Baltimore Orioles: When the going gets tough the tough get going – deep in the heart of Texas

The Baltimore Orioles had little business winning last night’s game in Texas. between Texas taking momentum at key moments and just about everything going wrong, somehow they seemed ticketed for a loss. This despite Trevor Rogers giving them a solid outing. Rogers’ line: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 5 K.

Catcher Chadwick Tromp pulled up lame while lining out to end the second inning. He was obviously injured, but tried to stay in the game – to his credit. Eventually he was lifted, and diagnosed with a lower back strain. He’s expected to be out on the IL today.

That’s yet another catcher going on the shelf. It’s somewhat unbelievable. It also provided an even bigger challenge in the moment, as Gary Sanchez was the DH last night. Meaning he had to come into catch, and the O’s had to surrender their DH for the rest of the game.

Ironically, it was Sanchez who gave the Orioles the lead. He came up with the bases loaded and nobody out in the third, and he cleared the bases with a double. This putting the O’s ahead 3-0.

That set a tone for the game. At each stage of this crazy game, the Birds may have been in a tough spot at times. But they never felt out of it. For what it’s worth, Rogers never took the bat off his shoulders in his two at-bats, which seemed pre-conceived. I suspect the Orioles didn’t want him hurt on the base paths or swinging through a pitch.

Rogers surrendered a two-run homer to Semien in the sixth before being lifted. Helman would draw a two-out walk in the seventh and promptly steal second base, taking third on an errant Gary Sanchez throw. Only…he didn’t stop at third. He went for home, and made it. This tied the game at three.

The Orioles are at times too by the book. Conventional wisdom says you stop at third on that play. But perhaps Helman caught the Orioles so off guard by not having stopped, he forced them to make a perfect throw – which they couldn’t do. The element of surprise can do that.

Gary Sanchez is also struggling to hold runners on, and Texas took advantage last night, it was no mystery that they were running on everything. Eventually the Orioles stopped throwing and all but gave runners second base.

With a runner at second in the eighth, Bryan Baker surrendered an infield single up the middle to Garcia. Jackson Holliday knocked it down, holding the runner at third. Baker proceeded to strike the next two hitters out, ending the inning. Massive play there by Holliday, and an equally impressive piece of pitching by Baker.

Texas changed catchers as the game went to extra’s, forcing their DH out as well. And with the ghost runner at second base, Gunnar Henderson’s two-run homer gave the Orioles a 5-3 lead. And it was a shot, folks. So was Colton Cowser’s subsequent solo shot to extend it to 6-3.

BUT…Garcia came up with two on (including a ghost runner) in the tenth. Every pitch Garcia saw in this game was a four-seam fastball. I’m sure there’s a computer program somewhere telling them that’s a good idea. But eventually Garcia caught on, and smacked an emphatic two-run home run to tie the game.

I have no doubt that a steady diet of four-seamers is the book on Garcia. So it’s smart to pitch him that way. But…every pitch? That seems very misguided, and it should come as no surprise that he eventually caught on.

But we played on. Colton Cowser came up with two out in the eleventh and the ghost runner on second. And it was his two-run homer which eventually put the Orioles over the top. On a side note, remember Texas also having to surrender their DH? Ironically it bit them more than it did the Orioles, who played without a DH most of the game. Pitcher Jack Leiter had to pinch hit in the last of the 11th, striking out with a ghost runner at second. End of the day, the O’s pulled through for an 8-6 win.

That’s about as improbable a victory as you’re going to see. Texas was pesky and they didn’t go away. But neither did the Orioles. Despite having every reason to do so.

With Zach Eflin having gone on the IL yesterday already, it’s obvious that another IL move is coming today. Chadwick Tromp will obviously be replaced by a catcher. Might that be Samuel Basallo? Time will tell.

The series continues this evening at Globe Life Field. Brandon Young gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Texas’ Jacob deGrom. Game time is set for just after 8 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Small details, Dean Kremer, win a game and a series for the O’s

Despite technical difficulties in the ballpark and a semi-tough first inning, Dean Kremer was outstanding this afternoon. He barely even had to “battle;” he mowed Tampa hitters down left and right. Kremer’s line: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

There was some sort of issue with MLB’s equipment at the beginning of today’s game. We didn’t have the radar guns, pitch tracker, etc. It didn’t seem to affect much for Kremer as the O’s – they just played ball. About halfway through the game the “glitch” was fixed.

Keener pitched out of a mini-jam in the first. And on we went. The O’s took a 1-0 lead following a leadoff double in the second on Colton Cowser’s RBI-single. That score held up for four innings – until the Orioles started tacking on,

Cedric Mullins started the rally in the fifth. With Gary Sanchez already on base after a leadoff single, Mullins immediately laid down a bunt – but a bunt for a base hit. Mullins beat it out, and the O’s had runners at first and second with nobody out.

Coby Mayo’s subsequent RBI-single extended the lead to 2-0. It’s small things like that which win games. Mullins did it, and it made a huge difference. Later in the inning Ramon Urias’ sac fly-RBI extended the lead to 3-0.

The O’s picked up two insurance runs in the last of the sixth. Insurance runs in a sense – remember, this Tampa team feels they’re never out of it. Gary Sanchez tacked on an RBI-single, and Cedric Mullins a sac fly-RBI.

The key play to me was the bunt by Mullins. The subsequent run, and all other runs in the game were manufactured – team baseball. Another unsung moment was Kremer inducing Diaz into a double-play with one on and one out in the sixth. That meant that Aranda (a heavy hitter), wouldn’t be hitting with runners on base. Also worth noting that Colton Cowser robbed Jansen of a two-run homer in the eighth, reaching over the wall to bring the ball back. Tampa would bet a solo homer by Lowe in the ninth.

End of the day, the Orioles won this game, ABD the series. That’s huge – when you manage to get slaughtered in one game but still take the series. Needless to say, it’s a good way to start a road trip. Kremer’s effort also helped heal the bullpen after yesterday.

The Orioles now head to Texas to open up a three-game set at Globe Life Field. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Texas’ Patrick Corbin. Game time is set for just after 8 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Too deferential

The Baltimore Orioles have had issues with umpires all season. Yesterday for instance – Tampa’s Simpson got a borderline ball four call and took first base. That began a big inning.

Sometimes calls have been putrid. Other times they’re borderline calls that are persistently going the other way. But often times we’re seeing Oriole hitters giving the stink eye back towards the home plate umpire as they walk away. Yet, they toe the line.

Increasingly I see fans calling for someone to lose it with an umpire. Or perhaps for that reaction to come to the dugout. Admittedly, to my knowledge (and I’m going off my memory here), Tony Mansolino hasn’t had an argument with an umpire since taking over. And the end of Brandon Hyde’s tenure didn’t see much of that either.

We all know the Orioles have embraced analytics the past few years. I’ve often wondered if there’s a statistic somewhere showing that teams known as “arguers” actually get fewer calls than teams who toe the line. Needless to say, one thing that’s certain is that ejections, suspensions, and fines are minimized.

Whether there’s a statistic for that is another story. But at times it seems that things happen with the Orioles either way regard to umpires. Whether it’s sloppy umpiring or awful calls, it seems that the benefit of the doubt always seems to go the other way.

So I suppose the question is whether umpires almost respect the teams who do protest a little more. This as opposed to the Orioles’ at times deferential approach to game officials. I do believe that there have been circumstances that would have warranted a manager going out and protesting – maybe to the point of ejection. Yet, all that happens is the aforementioned stink eye.

And maybe that in and of itself is part of the issue. The walking away stink eye is passive-aggressive. In today’s world, that almost ticks people off more than being overtly angry.

Where the disconnect or what the issue is, I don’t know. But the one thing that’s for sure is that the Orioles get short-changed a lot in terms of calls. And they would love for that to change.

Baltimore Orioles: Tampa flips the script, Zach Eflin injured

Tampa got on the Baltimore Orioles from the beginning this afternoon. And it’s no wonder, because starter Zach Eflin was hurt. Eflin’s line: 1.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 0 K,

A double and a single – one by Lowe and the other by Lowe (different pronunciation) – the O’s trailed 1-0 after two hitters. Lowe made it to second on an errant throw. He would later score on Aranda’s two-run home run. Before the inning ended, Simpson would ground into a fielder’s choice-RBI, and the O’s trailed 4-0.

During that inning, Scott Blewett was was warming up in the Oriole bullpen. When the second inning began, he entered the game in place of Eflin. The Orioles later said Eflin was lifted with lower back tightness.

It’s amazing how things change so quickly. On top of the fact that Eflin allowed several bleeders and bloops in that one inning of work (runners who came around to score), the bullpen was going to be taxed – win or lose. Remember that coming out of last night’s game it was Tampa whose bullpen was in bad shape. But without even trying to do so, they flipped the tables on the O’s today. Due to an injury.

Tampa would tack on a sac fly-RBI by Walls in the fifth. This after Simpson reached third following a ball four which looked similar to a strike three, and stole second. On an errant throw he went to third. Later in the inning Diaz’s three-run homer cleared the bases, and the Orioles trailed 8-0.

Walls would add a sac fly in the fifth. But the O’s did get on the board in the home half of the frame with a solo homer by Chadwick Tromp. Not to be outdone, Tampa’s Thaiss continued a tradition this year of backup catcher torching the O’s with a two-RBI triple in the seventh. The Orioles would also tack two on in the ninth on a two-run home run by Ramon Laureano.

The bigger concern of course than the loss is Zach Eflin. The Oriole rotation is in trouble if he has to miss time. The silver lining is he could only miss two starts (maybe one given an off day) due to the break. Depending on the severity of the injury.

That assumes he’s destined for the IL. We don’t know at this point. But as I said above, Tampa totally flipped the script. Not just with the score, but regarding the bullpen. They always find a way to make it work out it seems. Coming in their bullpen was on the ropes, Going into tomorrow’s game, it’s the O’s with a tired bullpen. Not because of the play on the field, but because of an injury.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Taj Bradley. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: An onslaught of caddywampus proportions

Tomoyuki Sugano and the Baltimore Orioles were in trouble after two innings last night at Camden Yards against Tampa. Sugano had an easy first inning, but surrendered six runs in the second – including three home runs. Given that last week Tampa overcame an 8-0 Oriole lead, this seemed insurmountable…then again, would you believe that Sugano was the winning pitcher?! Sugano’s line: 5.0 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 1 BB, 2 K.

The O’s immediately loaded the bases against Tampa starter Pepiot, bringing Coby Mayo to bat. And Mayo smacked a two-RBI double, cutting the lead to 6-2. But it didn’t end there. Ramon Urias’ two-RBI single cut it to 6-4. Tack on one more when Ramon Laureano scored after an errant throw on a stolen base attempt.

Urias was also a pinch-hitter. Jordan Westburg injured a finger on his left hand sliding into second base in the first inning. Yes, the same Westburg who was almost on the IL with a similar injury on Sunday. X-Rays were negative, and he’s day-to-day.

Tampa manager Kevin Cash lifted his starter Pepiot in favor of a reliever in the middle of that onslaught. Which I found fascinating. Win or lose, you’re in a series with a division rival on the road, and you’re blowing through your bullpen. Cash of course finds the smallest ways to get ahead in games, but I would submit he outthought himself a bit there. That said, Tampa also extended their lead to 7-5 in the third.

The O’s took the lead in the fifth after tying it on Colton Cowser’s RBI-double. Gary Sanchez came up behind him, and smacked a two-run home run. Again going back to Cash, he went to the bullpen because he saw this as a big game and he felt his starter wasn’t hacking it. And again, he’s now taxed his bullpen seemingly for nothing.

One inning later the Birds got an RBI-double by Cowser, and a two-RBI single by Sanchez. The game appeared over with the O’s leading 11-8 following Tampa tacking one back on. But Laureano’s two-RBI single and Sanchez’s fielder’s choice combined with an error combined to run it to 14-8. But wait…there’s more.

When the smoke cleared in the game overall, the Orioles went home…wait for it…22-8 winners. Jackson Holliday and Gunnar Henderson each homered. As did Coby Mayo in the last of the eight, a two-run shot. It was Mayo’s first major league home run,

The downside of course is Jordan Westburg, however again, he’s listed as day-to-day. In a year when the Orioles have lost a couple of games big, this was one where they returned the favor. Keep in mind that blowouts like this are anomalies on both sides. But you take it and move on when you’re on the good end of it.

The series continues this afternoon at Camden Yards. Zach Eflin gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Zack Littell. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Colton Cowser the lone bright spot

The question tonight was whether the pitching or the bats were less effective tonight for the Baltimore Orioles. The Birds called Brandon Young up from the minors to make the start, and he couldn’t quite make it over the hunt. Young’s line: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 2 K.

Young, and most Oriole relievers, were pitching-to-contact. The problem was Texas seemed to know that. And they happily obliged in terms of putting the ball in play. The Orioles were swinging-for-contact also. But Texas starter deGrom mowed ‘em down.

Texas got on the board in the second with an RBI-single by Jung. One inning later after a single, Jung came up to bat again and smacked a two-run home run. That was only a three-run deficit, but it got worse.

On the flip side, the Orioles didn’t get a guy on base until the seventh. They didn’t get a hit until the eighth when Colton Cowser broke up the no-hitter. It was the third time in five games the the Birds had gone through at least the sixth inning before getting a base hit.

Texas would like on three more in the fourth. Heim’s solo homer in the sixth would extend the Texas lead to 7-0. And the Birds would go onto drop two-of-three in the series.

The O’s are also struggling with allowing guys to take extra bases. Many of their throws from the outfield are to the wrong base. Granted it’s for the purpose of throwing a runner out of course. But lapses in judgement like that are giving guys extra bases. And it’s hurting.

Baltimore Orioles: Back-to-back-to-back homers not enough

The Baltimore Orioles have seen Charlie Morton look better than what we saw tonight. But he’s certainly looked worse as well. On a night when he wasn’t helped much by his team’s offensive output, he labored through five. Morton’s line: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K.

Morton gave up an RBI-single to Carter in the fourth, followed by a fielder’s choice-RBI. Texas would also add a sac fly-RBI before the inning ended. Garcia’s RBI-single in the seventh also extended their lead to 4-0.

The Orioles didn’t get a hit until the seventh inning. It appeared like it was one of those days, but the Birds finally reached base on a hit with Ramon Laureano’s seventh inning single. After a Gunner Henderson walk, Gary Sanchez put the O’s back into the game with a three-run home run.

That was huge. It appeared like the Birds were already down and out. But they came back. On top of that, Ramon Urias immediately tied the game at four with a solo homer to right field (confirmed by replay). The coup de grace for the Orioles in that inning was a third homer – right after Urias’. Ryan O’Hearn made it back-to-back-to-back with a third home run to give the O’s a 5-4 lead.

That was certainly a momentum swing. However the O’s could stand to learn a lesson from Texas in terms of surrendering the lead and taking momentum back. And Texas did that immediately. Heim’s sac fly-RBI tied the game back up at five,

The game went to extra’s of course with a ghost runner starting the inning at second base. Seranthony Dominguez allowed the runner to get to third on wild pitch, and with one out Haggerty sent a bounding ball to Jackson Holliday at second. Holliday threw home, and nailed the runner at third. Or did he?

Texas challenged the call. And the umpires ruled that the runner’s hand made it in just before the tag. The runner was safe, and the Birds trailed 6-5.

Oriole bats stranded the ghost runner at third in their frame of the inning, and Texas won it 6-5. Good game to watch, even though a loss. Not one they wanted to drop, but it was also one they almost took.

The series with Texas concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Neither team has announced a starter of yet. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Trevor Rogers day is a Holliday

Trevor Rogers became the first Baltimore Orioles’ pitcher to complete eight innings in a regular season game since 2023 in tonight’s game against Texas. This in a game where the Oriole bullpen is about as taxed as it could possibly be. It could have been the best outing by an Orioles’ starter this season. On perhaps the hottest day of the year to date. Rogers’ line: 8.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K.

It was one of those games where everything I just lined up. This including Oriole bats. In fact, the real question is whether or not Rogers was the big star, or Jackson Holliday.

The newly recalled Chadwick Tromp smacked a two-out double in the third, followed immediately by an RBI-double by Jackson Holliday. And the Orioles led, 1-0. The O’s would also put two on in the last of the fifth, the next time Holliday came up. And he smacked a three-run homer, busting the game wide open.

One inning later the O’s had two on with nobody out, and Colton Cowser striding to the plate. And Cowser laid down perhaps the bunt to end all bunts down the third base line, and it just died – in play. That loaded the bases, and the O’s extended their lead to 5-0 on Coby Mayo’s RBI-groundout.

Ramon Urias would add a sac fly-RBI in the sixth, more or less as an insurance run. Not that it was needed, as well as Trevor Rogers pitched. Andrew Kittredge closed out Texas in the ninth, and the Orioles took game one of this series. Rogers was outstanding. So was the offense, headlined by Jackson Holliday. Good team win.

The serie continues tomorrow at Camden Yards. Charlie Morton gets the start for the Orioles, and Texas is yet to announce a starter. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Did New York’s aggressiveness hurt twice over?

You can’t knock the effort of Dean Kremer today for the Baltimore Orioles. Kremer was strong, and only didn’t get credited with a quality start because manager Tony Mansolino opted to match up early. But Kremer put the team in a spot to win the game. Kremer’s line: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K.

The O’s got on it early today. Ryan O’Hearn’s RBI-single in the first inning gave them a 1-0 lead. Colton Cowser followed with an RBI-double. That left the Birds with a 2-0 lead. It could have been more, but Cedric Mullins grounded out.

New York got on the board in the second. Chisholm was singled home by LeMahieu from second base after a double. Colton Cowser’s throw to the plate was up the third base line, forcing catcher Maverick Handley to come up the line. He fielded the ball, but Chisholm lept into Handley and knocked him over – dislodging the ball and cutting the Oriole lead to 2-1.

I don’t think it was a dirty play by Chisholm, although it was certainly aggressive. Handley went flying after the collision, and Chisholm touched home plate. Again needless to say, it showed a certain reckless abandonment on the part of Chisholm. It also showed Handley the showers, as he left the game with an injury.

The O’s couldn’t get much going offensively for the rest of the way. New York threatened in the seventh with two on and two outs – and Judge coming to the plate. New York had an open base, but the Orioles opted to pitch to Judge. Sort of…

…the pitched him away – at first. And if anything, at various points reliever Seranthony Dominguez got slightly too much of the plate. That may well have been the case on Dominguez’s 3-2 splitter. But yesterday I wrote about how Oriole pitchers were trying too hard to steal strikes on the fringes of the plate. But when they attacked hitters (such as Judge), they saw some success.

So in the entire at-bat, Dominguez attacked Judge. Yes many pitches were off the plate. But it was almost setting Judge up for that final pitch. And with a full count, Judge swung through Dominguez’s final splitter, ending the inning.

But it wasn’t meant to be today. Chisholm struck again – perhaps in more than one way. His two-RBI double in the eighth gave New York a 3-2 lead. Chisholm would end up at third on the throw, and he scored on LeMahieu’s fielder’s choice – combined with a Gary Sanchez error. It was a bouncing ball in the infield that was fielded by Gunnar Henderson, who threw home. Catcher Gary Sanchez dropped the ball…

…the runner (Chisholm) was originally called out, but the umpire overruled himself at home plate. It’s debatable whether or not the Chisholm would have been safe without the ball having been dropped. But you have to wonder if Sanchez wasn’t seeing Chisholm bearing down on him and remembering what happened to his “counterpart” (Maverick Handley) earlier in the game. Perhaps the baseball equivalent of hearing footsteps – a term we hear often in the NFL. End of the day it was only an insurance run, as the Orioles couldn’t score in the ninth.

That Handley play sticks out. You do see runners colliding with catchers (like Pete Rose and Ray Fosse). You don’t often see a base runner lunge into a catcher like that up the line. That play resulted in Handley helicoptering the other way, and New York getting on the board. Again it wasn’t a dirty play. Just against the grain of what you normally see.

Handley’s status going forward is unknown. It’s assumed that he’s in concussion protocol. Meaning the Orioles could need a catcher – this after putting Adley Rutschman on the IL yesterday. Stay tuned.

Before the game the O’s also optioned Yennier Cano to Norfolk. They also have Jordan Westburg who injured his finger yesterday, and could potentially be hitting the IL. Potentially. That would allow them to recall Cano right away due to an injury. What happens with that or with Handley is unknown.

The Orioles now head home to open a three-game set with Texas at Camden Yards. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Texas’ Patrick Corbin. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Allowing themselves to outthink themselves

The deck was probably stacked against the Baltimore Orioles and starter Zach Eflin today. The bullpen was already taxed, day game after a night game, and Adley Rutschman went to the IL just prior to the game. Eflin’s line: 3.0 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 4 K.

New York smacked three solo homers in the first two innings. Of those three solo homers, only one of the pitches was in the middle of the plate. Similarly, New York strung together three straight singles in the third. Escarra’s sac fly-RBI gave them a 4-0 lead.

Some of those singles were fluky and softly hit. I’ve never seen a team fall victim to so much soft contact. First and foremost sometimes that does happen. But it happens a lot to the Orioles, and it nitpicks them to death. The reasoning for that may well be so many pitches off the plate.

Unfortunately the Orioles aren’t fooling anyone. Teams know that they aren’t pitching-to-contact. They aren’t attacking hitters. They’re trying to buy cheap outs in a sense. There’s nothing wrong with that – to a point. But when teams know they’re throwing off the plate, all the Orioles are doing in effect is selling cheap hits and base runners.

It’s easy to be afraid to pitch-to-contact when you’re facing the likes of Judge and Stanton. However the times when Oriole pitchers have attacked the zone this series against those guys, they HAVE induced outs. So…are the O’s outthinking themselves a bit?

On that aforementioned Escarra sac fly, Cedric Mullins’ throw home allowed the other two runners on base to advance. And Peraza sent a VERY softly-hit ball just over first base, and it landed fair for a two-RBI single. Again on a pitch away, and on the first pitch of the at-bat at that. Almost like they knew it was coming.

New York would add a solo homer by Volpe and an RBI-triple by Rice later in the game. To compound things, New York starter Schmidt took a no-hitter through seven before he was lifted due to a high pitch count. Gary Sanchez broke up the no-hit bid in the eighth with a single.

To make matters worse, the Orioles could have even more injury issues going forward. I mentioned Rutschman going on the IL – Jordan Westburg was lifted after one at-bat with “left hand discomfort.“ You have to hope that this is a precautionary thing, and that Westburg is back in the lineup tomorrow – or Monday. Westburg’s made a huge difference offensively since returning from the IL. The O’s can’t afford to lose him again.

It’s easy to say that the O’s shouldn’t pitch on the fringes of the plate. I recognize that, especially when the likes of Judge and others are staring back at your pitchers. I also recognize that their analytics are telling them to do things the way they are. But you know who else reads analytics? Other teams.

And those other teams are aware that the Orioles are dedicated to analytics first and foremost. So it’s actually working counter to the way it’s supposed to – those analytics are a blueprint for other teams to know what’s coming, and how to beat the Orioles. You can’t allow that to happen. You’re only outsmarting yourself.

The series concludes tomorrow at Yankee Stadium. Dean Kremer gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Will Warren. Game time is set for just after 11:30 AM.