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,

Baltimore Orioles: Gunnar Henderson’s early thunder powers the Birds

Corbin Burnes was his normal dominant self this evening in the series finale against Boston at Camden Yards. When you give up one run, you should expect to win the game. And a run that didn’t count against his ERA at that. Burnes’ line: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R (0 earned), 3 BB, 5 K.

Burnes gave up a base hit to Wong in the second. Wong would later steal second, and advance to third on a throwing error. He would later score when Smith reached on a fielder’s choice, and was ruled safe at first. Jorge Mateo’s throw home on a ground ball sailed high and wide.

However the Orioles weren’t about to allow themselves to fall into the traps of last night. They couldn’t get hits or get on base last night in big spots. They weren’t about to repeat that performance.

Following a hit batsman the Birds put two runners on in the last of the second. Ramon Urias, who got a rare start, contributed with an RBI-single. This tied the game, and put Boston on notice that they weren’t about to hold the lead the entire game.

While Boston recorded two outs, the O’s loaded the bases. That brought Gunnar Henderson to the plate, and he unleashed a deep shot to right center field. You knew it was gone from the beginning, and it gave the O’s a 5-1 lead.

And when your pitching is as good as what Burnes turned in this evening, that’s all you really need. Ramon Urias would add another solo homer late, and the O’s went home with a 6-1 victory. They took two-of-three from Boston this week. Win and move on. Tampa comes to town this weekend.

Baltimore Orioles: Can’t squander a sure thing and win

Grayson Rodriguez struggled out of the gate for the Baltimore Orioles this evening against Boston. It wasn’t a total disaster, but Boston hitters were all over him from the first pitch. Rodriguez’s line: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 10 K.

The ten strikeouts illustrate that it wasn’t a total washout. Ten strikeouts is impressive . However it also shows how in some capacity perhaps Rodriguez was getting too much of the plate. Sometimes pitch location can be a strange tug of war. The opposite of this is nibbling, and obviously you don’t want to do that either.

A solo homer by Abreu and an RBI-single by Devers gave Boston a 2-0 lead in the first inning. But the O’s bounced right back. Colton Cowser’s RBI-single in the last of the first cut the lead in half. After the Birds put two runners on base as the inning went on, Jordan Westburg’s two-RBI single gave them a 3-2 lead.

And that single was tight down the right field line. Westburg put it exactly where it needed to be in order to get the two runs in. And the Orioles held a brief lead.

However Boston immediately tied the score and retook the lead. Duran’s RBI-double in the second tied the score at three. Devers would add another RBI-single, which was in essence a bloop, later in the inning. That gave them a 4-3 lead. It was softly-hit, but it found daylight.

The key moment in the game however was in the last of the sixth. The Orioles loaded the bases with nobody out. Boston pulled its starter, Bello, and the Birds zero’d in on attempting to tie the game.

But it never came to that. Austin Hays struck out, Jorge Mateo grounded into a force out at home plate, and Gunnar Henderson struck out as well to end the inning. The O’s totally let Boston off the hook.

And you can’t win games when you don’t take advantage of opportunities like that. They say when you get a runner to third with less than two outs you should score. The O’s had that in the sixth inning tonight and then some – they had the bases loaded with nobody down. You have to score there.

Boston would tack on a run in the eighth on an RBI-single by Wong. They would then add four more in the ninth. They picked up what the Orioles left on the field. Which has to be expected in big league baseball.

The series concludes tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Corbin Burnes gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Kutter Crawford. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles showcase their potential on Memorial Day

The Baltimore Orioles sent Cole Irvin to the mound this afternoon at Camden Yards against Boston on Memorial Day. This not only opens the summertime season in the “Land of Pleasant Living,” but it signals the open of a long stretch of games in which the Birds will play in the division. And it started with a bag. Irvin’s line: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 6 K.

Irvin and the Oriole bullpen shut down Boston bats this afternoon, save for the eighth inning. And as – shall we say – inconsistent as Oriole bats have been of late, they came to life today in front of a massive and enthusiastic hometown holiday matinee crowd. And it wasn’t even close.

Jordan Westburg’s second inning RBI-single and Adley Rutschman’s third inning sac fly-RBI put the Birds ahead 2-0. Boston had a brief moment where they challenged in the fourth with the bases loaded. But Irvin pitched out of that jam, ending the inning. And keep in mind, when you squander opportunities (which Boston did there), often times your opponent takes advantage.

Kyle Stowers’ two-RBI double in the last of the fourth doubled the lead to 4-0. Cedric Mullins added a two-RBI triple, followed by a sac fly-RBI by Cedric Mullins. And before you knew it, the O’s had busted the game wide open and led 7-0.

It can happen that fast. But the O’s weren’t done yet. Adley Rutschman’s RBI-double in the seventh ran the score to 8-0. Ryan Mountcastle added an RBI-single, and Kyle Stowers a two-RBI single. And again, before anyone knew what happened the O’s led Boston 11-0 on this Memorial Day Monday afternoon.

Boston would load the bases against new Oriole Thiago Viera in the top of the eighth, and Gonzalez would get them on the board with a bases-clearing triple. But that’s all Boston was able to muster today. And it was merely a blip in the radar.

Today was the first of 14 straight games in the division. They aren’t all going to go like this. Just saying that up front. But this is about as good as the Orioles could have asked for things to go this afternoon. It’s a win in the division. And a big one at that.

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

Baltimore Orioles: A near no-no for Kyle Bradish, but a win and a sweep

Technically the record shows that Kyle Bradish didn’t throw a no-hitter today for the Baltimore Orioles. You have to throw a complete game for that to be the case. And the O’s didn’t even get credited for a shared no-hitter, as they did give up a hit after Bradish departed. But needless to say, Bradish threw the best outing of his career today. And it wasn’t even close. Bradish’s line: 7.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 11 K.

Ironically, I thought that Chicago starter Crochet was throwing amazing stuff – almost no-hitter sort of stuff. He was outstanding as well. But very quietly, Bradish didn’t give up a hit. All of this after a nearly two hour rain delay to start the game on the South Side of Chicago.

Despite Crochet’s efforts, it was the Orioles who got on the board first. His two-run homer in the top of the sixth gave the Birds a 2-0 lead. However following the seventh inning, Bradish had 103 pitches. And with him having the lead and despite his amazing effort, manager Brandon Hyde knew it was time to pull him (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

No choice there, unfortunately. Just with, it’s 103 pitches. He hasn’t got that far, and coming off an elbow strain early on and the whole thing. That’s difficult because you want to see him stay out there and he’s thrown the ball so great. He was absolutely fantastic and it’s great to get a sweep here.

That’s a tough decision, and for his part it seemed to be one Bradish understood. However managers are always going to put the players first, and look after their well-being in a spot like that. As Hyde said, Bradish also began the season on the IL. And there’s a ways to go this season.

The good news is that Oriole bats have the pitching and insurance run. Colton Cowser’s solo homer in the eighth extended the lead to 3-0. The lone hit the Orioles’ pitching staff surrendered today was an eighth inning home run off the bat of Chicago’s Mendrick. The first and only hit – in the eighth inning.

The O’s would tack on an additional insurance run on a sac fly-RBI in the ninth. But as Brandon Hyde said in the quote above, the O’s got the win and the sweep. As deflating as that St. Louis series was, the O’s actually managed to have a winning road trip

All in all, losing the sweepless streak may have been a blessing in disguise. It died an almost quiet death, in a series against an NL team that was plagued by weather situations. You’d rather it come that way than against a division rival. And now that distraction is over, and they can just play ball. And on top of that, the O’s return home one game up in the win column from where they were when they left.

The Orioles return home for the Memorial Day game tomorrow as they open up a three-game series with Boston at Camden Yards. Cole Irvin comes out of the bullpen and will get the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Cooper Criswell. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.