Baltimore Orioles: Sometimes aggressiveness bites you

The Baltimore Orioles had a rare morning start today against Atlanta. National television will give you strange start times. They Birds sent Tyler Wells to the mound in the series finale, and found themselves in a pitcher’s duel. Wells’ line: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

Wells made one bad pitch, and it ended up in the seats. Olson’s solo homer in the last of the first gave Atlanta a 1-0 lead. The Orioles would load the bases in the third and get nothing, but they pushed a run across on Ramon Urias’ RBI-groundout in the fourth.

Overall in the game, the Orioles were 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position. That‘a a big problem. However keep in mind that Atlanta had the same sort of stat; it was a pitcher’s duel, after all. The Birds shut Atlanta down with RISP to the tune of 1-for-11. So it goes both ways.

The game went to extra innings, and the O’s immediately took advantage of the ghost runner rule. Anthony Santander’s run-scoring single in the top of the tenth gave the O’s a 2-1 lead. However Atlanta took advantage as well. A Felix Bautista wild pitch tied the game at one in the last of the tenth. Harris would later smack a run-scoring double in the twelfth, walking Atlanta off as 3-2 winners.

The Birds also had Austin Hays as a ghost runner in the top of the 11th. Adam Frazier flew out to right to begin the inning, and Hays tagged up at second to try and take third. And he was thrown out, recording two quick outs.

Everyone applauds aggressiveness in games. No matter what the sport. Obviously it’s great if it works. But sometimes you wonder if the reward is worth the risk. I was shocked that he ran, myself. But that effectively ended the inning (without ending the inning, that is). Sometimes it’s better to stand pat and work towards the result you’re looking for, as opposed to going full force like that. End of the day we’ll never know what would have happened had he not tagged up.

The Birds now return home to take on Tampa after a largely successful road trip (despite how it ended). Kyle Gibson gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Shane McClanahan. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Seven run seventh cruises Birds to victory

The Baltimore Orioles might have won their biggest game of the season to date last night behind starter Dean Kremer. This because Atlanta we know is one of the best teams in the league. And the Birds didn’t go toe-to-toe with them. They walloped Atlanta. Kremer’s line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 K.

And the O’s actually trailed in this one early. Murphy’s RBI-single in the last of the first put Atlanta ahead 1-0. However after Ryan McKenna got on base in the third, he went to third base on a throwing error. He would later score (tying the game) on Gunnar Henderson‘s RBI-groundout. And we were tied at one.

One inning later, the O’s had the lead. Anthony Santander’s solo homer put the Birds in the driver’s seat for good. The 2-1 lead held up for awhile – but eventually, it was burst wide open.

The seventh inning was the moment that paid for the Orioles. Cedric Mullins’ solo homer extended the lead to 3-1. Make it 4-1 following a sacrifice bunt by Jorge Mateo, and an Atlanta throwing error.

However the O’s would then load the bases. And Anthony Santander announced to the world that his previous homer (a solo shot) was only a warm-up. He blasted a grand slam into the right field grandstand, and the O’s led 8-1. Mullins would add on an RBI-single before the end of the inning, giving the O’s a 9-1 lead.

Atlanta would get three back in the last of the eighth. But that seventh inning demoralized them. You could read it on their faces. And on the faces of the Orioles, who in essence victimized them.

And again, I would say that this was the biggest win of the still young season. Atlanta’s a true contender. As are the Orioles, as they announced to the world last night.

The series continues this evening at Truist Park. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Atlanta’s Spencer Strider. Game time is set for 7:15 PM.

Baltimore Orioles blanked in Kansas City

The Baltimore Orioles and starter Kyle Gibson were shut out in Kansas City tonight. They were shut out for the first time all season. You aren’t going going to win them all, that much we know. Gibson’s line: 6.2 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 0 BB, 0 K.

Gibson didn’t pitch poorly per se. He actually went fairly deep into the game, which helped the bullpen. Especially in this case, with a day game after a night game tomorrow. And obviously he wasn’t helped out by the bats at all. The O’s didn’t have a runner in scoring position until the ninth inning tonight.

Kansas City took the lead in the fourth on a solo homer by Pasquantino. He would then turn around in the last of the sixth and smack an RBI-double, followed in the seventh by a sac fly-RBI by Garcia.

It was that seventh inning which really did the Birds in. When the smoke cleared, Kansas City had put six runs on the board, and chased Gibson to the showers. Games like these happen, even for contending teams. You have to shake them off and move onto tomorrow.

The series concludes tomorrow at Kauffman Stadium. Grayson Rodriguez gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Kansas City’s Jordan Lyles (former Oriole). Game time is set for just after 2 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Ryan Mountcastle breaks out as Birds continue rolling

Tyler Wells produced a mixed bag of results for the Baltimore Orioles last night. He spotted Kansas City a 3-0 lead. But he quickly stabilized and was able to stick around long enough to qualify for the win. Wells’ line: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 4 K.

Wells gave up a solo homer to Witt and a two/run homer to Melendez in the last of the first inning. But as I said, he seemed to buckle down enough to right himself. And a few innings later, Oriole bats began their assault on Kansas City pitching.

The best news of the night from the Orioles’ standpoint is that Ryan Mountcastle broke out. He had been having a rough go of things, not being able to catch a break. Whether it was an outfielder making a great play or something else – he had been making great contact, just not getting on base.

But that ended last night. Mountcastle’s two-run homer in the fourth brought the Birds to within 3-2. James McCann tied the game later in the inning with an RBI-single, and the O’s took a 5-3 lead before the end of the fourth on Cedric Mullins’ two-RBI single.

That’s a five-run fourth inning. And thus far in 2023 we’ve seen the Orioles score runs in bunches like this. If you have a lead on them, it’s flat out not safe. Be forewarned.

One benefit from putting five runs up in an inning is that the lineup turns over quickly. Mountcastle came up again in the fifth, and provided the same result: a two-run homer. Adley Rutschman would add a mere RBI-double in the sixth, and he would later score on an RBI-double by nine other than Ryan Mountcastle. Yes, THAT Ryan Mountcastle! He had a whale of a ballgame!

Jorge Mateo would ground into a force out that yielded a run before the inning ended. It was also a play that the Orioles had to challenge so as to get the run. Mateo was found to be safe at first base, and the run counted. Kansas City would narrow the lead to 10-7 on the sixth and seventh, and appeared poised to continue their assault on the Birds’ lead. However while the Oriole bullpen had bent, it didn’t break. Ramon Urias would add an RBI-single in the eighth, and the O’s took game one in Kansas City, 11-7.

The series continues this evening at Kauffman Stadium. Kyle Gibson gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Kansas City’s Zach Greinke. Game time is set for just after 7:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Austin Voth to the rescue

Kyle Bradish pitched four solid innings this afternoon for the Baltimore Orioles in the series finale in Detroit. He hit a brick wall in the fifth, and couldn’t finish the inning. It wasn’t ideal, but it was what it was. Bradish’s line: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

The O’s took the lead in the second inning on Ryan O’Hearn’s RBI-single. Ryan Mountcastle added an RBI-double an inning later to double the lead, which was extended to 3-0 in the fourth on Adam Frazier’s solo homer.

Austin Hays would also add a sac fly-RBI in the fifth. And with Bradish dealing on the mound, things appeared under control. And make no mistake that Bradish was dealing; he was mowing hitters down. Then the last of the fifth happened.

Bradish’s pitches were suddenly very hittable. Detroit started squaring balls up and hitting them HARD. Rogers’ two-run homer cut the lead in half. Baez would add an RBI-double, before Brandon Hyde had to pull the plug on Bradish’s day. The Orioles were hoping for Bradish to go deep because of the doubleheader yesterday, but the team also has an off day tomorrow. So in that sense it was all hands on deck (to a point).

Austin Voth pitched the seventh and eight, and seemed to stabilize things a bit. And make no mistake, that was key. He pitched two scoreless innings. He stabilized the game in the moment, and he possibly saved the use of an additional reliever (or two). These are the intangible things in games that never make it onto the stat sheet. But they often mean more than what’s on the line score.

The O’s would finally get an insurance run in the top of the ninth. Jorge Mateo smacked a solo homer which gave the O’s a 5-3 lead. Yennier Cano got the save by finishing out the final four outs, and the Birds took the series in Detroit three games out of four. Also worth mentioning that Danny Coulombe was strong in the eighth inning, getting credited with the hold.

Baltimore Orioles: Grayson Rodriguez wins first game in the majors as Birds hold on

Grayson Rodriguez recorded his first major league win in the night cap of the Baltimore Orioles’ doubleheader in Detroit today. He only pitched five innings, but in those five innings he was very effective. He set the Birds up nicely for a win, and stayed around just long enough to get credited with it. Rodriguez’s line: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K.

The nine strikeouts really stands out in that stat line. Especially over just five innings. That’s a huge number of K’s, and it’s very meaningful when you have a starter who can mow hitters down like that from the beginning.

The Birds took an early 1-0 lead in the second inning on an RBI-single by Ryan McKenna. Later in the inning Joey Ortiz and Austin Hays would follow suit with RBI-singles of their own, giving the O’s a 3-0 lead. Ortiz would later score on a wild pitch, extending the lead to 4-0.

I’ve said this a couple of times already this year, and it’s part of a larger narrative that I’ve said for many years. You have to get guys on base. It’s common sense in this sport, but it seems that’s often forgotten in a sense. You just never know what can happen in a game. A wild pitch with nobody on base isn’t even recorded as a wild pitch. But a wild pitch with a guy on third base results in a run – without even putting the ball in play. And we saw it this evening.

Ryan McKenna would smack his first homer of the season in the sixth, this of the two-run variety. This gave the O’s a 6-0 lead. And they appeared to be cruising.

However Detroit made things interesting after Rodriguez was long gone. They got a run across in the last of the sixth when Jorge Mateo committed a fielding error. Again, the same thing applies; someone on base can at times score – on a fluke play. So defensively you want to limit base runners, because it helps limit runs scored against you.

However Detroit put more guys on base. And later in the inning Nevin’s three-run homer made things uncomfortable for the Orioles’ pen. But end of the day Feliz Bautista closed out the game and the bullpen held strong, driving the Birds to a 6-4 win.

The series concludes tomorrow at Comerica Park. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Spencer Turnbull. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles drop game one of twin bill

Dean Kremer didn’t have his best stuff this afternoon in the first game of a doubleheader for the Baltimore Orioles. And the fact is that you aren’t going to have your best stuff 100% of the time. The Birds of course were rained out last night in MoTown, prompting today’s twin bill. Kremer’s line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 6 K.

Detroit jumped on Kremer early and often. Baez’s RBI-single in the first inning gave them a 1-0 lead. Vierling would follow later in the inning with a two-RBI single. And Detroit held a 3-0 lead after one. And for the record, Vierling feasted ln Oriole pitching today, with four RBI.

The O’s attempted to get back in the game, however. James McCann’s solo home run in the second cut the lead to 3-1. But Greene’s RBI-single in the last of the second, and Vierling’s RBI-double in the third extended the lead to 5-1.

And go figure, we heard from Vierling again in the last of the seventh, when he extended the lead to 6-1 with an RBI-double. That was his fourth RBI of the day, as I said above. He entered the game with four RBI on the season.

But the Birds tried to rally again. Jorge Mateo’s three-run homer cut the lead to 6-4. And the Birds appeared poised to make a run. Because as we know, they’re comfortable playing from behind. But that doesn’t always work out. At least today it didn’t, as the Detroit bullpen kept them off the board for the rest of the game, and Short added a solo homer in the last of the eighth to seal it for Detroit.

It begins and ends with starting pitching. Kremer, along with other starters, has been very good. Today he had some struggles. And the fact is that you aren’t always going to be able to overcome those struggles. Next game might be different – that’s part of the beauty of baseball!

The series continues later today in the second game of the doubleheader at Comerica Park. Grayson Rodriguez gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Matthew Boyd. Game time is set for just after 5 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Joey Ortiz a big participant in debut

The Baltimore Orioles began their second series in the last three against Detroit last night with Kyle Gibson on the mound. This time in Detroit. Gibson struggled a bit in the first inning, but stabilized. His issue was a high pitch count, which shortened his outing. Gibson’s line: 4.1 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K.

Gibson loaded the bases in the last of the second, and Schoop grounded into a double-play, giving Detroit a 1-0 lead. But Gibson showed the grit of a veteran there, surrendering one run in a bases loaded nobody out situation. Hasse’s two-RBI single an inning later would extend Detroit’s lead to 3-0.

The O’s called up Joey Ortiz from Norfolk before the game, and he was in the lineup last night – making his major league debut and playing second base. And Ortiz seemed to immediately embrace the vibe that this team has, that which says they’re comfortable having to play the role of comeback kids. With two runners in scoring position in the fifth, Ortiz’s first major league hit came on a two-RBI single which cut the Detroit lead to 3-2.

But Detroit would extend their lead an inning later when Maton would walk with the bases loaded. But no worries – come the seventh, Ortiz came to bat again for the O’s. He would get the Orioles to within one again at 4-3 with a sac fly-RBI. That’s three RBI in his big league debut, and Ortiz joined Don Baylor in Orioles’ history as having done that. Select company for sure.

But the O’s were only beginning to fight. This was previously a listless game, but the O’s livened it up in the later innings. Cedric Mullins smacked an RBI-triple later in that seventh inning which tied the game up at four. Mullins would later cross the plate on Adley Rutschman’s sac fly-RBI, and suddenly the Birds led, 5-4.

But the big blow was yet to come. Anthony Santander would smack a two-run homer before the end of the seventh inning, and the Orioles cruised to a 7-4 victory. And let me tell you, baseball fans, it was a SHOT. From the moment he hit it, there was no doubt it was destined for the seats.

The Orioles are very comfortable playing from behind. Maybe almost too comfortable! But they’ve turned it into an art form, and they find ways to win. It’s early in the season. But these are good signs that bode well for the rest of the season.

The series continues this evening from Comerica Park. Grayson Rodriguez gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Eduardo Rodriguez. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Tyler Wells pitches the Birds to another series win

The Baltimore Orioles got a great outing from starter Tyler Wells this afternoon in the series finale against Boston at Camden Yards. You pitch well and you hit well, and odds are you’re going to win. Or you’ll win more than you lose at least. Wells’ line: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 7 K.

The O’s took the lead early, as Anthony Santander sent a sac fly-RBI to center. However Boston tied the score up shortly thereafter. In the top of the second Yoshida’s solo homer evened things out at 1-1.

Ramon Urias’ RBI-single in the last of the fourth out the Birds back in the lead. And they didn’t look back. In fact, Cedric Mullins drove in a third run as his infield grounder to led off the glove of the Boston second baseman. Luckily for Boston, it went straight into the shortstop’s glove – the shortstop, who was backing up the play. By the time he came set to throw, Mullins was safe at first base. And a third run had crossed the plate, giving the O’s a 3-1 lead.

And that illustrates part of what this Orioles team is about. Mullins is far from the fastest guy on the field. But he’s not slow either. He hustled to first base, and circumstances willed him to be safe, scoring a run. Those are intangibles in ballgames that add up. And they add up to wins.

The O’s would close out that fourth inning with Adley Rutschman’s sac fly-RBI. So the Birds put a three-run fourth on the board, which always helps the cause. Boston would get one back in the fifth on an RBI-single by Turner. However the O’s would put a run on the board in the sixth on a sac fly-RBI in the sixth, and an RBI-double by McKenna in the eighth.

Make no mistake, this 6-2 win is huge. It’s another series victory, and it’s a series victory over a division opponent. Just keep winning series’. That’s the name of the game in a 162-game season.

The O’s now head to Detroit for a four/game set. Kyle Gibson gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Joey Wentz. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.