Baltimore Orioles: Unconventional means

Winning this game was always going to be a tall order for the Baltimore Orioles. Starter Grayson Rodriguez was scratched with what was later termed a “right lat/terres discomfort.” He didn’t look comfortable warming up in the bullpen, and approximately 15 minutes before the game Al Suarez was told he was starting. Suarez’s line: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K.

To be blunt, Albert Suarez was outstanding. He rightfully should be the story of this game. He pitched five innings of the most solid baseball of his career. And when he left the game, he was in line to be the winning pitcher. This thanks to Jackson Holliday’s solo homer in the sixth inning – also the Orioles’ first hit.

But…he’s unfortunately barely even a footnote in the game story. Brandon Hyde lifted Suarez after five, despite the strength in his performance. And I get it – it was a spot start on short rest. However Hyde went to Gregory Soto in the sixth following Burch Smith, who left a baserunner with two outs. Again…with two outs.

Soto gave up a single, leaving runners at the corners. That brought Kirk to the plate, who smacked a three-run home run. And suddenly the lead belonged to Toronto at 3-1. Again, another two-out rally for an opponent.

Varsho followed with a single, and the Orioles opted to intentionally walk Clement. That part was curious to me…the count admittedly was 3-0. However it seemed that they surrendered the at-bat in order to get what they thought was a better matchup.

On top of that, Toronto then opted to do something incredibly unconventional. They attempted a double-steal, and it worked. That left two runners at scoring position, and Barger’s two-RBI double extended the lead to 5-1.

The O’s did load the bases with nobody out in the seventh. Then it was Brandon Hyde’s turn at unconventional managing. He pinch hit Austin Slater for…Jackson Holliday. The very idea appears to be against the grain. And if results mean anything, technically it worked. Slater drew a walk, cutting the lead to 5-2.

Hyde did that for a better matchup, but…wow. What a move to make. Again, technically it worked in that the Orioles scored. But I’m not sure it worked how they wanted it to.

Hyde also used Coby Mayo as a pinch hitter later in the inning for Colton Cowser. So the Orioles took the bat out of the hands of a guy in Jackson Holliday (who’s been heating up and had already homered), and Colton Cowser – who snapped a 17-game hitting streak as a result. Again, unconventional.

So the difference is that Toronto’s risk-taking worked, and the Orioles’ didn’t. End of the day, we’ll never know how it would have worked out had things been different. Maybe the Orioles wouldn’t have even gotten that second run – who knows. But you only get kudos for rolling the dice when it works out. That’s true in sports, and in life.

Brandon Hyde said after the game that Grayson Rodriguez was going back to Baltimore for additional testing. That’s not good news, although there’s nothing definitive yet that we know. For what it’s worth, his next turn in the rotation would come on Sunday.

I want to circle back to Albert Suarez. He was a true pro in doing what he did tonight. And make no mistake that he deserved a better fate. He rightfully should be the big story in this game. That obviously wasn’t the case end of the day. But what he did tonight was unparalleled.

The series continues tomorrow at Rogers Centre. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Bowden Francis. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles answered the call with the game on the line

Corbin Burnes turned in perhaps his worst start as a member of the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon at Progressive Field in Cleveland. And it was still a darned decent outing. As I’ve said many times, the success or failure of your season lies in those “in between” (good and bad) starts. Burnes’ line: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R (4 earned), 1 BB, 4 K.

The O’s led from the beginning, although that’s not to say this game was easy. It absolutely WAS NOT. Ryan O’Hearn’s RBI-double in the top of the first gave them a 1-0 lead. However the real highlight in that was Gunnar Henderson and his outstanding base running. Henderson was on first base, and O’Hearn pulled a liner into the left field corner (with the outfield playing straight-away. Henderson picked up on that, and scored from first base.

The O’s continued their assault on the scoreboard in the third with a sac fly-RBI by Adley Rutschman, and an RBI-single by Eloy Jimenez. However Cleveland applied some pressure in the bottom of the inning with RBI-singles by Kwan and Ramirez. And that’s really what this Cleveland team does. They keep pressure on you…to the point to where you could be up ten with two outs in the ninth and you still might not feel secure.

BUT…the Orioles know how to apply pressure as well. Jackson Holliday’s solo homer in the immediate aftermath of that third inning extended the lead to 4-2. Later in that fourth inning, Gunnar Henderson sent a two-run shot into the stands, extending the lead to 6-2. The game appeared to have opened up a bit at that point, that is until Naylor smacked a three/run homer in the fifth off of a tiring Corbin Burnes, cutting the lead to one at 6-5.

Again, pressure. Cleveland. That’s part of what they do. However again, the Orioles answered the call to arms immediately following the Cleveland rally. With two outs in the sixth Ryan Mountcastle’s RBI-single gave the Orioles a bit of a cushion at 7-5. Adley Rutschman followed with an RBI-single, extending the lead to 8-5.

Similar to last night’s game we saw Cionel Perez in the eighth, and he recorded the final two outs with a runner on base. And he was masterful in doing so. Make no mistake, that meant as much to today’s win as it did last night’s.

Adley Rutschman gave the Orioles a slightly larger amount of insurance with an RBI-single in the eighth. And the Orioles pen was once again sure, as the O’s cruised to a hard-fought 9-5 win. This following a ninth inning in which new acquisition Seranthoby Dominguez gave up one base hit in shutting Cleveland down. But make no mistake, this game was a grind. Much like last night’s.

The O’s looked so bad on Thursday and Friday. It’s huge to say that they came back and won the final two games of this series. They had a similar series in Cleveland at the tail end of last year, dropping the first two games, but grinding out two tough wins in the final two games.

And if you look back over 2023 and now 2024, Cleveland’s been a pesky thorn in the side of the Orioles. So both yesterday and today’s wins were really big. The Birds atoned for themselves in a big way in this series, especially given that Cleveland has the best record in the American League. They’re also a team that the Orioles could very well see again.

The Orioles now hold a half-game lead over New York in the division. As this is being written, New York and Toronto are tied at three in the eighth inning )under a rain delay). Assuming that game is completed, the O’s will either return to holding a percentage points’ lead in the division, or they’ll finish the day a full game up. Both the Orioles and New York are idle tomorrow.

Baltimore Orioles: Cionel Perez and Adley Rutschman lead the way

In his second Baltimore Orioles’ start, Zach Eflin turned in another quality start. Thus far, he’s been an outstanding acquisition. Needless to say, he picked the Orioles up in a moment when they needed a win (from a starting pitching perspective). Eflin’s line: 6.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 K.

The danger of course is that Eflin was pitching-to-contact. That’s why his strikeout total was so low. And when you pitch-to-contact and induce the opponent to put the ball in play, sometimes bad things can happen.

And in fact, the one bad pitch Eflin made was a fastball that caught too much of the plate in the third, culminating in a two-run homer by Martinez. And with how this series has gone, that felt like the end of the game. That is, until Oriole bats picked themselves up an inning later.

The Birds put runners at first and second in the top of the fourth with one out. That brought the newly acquired Eloy Jimenez to the plate, and his infield RBI-single put the O’s on the board and cut the Cleveland lead to 2-1. Colton Cowser would tack on an RBI-single of his own later in the inning, and the game was tied at two.

One inning later in the fifth, Gunnar Henderson’s RBI-single gave the Orioles the lead at 3-2. Eflin pitched into the seventh, and he was lifted after a one out single – this in favor of Cionel Perez. And he started inauspiciously, albeit not on his account. Fry rightfully should have popped out for the second out, however Ryan Mountcastle misplayed a ball in foul territory, and it dropped harmlessly to the ground.

That could have been disaster for the O’s, however Perez buckled down and struck Fry out. Cleveland pinch hit Noel with two outs, and Perez induced a pop out. And Perez emphatically smacked his glove and walked off the field.

Gunnar Henderson led off the eighth with what should have been a single. However he boldly attempted to stretch it into a double, and with a professionally-laid slide was able to do so. I put it in that manner because the relay side beat Henderson to the bag. However he slid in to the far side of the bag, evading the throw. And giving the Orioles a runner in scoring position.

Following a single by Anthony Santander that left runners at the corners, Brandon Hyde sent Adley Rutschman up as a pinch hitter. And Rutschman sent a high liner to right, that tied up the right fielder Noel. It seemingly nailed his feet to the ground, and the ball fell in behind him, scoring two and leaving Rutschman at third.

Make no mistake, those were huge insurance runs, given how tough things have gone for the Birds of late. So was Ryan O’Hearn’s subsequent RBI-double. Jackson Holliday also dumped in an RBI-single to center, which gave the Birds a 7-2 lead. And even those last two runs were big, as Ramirez smacked a two-run homer in the eighth. But the Oriole bullpen held strong aside from that, and the O’s snapped their three-game losing streak with a 7-4 win. And they keep pace with New York in the AL East.

Obviously Adley Rutschman’s triple was the moment people will remember from this game. Not to mention the leadoff single to a double by Gunnar Henderson. But to me the biggest part of the game was Cionel Perez in the seventh.

As great as Zach Eflin pitched, you held your breath with him coming out and turning things over to the bullpen. And Perez should have recorded a quick out, but Ryan Mountcastle misplayed a foul pop. But Perez buckled down and shut Cleveland away, bridging the gap to the back end of the ‘pen. He was masterful, even if only for two outs.

The series concludes tomorrow at Progressive Field. Corbin Burnes gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Cleveland’s Gavin Williams. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Two-out damage sinks the Birds

The Baltimore Orioles were hoping for better results out of newly-acquired Trevor Rogers this evening in Cleveland. To be clear, it wasn’t a disaster. He didn’t struggle per se. But the team was hoping for more out of a guy for whom they spent two really decent prospects. Rogers’ line: 4.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 3 K.

Again, I want to be clear; you have to throw in that Rogers just joined the team yesterday. Is that an excuse? No, it’s a fact. In truth, Rogers probably made just one or two bad pitches. And by the time the game was over, it probably didn’t make a difference.

The O’s did take an early lead. Adley Rutschman’s double was followed up later in the inning by an RBI-double by Gunnar Henderson. But that was all the Orioles could muster.

Rogers gave up a sac fly-RBI to Ramirez, and an RBI-single to Naylor in the last of the first. And Cleveland never looked back. After Rogers sent Cleveland down 1-2-3 in the second, he gave up a double and a walk in the third. He also recorded two outs…

…however with those two on and two outs, Rogers grooved a four-seam fastball down broadway, and it was hammered into the stands by Fry for a three-run homer. And the Orioles trailed, 5-1. The Birds would get one back in the fourth on a solo homer by Anthony Santander, and at that point trailed 5-2.

Ramirez would smack a two-run home run and Naylor a three-run shot, both in the seventh inning. In truth, that put the game out of reach for the Birds. They did get a nominal run in the eighth when Adley Rutschman reached on an E6, scoring Jackson Holliday.

Overall, not a great night for the O’s, who now sit only percentage points ahead of New York in the standings. Which is also a problem given the fact that the Orioles have three more this weekend against Cleveland, and New York has three against Toronto. But you have to take them one at a time.

The two-out rallies reared their ugly head again this evening. Two of the three homers came with two outs. To be clear, it’s not just a recent trend. It’s not even a trend that lasts through the current regime. It’s been a problem for years.

So the O’s let up with two outs or two strikes? I don’t think so. However the fateful pitch in these at-bats is usually a fastball that’s elevated. And opponents know that a fastball is the Orioles’ out pitch so to speak. So they sit on those fastballs, and they’re rewarded for doing so.

Obviously the flip side of this is that it’s never news when it works. When an Oriole pitcher strikes someone out, or induces a ground out, nobody bats an eye. But that’s part of the game. Baseball is based on failure. And over 162 games, you’re going to fail a decent amount. Think of it this way, if you hit three of ten pitches (a .300 average) over however many years, odds are you’re in the Hall of Fame.

The series continues tomorrow at Progressive Field. Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Cleveland’s Hector Carasco. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Corbin Burnes was the best trade of 2024

On trade deadline day, Corbin Burnes proved to the Baltimore Orioles that he was worth their effort. He proved that the O’s chose wisely in paying what they paid (in prospects) to get him this past off season, as he shut down Toronto this evening at Camden Yards. Burnes’ line: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 7 K.

Luckily for Corbin Burnes, Oriole bats stood up on his behalf tonight as well. Anthony Santander started things off in the first inning with an RBI-double. Ramon Urias, who’s struggled at the plate, doubled that two innings later with a solo home run, and the O’s held a 2-0 lead.

Later in that third inning Ryan O’Hearn would smack a two-RBI single. However Burnes ran into a minor amount of trouble in the fourth. He put a couple of runners on, and Toronto would get on the board with a sac fly-RBI by Kirk. However the Birds got that run back quickly, as Urias came back up to the plate and extended the Oriole lead to 5-1 with an RBI-single.

Anthony Santander snuck in a solo homer in the fifth. He sent a deep shot to right field, which bounced off the grounds crew shed in right and into the stands. That counts as a home run, giving the Birds a 6-1 lead. Toronto’s Varsho would add an RBI-double in the seventh, but the Oriole bullpen finished things out.

This was of course supposed to be a three-game set, but due to a rainout earlier in the year it ended up being a four-game series. The O’s have now guaranteed a series split with a win yesterday afternoon and tonight. However again, Corbin Burnes showed us tonight why he was attractive to the O’s. He earns his money everytime he takes the mound.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Grayson Rodriguez gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Paolo Espino. Game time is set for just after 12:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Trevor Roberts to the Birds

According to the likes of Ken Rosenthal (among others), the Baltimore Orioles have made a trade with Miami today – deadline day. Southpaw pitcher Trevor Rogers is headed to Baltimore. In return, the Orioles are sending infielder Connor Norby and Kyle Stowers to Miami.

Rogers is only 2-9 this season with a 4.53 ERA. However his ERA over his career the last four years is only 4.23. Losing Norby and Stowers hurts the Orioles, however it also shows how competitive the trade market is right now. Teams are having to overpay, and the O’s will have to overpay on top of that because of how stacked their farm system is.

I suspect a lot of Orioles fans will say this is an underwhelming move. I might be inclined to agree. But the deadline isn’t here yet. And the fact is that they did get a starter, which they need. Rogers is under team control through the 2026 season.

It’s also worth mentioning that at least at this point, not many teams have made massive splashes. So it isn’t as if New York has improved itself by leaps and bounds, and the Orioles have stood idly by. The goal right now is to win the division. So in the immediate interim, New York is the only competition.

That, and the fact is that the Birds are a better team than they were a few days ago when the trades began. Not leaps and bounds better, but they’re a better team. And there’s still time and the necessary prospects to get even better. For what it’s worth, neither team has confirmed the trade as of yet.

Baltimore Orioles: Law of averages says doubleheaders are split

The Baltimore Orioles and other teams aren’t fans of doubleheaders, and not just because it’s double duty. Statistically more doubleheaders are split than anything else – so it’s almost like a guaranteed loss. Cade Povich got the start for the O’s in the nightcap, and with less than desirable results. Povich’s line: 4.1 IP, 7 H, 6 R (3 earned), 5 BB, 1 K.

On top of that, the Orioles and Toronto had to wait just over two hours to play the game. Following the first game the Orioles announced that there was “no start time” for the second game at that time, due to weather in the area. And it did rain. It doesn’t go as a rain delay, for the record. This given the fact that it was a doubleheader. It’s recorded as just the time the teams had between games.

Povich gave up an RBI-double to Clement in the first. But the Orioles immediately tied it up on a solo homer by Colton Cowser, who again was batting leadoff. However Toronto was determined to make sure that the law of averages for doubleheaders remained in tact. Berroa’s RBI-single in the second put them ahead 2-1.

Berroa ended up on third base on a Jordan Westburg error, and scored on a groundout by Springer. However Westburg made up for the error. He smacked a two-run homer in the second, re-tying the score. Errors are tough to get over, especially when you’re in a pennant race. But that’s one way to do it.

However Toronto would re-take the lead, and end up putting four more on the board. The Birds got an RBI-single from Colton Cowser in the last of the seventh, but fell in the long nightcap, 8-4. It’s tough to fathom that the Orioles actually won a game yesterday, yet lost a half game in the standings to New York. But it illustrates why teams don’t like doubleheaders.

All of that brings us to the trade deadline, which is 6 PM this evening. Thus far, contending teams have been “fleeced” by non-contenders in my view. Which doesn’t bode well for the Orioles in a sense. I think they’ll end up making a deal end of the day, however whomever it is will come at a pretty penny.

I would remind fans that the price for the Orioles WILL most certainly be higher than for other teams. You can look at any trade made and say that the Orioles could have offered a better return and gotten that player. However teams know that the Orioles’ farm system is loaded. So they’re going to try to take advantage of that.

I’m not saying they shouldn’t do anything more. They should, and I think they have to. I think they need a starter and a back end reliever – former Oriole Tanner Scott comes to mind. But they just have to be careful. You don’t want to roll the dice too much. The goal is to win the World Series. But you always have to keep half an eye on the future, and you don’t want to empty the tank in one fatal swoop. They need to have a tempered approach.

The series with Toronto continues this evening at Camden Yards. Corbin Burnes gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Chris Bassit. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: A cracked nose and the “Zach attack” lead the way for the Birds

The Baltimore Orioles got a look at their most recent acquisition in game one of a twin bill, that being starter Zach Eflin. If one start is any indication (which it most certainly is not), he was worth every penny. Eflin’s line: 6.0 IP, 10 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 7 K.

Eflin was pretty strong. If you’re keeping track at home, that’s a quality start in his maiden outing for the Orange & Black. And for once, an Oriole starter got some run support.

The first inning was “interesting,” to say the least. Toronto starter Rodriguez walked the first three Orioles hitters. Ryan Mountcastle then blooped an RBI-single to center. However the bases remained loaded.

Jordan Westburg would ground out to give the Birds their second run. Ramon Urias would also walk in a run, and James McCann would come up later in the inning with the bases still loaded. Now the good news is that McCann drove in the Orioles’ fourth run. The bad news is it came in the wake of McCann getting hit square in the nose with a 95 MPH fastball.

McCann was down on the field for some time. There was a lot of blood, needless to say. BUT…McCann stayed in the game. He took his base at first. His toughness and grit can’t be questioned. He wasn’t coming out of the game, despite the fact that nobody would have blamed him for doing so.

Ramon Urias would add an RBI-ground out in the last of the third, and Ryan O’Hearn a sac fly-RBI in the fourth. Later in the fourth inning Jordan Westburg added an RBI-double. The Birds held a 7-0 lead, however Toronto did get on the board in the fifth with a three-run homer by Barger.

However the O’s weren’t done. Far from it. After a sac fly-RBI by Colton Cowser in the last of the fifth, Anthony Santander added a two-run homer. Toronto would add two additional nominal runs thanks to Guerrero, one of which was a solo homer. And wouldn’t you know it, the Birds had a solo homer out of Ryan Mountcastle still in them in the eighth. Because of course Ryan Mountcastle homered against Toronto!

The story of course is James McCann and his serious HBP. Not to mention the part about him staying in the game. That’s grit and determination for you. There’s no question he has to have a broken nose. McCann’s been a big part of what’s happened with this franchise the past couple of seasons, and with what we saw out of him today he etched his name forever into Oriole lore. That sort of grit is about as Baltimore as it gets.

The series continues in just a few moments at Camden Yards. Cade Povich gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Bowden Francis. Game time is set for…whenever the Orioles set the game time!

Baltimore Orioles: Ryan Mountcastle and Cedric Mullins save the day

Albert Suarez was “gritty” today for the Baltimore Orioles. He was lifted needing one out to leave the game in line to be the winner. However manager Brandon Hyde thought it more important to piecemeal an effort by the bullpen if that was what it was going to take to win. Suarez’s line: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 2 K.

One interesting thing; the Orioles’ rally started while they were in the field in the third inning. You read that correctly. With a runner on second, Gunnar Henderson caught a line drive that was destined for the outfield. James McCann threw the runner out trying to steal a moment later. That could have gone south quick, but it didn’t.

And Oriole bats would follow suit in the bottom of the inning. They would load the bases with nobody out, and Gunnar Henderson would draw a walk to give the Orioles a 1-0 lead. Ryan O’Hearn would then drop a flare RBI-single into left field for an RBI-double. The bases remained loaded, and the runners had to wait to see if it would drop in…

…and Ryan Mountcastle would drive in two with a two-RBI single. Cedric Mullins would follow with a two-RBI double, and the Orioles would lead 6-0. However would it be enough?

In theory, yes. But San Diego would put three across in the fifth, chasing Suarez. The runs came on a run-scoring single, a double, and a GIDP. And the plot slightly thickened.

But it thickened further down the line. Bogaerts’ two-run homer in the sixth tightened it up to 6-5. And the momentum appeared to be on San Diego’s side. With a doubleheader in the division tomorrow, the O’s needed this game.

And it appeared that San Diego was going to make some noise in the eighth. Machado sent a deep liner to dead center field. I’m not sure it was destined to go out, but it appeared to be at least a triple. Cedric Mullins went on a dead sprint towards the wall, which was the only chance the Orioles had…

…at the 11th hour he lunged out, and caught the ball. It was perhaps the best catch in MLB all year. And it came in a moment where the Orioles desperately needed it. It’s a play that should rightfully appear on highlight reels this season.

But the O’s still needed insurance. And they got it in the last of the eighth. Ryan Mountcastle’s two-RBI double extended the lead to 8-5. Yennier Cano ran into some bad luck in the ninth when he loaded the bases due to an error and a couple of infield hits. And then…

…it was over. Or was it? Profar appeared to GIDP to end the game. However the runner took out Gunnar Henderson on the base paths. And it was called a double-play. However San Diego challenged, and the call was overturned. The second out was awarded, but so was San Diego’s sixth run.

Brandon Hyde was ejected arguing the call. And rightfully so. Needless to say, it was a curious call. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a defender taken out, interference called, and then reversed – with the game on the line like that. However end of the day, you win and move on.

The same is true with the Gunnar Henderson errors in the past few games – including today. You chalk it up as an anomaly. His overall body of work speaks for itself. If you scrutinize over a ln admittedly poor stretch of five games in the field, nobody will ever be a franchise player.

Toronto now comes to town tomorrow for a four-game set, starting with a doubleheader tomorrow at Camden Yards. The Orioles are yet to announce a starter for game one (however it’s expected to be newly-acquired Zach Eflin), but whomever starts will be opposed by Toronto’s Yariel Rodriguez. Game time is set for just after 3 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Is it time to freak out?

To answer the question I posed in the title regarding the Baltimore Orioles, NO. Teams go through funks over 162 games. Often more than one. Unfortunately this afternoon, today’s “victim of the funk” was starter Dean Kremer, who you could argue shouldn’t have even given up a run. Kremer’s line: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R (1 earned), 1 BB, 7 K.

Again, teams go through funks. You can look at every recent World Series champion and see that truth. And in a sport like baseball, if you start doing draconian things due to a funk as such, you’ve already lost the war. Instead it’s better to convey calm, and a total lack of anxiety. Even if the truth is starkly different from that. Basically, steer the ship steady as she goes, and stay the course. (Incidentally, good life advice also.)

Kremer found himself with runners at the corners and two outs in the second inning. One unforced mistake Kremer did make was disengaging twice. That meant that if did do again without picking the runner off, it was a balk. This allowed the runner to steal second base.

However you figure that with two outs, maybe it won’t make a difference. And it didn’t, when Higashioka popped the ball up on the left side of the infield. That is…until it did matter. Gunnar Henderson and Ramon Urias appeared to miscommunicate and collide, allowing the ball to drop. Two unearned runs scored, and the O’s trailed 2-0.

At first that was ruled an error on Gunnar Henderson. However the shortstop is the quarterback of the infield, and Henderson clearly and emphatically called for the ball. A few moments later that was changed to an E5 on Urias. It’s a team effort, however regardless of who was charged with the error that falls on Urias to hear Henderson calling him off.

Machado’s RBI-double in the third extended the lead to 3-0. That’s the lone earned run that Dean Kremer surrendered, however again you could argue it should have never happened. It went under Urias’ glove at third. While not an error, it’s a play you expect Urias to make.

San Diego would score again in the fourth, and this time the error was on Gunnar Henderson. On what should have been a tailor-made double-play, Henderson threw the ball into the camera well. When things aren’t going well, they flat out aren’t going well. Following Kremer’s departure after the sixth, Machado also launched a three-run homer in the seventh, followed by a sac fly-RBI by Merrill.

The Orioles did show some life in the seventh. And that’s the silver lining in this game. Maybe there were signs of the O’s coming out of their latest slumber. Cedric Mullins’ two-RBI double cut the lead to 8-2. San Diego would add an additional run in the ninth, however Mullins would also smack a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning. However the O’s still fell, 9-4.

Again, if you do something draconian you’ve already lost. They just need to work their way out of this, and that process hopefully started late in the game today, and continues tomorrow. Here’s one thing though; we all know the Orioles rely on the home run ball. Opposing teams know this also…

…ever notice the O’s are getting a lot of pitches out of the strike zone? And yet, they’re swinging. Teams know they’re looking for home run pitches, so they’re nibbling. Or you swing at balls you’re going to get balls.

The series with San Diego concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Al Suarez gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by San Diego’s Randy Vasquez. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.