Baltimore Orioles: Holding on for dear life

Dean Kremer had a rough beginning in Chicago last night for the Baltimore Orioles. A rough beginning. He quickly stabilized and qualified for the win. Kremer’s line: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 4 K.

Those two runs constituted the rough beginning. He surrendered a two-run home run to Teel in the first inning. But he quickly righted the ship. And the Birds evened things up in the third on an RBI-double by Jeremiah Jackson, and an RBI-single by Gunnar Henderson.

The O’s took the lead an inning later. Samuel Basallo’s two-run homer put them ahead 4-2. And the O’s added on from there. Gunnar Henderson, who had a productive day, smacked an RBI-single in the fifth. He later scored on Dylan Beavers’ RBI-triple.

Dylan Beavers gave the O’s some insurance in the seventh with a two-run homer. They were up 6-2 at the time. That home run ran it to 8-2. And they needed every one of those eight runs.

Reliever Chayce McDermott surrendered a run in the eighth on a wild pitch. Later in the inning Sosa’s two-RBI single cut the Orioles’ lead to 8-5. Tack on a two-run homer by Benintendi, and suddenly that big lead was down to one at 8-7.

Suddenly that Beavers two-run homer loomed large. Chicago put the tying run at the plate in the last of the ninth, but Keegan Akin got a big strikeout with two down, ending the game. It was closer than it needed to be in the end, But it’s a win.

The series concludes this afternoon at Rate Field, Tyler Wells gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Martin Perez. Game time is set for just after 2 PM.

Baltimore Orioles lifted by Colton Cowser

The Baltimore Orioles limped into the south side of Chicago last night after being swept by Toronto over the weekend. In the baddest part of town, Kyle Bradish got the start in the first game of three at Rate Field. Bradish’s line: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 9 H.

Bradish allowed a leadoff walk in the first inning. Only problem was that ball four should have been strike three. Only problem a full count, Bradish appeared to hit the strike zone. But home plate umpire Chad Whitson called it a ball. That runner would later score on Mead’s RBI-single.

That’s sort of a microcosm of how things have gone for the O’s this year. Now it might be fair to say that Oriole pitchers (including Bradish last night) have shied away from totally attacking the strike zone. And maybe umpires aren’t taking kindly to guys trying to gerrymander their way into strikes in a sense. However a strike should be a strike.

But two can play at that game – walks, that is. The O’s put two on by way of a base on balls in the third. Jeremiah Jackson’s RBI-single would tie the game at one.

The O’s would also get two on in the sixth, one on a walk and another on a base hit. That brought Colton Cowser to the plate, who proceeded to smack a three-run homer. That gave the Birds a 4-1 lead, and put Bradish in line for the win.

And the Oriole bullpen delivered that win. They didn’t allow a base runner the rest of the way. After nine, the O’s had themselves a win.

The series continues this evening at Rate Field. Dean Kremer gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Shane Smith. Game time is set for just after 7:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles continually haunted by soft contact

Albert Suarez may have been the highlight of the day this afternoon for the Baltimore Orioles in the series finale in Toronto. The O’s went with a bullpen game, so Suarez didn’t last long. But he was probably the highlight of the day. Suarez’s line: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

Coby Mayo’s solo home run in the second inning gave the O’s a 1-0 lead. Toronto tied it in the third on an RBI-double by Springer. This on a double that split the outfielders, as countless others have done this season. In the fourth Toronto benefitted by two infield base hits – you guessed it, softly hit.

However Clement’s subsequent two-RBI double wasn’t. He hit a screaming line drive off the third base bag, giving Toronto the lead at 3-1. That may not have been softly hit, but it was definitely to the Orioles’ misfortune. And opposing teams taking advantage of the Orioles’ luck is as much what this year has been about as anything else.

Springer’s solo homer in the fifth and Loprofido’s RBI-double in the sixth extended the lead to 5-1. The O’s would get one back in the seventh on Colton Cowser’s solo home run. You have to hope that puts some wind into Cowser’s bat going into Chicago tomorrow.

However Toronto would put six on the board in the seventh. Many of them on softly-hit bloops, or infield the infield. The precision with which opponents seem to work their way into that sort of thing is noteworthy. Personally I fully buy into the adage that sometimes you have to tip your cap. But it’s almost as if you get punished for doing it too much, or taking that attitude too strongly.

And I stand by that – sometimes you have to tip your cap. It’s just tough to do when there’s the appearance that opponents are simply putting contact on the ball and everything else is working out. And on the flip side, all season long we’ve seen the Orioles scorch the ball at times…only to have it fall into someone’s glove.

The Orioles now head to Chicago for the first of three against the ChiSox at Rate Field. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Sean Burke. Game time is set for just after 7:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Insurance wasn’t enough

Baltimore Orioles’ fans have to tip their caps to Tomoyuki Sugano today. The guy battled – and dominated. And after getting hit with a comebacker early in the game against Toronto, he left with the lead. Sugano’s line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K.

A first inning RBI- double by Gunnar Henderson and a subsequent RBI-groundout by Tyler O’Neill gave the O’s a 2-0 lead. The bottom of that first inning was tough for Sugano given the aforementioned comebacker. But he got out of it. Albert Suarez briefly warmed in the bullpen in the top of the second, but Sugano stayed in. And again, he was fairly dominant.

Susan would surrender solo home run to Berger in the fifth. That got Toronto on the board, and cut the lead to 2-1. For most of the game the tenor seemed to be that the Orioles were holding on for dear life. However the got an insurance run in the eighth on an RBI-double by Samuel Basallo. Incidentally that was set up by an astute Gunnar Henderson stealing a base after two disengagements, and a swinging bunt for a base hit.

Yet, Toronto threatened on the eighth. And big time at that. Kirk’s pinch-hit RBI single cut the lead to 3-2. Suddenly the O’s needed more insurance….and they got it. Coby Mayo’s solo homer on the ninth extended the lead to 4-2.

However insurance only gets you so far. One thing led to another, including a Keegan Akin throwing error, snd Toronto loaded the bases in the ninth. Back-to/back RBI-singles tied the game at four. Kirk’s subsequent sac fly-RBI won it for Toronto, 5-4.

As I said, insurance only gets you so far. If you’re up 10 and the opponents gets 11, that wasn’t enough. On top of that, the O’s are appearing to be making tomorrow’s series finale a bullpen game.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at Rogers Centre. Albert Suarez gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Shane Bieber. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM

Baltimore Orioles: Trevor Rogers exits early in loss

The Baltimore Orioles went north of the border last night for the second and final time this year. Trevor Rogers got the start, and was semi-effective – while in the game. Rogers’ line: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 6 K.

Samuel Basallo led off the third with a double, and would later score on Jackson Holliday’s RBI-single. This gave the O’s a 1-0 lead, and the Birds appeared to be cooking. However Toronto pitching held them off the board the rest of the way.

Rogers recorded two quick outs in the fifth before issuing a walk. Nothing good ever happens after a walk of course, and Guerrero followed with a single to Colton Cowser in center. The ball got by Cowser, allowing the runner to score and tie the game,

However Rogers left the game after completing that fifth inning with the game tied. We later found out that he had toe discomfort – a blister under the toenail, Given all the other injuries this year, you hear that and you think to yourself, because of course he had something like that!

Toronto would take the lead in the sixth in Rogers’ absence on a run-scoring double by Straw. One inning later Clements’ RBI-single extended the lead to 3-1. Before the game ended Toronto would push it to a 6-1 final with three in the last of the eighth.

The series continues this afternoon at Rogers Centre. Tomoyuki Sugano gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Max Scherzer. Game time is set for just after 3 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Another walk off win

Tyler Wells and the Baltimore Orioles came into tonight’s game against Pittsburgh having won three of four games straight in walk off fashion. On a cool and misty night at Camden Yards, the goal was to win it in nine this time around. The Birds would fail at that, but big deal. Wells’ line: 6.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

The O’s fell behind 1-0 on a fourth inning solo home run by Horowitz. – a Baltimore-area native, by the way. Apparently his family is unable to attend this series due to being out of town for a wedding. Tough pill to swallow!

The Orioles would tie the game in the eighth with two runners on and runners at first and second. Jackson Holliday would dump in a flare that fell for an RBI-single. That tied the game at four.

The game went to extra innings, which wasn’t a surprise. As sure as grass is green, the O’s had to win yet another in walk off fashion. With two runners on in the tenth and nobody out, Daniel Johnson laid down a sac bunt. Not only that, but he placed it perfectly and legged out a bunt single. That loaded the bases, and the O’s eventually walked Pittsburgh off with a run-scoring single by Dylan Beavers.

The Orioles have now taken the first two from Pittsburgh. It’s also the fourth walkoff in five games for the Orioles. Needless to say, they’re feeling it.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards. Cade Povich gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Johan Oviedo. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: A strange walk off is still a win

Kyle Bradish was phenomenal for the Baltimore Orioles tonight against Pittsburgh at Camden Yards. Bradish of course has been strong since his recent return to play, and he’s shown that he’ll be the Orioles’ ace going into 2026. Bradish’s line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 6 K.

The lone run that Bradish surrendered was an RBI-single by McCutchen in the first. However the Birds put a few runners on base in the hole half of the inning, and they tied it with a sac fly-RBI by Ryan Mountcastle. They would later take the lead in the last of the sixth on a solo home run by Jeremiah Jackson.

That lead held up until the eleventh hour. Yennier Cano came on the close the game in the ninth, and surrendered a solo home run to Pham in the top of the ninth. The Orioles got out of the inning with no further damage, however that sent the game to extra innings tied at two.

One thing; the Orioles should take something forward from this game, in terms of how NOT to do things. Teams get a ghost runner in extra innings, so Pittsburgh led off the tenth with a walk – putting runners at first and second. Conventional wisdom says that you move the runners over there. Instead Horowitz swung away, and grounded into a double-play. That was instrumental in the Orioles getting out of the inning.

I’m not sure if there’s some stat which said that they had a chance at getting Horowitz out that was less than other guys, but either way Pittsburgh went against conventional wisdom. And it almost bit them there.

Going into the last of the eleventh the O’s started with the ghost runner at second. Following a base hit, Pittsburgh walked Ryan Mountcastle to load the bases for Samuel Basallo. To be clear, there is an advantage to having a force at every base. But is it worth loading the bases with nobody out in extra innings?

Pittsburgh felt it was a risk worth running, because they did it. That brought Samuel Basallo to the plate with the bases loaded and nobody out. He sent a soft flair down the left field line. Pham made a diving attempt at the ball, but it ticked off his glove and rolled foul…

…or did it? The Orioles were out of challenges, but they asked for a crew chief review. Replays were conclusive in my view; the ball hit Pham’s glove, and hit the foul line. That means the ball was fair, and the umpire overturned the call. Since the bases were loaded, the lead runner was given home plate. And the Orioles walked off as 3-2 winners.

Analytics probably told Pittsburgh to load the bases there. And again, there’s an argument to be made for it. But had there not been a force at every base, the umpires would have had to place the runners. Now odds are the lead runner still would have been awarded home plate. But that’s at the umpire’s discretion. And you never know how that will go.

The series continues tomorrow evening at Camden Yards. Tyler Wells gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: A Holliday 30 years in the making

Nobody does nostalgia like the Baltimore Orioles. We’ve seen it time and again, including tonight with Cal Ripken Jr, and the anniversary of 2131. After which Trevor Rogers took the mound for the Birds. Rogers’ line: 5.1 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

The problem is, the Orioles were facing Los Angeles’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto. No easy task. This despite the pomp and circumstance of the pregame ceremony. Los Angeles took a 1-0 lead on an RBI-groundout by Ohtani in the third inning.

With two runners on in the fifth, Betts smacked a harsh liner to Gunnar Henderson at short, and Henderson climbed the ladder to get it. Unfortunately, it dropped out of the glove on the way down. It was ruled an RBI-single. Two innings later Betts would follow with an RBI-triple, and the O’s trailed 3-0.

Yamamoto was also throwing a no-hitter. And as the game wore on, it seemed he was getting stronger. Oriole hitters couldn’t do anything against him. Balls that were put in play were outs.

In a way it felt like Los Angeles was saying you can have your nostalgia, we’re here now and that’s more important. They made it to 26 outs in the game. Two outs in the ninth…

…and Jackson Holliday smacked a solo homer to right field. That broke the shutout, and more importantly it broke up the no-hitter. But the game wasn’t over.

A double, a HBP, and a walk later, the Orioles were looking at possibly WINNING the game. Colton Cowser then walked in a run, cutting the lead to 3-2. That brought Emmanuel Rivera to the plate after LA changed pitchers…and you know the rest.

Rivera’s two-RBI single won it 4-3. So in a flash, the Orioles went from having the 30 year anniversary of 2131 having an unfortunate twist, to the latest installation of Orioles Magic. And it should go as no surprise that Cal Ripken Jr. played a role. In a flash, the game changed. That’s baseball. And that’s part of what makes baseball great.

The only downside to this game for the Birds was catcher Samuel Basallo left the game after getting nic’d by a foul ball. Tony Mansolino said after the game that X-Rays were negative. He also said that Dean Kremer’s MRI came back with nothing serious, but he’ll skip his next start.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Tomoyuki Sugano gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by LA’s Clayton Kershaw. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: The Ripken Way

Pending the weather, the Baltimore Orioles will celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Cal Ripken Jr breaking the consecutive games played streak before tonight’s game against Los Angeles. We all know what’s going on; throngs of former Orioles, dignitaries, and even former Oriole play-by-play man John Miller will be in attendance for the festivities. This to mark the moment that saved baseball across multiple generations.

First off, has it really been 30 years?! I was a freshman in high school, and I didn’t know a world without Cal Ripken Jr on the Orange & Black. Or in the lineup. When you think of everything that’s happened between then and now, it’s sort of crazy – both in and outside of baseball.

The numbers on the Warehouse counting the consecutive games played are an iconic sight to many people of a certain generation – certainly my generation. But personally, the part I’ll always remember more than anything else is the image of Cal Ripken Sr applauding and waving from the skybox. The Orioles have always had that Field of Dreams sort of feel about them. And put in that context in terms of baseball being a game between fathers and sons…that “Ripken moment” was perhaps the most meaningful of that entire sequence of events.

People think of a lot of things when the concept of The Oriole Way comes up. I suppose it’s fair to say that the guy who ties that into a beat bow is Earl Weaver. However The Oriole Way in truth begins and ends with the Ripken’s. And I would submit that there’s no city like Baltimore and no family that means as much to it than the Ripken’s. And we saw it that night.

For his part, both Cal Ripken’s would probably say that it’s more about the team than anything else. And it is. But there are certain moments and certain people who always rise to the occasion – birds of a certain feather. The Ripken’s are just that. And it was that bond between father and son which made the image of the numbers on the Warehouse possible.

On the day of my death, Cal Ripken Jr will still be baseball’s Iron Man. I’m sure there’s some analytic which would say I’m mistaken. But the human element of baseball says I’m correct. Nobody’s ever playing in 2,633 consecutive games. The same is true with Joe DiMaggio’s hitting streak – nobody’s hitting in 57 straight games. I say that as sure as crabs and beer are to the shores of the Chesapeake, and to the state of Maryland.

I’ve had people ask me, why is it such a big deal? So the guy shows up everyday – he’s PAID to do that. But as we know, it is a big deal. Because Maryland itself is a blue collar and hard-working state. So the Ripken Way is truly a symbol of that. Do the Orioles do everything right? No. But that moment 30 years ago showed the rest of the country that you can call it what you will…The Oriole Way, The Ripken Way, etc. But the value system of showing up and giving it all you have everyday? Those are Maryland Values. And it was never symbolized better in the form of the Orange & Black than it was in that sequence of events 30 years ago.

Baltimore Orioles best LA, maybe lose Dean Kremer

The Baltimore Orioles beat the LA Dodgers this evening at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer looked sharp early coming off of a couple of bad starts. It wouldn’t last – but not how you might think. Kremer’s line: 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

Dietrich Enns spent the entire top of the fourth inning warming up in the Orioles’ bullpen. He entered the game in the last of the fourth, relieving Kremer. The Orioles later said that Kremer was yanked for right forearm discomfort.

You don’t want to speculate on anything. However needless to say, Dean Kremer is hugely important to the O’s in 2026. I think most fans would take him being shut down now and thus being ready for Spring Training next year. But we’ll just have to see.

The O’s put two runners on in the fifth, and Jackson Holliday stole second base. Funny thing though; LA pitcher Casparius uncorked a wild pitch at the same moment. It was a pretty close play at the plate, but Holliday came in to score on the wild pitch, giving the Orioles the lead.

But it was short-lived. Freeman ambushed the first pitch of the sixth over the wall. That tied the game at one, and we. Had a new ballgame again.

And through the later innings the game remained tied at one. That was until there were two outs in the ninth. Samuel Basallo picked a great moment to hit his first Oriole Park home run. It was a solo shot, and a walk off at that. The Birds went home winners against the defending champion LA Dodgers, 2-1.

That’s almost a footnote if you factor in the Dean Kremer situation. This season has been tough or numerous levels, but none moreso than then the injuries. And now this.

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards, as the O’s celebrate 30 years since 2131 and Cal Ripken Jr. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by LA’s Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.