Baltimore Orioles: Adley Rutschman with first MLB homer in loss

Baltimore Orioles’ starter Bryce Zimmermann didn’t last as long in tonight’s game as he would have liked. Zimmermann’s being afforded the opportunity to work through his issues that he’s been having of late, which at times can be a painful process.Zimmermann’s line: 4.2 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 0 BB, 2 K.

Zimmermann didn’t walk anyone tonight – so he does that have going for him. And I don’t say that in a facetious manner – he can build off of that. Zimmermann gave up an RBI-double to Kirk in the first inning, and two separate two-run homers in the third (to Hernandez and Chapman respectively. This giving Toronto a 5-0 lead.

One of the big takeaways in this game however was that Adley Rutschman smacked his first major league home run. This in the top of the fourth. It’s the first of what the Orioles hope will be many, and it got the Birds on the board. One inning later however, Guerrero’s solo homer gave Cleveland a 6-2 lead.

And the Orioles weren’t finished yet. Ryan Mountcastle’s first home run cut the Toronto lead to 6-2. Austin Hays would smack an RBI-double in the eighth. A few batters later brought Mountcastle back around. And he made the most of his opportunity, snacking a two-run homer to the the game at six.

However the ghost runner on second rule (in extra innings) came back and bit the Orioles in the derrière. Guerrero’s RBI-single scored Bichette, who was the Toronto “ghost runner” to lead off the inning on second base. It’s a tough loss for the O’s, but make no mistake that this team never appears to be out of games. They always fight to the end, win or lose. And that’s tough to do.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at Rogers Centre. Tyler Wells gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by former Oriole and now Toronto Blue Jay, Kevin Gausman. Game time is set for just after 3 PM.

Baltimore Orioles hold on for a win in Toronto

It’s never easy for the Baltimore Orioles in Toronto. Going into last night’s game they had lost seven straight to the team from the great white north. Jordan Lyles was taxed with keeping Toronto bats in check last night, and for the most part he succeeded at that. Lyles’ line: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 7 K.

The O’s took a 2-0 lead in the third when Ryan Mountcastle smacked a two-run home run. Toronto seemingly was threatening all game, but the O’s were always able to navigate around those threats. They would cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of that third inning when Bichette grounded into a fielder’s choice-RBI.

And in fact, the O’s would even extend their lead in the fourth. Robinson Chirinos’ RBI-double gave the Birds a 3-1 lead. However Toronto would briefly tie the game in the last of the fourth when Chapman smacked a two-run homer. You kind of felt a change in momentum at that point. But not for long…

…because the Birds almost immediately took the lead back. Austin Hays’ solo homer in the fifth gave the Birds a 5-4 lead. And while Toronto continued to threaten, they never gave the lead back from there. Tyler Nevin added a sac fly-RBI later in the fifth, and Cedric Mullins an RBI-single in the sixth.

Toronto would pull to within one on RBI-singles by Moreno in the sixth and eighth respectively. The O’s called on Jorge Lopez for a five-out save. Make no mistake that those aren’t easy. But Lopez held strong, closed out the game, and thus did his part to help the Orioles snap a seven-game losing streak to Toronto.

The series continues this evening at Rogers Centre. Bruce Zimmermann 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 done in by seven-run fifth inning

It would be easy for the Baltimore Orioles to look at starter Kyle Bradish and wonder what happened. But while Bradish’s outing wasn’t great, the Toronto onslaught continued well after he left the ballgame. And Oriole pitching ran into a Toronto team that was intent on making the Birds pay for even being on the same field with them. Bradish’s line: 4.1 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 3 K.

You have another example of an Oriole starter (and subsequent relievers) wanting to pitch-to-contact, and an opponent who wanted to make contact. And make no mistake that Toronto wasn’t making the greatest contact. A lot of their hits were bloops or softly-hit balls. But they managed to find holes and the balls dropped in. Frustrating for the Orioles on the whole.

Toronto took the lead early on Kirk’s RBI-single in the last of the first. Incidentally how did Kirk get on base? He hit a comebacker off of Bradish’s foot, which trickled into foul ground on the third base line for an infield hit. Fluke thing for sure, but it cost the Birds in the long run.

Guerrero Jr. smacked RBI-singles in the third and fifth respectively to run Toronto’s lead to 3-0. And thus began Toronto’s big fifth inning. When the smoke cleared, they had put seven runs on the board, and chased Bradish.

Again, many of those runs came as a result of softly-hit balls with an outfield playing back. So the Orioles weren’t necessarily too far off in this game. Or at least as far off as the final score looks. If you’re Toronto you’ll take hits and runs however you can get them. Of you’re the Orioles, it has to be frustrating as heck.

Toronto would add a tenth run on Espinal’s RBI-single in the sixth. The lone bright spot for the O’s was left fielder Kyle Stowers – who made his major league debut. Stowers was on the Orioles’ taxi squad, and took the place of Anthony Santander, who presumably couldn’t get into Canada due to his vaccination status. Stowers smacked an RBI-single in the top of the seventh – his first big league hit. Guerrero would add a solo homer for Toronto in the last of the eighth, and the O’s fell 11-1.

The series continues tomorrow night at Rogers Centre in Toronto. Jordan Lyles gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Yusei Kikuchi. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Four-run second helps lift the Birds over Kansas City

Dean Kremer was the beneficiary of a lot of Baltimore Orioles’ runs today in the series finale in Kansas City. But while he had one inning with a couple of struggles, Kremer also held up his end of the bargain. Kremer’s line: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K.

The competitive stage of the game was over fast. Anthony Santander set the tone with a solo homer in the first. One inning later the Orioles went back-to-back with solo homer runs, one by Ryan Mountcastle and one by Rougned Odor. RBI-singles by Cedric Mullins and Austin Hays would run the lead to 5-0.

The Orioles also chased Kansas City’s starter Keller with two outs in the second inning. It’s refreshing to see the Orioles getting to an opposing starting pitcher like that. You know you’re dialed in for a good day when you chase the other team’s starting pitcher that early.

Austin Hays would ground into a force out in the fourth, scoring Cedric Mullins. Anthony Santander would add an RBI-single in the sixth, breaking the game wide open in the Orioles’ favor. Kansas City would also attempt a comeback in the bottom of that sixth inning, netting a run on an errant throw, and cutting the Orioles’ lead to 7-3 on a two-run homer by Dozier.

But if anything, those Kansas City runs inspired the Birds to keep going. They put two runners on in the seventh, and Richie Martin’s two-RBI triple extended the lead to 9-3. Cedric Mullins followed with an RBI-single, and the O’s led 10-3. Kansas City would smack two solo homers in the last of the seventh, an RBI-single in the eighth, and a fielder’s choice-RBI in the eighth. But the O’s ended up with the victory, 10-7. A more narrow win than we might have thought earlier, but a win none the less.

With the win, the Birds split the series in Kansas City. Kauffman Stadium hasn’t been an easy place for them to play over the course of the past few years. And in fact, Kansas City refused to let the O’s go into cruise control. So it was nice to see them turn it up over the second half of this series.

When the O’s head to Toronto starting tomorrow night, we’re told that there will be a few players who won’t be making the trip. Canada has different COVID vaccination requirements than does the United States, meaning that some players won’t be able to enter the country. So things will look a bit different for the next few days, and we’ll know which players are being affected sometime before tomorrow’s game.

The O’s now head north of the border for the aforementioned series at Rogers Centre in Toronto. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Alec Manoah. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Tyler Nevin propels the Birds to victory

Tyler Wells had a couple of struggles out of the gate for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon in Kansas City. Just a couple. But the key was that he settled down, allowing his teammates to pick him up by putting some runs on the board. This whole Wells pitched to a quality start. Wells’ line: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 4 K.

Wells gave up an RBI-double to Perez in the last of the first, and an RBI-triple and RBI-single to Isbel and Rivera respectively in the last of the fourth. And it looked like Kansas City was off to taking game three of this four-game set also. Again, it looked that way. But the Birds had other ideas for how today was going to go.

Cedric Mullins would get the O’s on the board in the fifth with an RBI-single. But the key moment of the game was one inning later. The Orioles put two on with one out as Tyler Nevin strode to home plate. And on a week when his Dad (Phil) was named the interim manager of the Los Angeles Angels, (Tyler) Nevin decided to keep the family gravy train going…

… it to mention the Orioles’ gravy train. Nevin smacked a three-run homer to center, catapulting the Orioles into the lead at 4-3. Make no mistake that with the Birds having had their struggles in the first two games of this series, that was a big moment for more than one reason. Obviously it was huge for the game itself. But it also seemed to energize the O’s, which bodes well going into tomorrow and onward.

Austin Hays would give the Birds an insurance run in the seventh with an RBI-single. They got a second insurance run in the eighth when Adley Rutschman scored on a wild pitch. And it’s a good thing they got those insurance runs, as Kansas City would load the bases with nobody out in the last of the eighth. But reliever Dillon Tate got himself out of the mess only surrendering one run – a sac fly by Taylor.

The O’s would go on to close out Kansas City in the ninth, winning the game 6-4. It’s a big win because it snaps a mini-losing streak, and because it gives the team confidence. Before the game Ramon Urias was sent to the 10-day IL with an oblique strain. As a result, the Birds selected the contract of Richie Martin fro triple-A Norfolk.

The series in Kansas City concludes tomorrow afternoon at Kauffman Stadium. Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Kansas City’s Brad Keller. Game time is set for just after 2 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Bruce Zimmermann struggles in Kansas City loss

Baltimore Orioles’ starter Bruce Zimmermann had another struggling outing last night against Kansas City. Awhile back I suggested that the league was figuring Zimmermann out, and I stand by that. However Zimmermann can’t stand by and continue to allow opponents to figure him out. He needs to re-adjust as well. Zimmermann’s line: 4.2 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 0 BB, 2 K.

Zimmermann gave up an RBI-double to Benintendi and a two-run homer to Perez in the first inning. Perez would come up again in the last of the third and smacked another home run. A solo shot, for the record.

Two innings later in the fifth Melendez would smack a three-run homer, breaking the game wide open. Zimmermann pitches-to-contact almost exclusively. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing in the least. But when you pitch-to-contact and the opponent is touching up just about everything you put out there, you’ll see starts like this.

Taylor smacked a solo homer of his own in the sixth, running the score to 8-0. The O’s would threaten in the eighth with the bases loaded, but Kansas City worked out of the jam. The Birds’ lone run came in the top of the ninth on a solo homer by Anthony Santander.

The series continues this afternoon at Kauffman Stadium. Tyler Wells gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Kansas City’s Daniel Lynch. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.

Baltimore Orioles rally but fall

Baltimore Orioles’ starter Jordan Lyles was hit semi-hard last night in Kansas City. Now the good news is that the O’s battled back at the plate and were competitive. But it always helps when you can get solid starting pitching. And for the most part Lyles has been solid – he just had a tough game yesterday. Lyles’ line: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 1 K.

The O’s actually had the lead first in the game. Trey Mancini reached on a fielder’s choice in the top of the third, and Jorge Mateo scored on an errant throw to the plate, giving the Birds a 1-0 lead. Now unfortunately, Mancini turned a little too far off of first base and was thrown out. Maybe that was a harbinger for the rest of the game.

The lead didn’t last long for the Orioles. Perez’s two-RBI single gave Kansas City a 2-1 lead. Later in the inning Melendez smacked a two-run home run. And the Orioles trailed 4-1.

But the fifth inning saw this young Orioles team fighting back. Austin Hays smacked an RBI-single in the fifth, cutting the Kansas City lead to 4-2. Later in the inning Ryan Mountcastle’s two-RBI double tied the game at four.

Win or lose, this team always battles and they’re fun to watch. And that does mean something – in my view. They’re scrappy, and they don’t go away easily. That bodes well for the future.

But Kansas City took the lead right back. Santana’s two-run homer in the last of the fifth gave them the lead back at 6-4. an inning later Witt’s sac fly-RBI extended that lead to 7-4. The Birds would rally again in the eighth with Cedric Mullins’ RBI-double, but they ran out of time. And Kansas City took game one of the four-game set, 7-5.

The series continues this evening at Kauffman Stadium. Bruce Zimmermann gets the call for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Kansas City’s Jonathan Heasley. Game time is set for just after 8 PM.

Baltimore Orioles rock the yard in win vs. Chicago

I’m going to assume that Baltimore Orioles’ manager Brandon Hyde had starter Kyle Bradish on a pitch count this evening. He was lifted with one put to go in order to qualify for a win – which seems odd to me. Bradish was my struggling, and it seemed like a foregone conclusion that he’d at least leave the game with a chance to be the winner. Bradish’s line: 4.2 4 H, 2 R, 5 BB, 5 K.

I do think that Bradish should have at least been allowed to try to get the final out. Because winning games is a big deal to pitchers. But I maintain that big league managers (such as Brandon Hyde) have forgotten more baseball than I’ll ever know. It’s tough for me to second guess their moves, especially in a winning effort by the team overall.

Bradish gave up a solo homer to Morel on the first pitch of the game. But that was the lone offensive highlight for Chicago. Cedric Mullins almost immediately tied the game at one with a solo homer in the last of the first. And unbeknownst to anyone, that’s as close as Chicago was going to get.

One inning later Jorge Mateo smacked a three-run homer, giving the Birds a 5-1 lead. Incidentally, we talk a lot about nothing good happening after a walk. Two Orioles were on base for Mateo’s at-bat due to being hit by a pitch, which is the same as a walk (more painful for the hitter, obviously). So that goes both ways; get guys on base, and good things can happen.

In the last of the third the O’s added two more on Austin Hays’ RBI-double, and Ryan Mountcastle’s sac fly-RBI. Chicago did attempt to rally, however. Contreras smacked a solo homer in the fifth, and Morel an RBI-triple in the sixth. But as I said above, 1-1 was the closest that they got tonight.

Ramon Urias would smack a solo homer in the last of the sixth for good measure. But this was an Oriole team that was determined to hang Chicago with a L this evening. This referencing of course the W and L flags that fly at Wrigley Field. The O’s got it done with timely hitting and good pitching – always a good combination. In what’s only a two-game set, this was a great start.

Going back to Hyde pulling Bradish, again I’m sure he has his reasons. It just seems odd to me that you wouldn’t let the guy get one more out to attempt to qualify for the win. But again, I find it tough to second guess a big league manager.

The series concludes tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Jordan Lyles gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Chicago’s Marcus Stroman. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Is Dean Kremer the new fifth starter?

Dean Kremer was called up from the IL to make the start for the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon. This of course in the series finale against Cleveland. Kremer and the Birds took the loss, but overall I’d say that Kremer had a decent outing. Kremer’s line: 4.1 IP. 5 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 3 K.

Kremer was lifted in the top of the fourth after throwing 67 pitches. Understandably, he was on a pitch count. This after being on the Injured List.

Kremer made one bad pitch; to Giminez in the first inning with two on. And the ball ended up in the stands, giving Cleveland a 3-0 lead early.

But neither Kremer, nor the bullpen gave up any further runs. And Kremer settled down, which is good to see. Pitchers are going to get themselves in trouble and give up runs. It’s how they bounce back that matters.

Ryan Mountcastle’s two-run homer in the fourth accounted for the Birds’ only runs of the game. And given how Cleveland’s starter, Plesax, pitched today, they may have been lucky to get those two runs. Plesac only made one bad pitch all day also. The only difference was there was only one runner on base at the time. As opposed to two runners on when Kremer made his bad pitch.

The Orioles are certainly hoping that Dean Kremer can be the fifth man in the rotation here for at least awhile. You’ll recall that they had a spot start last week – because there was no fifth starter. But Kremer was good out there today. Hopefully for his sake, that ends up being the case.

Baltimore Orioles’ Jorge Lopez proves worth in multi-inning save

The Baltimore Orioles sent Tyler Wells to the mound this afternoon looking to avenge last night’s loss to Cleveland. Wells was a little “hit or miss,” and didn’t stick around long enough to qualify for the win. But he put the team in a good spot in a sense. Wells’ line: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 K.

Wells found himself in an early hole when Ramirez smacked a solo homer in the first inning. But it was a small hole, and it was short-lived. Trey Mancini followed suit in the last of the first with a solo shot of his own, tying the game at one.

But the tie was short-lived also, because Giminez’s solo homer in the second gave Cleveland the lead back at 2-1. But guess what?! Go figure, but Cleveland couldn’t hold the lead! Austin Hays came up in the last of the third with two runners on, and smacked a three-run homer. The Birds led 4-2.

One inning later Rougned Odor joined the party, with a solo shot of his own. In total, the Orioles hit three home runs today. And those three home runs accounted for all of their runs.

But Cleveland would threaten twice more in the game. They loaded the bases in the fifth and scored two runs on two RBI-ground outs. They also loaded the bases in the eighth against Jorge Lopez. Lopez came in with two on and two out to attempt a multi-inning save. And he hit a batsman with his first pitch.

The pressure was on Lopez moving forward. But he was able to get Naylor to fly out, ending the threat. He also sent Cleveland down 1-2-3 in the ninth, earning his seventh save of the season. For the record, Dylan Tate was pretty good out of the bullpen as well, earning a hold.

Lopez proved his worth to the organization today. A multi-inning save isn’t easy. Even if you end the previous inning, some guys will then struggle in the ninth. Lopez didn’t today, and got the win for the team.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards. The Orioles will announce their starter tomorrow morning, and Cleveland will throw Zach Plesac. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.