Baltimore Orioles: To the victor goes the breaks

Kevin Gausman did all that he could to get the Baltimore Orioles a win last night. The only thing further he could have done was pick up a bat and try to plate runners himself. Gausman retired the first 14 Boston hitters in the game, flirting with perfection. Gausman’s line: 8.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K.

Unfortunately for Gausman the Birds just couldn’t muster any runs offensively. While many folks want to point to the offense being in a funk, keep in mind that on Monday they put up eight runs. This game was just a classic pitcher’s duel in a sense. And to be honest, that’s a good thing to see every now and again in MLB.

The O’s had what they thought was a run in the last of the third. With Machado on second Schoop singled to left field. Machado was waved home, and was thrown out at the plate. Speaking for myself, I wouldn’t have sent the runner. One could already see that runs were going to be at a premium, and the last thing you want to do is take a risk. But it took a perfect play to nail Machado at home plate, and sure enough Boston executed that.

One inning later Davis led off with what looked to be a solo homer which would have given the Orioles a 1-0 lead. However Boston centerfielder Bradley lept at the wall and brought the ball back into the ballpark. Even with all of the pitching falling into place, Boston was determined that it just wasn’t going to be the Orioles’ night.

As the game went to extra innings, Boston got an infield hit and two walks to load the bases in the 11th. However Oriole reliever Brad Brach uncorked a wild pitch, allowing the lone run of the night to score. And the Orioles fell 1-0.

Regarding those two walks, many of the pitches in that sequence were very borderline and thus very close. All of them went Boston’s way. That’s not a crutch by which the Orioles can stand on. However Boston didn’t really earn this win – the Orioles gave it to them with the wild pitch. And when you do that, the breaks often don’t go your way. But also keep in mind that when you get people on base, anything’s liable to happen. All it takes is one mistake – and it was the Orioles who made that one mistake last night.

The Birds will try to salvage one game in this series tonight at Camden Yards. Wade Miley gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Chris Sale. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles fall to Boston in extra innings

At first it appeared that the Baltimore Orioles might cruise to victory over Boston last night. Dylan Bundy was seemingly pitching well, and the Birds were scoring runs. However the second and third time through the order, Boston apparently started figuring Bundy out. Bundy’s line: 4.1 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 2 K.

Boston starter Fister never really got going, allowing the O’s to build a lead. He set the tone for his outing when he walked Tim Beckham to lead off the game. Beckham would later score on a fielder’s choice, giving the Birds a 1-0 lead. One inning later they loaded the bases, and Austin Hays dazzled the home fans with his first two-RBI double in the major leagues. Machado would add a sac fly-RBI, as would Castillo one inning later, and the O’s led 5-0.

Boston however began to slowly chip away in the fourth. Betts smacked an RBI-single, cutting the lead to 5-1. Adam Jones however would give the Birds their five-run lead back with an RBI-single in the last of the fourth. The key moment of the game however was back in the third when the O’s loaded the bases again. All they were able to muster was one run on Castillo’s sac fly-RBI. When you load the bases you need to get more than one run. The Orioles didn’t in that instance.

However Boston did when they loaded the bases in the fifth. When the smoke cleared in that fifth inning, Boston led the Orioles 7-6. As I said, they started to figure Bundy out. They also got a lot more patient, and all but forced Bundy to throw the ball over the plate. And when I say over the plate, I mean directly over the plate. No late movement, no strategically placed curve balls, only fastballs or change ups that came squarely over home plate. And it cost the Orioles dearly.

But the Orioles only trailed for a short period. Pedro Alvarez smacked a solo homer in the last of the fifth, tying the game back up at seven. Tim Beckham later added an RBI-double, and the O’s had the lead back at 8-7. And that lead held up for two innings. Bogaerts’ solo homer in the seventh tied the game back up at eight. And to extra innings we went.

Unfortunately for the Orioles however, they couldn’t record outs in the 11th inning. They issued two walks (one of which was intentional) and loaded the bases. Benintendi’s two-RBI single gave Boston a 10-8 lead, which turned into a 10-8 victory.

None of that happens if not for that fifth inning. While the Orioles built their lead over a few innings, Boston got it all back and then some seemingly in one fatal swoop. They always say to stay out of the big inning, and that was something that the Orioles were unable to do.

The series continues this evening at Camden Yards. Kevin Gausman gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Drew Pomeranz. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Ubaldo Jimenez at his best in September

Odds are that yesterday’s win was too little too late for the Baltimore Orioles to end up in the post season. However as much as Ubaldo Jimenez has been maligned over his four years with the O’s, he was always at his best in September. Yesterday was no exception. Jimenez’s line: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 10 K.

Jimenez of course started (and got the win) in the 2014 AL East-clinching game. He was also the Orioles’ best pitcher for the last five weeks of the season last year, which in essence put the Orioles in the playoffs. So yes while there were times when he looked lost out on the mound (which unfortunately is what most fans are going to remember about him), he generally rose to the occasion late in the season when the pressure was on.

Austin Hays continued his baptism into the major leagues with an RBI-single in the second inning, giving the Birds a 1-0 lead. However it wasn’t long before NY tied it – in the bottom of that second inning on a solo homer by Gregorius. But going back to Hays for a moment, it’ll be interesting to see how things play out with him next year. He seems to be following the path the Orioles took last year with Mancini in that he was a September call-up, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he gets a long look in spring training next year. Does he make the team? Time will tell, but the early returns are positive.

The O’s got the lead back in the fourth inning on Tim Beckham‘s three-run homer. And speaking of the future, the Orioles may have very quietly found their new shortstop in Beckham. It’s a shame that it comes at the expense of a guy like Hardy, however he’d be the first one to tell you that his body is starting to wear down. Needless to say, it’ll be an interesting off season for him (Hardy).

The Orioles would tack on one more, but New York would also threaten before the game was over. Holliday’s RBI-double in the sixth cut the lead to 6-3, and the semblance of a New York-comeback was in the air. But for the most part the Birds shut them down. Castro would add a sac fly-RBI, however New York never got closer than 6-4. And the O’s went home salvaging one game of four in this series.

It goes without saying that Ubaldo Jimenez is probably in the waning days of his tenure with the Orioles. However if that’s true at the very least he’s finishing strong. I always remind people that when the Orioles signed him, all of the experts both locally and nationally thought it was a great move and a great deal with the O’s. Certainly it didn’t work out the way anyone thought it would. But needless to say, when the Orioles needed a clutch win late in the year, Jimenez generally came through.

The Birds will open the final home stand of the season tonight at Camden Yards when Boston comes to town. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Doug Fister. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Can teams get stale?

The lone bright spot for the Baltimore Orioles yesterday in the Bronx was the fact that Austin Hays launched his first big league homer. There isn’t much else to say. Jeremy Hellickson was ineffective at best, setting the tone for another blowout New York win. Hellickson’s line: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 4 BB, 3 K.

Hellickson in essence made it through the order once unscathed, but after that he wasn’t fooling anyone. With two outs in the third, he walked two batters, bringing Gregorius to the plate. And he launched a three-run homer. New York never looked back for the most part.

The good news for the Orioles (if there is any) is that they made the New York bullpen work in the ninth inning. Often times that bodes well moving into the next day’s game, especially when it’s an early afternoon game like today. However in September that isn’t as much of a truth, as teams’ rosters have expanded to 40 men.

Hays’ homer came following a Hardy walk, and it cut the New York lead to 9-2. Beckham would later score on a balk with the bases loaded, running the final to 9-3. This was the Birds’ third straight loss in the Bronx.

At the beginning of the season I was telling people that the Orioles were a veteran team, and that they would get it together. This as opposed to New York, who was a young team. My point was that a team who’s been there before in terms of a pennant chase is generally going to not be blinded by the bright lights in a sense. I still believe that, for the record – in general.

Obviously what we’ve seen is the exact opposite happening. The Orioles seemed to wear down as time went on, and teams such as New York got stronger. My personal opinion is that I’d take a veteran team over a group of young guys any day. I like players who are battle-tested and who have been there before. But is that not fashionable any longer?

I’m not suggesting that the Orioles aren’t trying to win games, and I’m not suggesting that they were the ones blinded by the bright lights of a pennant race. But sometimes teams wear down. And the fact that Trey Mancini‘s had such a good season AND the fact that younger players such as Austin Hays performed well in last night’s game (at the end) is probably evidence of that. Mancini’s the one Orioles regular who doesn’t seem to have worn down.

Meanwhile, you have a group of young upstarts in places such as New York who have been together all year. And they’re galvanized at this point in the season. It happens.

The O’s will try to salvage one game in this series this afternoon at Yankee Stadium. Ubaldo Jimenez gets the start, and he’ll be opposed by Sonny Gray. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles fall again in the Bronx

It seems like whatever the Baltimore Orioles throw out there, is answered by most opponents. Last night they attempted to send Gabriel Ynoa out against New York, and while he did have some limited success early on, eventually the Bombers got to him. Ynoa’s line: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R (2 earned), 2 BB, 5 K.

New York did put a run up in the first inning on a Gregorius sac fly-RBI. However the O’s did battle back and take the lead. Welington Castillo smacked a two-run homer in the second. And suddenly the Orioles had the lead – for a time. And a short time at that.

However the O’s surrendered the lead in the bottom of that second inning due to a Davis error. That allowed a run to score, tying the game at two. And we remained tied at two for awhile, until the fifth inning. And again, it was Gregorius. His two-run homer gave New York a 4-2 lead.

New York also go an RBI-single from Sanchez in the seventh, and a sac fly-RBI from Gregorius later in the inning. And the Orioles would surrender three more runs before everything was said and done. And when it was, the O’s fell 8-2.

It’s important for people to understand that the Orioles have not given up. Some would dispute that, and of course conveniently  point at results. However first off, none of us is in any position to judge intent. If the team was just going through the motions, yes that might be akin to giving up. Similar to collecting a paycheck.

However keep in mind that the Orioles are a veteran team. And with that comes injury concerns as well. Adam Jones was out of the lineup last night due to having had a harsh series on the turf in Toronto. Castillo had been injured all week as well, returning to the lineup in this series.

So there is a point where guys need to get themselves together. There’s not a person on the bench who isn’t hurt in some manner. And yes, that’s affected how the team has played of late.

The series continues this afternoon at Yankee Stadium. Jeremy Hellickson gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by NY’s Jordan Montgomery. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.

Baltimore Orioles, Wade Miley never stood a chance

When Wade Miley records only one out in the first inning before being pulled, you know that the Baltimore Orioles stood nary a chance in the game. Miley’s line: .1 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 0 BB, 0 K. Miley was seemingly beaten before he even set foot on the mound. As were the Orioles overall.

New York put up six runs in the first inning, including a three-run homer by Frazier. That’s ultimately what knocked Miley out of the game – after surrendering six runs and recording one out. The O’s did make a veiled attempt to get back into the game. Jonathan Schoop smacked a solo homer in the fourth, and the Birds put two runners on base. However they let NY off the hook, and the inning ended.

And New York made them pay for that. Judge smacked a three-run homer in the bottom of that fourth inning which ran the score to 9-1. That type of thing has been an issue all year, as I’ve documented. Opposing teams are in fact holding the O’s accountable at every turn of the way for their mistakes. The Birds had an opportunity to get back into the game, and they couldn’t do it. Instead, New York put an additional three runs up in the bottom of that very inning.

And again, the O’s don’t exactly hold their opponents accountable. They’re letting them off the hook. Wednesday night in Toronto they had the bases loaded and nobody out. They allowed Toronto to work out of that jam. Now ironically that’s a situation in which the O’s weren’t “held accountable” in a sense because they managed to win 2-1. But the point is that the game is based on failure – if you fail to record outs guys will get on base. The O’s are failing to take advantage of other teams’ failures. But other teams aren’t being so charitable, nor should they be.

Trey Mancini smacked a solo homer in the sixth, however New York put up an additional four runs in the bottom of the inning. It seemed that all the Orioles had to do was put up one run and New York would explode. However the O’s would get RBI-doubles from Rickard and Joseph in the eighth, and Chance Sisco‘s first big league homer in the ninth. This ran the final to 13-5.

Even with such a bad loss at such a key time, Buck Showalter recognized what a moment this was for Cisco, and he addressed it after the game (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

Facing a guy who throws about 30 percent fastballs, we knew it and didn’t make much of an adjustment. He did against a good pitcher and he’ll remember that and followed up with a home run. I like how calm and quiet he’s catching. Regardless of how the game was, you do take it as a special moment for him. I got the lineup card for him and I want him to feel good about that part of it. It was good to see. I was glad to get him out there.

The series continues tonight at Yankee Stadium. Gabriel Ynoa gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Luis Severino. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

 

Baltimore Orioles: Kevin Gausman’s gem snaps losing streak

Kevin Gausman started what the Baltimore Orioles hope is a long winning streak with his gem last night in Toronto. Gausman’s line: 7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K. Gausman mesmerized Toronto hitters all night long. And for the most part, none of them ever really stood a chance.

This was the Kevin Gausman that the Orioles wanted to see for the entire season. 2017 has really been a tale of two years for Gausman in a way, as he struggled in the first half of the year. But he’s really stepped it up in the second half, and the Birds have really benefited from his quality starts. And it really makes you wonder if the O’s would be fighting for their playoff lives as much as they are right now if Gausman had been this strong all season.

However Oriole bats remained quiet. And that’s fine when you have a pitcher who was as dominant as Gausman was last night. But in general, it’s a concern moving forward. The O’s scored two runs in the entire game – in the first inning. Generally two early runs don’t stand up for an entire game like that, but in this case they did. The two runs were also unearned. But the fact is that they did score those two runs, and Toronto only netted one.

Beckham reached base to lead off the game off of an E5. Jones later smacked an RBI-double, followed by an RBI-triple by Mancini. And there are your two runs – both unearned. Toronto would cut the lead in half in the third on Urena’s RBI-double.

The O’s had other chances in this game, such as the fourth inning when they loaded the bases with nobody out. Yet they let Toronto off the hook. And I thought for sure that would come back to haunt them, even in the last of that fourth inning when Toronto had some traffic on the base paths. But Toronto returned the favor, letting the O’s off the hook.

But the story of the night was Gausman’s effort, and he gave credit to good scouting after the game in helping him along to win this game in the manner that he did (quote courtesy of Steve Melewski, MASNsports):

Me and Caleb, we had a really good scouting report on these guys and I’ve had some good games against them this year, so it was more about me pitching toward my strengths and not necessarily their weaknesses. And that’s something I’ve really been focusing on doing more in the second half. Stroman was pitching today, so I know runs would be at a premium. Once we scored those two runs, I told myself, ‘Hey those are your runs, that’s all you’re going to get today,’ and you know, unfortunately, that’s the way it was. But luckily I was able to pound the strike zone and keep mixing my pitches and keep them off-balance.

The O’s now head to the Bronx for a four-game set with New York. Wade Miley gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by NY’s Masahiro Tanaka. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles waste Dylan Bundy’s quality start

The Baltimore Orioles wasted a quality start by starter Dylan Bundy last night in Toronto. However either way, neither Bundy nor the seemingly ever-silent Oriole bats seemed to figure into the final result. Nevertheless, Bundy continued in his progression as what the Orioles hope is their next great starting pitcher. Bundy’s line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 8 K.

Bundy’s lone run surrendered ca me in the third inning on a Smoak RBI-double. He walked a couple of tightropes in the game, but emerged unscathed for the most part. And as I always say, pitchers are going to find ways to get themselves in trouble – it’s almost the nature of the position itself. The good ones will find way to get themselves out of trouble. Bundy did that last night.

Mark Trumbo tied the game at one in the seventh inning with an RBI-single to center. One inning later, the O’s had the lead thanks to Tim Beckham‘s solo homer. If you believe in the ebb and flow of the game, it appeared that the Orioles had this game in the bag. They had battled back in the game, and had fought to take the lead. But if there’s one thing Toronto loves to do, it’s spoil the Orioles’ plans.

The Orioles brought the best closer in baseball, Zach Britton, in to complete the eighth inning, and back again for the ninth. This of course on the same field that they left him in the bullpen during last year’s AL Wild Card game. Britton allowed a walk and a base hit to start the ninth, before recording a force out.

However Toronto’s Maile, a September call up, decided to take matters into his own hands and smacked an RBI-single to tie the game at nine. Suddenly it was the Orioles who were on the ropes, and sure enough a subsequent RBI-single by Urena won it for Toronto. Two RBI-singles by two young players sunk the best closer in baseball.

And that can happen sometimes. September call ups are usually young and hungry. There’s also not much of a scouting report on them, so that makes it challenging to pitch to them.

The O’s will try to salvage one game in this three-game set in Toronto in the series finale tonight at Rogers Centre. Kevin Gausman gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Marcus Stroman. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Season on the brink

The Baltimore Orioles need to get it together quickly if they aren’t going to quietly slip out of contention for what’s left of the season. Last night Ubaldo Jimenez probably pitched well enough to put the O’s in a spot to win. However Jimenez was eventually let down by the defense behind him, of all things. Jimenez’s line: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 5 K.

Toronto took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on an RBI-groundout by Goins. However while that went as an earned run, in reality it shouldn’t have been. Previous to that Hernandez had smacked a double, however he advanced to third on a Mark Trumbo error. All things being the same, that’s a run that probably wouldn’t have scored.

Urena’s RBI-double scored Barney later in the inning to give Toronto a 2-0 lead. Now while that run would have scored anyways, Barney had gotten aboard with a double but took third on an Adam Jones error. So again in fairness to Jimenez, those are two runs that came about as a direct result of errors.

Jones atoned for his mistake in the fourth inning with an RBI-double which cut the lead to 2-1. However opposing teams know that the Orioles have to be pushing at this point trying to stay in the race. And they’re using that edge against them. Goins certainly did when he smacked a solo homer against Jimenez in the last of the fourth, giving Toronto a 3-1 lead. But then again one inning later, Trumbo countered back with a solo homer of his own.

But when things aren’t going your way (as they aren’t for the O’s right now), the breaks go to the other side – always. Hernandez managed to get aboard with an infield single in the last of the sixth following a HBP. With Machado guarding the line, Hernandez provided a swinging bunt. It was smart of Machado to guard the line. However had he done the wrong thing and played in, that would have been at least one out. Barney later hit an infield single of his own, which scored a run and ran the score to 4-2.

The O’s managed to get one more back on Mancini’s RBI-single in the seventh, but that was all she wrote. As I said, the Birds need to get themselves back on track, and quick. The will to do it is definitely there, and neither that nor the effort should never be questioned. However I think there are some very tired bats in the lineup right now; bats that have noble intentions to do good mind you, but bats that are just tired.

The series continues tonight at Rogers Center. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Joe Biagini. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles swept away in prime time

Jeremy Hellickson turned in a quality start last night for the Baltimore Orioles. Hellickson’s line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 1 K. Hellickson pitched to contact for most of the night, as evidenced by the zero walks. Needless to say, he put the Orioles in a position to win the game.

But once again Oriole bats couldn’t muster much in the way of offense in Cleveland. The good news in this game was that the O’s actually held Cleveland at bay for most of the game as well. The difference of course was that Cleveland was able to net just a little more than the Orioles. And that’s been the story of the Orioles’ season to this point – it seems that no matter what they do, someone else is doing just a little bit more.

Cleveland took a 1-0 lead on an RBI-ground out by Ramirez in the second inning. And after that it seemed that both teams settled in for a pitcher’s duel on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball. However again, Cleveland already had the lead. That meant that the O’s would have to score at least two to bea them.

And two runs the Orioles would get. The issue was that Cleveland put three on the board. As I said, someone else always seems to do just a bit more. The O’s did however tie the game in the sixth. Schoop’s RBI-single plated Machado, and the Orioles had a fighting chance. But back-to-back homers in the bottom of that inning from Perez and Lindor gave Cleveland a 3-1 lead. The O’s would get a solo home run of their own from Davis in the seventh, but it wasn’t enough.

Of course this was Cleveland’s 18th win in a row, which is fairly impressive. In that sense the Orioles shouldn’t worry too much about being swept over the weekend, as they’ve swept several teams during this run. But as I’ve said before, the Birds have a knack for catching teams while they’re hot. And the fact that it comes in the middle of a playoff chase doesn’t help matters. Hellickson spoke to both of these points after the game (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

We’re still not out of it, but it’s not a good time to come in here and play these guys, that’s for sure. We’re probably going to have to run off a few in a row and get back in it.

The O’s now head to Toronto for the opener of a three-game series. Ubaldo Jimenez gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Marco Estrada. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.