Baltimore Orioles: Cedric Mullins, Freddy Galvis slug the Birds to victory

The Baltimore Orioles got a quality start out of Dean Kremer last night in Seattle. Unfortunately, Kremer didn’t get the run support necessary to get the win. The run support came, just after Kremer had exited. Kremer’s line: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K.

However the job of a starting pitcher is to put the team in a position to win the game. Kremer did that and then some last night, leaving manager Brandon Hyde gushing about him after the game:

I thought Dean was really good. Aggressive with his fastball. Just got beat on a good cutter, down and away. Tip your hat to Murphy there for a really good piece of hitting and not an easy park to leave. But I thought Dean was in control the whole way through. I liked his tempo. He had life to his fastball. Saw some good changeups tonight. He pitched extremely aggressive tonight and that was fun to watch.

Courtesy of Steve Melewski, MASNsports

Kremer’s line run surrendered came on a solo homer by Murphy in the fifth. But that was his only mishap. And as we know, solo home runs generally don’t beat you.

Cedric Mullins came up with a runner on in the eighth, and promptly smacked a two/m-run homer. That put the Orioles in the lead, and for good at that. But they wanted more.

Maikel Franco’s RBI-groundout later in the inning ran the score to 3-1, but the O’s still weren’t done. They needed insurance, and it came in the form of a two-run homer by Freddy Galvis. In all, it was a five-run Orioles’ eighth inning.

And seeing that Seattle’s Haniger responded with a two-run homer of his own in the bottom of the inning, it’s a good thing they got those insurance runs. End of the day however, the Orioles’ pen held the lead without further incident. And the Birds took game one in Seattle.

The series continues tonight at Safeco Field. Jorge Lopez gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Seattle’s Justin Dunn. Game time is set for just after 10 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Eighth inning does in the Birds

The Baltimore Orioles sent Bruce Zimmerman to the mound this afternoon in the series finale in Oakland. Zimmerman delivered one of those “in between” starts, which was consistent with the rest of the game. It was back-and-forth all day. Zimmerman’s line: 4.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R (3 earned), 2 BB, 4 K.

Oakland took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning. However the Birds came right back, cutting that to 2-1 on Freddy Galvis’ RBI-single in the second. And an inning later, the game would be tied. Austin Hays smacked a solo home run in the third, tying things up at two.

But then Oakland came back. Olson’s two-run homer in the bottom of that third inning gave them the lead back at 4-2. This was a game and a series of two teams with a lot of heart. And even in a losing effort, the Orioles showed that today. Trey Mancini’s two-RBI single in the fifth tied the game back up at four.

And it was Mancini who would also give the Orioles the lead in the seventh. His RBI-single gave them a one-run lead at 5-4. This appeared to put the Birds in the driver’s seat. But in the bottom of the inning Lowrie would appear to ground out to Franco at third, with Chapman on second. However Franco’s throw to first was off line. To further compound things, Mancini had trouble getting the ball out of his glove…

…all this while Chapman rounded third base. Whether or not Mancini would have been able to throw Chapman out at the plate had he gotten the ball cleanly out of his glove, I don’t know. But ultimately Chapman came around to score, tying the game at five.

DJ Stewart appeared to have a go-ahead RBI-double in the eighth. He drove the ball deep with a runner on second, only to have Laureano catch the ball in dramatic fashion at the wall. To add insult to injury, Laureano came up in the last of the eighth with a runner on, and smacked a two-run homer, which won the game for Oakland.

You never want to lose, but the O’s battled in this game. And in this series. I always say that if you’re going to take two-of-three in a series (which the Orioles did this weekend), you want the loss to come in games one or two. If you win the first two games and lose the finale it almost feels like you dropped the series.

The Orioles now head to Seattle for three games at Safeco Field starting tomorrow night. Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and Seattle has yet to announce a starter. Game time is set for just after 10 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Good things can happen with runners on base

The Baltimore Orioles got another strong start this afternoon out of Matt Harvey at the Oakland Coliseum. Luckily however he was also gifted several runs that all but marginalized how solid Harvey was. That isn’t meant to marginalize Harvey’s effort, of course. Harvey’s line: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 1 K.

The game was won for the O’s in a monster third inning. Austin Hays hit what should have been a two-RBI single. A good thing for the Orioles, but by no means a game-changer. Not in the third inning, not even with nobody out. However Oakland committed a throwing error, allowing a third run to score. And Hays himself would later score on Trey Mancini’s run-scoring single.

I’ve written a million times that getting guys on base will cause good things to happen. Anything’s possible at any moment – if a pitcher uncorks a wild pitch with nobody on base, did he really throw a wild pitch? Does it even matter? But do it with ducks on the pond, and it’s different. And Hays doesn’t score on that hit if he isn’t at third base; and he got there because of the error.

The Orioles have been held accountable left and right for their mistakes in games. And they’re finally holding other teams accountable now as well. Ryan Mountcastle’s sac fly-RBI later in the inning would score Mancini and run the score to 5-0. And to round out the inning, Maikel Franco would score on a wild pitch.

DJ Stewart would give the Orioles some insurance runs in the sixth with a two-run homer. And it’s a good thing he did, as Oakland made a bit of a comeback. They managed to put four runs on the board, two of which came on solo homers. And one of those was in the ninth inning. 8-4 is a lot different than 6-4 when trying to close out a game.

But again, the Orioles are holding teams accountable for their mistakes, and finding ways to score. Three of those runs were unearned. However they still count. If you can find ways to score, you’ll win a lot of games. Taking advantage of the opportunities you’re afforded is a part of every sport. Also a part of life.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at the Oakland Coliseum. Bruce Zimmerman gets the call for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Oakland’s Sean Manaea. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Back-to-back homers are for the Birds

If results thus far this year are any indication, the Baltimore Orioles can only beat Oakland if John Means is on the mound. Means’ steady hand newt Oakland on Sunday at Camden Yards, and last night in Oakland. Means’ line: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 9 K.

Yes you read that correctly; nine strikeouts. Means has had a great start to the season for the Orioles, and he’s taking full advantage of the opportunity he’s being given. I’ve even seen some fans online suggest that he should be traded for prospects. I suppose anything’s possible. But Means has the makings of a pitcher you want to keep for a long time. Unequivocally, I think that would be a bad mistake.

Oakland did take a 1-0 lead in the second on a Murphy solo homer. However solo homers generally don’t beat you. Although…I suppose one could say that they beat Oakland in a way.

The third inning told the tale of the game. Cedric Mullins tied the game at one with a solo homer. That brought Austin Hays to the plate, and he took the Orioles into the lead with a solo shot of his own. Back-to-back homers for the O’s was the story. So while it’s fashionable to say that solo homers won’t beat you, it’s safe to say that enough solo homer runs will. Two were enough last night.

Mullins would add a third run in the fifth on an RBI-groundout. Oakland’s Moreland would bring them back to within one in the seventh with a solo home run of his own. But after Means exited the Orioles’ pen was sure handed, and they closed out the game with no further incident.

The series continues this afternoon at the Oakland Coliseum. Matt Harvey gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Oakland’s Jesus Luzardo. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: All’s well that ends well; Birds defeat New York

The Baltimore Orioles gave Jorge Lopez a getaway day start in the series finale with New York tonight at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Once again we saw Lopez be fairly solid, save for one pitch, but he didn’t have the staying power that the Orioles would like. Lopez’s line: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 3 K.

In fairness, the Orioles’ bullpen has consistently been strong. I write a lot about starters not going deep into games, but this particular pitching staff may be designed so as not to have the starter go deep. Or at least to not need them to go deep into a game. However my point would be why wouldn’t you want them to go deep? Nevertheless, the bullpen has been sure. Much more so than the starting rotation.

Trey Mancini put the Birds on the board right off the bat with an RBI-single in the first inning. As I’ve said, when you get guys on base, good things can often happen. O’s end up with an early base runner, and thus an early lead.

But that lead evaporated in the fifth. Lopez loaded the bases, and Odor came up to bat with two outs. His two-RBI single gave New York a 2-1 lead. As this pitching duel ensued, the Orioles needed a spark. They needed someone to kick them back into control of the game. And it ended up being the guy who gave them the lead to begin with – Trey Mancini. His solo homer in the last of the sixth tied the game back up at two, and kickstarted the Birds.

And that kickstart appeared to give them the eventual winning run. Cedric Mullins drew a walk in the eighth inning. He would come around to score and give the Birds a 3-2 lead on Austin Hays‘ RBI-double (Hays would take third on the throw). But that was the only run the Birds could muster in the inning. However it gave them the lead.

However manager Brandon Hyde thought the Orioles should have gotten a fourth run. New York reliever O’Day appeared to balk, which should have scored Hays from third. However the balk wasn’t called, which in a one-run game was a big deal. Hyde argued between innings, but to no avail.

And it was with good reason that Hyde argued. Torres was down to his final strike in the ninth inning, and smacked an RBI-single which tied the game at three. The Orioles were once again frustrated, because the strike zone got really small in the ninth inning. But the game went to extra innings.

And the O’s would eventually benefit from the new rules placing a runner at second base. I’m still not a fan of the rule, but it benefited the O’s today. The runner was bunted over to third, and Cedric Mullins’ sac fly-RBI won it for the O’s. However even that wasn’t without controversy. New York challenged the call, claiming that Mullins left third base early. The review probably lasted for longer than the Orioles would have liked, but the call was upheld and the Birds ended up with a 4-3 win in ten innings.

The Orioles now head out west for a three-game set with the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland Coliseum. John Means gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Oakland’s Mike Fiers. Game time is set for just after 9:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Dean Kremer hit hard by New York

Dean Kremer went to the mound at Oriole Park at Camden Yards tonight for the Baltimore Orioles against New York. And unfortunately for Kremer, the Birds couldn’t muster even a run on his behalf. If you can’t score you have no shot at winning. However Kremer got knocked around by New York, who took the third game of this series. Kremer’s line: 4.1 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 0 BB, 4 K.

Kremer gave up a solo homer in the second to Ford. While we didn’t know it at the time, that was the end of the game right there. As I said, if you can’t score you can’t win.

Torres’ RBI-single later in the third inning doubled NY’s lead to 2-0. But later in the inning Urshela opened the game wide open. His three-run homer gave New York a 5-0 lead.

Hicks would add a sac fly-RBI in the fifth, and Frazier a solo homer in the eighth. That rounded out New York’s 7-0 victory. Kremer obviously was hit hard in this game. But that was because he was pitching-to-contact.

Against a team like New York, you have to pitch-to-contact. They won’t swing at balls. So if you want to have a shot at recording outs, you just have to do it. And it burned them tonight.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards. Jorge Lopez gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Jordan Montgomery. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles fall to Bronx Bombers

Bruce Zimmerman took to the mound tonight for the Baltimore Orioles against New York. And he showed some growing pains, as New York tee’d off on him. Zimmmerman’s line: 3.2 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 3 K.

It’s tough for a guy like Zimmerman to go up against a team like New York. While they’re struggling, they’re still the New York Yankees. When you’re a rookie going against the team who’s supposed to be the best in baseball, it’s often tough. But that’s how you learn.

New York took the lead right away on an Urshela sac fly-RBI in the first. While that was only one run, it set the table for what the rest of the game was going to be. It ensured that the Birds were playing catch-up for the rest of the night.

Judge’s solo homer in the third would double the lead to 2-0. One inning later, Higashioka smacked a solo shot of his own, running it to 3-0. Later in the inning Urshela’s RBI-single have New York a 4-0 lead.

Maikel Franco’s RBI-single in the last of the fourth for the Birds on the board. But Stanton’s solo homer in the seventh gave New York their four-run margin back. And 5-1 ended up being the final, as the O’s dropped game two of this series.

The most exciting part of the game from the Orioles’ perspective was reliever Jay Flaa making his big league debut in the end of the game. Flaa pitched 1.1 innings, walking two and striking out one. 

These big league debuts are a big deal. The Orioles are a young organization, and we’re seeing quite a few of them thus far this year. If the Birds manage their talent properly, they could have a stacked team of big leaguers in a few years.

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. The Orioles have yet to announce a starter, but whomever he is he’ll be opposed by New York’s Domingo German. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles slugged to victory by Cedric Mullins

Cedric Mullins was the story tonight for the Baltimore Orioles. Had the game gone any other way however it would have been starter Matt Harvey. The goal of a starting pitcher is to put the team in a position to win. Harvey did that, as he pitched to a quality start. Harvey’s line: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 5 K.

Harvey had the lead early after retiring New York in the top of the first. Mullins led the game off with a solo homer in the first inning. Upon further review, the ball made it onto Eutaw Street. Unofficially, that’s the 108th home run ball hit onto Eutaw Street in the history of Camden Yards.

Freddy Galvis’ RBI-double in the second would extend the Birds’ lead to 2-0. However following the inning Galvis would come out of the game with an injury. Later on the Orioles would announce that he had strained some muscles in the groin area.

New York would get on back in the sixth to pull to within 2-1 on Judge’s RBI-double. But if I’ve said it once I’ve said it a million times; if you get guys on base sometimes things happen. The O’s had runners at the corners and one out. Rio Ruiz (the runner at third) was awarded home plate on a ball. The Birds led 3-1.

But they wanted and needed more. Mullins came up to bat again in the seventh, and promptly deposited his second home run of the game into the seats. This one, also a solo shot, gave the O’s a 4-1 lead.

New York would load the bases in the eighth, and Urshela would smack an RBI-single. However Judge tried to take third base, and with two outs was promptly cut down. The umpires ruled that what would have been the second run didn’t score before the out was recorded, prompting New York manager Boone to get ejected from the game.

It also kept the score at 4-2 as opposed to 5-3. And the key to that play was Austin Hays’ throw to third from the outfield. Hays is quickly becoming a stud – both at the plate and on the field.

The series continue last evening at Camden Yards. Bruce Zimmerman gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Corey Kluber. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: John Means, Austin Hays end Oakland’s winning streak

John Means got the ball this afternoon for the Baltimore Orioles in the series finale against Oakland. The Birds of course had dropped the first two games of the series, and Oakland came into the game having won 13 straight games. Was he up to the challenge? You tell me; Means’ line: 6.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 6 K.

This series thus far has showcased the Orioles pushing too hard. This game was different in that it was a pitcher’s duel. Means and Oakland starter Luzardo matched one another pitch for pitch.

Whereas the other two games showed the O’s leaving a lot of guys on base, there weren’t many opportunities in this game. Not many guys got into scoring position. And with Means on the mound, that boded well for the O’s.

The O’s took a 1-0 lead in the last of the second when Austin Hays deposited a solo homer into the outfield grandstand. It was also the first time in the series the O’s had the lead. One could argue that shows the Orioles are struggling. But perhaps more poignantly it shows how well Oakland’s playing.

And Oakland came right back to tie it in the fourth. Laureano’s solo home run knotted it up at one. However Means limited the damage, which is a key tenant of winning games. Just ask the Oakland A’s.

I suppose the question is whether or not the hero on the day was John Means or Austin Hays. A little of both, in my view. But Hays came back to bat in the last of the fourth with a runner on. And he repeated home run performance with a two-run homer, which gave the Orioles the lead back at 3-1. Maikel Franco’s solo homer and Ryan McKenna walking with the bases loaded in the last of the eighth would add an insurance runs. The Birds would also net a run when Cedric Mullins reached on an error, and two on Trey Mancini’s two-run single.

The Orioles’ bullpen was equally as dominant as Means, and they closed out the Birds’ 8-1 victory. Again, that snaps an impressive 13-game winning streak for Oakland. The O’s did what they hadn’t done this entire series; they loosened up, and they took advantage of their opportunities. And they won.

Tomorrow the O’s will open a four-game set against the NY Yankees at Camden Yards. Matt Harvey gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by NY’s Deivi Garcia. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Pushing too hard

The Baltimore Orioles sent Wade LeBlanc to the mound last night in a spot start. And it went about as well as one might have expected. LeBlanc’s line: 1.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 2 K.

LeBlanc is going to be optioned today back to the alternative site, and the Orioles will call Zac Lowther to the majors. He’ll be eligible to pitch out of the bullpen this afternoon. Whenever he gets into a game it will be his big league debut.

LeBlanc gave up an RBI-single to Olson in the first inning. Oakland jumped right to it early, as you would expect for a team that’s won 12 straight games. Canha’s two-RBI single in the second gave them a 3-0 lead, and Olson’s RBI-double ran it to 4-0 and chased LeBlanc to the showers.

The O’s got on the board in the last of the second with an RBI-double by Chance Sisco. But as was the case on Friday, that was all they got in what could have been a big inning. Lowrie’s three-run homer in the fourth busted the game wide open, although they got one back an inning later on an RBI-double by Trey Mancini.

The O’s are pushing too hard. They know they’re struggling right now to score, and everyone’s trying to “play the hero.” It’s almost a psychological thing as much as anything else. I see a lot of bug swings, designed to get the ball onto Eutaw St. In practice, that’s sending guys back to the dugout after striking out.

So is “trying lighter” a thing? Because that’s what the Orioles need to do. The second half of the game was also played in the rain, which dampened chances for both teams. But the damage was already done.

The series concludes this afternoon at Camden Yards. John Means gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Oakland’s Jesus Luzardo. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.