Baltimore Orioles sweep Atlanta in Trevor Rogers’ neighborhood

I’m not sure too many people saw the Baltimore Orioles sweeping Atlanta this weekend at Truist Park. But they did just that, culminating in a game that began this morning. And a dominant performance by starter Trevor Rogers at that. Rogers’ line: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K.

Rogers was dominant from the beginning today. So were his teammates – in terms of getting guys on base, that is. They did leave runners on base, which can often come back to bite you.

But the O’s did manage to take the lead. Jackson Holliday smacked a two-run home run in the third inning to put the Birds ahead 2-0. In theory, that was all the Orioles needed. However they did leave the bases loaded in the sixth. In close games, you have to find a way to tack on insurance runs. Today it didn’t bite them.

Yennier Cano and Gregory Soto were both strong out of the bullpen. Atlanta did make a small run of things in the ninth with Seranthony Dominguez on for the save. Murphy slapped a solo homer to cut it to 2-1. They also put the tying run on base, but Dominguez pitched out of it, out of the inning, to a win, and to an Oriole sweep in Atlanta.

These two teams have been disappointing this year, mainly due to injuries. But this weekend we saw what the Orioles were expected to be, and what they can be if not for their injuries. This was a series sweep, and a winning road trip at 4-2.

It begins and ends with starting pitching. Trevor Rogers wasn’t only good today. He was outstanding. It begins and ends with starting pitching. Rogers may well have deserved more run support than he got. But he got enough. And it equated to a big win.

The O’s are now to within ten games of the .500 mark at 40-49. Not very long ago that seemed like an unlikelihood. Will this season still be something? We don’t know. But they’re trending in the right direction.

Baltimore Orioles: Ramon Laureano and Jacob Stallings for the win in the ATL

The Baltimore Orioles squeaked one out in Atlanta late this afternoon. Dean Kremer was so-so out of the starting gate today. But solid enough to keep his team in the ballgame. Kremer’s line: 4.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 3 K.

Kremer gave up a two-run homer to Riley in the first inning. But that set the tone for the game, as that’s the sort of day it was shaping up to be. Tyler O’Neill got the Birds on the board with a moon shot of a split home run in the third. Later in the inning Jordan Westburg gave them the lead with a two-run homer, continuing his hot streak since returning to the lineup.

However Atlanta had some tricks up their sleeve as well. Olson smacked a solo shot in the third to tie the game. Olson’s had a good series thus far. Something to watch going into tomorrow.

One inning later the O’s got the lead back. Colton Cowser’s two-run homer put them ahead 5-3. Olson would strike again in the home half of the inning with an RBI-single, and Riley tied the game with a subsequent RBI-double. It could have been worse with two on and two out; Atlanta sent the trail runner, but Cowser-to-Henderson-to-Sanchez nailed him at home plate to end the inning.

However that was costly, still. Gary Sanchez left the game with an injured knee on the play. The Orioles replaced him with Jacob Stallings, but this could be yet another injured catcher. It’s almost laughable at this point.

Atlanta would take a 6-5 lead on an RBI-groundout in the sixth. But the Birds hung in. Jackson Holliday tied the game with an RBI-single in the seventh. And the score remained tied at six, so the game went to extra innings. And remember, the Orioles start the tenth with a runner on second…

…and they took advantage. Ramon Laureano’s one-out run-scoring double gave the O’s a 7-6 lead. Following an intentional walk Jacob Stallings came to the plate with two on and two out. And the .135 hitter came through with a two-RBI double, extending the lead to 9-6. Yennier Cano sent Atlanta down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning, and the O’s have taken the first two of this series.

The big concern of course is Gary Sanchez. Stallings will probably catch tomorrow, and odds are he would have already. The O’s have an off day Monday. So if the injury is minor, maybe he avoids the IL. But we can’t say for sure yet.

The series concludes tomorrow at Truist Park. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Atlanta’s Grant Holmes. Game time is set for just after 11:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Peach cobbler for Uncle Charlie on the 4th of July

Charlie Morton got the start for the Baltimore Orioles at Atlanta’s Truist Park this evening on the 4th of July. Morton of course played for Atlanta, and knows Truist Park well. It showed tonight, needless to say. Morton’s line: 5.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 7 K.

Morton got ahead in counts by spinning his breaking pitches, and mixing them in with his fastballs. And he kept Atlanta hitters guessing and off-kilter. Perhaps it doesn’t hurt that he’s pitched in this park many times and he knows it.

Atlanta starter Strider matched Morton for most of the game. Ironically both starters were “plagued” (lightly) by the same affliction: the long ball. Every run in the game scored a da result of the ball going over the fence.

It started with Jordan Westburg, who returned to the lineup for the first time in a week. This after jamming his fingers sliding into second base last Friday. And Westburg made the most of his opportunity to get back into the lineup, giving the Orioles a 1-0 lead with a solo home run in the third.

Two innings later Cedric Mullins’ two-run home run extended the lead to 3-0. And it’s a good thing that he did, as Atlanta put two runs on the board. Baldwin smacked a two-run home run in the last of the sixth, cutting the lead to 3-2.

However the Oriole bullpen was solid after taking over. Baldwin was literally the last Atlanta hitter to reach base in the game. Andrew Kitteredge, Bryan Baker, and Felix Bautista (in the ninth) were all outstanding. Perhaps one of the most unsung moments was Baker retiring the side 1-2-3 in the eighth. That meant that if Bautista could do the same in the ninth (which he did), the Orioles wouldn’t see the top of the order in the ninth.

The series continues tomorrow at Truist Park. Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and Atlanta is yet to announce a starter. But whomever he ends up being, game time is set for just after 4 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Tomoyuki Sugano and the Birds can’t adjust

Tomoyuki Sugano has been the Baltimore Orioles’ best pitcher this year – a rookie. Granted Sugano’s a veteran of the game having played in Japan, but this is his first year in MLB. He started July off last night in Texas similar to how he ended June; Sugano’s line: 4.2 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 5 K.

Sugano got zero run support, which certainly isn’t his fault. However Sugano had a 2.79 ERA in April, 3.48 in May, and a 6.28 in June. Now he’s started July with an ERA of 11.57. While he’s been good, that’s trending in the wrong direction.

Sugano surrendered a three-run homer to Semien in the last of the third. One inning later Duran’s two-RBI single extended the lead to 5-0. Seager’s solo homer in the fifth brought it to 6-0. And that’s all Texas needed. All off of Sugano.

So the question is has the league figured Sugano out? To some degree that appears to be the case. At the very least, they’ve adjusted to him. He now has to adjust back. Or more so, Drew French and Tony Mansolino need to help him to adjust.

Or is it more complex than that? We all know the Orioles’ at times insistence that analytics be used at every stage. The Semien homer came on a sweeper that was in the meaty part of the zone. So to some degree the result is to be expected – Sugano was obviously pitching-to-contact.

The Duran two-RBI single came on a sweeper that was in the zone, but VERY low-and-away. As low-and-away as it could possibly be. The Seager homer was on a splitter that was also low-and-away. Those are hardly pitches that should have been hit the way they were based on their location – unless the hitter knew where the pitch was going to be.

The book on the Orioles is that they ARE the book. I’ve written about the possibility of people tipping pitches, which I do think is somewhat probable. But it’s almost like opponents can read how their at-bats are going to go using the same tools the Orioles do.

Consequently, how often do we notice balls sleeking through the infield? Could it be because the top brass insists so much that the infield has to be played in such-and-such a way, and all teams have to do is tweak their hitting to put the ball in play elsewhere? On the flip side, the Orioles make loud outs at the plate. Because opponents know they either can’t or won’t adjust their hitting approaches. So they can position themselves perfectly.

Opponents are using the Orioles’ game plan against them. We see them getting on base due to soft contact. And yes, at times that’s fluky and it’s not necessarily the goal. But next time you see the Orioles in person, look at how deep their outfielders play. They’re slightly deeper than other teams position their outfielders. That’s obviously due to analytics, and it sets the tone for bloop singles to drop in.

Baltimore Orioles: Begins and ends with starting pitching

For the Baltimore Orioles and all teams, it begins and ends with starting pitching. Brandon Young replaced Zach Eflin on the roster. Charlie Morton was pushed back to Friday night in Atlanta due to elbow tendinitis, so Young started last night in Texas. Young’s line: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 4 K.

It amounted to a bullpen game for the Orioles, whose rancid luck with injuries continued. The fact is that it seems very few key players on the roster have avoided injuries in any capacity this year. Does this mean the training staff needs to do things differently? I’m not a doctor, so I can’t say.

Garcia came up with the bags juiced in the last of the third, and his two-RBI single gave Texas a 2-0 lead. Hein added an RBI-single later in the inning. Sometimes teams use the long ball to get under the Orioles’ skin. And sometimes they piecemeal runners together on base. They all add up.

But the O’s did make a run of things. Gary Sanchez’s two-run home run in the fourth cut the lead to 3-2. However the Birds couldn’t get much going after that. Texas on the other hand, padded their lead.

Osuna’s first big league home run came in the fifth inning, in the form of a two-run shot. Texas would tack on three more later in the game, including one which scored on a wild pitch. Get runners on base, and sometimes things happen.

Keep in mind, the likes of Grayson Rodriguez, Tyler Wells, and Kyle Bradish were supposed to anchor the rotation this year. They’ve yet to pitch an inning due to injuries. Top that off with Eflin among others, and it’s plainly obvious to see why the Orioles’ season has gone the way that it has. Having a next man up mentality is fine. But nobody has equal talent in the minors as they did at the big league level at a certain point.

The Charlie Morton elbow tendinitis thing is also something to watch. There’s no reason to believe he won’t make that start in Atlanta. But it’s something to watch given Morton’s age (41) in a year where if it could go wrong, it has. Or more like if he could get hurt, he did.

Everyone points at Corbin Burnes’ departure as a problem – and make no mistake that it was. But who was out there on his level with whom they could have replaced him? He was going to Arizona unless someone mortgaged the farm to get him given that his family is there. On top of that, he didn’t have the greatest season known to man, this before HE got injured and succumbed to Tommy Johns. Again, injuries can be fickle,

The series concludes this evening at Globe Life Field. Tomoyuki Sugano gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Texas’ Nathan Eovaldi. Game time is set for just after 8 PM,

Baltimore Orioles: When the going gets tough the tough get going – deep in the heart of Texas

The Baltimore Orioles had little business winning last night’s game in Texas. between Texas taking momentum at key moments and just about everything going wrong, somehow they seemed ticketed for a loss. This despite Trevor Rogers giving them a solid outing. Rogers’ line: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 5 K.

Catcher Chadwick Tromp pulled up lame while lining out to end the second inning. He was obviously injured, but tried to stay in the game – to his credit. Eventually he was lifted, and diagnosed with a lower back strain. He’s expected to be out on the IL today.

That’s yet another catcher going on the shelf. It’s somewhat unbelievable. It also provided an even bigger challenge in the moment, as Gary Sanchez was the DH last night. Meaning he had to come into catch, and the O’s had to surrender their DH for the rest of the game.

Ironically, it was Sanchez who gave the Orioles the lead. He came up with the bases loaded and nobody out in the third, and he cleared the bases with a double. This putting the O’s ahead 3-0.

That set a tone for the game. At each stage of this crazy game, the Birds may have been in a tough spot at times. But they never felt out of it. For what it’s worth, Rogers never took the bat off his shoulders in his two at-bats, which seemed pre-conceived. I suspect the Orioles didn’t want him hurt on the base paths or swinging through a pitch.

Rogers surrendered a two-run homer to Semien in the sixth before being lifted. Helman would draw a two-out walk in the seventh and promptly steal second base, taking third on an errant Gary Sanchez throw. Only…he didn’t stop at third. He went for home, and made it. This tied the game at three.

The Orioles are at times too by the book. Conventional wisdom says you stop at third on that play. But perhaps Helman caught the Orioles so off guard by not having stopped, he forced them to make a perfect throw – which they couldn’t do. The element of surprise can do that.

Gary Sanchez is also struggling to hold runners on, and Texas took advantage last night, it was no mystery that they were running on everything. Eventually the Orioles stopped throwing and all but gave runners second base.

With a runner at second in the eighth, Bryan Baker surrendered an infield single up the middle to Garcia. Jackson Holliday knocked it down, holding the runner at third. Baker proceeded to strike the next two hitters out, ending the inning. Massive play there by Holliday, and an equally impressive piece of pitching by Baker.

Texas changed catchers as the game went to extra’s, forcing their DH out as well. And with the ghost runner at second base, Gunnar Henderson’s two-run homer gave the Orioles a 5-3 lead. And it was a shot, folks. So was Colton Cowser’s subsequent solo shot to extend it to 6-3.

BUT…Garcia came up with two on (including a ghost runner) in the tenth. Every pitch Garcia saw in this game was a four-seam fastball. I’m sure there’s a computer program somewhere telling them that’s a good idea. But eventually Garcia caught on, and smacked an emphatic two-run home run to tie the game.

I have no doubt that a steady diet of four-seamers is the book on Garcia. So it’s smart to pitch him that way. But…every pitch? That seems very misguided, and it should come as no surprise that he eventually caught on.

But we played on. Colton Cowser came up with two out in the eleventh and the ghost runner on second. And it was his two-run homer which eventually put the Orioles over the top. On a side note, remember Texas also having to surrender their DH? Ironically it bit them more than it did the Orioles, who played without a DH most of the game. Pitcher Jack Leiter had to pinch hit in the last of the 11th, striking out with a ghost runner at second. End of the day, the O’s pulled through for an 8-6 win.

That’s about as improbable a victory as you’re going to see. Texas was pesky and they didn’t go away. But neither did the Orioles. Despite having every reason to do so.

With Zach Eflin having gone on the IL yesterday already, it’s obvious that another IL move is coming today. Chadwick Tromp will obviously be replaced by a catcher. Might that be Samuel Basallo? Time will tell.

The series continues this evening at Globe Life Field. Brandon Young gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Texas’ Jacob deGrom. Game time is set for just after 8 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Small details, Dean Kremer, win a game and a series for the O’s

Despite technical difficulties in the ballpark and a semi-tough first inning, Dean Kremer was outstanding this afternoon. He barely even had to “battle;” he mowed Tampa hitters down left and right. Kremer’s line: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

There was some sort of issue with MLB’s equipment at the beginning of today’s game. We didn’t have the radar guns, pitch tracker, etc. It didn’t seem to affect much for Kremer as the O’s – they just played ball. About halfway through the game the “glitch” was fixed.

Keener pitched out of a mini-jam in the first. And on we went. The O’s took a 1-0 lead following a leadoff double in the second on Colton Cowser’s RBI-single. That score held up for four innings – until the Orioles started tacking on,

Cedric Mullins started the rally in the fifth. With Gary Sanchez already on base after a leadoff single, Mullins immediately laid down a bunt – but a bunt for a base hit. Mullins beat it out, and the O’s had runners at first and second with nobody out.

Coby Mayo’s subsequent RBI-single extended the lead to 2-0. It’s small things like that which win games. Mullins did it, and it made a huge difference. Later in the inning Ramon Urias’ sac fly-RBI extended the lead to 3-0.

The O’s picked up two insurance runs in the last of the sixth. Insurance runs in a sense – remember, this Tampa team feels they’re never out of it. Gary Sanchez tacked on an RBI-single, and Cedric Mullins a sac fly-RBI.

The key play to me was the bunt by Mullins. The subsequent run, and all other runs in the game were manufactured – team baseball. Another unsung moment was Kremer inducing Diaz into a double-play with one on and one out in the sixth. That meant that Aranda (a heavy hitter), wouldn’t be hitting with runners on base. Also worth noting that Colton Cowser robbed Jansen of a two-run homer in the eighth, reaching over the wall to bring the ball back. Tampa would bet a solo homer by Lowe in the ninth.

End of the day, the Orioles won this game, ABD the series. That’s huge – when you manage to get slaughtered in one game but still take the series. Needless to say, it’s a good way to start a road trip. Kremer’s effort also helped heal the bullpen after yesterday.

The Orioles now head to Texas to open up a three-game set at Globe Life Field. Trevor Rogers gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Texas’ Patrick Corbin. Game time is set for just after 8 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Too deferential

The Baltimore Orioles have had issues with umpires all season. Yesterday for instance – Tampa’s Simpson got a borderline ball four call and took first base. That began a big inning.

Sometimes calls have been putrid. Other times they’re borderline calls that are persistently going the other way. But often times we’re seeing Oriole hitters giving the stink eye back towards the home plate umpire as they walk away. Yet, they toe the line.

Increasingly I see fans calling for someone to lose it with an umpire. Or perhaps for that reaction to come to the dugout. Admittedly, to my knowledge (and I’m going off my memory here), Tony Mansolino hasn’t had an argument with an umpire since taking over. And the end of Brandon Hyde’s tenure didn’t see much of that either.

We all know the Orioles have embraced analytics the past few years. I’ve often wondered if there’s a statistic somewhere showing that teams known as “arguers” actually get fewer calls than teams who toe the line. Needless to say, one thing that’s certain is that ejections, suspensions, and fines are minimized.

Whether there’s a statistic for that is another story. But at times it seems that things happen with the Orioles either way regard to umpires. Whether it’s sloppy umpiring or awful calls, it seems that the benefit of the doubt always seems to go the other way.

So I suppose the question is whether umpires almost respect the teams who do protest a little more. This as opposed to the Orioles’ at times deferential approach to game officials. I do believe that there have been circumstances that would have warranted a manager going out and protesting – maybe to the point of ejection. Yet, all that happens is the aforementioned stink eye.

And maybe that in and of itself is part of the issue. The walking away stink eye is passive-aggressive. In today’s world, that almost ticks people off more than being overtly angry.

Where the disconnect or what the issue is, I don’t know. But the one thing that’s for sure is that the Orioles get short-changed a lot in terms of calls. And they would love for that to change.

Baltimore Orioles: Tampa flips the script, Zach Eflin injured

Tampa got on the Baltimore Orioles from the beginning this afternoon. And it’s no wonder, because starter Zach Eflin was hurt. Eflin’s line: 1.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 0 K,

A double and a single – one by Lowe and the other by Lowe (different pronunciation) – the O’s trailed 1-0 after two hitters. Lowe made it to second on an errant throw. He would later score on Aranda’s two-run home run. Before the inning ended, Simpson would ground into a fielder’s choice-RBI, and the O’s trailed 4-0.

During that inning, Scott Blewett was was warming up in the Oriole bullpen. When the second inning began, he entered the game in place of Eflin. The Orioles later said Eflin was lifted with lower back tightness.

It’s amazing how things change so quickly. On top of the fact that Eflin allowed several bleeders and bloops in that one inning of work (runners who came around to score), the bullpen was going to be taxed – win or lose. Remember that coming out of last night’s game it was Tampa whose bullpen was in bad shape. But without even trying to do so, they flipped the tables on the O’s today. Due to an injury.

Tampa would tack on a sac fly-RBI by Walls in the fifth. This after Simpson reached third following a ball four which looked similar to a strike three, and stole second. On an errant throw he went to third. Later in the inning Diaz’s three-run homer cleared the bases, and the Orioles trailed 8-0.

Walls would add a sac fly in the fifth. But the O’s did get on the board in the home half of the frame with a solo homer by Chadwick Tromp. Not to be outdone, Tampa’s Thaiss continued a tradition this year of backup catcher torching the O’s with a two-RBI triple in the seventh. The Orioles would also tack two on in the ninth on a two-run home run by Ramon Laureano.

The bigger concern of course than the loss is Zach Eflin. The Oriole rotation is in trouble if he has to miss time. The silver lining is he could only miss two starts (maybe one given an off day) due to the break. Depending on the severity of the injury.

That assumes he’s destined for the IL. We don’t know at this point. But as I said above, Tampa totally flipped the script. Not just with the score, but regarding the bullpen. They always find a way to make it work out it seems. Coming in their bullpen was on the ropes, Going into tomorrow’s game, it’s the O’s with a tired bullpen. Not because of the play on the field, but because of an injury.

The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Taj Bradley. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: An onslaught of caddywampus proportions

Tomoyuki Sugano and the Baltimore Orioles were in trouble after two innings last night at Camden Yards against Tampa. Sugano had an easy first inning, but surrendered six runs in the second – including three home runs. Given that last week Tampa overcame an 8-0 Oriole lead, this seemed insurmountable…then again, would you believe that Sugano was the winning pitcher?! Sugano’s line: 5.0 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 1 BB, 2 K.

The O’s immediately loaded the bases against Tampa starter Pepiot, bringing Coby Mayo to bat. And Mayo smacked a two-RBI double, cutting the lead to 6-2. But it didn’t end there. Ramon Urias’ two-RBI single cut it to 6-4. Tack on one more when Ramon Laureano scored after an errant throw on a stolen base attempt.

Urias was also a pinch-hitter. Jordan Westburg injured a finger on his left hand sliding into second base in the first inning. Yes, the same Westburg who was almost on the IL with a similar injury on Sunday. X-Rays were negative, and he’s day-to-day.

Tampa manager Kevin Cash lifted his starter Pepiot in favor of a reliever in the middle of that onslaught. Which I found fascinating. Win or lose, you’re in a series with a division rival on the road, and you’re blowing through your bullpen. Cash of course finds the smallest ways to get ahead in games, but I would submit he outthought himself a bit there. That said, Tampa also extended their lead to 7-5 in the third.

The O’s took the lead in the fifth after tying it on Colton Cowser’s RBI-double. Gary Sanchez came up behind him, and smacked a two-run home run. Again going back to Cash, he went to the bullpen because he saw this as a big game and he felt his starter wasn’t hacking it. And again, he’s now taxed his bullpen seemingly for nothing.

One inning later the Birds got an RBI-double by Cowser, and a two-RBI single by Sanchez. The game appeared over with the O’s leading 11-8 following Tampa tacking one back on. But Laureano’s two-RBI single and Sanchez’s fielder’s choice combined with an error combined to run it to 14-8. But wait…there’s more.

When the smoke cleared in the game overall, the Orioles went home…wait for it…22-8 winners. Jackson Holliday and Gunnar Henderson each homered. As did Coby Mayo in the last of the eight, a two-run shot. It was Mayo’s first major league home run,

The downside of course is Jordan Westburg, however again, he’s listed as day-to-day. In a year when the Orioles have lost a couple of games big, this was one where they returned the favor. Keep in mind that blowouts like this are anomalies on both sides. But you take it and move on when you’re on the good end of it.

The series continues this afternoon at Camden Yards. Zach Eflin gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Zack Littell. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.