Baltimore Orioles: Albert Suarez got his thirds

You can’t say enough of the job Albert Suarez has done for the Baltimore Orioles. This over the course of the season, and of late. He’s picked the team up when it’s needed him most. Including today, with the Birds desperately needing a win. Suarez’s line: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K.

This was a pitcher’s duel from the beginning with Boston starter Crawford. Who was almost equally as outstanding this afternoon. If anything, he gave up less early on than Suarez did. But Suarez pitched out of every mini-jam he got into.

Suarez had two keys this afternoon; one was fastball command. His fastballs were coming in fast and furious. And they were going by Boston hitters all afternoon, sending them back to the dugout.

The other key was what I’ll call “the thirds.” The Orioles have struggled for years with two strikes and two outs. How many times have we talked about pitchers getting to the brink of retiring a hitters the side, or both, only to give up a base hit or home run? How many rallies have started on that brink?

Not today. Suarez got his man every time. It’s easy to say that‘s what you’re supposed to do – and it is. But when you’ve consistently struggled with it like the Orioles have, you notice things like that. It shuts down rallies before they can get going.

Adley Rutschman broke a scoreless tie in the last of the fifth with a solo homer. Rutschman of course gwllhas been out of the lineup a couple games due to a back strain (despite making a pinch-hit appearance last night). It wad a great way for him to welcome himself back to the starting lineup.

However with how this series has gone, one run might not have cut it. This is a Boston team which peskily doesn’t quit. So one inning later with Crawford tiring quickly, the Birds put runners on first and second with nobody out. Ryan O’Hearn would have grounded into a double-play, however the throw back to first was wide. That allowed Ramon Urias to score from third, giving the O’s a 2-0 lead.

You’ve seen other teams get fat off of Oriole mistakes here and there. Finally the reverse became true. And none other than Gunnar Henderson gave the Birds even more insurance, with a two-run homer later in the inning.

And it’s a good thing Henderson smacked that homer. True to form, Boston rallied. They loaded the bases in the eighth, and Rafaela’s RBI-single cut the lead to 4-1. Refsnyder also smacked a solo homer off the left field foul pole in the ninth, before Devers struck out to end the game.

That’s a big win for the Birds. Not just to split this series, but it also guarantees that they’ve won the season series with Boston. This with an entire series between the two still to go at Fenway next month. So it’s almost two wins in a sense.

The O’s head to Citi Field tomorrow night to open up three with the New York Mets. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s David Peterson. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles fall despite Cade Povich’s strong outing

Despite the game starting in an hour and twenty minute rain delay, Cade Povich turned in his best outing as a pro last night for the Baltimore Orioles. The record shows he took the loss, and to some people that’s all they know. But make no mistake that he was a superstar last night. Povich’s line: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 6 K.

Povich of course came up not too long ago – in the middle of the season. However as I’ve said many times, a starter will have ten great outings, ten poor, and ten in between. You need to be able to put W’s in ink next to those games when a pitcher throws a game like that. Last night, the Orioles couldn’t do that.

Povich gave up an RBI-single to O’Neil in the sixth, giving Boston a 1-0 lead. The frustrating thing is it was a softly hit liner. The Orioles are looking to hit the cover off the ball when they come up to bat, yet that soft liner was all it took for Boston.

The Birds didn’t get their first hit until the bottom of that sixth inning. But it was a big one. It came in the form of a solo homer by Gunnar Henderson, tying the game at one.

Povich was lifted after recording an out and surrendering a base but in the seventh. And the crowd gave him an apt reaction, which Povich acknowledged after the game (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

Obviously been up and down, had some struggles up here overall with the last few starts, so having another opportunity to come up here and coming into the seventh and then leaving. That crowd, I had the chills coming off a little bit. Still kind of in game mode, but I guess a little bit trying to fight off a smile. It was special.

However that runner that Povich put on came around to score on Duran’s two-RBI single later in the inning. That means that Povich, after the best start of his career, was in line to be the loser. Devers’ two-run homer in the eighth extended the lead, and the O’s fell, 5-1.

For what it’s worth, it should have been 5-2. Eloy Jiménez would have hit a solo homer in the last of the ninth, but Boston’s Duran climbed the wall and saved the ball. He robbed Jimenez of a homer. He also made sure that the crowd and everyone watching at home saw him puffing out his chest and seeing his exuberance at having made a great play. This while Jimenez raised his cap in the air towards Duran as a sign of respect and appreciation for the moment. You can judge for yourself whether the arrogance or humility is more becoming.

The series concludes this afternoon at Camden Yards. Albert Suarez gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Kutter Crawford. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles drop a whale of a game

By the end, nobody remembered that Corbin Burnes turned in his worst outing as a member of the Baltimore Orioles. For the first time this year, Burnes failed to complete five games innings. And he got tagged pretty good. But again, by the time the game finally ended, it was probably forgotten by most who saw it. Burnes’ line: 4.0 IP, 10 H, 8 R, 3 BB, 7 K.

Boston jumped out to an early 2-0 in the first, which was a harbinger. Ramon Urias’ RBI-single in the second got the O’s on the board, but then Devers’ two-run homer in the third extended the lead back to 4-1. However the game was still young.

The Birds tied the game briefly in the last of the third. Eloy Jimenez’s RBI-double cut the lead to 4-2, and Jackson Holliday’s RBI-triple trimmed it down to 4-3. He would later score on a wild pitch.

However an RBI-single and a three-run homer by Yoshida in the fourth chased Burnes and put Boston back in the lead at 8-4. The devastating part of that is the homer came on a two/out curve ball. Again with two outs. It’s almost as if the Orioles start pitching to contact with two down, and opposing teams are catching on.

The Orioles weren’t done, however. Ramon Urias’ RBI-single and James McCann’s sac fly-RBI in the fifth brought them to within 8-6. However Boston countered in the seventh with two home runs, running the count to 11-6. Yet again it started with Ramon Urias – the Orioles’ comeback attempt, that is. His two-run homer cut the Boston lead to 11-8 in the seventh. Gunnar Henderson grounded into a force out, netting an additional run, and the Birds were within three at 11-9.

Boston would add an insurance run on an RBI-single by Yoshida. Ramon Urias added a sac fly-RBI in the last of the eighth, but couldn’t muster much in the ninth. And they fell 12-10 in a wild one.

Ten minutes before game time Adley Rutschman was scratched with lower back discomfort. You hope that it’s a one-game thing, but time will tell. Needless to say( Ramon Urias picked up the slack tonight. Three hits and five RBI speak for themselves.

It’s easy to look at one pitcher or another and place blame. Craig Kimbrel, for instance. However this was just one of those games. Bats were flying and making contact on both sides. Some of Boston’s early contacts came on softly hit balls. But that ceased to be the case shortly thereafter. Sometimes you’re the windshield, and sometimes you’re the bug.

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Albert Suarez is listed as the starter for the Orioles (despite rumors that it might be Cade Povich), and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Brayan Bello. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles slug their way past Boston

Zach Eflin pitched a gem for the Baltimore Orioles this evening in the first game of four against Boston. Mind you folks, this was a division game. Against a team that in theory is chasing the O’s. Needless to say, the Orioles came up big tonight. Eflin’s line: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 8 K.

Eflin struck out eight, which is great. That also means he was getting a decent amount of the plate, and the one bad pitch he made ended up being a solo homer to Abreu in the fourth. That gave Boston a 1-0 lead. But that was the lone highlight for Boston over the course of the entire game.

The Orioles tied the game immediately. Following an Anthony Santander walk, Gunnar Henderson smacked a two-run homer, and the Orioles led 2-1. It was to almost the same part of the park as last night’s shot, and almost just as deep.

One inning later in the fifth, Cedric Mullins’ solo homer extended the lead to 3-1. Ryan Mountcastle’s RBI-single in the sixth ran it to 4-1, and Colton Cowser capped it off with an RBI-double in the seventh, sending the Birds home 5-1 winners. The O’s now move back into a first place tie with New York, who was idle tonight.

This felt like the first game in some time that was just “clean.” If anything, it was borderline boring. The most drama in the game was the infield single Yennier Cano gave up in the ninth. But it was for naught, as Cano shut things down after that.

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Corbin Burnes gets the start for the O’s, and Boston is yet to announce a starter. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Dean Kremer leads the day

The Baltimore Orioles needed a win tonight against Washington. Not because of the Battle of the Beltways, but to keep pace in the standings. They needed someone to step up, and Dean Kremer was that man. Kremer’s line: 6.0 IP, 5 H 1 R, 2 BB, 3 K.

Kremer sent Washington down 1-2-3 in the first inning. For the most part, that was a harbinger of things to come. With a runner on in the last of the first, Gunnar Henderson hit a ball that maybe hasn’t landed yet – this for a two-run homer, and the Birds led 2-0.

However Washington came right back, providing Kremer with his only hiccup. Call’s RBI-double in the second cut the lead to 2-1. It was a high liner that grazed off of Anthony Santander’s glove on right field as he collided with the wall. However that Henderson home run stood up for the Orioles for some time. But they needed more.

And eventually, they got it. First off, Coby Mayo recorded his first major league hit in the last of the fifth. That’s always a big moment when someone’s able to do that, and it had been some time coming for Mayo. Nice that he was able to do it in front of the home crowd at Camden Yards.

Both Dean Kremer and Washington starter Herz were outstanding tonight. It was the sort of game that someone had to lose. However it was Oriole bats who responded late, and the Oriole bullpen who was able to step it up a step.

Jackson Holliday’s one-out RBI-single extended the Orioles’ lead to 3-1. Later in the inning Adley Rutschman’s sac-fly RBI would extend it further to 4-1. And the Oriole bullpen took the bull by the horns from there and shut Washington down. With the win, the O’s split this series and the season series with Washington.

It’s easy to say that those last two runs weren’t even necessary. However would the bullpen have been as locked down with only a one-run lead? End of the day we’ll never know. But we do know how it turned out, and the score said the Orioles won.

The Orioles now welcome in Boston tomorrow, opening a four-game series at Camden Yards. Zach Eflin gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Nick Pivetta. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: You have to put teams and hitters away

Trevor Rogers and Baltimore Orioles’ pitching struggled in a very poignant part of the game tonight against Washington. Starting with Rogers, Oriole pitchers couldn’t put Washington hitters away. This with two strikes. Rogers’ line: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 2 K.

Washington is an extreme small-ball team. That means they don’t mind hitting with two strikes. And when they get on base, they’re looking to steal a base. Not a good combination when you can’t put guys away from the Orioles’ standpoint.

Following a double and a walk, Washington had two on and two out in the first. Wood’s RBI-single gave them a 1-0 lead. The Orioles were able to pick wood off first to end the inning, but not before a second run scored. Wood caught himself in a rundown, allowing the runner from third to score, and putting the O’s in a 2-0 hole.

Many of those runners got on base in two-strike counts. Again, you have to put hitters away when you get to that point. Especially on 0-2 or 1-2. And again specializing in small ball, Washington finds ways to score runs. What Wood did on first base was certainly unconventional, but it worked.

The Orioles would tie the game in piecemeal manner in the second and third. Ryan Mountcastle’s second inning RBI-single, and an inning later Anthony Santander’s solo homer did the trick. And if you’re counting, that’s 36 home runs by Santander this year, a team record for a switch-hitter (previously held by Ken Singleton). When you consider that Eddie Murray is on the list of Oriole switch-hitters as well, needless to say Santander’s in rare company.

However Washington came right back and put two runners in scoring position in the top of the fourth. Vargas and Garcia would clear the bases on two separate sac fly-RBI, giving Washington a 4-2 lead. Again, small ball. They put runs on the board however they can.

Vargas added an RBI-single in the sixth, followed by a two-RBI single by Young. The Orioles sat on waiting for the big knock the entire game. Which is tough to do when you don’t have anyone on base. Part of playing in the AL East is the big innings, but they never came for the Birds tonight.

But the runs did come for Washington, due in large part to their ability to hit with two strikes. Chaparro would add an RBI-double in the eighth, which is tough because this was his first big league game. And he devoured Oriole pitching. Ruiz added an RBI-single in the ninth as well, and the O’s trailed 9-2.

End of the day, again you have to put guys away. It’s the same problem as two-out rallies that have plagued the O’s for years. And the only way out of the problem is to pitch your way out of it. Just like on the flip side of the coin, the only solution is to hit your way out of it.

And the good news is that the Orioles had some solid at-bats in the ninth inning. It was certainly “too little too late,” but they can hopefully take that slight amount of momentum and bring it forward into tomorrow. And part of that momentum was the Orioles scoring a third run, with Cedric Mullins scoring from third on a fielder’s choice and an error. Again, you have to bring even the smallest amount of momentum forward.

The series concludes tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Washington’s DJ Herz. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles welcome beltway rival

Following an off day, the Baltimore Orioles are back in action tonight. And back at Camden Yards at that. This evening the Washington Nationals come up the pike for the second installment of the Battle of the Beltways.

I’m not a fan of the two-game series. It feels very non-traditional, almost like a glorified doubleheader. However it’s also good for the fans in this region to have games in both parks between the two teams. The O’s split the first series in Washington back in May, a series that included a thrilling extra innings win.

The Birds enter play tonight alone in first place due to New York falling last night in Chicago. These are two games with Washington that the Orioles should win. But we all know the game isn’t played on paper. You have to show up. And this is a Washington team that’s consistently done that this season.

The series begins this evening at Camden Yards. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Washington’s Jake Irvin. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Don’t press your luck

Baltimore Orioles fans should remind themselves that the Birds took two-of-three in this weekend series in Tampa. If perfection is the goal, you’re always going to fall short. Having said that, starter Albert Suarez was pretty darned close to it this afternoon. Suarez’s line: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

I rarely allow myself the simplicity of bluntness, but to be blunt…Suarez mowed Tampa hitters down from the beginning. Some of the innings were over before they even got cranking. It was perhaps the most dominant start of his Orioles’ career. You only wish that he had been given more to work with on the offensive side of the coin.

Anthony Santander hit a solo homer in the fourth inning. And that was the only run support that Suarez got. However again, I can’t downplay how stellar he was today. There’s no world in which he could have lost the game today with how he pitched.

Suarez was at 95 pitches after recording the second out in the seventh. And manager Brandon Hyde opted to lift him in favor of Cionel Perez. Caballero immediately doubled, which was followed by an RBI-single by Carlson. In a flash, Suarez was non-decisioned.

Hyde then went to Craig Kimbrel in the eighth, who promptly walked the leadoff hitter. Following a strikeout, he issued another walk. Keep in mind, Tampa already had the go-ahead run in scoring position in scoring position. Almost inexplicably, they opted to attempt a double-steal. Which is risky in that situation. But they did, and it worked.

If you’re going to do something like that, which is indubitably against the grain, it had better work. In Tampa’s case today, it did. Kimbrel intentionally walked the hitter at the plate with first base open, and Mead’s sac fly-RBI gave them a 2-1 lead.

To add insult to injury, Tampa’s closer, Fairbanks struck out Jackson Holliday in the ninth inning (for the second out) on a 1-2 changeup. Again, against the grain. Granted he had thrown three straight fastballs at that point, you would expect something in the dirt. Or a fastball high. Instead we got a changeup in the outer part of the strike zone, which is probably the last thing one would expect in that situation.

Again, you have to stand on the fact that the Orioles won this series. If you’re winning series’ you’re doing okay. And again, if you’re expecting perfection, you’re going to be let down. They took two-of-three; that’s not shabby. Yes they now move back into a tie with New York in the standings (with the Orioles in theory ahead by percentage points). But given that’s how they entered the series, in short they sustained.

People will point to Brandon Hyde relieving Suarez when he did. Obviously that’s the glaring thing in this game. However Suarez had never thrown that deep into a game. He was also at 95 pitches. All of that makes a difference. I tend to think that he possibly could have gone one more hitter. However had the result been the same (or worse), keep in mind that people’s reactions would be that Hyde should have pulled him.

So Hyde did what he did. And it’s a shame that it worked out the way that it did. Many will say that Tampa won today off of Hyde’s management. Maybe they did. Again, I would have left him in. But you also have to go with conventional wisdom, that being that the guy pitched deeper than he ever had before already.

In short, you can’t press your luck. And it’s that same point that I would make about the series overall. They won the series. That’s the goal in every series, and they did it. You can’t press your luck.

Baltimore Orioles: Ramon Urias redemption tour

Corbin Burnes gave the Baltimore Orioles a decent outing tonight (in the form of a quality start) at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, but it proved to be not enough. It certainly helped the Orioles win, but not in enough time for him to be the winner. Burnes’ line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

Two of the first three hitters got on base for the Orioles, in the form of Colton Cowser and Gunnar Henderson. Adley Rutschman followed with an RBI-double, giving the O’s a 1-0 lead. Ryan Mountcastle would immediately smack a two-RBI single, and the Birds led 3-0 after one.

One inning later Jackson Holliday’s solo home run extended the lead to 4-0. However come the fifth, Tampa battled back. They put a runner on, who stole second base. Caballero would single as well, and an infield single at that. It was in essence a swinging bunt, and it was “eaten” by Ramon Urias on the infield grass at third.

Following Caballero stealing second base, Jackson’s two-RBI double would cut the lead to 4-2. De Luca would add an RBI-double of his own later in the inning, cutting the Oriole lead to 4-3. Caballero would come up again in the seventh, and his solo homer would tie the game at four.

Typical of Tampa. They always get fat on what their opponent leaves out there, no matter how slight it might be. That Caballero play was ruled a hit; but it easily could have been an out had Urias made the play. Something that minute sparked a rally.

However Urias was able to redeem himself – and then some. Jackson Holliday drew a walk lead off the eighth inning, bringing Urias to the plate. And again…redemption. Urias smacked a two-run home run, putting the Orioles ahead 6-4. Before the inning ended Ryan Mountcastle would add an RBI-single, extending the lead to 7-4.

Tampa would threaten before it was all over, but the O’s never truly broke. Diaz dropped what appeared to be a harmless bloop single in, and one thing led to another. Before you knew it the bases were loaded with two outs, and Siri drew a pinch-hit walk to cut the lead to 7-5. However the bullpen was able to close it out from there, including Seranthont Dominguez in the ninth. It was only his second save of the season, the other one coming with Philadelphia…against the Orioles.

With the win, the Birds now sit alone in first place in the AL East by a game. This by virtue of New York dropping the second game of their doubleheader this afternoon with the Los Angeles Angels. The O’s are also the first team to 70 wins, if you’re keeping track at home.

Tampa doesn’t give up. The Orioles are fortunate that they were able to close this out. And make no mistake that it was a big win. It’s in the division, and it allows the Birds to sit alone in first – at least at the conclusion of play for one day. As much as I say that this stage of the season is keeping pace, the O’s took advantage of their main competition losing earlier today. They won. And they now sit alone in first.

The series concludes tomorrow at Tropicana Field. Albert Suarez gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Jeffrey Springs. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Zach Eflin returns to the Trop – and wins

Zach Eflin made his most recent start tonight at Tropicana Field – except this time for the Baltimore Orioles. Eflin of course was traded at the deadline from Tampa to the Orioles, and tonight made his third start for the Birds. This one however against his old team in his old home park. Eflin’s line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K.

This is pretty much the sort of outing that Tampa fans have been used to seeing out of Zach Eflin. And thus far, he’s been worth everything that he cost the Orioles to get him. After a taxing series in Toronto, Eflin went seven innings tonight, which saved the bullpen. It all begins and ends with starting pitching.

But a close second is getting on the scoreboard early. And the Orioles did – about as early as one can get. Colton Cowser led the game off with a solo homer. The Birds led 1-0 before the crowd had even settled in. Many of them wearing Orange & Black, for the record.

The Orioles had a lot of base runners on base tonight, including in the fifth. They loaded the bases with nobody out, and Ryan O’Hearn’s two-RBI single extended the lead to 3-0. One inning later it was a solo homer by Cedric Mullins which rallied the Birds further, extending the lead to 4-0.

Yennier Cano came on to close things out in the ninth, and did surrender a solo homer to Carlson. However that aside, the Orioles’ bullpen closed out a 4-1 win in Tampa, marked by solid pitching and good defense. New York was rained out tonight (doubleheader tomorrow), so the Orioles stand alone in first place in the AL East – for tonight.

The series continues tomorrow at Tropicana Field. Corbin Burnes gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Drew Rasmussen. Game time is set for 7:15 PM,