Baltimore Orioles: How does camp translate to Opening Day?

Buck Showalter‘s Baltimore Orioles have approximately a week-and-a-half left in Grapefruit League play. So use this as your now almost weekly reminder that wins and losses still don’t mean anything at this point. The O’s will finish up Grapefruit League play next Thursday against Detroit at Ed Smith Stadium, head to Norfolk, VA on Friday to take on the Tides (what amounts to an intersquad scrimmage in a sense), and then head home to Baltimore for Opening Day on April 3rd.

But if wins and losses don’t mean anything, why am I writing game recaps and giving analysis? It’s spring training for me as well, folks! In fact, every year about this time I read my game recaps and I wonder if I’ve “lost it” in a sense. It always seems like last year’s game recaps and analysis were so much better. But the fact is that there’s nary any ebb or flow to these articles, just as there’s nary any ebb or flow to these games. It all goes hand-in-hand.

Individual game performances are more important at this stage than wins and losses, and we’ve seen quite a few good ones. And a few lackluster as well. And the final roster will reflect that, as will the minor league rosters. But how does what the Orioles are doing now translate once the lights come on for real?

It all boils back down to fundamentals. Are cut off men hit, are throws going back into the correct base, that type of thing. We know that this team is going to hit for some power, so that’s all but a given. But it’s the intangibles that win or lose games. Intangibles like I listed above.

While Oriole pitching got beaten around yesterday in Fort Myers, Now whether or not anyone who saw action in that game ends up on the 25-man roster is another story. Wade Miley was supposed to start, but he was scratched due to an illness.

And that can be a problem as well this time of year. There’s always one or two teams who seem to have a flu virus ravage their clubhouse. Chris Davis had something last week, and now Miley was scratched with an illness as well. So fundamentals are great to preach, but meaningless if guys aren’t on the field.

Nevertheless, if results are any indication I suspect that fundamentals have translated over in the regular season through most of Buck Showalter’s camps. The line between winning and losing is so thin in baseball, and it’s fundamentals that put certain teams over the top. So while the players need to remain relaxed in the spring training atosphere for the next week-and-a-half or so, they also want to ensure that they’re playing the game fundamentally correct. Because in less than two weeks wins and losses will in fact matter.

The Orioles will return to Sarasota this afternoon to take on the Toronto Blue Jays. Ubaldo Jimenez will get the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Aaron Sanchez. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Kevin Gausman strong in loss

As long as we’re still talking about games that don’t count, yesterday should count as a good day for Kevin Gausman and the Baltimore Orioles. Gausman pitched five incredibly solid innings against Detroit, putting the Birds in a spot to win the game. Gausman’s line: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K.

The eight strikeouts really stick out to me. While that will eventually make your pitch count tick up, it also means that Gausman was greasing the strike zone with his pitches. And that’s a good sign for the Orioles’ presumed Opening Day starter.

The O’s took a 1-0 lead in the last of the second on Trey Mancini‘s RBI-double. However that’s all that they were able to muster on the day. And in terms of winning the game, that’s never a good sign.

Detroit tied the game in the sixth with a McCann RBI-single, and later took a 2-1 lead when they netted a run on a double-play. and while Detroit is actually a power-hitting club, that’s very indicative of AL Central baseball. Any run scored in any manner is a small victory. And it drives power-hitting teams like the Orioles crazy.

Detroit would put five more runs on the board in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings. This included a two-run home run in the top of the ninth. This came on the heels of a hit batsman, which as we know gives your opponent a free base runner. And the Orioles ended up paying for it.

In terms of wins and losses, the good news is that the “regulars” were already out of the game when Detroit made their run. I put that in quotes because the Orioles haven’t had a full slate of regulars since the beginning of the WBC. The likes of Machado and Castillo will return to camp at some point this week. However Jones and Givens are still playing for Team USA.

All Oriole players have been told to take their time returning to the club once their team’s run is over. It’s not as if guys haven’t been getting their reps in the WBC, so there’s no need to rush them back to get in one extra game or so. In a way, you want to stockpile your rest at this point to prepare for the long season ahead.

The Orioles will head down to Ft. Myers this afternoon for an additional engagement against the BoSox. Wade Miley will get the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Kyle Kendrick. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: The Oriole Way is the American Way

In Adam Jones, the Baltimore Orioles have the best centerfielder in America. Now some of you are going to say that’s incorrect, or you’ll disagree. And that’s okay. But the fact is that Jones is the starting centerfielder for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. Out of every centerfielder in baseball, he was chosen.

And in Jones, Team USA has found a leader much in the same way that the Orioles did as soon as he came to Baltimore. Along with his American teammates, Jones will play in the semi-finals of the WBC on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium against Japan. If the US wins that game, they’ll advance to the final game on Wednesday night.

Jones has been a part of several very memorable moments thus far in the WBC, mostly at the plate. However in last night’s 6-3 win over the Dominican Republic, he made a play for the ages. If you haven’t already seen it, click here.

Ironically, the man on the other side of this play is also an Oriole: Manny Machado. He sent a deep shot to right centerfield…any other centerfielder, and it’s probably a home run. However somehow, Jones ran it down and made a catch that may well be long remembered in international baseball circles. He climbed the wall and brought a sure home run back into the ballpark.

However the majesty and ambiance of the moment didn’t end there. As he saw what happened while rounding the bases, Machado paused and raised his batting helmet in the air towards his Orioles teammate in recognition for what he had done, before heading back to his team’s dugout. While it was and always will be “Jones’ moment,” the fact that it was Machado on the other end and the fact that he doffed his cap towards his teammate and friend made it a uniquely “Baltimore moment” as well.

What we saw in that moment was a guy hustling faster perhaps than he had ever hustled before to get to the ball. Then using the wall as his support, he lept skyward and brought it back into the ballpark, negating a home run. And then on the flip side, we see the guy on the other end of that great play recognizing it – and recognizing that it was his (Orioles’) teammate who made it.

“The Oriole Way” has always been a fundamental approach to the game. But in the same tradition as “Dodger Blue,” it’s also a level of par in terms of how the game is played and the respect that it should be shown. Part of that of course is respecting one’s opponents. Too often we’re seeing sports figures who literally have only respect for one thing besides money: themselves.

And we see it all over; the NFL, NBA, and even in events such as cage fighting (which I don’t consider a sport). Taunting isn’t just accepted, it’s encouraged. And yes, we’ve seen it far too often in baseball of late as well; Jose Bautista‘s bat flip in the 2015 MLB playoffs ranks up there as a prime example. While I do agree that the name of the game is to win, all of us involved in baseball and in sports (players, coaches, writers, and fans) owe it to the very institution of the game to treat it right. And respect for the opponent has always been a big part of baseball.

So in that one moment we saw everything that The Oriole Way is about. And you see the sportsmanship that these guys have been taught, namely from Buck Showalter. As opposed to wallowing in the fact that he simply made a fly ball out, Machado paid homage to his teammate. And Jones deserved every bit of it by the way he hustled to the ball and never gave up.

But this goes deeper than just symbolizing The Oriole Way. It goes deeper than Orioles fans being proud of how their guys have performed in the WBC. It’s not just “The Oriole Way;” it’s truly “The American Way.”

Baltimore Orioles: Bronx Bombers can’t outslug the Birds

The Baltimore Orioles made their lone visit to George Steinbrenner Field in Tampa to play New York yesterday in the spring, and they ended up beating NY at their own game. While New York hasn’t exactly been the Bronx Bombers in a few years, they’re certainly making an effort to return themselves to that status. But it didn’t exactly work out that way yesterday afternoon with the O’s in town.

Dylan Bundy got the start for the Birds, and ended up getting beat around just a bit. Bundy’s line: 4 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 1 K. Bundy struggled with his control at times, but that’s also what these spring games are about in a sense. He gave up an RBI-single and a two-RBI double in the last of the third, and New York got out to a 3-0 lead. However one inning later the Birds showed that they came to play, as Pedro Alvarez smacked a solo homer.

Chris Johnson would add a two-run shot later in the inning, and suddenly the O’s were tied with the noveau Bronx Bombers. However Alvarez wasn’t done quite yet. In the top of the seventh he added an additional solo home run, giving the O’s a 4-3 lead.

New York would tie the game in the eighth with a solo shot of their own – off the bat of McKinney. But Rule 5 pick Aneury Tavarez was having none of that per se. His solo home run in the top of the ninth gave the O’s a 5-4 lead, which turned into a 5-4 win.

After the game Alvarez revealed to the media that he’s been working on his cutter this spring, and used it a lot in yesterday’s game (quote courtesy of Steve Melewski, MASNsports):

I think I bounced a couple, but that’s better than leaving them up. It’s getting better slowly. I plan on using it during the season. We haven’t talked too much about how much and if we’re going to limit using it.

And that really illustrates why we need to take these spring results and stats with a grain of salt. Often times guys go into games with an idea to work on a certain pitch or even location. So while the results weren’t what Bundy and the Orioles probably would have liked, odds are he used that cutter and some off speed pitches at a much higher rate than he would have in a regular season game.

And that type of thing is often the game within the game during spring training. Yes Bundy gave up four hits, three runs, and three walks. But he worked on his cutter a bit, and in that sense it was a successful outing from his standpoint. Obviously he hopes to use it much more effectively come the regular season, but that’s why he’s working on it now.

The Orioles will return to Sarasota and the home crowd this afternoon when Detroit comes to town. Kevin Gausman will get the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Matt Boyd. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Spring games in the division meaningful?

The Baltimore Orioles make their first and only visit to Steinbrenner Field in Tampa this afternoon to take on the NY Yankees at their spring facility. New York visited Sarasota on February 27th. That was their only visit to Ed Smith Stadium as well.

So…do these spring games against division foes mean just a little bit more? On one hand, I would say definitely not. Players around the league are still trying to get ready and to prepare for the season. So this isn’t the two teams playing in mid-season form. Throw in the fact that many Oriole regulars will stay back in Sarasota today, AND some players are still in the WBC; that takes some of the intensity away I suppose.

However on the flip side, it’s still a division foe. I also find it very interesting that the Birds are only playing New York twice this spring. It’s as if the tems scheduled a home-and-home, similar to as is done in college basketball. I have to believe that was done by design.

Ultimately players are there to play and compete between the lines. When the umpire yells play ball!, it’s game on. You’re hard pressed argue to someone that it’s only an exhibition game, and that it doesn’t count. Plus if you’re trying to make the team, it really does count – big time.

As I said the O’s will travel to Tampa to take on NY this afternoon. The Birds will throw Bundy, while New York will counter with Sabathia. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Kissing your sister just in time

The Baltimore Orioles had a forgettable and almost a regrettable evening last night at Ed Smith Stadium against Philadelphia – until Sean Coyle came up to bat in the last of the ninth. However even before that, it wasn’t looking good given the fact that the Birds were getting no-hit. Now mind you, these games still don’t count. But getting no-hit is getting no-hit, no matter how you spin it.

The state of Maryland appeared to take it on the chin yesterday overall, with the Maryland Terrapins getting bounced from the first round of the NCAA Tournament the same night where the Birds almost got no-hit. But notice I said almost; which means it didn’t happen. So there’s that.

Chris Lee made his maiden start for the Orioles this spring. Lee’s line: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K. Lee did have some issues finding the plate at times, as was evidenced by Buck Showalter‘s comment after the game (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

Chris was OK. I think sometimes, his ball moves so much he tries to almost locate a little too much instead of attacking the center of the plate and letting the natural life take over. Those things will come. But he brings some things. He’s left-handed, he holds runners, he works fast, he’s a strike-thrower through his career.

Lee is one of a handful of candidates who could in theory end up in the starting rotation – possibly. It’s unclear what the Orioles are going to do regarding that quite yet with Tillman out, although I’m sure that Buck Showalter and Dan Duquette have an idea. And that’s probably why Lee got the start last night.

Philadelphia led 2-0 through most of the middle innings. However the story of course was that the O’s were being no-hit. I’m going off of memory here, however I seem to recall Philadelphia almost no-hitting someone a few years ago in Grapefruit League play. So it’s not unprecedented; it does happen. While it’s usually forgettable when it does, that’s not to say you want to be on the losing end of it.

With one gone in the last of the ninth. Chris Dickerson broke up the no-no with a base hit. At that point, win or lose at the very least the Birds wouldn’t post a zero in the hit column. That brought Coyle to the plate, and his two-run homer tied the game and gave the Birds somethin other than a zero in the runs column as well.

After the ninth inning Philadelphia appeared confused as to whether or not the game would go a token extra inning. Whereas the O’s were ready to play, Philadelphia decided it was time to hit the showers. I suppose a tie never looked so good from the Orioles’ perspective.

The Birds will head to Bradenton this afternoon to take on Pittsburgh once again. Gabriel Ynoa will get the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Drew Hutchinson. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles fall just short of comeback vs. Pittsburgh

Ubaldo Jimenez had a bit of a rough outing this afternoon in Bradenton, as the Baltimore Orioles fell to Pittsburgh, 6-5. The Birds found themselves down big early on, however they tried to fight back. Jimenez’s line: 4.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 5 BB, 5 K. Jimenez said that he felt he was too often throwing off speed pitches while working from behind in the count (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

I think I was throwing too many breaking balls when I was behind in the count, something you want to work on in order to get your breaking balls ready for the season. Two of those walks that I got were on fastballs and the other three were with breaking balls behind the count, 3-2 pitches. I wanted to get my breaking balls down and I couldn’t. I was working on that.

The Orioles actually had an early 1-0 lead on Chris Davis‘ fielder’s choice-RBI. Pittsburgh would tie it up in the third on a sac fly-RBI. However what ended up killing Jimenez were the five walks. In the wake of several walks, Pittsburgh managed an RBI-double and a grand slam in the fifth. Two of those additional runs were charged to Jimenez, however they did score after he left the game.

However the O’s did in fact battle back. Janish and Tavarez smacked RBI-singles in the seventh, and Mancini grounded into a force out which scored two runs – in a sequence that included an error. But in the end it wasn’t enough, and the O’s fell to Pittsburgh in Bradenton, 6-5.

The key for Jimenez and all Oriole pitchers is to keep the walks down. That’s really what it boils down to for the Birds. If they can keep guys off base, the odds of the opponent scoring goes way down.

The Birds will return to Sarasota for an evening affair tomorrow night against Philadelphia. Chris Lee will take to the mound for the Orioles, and Philadelphia hasn’t named a starter to this point. Game time is set for just after 6 PM.

Baltimore Orioles catching a break with David Price out?

The Baltimore Orioles are catching a break in the American League East with the likes of Boston’s David Price potentially sitting out to start the season. There’s no if’s and’s or but’s about that. The Orioles obviously have their own concerns with Chris Tillman, however the fact that they aren’t the only one in this situation does help.

At this point, Price has yet to appear in an exhibition game, similar to Tillman. Manager John Farrell told reporters that he felt it would be tough to envision Price being ready to go on Opening Day. The difference with the Orioles is that we knew that all along with regard to Tillman. Boston’s just starting to deal with that realization now.

So in effect, one cancels the other out. Boston’s down an ace, as are the Orioles. Some might argue that’s more of an advantage for Tampa, Toronto, or New York, and they might be right. However the fact remains that one of the Orioles are going to be at less-than-full strength. And now it appears that one of their division rivals will be in the same boat.

The Birds ended up falling to Tampa yesterday afternoon, 9-6. Even with their reserves, Tampa played their normal game of bleeding the Orioles to death with simple paper cuts. They put together four consecutive two-out singles against starter Wade Miley in the first inning, which was enough to score two runs. And they were off to the races.

As we know, these small ball teams give the Orioles absolute fits. Whereas the O’s are looking to come up to bat each time and smack the ball into oblivion, teams like Tampa, Kansas City, Cleveland, and others are just looking to get on base. And the fact is that the Orioles pitch in a manner that would be consistent with a big ball team. Them’s the breaks, I suppose.

The Birds will travel to Bradenton this afternoon to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates. Ubaldo Jimenez will get the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Jameson Taillon. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Joseph and Rickard key in win vs. Philadelphia

Last spring it was a foregone conclusion that Joey Rickard would break camp with the Baltimore Orioles. He was a Rule 5 pick, and would have to be sent back to Tampa if he was sent down. That’s not the case this year, however Rickard’s making his case to be on the Orioles’ roster one way or the other this spring.

Kevin Gausman got the start this afternoon against Philadelphia, however while he did struggle I think his numbers are a bit deceiving. Gausman’s line: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R (1 earned), 1 BB, 3 K. Gausman in essence had to record five outs in the first inning because of two errors – one of which cost the Orioles a run. Caleb Joseph misplayed a throw home on a grounder in the infield, allowing a run to score on a fielder’s choice and an E2.

Point being, Gausman probably would have thrown one additional inning, and perhaps a bit better across the board if not for that first inning. He also allowed an RBI-single to Saunders in the third which gave Philadelphia a 2-0 lead.

However the Orioles battled back, and Joseph atoned for his prior mistake. His third inning solo homer put the Orioles on the board, and cut the Philadelphia lead to 2-1. They’d extend that to 3-1 in the fourth on a wind-aided homer by Stassi, but that was nothing more than false hope if you were rooting for the boys from the city of brotherly love.

Mark Trumbo‘s RBI-single in the last of the fourth cut the lead to 3-2, which brought Rickard to the plate later in the inning with Trumbo and Mancini on base. Rickard’s three-run homer put the Orioles in the lead for the first time on the afternoon at 5-3. One inning later Hyun-Soo Kim would add an RBI-single, and Phialdephia would get one back in the eighth on a homer by Williams. But this was the Orioles’ day at the end, and they fought to a 6-4 win.

At one point it was almost accepted that Rickard would probably start the season in the minors. However he’s putting a lot of pressure on the club to bring him north when the time comes. And that’s a good problem to have if you’re the Orioles. You want people to be banging down the door to get to or stay in the big leagues. So hitting the go-ahead and eventual winning three-run homer this afternoon certainly helps.

As I’ve said previously, if you’re going to play these games that don’t count, you might as well win them. And Rickard did his part to ensure that the Orioles did that today. Incidentally, J.J. Hardy got his first start of the spring this afternoon, going 0-for-2 at the plate with a walk. The Orioles are hoping to get him 40 at-bats or so before they head north.

The Birds will remain in Sarasota tomorrow with Tampa coming to town. Wade Miley will get the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Blake Snell. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Chris Tillman headed back to square one

It’s looking increasingly like Chris Tillman is not going to break camp with the Baltimore Orioles. It’s unclear if Tillman is destined for the DL or perhaps extended spring training, however the idea of him pitching in the first week of the season isn’t looking good. Tillman was supposed to play long toss at Ed Smith Stadium yesterday, and he was shut down with further discomfort in his right shoulder after only a few throws.

This is turning into a bit of a problem for a franchise that’s relying on Tillman to do great things this year. Tillman has been the Orioles’ ace the past few years, and in many cases he’s been the only pitcher who’s shown any sort of consistency for the team. Whether he can do that this year is very much in doubt.

This was also to be big year for Tillman himself, as he’s fast approaching the time when he’ll need a new contract. The last thing that he personally is going to want is an injury attached to his name or his performance. Buck Showalter said that in his mind the worst-case scenario is that Tillman starts over from scratch in terms of ceasing baseball activities (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

The worst-case scenario for me, well, not worse, is that he kind of starts over from scratch and stays down here in extended spring. It looks like he’s got a chance to be left here with (minor league medical coordinator) Dave Walker, but I’m hoping something changes here in the next week. He may try it again, I don’t know, or we may get back and he’s headed for another opinion. Because this is a big year for him. That’s when you know there’s something wrong.

With all of this said, read a bit between the lines there. What Showalter did not say was that Tillman would need to have surgery or anything along those lines. That’s not to say that surgery isn’t an eventuality, but I suspect that’s not on the table right now. But needless to say, this is a major concern.

Meanwhile, the O’s defeated the Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers yesterday afternoon, 8-6. Catcher Austin Wynns‘ two-RBI double in the top of the ninth broke a 6-6 tie, and put the Birds in the lead. The Orioles led for all of about 20 minutes in this game – yet it still counts as a win.

Dylan Bundy struggled in this game however, having to exit earlier than he would have liked. Bundy’s line: 2.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 1 K. After his outing Bundy admitted that he was catching too much of the plate with his pitches, however keep in mind that’s why we’re playing these games. Given the Tillman situation, the Orioles are going to be relying on Bundy to be a sturdy part of the rotation moving forward. No pressure or anything…!

The O’s will return home to Ed Smith Stadium this afternoon to take on the Philadelphia Phillies. Kevin Gausman will get the start, and he’ll be opposed by Philadelphia’s Jeremy Hellickson. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.