Baltimore Orioles: A historical sweep

For the first time in history, the Baltimore Orioles swept a four-game series in Tampa. This behind starter Corbin Burnes this evening at Tropicana Field. To be clear, you rarely have four-game sets within your division, the O’s did this past weekend (and into tonight), and they swept Tampa in four for the first time in history. Burnes’ line: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R (0 earned), 1 BB, 6 K.

For starters, Gunnar Henderson hit the first pitch of the ballgame out of the park. To straightaway center. Granted you want your leadoff guy to simply get on base – basically to be a table-setter. But that works also.

The only little blip in the radar was a fielding error committed by Jordan Westburg in the second. He dropped an infield pop fly with two outs, allowing a runner to reach. Jackson proceeded to smack a two-run homer, and the Orioles suddenly trailed 2-1.

I wrote yesterday about how the Orioles held Tampa accountable for their mistakes. In fairness, Tampa did the same tonight. The difference is that the Orioles weren’t about to allow the final lesson in the series to be one that Tampa taught to them.

James McCann’s solo homer in the third would tie the game back up at two and n the third. Two innings later Ryan O’Hearn’s two-RBI double put the Orioles back in the lead at 4-2. And given that Tampa struggles at times to score, that was sort of the nail in the coffin coffin.

Ryan O’Hearn would hit an RBI-single in the seventh to give the Orioles an insurance run. And they left Tampa with a 5-2 win, and their first ever four-game sweep at Tropicana Field. The other question about this series was…did it bury Tampa for the season?

Odds are it didn’t flat out bury them. But it made the road pretty tough. And already tough road, that is. Dropping four at home to a team in your division isn’t a good omen, the Orioles just completed a road trip in which they played two four-game series’ and won six of the eight.

The O’s now head home to open up a three-game set at Camden Yards with Atlanta. Al Suarez gets the call for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Atlanta’s Max Fried. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Tampa held accountable late

Grayson Rodriguez didn’t give up his first base hit against Tampa this afternoon for the Baltimore Orioles until the sixth inning. Of course Tampa mounted a rally at that point, but that’s another story. Rodriguez’s line: 5.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

Adley Rutschman got things started with scoring. Later on he would also put the exclamation point on everything, but his RBI-single in the third got the O’s on the board. One inning later Anthony Santander’s solo homer would extend the lead to 2-0.

The Orioles kept scoring. Colton Cowser’s RBI-triple in the sixth gave them a three-run cushion. But following their first hit of the game, Tampa mounted a rally. Two bloop RBI-singles in the last of the sixth would cut the Orioles’ lead to 3-2.

But again it was Adley Rutschman who got things going again. He added an RBI-single in the seventh, followed by an RBI-groundout by Anthony Santander. That gave the O’s some cushion. But again, they just kept scoring. And they weren’t done yet.

With runners at the corners in the eighth, Gunnar Henderson drew a walk to load the bases. They say nothing good ever happens after a walk. But that’s only true from the perspective of the team in the field…

…of you’re at the plate, lots of good things can happen. And following that two-out walk to load the bases, Adley Rutschman smacked a grand slam, propelling the Birds onto a 9-2 victory. They’ve now taken the first three of four in Tampa.

Two out walks are the worst from the defense’s perspective. You’re asking for trouble when that happens. Tampa played a dangerous game with that walk to Gunnar Henderson. And the O’s made them pay for that mistake. They held them accountable.

Cedric Mullins also busted out of an 0-for-25 slump, smacking two hits this afternoon. That might be the best news of the day. However I suppose that the win itself is more a big deal.

The series concludes tomorrow night at Tropicana Field. Corbin Burnes gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Ryan Pepiot. Game time is set for just before 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: A classic pitcher’s duel until a late blast

Kyle Bradish may have given the Baltimore Orioles the best outing of the season today in Tampa. Granted however, there are some pretty decent other outings. Including a few from Bradish, who of course had a bit of an extended “hiatus” from the rotation. Bradish’s line: 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K.

Keep in mind that Bradish threw seven no-hit innings a couple of starts ago. And he followed that up today with six innings of one-hit ball. That’s about as impressive as you’ll get.

Unfortunately for the O’s, Tampa’s pitching was almost just as impressive. ALMOST just as impressive. Not quite on the same level, however.

Ryan O’Hearn gave the Orioles a 1-0 lead with a solo homer in the fourth inning. And that stood up as the only run of the game for a period. And with how Bradish and the Orioles’ bullpen were looking, that’s all they were going to need. However Jordan Westburg would add an RBI-triple in the eighth to give the Orioles just a little bit of breathing rooms. Not much, but a little.

However more insurance would come later. An inning later to be exact. With nobody out and Connor Norby already on base, Cedric Mullins drew a walk. That brought Gunnar Henderson to the plate, and he gave the Orioles about as much insurance as anyone would need, with a three-run homer. This to the delight of the throngs of Orioles fans in the stands at Tropicana Field, and of course the folks back home.

Cionel Perez closed the game out in the ninth, and the Birds have now taken the first two of four in Tampa. The Birds surrendered two hits today. One in the first inning and one in the ninth. That’s impressive.

As much as Cedric Mullins is struggling right now, that walk he drew in the ninth inning was big. It flipped the order over, and brought Henderson to the plate with two runners on. It was also a good at-bat, as Mullins battled back. He started down two strikes in the count, and worked a walk.

The series continues tomorrow at Tropicana Field. Grayson Rodriguez gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Zach Littell. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles lifted by Jordan Westburg’s homer

Cole Irvin took to the hill for the Baltimore Orioles at Tropicana Field in Tampa this evening in game one of four. The Birds and Tampa are playing a “wrap-around” series which culminates on Monday evening. And Irvin set the table for tonight’s game, and for the series. Irvin’s line: 5.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R (two earned), 0 BB, 6 K.

Make no mistake, this is a huge series. The Birds are playing well, but New York is playing out of their minds. They came into this evening on an eight-game winning streak. Even when you’re playing well, that’s tough to compete with.

But Anthony Santander got the Orioles off to a good start with a solo homer in the second inning. Later in the inning Ramon Urias smacked a double, and Colton Cowser was thrown out at home plate trying to score. Or was he?!

The Birds challenged the play. Admittedly, at first I thought he was out. But replays seemed to show that Cowser’s hand got in ahead of the tag. And the umpires seemed to agree. The Birds led 2-0.

However a solo homer by Siri in the second and a sac fly-RBI by Rosario in the third would tie the score. However Ryan Mountcastle smacked a two-run homer in the fifth to give the Orioles the lead back at 4-2.

However keep in mind that Tampa doesn’t go away. This despite being at a diminished power this season. They would bet a run on a Gunnar Henderson throwing error in the sixth, pulling to within one at 4-3.

The Birds needed some insurance. Perhaps mentally more than anything else. Following Irvin’s departure, Jacob Webb came in and held the Orioles over solidly for an inning plus. And suddenly the Birds got their insurance.

It came in the form of Jordan Westburg. His two-run home run in the eighth inning. And that was the coup de grace for Tampa. The Orioles cruised to a 6-3 victory, snapping a two-game losing streak. And getting a much-needed division win.

The series continues tomorrow afternoon at Tropicana Field. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s TJ Bradley. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Costly error hurts O’s late

The Baltimore Orioles found themselves in a vastly different game in Toronto this evening as opposed to the previous two nights. Al Suarez battled, and he did his job as a starter. That being that he put the O’s in a spot to win. Suarez’s line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

The O’s got a solo homer by Anthony Santander, followed by an RBI-double by Ramon Urias in the second. Combined with Suarez looking fairly strong, you felt good about where the Orioles were. However as opposed to the previous two games, Toronto shut the O’s down the rest of the game. This as opposed to the Birds being able to put insurance runs.

Toronto would push two across in the bottom of that second inning, on a sacrifice fly by Kirk followed by an RBI-single by Kiner-Falefa. However from that moment onward the Oriole bullpen was strong also. Danny Coulombe and Yennier Cano especially. Yennier Cano in fact left Toronto begging for mercy after he blew through them in the last of the eighth.

The Orioles brought Craig Kimbrel in to pitch the ninth, and he gave up a leadoff single to Turner. Toronto quickly pinch ran Biggio, who appeared to be picked off at first when Kimbrel threw over. However it was an errant throw, and that allowed Biggio to get to second.

Kiner-Falefa would follow with a walk off single, sending the O’s down to defeat by the score of 3-2. It’s easy to blame Kimbrel, who’s been pitching very well. And the fact is he took the loss (which in effect is a blown save in effect). But everything’s a team effort. Oriole bats were held quiet for most of the game. That can’t happen if you’re going to win games.

The series concludes tomorrow at Rogers Centre. Cade Povich has been called up from Norfolk and will make the start for the O’s (his big league debut), and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Yusei Kikuchi. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Ryan Mountcastle takes Molson and raises you Natty Boh

Ryan Mountcastle of the Baltimore Orioles owns Toronto. Maybe all of Canada. Between him, Adley Rutschman, and starter Corbin Burnes this evening, Canadian authorities may have to consider not letting the Birds back into the country. Burnes’ line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

The first two innings tonight were calm at Rogers Centre. But then Oriole bats came alive. And with a vengeance at that.

Adley Rutschman’s RBI-single in the third got the Orioles on the board, and they led 1-0. Ryan Mountcastle came up next, and with two runners on base at that. Keep in mind, Mountcastle hits Toronto hard – especially at Rogers Centre.

And Mountcastle sent a deep shot to left field. When it cleared the wall, Mountcastle had a three-run home run. And the Orioles held a 4-0 lead.

Some guys just utterly own certain teams. Mountcastle is Toronto’s nemesis. And so far, Mountcastle’s winning that war. Toronto struggles to get him out, or even keep him off the base paths. Needless to say, they certainly didn’t do it tonight.

The tag team of Rutschman and Mountcastle would team up again and inning later in the fifth. And in the same capacity; Rutschman would smack an RBI-single. Mountcastle would follow with a homer – this one only of the two-run variety. And the O’s moved further in the lead.

Anthony Santander’s RBI-double in the seventh and Springer’s solo homer on the bottom of that inning would cement the Orioles’ 8-1 victory. Make no mistake, the entire Oriole team was outstanding in this game. Ryan Mountcastle and Adley Rutschman just stood out. And so did Corbin Burnes.

Oh there was one more thing. Connor Norby got his first big league hit. In fact, it was a two-run homer in the eighth inning that gave the O’s a 10-1 lead.

Whether Norby was relaxing at the plate due to the score or not, your first big league hit is a big deal. The fact that it’s a home run is all the more bigger. And in a division game.

The series continues tomorrow night at Rogers’ Centre. Al Suarez gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Jose Berrios. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Austin Hays’ power surge powers the Birds

Following yesterday’s loss, the Baltimore Orioles sent Grayson Rodriguez to the mound in a situation whereby they could pick up some ground on New York. This with a win in Toronto, while New York was off this evening. Rodriguez’s line: 6.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R (1 earned), 0 BB, 4 K.

I guess when the Orioles play Toronto, the Birds are always going to win. This no matter what! However the good news is that the correct crop of birds got the ‘dub this evening at Rogers Centre. And it wasn’t even close.

Anthony Santander smacked a two-run homer in the second inning, and the O’s led 2-0. Toronto would get a run back in the second, as Varsho smacked a run-scoring double. That goes as an unearned run, as the runner was on base due to an error.

But Oriole bats picked back up in the fourth. Colton Cowser’s RBI-double extended the lead to 3-1. That brought Austin Hays to the plate, and all he did was smack his first home run of the season. This of the two-run variety, and the O’s led 5-1.

Guys are going to have to step up going onward due to injuries. Jorge Mateo going onto the concussion IL today being the most recent. Austin Hays personified that point tonight. Toronto would draw to within 5-2 on a solo homer by Guerrero in the last of the fourth. But that didn’t deter the O’s…

…as Hays would come back up in the seventh. And he responded with his second home run – both of the season, and of the game. Ramon Urias would top things off in the ninth with a solo home run of his own, capping off a 7-2 win for the Orioles over Toronto. In doing so, they picked up a half game on the idle NY Yankees.

If Austin Hays starts getting hot, opposing teams should watch out. The Birds needed that power surge this evening, and they may need it going forward. But for one night at least, Hays’ name shone on the marquee.

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

Baltimore Orioles: Birds let one slip away, win series

The Baltimore Orioles needed a longer or longish outing out of Cole Irvin this afternoon at Camden Yards. While the Birds were going for the sweep, they also have one off day in the month of June. So having a starter go deep after yesterday would make a difference. Irvin’s line: 6.1 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K.

Of course the most important aspect of what I wrote above is that the O’s were going for a sweep. Keep in mind, being in the division this game and this series takes on a bigger presence. The Birds already had the series. Now they wanted to sweep it.

And they got off the a good start. Gunnar Henderson took the first pitch he saw onto Eutaw Street. It was measured at 420 feet. That’s quite a distance. And the O’s led 1-0.

Anthony Santander added an RBI-single in the third, and Adley Rutschman did the same in the fourth. However after that, the O’s couldn’t get much going at the plate. One thing of concern; Jorge Mateo was lifted for a pinch hitter after he bopped himself in the head following through on his swing while in the on-deck circle. Something to watch going forward.

However Tampa picked away. Diaz’s sac fly-RBI in the fifth cut the lead to 3-1. Two innings later in the seventh a solo homer by Caballeros cut it to one at 3-2. However it was Siri’s two-RBI double in the eighth which gave Tampa a 4-3 lead.

The O’s took the series, but this feels like a game that got away. The Orioles aren’t necessarily worried about Tampa catching them in the standings, but New York doesn’t seem to want to lose either. However again, it’s a series win. That matters.

And keep in mind that over the course of 162, you’ll have games you give away. You’ll also have games you’ll steal. The Adley Rutschman walkoff homer to beat Toronto a few weeks ago is an example. This is all part of baseball, which as I’ve said many times, you can’t follow like you would the NFL. You’ll go nuts.

The O’s now head to take on Toronto tomorrow night at Rogers Centre. Grayson Rodriguez gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Kevin Gausman, game time is set for just after 7 PM,

Baltimore Orioles: Two homers for Ryan Mountcastle lifts the Birds

Kyle Bradish didn’t have it this afternoon for the Baltimore Orioles. Following an outing where he pitched seven no-hit innings, he didn’t make it out of the third inning. However in fairness to Bradish, this was a pretty wild game. Bradish’s line: 2.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 6 K.

Mountcastle started things off with a two-run homer in the last of the first. However the Birds went back-to-back that inning, as Anthony Santander followed right away with a solo shot – this on his bobblehead day. And the O’s led 3-0 after one.

However Tampa popped back up in the second. Caballero’s RBI-single and Diaz’s RBI-triple tied the game at three. And the Birds would be put on notice that they were in for a dog fight.

But this Oriole team is too good to let that hold them down. Or even the news that John Means and Tyler Wells will miss the rest of the season, for that matter. Jordan Westburg’s solo homer in the second gave the O’s the lead back at 4-3.

However Tampa would eventually take the lead. Officially, Aranda struck out to start the third. However the ball hit off of home plate, and bounced into the stands. It’s scored as a wild pitch, Aranda was awarded first base, and he would later score on Siri’s RBI-single. Diaz would walk with the bases loaded later in the inning, giving Tampa a 4-3 lead.

This all in the first two-and-a-half innings. However Jordan Westburg would come through again for the Orioles in the last of the third however, with an RBI-single which tied the game. The Orioles would then take the lead, this time for good…

…this on Kyle Stowers’ RBI-double. Jorge Mateo would follow with a sac fly-RBI to pad the lead at 7-5. However if this game and the past is any indication, that two-run lead wasn’t going to be enough. And the fact is you just never know.

Ryan Mountcastle came up in the last of the fourth with a runner on once again. And the result was the same as what we saw in the first. Mountcastle smacked his second two-run homer of the game, and the O’s led 9-5. As I said, you just never know. So keep scoring.

Mercifully however, that’s all the Orioles needed. The bullpens on both sides quieted things down after that. However it does show that while they’re having a tough go of things this season, Tampa isn’t as far off as their record indicates.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Cole Irvin gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Zach Littell, game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Austin Hays keeps the Birds a step ahead

Al Suarez took to the mound in game one of three against Tampa for the Baltimore Orioles. One thing that struck me about this game was that Tampa’s ab organization that’s stayed a step ahead of their competition for what seems like generations. No matter what, it seemed that whichever buttons they pushed was the correct one. Tonight we saw that in reverse, which is fairly consistent with what Tampa’s season has been. Suarez’s line: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K.

Tampa got a run in the second inning on an RBI-single by Rortvedt. And for some time that run stood up for Tampa. Which is consistent with what we’ve seen from them over the years. Their attitude has always been we have one run, and that means you need to score two to beat us.

However the Orioles eventually got into the Tampa bullpen. They brought in reliever Lovelady, which appears to have been a mistake. Again, in the past that’s a move that would have worked well for Tampa. Especially given that the O’s countered by pinch-hitting Austin Hays. But…

…that wasn’t to be for Tampa this evening. Hays sent an RBI-single to left field, tying the game at one. Following another pitching change, Jorge Mateo’s two-RBI double cleared the bases, and put the Orioles in the lead at 3-1

For the sake of his season, Hays needed that. It was a huge play in the grand scope of the game, and a big play in terms of his career. Austin Hays has been in a terrible slump. So the ability to tie the game at one makes a huge difference.

Again, what strikes me about this game and about Tampa’s season thus far is that their “magic” seems to be gone. They made a living out of watching teams do common sense things, and have that common sense turned on it’s head. In this case it’s the Orioles who rolled the dice in pinch-hitting a guy in Austin Hays, who’s struggling. And it’s the Orioles who reaped the rewards.

The series continues tomorrow at Camden Yards. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Taj Bradley. Game time is set for just after 4 PM,