning that they fell off the map at the end of last year. I think you have to assume that all players are going to revert to the mean. Their career numbers indicate that they’re much better than that.

Keep in mind that last year was taxing on everyone involved with the Orioles – including writers. So those offensive struggles came as a result of fatigue, both physical and mental. But again, I think you have to look to how guys have performed over time, and realize that we aren’t doomed to see last September play out again over an entire season.

Of course everyone wants to know how the Birds will fair this season. They’re certainly in the toughest division in baseball. I’m not going to tell you that they’ll make a run at the post-season. I can’t say that now – nobody can. But as competitive as the division is, they aren’t the worst team in it. Again, the likes of Tampa and possibly Toronto aren’t up to the Orioles’ level.

So will the O’s compete for the division crown? It would be tough for me to say that’s probable. But they won’t be fighting to stay out of the basement, either. As poor as the bottom of the division can look at times, it would be tough for me to say it’s probable that they finish near the bottom. To say so at this point would be doing a disservice to the O’s.

This will be a competitive season from my vantage point. It’ll have it’s toils and snares, but also it’s big moments. Will they be in the post-season? With their rotation having improved leaps and bounds over last year, they have as good a shot as anyone else. But one way or the other, I think they’ll be in contention well into September. Incidentally, the price of admission, you ask? One Buck.

Baltimore Orioles: Parity in MLB must be achieved for the good of the game

As the Baltimore Orioles prepare for Opening Day they aren’t expected to be in the creme de la creme of the league per se. Where do I think they’ll finish up? Tough to say. But I disagree with one national publication who projected them to finish last in the AL East. Teams such as Tampa and Toronto have been gutted – so I just don’t see that happening.

However that aside, MLB should really think twice about the fact that they don’t have a salary cap. The Orioles have spent money on the team this year. Granted much of that spending came late, but the fact is that they’ve given fans a reason to come to the ballpark each day. Do fans in Tampa have that same incentive? Or Miami?

If MLB continues to allow uncapped spending, the rich will continue to get richer. Believe me, in general I’m in favor of earning an honest living. However what I also believe is that the game itself cannot thrive across the country if only fans in certain cities are seeing winning teams. And I’m not talking just now – but in the future as well.

What incentive does a fan in Kansas City have to come to games over the years? Or Pittsburgh, Tampa, San Diego – or even Baltimore? And at the end of the day, is MLB really served by having only fans in NY, Boston, Chicago, and LA being interested in the sport? I would submit not.

So a salary cap, as well as a salary basement (forcing teams to be above a certain pay grade) would ensure some sort of parity in the league. It keeps people interested in smaller markets.

Baltimore Orioles: Camp’s a wrap!

The Baltimore Orioles are formally breaking camp this morning, as they leave Sarasota for Baltimore. Of course they’ll stop in Norfolk, VA to play the Tides, which has turned into a tradition of sorts. And let me tell you, that game is a huge deal in the Hampton Roads area. The O’s played the Washington Nationals down there in the final spring game in 2009, and I drove down for the game (seeing that my kid sister went to school in nearby Newport News). The town had been buzzing all week at the prospect of a big league game being played there.

But at the end of the day, that game won’t be covered too much here or on other outlets. As I’ve said ad hoc, it doesn’t even count towards the Grapefruit League standings. Mind you, the Grapefruit League standings themselves don’t count; so this game doesn’t count towards the unofficial standings that don’t count!

That gives the Orioles two full days back in Baltimore to get settled at home before real league play begins. They’ll have a team workout at Camden Yards on Wednesday, and of course the curtain goes up on the 2018 season on Thursday. And the Minnesota Twins will be the opponent – as if the O’s didn’t see enough of them in the spring.

At this time of year I’m always reminded of how thankful I am when camp is over. Covering some of these games are like watching paint dry. And each year as a writer I go through a bit of a dead period during spring training. Since there’s no ebb or flow to the games whatsoever, they’re very hard to cover. So you save your “best stuff” for the regular season. And that’s now on the horizon.

Once teams get into a routine and a groove, the road gets much easier. But the Orioles will open up at home, have a day off, and then close out that weekend series before heading out on the road to Houston. So that presents a bit of a challenge in a sense – you get home and get settled, but not too much because you’re heading back out of town.

There’s also a lot of pomp and circumstance to Opening Day, as well there should be. Not to mention the day off after Opening Day, which in a sense grinds the season to a halt. But you manage as best you can. And as I said, once the O’s get into a groove all of these concerns will cease to exist.

Baltimore Orioles defeat Philadelphia in Grapefruit League finale

The Baltimore Orioles were victorious over Philadelphia in their Florida Grapefruit League finale this afternoon in Clearwater, FL, in a game that most definitely resembled week four of the NFL preseason. Nestor Cortes Jr. got the start, and is still unsure of his status with regard to the final roster. Cortes’ line: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K.

I wouldn’t even know whether the fact that Cortes only went three innings is good or bad in that sense. I know that the Orioles really like him, and in fact he’s had a good spring. Perhaps the Birds saw all they needed to see. But that in theory could go either way. The lone run given up by Cortes was Hoskins’ solo homer in the second as Philadelphia took a 1-0 lead.

The Birds would tie it in the fifth on Anthony Santander‘s RBI-double. The O’s would later take the lead in that fifth inning as Luis Sardinas grounded into a double-play, which netted a run. However as I said, this is a game that resembled week four of the NFL preseason. Lots of guys working hard for roster spots – on both sides. Philadelphia would take the lead back at 3-2 on Franco’s two-run homer.

But if you’re keeping score at home, the Orioles’ young guys scrapping for a roster spot were better than Philadelphia’s at the end. The Birds would tie it at three on Brugman’s RBI-single in the seventh, and then take the lead on a Reyes walk with the bases loaded. The teams would trade runs a couple of other times, but the net result was a 6-5 Orioles’ victory – in an endless affair that didn’t seem to want to end.

The win ran the Orioles’ overall record in Grapefruit League play to 17-12-2. That puts the O’s in the top half of the standings in Florida this year, again for those who pay attention to such things. Now the real work begins for the coaching staff. Time will tell who makes this roster and who doesn’t.

The Orioles will return to Sarasota this evening and formally break camp tomorrow morning. They’ll fly to Norfolk, VA where they’ll take on the Norfolk Tides tomorrow at Harbor Park at 3 PM, after which they’ll return to Baltimore. The game with the Tides amounts to a glorified intrasquad scrimmage, and it won’t count towards the Grapefruit League standings – for what that’s worth. They’ll work out at Camden Yards on Wednesday, before Thursday’s Opening Day game against the Minnesota Twins.

Baltimore Orioles: Caleb Joseph shines in Birds’ loss

It was an otherwise forgetful final home game in Sarasota for the Baltimore Orioles this evening. When you lose 12-4 it tends to be a game you’d rather forget. However the exception to that is Caleb Joseph, who’s going to be the Orioles’ Opening Day catcher on Thursday (against these same Minnesota Twins). Joseph went two-for-four with two doubles and an RBI.

Chris Tillman had what one might term a so-so start. Tillman’s line: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 3 K. Those numbers don’t look too good, however in reality Tillman struggled in one inning. The rest of the time he was actually fairly effective. Obviously you’d rather not have that one bad inning. However the fact that Tillman battled back and pitched into the sixth is a positive sign.

With Minnesota already leading 1-0, they put a barrage of runs on the board in the second. That’s what can happen when you load the bases. And the lesson in this game is that while one inning a game doesn’t make, it can make things a lot tougher on a team. Following multiple RBI-singles and doubles, the Birds trailed 6-0 by the time the smoke cleared.

However Joseph’s RBI-double in the last of the second got the Orioles on the scoreboard. Manny Machado would add an RBI-single before the inning ended, cutting the lead to 6-2. Danny Valencia added an RBI-single in the fifth, and Machado scored one inning later on a throwing error. For a short period of time, it looked like the Birds were trying to make a game of it as they closed to 6-4.

However Minnesota would smack four more home runs, totaling six additional runs, in the later innings. And again, the lesson there is that insurance runs are “a thing.” The O’s had started to threaten in the middle innings, and Minnesota closed the door. Mind you folks, this game is in no way indicative of what’s to come in the regular season. This game may have been a late spring game with the players ready to head north, but it was still a spring training game.

However the Orioles have to find ways to put teams away this year, similar to how Minnesota did with them tonight. When they get a lead, they need to ensure that not only does their bullpen not surrender it, but that their offense perhaps gets an additional run or two. If they had done that in a few games last year, they would have gone from a team with a losing record to one who contested for a playoff spot.

And here we are folks, at the penultimate game of the spring. It seems like just yesterday the Orioles were preparing for that first game at Ed Smith Stadium against Tampa. The team’s grown a lot since then, and that’s a good thing. But remember that while in fact this is the end – of spring, it’s also just the beginning. The beginning of the really good stuff.

The Orioles will close their Grapefruit League schedule tomorrow afternoon by heading to Clearwater to take on the Philadelphia Phillies. Nestor Cortes gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Philadelphia’s Nick Pivetta. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.