Baltimore Orioles hang a crooked number vs. Boston

The Baltimore Orioles continued their trend of working their starters two innings and getting them out yesterday afternoon against Boston with Dylan Bundy. He put in his work, and then was out. Bundy’s line: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R (1 earned), 0 BB, 2 K. The two runs came on a Benintendi two-run homer in the first inning. However Bundy settled down after that and got to work.

However the Orioles weren’t going to be outdone on this day in Sarasota against their AL East rivals. Adam Jones smacked a solo homer in the last of the first to cut the lead to 2-1. Welington Castillo added an RBI-double, and Chris Johnson a two-RBI double. Suddenly the Birds were in the lead at 4-2.

Boston would cut it to 4-3 in the third, however the O’s kept the pressure on. Gentry’s RBI single in the last of the third ran the tally to 5-3, and Adam Jones followed with a bases-clearing three-RBI single. That seemingly broke the game wide open, as the Orioles held an 8-3 lead. The “baby Birds” who did mop-up duty in the end of the game managed to tack on four more runs towards the end of the game as well, giving the O’s a 12-5 win over Boston.

You alway like to win, especially against a division rival such as Boston. However we all know that the scores and even the outcomes of these games are all but irrelevant. What was relevant however was the fact that Brad Brach made his 2017 debut in this game as well. Brach walked a batter and gave up two hits – but didn’t surrender a run. And that’s what these games are really for when it comes to veterans and regulars – getting the cobwebs shaken off.

One thing I noticed was that Adam Jones was lifted after the third. In essence, that was due to the fact that he had already had a moster game. This prompted manager Buck Showalter to proclaim after the game that Jones was ready for prime time already at this point (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

Adam played about seven innings today in three innings. He got three at-bats and ran all over the field. He’s ready to go.

Obviously that’s a good sign for the Orioles; the fact that their star center fielder is already set to go. Jones has quietly had a very strong start to spring training this year thus far. And that’s a good omen for the Orioles.

Today is a split squad day for the Birds, with the B-squad heading up to Tampa this evening to take on the Yankees. The regulars will stay back in Sarasota to welcome the Minnesota Twins to Ed Smith Stadium. Kevin Gausman will get the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Phil Hughes. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles fall late in Mike Wright’s debut

Mike Wright made his Grapefruit League debut for the Baltimore Orioles yesterday afternoon. Wright’s line: 2.o IP, 2 H, 2 R (1 earned) 0 BB, 1 K. Wright gave up a two-run homer in the last of the second before exiting the game, however the Orioles (as well as Wright) seemed satisfied with the outing overall.

After the game Wright obviously wished he hadn’t given up the homer, however he seemed to feel he was in a good spot overall (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

That pitch, I wish I could have back, but I’m really happy with the progression I’ve made as far as mindset and going out there and executing pitches.

Wright’s been noted during his stint with the Orioles for kind of losing his composure at times. That didn’t seem to be the case yesterday. And if he can start putting it together, both he and the Orioles will be in a better spot for success.

Chris Dickerson’s solo homer in the third and Johnny Giavotella’s RBI-triple in the fifth tied the game for the Birds. Later in that fifth inning they took the lead on a Santander sac fly-RBI. However it was two homers in the last of the eighth off of Philadelphia bats that ended up doing the Orioles in by the score of 7-5.

The details of the game aren’t really as important as one might think, save perhaps for Wright’s outing. Like most teams, the Orioles don’t exactly put their A-team on the travel roster for these games. But with that said, it was good to see presumed minor leaguers competing against Philadelphia’s regulars for the most part.

Going back to Wright’s temperment for just a moment, I totally get where he’s coming from. I can be pretty harsh on myself at times, and what ends up happening is that you make the situation worse. And that’s happened several times in games for Wright. So the fact that he was able to get a hold of himself and avoid a situation like that is a good sign. Granted this is only spring training, but guys don’t think that way when they’re in games. They’re playing to win.

The Orioles will return home to Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota this afternoon for their first Grapefruit League meeting with the Boston Red Sox. Dylan Bundy will make his first appearance of the spring for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Henry Owens. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Ubaldo Jimenez with a decent outing in loss vs. New York

The Baltimore Orioles fell this afternoon in Sarasota, 4-1 to the New York Yankees. However starter Ubaldo Jimenez looked good in his maiden appearance of the spring. Jimenez’s line: 2.0 IP, 3 H 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K.

Jimenez allowed a couple of hits and base runners in the first inning, however pitched out of it and only allowed one run. That came on a fielder’s choice-RBI by judge. During an in-game interview on MASN, manager Buck Showalter said that this spring was the crispest Jimenez has looked (in spring training) since he’s been an Oriole. Showalter went onto remind Orioles fans that the team doesn’t make the post season last year without Jimenez.

The Orioles tied the game at one with a Jonathan Schoop solo homer in the last of the third. However for the most part, Oriole pitching held firm through the game. One thing of note, Chris Davis walked in his first at-bat for the second consecutive game. And that’s a good sign for the Orioles, as the more guys you get on base the more shots you have to put a run across the plate.

Reliever Oliver Drake surrendered a three-run homer in the ninth, which ended up winning the game for New York. However as I always say, keep in mind that pitchers are ahead of hitters at this point in the spring. So while Oriole bats weren’t popping this afternoon, these games are all about getting your timing back.

Southpaw Donnie Hart retired two hitters this afternoon, sending his tally to six up and six down this spring. As you may recall, Showalter really seemed to like Hart and what he brought to the table last August and September. The fact that he’s getting into these early games is a good sign. Whether or not that means he breaks camp with the team is another story. But look for Donnie Hart to have a role this year at some point at the big league level.

The Orioles will tomorrow travel to Clearwater to take on Philadelphia at their spring complex. Mike Wright will get the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Clay Buchholtz. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

 

Baltimore Orioles: Adam Jones’ homer and five-run seventh rule the roost

Adam Jones and the Baltimore Orioles opened the home portion of the exhibition schedule this afternoon in Sarasota. It was what they call a chamber of commerce day in Sarasota, and the Orioles’ faithful once again packed Ed Smith Stadium to see their Birds in the flesh for the first time in 2017. Needless to say, it turned out better than last year’s AL Wild Card game.

Wade Miley gave the Orioles two solid innings, which set the tone for the game. Miley’s line: line: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 K. Jones put the O’s on the board early with his first home run of the spring, giving the Orioles a 1-0 lead. However one inning later Pittsburgh’s Wood knotted the game at one with a solo shot of his own – that appeared to be wind-aided. However the Orioles took the lead back again in the last of that second inning, on a Kim RBI-single.

For awhile, it appeared that the teams were exchanging home runs. Pittsburgh tied it at three in the fourth on an Osuna homer, however one inning later the Birds took a 3-2 lead on Manny Machado‘s first homer of the spring. Pittsburgh would later tie the game again at three, and it appeared the teams were locked in an epic showdown under the Florida sun…

…far from it, in fact. This is spring training; there’s nothing epic or even memorable about it for the most part. However as the regulars began to rotate out of the lineup, the Orioles’ reserves and minor leaguers showed that they had the propensity for the dramatic big inning just as their big league counterparts were.

Aneury Tavarez gave the O’s the lead for good with an RBI-single in the last of the seventh. They would later break the game wide open on Trey Mancini‘s two-RBI single, giving the O’s a 6-3 lead. Later in the inning David Washington would strike out swinging, however the ball would bound away from home plate. Washington ran to first, which allowed the Orioles to score another run when the catcher committed a throwing error. A Giavotella sac fly-RBI would close out the scoring in the Orioles’ 8-3 victory.

Overall, Oriole pitching allowed three runs – two of which were solo homers. And as we know, those rarely hurt you. Granted, starter Wade Miley was the only guy who’s projected to be in the big leagues who played in the game. However thus far in camp the Orioles have shown great pitching depth. That’s only through three games, but it’s something.

The O’s will remain in Sarasota tomorrow as the New York Yankees come to town. Ubaldo Jimenez will get the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Chad Green. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Injury updates on Zach Britton and others

According to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports, Baltimore Orioles’ closer Zach Britton has improved in terms of his condition. Britton began feeling discomfort in his left side towards the beginning of camp, and was in essence shut down. For the time being, it appears that he’s dodged an oblique injury…again, for the time being.

It’s tough to say where, if anywhere, this goes. But needless to say it’s something to watch as the Grapefruit League “season” wears on. Keep in mind also that this isn’t necessarily a setback for Britton in terms of time. Teams reported a bit earlier than normal this year due to the World Baseball Classic. So whether or not he would have been playing in games at this point is another story.

Catcher Welington Castillo is in this afternoon’s starting lineup, which is a good sign. Castillo, as was reported here on this column earlier today, woke up with neck spasms yesterday and was unable to play. I suppose we’ve all done it; slept the wrong way and suffered from a stiff neck the next day. But the fact that he’s playing today means no harm no foul. So that’s a bit of good news for the Birds.

I will be interested to see how far into today’s game Wade Miley is allowed to go. At this stage of spring most starting pitchers are getting two innings, and that’s what the first two games yielded. However Miley is probably slated for the rotation, so might he be in the game for a bit longer? Possibly, but we’ll have to see.

I say this every year, and several times at that. However fans should keep in mind while watching these early spring games and results that pitchers are ahead of the hitters. So the focus for a lot of hitters in games such as today’s is going to be timing. So strikeouts might pile up, and runs might be hard to come by. But at this stage of the game that isn’t a sign of any sort of pending offensive doom.

 

Baltimore Orioles starting to see injuries pile up

The Baltimore Orioles’ 6-2 loss in Bradenton against Pittsburgh yesterday afternoon should be of no concern to anyone. However the fact that injuries seemed to come in a wave yesterday should be on people’s radar. Welington Castillo was to make his maiden start of the spring yesterday, but woke up with neck spasms – he ended up being a scratch.

How ironic a twist of fate is it that less than a week after Wieters signs elsewhere, his apparent replacement comes down with an injury? The Orioles don’t appear overly worried about this per se, but it’s something to watch. If Castillo appears in the Orioles’ lineup for this afternoon’s home opener in Sarasota, perhaps that indicates that the Birds dodged a bullet.

But they didn’t dodge a bullet with outfielder Michael Bourn. He’s going to be on the shelf for about a month, after breaking his finger playing football in the outfield during a workout yesterday. First off let’s be clear; guys on every team chuck the football around before and after workouts, and even during the regular season. It’s lighthearted of course, however it’s also a good warm-up or even cool-down activity.

The Orioles believe that Bourn could in theory be ready for Opening Day if he had to be, but there’s no reason to do anything but take this slowly. According to reports he simply caught the ball wrong. It could happen to any of us, but it happened to Bourn.

The Orioles also signed infielder Paul Janish to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training yesterday. That doesn’t appear to be related to any current injuries – or does it? The O’s of course already have J.J. Hardy who’s battling his normal routine of back spasms; does the Janish signing indicate there’s a chance Hardy might need to spend some time on the DL? Or perhaps at extended spring training?

To top it off, Christian Walker was claimed off of waivers by the Atlanta Braves yesterday. And that’s probably a better situation for him in the sense that he’s not going to be in a  log jam of players. However that’s just another very talented player out of the Orioles’ system, with nothing in return.

As I said above, the Birds will play their spring home opener this afternoon at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota against Pittsburgh. Wade Miley will get the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Jameson Taillon. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Zero’s are a good thing for Tyler Wilson and company

Tyler Wilson and the Baltimore Orioles aren’t judging wins and losses in spring training – per se. However if you’re going to play these spring games, you might as well try to win them. And that’s exactly what the Orioles did in Lakeland, defeating Detroit 2-0.

Wilson was in and out of the game as the starter, but he set the Birds up nicely for the win. Wilson’s line: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. Those are stellar numbers for anyone, much less the starter in the first Grapefruit League game. Again folks, this game doesn’t count, and as is generally the case it was largely scripted. But again, if you’re going to play these games you might as well win them.

As a staff throughout the entire game, the Orioles gave up four hits and one walk. Of note, Donnie Hart pitched a perfect seventh inning for the Birds. As you may recall, Hart became a favorite of manager Buck Showalter late last season during the stretch run. And he’s off to a decent start again this year.

Ryan Flaherty put the Orioles on the board with a sac fly-RBI in the second inning. In theory that’s all the Orioles would have needed. However Hyun-Soo Kim reached on a fielding error in the fifth, which allowed another Oriole run to score. And when your pitching is as good as that of the Orioles was yesterday, you’re as good as golden in that position.

Buck Showalter was complimentary of almost everyone after the game, however he really seemed impressed with Tyler Wilson (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

Tyler’s a reliable pitcher. He’s a guy who’s always ready. He’s in great shape. He’s always aggressive. Those strikes. He’s a guy you’re always reaching back for because he’s just reliable. He’s a guy you know what you’re going to get from him.

While this game didn’t count in the standings, it was a blueprint for how any team can win games: put a couple of runs on the board, and shut-down pitching. Some will point out that the second run was unearned. Well that can sometimes happen when guys get on base. So if you get on base, you’re putting yourself in a position to potentially score.

The Birds will hit the road again tomorrow, heading to Bradenton to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates. Gabriel Ynoa, for whom they recently traded, will get the start for the Orioles. He’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Steven Brault. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Today is gameday

This afternoon the Baltimore Orioles are going to play the biggest baseball game in the history of western civilization. Well…for this year, anyways! Far from it, although the Birds will head to Lakeland, FL to open up Florida Grapefruit League play against Detroit.

However it almost feels like the unofficial start to the unofficial start. I say that because it’s unclear how many of the Orioles’ regular players will be making the trip to Lakeland. Odds are the veterans will be few and far between. However needless to say, the Orioles will appear in their uniforms on the field in a game. Not only that, but there’ll be a box score with their names, real umpires, and people in the stands who paid admission.

The real key to today’s game is for the Birds to test their depth. That’s how a lot of teams and managers view these road games, especially early in the spring slate of games. If someone looks good today and continues that trend throughout the spring, he might find himself coming north with the team, or ending up just a phone call awa in Norfolk.

At the end of the day, once today’s game is over it’ll be forgotten – in the grand scheme. But when players get to Ed Smith Stadium today and see their names on the travel roster, it’ll be important to them. Hopefully that goes without saying.

For what it’s worth, Tyler Wilson will get the start this afternoon for the O’s. He’ll be oppposed by Detroit’s Michael Fulmer. Game time is set for just after 1 PM. Play ball!

Baltimore Orioles: What can fans expect this sprin

The Baltimore Oriles begin Florida Grapefruit League play tomorrow. Let that sink in for just a moment! The Birds will travel to Lakeland, FL to the spring training home of the Detroit Tigers to open up their spring training slate at 1 PM tomorrow. On Saturday they’ll head to Bradenton for a game against Pittsburgh, and they’ll round out the first weekend with their home opener in Sarasota against Pittsburgh on Sunday afternoon.

So if you’re heading down to the Gulf Coast this year to catch a game or two, what exactly can you expect in terms of the games? First off, be forewarned that spring training games aren’t unlike their NFL counterparts (preseason) in that there’s very little ebb and flow. For a guy such as myself who loves to strategize and figure out what’s going to happen next, that makes it tough!

The games are just what we would think: “training.” Especially in the first two weeks or so, some games might be pretty rough. Remember that pitchers and catchers are going to be be a week or so ahead of hitters. So the likes of Jones, Davis, Machado, etc. may well pile up a few strikeouts here and there before the ball starts bouncing off their bats.

But that’s why they play these games, so as for players to get ready for the season. They help players to get their timing back, as opposed to doing it in the regular season. And for that, fans should be thankful!

In these early spring games, you can expect the starting team to play between 4-6 innings in each game. In some instances they’ll get guys two at-bats and then get them out of the game. Pitchers of course will be on innings limits or pitch counts, regardless of how well they pitch.

It’s rare to see managers going to the mound in the middle of an innin so as to make a pitching change, because usually it’s pretermined that the starter will go two innings, then someone else will go one, another guy will go two, etc. It’s not unheard of however to see a starter leave the game only to go down to the bullpen and complete his workday by throwing 30-40 pitches down there – while the game is going on.

At the end of the day, it’s sunny, the weather’s beautiful, it’s Florida, and it’s baseball. Fans can’t ask for much more I suppose. These Grapefruit League games are a far cry from the drama of a pennant race, but needless to say they’re something!

Baltimore Orioles: Matt Wieters stays in the neighborhood

Most Baltimore Orioles fans had probably come to terms with the fact that Matt Wieters wouldn’t be on the team any longer. Odds are, that happened some time ago. But the good and bad news is that he’s staying in the neighborhood.

Wieters signed with the Washington’s Nationals yesterday. So if you liked him in Baltimore, he’ll still be in the neighborhood! Wieters signed a two-year deal, worth $21 million ($11 million the first year). He does have the option of opting out after year one.

So in the coming days we’ll see people wondering how the O’s could allow “their guy” to go right down the pike. Keep in mind, that if the Orioles wanted to keep Wieters, he’d still be here. That’s not to say hat they wouldn’t be a better team with him, however they felt that their money was spent better elsewhere. And I would tend to agree.

Again, the O’s would be a better team with Wieters. But his production went down after his surgery a couple of years ago. So does this mean he’s over the hill? Not in the least! He’ll have a great season this year down in DC. In fact, he’ll probably make an already formidable pitching staff even stronger.

He also has a manager in Dusty Baker, who’s similar to Showaler in Baltimore. He’s an old school manager who lets his team do their thing without getting in the way. At the end of the day, Wieters will have a great year in DC. But the O’s did the right thing by walking away.