Baltimore Orioles: Second half opens tonight

The only thing we can say for sure is that the Baltimore Orioles open the second half of the season tonight in Texas. What happens from there remains to be seen. But certainly the Orioles are hoping that it’s a second half to remember – a second half PLUS a little more.

The O’s do have an advantage given that four core members are already in Texas following the All-Star game. So there’s that. But this is also an Oriole team that limped to the finish line in the first half. They were staring down a winless home stand and a six-game losing streak until they finally caught a break late in Sunday’s game against New York.

But the question remains whether that’s a harbinger for the second half, or a statistical anomaly. And thus just a tough stretch of the season. Unequivocally, we can’t say. However this roster has proven that they can dig themselves out of holes. They’ve proven that they’re resilient, and are capable of winning despite great odds.

The next big “thing” of course is the trade deadline at the end of the month. The Orioles have a litany of riches in the minor leagues, and if they want to be competitive come October, they’re going to have to put them to use eventually. Sometimes a prospect is worth more to you on the trade market than he is on the active roster.

There are rumors that the Orioles are interested in Detroit ace Tarik Skubal, who leads all pitchers in ERA and WAR. He’s been one of the best pitchers in baseball thus far. It’s also worth mentioning that the Birds have two series’ with Detroit in September. That would be potentially twice that they WOULDN’T have to face Skubal in a stretch run – if they traded for him.

Former Oriole reliever Tanner Scott has had an outstanding first half with the Miami Marlins as well. Might he be someone who could solidify the Oriole bullpen? The Birds are in Miami next week, for what that’s worth.

I get the yearn not to trade the farm. I do think you need to be careful in doing so. You don’t want to trade quality for garbage. And no matter what they do, there’ll be people who’ll say they made a mistake. And end of the day if they DON’T win the World Series, someone out there will point back to the deadline and play Monday Morning Quarterback. End of the day, they need to do something. Because standing pat isn’t an option for a World Series contender.

The second half’s first series begins in Texas tonight at Globe Life Field. Corbin Burnes gets the start for the O’s, and Texas is yet to decide a starter. Game time is set for just after 8 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Anthony Santander scores the winning run for the AL

At the outset of last night’s MLB All-Star game, Baltimore Orioles fans felt right at home. Corbin Burnes was on the mound for the home standing American League (as the game was being played in Texas), and Adley Rutschman was behind the plate. Consider that…an all-Orioles battery.

That was only a brief moment – the first inning. There are lots of players to work into the game, so nobody’s in for too long. Burnes gave up a walk and a hit, and stranded two in the first inning. And then his night was over.

Neither Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, nor Jordan Westburg (who got into the game later) were able to reach base. Which is fine. However Anthony Santander did get a hit in the fifth inning. He would immediately score in a homer by Jarren Duran. That put the AL ahead, 5-3, which was the final. So in a sense, Anthony Santander scored the winning run.

Obviously the All-Star game is once again an exhibition; there’s no home field advantage in the fall classic or anything else riding on the outcome. And I would submit that it should always be like that. On a side note, I’d also like to see MLB go back to letting players wear their regular team uniforms for the game. I always thought that was one of the coolest parts of it.

The second half begins Friday, when the Birds will reconvene at Globe Life Park in Arlington, TX for three against the Texas Rangers. That gives Corbin Burnes, Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, and Anthony Santander an advantage unlike anyone else in baseball. They’re already in the city where they’re to play this weekend, meaning they don’t have to travel there. That means some extra built-in rest!

Baltimore Orioles draft Vance Honeycutt

With the 22nd pick of the MLB draft this evening, the Baltimore Orioles selected OF Vance Honeycutt out of the University of North Carolina. Baseball America ranked Honeycutt as the 13th best pick in the field. Honeycutt hit 65 homers this year.

Obviously there’s a history of North Carolina players turning into Oriole contributors. But former Oriole BJ Surhoff and Bran Roberts were UNC-alumni. After signing, Honeycutt will presumably entered the Orioles’ farm system.

Baltimore Orioles: Cedric Mullins saves the day; Birds stay in first

Dean Kremer labored this afternoon for the Baltimore Orioles. Or should I say “this morning.” The series finale with New York began at 11:30 AM. Kremer’s line: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 4 K.

Kremer didn’t struggle per se. He just labored. This on a sweltering day with heavy humidity in downtown Baltimore. He gave up an RBI-single to Grisham in the second, giving New York a 1-0 lead.

That was concerning for a team who hasn’t been scoring runs. But that changed. Gunnar Henderson smacked a two-run homer in the third, and the O’s led 2-1. Their first lead of the homestand.

But Grisham struck again in the fifth. His solo homer tied the game. The O’s spent a great deal of time trying to dance around Soto and Judge in this series – and record outs. They did that successfully today. But the bottom of the New York order hurt them.

However the Birds would get the lead back on a solo homer by Anthony Santander in the bottom of that fifth inning. And Oriole pitching shut NY down – until the end. Almost. As closer Craig Kimbrell was trying to pitch around the heart of the order, he walked the first two hitters of the inning. That turned the order over, and New York’s rookie first baseman, Rice, hit a three-run homer. And the Birds trailed, 5-3.

It’s tough to lose games that way. It exemplifies the agony of defeat. And Orioles fans at Camden Yards were staring that agony down. But…the game wasn’t over.

The O’s had runners at second and third with two down. Adley Rutschman drew a walk to load the bases. So you’re saying there’s a chance, huh…

And…there was. Ryan Mountcastle reached on a fielder’s choice. NY SS Volpe mishandled a routine ground ball, and Colton Cowser came into score. That cut the lead to 5-4.

And before the crowd could settle back down, it was over. Cedric Mullins hit what appeared to be a flair to left. However New York was playing their outfielders in, and that flair…was more than a flair. It fell in over the head of the left fielder Verdugo, for a two-run walkoff double. And the O’s go into the All-Star break with a 6-5 win, and alone in first place.

This snaps a five-game losing streak. There was also an uncharacteristic error by Volpe in the end. But remember, every other weird bounce in this series and on this homestand has gone against the O’s. These things even out.

And with that, the O’s scatter for a few days off over the All-Star break. Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, and others, will go to Texas for the festivities. But make no mistake that this is a huge win. They found a way to- one way or the other. And backs against the wall, that’s what the Baltimore Orioles do.

Baltimore Orioles: Little things turn into big ones

Grayson Rodriguez’s first inning pretty much did the Baltimore Orioles in this afternoon. Not that you can come back from a four-run first easily. You can come back from it but it’s challenging, as the tone has been set. Rodriguez’s line: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 7 K.

Little things can often turn into big things, as the title indicates. With one out and a runner on, Judge Drew a walk in the first inning, You figure the Orioles still have the double-play in tact, however Grayson Rodriguez uncorked a wild pitch to move both runners into scoring position. Following a strikeout, Torres’ RBI-single gave New York a 1-0 lead.

That occurred with two outs – after the strikeout. The Orioles have struggled all year with two strikes and two outs. It’s an interesting point. Quite frankly they’ve struggled over a long number of years in those settings – dating back to previous regimes.

The worst part of that is just prior to the RBI-single, Torres popped a ball into foul territory behind third base. It ended up being just out of reach of the Oriole infield, but it would have ended the inning without any runs scored. That loomed even larger when Wells cranked a three-run homer, giving New York a 4-0 lead.

Again, that’s tough from which to rebound. Especially when your bats are quiet. Which Oriole bats are right now. They would get on the board in the last of the fourth following a leadoff triple by Ryan O’Hearn. He would later score on an RBI-groundout by Ryan Mountcastle.

Here’s the difference in this series between New York and Oriole pitching: the corners. Again, small things turn into big things. New York was commanding the corners all day – and dating back to last night. Did they get a few “benefits of the doubt” in the strike zone? Absolutely. Did the Orioles? Not at all. But the Orioles didn’t own the black of the plate. Granted the umpire’s strike zone can at times dictate a lot of that, but the perception of the home plate umpire was that the Orioles weren’t hitting the corner. New York was.

So the Orioles had to improvise. Unfortunately that entailed going into the upper middle part of the strike zone, which hurt Rodriguez immensely. Soto and Judge hit back-to-back solo homers on elevated pitches, extending the lead to 6-1. End of the day, eventually you have to start “giving in” to a point. Meaning throwing a fastball in the middle of the plate.

New signee Vinny Nittoli pitched the eighth and ninth innings today, and was strong. He gave up a double to Soto in the ninth, but that was it. He looked very crisp in the strike zone with his cutter, which seemed to confuse New York hitters.

With the loss, the Orioles and New York are now tied in the AL East standings. In a sense, the O’s are still ahead by percentage points, as they’re one up in the loss column, however. They’re going through a rough stretch right now, but the break will help. Especially with pitching. And maybe injuries, as Heston Kjerstad went to the concussion IL before the game after last night’s beaning. Even if they lose tomorrow and New York takes first place at the ASB, there’s a long road ahead. Strap in.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Carlos Rodon. Game time is set for a special start time due to Roku TV, that being just after 11:30 AM.

Baltimore Orioles: Brandon’s Charge

Cade Povich had a better outing last night than in his last start for the Baltimore Orioles. However it wasn’t enough, as the Birds fell to New York at Camden Yards. Povich’s like: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 5 BB, 6 H.

Povich only gave up three earned runs by a technicality. Volpe got on base with a single in the second inning, however it was misplayed by Anthony Santander in right field. It ended up a single two-base error, with Volpe stopping at third. Given that Volpe followed with a double, the runs are earned.

Volpe would score almost immediately on Jones’ RBI-single. However the Birds would break their scoreless innings streak in the last of the inning with an RBI-triple by Ramon Urias. Which is good to see, but New York got their two-run margin back in the third with a solo homer by Judge.

Soto would add an insurance run in the form of an RBI-single in the ninth, and New York took game one, 4-1. However none of that is what has people talking this morning.

Heston Kjerstad was hit in the batting helmet in the last of the ninth by New York closer Holmes on an 0-3 count. For the record, I don’t think that was intentional, meaning it had nothing to do with the antics that went on three weeks ago in the Bronx. And the Orioles know that. However that situation (involving Judge and Gunnar Henderson) was certainly a backdrop to what happened last night.

Brandon Hyde and the Orioles’ trainers came out to check on Kjerstad, who left the game and is undergoing tests. Hyde, as he was leaving the field turned around and “charged” at the New York dugout while gesturing aggressively – in perhaps the MLB equivalent of “Pickett’s Charge” (Civil War reference there for you).

The dugouts and bullpens emptied, and Hyde was ejected. For his part, Hyde said he didn’t appreciate some of the comments that were directed at him from the New York dugout (quote courtesy of Steve Melewski, MASNsports):

“I was walking back and I hear stuff from their dugout. So, I just reacted the way I did. Saw what they were pointing at me and the whole thing, so, just reacted the way I did.

I’m reacting to their coaches, so, just reacted the way I did.

Holmes, for his part offered his best to Heston Knerstad (quote courtesy of the YES Network):

You know it was one of those things unfortunate. You are never trying to hit someone in the head. I hope Heston is okay from that.

The game situation indicates that this wasn’t intentional. And as Aaron Judge said after the game on YES, pitches have gone back and forth all year from these teams. Again, I don’t think Holmes was targeting anyone, and even if he were, I doubt he was throwing intentionally at anyone’s head.

However you’d be just as naive to suggest that the Orioles should take this lying down. Especially if the New York dugout was “sneering” at Brandon Hyde. It wasn’t let on as to what was being said specifically or who it was, but Hyde wasn’t having it,

I’m reminded of a game years ago when first baseman Chris Davis had been hit several times. He was hit again by the Kansas City Royals, and manager Buck Showalter was ejected demanding that the pitcher be ejected. After the game Kansas City inferred that the Orioles started it and the record showing that only Showalter was tossed reflects that.

Now for the record, nobody in the New York clubhouse said anything like that. However the record shows that in a bench-clearing brawl, only Brandon Hyde was tossed. The hope of course is that we look back on this as an inflection point that drove a fire under the Birds.

The series continues this afternoon at Camden Yards. Grayson Rodriguez gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Luis Gil. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Is perfection the enemy of success?

The good news for the Baltimore Orioles is that New York is losing to Tampa. The bad news of course is that behind starter Al Suarez, they were blanked by the Chicago Cubs, this while being swept. Suarez’s line: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 4 K.

There’s nothing the Orioles could do tonight and in this entire series that was going to work. And Chicago could do no wrong. I would reiterate that this sort of thing can happen to the best teams. During darker years, even facelsss Orioles teams had sweeps and great stretches.

Chicago took a 1-0 lead in the third on an RBI-double by Suzuki. Two innings later they put up three more, this on three doubles in a row. those were by Busch and Suzuki, giving Chicago a 4-0 lead.

Swanson would smack a solo homer in the sixth, and Chicago would put up three more in the seventh. Swanson and Busch were the two guys who did the most damage to the Orioles this series. That’s striking to me.

Busch at least is hitting .278. Swanson is hitting at a .209 clip. However they both were adamant about making an impact on this series and this game tonight.

The Orioles operate best when they’re tearing the cover off the ball. That wasn’t happening this week. However if the O’s can’t do that, they struggle.

Contrast that with Chicago, and with other central teams (think Cleveland, for example). Their attitude is hit ‘em where they ain’t. Translated: however you can get on base, you do it. Sometimes you have to play ball that way. And it’s something that would serve the Orioles well. Sometimes when you try to be too perfect, you’re anything but. Take it from a perfectionist.

I would remind fans that before the season started I cautioned that there would be tough days this season. That’s going to be true several times over the course of 162 games. The tides eventually turn. That much we know.

The Orioles will now open a three-game set to close the first half tomorrow with New York at Camden Yards. Cade Povich gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Gerrit Cole. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles nibbled to death

The Baltimore Orioles got a quality start out of ace Corbin Burnes tonight. It was a “grind it out” sort of outing, but it was still a quality start. Burnes’ line: 6.0 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 5 K.

Again, Burnes had to grind out his outing. It was far from perfect. He surrendered a solo homer to Morel in the second inning, followed by an RBI-single by Hoener. He also allowed an RBI-single to Suzuki in the fifth inning.

Chicago had guys on base on several softly-hit singles. This game reminded me a lot of the 2014 ALCS, where the O’s tried to tear the cover off the baseball, while the opponent (Kansas City in that case) got on base however they could. Softly hit balls, broken bat base hits, and infield singles.

The other thing is that Chicago pitching was outstanding. They did something I wouldn’t recommend doing; they nibbled. A lot of times when you nibble you eventually have a tough time throwing it over, and when you do you end up missing.

However their pitching just painted the corners. And whereas a lot of times umpires will recognize a nibbler and not give pitchers the benefit of the doubt, Chicago pitchers got anything close called a strike. Gunnar Henderson got rung up on a pitch that was clearly outside the zone, but the umpire ruled he swung. It was borderline at best.

Busch would add an RBI-single in the ninth. Another softly-hit ball. Sometimes it’s not how far you hit it, but where.

Despite anything else, neither Corbin Burnes nor anyone else on the pitching staff had any control over the Orioles’ offense going 0-for-12 with RISP. You can’t blame pitching when you have a stat like that.

The series concludes tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Al Suarez gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Justin Steele. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles fall to Chicago

Dean Kremer didn’t have it from the beginning for the Baltimore Orioles tonight. I remind people all the time, a pitcher will have ten great starts, ten awful, and ten in the middle. This assuming circa thirty starts a season. Kremer’s line: 4.0 IP, 7 H, 7 R (5 earned), 3 BB, 3 K.

Kremer gave up a solo homer to Busch on the second at-bat of the game. An inning later Nido added a sac fly-RBI, and the O’s trailed 2-0. However Jordan Westburg, who was named to the All-Star team earlier today, tried to keep them in it with a solo homer in the last of the second.

That second Chicago run incidentally came as a result of a challenged play at first base. The O’s thought they had a double-play, but the runner (Swanson) was called safe at first on review. That, combined with the fact that Chicago got runner after runner on base with softly hit singles ate at the O’s. It’s tough when you’re trying to tear the cover off the ball, but your opponent finds a way.

Chicago would put three on the board in the third, but the O’s put runners at the corners with nobody out in the bottom of the inning. Now the good news is that the Orioles squeaked a run out in that sequence. The bad news is they did it by Anthony Santander grounding into a double-play. That left the bases clear, preventing a big inning.

And in typical Cubbies’ fashion, they made the Orioles pay. Happ smacked a three-run homer in the fourth inning, opening the score wide open. They would tack on two additional runs in the later innings, running the final to 9-2.

Luckily for the Birds, New York fell to Tampa this evening. So they maintained their three-game division lead. But the Orioles can’t allow this game to get them down. There’s a long way to go in the season.

I found it interesting that Chicago got their final run on another challenged play in the ninth inning. A runner was called safe after Chicago challenged the play at first base. One might argue that it was a sign of respect in that they knew the Orioles had a potent offense. It was just interesting to me that they felt the need to get the extra run.

The series continues tomorrow at Camden Yards. Corbin Burnes gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Shota Imanaga. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Cities in solidarity

Odds are that the Baltimore Orioles will never play in the Oakland Coloseum again. No Baltimore team will – presumably. We all know the reasons why. Everyone knows the A’s are at least planning on spending three years in Sacramento, before going onto Las Vegas.

Over this past weekend the Orioles’ media did an outstanding job of storying the two cities’ history with one another. MASN’s Jim Palmer was obviously a big part of that. Oriole pitching famously combined for a shared no-hitter in the Coliseum in 1989 – a group that included the late Mike Flanagan.

On the football side, the Baltimore Ravens of course won in the Coliseum against the Oakland Raiders to advance to the Super Bowl in the 2000 season. But going back to the days of the Baltimore Colts, you also have the famed “Ghost to the Post” game, where David Casper caught a TD in overtime in the corner of the end zone to defeat the Colts.

That game occurred in Baltimore, but it is certainly a moment involving both cities. The first Orioles game I ever attended in person was with my Dad at Memorial Stadium on 33rd St, and they played the Oakland A’s that day. the Orioles won, which made me happy. But it was exciting to see the likes of Rickey Henderson and Jose Canseco – along of course with the likes of the Ripken’s. I still have a stadium cup and a pennant from that day.

That Ghost to the Post game…it was really the beginning of the end of the Colts. My Dad, being a Baby Boomer, is still cut deep when he thinks of the Colts. He took me to a lot of Redskins and Terps games as a kid – and while he enjoyed it (as did I), there was always a certain bitterness towards the football “establishment.” Because he had lost his team.

Growing up I heard all the stories about John Unitas, Raymond Berry, et al, and what they meant to the region and the city. My Dad and his brothers aren’t necessarily over it to this day. And I’m empathetic to that.

And it’s that sort of fate that awaits Oakland baseball fans. And there’s blame across the board for the A’s leaving – it’s not just one person or group who’s at fault. However the people who suffer are the fans. And again make no mistake, Baltimore fans have empathy for that. Because they went through it. It’s an injustice. And again, it’s the fans who suffer as a result.

End of the day, it’s a business. We all say we understand that. Unfortunately, this is part of “the business.” But having witnessed the fallout of this sort of thing my entire life, it rubs me the wrong way. The fans deserve better.

Going back to my Dad for a moment, no he’s not a Ravens fan. Not in the real sense. His interest in football waned save for the Terps. But one year we went to see Maryland play Navy at M & T Bank Stadium – great game. I remember walking out of the bathroom, and catching him glancing at one of the murals of John Unitas and the Colts on the wall in the Club Level – his team. His players. You could see the memories going through his mind. And yes folks, it’s all just unfair. If you’re an Oakland fan, know that you have a friend in Baltimore fans.

The O’s open up a three-game set against the Chicago Cubs tonight at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and Chicago is yet to announce a starter. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.