Baltimore Orioles: First back-to-back postseason appearances since 1996-97

We’ve established that the Baltimore Orioles are in the postseason. 2023-24 marks the first time since 1996-97 that the franchise has accomplished that feat. I was in high school, for the record. And I freely admit that I shadily snuck a radio into Chemistry class to listen to the games.

I suspect most fans expected this year to be the rosy victory lap last year was. But reality has a way of setting things the way it wants them. It shouldn’t be lost on folks that last year both World Series teams were Wild Cards. What does that mean in 2024? Nothing. But it’s of note.

Maybe not getting the layoff after winning the division (if in fact that’s what it ends up being) keeps their momentum going. Maybe getting their team “whole” again in the nick of time gives them a second wind. That all remains to be seen.

The push to get in the playoffs is over. However they can’t rest easy just yet. The magic number to clinch the top wild card is two. That means any combination of two Oriole wins or Detroit losses would mean the Birds clinch that top wild card. Obviously there’s still a super-outside chance they could win the division, but we’ll cross that bridge if we get to it.

End of the day, you don’t want to have to go on the road for that wild card series. Assuming the opponent is Detroit, yes the O’s struggled against them the past two weeks. But obviously in a weakened state, as they didn’t have all of their players. However either way, you’d rather play anyone at home as opposed to at their place.

So the next goal has to be to clinch home field advantage in the wild card. That begins today. In the Bronx. It may not have been exactly as we thought it would be, but the Orioles have returned to the postseason yet again. So now we go on.

Baltimore Orioles launch into the postseason

In what feels like light years ago, Dean Kremer gave the Baltimore Orioles another outstanding start. Odds are he would have gone deeper into the game had it been under different circumstances, but fact is this already was a postseason game for the Birds – in a sense. And Kremer rose to the occasion. Kremer’s line: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 K.

It’s never easy. It hasn’t been all season. Especially of late. This much we know. But the O’s battled in this one, and on any given day of the season, this would be a great win.

Following a one out single and double, Heston Kjerstad’s RBI-groundout in the second inning gave the Birds a 1-0 lead. Ryan O’Hearn extended the lead to 2-0 in the fourth with an RBI-single. For the record, that came following Anthony Santander having gone to second base on a wild pitch. Attention to detail.

However New York would narrow the lead back to one later in that fourth inning on Judge’s solo homer. However Kremer limited the damage, and made a subsequent great play in the field, and got the Birds out of the inning without further incident. Buckling down in that moment made as big a difference as anything.

But that was never going to be enough. Anthony Santander’s solo homer off the right field foul pole in the sixth and Ramon Urias’ solo shot in the seventh extended the lead to 4-1. But even that wasn’t enough – almost.

NY had runners at the corners with two outs in the last of the seventh. Torres’ RBI-double narrowed the lead to 4-2. That brought Soto to the plate, one of the two biggest heavy hitters – in a lineup full of heavy hitters. And he sent an RBI-single for to right, which should have tied the score. However Torres was held up at third base…

…and chaos seemingly ensued. The O’s caught Torres in a rundown. A 9-2-6-2-5-2-6 rundown resulting in an out, to be exact. Attention to detail.

That should have tied the game. It didn’t. And the Orioles capitalized, with Colton Cowser’s solo homer in the eighth. That gave the O’s a slight cushion, and the bullpen found a way to close things out. That narrowed the magic number to one, and by virtue of Miami beating Minnesota, the Orioles clinched a postseason spot.

So the Birds return to the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1996-97. It’s only one step. But it’s a big one, and it came at a price. Whereas last season was a rosy victory lap down the stretch, this year was a struggle until the end. And even this game – New York had the tying run at the plate in the ninth inning. But one way or the other, they found a way. And they made it.

That Torres play in the seventh – it was also big because by virtue of the inning ending there, it all but guaranteed that Soto and Judge wouldn’t come up again before the end of nine. Nothing is guaranteed of course, but it felt like something dramatic would have to happen. Not smart base running by New York. And the Orioles benefitted.

The series continues tomorrow evening at Yankee Stadium. Zach Eflin gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Nestor Cortes. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Too much plate

Solo homers did hurt the Baltimore Orioles’ Albert Suarez today, they say solo home runs shouldn’t hurt you. However when you give up multiple solo shots…is there really a difference between that and a three-run homer? To be clear, Suarez didn’t pitch poorly per se. He just gave up a few solo shots. Suarez’s line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 6 K,

I’ve said versions of this for some time. However Detroit pitchers seemed to live on the fringes of the plate – and they got the called strikes. Albert Suarez, like many other Oriole pitchers, was throwing strikes. And they were being hit.

After retiring the first five hitters, Suarez gave up a solo homer to Torkelson in the second. He then surrendered back-to-back doubles, the second of which was an RBI-double by Sweeney. One inning later Carpenter smacked a solo home run, and the O’s trailed 3-0.

The best news of the day for the Birds was that they saw the return of both Ramon Urias and Jordan Westburg this afternoon. They were called up off their rehab stints just before the game, and made an immediate impact…

…Urias singled with one out in the fifth. He was followed by Cedric Mullins, who slugged the Birds right back into the game with a two-run homer. That was followed by a Gunnar Henderson single. This bringing the other returned player, Jordan Westburg, to the plate.

Ramon Urias made his immediate impact by getting on base to start a rally. Westburg made his by scoring Gunnar Henderson on an RBI-triple which tied the game in the last of the fifth. If you question how much the O’s had missed some of these injured players, the fifth inning today should make it clear.

Incidentally the O’s almost took the lead in that inning. Colton Cowser was robbed of a homer by Detroit’s Meadows. The ball was over the wall, and Meadows brought it back. Outstanding play. However that play ended up being bigger than it looked even at the time, as Suarez surrendered a third solo homer in the top of the sixth, this to Carpenter. His second of the game.

And with the Orioles not being able to score again, that catch by Meadows cost the Orioles the game. Just to show he wasn’t kidding, Ramon Urias made a play for an extra bases in the ninth, and Meadows ran it down. It’s also worth mentioning that Colton Cowser was thrown out at third base in the fourth – the second out of the inning. This following an Adley Rutschman single – with Cowser on first…

…should Cowser have stayed at second base? In my opinion, yes. It wasn’t a risk worth taking. And it cost the Birds an out and a runner in scoring position.

But again, this came as a result of the O’s throwing too many strikes. And too good of strikes. Combine that with a team like Detroit who was intent on being aggressive at the plate, and you see the result.

Baltimore Orioles; Detroit plays Houdini

Another game, and another decent start by a Baltimore Orioles’ pitcher. This time Cade Povich. Not a quality start, but a good basis for a win. However end of the day his efforts weren’t enough. Povich’s line: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 7 K.

Povich found himself in some trouble in the second, but had almost pitched out of it. Dingler was at the plate with two outs and a two strike count – this with two runners in scoring position. And Dingler, who’s struggled mightily at the plate, smacked a two-RBI double.

Emmanuel Rivera would get the O’s on the board in the last of the second with a sac fly-RBI. The O’s did have a chance in the fourth to take the lead, however. They totaled three base hits in the inning; and yielded no runs. Heston Kjerstad did have one with a runner at second base, however Adley Rutschman was thrown out at home plate.

Personally I wouldn’t have sent Rutschman. Most catchers don’t run well. It was a risk, and Detroit lucked out. The flip side is by sending the runner you’re forcing the outfielder to make a perfect throw. And he did.

But the Birds would tie it back up in the sixth. Emmanuel Rivera’s RBI-single tied things back up at two. However an inning later Detroit would plate two, and the O’s trailed 4-2 as we went to the later innings. Yet, they had one more rally left in them. Only one more rally, but they had a rally.

The O’s loaded the bases in the ninth with nobody out. And for a brief moment it appeared that things were trending the right way. Most Valuable Oriole Gunnar Henderson smacked a two-RBI double to tie the score, leaving two runners in scoring position with nobody out. All the Orioles needed was one run to win the game.

But you never count your chickens. after a Cedric Mullins groundout, Detroit opted to pitch to Anthony Santander – this with one out and the winning run at third. Again, I thought that was a bad decision. Why pitch to their hottest hitter?

Whether they were really pitching to him or pitching around him, it worked. Santander sent a flair into shallow left. Detroit shortstop Sweeney almost collided with a teammate, but managed to run out and catch the ball. Detroit would plate two runs in the top of the tenth, and the Birds fell 6-4.

The Orioles somehow allowed Detroit to wiggle out of that situation in the fourth with the three base hits and zero runs. They also gifted them out of the inning in the ninth. All they needed was to get the ball out of the infield. But Detroit wiggled out of it.

You can argue that the O’s trailed all game long, but it feels like a game they gave away. The Santander at-bat in the ninth was key; whether he should have swung at a 2-0 pitch that was low is another story. He probably should have taken the pitch and eventually taken a walk.

Now the good news is that they battled back in this game. Several times. They fell short, but a week ago they probably would have gone quietly in the ninth and moved onto tomorrow. And they’re also on the brink of getting people back, which bodes well.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Albert Suarez gets the start for the O’s, and Detroit is yet to announce a starter. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Back on track?

Corbin Burnes gave the Baltimore Orioles a quality start last night. And for the first time in however long, Oriole bats cooperated. That would be putting it mildly I suppose. Five home runs later, that is. Burnes’ line: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 8 K.

Needless to say, Burnes was good last night. The question is can the Birds say he pulled them out of their late-season swoon? This wasn’t a game they won by the skin of their teeth, like on Thursday against San Francisco. This was dominant.

You got the message that this game was going to be different early on when Gunnar Henderson led off the game with a double. A deep shot which split the Detroit outfielders. It should have been an out, but the two outfielders miscommunicated and the ball dropped. It was ruled a double, but…should have been an out. That’s the sort of thing that would have happened TO the Orioles in the last few weeks, as opposed to happening to their betterment.

And the Birds took advantage. Anthony Santander smacked a two-run home run later in the inning, and the O’s led 2-0. An inning later in the third it was Colton Cowser’s turn, this as a solo homer.

Even the struggling Coby Mayo got on base with a fifth inning single. And he scored on a two-run home run by James McCann. An inning later brought another Colton Cowser home run, again as a solo shot. But James McCann wanted more also. Why let the milkman be the only guy to go yard twice in the game?! He followed suit later in the inning with his second homer of the game, also a solo shot.

Detroit would tack on a nominal run in the ninth with an RBI-single by Sweeney. For what it’s worth, that came after a walk where the runner advanced on defensive indifference. So had the Orioles been playing defense at full throttle, it might have been a shutout. The Orioles also got Danny Coulombe back off the IL, and he pitched a scoreless eighth inning. I suppose you can call him the first of several players who could be returning soon.

The Orioles’ magic number to clinch a postseason appearance sits at three. I see very little chance of them not clinching at some point, but you have to hope last night’s game becomes more commonplace. This giving you momentum going into the playoffs. However end of the day, just getting there is the goal.

The series continues this afternoon at Camden Yards. Cade Povich gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Reese Olson. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: You have to cover your bases

Another tough night for the Baltimore Orioles, beginning with starter Dean Kremer. Perhaps it was the solo homer by Yastrzemski that set the tone – on the first pitch of the game. Perhaps it was the mindset of the entire team. But something was amiss. Kremer’s line: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R (4 earned), 0 BB, 7 K.

I said yesterday that Oriole pitchers are in effect throwing too many strikes. That might be a bit of a play on words, but look at Kremer’s pitching line; zero walks. Kremer was throwing strikes. And that might be why the first pitch was deposited into the seats. Hitters are aware.

But the O’s got the first two runners on in the third, and James McCann’s RBI-double tied the score. Later in the inning Cedric Mullins’ RBI-groundout gave the Orioles the lead at 2-1 Look everything else aside, you have to start small. Scoring runs and getting a lead is just that.

However San Francisco immediately put runners at first and second in the fourth. Fitzgerald then reached on a swinging bunt to third. It was an “excuse me” check swing…and it worked. It shouldn’t have, but it did. And that’s been the trend of late…if an Oriole opponent does it, that means it must be right.

But it didn’t end there. McCray hit into a fielder’s choice – another “excuse me” sort of swing. Dean Kremer fielded the ball along the third base line; bases loaded and nobody out, he correctly threw home. And the runner from third was dead in the water…

…if not for one thing. Minor thing, but yet not so minor. Catcher James McCann knew he had a force out at the plate. All he had to do was catch the ball. And he did. But he didn’t have his foot on home plate. It lodged smack in front of the plate, and the runner was correctly ruled safe.

I can’t say I’ve ever seen that. I feel like a kicker in the NFL is more likely to miss an extra point (before the distance changed to what it is now) than a catcher not having his foot on the plate like that. It happens I suppose, but it happened in a bad spot there for the Birds.

Schmidt’s subsequent two-RBI single put San Francisco back in the lead at 4-2. All things being the same, that still would have happened had McCann made the out at home plate. But we know all things wouldn’t have necessarily been the same. They could have turned two and been out of the inning with the lead. Or Schmidt could have hit a grand slam. You just never know.

San Francisco would tack on a fifth run on a solo shot by Conforto in the sixth, and the Birds would net one on an RBI-double by Ryan O’Hearn in the bottom of the inning. The O’s put runners at the corners in the seventh, and in my view were cheated out of a run – and a potential rally. Heston Kjerstad was ruled to have been hit by a pitch. But it was a wild pitch, that got away from the catcher…

…the Orioles challenged. Replays seemed to emphatically show that the ball didn’t hit Kjerstad. It showed a wild pitch that almost hit him, which then should have resulted in a run scored from third (on the WP). But the umpire declared that the call was confirmed, and it went as a HBP. Colton Cowser lined out to end the inning.

We can’t say that the outcome of the game would have changed. But that seems like a call that got away, and went against the Orioles unfairly. But when you aren’t covering your own bases, calls like that go against you.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Zach Eflin gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by San Francisco’s Logan Webb. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Blanked again

The Baltimore Orioles’ margin for error got a bit thinner tonight. Albert Suarez was far from stellar, but more importantly San Francisco starter Snell was. And despite the fact that things did stabilize, the damage was done early. Suarez’s line: 3.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 3 K.

Suarez surrendered a homer to Yastrzemski in the first at-bat of the game. The third pitch, in fact. And when you can’t score as it is, that’s all that’s necessary. Snell struck out 12 Orioles over six innings. This by mixing his pitches and hitting the corners.

And that might be one of the keys to this game – and others. The Orioles throw a lot of pitches in the strike zone. They want the opponent to put the ball in play. Sometimes it works out – in fact, there were a few middle innings even in this game that were quick.

However other times it doesn’t work out, and the ball gets hit. And the fact is that Oriole hitters have the same philosophy; they’re expecting pitches in the zone. Instead, they’re being deceived into thinking that’s what they’re getting. And when they do get one, they look at it.

And many times, when the ball gets out in play strange things happen. Bailey nicked a ball and in essence reached on a swinging bunt with one out in the second. I’m not sure that’s what he meant to do, but it was the result and he reached base. He would later score after two walks loaded the bases, followed by a sac fly-RBI. Yastrzemski would later add an RBI-single.

San Francisco would tack on a fourth one in the fourth inning on an RBI-single by Walton. And that came following a single and a stolen base by McCray. Again, put the ball in play, good things can happen. Get on base, additional good things can happen.

That was also true in the ninth. Craig Kimbrell gave up a softly hit base hit, allowed the runner to steal second, advance to third on a wild pitch, and score on an RBI-bunt single by Wisely. Zero hard contact. But a run scored. So did four more that inning, totaling a 10-0 loss.

I really do think there’s something to the point about the corners. Not only are opposing teams using the entirety of the plate, but the Orioles are all but begging for them to do so. That, combined with the fact that the O’s aren’t using the entirely of the plate is what’s killing them. The Birds are looking for balls in the zone. Technically they’re getting them; they’re just so well-placed that they look like balls.

End of the day, the odds of the Orioles missing the postseason are very slim. However end of the day, we know what injuries have done to this roster. Would three pitchers not having undergone Tommy John’s, another being on the DL, losing their starting and backup third baseman, losing a utility infielder, and several relievers have made a difference? I’ll let you decide.

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by San Francisco’s Hayden Birdsong. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Big win, closer than it should have been

For the second consecutive game, the Baltimore Orioles got an outstanding outing out of a starting pitcher. This time Corbin Burnes. The question however was whether or not the Birds would get any run support to help Burnes out. However needless to say, Burnes gave them quality distance. Burnes’ line: 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K.

One interesting thing, Detroit started the same guy as they did last night – as the “opener.” That being Brieske. I guess when you only throw the guy for one inning, that’s an okay thing to do. Still too non-traditional for my tastes.

The O’s started the game with two walks, ending the potential for a perfect game. Ryan O’Hearn ended the no-hit bid in the second inning with a single. Gunnar Henderson would also double in the third with two outs, putting a runner in scoring position. And this time the Birds converted that situation into a run, with an RBI-single by Cedric Mullins.

It was only one run, but after last night it was a big run. And given where the Orioles are in the standings, it was big to get a lead, no matter how small. And given how Burnes was pitching, that one run was bigger than it otherwise should have been.

That lone run would stand up for a few innings. However following a HBP, Livan Soto smacked a double which gave the O’s two runners in scoring position with one out. James McCann would score one of those runners with a sac fly-RBI.

But they weren’t done yet in the inning. Keep in mind that slumps, individual and team-wide, are broken in a piecemeal manner. Perhaps Gunnar Henderson’s triple in the ninth inning last night (ending the combined no-hitter) began that process. It continued into this evening, to the point to where the Birds put a couple of runs on the board. Fast forward to the seventh inning with one in, a runner on second, and Gunnar Henderson again coming to the plate…

…and Henderson isn’t the odds-on favorite to win MVO for nothing. He smacked a two-run home run, extending the lead to 4-0. That allowed the team to relax a bit. Ironically it may have also saved a reliever. By virtue of the fact that the Birds had a bit of a margin for error, maybe Burnes was able to relax. And maybe he was able to pitch seven full innings as a result.

The only problem was that the Birds allowed Detroit to close the margin at the bitter end. Meadows led off the ninth with a solo homer off of Seranthony Dominguez, who would then retire the next two hitters – but on very loud outs. However he would then strike out Perez for what should have been the third out…

…if not for the fact that it was a wild pitch by Dominguez that went all the way to the wall. That put a runner in scoring position, who would later score on a run-scoring single by Torkelson. However Dominguez would record the final out, and while it got too close for comfort at the end, the O’s went home with the win.

You have to hope that going forward perhaps things can stabilize slightly. There’s a good chance the Orioles get reliever Jacob Webb back off the IL in advance of tomorrow’s series finale. Perhaps that also begins a litany of returns to the active roster, which could well include Grayson Rodriguez and Jordan Westburg eventually. And ready for a playoff run.

The series in Detroit concludes tomorrow at Comerica Park. Cade Povich gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Keider Montero.

Baltimore Orioles: Blanked

Starter Zach Eflin was a superstar for the Baltimore Orioles last night in Detroit. The downside was that Oriole bats were quiet. And by that, I mean quieter than usual. Dangerously quiet. Elgin’s line: 6.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K.

Eflin gave up a solo homer to Carpenter in the second at-bat of the game. At the time, you’re thought it was only one run. Obviously if Eflin could buckle down and and just shut Detroit down the rest of the way, the Birds should still win. Makes sense…right?

Eflin held up his end of the bargain. There were some innings in that mix that he retired the side in five minutes. But he stepped up when the team needed him tonight.

Detroit used an “opener” in tonight’s game, who was lifted in the second inning. I’m not a proponent of that sort of methodology, yet between Brieske (the starter/opener) and Hurter (the bulk pitcher), they stymied the Orioles. In reality the concept is a little too zaney for a traditionalist like myself.

The two pitchers were throwing what would have been baseball’s first combined perfect game into the eighth inning. Adley Rutschman drew a walk, giving the Birds their first base runner. That knocked Hurter out of the game, but Detroit was still twirling a combined no-hitter.

That continued until there were two outs in the ninth inning. Gunnar Henderson did what many other Orioles had done all game. He swung at the first pitch, only this time it landed in play. His sharp grounder down the right field line ended up with him on third base with a triple.

So Henderson ended the no-hit bid, AND put the tying run at third base in one fatal swoop. However Anthony Santander struck out to win the game, and the Birds fell 1-0. This wasting an outstanding effort by Zach Eflin.

Some of the Oriole at-bats were semi-lackluster over the course of the game. You can’t discount the fact that they’re at a severe disadvantage given the caliber of talent on the IL. However they’re also in the thick of a playoff chase, and teams below them, while not necessarily a threat to the Birds going to the postseason overall, are taking it seriously.

The series continues this evening at Comerica Park. Corbin Burnes gets the start for the O’s, and Detroit is yet to announce a starter (presumably going with another “opener”). Game time is set for just after 6 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Should the Birds have run the risk?

It would have been tough to pitch better than Dean Kremer did tonight for the Baltimore Orioles. He pitched to a quality start. Yet the O’s still fell. Kremer’s line: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R (1 earned), 2 BB, 7 K.

That’s a quality start, if you’re keeping track at home. And it’s a darned shame to waste it. But that’s baseball.

Emmanuel Rivera smacked a solo homer in the third inning. However as quickly as he gave the Birds the lead, he turned it back in. He committed a throwing error with a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the inning, allowing Boston to tie the score at one. Rafaela would tack on an RBI-single in the fourth to give Boston the lead at 2-1.

Despite a few opportunities, the Orioles couldn’t tie the score. That is until the eighth. Anthony Santander smacked his 41st home run of the season, tying the game at two. It was late, but it counted. And the game went to extras.

The Birds took a 3-2 lead, again thanks to Emmanuel Rivera. His run-scoring single in the tenth (thanks to the ghost runner) put the Orioles in the lead. However Boston got a ghost runner also in the tenth. With one out, Jackson Holliday misplayed a grounder to him at second. Maybe he misjudged and could have thrown the runner out at first. In my view he did the right thing by eating it…

…a bad throw would have tied the game. No reason to run the risk. That left runners at the corners, with O’Neil coming to the plate.

The Orioles had the option of walking O’Neil. It was a consideration. Brandon Hyde opted to pitch to him, and he hit a walk off three-run homer. Meaning the Orioles fell, 5-3.

Many will criticize that decision. And based on the results, that’s fair. But sometimes you have to play the numbers. First off, O’Neil’s hitting .258 this year. The hitter behind him (Yoshida), was hitting .287. So they pitched to the more attractive hitter – from the pitcher’s perspective.

Furthermore, when you’re on the road in the bottom of an inning, putting the winning run in scoring position comes off as a big no-no. Any number of things could happen; wild pitches, bloop singles, seeing eye singles, etc. All of those things could be in play. Now that said, so would be a potential ground ball double-play. However that was the case with runners at the corners also.

End of the day, I think you have to run a risk-reward sort of analysis in your mind. You’re putting your eggs in the basket of a ground ball double-play induced by Keegan Akin, or two strikeouts. On top of that, anything ground ball in the infield comes with risk – an error throws a wrinkle into things. Again on the other hand, bases loaded puts a force at every base.

Instead, Brandon Hyde opted to pitch to O’Neil. The results of course say he made the right decision. However he put O’Neil in a circumstance where he had to get on base to win the game. He got on base and then some. He have O’Neil one option to extend the game – or end it. And needless to say, he ended it.