Baltimore Orioles: Trey Mancini clutch in Birds’ victory

The Baltimore Orioles sent Dean Kremer to the mound in game two of three in Texas. Kremer pitched a great effort, although he was pulled in the fifth inning in an effort to match up. However he put his team in a spot to win the game. And as I’ve said many times, that’s all you can ask of a starter. Kremer’s line: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K.

Kremer gave up one run, on an RBI-single to Dahl in the fourth inning. While no other runs were surrendered after Kremer left, the O’s couldn’t make any headway in the game. That is until they got into Texas’ suspect bullpen.

Cedric Mullins‘ RBI-single in the seventh tied the game at one. But it was Trey Mancini who made the biggest impact. His RBI-double later, in the eighth inning, put the Orioles in the lead. Later in the inning Ryan Mountcastle added a sac fly-RBI, closing out the inning with the Birds leading 3-1.

The Orioles would add a few insurance runs in the ninth. DJ Stewart‘s RBI-single ran the score to 4-1. Later in the inning Maikel Franco would add a two-run home run, giving the O’s a 6-1 win.

This was a good team win. Not one moment in theory was better than another. However Mancini giving the team the lead was huge. As were those insurance runs in the ninth inning. Too often teams get a lead or have a small lead for most of a game, only to see it disappear at the end. But insurance runs ensure that won’t happen.

This in theory also takes pressure off the Orioles. Winning the first two of a series gives them the impression of playing with house money tomorrow. If they lose, two-of-three isn’t bad. If they win, they’ve swept the weekend series in Texas. So again, house money.

The series concludes tomorrow at Globe Life Field. John Means gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Texas’ Kyle Gibson. Game time is set for just after 2:30 PM.

Baltimore Orioles knotch a win deep in the heart of Texas

Jorge Lopez got the ball for the Baltimore Orioles last night in the opener of a three-game set in Texas. He only stuck around for five innings. But that’s all you need to qualify for the win if you leave with the lead. And of course if your team retains it. Lopez’s line: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 8 K.

Part of the Orioles’ issue of late has been that they couldn’t put together a winning starting pitching performance with the offense yielding results. That wasn’t the case last night. Cedric Mullins smacked an RBI-double in the third which got the O’s on the board with a 1-0 lead. One inning later they doubled that on Rio Ruiz‘s solo homer.

The Birds won the game however in the fifth. Anthony Santander‘s sac fly-RBI ran the score to 3-0. But the big blow came from DJ Stewart. His two-run homer would give the O’s a 5-0 lead. And that was big because in the bottom of the fifth Lopez gave up back-to-back home runs. However following his (Lopez’s) exit, the Orioles’ bullpen was strong, and closed out a 5-2 win.

DJ Stewart talked after the game about what hitting that homer meant to him and to the rest of the team (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

It was huge, just momentum-wise, confidence-wise. We had a meeting this morning and sometimes that’s how baseball is. It’s just not going our way, unlucky things, but it was big for us to get to them early and kind of put them away.

The series continues this evening at Globe Life Field. Dean Kremer gets the call for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Texas’ Dane Dunning. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Was Maikel Franco a victim of the moment?

Baltimore Orioles’ pitching was solid in the series with Seattle, including in today’s game two of the doubleheader. For the most part, that is. And for the most part, Oriole bats were dominated by an equally strong showing by Seattle pitching. In this afternoon’s second game, it was Bruce Zimmerman who was a hard-luck loser at the hands of Seattle. Zimmerman’s line: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 2 K.

After the game Zimmerman claimed that his fastball command wasn’t as good as he would have liked, but his breaking pitches seemed to be working (quote courtesy of Rich Kubatko, MASNsports):

I definitely didn’t have as good of fastball command, so that kind of put me behind from the get-go as far as just having to battle more each at-bat. Kind of relied on my off-speed a little bit more today, for the most part I was able to get it over. The breaking ball was a little sharper than last outing, which helped, because we made an adjustment working on that this week, and that was good to see. Just didn’t have quite the command that I normally do, especially with being able to go in on guys, which sets up everything else for me.
But there wasn’t much to criticize overall in Zimmerman’s outing. He gave up two solo home runs, one to Moore in the third and one to Haniger in the fifth. Freddy Galvis smacked a solo homer in the last of the third for the O’s, who fell 2-1. The dropped three-of-four in the series at home against Seattle.

The old saying is that solo home runs don’t hurt you. But the fact is that they do hurt you when your team isn’t putting runs on the board. That’s what happened to the the Birds and Zimmerman today.

One thing that might not sit well with the coaching staff was Maikel Franco‘s at-bat in the last of the seventh (the final inning in a doubleheader). With the O’s down by one, you’re looking to get a runner on base in any manner possible. Get the tying run aboard to extend the game.

Franco led off the inning, and worked the count to 3-0. Now if it’s me, I want to make the pitcher prove he can throw the ball over the plate before I’m going to swing. And that’s in ANY situation, much less one like that where you absolutely need a base runner. So I wouldn’t have considered taking the bat off my shoulder unless the count was 3-2.

Instead, Franco swung on 3-0, and lined out to short. That’s the sort of thing that can make or break you in a game. And a veteran like Franco should know that. Did that single-handed my lose the game for the Orioles today? Absolutely not. But it’s small things like that which can often make a difference in games, especially in a big spot.

The Orioles now leave home and head for Texas for a three-game set with the Texas Rangers at the new Globe Life Field. Jorge Lopez gets the start tomorrow night for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Texas’ Mike Foltynewicz. Game time is set for just after 8 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Trey Mancini homers in loss

Matt Harvey drew the start for the Baltimore Orioles in game one of yet another twin bill against Seattle. The teams split a doubleheader on Tuesday after a rainout Monday night, and are playing two today following last night’s rainout. Harvey’s line: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 K.

The O’s took an early 2-0 lead on Trey Mancini‘s two-run homer. And other than that, the Birds were held off the board. Seattle pitching has been pretty good in this series thus far. The Birds only mustered five hits in total in the game.

Seattle would tie things up in the top of the fifth on a Haniger two-run homer. And those were the only two runs charged to Harvey. It’s easy to look at that stat line and suggest that a starter going 4.2 innings and giving up two runs isn’t that good. However keep in mind that these doubleheaders are seven inning games. So that isn’t bad in and of itself. Following Harvey’s departure, Crawford would smack a two-RBI double in the sixth, which provided for the winning runs in Seattle’s 4-2 victory in the first of this twin bill.

My aversion to the seven inning doubleheaders is well documented. And admittedly my reasoning is that a baseball game is supposed to be nine innings. I’m steadfast in that. I feel that seven inning stuff is total garbage.

However above I mentioned Matt Harvey only lasting 4.2 innings in the game, and how in a seven inning game that isn’t awful. Keep in mind that those two runs he surrendered affect his ERA in the sense that it’s based on nine innings. If you throw in several games that are managed differently in terms of starting pitchers and innings pitched, that throws stats off – be it up or down. That makes a difference.

The series and the doubleheader will conclude in short order at Camden Yards. Bruce Zimmerman gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Seattle’s Justin Dunn. Game time is set for approximately 45 minutes after the completion of the first game, give or take at around 3:45 PM this afternoon.

Baltimore Orioles rained out again, prompting another doubleheader

Tonight’s Orioles vs. Seattle game at Camden Yards has been rained out. It’s been raining all afternoon in Baltimore, and the forecast doesn’t appear to be allowing for any sort of window to play tonight. Tomorrow the teams were scheduled to play a getaway day matinee, which is now a getaway day doubleheader.

You know the routine by now. Doubleheaders this year (and last) are seven innings long. I’ve said this before, but I’m not a fan. (Just thought I’d throw that in.) Game one will begin at 12:30 PM, and game two approximately 25 minutes (or so) after the completion of the first game. Fans with tickets for tomorrow’s game will be allowed to attend both games, as it’s a single-admission doubleheader. The Orioles will be on the move to Texas following the second game.

Baltimore Orioles: All’s well that ends well

Dean Kremer took to the mound in the second game of two tonight for the Baltimore Orioles against Seattle. As can often be the case for young pitchers, it was the second time through the order that got Kremer. In the first and second innings he got ahead of hitters. In the third they started figuring him out. Kremer’s line: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 3 K.

As I said, he fared well in the first two innings. Then he started putting guys on base, and while he tried valiantly, he just couldn’t re-adjust fast enough to limit the damage. Seattle took a 1-0 lead on Seager’s sac fly-RBI. That came with the bases loaded, which left three runners still on base. However they cleared quickly, as Marmolejos followed with a three-run homer.

The Birds had gotten themselves down in the second game of the doubleheader just as they did in the first inning. However this time it was really short lived. The O’s would load the bases themselves in the last of the third, and Maikel Franco‘s bases-clearing double would cut the Seattle lead to 4-3.

Later in the inning Ryan Mountcastle would tie the score at four with an RBI-single. But this time they didn’t stop at just tying the score. They would eventually take the lead…

…and they would do so in the last of the fourth. Cedric Mullins‘ RBI-double would give the O’s their first lead of the doubleheader. Later in the inning Anthony Santander would add a sac fly-RBI, giving the Birds a 6-4 lead. Insurance runs never hurt – especially in seven inning games.

Manager Brandon Hyde brought in reliever Adam Plutko, who pitched a very successful fifth and sixth inning. Mind you, these doubleheader’s are harsh on teams’ bullpens. Even in their shortened forms. Hyde opted to leave Plutko in for a rare three inning save.

However that was almost a big mistake. An understandable one, but it almost bit Hyde and the Al’s in the derrière. Plutko gave up a two-run homer to Haggerty in the top of the seventh – which mind you, was the last inning. That tied the game at six, when it appeared the O’s would cruise to snapping their four-game losing streak.

But as the title suggests, all’s well that ends well. With a runner on base in the last of the seventh, Ramon Urias‘ walk off RBI-single won it for the Birds. You would have preferred to not have to go to the bottom of the inning, however all that’s important is that the Orioles won the game. And having lost four straight, this win was a big one.

The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Matt Harvey gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Seattle’s Justin Dunn. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles battle but drop first of a twin bill

Once starter John Means was able to settle down in the first game of two against Seattle today, he looked pretty good. Given that the game was only seven innings due to MLB’s doubleheader rule, I’m not sure what constitutes a quality start in this game. But Means may have pitched one. Means’ line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 5 K.

Means gave up solo homer to France and Murphy in the first and second innings respectively. But again, after that he was pretty solid. He also surrendered an RBI-single to Haniger in the second, and that was it.

The issue was that his mound counterpart, Seattle’s Sheffield, was equally as good. He surrendered a two-run homer to Ramon Urias in the last of the fifth, which cut the Seattle lead to 3-2. Other than that, he kept the Orioles off the board.

But after Sheffield exited in following the sixth inning, things got interesting. With a runner on second, DJ Stewart smacked an RBI-double, tying the game at three. Which meant that we had to go to an eighth inning, which technically is extra innings. (Due to MLB’s doubleheader rule, which makes for two seven-inning games.)

However Seager’s RBI-double in the top of the eighth proved to be the eventual winning run for Seattle. However you have to admire the fight in the Birds, battling back against the Seattle bullpen. And they’ll get another shot at them very soon again this evening.

The series and the doubleheader will continue here in short order at Camden Yards with game two. Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Seattle’s Nick Margevicius. The game will start at approximately 7:15 PM.

Baltimore Orioles rained out, doubleheader tomorrow

The Baltimore Orioles game tonight against Seattle has been rained out. Rain started at Oriole Park at Camden Yards just prior to the scheduled first pitch at 7 PM. And the forecast isn’t conducive to playing tonight.

So the O’s and Seattle will play a single admission doubleheader at Camden Yards tomorrow with game one starting at 4 PM. Game two will begin roughly 30 minutes after the completion of the first game, with both games being shortened to seven innings. John Means will get the start for the Birds in game one, and he’ll be opposed by Seattle’s Justus Sheffield.

Baltimore Orioles: Multiple Boston homers sweep Birds away

It didn’t seem to matter what the Baltimore Orioles did today. It didn’t work. Or rarely worked, that is. Jorge Lopez hit the start today in the finale with Boston, and made some decent pitches. They just got hit. Lopez’s line: 4.0 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

Boston got a three-run homer by Verdugo in the third, which set up the rest of the game. That was followed by a solo shot by Martinez. And the O’s found themselves behind 4-0.

The Birds loaded the bases in the last of the third, and it appeared that they had a golden opportunity to get back in the game. With two outs Freddy Galvis tried to score on a passed ball. But Galvis was called out, ending the inning.

The umpires reviewed the play, however. The pitcher appeared to block home plate as Galvis came in – which is now against the rules. Yet despite what appeared to be clear and convincing evidence, the call was upheld.

The Birds would get a run in the last of the fourth on an RBI-single by Maikel Franco. But Boston would come right back in the fifth. They were aggressive early in counts for the entire series. Today was no exception. Martinez smacked an RBI-single, Devers a three-run homer, and Hernandez was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. To top it off, one inning later in the sixth Herandez would smack a solo homer to run the score to 10-1.

But we did hear from the O’s again before the game ended. They put two runners on in the sixth, with Franco coming back up. And Franco’s two-run homer cut the Boston lead to 10-4. One inning later, they also got a three-run shot from Trey Mancini, cutting the lead to 10-7. But Boston wasn’t done. Martinez smacked a third homer in the eighth, running it to 11-7.

And Boston still wasn’t done. Devers smacked his second homer in the game, this a two-run shot in the eighth. Later in the inning the O’s botched a grounder in the infield, allowing a 14th run to score. All in all, Martinez smacked three bombs, and Devers two, as Boston swept the O’s away.

The O’s would score two garbage runs in the ninth to run the final to 14-9. I suppose the silver lining is that the O’s put seven runs on the board. But they couldn’t keep guys off base. And Boston was happy to mercilessly tee off on that. Just a reminder, folks…every team has games like this. Boston did last Sunday against the Orioles. You come back again tomorrow and try to be better.

The Orioles will open up a four-game set with Seattle tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Dean Kremer gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Seattle’s Justus Sheffield. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles fall short in extra’s

Bruce Zimmerman got the opportunity of a lifetime this evening; the Baltimore-native started a game for the Baltimore Orioles. He had played at Camden Yards before, but this was the first time he had the opportunity to do so in front of fans. Many of whom he probably knew or was related to. It’s one thing to make it to the majors. It’s quite another to do so with your hometown team (and to record a quality start). Zimmerman’s line: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

Unfortunately Zimmerman was greeted rudely. Devers’ RBI-single in the first inning gave Boston a 1-0 lead. Devers would later get caught stealing to end the inning. However he was merely a diversion, as the lead runner was able to come around and score before the rundown ended.

That’s another case of getting guys on base and having something happen. Zimmerman didn’t make a bad pitch that got hit – allowing a run to score. But guys were on base, and something happened without a pitch being thrown. That shows the importance of keeping ducks off the pond.

But that was only the first inning. And the good news is that at least in the first, Oriole bats were hot. In a made-for-Baltimore moment, Trey Mancini smacked his first homer of 2021, and his first since coming back. It’s moments like that, and like the Standing O he received on Thursday, which make baseball great.

Anthony Santander came up after Mancini, and went back-to-back with a solo homer of his own. This tied the game at two runs each. And there it remained until the sixth when Devers cranked a solo homer, giving Boston the lead back at 3-2.

However with a runner already on base and nobody out in the last of the eighth, we saw perhaps the play of the game from the Orioles’ standpoint. DJ Stewart smacked a double to dead center field, splitting the outfielders. That put two in scoring position with nobody down.

Stewart knew enough to understand his job was to get on base. So he hit it where they weren’t. And it’s that sort of situational hitting which will win you ballgames. It didn’t happen tonight, but that wins you games.

Maikel Franco‘s fielder’s choice-RBI later in the inning would tie the game at three. And Freddy Galvis‘ RBI-single would give the Birds a 4-3 lead. However Boston would get a couple of runners on in the ninth, and Dalbec’s fielder’s choice-RBI would tie the game. And Boston wasn’t finished. They’d put two on the board in the top of the tenth, walking away with a 6-4 win.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards. Jorge Lopez gets the call for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Nick Pivetta. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.