Baltimore Orioles: Matt Harvey with 18.1 consecutive scoreless innings

Matt Harvey had been stellar for the Baltimore Orioles in the second half thus far. Coming into tonight’s game, he had thrown 12 consecutive scoreless innings. And that trend continued. Harvey’s line: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K.

Harvey was in cruise control for the most part. He seemed to be able to record outs at will, and put the ball wherever he wanted it to be. And that’s consistent with how he pitched in his other two starts in the second half. This contrasted with his 7+ runs ERA in the first half. It’s like he’s a different pitcher.

Pedro Severino’s solo homer in the third inning got the Orioles on the board. Ryan Mountcastle would add a solo shot in the fourth, to run it to 2-0. One inning later in the fifth, Severino would come up again. And his second solo shot of the game gave the O’s a 3-0 lead.

They would also add what appeared to be an insurance run m the sixth, on Ramon Urias’ RBI-single. However the issue is that’s all the O’s got that inning. And the inability to pile a couple more runs on after that could have affected the outcome of the game.

And that might be because Tanner Scott uncorked a wild pitch in the eighth which scored a run. Detroit would proceed to load the bases, and Cabrera’s sac fly-RBI cut the Birds’ lead to 4-2.

The lead was cut further in the last of the eighth to 4-3 when Scott uncorked another wild pitch. However he got out of the inning. And it’s to the Orioles’ credit that they were able to get away with the win.

What Matt Harvey’s done thus far in the second half is nothing short of miraculous. He looked so bad in the first half, but thus far it’s really come together In the spender. Harvey’s a guy who worked tirelessly at his craft. And his performance thus far in this game and the entire second half has been nothing short of a miracle.

The series continues tomorrow at Comerica Park. John Means gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Matt Manning. Game time is set for just after 6 PM.

Baltimore Orioles trade Freddy Galvis back to Philadelphia

With the trade deadline having passed at 4 PM EST this afternoon, the Baltimore Orioles did make an 11th hour deal. They sent SS Freddy Galvis to the Philadelphia Phillies. In exchange, they got Single-A pitcher Tyler Burch.

Galvis of course played in Philadelphia for five years, so this is a homecoming of sorts for him. For what it’s worth, the Orioles will see Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Park in the last week of the season. So they’ll play against Galvis as an opponent later this year.

Burch is a RHP and been playing at the minor league level since 2015. He’s 3-3 on the year with Single-A Clearwater, with a 4.51 ERA. This isn’t a move that will benefit the O’s at the big league level anytime soon, if ever. But it’s another farm hand in the organization, and that’s always a good thing.

This also signals that the Birds are content with Ramon Urias both in the field and at the plate. So maybe Galvis can go to Philadelphia and make a deep run into the playoffs. Meanwhile, maybe the O’s found their man at middle infield for now.

Earlier in the day the Birds also sent reliever Sean Anderson to Tampa for cash considerations. Anderson of course will be back in Baltimore next weekend when Tampa comes to town. All low level moves, but moves none the less. I would look at that as a symptom of the fact that the Orioles’ rebuild is working. Sure they could have traded the Mullins’, Mancini’s, et al of the world and gotten massive returns. But do you want to rebuild forever? They’re doing just fine where they are. Carry on, for the rest of the season.

Baltimore Orioles fall, but opponents starting to respect Ryan McKenna

The Baltimore Orioles struggled to get anything going tonight against Detroit at Comerica Park. They sent Alexander Wells to the mound, but similar to the bats, he couldn’t get any momentum going. Wells’ line: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 4 K.

Detroit got on the board early with an RBI-single by Schoop (a former Oriole), giving them a 1-0 lead. Schoop would score later in the inning on Hasse’s sac fly-RBI. One thing Detroit did early and often in this game was get ‘em on and get ‘em in. And that’s to their credit.

Hasse would strike again in the third inning with an RBI-single. And Detroit would get two solo homers from Cabrera. One in the fifth and one in the seventh. It looked as if Cabrera had drank from the fountain of youth. He looked like he did ten years ago slugging homers. An RBI-double would also net Detroit a sixth run later in that seventh inning.

Ryan McKenna was the Birds’ line bright spot offensively tonight. He was able to get the O’s on the board in the seventh thanks to an errant throw. Leyba sent a shallow fly ball into left that was caught, which in theory would have kept McKenna at third. However the throw was way off line and ended up in no man’s land. That allowed McKenna to score. Cedric Mullins would also score on a wild pitch in the eighth.

That McKenna scoring play is important. Not for the sake of this game, which the Birds dropped 6-2. But teams are starting to take note of McKenna’s speed. The guy’s lightning quick, and we see that on the base paths and in the field everyday. Those diving catches in the outfield? McKenna doesn’t make those if not for his speed.

So opponents know that he can cause problems on the base paths. And that caused an errant throw this evening, which netted the Orioles a run. Again, it didn’t mean much tonight. But it does bode well for the future. Play that same scenario back in a one-run game. Speed counts. (And I say that as one of the slowest human beings on the planet!)

The series continues tomorrow night at Comerica Park. Matt Harvey gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Tarik Skubal. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles walk the line to victory

The Baltimore Orioles we’re hoping to get a decent outing out of Jorge Lopez last night against Miami. Unfortunately that didn’t happen. Lopez was ineffective, but ultimately if was just one of those strange type of games that had a little bit of everything. Lopez’s line: 2.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 2 K.

Lopez spotted Miami a 5-0 lead. Never a good recipe for victory. However early on we also saw that the O’s weren’t going to go quietly into the night. Pedro Severino got the O’s back in the game in one fatal swoop, with a three-run homer in the last of the second.

Trey Mancini smacked a solo shot an inning later. That was followed by an RBI-double later in the inning by Ramon Urias. And in case you’re not keeping track at home, Urias’ RBI-double tied the game at five. Again, putting the Miami Marlins and anyone watching on notice that this game was going to be a dog fight.

However Miami would take the lead right back. They loaded the bases in the fourth, and Anderson was hit by a pitch. Diaz would proceed to ground out, scoring a run on a fielder’s choice. This of course forcing the Birds to once again play from behind.

It was the Orioles’ turn to put traffic on the base paths in the eighth. And Pedro Severino’s RBI-groundout got them to within 7-6. Maikel Franco’s RBI-single subsequently tied the game back up at seven.

So to the last of the ninth we went with the score knotted at seven. The Birds immediately loaded the bases, bringing Ryan McKenna to the plate with a chance to walk Miami off. McKenna worked the count full, forcing Miami to throw a strike – which they couldn’t do. McKenna walked, and in doing so walked in the winning run. On a walk off walk, the Orioles had an 8-7 victory.

This is the type of win that shows the character of this team. Would they have won this game last year or two seasons ago? Probably not. But while it’s only one game, I would submit that it shows guys are coming together and starting to gel as a team. Trey Mancini addressed this after the game:

We’ve been in the fight until the end in basically every single game, and I’m so proud of the way the guys have been playing. It’s just been a different feeling, I’d say, this second half, just a different energy and it’s been really, really fun to be a part of.

Quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports

The O’s now head to Detroit to open a four-game set at Comerica Park. Alexander Wells gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Casey Mize. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles fall to Miami

Spencer Watkins struggled tonight for the Baltimore Orioles. Not awful struggles, but he didn’t pitch as well against the Miami Marlins as he had in previous outings. And that’s okay; it was bound to happen. Watkins’ line: 4.0 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 1 K.

Watkins put two runners on in the second inning. And before he knew it the O’s trailed 3-0 on Leon’s three-run homer. And that illustrates the issue that Watkins had tonight – and it happens to every pitcher at various points. You don’t want to get too much of the plate, lest you risk the ball getting hit a long way. And that’s what happened to Watkins tonight.

Marte’s RBI-single in the fourth would extend the lead to 4-0. However the O’s tried to come back. Austin Hays would smack a solo homer in the bottom of that fourth inning, closing the lead to 4-1. The teams then traded solo homers in the fifth and sixth – Diaz for Miami and Cedric Mullins for the O’s.

Miami would also get a solo shot from Anderson in the top of the seventh. But the O’s again would try to but into the lead. In the bottom of the inning Ramon Urias’ RBI-single cut the lead to 6-3.

Perhaps the most exciting part of the game from the Orioles’ standpoint was the big league debut of rookie Connor Greene. He had bounced around other teams’ farm systems but had never made it. A big group of family and friends were at the game, including his father – who had to be bery proud.

And Greene faired well. He pitched two innings, giving up two hits and a run. One of those singles was an RBI-single in the eighth by Aguilar. And end of the day, it was just a crazy ballgame.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Jorge Lopez gets the start, and he’ll be opposed by Miami’s Jordan Holloway. Game time is still set for just aftrr 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: The good guys bat last

John Means made one bad pitch for the Baltimore Orioles today. Other than that he pitched well enough to win. And he deserved to get the win. But that isn’t how it always works out in baseball. Means’ line: 6.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 2 K.

The Birds found themselves trailing early when Zimmerman’s RBI-groundout scored a run in the first inning. But they didn’t trail for long. Come the last of the first Trey Mancini sent a shot deep into the left field grandstand, tying the game at one.

One inning later, it was Maikel Franco’s turn. His solo shot gave the Birds the lead, which was extended to 3-1 in the fourth on a solo homer by Ryan Mckenna. At least for awhile the ball was flying off of Oriole bats.

However the mid to late part of the game slowed down. It kind of turned into a long slog. Of course Washington used this time to take the lead. Zimmerman, once again – this time a three-run homer. This gave Washington a 4-3 lead.

The O’s already had the series. Nobody would have necessarily blamed them for dropping the finale. But they fought on. To their credit.

The Birds loaded the bases in the ninth. Pat Valaika’s sac fly-RBI tied the game at four. Ramon Urias came to the plate as a pinch hitter, with a chance for the Orioles to walk Washington off. And to sweep the series.

Urias sent a bouncer to third. Ryan McKenna ran on contact – which to be honest, I felt was a mistake. Yet, I probably look to play it safe a little too often. And go figure, the throw from third was off line. McKenna slid in under the throw, and the Birds walked off as 5-4 winners. The okay was reviewed, and upheld.

Manager Brandon Hyde addressed his decision to send McKenna after the game:

We had one of our better guys to have at third base in that situation, obviously running on contact there. McKenna got a really nice read, ball hit dirt early, great slide at the end. I was just kind of hoping the throw would be off-line. He’s a plus runner and got a good break. … Good things happen when you put the ball in play and Mac with a really nice contact read there. Was a fun one.

Quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports

Again, I would have held the runner. But had they done that…all bets would have been off. It’s a win. And had I been in the dugout odds are I would have managed them right out of said win!

Baltimore Orioles: Matt Harvey shines, Birds hold on to beat Washington

Matt Harvey turned in another great post-ASG start tonight for the Baltimore Orioles. Opponents’ bats are 4-for-40 against Harvey thus far in the second half of the season. And similar to last week in Kansas City, Harvey pitched to a quality start.Harvey’s line: 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K.

The O’s took the least early when Trey Mancini smacked a solo homer in the first inning. Ryan Mountcastle followed suit with a solo shot of his own in the last of the fourth. For what it’s worth, Mountcastle had a grand slam against Washington last time around in May. Granted that was in a losing effort. Tonight’s homer came in a win.

The O’s would strike again in the sixth. Austin Hays’ RBI-double ran the score to 3-0. Later in the inning the Birds would load the bases, and while they didn’t plate all of the runners they were able to get a couple home. Pedro Severino’s RBI-single and Maikel Franco’s sac fly-RBI appeared to put the game out of reach at 5-0.

But to their credit my, Washington felt never felt they were out of it. Soto’s solo homer in the seventh cut the lead to 5-1. One inning later in the eighth it was Washington’s turn to load the bases. And Turner’s two-RBI single cut the lead to 5-3.

But that’s as close as Washington would get. The O’s would close out the game, and cruise to a 5-3 win. They’ve guaranteed a series win against Washington at Camden Yards.

The O’s did get lucky in a sense tonight however. Washington had to scrap their scheduled starter (Scherzer) in favor of Lester, who was scheduled to start tomorrow. Scherzer apparently had shoulder soreness. To his credit, Lester pitched fairly well. But it’s always a gift when you can avoid a team’s ace, and one of the best pitchers in baseball at that.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. John Means gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Washington’s Pablo Espino. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Pat Valaika homers twice in win over Washington

Jorge Lopez got the start for the Baltimore Orioles last night as the Birds opened a three-game set against Washington at Camden Yards. Another shortish start, however the goal is to put people in a position to succeed. By lifting Lopez when he does, Brandon Hyde is doing just that. Lopez’s line: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 K.

Lopez gave up a solo homer to Bell in the fourth. He was lifted later in the inning when Hyde saw Soto on deck. Once Lopez had exited, the Orioles got out of the inning. And they didn’t trail for long after that.

The O’s would tie the game on Austin Hays’ RBI-double in the last of the fourth. Ramon Urias’ RBI-single later in the inning would score Hays. But that was only a preview.

Pat Valaika was the star of the night offensively for the Birds. He hit a solo homer in the fifth to extend the Orioles’ lead to 3-1. The O’s would also score in the sixth on a fielder’s choice by Urias’, and a sac fly-RBI by Pedro Severino.

But come the seventh inning, it was the Valaika show again. His second solo homer of the game put an exclamation point on the game, which resulted in a 6-1 win for the Birds. It was Valaika’s second multi-home run game of his career; Valaika on his effort:

I think tonight I just squared up those balls better than I have pretty much this whole year. It felt good to actually drive the ball and not see it die on the track, so hopefully I can continue that and keep it rolling.

Quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports

The series continues tonight at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Matt Harvey gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Washington’s Max Scherzer. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles to visit the Cleveland Guardians starting in 2022

The Baltimore Orioles had some really solid games against the Cleveland Indians in the mid-1990’s. Both cities had great rosters, similar makeup’s, and even similar fan bases. This because the cities themselves were very similar – blue collar, old school, traditional, etc. Plus a lot of players have gone back and forth between the two teams.

In December Cleveland announced that in 2022 they were going to retire the Indians name and pick a new one. That process apparently came to an end today when the team announced that effective at the end of this season the franchise will be known as the “Cleveland Guardians.” You can visit www.clevelandindians.com to see the new logo’s, and a video announcing the new name, narrated by Tom Hanks.

My personal opinion was that the Indians name didn’t need to be changed. This is literally one of the most storied franchises in baseball. But if they decided to change the name, I think Guardians is as good a name as any. I like the fact that they kept the team’s red and navy blue color scheme, and it seems like they put a lot of thought into what the new name would be, and how it reflected the city. Apparently there are statues of “guardians” on a bridge right outside of Progressive Field, which was the inspiration behind the name.

It’ll take awhile to get used to the Cleveland Guardians as opposed to the Cleveland Indians (or just “the Tribe”). But the Orioles will play this new/old team starting next season. I recall noting in the series finale with Cleveland at Camden Yards earlier this year that it would be the last time the Cleveland Indians played in Baltimore.

The O’s open up a homestand tonight with the second infusion of the Battle of the Beltways, as the Washington Nationals come to town. Jorge Lopez gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Washington’s Patrick Corbin. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Illness and oddities strike again

The Baltimore Orioles had to put today’s starter, Keegan Akin, and Anthony Santander on the IL (COVID protocol) before this afternoon’s series finale in Tampa. More on that in a moment. The O’s were attempting to win today’s game, which would give them a series victory vs. Tampa – a rarity. But that made things look a bit more bleak in terms of winning today’s game, and the series. The Birds replaced Santander and Akin on the roster with Ryan McKenna and Alexander Wells – who ended up being today’s starter, making his big league debut. Wells’ line: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 7 K.

It’s unclear what prompted Santander and Akin to need to go into COVID protocol, but the Birds were alerted late last night that there was a problem. However Wells performed admirably in Akin’s stead. He was on the taxi squad for this road trip, so he was already in Tampa. But with little preparation, he was thrust into the bright lights this afternoon. And he got the job done – BIG TIME. In doing so, he left the game with a chance to be the winning pitcher.

The O’s got on the board right away with back-to-back doubles. Austin Hays‘ RBI-double gave them a 1-0 lead. But Tampa came right back – as they’re prone to do. Arozarena’s solo homer tied the game at one. Arozarena’s quickly becoming an Oriole-killer. And he seems to buy into the strange antics that wins games for Tampa over the O’s.

Tampa would get the lead in the last of the second on Wendle’s RBI-triple, but the O’s came right back. Pat Valaika‘s solo homer tied the game back up at two in the third. And one inning later they had the lead back, again on a solo homer. This time by Ryan Mountcastle. To their credit, the Birds never gave up in this one, regardless of the outcome.

And sure enough, neither did Tampa. Arozarena’s second homer of the day tied the game at three in the last of the fifth. One inning later however, Mountcastle’s RBI-single gave the Birds the lead back at 4-3. And the Oriole bullpen seemed to hold that lead – that is until the bitter end.

Tanner Scott was summoned to pitch the ninth. The Birds recorded one out, and allowed two runners on base with a base hit and a walk. That brought Arozarena back to the plate. And this is where the strange plays and oddities that Tampa loves to spring on the Orioles came into play. Everyone in the world’s expecting Arozarena to smack a walk-off three-run homer, and be hailed as a hero. Everyone including the Oriole outfield…

…instead, Arozarena bloops a soft pop up into right field. Austin Hays sprints in, and Ryan Mountcastle sprints out (from first base) to try to make the play. The two collided, and the ball dropped in. Now luckily nobody scored on the play. However the bases were loaded, and Meadow’s subsequent two-RBI single won it for Tampa in walk-off fashion by the score of 5-4.

Regarding the players in COVID protocol, it’s a waiting game at this point. The Orioles have only said that they’re (Santander and Akin) in COVID protocol on the IL; not whether they’re showing symptoms or even if they’ve tested positive. One way or the other, hopefully if they are sick they make a full recovery. If they aren’t sick, hopefully it remains as such.

Alexander Wells deserved the win today, but obviously Tampa’s sneaky trickery prevented that. But you can’t say enough about his outing today, especially given that it was his big league debut. The O’s will have an off day tomorrow at home before welcoming the Washington Nationals to town on Friday night for three games over the weekend.