Baltimore Orioles: The Magic of Disney for Albert Suarez

The Baltimore Orioles opened a series in Los Angeles last night. Technically Anaheim – Disney. You get the idea. The Birds sent Albert Suarez to the mound for what amounts to another spot start, and they got exactly what they needed out of him. Suarez’s line: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K.

For Suarez, it was his first MLB win since June of 2016. This about that; you think a few things have happened since then?! Suarez pitched well for the Birds in his last outing, but didn’t qualify for the win. Manager Brandon Hyde commented after the game:

I thought he made some nice adjustments in the game. Him and [catcher James] McCann started working well together. They started throwing a lot more changeups and cutters. Hitters couldn’t just sit fastball on him. Once again, he gave us a great start.

Quote courtesy of Brent Maguire, MLB.com

Speaking of James McCann, he got the O’s started on the scoreboard in the second inning with a solo homer. Adley Rutschman’s RBI-single an inning later padded the lead. In his next turn at bat, Rutschman tacked on an RBI-double, this in the top of the fifth. Colton Cowser would also homer in the seventh.

And it’s a darned good thing he did. Anaheim mounted a semi-comeback. Adell got them on the board in the last of the seventh with a solo homer. Schanuel’s RBI-single later in the inning cut the lead to 4-2. However the Oriole bullpen was able to button things up, and the Birds went onto a 4-2 victory.

The series continues tonight at Angel Stadium. Grayson Rodriguez gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Anaheim’s Griffin Canning. Game time is set for just after 9:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Series win in Kansas City

The Baltimore Orioles came into today needing a strong start out of Cole Irvin, following two long outings for the Oriole bullpen. And they got it. Irvin turned in perhaps his best start with the orange and black this afternoon at Kauffman Stadium, his part in defeating Kansas City. Irvin’s line: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K.

Irvin pitched to contact, something we’ve seen a lot out of the Orioles thus far in 2024. Which is only possible if your pitchers are overpowering hitters. And Oriole pitchers are doing just that. But it’s not being done in turn to Oriole hitters. Which again, is a good trend.

The O’s got back-to-back solo homers in the third inning. Colton Cowser went yard, followed by Jordan Westburg. Now again, both of those were solo homers. But they count as runs, and it means the opponent needs to score two (and then three) in order to beat you. They add up.

The Birds struck again in the sixth. Ryan Mountcastle’s RBI-double plated Anthony Santander, and extended the lead to 3-0. The O’s would then proceed to load the bases, and Jordan Westburg drew a walk. And the O’s led , 4-0.

And when you have a lead and get good pitching (starting pitching and relief), you’re good to go. The Orioles shut down Kansas City bats the rest of the way, and coasted to a 5-0 victory. Yes, 5-0; they got a pinch hit infield RBI-single from Ramon Urias in the ninth. And they left Kansas City with a game and a series victory.

One thing of note; Jackson Holliday’s struggles since coming to the big leagues have been well-documented. This at the plate; we did see him make an outstanding play in the field today at second base. However I noticed that he’s getting victimized on the corners of the plate. Anything borderline is being called a ball.

Now it’s fair to question what he’s done to deserve getting borderline pitches. However opposing pitchers are also taking notice, and in short they’re nibbling on the corners. They know that if it’s close, Holliday may well look at it, and they’ll get the call. Just an observation.

The O’s now head to Los Angeles to open a three-game set at Angel Stadium. Al Suarez gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by LA’s Reid Detmers. Game time is set for just after 9:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Tougher than it needed to be, but take the W

The Baltimore Orioles became the first visiting team to win at Kauffman Stadium tonight since Kansas City’s first home series. But despite a huge second inning for Oriole bats, the game was a dog fight at the end, forcing starter Corbin Burnes to sweat things out a bit. Burnes’ line: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

The O’s put seven runs on the board in the second inning. They got things started with an RBI-double by Ramon Urias, and RBI-singles by James McCann, Adley Rutschman, and Ryan Mountcastle. In effect, the O’s piecemealed a big inning together. Fact is you’ll take runs anyway you can get them. Just like you’ll take wins anyway you can get one.

Before the second inning ended, Anthony Santander added an RBI-double, and Jordan Westburg a two-RBI single. The Orioles batted around in that second inning, knocking Kansas City starter Ragans out of the game early. Which bodes well for tomorrow.

However even though the bats came alive and Burnes was coasting, the Orioles mate have thought to tomorrow slightly early. And Kansas City can be deadly when you look past them in the moment. And it started happening in the last of the sixth when Burnes started to tire.

Perez smacked a three-run homer following a double and a walk. That caused Burnes’ exit, however he still left with the lead. The O’s would further extend their lead to 8-3 in the seventh when Austin Hays scored on a Pass Ball at home plate. Then the last of the seventh happened.

One way Kansas City wins games is by wearing you down. They grind and they wear out your pitching, similar to the Tampa Rays. With runners already on base, Yohan Ramirez entered the game, hit a batter, and then allowed a run on a Pass Ball. That cut the lead to 8-4.

Kansas City would then get an RBI-single by Garcia, and a two-RBI single by Perez. This following grueling at-bats that took a lot of energy out of the Birds. One inning later however Anthony Santander would tack on an insurance run with an RBI-double. And luckily, the pitching situation calmed down in the eighth and ninth, giving the O’s a 9-7 victory.

It’s worth mentioning that Anthony Santander had the two biggest plays of the game. The first one was the insurance run late. However he also made a diving catch on a fly ball in the ninth inning that turned a base hit on a bloop into an out. This game shouldn’t have been as close as it is. But Santander wanted it more than Kansas City in a sense. While that goes as a standard fly ball out, make no mistake it was one of the biggest play in the game.

Sometimes you have games like this. It didn’t need to be that tough to win this game (following a seven-run inning). But it was, although the important part is that the Orioles won it. Do you want a hard win that you had to grit out more so than a game you ultimately lost? The answer is an emphatic YES, 100% of the time.

The series concludes tomorrow at Kauffman Stadium. Cole Irvin gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Kansas City’s Seth Lugo. Game time is set for just after 2 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Attention to detail

Dean Kremer came within an out of a quality start last night in Kansas City. However he didn’t get get run support until after he left the game, and Kansas City ended up piling on anyways. Kansas City, who’s young and underrated, that is. Kremer’s line: 5.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 3 K.

The Birds appeared to be getting things churning early. Gunnar Henderson was hit by a pitch and Adley Rutschman followed with a base hit to start the game. They both moved into scoring position on a groundout. However Henderson was picked off third, and Anthony Santander flew out to end the inning.

My personal opinion is that Henderson was safe on the pickoff play. It looked to me like his hand got back into the bag before the tag. But the call was upheld on instant replay. However the bigger issue is getting picked off at all. You can’t let that happen that early in the game. All things being the same, it’s only one run. But if Santander’s fly out is a sac fly instead, you don’t know how the rest of the game unfolds.

Kremer dealt well, that is until the fourth when Pasquantino smacked a solo homer. He also gave up an RBI-single to Melendez in the fourth, and he was responsible for one of the runners on Massey’s two-RBI single in the sixth. Remfroe would add a two-RBI single of his own later in the inning, and the O’s trailed 6-0.

Kansas City took advantage of their opportunities in this game. At least early on, the Orioles didn’t. They posted a big inning, whereas the Orioles worked their way out of one early. Attention to detail wins you ballgames. In fact, it wins you anything in life.

But the O’s didn’t just take the “L.” Adley Rutschman smacked a grand slam in the seventh that put the Orioles right back into the game. But it didn’t last long. Melendez’s three-run homer in the last of that inning gave Kansas City a 9-4 lead, and they coasted to victory on this night.

I go back to the Henderson pickoff. You can’t know when it happens that you’re seeing one of the big inflection points of the ballgame. But you have to treat everything as such. Again, all things being the same that’s only one run. But that’s always a tough sell to make – “all things being the same.” Because all things wouldn’t have been the same. The Orioles would have had the lead.

The series continues this evening at Kauffman Stadium. Corbin Burnes gets the star for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Kansas City’s Cole Ragans. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: A small army scoring always bodes well

The Baltimore Orioles sent Grayson Rodriguez to the mound tonight against Minnesota, and he looked better than perhaps he’s looked since last season. Rodriguez stymied Minnesota hitters for most of his outing. Which bodes well going onward. Rodriguez’s line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 6 K.

The O’s did get some bad news before the game. Tyler Wells went to the IL with elbow inflammation. Wells was scheduled to start tomorrow’s game, but that’s obviously no longer going to be the case.

The Orioles scored in bunches in this game. James McCann’s RBI-single in the second got them on the board. McCann would almost immediately score himself when Gunnar Henderson decided to hit the ball over the fence for a two-run homer.

The onslaught continued an inning later. Colton Cowser grounded out into an RBI, and Jordan Westburg’s two-run homer extended the lead to 6-0. And that’s key right there – it broke the game wide open. You have to put people away when you have the opportunity. The Orioles did it tonight.

But the Orioles weren’t done yet – in the game or in the inning. Gunnar Henderson’s RBI-single gave the Birds a 7-0 lead. Minnesota would get an RBI-triple in the fourth by Buxton, and an RBI-single in the sixth by Kiriloff. This sandwiched around another RBI-single for the O’s, this one by Colton Cowser. They would also get a two-RBI single by Anthony Santander in the last of the sixth, extending the lead to 9-2.

But the O’s weren’t totally done yet. Adley Rutschman walked to lead off the last of the eighth. That brought Ryan O’Hearn to the plate, and his two-run homer (upheld on replay for fan interference) ran the final to 11-2. I would also mention that Minnesota’s Byron Buxton tried to climb the wall in center to stop that homer. Despite the score being out of hand, he was still out there trying. He’s a gamer. He always has been. Minnesota would add an RBI-single in the ninth, and the O’s went home 11-3 winners, taking the series.

Everyone participated in this game. Everyone who played, that is. Every Orioles reached base. Jackson Holliday was the lone Oriole without a hit, but he did draw a walk – the first of his big league career. Many of those base runners came in to score. Which is key – the more runs you score the more they have to score to beat you.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Due to Tyler Wells going to the IL the Orioles have yet to announce a starter, but they’ll be facing Minnesota’s Pablo Lopez. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Cedric Mullins powers a win

There’ll be no waiting until the finale of this series with Minnesota to see if the Baltimore Orioles will extend their streak of series’ having not been swept. The Birds took care of business early on in this series, the opener of which was started by Cole Irvin – who didn’t stick around as long as he would have wanted, but such can be life. Irvin’s line: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 4 K.

Personally I thought Irvin had something left in the tank. While he didn’t outwardly react, it appeared that when Brandon Hyde went out to get him, he wasn’t necessarily thrilled. However you have to trust that Hyde had reasons for pulling Irvin when he did.

Cedric Mullins dazzled fans before he even stepped to the plate. With the crowd still settling in during the top of the first, Minnesota’s Buxton sent a deep liner to center with two outs. It appeared to be by Mullins, and with a runner on second would have scored a run. But Mullins wasn’t having that. He extended all the way back towards his left, and with his face to the wall made an amazing catch to end the inning.

It goes in the scorebook as a fly ball out. But moments like that are intangible, and you can’t put a value on them. That was one of the best catches I’ve ever seen if I’m being honest. It’s right up there with Jim Edmonds’ catch for the Cardinals years ago.

And the Birds kept the momentum going quickly. Jordan Westburg’s two-RBI double in the bottom of the inning gave the O’s a 2-0 lead. Minnesota would cut that in half with Miranda’s second inning solo homer, but the Birds weren’t about to surrender the lead.

Ryan O’Hearn’s solo homer in the third extended the lead to 3-1, and Mullins’ sacrifice fly-RBI brought it to 4-1. Mullins, for his part, was really the workhorse of the night. Both offensively and defensively.

Minnesota would try to chip away with an RBI-single by Miranda in the fourth, but again it was Mullins who would stem the tide. He smacked deep two-run homer in the fifth which extended the lead to 6-2. One inning later Gunnar Henderson joined the homer parade with a solo shot. Jeffers would add a two-RNI double in the seventh to get Minnesota to within three, but that wasn’t ever going to be enough.

So this marks the 97th consecutive series the Orioles have played without getting swept. The last time that happened was May of 2022 at the hands of the Detroit Tigers. Is it a somewhat pointless streak? Yes. But is it worth mentioning? Absolutely.

It’s also worth mentioning that the O’s didn’t find it necessary to come back in this game. They led from the beginning, and they simply padded the lead. Interesting spot to be in if the rest of the young season is any indication.

The series continues tomorrow at Camden Yards. Grayson Rodriguez gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Chris Paddack. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Jackson Holliday picked a good time to get on the board

The Baltimore Orioles brought the big leagues’ longest streak of not being swept into question today. If they lost to Milwaukee, the streak would be snapped – at 95 straight series’, it’s also the fourth longest in history. Corbin Burnes had a long slog of an outing, which amounted to a slog. Burnes’ line: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R (2 earned) 2 BB, 5 K.

Things started inauspiciously. Contreras hit the second pitch of the game out of the ballpark, giving Milwaukee a 1-0 lead. But the O’s came right back. Ryan O’Hearn’s RBI-single in the last of the first tied things at one. One inning later, they had a 2-1 lead on a solo homer by Cedric Mullins.

However Milwaukee hoodwinked their way into tying the score. With two outs in the third and runners at the corners, Frelick attempted a steal of second base. However he had an awful jump, making one wonder if it was a failed hit-and-run attempt. But…with two outs?

While Frelick was caught in a rundown, Perkins crossed home plate, tying the score at two. Did Milwaukee purposely run into ending the inning to allow a run to score? Needless to say, it was a sneaky way of doing things.

But the Birds came back and took the lead on Ryan O’Hearn’s RBI-single in the bottom of the inning. However Corbin Burnes committed a throwing error in the fourth, allowing a run to score which tied the score. Milwaukee would later take the lead in the seventh on a Perkins solo homer.

The Orioles looked defeated. And it wasn’t even due to the sweep streak. If there was ever a time to come back and fight another day, that might have been it. But championship teams can reach back and find a way.

Jordan Westburg led off the seventh with a single. That brought hit the still hitless Jackson Holliday to the plate. In possibly the biggest moment in the game to that point…

…needless to say, Holliday picked a great time for his first big league hit. And great placement – a tight liner down the right field line, allowing Westburg to go first to third. The entire park stood and gave Holliday a standing ovation. Deservedly so, but also due to the moment the Orioles were creating.

That brought Gunnar Henderson to the plate, and his RBI-single tied the game back up at 4. Adley Rutschman would then ground into a double-play, but with a runner on third and nobody out, that also scored a run. It was small and humble, but it gave the Birds a 5-4 lead. And “small and humble” has beaten the O’s all weekend. Turnabout is fair play.

The O’s would net an insurance run on a Colton Cowser solo homer in the eighth. But they went home winners today over Milwaukee, 6-4. Protecting the sweep streak, and extending it to 96 series’.

Heck of a moment for Jackson Holliday to get his first hit. Not only did it happen, but it did so in front of his entire family – including his Dad, former major leaguer Matt Holliday. And it made a huge difference in the flow of play.

The O’s welcome Minnesota into Camden Yards tomorrow night. Cole Irvin gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Louie Varland. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: You can’t let people off the hook

Dean Kremer didn’t look terrible this afternoon for the Baltimore Orioles. However similar to Tyler Wells last night, he was getting too much of the strike zone. And that can be just as much an issue as missing. Kremer’s line: 4.0 IP, 10 H, 8 R (6 earned), 1 BB, 3 K.

The Orioles jumped out early in this game against Milwaukee’s DL Hall, himself a former Oriole. Ryan Mtuntcaskte’s solo homer in the first inning gave them a 1-0 lead. Jordan Westburg followed later in the inning with a two-run shot. Milwaukee would get one back in the second on a solo homer by Hoskins, but things were looking up.

Gunnar Henderson’s RBI-single in the last of the second would extend the lead to 4-1. However Milwaukee loaded the bases with two outs in the third on an error and two softly-hit singles. Bauers would ground out to add a run, and Hoskins would tack on another soft RBI-single. A fourth run would score on an Austin Hays error, and same were tied.

The frustration there is that this all came with two outs. You have to put teams away. However the Birds would get the lead back in the bottom of the inning. Adley Rutschman would smack a solo home run, putting the O’s back on top at 5-4.

They would proceed to load the bases, but Milwaukee was allowed to shimmy its way out of the inning. And that’s almost the same issue as above. Whereas the O’s allowed Milwaukee to get back into the game with two outs in the inning, this was loading the bases (with nobody out) and not scoring after that. You have to put people away. The Orioles couldn’t do it in both cases, and paid the price,

An RBI-single by Contreras in the fourth would tie the game. Later in the inning however Bauers would haunt the O’s and smack a three-run homer. For the record, that home run may well have been wind-aided. However again, had the Orioles taken care of their business when they had the opportunity to do so, that wouldn’t have mattered.

And it got worse in the eighth. Frelick’s RBI-single and Adanes’ two-RBI double extended the lead to 11-5. Those last two runs? With two outs.

In fairness, Milwaukee’s offense has been scorching of late. This coming into the series. But if you can’t put people away, games will go south.

One bright spot I suppose, Oriole bats woke up a bit (at least early on) from last night. Five runs on the board is respectable; it’s the 11 runs allowed that’s the problem. Adley Rutschman went 2-for-5 with a homer out of the DH role.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards. Corbin Burnes gets the start for the Burds, and he’ll be opposed by Milwaukee’s Colin Rea. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM

Baltimore Orioles fall big to Milwaukee

Just a reminder to Baltimore Orioles fans, the Birds aren’t going to win or be competitive in every game. Over 162, it’s virtually impossible. And we saw tonight what happens when even the best teams have off nights, this behind Tyler Wells – who got the start for the Birds. Wells’ line: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 3 K.

One thing I’ve noticed about Wells in his first few turns of the rotation this year, if anything he’s getting TOO MUCH of the strike zone. You have to wonder if he isn’t becoming too predictable in a sense. He does settle down, but he’s becoming predictable.

Wells allowed a two-run homer to Sanchez, and an RBI-triple to Ortiz in the second. Hoskins added an RBI-single in the third, and the Birds trailed. However you also have to give credit to Milwaukee hitters in this. Tyler Wells and subsequent Oriole hitters ran into a buzz saw this evening.

One of the few good moments for the O’s was Colton Cowser smacking his third home run in 24 hours, a solo shot in the last of the fourth. Whatever Cowser’s doing, it should be imitated. He’s made his presence felt big time, and it’s made a big difference.

However Milwaukee closed the door early on the Birds. They got two-run homers from Adames and Contreras in the fifth and sixth. Frelick would follow later in that sixth inning with an RBI-single. And Milwaukee would tack an additional run on in the ninth on an RBI-single by Ortiz – a former Oriole. And the O’s fell 11-1 in game one of three.

One thing to watch, the aforementioned home run by Adames in the sixth…the next time Adames came up to bat, the benches cleared. There appeared to be some sort of drama between Adames and Oriole catcher James McCann. There’s some speculation that maybe Adames showed up the Oriole pitching staff on his home run trot – ultimately we don’t know.

Nobody was ejected, but the bullpens did empty. Warnings were issued to both teams. It’ll be interesting to see if this escalates further in either of the next two games.

The series continues tomorrow at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Milwaukee’s D.L. Hall (himself a former Oriole). Game time is set for just after 4 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Colton Cowser meets Fenway as O’s seeep BoSox away

A long time ago, Grayson Rodriguez started for the Baltimore Orioles tonight in the series finale with Boston at Fenway Park. The Birds of course had taken the first two games of the series and were going for the sweep. And what a game it was. Rodriguez’s line: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K.

Rodriguez’s two runs surrendered came in the first inning. Yoshida’s RBI-groundout and Abreu’s RBI-double gave Boston a 2-0 lead. However Colton Cowser’s first big league home run in the fifth (a solo shot) cut the lead in half at 2-1. Incidentally, it cleared the Green Monster at Fenway.

One key to the Orioles’ season thus far has been taking advantage of opponents’ mistakes. And we saw it in a big way tonight. This entire series, really. While Jackson Holliday still hasn’t collected his first big league hit, but he did reach on an error in the eighth inning. The inning eventually ended with Holliday being out as part of a double-play…

…or did it?! The inning appeared to end. But the next thing we knew Anthony Santander was walking to the plate. And a moment later the Orioles led 3-2 after his two-run homer around the Pesky Pole.

So Santander continued the inning and smacked a two-run home run. However Boston brought up Wong (their backup catcher) in the last

In short, Boston employed the “neighborhood play” to get Holliday out at second. In short, the out was never made. And the umpire correctly ruled the runner (Holliday) safe at first.

However, Boston tied the game in the last of the eight with a solo homer by Wong, who came in as a pinch hitter. Wong was also Boston’s backup catcher. And following the starting catcher McGuire being tossed later in the inning, he was pressed into action – with Boston already having a short bench.

Following a scoreless ninth, we went to the tenth. The ghost runner rule returned Jackson Holliday to second base. But he wasn’t there long. Gunnar Henderson led off the inning, and sent a high fly ball over the wall in right field, and gave the O’s a 5-3 lead.

But they weren’t done. Cedric Mullins added an RBI-single, bringing Colton Cowser back to the plate with two runners on. And Cowser responded with his second big league home run, and his second of the game. This one of the three-run variety, and over the Green Monster at that. Boston would put across a nominal run in the bottom of the inning, but the O’s closed out a 9-4 win, and a series sweep at Fenway Park.

Cowser had a solid series overall. Both at the plate and in the field. The Orioles closed out a winning road trip, and a series sweep of a division rival at that. It’s a long season, and it’s still early. But this is the sort of series to which one might point back later on.

The O’s now return home to open a series with the Milwaukee Brewers at Camden Yards. Tyler Wells gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Milwaukee’s Freddy Peralta. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.