Baltimore Orioles: Caleb Joseph breaks RBI-less streak in loss

The silver lining for the Baltimore Orioles in yesterday’s 12-4 loss in New York was that catcher Caleb Joseph finally got an RBI. Two to be exact, by virtue of a two-run homer. Joseph of course went all of last season and up to yesterday without driving in a run.

But that’s about all that went right for the O’s yesterday, as the onslaught of New York bats continued from Friday night. In all seriousness, I have to wonder if someone, perhaps an infielder, isn’t accidentally tipping pitches. Because on Friday night it was like suddenly someone turned on a switch and suddenly New York seemed to know what was coming. That continued yesterday.

Ubaldo Jimenez couldn’t make it out of the fourth inning, which taxed the bullpen as well. Jimenez’s line: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 7 R (6 earned), 3 BB, 4 K. It boils down to fastball command or Jimenez, and yesterday he didn’t have it. To his credit, he was the first to admit that after the game (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

I think I have to find my fastball command. I have to stay ahead most of the time. That’s what’s hurting me the most. I’m falling behind in the count and every time I come back, I get hurt.

That right there almost answers my point about someone tipping pitches. When you get yourself into counts where it’s obvious you have to throw a strike, it’s no mystery what’s coming next. So getting ahead in the count is important, because it allows a pitcher to pitch from a position of strength.

The onslaught started early when Gardner sent a solo homer over the wall in the last of the first. One inning later it was 2-0 on Romine’s sac fly-RBI, however Gardner would homer again later in the inning – this one of the three-run variety. Romine would also add a two-RBI single in the last of the fourth, and before the Orioles could blink they trailed 7-0.

The O’s would get two runs in the sixth, of the unearned variety. (When things are starting to go south you take runs however you can get them.) Machado scored on a throwing error, and Trumbo on a wild pitch later in the inning. The ironic part was that Caleb Joseph was at bat for that second run. At the time, he still hadn’t smacked in a run since 2015. So it had to add insult to injury to know that the Birds were able to score during his at-bat, but by virtue of the fact that it was an unearned run he doesn’t get an RBI.

Romine would add a two-run homer in the last of the sixth, Gregorious an RBI-double and Judge a two-run homer in the seventh. It should also be kept in mind that New York is a young team, which is why they’re so dangerous for the time being. In essence, they’re where the Orioles were circa 2011 – they have a great nucleus that should be together for awhile.

The difference is that New York is winning now, which isn’t necessarily supposed to happen. Whereas the 2011 Orioles were dangerous for the future, this NY team is dangerous in the future and in the here and now. On the flip side, as I said – they’re young. At some point they could just as easily remember that as they could forget it. The Orioles and the rest of the division are certainly hoping that they suddenly remember that they’re young and not expected to do anything this year.

The O’s did have a productive ninth inning however, and not just limited to Caleb Joseph. His two-run homer was the highlight however for sure, as he turned in his first runs batted in since 2015. But the Orioles worked the count well in the ninth inning, forcing New York to get a couple of additional relievers up in the bullpen. That’s something that could play into today’s game, as I suspect they weren’t anticipating on having to do that.

After the game the Birds optioned relievers Aquino and Nuno to triple-A Norfolk, more so to get some fresh arms in the ‘pen than anything else. It’s unclear who the corresponding moves will involve at this point. All we know for now is that they were sent out.

The O’s will try to salvage one game in this series as it concludes this afternoon. Wade Miley will be on the mound for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Jordan Montgomery. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles blow big lead in Bronx loss

Brad Brach has been solid as the Baltimore Orioles’ temporary closer to this point. And in fact, it may not necessarily be a reflection on him that he blew his first save last night, because you don’t allow a team to come from seven runs down and blame one person. New York at some point decided that they weren’t going to lose last night, no matter how big Oriole bats busted out.

And the bats did bust out, which is a great sign. Kevin Gausman got the start for the Birds, and while his line looks a bit rough he was fairly effective. Gausman’s line: 6.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 3 K. Gausman left the team in a spot to win the game, which is all you can ask of a starter.

The O’s took a 2-0 lead in the third on a Manny Machado two-RBI double, and one inning later Welington Castillo hit his first homer as an Oriole, a two-run shot that ran the lead to 4-0. Machado would add a solo shot an inning later, and the O’s appeared off to the races.

The Birds ran the score to 9-1 in the sixth (following Judge’s solo shot for NY) when Mark Trumbo busted out of his funk with a grand slam. While NY would get a run back in the bottom of that inning on an RBI-groundout, I’m the first one to say that the competitive portion of the game is over at that point. Am I suggesting that you take your foot off the gas? Very slightly, but yes.

So if you’re blaming the Orioles for blowing a big lead, you can throw me into the fray as well. In general, once you get up to a lead by seven or eight runs, you can kind of coast. It’s natural in a way. But to NY’s credit, they made the Orioles pay for that idea.

Following the aforementioned RBI-groundout in the sixth, Judge smacked a two-run homer which cut the lead to 9-4. At that point perhaps the Orioles should have realized that the lead might not be safe, and maybe they did. Schoop would run the lead back to eight at 11-4 an inning later with a two-RBI single.

But again, New York at some point decided that they weren’t going to be denied on this night. Ellsbury smacked a grand slam in the last of the seventh, and grounded into a force out with the bases loaded in the last of the ninth. Castro’s two-run homer later in the inning off of Brach would tie the game at 11. The O’s put the first two runners on in the tenth inning, and Holliday’s three-run homer ended the game.

This really drives home the point that it’s tough to win a big league game. And sometimes holding a big league is one of the toughest things of all. On the flip side however, the bats definitely broke out last night, and that’s a good thing. You wish it wasn’t for naught, but that’s a trend that the Orioles need in order to continue.

And one thing that the Orioles need to do is win today. It’s almost a must-win in a sense, because that’s the type of loss that can send a team into a tailspin. But if they can win today they’re back on track. Furthermore if they can take the series by winning the next two, this turns into a footnote.

And luckily for the O’s, the series turns around quickly with a day game this afternoon. Ubaldo Jimenez will be on the mound for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by NY’s Michael Pineda. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Big weekend in the big ballpark

Kevin Gausman will take the ball for the Baltimore Orioles tonight in the Bronx as the Birds open a three-game set with New York. First off, it’s pointless to look at the standings at this point in the season. Anything can still happen. However speaking for myself, this series has the feel of one to which we might look back when all’s said and done and say that it meant something.

But they all mean something, right? But when you’re bunched as closely together in the standings as the O’s, Boston, and NY, the games always mean more. The Birds are currently a game up on New York, and in first place. So that means they could end the weekend anywhere from four games up, or two games out of first.

While they’ve still managed to win games, the Orioles haven’t been scoring runs as we’ve expected. In fact, they’ve been winning in the exact opposite manner that we thought they would – with pitching. But that’s going to have to change in the Bronx, against a young team who has a sense that they could be world-beaters.

Incidentally, fans shouldn’t worry about Oriole bats. At the end of the day, they’ll be fine. This team is based on power, and yes sometimes the month of April can produce some wayward numbers or results.

The aforementioned Kevin Gausman is on the mound for the Birds tonight. He’ll be opposed by New York’s C.C. Sabathia. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles walk the line to a walk off win

I’ve covered the Baltimore Orioles since 2009, and this is the first time that I’ve had the opportunity to reference one of my favorite songs, I walk the line, by the great Man in Black himself (Johnny Cash). On paper, the Orioles are a much better team than Tampa. Yet Tampa gave the Birds about all they can handle. And they almost ended up handing the Orioles their first series defeat of the season. But the home team bats last.

Dylan Bundy gave the O’s yet another quality start. However in doing so, he also had his struggles. Yet he found a way to be effective even when he didn’t have his best stuff at his disposal. That shows a lot of maturity, and that’s what all of the great pitchers are always able to to do. Bundy’s line: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 3 K.

The O’s took a 1-0 lead on Ryan Flaherty‘s RBI-single in the second. However by the time the inning ended, the Orioles held a 3-0 lead on one of the most bizzare plays you’ll ever see. Seth Smith knocked an RBI-single that scored Flaherty – so there’s one run. However Smith himself was able to come around to score after Tampa committed two throwing errors on the play.

Needless to say, it was a totally botched play on the part of the Tampa defense. I would argue that it shouldn’t be an RBI because I don’t think Flaherty would have scored if not for the first error. But then again what do I know? – I’m just here to report the news!

Bundy was victim of two solo homers off the bat of Tampa’s Beckham, which brought them to within 3-2. They say that solo home runs don’t hurt you, but again keep in mind that these are the Tampa Rays. Piecemealing runs together one-by-one is their speciality. So that’s a fine way to do things in their book.

Tampa loaded the bases in the eighth, however O’Day only allowed one run as Miller grounded into a force out. But that did tie the game at three, and we played on. And that’s why a team like Tampa can be dangerous. Yes they only score one run here and there, but if they do it enough they work their way back into the game.

And for a short while in the eleventh, it looked like they were going to take the game and the series. Tampa’s Sucre sent a soft broken-bat fly ball the opposite way into right field for a base hit, which scored the go-ahead run. Of course he sent the ball the opposite way and it was a softly-hit ball, because Tampa does everything non-traditionally it seems. But either way it gave them a 4-3 lead in what appeared to be the climaxing moment of the game.

But as ESPN’s Lee Corso would say, not so fast! Before we knew it, Tampa’s closer was struggling in the last of the eleventh, and the O’s suddenly had men on base. Schoop’s sac fly-RBI tied the game at four, erasing Tampa’s vision of winning the game cleanly. Later in the inning Seth Smith strode to the plate again with the bases loaded…

…and on four consecutive pitches, he walked. That forced in the winning run, as the Orioles walked the line to a victory in the game and in the series. Yes folks, the Cash reference is a bit cheesey. But hey, it’s certainly appropriate for once!

This was a big win for the Orioles, as they kept their series victory streak alive. However Tampa wasn’t giving up, and they always put pressure on you. They can make even routine infield ground balls into close plays simply because their hitters hustle out of the box and down the line. But the O’s weren’t giving up either. While Tampa’s pitching decided to peter out at the last minute, the Orioles recognized that, worked the counts, and took advantage. They now head into an off day before heading to NY tomorrow night.

Baltimore Orioles beaten at Tampa’s game

The Baltimore Orioles are a team that’ll beat your brains in on the scoreboard. That’s how they play, and that’s how they attempt to win games. This would be the reason that so many Orioles swing such heavy bats, because they’re literally swinging for the fences on every pitch. Then you have a team like Tampa, who’s happy as a clam with one run, or even one base.

The O’s got a quality start out of Wade Miley last night, and he more than put the team in a spot to win. Miley’s line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 6 BB, 8 K. The six walks aren’t stellar of course, but the game was played in various states of rain, and on top of that, the strike zone was far from consistent. There were several times where Miley, various Tampa pitchers, and various hitters on both sides found themselves glaring at the home plate umpire.

Tampa got an RBI-single by Beckham in the fourth inning to take a 1-0 lead. This came on the heels of a Miley-issued walk, on which he thought he got squeezed. Later in the inning Norris’ sac fly-RBI gave Tampa a 2-0 lead, which ended up being the final.

Tampa in essence forced the Orioles to play their game. Again, the O’s are swinging for the fences every time. Due in part to the weather of course, that just wasn’t happening last night. As I said, Tampa’s happy as a clam with one run here and one run there. And that’s what they got.

Their attitude is probably very frustrating for a team like the Orioles, who seemingly think big on every at-bat. How could one or two runs do the job?! But Tampa’s vision of the world is that if you score one run, that means the opponent has to score two to beat you – and so on.

Another area of concern is that Mark Trumbo is only hitting  .203 on the year. Does he need a day off? Manager Buck Showalter is confident that he’ll get it together on his own (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

If we knew exactly … Mark is a very good student of the game, a student of hitting. I trust him. He’ll figure it out. I know it’s frustrating for him. But you know, he’s not the only one who hasn’t been at the level he’s spoiled us with. We’ve got some other guys that (are struggling). Somebody will pay down the line.

I would agree with Showalter. Slumps happen to the best players across the board. Eventually Trumbo will get it together. The good ones always do.

The series with Tampa concludes this evening at Camden Yards, along with the home stand. Dylan Bundy will make the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Alex Cobb. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Is four games enough for Matt Barnes?

As we know, Boston reliever Matt Barnes was given a four-game suspension for throwing at the head of Baltimore Orioles’ third baseman Manny Machado. Most of the reaction that I was hearing around this time yesterday (when the news was announced) was outrage from Orioles fans that it was only four games. Admittedly, I was expecting between 5-10 games.

And incidentally, that expectation was based on the fact that numerous former players said publicly that Barnes should get ten games. It goes without saying that some sort of disciplinary action was necessary, as Barnes’ defense of the pitch just slipped wasn’t anywhere near adequate. In fact, it was borderline offensive to Machado and the Orioles. And the same is true of manager John Farrell‘s similar comments.

Barnes of course is available to play for Boston starting tonight because he’s appealing the decision – as is his right. And for the record, my personal opinion is that players should always be allowed to appeal decisions like this. So it makes sense that he should be available to play until his case is heard.

However where I do take issue is that sometimes these appeals can be strung out over several weeks. Machado himself waited that long to hear an appeal heard awhile back. In general sometimes the league will wait for the player to come to NY to play one of the two NY-based teams so the appeal can be heard in person in the league office. But would doing it over the phone or Skype by such a bad thing?

That aside, as I said many fans were enraged that Barnes only received four games. Many pointed to an obvious bias towards a team in Boston who seems to get breaks over the course of the way. I’m not here to sway you one way or the other on that…

…because I can’t say for sure how I feel on the matter. In other words, I haven’t really decided if I personally think it’s enough of a punishment or not. From my standpoint, the jury’s still out.

There’s no denying the severity of the actions which led to the suspension. Throwing at someone’s head is a serious matter that goes well beyond the game – regardless of what Barnes wants to say his intent actually was. Had he actually landed the pitch on Machado, I think the penalty would have been greater.

Again, I’m not sure where I personally stand on this. I do think that for pitchers the suspensions should be longer because they don’t play everyday. However this is a reliever, who will make more appearances than a starter. And one way or the other, Boston will have to play a man down on the roster during the four games – or whatever number of games the suspension ends up being.

And more so than losing game checks and not being able to play, that’s why players need to watch what they’re doing in terms of whether they’re committing actionable offenses. What Barnes did was actionable, regardless of what he said he was trying to do. But when guys get suspended for actions in games, the team plays those games a man down. So you affect your own career, as well as your team.

Again, I thought it would be between 5-10 games, and I was wrong. Had he actually landed the pitch, I suspect it would have been more. Apparently asthetics do make a difference. Had Machado left Camden Yards on a stretcher, odds are it would have been on the high side of that estimate. One way or the other, once Barnes’ appeal is heard he will have to begin serving his suspension immediately.

Baltimore Orioles: The Captain lifts Birds to victory

Adam Jones is the Baltimore Orioles’ captain. That may well be an unofficial title in a sense, however you know the attributes when you see it. He’s the captain, and thus the leader of this team. While those qualities can manifest themselves in various ways, last night they did so in the form of putting the team on his back and winning the game.

Ubaldo Jimenez was ineffective in his short outing, however the weather may well have played a role in that. The game was played in various spouts of rain, and under the threat thereof for the entire night. There was even a brief 18-minute rain delay late in the game. Jimenez’s line: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 5 BB, 3 K.

The Orioles didn’t even have time to blink before they found themselves down 1-0 on a solo homer by Dickerson in the first at-bat of the game. Tampa’s always been a non-traditional team, and there’s nothing that speaks to that more than the DH batting lead off and homering in the first at-bat. The O’s would even the score on Davis’ fielder’s choice-RBI in the last of the third.

Tampa caught a huge break in the fourth inning when Peterson smacked what was ruled a two-RBI double to give them a 3-1 lead. The Orioles challenged, as the ball appeared to have landed foul in right field. However the umpires ruled that ther wasn’t enough evidence to overturn the call on the field, and the ruling was upheld. Apparently the mark left by the ball on the foul side of the line wasn’t enough to sway the umpires.

However the Birds evened things up later in the game with back-to-back solo homers by Kim and Schoop. And we played on, in one of the most dismal forecasts known to Major League Baseball. Honestly I was shocked that the game was allowed to continue. However I suppose that the forecast tonight isn’t any better, and the umpires felt that it was worth doing whatever they could to get the game in.

And that brought Jones to the plate in the last of the seventh with a runner on base. He sent a high drive to left, which landed about ten rows up in the grandstand, giving the O’s a 5-3 lead. They would knotch one more on a sac fly-RBI by Schoop in the eighth, and the O’s ended up with a 6-3 victory in game one of three.

Leadership isn’t something that can be learned or acquired. You either have the ability or you don’t. Adam Jones was traded to the Orioles prior to the 2008 season, and literally since day one he’s shown that he was a born leader. That’s not something that should be taken lightly, because he’s been the center piece of the revival the Orioles have seen since 2012.

And I don’t say these things simply because he hit the go-ahead homer last night. That’s a big factor in the here and now, however the fact is that Jones has a lot of clout in the clubhouse. Guys recognize him as the leader of this team. And quite frankly there’s nobody more humble and decent that could hold that title. It’s because of his play on the field, his actions in the community, and the way that he carries himself, that he’s the Orioles’ captain. And that’s true whether it’s an official title or not.

Incidentally, Boston reliever Matt Barnes was suspended four games for his actions on Sunday in throwing a pitch towards Machado’s head. Based on some reactions I’ve seen online, it seems that many fans think that’s too light, and I might tend to agree. I thought he would have gotten between 5-10 games. But that’s the penalty as it stands now. Barnes is appealing this, and of course will be allowed to play while the decision is under appeal.

The series continues this evening at Camden Yards – weather permitting. Wade Miley heads to the bump for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Erasmo Rodriguez. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles’ Manny Machado head hunted in loss

Manny Machado being at the center of controversy once again was the story of the Baltimore Orioles’ loss to Boston yesterday. In fact, the game itself wasn’t very memorable from either Boston’s or the Orioles’ standpoint. But what happened at the end of it was, and will probably be a hot topic all day and perhaps all week.

But because I like to be precise, the Orioles did fall yesterday, 6-2. Kevin Gausman suffered another lackluster outing, although he looked slightly better than he did in his last start in Cincinnati. Guasman’s line: 5.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 4 K. Eight pitches into the game, it was already 4-0. Betts smacked a three-run homer in the first, followed by a solo shot by Ramirez.

Moreland would add a two-run home run for Boston in the fifth, and later in that inning Benintendi smacked an RBI-single – and was thrown out trying to extend it into a double to end the inning. However Oriole bats were quiet all day, mustering only one hit against Boston starter and former Orioles’ prospect Rodriguez.

Following the aforementioned incident, Manny Machado would smack an RBI-double in the last of the eighth. And the Birds actually had the tying run in the on-deck circle in the ninth following a Kim RBI-single. However it wasn’t to be, the Birds fell by the above-mentioned score of 6-2.

But again, that wasn’t the story of the game yesterday. When Machado came up to bat in the eighth inning with a runner on second, Boston reliever Matt Barnes threw a pitch towards Machado’s head area. Initially the play was ruled a hit batsman, however eventually the umpires reversed that call, and rightfully so. The ball clearly smacked off of the top of Machado’s bat before hitting him. As soon as the ball hits the bat, the play is dead and it’s a foul ball.

However that doesn’t excuse what Barnes did. As soon as the incident happened, he was ejected by the home plate umpire. Contrary to what several Boston writers were tweeting at the time, yes you can be tossed for not even hitting a guy – if the umpire feels there was malicious intent, you can go.

There’s no doubt that this was “retaliation” for the incident on Friday night with Machado and Dustin Pedroia…who incidentally was nothing but class about the whole thing. He seemed to be the one guy who understood that while it was unfortunate, what Machado did wasn’t intentional.

That aside, I try to simply report the news and sometimes offer a slightly vanilla opinion on it. As a writer, I feel it’s not necessarily my place to call someone out in a sense. But in this case I’m going to come out and say that what Barnes did was GUTLESS. Again, withstanding the fact that in my view and in the view of many (including Pedroia) the Machado slide was clean, I have no issue with a team wanting to hit someone for something like that. But there’s a right way and a wrong way. Hit them in the thigh, foot, back, etc. But DON’T EVER throw at someone’s head. That jeapardizes someone’s career, and yes perhaps even their life.

Both Barnes and Boston manager John Farrell predictably said after the game that the pitch slipped. Ironically, I might tend to agree in a way. I don’t think that Barnes purposely targeted Machado’s head. But I think that he definitely wanted to hit him, and he missed his spot. Farrell tried to hide behind the fact that he was simply pitching him up and in (quote coutesy of Darren Hartwell, NESN):

It’s a dangerous pitch. No one likes to see it. But if you look at the attack plan of our right-handed pitchers, there’s an area in above the hands that you’re trying to go to. And unfortunately, it does get away from (Barnes) in that spot.

However the fact that the catcher sets up right down the middle and has to go way up and in so as to try to catch the ball indicates otherwise. MASN cameras also caught Pedroia in the dugout yelling out at Machado indicating that the pitch didn’t come from him. After the game, Pedroia (again who’s always been the epitome of class) said that he felt his own team handled it poorly, and he apologized to Machado and the Orioles. When your own team leader and de facto captain is saying that, it’s pretty incriminating.

Buck Showalter wasn’t about to get involved in a tet-a-tet of words after the game, but he did indicate that the Oriole players weren’t really happy with what happened (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

It’s two good teams competing for something that a lot of teams really want and they have the passion, and when things like that get going into it, that’s unfortunate. I was really impressed with the courage that our guys showed today because they all, believe me, trust me, wanted to do something about it. Takes a lot more sometimes to do that.

MLB is looking into the matter, as well as into several pitches that were well inside that starter Rodriguez threw towards Machado earlier in the game. I’ll be honest, I would argue that it would be unfair to discipline Rodriguez for anything. My personal opinion was that he didn’t have any intent to hit Machado. Barnes is a different story. He should receive a five-game suspension at least – if not ten.

Weather permitting, the Orioles open up a three-game set with Tampa at Camden Yards this evening. Ubaldo Jimenez takes to the mound or the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Chris Archer. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Autism Awareness Day at the yard

As Baltimore Orioles fans make their way to Oriole Park at Camden Yards this afternoon for the series finale against Boston, there’s something special about today’s game that they should know. The Orioles are declaring today “Autism Awareness Day” at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. My hope in fact that it’s the first “annual” Autism Awareness Day.

The Orioles are very close to this particular cause, because it’s affected various high-profile members of the organization. Former Oriole B.J. Surhoff‘s son has autism, as does the stepson of Hall of Famer Jim Palmer. OriolesReach (the team’s charity wing) does a lot of outreach with Autism Speaks, among other charities dedicated to the cause, as well as Maryland Special Olympics.

And I can tell you that I’ve researched both organizations, and they’re both wonderful. Now with that said, the purpose of me writing about this today is personal. Autism has touched my own family, thus it’s a cause that’s very close to my heart. And I appreciate the fact that the Orioles have picked this particular cause in which to get involved.

Anyone who doesn’t already have tickets to today’s game but wants to purchase them can do so by visiting this special link. If you purchase tickets through this portal, $5 of every sale will go to Autism Speaks. So that’s a hefty donation at the end of the day that the Orioles will be making to that charity.

Fans needing to visit a “Quiet Room” during today’s game can also stop at Suite 73. This will provide a spot for families to watch the game without the noise of the stands, which can sometimes be overwhelming for kids with autism. Autism Speaks will also be participating in the ceremonial first pitch this afternoon, and they’ll have representatives at the Information Booth inside Gate D.

Again, I’m personally very appreciative that the O’s have taken up this specific cause. So in closing, all I can say is thank you!

Baltimore Orioles battle back on arm of Jayson Aquino

I’m the first one to tell you that I raised an eyebrow at the Baltimore Orioles giving Jayson Aquino his first start last night (and his big league debut). The Orioles also had Asher, who looked very good last week – I personally thought that he should have started. However that’s why they pay Buck Showalter to make these decisions and not me…

…Aquino proved that he belonged and proved why I’m a writer and Showalter’s the manager. Aquino’s line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 2 K. It’s tough to have a better first start and major league debut than that. Aquino continued the Orioles’ string of quality starts, and put his team in a spot to win.

They did have to play just a bit of catch-up however, as Boston took a 2-0 lead on Bradley’s two-run homer in the third inning. Incidentally, all of this was pushed back about a half hour, as the game actually began with a 30-minute rain delay. Quite frankly it’s almost miraculous that the delay lasted only thirty minutes, as it rained all day in Baltimore.

But the Orioles battled back on inning later in the last of the fourth. Trey Mancini tied the score as abruptly as Boston had taken the lead with a two-run homer of his own. And the Orioles decided to go back-to-back with the home runs, as Jonathan Schoop added a solo shot just a moment later which gave the O’s the lead at 3-2.

Just for good measure, they decided to add a run without smacking the ball out of the ballpark later in the inning on Adam Jones‘ RBI-single. And when you get solid pitching (both starting as well as out of the ‘pen), that’s all you need. Get yourself a nice little two-run lead, and you’re good to go. Boston never really threatened, and the Orioles took game two, which guarantees them another series victory.

We still have to throw in the disclaimer that it’s very early in the season. The Orioles have only played 16 games, which incidentally is less than what most other teams have played. But remember what I kept saying throughout spring training: if you’re going to play these spring games, you might as well win them. The same is true of these early season games, the only difference being of course that they actually count.

So yes it’s still very early, and there’s a long way to go. But at 12-4, the Orioles have the best record in baseball. Not only that, but they’re playing good ball right now, and winning games by fighting and battling. Most importantly, they’ve started to get very good starting pitching, which is the best way to win games in MLB.

And they’ll try to keep that string of quality starts going this afternoon in the series finale against Boston at Camden Yards. Kevin Gausman will head to the mound for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by former Oriole prospect Eduardo Rodriguez. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.