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.

Baltimore Orioles: You have to take opportunities as presented

Jorge Lopez got the start for the Baltimore Orioles last night in the first of three with Oakland. As has been the case with numerous starters this year (including Lopez), he provided mixed results. He pitched well enough to put the team in a position to win, but he exited early and surrendered the winning runs. Lopez’s line: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 1 K.

Oakland took a 1-0 lead in the second on an RBI-groundout by Brown. Piscotty’s RBI-single later in the inning ran the score to 2-0. Lopez also loaded the bases in that inning, but pitched out of it abs limited the damage. So that’s a good thing.

Laureano’s solo homer in the fifth would chase Lopez and give Oakland a 3-0 lead. The O’s however did have a legit shot at winning the game. They loaded the bases with nobody out in the last of the sixth, but only mustered an RBI-single by Pedro Severino. That was the lone Oriole run of the game, and they fell 3-1.

Manager Brandon Hyde semi-addressed this sequence after the game (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

“Just didn’t get the big hit. We’ve got to move the ball with runners in scoring position. We’re punching out too often. … We’re swinging at pitchers’ pitches a little bit too often in big spots and we’ve got to make better decisions at the plate.

Netting only one run with the bases loaded and nobody out looks fairly incriminating. In any sport, you can’t expect to win games when you don’t take advantage of opportunities like that. That’s a golden chance to do some serious damage in an inning. In this specific case, the O’s could have taken the lead. Instead they settled for the one run, and an opportunity as such never presented itself again in the game.

You have to take advantage of opportunities your opponent gives you. Oakland did, early in the game. The Orioles let Oakland off the hook, and it cost them. Now granted they’re a young team – that sort of thing is going to happen. But they need to move forward and fix the issues. Teams that leave runs on the table lose a lot of games.

The series continues this evening at Camden Yards. The Orioles have yet to name a starter, and they might have to dip into the alternative site to get one. Whomever the starter is, he’ll be opposed by Oakland’s Chris Bassitt. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles fall in Miami series finale

My personal opinion is that Bruce Zimmerman pitched to a valiant effort this afternoon in Miami. He joined the ranks of pitchers not going deep into games, however that doesn’t seem to bother manger Brandon Hyde as much as it bothers me. However that seems to be the direction in which the game’s going. Especially with seven-inning doubleheaders being introduced. Zimmerman’s line: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 4 K.

And if anything, I believe that Zimmerman could have probably stayed in the game for longer. But again, the game’s not going in that direction right now. Unless of course you have an epic-type starting pitcher. Which the Orioles don’t.

This was a strange week in a sense for the Orioles. Every team will have a week or two like this, but it all feels very unnatural. Off day Monday, game one of a series Tuesday night, game two (the finale) of the series Wednesday afternoon, and then off again Thursday. Obviously the silver lining for the O’s is that they’re now heading home. And following an afternoon game, they’ll be home fairly “early,” and enjoy a day off tomorrow at home.

Miami struck against Zimmerman in the last of the fifth with a two-RBI double by Aguilar. Duvall would add an RBI-single later in the inning, giving Miami a 3-0 lead. Which turned into a 3-0 win.

I’m not trying to say that Zimmerman or any of the relievers used this afternoon didn’t pitch well. This was a very well-pitched game by the Birds. However I think the goal should be for starters to go deeper into games. Now that’s obviously not AS important to Brandon Hyde, and that’s okay. I’m old school. He’s not. Again, that’s okay.

And the fact is that the Birds didn’t surrender any more runs aside from those three. When I make the distinction between old school and new school thinking on this subject, the new way would say that the goal is to win the game, not to have a starter go deep into the game. And that’s true. But if your starters aren’t conditioned to go deep into games, that further taxes your bullpen.

I suppose there’s no right or wrong way. I just feel that the goal should be for the starter to be in there as long as he’s able, otherwise every game may as well be a bullpen game. End of the day, the O’s completed a 3-2 road trip, which isn’t too shabby. Now they head home to take on the Oakland A’s over the weekend – one of the hottest teams in baseball.

Baltimore Orioles: Matt Harvey with the win as Birds hold on

Matt Harvey took to the hill for the Baltimore Orioles tonight in Miami. This was also the Birds’ first foray into interleague play, which meant that they O’s lost their DH – and Harvey had to hit. But that didn’t seem to stop the Orioles’ bats, which were hot from the beginning and gave Harvey a deep cushion. Harvey’s line: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 4 K.

Maikel Franco‘s RBI-groundout in the first inning put the O’s in the driver’s seat. It also set the tone. Later in the inning Rio Ruiz smacked a two-RBI double, and the O’s led 3-0. They batted around in the first inning, ironically giving Harvey an at-bat before he even took to the mound.

But more importantly, he had the lead when he got on the mound. He did give a run back in the last of the first, but following an uneventful second inning the Birds opened the game wide open. Trey Mancini and Freddy Galvis each smacked solo homers. That gave the Birds a 5-1 lead in South Florida. One inning later they extended the lead to 6-1 on DJ Stewart‘s RBI-double.

Here’s the issue with having that sort of lead that early in a ballgame: there’s plenty of time for the opponent to come back. And Miami started chipping away. They put two across in the fifth, and two in the sixth. Before they knew it, the Orioles’ 6-1 lead had evaporated and it was only a 6-5 one-run lead.

Freddy Galvis’ RBI-single in the eighth gave the O’s a bit of insurance. But the good news is that the Orioles’ pen was sure, and they closed out the victory without much more drama. And given that this is a two-game series, winning game one is a big deal.

The downside of this win is that Anthony Santander sprained his ankle while on base in the top of the first inning. Santander appeared to be in pain, and had to be helped into the dugout. That’s definitely something on which to keep an eye. It wouldn’t shock me to see Santander headed to the IL tomorrow.

The short series in Miami concludes tomorrow afternoon at LoanDepot Park. Bruce Zimmerman gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Miami’s Trevor Rogers. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.