Baltimore Orioles: Don’t press your luck

Baltimore Orioles fans should remind themselves that the Birds took two-of-three in this weekend series in Tampa. If perfection is the goal, you’re always going to fall short. Having said that, starter Albert Suarez was pretty darned close to it this afternoon. Suarez’s line: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

I rarely allow myself the simplicity of bluntness, but to be blunt…Suarez mowed Tampa hitters down from the beginning. Some of the innings were over before they even got cranking. It was perhaps the most dominant start of his Orioles’ career. You only wish that he had been given more to work with on the offensive side of the coin.

Anthony Santander hit a solo homer in the fourth inning. And that was the only run support that Suarez got. However again, I can’t downplay how stellar he was today. There’s no world in which he could have lost the game today with how he pitched.

Suarez was at 95 pitches after recording the second out in the seventh. And manager Brandon Hyde opted to lift him in favor of Cionel Perez. Caballero immediately doubled, which was followed by an RBI-single by Carlson. In a flash, Suarez was non-decisioned.

Hyde then went to Craig Kimbrel in the eighth, who promptly walked the leadoff hitter. Following a strikeout, he issued another walk. Keep in mind, Tampa already had the go-ahead run in scoring position in scoring position. Almost inexplicably, they opted to attempt a double-steal. Which is risky in that situation. But they did, and it worked.

If you’re going to do something like that, which is indubitably against the grain, it had better work. In Tampa’s case today, it did. Kimbrel intentionally walked the hitter at the plate with first base open, and Mead’s sac fly-RBI gave them a 2-1 lead.

To add insult to injury, Tampa’s closer, Fairbanks struck out Jackson Holliday in the ninth inning (for the second out) on a 1-2 changeup. Again, against the grain. Granted he had thrown three straight fastballs at that point, you would expect something in the dirt. Or a fastball high. Instead we got a changeup in the outer part of the strike zone, which is probably the last thing one would expect in that situation.

Again, you have to stand on the fact that the Orioles won this series. If you’re winning series’ you’re doing okay. And again, if you’re expecting perfection, you’re going to be let down. They took two-of-three; that’s not shabby. Yes they now move back into a tie with New York in the standings (with the Orioles in theory ahead by percentage points). But given that’s how they entered the series, in short they sustained.

People will point to Brandon Hyde relieving Suarez when he did. Obviously that’s the glaring thing in this game. However Suarez had never thrown that deep into a game. He was also at 95 pitches. All of that makes a difference. I tend to think that he possibly could have gone one more hitter. However had the result been the same (or worse), keep in mind that people’s reactions would be that Hyde should have pulled him.

So Hyde did what he did. And it’s a shame that it worked out the way that it did. Many will say that Tampa won today off of Hyde’s management. Maybe they did. Again, I would have left him in. But you also have to go with conventional wisdom, that being that the guy pitched deeper than he ever had before already.

In short, you can’t press your luck. And it’s that same point that I would make about the series overall. They won the series. That’s the goal in every series, and they did it. You can’t press your luck.

Baltimore Orioles: Ramon Urias redemption tour

Corbin Burnes gave the Baltimore Orioles a decent outing tonight (in the form of a quality start) at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, but it proved to be not enough. It certainly helped the Orioles win, but not in enough time for him to be the winner. Burnes’ line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

Two of the first three hitters got on base for the Orioles, in the form of Colton Cowser and Gunnar Henderson. Adley Rutschman followed with an RBI-double, giving the O’s a 1-0 lead. Ryan Mountcastle would immediately smack a two-RBI single, and the Birds led 3-0 after one.

One inning later Jackson Holliday’s solo home run extended the lead to 4-0. However come the fifth, Tampa battled back. They put a runner on, who stole second base. Caballero would single as well, and an infield single at that. It was in essence a swinging bunt, and it was “eaten” by Ramon Urias on the infield grass at third.

Following Caballero stealing second base, Jackson’s two-RBI double would cut the lead to 4-2. De Luca would add an RBI-double of his own later in the inning, cutting the Oriole lead to 4-3. Caballero would come up again in the seventh, and his solo homer would tie the game at four.

Typical of Tampa. They always get fat on what their opponent leaves out there, no matter how slight it might be. That Caballero play was ruled a hit; but it easily could have been an out had Urias made the play. Something that minute sparked a rally.

However Urias was able to redeem himself – and then some. Jackson Holliday drew a walk lead off the eighth inning, bringing Urias to the plate. And again…redemption. Urias smacked a two-run home run, putting the Orioles ahead 6-4. Before the inning ended Ryan Mountcastle would add an RBI-single, extending the lead to 7-4.

Tampa would threaten before it was all over, but the O’s never truly broke. Diaz dropped what appeared to be a harmless bloop single in, and one thing led to another. Before you knew it the bases were loaded with two outs, and Siri drew a pinch-hit walk to cut the lead to 7-5. However the bullpen was able to close it out from there, including Seranthont Dominguez in the ninth. It was only his second save of the season, the other one coming with Philadelphia…against the Orioles.

With the win, the Birds now sit alone in first place in the AL East by a game. This by virtue of New York dropping the second game of their doubleheader this afternoon with the Los Angeles Angels. The O’s are also the first team to 70 wins, if you’re keeping track at home.

Tampa doesn’t give up. The Orioles are fortunate that they were able to close this out. And make no mistake that it was a big win. It’s in the division, and it allows the Birds to sit alone in first – at least at the conclusion of play for one day. As much as I say that this stage of the season is keeping pace, the O’s took advantage of their main competition losing earlier today. They won. And they now sit alone in first.

The series concludes tomorrow at Tropicana Field. Albert Suarez gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Jeffrey Springs. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Zach Eflin returns to the Trop – and wins

Zach Eflin made his most recent start tonight at Tropicana Field – except this time for the Baltimore Orioles. Eflin of course was traded at the deadline from Tampa to the Orioles, and tonight made his third start for the Birds. This one however against his old team in his old home park. Eflin’s line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K.

This is pretty much the sort of outing that Tampa fans have been used to seeing out of Zach Eflin. And thus far, he’s been worth everything that he cost the Orioles to get him. After a taxing series in Toronto, Eflin went seven innings tonight, which saved the bullpen. It all begins and ends with starting pitching.

But a close second is getting on the scoreboard early. And the Orioles did – about as early as one can get. Colton Cowser led the game off with a solo homer. The Birds led 1-0 before the crowd had even settled in. Many of them wearing Orange & Black, for the record.

The Orioles had a lot of base runners on base tonight, including in the fifth. They loaded the bases with nobody out, and Ryan O’Hearn’s two-RBI single extended the lead to 3-0. One inning later it was a solo homer by Cedric Mullins which rallied the Birds further, extending the lead to 4-0.

Yennier Cano came on to close things out in the ninth, and did surrender a solo homer to Carlson. However that aside, the Orioles’ bullpen closed out a 4-1 win in Tampa, marked by solid pitching and good defense. New York was rained out tonight (doubleheader tomorrow), so the Orioles stand alone in first place in the AL East – for tonight.

The series continues tomorrow at Tropicana Field. Corbin Burnes gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Drew Rasmussen. Game time is set for 7:15 PM,

Baltimore Orioles: Contending teams sputter as the season turns

The key for the Baltimore Orioles going forward is to not have their valleys be too deep. That, and to not have them be at the same time as those of New York. This week for instance, both teams dropped two-of-three to teams they should have beaten handily. No harm no foul.

Teams such as the Orioles, New York, Philadelphia, et al, have gone hard all year long. Nobody – I repeat – NOBODY can go full throttle for an entire season (plus spring training). Therefore it’s natural that as the season wears on the best of the best are going to struggle as well. And teams who aren’t even in their zip code can make them look tame.

The Orioles’ biggest problem is injuries. Keep in mind, they had three pitchers undergo Tommy John’s this spring. They have a closer in Felix Bautista who most likely won’t play this year for the same reason, and they have another starter in Grayson Rodriguez who just went on the IL. Not to mention Heston Kjerstad, and others.

That’s tough to overcome. But this team is too talented and too good to allow themselves NOT to be in the mix. I routinely see fans grouse that they’re mismanaged, or that the players need to get with it. Again, NOBODY can keep it up for 162 games. If they could, someone would go 162-0 and in the World Series going away.

Again, the key is to sustain the rest of the way. Mind you, this team had very few hurdles last year once they overtook Tampa in the division. Maybe that was a bad thing in a sense. Because when things really counted (the postseason), they couldn’t turn it back on. This after a hiatus due to winning the division.

This year, there have been more struggles. Again, perhaps that’s a good thing. No folks, they aren’t going to miss the playoffs. Rest easy on that point. But when they get there, they might be more battle tested than they were last year. Texas got into the playoffs on the last day of the season. And you know what happened next.

End of the day, they’re in the same spot as New York – one of the teams people think will overtake the Birds. Many also think Boston has a shot; maybe they do. But I don’t see them finishing ahead of the Orioles. You can’t will yourself past teams with better talent on skunk alone.

All this being said, the idea is to sustain and keep pace. As we saw last year, once you get to the postseason, all bets are off.

Baltimore Orioles almost make it all the way back

Dean Kremer had some halfway decent innings for the Baltimore Orioles in Toronto this evening. Just not enough decent innings. It’s been a tough season for the Orioles’ starter, yet here he is. Kremer’s line: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 BB, 6 K.

Kremer was pitching against a team in Toronto this evening who doesn’t strike out too much. Yet, he still notched six strikeouts. However in doing so, he got a lot of the plate with his pitches. And he paid for that.

Guerrero’s RBI-double in the first inning following two runners being put on. Guerrero victimized the Orioles tonight, and given the fact that this was the last meeting between the teams, the Orioles don’t need to worry about running into him again.

However that also left runners at second and third, and when Kremer was called for a balk Toronto led 2-0. Kirk’s RBI-single extended the lead to 3-0. For the record, that was Kremer’s first balk in his career.

The Orioles did try to battle back. Colton Cowser’s two-run homer in the third got them back to within one. However Toronto would pad their lead in the later innings, much of that on the bat once again of Guerrero. They ran it all the way to 7-2, and the game appeared to be over…

…but it wasn’t. The O’s loaded the bases in the ninth, and Jackson Holliday grounded into a fielder’s choice-RBI. That was followed by an RBI-double by Cedric Mullins, bringing Colton Cowser back to the plate.

And Cowser’s “excuse me swing” two-RBI single cut the Toronto lead to 7-6. The O’s had the go-ahead run at the plate with two outs in the ninth. However Anthony Santander flied out to center, ending the game in a 7-6 loss.

The Orioles have also run into the buzzsaw of good pitching. Toronto starter Gausman (former Oriole) pitched eight innings. He gave up just that Colton Cowser home run, and struck out only two. Eight innings pitched and he struck out TWO HITTERS. That’s a statistical anomaly, but it’s also indicative of what the Orioles were up against tonight.

However make no mistake, we saw the Orioles come to life in the end. And maybe at this stage of the season, that’s what it’s all about – coming alive at the right time. Coming alive when needed to keep pace in the standings. And on that note by virtue of New York losing to Anaheim, the O’s remain in a first place tie.

The O’s now go to Tampa to open a series at Tropicana Field tomorrow night. Zach Eflin gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Zach Litell. Game time is set for just before 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: “Wacko Jacko” and Tony Taters propel the Birds

In the wake of losing yet another starter to injury last night (Grayson Rodriguez), the Baltimore Orioles reminded the division and the fans that they aren’t throwing in the towel. In fact, behind a solid outing by Trevor Rogers, they put the rest of the league on notice that they’re staying the course. One player and one game a season does not make. Rogers’ line: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R (2 earned), 2 BB, 2 K.

Following a lead off walk, Anthony Santander’s two-run homer in the first inning gave the Birds a 2-0 lead. But weird things happen to the Orioles under that dome in Toronto. Kirk sent a grounder to Coby Mayo at third, and following a funny hop he was safe at first base. It was ruled a single, and Toronto would score on Horowitz’s sac fly-RBI.

Serven’s RBI-double in the second tied the game at two. However later in the inning Clement would ground into what should have been the final out. Coby Mayo made a great play in getting to the ball, but an errant throw allowed a third run to score, and the Orioles suddenly trailed 3-2.

The strike zone was an issue the entire game. Home plate umpire Larry Vanover never seemed to define a consistent zone. Eventually the Orioles had seen enough of Vanover’s “progressive strike zone,” and manager Brandon Hyde was ejected in the fifth inning. It was bound to happen, as Oriole hitters were going down left and right on pitches that weren’t even close.

But the O’s still trailed. That is until the seventh inning. Eloy Jimenez delivered an infield single with one out, and went to second on an errant throw. He later took third on an attempted pickoff attempt that yielded another errant throw. However while it was good to get a runner that close to home, it really didn’t matter…

…because Jackson Holliday sent a ball into kingdom come. His two-run home run put the O’s back in the lead at 4-3. That lead however was immediately challenged in the last of the seventh. With a runner on second and two outs, acting manager Freddi Gonzales opted to pitch to Guerrero – a heavy hitter.

In my gut I questioned that with first base open. And almost true to form, Guerrero sent a deep shot to right field. Needless to say, it appeared ticketed for a game-tying moment. Possibly a go-ahead moment once again for Toronto. For a split second it was all coming crashing down.

However at the 11th hour, Anthony Santander reached out and caught the ball smack against the wall on the run. Did it save the game? Needless to say, it was a heroic play that doesn’t get made nine times out of ten. And it also ended the inning, as well as the threat. Again needless to say, it was a key moment in the ballgame.

That preserved the Orioles’ one-run lead. But just a moment after that, Santander did his team one better. He led off the top of the eighth with a solo home run, which despite going the opposite way from Holliday’s, went almost just as far. That extended the Orioles’ lead to 5-3.

Later in that eighth inning Eloy Jimenez smacked a two-RBI double, giving the Orioles some insurance. The bullpen closed it out the rest of the way, and the Birds took home a 7-3 victory. And make no mistake, that was one of the biggest victories of the season to date.

Jackson Holliday became the youngest player to homer in three straight games. This in league history. He and Anthony Santander were the hero’s tonight, and once again this team reminded the competition that they still have a heartbeat.

Incidentally on Holliday, Toronto pitchers were taking advantage of Larry Vanover’s “progressive strike zone” by pitching outside the zone with four-seam fastballs. But they went to the well one too many times, and Holliday got a pitch that was up, but caught too much of the zone. If it’s high, let it fly. And he did.

The series concludes tomorrow night at Rogers Centre. Dean Kremer 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: Unconventional means

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Baltimore Orioles answered the call with the game on the line

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Baltimore Orioles: Cionel Perez and Adley Rutschman lead the way

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Baltimore Orioles: Two-out damage sinks the Birds

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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