Baltimore Orioles: Birds fall to Bucco’s as questions persist about rotation

Presumed Baltimore Orioles’ Opening Day starter Zach Eflin got the ball tonight in a starting role against Pittsburgh at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. I say presumed because the rotation hasn’t been set yet. But it stands to reason that it could be Eflin – pending the rest of the spring. Eflin’s line: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 0 K.

It’s easy to say that Eflin was ineffective. Maybe he was. But I always caution fans in the spring; guys sometimes go into these games honing one skill. It’s possible that he was focusing on one pitch or one move – and that only. There may well have been no game plan.

Pittsburgh put an early run on the board with a sac fly-RBI by Valdez in the second. However the Orioles’ Luis Valdez tied things back up at one in the bottom of the inning on an RBI-groundout. The third and fourth innings would tack on three more for Pittsburgh, one on a sac fly-RBI, one on an RBI-single by Rodriguez, and the last on a Pass Ball by Gary Sanchez.

But the Orioles battled back – at least as much as a team can or is necessary in Spring Training. Luis Vasquez’s sac fly-RBI in the last of the fourth cut the lead to 4-2. However Ryan O’Hearn’s two-RBI single later in the inning tied the game at five. Cedric Mullins would later score on a Pass Ball, and the Birds held a 5-4 lead.

However Pittsburgh immediately tied it in the fifth on a sac fly-RBI. They would later put four runs on the board in the eighth and ninth, including a solo homer by Peguero. However the more incriminating part was in the ninth when Pittsburgh’s Delay smacked a bases-clearing bloop RBI-single. Terrin Vavra stopped to argue a call on the base paths, and forgot to throw the relay home to get the trail runner.

That’s the sort of thing that’ll stand out to Brandon Hyde and his coaching staff. You can’t argue with the umpires while the ball is in play. If that had been a tie game in the regular season, it would cost the O’s the game.

More concerning that any of that however is the news about starter Grayson Rodriguez. He was pulled after “not feeling like himself” last week in a spring game, and today was reported to be feeling triceps soreness. Combine that with Gunnar Henderson’s injured intercostal muscle, and it appears that the Orioles are picking up where they left off last year regarding injuries.

Jordan Westburg was back in the lineup tonight after back spasms – so that’s good. However keep in mind that one reason perhaps that the Birds weren’t too aggressive with on the free agent market this off season with regard to starting pitching was due to Grayson Rodriguez. You’ll remember that the team shut him down early following his injury earlier in the summer.

Needless to say, this could be a huge problem. Should they have been more aggressive? Hindsight is always 20/20. It’s unfair to judge after the fact. But that aside, they have to hope that Rodriguez is able to go once the regular season starts.

Gunnar Henderson’s injury could require up to six weeks of rest. Notice I stress the COULD. They just have to see how he responds to treatment and rest. There’s also a chance he starts the season as the starting SS. It’s really a wait and see sort of game. Luckily the Orioles and their system are stacked.

The Birds head to Lakeland tomorrow to take on Detroit at Joker Marchant Stadium. Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Keider Montero. Game time is set for just after 6 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Things can happen when runners get on base

Dean Kremer was strong for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon against Philadelphia in Clearwater. Pitching against most of Philadelphia’s starting team, Kremer was dominant in the short amount of time he was in the game. And on that note, keep in mind that managers usually build up starters to going five or six plus innings as the spring goes on. Kremer’s line: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K.

Top prospect and catcher Samuel Basallo led off the third inning and reached on catcher’s interference. That’s seemingly a minor moment, however it’s also a reminder that things can happen when guys find a way to get on base. After a strikeout, a Ramon Laureano single, a Jackson Holliday groundout, and a walk, the bases were loaded.

That brought Colton Cowser to the plate, and his two-RBI single gave the O’s a 2-0 lead. Again, that rally began with a runner reaching on catcher’s interference. Seems fairly inconsequential. But when people get on base anything can happen.

Philadelphia would get solo homers from Bohm and Mercado in the fourth and fifth respectively, tying the game at two. Bohm struck again with a solo home run in the sixth, giving Philadelphia a 3-2 lead. However an inning later it was tied again on an RBI-single by Livan Soto.

That also left a runner at third base in the form of Samuel Basallo, who broke for home when Soto tried to steal second base. And he was safe due to an errant throw. Again, get guys on base and things can happen.

Sadly for the O’s on this day however, that premise also was a part of them losing the game. Philadelphia loaded the bases with two outs in the last of the ninth. And a two-RBI single by Kroon walked the O’s off on this day in Clearwater, as they fell 5-4.

The Birds return home to Sarasota tomorrow as Boston comes into Ed Smith Stadium. Charlie Morton gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Hunter Dobbins. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Cade Povich strong but Birds fall late to Bucco’s

Cade Povich had an outstanding start this afternoon for the Baltimore Orioles against Pittsburgh at Ed Smith Stadium. It’s unclear whether Povich has a spot in the starting rotation as camp turns, but he does if he pitches like this the rest of the way. Povich’s line: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

At first it looked like Povich was going to get some decent run support also. The Birds put two runners on with an out in the first after Povich struck out three to open the game. Ryan Mountcastle grounded into what should have been a force out, however the out was never recorded due to a throwing error. Adley Rutschman scored from second, and the O’s led 1-0.

However after two solo homers in the fourth off Seranthony Dominguez, the Birds trailed 2-1. To be clear, solo home runs won’t beat you – generally. And the first of the two was severely wind-aided. In a regular big league ballpark in a regular season game, that’s a long fly ball out.

Luis Vasquez’s RBI-double in the bottom of the inning would tie the game back up at two. However neither side could muster much going forward in this spring game – until the ninth. Pittsburgh got a solo homer from Stewart, and a two-run shot from Gorski in the top of the ninth. And the O’s finished the game 5-2 losers in Sarasota.

For what it’s worth, Gregory Soto looked strong as well in the fifth inning. However the main takeaway from today’s game should be Cade Povich. It was only three innings. But if you’re going to get toned up in these games, you may as well look good doing it.

The O’s head to Clearwater tomorrow to take on Philadelphia at BayCare Ballpark. Dean Kremer gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sanchez. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles seal the deal with eight-run ninth

Zach Eflin pitched two innings for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon against Minnesota. Not terrible results for Eflin, who’s of course in his first spring training in the orange and black. Eflin’s line: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 K.

Minnesota led 5-0 before the Birds even got on the board. Lee’s RBI-single in the second (off of Eflin) got them going. A two-run homer by Larnach, and RBI-singles by Jeffers and Miranda in the last of the third put the O’s in the hole. However the O’s made a run of it.

Heston Kjerstad’s RBI-single in the fourth got the Orioles on the scoreboard. But Larnach continued his hot game with an RBI-single in the bottom of the inning, extending the lead to 6-1. However, even if at a weakened state due to the regulars staying back in Sarasota, these are still the Orioles…

…and the Orioles smack home runs. Jackson Holliday would smack a two-run shot in the fifth, cutting the lead to 6-3. However Minnesota would tack on, and after a Vimael Machin RBI-single in the seventh, closed the Orioles out with a 10-6 loss…almost. Had you stopped following, that’s how you would have thought it ended.

Machin would add another RBI-single in the ninth, followed by an RBI-double by Maverick Handley. Before you knew it, the O’s had the tying run in scoring position. And Jud Fabian didn’t disappoint – his two-RBI double tied the game at ten.

Later in that ninth inning with a man on, Dylan Beavers’ two-run homer would give the Birds their first lead of the day at 12-10. Jeremiah Jackson would follow with a solo shot, running the final to 13-10. Granted it’s meaningless and the record is still 0-0 on the season. Not to mention that the reserves were in the game by its end. But that’s a heck of a comeback.

The big news of course came yesterday when it was announced that Gunnar Henderson had injured his lower right side yesterday, and it was revealed that Jordan Westburg was dealing with an injury as well. Both are being held out.

The good news is nobody’s getting an MRI – as of now. And I highly doubt this will be anything more than a few more games missed. But after the injuries this team sustained last season, it’s concerning.

And I would submit that the lineup never recovered after the Jordan Westburg injury. Oriole bats could never quite recover. So injuries (especially to Westburg) at this stage are concerning. But end of the day, nobody’s going to take pity on you. They’ll only be happy you have the problems you do.

The Orioles return home to Sarasota tomorrow to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates at Ed Smith Stadium. Cade Povich gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Cade Povich strong in Birds’ first win

The Baltimore Orioles won their first game in the spring this afternoon against Philadelphia. Cade Povich gave the Birds a strong outing out of the gate, allowing only one base runner, by way of a fielding error. Povich’s line: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.

Povich was “crisp” all afternoon – throughout his two innings that is. And the Orioles gave him a lead before he even took the mound. Following a hit batsman, a walk, and a wild pitch, Coby Mayo’s two-run single gave them a 2-0 lead. Vimael Manchin would extend it to 3-0 with a second inning solo home run. And the O’s were off to the races.

Philadelphia would get in the board in the last of the third on Arroyo’s solo home run. However Machin would strike again in the fourth. His RBI-single out the O’s in the lead at 4-1. Emmanuel Rivera would extend it to 5-1 in the fifth with an RBI-single of his own. Jordyn Adams’ fielder’s choice-RBI in the seventh would tack on another.

Philadelphia tried to rally in the bottom of the inning however, as Ricones’ two-run homer cut the Orioles’ lead in half at 6-3. However the pen would keep things right there, until Adams could come back up in the ninth and add an RBI-single. The Birds went home today, 7-3 winners.

Again, wins and losses don’t matter for now. What sort of opportunity Cade Povich has to start the season in the majors with the Orioles is unclear. But he atoned for himself very well in his short outing today, which is the real story of today’s game for the Orioles. Granted they were missing Bryce Harper today, but Cade Povich was dominant over two innings against a stacked lineup.

The O’s return home to Sarasota tomorrow as Atlanta comes into Ed Smith Stadium. Dean Kremer gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Atlanta’s Reynaldo Lopez. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles drop spring opener

The Baltimore Orioles had slated Albert Suarez to pitch two innings in this afternoon’s spring opener against Pittsburgh at Ed Smith Stadium. He didn’t quite make it to that threshold, and it’s easy to look at the results and say that it was a poor outing. Needless to say, it wasn’t perfect. Suarez’s line: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 0 K.

In both the first and second innings, Suarez quickly recorded the first two outs. But he struggled with two out, which was a biggish storyline for all Oriole pitchers last season. Heck, it’s been a storyline for years. However in the first spring game, you hang on the positives – he had no issue getting to two outs, and his velocity was strong.

Suárez issued a double, a walk, and uncorked a wild pitch in the first. Stewart’s two-run double then gave Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead. The O’s would put a couple on in the last of the second, and Ryan Mountcastle would score on a wild pitch. Just another reminder that when you get guys on base, good things can happen.

Ramon Laureano’s run-scoring single would tie the game at two. However Stewart’s return to Ed Smith Stadium wasn’t about to be spoiled – he was a top Oriole draft pick, after all. He smacked a wind-aided homer in the third, putting Pittsburgh back in the lead at 3-2.

Again though, get guys on base and good things can ensue. Dylan Carlson would add a sac fly-RBI in the fourth to the game at three. But Pittsburgh wasn’t about to mess around in this spring opener. Gorski’s two-run homer would give them a 5-3 lead in the sixth. Solak’s RBI-single in the eighth would extend it to 6-5.

However a familiar name from last year would tick the Birds to within one in the eighth. Emmanuel Rivera’s two-run homer cut the Pittsburgh lead to 6-5. Granted, you can’t use the term “clutch” because it’s spring training. But in the grand scheme of a game when you’re down three late, that was a clutch homer.

However Pittsburgh would load the bases in the ninth, bringing Gorski back to the plate. And he haunted the O’s again, launching a grand slam into the left field grandstand, sending the O’s down to defeat, 10-5.

Interestingly, the O’s were almost in a different spot in the inning. They had what would have been a fielder’s choice, but Emmanuel Rivera couldn’t find the bag on a throw. That loaded the bases, resulting in the grand slam. Attention to detail.

I would say it was a “disjointed” performance for the Orioles today. That’s also a good way to describe Suarez’s outing, and we know it begins and ends with starting pitching. One thing I did find curious is how sparingly Brandon Hyde used his regulars. Adley Rutschman didn’t even play today, and the Gunnar Henderson’s and Jordan Westburg’s of the world only had two at-bat’s.

Granted part of the reason why is that it’s an exhibition game. But I suppose I was expecting guys to last longer than two at-bats. However manager Brandon Hyde has a plan. That goes without saying.

The O’s head to Clearwater tomorrow to take on Philadelphia at BayCare Ballpark. Cade Povich gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Philadelphia’s Tyler Phillips. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles open Grapefruit League play

With the hopes and dreams of Birdland riding on their bats, the Baltimore Orioles open Florida Grapefruit League play this afternoon in Sarasota. Their first opponent? Pittsburgh. A team they’ll see this spring more than any other. This of course due to the proximity of the camps.

We’re going to do this almost 30 times before the games actually matter. Remember that – THESE GAMES DO NOT COUNT! That being said, anytime a player dons a uniform, make no mistake he’s playing to win.

We aren’t going to find out if the clutch gene resides in the 2025 Orioles today. Or tomorrow. Or even this month. Remember that if the game’s even close in the later innings, the guys deciding the outcome probably won’t be on the roster come Opening Day.

BUT…despite how things finished, the Birds were a playoff team in 2024. And they have similar aspirations in 2025. We begin the journey towards that potential eventuality this afternoon.

The Birds take on the aforementioned Pittsburgh Pirates today at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. Albert Suarez gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Carmen Mlodzin. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles to start Albert Suarez in Grapefruit League opener

If you had Baltimore Orioles’ manager Brandon Hyde starting Albert Suarez on Saturday against Pittsburgh, you won! Hyde announced earlier today that Suarez would get the starting assignment on Saturday afternoon in the Grapefruit League opener. The Pittsburgh Pirates will be coming to Ed Smith Stadium.

Admittedly I didn’t see Suarez getting the starting nod. But keep in mind that this means nothing. Often times who starts and/or who comes in and when is just a matter of guys getting their work in. Brandon Hyde spoke to the news and gave his reasons for the decision (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

Just lining things up, honestly. Albert’s ready to go and we’re just kind of going in order a little bit. Like I said, don’t read anything into it. Big Al is ready and you work back from the first day of the season and do the best you can, and things change all the way through that. You shuffle some things around. But we’re stretching Al as a starter and we’ll see how it goes.

I would also take this opportunity to caution fans as I do every year in that there can be no rhyme or reason as to who pitches, when, and how in spring training. Many times the pitches are scripted. So don’t put too much stock in anything. All we can say for sure is that Albert Suarez will be starting on Saturday afternoon against Pittsburgh.

Baltimore Orioles: The people’s pitch

Today is President’s Day, which means I get to pen one of my favorite “annual columns” for the Baltimore Orioles. Just a reminder, the Birds open Grapefruit League play this coming Saturday against Pittsburgh at 1 PM in Sarasota. The game will be shown on MASN.

Baseball has a relationship with the wheels of government unlike any other sport. This is a tip of the cap to its status as “America’s pastime,” due in part to how old the game itself is. But also due to how beloved it is. President Lincoln allegedly made reference to the game of “base” as far back as the 1860’s. However in 1910 President William Howard Taft began what’s become one of the game’s grand traditions when he threw out the first pitch at a game between the Washington Senators and Philadelphia Athletics.

President Taft was a baseball fan. He enjoyed the game, and sportswriters of the day apparently were immediately drawn to him in the wake of this event due to his knowledge of the game. What nobody knew is that he began a tradition with what at the time seemed like an innocent gesture, bordering on a photo op.

Through the early part of the 20th century, almost every President did the honors. Some better than others. Some more willingly than others. President Calvin Coolidge didn’t particularly care for baseball. But his wife, Grace, loved it. Silent Cal went and did the deed. Odds are to keep peace in his home.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt once hit a Washington Post camera with his first pitch one Opening Day. It’s important to note that most of these first pitches took place at Griffith Stadium, home of the Washington Senators. President Wilson however became the first President to do it outside of DC when he did it at the 1915 World Series in Philadelphia.

Several Vice-Presidents also subbed for their boss, starting with Richard Nixon in 1959. Nixon was perhaps the biggest baseball fan (and overall sports fan) who’s ever occupied the White House. President Kennedy did the honors in 1961, his first year as President. He would also open up the new “DC Stadium” on Opening Day with a first pitch, a stadium which still stands (technically…), but is more famously known as RFK Stadium – bearing the name of his slain brother.

Baseball was absent from DC from 1972-2005, and in that span the “Presidential Opener” was at times moved to Baltimore. Memorial Stadium saw the likes of Presidents Carter, Reagan, and Bush do the honors. For the record, it was President Reagan who became the first to throw out the first ball from the mound – previously it was done with the President sitting in the front row.

President Bill Clinton was the last POTUS to do it at Camden Yards. But the park was opened in 1992 with the aforementioned President George Herbert Walker Bush throwing out the first pitch on Opening Day. Bush later appeared on the HTS telecast. I remember Chuck Thompson commenting that the ball was in the dirt. The former Yale first baseman didn’t skip a beat; he said the catcher called for a slider low-and-away, and he felt he executed the pitch perfectly. Well said, Mr. President!

Following the return of baseball to our Nation’s Capital in the form of the Washington Nationals, Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama have done the honors at RFK Stadium and Nationals Park. President Obama is the last sitting President to throw a Presidential opening pitch. (Joe Biden did it at Oriole Park as Vice-President as well.) I can’t speak as to why the tradition has fallen away…

…but I think it should continue. I’m a history buff; I can name the Presidents in order from Washington to Trump, and I can probably tell you an anecdote or two about most of them as well – some more than others of course (some of those early guys were fascinating characters, while the Millard Fillmore’s of the world were fairly drab). Of all the annual recurring columns I write, this one is my favorite. It allows me to combine my love of history and the Presidency with baseball as a whole. And I always end it the same way, in pointing squarely at the current President:

I think the President of the United States should throw out the first ball on Opening Day in Washington DC every year.

Baltimore Orioles: And so it begins…

The curtain on the 2025 Baltimore Orioles inches ever-so-slightly towards raising up today. On this, the twelfth of February in the year of our Lord, 2025, we get to utter perhaps one of the most beautiful phrases in America: pitchers and catchers report today.

It’s just a milestone. The first in quite a few. Make no mistake, the offseason isn’t over yet. And it won’t be over next Saturday afternoon when the Birds begin Grapefruit League play against Pittsburgh at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. But the long march begins towards Opening Day, right now.

Where does this season end for the Orange & Black? That we don’t know. But it all starts on this day in February. So let us begin…