Baltimore Orioles blow out the candles for Camden Yards

The Baltimore Orioles yesterday commemorated 30 years of playing at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. This in front of a raucous crowd of 41K plus. Austin Voth took to the mound, and provided yet another good outing. Voth’s line: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

Oriole Park at Camden Yards, THE BALLPARK THAT FOREVER CHANGED BASEBALL, opening in April of 1992. President George H.W. Bush was on hand to throw out the first pitch. For one reason or another, the O’s picked this weekend to commemorate the ballpark’s 30th anniversary. (The season obviously started late.) Needless to say, former players AND the fans showed up. So did the current Orioles.

The Orioles took the lead early when Terrin Vavra smacked an RBI-single in the last of the first inning. Jorge Mateo added one of his own an inning later, and the newly-acquired Brett Phillips tacked on an RBI-double. The O’s led 3-0 after two.

Pittsburgh would net two runs of their own in the top of the fourth on a two-run homer by Cruz, which quieted the crowd for a short period. But Ryan McKenna’s two-RBI double in the fifth got the party started again. Both teams would tack on an additional run, the O’s on a sac fly-RBI by Cedric Mullins in the last of the seventh.

On such a momentous occasion, the Orioles took care of business. They’ve won the series with Pittsburgh going into the finale this afternoon. And ALL appears right with the world.

The series concludes this afternoon at Camden Yards. Spencer Watkins gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Bryce Wilson. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Camden Yards’ commemorative weekend starts with a win

The Baltimore Orioles had to wait awhile before last night’s game against Pittsburgh was able to begin at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Storms rolled into the Baltimore area, causing the Birds and starter Dean Kremer to sit through an hour and 49 minute rain delay. But once the game started, we were reminded of the first game ever at Camden Yards, this on the ballpark’s 30th anniversary weekend. Kremer’s line: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K.

Opening Day of 1992, 30 years ago this year, of course saw the opening of Oriole Park at Camden Yards – which is being commemorated this weekend. It seemed that most people knew and understood that it was a special place right away. You almost felt like the “Ballpark That Forever Changed Baseball“ had been standing for generations and already had a storied history.

Incidentally, I would submit that when they trademarked that phrase ten years ago, they should have made it “The Ballpark That Forever Changed Baseball BACK.” Because baseball had gotten used to the cookie cutter stadiums that didn’t have as much character as say the Fenway’s and Wrigley’s of the world.

Then Camden Yards comes along, with it’s old fashioned feel to it. And it rejuvenated the game, along with starting a trend of retrofitted ballparks. Cleveland got one, then Texas, Denver, and others. Oriole Park at Camden Yards brought baseball back to it’s roots in a sense, and yes it forever changed baseball.

The first game at the ballpark was started by journeyman veteran Rick Sutcliffe. He pitched a complete game shutout, and the O’s won 2-0. People walked away thinking that the new park would be a pitcher’s park. Little did we know that was an outlier!

Last night’s game was kind of a reminder of that in a sense – once it started, of course. Kremer, while not pitching a complete game, did a pretty decent Sutcliffe impression. Ramon Urias’ RBI-single in the last of the sixth gave the O’s a 1-0 lead.

And when your pitching across-the-board is as solid as that of the Orioles has been, you’re in good shape at that point. And in fact, the Orioles were. Felix Bautista got the save, and the O’s cruised to a 1-0 win over Pittsburgh.

The series continues late this afternoon at Camden Yards. Austin Voth gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Jonathan Brubaker. Game time is set for just after 5 PM.

Baltimore Orioles sweep themselves closer to the playoffs

2022 is already a success for the Baltimore Orioles. It was a success well before this afternoon’s game. Last year they won 52 games total. In 2022 and this afternoon, Kyle Bradish went to the mound to try to get the Birds their 54th win, and more importantly to keep pace in the playoff race. Bradish’s line: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 5 K.

Bradish had a bit of a tough afternoon today, but pushed through five innings. He gave up an RBI-single to Garcia in the first, however one inning later Ryan McKenna tied things up at one with a solo homer. Both teams left a large number of runners on base, meaning Bradish did allow some base runners. As did the Oriole pen.

But it was once again the later innings that proved fateful for the Birds. They seem to do their best work around or after the seventh inning stretch. Robinson Chirinos smacked a solo homer in the top of the seventh, giving the O’s the lead at 2-1. But Texas came right back on Heinz’s solo homer in the bottom of the seventh. And we played on.

But again, the O’s do their best work in the later innings. They got the lead back in the eighth on an RBI-double by Terrin Vavra. Chirinos would add a sac fly-RBI, and the O’s led 4-2 after eight.

But while the O’s were smelling a sweet deep in the heart of Texas, they weren’t done yet. Santander would tack on an RBI-double in the top of the ninth. He would later score on a wild pitch. Texas would get a run back in the last of the ninth with a solo homer by Semien, but the O’s wrapped up a 6-3 win.

And with that, they swept Texas in Texas. (This after sweeping them in Baltimore last month.) they remain a game behind Tampa for third place in the AL East, and a game-and-a-half out of the final wild card spot. Whether they make it remains to be seen. But they’re “in it” for sure!

Again, 2022 is a success. The rebuild is working! The expectations thus will be higher next year. But the Orioles have unfinished business in 2022 before we flip the calendar.

Baltimore Orioles: Birds stand a game-and-a-half out of the wild card

Despite the trades that were made the past few days, the Baltimore Orioles have been taking care of business in Texas. Jordan Lyles went to the mound last night, and he was dominant. Lyles’ line: 6.1 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K.

The Birds took the lead in the third on Jorge Mateo’s three-run homer, and of course never looked back. They would also score twice more before the inning ended. Adley Rutschman added an RBI-double, and Ryan Mountcastle a sac fly-RBI. And after three innings, the O’s had a 5-0 lead.

Anthony Santander would smack an RBI-double in the fifth, extending the lead to 6-0. Texas would get on the board in the bottom of the inning on an RBI-single by Semien. But this was the Orioles’ day. And the Orioles’ week.

Jorge Mateo would homer again in garbage time, a two-run shot. Texas would tack on a meaningless run in the last of the ninth, and the O’s wrapped up an 8-2 win. This, deep in the heart of Texas.

It’s August. So maybe it’s at least worth looking at the playoff standings. Especially given that they’re relevant. For those who care about such things, the O’s are a game-and-a-half out of the final wild card spot.

And it’s really shocking if you think about it. There was nothing about this team that made people think they could compete. Least of all the way they started the season. But quietly they’ve worked their way into the discussion. Granted, most people feel like they’re playing with a house of cards, that could collapse at any moment. But they’re also playing with house money, and they’re competing hard. And the fact remains that they’re in it. They have a shot!

The series in Texas concludes this afternoon at Globe Life Park. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Texas’ Martin Perez. Game time is set for just after 2 PM.

Baltimore Orioles trading Jorge Lopez to Minnesota

According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Baltimore Orioles are trading closer Jorge Lopez to Minnesota. This in exchange for LHP Cade Povich, RHP Yennier Cano, RHP Juan Nuñez and LHP Juan Rojas. I’ll admit that it’s a bit ironic given that Lopez hit a bit of a skid while in Minnesota last month. But history makes for strange bedfellows at times.

The guys the Orioles are getting back aren’t by any means top prospects. However as good as Lopez has been, I would remind fans that he’s basically a one-inning pitcher. Will any of the four prospects make it to the big leagues? Tough to say. Right now they have highish ERA’s. But could they help the Orioles at the big league level? Absolutely.

They way you have to look at it (regarding this Lopez trade as well as the Mancini trade yesterday) is that the Orioles aren’t necessarily looking to contend this year. Now if they back into a playoff spot, great. However they’re already ahead of schedule. Next year the expectations might be a totally different story.

So the more prospects, even low-level prospects, you have in your system, the better. Because those prospects could be flipped to another team in exchange for a big league player in future years. This when the window to win is in the here and now, and for a player who could help the Orioles compete. Point being that “the plan” has never been just to rebuild the big league roster as a winner. But also to rebuild the minor league system.

In order to do that, you want all the prospects you can get. Obviously depending on the player being acquired (by the Orioles in the future), certain top prospects might be off the table. But the more prospects in your system overall, the more chances you’ll have at packaging a few together to net a return of a great player. Nevertheless, yesterday it was Mancini; today the news du jour is Jorge Lopez to Minnesota.

Baltimore Orioles trailblaze in Texas

The Baltimore Orioles began life in a post-Trey Mancini world in grand fashion last night at Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX. Spencer Watkins got the start, and was dominant for the Birds. Watkins’ line: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 5 K.

Watkins had the lead before even taking the field. Cedric Mullins’ solo homer in the first inning gave the Orioles a 1-0 lead. An inning later we saw Mullins come to bat again, and he smacked an RBI-single, extending the lead to 2-0.

Later in the inning Anthony Santander smacked a bloop RBI-single that fell in. Ryan Mountcastle hit an RBI-single of his own, and the O’s were paper cutting Texas to death. They also got two runs in the fourth on RBI-doubles by Adley Rutschman and Ryan Mountcastle respectively.

Texas would smack solo homers in the seventh and eighth. These off the bats of Seager and Solak. Jorge Mateo would add an RBI-double in the seventh as well, capping off the Orioles’ 7-2 win. Obviously it wasn’t an easy game for the O’s given the Mancini trade, as was addressed by Brandon Hyde following the ballgame:

Very tough day. I had no idea how we were going to respond, and I was really happy with our at-bats, especially early. Cedric set the tone with an opposite-field homer there in the first inning. Spenser Watkins was fantastic. … Happy with how we responded after a tough day.

Quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports

The series continues tonight at Globe Life Field. Jordan Lyles gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Texas’ Spencer Howard. Game time is set for just after 8 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Trey Mancini reportedly heading to Houston (updated)

The Baltimore Orioles did it. They made the tough decision to trade Trey Mancini this afternoon, with a little over a day left before the deadline. Mancini’s now headed to Houston where he’ll join his new team, the Houston Astros.

Word on the street is that the Birds are getting multiple pitching prospects in return for Mancini. So this article will be updated once the players’ names are released. However unless the O’s got peanuts in return, this was the right move to make, at the right time.

I assume that Mike Elias had exhausted his options, and was in essence made aware by Mancini’s representation that he (Mancini) wouldn’t be picking up his side of the mutual $10 million option next year. This meaning that he’s going to test the free agent market. So why risk losing him and not getting anything back?

Certainly it’s a tough pill to swallow for everyone involved – especially Orioles fans. Mancini was a fan favorite from day one, and he truly embraced the spirit of the Orioles and the city of Baltimore. He became a clubhouse leader, respected by just about everyone. And that was before he had cancer. Following that situation he further cemented his legacy in Baltimore and with the O’s.

Keep in mind that assuming he remains consistent and in fact doesn’t opt to pick up the mutual option (with Houston), he’ll become a free agent after the World Series. That means the Orioles will have as much a shot as anyone to sign him. Whether that fits into their long term plan remains to be seen. But it’s a possibility.

Needless to say, Trey was only here for a short time. But his impact will never be forgotten in Birdland. And I know that all Orioles fans will follow him on the side, and wish him well with Dusty Baker and the Houston Astros. As will this writer.

Update: According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, it was a three-team trade, also involving Tampa. The Birds got RHP Seth Johnson and Chayce McDermott from both Houston and Tampa, Mancini goes to Houston, and CF Jose Siri goes to Tampa.

Baltimore Orioles: A step backwards?

Austin Voth got the start for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon in the series final at Cincinnati’s Great American Ballpark. And Voth pitched five outstanding innings, putting the Birds in a spot to win the ballgame. Issue was he didn’t get the run support that he should have. Voth’s line: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K.

The score was still 0-0 when Voth exited after the fifth inning. Runs were tough to come by this afternoon. However Cincinnati broke through in the last of the sixth with an RBI-double by a Votto. Later in the inning Farmer’s sac fly-RBI extended their lead to 2-0.

But the O’s did have some fight in them, as is usually the case. Cedric Mullins got a run in with a sac fly-RBI in the top of the seventh. And one inning later Anthony Santander tied the game at two with a solo homer.

Needless to say, Santander has a certain moxie about him that not everyone has. He comes through in the clutch when the team needs a base hit, a run, etc. And that’s a tough thing to find. The O’s are certainly thankful that he’s here as opposed to having to play against him.

All of that said, this ultimately wasn’t the Orioles’ day. Drury’s solo homer in the last of the eighth have Cincinnati the lead back, and ultimately a 3-2 win. The Orioles dropped two-of-three this weekend.

This leaves the Orioles at .500, while Cincinnati’s 40-61. Statistically this is a series the Orioles should have won. Is Cincinnati a better team than the Orioles? No. So thus, is this a step backwards?

I would submit that the answer to that appears to also be no. Look at it from the opposite perspective; did the Orioles ever take two-of-three from a much better team circa 2018-2022? Of course. Heck, last year they swept Washington at home, which ultimately led to Washington ripping their team apart and commencing a rebuild.

And as a reminder, the O’s aren’t totally out of their rebuild yet. This probably isn’t the beginning of their window to win a title. Now it’s certainly a year we’ll point to and say that they turned a corner, but they probably aren’t quite there yet.

All of that said, it’s also about how you match up with another team. You could have the best record in the league, and match up poorly with the mix of players an awful team has. It happens all the time. Now if the Birds lose the straight, maybe this ends up being a step backwards. But you aren’t going to win them all, abs you aren’t always going to win series’ against teams you should beat. That’s just how it works.

The Orioles now head to Globe Light Field to open up a three-game set against Texas. Spencer Watkins gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Texas’ Jon Gray. Game time is set for just after 8 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Dean Kremer hit hard in loss

Dean Kremer got the start in the second game of three for the Baltimore Orioles in Cincinnati this evening. He started out in good shape, but Cincinnati hitters seemed to figure him out the second time through the order. Kremer’s line: 4.1 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 3 K.

Kremer seemed to be pitching-to-contact. And at least from the second time through the order and onward, Cincinnati was swinging away. They made contact, and made good contact at that.

The O’s however did have an early lead. Anthony Santander continued his hot steak, playing a run in the first with an RBI-single. Later in the inning Trey Mancini scored on a balk, giving the Birds a 2-0 lead.

However it wouldn’t last. Papierski’s RBI-single in the last of the second cut the Orioles’ lead to 2-1. Two innings later in the fourth, Frayley’s RBI-single tied the game at two.

Almost immediately following the tying of the game, Cincinnati had the lead. And they never looked back. India’s two-run homer gave Cincinnati a 4-2 lead. Solo homers by Votto and Fraley later in the game ran the lead to 7-2, and Drury would cap things off in the eighth with an RBI-single, which sent the O’s to an 8-3 loss.

Is this a case of a “bad team” beating a “good team? I’d say it’s more of a bad team beating a team that’s quickly on the rise. But either way, just because you’re “good” doesn’t mean you win every game. The season ebbs and flows, and you have to take the good with the bad. The O’s will have a shot at winning the series tomorrow, and if they do they’ll be satisfied with that.

The series concludes tomorrow at the Great American Ballpark. Austin Voth gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Cincinnati’s Nick Lodolo. GMe time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Comeback kids equal 2021’s win total

You could be the most ardent Baltimore Orioles’ hater out there, but you’d have no choice but to admit that they’ve turned things around in a fairly quick manner. In short, the rebuild’s working. And it’s working much quicker than previously thought. Kyle Bradish came off the IL last night and got the start in Cincinnati. Bradish’s line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 7 K.

The lone two runs given up by Bradish came off a two-run homer in the last of the first by Votto. And for awhile it appeared that those two runs might stand up and give Cincinnati the win. But these Orioles have proven time and time again that they can come back. No matter what.

Cincinnati walked Trey Mancini in the sixth. And as I’ve said before, the old saying that nothing good ever happens after a walk only applies if you’re in the field. If you’re at bat, good things can happen after a walk. And that’s exactly what happened, as Anthony Santander smacked a two-run homer into the left field grandstand, tying the game at two.

And despite putting off several Cincinnati rally attempts, the O’s entered the ninth inning still tied at two. And it remained tied, at least until Cedric Mullins’ two-RBI single gave the Birds a 4-2 lead. On top of that, they immediately tacked on a couple of insurance runs, as Mancini added an RBI-single, and Ryan Mountcastle’s sac fly-RBI.

All in all, it amounted to a 6-2 Orioles’ win. And yes, another comeback win. These O’s seem to play better from behind.

At 51-49, they’ve now equaled last season’s win total. Which given how most they looked at times last year, is really remarkable. Heck, they looked almost just as lost at various points in April of this season. But they’re firing on all cylinders now, no matter how you spin it.

The series continues tonight at the Great American Ballpark. Dean Kremer gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Cincinnati’s Tyler Mahle. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.